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Yes, I want to volunteer in my district!
Our district could use your help! We have many things we want to accomplish and we are run solely on volunteer effort from the local community. Volunteers are needed for door knocking, phone calling, envelope stuffing and helping with events.
If you are interested in pitching in, please use the form below.


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Investing in entrepreneurs and startups is a fun but different world from investing in conventional stocks, bonds, and commodities. First of all, it's more of an investment in people than in a business, since the startup is usually an idea barely half-baked when they need your money. Secondly, the risk is very high, since as many as 90 percent of startups fail within a few years.
On the plus side, it's an opportunity to get in early and really help make things happen that will change an industry, or change the world. It's an opportunity for that "big bang" return of 10X to 100 times your initial investment, like early investors in Google, Microsoft, and Apple. Finally, it's an opportunity to "give back" what you have learned in your own career for the next generation.
Today most startup investors still register with the SEC as "accredited" investors before they buy any startup equity in the U.S. This requires a simple signature that you have a net worth of at least $1M or have made at least $200K each year for the last two years. These requirements for equity investing have been relaxed only a bit, with caveats, with relevant crowdfunding changes.
With all these considerations, I recommend the following steps and strategies for any investors newly interested in startups:
Build a balanced investment portfolio. Just like a seasoned stock investor would never put all his investible resources into a single stock, don't put all your money into startups. Begin with perhaps 5-10 percent of your total investment base, and be prepared to lose it all. The growth target should be 5-10 times your initial investment in five years.
Start in a business domain you know well. Since there are no bellwethers like Apple or IBM in the startup arena, your best bet is to pick one in a business area you know well. Don't be fooled by thinking that dating sites are hot, so you should invest in the next startup you see in that realm. Remember that 9 out of 10 startups fail in every realm.
Fund an entrepreneur you know and trust. In the business, this is called investing at the first tier for startups - "Friends, Family, and Fools (FFF)." Most entrepreneurs start asking for money from this tier, when they have very little more than an idea. Here you are definitely betting on the person, rather than the idea, but the upside potential is huge.
Join an existing angel investor group. This is the second tier of startup investors, and offers the comfort of working with more experienced investors with similar interests, to help gather and vet startup investment proposals. Some of these groups also offer you the option of putting your money into a multiple-startup fund to spread your risk.
Diversify your total investment across several startups. Angel investment amounts per startup per investor usually range from $25K to $250K. These may be aggregated by an angel group up to about $1M for an angel round. If a startup needs more than this in a single round, they should talk to venture capitalists, who invest institutional money rather than their own personal money.
Use the surge of crowdfunding sites for small amounts. The hottest new way of investing in startups to go to popular online sites like Kickstarter and IndieGoGo. There you can get in for as little as $20, or even less. Typically these are used only for non-equity rewards or pre-orders, but the crowdfunding implementation does allow equity investments with many restrictions.
Participate as a mentor in local startup incubators. Incubators are a great place to learn about potentially great startups, and participating as a mentor helps you learn which ones are a good fit for you. The best known ones, like YCombinator, started by Paul Graham in Silicon Valley, and TechStars, located in Boston, provide excellent networking to investors, and on-site technical leadership, which can make your investment less risky.
Do your homework before investing. Public companies with stock usually have industry analysts and SEC filings to give investors a quick view of the company stock value. Startups are private companies with no common document filing requirements. Thus it is incumbent on every potential startup investor to ask for and read their business plans, current financial statements, and investor presentations.
Invest locally and take an active role. Most angel investors only invest in companies and people local to their geography. Skip international and other opportunities you can't touch and feel. Many negotiate a board seat for themselves as part of the investment term sheet. This allows them to ask for and get regular updates from the company, and allows them to have a say on how their money is used.
Think long-term. It's a lot easier to buy stock in a startup than it is to sell it. Once invested, you should expect no return until the first "liquidity" event in 3-5 years, maybe longer. Liquidity events include merger or acquisition (M&A), or Initial Public Offering (IPO) when the stock goes public. There is no "startup stock exchange," so you can't sell the stock at will.
In summary, investing in startups can be very rewarding, both financially, and in your ability to really help someone who needs help. But it's always a risky proposition, probably well beyond the risk of the commodities market, since there are so many unknowns and few controls.
My advice to new startup investors is to start slowly, stick to business areas that you know well, and put more weight on your assessment of the entrepreneur and the team, than on the idea. Successful startups are all about the execution. You don't want to end up on the wrong side of that equation, but you do want a bite of the next Apple.
Marty Zwilling

subset: commoncrawl


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Help keep One Green Planet free and independent! Together we can ensure our platform remains a hub for empowering ideas committed to fighting for a sustainable, healthy, and compassionate world. Please support us in keeping our mission strong.
As we reported earlier, a sharp drop in U.S. domestic meat and poultry consumption is expected in 2012. According to USDA forecasts, the average American will consume 12.2% less meat and poultry in 2012 than they did in 2007. Beef consumption has been in decline for about 20 years; the drop in chicken is even more dramatic, over the last five years or so; pork also has been steadily slipping for about five years.
In an excellent new article in the New York Times, Mark Bittman discusses the possible causes. He concludes that the key driver for this change is not growing exports or some non-existent Government "War on Meat" that's making a difference. Instead, the change seems to be driven by people making the conscious decision to eat less meat for all the right reasons.
As we speculated previously, the drop is being caused by opposition to meat consumption for reasons ranging from concerns over health to the environment, animal rights and social justice. Bittman points to the rise of the "flexitarianism" trend and growing awareness of the the Meatless Monday campaign as evidence of the shift that seems to be taking place in the U.S.
He doesn't specifically call it out, but we also think all the efforts to spread awareness of the vegan lifestyle are making a huge difference.
For the sake of people's health, as well as the lives of animals and the future of the planet, let's hope this awesome trend continues in the years ahead!
Image Source: Alex Proimos/Flickr


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Suppressing feelings of compassion makes people feel less moral: study
(Medical Xpress) -- Its normal to not always act on your sense of compassionfor example, by walking past a beggar on the street without giving them any money. Maybe you want to save your money or avoid engaging with a homeless person. But even if suppressing compassion avoids these costs, it may carry a personal cost of its own, according to a new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. After people suppress compassionate feelings, an experiment shows, they lose a bit of their commitment to morality.
Normally, people assume that ignoring their compassionate feeling doesnt have any costthat you can just suppress your sympathy and walk on. But Daryl Cameron and Keith Payne of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the authors of the paper, suspected that wasnt true. Compassion is such a powerful emotion. Its been called a moral barometer, Cameron says. A sense of other peoples suffering may even be the foundation of moralitywhich suggests that suppressing that sense might make people feel less moral.
The researchers showed each participant in their experiment a slideshow of 15 images of subjects including homeless people, crying babies, and victims of war and famine. Each participant was given one of three tasks. Some were told to try not to feel sympathy, some were told to try not to feel distress (an unpleasant, non-moral feeling), and the rest were told to experience whatever emotions come to them. The instructions were detailed, telling the people who were supposed to suppress an emotion exactly what that emotion was and that they should do their best to eliminate it.
After each participant watched the slideshow, they were tested on whether they believed that moral rules have to be followed all the time and how much they cared about being a moral person.
People who had suppressed compassion did, apparently, have a change in their sense of morality: they were much more likely to either care less about being moral or to say that its all right to be flexible about following moral rules. Cameron thinks this is because suppressing feelings of compassion causes cognitive dissonance that people have to resolve by rearranging their attitudes or beliefs about morality.
Choosing not to be kind is a common experience. Many of us do this in daily life, Cameron sayswhether its declining to give money to a homeless person, changing the channel away from a news story about starving people in a far-off land, or otherwise failing to help someone in need. In past work, weve shown that people suppress their compassion when faced with mass suffering in natural disasters and genocide. To the degree that suppressing compassion changes how people care about or think about morality, it may put them more at risk for acting immorally.
More information: www.psychologicalscience.org/i … sychological_science


