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The Secret Beyond Matter
Fear of Allah
The Reasons for Failing to Fear Allah
Say: "Who provides for you out of heaven and Earth? Who controls hearing and sight? Who brings forth the living from the dead and the dead from the living? Who directs the whole affair?"They will say, "Allah." Say, "So will you not guard against evil?"
As openly revealed by Allah in His verses, when those people who possess only superficial belief are asked about it, they will admit their belief in Allah, but the fearful awareness of Him will be found wanting. The clearest proof of their condition is that neither in their speech nor in their behavior do they display the least sign of fear or caution with respect to Allah. There are well-known reasons underlying this.
The lack of a true appreciation of Allah
Generally amongst the populace an understanding of religion based on hearsay is widespread. The majority of people have not familiarized themselves with Allah's own descriptions of Himself and His attributes as they appear in the original source of religion, namely the Qur'an. Yet Allah has introduced Himself to us in the Qur'an in the clearest and most authentic manner possible. The knowledge of most people regarding Allah consists of what they have heard from their respective families, relatives and from here or there. As a result of this, people's understanding regarding Allah varies widely.
The interesting point about this is that it has never occurred to a great many people that the things they have heard and been taught in their immediate environments could be incomplete or even totally incorrect. Even if it has occurred to them, they would be most unlikely to go out of their way to do the research that would be required in order to ascertain the truth. This is a serious mistake which could result in going to the Fire as a consequence of not identifying Allah correctly or giving proper recognition to His many great attributes.
This kind of people think of Allah in general terms with respect to His attributes of The Forgiver (Al Ghaffar), The Helper (An Nasr), The Provider (Ar Razzaq), the Subtle One (Al Latif), The Preserver (Al Hafiz), The Merciful (Ar Rahim) and The Protector (Al Muhaymin). Limiting their focus to attributes such as these simply results in an unbalanced sense of comfort and complacency, since Allah has other attributes such as The Avenger (Al Muntaqim), The Punisher (Al Muazzib) and The Subduer (Al Qahhar). However, the people mentioned above would not know what these attributes of Allah actually mean. They cannot think of our Lord in these terms. They do not realize that these attributes will be brought to bear upon their actions, their behavior and their conversations.
Even though they may be aware of some of Allah's attributes by name, they remain unaware of their full import and the manner in which they are going to impinge upon their eternal lives. Either they have a one-sided view of Allah's many attributes, or they imagine that they do not apply to them in any way.
For example, if an injustice has been perpetrated on them, they believe that in the Hereafter Allah, with His infinite justice will seek retribution for this injustice. However, they fail to realize that they too will be faced with Allah's punishment if they do not believe in the Qur'an and act by it as they should. Mankind was created to worship Allah, but if they reject the purpose of their creation, they will without doubt face the consequences of this disbelief. The most severe of punishments is required for such an enormous transgression, hence the existence of Hell. Hell, being the most terrible place ever created is the arena for punishments whose severity lies far beyond man's powers of imagination. It subsumes and surpasses many times over the greatest agonies imaginable on Earth.
These people we describe do not have fearful awareness of Allah and behave carelessly; they are heedless of their own consciences and are completely lacking in understanding. They have no proper perception of Allah's strength and His power, His majesty and His vastness, His exaltedness and His greatness. Hence, they fail to experience the kind of inner awe and deep trepidation appropriate to the prospect of being exposed to His wrath. As a result of this, they do not strive to earn Allah's approval or to implement His commands to the best of their abilities. Neither do they abide by His prohibitions, preferring to lead carefree lives. They fail to show the gratitude and appreciation required for the blessings Allah has given them, therefore ungratefulness becomes a permanent feature of their beings. In the end however, the price for living a careless life on Earth will be paid with an eternal life of fear and torment.
The mistaken beliefs of the disbelievers about the Hereafter
As well as being unable to give Allah the recognition due to Him, many ignorant people also possess deficient knowledge and many false beliefs about the Garden and the Fire. These people enjoy their lives on Earth to their hearts' desire, they rebel against Allah and then, they assume they will be forgiven after spending a short period in Hell. However, the end that awaits them is much more painful than they assume, because Hell is an abode of punishment which may last for eternity for those extreme disbelievers who do not heed Allah's warnings. Allah emphasizes that Hell has been created for disbelievers and for those people who persist in their disbelief. The Qur'an makes it clear that there is no way back for them:
Hell lies in wait—a homecoming for the profligate, remaining in it for countless aeons. (Surat an-Naba': 21-23)
The pain and sufferings of Hell are beyond imagination. Hell is a frightening environment where Allah's attribute as the Subduer (Al-Qahhar) becomes manifest in all its severity and where the punishments that are inflicted far exceed anything imaginable on Earth. For an individual who is barely capable of withstanding the pain of a drop of boiling water, or cold temperatures or even the slightest hunger, to claim that they could bear such forms of punishment without too much difficulty is a clear indication of their complete lack of awareness and understanding. As we have said from the outset, anyone who imagines that Allah's punishment is a matter to be taken so lightly, is someone who has no idea whatsoever of the reality of Allah's power.
Being fooled by their allotted time on Earth
In order that people might be properly tested, Allah has granted us all a fixed period of time in the temporal world. He sends us warnings and grants us every opportunity to repent and to correct the mistakes we may have made. However, for people who do not live by the religion, this very generosity is yet part of what lies behind their inability to fear Allah as they should. In order to avoid the consequences of their actions, people are in general extremely careful when it comes to behavior which brings an immediate comeback. Let us look at the following example.
Let us suppose that a person is working for a company on a good salary, and has been given an important set of targets to meet, knowing that failure to achieve these targets would be likely to result in the termination of his employment with this company. It requires no great stretch of the imagination to guess how much sheer effort and determination would go into the task. The very thought of the loss he would face in the event of losing his job would ensure that any lesser approach to it would be entirely out of the question. He would do everything possible, even to the extent of sacrificing his comfort, his sleep and even abandoning other assignments in order to meet his objectives and escape the enormous distress that would result from failure. This is all very well but the question is whether such people feel the same level of urgency with respect to the much greater reality of having to account to Allah? The truth is that the vast majority do not because they do not see death and the Hereafter as imminent realities, according to them the life they are leading is much more realistic.
Yet in a Qur'anic verse the allotted time on Earth given to people is referred to as follows:
If Allah were to take mankind to task for what they have earned, He would not leave a single creature crawling on it, but He is deferring them until a specified time. Then, when their time comes, Allah sees His servants! (Surah Fatir: 45)
These people imagine that when they do something which Allah does not consent to they will instantly be punished with "raining brimstone," when this turns out not to be the case they see it as a licence to continue with their excesses. This illogical thinking can be seen in people of the disbelieving communities who have lived at every period throughout history, and whose reasoning is described by Allah in the Qur'an in the following way:
… And [they] say to themselves "Why does Allah not punish us for what we say?" Hell will be enough for them! They will roast in it. What an evil destination! (Surat al-Mujadala: 8)
This distorted point of view is held by the majority of people who do not believe and people whose belief is only superficial. These people who think they will not be punished for their actions, and who therefore think they are extremely clever, are in fact being gradually pulled towards their punishment from a direction unknown to them:
… And [they] say to themselves "Why does Allah not punish us for what we say?" Hell will be enough for them! They will roast in it. What an evil destination! (Surat al-A'raf: 182)
In similitude to those open and obvious punishments which Allah has mentioned in the Qur'an, subtle and hidden punishments can overtake a person at any time, even whilst still on Earth. An example of such a case is when someone who is in the habit of displaying attitudes or moral conduct which are offensive to Allah, is suddenly struck by a debilitating illness. Needless to say, these afflictions are not confined to the physical senses; the fear which Allah will cause to grip the heart or just sheer stress, will suffice in order to make an individual's existence extremely uncomfortable. Therefore Allah has drawn attention in the Qur'an to fear being a type of punishment:
Allah makes an example of a city which was safe and at peace, its provision coming to it plentifully from every side. Then it showed ingratitude for Allah's blessings so Allah made it wear the robes of hunger and fear for what it did. (Surat an-Nahl: 112)
Whilst behaving in a manner which Allah does not approve of, no person can ever be sure that misfortune is not hovering above him, ready to strike at any moment. There is no protection against any of Allah's punishments. Allah has informed us of this reality in the Qur'an:
Do the people of the cities feel secure against Our violent force coming down on them in the night while they are asleep? Or do the people of the cities feel secure against Our violent force coming down on them in the day while they are playing games? Do they feel secure from the plan of Allah? No one feels secure from the plan of Allah except for those who are lost. (Surat al-A'raf: 97-99)
The same warning is reiterated in another verse:
Do you feel secure against Him causing the shore to swallow you up or sending against you a sudden squall of stones? Then you will find no one to be your guardian. Or do you feel secure against Him taking you back into it another time and sending a violent storm against you and drowning you for your ingratitude? Then you will find no one to defend you against Us. (Surat al-Isra': 68-69)
It should not be forgotten that mankind is in a state of helplessness, and that we are completely dependent on Allah for everything. The distresses of trials and hardships can only be faced by relying on Allah and receiving strength from Him. However, those who do not accept the reality of their limited capacity and who do not fear Allah are left by themselves to confront their punishments and misfortunes, both the overt and the hidden ones. Given that the human make up does not posses the capacity to withstand these afflictions, the only safe and successful route is to fear Allah to the best of one's ability and to lead a life consciously based on fearful awareness of these realities.
Assuming that only the very rebellious will be subjected to punishment
Despite the majority of people knowing that following their death, Allah will call them to account for the lives they have led, and that after this reckoning they will be sent to either the Garden or the Fire, they make no preparation for their life in the Hereafter. Although these people assert their belief in the existence of the Hereafter, the lifestyles they lead are hardly any different from those of the outright disbelievers. Furthermore, they display not the least hint of embarrassment about it.
