text:
OVERVIEW: What every practitioner needs to know
Are you sure your patient has acute kidney injury? What are the typical findings for this disease?
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is becoming more prevalent in hospitalized children, and now more often results from another organ/system illness or its treatment. Advancements in acute dialysis technology and a recognition that even small reductions in kidney function may portend worse prognosis have led to more aggressive and earlier intervention in children with acute kidney injury. In addition, children who survive an AKI episode are likely at risk for the development of chronic kidney disease and injury.
The clinical features of AKI include the following:
Increased creatinine level
Continue Reading
Volume overload
Description of the problem: AKI in the child/newborn is defined as an abrupt cessation or diminution of kidney function. The time frame for pediatric AKI is now considered to be less than 48 hours. Multidimensional pediatric AKI definitions include the pediatric modified RIFLE criteria (pRIFLE = Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss, End-Stage kidney disease) and the Acute Kidney Injury Newtork (AKIN criteria).
What other disease/condition shares some of these symptoms?
Prerenal azotemia
What caused this disease to develop at this time?
The epidemiology of pediatric AKI has changed from the 1990s from primary kidney disease to another system illness or its treatment.
Exposure to nephrotoxic medications, including non-steroidal inflammatory medications, aminoglycosides, and iodonated contrast agents, is one of the most common causes of pediatric AKI and should be suspected in patients with nonoliguric AKI.
Only 7% of pediatric AKI results from a primary kidney disease in the tertiary hospital setting.
In the intensive care setting, multiorgan dysfunction syndrome, with primary cardiac, hepatic, hematologic, or pulmonary diagnoses are the most common.
Pediatric AKI occurs across the entire pediatric age spectrum from premature neonates to young adults.
What laboratory studies should you request to help confirm the diagnosis? How should you interpret the results?
The following laboratory tests should be considered in a patient with suspected AKI:
Serum electrolytes, BUN, creatinine, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and uric acid levels.
Urinalysis with microscopy.
Urinary electrolyte (sodium, potassium, chloride), creatinine, and urea nitrogen (if patient is receiving a loop diuretic) determinations to calculate fractional excretion of sodium (FeNa) or fractional excretion of urea (FeUrea).
Urine culture (if patient has signs/symptoms of a urinary tract infection).
Urine examination for eosinophils (if patient is receiving a medication with potential to cause interstitial nephritis, most commonly beta-lactam antibiotics).
Creatine phosphokinase determination (if rhabdomyolysis is suspected based on clinical history of dehydration or muscle pain with appearance of apparent gross hematuria without red blood cells seen on microscopic examination).
Renal biopsy in cases of suspected rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis or if the cause of AKI is uncertain in setting or rapidly rising creatinine level.
Antinuclear antibody, anti-double stranded DNA, C3, C4, antinuclear cytoplasmic antibody, antiglomerular basement membrane antibody (if patient has history, signs and symptoms consistent with glomerulonephritis).
ADAMTS-13 activity/antibody (if thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura [TTP] is suspected).
Stool for enteropathogenic
Escherichia coli(if hemolytic uremic syndrome [HUS] is suspected in children with bloody diarrhea).
24- hour urine examination for calcium, oxalate, citrate, cystine, uric acid (in patients with confirmed nephrolithiasis).
Normal laboratory values: The normal serum electrolyte and creatinine ranges vary by pediatric patient age as a result of nephron tubular maturation.
Table I lists the general ranges based on patient age. These should serve only as one piece of data to inform clinical decision making, as many electrolyte concentrations can be affected by dietary and other non-kidney function-related factors.
Table I.
|Sodium (meq/L)
|Potassium (mEq/L)
|Chloride (mEq/L)
|Bicarbonate (mEq/L)
|Blood urea nitrogen (mg/dL)
|< 20
|< 20
|Creatinine (mg/dL)
|Calcium (mg/dL)
|Phosphorus (mg/dL)
|Magnesium (mg/dL)
|Uric Acid (mg/dL)
Urine output
Typically, urine output is reported in terms of milliliters/kilogram of patient body weight/hour with a value of more than 1 ml/kg/h considered to be "normal."
In AKI, the 1ml/kg/h threshold does not apply, as patients may have a "relative oliguria" if they have received large fluid volumes, which would require sufficiently greater urine volumes to maintain euvolemia. Thus, matching intake to output and assessing daily weight and edema status are crucial to determine if urine output is really "normal."
Would imaging studies be helpful? If so, which ones?
The following imaging studies should be considered for children with AKI:
Renal ultrasonography to include the kidneys and bladder in almost all cases of AKI that is not reversed with fluid administration.
Abdominal computed tomography (CT) or ultrasonography (if trauma or abdominal mass is suspected).
Spiral CT (if nephrolithiasis is suspected).
Confirming the diagnosis
The diagnosis of AKI is based on increases in serum creatinine levels or decreases in urine output. Until recently, multiple diagnostic criteria were used that confounded analysis. Recent validation of the pRIFLE criteria has standardized the definition and diagnosis of AKI presence and severity.
pRIFLE creatinine based AKI criteria: Serum creatinine values are used to calculate an estimated creatinine clearance (eCCl) by the Schwartz formula:
eCCl (mL/min/1.73 m2) = k * patient height (cm)/serum creatinine (mg/dL), where k is a constant based on patient sex and age
-k values: low birthweight less than 1 year (0.33), full term less than 1 year (0.45), 2 to 12 years of age (0.55), 13 to 21-year-old female (0.55), 13 to 21-year-old male (0.70)
Use baseline and current serum creatinine values to calculate a change in eCCl
-if no baseline serum creatinine is available for 3 months before current value, assume eCCl = 120 mL/min/1.73 m2
pRIFLE AKI strata: eCCl change: less than 25% (no AKI), 25%-49% (pRIFLE-R), 50%-74% (pRIFLE-I), =75% or eCCl < 35 mL/min/1.73 m2 (pRIFLE-F)
pRIFLE urine output-based criteria: At least 8 hours of recorded urine output (UOP) is required to diagnose AKI with the pRIFLE UOP-based criteria
-pRIFLE AKI strata: less than 0.5 mL/kg/h for 8 hours (pRIFLE-R), less than 0.5 mL/kg/h for 16 hours (pRIFLE-I), less than 0.3 mL/kg/h for 24 hours or anuric for 12 hours (pRIFLE-F)
The differential diagnosis for pediatric AKI mainly focuses on the potential cause of AKI. These causes have classically been characterized as prerenal, intrinsic renal and postrenal.
Prerenal disease
Results from decreased renal blood flow leading to the kidney appropriately conserving volume. Prerenal azotemia has recently been retermed fluid-responsive AKI and is suggested by the following laboratory assessments:
BUN/Cr ratio greater than 20
[FeNa = (urine sodium/serum sodium)/(urine creatinine/serum creatinine) * 100%] <1%
This test is not valid in patients receiving loop diuretics, which lead to tubular sodium wasting.
[FeUrea = (urine urea nitrogen/blood urea nitrogen)/(urine creatinine/serum creatinine) * 100%] <35%
Blood loss
Abdominal compartment syndrome
Intrinsic renal disease
Results from direct damage to the kidneys. Acute tubular necrosis (ATN)/ischemia-reperfusion injury has recently been termed fluid-nonresponsive and is suggested by the following laboratory assessment:
[FeNa = (urine sodium/serum sodium)/(urine creatinine/serum creatinine) * 100%] >3%
This test is not valid in patients receiving loop diuretics, which lead to tubular sodium wasting.
[FeUrea = (urine urea nitrogen/blood urea nitrogen)/(urine creatinine/serum creatinine) * 100%] <35%
HUS/TTP complex
Prolonged distributive shock
Cardiogenic shock
Nephrotoxic medications or other toxins
Urinary tract infection/pyelonephritis
Tumor lysis syndrome
Interstitial nephritis
Renal arterial thrombosis (bilateral)
Renal vein thrombosis (bilateral)
Postrenal disease
Results from obstruction to urinary flow from the level of the renal pelvis to the urethra. These entities can be congenital or acquired. The obstruction usually must be bilateral (above the level of the urethra) to cause kidney failure.
Posterior urethral valves (males only)
Ureteral-vesical junction obstruction
Ureteral-pelvic junction obstruction
Severe vesicoureteral reflux
Eagle-Barrett (prune belly) syndrome
Oncologic lesions (neuroblastoma, Wilm tumor most common)
Nephrolithiasis with obstructing stones
Ureteral/urethral/bladder clots
If you are able to confirm that the patient has acute kidney injury, what treatment should be initiated?
The therapy should be directed at the suspected underlying cause of AKI in the child. Currently, therapy is supportive for most causes of AKI.
Prerenal disease
Fluid Resuscitation
-Crystalloid (normal saline – 20 ml/kg time three doses then reassess)
Colloid (including blood or 5% albumin based on cause)
Paracentesis for abdominal compartment syndrome
Intrinsic renal disease
Acute tubular necrosis (ATN)
Supportive treatment:
Restore blood pressure with fluid resuscitation and vasoactive medications
Prevent severe fluid overload once blood pressure and end-organ perfusion is restored
Avoid unnecessary nephrotoxins
Initiate renal replacement therapy/extracorporeal membrane oxygenation if: ATN course is expected to be prolonged and administration of nutrition, blood products and medications would lead to worsening severe positive fluid accumulation
Glomerulonephritidies: Consider the following in cases of rapidly progressive (crescentic glomerulonephritis)
Plasma exchange
HUS/TTP complex:
HUS – Supportive care only (fluid, electrolyte restrictions, renal replacement therapy in severe cases)
TTP – Supportive care (fluid, electrolyte restrictions, renal replacement therapy in severe cases)
Plasma exchange (daily until platelet count > 150,000/mm3 for three consecutive days)
Address underlying cause of shock
Fluid resuscitation
Vasoactive medications
Nephrotoxic medications and other toxins:
Discontinue the suspected nephrotoxic medication
Extracorporeal removal by renal replacement therapy or hemoperfusion if sustained elevated concentrations are life-threatening or could lead to permanent kidney damage
and compound is removable by extracorporeal therapies
Urinary tract infections/pyelonephritis:
Treat with appropriate antimicrobial agents
Hydrate with two to three times maintenance fluid (as long as patient is nonoliguric)
Alkalinize urine with sodium bicarbonate in maintenance fluid to achieve urine pH > 7
Tumor lysis syndrome:
Hydrate with two to three times maintenance fluid (as long as patient in nonoliguric)
Alkalinize urine with sodium bicarbonate in maintenance fluid to achieve urine pH greater than 7
Prescribe oral phosphorus binders
Prescribe urate oxidase
Renal replacement therapy for patients with hyperuricemia, hypocalcemia, and/or hyperphosphatemia refractory to medical management
Interstitial nephritis:
Renal artery thrombosis:
Systemic and/or direct anticoagulation
Vascular surgical thrombectomy
Renal vein thrombosis (bilateral):
Systemic anticoagulation
Surgical exploration as warranted
Postrenal disease
Congenital conditions
Posterior urethral valves:
Place indwelling urethral catheter
Consult pediatric urologist to fulgurate valves
Upper obstructive lesions
What are the possible outcomes of this disease?
The prognosis for pediatric acute kidney injury varies with patient age, severity of illness, and underlying diagnosis.
Two thirds of children who develop acute kidney injury and survive to hospital discharge will recover kidney function.
Children less than 1 year of age have worse survival prognosis.
Children admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) have worse survival than those who are not.
Critically ill children receiving invasive mechanical intubation and vasoactive medication have an independent increased risk of mortality if they experience pRIFLE-I or pRIFLE-F AKI compared with no acute kidney injury or pRIFLE-R AKI.
Children with acute decompensated heart failure have an independent increased risk of death or requirement for a cardiac mechanical assist device if they experience a serum creatinine rise of greater than or equal to 0.3 mg/dL.
Thirty percent of children will be discharged with decreased kidney function.
Five percent of children will be discharged on dialysis.
Mortality for children increases with:
Increasing pRIFLE strata
Increasing severity of illness
Younger age (patients <1 year of age with higher mortality rates)
One third of patients who survive an AKI episode will have signs or symptoms of chronic kidney disease 3-5 years later.
Death or end-stage renal disease occurs in 12% of children with HUS.
Twenty-five percent of children who survive an HUS episode will have signs and symptoms of chronic kidney disease.
Children who survive an acute kidney injury episode should be followed periodically for:
Resolution of acute kidney injury
Development of signs and symptoms of chronic kidney disease, which include: proteinuria, decreased glomerular filtration rate, hypertension
The frequency of the follow up will depend on:
The severity of the acute kidney injury
The resolution of acute kidney injury
The presence of signs and symptoms of chronic kidney disease
What causes this disease and how frequent is it?
The pathophysiology of AKI is often multifactorial and is similar to that seen in adult patients. In general most pediatric AKI results from:
A hypoxic-ischemic-reperfusion injury caused by prolonged hypotension and decreased renal blood flow
Direct toxic effect to the proximal tubules by an exogenous or endogenous toxin
In either case, damage to the proximal tubule can lead to tubule cell sloughing into the proximal lumen, with obstruction to urinary flow and backleak though the tubules and into the glomerulus.
Once the injury has subsided, the proximal tubules must regenerate their integrity and polarity to resume normal function.
What is the evidence?
Akcan-Arikan, A, Zappitelli, M, Loftis, LL. "Modified RIFLE criteria in critically ill children with acute kidney injury". Kidney Int. vol. 71. 2007. pp. 1028-3. (First publication to develop and validate the pediatric modified RIFLE criteria)
Plotz, FB, Bouma, AB, van Wijk, JA. "Pediatric acute kidney injury in the ICU: an independent evaluation of pRIFLE criteria". Intensive Care Med. vol. 34. 2008. pp. 1713-7. (Second publication validating the pRIFLE criteria)
Zappitelli, M, Parikh, CR, Akcan-Arikan, A. "Ascertainment and epidemiology of acute kidney injury varies with definition interpretation". Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. vol. 3. 2008. pp. 948-54. (Assessment of pRIFLE and AKIN AKI criteria, and assessment of the most optimal estimated baseline kidney function when a recent serum creatinine is not available)
Schneider, J, Khemani, R, Grushkin, C. "Serum creatinine as stratified in the RIFLE score for acute kidney injury is associated with mortality and length of stay for children in the pediatric intensive care unit". Crit Care Med. vol. 38. 2010. pp. 933-9. (Large 3000-patient pediatric ICU study assessing associations between RIFLE and outcomes)
Askenazi, DJ, Feig, DI, Graham, NM. "3-5 year longitudinal follow-up of pediatric patients after acute renal failure". Kidney Int. vol. 69. 2006. pp. 184-9. (Largest long-term follow-up of all-cause pediatric AKI)
Garg, AX, Suri, RS, Barrowman, N. "Long-term renal prognosis of diarrhea-associated hemolytic uremic syndrome: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression". JAMA. vol. 290. 2003. pp. 1360-70. (Large meta-analysis of HUS outcomes)
Hui-Stickle, S, Brewer, ED, Goldstein, SL. "Pediatric ARF epidemiology at a tertiary care center from 1999 to 2001". Am J Kidney Dis. vol. 45. 2005. pp. 96-101. (Largest recent epidemiological study of AKI in the hospitalized pediatric population)
Vachvanichsanong, P, Dissaneewate, P, Lim, A, McNeil, E. "Childhood acute renal failure: 22-year experience in a university hospital in southern Thailand". Pediatrics. vol. 118. 2006. pp. e786-91. (Demonstrates changing pediatric AKI epidemiology over 2 decades)
Bailey, D, Phan, V, Litalien, C. "Risk factors of acute renal failure in critically ill children: a prospective descriptive epidemiological study". Pediatr Crit Care Med. vol. 8. 2007. pp. 29-35. (Assessment of AKI in a large ICU population)
Ongoing controversies regarding etiology, diagnosis, treatment
The most common clinical controversy occurs in timing of initiation of dialysis in critically ill children with AKI. It has become clear that waiting for standard indications for initiating chronic dialysis (severe acidosis, hypercalemia) is associated with worse outcomes in the acute setting. Currently, recommendations in the acute setting aim at starting dialysis earlier based on the following:
At a certain creatinine level
At a certain level of fluid overload
Novel urinary and serum biomarkers of AKI that detect AKI before a rise in serum creatinine have undergone signficant validation in the pediatric population. Current controversy exists on how to use these biomarkers (neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, interleukin-18, kidney injury molecule-1, liver type fatty acid binding protein) in clinical decision making.
Copyright © 2017, 2013 Decision Support in Medicine, LLC. All rights reserved.
No sponsor or advertiser has participated in, approved or paid for the content provided by Decision Support in Medicine LLC. The Licensed Content is the property of and copyrighted by DSM.
- OVERVIEW: What every practitioner needs to know
- Are you sure your patient has acute kidney injury? What are the typical findings for this disease?
- What other disease/condition shares some of these symptoms?
- What caused this disease to develop at this time?
- What laboratory studies should you request to help confirm the diagnosis? How should you interpret the results?
- Would imaging studies be helpful? If so, which ones?
- Confirming the diagnosis
- If you are able to confirm that the patient has acute kidney injury, what treatment should be initiated?
- What are the possible outcomes of this disease?
- What causes this disease and how frequent is it?
- What is the evidence?
- Ongoing controversies regarding etiology, diagnosis, treatment


