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When you see beautiful daffodils blooming and swaying to the nippy morning breeze near your vicinity, you know for sure that spring has arrived again. Basant as in Hindi and basanto as in Bengali is a beautiful season one can reckon with, colorful flowers in beautiful and well kept gardens or parks are a splendid sight. And not to forget, that corner courtyard mango tree must be all laden up with beautiful mango blossom. What magnificent sight it procures into our eyes and as it says beauty lies in the eyes of beholder. Well, as the feeling is, what is important, that the feeling of surrounding ourselves with nature's bounty and the pleasure then it bestows upon us. I would say now that is priceless.
|Chicken curry with home-made spice powder
As I was doing some spring cleaning, hope its not that early though, and what better way to start, than to start with the kitchen first. As I was cleaning the kitchen cupboards, I found a half used packet of dried anar dana/pomegranate seeds and a packet of desiccated coconut. Now usually I would have used them separately in our everyday vegetable stir/fry- sabzi/torkari or non-veg or pulses preparations that we often do, but then there was something at that very moment, was prompting me to try a new spice powder. The idea was to use both the dried anar dana /dried pomegranate seeds and desiccated coconut simultaneously. Not to mention I was even running short of whole coriander seeds which I do, mostly dry roast and then make home-made coriander powder (dhone goron).
|Home-made spice powder
What started as a spring cleaning spree, never realize can lead to a new home-made spice powder, a new flavor and all that more, plus point it's being home-made, kind of I am telling you a secret.
I hope it's no more going to be a secret any more, now that it's out in my blog. But then that's the peril of keeping a blog, the moment you find something new, any exciting recipe that you make in your own kitchen , you feel like sharing it with your readers.
|Chicken curry/Murgi jhal-jhol with mishti pulao
Now to the recipe
Chicken curry with home-made spice powder- Murgir jhal-jhol
800 Gms of chicken
2-3 medium size onions
5-6 fat cloves of garlic
½ inch ginger root
1 medium size tomato
2 medium size potatoes( optional)
1 tsp of turmeric powder
1 tsp of red pepper powder
1 tsp of salt or as per taste
½ cup of mustard oil
2-3 tbs of Greek-style thick yogurt
2 tej patta
handful of curry patta(optional)
For the spice powder
5-6 tbs of cumin seeds
5-6 tbs of panch phoron
2-3 tbs of dried anardana
3 tbs of coconut powder
½ cup of desiccated coconut
10-12 small dry red chilly hot ones
4 cloves
5 green cardamoms
2-3 strands of mace
Clean chicken pieces, trim off the skin and fat if any. Now marinate this with 3-4 tbs of mustard oil, red pepper powder and salt. Add in 2-3 tbs of yogurt and mix well. Keep it this marinating for about 2-3 hrs.Meanwhile make a smooth paste with onions+ginger+garlic.
Now make the spice powder
Dry roast cumin seeds+panch phoron+cardamom+mace+cloves+dry red chilies for about 1-2 mints, just to heat them up. Now dry grind these spices with dried anar dana/pomegranate, desiccated coconut and powder. You can use fresh coconut instead of dry and desiccated coconut but the shelf life is reduced then and also it is advisable to store them in fridge.Otherwise, use grated "gari" or desiccated coconut what ever is available. The small dry red chilies which are somewhat more hot is used in this spice-mix, which makes it very hot, so be careful while adjusting red pepper powder later on , in the gravy.
Now make the chicken curry
Let a saucepan heat up properly, add in mustard oil. Now add in potatoes and fry well if you are not using them then skip it completely. Take them out and keep aside.
Now add in dry bay leaves or tej patta.Add in a tsp of sugar+ fresh curry patta to this. Add in the masala paste of onion+ginger+garlic.Stir/fry it for about 3-4 mints.
Keep on stir/fry for a while; add in turmeric powder, salt and 3-4 heaped tsp of the home-made spice powder. Add in slit green chilies if you want it even spicier.Sprinkle some water.
Add the marinated chicken pieces with the juices that came out while it was marinating.
Now splash some water and mix well. Keep on stir/fry for 10-15 mints at medium to medium –high flame, hob mark 7 or 8. If required and it's getting little dried up, splash/sprinkle more water.