The lifestyles of both groups are, to all intents and purposes, identical in appearance, attitudes, behavior, goals and ambitions. The only difference between them is that the one claims to be Muslim, while the other makes no such claim. In spite of the former group's willingness to assert their belief in the Qur'an, their failure to abide by the judgments of the book they claim to believe in causes them no sense of discomfort or awkwardness whatsoever.
The reason for their apparent state of indifference to the openly contradictory nature of their position is their further assertion that their hearts are pure and that they cause no harm to anyone.
Their attitude is based on the confident belief they will never be sent to the Fire, in other words they view themselves as certain candidates for admission to the Garden. What is also particularly interesting are the criteria they have come up with in order to define the type of person who will enter the Fire, and the corresponding arrogance with which they declare everyone else as fit for the Garden.
According to them, the people deserving of the Fire are the criminals and delinquents one generally sees on television or in the papers such as murderers, thieves, terrorists, and assorted deviants who are determined to cause harm to others. Those excluded from this list, the "average person," who constitute the majority of humanity however, assume all their sins will be immediately forgiven.
It is the nature of the criteria they themselves have selected which has given rise to the assumption that they are of the people of the Garden, given that they have not committed murder or stolen anything and that they are not terrorists. Thus despite their claims to being Muslims, neither their willingness to commit all forms of transgression, nor their unwillingness to worship, nor their unwillingness to abide by the Qur'an and to lead their lives safely within the limits established by Allah, arouses within them any sense of fear or nervousness. The simple reason for this is their mistaken assumption that none of these actions or omissions constitute sufficient cause to be sent to the Fire.
However, this is a terrible mistake, which may drag them to the pits of the Fire. These ignorant people conjure up values and priorities in the name of Islam, which are very different from those contained in the Qur'an. In other words, matters on which Allah places the greatest importance end up, according to their facile reasoning, being considered as marginal. Thus, their self-invented religious perspectives offer them a lifestyle which is completely at odds with a genuine fear of Allah. In the following Qur'anic verse Allah draws attention to the corrupt logic of these people:
Say: "Who provides for you out of heaven and Earth? Who controls hearing and sight? Who brings forth the living from the dead and the dead from the living? Who directs the whole affair?" They will say, "Allah." Say, "So will you not guard against evil?" (Surah Yunus: 31)
These people cannot adhere to the commands and prohibitions of the true religion because of their determined commitment to their own version of things. Hence, they continue to lead their lives under a false sense of security induced by the fatal misapprehension that they are destined for the Garden; they are merely fooling themselves. However, no matter how much they deceive themselves their conscience will always remind them of the true reality. When confronted with the realities of the Qur'an, they find it impossible to admit that they have wasted their entire lives with sins and grave mistakes, they absolutely refuse to listen to anyone who tries to clarify the situation for them. Therefore, in order not to have to dwell on it, they consciously distract themselves by focusing on other issues. In other words, when anything comes up or a thought enters their minds that might cause them fear or anxiety, they immediately turn their attention elsewhere, preferring to remain in a state of imaginary safety. They attempt to block out thoughts of Allah, His threats, and His punishment, in other words, they exist in a state of perpetual denial of the reality of their predicament: the impossibility of escaping the inescapable justice of Allah. However hard they try, their mindless determination to avoid the truth will not save them from the fearsome conclusion awaiting them.
The false idea that "Allah will forgive us anyway"
An evil generation has succeeded them, inheriting the Book, taking the goods of this lower world, and saying, "We will be forgiven…" (Surat al-A'raf: 169)
As indicated in this verse, despite not leading a life as prescribed by Allah, people assume that they will nevertheless be forgiven. Without a doubt, the foremost reason for this assumption is their inability to properly comprehend Allah's attributes and His justice due to their reliance on a form of reasoning which has little or no Qur'anic foundation. Although Allah is forgiving and will forgive the wrong actions of His servants, the prerequisite for this forgiveness is outlined by Allah in the Qur'an as follows:
Allah only accepts the repentance of those who do evil in ignorance and then quickly repent after doing it. Allah turns towards such people. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise. There is no repentance for people who persist in doing evil until death comes to them and who then say, "Now I repent," nor for people who die disbelievers. We have prepared for them a painful punishment. (Surat an-Nisa': 17-18)
However, there are those who, having been repeatedly warned both openly and secretly, are aware of the truth and yet remain far removed from fearing Allah, and persist with their distorted claim that Allah will forgive them nevertheless. This kind of misapprehension is a clear example of Satan's ability to mislead and deceive people. It is one of his many lures, which leads to all forms of wrong actions and falsities being continuously committed. Furthermore, Allah's declaration that, "No one is safe from the punishment of his Lord" (Surat al-Ma'arij: 28), is clear proof that no one is guaranteed forgiveness in this way.
Assuming themselves as deserving of the Garden
There can be no doubt that a distorted understanding of the Qur'an will give way to a similarly distorted view of the Hereafter. Hence, the majority of ignorant people share the common belief that they are worthy of the Garden. Many of these people possess no concept of being questioned for their actions following their death. According to them, even if such a possibility existed they think that they would be met with a positive outcome, thereby fooling themselves into a false sense of security.
Allah has given an example in the Qur'an of a garden owner who was arrogant and self-assured. He did not fear Allah and because of his wealth was extremely spoilt. The high yield of his gardens as well as their beauty served as a basis for his self-assurance. The sensation of power he derived from this seduced him into believing that his possessions were indestructible and everlasting, and he adopted a stance of absolute insolence:
He entered his garden and wronged himself by saying, "I do not think that this will ever end. I do not think the Hour will ever come. But if I should be sent back to my Lord, I will definitely get something better in return." (Surat al-Kahf: 35-36)
The owner of the garden serves as an example to people nowadays who in essence have forgotten the Hereafter and the Day of Judgment, and who have perpetrated excesses and disrespected the boundaries set out by Allah. Furthermore, faced with the prospect, as they see it, of eternal non-existence or possibly entering the Fire and facing its punishment, they deceive themselves with the idea that they will eventually enter the Garden. The behavior of those people whose shallow mentality permits them to deny the Day of Judgment when it suits them, and who by the same token, manage to imagine themselves worthy of the Garden, is a clear indication that they lack fearful awareness of Allah.
Their Claim to Love of Allah
Another reason why people do not fear Allah and act cautiously is their claim that they love Allah. However, the true love of Allah requires respect and distancing oneself from those things that the beloved dislikes, but what is interesting is that when we examine the lifestyle of these people none of these signs can be found. A person who sincerely loves Allah will above all else be extremely sensitive towards Allah's boundaries, he will love the things He loves and will be extremely cautious of those things that Allah dislikes. In every detail of his life, he will seek to please Him by demonstrating his deep respect, trust, and submission with absolute devotion. However, someone who professes that he loves Allah despite leading a life, which transgresses Allah's boundaries, cannot be speaking with sincerity. This insincerity will inevitably attract retribution and a severe punishment.
The important point here is that a verbal declaration of love of this kind is nothing more than an exercise in self-deception and an outward display of over confidence. Such attitudes are in complete opposition to the spirit and the message of the Qur'an.
True Muslims fear Allah and strive to punctiliously abide by His commands. One of the finest examples of this is the Muslim women who lived in the time of our Prophet (saas). The female believers of the time embraced Almighty Allah's command regarding covering their heads with great enthusiasm and desire, and immediately obeyed. The following is narrated from Hazrat Aisha regarding the excellent behavior of women at the time when the verses regarding the headscarf were revealed:
When the verse "they should …draw their head-coverings across their breasts." was revealed, they tore their capes and covered themselves with those." (Ibn Kathir, Commentary on the Hadith and the Holy Qur'an Tefsiri, Vol. 11, p. 5880)
The Muslims who came after also obeyed this command with great enthusiasm and determination.
Fear based upon Ignorance
Allah is well acquainted with people's circumstances and every hope, prayer and thought that goes through their minds. This being so, what needs to be done is to turn to Allah with sincerity and to seek His friendship. A sincere inner fear produces a predisposition that will ensure submission, encourage a state of positive morality and progress towards gaining Allah's love.
The fear of the people who do not live by the religion however, is different. Their sense of fear is temporary. When they are tested with a difficult situation, they remember Allah's wrath and fear the consequences. However, no sooner does Allah save them from their predicament, than they revert to their previous state of denial. With regard to this matter the Qur'an gives the following example:
It is He Who conveys you on both land and sea so that when some of you are on a boat, running before a fair wind, rejoicing at it, and then a violent squall comes upon them and the waves come at them from every side and they realize there is no way of escape, they call on Allah, making their religion sincerely His: "If You rescue us from this, we will truly be among the thankful." But then, when He does rescue them, they become rebellious in the Earth without any right to do so. Mankind, your rebelliousness is only against yourselves. There is the enjoyment of the life of this world and then you will return to Us and We will inform you about what you did. (Surah Yunus: 22-23)
As seen from the above example the fear of such people will not benefit them. In direct opposition to the believers, they will not learn and take heed or reflect upon the meaning of such events. Therefore, Allah informs us in the Qur'an that it is those who experience fearful awareness that will take heed:
He who has fear will be reminded. But the most miserable will shun it. (Surat al-A'la: 10-11)
Here we see that the insincere people mentioned in the above verses are from the second group of people. That is because they do not have a sense of profound inner fear towards Allah. The incidents they are confronted with will not lead them towards the right path. Allah has informed us in the Qur'an of the conduct of these people in countless verses. For example:
Say: "To whom does the Earth belong, and everyone in it, if you have any knowledge?" They will say: "To Allah." Say: "So will you not pay heed?" Say: "Who is the Lord of the Seven Heavens and the Lord of the Mighty Throne?" They will say: "Allah." Say: "So will you not guard against evil?" Say: "In Whose hand is the dominion over everything, He Who gives protection and from Whom no protection can be given, if you have any knowledge?" They will say: "Allah's." Say: "So how have you been bewitched?" The fact is that We have given them the truth and they are liars.(Surat al-Muminun: 84-90)


