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August 26, 2011
Mayor Issues Mandatory Evacuation Order for All People in Zone A Coastal Areas and All Parts of the Rockaways in Queens; Discusses Safety Precautions All New Yorkers Should Take Before and During the Storm
Visit NYC.gov or Call 311 for Information about Evacuation Zones and Steps to Take to Prepare for the Hurricane
The following are Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's remarks as delivered this afternoon at City Hall:
"Well good afternoon. The sun is shining, but don't be misled. There is a very dangerous storm headed in our direction, and it could go slightly to the east or slightly to the west. It could speed up, it could close down, it could grow or diminish in intensity, but there is no question that we are going to get hit with some wind and high water that is very dangerous. And it's hard to believe when you look outside and see the sun, but it is in some sense the calm before the storm. And you only have to look at the weather maps to understand just how big this storm is, and how unique it is. And it's heading basically directly for us.
"We're here to bring you up to date on the City's ongoing preparations concerning Hurricane Irene, and let me start by saying we are opening, as of 4:00 PM today, 91 emergency facilities. They're a combination of evacuation centers and emergency shelters. They're being staffed by City employees, some on a volunteer basis.
"As you know, we think New Yorkers have the greatest workforce of any city in the nation, and I just wanted to start out by thanking them and their colleagues across the city for stepping up now and giving their time and effort to help New Yorkers who need shelter from the coming storm.
"The evacuation plan that we announced yesterday, I'm happy to say, is working smoothly. I'll discuss it in detail in a minute. And because Irene is now bearing down on us at a faster speed than it was yesterday, we are changing a few things. We are today issuing a mandatory - I repeat the word mandatory - evacuation order for all New Yorkers who live in the low-lying Zone A coastal areas in all five boroughs that are at greatest risk of damage relating to Irene, and we're adding to that the rest of the Rockaways, some of which are not Zone A, but are Zone B.
"Health Commissioner Tom Farley will be working with seniors homes and nursing homes and the two hospitals that are in the Zone B part of the Rockaways to try to find alternative sites for their residents. People who live in private homes, we want you to leave the Rockaways, and this is all due to the exposure to the ocean of the Rockaways, and the potential that emergency services may not be provided due to the closing of bridges.
"Bridges aren't going to fall down, but there is a point when the winds get so strong that they close because cars and trucks could be blown off them. What we're concerned about in the Rockaways, unlike other parts of the city that may be in low-lying areas, or even slightly higher, if something were to happen and you needed emergency services in the Rockaways, we're not sure that in the worst case we'd be able to get those services to you. So that is something that is different than yesterday.
"We're also moving up the time that we want everybody out, and that is by 5:00 PM tomorrow, Saturday. In a storm with wind and very high tides, there are risks that endanger public safety. I can't stress it enough. Please, nature is a force more powerful than any of us, and it really is better to be safe than sorry.
"The low-lying coastal areas that will be endangered most by storm surge include Coney Island and Manhattan Beach in Brooklyn, Far Rockaway and Broad Channel in Queens, South Beach, Midland Beach, and other low-lying areas on Staten Island, Battery Park City in Manhattan, and some small sections of the Bronx. As I said before, we are also adding a full evacuation of all people living in private homes are apartments in the Rockaways.
"In addition, you should know that MTA service, including subways, buses and railroads, will begin to shut down tomorrow at noon, and Jay Walder will describe that and other measures in a moment. Depending on the effect of the storm, let me just caution you also in regards to the MTA that service may or may not be restored in time for rush hour Monday morning, so I would urge employees to check with their employers regarding business openings on Monday.
"Now, we have never done a mandatory evacuation before - and we wouldn't be doing this now if we didn't think the storm had the potential to be very serious. The best outcome would be if the storm veers off to the east and doesn't hit us, or doesn't hit us hard, but we can't depend on mother nature being so kind. We have to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. And just because this is the first time we've had a mandatory evacuation of any part of the city, I just once again want to repeat this is very serious. Do not be fooled by the sun outside. That is the calm before the storm. And you can't wait until there are gale force winds and driving rains arrive, it will be too late then. You have to start your preparations to leave right now.
"Keep in mind, afternoon tomorrow you're not going to have the advantage of mass transit to help you do that. So if you were to leave today, that would be very helpful. And tomorrow, if you call Access-a-Ride, Jay Walder will talk about it, but they just don't have the capacity to take large numbers of people in any one day in a short span of time. So in spite of the good weather, if you want to be safe, now's the time to start moving.
"We expect that most New Yorkers affected by this evacuation order will find places to stay with relatives or friends who live in safer areas. However, as I said at the beginning of this, evacuation centers and shelters for those who need it will be open by 4:00 PM this afternoon, and they are staffed and equipped to accommodate the people we expect. But if the capacity were to be much greater than we have planned for, we certainly have the capacity to expand very quickly.
"We'll say more in a few minutes about how this system will work - a system that we put a lot of thought and effort into developing in order to avoid the kinds of problems that occurred during Hurricane Katrina. But let me first try to bring you up to date about the information about the strength and the path, and where this hurricane is likely to arrive in our area.
"The National Weather Service at the moment, and I keep reminding you this could change anytime, the National Service has put the entire New York metropolitan area under a hurricane watch, which means that sustained winds of 74 miles per hour or more are forecast - for Saturday evening through Sunday. At the moment, the strongest winds are expected to arrive early evening tomorrow, and to continue into late afternoon on Sunday.
"The current forecast is that Irene will reach the New York metropolitan area as a Category 1 storm. The ground speed of the storm has accelerated; gale forces winds of 40 miles an hour are the beginning of the storm, and they will grow significantly. We don't what they will grow to, but the full brunt of the storm if you're in its way, it's a lot more powerful than any of us. Certainly the best case scenario is very high winds and a lot of rain, and very, very high tides. Those are the things you're going to see, and we want to give you some ideas as to how to stay safe.
"As I stressed yesterday, our first obligation is to protect the most vulnerable New Yorkers in Zone A's low lying coastal areas. And I just wanted to bring you up to date on what we did yesterday. Hospital patients, those in nursing homes, homes for the aged and other New Yorkers who are in these homes yesterday were directed to leave by eight o'clock last night- or eight o'clock today. That has been done, everybody has been moved, there were no exceptions made by Tom Farley - and in all fairness, nobody even asked for exceptions.
"In the rest of the area, Coney Island Hospital, both campuses of Staten Island University Hospital, the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Manhattan, and NYU Medical Center on Manhattan's Upper East Side are evacuating their patients to other hospitals.
"Yesterday's Executive Order also covered eight nursing homes, one psychiatric facility, and eight adult care centers. All of those, as I said, have been or are in the process of evacuating. Most facilities are completing this process themselves. A lot of these facilities have contracted with people to help them, but in some cases City ambulance crews have been called in to help, and we're glad to provide that service.
"Another vulnerable population we are concentrating on is the homeless. We have four homeless shelters for families and four shelters for single adults in Zone A. The clients of these shelters will be relocated to our Bedford Atlantic shelter in Brooklyn and the El Camino shelter in Jamaica, Queens. We are also moving clients out of our intake center at 30th Street and 1st Avenue in Manhattan. At the same time, outreach teams are stepping up their activity to bring homeless clients who are living on the streets indoors.
"We are also taking steps to help those who, because of age, illness, or disability, are homebound. Home care providers are activating their emergency plans. On a case-by-case basis, we will authorize 'sleep-in services' to help clients that have complex needs and no other supports in the community. There are also 15 foster care residential shelters, you should know, in Zone A. Our Administration for Children's Services is working closely with the agencies operating those programs to ensure that each facility has a safety plan in place for all children at those facilities.
"Our other organizations are taking steps to keep their communities safe. For instance, many of the city's universities - including Fordham, NYU, St. John's and Columbia - are postponing the move-in date for incoming freshman from Sunday to Monday. So it's fun to move into college, it's an exciting time, but doing it in the middle of a hurricane probably would not be the best experience and way to start your college education. So I'm glad that they've seemed to move that.
"For some people, their port in the storm will be an emergency City shelter. We, as I said before, developed our Coast Storm Plan back in 2006 to prevent the kinds of problems we saw during Katrina when some centers and shelters were overloaded while others were strikingly empty. We put a lot of effort into designing a more efficient system so that when we need it - such as now - all we have to do is implement a plan, not develop it from scratch. That's why we work so hard when the weather is good to make sure that when something goes wrong we're ready.
"The centers and shelters are organized on what we call a solar system model. Five to 10 shelters are organized around each evacuation center, where the initial intake process would take place. The system is designed for efficiency in supplying and supporting the shelters, and to eliminate any bottlenecks that may develop, and to ensure that each location has sufficient quantities of food, water, blankets and other essential supplies. The shelters and centers will be staffed by City employees from non-first responder agencies. The first responders have plenty of other things to do.
"Employees who have been designated by their agencies to staff emergency shelters should be reporting to the assignment locations today. These sites will also be staffed by school safety agents and supplied with food from the Department of Education's Office of School Foods, and security will, of course, be provided by the NYPD.
"NYC.gov, as you know, just got so overloaded that unfortunately the system crashed a few times. It is currently experiencing three times its average volume of traffic, which has made access to the site problematic for some. Yesterday, NYC.gov had 4.3 million hits - shattering the previous high of 2.2 million on January 26th. To alleviate this pressure, we began adding additional servers yesterday and are also off-loading some traffic to external commercial servers.
"NYC.gov is back up and running, but if you are unable to access the site at any time over the weekend, you can receive updates via Twitter from @nycmayorsoffice and @notifynyc. But even if that doesn't work, you certainly can call 311, and it may take a few minutes, but we have additional staff in the offices keeping up pretty much with the demand.
"As Irene arrives, safety is going to become increasingly important, and we want all New Yorkers to keep a few things in mind. From 9:00 PM tomorrow evening until 9:00 PM Sunday, for those 24 hours, New Yorkers really should take the following precautions. First, stay indoors. It's fun being out, but this is dangerous. There is flying glass, there's tree limbs, there's who knows what - a basket, a piece of patio furniture that was left out unprotected. It's just very dangerous when the winds get this high and when the rains are so heavy that you can't see where you're going.
"Second, avoid being near glass windows. There's always a risk of flying debris shattering windows, and that risk increases if you're in a high-rise, on the 10th floor or higher. For your own safety, stay in rooms with no or few windows, and close the doors to rooms where there are more windows. Don't stand or congregate in a glassed in lobby or atrium, it's exactly the same problem.
"Third, many apartment buildings also have basement or rooftop mechanical equipment, such as water towers, pumps, water heaters, and the mechanics for elevators. They may be damaged by flooding, so a good precaution is to fill a bathtub or sink with potable water. High-rise residents should also be aware that flooding or wind damage may cause power outages that will prevent elevators from operating. If you can, take the stairs, particularly if it's only a few stories. It just reduces the number of people that may get trapped. Keep in mind, one of the things we're worried about is the safety of the public, but also the safety of our first responders who put their lives in danger to protect the public and to save the public. If the public took care at the beginning to not run some risks, it would be better for them and it would also be better for our first responders, and let our first responders focus on those who got themselves into trouble.
"The Buildings Department, you should know, did issue a stop work order that will suspend all construction in the five boroughs from 2:00 PM. tomorrow until 7:00 AM on Monday. That includes renovations at City Hall, and also extends to the operation of tower cranes at the World Trade Center Site.
"Currently, 13 of the 24 tower cranes active in are city are located at the World Trade Center site. For those that want to know, this work stoppage will not have any effect on the scheduled opening of the 9/11 Memorial in time for the 10th anniversary of that tragic day. Since Wednesday, inspectors have been inspecting construction sites across the city to ensure equipment is properly secured. Working with other City agencies, they will continue conducting inspections over the weekend to make sure the stop-work order is being followed.
"The Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Transportation are inspecting dozens of flood-prone locations to do everything they can to keep catch basins clear and able to handle the extra rain water. Having said that, the forecast for eight to 12 inches of rain is something that the system just is not going to be able to handle in every single case. So you know, when you go under a bridge and it's a catchment area, be very careful. Even if the grates were cleaned today, leaves and other stuff get washed in and then all of a sudden you have a flood where you didn't have one a few minutes earlier.
"As Irene approaches, keeping City streets free for buses and emergency vehicles - that is crucial. And for that reason, we're suspending alternate side parking and meter rules on Sunday and Monday. And as I said yesterday, if you live in a Zone A, don't park your car outside the door in a low lying area. Drive it to some place that's higher, even if it takes a little while to walk there and pick it up on Monday. You'll save your car. To ease travel around the City, starting at 9 pm Saturday we will implement a 'zone-fare' plan that will make most rides less expensive in taxies and will encourage group rides and permit livery drivers to make street pick-ups.
"It's the same plan we used during the transit strike of 2005. And every little bit helps. And when and if driving conditions become too hazardous, the Taxi & Limousine Commission does have the ability to send text messages to all drivers advising them of that.
"If sustained wind speeds reach 46 miles an hour and navigation becomes difficult, the Staten Island Ferry service may be suspended. Safety is the most important thing. I know it's inconvenient, but these boats are big, and it's very difficult to land them at the dock when the winds are blowing anything at that speed or higher. Commuter ferry services operated by the Economic Development Corporation will stop after this evening's rush hour. Once wind speeds reach 50 miles per hour, we'll take a hard look at closing the City bridges. Now keep in mind, some bridges are City bridges, some a TBTA bridges which Jay can talk about, some are Port Authority Bridges - so there's three different agencies involved, and the City bridges tend to be smaller and closer to the ground than something like the Verrazano, which is a TBTA bridge, or the George Washington, which is a Port Authority bridge. Each agency will look at each of their own bridges and make their own decisions.
"To clear City streets, we're also right now revoking City permits for street fairs, block parties, and similar events on Sunday, and in Zone A - low-lying areas - on Saturday as well. The rain forecast for tomorrow is such that I don't think very many people would go to these events anyway, but we just don't need any more traffic on the streets or things blowing around than is absolutely necessary. As to any such activities in other parts of the city scheduled for Saturday, we've amended their permits to require that they stop serving the public by 2:00 PM tomorrow.
"City beaches will be closed Saturday and Sunday and remain closed until they can be operated safely. Please, please, please, don't go in the water. The tides will be much stronger than people can cope with, and it's just a tragedy waiting to happen.
"We've placed similar restrictions on outdoor TV and film permits. Marinas run by the Parks Department will be closed starting 6:00 PM Saturday, and all customers will be required to leave. The Dave Matthews concert on Governors Island that was scheduled for tonight will go ahead, but the concert scheduled for Saturday and Sunday nights are cancelled.
"The Mets games for Saturday and Sunday have been cancelled. I talked to the Wilpons today pointing out that there would not be any mass transit to get people to and from Citi Field, and since over a third of their customers come via mass transit it obviously would be very difficult to get them there. Also, the forecast is, in any case, for rains that would prevent baseball from being played.
"Fans going to the Jets-Giants game Saturday over in New Jersey should know that MTA service will likely not be available to them, so after the game they can get back if the can to New York City, but they won't be able to get around - the buses and subways will not be running.
"And let me repeat one more time before I turn things over to Speaker Quinn, because of the danger of falling limbs or trees and blowing glass and furniture and who knows what, please stay out of the parks on Sunday. And if you can possibly do it, stay inside on Sunday. It's a good time to catch up or sleep late or anything, but it would be great if we could wake up Monday morning and say that there were no tragedies. Unfortunately with a storm this size, the likelihood, the dangers, is great, and the likelihood of tragedies exists. And we do everything we can to keep that from happening."


