text:
I think my stress level would be a lot lower in the mornings if I would just accept that the entire breakfast event will last around two hours. This is mainly because my 2yo, Mark, doesn't want to eat much when he first gets up, but then about an hour into his day he wants to eat, but only CERTAIN things. So then I'm racing around, trying to get various things done (like phone calls, housework, and so on) while also preparing food for him and putting it in front of him, hoping against hope that he doesn't decide to throw it across the room.
Breakfast October 29, 2010
Feeling a little SAHM Burnout October 26, 2010
Well, it's been an interesting week or two around here. Over the weekend, my husband's father and step-mother visited. It was low-stress and enjoyable for everyone, I think. They decided to visit the weekend after Mark's second birthday party in order to enjoy a slower pace, and I'm glad things worked out that way.
On a personal level, I have been doing a good job of getting to the gym regularly, but eating well has been another story. It's the same old struggle where I default to using junk food as a way to de-stress and avoid dealing with things that I don't want to deal with, which lately seems like just about everything. I wonder if the change of seasons is messing with my mood and energy level. I hate to sound negative, but today is another day where I can hardly bear to clean the kitchen yet one more time, struggle to get my 2-year-old dressed yet one more time, and so on.
On a positive note, Mark has started sleeping later, so we don't hear from him until between 6:00 and 7:00 a.m. It is so, so, so nice to not deal with fatigue day after day, like I did when he was getting up between 4:30-5:30 every morning.
All in all, it is good to know that I'm not the only SAHM who feels burnt out sometimes, or even a lot of the time. It's a tough job!
Getting to know myself. I am who I am! October 22, 2010
It's 7 o'clock on a Thursday evening, and I am at a coffee shop nibbling on treats, messing around on my laptop, and generally enjoying myself. This seems like something of a miracle to me, for several reasons.
First, the kids are not in bed yet, but I am not at home and not wrestling small children through their evening routine. That alone is reason to celebrate, because while I love my children with all of my heart, I need just about every break I can get.
Also, tonight I was originally going to go "out" with some girlfriends for our monthly Ladies Night. Sounds great, right? Well, it is great in its way, but I am not super close with these gals (used to be pretty close with one of them, but that's a different story) and I am not a drinker at all. Many (all?) of these gals are drinkers, and I am tired of trying to fit in with them.
A few weeks ago, these gals had a big night out planned, and with the encouragement of Hubby, I accompanied them. To make a long story short, I did enjoy some aspects of that evening, but in the end I felt more depressed and left out afterwards than I had felt in a long time. It turns out that there was a key text message that I didn't receive until much too late; if I had gotten this message in a timely manner, the evening might have turned out in some way that did not involve me crying on the drive home.
But looking back, I believe everything happened for a reason. Hubby and I had some very good conversations about some very important topics, key among them: Wifey being who Wifey is, and not feeling obligated to fit in with others, and (this is crucial) Hubby not pressuring Wifey to fit in.
It was really important to me that Hubby admitted that he had been pressuring me, sometimes subtly and sometimes not so subtly, to go with the crowd for certain things.
Also, I shared with him (and he understood and accepted) that a "night out" for me to get rejuvenated might not look the way he or someone else would expect it to look. I am introverted, so for me to recharge, I need to spend time alone or possibly with one or two close friends. That's not to say that I can't or won't go out with the drinkers now and then (sipping my one beer for the evening), but from now on I will be more assertive about planning "Me time" that I really want to do.
And that leads me to this coffee shop on a Thursday evening. I love it! Especially since I enjoyed a few hours with a friend today while our children played together (such a beautiful thing). It's hard to imagine a better day.
Down in the dumps and off-track lately October 19, 2010
The last 1-2 weeks have been unusually busy (out-of-town doctor appointment; MIL visiting; son Mark's birthday party) and I have been way off-track with eating, exercising, and housekeeping.
In general, I've been feeling more like taking a break (giving myself a vacation?) than dealing with real life. And while it is important to take breaks, I also find that if I spend too much time off duty, it becomes a self-perpetuating cycle where the house gets messier and messier, and I feel less and less like dealing with it. The cupboards get more and more bare, and I feel discouraged about meal-planning, so I put off going to the grocery store. Etc. etc.
On the GTD end of things, I have been letting "stuff" accumulate in my inboxes, while also ignorning my whiteboard and GTD coordinator (where my lists live). As a result, I dread the process of catching up, and I put off the processing of everything. Another self-perpetuating cycle.
Eating right and exercising also become part of a negative cycle. And with all kinds of candy and sweets in the house … yikes.
So yes, I have been way off track and down in the dumps lately. Today I am making a very good effort to stop these negative cycles and get back on the right track, while also keeping in mind the need to take breaks and take care of myself.
Quick update – MIL Visit, Son "holding and wetting" October 12, 2010
Hello friends,
I say "friends" because I feel a certain kinship with you, my readers. So many people come here looking for information about "SAHM Burnout," "SAHM Depression," and so on. I really empathize with your struggles, every single one of you. Being a mom brings with it some very tough days, weeks, months, even years! I definitely don't have all the answers, but I want you to know that you are not alone, and if you are tired of feeling like the "only one" who's not sailing through this mom/SAHM thing, then you've come to the right place.
This week we are approaching my younger son Mark's second birthday. This is an exciting and happy time for me, and I'm looking forward to having friends and family over for birthday cake on Saturday. However, this is also a stressful time because my MIL, who moved halfway across the country a few months ago, is coming to visit [NOT stay with us].
The last few years of our relationship with her have been volatile and full of change. To make a long story short, over the last 1-2 years, Hubby and I decided that despite all of MIL's wonderful qualities, we needed to create some more boundaries between her and our family. (We have gotten help from a family therapist in navigating this trickiness, thank God.) MIL interpreted our actions and decisions as hurtful and as "pushing her away," and she decided to move to a different state.
She told Hubby that her reason for the move was – me! Yours truly. I guess this Honest Mommy was a little too honest for MIL's liking.
Over the last year, MIL has done some quite hurtful and passive-aggressive things, such as sending a change-of-address card to every member of our family except me. Such as neglecting to send a card for our 10-year wedding anniversary, though she did wish Hubby a happy anniversary on the phone. So classy.
I don't think I feel too hurt by these sorts of things, BUT…. now that MIL is coming to town for a visit, I feel a little lost about how to interact with her. She will probably see the children's artwork collecting on our walls and wonder why we (I) haven't sent her more pieces for her artwork frame that we got her a few Christmases ago. But, why would I bother to do that sort of thing for her very often, when she so clearly dislikes me?
In any case, I have been doing a few things to prepare the house for her eyes. I took down some quotes that I had posted above the kitchen sink; it feels too personal to let her see those. I tucked away my journal so no one is likely to just "come across it." I edited our framed photos to prevent her from gaining ammunition about how we favor certain parts of the family. And so on.
After she moved away a few months ago, it was a relief to me to let my home be as I wished it to be. I am thankful that I need to MIL-proof my home only a few times per year now. It's not that she is snoopy (that I know of), but it's that there are certain expressions of who I am that I do not feel comfortable sharing with her.
Another interesting issue will be the disciplinary process which we are taking Jakob through right now. We have a system where, if he wets his pants at home, preschool, church, etc., then he loses most of his privileges until he keeps himself dry for ten days in a row. The wetting is due to his reluctance (or whatever) to use the toilet when he would rather "hold it," and we believe that he is very aware of what he is doing and what the result will be.
(For a while, he would secretly [so he thought] "hold it" while he was at home, to the point of wetting himself before he finally darted to the bathroom, then later he would hide his wet underwear under his dresser and put on clean underwear. This kid is smart, and getting more sneaky by the day. I just can't accept that a kid who can pull of this kind of plan doesn't "get" that he needs to go potty.)
So anyway, John Rosemond calls this approach "kicking out of the Garden of Eden" and it is designed to a get a child's attention by removing many of the things that a child enjoys on a daily basis. We remove pretty much everything of interest from Adam's bedroom so he is left with furniture, bedding, and so on; anything that's left he is not allowed to play with (for example, the board games that are high up on shelves).
Adam attends preschool, church, errands, and some other necessary activities. He eats meals and snacks with the family. And obviously, he bathes and uses the toilet as usual. Other than that, he is expected to stay in his room and, while he's there, to conduct himself in a manner that is not overly disruptive to the rest of the family. All the while, whether at home or away, he is expected to take responsibility for going to the toilet in a timely fashion, and we check periodically to make sure he is dry.
At the end of each day, if he has stayed dry, he puts a smiley face on the calendar. Ten smiley faces in a row earns him his privileges back. If he has eight dry days and then slips up, the ten days start over again.
Hubby and I *hate* that we have to do this, but darling Adam is so stubborn and has wet himself so many times (for no good reason) that we see no other options. At this time, we are willing to go through the inconvenience and heartache of kicking Adam "out of the garden" with the hope that he will learn valuable lessons about personal responsibility.
We see this issue not as a potty training issue or even a toileting issue, but rather as an issue of stubbornness and defiance. We have even done a hands-on demonstration using water, cups,bowls, and so on, to try to help him understand that his bladder can only hold so much and that it's always getting filled up, little by little, by his body, therefore "waiting too long" can only have one result — wet underwear.
So anyway, when MIL comes to our house, she is going to see that Adam's room is pretty bare, and she will figure out what is going on, either by asking or figuring it out on her own (she is aware that we have used this disciplinary technique). And I am pretty sure that she will flip out, even if she tries to hide that fact. One time, she told Hubby that she thought that Child Services would be "interested" to hear about some of the things we do. Really!
It goes without saying that Hubby and I completely disagree, but that doesn't change her opinion on the matter. She also has a hard time seeing all aspects of Adam's personality. Everything that's wonderful is, well, wonderful, and everything else either doesn't exist (in her eyes) or has a good excuse behind it, or is simply Mom and Dad's fault. As a result, I doubt she would ever truly grasp the situation with Adam's "holding and wetting," and she certainly wouldn't understand why we kick Adam out of the garden.