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Recently, I've noticed quite a few songstresses and celebrities with a very daring hairstyle created by shaving one side of their heads and leaving the rest of their locks long. I must admit it, it's an undeniably edgy look that the average wallflower couldn't pull off, but it makes me a little nervous. I'm pretty attached (both literally and figuratively) to my tresses and if you think bangs are hard to grow out, I can't imagine what kind of fun ensues when trying to even out your follicles once one tires of the look. On the upside, I suppose it'd cut drying time in half.
So would you try the look?
Chop, chop.

subset: commoncrawl


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Are you on a Mac? Or do you use an iPad?
In the BitTorrent community, the number of users with at least one Apple product is growing at a pretty quick pace. And we hear you loud and clear with your requests for a little more love.
Today, we're stepping things up with three new Mac releases – new stable versions of µTorrent and BitTorrent Mainline for Mac ("stable" means they are no longer in beta testing), and a new HTML5 mobile Web interface for the iPad.
First up are two new versions of your favorite µTorrent and BitTorrent Mainline applications for the Mac. Each were created with the idea of bringing the most popular features of the PC counterparts to the Mac clients. Key new features include RSS feeds, remote/mobile support and more (see below for a complete list). µTorrent for Mac can be downloaded here, and BitTorrent Mainline for Mac is available here.
New Mac Features
– RSS Feeds and Smart Feed Subscriptions: Subscribe to torrent RSS feeds inside µTorrent and BitTorrent Mainline. Set up Smart Feeds to auto-magically fetch torrents and start downloads.
– Scheduler: Pre-schedule start, limit and stop activity for downloads at regular intervals throughout the week. A valuable feature if you're stymied by metered and shared networks.
– Remote + Mobile: Simple, secure access to µTorrent and BitTorrent Mainline clients from anywhere. No complicated network configuration required. Add and manage torrents from any browser, mobile browser (iPad and more), and even a native Android app.
– Advanced controls and info: More control and information about what's happening behind the scenes. Upgraded logging features too. And, now access double-secret-super-advanced preferences (they're hidden behind CMD+OPT+,). Use wisely.
In addition to the desktop clients, we're happy to release a gorgeous new Web interface for µTorrent, optimized for the iPad for a great touch experience. It comes complete with all the functionality in the PC-based µTorrent Remote.
Our goal is to balance power and usability while keeping it fast and light. Give it a tap, swipe and a flick and let us know what you think. Check out the new interface from your iPad by logging in here: https://remote.utorrent.com
Thanks Mac fans – and please let us know what you think.
-Brett Nishi, Director of Product Management


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Thursday, March 1, 2012
Polenta with Gorgonzola
From the Salads and Vegetables chapter, I was reminded of the great combination of fennel, orange, and onion, and I made that salad right away while blood oranges are still in season. A couple of pages later, I learned that black-eyed peas had been popular in Italy for at least a hundred years before they were grown in the southern US, and in Italian, they're called fagioli con l'occhio. In Tuscany, they're served simply dressed with olive oil. Next, I jumped to the Desserts and Confections chapter and tried the Limoncello Sorbetto. It's a lovely, tart, icy, and light dessert. This is something I'll be making often. While the sorbetto spent time in the freezer, I turned back to the Rice and Polenta chapter for the Polenta with Gorgonzola which is a dish Andrews remembers from a spot in Verona. It's as easy to prepare as it sounds. A recipe of Basic Polenta was made and left to set up in a square pan. I made it the day before I planned to serve it and left it in the refrigerator overnight. Once set, big rectangles of polenta were cut, and they were seared in a hot pan before being placed on a baking sheet and topped with slices of gorgonzola. The cheese-topped polenta rectangles then went under the broiler for a few minutes until the cheese melted and bubbled. Searing the polenta pieces gave them a toasted flavor and made the edges crisp. And, while you could use any cheese you prefer, the big flavor of gorgonzola was a great contrast to the mild polenta.
I think I enjoyed the anecdotes and information as much as the food in this book. And, I know I'll be pulling it off the shelf often for reminders about some classic dishes and to try some of the ones that were unfamiliar to me. I'm already planning on making the Pistachio Gelato as soon as the sorbetto is gone, and when spring and summer vegetables start appearing, I can flip to several other pages that are also marked.
Polenta with Gorgonzola
Recipes re-printed with publisher's permisssion
When I was writing regularly about wine, I used to make an annual pilgrimage to Verona to attend Vinitaly, the massive international wine trade show. Almost every night during my stay, if there wasn't an organized banquet somewhere that I had to attend, I would end up (along with many of my colleagues) at a place called Antica Bottega del Vino, on a little side street in the middle of town. (It is said that a century ago, there were literally hundreds of such places in the city.) As its name suggests, wine is the specialty; every available surface seems to be crowded with bottles—supposedly one hundred thousand of them in all—and scores of good wines are available by the glass. I rarely had a complete dinner (I had usually been snacking all day), but one dish I always looked forward to, sitting at a little wooden table out in the front part of the place, was a big slab of slightly charred fried polenta topped generously with just-melting gorgonzola. This is approximately how it was made.
Serves 4 to 6
Basic Polenta (please see separate recipe), cooled in a rectangle 1 inch/2.5 centimeters thick
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing and greasing
1 pound/500 grams gorgonzola dolce (young gorgonzola), chilled, then cut into slices 1/4 inch/6 millimeters thick
-Preheat the broiler/grill.
-Cut the polenta into 4 to 6 rectangles, each about 3 by 5 inches/7.5 by 12.5 centimeters.
-Brush the rectangles well with oil. Lightly grease a shallow, flameproof baking pan or dish large enough to hold the polenta rectangles in a single layer and set aside.
-Lightly grease a large grill pan (preferably) or cast-iron frying pan and heat over high heat until very hot. Working in batches if necessary, sear the polenta rectangles, turning once, until crisp and slightly charred on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. As the polenta pieces are done, transfer them to the prepared baking pan, and immediately cover each slice generously with slices of gorgonzola so the cheese begins to melt from the heat of the polenta.
-When all the slices are cooked and covered with gorgonzola, put the baking pan under the broiler until the cheese turns golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve immediately.
Basic Polenta
There's a lot of conflicting advice out there about how to cook polenta. The water should be boiling, or maybe simmering, or, no, at room temperature. The cornmeal should be added in a thin stream, or just poured steadily from a bowl. The polenta should be stirred constantly for an hour, or maybe an hour and a half . . . unless of course twenty minutes is sufficient. Or, hey, just forget about all that work and buy instant polenta. In the dozen years or so that I was at Saveur, the test kitchen must have made polenta thirty or forty times, using every different method imaginable. This technique, which is basically Marcella Hazan's, gave the best results for the least amount of work—but it is still reasonably labor-intensive.
Serves 4 to 6
2 cups/320 grams coarse-grind white or yellow polenta
-Put 61/2 cups/1.5 liters water into a large, heavy-bottomed pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon salt and reduce the heat to medium-low. When the water slows to a simmer, start adding the polenta in a very slow, steady stream, stirring it constantly with a long, strong wooden spoon. ("The stream of cornmeal must be so thin that you can see the individual grains," counsels Hazan. "A good way to do it is to let a fistful of cornmeal run through nearly closed fingers.") Continue adding the polenta and stirring until it is used up and then stir the polenta until it is thick and beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 20 minutes.
-Serve the polenta immediately, or pour it out onto a wooden board or platter to cool for later use, shaping it into a rectangle about 1 inch/2.5 centimeters thick as it cools if you are going to fry it later.
Posted by lisa is cooking at Thursday, March 01, 2012
25 comments:
I think I must have been born Italian in another life! This polenta looks heavenly with that cheese!!ReplyDelete
Soooo wrong to post something so delicious and have me read it before heading to bed. Wrong. ;)ReplyDelete
A great vegetarian dish, I love Polenta and Gorgonzola, last made it with a Arugula Salad and Balsamic!ReplyDelete
I've never tried polenta before but it looks delicious.ReplyDelete
A terrific combination! I really love this fabulous cheese.ReplyDelete
I don't know where you have lived in your past life, but I'm sure that you were really into cooking then too ;)ReplyDelete
I love this! I make soft polenta often with cheese mixed in and I make polenta squares with other toppings, but I've never made the squares with melted cheese on the top. I'm bookmarking this one! Thanks, Lisa; you always have the loveliest recipes!ReplyDelete
I could eat that three meals a day. Colman Andrews came to Book Larder to promote the book and I made the little lemon cookies to welcome him. Sadly, I wasn't able to go to the event, but everyone said he was lovely.ReplyDelete
I love polenta because it is so versatile and can not only be used as a main ingredient but as a vessel for other ingredients as well.ReplyDelete
i'm a weakling and gorgonzola scares me. i do like the idea of melting cheese atop a plank of polenta--lovely!ReplyDelete
This is such beautiful presentation. I wish the Italians who made this dish on my blog could see yours!ReplyDelete
Thanks for this review Lisa. I've been contemplating a new addition to my collection and it seems all my more modern Italian books feature pasta. I do have Marcella Hazen's book and always use her technique for Polenta. The addition of Gorgonzola just elevates this dish to more yumminess!!! Of course your pictures just invite nibbles:)ReplyDelete
Thank you so much for sharing...Enjoy the book!
I have tried making polenta many times and have never been able to get it right. I may have to try it just one more time. You make it look so easy!ReplyDelete
The Tuckerbag
Ahh what gorgeous rectangles of oozy goodness! :D This look divine Lisa!ReplyDelete
i am so making this tmrw....
These polenta rectangles are making me drool.....
I have always paired Parmesan with polenta but Gorgonzola sounds delightful! Luscious recipe!ReplyDelete
You are reading my mind! I bought a big bag of polenta yesterday with the intention of making chips tonight, but this looks much better. I was worried that the chips might be too dry but this looks like a perfect texture.ReplyDelete
How on earth did you turn polenta into a "firm tofu-cake"? Interesting!ReplyDelete
I just got back from a trip to Northern Italy and ate polenta almost every day, but yours is making me want more. gorgonzola and polenta are a match made in heaven.ReplyDelete
love the melty cheese atop the polenta cake... very elegant and delicious looking.ReplyDelete
what a delicious sounding treat, I bet this with some fresh pears would be amazing.ReplyDelete
I've never had polenta like this before, but it looks sooo good. Gorgonzola is one of my favorite cheeses, too. Yum!ReplyDelete
I am busy wiping the drool off my keyboard.ReplyDelete
We love polenta and make it this way often...although I've never used gorgonzola.
BTW: posted your Pebbly Beach Fruit Squares this week.
Geez- sign me up for his job. I'd like to fly off to wine tastings and snack on these delicious looking polenta cakes in a little Italian cafe. That book sounds terribly envy inducing. I'm eagerly awaiting your post on making the pistachio gelato- I'll be interested to hear how the texture and consistency turn out. I've been told it's difficult to obtain the light, airyness of gelato made in professional machines with a home ice cream maker but then I've also read contradicitng statements. I've not yet tried.ReplyDelete
I seriously need to try polenta. ASAP. That looks delish, though I cannot fathom the idea of strong cheeses. Don't throw that gorgonzola on me :DReplyDelete