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Roll Music Systems RMS216 Folcrom: 16-channel passive summing box (Used)
Tired of the flat, narrow sound of your Digital Audio Workstation? Do individual tracks sound full and deep while whole mixes sound lifeless and thin? Can you go analog without sacrificing the recall ability of the DAW or parting with the space and money required for a large automated console? Break out of the box and let your mixes breathe again.
The RMS216 FOLCROM is a high quality passive mixer intended for analog summing of multichannel digital mixes. The sound is up to you and your preamps.
Each of the Folcrom's sixteen input channels features a balanced analog connection on standard 8-channel DB25 connectors and a pair of pushbutton switches to assign that channel to the Left or Right output, neither, or both. It uses no active circuitry and provides no gain or level controls. By controlling all aspects of the mix from within the DAW, automation and recallability are perfectly preserved. Up to 16 different tracks or submixes can then be routed to the Folcrom for summing in the analog domain.
The absence of faders, EQ, aux sends, pan knobs, or any other superfluous features not only preserves your software automation, it also allows for an elegant passive circuit using no amplifiers, ICs, transistors, capacitors, or transformers whatsoever. The simplicity of the fully balanced, symmetrical signal path allows the use of no-compromise passive components for an absolutely transparent signal path. The unit passes signals "from DC to daylight" without coloration.
The output of the Folcrom is a stereo pair of balanced, 150-ohm signals on XLR connectors and requires approximately 30-40dB of make-up gain (program dependent). This signal is ideally suited for feeding into an outboard microphone preamplifier of your choosing. The mixbus is therefore able to assume the tonal character of the amplifier, providing a wide range of sonic flavors. Chances are your mike preamps just sit there unused at mixdown time anyway. Plug into your Great River MP-2 when you need pristine clarity; or put those old Telefunken or RCA tube preamps to work when you want super thick warmth.
By excluding the make-up gain amplifier from the Folcrom, we are able to provide a unique opportunity for wide tonal control by allowing you to choose your flavor of make-up gain. At the same time, it enables us to produce an ultimate quality summing buss without compromise for well under a thousand dollars. What other analog console can give you so many options, in a single rack space, and at such a reasonable price?
|Input Channels
|Input Impedance
|10kΩ balanced
|Recommended Source Impedance
|Maximum Input Level
|+42dB rms
|Output Channels
|Output Impedance
|150Ω balanced
|Recommended Load Impedance
|Output Level
|-35dB nominal
|Frequency Response
|Crosstalk @1kHz
|Power Requirements

subset: commoncrawl


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NC House committee OKs abortion bill fix
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, July 10, 2013
RALEIGH (AP) — A House committee has approved a potential fix for an abortion bill from the Senate to address the concerns of Gov. Pat McCrory about whether it would restrict women's access to obtain the procedure.
The judiciary panel approved a substitute measure Wednesday on a party-line vote in favor of Republicans. Democrats voting no argued the changes would still result in abortion clinics closing and criticized the process that led to the committee vote with no advance notice.
McCrory threatened earlier Wednesday to veto the bill that passed the Senate last week if it reached his desk. His problems centered on requirements that clinics be regulated like outpatient surgery centers and doctors must be physically present for abortion procedures.
The bill's next stop is the full House.