Now add in 2 cups of water and finely chopped tomato and fried potatoes if using them , taste and adjust seasoning if required, can add more spice powder mixture at this time.(You can replace plain water with coconut water for a more coco nutty flavor).
Put the flame to low, cover it and let it cook for about 40-45 mints slowly depending on the chicken. Switch off when all is cooked well. Let it sit there for about 2-3 hrs. This resting phase adds up to the flavor.
At the time of serving sprinkle some chopped coriander leaves.I like to name this chicken curry as Murgir Jhal-jhol, as it some where in between those parameters.
|Chicken Curry - Murgir Jhal-Jhol with Mishti Pulao
Use this spice powder as a base masala for preparing any other stir/fry recipes. Even can make zucchini/squash/lauki with this spice powder. Vegetarian can have it with paneer/tofu as well.
Happy Cooking Friends


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Drunken Panzanella Salad
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Rated 4.72 out of 5 based on 9 votes
- 2 cups day old crusty bread
- 1 clove garlic
- 3 Tbls olive oil
- 1 x small cucumber
- 2 cups assorted tomatoes (use a mix of colours to make it look interesting)
- 1 handful baby spinach leaves
- 1/2 x red onion, thinly sliced
- 3 tspn pernod anise
- 1 x juice of 1 orange
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 Tbls fennel seeds
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 pinch salt and pepper
Panzanella salad is a rustic Italian bread salad. It's super easy to make but packed full of flavour thanks to the bread soaking up the dressing. I had a panzanella salad as a side in a restaurant recently but they'd added a distinct flavour that really lifted it a cut above the rest. Turns out it was a Pernod Anise dressing – a wicked French aniseed spirit from the makers of the most wicked spirit of them all, Absinthe.
This is my own version of that salad which I've kicked up a notch with toasted fennel seeds.
All up it should only take you about 15 minutes to throw this together but the flavour combination is a real winner that will make it seem like a much more complex dish than it actually is.
Step 1
Heat oven to 180 C
Tear up the day old bread and scatter in a baking tray. Mix olive oil, garlic, slat and pepper and drizzle over the bread and toss to cost. Pop it in oven for around 10 minutes to get crunchy but not too crispy – we're not wanting to make croutons.
Step 2
Pop sliced red onion into a bowl of iced water – this takes away the bite that makes your eyes water.
Step 3
Toast the fennel seeds on a medium high dry pan until fragrant – about 5 minutes – then crush a little in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. You can also leave them whole if you prefer. Make your dressing by combining the Pernod, orange juice, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, fennel seeds and crushed garlic. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Step 4
Chop up tomatoes and cucumber and add to a salad bowl with the drained red onions and spinach leaves. Add the toasted bread (make sure it is not too hot or it will wilt the spinach but warm is OK).
Step 5
Toss with the dressing and let it sit for around 20 minutes to let the bread soak up the yummy dressing.
I add a little drizzle (only a tsp or so) or truffle oil to the oil mix I toast the bread in
Add free range chicken breast for a main meal serving (pictured is one I did with chicken)
There's only a few tablespoons of Pernod however if you want your salad alcohol free just add an extra tsp or so of fennel seeds.
Add some buffalo mozzarella and olives.
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A beautifully coloured dish, and I am loving your individual style with it, hats off to the pernod anise twist!
Thanks Peta, nothing like a bit of booze to spice up a dish
Yum – this looks delicious and perfect for a Sunday lunch! I will definitely be giving this one ago!
Thanks Megan, that;s pretty much exactly when I make it. Hope you love it!
This dish is lovely!
Thanks Sarah, loving your gorgeous photography and dishes by the way!
Thank you!

subset: commoncrawl


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What is your fatty liver disease treatment approach selections? The solution to this concern might perhaps shock you. The treatment technique needs to contain treating your other health care conditions to start with and foremost. When the underlying result in for your condition has been pin pointed and treated you will be lowering the impacts on your liver. You can do this by dropping the excess bodyweight you have actually been carrying all-around, begin out working out regularly and routinely, eat much healthier, get rid of all toxic compounds you are placing into your human body.