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Insomniac Games is releasing a new Ratchet & Clank video game entitled Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time. The new game will be available exclusively for the Playstation 3.
The game is set after Ratchet discovers Clank's disappearance was engineered by Dr. Nefarious. After racing to rescue Clank, Ratchet finds out his best friend's capture is only the first step in Dr. Nefarious' evil plan. Players can control both Ratchet and Clank, who premiere new abilities in the game, such as Ratchet's Hoverboots that allow him fast travel and the ability to soar to new heights. Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time will be released October 27.


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Roll into Trail Shape
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
Inline skating is back, and you should be doing it
Far from being a relic alongside the disco ball or shoulder-baring Flashdance shirts, skating has never really gone away—although the official name of its modern-day variant is inline skating, which distinguishes it from the four-corner wheel style made famous by car-hop waitresses and roller-derby queens. Yes, skating has survived into the 21st Century, and (don't snicker!) is an excellent cross-training option for trail runners.
Inline skating builds muscle strength, boosts aerobic potential (lactate threshold), improves balance and coordination and provides a great caloric burn—roughly 350 calories per 30 minutes. That caloric expenditure ranks slightly above cycling, and just below moderate-paced running. Plus, inline skating has virtually no impact forces, making it an alternative to other non-weight bearing activities like aqua jogging and cycling.
Skating has been part of my training routine for nearly 20 years. I generally skate a few times per month, either with long aerobic sessions along the California coastline or random "skate-arounds" at a local park or elementary school. For aerobic workouts, dry concrete or asphalt bike paths are ideal, but anywhere you can find long stretches of asphalt—the fewer turns, the better—in a lightly trafficked area works.
Rollerblade Workouts
Interval workout
> Warm up with 10 minutes of easy skating.
> Skate hard for 4 minutes, with an effort level similar to half-marathon race pace. Take continuous strides, even on slight downhills.
Bend deeply at the waist
(think of a speed skater).
Slightly flex your stance leg.
> Skate an easy 2 minutes between intervals, returning to a more upright posture.
> Repeat 4 minutes hard followed by 2 minutes recovery until you complete five hard intervals.
> Cool down with 10 minutes of easy skating.
Incline workout
Find a long, gradual (five- to 10-percent grade) hill at least one-quarter-mile long, preferably with minimal turns.
> Warm up with 10 minutes of easy skating.
> From the base of the hill, sprint uphill for one minute at 5K or 1-mile race-pace effort.
Lower your center of gravity by bending farther from the waist and bending the knees farther to deepen stance.
Push as hard as possible with your legs.
Swing your arms for balance.
> Stand upright and coast
back down the hill. Use your brake gently with your back knee bent to control speed
on the way down.
Reach the base of the hill with about 20 to 30 seconds to spare before a 2-minute rest interval is over.
> Repeat until you complete
10 intervals.
> Cool down with 10 minutes of easy skating.
Free-skate workout
Go to an empty parking lot.
Skate like a kid, and try new things! For example:
> Weave through obstacles
> Carve tight turns
> Crossover skating: push one leg across the other while turning
> Roll and turn on one leg
> Turn from facing forward
to backward to forward
while rolling
> Roll with feet in heel-to-
toe position
> Grapevine skating: cross feet in front and behind each other while rolling forward
> Roll in crouched position, or crouch with one foot extended
Concrete Benefits
Due to trails' often irregular, rugged terrain, trail runners move laterally more than road runners—think about leaping back and forth across mud puddles, or hopping from one rock to another while crossing a shallow stream. Even just stabilizing your foot on rocks, roots or sloped trails requires lateral-muscle strength and coordination from the adductors on the inside of your thigh and abductors on the outside of your hip.
Additionally, running steep hills requires strong posterior muscles (hamstrings, gluteal muscles and low-back extensors) to propel you upward, and strong quadriceps to control your descent. Inline skating strengthens all of those muscle groups. Combined with the simultaneous challenges of balance and cardiovascular demand, skating creates a "muscle-confusion" situation that is almost guaranteed to leave you sore in all the right places.
Get Inline
If you are a newbie, focus on form. Your shoulders should remain over your hips, and facing forward rather than rotating from side to side. Keep your knees and ankles straight: don't let them cave inward. Shift your weight slightly forward from the ankles. Bend through the ankles, knees and hips, and push one leg to the side to generate movement. As you begin rolling, strive for smooth leg movement from push off to glide, maximizing your glide (rolling) distance on each leg, using gentle arm swing coordinated with leg movements.
First, though, learn how to stop. Inline skates have a heel brake to control your speed and/or bring you to a complete halt. Place your braking foot forward and bend your rear leg before raising your breaking-foot toes to engage the heel brake.
Be careful not to shift your weight too far back, or you risk landing on your tail. On that note, basic protective gear is a wise idea: kneepads, wrist guards and a helmet offer cheap insurance from nasty bumps and scrapes. One cardinal rule of inline skating is that, sooner or later, you are going to crash.
As your skating improves, your strength and coordination while running technical trails is almost certain to follow. Whether you want to add the Daisy Dukes or muscle pants is up to you.
Donald Buraglio (www.runningandrambling.com), MPT, is a physical therapist and ultrarunner in Monterey County, California. He is the co-author of The Running Life: Wisdom and Observations from a Lifetime of Running.