text:
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text:
Mosquitoes ignore repellent Deet after first exposure
- Published
The widely used insect repellent Deet appears to be losing its effectiveness against mosquitoes, scientists say.
Researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine say mosquitoes are first deterred by the substance, but then later ignore it.
They say more research is needed to find alternatives to Deet, which was first developed by the US military.
The research was carried out on Aedes aegypti, a species of mosquito that spreads dengue and yellow fever.
The findings are published in the journal Plos One.
Dr James Logan from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: "The more we can understand about how repellents work and how mosquitoes detect them, the better we can work out ways to get around the problem when they do become resistant to repellents."
Human bait
Deet - or N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide - is one of the most widely used active ingredients in insect repellents. It was developed by the US military, following its experience of jungle warfare during World War II.
For many years, it was not clear exactly how the chemical worked, but recent research suggests that insects simply do not like the smell.
However, there are concerns that some mosquitoes are growing resistant to it.
To find out more, researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine took some A. aegypti mosquitoes in the laboratory, and tempted them with a human arm covered in Deet.
As expected, the repellent put the insects off their potential meal.
However, a few hours later when the same mosquitoes were offered a chance to dine again, the researchers found that the Deet was less effective.
To investigate why this might be happening, the researchers attached electrodes to the insects' antenna.
Dr Logan explained: "We were able to record the response of the receptors on the antenna to Deet, and what we found was the mosquitoes were no longer as sensitive to the chemical, so they weren't picking it up as well.
"There is something about being exposed to the chemical that first time that changes their olfactory system - changes their sense of smell - and their ability to smell Deet, which makes it less effective."
Arms race
Earlier research by the same team found that genetic changes to the same species of mosquito can make them immune to Deet, although it was not clear if there were any mosquitoes like this in the wild.
Dr Logan said it was vital to understand both these permanent genetic and temporary olfactory changes that were taking place.
He said: "Mosquitoes are very good at evolving very very quickly."
He stressed that the findings should not stop people from using Deet in high risk areas, but that they would help scientists who are trying to find new versions that could be effective.
To follow up on the study, the researchers now plan to find out how long the effect lasts after the initial exposure to the chemical.
The team would also like to study the effect in other mosquitoes, including the species that transmit malaria.