This week looks like it will be interesting. I will keep you updated!
Just another manic Monday October 4, 2010
This morning was my morning to get up with the kids. Mark (23 months) woke up for the day at 5:05 a.m. and was not a happy camper, in part due to his cold, which is currently somewhere between "awful" and "not too bad." I fetched him and came downstairs, stopping at the fridge to get his sippy cup of milk on the way to the basement.
In the basement we have a play room of sorts, and I like to keep Mark down there in the early morning so that Adam, whose room is on the main floor, is less likely to get woken up. When winter arrives, it will be cold as all get out in our basement, but this time of year it is just fine, and I'd like to enjoy it while we can.
This morning, though, Mark did *not* want to go to the basement, and he very loudly told me so. *Sigh* what could I do? In those early morning hours, Mark pretty well holds Hubby and me hostage because the number one priority is to Keep Things Quiet so Adam Can Sleep.
We stayed in the kitchen, and Mark was fairly quiet and content. Such a blessing and a relief; there are mornings, especially when he's not feeling well, when he fusses constantly for the first 15 minutes of the day, and then off and on (mostly on) after that. It is very stressful and exhausting to deal with his fussiness at that hour, especially since it's not practical to let him stew in his own juices.
By 6 a.m. Adam had gotten up as well, and I was feeling frustrated and sad that I was so tired, and yet the day had barely begun. The truth is that it really wears on me to be on the job for two hours before Hubby even gets up (around 7 a.m.) to go to work. (At this point I need to make it clear that Hubby and I take turns getting up with the kids, so it's not as if I go through this every morning.)
I look around, and all I see are dirty dishes, dog hair, dirt, laundry, clutter …. you get the idea. I look ahead at the day and know that Hubby won't be up for awhile yet, and after he gets up, showers, and leaves for work, it's me and the kids all day long. It is difficult to not let that get me down sometimes! There is so much to be thankful for, definitely, but at the same time, this SAHM gig challenges me in ways that I never saw coming.
My decision to buy a Kindle 3
Hubby and I are now each owners of the Kindle 3. They arrived last week, and I was pretty excited to get mine out of the box and into my hot little hands.
When Hubby started talking about the Kindle 3 a few months ago, initially I wasn't all that interested. I shared with him that when I read a book, usually it is nonfiction and usually it is a book that I own, therefore I do a lot of underlining and some amount of notes in the margins. Then he told me that the Kindle allows you to highlight text and then those portions of text can be "shared" (using things like Twitter) or otherwise stored as one or another kind of text file. Kindle books also allow you to add notes "in the margin," as it were, using the built-in QWERTY keyboard.
This definitely got my attention. I imagined that the text of my books would no longer be "trapped" inside the book covers, but could be transferred to just about anything, such as an electronic journal (Google docs or otherwise) where I could keep my favorite excerpts, journal about them, and so on.
Hubby also told me that if we each had a Kindle and put the Kindles on the same Amazon account, then any book we purchased could be read on either or both Kindles. This got my attention as well, because if we decided to read a book together, there would be no issue of whether to buy one or two copies of a book.
Another "score one for the Kindle" moment came after Hubby had decided that he definitely would save up and buy one. We ended up going through dozens, maybe even a hundred or more, books, and getting rid of at least half of them. In the process, he made lists of books he definitely wanted to purchase for the Kindle in the future, books he may want to Kindle-ize, and so on. Since I have a keen interest in decluttering, due in part to our small-ish home, this also got my attention!
The fact is that Hubby and I both love books, but it is not always practical to hold on to the books we love, books we haven't read yet but intend to…. you get the idea.
I started doing a bit of my own research and found that the Kindle, while not perfect, is considered by many to be the top e-reader on the market.
And so, I decided that I, too, would save up for a Kindle. My life as a SAHM can be pretty dull sometimes, and I imagined that having a nifty little device that is full of books, and that can access the Internet (Wi-Fi and/or 3G if you spring for the $189 version), would be a very good thing for me. So far, it has been. More on that in a future post!


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I'm not much of a "gadgety" type of person but this brownie pan was a must-have. Everyone knows the best part of brownies are the corner and edge pieces! Well, at least that's my favorite part, so this was a great gift for moi.
So I'm guessing you're probably wondering what in the world these brownies are all about. Black beans...brownie...say what?! First, I must make a disclaimer: this is not your average brownie and you shouldn't try to trick anyone by telling them it's a regular brownie because they'll think your baking skills absolutely suck. The texture gives the brownie away and some people may not like it. But, if you're like me and enjoy glutinous desserts but also love trying new things, give this one a try. These brownies are a healthy spin to your standard fattening, delicious, high caloric brownie and would be a great gift to give someone who is watching their weight. I'm not guaranteeing they'll taste anything like those brownies we all know and love, but they're a nice healthy alternative. I would designate these more of a "chick's" brownie - meaning probably only women will like them. I fed one to lobster and he was not a fan. Well...his first bite he said, "mmmm" which turned into a "...hmmmmm??" (damn, the bean taste must have kicked in) Then his "hmmm" turned into a funny face and a...."eh, not so much." I tried them out on the rest of the family and the sister-in-law and "G" White Man weren't jumpin' for joy either - but the rug-rats (niece and nephew) loved them, so this would be a great treat for kids. They get chocolate AND vegetables all in one bite - what parent wouldn't love that?!
So if you end up giving this recipe a try, just know that the texture of the brownie actually improves the longer it sits and tasted better the next day. But if you really open your mind and embrace the brownie for its "beany-ness" (don't think that's a word) they are a healthy tasty treat. But, if you really want to hide the taste even more, eat this with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and it'll make it all better. Be brave...try it and let me know whatcha think.
Black Bean Brownies
9 servings = 164 calories per slice
Adapted from here
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons oil (I substituted half the amount with unsweetened apple sauce)
• 4 tablespoons cocoa powder (Hershey's unsweetened cocoa)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup sugar
• a pinch salt
Preheat oven to 350F.
Pour drained beans into a blender, set on puree and blend until smooth. Add in the rest of the ingredients and continue blending until evenly mixed.
Pour bean mixture into a greased 8 by 8 pan. Bake in oven for 30 minutes, or until toothpick placed in the center comes out clean.
Let them cool and enjoy.
**I baked mine in the brownie maze pan and they only took 15 minutes.
Black Bean Brownies
Fruit and Yogurt Parfait
Today I made myself a healthy fruit and yogurt parfait. I couldn't tell which one I was more excited about - eating the parfait or just the idea of making something in my cute new glasses. Ain't it perrrrty?! It's like whatever you make automatically looks yummy and fancy. I have great plans for these little guys...de-constructed tiramisu, strawberries and creme, hot fudge sundaes...nummmmm! I'm getting hungry just thinking about the endless possibilities.
Today they were used to make me breakfast. I filled each layer with a little bit of Special K cereal, topped with greek yogurt, sliced strawberries and drizzled with honey. After you finish the first layer keep building until you get to the top - grab a fork and dig in.
Other suggestions could be:
- strawberries with sour cream mixed with brown sugar
- angel food cake topped with strawberry or blueberry sleury
- holding vessel for cobbler with ice cream
Asian Vinaigrette
Asian vinaigrette
3 to 4 servings
Courtesy of the father-in-law
2 tbs seasoned rice wine vinegar
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp dijon mustard
S&P to taste
few drops of soy sauce to taste
Mix all the ingredients together and season to taste with S&P and soy sauce. Vinaigrette should taste fairly acidic and salty since they have to dress and flavor the greens. Make sure after you clean your greens they are dry and not wet so the dressing can adhere to them.
Tilapia with Fresh Cilantro Kiwi Chutney & Succotash Salad
I've been on a healthy eating kick lately and this recipe was light, refreshing and hit the spot. The fish in my mind somehow makes up for the strawberry-rhubarb crumble I've had everyday for the past three nights. Luv it when I can justify things in my mind - as I dig into another bite while I'm typing this.
I decided to make this recipe because the ingredients sounded so interesting. Kiwi and cilantro blended together - how could that be good, right? But it was. It tastes very similar to salsa verde or chimichurri but more complex since it's sweet and spicy. This sauce would be great over chicken or meat as well. A good variation on this dish would be to eat all the components together wrapped up in a taco. But if you're watching your carbs, this was equally delicious without the starch. The succotash was really flavorful too and tastes like you're eating something straight from the farmer's market. Overall, this meal was yummy, healthy and delightful.
Tilapia with Fresh Cilantro Kiwi Chutney
Adapted from Bon Appetit
4 servings
1 cup (packed) chopped fresh cilantro
1 large kiwi, peeled, cubed
1/4 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk* (I used Taste of Thai Lite Coconut Milk)
1 large garlic clove, peeled
2 teaspoons chopped jalapeño chile (I used half a jalapeno with a little bit of the seeds)
4 6- to 7-ounce mahi-mahi fillets
Ground cumin
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Coarsely puree first 5 ingredients in processor. Season chutney with salt and pepper. If chutney is too spicy, add more pureed kiwi and sugar. Sprinkle fish with salt, pepper, and cumin. Heat oil in cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add fish. Sauté until just opaque in center, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plates; top with chutney.
*Sold at many supermarkets and at Indian, Southeast Asian, and Latin markets.
***If you'd like the recipe for the succotash salad, click here
Prosciutto & Chicken Sandwich and a Basil Pesto Recipe
The other day I went to lunch with a friend and had a super yummy sandwich. We went to this new restaurant in Marina Del Rey called Mendocino Farms. It's a cute little place where they have tons of different, creative sandwiches and salads. I absolutely love sandwiches and could eat them all day everyday and this one in particular was delicious. Of course since I love all things sweet and salty, that's exactly what the flavors of this sandwich are. You get the saltiness from the prosciutto, the sweetness from the balsamic and honey and the cheese melts beautifully and holds the sammie together. If you've never had Havarti cheese before, it's similar to string cheese but the flavor is much richer. Although my sammie didn't taste as good as the one I had at the restaurant, it was a tasty "knock-off" and satisfied my craving.