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PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] —The David Winton Bell Gallery will present Building Expectation: Past and Present Visions of the Architectural Future from Saturday, Sept. 3, through Sunday, Nov. 6, 2011. Exhibition curator Nathaniel Robert Walker will deliver a lecture titled "Industria, Here and Now," at an opening reception on Friday, Sept. 9, 2011, beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the List Art Center auditorium. The exhibition and opening event are free and open to the public.
Building Expectation presents a collection of historic and ongoing visions of the future from the 19th century until the present day. The focus of the show is less upon canonical designers or art-historical movements and more upon broadly based, popular speculation in the public sphere, according to Walker, a Brown graduate student in the history of art and architecture. The exhibition's content has been drawn from a number of university libraries and private collections, as well as the Swiss state-supported museum of utopia known as the Maison d'Ailleurs (House of Elsewhere). Many of the objects have never been exhibited in the United States.
"The world of tomorrow has usually been imagined first and foremost as a place — the new Promised Land, the millennial landscape. And architecture, cast since the Enlightenment as the calling card for cultural and technological periods in the grand narrative of human development and progress, has always been one of the future's most revealing and recognizable features," said Walker.
The exhibition's collection of past architectural visions is divided into three categories, each highlighting a different motive or guiding principle in the crafting of future worlds. First are imaginary places designed to articulate and support political reform schemes, such as Robert Owen's early Victorian industrial paradise of New Harmony, brought to life in the highly detailed drawings he published to advocate a new world order framed by garden-filled Gothic factories-for-living. The second group of futuristic visions consists of exotic locales crafted to make money on the open market by functioning as amusing and/or inspiring distractions, such as the sparkling, whirring glass cities which fill early 20th-century pulp magazines and utopian romance novels. The final category of past visions is made up of futuristic cityscapes constructed to lend the prestige and promise of the future to personalities, products, and corporations by cleverly (and often beautifully) drawn lines of association, such as Syd Mead's 1969 Portfolio of Probabilities commissioned by U.S. Steel. Considered together, the many futuristic codes created and deployed in these different categories of vision are revealed not as truly forward-looking glimpses of tomorrow, but rather as artifacts of the past that have been aesthetically formed and have acquired meaning in historical processes of their own.
The final portion of the exhibition is dedicated to contemporary visions of the future, chosen or commissioned for their makers' ability to continue the critical conversation about the "world of tomorrow." A number of the participants offer futuristic design paradigms that openly defy some of the most persistent dogmas of progressive Modernism, while others take the conceptual processes of technological evolution to their furthest extremes. All of them call into question those aspects of "the future" that have been, and often still are, taken for granted. Artists such as Pippi Zornoza, Jane Masters, and Brian Knep, all based in New England, have created large installations that are architectural in their scope as well as their content. Others such as Swiss artist Christian Waldvogel and the urban design firm DPZ are showing works resulting from years of study and refinement in sites around the world.
Spanning the gap between past visions and contemporary concepts of the future is a new drawing by illustrator Katherine Roy. It depicts the wonderful but deeply troubled city of Industria, a radiant urban landscape described in the largely forgotten 1884 novel Ignis by Comte Didier de Chousy. "A fevered, delirious paradise, it is the stage for a satirical tragic comedy of utopian proportions, and Roy's illustration speaks on multiple levels to the past and ongoing cultural processes that may be said to "build expectation,'" Walker said.
The Bell Gallery, located inside List Art Center, 64 College St., is open to the public without charge Monday though Friday from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. and 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. For more information, please call 401-863-2932.


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LONDON (AP) -- British telecommunications company Vodafone agreed on Monday to buy Spain's Ono for 7.2 billion euros ($10 billion) as it seeks to expand operations across Europe.
The deal is part of a broader trend of mergers and takeovers in Europe, where the mobile industry is split among some 150 major operators crisscrossing national lines -- compared to just four in the United States.
Grupo Corporativo Ono S.A. provides phone, mobile and television services to 1.9 million customers and has the largest "next-generation network" in Spain, reaching 7.2 million homes, or 41% of the country. Vodafone says Ono has abundant spare capacity, giving it space to expand.
"Demand for unified communications products and services has increased significantly over the last few years in Spain, and this transaction -- together with our fiber-to-the-home build program -- will accelerate our ability to offer best-in-class propositions in the Spanish market," Vodafone Chief Executive Vittorio Colao said in a statement.
Vodafone is flush with cash after agreeing last year to sell its stake in a U.S. venture to Verizon for $130 billion in cash and stock -- one of the biggest deals in corporate history.
Monday's deal marks Vodafone's second major acquisition in Europe, after its purchase of Kabel Deutschland last year. Vodafone was attracted by Kabel Deutschland's extensive cable network, which it could use to expand its fixed-line, broadband and television business.
The deal allows Vodafone to accelerate its expansion in Europe, save costs in its Spanish operations and take advantage of the rapid increase in the adoption of unified communications products and services in the Spanish market. Ono has invested approximately 7 billion euros in its network since 1998.
Analysts were divided over the potential benefits of the deal.
"Spain has been the source of losses for several quarters, and bundling Vodafone's mobile services with popular broadband and cable TV offerings is the only realistic choice to drive up customer retention, new subscribers and per-customer revenues," said Jason Sumner, technology analyst at The Economist Intelligence Unit.
But James Barford, an analyst at the London-based firm Enders Analysis, said the price was high and was skeptical that the focus on "quad play" -- the industry term for bundling phone, broadband, mobile and TV services -- will pay off.
"It's a little bit the tail wagging the dog in terms of justifying such a high cost," he said. "There's an assumption that 'quad play' is essential, but there really isn't evidence that consumers have a strong desire to buy the fixed line and the mobile services together."


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How the programme works!
- Initially new recruits come along on a 4 week beginner's course.
- On completion children are able to join as a full member and participate in regular weekly sessions.
- Each week the children learn a new technique and skill within their belt status.
- Once all the techniques within their belt status are taught and understood the students are able to grade for the next belt within the system.
- At the end of every school term the students are able to enter into non contact regional tournaments with medals and trophies for ALL.
- The programme runs over a four year period, on completion the students are fully equipped to move to the Teenager or Adult Wing Chun Programme.
Book here to start your martial arts journey!
* Dates without a green block are unavailable.
Available Class Times
(no other club gives you so much)
1) Full on line access to our members learning zone
This will allow you to watch professionally made tutorial videos and training drills relevant to the belt level you are training towards on any of your mobile devices. This will allow you to practice at home correctly and show Mum and Dad how well you are doing!
2) Junior Life Mastery
Meridian Kung Fu (UK)'s incredible kids life skills programme runs over an 8 week period EVERY term. This is an optional free of charge take home study that instills core values such as teamwork, tidiness, punctuality, respect, discipline and kindness. The children receive a work sheet to pin on the fridge and once it's completed they receive a super cool Meridian Kung Fu (UK) Junior Life Mastery wristband in a presentation ceremony.
3) Home study curriculum
For parents that want to help their children learn Chinese terminology and names of individual techniques, history of Wing Chun Kung Fu and its martial etiquette, we have work along book for you to read with your child at home. Wonderful bed time reading.
If after your first lesson you do not feel you've just put your child in the most professional, motivational and fun packed martial arts class in the UK that will improve their health, focus and discipline we will fully refund your fee.
Once you become a full member after your 4 week course you'll receive one of our limited edition Meridian Kung Fu (UK) kit bags. They are awesome!
Meridian Kung Fu (UK) instructors are experts in bringing out the very best in your child
We'll dramatically raise their confidence and interaction levels, develop core skills such as respect and courtesy whilst teaching them to be an incredible martial artist, natural leader and even more awesome than they already are!
Also available to all members
- Fun days A whole day of fun and games at UK HEAD QUARTERS during half terms and school holidays.
- Adventure days Have a day out with your favourite instructors at our adventure camp during the school holidays; Archery, zip lines, air rifles, mini crossbows, hiking , Water walkers and much more.
- Regular gradings Held at the end of every school term with a presentation ceremony for mum and dad to come and watch you receive your newly earned belt. Cool!
Elite training membership
For those that wish to take their training to the absolute max, once a year we recruit for our Elite training programme giving the chance to train in a 2 hour advanced session every month. Junior and teen members only.
Who else gives you professional
- Amazing Kung Fu classes that inspire kids
- Professional, full time instructors
- Fully DBS checked coaches
- Age specific curriculums
- Age specific training groups
- High energy classes
- Character developing environment
- On-line video learning zone
- Home study programmes
- Life skills programmes
- Regular awards and commendations
- Advancement onto elite training
Further development
Once you reach intermediate level you will be offered the opportunity to participate in our 4 year Elite Training Programme (see website for full details). This programme teaches the weapons of Wing Chun, the Wooden Dummy and Chi Kung.
We also offer a 4 year Instructor Programme resulting in you opening your own branch.
What to wear?
Clothing: Loose and comfortable top and full length trousers. Non marking shoes.
Book here to start your martial arts journey!
* Dates without a green block are unavailable.
Available Class Times
There are currently no classes at this branch. Please contact Meridian HQ for available classes in your area.
See our 5 star reviews…
"Meridian is one of the best. We've been to a few clubs in the past and this one is well structured, no time for getting bored, waiting for the next instruction. No waiting months for your t-shirt/kit to make your children feel more confident and an established member of the club. Membership pack was promptly given out exactly when they said, after a txt message. Friendly staff, good atmosphere – Its all there!"
"Where do I start, my six year old can now focus, concentrate, stand still and listen! Meridian has been amazing, the instructors are spot on, I am so impressed and I cannot praise them enough."
"Never before have my kids been thrilled to return to a class week after week! They loved it from day one. Everyone's really friendly, supportive and welcoming. We love it! Keep up the good work everybody!"
Just one of our fantastic Teenager groups. We teach over 1000 children per week in age specific classes. No 5 year olds and 14 year olds in the same class with Meridian Kung Fu. This ensures the very best learning outcome.
Sessions encourage development in line work, pad and drill work, heavy bag training, speed and flexibility training, plus of course, self defence and Wing Chun Kung Fu.
Teenagers learn respect and humility and the skills to become confident young adults.


text: FOR SALE: Renovated Victorian home w/ vintage details in historic Lauraville (land of Hamilton Tavern, Chop Shop, Blue Spark, The Charmed Life, Zeek's Coffee, Clementine and Chameleon Cafe). Wonderful usable space including huge rear yard w/ herb & veg gardens & fully enclosed cedar privacy fence (great for dogs & toddlers), plus renovated attic. New roof (2009). Renovated kitchen and baths, hard wood floors, & charming front porch. 3 bdrm, 1 & 1.5 bath. 7 miles/20 minutes to downtown, 15 minutes from Atomic Books (very bike friendly!).