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Crystal could be used to connect distant quantum networks.
Today's Internet runs on linked silicon chips, but a future quantum version might be built from diamond crystals. Physicists report today in Nature1 that they have entangled information kept in pieces of diamond 3 metres apart, so that measuring the state of one quantum bit (qubit) instantly fixes the state of the other - a step necessary for exchanging quantum information over large distances.
Entanglement, which Albert Einstein called 'spooky action at a distance', is one of the weird phenomena that make quantum devices promising. A quantum Internet would use entangled photons travelling down fibre-optic cables to in turn entangle qubits, with the aim of one day providing super-secure communications, or delivering software and data to future quantum computers2.
The qubits themselves are analogous to the bits used in conventional computers, but can exist in a superposition of states, being both '0' and '1' at the same time (another aspect of quantum weirdness). Linked qubits could in theory zip through calculations that, on a classical computer, would take longer than the age of the Universe. Entangling them over a distance might allow unbreakable communication: for example, if the sender and the receiver of a message possess two sets of qubits that together provide an encryption key.
The technical feat of entangling qubits at a distance has already been achieved in other systems, including trapped ions and atoms. Although diamond is still playing catch-up, rapid progress has quickly elevated it to the A-list of candidates for quantum networks. "Connecting many qubits in diamond chips may be much easier than scaling up other systems," says Ronald Hanson, a nanoscientist at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, who led the team that reported the results in Nature1.
Flawed diamonds
Qubits in diamond depend on imperfections in the materials' carbon lattice. When nitrogen atoms substitute for carbon atoms, and appear next to gaps, or vacancies, in the structure, a qubit can be created based on the spin state of electrons held in the gap. Their fluorescence gives a faint pink tinge to the crystal.
To entangle qubits in separate pieces of diamond, the team uses lasers to entangle each qubit with a photon at temperatures of 10 kelvin. The photons meet midway through a fibre-optic cable, where they are themselves entangled. A slightly different form of that process was first applied to entangling ytterbium ions in 20073 and neutral rubidium atoms in 20124 (See also: 'Atom takes a quantum leap').
"It's a quite beautiful technical demonstration," says David Awschalom, a quantum physicist at the University of Chicago in Illinois, who has worked on qubits in diamond but was not involved in this study.
The process is not yet very efficient, says Lilian Childress, a physicist at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and a co-author of the latest study. The researchers achieve entanglement only once in every 10 million attempts, or about once every ten minutes. But that is on a par with the first experiments in trapped atoms and ions, she adds.
One important goal of the technique is to provide the basis for so-called quantum repeaters, which would make long-distance quantum communications possible. Photon-based entanglement fades after a few hundreds of kilometres, because fibre-optic cable absorbs the light, and boosting the signal destroys the entanglement. But entangling chains of quantum repeaters could link qubits over longer distances.
Although ion and atom systems are more advanced than diamond in terms of linking close qubits for quantum computing, holding a record of 14 entangled qubits, diamond has distinct advantages for linking remote processors in networks, says Hanson. Unlike ions trapped in high vacuum, qubits in diamond can be maintained at room temperature, because the material's surrounding carbon lattice shields them so well from stray magnetic fields or vibrations that might upset their superposition.
Researchers showed last year that diamond-vacancy qubits, which last for tens of milliseconds, can even be transferred to the nuclei of neighbouring carbon or nitrogen atoms, creating an array of 'memory' qubits that can exist for seconds5,6 — an eternity in quantum-computing terms. Also, building assemblies of solid diamond chips sounds more approachable than creating hundreds of ion traps, says Hanson.
At this early stage, with quantum processors decades away, no one is ready to bet on which system will prevail. "You can't pick a winner right now," says Joshua Nunn, a physicist at the University of Oxford, UK.
Bernien, H. et al. Nature http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature12016 (2013).
Kimble, H. J. Nature 453, 1023-1030 (2008).
Moehring, D. L. et al. Nature 449, 68-71 (2007).
Hofmann, J. et al. Science 337, 72-75 (2012).
Pfaff, W. et al. Nature Phys. 9, 29-33 (2013).
Dolde, F. et al. Nature Phys. 9, 139-143 (2013).
Related links
Related links
Related links in Nature Research
Diamond defects shrink MRI to the nanoscale 2013-Jan-31
Data teleportation: The quantum space race 2012-Dec-05
Entangled diamonds vibrate together 2011-Dec-01
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Cite this article
Van Noorden, R. Diamond shows promise for a quantum Internet. Nature (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature.2013.12870
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature.2013.12870


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Let see how various CPUs do at HandBrake video encoding!
HandBrake 0.9.5 needs to be used:
Videos to encode:
1.)Tron:Legacy 1080p trailer
296.6MB MOV file
2.)Splice 1080p trailer
336MB WMV file
3.)Big Buck Bunny 1080p
886MB MP4 file
Operating system: Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7
Conditions: Regular preset(Normal)
Output file type: MKV
You will find average FPS during the encode in the encode log(activity windows). The total time for the encode can also be worked out too.
Also state what system specifications you are using and how many CPU threads are being used.
Make sure you set HandBreak priority to high in the Tools menu and shut down programmes like Steam,Word and Firefox.
There seems to be a utility to close down any unnecessary processes!!


text:
XML::Atom - Atom feed and API implementation
use XML::Atom;
Atom is a syndication, API, and archiving format for weblogs and other data. XML::Atom implements the feed format as well as a client for the API.
XML::Atom is free software; you may redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.
Benjamin Trott, Tatsuhiko Miyagawa
All rights reserved.


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Editor's Note: Dylan H. Roby is the director of Health Economics and Evaluation Research at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and an assistant professor of Health Policy and Management in the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health.
Story highlights
AOL blamed 401(k) changes on cost of Obamacare and two sick newborns
Dylan Roby: It promptly reversed its decision after staff and public outcry
Roby: Obamacare can't cost that much: AOL is too big and workers pay big costs
Roby: Maternity coverage cost spread over lots of employees would be minimal
As a business decision, America Online's recent announcement that it was planning to pull back its employee 401(k) matching program to save money was not a surprise. It is common practice for U.S. companies to lay off workers, reduce hours, and cut benefits to look more attractive to shareholders, even while posting record profits.
Last year's decisions by ESPN, Kellogg, and General Electric illustrate how layoffs are part of corporate growth strategies. Usually, layoffs are blamed on uncertainty, the need for efficiency, or the sluggish economy.
The surprise was when he announced the change, AOL's chief executive Tim Armstrong had placed blame for the cuts on Obamacare, which he says would cost the company $7 million, and two female employees with "distressed babies" that cost $2 million in 2012.
However, after staff and public outcry, Armstrong saw the light and said his company would reverse its decision to dole out its matching funds to employees' contributions in one lump sum at the end of the year, rather than match contributions in each paycheck.
Here's why two newborns and the costs of Obamacare were very unlikely reasons that AOL would have to change its 401(k) program to save money:
Health care costs are unpredictable for everyone, not just new moms. After all, a healthy, single man can break his leg or be diagnosed with cancer at any time. Patients with expensive health care needs one year are not guaranteed to spend a lot on health care in the following year – and anyone could have a health emergency at some point. That's why we buy health insurance: to protect ourselves against an unpredictable and potentially devastating event.
A large company like AOL is better able to spread the risk across all employees because it has many workers, most of whom are in good health. Rather than allow employees to sign up for various insurance plans through multiple companies, AOL is self-funded. That means it pays all claims directly, with a third-party administrator managing the business processes.
Companies like AOL that self-fund their health benefits typically buy reinsurance policies to protect them from any exorbitant, unexpected claims. In addition, AOL employees are required to pay both a share of their insurance premiums and up to $6,000 per family in out-of-pocket costs, which means they are already paying a significant share of health-care spending increases. So two new moms and their newborns are merely a convenient excuse that companies like AOL can use to cut costs to benefit their shareholders and executives' wallets.
And why did Armstrong blame ObamaCare? The Affordable Care Act does include fees for insurers and third-party administrators to help fund efforts to stabilize the individual and small group insurance markets. In 2014, AOL may need to pay just up to $63 per year per insured employee. But because AOL offers comprehensive coverage to its employees, it would not be subject to the penalties that apply to larger employers that do not provide affordable coverage to their full-time employees, starting in 2015.
Employers cannot blame the president for unpredictable health care costs either. In the past four years, the rate of national health care spending growth slowed substantially to less than 4% per year – half the growth rate of the previous four decades.
Although it's convenient for employers to blame Obamacare for any instability or changes to health-care spending, the fact remains that the cost of maternity or other benefits spread over a large insured population is minimal.
In a 2011 report, the California Health Benefits Review Program found that adding a requirement to cover maternity services to individual insurance plans would result in just a 0.52% increase in spending.
Blaming two new mothers for these sweeping benefit cuts was an awful way to treat employees who are already facing the worst of all possible scenarios: a very sick child.
It's a mistake Armstrong should never make again.
Follow us on Twitter @CNNOpinion.
Join us on Facebook/CNNOpinion.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Dylan Roby