**The basil pesto was also a new recipe I tried and the flavors were great. I substituted pistachios for the pine nuts and it gave the pesto a different taste then your standard pesto. The spread was great in the sammie and would be delicious as a sauce over pasta as well. Next time I'll make a big batch and freeze it for a quick weeknight meal.
**You can freeze extra pesto in ice cubs trays. When ready to use, remove them from the freezer and defrost over night in the fridge.
Basil Pesto Sauce
Adapted from Cooking Light
Makes 1/2 cup serving
• 2 tbs pine nuts (I used roasted salted pistachios)
• 1 1/2 garlic cloves
• 2 cups loosely packed basil leaves (about 2 ounces)
• 2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1. Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add nuts to pan; cook 4 minutes or until lightly toasted, stirring constantly. Remove from pan.
2. Combine nuts and garlic in a food processor; process until minced. Add basil, oil, salt, and pepper; process until blended, scraping sides occasionally. Spoon into a bowl and fold in cheese.
*The sauce tasted great even without the cheese so I'm betting you could even omit that if you're watching your calories.
Prosciutto and Chicken Sandwich
Created by NuM NuM
1 serving
Oroweat Sandwich Thins
Prosciutto di Parma
Cooked chicken - dark or white meat
Basil Pesto
Balsamic Vinegar
Honey or any kind of sweet preserves or jam
One slice of Havarti Cheese
Slice cheese in half. Spread pesto sauce on one side of bread and top with one slice of the cheese. Shred chicken breasts and layer on top of cheese. Next add prosciutto di parma and drizzle with a good amount of honey. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over other half of sandwich thin then top with remaining slice of cheese and top the bread over other half of the sandwich. Heat a skillet to medium-low and place sandwich on dry skillet. Place a heavy pot or skillet on the sandwich to weigh it down so it becomes a hot melty panini. Toast each side of bread for about 3-4 minutes per side until cheese is melted and bread is nice and toasty.
Mediterranean Eggplant and Quinoa Salad
This salad was quite tasty and made for a healthy, delicious light dinner. I love finding recipes that make you feel like you're actually eating something healthy. While I do love a good mac 'n cheese, I hate the bloated after effects and the food coma that follows. I really enjoyed the flavors in this dish and it was a little spicy from the cayenne too. I made this salad a few hours in advance so the flavors could marry together and it tasted even better the next day. Since you can make this dish ahead of time, it would be a great dish to serve to company or take to a potluck.
This was my first time cooking quinoa and it cooked up in no time at all. If you've never had quinoa before, it has the same consistency as couscous and is very nutritious, full of protein and gluten free. The original recipe called for barley but I only had quinoa in my pantry, so that's what I used. But I bet this would taste even better with barley or farro since they have a nice crunchy and nutty consistency. Since the quinoa is very soft and the vegetables were roasted, everything was pretty mushy so I added a 1/4 cup of diced jicama and cucumbers for some crunch - just in case you substitute with quinoa like I did.
Mediterranean Eggplant and Quinoa Salad
Makes 2 large servings (main course) or 4 (side dish) servings
Adapted from Epicurious
3/4 lb eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
6 oz zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup chopped scallion
3/4 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon cayenne, or adjust to taste
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 garlic clove, minced
1/8 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup roma tomatoes – seeded and cut into1/2 inch cubes
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion, rinsed and drained if desired
1/2 cup bell pepper cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 to 1/2 cup crumbled feta or ricotta salata
Roast eggplant and zucchini: Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 425°F.
Toss eggplant and zucchini with oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl, then spread in shallow (1-inch-deep) baking pans. Roast vegetables in oven, stirring occasionally until vegetables are golden brown and tender, 20 to 25 minutes total. Combine vegetables in 1 bowl and cool.
Cook quinoa: Heat 1 tablespoons oil in a heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook scallion, cumin, coriander, and cayenne, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add quinoa and cook, stirring until well coated with oil, 2 minutes more. Add broth bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until all of liquid is absorbed for about 15 minutes.
Make dressing and assemble salad: Whisk together lemon juice, garlic, sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and 1 tablespoons oil in a large bowl. Add quinoa, roasted vegetables, and remaining ingredients along with cheese to bowl with dressing and toss until combined well.
Do ahead: Salad can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Return to room temperature before serving.
Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble
I'd always heard about strawberry rhubarb desserts but never had the opportunity to try one until last week. After my first bite I quickly became a fan of rhubarb and knew I wanted to re-create it at home. Fridays are always a great night to make desserts since lobster and I can relax and this was a no fuss dessert that came together fast. It came together fast and it was eaten very fast by moi b/c it was delicious! The taste reminded me very much of the flavors of a lemon tart. Sweet and tart all at the same time in one bite. I think this dessert is even better then a lemon tart because you get to eat it with ice cream. The cobbler is piping hot when it comes out of the oven and you take a bite along with the cold ice cream and it's just heavenly....num! My mouth is salivating just thinking about it. If you like sweet and tart desserts then I would definitely give this a try. It's also the perfect dessert to entertain with since you can make it before guests arrive and pop it in the oven right when you sit down to eat.
Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble
Adapted from here
Yields 6 to 8 servings.
For the topping:
1 1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons Demerara sugar (or turbinado sugar aka Sugar in the Raw)
Zest of one lemon
1/4 pound (1 stick or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted –
For the filling:
1 1/2 cups rhubarb, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 quart (4 cups) strawberries plus a few extras, hulled, quartered
Juice of one lemon
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Pinch of salt
1. Heat oven to 375°F. Prepare topping: In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugars and lemon zest and add the melted butter. Mix until small and large clumps form. Refrigerate until needed.
2. Prepare filling: Toss rhubarb, strawberries, lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch and a pinch of salt in a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. (I used an oval dish)
3. Remove topping from refrigerator and cover fruit thickly and evenly with topping. Place pie plate on a (foil-lined, if you really want to think ahead) baking sheet, and bake until crumble topping is golden brown in places and fruit is bubbling beneath, about 40 to 50 minutes.
Heirloom Tomatoes, Mozzarella and Basil Salad
Now that spring is officially here, it's time to say goodbye to comfort food and hello to light and healthy cooking - let's hope. On my way home from work I picked up a couple of heirloom tomatoes along with some fresh mozzarella and made this salad. It's amazing how fresh ingredients can take a simple dish from good to GREAT. When you're making a dish that uses such few ingredients, you really should use the best you can afford. A fruity extra-virgin olive oil and good aged balsamic vinegar are a must. For this dish I used some of my fancy balsamic vinegar that I have hidden in the back of my cupboard. Using really good balsamic vinegar makes all the difference in the world. I'm not talking about the stuff you buy at the grocery store, but the thick, rich, syrupy kind you spend some bucks on - and for this salad my friends, it was a special occasion.
If you've never seen or tasted an heirloom tomato before, they are rather ugly looking but don't let their appearance turn you off. Despite getting beat with an ugly stick, these babies are much more flavorful and juicy than your regular supermarket tomato. Since they're so rich in flavor they can be a bit expensive too - but it's worth the splurge. Consider them the BMW's of tomatoes :) I only bought two from the store but lagged a bit from when I brought them home versus when I actually made the dish. Therefore, one of the little guys was looking the tiniest bit scary - okay maybe it was smelling a little rancid - so lobster made me throw it away....DAMN HIM!! But the other one was delicious and fulfilled his heirloom tomato destiny and we had a delicious salad before dinner.
Heirloom Tomatoes, Mozzarella and Basil Salad
One fresh ball of mozzarella (usually packed in water)
Good aged Balsamic Vinegar (Fattoria Estense Balsamic Vinegar of Modena from Sur La Table)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Marca Verde il Classico from Sur La Table)
Fresh basil leaves
Slice tomatoes 1/4-inch thick, brush with EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Slice cheese into 1/8-inch rounds and season with S&P. Use one large basil leaf per tomato slice. For plating start with tomato then cheese then basil overlapping them a bit. Continue until all ingredients are used up. Drizzle all over with balsamic vinegar.
Southwestern Butternut Squash & Black Bean Egg Rolls
I found this recipe on one of my new favorite blogs. She always has new innovative recipes and makes them sound so appetizing. Since I was leaving for a business trip I thought I'd make these egg rolls for lobster so he'd have something to munch on all week. But after I had one, I liked them so much I left him only a few and froze the rest so WE could eat them together when I got back :) Hey, it's the thought that counts! I liked these egg rolls especially because they're a "freezable meal." These would also make a great gift to give a friend who's about to have a baby since they won't have much time to cook with a
screaming peaceful, sleeping baby around.
Southwestern Butternut Squash & Black Bean Egg Rolls
Adapted from Cara's Cravings
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped (about 200gm)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 lbs peeled, diced butternut squash
3 tbsp canned diced green chilies
2 tsp cumin
dash of cayenne pepper
salt & pepper, to taste
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
juice from 1 lime
1 1/2 packages egg roll wrappers (I used Nanka Seiman Golden Dragon Egg Roll Skins)
Mae Ploy Sweet chili sauce for dipping
Roast butternut squash for 25 minutes at 425F flipping halfway through until you can pierce them easily with a fork. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 10 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic, green chilies, cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper, and cook for a few more minutes. Add the black beans, cilantro and lime juice and stir to combine evenly. Remove from heat.
Place the butternut squash and the onion mixture in a large bowl and mash to combine. These will be best if the mixture is left a little bit chunky.