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The iPad 2 has been on the market for a nearly five months, but the flood of new cases hasn't stopped. Which is good for us, and you, because it means yet another iPad case roundup.
Cocoon: The Grid-It Wrap 10 (iPad and iPad 2; $30) is a wonder for iPad users who like to keep things organized. With enough pockets and straps for just about anything from a pack of chewing gums to a charging cable, the Grid-It is sure to keep things in check no matter where you are. It's made of synthetic material and comes in black.
Griffin: The AirStrap (iPad 2; $50) features a molded frame with a comfortable grip designed to protect your tablet from bumps and scratches. A wide, neoprene strap at the back makes it easy to hold the iPad in your hand, regardless of whether you're sitting at the coffee shop or standing in the train on the way to work. It comes in black.
InCase: The Mag Snap (iPad 2; $40) is a clear, durable, hardshell case designed to work alongside Apple's Smart Cover. In addition to protecting the back of your iPad 2, this case features two magnetic strips that can be used to hold the last flap of a Smart Cover, extending the latter's functionality by providing three different viewing angles, in addition to keeping the cover open when reading.
M-Edge: Lots of new iPad products from this manufacturer, starting with the Back It (iPad 2; $20), a snap-on polycarbonate case with minimal profile available in clear, black, blue, or orange.
The Go Jacket (iPad 2; $45) features a trifold cover that allows you to use your tablet in three different positions. The soft, grey-microsuede interior is complemented on the outside by either crackled leather and carbon fiber (available in black and grey), patent leather (which can be had in platinum, merlot, or copper), or purple microfiber leather.
The New Yorker Jacket (iPad 2; $50) is, as its name implies, a jacket cover inspired by the venerable publication, with one of five different cover images available on the front of its ultra-slim design.
The Incline Jacket (iPad 2; $50) comes with a foldable design that can be arranged in five different viewing positions. It features a microfiber leather exterior and is available in red, blue, purple, black, fuchsia, or green.
Finally, there's the Cambridge Jacket (iPad 2; $50). Constructed of durable cotton canvas and genuine leather, and available in black or mocha, it sports an elegant box spine construction and a wool twill interior. The outside of the case is even treated with ScotchGard to repel liquids and help prevent stains.
MiPow: The Juice Book (iPad; $119) combines a folio-style case made of genuine leather and a battery pack that provides extra juice for your iPad while you're on the road. The rechargeable battery pack can also charge your iPod touch or iPhone if they need a bit of extra juice. The case comes in chocolate, saddle, or brown, and is available with a number of different AC plugs for various worldwide markets (including, of course, North America).
OtterBox: The Utility Series Latch (iPad and iPad 2; $50) is designed to hold your tablet wherever and however you want. Carrying case? Check. Hand strap? Check. Hanging cord? Check. Car-seat-headrest strap? Check. Available in black and made with tough materials with plenty of padding, the Latch can also be used with a Motorola Xoom.
Ozaki: The iCoat Notebook Grain (iPad 2; price unavailable) protects the front and back of the iPad with class and offers several different designs. Like Apple's own Smart Cover, the iCoat's front folds to act as a viewing stand or typing platform and features magnets in all the appropriate places to support the iPad 2's magnetic sleep/wake feature.
PBJ Ventures: The Professional iPad Briefcase (iPad; $60) is a folio-style case that doubles as a viewing stand in landscape mode and as a typing platform, with space for documents and accessories thrown in for good measure. When not in use, the case can be folded up and zipped closed; it includes a shoulder strap for easy carrying. The Briefcase comes in a black faux-leather material.
SGP: The Argos (iPad 2; $95) is a case made of genuine vintage leather that features a fold-out flap at the back that can be used to prop up your tablet for easy viewing in landscape orientation. The Argos in completely handmade using an ultrathin design that limits bulk. It's available in black, tender blue, white, sherbet pink, or vintage brown.
The Dresden Klaus9i (iPad 2; $75) is a compact and light carrying case made of neoprene and spandex with soft padding for maximum protection. Its shoulder strap makes it perfect for keeping your tablet safe while you're on the go, and its spacious construction can even accommodate an iPad inside a thin case.
Splash Products: The Vapor II (iPad 2; $30) is an update to the company's original Vapor case, this time designed to work with Apple's Smart Cover. Like its predecessor, the Vapor II is a snap-on back case finished with a unique material that provides a firm grip without adding significant bulk to the tablet. It's available in clear or black.
Sumdex: The SpinWork 2 (iPad 2; $50) is a multi-function molded shell that holds your iPad and features a ring at the back that transforms it into a stand. A set of strategically-placed openings make it easy to hang a SpinWork-encased iPad from a car's headrest, and the case is compatible with Apple's Smart Cover. The SpinWork 2 comes in white with either black, red, or blue accents.
USBFever: The OEM iPad Leather Case (iPad 1 and 2; $54) comes with a detachable Bluetooth keyboard in a convenient little package that features a magnetic closure and can be turned into a viewing stand. (Despite the name, the case is not made of real leather.)
iPad (1st generation) Family
iPad 2 family
Read our full iPad 2 family review


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In December, former Battlefield developer Ben Cousins revealed The Drowning, an ambitious first-person shooter aimed at both hardcore shooter fans and casual players alike. The game's simple two button control scheme is key to bridging the audience gap, and now we get to see how it works.
Interesting. It's certainly simple, but is it too simple for the hardcore player? I love the idea of using two fingers as gun sights, and Phosphor Games' Horn made me a believer in touch-to-move. I'm just having trouble imagining how it all comes together. I'm thinking this is the sort of control scheme that you have to play to really get. Good thing The Drowning is a free-to-play game.
Visit TheDrowning.com and sign up to be notified the moment the game is available for free download.