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Large asteroid zipping past Earth, dragging its own moon
(CNN) -- An asteroid is whizzing past Earth on Friday -- and it's traveling with its own moon in tow.
1998 QE2, as NASA has named it, will not come anywhere near enough to collide with our world.
The closest it will come is about 3.6 million miles away -- that's over 15 times the distance to our moon. It will reach that point just before 5 p.m. ET.
But it's giving astronomers the "best look at this asteroid ever," NASA said.
Scientists have been rubbing their hands for a decade and a half for this opportunity since they discovered the asteroid on August 19, 1998, the year for which it is named. The letter "Q" stands for the month of August.
A milestone asteroid
1998 QE2 represents a milestone in NASA's Near Earth Object Project, which scopes out the heavens for potential danger from celestial projectiles whizzing past.
"It's one of the initial successes of our effort to find the big asteroids that could hit the Earth and cause global catastrophe," said Paul Chodas, a scientist with the project. "It's certainly one to keep an eye on."
NASA has been tracking it with radar devices since Thursday, not to clock its speed but to get good pictures of it. A day before, scientists got a shot of its moon. The images look less like photos and more like ultrasound images.
The discovery of its moon surprised the astronomers, said NASA radar scientist Marina Brozovic, who helped take the images at Deep Space Network antenna at Goldstone, California. "It turns out that 1998 QE2 is a binary asteroid," she said. "This is something we did not expect."
More than 15% of asteroids travel in groups of two or three objects revolving around one another, according to NASA.
Destructive potential
1998 QE2's moon, which is 2,000 feet wide, is large enough for NASA to term it a "potential city killer."
The asteroid it revolves around is 1.7 miles wide. "This is one of the big ones," Chodas said.
To put the potential for damage by an asteroid into perspective, the one that paleontologists believe triggered the extinction of dinosaurs on Earth 65 million years ago was six miles in diameter.
The meteor that exploded over Russia in February, injuring more than 1,000 people and causing millions of dollars in damage, was a "very small asteroid," according to the space agency.
Any asteroid as large as a half-mile across would cause a global catastrophe, if it struck the blue planet, Chodas said.
The most dangerous asteroids contain a lot of stone or iron, according to NASA. 1998 QE2 contains a good bit of carbon and well as amino acids, the building blocks of protein.
The NEOP has identified 95% of asteroids of this most dangerous order, Chodas said. Luckily, there is no known possibility of one slamming into the planet.
But NASA has not yet done much work on the meteors one class lower, known as the "potential city killers." They start at a size of 150 yards in diameter. NASA astronomers have identified only 10% of the 10,000 they believe pass close to Earth.
NASA this year told a congressional panel in Washington, which was considering future defense systems to prevent a potential asteroid strike, that there is only a chance of one in 20,000 that a truly dangerous one could hit Earth in a year's time.
Having a look
Astronomers will continue making images of 1998 QE2 through June 9 with two radar antennas -- the one in California and a second one in Puerto Rico.
Amateur astronomers with telescopes as small as 10 inches long may just barely be able to eyeball it in the southern skies. But the devices should be computer controlled because locating it otherwise will be difficult, NASA advises. The coordinates to locate the asteroid are on the Jet Propulsion Laboratory website.
NASA takes threats from asteroids seriously, and will keep calculating the orbits of the large ones they identify long to check their flight paths for any potential danger to Earth.
1998 QE2 will curve back out toward the solar system's outer asteroid belt, which is just short of Jupiter.
It gets its next shot at hitting Earth in 200 years, and will likely miss again.


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Much ado about nothing. The marchant of Venice. Love's labour lost. As you like it. Taming the shrew
J. and P. Knapton, S. Birt, T. Longman and T. Shewell, H. Lintott, C. Hitch, J. Brindley, J. and R. Tonson and S. Draper, R. Wellington, E. New, and B. Dod., 1747
KivŠlasztott oldalak
Gyakori szavak ťs kifejezťsek
affection bear Beat Benedick better Biron blood Boyet break bring brother Cath Changes Claud Claudio Coft comes daughter doth Duke Enter Exeunt Exit eyes face fair faith father fear felf fhall fhew fhould follow fome fool fortune foul fpeak fuch fwear fweet give grace hand hath head hear heart Hero hold honour houſe I'll John keep King lady leave Leon light live look lord Madam mafter marry mean moft moſt Moth muft muſt never night Orla Pedro play pleaſe poor pray Prince Rofalind SCENE ſhall Signior ſpeak tell thank thee thefe theſe thing thou thought tongue true turn wife woman young
NťpszerŻ szakaszok
324. oldal - Tis but an hour ago since it was nine, And after one hour more 'twill be eleven ; And so, from hour to hour, we ripe and ripe, And then, from hour to hour, we rot and rot ; And thereby hangs a tale.
109. oldal - I hate him for he is a Christian ; But more for that in low simplicity He lends out money gratis, and brings down The rate of usance here with us in Venice. If I can catch him once upon the hip, I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him.
474. oldal - Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper, Thy head, thy sovereign; one that cares for thee, And for thy maintenance commits his body To painful labour both by sea and land...
65. oldal - Of every hearer; for it so falls out, That what we have we prize not to the worth, Whiles we enjoy it; but being lack'd and lost, Why, then we rack the value; then we find The virtue, that possession would not show us, Whiles it was ours...
246. oldal - But love, first learned in a lady's eyes, Lives not alone immured in the brain; But with the motion of all elements, Courses as swift as thought in every power; And gives to every power a double power, Above their functions and their offices.
318. oldal - Ay, now am I in Arden ; the more fool I : when I was at home, I was in a better place : but travellers must be content.
312. oldal - The seasons' difference; as, the icy fang, And churlish chiding of the winter's wind; Which when it bites and blows upon my body, Even till I shrink with cold, I smile, and say,— This is no flattery: these are counsellors That feelingly persuade me what I am.
207. oldal - Biron they call him; but a merrier man, Within the limit of becoming mirth, I never spent an hour's talk withal : His eye begets occasion for his wit; For every object that the one doth catch, The other turns to a mirth-moving jest...
285. oldal - A jest's prosperity lies in the ear Of him that hears it, never in the tongue Of him that makes it...
167. oldal - I will be bound to pay it ten times o'er, On forfeit of my hands, my head, my heart: If this will not suffice, it must appear That malice bears down truth. And I beseech you, Wrest once the law to your authority: To do a great right, do a little wrong, And curb this cruel devil of his will.


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Musical of film 'Rocky,' battered on Broadway, will close in August, never having been a hit
The Broadway musical "Rocky" is hanging up its gloves after being battered at the box office.
Producers said Tuesday that the show will play its final performance at the Winter Garden Theatre on Aug. 17, after playing 28 previews and 188 regular performances.
Based on the Oscar-winning 1976 film by Sylvester Stallone, the musical features a score by "Ragtime" veterans Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, and a story by Thomas Meehan, who wrote "Hairspray." Alex Timbers directed.
The musical stays close to the film, which charted the rise and romance of amateur boxer and debt collector Rocky Balboa, who gets his shot against an undefeated heavyweight champ. Andy Karl starred as the hero.
The musical never took off after mixed to poor reviews, despite a spectacular final few minutes when the boxing ring is lowered onto the first few rows. It broke the $1 million-mark only once and lately was making only half its $1,263,688 potential.
The show earned four Tony Award nominations but took home only a scenic design award.
The closing notice comes a day after "Holler If Ya Hear Me," a musical that that uses Tupac Shakur songs, announced it would close on Sunday after finding little love at the box office.
Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits


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By Jim Miller
Projected Censored recently released their list of the "Top 25 Most Censored Stories of 2012-13." As I noted in a column about last year's list, Project Censored's definition of censorship is a nuanced one:
We define Modern Censorship as the subtle yet constant and sophisticated manipulation of reality in our mass media outlets. On a daily basis, censorship refers to the intentional non-inclusion of a news story – or piece of a news story – based on anything other than a desire to tell the truth. Such manipulation can take the form of political pressure (from government officials and powerful individuals), economic pressure (from advertisers and funders), and legal pressure (the threat of lawsuits from deep-pocket individuals, corporations, and institutions).
In sum, the folks at Project Censored argue, along with Noam Chomsky and Edward S. Herman, that all the information we consume in our market-driven system has to go through a series of "filters" before a story makes it (or doesn't make it) to our eyes and ears. This is not a definition that implies a conspiracy; it is a structural analysis of how our media system works in the real world with all the economic, political, and legal pressures that shape the process of delivering the infotainment we call news.
Consequently, it's not that a few guys in a room sit around and censor our news as might happen in a totalitarian dictatorship, but that our system of corporate media is structurally designed in a way that inclines it to narrow the frame. The news media are not controlled by corporate interests; they are corporate interests. Thus it should come as no surprise to us that such a profit-driven industry is far more concerned with its economic interests than with the public interest.
It is not shocking, therefore, to find the story "Billionaires' Rising Wealth Intensifies Poverty and Inequality" at number six on Project Censored's 2012-13 list. More specifically, they summarize a story from the Guardian that outlines how:
As a direct result of existing financial policies, the world's one hundred richest people grew to be $241 billion richer in 2012. This makes them collectively worth $1.9 trillion, just slightly less than the United Kingdom's total economic output.
A few of the policies responsible for this occurrence are the reduction of tax rates and tax enforcement, the privatization of public assets, wage controls and the destruction of collective bargaining. These same policies that are building up the richest people are causing colossal hardships to the rest of the world's population.
George Monbiot has attributed this situation to neoliberal policies, which produce economic outcomes contrary to those predicted, and even promised, by advocates of neoliberal policy and laissez faire markets. In consequence, across the thirty-four countries that constitute the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), taxation has decreased among the rich and increased among the poor. Despite what neoliberals claimed would happen, the spending power of the state and of poorer people has diminished, contracting demand along with it.
Wage inequality and unemployment have both skyrocketed, making the economy increasingly unstable with monumental amounts of debt. Monbiot observed, "The complete failure of this world-scale experiment is no impediment to its repetition. This has nothing to do with economics. It has everything to do with power."
This story about the perils of neoliberal economic policies is joined by others on the Project Censored Top 25 outlining the costs being paid by ordinary folks for the current global economic orthodoxy in the form of increased hunger in America and abroad and the threat to democracy posed by the Trans Pacific Partnership trade pact.
It's not a pretty picture and the fact that this kind of news is largely absent from the mainstream media is what helps keep the current hegemony with regard to austerity polices, privatization, union busting, and the upward redistribution of wealth in place. Indeed, it's not just the evil right wing pushing this kind of garbage any more in the United States; it's become a bi-partisan affair even here in super liberal California.
For evidence of this one need look no further than the recent news that the Democratic mayor of San Jose, Chuck Reed, was joined by the Democratic mayors of San Bernardino, Santa Ana, and Pacific Grove along with Republicans and a Texas billionaire and former Enron trader in filing a ballot measure to strip away retirement security from teachers, firefighters, sanitation workers and other public employees. Indeed, "The Pension Reform Act of 2014," while modeled on San Diego's successful pension busting effort is even worse in that it threatens the existing pension benefits of current employees.
As Steve Smith of the California Labor Federation puts it:
Essentially, this means politicians would have the power to unilaterally slash the retirement of current workers, breaking a promise made to those workers when they were hired. Many of those public workers affected don't receive Social Security. They have a modest pension that averages around $26,000 per year. They're not responsible for the financial mess created by the Wall St. collapse, yet politicians like Reed are all too quick to scapegoat them — and out-of-state billionaires like former Enron executive John Arnold are all too happy to exploit them for profit.
And the fact that Reed and his corporate buddies think they can get away with scapegoating workers for the sins of Wall Street during an era of increasing economic inequality only shows how little economic truth they think will make it through the corporate media filter. Indeed, they are banking on the fact that instead of covering stories like number 2 on the Project Censored list, "Richest Global 1% Hide Trillions in Tax Havens," the corporate media will focus on librarians and grade school teachers as entitled fat cats living the highlife in their golden years.
It's a ridiculous upside-down world to be sure, but it's brought to you by the miracle of propaganda. In this case, and many others, what we don't know is surely hurting us all.