To assemble the egg rolls, place a wrapper on your surface with one corner pointing down (diamond position). Place a couple tablespoons of the squash mixture onto the wrapper, and use a pastry brush dipped in water to wet the edges of the wrapper. Fold the bottom corner up, then fold the outside corners in, and roll it all up. Make sure you place a damp paper towel over the wrappers and finished egg rolls as your making them or else they will dry out. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Continue until squash mixture is used up; I got about 24 egg rolls using a large ice cream scoop for the squash portioning.
To bake: Place a baking sheet in the oven while heating at 400F. When it's hot, remove from the oven, spray with nonstick cooking spray, and place the egg rolls on the sheet. Spray them well with nonstick spray. Bake for 20 minutes, turning halfway through.
Extra egg rolls can be frozen and baked straight from the freezer. To freeze for later consumption place egg rolls in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in freezer for about an 1 1/2 hours. Once frozen place them all in a freezer zip lock bag and keep frozen.
Serve these with Mae Ploy Sweet Chili Sauce. The sauce goes especially well with the egg rolls since they're kinda spicy and the dipping sauce is a little sweet.
***I also stuffed these inside of a pita pocket and enjoyed them just as much. Simply cut a pita in half, insert the stuffing into one half and roast in a pre-heated 400F oven for seven minutes or until pita is brown and nice and crispy. However, of course this does defeat the purpose of a freezable meal.
Baked Kale Chips
If you are looking for a healthy alternative to potato chips, and want to satisfy your salty crunchy craving, give these kale chips a try. I was a little skeptical too at first. I thought, "like roasting a piece of lettuce is gonna taste good?! All these food bloggers must be on crack." BUT my friends, this is GOOD! Even lobster who said he doesn't even like kale was gobbling these up. Try them and you too can be a member of the kale chip fan club.
I made these along with another recipe called the "world's best lasagna," which ended up being the "world's heaviest lasagna" and just tasted okay. It was my first time attempting lasagna from scratch and with that amount of time and energy I expected something spectacular, but it was just aiiight.....booooo! But the kale was a nice texture contrast to the soft lasagna so maybe try the two together next time you make lasagna and/or something soft and mushy.
Baked Kale Chips
Photo and recipe adapted from Steamy Kitchen
4 giant handfuls of kale, torn into bite-sized pieces - tough stems removed (about 1/3 pound)
PAM olive oil spray
kosher salt & pepper
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
Rinse the kale thoroughly. Put the leaves in a salad spinner and spin to remove all of the water. Dump the water from the spinner and repeat one or two more times to ensure the kale is completely dry. Place the kale on the prepared baking sheet.
Drizzle the olive oil over the kale leaves and use your hands to toss and coat the leaves with the oil. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, or until the leaves are crisp. Be sure to check the kale often toward the end of its baking time as you don't want to let the leaves turn brown, which will make them bitter. You'll know the kale is done when the leaves are crisp and fragile. If they feel soft, give them another minute or two and check again. Once they're done baking, remove them from oven and sprinkle with kosher salt before serving
Watermelon, Arugula, Feta Salad
I love making dishes that I've never tried before and this one seemed like an interesting combination of flavors. I knew it would be sweet and salty and that's always a winner in my book. The sweet watermelon and salty feta compliment each other very well and make the salad very refreshing. The colors on the plate are gorgeous and would be a great starter when you have company over. Impress your next guests and serve this salad.
Watermelon, Arugula, and Feta Salad
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa
2 servings
• 2 tbs freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tbs minced shallots
• 1/2 tablespoon honey
• 2 tbs good olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups baby arugula, washed and spun dry
• 1 cup seedless watermelon, rind removed, and cut in 1/2-inch cubes (watermelon should be cold)
• 2 ounces good feta cheese, crumbled (I used Greek feta)
• 2 tbs whole fresh mint leaves, julienned
Whisk together the orange juice, lemon juice, shallots, honey, salt, and pepper. Slowly pour in the olive oil, whisking constantly, to form an emulsion. If not using within an hour, store the vinaigrette covered in the refrigerator.
Place the arugula, watermelon, feta, and mint in a large bowl. Drizzle with enough vinaigrette to coat the greens lightly and toss well. Taste for seasonings and serve immediately
**When I tasted the vinaigrette it seemed a little bland but when tossed with the salad it was perfect
Hot Chocolate Fudge Cakes aka Molten Lava Cake
At almost every restaurant today they always have some sort of lava cake on the dessert menu. You know which one I'm talking about. That warm chocolate cake with the ooey, gooey melted chocolate center. The kind when you break into it and the chocolate just flows like lava in a volcano. The kind of lava I would looove to bathe in :) Okay, sorry for the visual, but holy mother this dessert is sooooo good and decadent and a chocolate lovers dream come true. Soooo good it makes you want to roll your eyes back....yes, it's that good. Best of all, it has less calories then a regular lava cake so that means more room for ice cream :) (Love how I can justify things) You could probably get three servings out of this because it's so rich and it would completely satisfy your sweet tooth. I shouldn't even be sharing this recipe with you b/c I want to hoard it for myself but OMG...NUM NUM NUM you too will be doing the happy dance soon after eating this. Try it, you won't be sorry!
Hot Chocolate Fudge Cakes
2 servings
390 calories each
Adapted from here
• 3 tbs all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 tbs unsweetened cocoa
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1 tbs unsalted butter, softened
• 2 1/2 tbs granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 oz bar dark (71% cocoa) chocolate (such as Valrhona Le Noir Amer) or semi sweet chocolate, chopped into chunks
1. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Sift together flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt.
2. Place butter in a large bowl; beat with a hand mixer at medium speed 1 minute. Add granulated and brown sugars, beating until well blended (about 2 minutes). Add egg and vanilla, beating until well blended. Fold flour mixture into sugar mixture until fully incorporated and nice and glossy; fold in chocolate. Divide batter evenly among 2 (4-ounce) ramekins; arrange ramekins on a jelly-roll pan. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or up to 2 days.
3. Preheat oven to 350°.
4. Let ramekins stand at room temperature 10-12 minutes. Uncover and bake at 350° for 12-13 minutes or until cakes are puffy and look the tiniest bit underdone in the center, center should be soft and not jiggly. Serve immediately with ice cream.
**Next time I will try and invert these onto a plate like a traditional lava cake. To do that, you can butter the ramekins and lightly flour. Tap out the excess flour, then butter and flour them again. Divide the batter among the molds, bake and invert each ramekin onto a plate and let sit for 10 seconds, unmold by lifting up one corner of the mold; the cake will fall out onto the plate. Serve immediately. (NOTE: I have not tried this and can't guarantee it will work but if all else fails, you can just eat them straight out of the ramekins like we did)
Tofu "Egg Salad" Sammie
With summer just around the corner it's time to get into shape. There's going to be lots of B&B's. Barbecues and bikini's! So our bod's need to get into tip-top shape and these sammies are a great healthy start. I was a little skeptical when I saw this recipe at first, but since I like tofu I thought I'd give it a shot. This sammie was super light and refreshing. I couldn't wait to feed it to lobster and trick him again. He really liked it too but thought something was a little "different" about the texture. I think he thinks everything I give him that's white and crumbly is tofu now - must have tricked him one too many times :) But if you decide to trick someone for the first time, I'm sure they'd believe it was egg salad. Try it.
I ate the tofu salad between two slices of Oroweat Sandwich Thins. Next time I would try eating this in a pita that way I can have more salad to bread ratio and I won't have to worry about tofu squirting out of the sandwich. Then a light bulb went off! What if the tofu was trapped, stuffed inside of a pita - problem solved! I also made these as open faced sammies on top of some good crusty multi-grain bread. The crunchy bread was a great contrast to the soft salad and it was the perfect combo. Nice and light. Pleasure on the lips and good for the hips :)
Tofu Sammie
4 servings
Adapted from here and here and a little bit of me :)
1 14 oz block of firm tofu
2 tbs chopped parsley
1/4 cup minced onion greens
1/4 cup fennel, small dice
2 tablespoons mayo
4 tbs sour cream or greek yogurt
2 1/2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp onion and garlic powder
1/2 tsp chili powder or cayenne
2 tsp capers drained, chopped
Lime juice to taste
Season with lots of S&P
Sliced tomatoes 1/4" thick
Drain the water from the tofu and cut into 1/2" slices. Place tofu in one layer between a few paper towels and place a heavy pan on top so tofu releases all liquid for fifteen minutes.
Put the tofu in a bowl and mash with a fork
Add the onion greens, parsley and fennel and stir.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayo, sour cream, mustard, and rest of the ingredients through the capers. Season to taste with lime juice, and S&P
Add the mayo mixture to the tofu and stir until well blended and season with more S&P. If mixture seems dry you may need to make more of the sauce or add a couple more spoonsfuls of sour cream and season again to taste.
Chocolate Chunk Bread Pudding
This is one of my all-time FAVORITE chocolate desserts. It's so simple to make and not that bad for you - unless you eat it with three scoops of vanilla ice cream like me.
It's so nice having your own individual serving of dessert - that way you don't have to share :) This recipe makes two serving and is only 319 calories each. Soooo good and decadent, you'll make this dessert over and over again. Nummmmm!
Chocolate Chunk Bread Pudding
Adapted from here
Try not to chop the chocolate too finely so you'll have good-sized chunks to bite into. Hawaiian bread pudding is a soft, sweet bread found in the bakery section of most grocery stores. Leftovers are good for ham and Swiss sandwiches.
1 3/4 cups (1/2-inch) cubed Hawaiian sweet bread
2/3 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 tablespoon Kahlúa (coffee-flavored liqueur), optional
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
1 ounce semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed
Preheat oven to 350°.
Arrange bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 5 minutes or until toasted. Remove bread from oven; decrease oven temperature to 325°.
Combine milk and next 5 ingredients (milk through egg) in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add bread, tossing gently to coat. Cover and chill 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.