text: SOS Children's Village Phnom Penh SOS Children's Villages started negotiations with the government in Cambodia in 1999 and the Cambodian SOS Children's Village Association was founded in 2000. When we first started working here, the country was recovering from a succession of conflicts which had a devastating effect on the life of Cambodians. Inequality is increasing Children playing in the garden of the children's village (photo: A. Halbhuber) Phnom Penh is the capital city of Cambodia. It is located in the southern central part of the country and is home to an estimated 2.2 million people. As an economic centre, it is one of the richest cities in the country, however, the wealth is unequally distributed and urban poverty, malnutrition and unemployment are actually increasing. Life in the rural areas of Cambodia continues to be harsh and therefore many people move to urban centres in an attempt to improve their quality of life. However, it is not easy for these newly-arrived migrants to survive in the city. As the economy has grown, the cost of living in general, and food and housing in particular, has also increased. It is estimated that around 20 per cent of the current population of the city lives in informal settlements. Women and children are the worst affected by these precarious social and economic conditions. Many women are responsible for supporting their families, although many find it hard to get a job as they are often forced to drop out of school at an early age and therefore have no skills. Many of those arriving from rural areas end up begging on the streets or selling small goods. Others are forced to work as commercial sex workers. Children often do not go to school because the parents cannot afford it; instead they have to contribute to the family income by either begging or hawking on the streets. These social and economic conditions have a huge impact on family life, and many fall apart, leaving children without parental care. There is an increasing number of children who actually live on the streets, addicted to substances and exposed to violence and exploitation. Providing families with the support they need SOS Children's Village Phnom Penh is situated on the outskirts of the old city in an area called New Phnom Penh. The children in our care are not able to live with their families for different reasons: some have lost either one or both parents during the armed conflicts or due to illness; in other cases parents are unable to meet the children's emotional and material needs. For example, many children who join our family-based care suffer from vitamin deficiency and skin diseases. In addition to treating their malnutrition and giving them vaccinations, we provide them with tender loving care so that they can get better. These children often have not been to school at all, or only intermittently, and so we prepare them to join mainstream education. What we do in Phnom Penh Young men who are preparing for an independent life (photo: A. Halbhuber) SOS Children's Villages runs a number of activities in Phnom Penh: in addition to family-based care we also run a kindergarten, a school and a programme for young people. Our programmes are designed to meet the needs of the families and children who live in the area, for example our day-care services and educational programmes are much valued by the local community. Children from poor families are awarded scholarships so that they can go to school. For children whose families can no longer take care of them SOS Children's Villages provides a loving home in one of the 13 SOS families, where they grow up with their brothers and sisters and are cared for by an SOS mother. The children attend the SOS Kindergarten, where they are taught together with children from local families. To parents who have to earn a living it is very important to have professional day care for their children, so that they are not forced to leave them unattended while they are at work. Older children attend the local primary school. The school was built and run by SOS Children's Villages but has now been transferred to the local authority. The SOS Hermann Gmeiner secondary school was opened in 2010 and can educate up to 480 pupils. Both schools provide children with a sound education and help them become part of the community. When young people are ready to move out of the SOS families they join our SOS Youth Programme when they start vocational training or go on to higher education. With the support of qualified professionals, the young people develop perspectives for their future, learn to shoulder responsibility and increasingly make their own decisions. There is also an SOS Mother and Staff Training Centre under construction, where future SOS mothers and co-workers will receive training before they start working with and supporting the children in our care.


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NBA players sponsored by Baltimore-based Under Armour will be sporting their professional jerseys in upcoming ad campaigns for Under Armour footwear, under a partnership between the company and the National Basketball Association.
The multi-year partnership between the league and the sports apparel company will allow the athletes to wear official NBA uniforms when promoting footwear in promotional campaigns, brand advertising and in-store promotions, Under Armour said Tuesday. NBA athletes with Under Armour endorsement deals include Brandon Jennings of the Milwaukee Bucks, Derrick Williams of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Kemba Walker of the Charlotte Bobcats and Greivis Vasquez of the Memphis Grizzlies.
The company and the NBA also will join forces to refurbish community basketball courts throughout the country. The agreement follows the November launch of Under Armour's biggest basketball campaign ever. Under Armour also unveiled new basketball footwear this fall, including the UA Micro G Bloodline, which the company says was inspired by Jennings' route to the NBA.


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This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement.
Summer is almost here, and for many of us that means it will soon be time for taking a break from work and enjoying some precious time with the family.
Whether you are planning a trip abroad to one of the green list travel countries, taking a staycation in this country or just spending a few afternoons at your local swimming pool, you need to make sure the youngest members of your family are ready to make a splash.
Babies and toddlers require a little more care and attention when you dress them for the pool than older children (plus ça change). Look for swimwear that offers UV protection – nothing will ruin a big day faster out than a child suffering from sunburn.
A further note – small children get cold in water much faster than adults, so make sure you have something cosy and fleecy to bundle them up in post splash-time.
Here are 12 of the best swimming outfits for babies and toddlers available to buy now.
2 Piece Dinosaur Long Sleeve Swimsuit
This adorable dinosaur swimsuit and hat is a wonderful outfit for your little one, whether you are taking them to the beach or to the local swimming pool. If you are taking them to the beach, of course, then the hat will provide perfect protection from the sun's rays.
This suit, which is suitable for babies and toddlers aged 0 to 3 years, is a lovely bright and vibrant colour with a sweet dinosaur design. Our only quibble – there are quite a few buttons on this suit, making it fiddly to fasten. This set is part of a 3-for-2 offer on selected kidswear at M&S at the moment.
Buy now
Printed Sun-Safe Surf Suit – Pool Blue Crabs
Boden's clothing lasts remarkably well (even with frequent washing) so this crab surf suit is a sound investment if you're considering the potential for hand-me-downs.
The zip down the front makes changes easy enough to do them one-handed, and it has SPF protection. For 12 months to 4 years.
Buy now
Hey Duggee Surf Suit
If you have a child in your house, the chances are they love 'Hey Duggee', arguably the finest toddler-friendly programme around.
So, make their day with this 'Hey Duggee' surf suit. Designed with UV protection, it comes with a high neckline and short sleeves to keep their neck and shoulders safe in the sun.
Buy now
Cloudy Blue Jungle Scene
Rash vest suits offer terrific sun coverage, meaning less time slathering sun-screen on unhappy tots. This two-piece set has SPF50+ protection – as high as you can go.
The bottoms are fully lined and roomy enough to handle a swim nappy for protection against accidents. Available from 3 months to 4 years.
Buy now
3 Piece Bunny Swim Set
This super cute swimsuit features soft pink and blue colours as well as an abstract flower design and a bunny motif. This set, which is suitable for babies and toddlers aged 0 to 3 years, is also part of a 3-for-2 offer on selected kidswear at M&S at the moment.
It features a rash vest, floral bottoms and a hat – all with built-in 50+ UV protection. There's a zip fastening which makes dressing easier, even when wet. It's also endorsed by the British Skin Foundation so it is ideal for little ones with sensitive skin.
Buy now
Printed Swimsuit H&M
These gorgeous swimsuits come in three designs, all with eye-catching prints and bold and beautiful colours.
There's a neon pink and yellow unicorn, a turquoise seahorse with pretty pastel rainbow colours, and a black and orange cheetah complete with tassels for eyelashes.
All these costumes are available for little girls aged one and a half to 10-years-old, have an added cute detail of a frill on the hem and are fully lined.
Boy's Swim Shorts with Nappy
These shorts are great because the built-in inconspicuous nappy means you don't have to worry about your little one having an accident when they are in the pool or on the beach.
Buy now
Disney Store Tiana Swimming Costume For Kids
New from the Disney Store, this swimming costume is perfect for fans of 'The Princess and the Frog', from which Tiana is the title character.
With a glittering tutu skirt, golden trim and a Tiana cameo at the waistline, this one-piece swimming costume is sure to make your daughter feel like a princess herself.
Available for girls two to ten years of age, it's also a great choice for little girls who like to spend their time playing dress-up.
Buy now
Shark One-Piece Sun Protection Suit
Ideal for both playing in the sun and for swimming, this lovely swimsuit will keep your baby or toddler covered areas safe from sunburn so that they are able to enjoy the most of playing in the sun.
The lightweight, quick-drying fabric also makes it practical so it can be washed and worn again and again, and the fun shark design will delight children – especially fans of a certain Baby Shark.
Available for youngsters aged 0 to five years.
Buy now
Mamas & Papas Printed Swim Shorts
New to Mamas & Papas, these shorts feature a cute all-over underwater print.
There's an elasticated waist so they can easily be put on so your little ones can be ready for a dip in the pool or the sea in no time.
There's also an added draw-cord so you can be sure of the correct fit around your child's waist.
Buy now
Flounced printed swimsuit
This sweet swimsuit is perfect for your little 'Frozen' fan.
It features a photo of Queen Elsa from the hit Disney film as well as a glittery frill round the neckline that continues over the shoulders, and shoulder straps that cross at the back.
Some of the polyester content of the lining is recycled, so this is also a great choice for eco-friendly parents.
It is also available for girls aged one and a half to 10-years-old.
Girls Rainbow Tutu Swimming Costume
Suitable for girls aged three months to six years, this delightful swimsuit comes in pink with a rainbow spot print and an attached tutu skirt.
The frills definitely make this a stand out swimming costume choice whether you are taking your family overseas or staying local.
Buy now