Bayard NM 88023 Alcohol Rehab Inpatient
But the issue is that dependency is not simply a personal issue. It is a social issue since a person's addiction has an influence on his/her friends, family, and those who deal with the person. Therefore, it often triggers an issue for them too. It ought to never be ignored, and the individual must never ever be making the choice alone. However, obviously, above everything else, it is vital that the individual recognizes that there is a problem, and he or she ought to be psychologically inspired to seek treatment.
The procedures were started to collect the security the parents put up given that they co-signed the papers with the NJ bail bond. Heartbroken, the better half left as the bail bondsman was informing the father he would move forward and look for their son to bring him in as a fugitive and take more legal actions, something the company would act on.
28 Day Inpatient Drug Rehab?
Let's look at an example. Let's state we own a inpatient rehabilitation centers. We have several people that finish from our rehab program each and every month. Upon leaving our center and going back to their home town, we established a strategy to remain in interaction to help them in their aftercare. This must and does happen at many great centers in the United States. This is where the huge grey location begins to grow.
When it first becomes clear that somebody we enjoy is an addict, our very first impulse is to save that individual, however the truth is that nobody can save the addict other than for the addict. It's a challenging concept to accept, but one that everybody has to realize ultimately. Absolutely nothing we say or do is going to change their habits, and all we can do is enjoy as their devastating habits threatens to damage them.
Atrioventricular bundle members were the very first to notice it. Minor lapses in memory, sloppy playing, coming late to the task. Charlie assured them it was just a couple of shots to relax, not to worry. However his bass playing worsened, and his relationship with the men in the band degraded. There were apologies, arguments and promises – but absolutely nothing got dealt with. Charlie drank afternoons, evenings and through to dawn. When his mates recommended an alcohol and inpatient drug rehab program to assist with his apparent alcohol abuse, Charlie laughed it off, firmly insisting there was no need for anything so severe.
Alcohol Addiction Inpatient Treatment In Bayard New Mexico 88023
July 6th this year there was the judge and a hearing stated that Lohan did break her parole and she had to serve 90 days in jail. The judge also bought her to do 90 days in an inpatient rehab program. Lindsay Lohan served simply 2 Week in prison in late July and she was immediately required to a UCLA program where she spent simply 23 days. She was ordered to submit to random drug testing – again.
Say, 'I'm here. I want to be involved.' "A lot of new dads feel like the mommy knows everything, and they don't have a place, so they back off," Dr. Warner states. "Exactly what that seems like to the woman is the papa doesn't wish to be included." Keep in mind: your involvement may include doing laundry, washing meals, or taking the 2 a.m. diaper shift.
Opiate addiction treatment can only be carried out in a world class opiate rehabilitation, like the Drug Rehabilitation Sundown Malibu. Although opiate dependency treatment is a very slow and tough process, proper care and treatment can treat a patient. Without correct care, it is challenging for the patient to get rid of opiate withdrawal impacts. The conclusion is that, we need to stop pain reliever dependency and take any action had to stop it.


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Angelenos have been lucky enough to snag eye wear from Garrett Leight at the brand's two SoCal shops — the original retail concept A. Kinney Court in Venice on Abbott Kinney and the brand's flagship on La Brea — and now, San Francisco shoppers are about to get a shop of their very own. Garrett Leight is expanding to Hayes Street, bringing the area a cool new spot to snag one-of-a-kind specs.
Like the store on La Brea, the new San Francisco shop will span 1,100 square feet and include iPads so that shoppers can browse the entire collection as well as the brand's quarterly publication, Spectacle. The iPads are also how guests will access Garrett Leight's Mod Shop, a customization program that lets shoppers design their own sunglasses from the line's selection of lenses, frames and more. The store will offer the complete line of sunglasses, optical frames and more from the brand as well as complementary lifestyle products.
Leight comes with an eyewear pedigree. As the son of Larry Leight, who established the optical mega-brand Oliver Peoples, he grew up in the eyewear industry. In 2009, Garrett Leight launched A. Kinney Court, a multi-brand boutique on Venice Beach's trendy Abbott Kinney Boulevard which continues to carry the Garrett Leight line as well as shoes, books and other lifestyle picks. After launching his namesake optics line in 2009, Leight was picked up by Colette in Paris, Bergdorf Goodman, Barneys New York locations and more.