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Vanessa Beeley Biography
Daughter of Sir Harold Beeley K.C.M.G C.B.E. Middle Eastern Advisor to Ernest Bevin and Special Envoy to Cairo during both Suez Crises.
2017 – Finalist for the prestigious Martha Gellhorn Prize for Journalism – winners have included Robert Parry in 2017, Robert Fisk and Nick Davies and the Bureau for Investigative Journalism.
2019 – Recipient of the Serena Shim Award for uncompromised integrity in journalism:
I am honoured and profoundly moved to be considered worthy of the Serena Shim Award for uncompromised integrity in journalism. I am among some very admired, respected and hugely dedicated journalists that include Eva Bartlett, Sharmine Narwani, Whitney Webb and Finian Cunningham.
The award is in memory of Serena Shim who exposed the criminal incubation of terrorism inside Turkey and its export into Syrian territory via the Turkish borders. Serena was very probably murdered by Turkish intelligence for daring to expose their role in the destabilisation of their neighbour, Syria. Thank you Serena for being a lone light in the darkness during 2014, you are an inspiration to so many. I will do my best to live up to the example you set for us.
2018 – British National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) named Vanessa Beeley as one of the Top 238 most respected journalists in the UK.
My work needs me to be able to travel to the areas where my government and your government are doing the most damage, where the people of those countries are not given a fair hearing by the state-aligned media that is working within a frame that best serves their government, the military industrial complex and the corporatocracy. The majority of "official" media outlets in the West are agents for power. I aspire to be a humble agent for the people in any way I can and my most effective contribution is my voice and my words that can transmit the voices of the "disappeared" and the "unheard".
We are all struggling and I have a total aversion towards asking for anything for myself but I simply cannot continue to do what I do without your financial help. I promise that I will continue to dedicate pretty much every waking hour to my research, travel, speaking and writing in protest against the perpetual cycle of war and chaos that is being generated by the ruling establishment and their aligned institutions, including the colonial media.
We cannot fight alone, we are all connected by the human threads that bind us. Thank you.
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly." – Martin Luther King
Read more about me and find more of my work at www.thewallwillfall.org
One of my most important investigations has been into the NATO-member-state financed pseudo "humanitarian" non-NGO operating in Islamofascist controlled areas of Syria – the White Helmets. Below you will find a selection of my work on this shadow state, propaganda construct that has worked to criminalise the Syrian government and Syrian Arab Army on behalf of their bankrollers in the West and Gulf states..
The much acclaimed journalist and filmmaker, John Pilger has endorsed my work on the White Helmets:
"Vanessa is a fine reporter, who was one of the finalists in the 2017 Martha Gellhorn Prize for Journalism, perhaps the most distinguished award for truly independent journalism in Britain, which the Guardian itself was proud to receive in the past. What the bullies and censors can't stand is that she has exposed the fraudulence of the UK and US funded 'White Helmets' and so they resort to craven smears."
International criminal lawyer, Christopher C Black made this statement about the White Helmets:
"Nicolo Machiavelli wrote in The Prince that deception is the principal means by which people can be controlled. Sun Tzu in The Art of War stated that the art of deception is the first art of war, above all others, and it is deception that the citizens of the NATO countries are faced with in the aggression being conducted against the government and people of Syria.
Using special propaganda units such as The White Helmets, which several NATO countries now freely admit they finance and support, the aggressor nations try to justify their war against Syria. Part of the deception is that this unit is a non-governmental organisation but the admissions about NATO support destroy that argument.
They are clearly a very governmental organisation. But more than that the work of Vanessa Beeley, Eva Bartlett, Mark Taliano and others about their origins, military and intelligence connections and operations establishes that they are in reality a military propaganda unit, acting within the units of the proxy forces they support, carrying weapons, engaging in hostilities on the side of the NATO proxy forces, acting as a cover for their crimes, generating anti-Syrian disinformation and, when the proxy forces flee government forces, fleeing with them.
They are not a "humanitarian aid group" to be praised but a military propaganda unit, combatants in disguise, to be condemned. And since they are part of the NATO war machine attacking Syria they are war criminals."
SELECTION OF ARTICLES and INTERVIEWS – I will be adding to them daily.
The REAL Syria Civil Defence Exposes Fake 'White Helmets' as Terrorist-linked Imposters.
The REAL Syria Civil Defence Saving Real Syrians NOT Oscar Winning White Helmets Saving Al Qaeda.
REAL Syria Civil Defence Describe Terrorist 'Double-Taps' and Chemical Weapon Attacks in Aleppo.
Syria's 'Peaceful Protests' and 'Freedom Bullets' – Testimony from the REAL Syria Civil Defence.
Interview on UK Column – Eastern Ghouta and White Helmets
WHITE HELMETS: "Humanitarians" and the "Moderate" Bomb Factory in Saqba.
Voices from Eastern Ghouta – Video Testimonies
EASTERN GHOUTA: Syrian Voices Raised in Condemnation of White Helmets
The Egregious Western Media 'Chemical Weapon' Fraud in Eastern Ghouta
"Global Britain" is Financing Terrorism and Bloodshed in Syria and Calling it 'Aid'
White Helmets and Local Councils – is the UK FCO Financing Terrorism in Syria with Taxpayer Funds?
WHITE HELMETS: Channel 4, BBC, The Guardian – Architects of "Humanitarian" War.What to Expect from BBC's Panorama and Guardian Whitewash of UK Government Funding of Terrorism in Syria
Journey to Aleppo Part I – Exposing the Truth Buried Under NATO PropagandaJourney to Aleppo Part II – Syria Civil Defence and Aleppo Medical Association are Real Syrians Helping Real Syrians
LAST MEN IN ALEPPO: Al Qaeda Presented as 'White Helmets' for the Annual Terrorist Oscar Nomination.
ALEPPO TESTIMONIES: My YouTube Channel
WHITE HELMETS: The John McCain Connections and is the 'Funding Freeze' for Real?
WHITE HELMETS: Founded by James Le Mesurier – Video
WHITE HELMETS: Staged Chemical Weapon Attacks – Video
Investigation: White Helmets Committing Acts of Terror Across Syria – Mint Press
21st Century Wire White Helmet Archives
The White Helmets are a Propaganda Construct – James Corbett Report with Vanessa Beeley
Humanitarian Propaganda War Against Syria – Led by Avaaz and the White Helmets
I am an independent researcher, writer and photographer. I am 100% self-funding which enables me to maintain my independence, unlike so many of the mainstream media and state sponsored so called independent media outlets who are influenced by their donor agendas. I focus also on peace activism and defend the sovereignty of nations and the self determination of their peoples without foreign intervention or destructive meddling in independent state affairs.
Any donations to my site will fund my future trips to countries under attack by our governments in the West and will enable me to keep exposing their illegal and criminal actions that serve to punish the beleaguered peoples of target nations.
In 2012 I made several trips to Gaza, the first being in August 2012 when entry was not permitted after the murder of Egyptian soldiers during Ramadan. I finally made it into Gaza via the tunnels system in November 2012, just prior to the Israeli aggression, Operation Pillar of Defence. I was present on the borders in Khan Younis, when Hamid Abu Dagga was murdered during an Israeli incursion into Gaza territory days before the aggression began. I left Gaza in December 2012 and spent extended time in Egypt, where I witnessed the 2012 referendum designed to increase Muslim Brotherhood leader, Mohammed Morsi's powers in Egypt. I returned in 2013 and was witness to many of the anti Morsi demonstrations where friends of mine were targeted by security forces and imprisoned during protests. I re-entered Gaza in April 2013 and spent a further six weeks inside Gaza working with various local initiatives and projects.
After several trips to Gaza, I launched the Facebook page, The Wall Will Fall to publish my photographs and articles on life in the Gaza strip. The idea behind the page and The Wall Will Fall was to raise awareness but also to convey the idea that through education, awareness and the development of our own consciousness we can bring down all walls that keep us in ignorance and far from the Truth. The popularity of the page grew exponentially and myself and other contributors are often asked to participate in televised debates on the situation in Palestine and the Middle East.
This initiative in turn led to my involvement in various other projects in and related to Palestine (see my LinkedIn profile for full details)
Gaza Without Walls – An initiative I launched in June 2013: The idea was to connect students in Gaza with English and French teachers across the world, to organise skype lessons to help the students with their IELET exams and English comprehension. It was an idea designed to break down the physical barriers between Gaza and the outside world and it has been very successful in putting the Gaza students in touch with people across the globe who can help with their language skills but who also benefit from a better understanding of the conditions in Occupied Palestine
In 2013 I became a volunteer with the Global Campaign to Return to Palestine and attended their inaugural conference in Beirut.
In 2014 I established the Gaza Smile Project to raise funds enabling children to return to school after the devastating Israel aggression that had decimated huge areas of the besieged coastal enclave.
In 2015 I started writing as a special contributor to 21st Century Wire
In 2016 I spent time in the UN, Lebanon, Iran, Syria and Moscow:
March 2016 – I represented Yemen at the UN HRC, Geneva. I testified on the Saudi Coalition use of US supplied cluster bombs against civilian targets in Yemen.
May 2016 – I was a speaker at the Alternative View Symposium AV7 and at Frome Stop War
June 2016 – I was invited as a special guest on the Unified Ummah TV programme that examines the motivations of foreign activists who are protesting their governments illegal and criminal interventions into the affairs of nation states.
July 2016 – I first entered Syria as a member of the US Peace Council delegation. We met with religious leaders, government ministers, unarmed opposition members, Syria NGOs and Humanitarian institutions, Syria state institutions and finally with President Bashar Al Assad who spoke with us for almost two hours and answered a series of probing questions from the delegation.
August 2016 – I re-entered Syria as an independent writer and photographer and extended my visa to three weeks in total which enabled me to visit many areas, including Aleppo. My primary reason for being in Syria was to compliment my research into the multi million NATO and Gulf State funded, terrorist-linked White Helmets, created in 2013 by a British ex military and intelligence officer, James Le Mesurier. As part of this research, I met with the REAL Syria Civil Defence, established in 1953 and a member of the ICDO [International Civil Defence Organisation] and recorded their testimony against the White Helmets.
August 2016 – I also spent extended time on the Syrian Lebanese borders in the Christian village of Al Qaa, interviewing victims of the June 2016 suicide bombing attacks…led by extremist refugees fleeing Syrian Arab Army in Syria.
November 2016 – I was invited to Moscow, Russia with Mother Agnes de la Croix to repot on the illegal NATO state intervention and dirty war on Syria. During this time I met with deputy FM, Mr Bogdanov and MFA spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova.
November 2016 – Speaker at Bristol Stop War and Frome Stop War, the British Constitution Group in Winchester.
The majority of my articles are published at 21st Century Wire. I am a special contributor at Mint Press in US and at the UK Column daily news channel.
My work is re-published at the Ron Paul Institute, Global Research, Dissident Voice, Sott., Greanville Post, The London Journal among others.
I have appeared on RT Cross Talk, RT News, Press TV, Ron Paul Liberty Report, Sunday Wire, Sputnik Radio


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Jamaica: Southwest Coast, Savanna-la-Mar to Old Harbour
99 Coastal Destinations Rated: Doing Well
Score: 70
Unlike the island's more visited northwest coast, this region has long supported eco-friendly tourism and retains an authentic Jamaican flavor that is accessible to visitors. "The outlook is still good, but recent announcements for major tourism development in St. Elizabeth have generated some concern."
Here is a representative sampling of additional anonymous comments from the panelists. They are not necessarily the views of the National Geographic Society:
"Love the way this place is being developed. It seems both Jamaicans and foreigners are trying to learn from mistakes made in other parts of Jamaica. They are developing while maintaining the sense of place. Treasure Beach, Bluefields Bay are some of my favorite places in Jamaica."
"The tourism policy for the southwest coast is supposed to be towards low-density, sustainable tourism. However, some hotels have not incorporated sustainable construction and operations practices. The outlook is still good, but plans for major tourism development in St. Elizabeth have generated concern among local environmentalists."
"One of Jamaica's most interesting coastlines. Environmental quality is still quite good. Proximity of bauxite mining/shipping is troubling. Small-scale tourism."
« Back to Full List of Destinations Doing Well
« Read Essay
- Nat Geo Expeditions