text:
Research A Franchise Is that franchise right for you? Here's a step-by-step overview to help you answer that question.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
An old Chinese proverb says a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. But the first step from employee to entrepreneur can seem as wide as the Grand Canyon. Looking down that sheer rock cliff with no safety net, and considering how serious the risk of failure is, often intimidates most rational people. Add it all up, and that nice, safe paycheck--no matter how small or large it is--starts looking pretty darn good.
And yet the entrepreneur within just won't let go.
Purchasing a franchise offers one of the most inviting ways to get into business ownership. Franchising has complexities of its own. Of course, it can be intimidating, but it can be done. In fact, it's done every day by ambitious people with limited resources. How can you take on a new challenge in your business life and scratch that entrepreneurial itch?
There's only one way to tackle such a large task: by breaking it down into manageable steps, bite-sized pieces. Study the process so it becomes familiar, not intimidating--and tackle it methodically, one step at a time.
Andrew A. Caffey is a practicing attorney in the Washington, DC, area and an internationally recognized specialist in franchise and business opportunity law. You can reach him at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Preliminary Steps
The first part of the franchise process is to conduct a brief self-assessment of your personal strengths, weaknesses, likes, dislikes and resources. Those psychosocial dimensions can guide you through the many decisions you'll face in the franchise evaluation process. Without those personal signposts, it's easy to lose your way.
What types of businesses excite you? What's your entrepreneurial fantasy? Do you imagine yourself dealing with long lines of retail customers, all waving $1,000 bills? Or do you see yourself dealing at the business-to-business level, taking calls from Microsoft and Nordstrom? Are you working outside in the fresh air, or is your idea of heaven found in the dusty inner workings of a computer? Do you see yourself working at home, near your family? Are you working part time, or do you plan on this being a full-time career position?
Check your investment resources. List them on paper. Note liquid resources, your cash on hand, savings and that rainy-day cookie jar of $5 bills you buried in the backyard. What other personal resources can you scare up? If your Aunt Gertrude once offered to help you get started in business, now is the time to talk to her. If your bookworm sister just aced Regis Philbin out of $1 million on national television, maybe now is the time to talk business loan (if she says no, you have the perfect response: "Is that your final answer?"). Do you have equity in your house or other assets that can be pledged for a loan? Write them down. Expect to call on virtually all your personal financial resources when you purchase a franchised business.
Knowing your resources saves you considerable time when narrowing down choices in a franchise investment.
Information Gathering
This is the fun part. Attend a franchise trade show and begin to make contacts and gather information. No trade show coming through your town in the near future, you say? Flip through a recent issue of Entrepreneur or browse through the franchises listings posted here in the "Franchise Zone," then contact franchise companies directly for information. Your task is to locate businesses that meet your fundamental goals and play to your strengths.
Attending a franchise trade show can be the most efficient way to immerse yourself quickly in the franchise marketplace. Franchise trade shows can attract hundreds of exhibitors and thousands of attendees, so brace yourself. Impose a method to the show's madness. Grab the show directory and find a place to sit down with a cup of coffee before you walk the aisles. Read the directory with pen in hand, and mark all the businesses you recognize or have even a passing interest in.
Have two or three good questions ready to go. For instance: "What are your expansion plans for my town?" "What separates your franchise from all these others?" "What are you looking for in a franchisee?" You get the idea. You need a good opener that gets the representative talking about his or her franchise.
Many retail franchises qualify applicants by their liquidity, their net worths and/or their business experience. They want to know whether you're serious about making a business investment or just dreaming. At the trade show, dress to communicate that you're serious about business. Leave your version of weekend ripped-T-shirt casual at home, take some personal business cards and prepare to take notes. This will set you apart from the crowd.
You'll come away from the trade show with a bag of company literature, your notes and some free food. All in all, not a bad afternoon. Now go over your notes, jot down your impressions and organize your thoughts. Keep the real possibilities, discard the junk and plan to contact the companies on your short list for additional discussion, maybe via one-on-one visits.
Check 'Em Out
You've been wowed by the sales presentation; you've sampled the free popcorn at the trade show; you've asked numerous questions and narrowed your list down to a few tasty choices. Now you want to thoroughly check out the company to make sure it's legitimate--to see whether it actually does what it claims to do for its franchisees.
The first and most important step at this stage is contacting as many franchisees as possible and asking them about their business experience with the company. Where do you get a list of franchisees? From the franchisor, of course. Ask for a complete list as opposed to the jotted names of a select few. Get a list with at least 100 franchisees on it, assuming the system has that many. If the company is able to provide a copy of its current Franchise Disclosure Document (or FDD), all the better. Item 20 of the FDD contains just the list you need.
When you contact existing franchisees, be aware that they're busy business owners on tight schedules (just as you hope to be if you pull this off). If the business is a restaurant, for instance, don't drop in at 12:30 p.m. and expect to receive much attention. Call in advance, make an appointment at a convenient time for the owner and keep the meeting brief. Ask whether the business investment has been a good one for the owner. Has the business's performance met his or her expectations? Has the franchisor lived up to its end of the bargain? Was the training useful and complete? Are franchise owners generally happy in the system or is there audible grumbling? What were last year's gross sales, and are this year's sales progressing at the same pace? Finally, given what the franchisee knows, would he or she make the same investment if he or she had to do it all over again?
You can also check out the franchisor by contacting public sources: your state's consumer protection agencies, the Better Business Bureau, Internet sources (look at www.franchise.org and the Federal Trade Commission's site, www.ftc.gov). If you live in one of the 14 states that regulate franchise sales, you can contact the appropriate agency and ask whether the company is registered and whether there are any complaints, problems or lawsuits that the agency can tell you about.
Evaluate The Opportunities
A prospective franchisee has a distinct advantage at this stage of the search: The law hath delivered unto you a FDD. The FDD is an extensive prospectus-like document describing the ins and outs of individual franchises; the law requires franchisors to deliver their FDDs to each prospective franchisee during an in-person meeting or at least 10 business days before you sign a contract or pay money to the franchisor.
Reading the FDD is an essential step in your evaluation. It'll open your eyes to the basic information you need to know when considering the franchise. If you treat it like an imposing insurance policy and slide it directly into your someday-I'll-get-to-it pile, you're doing yourself a big disservice.
One piece of good news about the FDD is it's not as intimidating as it looks and is even required to be written in plain English. The FDD is a sandwich document made up of three principal parts: a narrative description, financial information and contracts. The first part is a 23-section narrative describing all aspects of the franchise being offered. You'll learn about the fees charged for the franchise, the franchisee's total investment, the legal status of the trademarks, any product restrictions, financing offered by the franchisor, the franchisor's obligations under the franchise agreement, system performance information and statistics about the network of franchisees.
The second part of the FDD is comprised of three years' worth of the franchisor's audited financial statements. This tells you in no uncertain terms about the company's financial standing. After all, if you're prepared to enter into a 10- or 20-year relationship with a franchisor, you'd better know whether it has the money to survive the long haul. If the company's net worth is minimal, at least you can gauge the risk of investing accordingly.
If you don't yet have your MBA or a CPA license, you may want to take the financials to a good accountant or other business advisor. You'll probably need the services of an accountant anyway to prepare your own business plan once you select the right franchise.
The third part of the FDD is the standard form of the franchise contract. A business-format franchise agreement tends to be a lengthy, complex legal document. It has a lot of moving parts and can be difficult to understand . . . no plain English to be found here, my friend. This single document legally manages a long-term commercial relationship; it incorporates the operating manual standards and licenses the intellectual property to be used in the franchise. It also addresses the assignment rights of the franchisee, and spells out what happens if the relationship is terminated. Lawyers for the franchisor prepare the standard franchise agreement with their client's interests firmly in mind. The typical franchise agreement is on the order of complexity of a commercial lease, and you shouldn't sign it without the aid of a competent attorney looking out for your interests.
Hire a good lawyer to review the FDD for you. Yes, it'll cost a few dollars, but it's insurance money well spent. You don't want surprises in your relationship with the franchisor. Your attorney can explain the obligations imposed on the franchisee, what formal promises the franchisor makes to you and whether any aspects of the contract may strongly conflict with your interests.
Can you negotiate on the terms of the franchise agreement? Any part of the agreement can be changed if the franchisor agrees to it, but companies are oftentimes reluctant to make negotiated changes in certain states. In California, for instance, a negotiated change in one franchise agreement creates significant additional bureaucratic hoops that the franchisor must jump through. The franchisor must also disclose the change to future franchisees--not an attractive prospect for a franchisor inclined to cut a series of special deals for franchisees. California's FDDs inform franchisees of all such negotiated changes and thus level the information playing field.
Tackling the largest tasks means breaking them down into more manageable pieces. Even the prospect of buying a franchise becomes far less scary if you just take it a step at a time.
Franchise Registration States
These 14 states require a franchisor to register its FDD and maintain a registration with the state agency indicated.
If the company is authorized to sell franchises in one of these states, the company will be registered with the agencies listed here.
- California Department of Corporations (213) 576-7500
- Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Securities Compliance (808) 586-2722
- Illinois Attorney General's Office, Franchise Division (217) 782-1090
- Indiana Securities Commissioner, Securities Division (317) 232-6681
- Maryland Attorney General's Office, Securities Division (410) 576-6360
- Michigan Attorney General's Office, Consumer Protection Division Antitrust and Franchise Unit (517) 373-7117
- Minnesota Minnesota Department of Commerce (612) 296-4026
- New York Department of Law (212) 416-8200
- North Dakota Office of the Securities Commissioner (701) 328-2910
- Rhode Island Division of Securities (401) 222-3048
- South Dakota Division of Securities (605) 773-4823
- Virginia State Corporation Commission, Division Of Securities And Retail Franchising (804) 371-9051
- Washington Department of Financial Institutions, Securities Division (360) 902-8760
- Wisconsin Wisconsin Securities Commission (608) 261-9555