Divide half of bread mixture evenly between 2 (6-ounce) ramekins or custard cups coated with cooking spray;sprinkle evenly with half of chocolate. Divide remaining bread mixture between ramekins; top with remaining chocolate.
Place ramekins in an 8-inch square baking pan; add hot water to pan to a depth of 1 inch. Bake at 325° for 35 minutes or until set. Serve each pudding warm with 1 tablespoon whipped topping.
**I eat this with vanilla ice cream
Butterflied Cuban Style Pork Chops
This was a dish I was really excited about making. I've always enjoyed eating Cuban sandwiches and thought this was a great twist on it. You're basically taking all the ingredients that are usually inside of the sandwich and stuffing them inside the pork instead - you don't even miss the carbs whatsoever. I inhaled mine and lobster said it was a new fav! The flavors in the marinade are amazing and the combination of ham and gouda are an added bonus. The original recipe calls for swiss cheese but I find swiss rather bland so I substituted with gouda which has a much sharper taste IMO. This dish would be great to serve to company since it's a unique dish and the flavors pack a yummy punch.
Butterflied Cuban Style Pork Chops
Adapted from Grill It With Bobby Flay
4 servings
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh oregano leaves
6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup canola oil
4 (8-ounce) pork chops, butterflied and thinly pounded cut side up 1/4" thick
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 thin slices of Gouda
8 thin slices of boiled ham
2 sour dill pickles, thinly sliced (need about 16 slices)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
Kitchen twine*
Heat the grill to high.
Whisk together 1/2 cup orange juice, 1/4 cup lime juice, 3 tablespoons oregano, the garlic, cumin, and canola oil in a large baking dish. Add the pork and turn to coat. Cover and let marinate for at least 15 minutes and up to 2 hours in the refrigerator.
Remove the pork from the marinade and pat dry. Place the chops on a flat surface, cut-side up and season with salt and pepper. Place 1 slice of cheese, 2 slices of ham, a few slices of pickle and another slice of cheese on 1 half of the chop. Fold over brush the top with oil and season with salt and pepper. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
Place the chops on the grill, oil side down and grill until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the chops over and continue grilling until the bottom is golden brown and the cheese has melted, 2 to 3 minutes longer.
Whisk the remaining orange and lime juices, oregano, and the cilantro with the olive oil and salt and pepper, to taste. Spoon over the chops and serve
*To keep the pork together on the grill, I tied it horizontally with one piece of kitchen twine
***To make this an authentic cuban pork "sammie," next time I'll put in a layer of yellow deli mustard inside the stuffing too.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
This week's weekly docket features a wonderful opportunity for a public interest retreat at the end of the month in Chicago as well as loads of corporate summer internship opportunities, several of them paid. Job opportunities in the docket this week include an entry-level compliance position in Chicago for 3Ls, a summer internship with Starz Legal Affairs' team in Beverly Hills, a summer internship with U.S. Bank's compliance team, General Electric's summer legal internship, a paid summer firm opportunity in Joliet, IL, a summer legal internship in Indiana with a large corporation that makes power generators, a summer corporate internship in Mountain View, CA, a paid summer internship with the National Conference of State Legislatures in Denver, and a summer in-house opportunity North of Chicago.
If you haven't accepted a job opportunity you're excited about yet, there are still many opportunities. If you're struggling in your job search or just need a boost, come talk to the CDO.
Public Interest Amaker Retreat, Friday, March 31, Loyola Law School Chicago
If you are public-interest minded and have the Friday free, this is absolutely worth the trip to the city. There is no substitute for spending time with other public-interest minded students.
14th Annual Norman C. Amaker Retreat
Law, Resistance, and Social Justice
The Amaker Retreat aims to captures the spirit of our late professor, Norman Amaker, who fought alongside leaders like Thurgood Marshall and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to transform the social justice landscape by challenging racial discrimination during the civil rights era. This year's Amaker Retreat will address timely issues in areas including immigration, criminal law, voting rights, and environmental justice. Cornell William Brooks, president and CEO of the NAACP, will deliver the keynote address.
Our goal is to support the future generation of public interest lawyers. By increasing awareness of inequalities in the community, we hope to inspire students to embrace social justice values. The Amaker Retreat also helps build a network of resources by exposing students to local and national public interest leaders who have made a longtime commitment to serving people who face inequality.
Meals and opportunities for discussion and socializing will be included. Law students and faculty from Midwest law schools are encouraged to attend. To register, email Ji Hwang at firstname.lastname@example.com with 2017 Social Justice Retreat in the subject.
Friday, March 31, 2017
8:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Philip H. Corboy Law Center, Loyola University Chicago Law
25 E. Pearson Street, Chicago
Power Rogers & Smith Ceremonial Courtroom
Admission is FREE!
3L Chicago Job Opportunity: Grant Thornton, Independence & Ethics Compliance Associate
Summary of Position: Assist in the monitoring of the independence self-reporting tools, including advising partners and professionals on personal compliance disclosure requirements, and addressing tasks on multiple independence functions. This position will report to an Independence Manager.
Read more about the position and apply here.
Beverly Hills, CA Summer Internship: Starz, Business and Legal Affairs
- Draft development and production agreements.
- Review and comment on production documents.
- Conduct legal research.
- Must be enrolled in an ABA accredited law school.
- Preference will be given to second year law students, but first year law students are eligible
- Practical experience in media and entertainment industry is a plus.
- An academic grade point average of 3.0 or better on a 4 point scale for the most recent academic session (quarter/semester).
- General computing knowledge for Windows platform and the Microsoft Office suite.
- Ability to communicate effectively visually, orally and in writing.
- Strong organizational skills with a keen eye for detail and logical analysis.
Read more about the position and apply here.
Minneapolis Summer Internship: U.S. Bank, Risk Management & Compliance Internship
General Electric Summer Legal Internship
Read about the position and apply here.
Paid Summer Law Clerk Intern position at Rathbun, Cservenyak & Kozol, Will County's largest law firm, Joliet, IL
Rathbun, Cservenyak & Kozol is seeking law students to work in its Joliet, Plainfield and Mokena offices as temporary, full-time summer law clerks. The position pays $10-$12/hour.
As a law clerk, the student will participate in various activities as assigned by their practice group such as assisting in ongoing litigation projects, performing legal research, and assisting with tasks within various stages of the firm workflow.
Start date is flexible, and the position will end on or before August 11, 2017.
To be considered, please submit a resume, cover letter and writing sample.
Mountain View, CA Summer Legal Internship: Coursera
Columbus, IN Summer Legal Internship Opportunity: Cummins Corporation
Cummins is a designer and manufacturer of power generation equipment, power systems, gasoline engines, custom power supplies .
Completed at least 1 year at an ABA-accredited law school and currently pursuing law degree.
Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better
Excellent oral and written communication skills
Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues and clients across various disciplines and cultures.
Must possess strong work ethic
History of academic success
Paid Summer Internship in Denver: National Conference of State Legislatures Summer Legal Internship, Due March 27
Flexible 15-20 hours a week; $15/hr
The National Conference of State Legislatures is seeking a legal intern to work on state retirement system issues. The intern will be called on to track state legislation, prepare concise and accurate summaries, compile 50-state charts, author or co-author reports and undertake other projects as assigned.
Qualified candidates must have a bachelor's degree and be currently enrolled in law school or a public policy graduate program, possess strong research skills and should be able to write clearly and effectively. Candidates must be able to research all aspects of state laws including state statutes and legislation. Experience with the state legislative process or pension and retirement issues is desirable, but not required.
Position duration:
April/May 2017 through August 2017 depending on student's availability.
How to apply:
Interested candidates should send a resume and cover letter highlighting skills and qualifications to: https://ncsl.applicantpro.com/jobs no later than Monday, March 27, 2017.
In-House Summer Job Opportunity in Lake Forest, IL (North of Chicago) with Raptor Pharmaceuticals
Horizon Pharma plc is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on improving patients' lives through commercializing quality, innovative medicines prescribed by primary care physicians, specialists and those who treat patients with rare diseases. Horizon seeks candidates who are passionate, experienced and driven to exceed expectations.
Program Summary:
The Horizon Pharma Internship Program offers aspiring professionals an opportunity to build a strong foundation of business acumen, technical skills, and knowledge about the pharmaceutical industry. We are committed to providing program participants with experience-based learning, multidimensional assignments, targeted training, and continual coaching and development.
- Gain a broad understanding of the responsibilities of the in-house counsel role in a pharmaceutical company.
- Gain broad knowledge of the research, development, and commercialization phases of a pharmaceutical drug.
- Apply attention to detail and analytical skills to assist with managing internal clients.
- Assist with various financing, acquisition, commercial, and licensing deals.
- Develop valuable client management skills.
- Review and analyze confidentiality agreements and select vendor agreements.
- Assist with due diligence exercises.
- Assist with maintaining corporate subsidiary structure.
- Participate in ad hoc projects and tasks as needed.
- Gain experience working in a professional corporate environment.
Qualifications and Skills Required:
- Currently attending a postgraduate law program at an accredited college/university.
- Minimum GPA of 3.0.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office.
- Professional, proactive demeanor.
- Strong interpersonal skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Essential Core Competencies:
- Action Oriented
- Problem Solving
- Organization
- Functional/Technical Skills
- Priority Setting
- Drive for Results
- Strategic Agility
- Intellectual Horsepower
- Dealing with Ambiguity
Apply by sending a resume and cover letter to firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
The good, the bad and the ugly
This online feature is not currently available
6 January 2010 - 1:40pm
Thanks for visiting bbcmusicmagazine.com/movies.
The online feature described in the January issue of BBC Music Magazine is not currently available, but please do check back again in the near future.
- Article Type: | Article |
- Article Category: | World of Music |


text:
Institutions can solve for their CECL lifetime expected loss in seconds. All that is required is the choice of state, then loan sector and then a selection amongst varied macroeconomic conditions. The model was developed by the same team that has designed loss models for some of the world's largest financial institutions.