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It seems the Americans will do anything for a ticket to the Superbowl. Sarah Pany a University student from LA held an auction on ebay earlier this week to see if she could be someones date to the Superbowl. Unfortunately ebay stepped in and cancelled the auction. Then Axe (America's version of Lynx deodorant) stepped in and gave the student 4 tickets, so Sarah invited two of her good looking girlfriends and now there is one ticket left for a lucky male to attend the Superbowl with three gorgeous dates.
I think this is a great move by Axe to leverage of a national news story and put a twist on it. It is companies that are able to make big decisions like this in short amounts of time which will be remembered in the minds of the consumers.


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Citi splitting into two after $8.3 billion loss
Results come in far worse than analysts were anticipating; banking giant will realign into two units, ending its so-called 'universal banking' business model.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Citigroup reported a much bigger-than-expected $8.3 billion quarterly loss Friday, while the beleaguered banking icon also revealed plans to split up into two businesses, effectively bringing an end to the company's "financial supermarket" model.
Under the new arrangement, Citigroup would split itself into two units: Citicorp and Citi Holdings. The more stable Citicorp would house, among other things, the company's private and investment bank as well as its credit card and consumer banking business, with about $1.1 trillion in assets.
The smaller Citi Holdings would incorporate its so-called non-core businesses, including its Smith Barney brokerage and a pool of troubled assets that have plagued the firm for more than a year.
The Citi Holdings division would also include the $301 billion in assets that the government agreed to backstop against future losses as part of a massive rescue package plan unveiled for Citigroup in November. In addition to this guarantee, the government has also injected $45 billion into the company in exchange for preferred shares.
CEO Vikram Pandit said the difficult economic and market environment for both Citigroup and the broader banking sector forced the company's hand, adding that the move will help simplify the organization and help better serve both clients and customers.
"The realignment will preserve what makes Citi unique -- its global, universal banking footprint," he said in a statement. "We will continue to move aggressively to get Citi back on the right track and return it to a position of sustainable financial success."
Citigroup (C, Fortune 500) stock, which lost 43% of its value over the past week before the restructuring news amid concerns about its future, fell another 9% Friday.
By splitting up the firm, Citigroup would effectively take on a so-called "good bank-bad bank" structure.
Citicorp would serve as the "good bank," housing Citigroup's most reliable businesses. Citi Holdings, on the other hand, would become the "bad bank", overseeing not only the firm's troubled securities, but its consumer financial loan portfolios as well, including student loans and mortgages.
At a time when Citigroup has faced so many questions about its underlying health, some analysts said Friday's restructuring was not only done to provide greater transparency to investors, but get the firm ready to sell some of its businesses.
"Isolating badly-performing units and moving towards a more streamlined and manageable structure gives Citi a new shot at the game," said Isabel Schauerte, an analyst with Celent, a Boston-based financial research and consulting firm.
Pandit said during a conference call with investors Friday that the bank would work to implement the restructuring changes as quickly as possible, but that it was not in a rush to sell some of the Citi Holdings units. Analysts have speculated in recent months that the company may look to sell additional divisions in an effort to raise cash.
Certainly Citigroup's dramatic facelift would effectively reverse the 1998 merger between Citicorp and Travelers Group overseen by then-CEO Sanford Weill.
That deal created the modern-day Citigroup and its so-called "universal bank" approach, which aimed to offer clients and customers a smorgasbord of financial services.
For years, the model was roundly criticized by both shareholders because they believed it did not work. Pandit had reaffirmed his commitment to the business model in recent months, but that appeared to change after the government stepped in to rescue the financial services giant in November.
Still, some analysts were skeptical whether Citigroup was out of the woods following its latest move.
"There are a lot of things they still have to worry about," noted Jason Tyler, a senior vice-president at the Chicago-based Ariel Investments, citing signs of deterioration in the company's credit card portfolio in the latest quarter.
Those troubles helped contribute to Citigroup's latest loss.
The New York City-based bank said it lost $8.29 billion, or $1.72 a share, during the fourth quarter, representing the company's fifth-straight quarterly loss. The bank lost a total of $18.72 billion in 2008.
Hoping to silence market speculation about its underlying health, Citigroup moved up Friday's report. Still, the numbers were far worse than Wall Street was anticipating. Analysts were expecting the New York City-based bank to record a loss of $4.49 billion, or $1.31 a share.
"Our results continued to be depressed by an unprecedented dislocation in capital markets and a weak economy," said Pandit.
Citigroup was once again hammered by substantial writedowns on its portfolio of mortgage-related securities. The firm also recorded losses on some private equity investments, and its investment banking business took a hit as capital markets activity remained at a standstill during the final three months of 2008.
The bank also increased its loan loss reserves by $6 billion during the quarter, a sign that the company is bracing for future loan losses.
Helping to offset those losses was a one-time gain of $3.9 billion from the sale of the company's German retail banking business during the quarter.
The results cap another tumultuous week for Citi and the broader banking sector. Citi's breakup announcement was widely expected after the bank announced on Tuesday that it was selling a majority stake in Smith Barney to Morgan Stanley (MS, Fortune 500) for $2.7 billion.
Last week, long-time board member Robert Rubin stepped down following scrutiny about his failure to stop the company from ramping up its risk exposure.
Late Thursday, the federal government moved to inject another $20 billion into rival Bank of America (BAC, Fortune 500), in addition to guaranteeing $118 billion in assets, to help the company complete its purchase of Merrill Lynch.
The Charlotte, N.C.-based firm followed that up by reporting a quarterly loss of $1.8 billion before the opening bell Friday.


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In addition to having incredible hair Zac also has a RADICAL music blog called The Defense. What are you waiting for, go check it out now...
Archie Band singing My Boyfriends back by the Angels. Yes you're right, it is totally awesome.
So back to this outfit...these shoes are lovely. I particularly like them paired with these navy pants.
This Chicago street style fashion was captured in River North.


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Church: Awake From Your Slumber – Our Enemy NEVER sleeps!
So, you are so overjoyed at the election of Donald Trump. You dusted off your rose colored glasses and are wearing them once again. Do you think because Trump beat Clinton in the election, that America is safe from harm, and we can all go back to lives of complacency?
That is EXACTLY how the enemy of our souls wants us to behave.
We are still under judgment
Do you think that God winks at these?
· Abortion – Every day over 3000 babies are aborted and sold for parts or discarded as trash
· Gay marriage – The definition of marriage was given by God. Our SCOTUS changed that – nationally.
· Hatred of Israel – Just look at our college campuses and at the professors – the hatred is overwhelming
· Public schools run by the government – God, prayer and the Bible banned – Islam embraced
But you say to me "But President Trump will change these things." I dare say that for Mr. Trump to correct and change these evils in a short period of time is next to impossible. I believe that he will try. But don't forget, if he attempts to negate Roe Vs Wade, it will probably go back to the States, and very possibly the States will continue abortion on demand.
Donald Trump is a defender of gay marriage
As a Christian, I want that decision to redefine marriage to be overturned! I don't think that this is on the "to do" list of Donald Trump.
President-Elect Trump has tunnel vision right now. He is determined to make America "Great Again." What does that entail exactly? Bringing jobs back to America; decreasing the corporate taxes so that will stimulate businesses to hire and to return to America; Jobs jobs and more jobs (which is good – don't get me wrong). Also, a strong military once again, which is a good thing as well.
God says that America should be "Godly" again
BUT I believe that what God is looking for in America is true repentance and that America would once again be "Godly." Maybe the world does not see a need for our nation to be godly again. The "Make America Great Again" mantra does resonate with most of America. They do not understand that the Lord's anger burns against us.
We are still like Sodom and Gomorrah
I agree that if Hillary Clinton would have prevailed in her quest to be president, that would have accelerated the consequences of God's judgment against us. But are we not still like Sodom and Gomorrah? We have been given a reprieve from persecution. Let us not ignore nor waste this window of opportunity to share the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ!
Why is the church not outside of every abortion mill, protesting the slaughtering of the sacred lives of the babies? Complacency.
Why are Christian parents still allowing their children to attend public schools which are anti-Christian in all ways? Complacency.
A heavy feeling in my spirit
I know that the following verse from Scripture is addressed to the Jews. But I also feel that it is applicable to the United States at this time:
"For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape" (1 Thessalonians 5:3).
Shall we escape?
I believe that we will not escape God's wrath upon America – UNLESS there is a great awakening to our Lord, and massive number of people are saved. And UNLESS there is a great revival within the church; a turning away from heresy and blasphemous teaching. UNLESS the itching ear crowd stops finding themselves teachers who teach and preach fables to make them "comfortable in their sins."
UNLESS Christians who have been complacent for many years, are broken before our Holy God.
"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise" (Psalm 51:17). (emphasis added)
King David – A man after God's own heart
Anyone who is familiar with the Bible will know that King David broke every one of God's Commandments. Why then would God call him a man after His own heart?
It is because of David's broken spirit before God (when he was confronted with his sin by Nathan) and David's awareness that he had sinned against God. David became a broken man and he repented before God. God accepted his brokenness and his repentant heart. The consequences of David's sin was the death of his baby. God is waiting for America. Will she repent?
Will the Christians in America repent?
Hopefully, most will. They need to not only repent, but they need to pray for America and for the lost. They (we) need to share the Gospel in new ways. We need to ask the Lord to show us what He would have us do to share Jesus Christ with the lost.
If these things do not happen, then I am sorry to have to bring bad news – but I believe that this country will be destroyed. We have been a beacon of light to so many nations of the world. God wants us to return to this. But perhaps it is too late. Only God knows the answer to this.
PRAY and SHARE – there are people dying every day without the Lord Jesus.
"If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our dead bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms wrapped about their knees, imploring them to stay. If Hell must be filled, let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go unwarned and unprayed for." ~ Charles H. Spurgeon