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[Photographs: Melissa Hom]
This classic Chinese chicken stir-fry is laden with Sichuan peppercorns, chili peppers, and spices. Cooking the mixture in a very hot wok gives it that extra smokiness known as wok-hai.
What's New On Serious Eats
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat, and cut into 1/2 to 3/4-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine, divided (or dry sherry, if unavailable)
- 1 tablepoon cornstarch, divided
- 1/3 cup peanut oil
- 1 to 2 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorns toasted in hot skillet for 30 seconds until fragrant, divided (see note)
- 3 scallions, whites finely minced, and greens finely sliced, reserved separately
- 1/2 cup fried fresh peanuts or roasted unsalted peanuts
- 2 cloves minced garlic (about 4 teaspoons)
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar (or distilled white vinegar if unavailable)
- 1 tablespoon Sichuan fermented chili-bean paste (or generic Asian chili-garlic sauce if unavailable)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 12 hot Chinese dry chili peppers, seeded
- 2 small leeks, white and light green parts only, cut into 1/4-inch slices (about 1/2 cup total)
- 1.
Combine chicken, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine, and 1 teaspoon cornstarch in medium bowl and mix thoroughly. Allow to marinate in fridge for at least 30 minutes, and up to two hours.
- 2.
Grind half of Sichuan peppercorns in mortar and pestle. Combine with scallion greens and reserve. Combine scallion whites, garlic, and ginger in small bowl. Combine remaining soy sauce, remaining Shaoxing wine, remaining corn starch, black vinegar, chili-bean paste, and sugar in small bowl and mix until cornstarch is fully dissolved.
- 3.
Set fine-meshed strainer over small heat-proof bowl. Heat peanut oil in wok over high heat until shimmering. Add remaining Sichuan peppercorns and dried chiles and cook until fragrant, about fifteen seconds. Drain in strainer. Pick out chiles and reserve. Discard peppercorns.
- 4.
Return wok to high heat until smoking. Add 1/4 of oiland immediately add half of marinated chicken. Spread in even layer with spatula. Cook without moving for 1 minute, then cook, stirring and tossing constantly until barely cooked through, about 1 minute longer. Transfer to a medium metal bowl. Wipe out wok with paper towel, add another1/4 of oil, and repeat with remaining chicken. Wipe out wok with paper towel, add another 1/4 of the oil, and cook leeks until charred in spots but still slightly crisp, about 1 minute. Add peanuts, reserved chiles, reserved chicken, and remaining oil to wok and push to side to make space in the center of the wok. Add garlic/ginger mixture and cook, stirring mixture constantly until aromatic, about 15 seconds. Toss entire contents of wok together and add sauce. Cook, stirring and tossing constantly until chicken is coated in glossy layer of sauce. Stir in scallion greens and ground Sichuan pepper. Transfer to serving plate and serve immediately with steamed white rice.
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by Geoffrey Hacker - Hi Gang… Maybe I have too much time on my hands. I ruminate about various aspects of these vintage fiberglass cars and how they were ahead of the curve in terms of what the designers of the bodies – and builders of the … [Read more...]
Hood Scoop – Which Postwar American Car Had The First One?
May 22, 2015 By 4 Comments


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The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday began probing the role of politicians in sectarian violence that left 28 people dead in Muzaffarnagar in the past two days.
The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday began probing the role of politicians in sectarian violence that left 28 people dead in Muzaffarnagar in the past two days.
"We are collecting proof of their role in inciting mobs, mobilizing the crowds for the Maha Panchayat which later triggered the violence," a home department official told IANS.
The government has also asked the cyber unit of the state police to trace the "provocative and fake" video clips uploaded on YouTube, which apparently further aggravated the situation.
A senior aide of the chief minister said that while heads are rolling for administrative failure at our level, the political class involved in the violence cannot be glossed over.
One inspector, a deputy inspector general of police (DIG), an inspector general of police (IG) and the commissioner of Meerut were given marching orders Monday.
Cases have been slapped on senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress leaders. The police have accused many political leaders of inciting mobs against communities and provoking violence.
A senior police official told IANS that first information reports (FIRs) against four BJP legislators – Hukum Singh, Bhartendu, Sangeet Som and Suresh Rana – along with Congress MP Harendra Malik have been lodged for violating prohibitory orders.
Sources in the Chief Minister's Office told IANS that Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had also sought media reports, photographs, local intelligence low-down on political adversaries who were present during the Maha Panchayat at Muzaffarnagar Saturday.
Akhilesh Yadav was looking to find from the leaders of the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) in western UP about the ground situation, said officials.
A miffed Akhilesh has also summoned Director General of Police Devraj Nagar, on why despite intelligence inputs the situation was mishandled and allowed to spin out of control.
Jayant Singh, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) MP and son of union Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh, was placed under preventive arrest when he was travelling to the violence-hit areas along with state RLD president Munna Singh Chauhan.
ADG (Law and Order) Arun Kumar said cases have been registered against 1,000 unidentified people and against 90 who have been named.
SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav for the second day Monday was involved in fire fighting exercise, and is learnt to have spoken to senior Congress ministers at the centre on the situation in Muzaffarnagar.
The crackdown on politicians, sources say, is also being undertaken at the behest of Mulayam Singh Yadav who sees a hand of "some political elements" behind the communal violence.
"We have been saying all through that efforts are being done to vitiate and polarize the state on communal lines and our worst fears are now coming true," a senior UP minister said. The minister admitted that the riots had put the state government in the dock.
BJP leader Vinay Katiyar too criticised the state government for trying to give a political hue to the riots, saying the father-son duo of Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh were better advised to improve the functioning of their officials rather than going on a witch hunt.
– Mohit Dubey (IANS)


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|* Driver tina2 chips
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|* it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
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|* (at your option) any later version.
|* This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
|* but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
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|/* Audigy2 Tina2 (notebook) pointer-offset register set, accessed through the PTR2 and DATA2 registers */
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I'm so excited that Monday is the kick-off for our series 30 Days to a Food Revolution. 30 days, 30 tips, 30 recipes, 30 bloggers We have an amazing line up of guest bloggers from many different types of food blogs. You will find some of your favorites and some new ones too.
In case you may have missed it, the whole country is talking about Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. Just this morning The Washington Post ran an article on Jamie improving Huntington's eating habits. It just so happened that it included a picture of an old friend from Huntington, Mary Calhoun Brown. Mary has written a book, There Are No Words, that shares a story which gives you a glimpse into the world of Autism. You can find it on the bookshelf in my shop.
You can also find a wonderful story on Shauna and Danny's blog, gluten free girl and the chef. It's a great article with lots of great food photos of recipes made from Jamie's cookbook. I really love that she wrote, "I hope, that one day, we become a culture of cooking again." I'm with you girlfriend!
I know there are tons more of you out there talking about this. It's worth talking about. It's time we stepped back and took a look at what we are eating and what we are feeding our kids.
So this is our wake up call. Get your whole family involved. Have them look into what they are eating. They could be very surprised. And while they're doing that, go sign Jamie's petition to get better foods in schools and keep cooking skills alive.
Don't forget to watch the Season Finale tomorrow evening!
Now to help get you interested in following along with our 30 Days to a Food Revolution I'm going to give you an incentive today and one for the end of the program, so pay close attention.
We're having a GIVEAWAY! UPDATE: Added another cookbook!
If you're not sure you can cook these meals from Jamie's cookbook or might not like them, well take it from me, Shauna and Danny, they taste great! Oh, and of course you'll be able to cook these meals. They were given to some people who have never cooked before.
I'm giving away a copy Jamie Food Revolution cookbook that I purchased just for you. Do one or all of these to be entered into the drawing. The more you do the more entries you get.
- Please leave a comment. If you are willing to share, we would love to hear your experiences with cooking real food. Have you always cooked this way or are you just learning?
- Jump over to the Facebook group page for 30 Days to a Food Revolution and join, then come back here and let me know with a comment.
- Sign up for The W.H.O.L.E. Gang newsletter. Make sure you reply to the confirmation email.
It's just that easy. Then make sure you check each weekday, April 26th to June 4th, to see what the guest bloggers have to say.
Many of the guest bloggers have also written cookbooks or have services they are willing to share. In order to be entered to win one of those, here's what you need to do to gather entries into the drawing. The more you do, the more chances you have to win!
- Leave a comment on this blog on as many of the 30 guest food bloggers as you like. Each comment is an entry.
- Sign up for The W.H.O.L.E. Gang newsletter.
- Visit that guest blogger's site and leave a comment there too.
- Tweet about this project using both of these in your tweet so I'll find you #30days2 #foodrevolution
When the initial 30 days of guest posts are over on June 4th, we'll pick the winners.
Here are the prizes:
Carrie (Ginger Lemon Girl) will donate a free 30 minute gluten free baking question/answer coaching session and a fresh loaf of gluten free bread (mailed 2 day priority).
Books such as:
Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef: A Love Story with 100 Tempting Recipes by Shauna James Ahern and Daniel Ahern (gluten free girl and the chef) NOTE: this book will be released in September and can be pre-ordered now on Amazon. Link can be found in my Shop.
The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook by Ali Segersten (The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen)
Make it Fast, Cook it Slow by Stephanie O'Dea (A Year of Slowcooking)
The Spunky Coconut by Kelly Brozyna (The Spunky Coconut)
Go Dairy Free by Alisa Flemming (Go Dairy Free, One Frugal Foodie, Dairy-Free Fitness)
Marrakesh Express by Nisrine Merzouki (dinners and dreams)
Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook by Elana Amsterdam (Elana's Pantry)