Users can bring loan data in any format into this tool. Step by step instruction for loan tape ingestion and granular output in minutes. The model relies on loan level analysis and utilizes loan level forecasts which are then aggregated into more digestible cohort level outputs.
Allows for comparative analysis across region, state, sector and institution. Be the first to spot deterioration trends with this user friendly tool.
The millions of reverse mortgages that constitute the HECM securitized universe have been reorganized in an easy to use portal that allows for historical cohort analysis.
In-Depth CECL Reporting Preconfigured and Simplified
FASB's Current Expected Credit Loss ("CECL") implementation deadline is December 15, 2019 for Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") filers and December 15, 2020 for other entities. Brean has created CECL reporting and surveillance dashboards with the ability for users to review bank call report data aggregated at the national, BEA regional, state or individual institution level. By aggregating these records quarterly over 12 years, Brean has been able to track the chargeoff rates, changes in balances and loan growth, relative to macro-economic indicators. Users rely on this data to track their own institution's performance as well as performance of other similarly sized institutions within their state and region. Brean Strategic's business intelligence reporting lets you compare you institution's standing:
Brean's Affordable, Turnkey Pre-Configured CECL Solutions
A refined CECL solution should not burden your institution with significant implementation costs. Brean Strategic's is the analytical arm of Brean Capital, a 45 year old investment bank. Brean Strategic's CECL solutions are built by a team of market practictioners with experience acquiring and securitizing loans at bulge bracket and regional banks, data scientists and quants. Our pre-configured CECL solutions are designed to work concurrently with your existing infrastructure without reinventing the wheel.
CECL Analytics Integration on Existing Reporting Infrastructure
Brean Strategic's CECL reports and dashboards integrate seamlessly with your bank's existing software infrastructure, reducing the cost and pains associated with implementation and training. Loan tapes can be entered as easily as uploading a file into Brean's software solution and CECL analytical reporting is automatically generated.
CECL's Complexity Streamlined & Simplified
We have developed three solutions to enable your financial institution to satisfy CECL requirements.
1. CECL Top Down Expected Loss Model. Institutions
can choose a forecasted macroeconomic scenario which best represents the view of their management. Our model has calculated the expected loss for each scenario based on a statistical regression analysis of similar banks in the region. The tool also enables an institution to review their historical performance by region alongside economic indicators.
2. CECL Bottom Up Model. For
institutions which want more granularity in their forecast, Brean constructed a loan level model based on the statistical analysis of the historical performance of a universe of securitized and bank whole loans.
3. CECL Data Warehouse. Many
of our clients find it difficult to aggregate piecemeal data which might be culled from a combination of different data sources such as asset-liability management extracts, origination and underwriting data, and servicer data. Brean's team of data scientists can help financial institutions aggregate their data into a data warehouse, enrich the data with local home prices and unemployment and render this data on a portal for use in risk reporting. In one representative data analytics engagement, Brean built a loan origination and performance database from 400 million data points which is now relied upon by leading asset managers and investors for a multi-billion dollar sector.
Low Cost Automated CECL Periodic Reporting
A refined CECL solution does not burden your institution with substantial reporting costs every reporting cycle. Brean Strategic's CECL solutions, once integrated with your existing system, will provide your institution with automated periodic CECL reporting without incurring exponential costs each reporting cycle. We constantly update the databases behind our model without incurring additional costs to your end users.
Detailed CECL Dashboards for Different Stakeholders
CECL analytics and modeling can be complex. Brean Strategic's team consists of quants, data scientists and seasoned industry veterans. We have simplified the complexity of CECL reporting. We offer simplified and complex customizable versions of CECL reporting which can be utilized by different stakeholders within your organization without incurring additional costs.
CECL Reporting from Experienced NY Banking Professionals
Brean Strategic is a New York based analytical consulting and technology firm. Our client roster includes many of the largest financial institutions in the country such as money center banks, federal home loan banks and state regulators. Brean Strategic is located in Times Square and is the advisory affiliate of Brean Capital, a 45 year old investment banking platform.
Brean Capital boasts a four decade track record and a billion Dollar balance sheet
Founded in 1973 and employee owned
Full-service securities firm
$1 Billion+ balance sheet
175+ employees
Global presence with offices throughout the U.S. and China
Equities, Mortgage, Rates, Structured Credit
Top 5 Issuer of GNMA HECM for 2015, 2016, 2017
Underwriter for the Federal Home Loan Bank's Office of Finance
Mortgage trading counterparty of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York
Call Us: 212-655-1111 Email Us: email@example.com
Brean Strategic, 3 Times Square, New York, NY 10036


text:
Welcome to Doom9's Forum, THE in-place to be for everyone interested in DVD conversion.
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|4th September 2014, 22:52
|#22 | Link
ангел смерти
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There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order.
|5th September 2014, 09:15
|#23 | Link
Suptitle, MediaPlayer.NET
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|8th September 2014, 12:40
|#24 | Link
Suptitle, MediaPlayer.NET
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Hmm I just realised hosting files on Dropbox will cause Chrome to complain it is malicious!
So I'm now hosting the latest version on my own website (zachsaw.com). I'll need some hosting space for the older versions, anyone cares to sponsor some?
|11th September 2014, 12:22
|#27 | Link
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edit: program crashes when a file with ASS subtitle is load but no vsfilter is installed. I only tried the 64 bit version.
and about 10 bit is there a way to see if the player tries to send a 10 bit I think RGB "picture to the GPU?
I highly doubt my TV is 10 bit but I can send it 12 bit RGB and it except it.
shouldn't 10 bit dithered RGB look like 8 bit rounding on a 8 bit screen. ok there is a chance my screen can use dither too... not easy to test without a 10 bit screen.
Last edited by huhn; 11th September 2014 at 12:42.
|11th September 2014, 14:19
|#28 | Link
Suptitle, MediaPlayer.NET
Join Date: Nov 2001
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Re: 10 bit support, my check for A2R10G10B10 always fails on my GTX560 (on a C++ test app):
PHP Code:
To find out if it's 10 bit enabled, get the player to show stats (ctrl+J). If you see "High bit depth output enabled" then it is 10 bits in FSE mode.
Last edited by Zachs; 11th September 2014 at 15:01.
|11th September 2014, 15:01
|#29 | Link
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IIRC, you need at least DirectX 10 for 10-bit output. In this day and age, using DX11 for that is probably the best course of action.
|11th September 2014, 15:24
|#31 | Link
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read this: http://forum.doom9.org/showpost.php?...postcount=1420
and ask him he looks like the best person to ask about EVR.
at the bug:
not happing after I uninstalled the x64 bit version from xy vsfilter. does your player save the crash dumbs some where?
|11th September 2014, 15:29
|#32 | Link
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As of DX10 its actually part of the standard, and all GPUs should be able to do it.
|12th September 2014, 03:51
|#34 | Link
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Cannot run the 64-bit version under Windows 8.1 64-bit OS.
|12th September 2014, 04:25
|#35 | Link
Suptitle, MediaPlayer.NET
Join Date: Nov 2001
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10-bit dithered isn't the same as rounding to 8-bit. Rounding to 10 bits, you get quantisation error of 1/1024 whereas in 8 bits it's 1/256. Dithering in 10 bits will give you better perceived quality than plain 10 bits output. Concept is the same as dithering in 8 bits but you do it in 10 bits. If your monitor truly supports 10 bit output or more, you should not need to enable dithering at all (although ordered dithering should get you even closer to the intended colour).
However, with my old AMD card / driver, it only worked the first time after system reboot and subsequent init into 10-bit mode will cause video corruption. If you could try it out and report back (i.e. whether you have the same image corruption problem when you go back into FSE mode the second time), I'd appreciate it. To find out if 10-bit mode is enabled, go into full screen exclusive mode, and look out for the line "High bit depth output enabled" on the player stats. Oh and make sure you enable high bit depth output in the options first.
EDIT: The corruption was a driver bug. I switched drivers and it's working now although sometimes getting in and out of FSE mode still fails (just have to try going windowed/FSE mode again and it'll be fine). Overall my experience with AMD drivers hasn't been the most satisfying.
Strangely enough, MPC-HC's internal renderers says the same card doesn't support 10-bit output mode.
RE: Crash dumps. No unfortunately it doesn't save crash dumps yet.
Make sure you have the correct version of DX9 installed (Jun2010) -- Quick guess: it looks like you've put a 32-bit dx9 dll in the folder haven't you?
Last edited by Zachs; 12th September 2014 at 06:45.
|12th September 2014, 06:10
|#36 | Link
Suptitle, MediaPlayer.NET
Join Date: Nov 2001
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10-bit output mode
Strangely enough, of all the GPUs I've tested, only the NVIDIA cards do not support 10-bit output mode!
Intel HD Graphics 3000 corrupts all DirectX displays (including DWM) after exiting from the 10-bit FSE mode. This is on the latest drivers (Apr 2014).
The AMD HD4530 runs great in 10-bit mode but on some drivers it may also get image corruption in subsequent initializations into 10-bit FSE mode.
I'd say that 10-bit output support is in its infancy at this moment for all the 3 major GPU vendors. In light of that, I've left the option unchecked by default.
|12th September 2014, 09:11
|#37 | Link
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nope normal cards can do 10 bit with DX 10-11 too.
looks like the same error I got
are you trying to play a file with subtitle?
|12th September 2014, 09:52
|#38 | Link
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|direct3d, mpdn, nnedi3, opencl, reclock
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The Dale Warland Singers announced New York-based composer and singer Martha Sullivan the winner of the 2003 Choral VenturesTM program. Sullivan was selected from over 150 applicants from 36 states to receive a commission for a 10-15 minute work to be performed by the Dale Warland Singers during their 2003-04 season, which will be their final season as Dale Warland announced his resignation as director earlier this year. [Stay tuned to NewMusicBox for an exclusive interview with Dale Warland.] Since the inception of the Choral VenturesTM in 1987, over 75 works have been commissioned by the Singers, adding a significant amount of new repertoire to the choral music community.