In addition to the San Francisco expansion, Leight plans on opening a store in New York later this year.
For more information, visit www.garrettleight.com.
Images courtesy Garrett Leight


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Hockey East Coaches POLL out today(HockeyEastonline)….men's hockey @ #8 and women's hockey @ #8.....my thinking here is Maine's women's hockey gets more wins then the Gendron led men's hockey team:D
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Hockey East Coaches POLL out today(HockeyEastonline)….men's hockey @ #8 and women's hockey @ #8.....my thinking here is Maine's women's hockey gets more wins then the Gendron led men's hockey team:D
If Red had possessed any integrity, he wouldn't have accepted the proposed extension in the first place. He had clearly failed to achieve his stated goals, but he took the money and ran, driving the program even deeper into oblivion.
He won't leave until the well runs dry, even if Maine goes 0-26 twice in the meantime.
I actually miss Timmy right now, who was twice the coach Red has ever been.
Eh I wouldnt go so far as to say took the money and ran.
He stinks but its not like hes aware that he stinks and is trying to bilk Maine out of the big bucks. He really thought he was going to win a national title.
Whatever else Ill say about his performance and qualifications, youll never hear me say he didnt give an honest effort.
Professors are state employees? last i knew Umaine had its own health insurance and retirement programs. TIAA CREF.
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Football won the 2nd half, anyway, and Maine out-gained Villanova for the game. :o
This season isn't over, but it's on the brink. I don't believe that the Liberty game will matter much one way or the other, but the remaining CAA games certainly will.
Reed had one carry today. If he's dinged-up, the running game is in trouble. Maine misses Jefferson badly.
I originally wrote this in 2016. We are now at the point where freshmen were born after Shawn passed.
This edition is about the giant we lost 15 years ago this week. I was fortunate enough to be around him at the height of his success in the early 90s. In two seasons we were 73-5-4, won a pair of Hockey East titles and our first national championship.
There are stories I could tell to make Maine fans think he was the devil and others that would make the heart of the most ardent BU supporter melt. He was neither demon or saint. He was a man. Like any man he had success and failures; because of the notoriety of his position both were magnified.
My favorite memory is from early in my freshman year between periods of a Friday night game. I've changed a few details to keep some measure of anonymity.
I was stationed in the hallway outside the locker room. I would receive a signal when the zamboni had two laps left and would signal Shawn. Suddenly the door opened and there he was, with a player in tow. The kid had had a lousy week of practice and was having a rough game. I realized what was coming and wanted to get out, but the near door was blocked and the far door was simply too far away. Instead I tried to melt into the wall and not make a sound.
Shawn rounded on the kid and we both braced ourselves for the verbal assault that was about to be unleashed. Instead Shawn put his hand on the kid's shoulder and asked what was wrong. We were both taken aback. "You're better than this. We brought you here for a reason." There was something in how he said it. The timbre of his voice, the expression on his face. The kid screwed up enough courage to reveal that a member of his family was in hospital and he was having trouble with it. He didn't tell anyone because he was embarrassed, and afraid of what it would mean for his place on the team.
Shawn listened to him, thought for a moment then said the kid had a decision to make. If it was too much for him, call it a night and Shawn would make sure he got the first flight home. When the time came he could come back. Or he could stay, "But you aren't playing for yourself, you have to dedicate yourself to (them). What would they want you to do? Go sit down and think about what you want to do."
The kid turned and went back to the room. Shawn gave his pep talk and everyone stood up to take the ice. The kid included. He scored a goal later that night and went on to have a good year.
In my time in Orono I tried to learn as much as I could from Shawn. He was great at incorporating statistics, ruthless with off-ice planning and his motivational techniques were remarkable. I think I learned but the players I worked with at North Yarmouth Academy can tell you how well. What I never mastered was how he read people and situations so well. How did he know? If he had bawled the kid out as we both expected the reaction sure as hell would have been different. That poor kid might have broken that night. (And no, Shawn wasn't tipped off by a phone call from home because he certainly wouldn't have waited until between periods of a game to have this conversation.)