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OAKLAND, Calif. — Amy Youngman's seventh- and eighth-grade humanities students had left for the day. Other than some shouts from the after-school program in the courtyard, all was quiet in her second-floor classroom here.
Youngman's day of teaching at ERES Academy—part of the Aspire charter school network—wasn't over, though.
Nor was Danny Shapiro's day of learning. Shapiro, not 13 but 30, is learning to be a teacher. Youngman, three years younger than Shapiro but with six years of teaching already under her belt, is his mentor.
"Highs and lows?" Youngman asked Shapiro across the wide table that served as her desk.
Shapiro sighed deeply as he considered the ups and downs of his second week in the classroom. He is one of 34 new teachers in Aspire's three-year-old intensive residency program, aimed at training incoming teachers like him for positions in one of the network's nearly three dozen schools. Founded in California in 1998, Aspire currently serves 12,000 mostly low-income students in grades K-12 and will expand out of state for the first time next year with two new schools in Memphis, Tenn.
Many of these teachers-in-training are career-changers like Shapiro, who was working at a policy foundation in San Francisco focused on climate change this time last year. Now, he's spending four days a week in a classroom in one of the state's toughest neighborhoods.
Shapiro started preparing for his year of teacher training with three months of summer courses that will count toward a master's degree. He continues working on that degree on his one weekday without teaching duties. A discount on tuition and a small stipend—about one third of what a first-year teacher earns—help make this program possible for Shapiro, who also took out student loans to cover his costs. By the time 12 months are up, Shapiro should have a teaching credential, a master's in education and a job at an Aspire school.
"So, last Thursday was the low, because that was the day the stress and the [classroom] management [were] like a wave that came over me," Shapiro said. "Friday was a high because I was so well planned."
Youngman nodded as she wrote this down. After sharing her own high (two students scored 100 percent on their reading tests) and her own low (meetings went long on Friday, leaving her less prepared than usual for Monday), Youngman printed out the notes she'd taken while Shapiro was leading a history lesson earlier that day. Now, she asked him to highlight parts of the lesson that had gone well and underline those that hadn't. Pulling out a highlighter and pen, he started reading.
The number of career-changers who are entering the teaching force has doubled over the last 20 years. Shapiro, who majored in politics at Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass., is not among the much sought-after math and science career-changers, but feels his experience in international climate change policy can help him make real-world connections for his students.
Harnessing that practical work experience is a goal of programs like Aspire's that cater to career-changers who want an alternate route to certification. Thirty-five percent of U.S. teachers report having first had careers outside of education, and more than two in five entered the classroom through an alternative preparation program, according to a 2010 survey by the Woodrow Wilson Foundation in Princeton, N.J.
Now charter networks and school districts, including High Tech High in San Diego, Calif., are beginning to pioneer their own training programs. In addition to the desire to bring in new teachers from other fields, Aspire leaders report being dissatisfied with the training their first-year teachers have received. This problem—first-year teachers lacking sufficient content knowledge and classroom-management skills—has been echoed at the national level by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.
Study after study has shown that the single most important in-school factor influencing student achievement is the quality of the teacher. But figuring out new ways to train and evaluate teachers remains one of the most contentious issues in education today.
In California, nearly 40 percent of teachers are over 50, and the number of new credentials awarded to new teachers each year is shrinking. The state is near the bottom for student performance nationally, and the teaching profession is facing numerous challenges, according to a recent survey by the California Department of Education.
Teacher education in the Golden State is "uneven in duration and quality," the report found, while "mentoring for beginners is decreasing." The authors note that evaluation is "frequently spotty" and teacher salaries are often below market value.
The youngest and least-prepared teachers tend to be clustered in the highest-need areas, they found. But critics charge that alternative certification programs are partly to blame for this disparity. A lack of supervised teaching and minimum academic coursework in many programs lead to underprepared teachers who don't stay in the profession, they say.
Richard Sterling, director of the teacher preparation programs in U.C. Berkeley's Graduate School of Education, says many of the most strident critics come from the ranks of traditional teacher education programs like his. Sterling worries that alternatively certified teachers don't get enough of an intellectual grounding in the profession, but says each program should be judged on its own merits.
"My attitude is, 'Let's just take a look and not dismiss alternative programs out of hand,' " Sterling says.
The residency models, for example, offer more supervised teaching than many traditional programs and more academic content than many alternative programs. This makes for an intense schedule for residents. Aspire residents often work 10-hour days and some weekends to fulfill their teaching duties and complete their coursework. It's hoped that the exacting residency year will provide a solid foundation in classroom management, lesson planning and grading, ultimately yielding first-year teachers who are well prepared.
Aspire hasn't entirely eschewed traditional teacher education. The network partners with the University of the Pacific to provide residents with master's-level courses. The focus of the program, though, is on what happens in the classroom.
A recent study by the Washington, D.C.-based National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) found the length of time spent in the classroom and the quality of mentoring are key elements in strong teacher preparation programs. However, few of the 134 programs studied had those elements. For example, 43 percent of programs had no criteria for choosing mentor teachers other than that they have some teaching experience.
"Student-teacher programs tend to be luck of the draw," said Sandi Jacobs, vice president of the NCTQ. "They tend to be based on who volunteers, not on any evidence of effectiveness."
Not so at Aspire, where mentors are carefully selected and trained. Take Youngman, one of several mentor-teachers at ERES Academy. She was tapped as a mentor because of strong student performance data and positive peer reviews of her teaching based on classroom observations, along with her principal's recommendation.
Youngman receives additional training, a formal title change and a $3,000 stipend as part of her agreement to mentor a resident teacher. This is her second year as a mentor.
Shapiro said he finds her insights invaluable.
"There's a reason why she's a mentor," Shapiro said. "She's able to see a hundred things at once and not seem like she's doing anything."
Heather Kirkpatrick, Aspire's vice president of education, hopes that using strong teachers to train newcomers will result in everyone staying in the classroom longer.
"I'm looking for 'lifers,' I really am," Kirkpatrick said. Her goal is to keep the expert teachers interested and engaged at a time when about half of all U.S. teachers leave the profession in their first five years. Up to 10 percent of those leave in the first year, according to a 2011 study of beginning teachers by the U.S. Department of Education.
The study, which followed nearly 2,000 new teachers starting in 2007, found that well-chosen mentors can have a real effect on improving teacher retention. Among public-school teachers with an assigned mentor, 92 percent were still teaching the following year. Of those not assigned a mentor, only 84 percent were still teaching in their second year, the study found.
Once they're through those critical first years, positions such as mentor teacher, lead teacher and model teacher offer alternative paths to promotion besides the traditional move into administration.
At ERES Academy, Shapiro combs through Youngman's notes on his lesson. The notes read like a script, with Shapiro's statements in one column and the students' statements and actions in a second column.
Shapiro highlighted something he'd said at the beginning of the lesson: "Thank you, Cristian, for showing me you are ready."
Offering positive reinforcement for good behaviors was something he'd been working on this week. Youngman agreed he'd gotten better at it.
In the second column, Shapiro had underlined a statement by a student that made him think he'd bumbled a teachable moment. He'd called on a girl who didn't know the answer to his question.
He had several questions for Youngman: How long should he wait for a hesitant student to answer? Should he just supply the answer himself? Should he ask another student? Or was it better to push the first student to come up with something?
Youngman advised him to write down answers he needed students to know in advance of a lesson. If he didn't get those answers, he'd know he'd found a hole in his teaching. He could then remedy it in a follow-up lesson.
That kind of detailed feedback is what Youngman said she wishes she'd received in her first year as a Teach For America teacher in San Jose, Calif. Instead, she said she felt mostly on her own, a common complaint of new teachers no matter how they are trained.
It's too soon to have enough data to make a call about Aspire's success, but Kirkpatrick said 18 of the first 20 residents completed their first full year of teaching. One Aspire principal, she said, called a current resident-cum-teacher "more like a third- or fourth-year teacher than a first-year teacher."
Kirkpatrick said the goal is to prove that such anecdotes can be replicable—and to back up that claim with student performance data.
If the Aspire model does succeed at better training a new crop of teachers, it will be a notable win. A recent study by the Center on Reinventing Public Education at the University of Washington and Mathematica, a nonpartisan research group, identified Aspire as one of the nation's high-performing charter networks. And the Aspire Public Schools ranked first in California among large districts with two-thirds or more low-income students, based on 2010-11 standardized test results, with 100 percent of graduating seniors accepted to four-year colleges or universities.
For now, the residency program at Aspire is funded by grants from foundations, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. (Disclosure: the Gates Foundation is among the many supporters of The Hechinger Report, which produced this story.) Most public districts don't have access to such funds, but Kirkpatrick thinks they might not need extra money to create their own residency programs. Aspire operates almost entirely within the constraints of public funding, and the long-term plan is to fund the mentoring program by shifting funds currently earmarked for teacher recruitment and support.
"We are not doing rocket science," Kirkpatrick said. "There's not one thing [other schools] couldn't do."
This story also appeared on NBCNews.com on October 23, 2012.


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Roots and All, by Dr Barbara Louw, is based on ground-breaking research into Bitterness and Posttraumatic Embitterment Reactions and Disorder.
This book provides insights into the prevalence of bitterness and embitterment in individuals, families and the community, as well as in the workplace.
It will enable you to get the big picture of what embitterment is and how it impacts people's health, relationships and wellness. You will be shown how to understand the concepts of 'wellness' and 'unwellness' in a holistic systems paradigm. It will present you to understand and apply the principles natural health to enhance and obtain wholeness.
It gives practical guidelines and applicable suggestions on how to assist individual, therapists, HR-practitioners, pastors and managers on a road to healing, wholeness and forgiveness.