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A European online retailer has started selling Intel's first six-core processor for desktops before the chip's official release by the hardware giant.
A German retailer Alternate is selling the Intel Core i7-980 Extreme Edition processor, code-named "Gulftown," for €1.099 (US$1,483). The chip is targeted at desktops used by enthusiasts like gamers.
The six-core processor will run at speeds up to 3.6GHz and include 12MB of L3 cache, according to the Web site, which lists the details in German. Each core will be able to run two threads, which means the processor will be able to run 12 core simultaneously for faster processing. The processor will support DDR3 memory.
Intel did not immediately comment on the listing of the product or its official release date.
Intel until now has sold dual-core and quad-core chips for desktops. Intel has sold six-core chips only for servers. The six-core, Xeon 7400 series of chips, code-named Dunnington, were based on the Penryn architecture and originally released in 2008.
The Gulftown chips bring speed and power enhancements over Intel's existing chips for enthusiast desktops. In addition to more cores, the processors will cut existing bottlenecks to enable faster data transfers. The chips are made using the advanced 32-nanometer process, which will reduce power leaks compared to earlier quad-core chips, which were made using the 45-nm process.
The Gulftown chip could also be the first in a new wave of processors released by Intel made using the 32-nm process. The chip maker earlier this year launched the first 32-nm process chips for mainstream desktops and laptops.


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Following WWII, a number of individuals returning from service recognized the need for a local airport. The use of the piston-driven aircraft was on the rise, and there was a demand for flight training for local people interested in aviation.
Building the Airport
Glenn Degner served in the aviation branch of the Navy and was stationed at Pensacola, Florida with pilot Tom Walsh and mechanic Joe Dulak. The three decided to establish an aviation business upon their return to Owatonna. At the same time, the Owatonna Municipal Council purchased farm land on which to build an airport.
On April 28, 1946 the airport opened temporarily at Cashman's Field on West Bridge Street while the new site was under construction. The opening day festivities drew a crowd of approximately 500 people. Operations commenced with the first take off by Tom Walsh, Chief for Southern Minnesota Aviation Services. The plane was a Piper Cub.
The construction of the new hangar took place during 1946 and 1947 under the direction of A. J. Wacek. It called for a $65,000 hangar building and four 2,000-foot sod runways. Operations were moved to the present site on July 14, 1947. Operations under the direction of Glenn Degner continued until 1974.
On October 20, 1987 the City Council of Owatonna designated the airport as the Glenn J. Degner Airfield. Mayor George Kehoe presented the proclamation at a special dedication service held on January 1, 1988 at the airport hangar facility.
Throughout its history, the airport facility has experienced numerous improvements. The most significant changes occurred in the 1990s with a multi-year $15 million improvement project. The length of the concrete runway was increased to 5,500 feet with an instrument landing system and parallel taxiway, new hangars, a new fuel system, parking lot, maintenance building, and first-class terminal building.
The community celebrated the tremendous achievement with a grand re-opening in August 1999 with a ribbon cutting ceremony, a fly-in breakfast, and a special guest LuVerne Degner, wife of Glenn Degner. The event also commemorated the new airport name: The Owatonna Degner Regional Airport.


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2 Guns (FILM REVIEW)
2 Guns
Film Review by Kam Williams
Washington and Wahlberg Co-Star in Cat and Mouse Crime Caper
DEA Agent Robert Trench (Denzel Washington) and Naval Intelligence Officer Michael Stigman (Mark Wahlberg) have both infiltrated a drug syndicate run by Papi Greco (Edward James Olmos), a creep who carries the head of a decapitated adversary around in a bowling bag. Therefore, the imbedded lawmen are careful to make sure their cover isn't blown while bringing down the ruthless kingpin.
However, neither of the narcs is at all aware of other's true identity, which means they aren't prepared to serve as backup in a sticky situation. Worse, when an operation does go bad, they are initially suspicious of each other.
But once they clear up the mutual case of mistaken identity, they conspire not only to crack the cartel but to relieve it of $43 million in ill-gotten gains sitting in a bank vault. This development doesn't sit well with Earl (Bill Paxton), Papi's accomplice holding the key to the emptied safe deposit box.
Directed by Iceland's Baltasar Kormakur (Contraband), 2 Guns is basically an adrenaline-fueled buddy flick featuring a high body-count designed to satiate the bloodlust of the lovers of gratuitous gore. Here a body, there a body, everywhere a body-body.
The picture has its share of titillation, too, most of it coming courtesy of an inscrutable moll played by pretty Paula Patton, real-wife of crooner Robin Thicke. The problem is that the preposterous plot never pretends to be plausible, a failing perhaps forgiven by diehard Denzel Washington fans eager to see him trading quips with Mark Wahlberg or cavorting carnally opposite a topless Ms. Patton.
As for standouts in the supporting cast, Edward James Olmos and Bill Paxton do great jobs of portraying a couple of readily-detestable villains. But their never-developed characters are so simplistically drawn that the audience's job is just to sit back and wait for these bad guys' inevitable demise.
A remarkably unengaging adventure, given its incessant attempt at overstimulation.
Fair (1 star)
Rated R for profanity, brief nudity and pervasive violence
Running Time: 109 minutes
Distributor: Universal Pictures
To see a trailer for 2 Guns, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVNe3RK2fgI


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St. Patrick's Day Signs
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Barring, as my colleague rightly corrected me, the inclusion of one Karen O (why do I find it so hard to count the garage kids?), the void in the market of genuinely inspiring frontgrrrls has been glaringly obvious for years. Not since (here it comes…) Courtney Love has any one lady made such an ugly-beautiful scar in the landscape of rock. Not since 'Live Through This' has such a woman concocted a punk record so heart-stoppingly brutal, yet at the same time so focussed and direct.
The combination of these happenings has landed The Distillers with a glut of press attention, leading to the break they've been waiting for since the release of their debut album three years ago. And yeah, we probably should've noticed their potential back then, but it wasn't until 'Coral Fang' that Dalle really pulled the proverbial cat out of the bag.
Of course, early comparisons to Hole are inevitable. Their singers share a similarly gut-wrenching yell of a voice, a brutally honest approach to lyric-writing and a penchant for catchy, guitar-driven rock'n'roll. In truth, the record sounds like a seamless amalgamation of the three Hole eras (punk, grunge and rock), with Dalle's ska roots almost entirely supplanted in favour of a grungier muse.
Wherever her inspirations came from, 'Coral Fang' leaves the band in no one's shadow. They no longer owe much to her ex-husband's troupe, Rancid, and the split appears to have left Dalle with a feast of lyrical inspiration. The much quoted line from current single 'Drain The Blood' ("I never met a pearl quite like you/Who could shimmer and rot at the same time through"), is a fine example of the poetic bile at work here.
Other highlights include the blistering 'Die On A Rope' and 'For Tonight You're Only Here To Know', a fucked-up love song, which is tastefully illustrated in the sleeve by a pair of severed stilletto'd legs, hanging from the branches of a tree.
Girls inspired us boys into picking up guitars and inventing rock music back when. It's finally time for them to take back what is rightfully theirs and show us how it's done. By their next album, we won't even need to mention Hole.
8Tom Edwards's Score


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GBP 0.8646 See all »
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Jauniela 17, RigaRīga, Latvia
Phone: 371 6722 3200 Web: www.steinboks.lv Working hours: Mon-Fri 11.00 - 20.00, Sat-Sun - - -,
Gallery: A&E
Egons has worked as an independent jeweler for 17 years. He creates one-of-a-kind pieces, so you can be sure to be unique. This is the place to order a keepsake as special as a wedding ring or anniversary gift. But you will need to give Egons plenty of time, at least two months, because he does not like to be rushed. Egons also has an intuitive process when liaising with a client which needs time, involving photographing the client so he can design something appropriate. After discussing which stones, metals and materials would be right for the piece and deciding which style is right, he then makes preliminary sketches for approval, before the finished product. Egons is such a perfectionist that he has even been known to take back pieces a client has been wearing, to make modifications at his own expense!
Egons also has some finished pieces for sale in the shop, but not many. When asked about his famous clients, Egons thinks that President Bush ordered the most interesting piece; an intricate silver base to hold a piece of cut amber. When asked if he enjoys dealing with such personalities, he admits that he doesn't know how to bow to them in the right way! His down-to-earth attitude also makes his feel somewhat uneasy with the demands of very rich clients, especially the nouveau riche. "Their values are all confused. Many don't know what they want because they chase brand names rather than personal tastes. That's not very interesting." Yet for those who appreciate attention to detail, quality, and something made just for them, this unassuming little gallery is just the place.
Staro Riga
Attention! The site can contain erotic materials. If you are yourger than 18 years - leave this site.