Sullivan was one of 4 finalists selected after the initial evaluation process. All of the finalists were commissioned to write a 5-7 minute long work to be workshopped as part of the annual Choral VenturesTM Reading Session, which was held in May at Hamline University. The other finalists were Luis Jorge Gonzalez (Colorado), Jay Huber (Minnesota), and Frances White (New Jersey).
Sullivan, who began composing in 1999, was very impressed the wide-ranging aspects of the program. "It goes far beyond just recognizing the talents of four composers every year. It invites the composers to explore the larger context of choral music and how they might both contribute to it and benefit from it." As part of the program, the four finalists are invited to Minnesota where they attend workshops and sessions that address topics like self-publishing, prosody, relationships with conductors, promotion, and general knowledge about the choral market. The time in Minnesota also allows the composers to get to know each other and share their music. "The main message I got from all this is that where new music and choral music intersect, there is a big and fascinating place, so why not go there?"
The actual reading of the works involved an audience-participation element in which audience members were able to react to the works being presented. Sullivan's winning work, Nocturne I, was a setting of the 18th Stanza of Edmund Spenser's 24 stanza wedding ode, "Epithalamion." For the newest commission, which will be premiered in November, Sullivan will abandon Spenser's poetry for the sonnets of 19th century British poet Gerard Manley Hopkins.
Sullivan is looking forward to working with the ensemble again. "I'm really psyched about this commission! The group is a fabulous collection of singers, with tons of talent and enthusiasm. It's an honor to work with them." And she has certainly been impressed with their talent, she also points to the impeccable organization of the group as a key to their success. "The rehearsal process wastes no time!"
As a composer, Sullivan has been commissioned by the Gregg Smith Singers and Chicago A Cappella, in addition to numerous school and church choirs. As a singer, she has performed with the Gregg Smith Singers, the New York Virtuoso Singers, the Vox Vocal Ensemble, new-music ensembles at Yale and Boston University, and Toby Twining Music.
Between her plentiful summer activities, Martha Sullivan took a few moments out to write down her thoughts about the commission and offer some great advice for composers who want to write for choir.
AMANDA MACBLANE: I read in your bio that you have worked with the Dale Warland Singers before. What has been your experience with the ensemble?
MARTHA SULLIVAN: My experience with the Dale Warland Singers comes entirely from Choral VenturesTM. All the finalists were commissioned to write a piece for the reading back in May, so that's the commission my bio refers to.
The Dale Warland Singers are fabulous in so many ways. The group sings with a very rich and coherent sound; it's also clear and nimble and can turn on a time when the music calls for it. Of course you can hear all this on their recordings.
The organization of the group impressed me hugely. The rehearsal process wastes no time; singers get their scores a month before rehearsals start, and Dale gives the section leaders all the breath marks and so forth to pass on, so the basses (for example) never have to twiddle their thumbs while waiting for the sopranos to find out that they need to take a breath in measure 67.
The singers themselves are diligent and enthusiastic about working with composers. They are willing to try new things, too. One of the other 2003 Choral VenturesTM finalists had written a piece that involved vocal harmonics/overtones such as the Tuvan throat singers use, but, not being a singer himself, he did not know quite how to teach the technique to the group, so I was enlisted. It was really quite a joy to stand up there getting forty pro singers to say and then sing "near" over and over again, testing tongue shapes until they found the harmonics. The effect came over quite well in the hall, and I was stunned at how quickly the singers picked it up (it took me months of practice before I could get it under control for the Toby Twining project I learned the technique for).
The Choral VenturesTM program itself is something very special. It goes far beyond just recognizing the talents of four composers every year. It invites the composers to explore the larger context of choral music and how they might both contribute to it and benefit from it.
We went out to Minnesota and were happily wined and dined and workshopped. We got to know each other over coffee and meals and a session of sharing our scores and recordings with each other, this last coordinated by the tireless Frank Ferko, a prior Choral VenturesTM winner and last year's composer-in-residence. Then we were treated to a workshop with generous people such as Stephen Paulus and Michael Dennis Browne, covering topics ranging from self-publishing to how to get to know a poem well enough to set it to music (read it aloud… many times).
Choral conductor Kathy Romey was also there to set us straight about querying conductors and thinking about the choral market; it's a hungry market, with many participants and many ubiquitous genres, such as sacred music. Writing useful music serves the groups who sing it and allows for an audience almost by definition. Gayle Ober, the Singers' executive director, also described for us how the group's commissioning of music goes farther than just Minnesota audiences: if another group does a Choral VenturesTM piece, they must ask permission of the Dale Warland Singers first, but then they get the benefit of a well-known name associated with their program, the Singers get that name spread to a wider audience, and of course the composer gets another performance, so everyone benefits.
The main message I got from all this is that where new music and choral music intersect, there is a big and fascinating place, so why not go there? Choral VenturesTM provided us with insights and tools galore (heck, they even gave us a contact list of groups that program new music; how generous can you get?)… What a gift.
AMANDA MACBLANE: The work that you submitted to the competition is based on a stanza of Edmund Spenser's poetry. For your commission, do you plan on continuing in a similar vein or do you have something different in mind?
MARTHA SULLIVAN: Back when we were still talking about a Spring 2004 performance, my plan was to finish the set of songs based on stanzas from Spenser's "Epithalamion." The Singers had seemed to enjoy the first song of the set last May. Of course with this being the last year of the in-town concert series, there has been some program juggling, and the group's needs have changed, program-wise. The new piece has been moved to the Thanksgiving concert (1 and 2 November), and it will have a text more in line with a Thanksgiving theme, and more allegro bits (at Dale's request) than Spenser was inspiring me to write. I had a quick phone conversation with Dale about all this back at the beginning of July, on the one day I was home between my return from San Diego and my departure for upstate New York, so, since I hate packing, I procrastinated by reading any likely book of thankful or autumnal poetry at hand, working my way through Wallace Stevens, Milton, the Psalms, and half the Norton Anthology of Poetry (I'm a fast reader) before hitting upon Gerard Manley Hopkins. The piece will consist of fragments from his sonnets. And it will be done by the third week in August. Ah, the joy of deadlines.
AMANDA MACBLANE: You are also a singer. What do think the most important compositional considerations are for writing for chorus?
MARTHA SULLIVAN: There are several important ones, and I have strong opinions, but you asked, so here goes!
- Voices Like To Move. That's Rule #1, for choral or solo writing for voice, and it's pivotal to the singability of a piece. The reason sopranos hate singing Beethoven (or his choral works, anyway) is that he tends to stick them up on a G above the staff, howling words at a generous forte for long stretches at a time, until he gets bored with that and moves them up to an A. Even in the middle of the vocal range, the voice can get tired or stuck—I love Minimalism, but chanting numbers on the B above middle C for 16 measures at a time makes my tongue cramp up. That's just embarrassing…
- Tessitura. I'll discuss this with reference to the soprano range; transpose what I say down a whole step or minor third for mezzos, maybe an octave lower for tenors, an octave and a third or fourth for baritones, and as much as an octave and a sixth for true basses… So. Yes, sopranos enjoy singing notes at the top or the staff, say from F up to B (or higher, if they are pro singers), but they do not like to live up there for long. If the group or individual you are writing for says their usable soprano range is middle C to high C, fabulous! But also ask what the best tessitura for the part will be—usually on the staff, from F sharp up to E. Keep the bulk of the writing there, move the voices around a lot, and make all the excursions up to the heights you want, but don't buy a cabin up there—high notes are a day trip only. This topic is an important one to discuss with the singers you write for, particularly if you want to hear your piece sung more than once.
- Phrase Length. Can you yourself sing through a vocal phrase you have written without taking a breath? If yes, then great. If not, is the group you're writing for big enough that they can stagger the breaths? Note that singers often don't enjoy staggering, because it makes them feel like wimps if they can't get to the end of the phrase in one breath. A favorite voice teacher of mine (Joan Heller) once had a tuba player ask her to teach him to sing the entirety of a certain Schubert song all in one breath. I don't know why he wanted that particular skill, but I certainly understand the impulse to be macho about breathing. And I think composers shouldn't encourage it! When singers have enough breath, they give a better performance.
- High Notes and The Issues They Raise. Singers like to sing melismas on the highest notes in their ranges. The preferred vowel is [a] as in "Father". An open o as in "hot" is also fine. The e in "wet" does not always sound good, mostly because any 10 singers will come up with 10 slightly different versions of the vowel; avoid it unless you know the choral conductor is a vowel nerd. Some singers (such as me) love to sing the [i] in "police", but most don't. I recommend avoiding it on high notes. The [u] in "June" is likewise to be shunned in extreme ranges. The [æ] in "cat" is fun to sing in medium and low ranges, hard to make beautiful in high ones (ask sopranos you know how they feel about a certain aria in Floyd's Susannah if you doubt me). What about consonants, you ask? Well, as I said, singers prefer melismas up high. If you must write words up there, realize that the more tongue action or lip action is involved, the harder the consonant will be to pronounce in extreme ranges. B and P, for example, are relatively easy; v and f are harder, requiring more use of the lower lip. Try it yourself and see: say "pill" and "fill," then try to sing them on a high note… Test any text you are planning to set in a high range by singing it yourself, high in your own range.
- Disjunct Versus Conjunct Motion. Voices can always negotiate stepwise motion easier than skips. I sang the Bach Missa Brevis in A a couple of weeks ago, and there's one bit in there where the voices have to sing arpeggiated sixteenth notes in an allegro section. It's doable, but not readable accurately the first time through. It takes real practice. Skips are fine when they are not too wildly fast; it also helps to change the direction of the line after you write a skip (are you listening, J. J. Fux?) For a good example of angular, skippy writing that also uses fast sixteenths (but in conjunct motion), look at the allegro part of Anne Truelove's first big scene in Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress.