text: Debbie Crowell never ordered the iPhone, but thanks to a hacking group known as Lulzsec, she spent a good part of her Thursday morning trying to get US$712.00 in charges reversed after someone broke into her Amazon account and ordered it."They even had me pay for one-day shipping," she said via e-mail Thursday afternoon.Crowell is one of more than 62,000 people who must now change passwords and keep a close eye on their online accounts after Lulzsec posted their e-mail addresses and passwords to the Internet Thursday. It's the latest escalation in a messy hacking rampage by the anarchic group that's caused damage at Sony, the U.S. Public Broadcasting Service and even the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. It's not clear where all of the Lulzsec e-mail addresses and passwords came from. At least 12,000 of them, including Crowell's, were gathered from Writerspace.com, a discussion forum for readers and writers of mystery and romance novels. The site's technical staff is trying to figure out how they were stolen and is in the process of contacting victims, said Writerspace owner Cissy Hartley.The 62,000 e-mail addresses and passwords belong to victims at large companies such as IBM, as well as in state and federal government. Affected agencies include the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Coast Guard.Unlike other hacking groups, Lulzsec doesn't seem to have much of an agenda, except to settle a few scores and cause as much chaos as possible. Lulz is hacker speak for the plural of "laugh out loud."Soon after the accounts were posted Thursday, Lulzsec followers started to say, via Twitter, that they had accessed Facebook, Twitter and online gaming accounts. "I am now an level 85 human warrior on mal'ganis server," wrote one follower, called Miracle Joe, referring to a server used by World of Warcraft gamers. "Got an Xbox Live, Paypal, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube THE WHOLE LOT! J-J-J-J-J-J-JACKPOT," wrote another follower, Niall Perks. The "idiot had the same password for everything," he later explained.Others claimed that they'd chatted with friends of the victims or posted obscene photos or messages to their profile pages.Crowell, a property assessment specialist with the Wisconsin Department of Revenue in Milwaukee, describes herself as a "boring old lady on the Internet." Though she knew better, she reused her passwords, including the one she used at both Amazon and Writerspace.com. "Everyone knows that everyone uses the same password for everything," she said. "You know what you're supposed to do, but do you do it?"Crowell is right; most people do reuse their passwords, said E.J. Hilbert, a former U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation agent who is now president of fraud investigation company Online Intelligence. It's a bad habit that needs to change. "You need to use different passwords for different sites. Period. Across the board," he said.In a sense, Crowell was lucky. The hackers didn't break into her e-mail account. When that happens, things can become much worse because hackers can often access other Web accounts by claiming to have forgotten their password and asking for a new one to be sent via e-mail.There are often treasures in the victim's sent mailbox and archives. Old e-mail messages often include personal information that can be used in further attacks, and a surprising percentage of e-mail accounts also include nude or embarrassing photos.Finally, criminals can use the e-mail addresses to send malicious software to military and government employees, in what could be the first stage of a larger attack, Hilbert said. These targeted spearphishing attacks are a big problem for the government and military contractors, and have become a standard way for hackers to break into secure systems over the past half-decade. "Government e-mail addresses should not be used for non-governmental work, and if they are there's a huge, huge problem," Hilbert said.Although she knew she was making a mistake by reusing her password, Crowell was still "shocked" when she discovered the fraud. "It's one of the things that you hear about all the time, but you never think it'll happen to you."Robert McMillan covers computer security and general technology breaking news for The IDG News Service. Follow Robert on Twitter at @bobmcmillan. Robert's e-mail address is email@example.com


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The P2PSystem Reseller Program is built to help enable all types of businesses including, but not limited to, digital agencies, web designers and developers, app developers, MSPs and VARs who want to earn revenue by incorporating managed cloud solutions into their current product and service offerings. This simple and intuitive program makes it easy for you to leverage our global brand to help uncover new opportunities and easily resell our solutions to your customers and prospects. We can help you become a trusted advisor to your customers by delivering an extensive depth and breadth of managed cloud solutions and expertise that ultimately can lead to repeat business for you.
Joining the reseller program gives you access to the benefits you need to begin building and selling P2PSYSTEM solutions to your prospects and customers. Our program offers market competitive reseller discounts that lead to higher margins and greater competitive advantages as well as marketing and sales resources to support your growing needs. Resellers also receive a monthly credit across both their dedicated and cloud platforms based on their tier level in the program.
In addition, the P2PSystem Reseller Program includes discounts and incentives for Microsoft CSP 2-Tier for Azure.
|Program Level
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|$250 - $4,999
|$5,000 - $14,999


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Report: Conte cleared of match-fixing
Juventus coach Antonio Conte reportedly has been cleared of more match-fixing, this time stemming from when he coached Bari from 2008 to 2009.
Bari prosecutors are wrapping up their inquiry and are in the process of notifying 20 people that they are under investigation - and Conte is not one of them, Italian media reported Tuesday.
Inter Milan and former Bari defender Andrea Ranocchia also was reportedly cleared.
Conte and Ranocchia could still be called in for questioning by the Italian soccer federation.
Among those named as being under investigation are current Torino and former Bari goalkeeper Jean Francois Gillet and Conte's former assistant, Cristian Stellini. Nearly all of the others are also former Bari players.
Conte was banned for four months at the start of this season for failing to report fixing when he coached Siena two seasons ago. He remains under investigation by prosecutors in Cremona. The Italian maintains he is innocent.
Two of Bari's Serie B matches were allegedly fixed - Bari-Treviso (0-1) on May 10, 2008; and Salernitana-Bari (3-2) on May 23, 2009.
Conte coached Bari in the second half of the 2007-08 season and in 2008-09. He led Atalanta in the first half of 2009-10, then guided Siena in 2010-11, leading the Tuscan club in its promotion back to Serie A. He joined Juventus last season and led the club to the Serie A title, and Juve again tops the table this season.
At least 50 people have been arrested in Italy for match-fixing since the middle of 2011, with scores more under investigation by prosecutors in Cremona, Bari and Napoli.
The Bari prosecutors have based a large part of their inquiries on the confessions of former Bari defenders Andrea Masiello and Vittorio Micolucci. Masiello was arrested in April, while Micolucci was involved in the Cremona inquiry and banned by sports authorities.