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A lineup including top-tier DJs and electronic artists such as David Guetta, Armin van Buuren, Avicii, Kaskade, Tiesto and Above & Beyond will be announced Thursday for the first Electric Daisy Carnival in the Chicago area, May 24-26 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet.
Promoters say they will cap ticket sales at about 90,000 for the weekend, even though the speedway could potentially hold up to 100,000 people a day. Tickets for the three-day festival ($175 to $299, or $295 to $419 for an overnight-camping option) are available at electricdaisycarnival.com.
Electric Daisy Carnival, which originated in Los Angeles in 1997, is widely regarded as the largest North American electronic music festival. Last year, it drew 325,000 people to a three-day rave in Las Vegas. In the past decade, it has been staged in California, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, New Jersey, Texas and Puerto Rico, but never in Chicago.
Controversy has trailed the rave scene ever since its underground, outlaw origins in the late '80s. In the past decade, promoters such Pasquale Rotella of Insomniac, which is promoting the Electric Daisy Carnival, have turned it into a big business, performing at fairgrounds, racetracks and sports stadiums with corporate sponsors. But since 2006, 14 people have died from overdoses or in drug-related incidents linked to concerts produced by Rotella and another Los Angeles-based rave promoter, Reza Gerami. Last year, Rotella was indicted with five others on embezzlement charges related to events at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. He has pleaded not guilty.
"There is a stigma attached to dance music for sure," Rotella said Wednesday. "But drugs are (a) problem everywhere, and for an individual to say this problem is unique to dance music (that person) is simply uninformed. There are plenty of rock festivals across the country that have the exact same problems. But you take every step to ensure safety and improve safety. People are capable of doing stupid things, and we do everything but bubble wrap people."
Rotella says stronger measures have been taken in recent years to minimize safety problems, such as raising the age limit to 18 for festivalgoers, making free water available and beefing up medical personnel, including on-site teams that roam the grounds to address problems.
"We've capped capacity in Chicago and safety is a big reason," he says. "It's new territory for us and we want to take baby steps to work out any kinks that might make it a less than great event."
The racetrack will be dotted with art installations, carnival rides, circus and theatrical performers, and pyrotechnics. And, yes, there will be music supplied by artists on four stages. The complete lineup so far (Insomniac says a few more artists may be added):
Above & Beyond, Andy C, Armin Van Buuren, Arty, Avicii, Blond:ish, Borgore, Brillz, Bro Safari, Christian Martin, Crizzly, Culture Shock, Dash Berlin, David Guetta, Delta Heavy, Dirtyphonics, DJ Boats, DJ Fresh, DJ Fury, DJ Koze, Dub Phizix, Ed Rush & Optical, Empire of the Sun, Fallen, Gareth Emery, Gina Turner.
Hardwell, Heidi, Helicopter Showdown, High Contrast, Huxley, Jack Beats, Justin Martin, Kaskade, Kill Frenzy, Koan Sound, Loadstar, LowRIDERz, Luminox, L-Vis 1990, Markus Schulz, Matrix & Futurebound, Mayhem & Heroes X Villains, Metrik, Michael Mayer, Midnight Conspiracy, Mimosa, Morgan Page, Mt Eden.
Nadastrom, Nick Monaco, Noisia, Nu:Logic, Popof, Quintino, Rene LaVice, Run DMT, Sander van Doorn, Schoolboy, Smooth, S.P.Y, Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano, Tale of Us, Terravita, The Bloody Beetroots, Three, Thug ... , Tiesto, Tittsworth, Uz, W&W, Wilkinson, Wolf + Lamb, Worthy.
Twitter @gregkot


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Judy Wang is the anchor of the CLTV weekend morning news. She reports general assignment stories during the week for CLTV, the WGN Morning News, and WGN Midday News. Judy joined CLTV in May 1995 and WGN TV in August of 2009.
Her 1997 documentary entitled "Gina's Journey", about a teen girl's battle with aids, won CLTV second place honors from the National Press Photographers Association for Best Documentary. It was CLTV's first national award. Judy hosted five of CLTV's "Community of Cultures" programs in honor of Asian-American Heritage Month. She is a member of the Asian American Journalists Association and the Radio Television News Directors Association.
Judy is a San Francisco native who grew up in Chicago's Rogers Park community. She graduated from Glenbrook South High School in Glenview in 1984 and the University of Missouri School of Journalism in 1988. In 1985, she spent one summer studying at Tamkung University in Taiwan. She has been an anchor/reporter at KGAN-TV in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, WAOW-TV in Wausau, Wisconsin, WTZH-TV in Meridian, Mississippi, and KOMU-TV in Columbia, Missouri.
Judy studied ballet, tap, and jazz dance before beginning her television career. She enjoys Pilates, shopping, Broadway shows and opera. Judy has served as master of ceremonies for many charity fundraisers and as the grand marshal for Chicago's Chinese New Year parade. She serves on the advisory board of the Chinese American Service League– the Midwest's largest social service agency serving Asian Americans.


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Terassi Sofa, Two Seater
Terassi Sofa, Two Seater
- Inspired by 1930s-era wooden furniture.
- Straight-grain teak
- Cushions with quick-dry foam filling and Sunbrella® fabric upholstery.
Shipping Options
- In-Home Delivery
Return Options
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Item Number:2195405
- Straight-grain teak.
- Removable cushions with quick-dry foam filling and Sunbrella® cover
- Fabric has slight flecks in it by design
- Available as a two- or three-seater
- Fitted cover sold separately
- Brand
- Design Within Reach
- Collection
- Terassi Collection
- General Dimensions
- Assembly
- Comes fully assembled
- Warranty
DWR honors a one (1) year warranty on all products. Brand-specific warranties may extend to longer periods.
3 Seat
- Height (in): 36⅝
- Width (in): 106⅜
- Depth (in): 36¼
- Seat Height (in): 17¾
2 Seat
- Height (in): 36⅝
- Width (in): 74
- Depth (in): 36¼
- Seat Height (in): 17¾
- Straight-grain teak frame
- Aluminum seat deck support
- Polyester seat deck
- Cushion with quick-dry foam filling and Sunbrella® fabric upholstery
Studio Tolvanen
Being husband and wife and also design partners at Studio Tolvanen, Julie and Mika Tolvanen spend a lot of time talking about their work. "We are constantly looking at things," Julie says, "and pointing things out to each other in a kind of never-ending conversation about design that later shows up in our work. Neither of us ever gets tired of thinking about design, so we are a good match."More on Studio Tolvanen
Care & MaintenanceCaring for Teak
Left to weather naturally outdoors, unfinished teak will gradually change color to a soft silver-grey as pigments in the surface layer begin to fade. We recommend allowing teak furniture to weather naturally in that way, and simply cleaning it thoroughly once or twice a year. If left in shade for long periods, teak will retain surface moisture and eventually develop mildew. Do not allow mildew to remain for extended periods. Remove mildew with teak cleaner, available at local hardware stores. Use a soft bristle brush to help with cleaning. Rinse thoroughly after cleaning and place furniture in a sunny area to dry.
Never use a power washer to clean teak. If you wish to retain the gold-brown color of new teak, apply a teak sealer. Sealing your teak furniture will not affect its strength or longevity, only its appearance. Once you seal teak furniture, you will need to regularly reseal it to provide continuous protection. Sealing also voids the one-year DWR warranty.
We recommend customized DWR rain covers for teak furniture left outdoors for long periods of inclement weather. DWR rain covers are breathable to mitigate mildew growth. In winter, store in a shed or garage. Store cushions separately to prevent transfer of moisture.
Caring for Cushions
One of the best ways to keep outdoor fabrics looking good and to delay deep cleanings is to properly maintain the fabrics. This can be accomplished by simply brushing off dirt before it becomes embedded, wiping up spills as soon as they occur and spot-cleaning soon after stains occur. Do not iron or dry-clean. To keep cushions looking their best, take them inside when not in use.
Follow these steps for general or light cleaning:
- Brush off loose dirt.
- Mix a solution of 2 ounces (1/4 cup) mild detergent – such as Woolite® laundry detergent or Dawn® dish-washing liquid – dissolved in a gallon of lukewarm water.
- Use a sponge or a soft bristle brush to apply the solution.
- Allow solution to soak into fabric.
- Rinse thoroughly to completely remove solution residue.
- Allow fabric to air-dry.
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