- Scansion and Prosody. English is an accentual–syllabic language. We have accented and unaccented syllables. We have patterns those syllables divide themselves into, and we can analyze them: Twinkle, twinkle, little star is stong-weak, strong-weak, strong-weak, strong. You do not need to have studied scansion enough to identify that as trochaic tetrameter to set it to music. You automatically know that you wouldn't set the "twin-" of "twinkle" on an upbeat, because it's strong. Nor would you set the unaccented "-kle" on some note that's emphasized either by falling on a downbeat or being the climax of a phrase. Prosody is how you line up the text with the notes; it's good to pay attention to it and work with the language rather than against it or in spite of it. I agree with Michael Dennis Browne who recommends speaking the text over and over again until you can really feel it and know it and set it appropriately. Of course I can hear you pointing out that Stravinsky often didn't set music according to the scansion of the texts, and neither did many French composers, but I notice that Stravinsky's Russian pieces really do work that way (Russian being another accentual–syllabic language), even if his Latin ones don't (Latin scansion is extremely fussy), and French is an oddity because it is not accentual–syllabic at all. Nevertheless, composers such as Ravel and Poulenc and Messiaen are absolutely meticulous about the lengths of syllables so that the music reflects the particular rhythm of the text, with a typically French combination of smoothness and precision.
- Knowing the Voices You Are Writing For and Asking Questions. Individual voices are so different from one another, and choirs have different sounds (compare any gospel choir to any men-and-boys choir of an English cathedral, for example). I believe in writing for particular singers or groups; I like to imagine singers I know singing certain solo lines, and if I don't know a singer before I write, I will ask questions about range and tessitura and also request a recording. The same goes for choirs. And one of the most important questions is this: How much rehearsal time will you have on this piece? With very good readers, you can get a reading of a piece on short notice, but you won't get a real sing of it until they've had enough rehearsal time to absorb it properly. Try to make the difficulty level commensurate with the rehearsal time, so that you get a performance, not just a reading (thank you, David Conte, for this valuable bit of advice).
- Details of Various Voice Types. Some orchestration textbooks describe voices with the same sorts of details you see in discussions of particular instruments, such as which part of a voice's range carries best over an orchestra (for example, a dramatic Wagnerian soprano carries fine in the octave above middle C, while a lyric coloratura can't be heard so well over a full orchestra until about an octave higher, so the composer has to orchestrate delicately). Blatter's textbook goes into detail. I recommend keeping it or another similar reference handy.
AMANDA MACBLANE: What other projects will you be working on this year as both a singer and composer? (I am also curious to find out exactly what you are doing this summer!)
MARTHA SULLIVAN: Ah, the traditional "What I Did On My Summer Vacation" essay!
At the beginning of the summer I flew to San Diego with New York's Bach Choir, the group that does Vespers with Bach cantatas a couple times a month. We were there for a huge convention of Lutheran church musicians, and we sang Bach motets one-on-a-part and gave workshops. It was pure heaven. We also sneaked in some time at the San Diego Zoo, definitely worth seeing when you are in the area. We did not sing to the giraffes.
When I got back, I had my quick talk with Dale about texts and deadlines, then headed up to Lake Placid and Saranac Lake, NY, for Gregg Smith's Adirondack Festival of American Music (AFAM). My job up there was to sing, be a featured composer, teach voice lessons, and write occasional translations of things as one of the designated language nerds. It is worth readers' while to write Gregg because the second week of the festival is all about new music, with concerts of works by featured composers as well as a reading session that one can pay to attend. It's quite affordable. The Gregg Smith Singers serve as guinea pigs and will happily tell you what works and what doesn't in any choral score you bring. Gregg is an adamant booster of new music, and someone worth sending music to at any time, since he programs new works on his New York City concert series during the year. The summer festival is still the best way to get his attention, though, with all the fresh air upstate and concentrated music every day.
I am hoping that Dale Warland will want to do some teaching along the lines of AFAM or of the late great Robert Shaw's workshops, too… I am not sure he wants to get into the tangled logistics of such a project, but what a boon it would be if he did!
As I write this, I am procrastinating on the packing to go up to Bard College for the Bard Music Festival tomorrow; I'll be one of the chorus people singing works of Janacek, Mussorgsky, and Szymanowski. I love doing this gig. It's another scenic escape from the city, the music is generally unusual (and programmed in the context of other music of its time, much of it pretty obscure), and we get to sit behind the orchestra, where I can always observe interesting things about orchestration, particularly the use of percussion. In the last movement of Schoenberg's Gurrelieder, for example (that was summer of 1999), there's a tam-tam placed horizontally on a stand, like a big serving platter, and the percussionist plays it by dropping a heavy iron chain into it. Who knew? This year it's Janacek's
Composing won't stop when I finish Dale's piece, of course; I have a piece to write for Seattle's hot choral group the
Really, it's not lack of focus. Everything could lead to something useful, from the brassy rhythms of the tap classes I always hear at CAP21 to the child I met in my building's laundry room last week (she read
AMANDA MACBLANE: Is there anything else that you want to add?
MARTHA SULLIVAN: I'm really psyched about this commission! The group, in case I didn't make it clear, is a fabulous collection of singers, with tons of talent and enthusiasm. It's an honor to work with them.
I should mention that I didn't start composing until 1999. I am so grateful to several groups for the encouragement and the energy with which they've presented my music, particularly the Gregg Smith Singers (who gave me my first choral commission), Chicago A Cappella, Equal Voices, and the St. Bart's Choir, in addition to the Dale Warland Singers. Choral music done well is such a direct thing—there is no instrument between the singer and the music, just the voice and the body resonating. So I think vocal music is particularly powerful. I can't thank all these singers enough for bringing my music to life!


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Bavarian Nordic Receives European Marketing Authorization for IMVANEX Smallpox Vaccine
- First smallpox vaccine granted market authorization in all EU member states
- First MVA-BN®-based product approval
KVISTGAARD, Denmark, August 7, 2013 - Bavarian Nordic A/S (OMX: BAVA) announced today that the European Commission has granted marketing authorization for IMVANEX® (MVA-BN) for active immunization against smallpox disease for the general adult population, including people with weakened immune systems (people diagnosed with HIV or atopic dermatitis). The authorization covers all 27 European Union member states and European Economic Area countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
IMVANEX will be made available for governments to purchase and use in accordance with official national recommendations.
"The marketing authorization of IMVANEX marks a significant milestone for our company and our MVA-BN vaccine technology platform, which we have taken from early research through regulatory approval and now serves as the foundation for multiple candidates in our development pipeline," said Anders Hedegaard, President and CEO of Bavarian Nordic. "We are delighted to receive our first regulatory product approval, and we look forward to working with the European governments to address the requirements for their national preparedness plans, focusing on the advantages that IMVANEX brings in terms of safety and administration for people at risk."
IMVANEX is the only smallpox vaccine approved through the centralized procedure and available to all EU member states. Known as IMVAMUNE® in the U.S., it has been developed under contracts with the U.S. Government. To-date, Bavarian Nordic has manufactured and delivered 17 million doses of the vaccine to the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile for emergency use in immune compromised individuals, such as people with atopic dermatitis and HIV who are not recommended to receive conventional, replicating smallpox vaccines. IMVANEX has also been supplied to other government stockpiles around the world.
Asger Aamund
Chairman of the Board
Anders Hedegaard, President & CEO. Phone +45 23 20 30 64
About IMVANEX (MVA-BN)
MVA-BN (Modified Vaccinia Ankara – Bavarian Nordic) is a robust and adaptable vaccine platform suitable for addressing a wide variety of infectious diseases, including biological threats. In addition to developing MVA-BN (trade name IMVANEX) as a safer smallpox vaccine essential to protecting the immune-compromised population, Bavarian Nordic has conducted preclinical and clinical studies of recombinant MVA-BN-based vaccines for a variety of infectious diseases and numerous types of cancer. Almost 5,800 individuals, nearly 1,000 of whom are immunocompromised, have been vaccinated with MVA-BN-based vaccines, showing the platform displays high immunogenicity and a favorable safety profile.
An advantage of MVA-BN is the virus' inability to replicate in a vaccinated individual. The replication cycle is blocked at a very late stage, which ensures that new viruses are not generated and released. This means that the virus cannot spread in the vaccinated person and none of the serious side effects normally associated with replicating vaccinia viruses have been seen with MVA-BN.
Bavarian Nordic operates its own commercial-scale multi-purpose manufacturing facility in Denmark that is designed for the manufacture of MVA-BN-based and other poxvirus-based vaccines.
About Bavarian Nordic
Bavarian Nordic is an international biotechnology company developing and manufacturing novel cancer immunotherapies and vaccines for infectious diseases. Lead product candidates are PROSTVAC®, an immunotherapy product candidate for advanced prostate cancer that is the subject of an ongoing pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial and IMVAMUNE, a non-replicating smallpox vaccine candidate in Phase 3 development, which is being developed and supplied for emergency use to the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile under a contract with the U.S. Government. IMVAMUNE is approved in the European Union under the trade name IMVANEX.
Bavarian Nordic's shares are listed on NASDAQ OMX Copenhagen under the symbol BAVA (Reuters: BAVA.CO, Bloomberg: BAVA.DC). The company has a sponsored Level 1 ADR program listed in the US (OTC) under the symbol BVNRY.
For more information, visit www.bavarian-nordic.com.
Forward-looking statements
This announcement includes forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside of our control that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning our plans, objectives, goals, future events, performance and/or other information that is not historical information. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances after the date made, except as required by law.
Company Announcement no. 16 / 2013