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Hawaii mayoral candidate tased after police chase (VIDEO)
Beau Hawkes isn't the only contender in the upcoming Maui County, Hawaii mayoral race, or even the only one to be arrested in recent weeks. Currently, however, Hawkes is the only hopeful that can say he was tasered while trying to run from the cops.
Following an electrifying encounter with local law enforcement last Wednesday that ended with Hawkes being charged with resisting arrest and failing to obey an officer, the 34-year-old surfer candidate is free on $300 bail and says he is "absolutely" still running for office.
Furthermore, the potential future mayor of Maui says he's going to sue the police department over his latest run in with the law and, once elected, will order cops to discontinue using their stun guns.
"Tasers are a violation of our human rights," the mayoral hopeful told KITV News this week. "Maui Police Department will be the first police department to ban the user of Tasers."
Hawkes' promise to sue city officials and his attempt to be elected mayor will likely both be decided at least in part by amateur video footage of last Wednesday's incident in which the self-proclaimed hippie candidate was recorded running from a cop who resorted to discharging his Taser to make an arrest.
According to Hawkes, the incident all started to unfold last Wednesday when he was pulled over for both driving a car without license plates and operating the vehicle while talking on the phone.
"I do not use license plates, driver's license, pay taxes, do anything that would bring me into the corporate America system," Hawkes, a sovereign citizen who also sells bongs made out of bamboo, told Hawaii News Now.
The mayor candidate claims he left the scene soon after with the cop's permission so that he could attend a county council committee meeting being held on genetically-modified crops. After the hearing, however, Hawkes had a run-in once again with the officer, at which time an eyewitness started recording as the incident unfolded.
Towards the start of the video clip, the officer appears to be attempting to put Hawkes under arrest.
"He said, 'Turn around, you're under arrest.' I said, 'What are you arresting me for? I've done nothing,'" Hawkes explained to Hawaii News Now.
Then within seconds, the video shows Hawkes fleeing on foot away from the cop.
"Come on, cop. You can't do this, dude. You can't do this," Hawkes is heard yelling at the officer as attempts to elude the police.
Moments later, the cop is caught firing his Taser and Hawkes, sending the man face-first to the asphalt road.
Now as the mayor candidate prepares his lawsuit, a noted local attorney says he might have a chance at winning.
"(A court ruled) you can only use it in circumstances where the police officer is threatened with some degree of harm, or members of the public are threatened with some degree of harm," said attorney Eric Seita, according to Raw Story. "If you're dealing with somebody who merely committed traffic offenses and is not threatening the officer, as far as I'm concerned there's no question, this is an improper and inappropriate use of the Taser."
"Without question, this officer ought to be relieved of his duties, put on desk assignment and probably subjected to a serious disciplinary action," Seita added to KITV.
Meanwhile, the escapade isn't the only example in recent weeks of a would-be Maui mayor ending up on the wrong side of the law: last month, fellow candidate Nelson Waikiki Jr. was arrested for allegedly violating the terms of his release in another criminal case.
And as for Hawkes, he seems well aware of the ridiculousness surrounding the entire incident.
"You couldn't write this stuff," he told the Honolulu Civil Beat, adding that the events seemed "divinely inspired."
"I told the officers that I loved them. I told them that I forgive them. I thought it was kind of funny that they had tasered their future mayor," he told Hawaii News Now.


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Rectangular Shape Office Table with U Metal Leg – MMT 127 U
3 Size of Executive Office Table Are Available:
- W 1200 mm x D 750 mm x H 750 mm – 4 Feet
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Color Option: White,Grey,Beech,Cherry,Maple
25 MM Melamine Table Top
Come with U Shape Metal Leg
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One year warranty. Term and Condition Apply
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Price doesn't include office chair.
Free Delivery & Installation within Klang Valley with a minimum purchase of 1K.
For purchase below 1K, RM 80 will be charger for transportation.
Look for similar design of office desk, please have a look on Rectangular Shape Office Table, VSQT 127.


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UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles)
Save unique, at-risk digital content
The UCLA Library, an active member of the OCLC Research Library Partnership, is often on the cusp of innovation, and providing access to born-digital manuscripts is just the latest example. "This is one of our top strategic goals, and the significance of author Susan Sontag's email collection gave our efforts a big boost," explains Tom Hyry, UCLA Director of Library Special Collections. Curators now consider the issues associated with born-digital content as they negotiate new acquisitions.
The lifecycle of managing born-digital materials is a familiar one—acquisition, ingest, processing, metadata, preservation, delivery—yet the specialized technical skills, hardware, software and preservation needs are new and daunting.
The OCLC Research report You've Got to Walk Before You Can Run: First Steps for Managing Born-Digital Content Received on Physical Media inspired the "Jump In" initiative of the Society of American Archivists, in which dozens of archives followed the report's guidance for inventorying physical computer media. The UCLA Library participated in order to understand its backlogs while continuing to focus primary attention on new acquisitions.
Archivist Gloria Gonzalez (pictured at right) located a wide variety of at-risk media in 42 collections, including punched cards, magnetic tape, floppy disks, CDs, DVDs, Zip drives and hard drives. She then undertook the complex task of setting up a digital forensics workstation, which enabled her to process the Sontag email. Researchers can now study it in the special collections reading room—and the authorized Sontag biographer was the first one eager to do so.
"OCLC Research has been a true partner in helping archives move forward by breaking down the 'born-digital' challenge into doable chunks... . As we work with donors, we ask routinely about digital content and are prepared to capture, process and provide access to it. Researchers are both surprised and delighted."
Tom Hyry
Director of Library Special Collections
A next initiative is in conjunction with the SWAT (software and workstations for antiquated technology) pilot, based on the report Swatting the Long Tail of Digital Media: A Call for Collaboration. The UCLA Library is working with UC Irvine to get assistance with transferring content from media that UCLA is unable to read in-house. Each step moves them forward in preserving and providing access to born-digital content.
Services used by UCLA
OCLC Research Library Partnership
WorldCat Digital Collections Gateway
- Ranked among the top ten academic libraries in North America
- One of the largest research library repositories of archival holdings in the country, with more than 3,600 manuscript collections
- The holdings of all University of California libraries are collectively second only to the Library of Congress in size
Related stories
Open international collaborative research through special collections
Learn how Queen's University Belfast enabled researchers worldwide to find and access their special collection resources.
Automate e-resource management
Discover how University of Maryland librarians sped up their e-book processing workflows.


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In 2013 our Researchgroep JDS studied Scotus' Ordinatio I,41, a quaestio with Scotus' fundamental analysis of God's election and reprobation. Our findings were published in an article in the Dutch journal Kerk en Theologie (2014, 65, 3).
Download (for private study only): Verkiezing en verwerping.
Next year an English translation of this article will appear in a selection of our studies published by Brill.


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HST Hydraulic Cone Crusher integrates machinery, hydraulic pressure, electrics, automation and intelligent control together, which can be used for medium crushing, fine crushing and ultra-fine crushing. With full automatic control system, this machine can realize accurate regulation.
Applications:Aggregate field,concrete mixing plant,dry mortar plant desulfurization,quartz sand,etc.
1.High efficiency: The hydraulic cone crusher has support on both ends of the spindle, which is able to bear greater crushing force and greater stroke, coupled with the special shape of crushing chamber adapted to laminated principle, the machine has higher crushing efficiency.
2.Large production capacity: The hydraulic cone crusher has the perfect combination of design with crush stroke, crushing speed and crushing chamber shape, which make the machine's moving cone big end diameter in the same circumstances, the output is 35% ~ 60% higher than the old spring cone crusher.
3.High quality stones: The hydraulic cone crusher adopts special crushing chamber and laminated crushing principle, resulting in inter-particle crushing effect, so that the finished product significantly increased the proportion of the cube, flake stone needles reduced and grain is more uniform.
4.Just replacing the fixed cone can achieve a variety of cavity shapes for fine crushing.
5.Double insurance controlled hydraulic and lubrication system can ensure the machine's overload protection and good bearing lubrication. 6.Easy maintenance: The structure of cone crusher is simple and compact.It has the features of stable performance, not easy to fault and convenient maintenance.
The electromotor leads the eccentric sleeve to rotate by the V-belt, drive shaft and drive gear. The movable cone does rotary and pendulum movement under the leading role of eccentric sleeve which makes the movable cone and fixed cone close and far away from time to time. The raw material is crushed in the crusher chamber by squeezing and striking continuously. The crushed stone discharges from the bottom.