In 1997 we played the high school state championship game at Alfond. I went to the UM locker room and a note was posted on the wall. It was Shawn personally thanking the seniors for sticking it out despite the NCAA sanctions. "Where would we be without them?" It wasn't something he just jotted down and he didn't say it because it sounded good. He meant it.
We lost someone very special, but the loss for Tyler, Travis and Sean was grievous. He would be so proud to see the men you have become and are becoming. He isn't truly gone because his spirit lives on in you.
Newer Black Bear fans cannot appreciate the treasure we had behind the bench, in the locker room, visiting the dorms and in the community. To them he is a picture in a book or a name on a building. It is up to those of us who knew him to keep his memory alive and remind those fans of just how special he was.
at UMaine you are completely vested in your retirement plan on day one. you can retire any time and keep 100% of the money UMaine contributes to the 403.b plan on your behalf. For normal salaried employees, they contribute 10% of your salary (once upon a time I was a UMaine employee and I fell under the Professor and professional employee retirement plan). I don't remember if it was a base 5% contribution and match up to 5% or if it was a 2:1 match on employee contributions.
UMaine won't be on the hook for anything after he retires -- the money will have already been paid into the 403.b (unless as a coach he can negotiate some additional deferred compensation that's paid into his 403.b over time)
The University of Maine system is a quasi-government organization, like the Maine Turnpike Authority. It exists through an act of law, but is run independently from the state (and of course in the case of the University, they are appropriated some funding from the state). When I was a UMaine employee, I was not considered a State employee.
2 games/away-home, this weekend to start the season...1st game at Providence is a chance to get the monkey off there back at winning @ Providence and ending a losing streak versus PC...then home to New Brunswick, which to tell you the truth I never like playing as it usually turns out with some rough hockey...and games that don't count...only plus is to get everyone ice time...and food for thought...play all three netminders a period each.
Its either a 0-0 game at PC or Maine gets crushed
Well, 1st coaches show of season on now. They should just leave Red home.
Enjoy hearing from the players. A little personal insight from them is cool, but tough to get it out of them by Shields.


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I don't know about you, Gentle Reader, but on weekdays El Cabrero gets up at 5:00 AM. One nice thing about weekends usually is the absence of an alarm clock, a satanic invention if ever there was one. To celebrate blessed Morpheus, here's a poem by Keats:
O SOFT embalmer of the still midnight!
Shutting, with careful fingers and benign,
Our gloom-pleas'd eyes, embower'd from the light,
Enshaded in forgetfulness divine;
O soothest Sleep! if so it please thee, close,
In midst of this thine hymn, my willing eyes.
Or wait the Amen, ere thy poppy throws
Around my bed its lulling charities;
Then save me, or the passed day will shine
Upon my pillow, breeding many woes;
Save me from curious conscience, that still hoards
Its strength for darkness, burrowing like a mole;
Turn the key deftly in the oiled wards,
And seal the hushed casket of my soul.--John Keats


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Like residential investment, commercial property shares the same main goal to make an overall profit on your investment in Cambridge. The real goal with any commercial property investment in Cambridge is to increase your capital gain and return a high yield. If you are planning to rent an investment property out, remember your rent income over a number of years could offset the buying cost, depending on its rental value. When you come to locating an investment property for sale in Cambridge, you can find the ideal property right here at MOVEHUT.
You will be responsible for the management of the Cambridge investment buy to let property you decide to purchase, which could entail some work. It is essential to ensure rent for your commercial property in Cambridge is collected with no delay, which can be achieved by setting up an automated rent collection systems. You will also need to ensure that certain checks like gas, and electric have been passed before you can lease the property in Cambridge.
Choosing to invest in a commercial property in Cambridge is generally a much safer option that speculating. Although you have the potential to make a lot of money by speculating on a commercial investment in Cambridge you could also make a substantial loss. With an investment you're typically looking for a long term return from any property you look at in Cambridge. Regardless of your reason for finding a commercial property in Cambridge to invest in, we believe your search will be highly effective with the help of MOVEHUT.
Don't forget that if you require additional finance when looking for a commercial property investment, that you will have more than a few options. A commercial mortgage is one option, but will require you to have a detailed business plan and potentially long term financial projection plans for your investment in Cambridge. When you're searching for your commercial investment property in Cambridge, don't forget to plan your financing too.