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"The number you have dialled is not in service. Please try again later," says the infuriatingly pleasant automated lady on the other end of Todd Marriott's mobile number. Try as I might later, Mrs Automation is as close as DiS is getting to the I Was A Cub Scout vocalist on this occasion. Handily, the band's label XL save the day with a number for his musical other half, sticksman Will Bowerman.
Now usually 'round about this point alarms bells would be ringing. "The drummer… maybe the singer can't be arsed?" But I Was A Cub Scout aren't your average band. For a start, there are just two of them, co-dependent on keeping the creative plates spinning. As an added bonus, Will proves himself to be a total gent in the process. Result.
With a full-on UK live jaunt pencilled into the calendar and a significant little 'x' marked on February 18 for the release of debut album I Want You To Know That There Is Always Hope, DiS limbers up for a month-plus onslaught of IWACS loveliness, and speaks to Will about the band's achievements to date, hopes for the future and the usual dolly mixture of indie-rock jibber jabber.
The album release is nearing ever closer – are you wetting yourself with fear or excitement yet?
I was kinda nervous, but we've let some people hear it and their response has been positive so I'm coming around to excitement now. People are saying it's great, so we're chuffed. We just want to push ourselves now.
Have you listened back to it much?
I'd love to say I haven't and pretend to be cool about it, but I've listened to it loads. In all the bands we've been in before we paid for the studio time ourselves and recorded three, maybe four tracks, but with this we got to go and record a full, professional album. With singles people only get one or two tracks and I don't think you really get a full sense of the band from that. As a piece of music, as a piece of art, we can showcase all the different elements of the band and you can really get a feeling for where we're coming from.
No doubt people will inevitably talk about Hugh Padgham (XTC, Genesis) helming the production, but it's understandable as he hasn't really done anything in this sphere before. How did you end up working with him?
When we were doing some earlier tours we would drive around in my car and when we reached London we would listen to Magic FM. Every time, without fail, Phil Collins' 'In The Air Tonight' would come on. We just waited for it. We loved how big it sounded with the drums and everything, so we said to our manager, "Let's get the guy who produced Genesis" for our record. By chance, someone at our label knew Hugh and set the wheels in motion. We couldn't believe it but he came to one of our London shows and he really enjoyed it. So we recorded 'Our Smallest Adventures' with him, and we loved how it sounded. He seemed the obvious choice for the album after that. When we searched for his name on Wikipedia and saw the names of the bands he has worked with in the past, it's quite phenomenal that he would even consider doing our album, but he did.
Maybe he saw it as an opportunity to reinvent himself, to challenge himself with something outside of the comfort zone?
Yeah I think there are now some newer bands speaking to him about producing them. So I suppose it will help his career too.
It's a smart move on your part, as it means the record is less in danger of sounding dated in a few years. A lot of current bands using more obvious producers will inevitably fall into that trap.
It's definitely better than going with the safe option of whoever is the trendy guy at the time or whatever. If we used a producer who is known for indie records, or new rave or something, people might just think of us as another one of those kind of bands, which we're not, obviously.
The proof is in the listening. He's definitely captured the more 'rock' inclinations of the band, which might catch some people off guard.
His production is fantastic. It sounds incredible, really. It's funny to hear what you've written, recorded so nicely. Hugh captured exactly what we had in our head and when we listened back, we had to pinch ourselves, like, "God, this is exactly right". We're very proud of it and can't wait to get on the road and play all the new songs to people. Halfway through the tour the album will be out and people might know it by then, as opposed to just knowing the singles. The guy we worked with before, with him we were happy just to get professional recordings; but when we listened back to them it just wasn't how we wanted to sound. We wanted a bigger, epic sound with lots of reverb and echo.
Will you be able to replicate the album live or will there be an element of compromise, given the natural two-piece limitations?
The majority of it we can play as a two-piece. We were keen to make sure of that while we were recording. We could have gone completely overboard and thrown loads of things on it, but we knew that when we played it live the songs would be different and people might feel let down, so there're really only a few moments in the set when we'll need to call on a helping hand.
Video: 'Pink Squares' (out now)
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You're heading out to South By Southwest after this UK tour – are you nervous about that?
We're really looking forward to it because it'll be like a cool holiday where we get to see a load of great bands that we might not otherwise see; bands like Russian Circles, Maps & Atlases, Tera Melos. And then you've got UK acts like Lightspeed Champion and These New Puritans playing, too. It's such a strange affair though; you have people as diverse as REM and Dolly Parton playing it, too. Should be great fun though.
Hold on… Dolly Parton's playing SXSW? You gotta go see her. That would be surreal if nothing else.
If I get offered the chance, I probably will. But we're both under 21 and I've heard they can be quite strict about getting into bars. We'll have to devise a scheme to sneak in or something. It's a bit unfair really because I haven't had any alcohol in about four years and Todd rarely drinks either.
It's all typical hell-raising rock 'n' roll stuff on the IWACS tour bus then?
We never really go in for the whole partying scene thing. 'I Hate Nightclubs' is all about that. It was based on a club in Chester we went to which was just hell. Everyone was totally wrecked, drunk and bumping into us and it wasn't our idea of fun really. We're not a very rock 'n' roll band in that sense, we'd much rather have an early night.
In a way, that's kind of refreshing. Especially when the media propagate a myth of today's youth as Skins-style reprobates, high on drugs and stuff.
Literally all the people we used to hang out with got into drugs: this guy who played guitar in one of our older bands is a total addict now. I even left a friendship group because they all got hooked on drugs. It happens a lot round our way because there's not a lot to do so people turn to drugs. 'Recommendations' is about people we know back home who are really into ketamine and stuff, and we hate all that. So the song is about recommending them to stop, basically. It's all very small town stuff. Stories about people, high points, low points.
So it's not just boy/girl teen angst in the lyrical department then, there's something more going on?
With the lyrics, we used the feelings of the moment with girls back home and things like that. It was a very emo kind of attitude, admittedly, but it worked out great for us. I think it made for sing-along but sincere songs. With direct and honest lyrics people can connect to the music better than, say, "Daft Punk's playing at my house, my house". A great song, but you can't really connect with it in the same way.
The album title – I Want You To Know That There Is Always Hope – is a bold statement. I guess in the context of former friends being hooked on drugs it works on several levels, it has a certain gravitas.
I'm a big optimist, but at times on tour Todd can get quite down and he's a very deep person. With the album title, we were on the way back to the flat after recording one night and the word hope just seemed to describe exactly how we felt about everything. It summed up our emotional state: we hoped the album would do well and we hoped it came out how we wanted, and we were hoping for a lot of things. I think hope is a very positive word and sends a good message. Todd said one of the older lyrics on the song 'The Hunter's Daughter' was "I want you to know that there is always hope" which isn't in the song now, but he thought it would make a great title. Especially as a lot of bands don't seem to make statements or use phrases any more.
I've read some things that suggest you guys have felt somewhat misrepresented in the press in the past, how do you hope the critics react to the album?
'Pink Squares' had a lot to do with that, and it was a bit of an accident. It was the first people had heard of us and they thought they knew what we were about, like we were this twee indie band, but the sound of that song was never what we set out to be like. It was originally going to be a b-side. When we came back with a much more rocking single, which was much closer to what we're about, people didn't take to it. So we used a guy who's into power ballads for a reason. If someone says that we're a band who write power ballads, we will be quite chuffed about that. We think of our songs as sort of sped-up power ballads, because there's so much feeling in that kind of music.
Video: 'Our Smallest Adventures'
- - -
There you have it. I Was A Cub Scout want you to think of them as modern-day torchbearers of the much-maligned power ballad. And you thought they were 'tweemo'. Pfft. Remember kids, next time someone offers you some misguided I Was A Cub Scout info, just say no.
I Want You To Know That There Is Always Hope is out on XL/Abeano on February 18 and will be reviewed on DiS next week. The band tours as follows:
8 Carlisle Brickyard
9 Glasgow King Tut's
10 Edinburgh Cabaret Voltaire
12 Liverpool Barfly
13 Newcastle Academy 2
14 Hartlepool Studio
15 Manchester Roadhouse
16 Leeds Cockpit
17 Trowbridge Terry's
18 Cardiff Clwb Ifor Bach
19 Exeter Cavern
20 Bristol Croft
21 Brighton Freebutt
22 Bedford Esquires
23 Southampton Joiners
24 Leicester Charlotte
25 Southend Chinnery's
26 Wolverhampton Little Civic
27 London Underworld
28 Cambridge Barfly
29 Dublin Voodoo
1 Galway Roisin Dubh
2 Belfast Auntie Annie's
Supports vary – check MySpace for details.
Photo: Andy Willsher