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BERLIN – A work session held by the Berlin Mayor and Council this week resulted in some significant changes proposed for a future sewer policy.
The changes will only become official when the council votes on the modifications during a general meeting.
The original idea to restrict future developments to 50 EDUs per building phase came under fire from the Berlin Utilities Commission (BUC), which contended that developers needed more flexibility. The BUC suggested changing the regulation to allow more than one phase, with the accompanying 50 EDUs, to be approved simultaneously.
The restriction was suggested as a way to keep developers needing large numbers of EDUs from "sitting on" the capacity without using it, preventing other projects from going forward.
"The idea is to avoid tying the town's hands and giving a bit more freedom to act depending on conditions," said BUC Chair Eric Quisgard.
Financing could also be difficult for a developer to get if sewer capacity allocation was too limited, some fear.
"It could potentially be a roadblock. You don't want to discourage developers. You don't want to make it hard to develop here," said Quisgard.
The council, staff and BUC also discussed changes to the assignment of sewer capacity to new commercial operations in town, determining that the town would consider the sewer actually used at a location for the last decade to guide new allocations if zoning guidelines did not cover the issue.
"There's got to be a point where history is history, and today is today," said Berlin Mayor Gee Williams. "There's no grandfathering."
Developers have three years to use EDUs once assigned, with one extension of six months offered, under the draft allocation policy, but that would interfere with financing, developer Troy Purnell said.
EDUs cannot be lost if the ready to serve fee, $25 a month, is kept current, Planning and Zoning Superintendent Chuck Ward said.
Property owners seeking new EDUs will pay a non-refundable 10 percent of the special connection fee upfront to cover administrative costs, and the rest of the connection fee paid when the building permit is granted.
Originally, the town planned to require three payments, of 10, 50, and 40 percent, but a few disagreed, saying that requiring large payments halfway through the process made no sense and meant the developer would be paying interest on the borrowed funds for longer.
Purnell asked the town council to consider making that initial payment refundable if the project is delayed or scrapped. Staff suggested allowing the town council to approve a refund.
"That's what we're trying to avoid, these discretionary situations," said Williams.
A BUC suggestion requiring sewer allocation requests to be approved by that body before going to the town council met with some skepticism.
"I think this is where people want to be able to talk to the elected officials about this," said Williams.
The town already delegates a great deal of authority to the BUC, he said, more than most towns offer to an appointed committee. Sewer allocation is "the hottest of hot potatoes," Williams said.
The BUC would make the recommendations over sewer allocation, but the town council would make the decisions, said BUC member Mike Beaman.
"Let's try it and move on," said Councilwoman Paula Lynch.
Berlin faces a delicate balancing act, considering the current economy and the need to expand the wastewater plant to handle more customers. When those customers will appear is unknown.
"Expansion is a timing issue we have to make a judgment on," said Williams.


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Events Calendar
To Sunday, July 15, 2018
June 3 - July 15, 2018 - 2018 Round Top Festival Institute (48th Season), to be held in Round Top, TX (USA). Created in 1971 by concert pianist James Dick, The Round Top Festival Institute offers six weeks (no absence is permitted) of intensive training for young talented musicians (born before December 31, 2000) seeking a transition from conservatories and universities to a future professional career. The Round Top Festival Institute owns its campus (over 200 acres), its venues (a 1,000-seat air-conditioned concert hall and a 160-seat chapel), its practice rooms, its accommodations, its food services and other amenities (swimming pool, jogging trails...) The Round Top Festival Institute offers to accepted young artists a full scholarship (worth $6,500) for tuition through the James Dick Foundation for the Performing Arts. The relatively small number of participants (about 95) whose admission is based on auditions and recommendations and the fact that participants and faculty share the same campus, create a collegial atmosphere through which a constant flow of stimulating exchanges enlightens everyone. Enrollment includes 28 violins, 10 violas, 10 cellos, 6 basses, 4 flutes, 4 oboes, 4 clarinets, 4 bassoons, 5 horns, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, 1 tuba, 6 percussions, 2 harps and 4 pianists. The trumpet faculty includes Matthew Ernst, Marie Speziale, and Micah Wilkinson. Applications are open at http://festivalhill.org/


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Harvin's injury is most concerning for the long term
Jul 31, 2013, 9:32 AM | Updated: 2:20 pm
By Danny O'Neil
You can't miss what you never had.
That's about as close as you can come to finding a bright side of this week's news that receiver Percy Harvin will be undergoing hip surgery in New York on Thursday.
Harvin was going to be the icing on this offense, not the entrée. The Seahawks were already returning every offensive starter from a team that went unbeaten in December 2012, averaging 38.6 points in those final five games, and Harvin's absence to begin the season doesn't change the expectation this team will improve under quarterback Russell Wilson.
But the most worrisome thing about Harvin's situation is not the question of how Seattle will make up for his absence in the short term, but what this team will get for him in the long term.
This team staked a ton on the belief he would be a difference maker, and to be clear, he still could be. He might even return this season for the final month and be available should Seattle make the playoffs, and he's got five more seasons on his contract after this one.
But so far, all we have to go on is Harvin's first week of training camp, which has been a total and unequivocal bummer from the fact he needed a second opinion on the injury to the decision to undergo surgery to the awkward delivery of that news via Harvin's grammatically challenged Tweet on Tuesday.
The fact that all this happened before he played his first meaningful snap of a six-year, $67 million contract he signed with Seattle doesn't exactly dispel the concerns that accompanied his arrival after a turbulent tenure in Minnesota. In fact, you have to at least wonder what the Seahawks have gotten themselves into.
Now, that doesn't mean you should question the severity of the injury. After all, Harvin was working out with the team after signing the deal. He was participating in the offseason training program up until the first week of June when he sat out with what coach Pete Carroll described as a sore hip flexor, and Harvin missed the three-day veteran minicamp, too. When the problem persisted more than a month later when he arrived for training camp, it spoke to the presence of a more severe problem.
And it's pointless to start wondering whether Harvin was damaged goods when Seattle acquired him. He had missed only three regular-season games in his first three and a half seasons before he suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 9 at Seattle last year, an injury that – by the way – he attempted to play through.
Now, that doesn't mean Harvin is destined to be a disappointment. There's still plenty of time for Harvin's acquisition to pay off, and the Seahawks are certainly counting on the fact it will. He accounts for less than $5 million under Seattle's salary cap this year, a number that balloons to more than $13 million next season.
Harvin's addition is going to cost Seattle. That's true in terms of the players it would have chosen with the picks that were traded away, and the money it spent on him instead of retaining one of any number of other young players on the roster, whether it's a Pro Bowler like cornerback Brandon Browner or receivers like Golden Tate and/or Doug Baldwin, who are free agents after this season.
Seattle doubled down on Harvin because it felt he was that good, and he still might turn out to be. Two years from now, we might all laugh at all the agonizing and hand-wringing that followed Harvin's first training camp as a Seahawk.
Unlike most injuries in the NFL, the concern is not how Seattle is going to survive in the short term without Harvin. The Seahawks have plenty of options with an offense built around the running game, but they're returning every one of the five players who caught 20 or more passes last season.
The reason Harvin's injury is so concerning is not that it will end Seattle's shot at contention, but the fear that the drama involving the new receiver is only beginning.


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Cedars-Sinai Investigator Receives Pediatric Sarcoma Research Grant
Sandra Orsulic, PhD, awarded $250,000 grant from childhood cancer foundation
Los Angeles - July 19, 2013 – Sandra Orsulic, PhD, director of Women's Cancer Biology in the Women's Cancer Program at the Cedars-Sinai Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, was awarded a $250,000 grant from Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation to study cell metabolism in childhood sarcomas.
Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, a nonprofit organization, awarded Orsulic the Innovation Award, which provides critical seed funding for experienced investigators with novel and promising approaches to finding causes and cures for childhood cancers.
The Foundation emerged after cancer patient Alexandra "Alex" Scott (1996-2004) announced that she wanted to open a lemonade stand to raise money to help find a cure for all children with cancer.
This grant will support the Orsulic Laboratory and help to identify new therapeutic targets for childhood sarcomas. The team of Cedars-Sinai researchers will study the distinct metabolism of undifferentiated cancer cells, which can be targeted to reverse the differentiation state of cancer cells and reduce tumor growth.
"I feel honored to receive the Innovation Award by this unique foundation that was started by the mission of a 4-year-old girl who battled cancer throughout her short life," said Orsulic. "Though the world lost Alex to cancer, her legacy continues to live, making tremendous impact in the fight against cancer. With this grant, my team of investigators can help to accelerate discoveries and push forward the field of pediatric sarcoma research."