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Special to WorldTribune.com
By Uwe Siemon-Netto, FreePressers.com
It's been more than two years since my last visit to Germany, my native land. This time I traveled home at the height of the Eurozone crisis. I returned to California just before Christmas filled with pride in my compatriots.
Don't get me wrong. I am not particularly proud of the fact that Germany is now the leading power in Europe. She has been thrust into this role much against her instincts and desires. It had been far too cozy to be prosperous, financially stable and the world's leading exporter for decades, leaving the unpleasant chores of global direction to others, notably the victors of World War II.
Moreover, I am in no position to say whether or not Germany's positions in the current global predicament are wise. But then nobody's sapience seems to be reliable in the present situation, not even the sapience of Princeton-based Nobel laureates and other economic sages who keep telling the Germans to be less productive and more spendthrift, in other words, act against their better judgment and experience, supposedly for the common European good.
No, what made me proud was the discovery that Germans simply refused to reciprocate the hateful slurs of British tabloids whose "journalists" seem to have learned their craft by reading the polemics of Joseph Goebbels, Hitler's propaganda minister.
There exists no equivalent in today's German language for ethnic smears such as "krauts" and "huns" (for Germans), "frogs" (for the French), "wops" (for Italians) and "wogs" (for anybody hailing from territories east of Dover) that are common currency in British mass-circulation dailies, sometimes in the news pages and regularly in their blogs.
Over the years, the Germans have learned to laugh off these symptoms of the steady decline of England's media standards that has been accelerating steadily ever since union folly and publishers' greed have laid barren Fleet Street, that once spectacular bastion of the Angelo-Saxon journalism, which was my professional home for a while nearly half a century ago.
Nobody I talked to in Germany seemed to take offense when columnist Simon Heffer warned in the Daily Mail newspaper of "Germany's economic colonization of Europe" and opined in a different article, "Where Hitler failed by military means to conquer Europe, modern Germans are succeeding through trade and financial discipline. Welcome to the Fourth Reich."
Why do the Germans not care? "Well, the English have always been a little absonderlich; that's why we love them so," said Michael Rutz, the former editor in chief of a leading German weekly; the agreeable word, absonderlich, is usually translated as "strange" or "bizarre," but actually has a more charming and subtle connotation.
The other day I discussed the benign reaction of Germans to British and other hatemongering with the editor of a highbrow political journal published in Washington. He said: "The difference is that the Germans still read." This is true. Germany is less affected by media atrophy than most comparable Western nations. If a German does not know what's going in in the world, it is his own fault because every major city has at least one but usually several local papers covering regional, national and international affairs, and, equally importantly, cultural events and thought, and then of course there exist national dailies and weeklies of superb quality.
The owner of a newsstand in Munich's central railway station recently told an editor friend of mine that his shop keeps an astounding average of 3,200 papers and periodicals on display.
Because of this Germans are in a better position to put international events in a proper perspective.
Of course they did read that Eleftheria, the Athens daily, twice ran an image of Chancellor Angela Merkel in a storm trooper's uniform on its front page. But they also read that thousands of Greek professionals are busily studying German to find jobs in Germany, where they are well received.
I was stunned to find that even modestly educated Germans seem to bear no malice against Greeks whose country they now have to bail out. Nearly 310,000 Greek immigrants live and work in Germany, and their number is rising. They make good, hard-working citizens, run wonderful restaurants, usually speak German well and delight the natives with their good humor.
In a 250-year old Cologne inn named "Em Kölsche Boor," Pericles, a Greek waiter serving me a sturdy fare of broad beans and smoked bacon, regaled our table with this joke pertaining to his motherland's economic predicament: By happenstance, three housepainters showed up at the same time at the portal of paradise, an Armenian, a German and a Greek.
Saint Peter told them, "This is a fantastic coincidence. The Pearly Gate needs a new paint job. Let me have your quotes." The Armenian told him he would do it for €600. The German asked for €900. The Greek took Saint Peter aside and said, "€3,000."
"Three thousand! Are you nuts," Peter cried. The Greek smiled, "Think of it," he said, "You'll get €1,000, I'll get €1,000. We give €400 to the German to keep his mouth shut, and the Armenian will do the work for €600." The guests howled with laughter. It was fun to have Greeks in Germany.
I had come to Cologne on a 200 mph train from Paris where the general mood seemed morose. The railway unions had voted for one of their perennial Yuletide strikes intended to spoil the Christmas joy of the rest of the population; thankfully, though, this immense nuisance was eventually averted. Some Paris maîtres-penseurs, intellectuals and journalists of the most irritating sort, raised the specter of a new wave of "Germanophobie," in response to Germany's increasing power.
The Germans I questioned about this laughed it off, and rightly so. This alleged "Germanophobie" was a chimera in the minds of people utterly out of touch with this season's dangerous realities. Down in southwestern France, where I have a home, I meet for my regular Saturday morning tipple with the mayors and councilmen of the surrounding villages. Their view of Germany was quite different.
"Tell your Chancellor to stand fast," they urged me, "she must remain tough. We admire the Germans' hard work and fiscal responsibility. If only we had followed their example years ago!"
These were not isolated voices. According to some polls, more than 70 percent of the French citizens feel that way, and this is also expressed in most of the blogs in the online editions of France's national newspapers.
Of course the crisis might eventually catch up with the Germans, whose unemployment rate is currently at a record low, and whose industry is booming due to massive demands from around the world for German products. But when I boarded my flight to California at Frankfurt Airport, I left behind smiling, contented compatriots preparing for a joyous Christmas and bearing good will toward their less fortunate neighbors.
And this observation made me very proud to be a German.
Uwe Siemon-Netto, the former religious affairs editor of United Press International has been an international journalist for 55 years, covering North America, Vietnam, the Middle East and Europe for German publications. Dr. Siemon-Netto currently directs Center for Lutheran Theology and Public Life in Irvine, California.


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NFL coaches will often refer to "playing the percentages." But if there's one thing I've learned by studying strategic decisions, it's that coaches don't have a firm grasp of those percentages. And when anyone is uncertain of the odds, he'll fall back on the sure thing. That was the case with Broncos coach John Fox, who opted for the conservative approach at almost every opportunity in Saturday's playoff game against the Ravens. Even so, Fox is getting more criticism than he deserves. The Denver coach isn't the reason the Broncos lost.
Fox's first conservative decision came after a Baltimore touchdown tied the game at 21 near the end of the first half. Denver had a first-and-10 at its own 20 with 36 seconds left on the clock and all three timeouts—five more seconds and one more timeout than the Falcons had when they drove for the winning field goal on Sunday. Even so, the Broncos elected to call a throwaway run play and head for the locker room. In recent league history (since 2000), teams in that situation score slightly more than 10 percent of the time, the vast majority being field goals. Turnovers are definitely a risk, and they occur about 8 percent of the time on half-ending drives. But the bulk of those turnovers are on Hail Mary-type passes, which virtually never result in an opponent being able to score. Taken all together, the numbers say the scoring expectation was positive for Denver by a factor of 3-to-1. That's analytics-speak for, yeah, they should have tried to score there.
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Fox's next risk-averse decision came late in the fourth quarter. With the Broncos up 35-28, the Denver coach chose to run the ball five straight times. Fox's strategy succeeded in gaining one first down and forcing the Ravens to burn their last two timeouts. That left Denver with a third-and-7 at its own 47. Convert there and the game is over. Fox, though, decided to run rather than let Peyton Manning put the ball in the air. Ronnie Hillman was held to no gain, and the Broncos punted with 1:15 left on the clock.
Calling this running play was the safe, "sure thing" for the Broncos. Fox virtually ensured that he'd burn an additional 40 seconds of time and pin Baltimore deep in its own territory with about 70 seconds to play. There was also a slim chance that Denver could have converted with the run, winning the game outright. A pass would have been a gamble. A successful conversion would sew up the win, but an incomplete pass would have given Baltimore the ball with about 1:49 left. Passing also brings an extra risk of a turnover, either via an interception or a sack and a fumble.
For teams that need a touchdown to survive, time makes a big difference. With 1:09 to play, a team typically has a 13 percent chance of scoring a touchdown. With 1:49 to go, they have around a 26 percent chance. The choice, then, is between conceding Baltimore the 13 percent shot or gambling that you'll either win the game outright or give Baltimore a 26 percent chance to win. League-wide, third-and-7 situations are converted 42 percent of the time. That means if Denver drops back to pass, Baltimore's chance of winning is (1 - 0.42) * 0.26 = 0.15 = 15 percent. According to the math, then, Fox made the right call: Punting was, just barely, the right probabilistic call.
Conservative call no. 3 came at the end of regulation, after Jacoby Jones got past Denver safety Rahim Moore to tie the game with his 70-yard touchdown catch. With 31 seconds to play and 2 timeouts, Fox repeated his decision from the end of the first half, electing to take a knee at his own 20 rather than let Peyton Manning try to maneuver into position for a game-winning field goal. It's undeniably risky, but the odds are strongly in the offense's favor there. Yes, the chances of scoring to win in regulation are small, but they significantly exceed the probability of a meaningful turnover.
But in Fox's defense, the Broncos and Ravens weren't playing in the Georgia Dome. The wind was in Denver's face on the final drive of each half-kickoffs in that direction were regularly getting returned, while kickoffs the opposite way were sailing out of the end zone. Field-goal kickers also get less accurate in cold weather, meaning the Broncos would've had to advance a long way down the field given the single-digit temperatures.
There was also the matter of Peyton Manning's arm. For whatever reason—possibly the cold weather having some effect on his grip—Manning did not appear to have the velocity needed for deep passes. Only 2 of his 43 attempts went more than 15 yards downfield. (Quarterbacks typically throw about 20 percent of their passes deep downfield, and Manning averaged 19 percent in the regular season.) So even if the probabilities suggest that Denver should've tried to score, you can understand why, given all these factors, Fox sat on the ball.
The coach's final conservative decision was a bit more under the radar. In overtime, the Broncos faced a fourth-and-1 from their own 39, and Fox should have gone for the first down. Intuitively it might seem suicidal to go for it in your own territory in overtime, but the rules of sudden death make possession far more valuable than field position. Punting was the sure-thing option, virtually guaranteeing the Ravens get the ball near their own 20. Going for it is obviously an enormous gamble, but believe it or not, the odds favor it. Manning's short game was working well. He completed 68 percent of his passes on the year and 65 percent on Saturday. Fourth-and-1 situations are converted about 72 percent of the time, and given Manning's accuracy a quick pass would have been a high probability bet. The math works out so that, based on general averages, the punt would have given Denver a 49 percent chance of winning, but going for it would have worked out to a 53 percent chance.
But again, Fox didn't necessarily do his team a disservice here. The Broncos were heavy favorites, having beaten the Ravens 34-17 in Baltimore just a few weeks earlier. The right overall approach for Denver was a "low-variance" strategy, relying on the team's overall superiority to methodically come out on top. The better team should avoid high-leverage situations that put the game at the mercy of a few big plays. Unfortunately for John Fox, Baltimore succeeded by pursuing a high-variance strategy. They went for the big play time after time, getting touchdown passes of 59, 32, and 70 yards. That's exactly what a big underdog needs to do to win.
Fox's conservatism may have cost his team slightly, but he didn't decide the outcome of the game. The effect of these four calls was swamped by the impact of a few big plays, any one of which would have given Denver the win had it turned out differently.
Brian Burke is a former Navy fighter pilot and the founder of the website Advanced NFL Stats. He is a regular contributor at the New York Times's Fifth Down and the Washington Post's The Insider.