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Early returns on the Android 4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich" software development kit have developers praising the unified perspective and capabilities of the Google mobile OS -- but their ability to test new apps is constrained by the lack of Android 4 devices, which also limits the market for apps that use the new OS.
Android 4 unifies the OS and the SDK for both smartphones and tablets, replacing the Android 2.x OS for smartphones and the Android 3.x OS for tablets. "Google has really done an amazing job giving us a way to build on the phone and on the tablet," says Siamak Ashrafi, a developer at mobile application builder YLabz.com.
[ Take InfoWorld's visual tour of Android 4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich." | Learn what issues developers want Android 4.0 to resolve. | Keep up on key mobile developments and insights via Twitter and with the Mobile Edge blog and InfoWorld's Mobilize newsletter. ]
No Android 4 hardware for testing -- or for customer adoption
The lack of Android 4-capable hardware is a limiting factor to developers. "The emulator that's currently with the SDK is gruesomely, painfully difficult to work with," Ashrafi says. One reason is that they can't yet test on actual devices. That makes it difficult to implement some new technologies.
For example, Nick Farina, CTO at software developer Meridian, cites a hardware acceleration capability brought over from Android 3.0 "Honeycomb" as a question mark because no hardware is yet available to test it. "Presumably, Google's own apps are written properly and take advantage of this new hardware-rendering pipeline, but there's no way to know how well it all works until I get a chance to play with some new [Android 4] devices like the Galaxy Nexus." The feature "still requires the typically lazy developer to understand how the rendering system works and the consequences of layout and invalidating/drawing too much," he says.
Another javascript:void(0);issue is that many, if not most, current Android devices will not be upgradable to Android 4, limiting the number of customers that can use Android 4's new capabilities for some time. (The first Android 4 device, Samsung's Nexus Galaxy, is due to ship in November -- in Asia.) "Some of the device features like Beam [near-field wireless data exchange] and Wi-Fi Direct [a new standard for ad hoc wireless networking] are really exciting, but impractical to build against until enough people upgrade to newer devices that support them," Farina says.
Tablet-inspired UI garners praise
The revised Android 4 user interface, which is largely based on the "Honeycomb" tablet version, gets high marks from developers so far. For example, Android 4 "Ice Cream Sandwich" makes impressive use of fragments (introduced in "Honeycomb"), which help developers lay out the user interface, says freelance developer and trainer Robert Mac Hale: "Fragments work like dynamic HTML in two ways. First, areas of the screen may be updated independently. Second, reusable user interface components are now easier to create, maintain, and deploy."
Farina and Ashrafi see some similarities between Android 4 "Ice Cream Sandwich" and Apple's iOS platform for the iPhone and iPad. Google is finally getting the late Steve Jobs's message that attractiveness is critical on mobile devices, Ashrafi says: "For the first time, I have something that is coming relatively closer to how nice the iOS development platform is, in terms of the GUIs and the simplicity of using it. For me, it makes a huge difference."
An action bar providing view titles and buttons onscreen that are contextually related to content is similar to the iOS toolbar, Farina notes: "I believe it's a good thing to standardize on the placement of these really common UI needs." Android 4 does away with the physical buttons that Android 2.x smartphones use for going back to a previous screen and for accessing the home screen, application menus, and search engine.
Evolutionary but welcome API changes
"The API changes in [Android 4] seem more evolutionary than revolutionary, which is a good thing for developers," says Brian Hardy, a software engineer at mobile software development house Big Nerd Ranch.
In addition to the Beam and Wi-Fi Direct APIs, Android adopts the "Honeycomb" security and device management APIs. Two new APIs that Mike Burns, a developer at Thoughtbot, is eager to try out are ShareActionProvider and Calendar Intents. "The ShareActionProvider is an abstraction around the very common desire for sharing a piece of data. For example, sharing a photo via SMS or sharing a URL via email," he says.
Calendar Intents, meanwhile, "provide a way for apps to hook into the existing Google Calendar app, so a user can add events and view an agenda, consistently, from third-party apps." Both features boil down to having a consistent UI and reusable code for executing commonly requested features, Burns says -- something he has wanted Google to do more of.
This article, "Android 4: Developers praise the new UI and APIs," was originally published at InfoWorld.com. Follow the latest developments in business technology news and get a digest of the key stories each day in the InfoWorld Daily newsletter. For the latest developments in business technology news, follow InfoWorld.com on Twitter.


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I'm sure you've all heard the famous Hippocrates quote, Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food. He uttered those words in 400-something BC. Back in the day when food was actually—surprise—real food. That meant lots of plants and an occasional animal snack, but certainly not double-deep-fried, nacho-flavored, cheese-like chips; high-fat "Sunday" bacon; or 2-pound cinnamon rolls. When Hippocrates was talking about food as medicine, he was talking about plants. Whole foods.
See those scrawny little scallions in the above photo? Nothing all that special. They're just onions, right? Well, those onions pack a powerful punch when it comes to health-promoting goodness.
I've been doing some research on foods that fight cancer, sometimes referred to as chemopreventive (or chemoprotective) foods and ran across an interesting, recently released (last week) study.
But first, a little background. The term chemopreventive was coined in the late 1970s and refers to the phytochemicals (plant chemicals) in natural products (fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices) that reduce the risk of disease. I mentioned Hippocrates because I figured most of you have probably heard the food as medicine quote. Here's another similar, although more wordy, quote from a March 2010 Pharmaceutical Research Journal abstract on cancer chemoprevention.
Moreover, it has been recognized that single agents may not always be sufficient to provide chemopreventive efficacy, and, therefore, the new concept of combination chemoprevention by multiple agents or by the consumption of "whole foods" has become an increasingly attractive area of study.
Hmmm? Wow, the "new" concept of consuming whole foods as medicine? An "increasingly attractive area of study." Very interesting (I say with a touch of sarcasm). Wasn't Hippocrates the father of modern medicine? Back in 400-something BC?
Okay, so we've gone astray on many fronts when it comes to health and what we eat. I'll save that rant for another day and get on with the exciting news about scallions, one of my favorite foods.
There's an increased risk of intestinal cancers associated with celiac disease. The risk is small and if you're on a seriously committed and healthy gluten-free diet (think whole foods), the increased risk is minimal. I'm not losing any sleep over it. But colon cancer is one of the most common forms of cancers in the general population, so it's nothing to sneeze at.
What do scallions have to do with intestinal diseases and colon cancer? Well, according to a new study, scallion extract (scallions soaked in hot or cold water) suppressed key inflammatory markers and reduced the size of cancer tumors. Yes, in rats, but in some ways, we're not all that different.
In summary, directly from the study: "We therefore suggest that scallion plant materials and their extracts may have the potential to be systematically developed as a chemopreventive agent(s) or medicinal food against specific colon cancers."
Psst—you don't have to wait until they're "systematically developed."
I say, load up on fresh, organic scallions right now. Chop them and add them to soups, stews, chili, whatever you can think of. Both the hot and cold extracts provided protection, but the hot (cooked) version topped the list. Sauté them and add them to raw salads. I do that all the time and they taste spectacular! Roast them in a medley of vegetables. Slice them length-wise and put them on pizza (check out this recipe: my new favorite pizza topping to see what I mean).
Here's the good news about this study. It didn't take much, just one scallion a day to provide the extra boost in protection. If that's not enough, scallions impair genes that store fat. Yes! Okay, in obese rats, but still. Good news, don't you think? Onions also help lower blood pressure and are anti-inflammatory.
What's not to like about the scallion?!
Go, buy some now! Let food be thy medicine!
PS Stay tuned for a roasted scallion pesto recipe. Oh my gosh! Delicious.
* P Arulselvan et al., "Dietary Administration of Scallion Extract Effectively Inhibits Colorectal Tumor Growth: Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms in Mice," PLoS ONE 7(9), e44658. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0044658, September 14, 2012.
Tags: Celiac & Gluten Intolerance, chemopreventive, colon cancer, functional foods, Preventive medicine, scallions


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Baby Pink Pure Raw Silk Fabric
Category: Pure Raw Silk Fabric
Khinkhwab brings you beautiful fabrics and yardage from Banaras. You can design these beautiful fabrics into a traditional blouse, Indian kurta or a western jacket. For Blouse you need 1 meter of fabric, for kurta you need 3 meters, for jackets you need 2 meters of fabric. Pair these beautiful fabrics with your Banarasi sarees and dupattas and add more glamour to it.
Fabric: Raw Silk is reeled silk before the gum is removed. It is a woven or knitted fabric of spun silk. Raw silk has a nubby and rougher surface than traditional silk. The fiber used to make raw silk is shorter than traditional silk and this also contributes to its unique texture. In addition to a different texture, raw silk is also lighter weight than silk.
Price mentioned is for one meter.
Note- There may be slight color variations due to photographic effects.
This is a hand-woven product and any irregularities in the weaving or pattern should not be taken as a defect. These irregularities make every handloom piece unique.