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5 Reasons to Rethink Your Retirement Income Strategy
Funding your retirement with investment income has traditionally been thought of as a very conservative way to manage savings. Unfortunately, today's low-interest-rate environment may make the goal of paying for retirement out of income alone unattainable for many people, and in any case it may not be as safe an approach as people think.
Circumstances today call for a more flexible approach to funding retirement. Here are five things you should know about trying to live off investment income.
1. Living off income is not as stable as it sounds
The notion is that if you only spend the income your savings and investments produce, you'll never tap into principal and thus you won't draw down your portfolio. Also, since it is the principal value that is subject to market fluctuations, relying on income from year to year should shelter you from the effects of those fluctuations. That's true, but the income component of a portfolio can be every bit as variable as the principal.
Consider this example: At the beginning of 1980, six-month CD rates were producing over $13,000 in annual income on a $100,000 investment. By the beginning of 2000, this was down to just over $6,000. Today, it would be less than $400. That's a drastic change in financial circumstances, without any fluctuation in principal.
2. Inflation is the enemy of income
Even if CDs were still producing $13,000 a year on a $100,000 investment, that $13,000 would buy a great deal less today than it would have in 1980. In other words, stability isn't enough for a retirement portfolio — it needs to have some way to grow along with inflation.
3. Don't ignore dividends as a source of income
Savings accounts, money market accounts, CDs and bonds are the type of things that have traditionally dominated income-producing portfolios, but these days dividend yields on stocks are likely to be higher than bank rates, and even competitive with many bond rates.
4. The sustainability principle is sound
While drawing from income alone is a flawed long-term strategy, there is an element of it that represents a sound principle: It is a strategy designed to ensure that a portfolio lasts throughout retirement, since the principal of the account is never invaded. With savings account rates and other income yields so low these days, it may not be realistic to expect to save enough to set up a portfolio that could fund retirement spending in perpetuity, but you should shoot for a portfolio that is designed to outlive your retirement years, even assuming a long lifespan.
5. Drawing on growth and income can allow you to diversify more
The alternative to relying on income alone is to set a moderate withdrawal target — say 3 to 4 percent — that you can take from a combination of growth and income. You won't necessarily earn that much every year, but if you keep your withdrawal rate moderate, you should earn enough over time to sustain the portfolio plus have some growth left over to counteract inflation.
The steep drop in interest rates over the past few years shows that risk can come in a variety of different forms. The more you know about the risk of relying on income, the better you'll be able to manage that risk.


text:
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Popular Science
Popular Science gives our readers the information and tools to improve their technology and their world. The core belief that Popular Science and our readers share: The future is going to be better, and science and technology are the driving forces that will help make it better.
Common terms and phrases
actors Amherst College Amos Eaton ancient appear argon artists astigmatism Bishop Bishop of London Bishop Wilberforce body book of Daniel Boston brain buckets causes century character CHARLES UPHAM chemical child Chitral colors Company cube Dean Church Dionysus dioptre distance doctrine of design double stars drama early effect electric element England especially evolution exercise fact fire apparatus fire boat give Greek hand engines hose hundred hydrogen lines ideas important interest knowledge known ladders light lines literature Lord Rayleigh magnitudes six manufacture means ment mental method mind muscles natural nebula nitrogen object observation period persons Philadelphia pigments poet present priest Prof pumps question reason religious sacred says scientific secular Shepard song star steam fire engine Tait teacher telescope tion tism town vision words York


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Detroit, MI – Buster Posey countered Miguel Cabrera's two-run homer with one of his own in the sixth inning, and Delmon Young answered with a solo shot in the home half to tie Game 4 of the World Series, 3-3.
Cabrera's blast in the third gave the Tigers their first lead of the Series -- a 2-1 cushion that lasted until the Giants' Posey stepped in three innings later.
Posey, the National League batting champion and like Cabrera an MVP candidate, turned on Max Scherzer's hanging changeup and smacked it just inside the left- field foul pole to silence the Comerica Park crowd. Marco Scutaro had led off the sixth with a chopper down the third-base line and easily beat Cabrera's double-pump throw to first.
Matt Cain retired Cabrera and Prince Fielder in the home half before Young smacked a first-pitch slider over the wall in right to give the Tigers life in a Series they trail, 3-0.
Detroit is trying to become just the fourth team to extend the Fall Classic after losing the first three contests. Twenty of the previous 23 teams to hold a 3-0 advantage have completed their sweeps, while the others have finished the series in Game 5.
The Giants, currently riding a six-game winning streak, went ahead on Brandon Belt's RBI triple in the second inning, but Scherzer stranded Belt at third and left runners on the corners an inning later.
Both Scherzer and Cain have allowed seven baserunners over six innings, with the former striking out eight.
Cain, who is trying to become the third pitcher in MLB history to earn a victory in three clinchers in a single postseason, shook off a two-out walk to Cabrera in the first inning and retired three straight after Young led off the second with a line-drive single.
Austin Jackson took a payoff pitch just out of the strike zone to earn a one- out walk in the home third, then advanced to second when Quintin Berry bunted to the third-base side and was thrown out by a step.
Cabrera, the American League's Triple-Crown winner, gave the home crowd something to cheer about when his wind-aided fly ball carried into the right- field bleachers to give the Tigers their first lead of the Series.
Detroit had not scored since the ninth inning of the opener, and the Giants had not trailed since losing Game 4 of the NL Championship Series to the Cardinals, a span of 56 straight innings -- four shy of tying the record for a single postseason.
San Francisco took its first lead in their half of the second when Hunter Pence hit a ground-rule double off and raced home on Belt's triple to right field.
Scherzer retired Gregor Blanco and Ryan Theriot to keep Belt from scoring, then got Posey on a flyout to center to leave a pair in the third.
Gerald Laird, filling in for an injured Alex Avila behind the plate, threw out Belt trying to steal second in the fourth inning.


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An installed application or module remains available in the domain to stop, restart, or update until you explicitly remove it. To temporarily make a deployed application unavailable to WebLogic Server clients, consider stopping it instead of deleting it. For more information, see Stop applications and modules. Once you delete an application or module from a domain, you must redeploy it to make it available to a WebLogic Server client again.
Note: If you delete an application or module from a resource group template that is referenced by multiple resource groups, then the application or module is also removed from all referencing resource groups.
To delete an application or module from a domain:
If you later want to redeploy the removed application or module, follow the instructions in Deploy applications and modules.