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Somebody who went to high school with Dzhokhar Tsarnaev described him as a class clown.
Well, that 19-year-old class clown has somehow managed to trap 1 million people in Boston and its western suburbs in their homes as he and the police officers who think they might have him surrounded prepare for a final encounter, the outcome of which we all think we know.
Dzhokhar -- the American kids he went to school with pronounce it Ja-har -- is alone now. Unless he has hostages.
His big brother, 26-year-old Tamerlan, is dead, a fate big brother must have known awaited them. He probably even welcomed it.
By some accounts, he, the big brother, dragged the class clown into his huge orbit of grievance, real or perceived, about the great Satan. That, of course, being the very country that gave the Tsarnaev brothers more opportunity than they ever would have had if they had stayed in the troubled, poor country where they were born, Kyrgyzstan, or if the troubled, poor country where their ancestors came from, and that would be Chechnya.
Kyrgyzstan is one of the poorest countries spawned by the breakup of the Soviet Union. Hundreds of thousands of its 5 million people bugged out of the central Asia country in the years that followed the collapse of a system of government built on repression and corruption. It appears the Tsarnaev brothers, ethnic Chechens, began a nomadic trek that eventually brought them to, of all places, Cambridge.
I hear that poor, put-upon Tamerlan complained that Americans didn't like him. That he didn't have any American friends. Blah, blah, blah. He thought Harry Potter books created pagans and condemned anyone who let their children read J.K. Rowling's books. Now that's some pretty forward thinking.
Cambridge is probably the most tolerant swath of these United States. It is a sanctuary city for immigrants. We're not just talking about a few well-meaning lefties wearing Birkenstocks and "Free Tibet" T-shirts. The people of Cambridge, the city government of Cambridge, have created a wonderful community, the most inclusive, generous community to outsiders I have ever encountered. People in Cambridge go out of their way to be nice to, and genuinely supportive of, people like the Tsarnaev brothers.
I wouldn't doubt that Tamerlan Tsarnaev encountered some jerks over the years. We all do. It's called life. If Tamerlan Tsarnaev nursed murderous grudges because it was so hard to grow up and live in Cambridge, then he was, as his uncle said, a loser.
Kids who went to Rindge and Latin High School with Dzhokhar said he was a terrific wrestler, which makes sense. In the country he was born, the Kyrgyzs are among the best wrestlers in the world. They regularly medal in Greco-Roman wrestling in international competitions, including the Olympics. One kid told me Dzhokhar got a scholarship, which he used to attend the University of Massachusetts in Dartmouth.
Here's the portrait emerging, still subject to lots more reporting and confirmation and separation of fact and fiction: Tamerlan Tsarnaev had an overweening sense of grievance. He decided to kill and maim innocents. And he dragged his little, more impressionable brother into the whole thing.
Now, that might change. It probably will change. It will become more nuanced, more complicated, as the hours and the days and the weeks pass.
If they were, as has been suggested, Chechens, they had a beef with the Russians, not us. They certainly didn't have a beef with the people whose lives they ended, whose legs they blew off, last Monday on Patriots Day. But they have no right to attack Russians, either.
I was on an NPR show this morning, talking as I drove back from Cambridge to write this column, and a caller came on the air and started talking about how we've got to look in the mirror and ask what we as Americans have done to create angry young men like this.
I almost drove off the road.
No one who lost their life or their limbs on Boylston Street last Monday did anything to create angry young men like this. And I know that 8-year-old Martin Richard, a beautiful little boy from Dorchester who was killed by a bomb the authorities say the Tsarnaev brothers prepared and left near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, never hurt a soul. He was a kind little boy who was unfailingly nice to his classmate, the daughter of the Boston firefighter who knelt over his body.
Sean Collier, the 26-year-old MIT police officer who was shot to death Thursday night, was a wonderful young man. He worked as a civilian for the Somerville Police Department, but desperately wanted to be a cop. He was thrilled when he got the call to join the MIT force last year, and he was willing to put his life on the line for all of us, as he did late Thursday night when he responded to a call in Kendall Square and was, the police say, executed by the Tsarnaev brothers before he could even get out of his cruiser.
I am willing to bet my life on the certainty that Sean Collier would have laid down his life for anybody, including immigrants from Kyrgyzstan or Chechnya. In the end, he did lay down his life, trying to protect others.
I don't want to listen to how innocent people bear some responsibility for creating the twisted minds of the Tsarnaev brothers, who emerged from the break up of a totalitarian form of government that collapsed under the weight of ordinary people wanting freedom.
The Tsarnaev brothers are responsible for twisting a great religion to foment hatred. They don't speak for Muslims any more than I speak for overweight Irish-American guys who like to play hockey. It would be a horrific insult to their victims, and to the unimaginably brave first responders who ran toward the bombs last Monday, if there is a backlash against Muslims.
But, please, spare me the guilt.
At least let's see how this ends. At least let us bury our dead first. At least let us heal our wounded. At least let us take care of our first responders. Then maybe I'll listen to "what did we do to make them hate us" claptrap. Then maybe I'll go to some soul-searching debate about how our foreign policy is screwed up and how we're creating too many enemies and too few allies.
But then, maybe I won't.
Kevin Cullen is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeCullen.


text: Welcome to Zagreb, the capital city of the Republic of Croatia. Zagreb is an old Central European city. For centuries it has been a focal point of culture and science, and now of commerce and industry as well. It lies on the intersection of important routes between the Adriatic coast and Central Europe. Continua a leggere


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I was going to blog about the peach preserves I made a couple of weeks ago. But these little babies are so much more exciting, and I've got a few things to celebrate!
First off, Jeff and I saw my family over the weekend at my cousin Jamie's wedding, and that was wonderful. I miss them so much. More photos are at the end of the post. Also last week, two good art things happened.
1. My Mushrooms painting was accepted for Small Waters, a national juried exhibition featuring watercolors no larger than 144 square inches. The Illinois Watercolor Society puts on this show every couple of years. It will be at the Oak Park Art League during September. I put so much work into this painting, particularly the dark sticks and decaying leaves. I'm glad it's receiving some recognition!
2. Ye Olde Glasse Gemmes is going to be a mural! Back in June I entered it in Urbana's public art competition called Murals on Glass. Artists were asked to submit images that, if selected, would be printed hugely on adhesive vinyl and adhered to some of the giant windows in downtown Urbana. Mine was one of three winning entries! The murals will be installed in early August and will stay in place for a year. Mine is going to be at street level on the windows of the Urbana Business Association (across the street from the Cinema Gallery, if you're going to be in town). I really wanted to win this one and am beyond thrilled. I was interviewed about the project here if you'd like to know more about it, and the other winners can be seen here.
So not to boast, but I've been having a good couple of weeks and wanted to treat myself to some chocolate! Let's see that thing again.
This recipe is from The Splendid Table's How To Eat Supper, a cookbook I've had for a while. It has yielded some winners, a few losers, and a handful of who-caresers. So I wasn't sure if its Little French Fudge Cakes would be quite as good as their recipe's pre-ingredient hype paragraph promised ("Gooey chocolate pockets stud the cakes, while the cake itself is nearly as dense as fudge"). But I had been curious about the recipe for a long time, and it looked easy.
It was easy! And the cakes were ridiculously fudgy. I've been inhaling lots of fruits and vegetables this summer, so maybe I'm not used to eating rich food these days, but I'm telling you, last night I could barely finish mine, and it wasn't even that big! Its effect on my system was akin to this (I apologize for the language--no, I don't--Pulp Fiction is part of who I am, and if you can't take it, I feel sorry for you):
I took the above photo of the L.F.F.C. an hour ago, drooling over it the entire time, before putting it back in its container to save for later tonight. Not eating it nearly killed me, even though I had a backup chocolate snack to get me through the afternoon. Don't let the precious, fey name fool you: Little French Fudge Cakes are dangerous and should be considered a controlled substance.
Let's make 'em!
You're going to need one of those cupcake tins that have 6 cups instead of 12. I used a similar mini-bundt pan, and each of the bundts has a 1/2 cup capacity. The Splendid Table asks that the pan be dark, not black. If you have a silvery one, add a few minutes to the baking time. OR you could turn this into a big cake by baking it in a greased, 9-inch springform pan lined with parchment and bake it for 35 minutes.
Please know that you will have to grease the bejesus out of whatever tin you're dealing with. I thought I did so with mine, using butter as instructed, but 5/6 of the cakes were stuck in the pan. I had to run a knife around the perimeter, which was hard to do because the mini-bundts had ridges, and even then getting them out was a struggle. I found myself banging the pan against a cutting board to remove the last stragglers. So I'm not sure what to do next time: maybe butter and flour the pan? use baking spray, perhaps the kind with flour? butter and cocoa? were the ridges an unsurmountable problem here? If anyone has ideas, please comment. The majority of my cakes came out unscathed, but a couple were kind of sloppy.
Rest assured that all were more than edible. WAY TOO EDIBLE.
- One 3.5- or 4-ounce bittersweet chocolate bar (Lindt Excellence 70%, Valrhona 71%, Scharffen Berger 70%, or Ghirardelli 70% Extra bittersweet, in order of our preference), broken up <--none of these were available; I used Ghirardelli 60%
- 1-1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, broken up
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon <--didn't use; I generally dislike cinnamon and chocolate together
- 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs plus 1 yolk (for a double recipe, use 5 eggs)
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Half of a 3.5- to 4-ounce bittersweet chocolate bar, broken into bite-sized pieces <--I used 2 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a dark metal 6-cup cupcake tin. Majorly butter it.
Combine the broken-up bittersweet and unsweetened chocolates with the butter in a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl. Melt them for 2 to 3 minutes at medium-low power. Mine was melted in three 30-second bursts on high power (stirring in between). Check by stirring, as chocolate holds its shape when microwaved. Or melt it in a heatproof bowl over simmering water.
In a medium to large bowl, whisk together the cinnamon, vanilla, eggs and yolk, sugar, and salt until creamy. Stir in the flour to blend thoroughly. Then stir in the chocolate/butter mixture until smooth. Finally, blend in the bite-sized pieces of chocolate. Pour the batter into the cupcake pan, filling each three-quarters full. I'm going to say that mine were more like 2/3 full. This does not make a lot of batter.
Bake the cupcakes for 18 minutes. Timing is right on. Insert a knife into the center of a cupcake. It should come out with some streaks of thick batter. If you have any doubt about doneness, press the top of a cupcake to see if it is nearly firm. Remove them from the oven. Cool the cupcakes in the pan on a rack for 5 to 10 minutes to serve warm, or for 20 minutes to serve at room temperature.
Poof and Tyler. Poof was so fabulous that night that I started referring to her as Beyonce.
Mom and Dad. How cute are they?
Jeff and me. I bought that necklace at a record store years ago. The bottom of this dress is so much cuter than the top part--photos like this make it seem like I'm just wearing a P.E. uniform or something. And fox Jeff! I love that he smiled in this one!
Poof and my brother Ryan, a.k.a. Feep, who was hilarious all night.
Me being a goof. This is actually my homage to a pretty standard Bono pose.