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Late Imperial China
An exploration of primary sources on childhood in late imperial China (framed broadly as the Song through Qing dynasties, ca. 960-1911 CE) offers a window into lived experience and the diverse ways in which childhood itself could be imagined and articulated. As with other times and places, the historical record presents a variety of perspectives and different takes on childhood, providing a sense of that realm as socially defined, imagined, and experienced.
Chinese family life in the late imperial period was marked by a complex realm of relationships. Children often grew up amidst an extended family of parents and siblings, grandparents, cousins, and, for the wealthier families, a domestic realm that would also include servants, wet-nurses, as well as the various women of a household including a formal wife and (potentially) multiple concubines. Extended families were thus the norm, offering a rich and complex community for the child.
Practices of child-rearing and the life patterns of children were shaped by class and gender. The management of the household was overseen by females as was child-rearing itself. Women would care for the children and, particularly as the late imperial period progressed through the Ming and Qing dynasties, would also be responsible for much of their early education. Youngsters would be guided in their initial acquisition of literacy and numbers through memorization of basic poetry and childhood primers.
Men in a family would also often play a role in children's lives, particularly in shaping decisions about the continued education and training of children (both boys and girls). Many a father or grandfather would also enjoy and celebrate leisure time with kids at play in the domestic quarters.
Children themselves would share together the joys and endeavors of early childhood through to an age of seven or eight years, at which point gendered divisions would be more clearly defined in their own activities and in their own spaces of learning. Growing girls would learn from other women in the household the essential skills associated with the feminine, including embroidery, sewing, cooking, and, particularly for elite girls, reading and calligraphy.
Elite boys, having shared an early training and playful realm with little girls, would then move to their own education, building up a literacy and experience with the canon of Confucian classics in preparation for the imperial state's civil service exams that could bring true success to their family and lineage. Boys who were not from elite classes, but who were raised in peasant households or by working class families, would also begin to engage in more strenuous work in the fields or perhaps new duties in the shops and artisan studios of an urban center.
Social relationships, meanwhile, were shaped by and articulated through a rich culture of philosophy and practice associated with the family. Confucian classics such as The Book of Rites (Liji) set forth an ideal vision of the proper child and the mandated aims of child-rearing. Here, as in the many instructional texts that circulated amidst China's booming print industry of the late imperial period, an emphasis was placed upon a moral training for the child in appropriate forms of behavior and in a recognition of the value of social relationships.
Moral teachings included the inculcation of a respect for elders and the encouragement of a child's true expressions of filial piety. This latter ideal was one celebrated as the foundation of a good family and of society itself. In ideal examples, children were honored for displaying a heartfelt sense of obligation, gratitude, and loyalty to their family as well as their dedication, throughout life, in caring for their elders.
Actual practice, naturally, was more complex. Reaching beyond the texts devoted to the ideal and exemplary, one also discovers more varied depictions of children's lives. Sources found in literature, poetry, biography and family records as well as in visual images from the time reveal the variety of experiences, emotions, challenges, and playful intrigue found in (or represented through) the experience of childhood.
The collection of primary sources offered here presents a view of both the normative prescriptions for the proper child as well as alternate perspectives on a culture of childhood in late imperial China.
How to Cite This Source
Sue Fernsebner, "Late Imperial China," in Children and Youth in History, Item #221, https://cyh.rrchnm.org/items/show/221 (accessed August 10, 2021).
- Introduction
- Primary Sources
- Meng Ch'iu, Empress Ma in coarse-woven silk… [Literary Excerpt]
- Meng Ch'iu, K'uang Heng bores a hole in the wall Sun Ching shuts his door [Literary Excerpt]
- Three-Character Classic [Literary Excerpt]
- The Story of the Stone [Literary Excerpt]
- Joyous Celebration at the New Year [Image]
- The Chinese Boy and Girl [Literary Excerpt]
- Chinese Mother Goose Rhymes [Literary Excerpts]
- "Yin Yu Tang: A Chinese Home" [Online Exhibit]
- Children and Toys [Photographs]
- Selling Toys [Photographs]
- Teaching
- Resources


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RC Willey Local Delivery In Stock Sealy Mattresses & Foundations
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RC Willey has a huge selection of mattresses and foundations from all of the major brands. Whether you're looking for a queen mattress or a twin-xl for your new adjustable base, California king mattress or a bunkie board for your kids bunk bed, we have it all! Find your favorite brands like Serta, Tempur-Pedic, Aireloom, Sealy, HealthCare and the RC Willey exclusive, Blue Burrito. Along with your new mattress, we have the matching foundations of varying heights so you can be sure to get the perfect combination for your bed.
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There are multiple options to give your mattress the support it needs. Consider the look you want with the bed you have. You can use a standard box spring, which is 9" or a low profile option, which is 5". A bunkie board might be best for bunk beds and platform-style beds. If you use a slat roll, the slats must be no more than 2" apart to maintain your mattress's warranty.
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In this post, I am trying out some pre-packed spices which were given by SEAH'S Spices to test out their new products. And as a fan's of SEAH'S Spices especially their Bak Kuet Teh (recipe) and Emperor Herbal Chicken Spices (recipe) which are our family favourite, I am more than willing to try out their new spices.
Seah's Spices has launched 3 NEW spices packet which are Singapore Noodles Spices, Singapore Fried Rice Spices and Kung Pao Spices.
Each of these spices above has it's own distinctive flavour which you could incorporate it into your daily cooking to impress your loved one with local delight at the ease of home dining. And also most importantly these spices are with "NO added preservatives and colourings" as well as "NO added MSG".
Happy Call Pan.
(Serves: 2 - 3 | Preparation: 10 minutes | Cooking: 20 minutes)
1/2 Portion of Chicken, chopped into pieces
1 Medium Brown Onion, cut into wages
6 Dried Chilli, pre-soak in hot water till soften
1 Stalk Spring Onion, cut into sections
Some Red and Green Chilli (optional), sliced
1 Tablespoon Cooking Oil
1/2 Tablespoon White Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Rice Wine
1 Packet of Seah's Kung Pao Spices
1. Coat and marinate chicken pieces with Seah's spices from the "White Coloured Sachet" found in the packet for about 2 minutes.
2. Preheat Happy Call Pan (HCP) and lightly oil with 1/2 tablespoon of oil. Arrange chicken pieces in the pan, cover and cook for 4 - 5 minutes each side or till chicken is cook with brown outer skin.
3. Removed the chicken, coat it evenly with the spices from the "Red Coloured Sachet" and set side.
4. Add in 1 Tablespoon of oil to the pan, stir-fry onion, chillies and spring onion till fragrant.
5. Stir in the meat and spices and continue to cook for another 1/2 minutes on low heat, covered.
6. Drizzle white vinegar and wine mixture together on the cooked chicken, give it a quick toss and serve hot with steamed rice.
(Serves: 4 | Preparation: 10 minutes | Cooking: 15 minutes)
500g Fresh Noodles or 3 Pieces Instant Noodles
200g Chinese Cabbage, sliced
100g Char Siew (BBQ pork), diced
8 - 10 Prawns, shelled and devein
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
1 Medium Brown Onion, sliced
1 Stalk Spring Onion, cut into section
1 Red Chilli, sliced
1. Bring a pot of water to boil, blanched or cook noodles according, rinse, drain well and set aside.
2. Meanwhile preheat wok/frying pan with 1/2 tablespoon oil, pour in the beaten eggs to the centre of the pan, tilting the pan so that the eggs spread out evenly over the bottom.
3. Cook until the eggs have set on the bottom, using a spatula flip it over and cook on the other side for a minute or two till set. Remove and set aside till cool before slicing it into egg strips.
3. Next add in another 1/2 Tablespoon of oil, saute onion, spring onion, chilli and prawns together till it is slightly pink in colour.
4. Stir in vegetables and continue to cook till vegetables is soften and prawns are cooked through.
5. Toss in cooked noodles and Seah's Noodles Spices evenly over the mixture and stir-fry for 3 minutes on medium heat.
6. Lastly turn off the heat, stir-in char siew and egg strips. Divide noodles on serving plates and serve hot.
To my surprised, Seah's Singapore Fried Rice Spices does not taste any similar to those fried rice from the Cze Char stall but rather it taste quiet similar to Nasi Goreng.
(Serves: 4 | Preparation: 10 minutes | Cooking: 5 minutes)
1 Packet of Seah's Singapore Fried Rice Spices
800g Cooked Rice, around 2.5 rice cooker cup uncooked rice
1/2 Cup Frozen Mixed Vegetables
2 Garlic Cloves, crashed
2 Tablespoons Cooking Oil
Some Cooking Wine
Some chopped Spring Onion
12 Japanese Chicken Sausages
4 Eggs
1. Boiled or Grilled the sausages, set aside. Fry sunny side-up eggs individually and set aside too.
2. Add oil in preheat wok, saute garlic till fragrant before stirring in the mixed frozen vegetables and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add cooked rice and continue to stir-fry for 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
4. Gradually add in Seah's spices into the fried rice according to your taste (you might not need the whole packet), stir well, drizzle some cooking wine and continue to stir-fry for another 1/2 minutes.
5. Remove, garnish with prepared sausages, egg and etc shown above. Serve hot.
Lastly I would like to thank Seah's Spices for sending us these 3 New Spices, and it's really a good experience to try out these new products before they are available in the supermarkets. So if you are a SEAH'S Spices users, do keep a look out on these NEW products launching in the supermarkets.
For more information and updates on SEAH'S Products, you could check out their facebook page HERE. Like their page to receive latest promotion and updates too.


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Python/C API Reference Manual¶
This manual documents the API used by C and C++ programmers who want to write extension modules or embed Python. It is a companion to Extending and Embedding the Python Interpreter, which describes the general principles of extension writing but does not document the API functions in detail.
- Introduction
- Stable Application Binary Interface
- The Very High Level Layer
- Reference Counting
- Exception Handling
- Utilities
- Abstract Objects Layer
- Concrete Objects Layer
- Initialization, Finalization, and Threads
- Memory Management
- Object Implementation Support
- API and ABI Versioning