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Craving! That's what it was. I was craving sushi, California Rolls to be exact. There was only one problem. Well, two problems actually.
Firstly, we didn't have the money. Secondly, the nearest sushi restaurant was an hour away. Up hill. Both ways.
Now logic has never been my strong suit. So it took some time for the obvious to occur to me.
If life hands you wasabi, make the sushi yourself, dumbass!
And so I did.
We don't pick our passions. They pick us. Mine is kitchen hacks.
Maybe it's because I really don't like being 1) on my feet in the kitchen for hours, 2) struggling with manual dexterity and 3) fighting with the damn physical world (which is definitely out to get me). Kitchen hacks help me work smarter, not harder and the food is better for it.
But, as we all know, the cooking's not done 'til the dishes are done. As I'm fond of telling my step-daughters: "Screw diamonds! It's Lysol wipes and dishwands that are a girl's best friends."
Rich and Unctuous: A Love Story
"We have to hurry to the hospital," Mom said worriedly one evening over supper.
"What!? Why? Why are we going to the hospital?" my seven-year-old self asked, very upset.
No one had remembered to tell me that Grandpa had suffered a heart attack that morning. After bypass surgery, he recovered nicely and lived another thirteen years, but the way we ate never recovered.
After all the talk by his cardiologist about blockages and cholesterol, transplanting veins from his legs to his heart and eating absurdities like margarine, the food at my home (never great) got even worse.
Oh! Don't get me wrong! Mom's food was always hot. It was nutritious. It was plentiful. It was legume-heavy. It was complete proteins. It was very, very low-fat and it rarely tasted good.
I hated it. The call of "Supper's Ready!" filled me with dread. I once confided to a tape player that I hated "botato soup." The only good part was the melted cheese...but you had to take off your coat and go diving in your soup bowl to find it. (Not original. I read that somewhere!)
Mom tried, I guess, but "rich and unctuous" were simply not in her gastronomic repertoire. She followed recipes to the letter, and despite watching plenty of cooking shows, had no finesse in her cookery, no tasting along the way.
Most foodies relate a moment when they discovered that food could be something more than mere sustenance.
The year was 1987. Christmas Day. I was seven years old.
The place: Grandma's house
Long before anyone wanted to look at food again after the truly Ghost of Christmas Present Dickensian feast, Grandma called us to the dinner table for an amuse bouche. Well, she might've called it an amuse bouche if she knew what an amuse bouche was or had ever heard the term amuse bouche. It's just fun to say amuse bouche.
I was only seven and more inclined towards scrambled eggs and Mr. Donut than savory food. Then it happened. The dazzle and twinkle of something so savory, so mouthwatering, so delicious that I suddenly became aware of food as a Thing. "A very thingy-thing," as Piglet said.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
Or is it?
Actually, I'm something of a late bloomer when it comes to food and cooking. Cooking shows, cookbooks and chefs' biographies have been my Happy, Safe Place for two decades.
But I hated to cook. To this day, I am strongly reluctant towards it.
Hey! I have OCD. I can clean you under the table. But engage in something that puts grease on my hands, bread crumbs on my floor and a mess in my kitchen sink!!! Are you nuts!?! I don't think so!
But if you notice, the second part of this blog title is "cheap foodie." Ergo if we want good food, someone with OCD had better get her ass in the kitchen cause buying expensive pre-fab (tasteless) food or frequenting restaurants just isn't in the budget.
And this is where Michel Roux Jr, Julia Child, Jacques Pepin, Jennifer Paterson, Clariss Dickson Wright and Anthony Bourdain come to my rescue. If I can make all that loathsome, messy cooking an intellectual challenge, then Michael has a fighting chance of eating pork that isn't just cooked...but transcendent. Memorable. A meal to be eaten slowly...savored...remembered. One for the Journal and now, The Blog.
It happened last Wednesday. I was so exhausted after making the pork ballotine filled with a Portobello duxelle plus apples, onions, garlic and $13 Bordeaux with a pork jus and cranberry reduction sauce, that we've eaten hamburgers ever since. But they were very, very good hamburgers indeed! Sautéed onions. Melted comté. Raw tomatoes, lettuce and homegrown onion. Brioche. Mmmmmmmm.
Why start a new blog? Why write about food!?!
Because at forty I suddenly realized it's my lifelong passion. Oh, I sneak as much foodie talk into Narcissism Meets Normalcy as I can...but it's not enough. I'm hungry for more!
More food talk! More writing! More inspiration! More experiences! More celebrity chefs! More food shows! More virtual gastronomic travel! More ingredients! Just more!
It's not about jetting off to experiencing the tasting menu at Alinea, Le Bernardin, Noma or the Fat Duck. (But apparently it is about shameless name dropping.)
It's about bringing their ideas and ingredients home to my little cottage kitchen. I don't care about money per se. It's just numbers to me. Numbers come and numbers go. Memories last forever.
Nonetheless, for so long, I've wanted to earn a little extra pocket change through food writing mostly so I could afford more "haute" ingredients. I've considered being a food critic? A restaurant critic? I've even considered being a one-woman Hello Fresh...but if my "meez" (food prep) isn't done yet chances are I don't have the energy to prep your mise en place either. I did make $70 selling hand-kneaded Amish bread from my roadside stand...and I'll never do that again!
In a perfect world, a purveyor of high-end ingredients like D'Artagnan will read this blog and send me free stuff to try, cook, photograph and write about, linking back to their site, boosting their sales. That's my underhanded, low-down, sneaky strategy.
Because I can't (usually) afford The Good Stuff.
Well, I can now. Temporarily. Thanks to the very kind readers of NmN who blew my freakin' mind by donating to my recent GoFundMe, for this golden moment in history, I can afford The Good Stuff.
But that won't last forever, no matter how careful and thrifty I am.
In the Bible, Jesus told a parable about stewardship. He talked about a servant who increased their Master's gold by investing it wisely. This blog is, theoretically, that investment.
In my dreams, I'll become one of those paid food bloggers who post an annoying amount of pictures of every step in a recipe's progress. Just gimme the damn recipe already! I'm not an idiot! Mama taught me well how to follow a recipe, dang it! I don't need my hand held.
Or, alternatively, what happened last week will happen again. Ingredients will just show up on my doorstep for studying, researching, tasting, trying, cooking....writing! (Virginia - You never hit a gift more perfectly on the head than that basket of French cheeses! Thank you again! More on that topic in a future post.)
So here we go! The inaugural post of Reluctant Cook, Cheap Foodie.
No pressure! No schedule! Just delicious food talk when inspiration strikes. Click here to subscribe.
Bon Appétit!
P.S. I still make Grandma's cheeseball but I double the seasoning and add diced jalapeños. Email me if you'd like the recipe.
Do you enjoy this blog?


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Yes, well, that's the sort of blinkered, philistine pig ignorance I've come to expect from you non-creative garbage. You sit there on your loathsome, spotty behinds squeezing blackheads, not caring a tinker's cuss for the struggling artist. You excrement! You whining, hypocritical toadies, with your colour TV sets and your Tony Jacklin golf clubs and your bleeding Masonic secret handshakes! You wouldn't let me join, would you, you blackballing bastards?!! Well I WOULDN'T BECOME A FREEMASON NOW IF YOU WENT DOWN ON YOUR LOUSY, STINKING KNEES AND BEGGED ME!!!
To the Gas Company
Hartford, February 12, 1891.
Dear Sirs:
Some day you will move me almost to the verge of irritation by your chuckle-headed Goddamned fashion of shutting your Goddamned gas off without giving any notice to your Goddamned parishioners. Several times you have come within an ace of smothering half of this household in their beds and blowing up the other half by this idiotic, not to say criminal, custom of yours. And it has happened again today. Haven't you a telephone?
S L Clemens (Mark Twain)
Dream Song #4
Filling her compact & delicious body with chicken paprika, she glanced at me twice. Fainting with interest, I hungered back and only the fact of her husband & four other people kept me from springing on her or falling at her little feet and crying "You are the hottest one for years of night Henry`s dazed eyes have enjoyed, Brilliance." I advanced upon (despairing) my spumoni. --Sir Bones: is stuffed, de world, wif feeding girls. --Black hair, complexion Latin, jewelled eyes downcast...The slob beside her feasts...What wonders is she sitting on, over there? The restaurant buzzes. She might as well be on Mars. Where did it all go wrong? There ought to be a law against Henry. --Mr. Bones: there is.Dream Song #45
He stared at ruin. Ruin stared straight back. He thought they was old friends. He felt on the stair where her papa found them bare they became familiar. When the papers were lost rich with pals' secrets, he thought he had the knack of ruin. Their paths crossed and once they crossed in jail; they crossed in bed; and over an unsigned letter their eyes met, and in an Asian city directionless & lurchy at two & three, or trembling to a telephone's fresh threat, and when some wired his head to reach a wrong opinion, 'Epileptic'. But he noted now that: they were not old friends. He did not know this one. This one was a stranger, come to make amends for all the imposters, and to make it stick. Henry nodded, un-.
(John Berryman)
i carry your heart with me(i carry it in my heart)i am never without it(anywhere i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done by only me is your doing,my darling) i fear no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true) and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant and whatever a sun will always sing is you here is the deepest secret nobody knows (here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows higher than soul can hope or mind can hide) and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)
(ee cummings)
Get one before it's too late
MIT Paper
Man is the only animal that deals in that atrocity of atrocities, War. He is the only one that gathers his brethren about him and goes forth in cold blood and calm pulse to exterminate his kind. He is the only animal that for sordid wages will march out…and help to slaughter strangers of his own species who have done him no harm and with whom he has no quarrel. …And in the intervals between campaigns he washes the blood off his hands and works for `the universal brotherhood of man` — with his mouth.`
--Mark Twain
I once wanted to become an atheist, but I gave up. They have no holidays.
--Henny Youngman
If'n you aint the grandaddy of all liars! The little critters of nature...they don't know that they're ugly! That's very funny, a fly marrying a bumblebee! I told you I'd shoot! But you didn't believe me! Why didn't you believe me?!
--Ren & Stimpy
And Saint Attila raised the hand grenade up on high, saying, 'O Lord, bless this Thy hand grenade that, with it, Thou mayest blow Thine enemies to tiny bits in Thy mercy.'
I don`t believe what I`m seeing. Where you been all your lives? An orgy? Listening to Mick Jagger music and bad mouthing your country I bet.
--"An Officer and a Gentleman"
The wages of sin is Community College.
There are only 10 kinds of people in the world: Those who can count in binary, and those who can't.
Exclamation marks should be used sparingly, and then only when the speaker has recently been disemboweled.
C makes it easy to shoot yourself in the foot; C++ makes it harder, but when you do it blows your whole leg off.
--Bjarne Stroustrup
This bounty hunter is my kind of scum: Fearless and inventive.
--J.T. Hutt
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
--George Carlin
Dyslexics of the world, UNTIE!
--T-shirt owned by my darling daughter (brilliant dyslexic)
There is no 'I' in 'team.' But then there is no 'I' in 'useless smug colleague,' either. And there are four in 'platitude-quoting idiot.' Go figure.
Of course there are stupid questions.


text:
Movie plot
Dark Wiz Company releases a toy called the talispod which allows children to "REBORN" and "CALL BACK" creatures called Legendz. Shuu receives a nonfunctional talispod from his father, and after being attack from three characters from the toy company, he receives a souldoll containing a windragon named Shiron.
Shuu uses Shiron to get out of many battles. His friends, Mac, Meg, and Dino also get Legendz, and they must try to avoid a war that will lead to the destruction of civilization.
Show less...


text:
Don't Oppress My People With Your Public Libraries
April 17, 2019
Further to recent rumblings in the comments, Captain Nemo steers us to the Twitter feed of Library Journal, a "global community of more than 200,000 librarians and educators," and which proudly directs its readers to the mental exertions of Ms Sofia Leung:
Our library collections, because they are written mostly by straight white men, are a physical manifestation of white men ideas taking up all the space in our library stacks. Pause here and think about this.
Ms Leung, an academic librarian, is unhappy that public libraries in the US, a white-majority culture with a white-majority history, tend to have, among other things, lots of books by authors with pale skin. This, we're told, is an "interesting mini-eureka moment" that our Queen of Intersectional Rumination feels compelled to share. When Ms Leung discovers that public libraries in China and South Korea have quite a few books by Chinese and Korean authors, I'm sure she'll be equally aghast. Every bit as offended.
Ms Leung airs her distaste for "white men ideas" – as if they had been uniform across continents and throughout history - while reminiscing about attending a "white AF conference" two years earlier. I was unsure what the "AF" might refer to and searched for some literary or scholarly explanation. It then occurred to me that a "white AF conference" is, to borrow the woke vernacular, a white as fuck conference. Which is how not-at-all-racist academic librarians convey their thoughts, apparently.
If you look at any United States library's collection, especially those in higher education institutions, most of the collections (books, journals, archival papers, other media, etc.) are written by white dudes writing about white ideas, white things, or ideas, people, and things they stole from POC and then claimed as white property… When most of our collections filled with this so-called "knowledge," it continues to validate only white voices and perspectives and erases the voices of people of colour.
At which point, things get a little breathless and intermittently grammatical. However, readers may wish to ponder how synthesising insights from around the world, and from cultures long gone, and preserving those insights, in libraries, is somehow a bad thing. Readers may also wish to ponder the implications of a librarian and self-styled educator, schooled at the University of Washington and Barnard College, New York, and who is offended, something close to enraged, by the existence of "white ideas" and the "so-called 'knowledge'" of "white dudes."
As if sensing that her thoughts aren't sufficiently lurid and unhinged, Ms Leung then shifts into higher gear:
Library collections continue to promote and proliferate whiteness with their very existence and the fact that they are physically taking up space in our libraries. They are paid for using money that was usually ill-gotten and at the cost of black and brown lives via the prison industrial complex, the spoils of war, etc.
Amid this avalanche of conspiracy theories and rote indignation, we're told that the prevalence of books by pale-skinned authors in a majority-white country "indicates that we… don't think people of colour are… as important as white people." The exact line of reasoning here is somewhat unclear and obscured by the inevitable in-group incantations, including "sites of whiteness." A term deployed to describe public libraries, which, we're to believe, somehow crush the very breath out of the heroically brown.
Having dismissed as tiresome the entire breadth and history of "white men ideas" – from Ptolemy to Babbage, Tesla to Solzhenitsyn, Turing to Shakespeare – these "white dudes" and their "so-called 'knowledge'" - Ms Leung then makes clear the kinds of feedback she is willing to entertain:
I still have some thinking to do around this topic, but curious to hear what others think. I'm less interested in hearing that you don't buy it, so don't bother with those types of comments.
Ms Leung's Twitter account is, alas, now in shutdown mode, thereby depriving us of further elaboration. Or at least depriving us of further racial chastisement and smug philistine posturing. We do, however, learn that our academic librarian is fond of "cats, whiskey, intersectional feminism, social justice" and "critical race theory," the stupefying effects of which have been noted previously.
Update, via the comments:
Bgates quotes Ms Leung,
white dudes writing about white ideas
And adds,
I hadn't thought it was possible to write six words that encapsulate the collected works of Socrates, Plato, St Paul, St Augustine, Marcus Aurelius, Thomas Aquinas, Shakespeare, Moliere, Newton…
Well, quite. But as we've seen many times, wokeness is a kind of rapid-onset morony.
And the fact that Ms Leung's overt racial animus and eye-widening ignorance haven't been mocked out of her or resulted in any kind of censure or career impediment – indeed, quite the opposite - suggests that she's not entirely without the "privilege" she denounces in others, based solely on their melanin levels. I'm now trying to imagine a white librarian, employed by MIT, mouthing comparable noises about the history and literature of non-white people, and their obviously malign inclinations, and surviving the day with the approval of their employer, and their peers, and their job, intact.
Heavens, a button. I wonder what it does.


text:
Roger at LensRentals.com has completed his comparison of the Canon EF 24-105 f/4L IS and the Sigma 24-105 f/4 DG OS.
Lots of people ask us which lens to buy and we usually say get the one for the best price, which for the last few months has been the Canon variant. While the Sigma is a very good lens, it's not head and shoulders above the Canon by most accounts, if at all.
Says Roger
"Sigma has made a very nice zoom here at a very good price. It's obviously not going to create the stir that occurred with their 35mm f/1.4 or 18-35 f/1.8 lenses, but it's a nice addition to their lineup.
Canon shooters who have a 24-105 f/4 IS have no reason to change based on optics as long as the promotional pricing remains in effect. The Sigma and Canon 24-105s are nearly identical. Similarly the Nikon 24-120 has been available on discount lately, so I don't see a big motivation for Nikon shooters to change, either.
Of course, if the pricing changes I wouldn't hesitate to buy the Sigma instead of the name brands. If nothing else, I think the presence of the Sigma will keep Canon and Nikon prices reasonable.
I expect as this lens is released in other mounts it will be quite popular. There's a reason Canon has sold about 3 gazillion 24-105s. It's a very good lens with a very useful range. The Sigma will be available for Sony shooters next month and may be the best option in that mount." Read the full review
Canon EF 24-105 f/4L IS $682 | Sigma 24-105 f/4 DG OS $899