By taking part in investment property events in Cambridge, your knowledge in this field will be significantly improved. It is always possible to keep up to date with the latest news in the investment property market. You don't want to miss out on the chance to network at an investment property event in Cambridge.
Before purchasing your investment commercial property in Cambridge, you should know that there are multiple restrictions that could affect you. Stamp duty, due diligence and environmental costs are all examples of additional costs you may not have considered. You could become an expert commercial property investor in Cambridge, in a particular type of property this way.


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text: The Cordon Rouge was the first double decker passenger boat in our fleet launched in 1987. She is a very popular open topped passenger boat and is the ideal boat to charter for the smaller party or corporate function. The lower saloon has very comfortable upholstered bench seating and stools around 13 circular tables. There are also covered forward and aft deck areas with bench style seating with upholstered cushions. The open top deck has bench style seating. The ladies and gents toilets can be found on the aft deck and the bar is in the lower saloon.


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Nigeria's first true project-financed independent power plant (IPP), the Azura Edo, has achieved financial close and stakeholders met to finalise issues ahead of the groundbreaking ceremony
According to the contract, a 450MW gas-fired open-cycle power plant located in Edo State, Nigeria, will be built.
The US$900mn will receieve funds from International Finance Corporation (IFC), Standard Chartered Bank, Rand Merchant Bank, Standard Bank, First City Monument Bank, Siemens Bank, FMO, KfW, DEG, Proparco, Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund, ICF Debt Pool, Swedfund, CDC and OPIC.
Fieldstone acted as financial adviser to the project sponsors of the Azura-Edo IPP. The debt facilities were split across a commercial tranche of US$234m (backed by a mixture of MIGA PRI and IBRD PRG products), a US$267m DFI tranche, a Naira 24bn (US$120m) local bank tranche with a natural hedge and a US$65m mezzanine facility from the DFIs.
Alan Muir, managing director of Fieldstone, said "We are delighted to have advised on the Azura-Edo IPP and to have helped secure the debt and equity funding for the project. Amaya Capital, the Nigerian government and all the other parties involved are to be congratulated for their vision and determination to create a world-class project that has attracted finance from around the world."
The existing financial structure could be used a template for future power plant investments in Nigeria, stated Fieldstone.
Azura Power is owned by Amaya Capital, the project's founder and lead sponsor and American Capital Energy & Infrastructure (ACEI). The other sponsors contributing equity were the Africa Infrastructure Investment Fund 2, Aldwych International and the Asset & Resource Management Company.
Fieldstone also acted as financial adviser to Amaya Capital on its equity fundraising process which brought in ACEI; this transaction included a commitment from ACEI to invest up to US$130 million in Azura Power Holdings Ltd., the company responsible for developing the Azura-Edo IPP and focused on becoming the leading power development company in West Africa.
Alain Charles Publishing, University House, 11-13 Lower Grosvenor Place, London, SW1W 0EX, UK
T: +44 20 7834 7676, F: +44 20 7973 0076, W: www.alaincharles.com


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Armada Toy Reviews: Thrust
General Information:
Price Point: Supercon
Retailer: General (K-Mart, Toys R Us, Wal-Mart etc.)
Release Date: March 2003
Transformation Difficulty Level: 3 (Advanced)
Accessories: Inferno Mini-Con figure, Missiles x 3, Missile launcher for Inferno
- In Package
- Inferno (Vehicle Mode)
- Inferno (Robot Mode, missile launcher on arm)
- Inferno (Robot Mode, missile launcher on back)
- Vehicle Mode
- Vehicle Mode (with Inferno attached)
- Robot Mode
- Robot Mode (Close up)
- Arm with Inferno's missile launcher
- Arm (showing detail)
- Robot Mode (With Inferno)
- Mini-Cons attacked
- Shield Mode
Vehicle Mode:
Inferno's vehicle mode is a missile carrier truck. He is mostly dark green, silver and light green. His detailing is nicely sculpted, with small panels evident on the sides of the cab section. A Mini-Con symbol is on the left side, near the missile launcher. You'll note on the sides of the vehicle mode, in the parts that become the robot hands, you'll see indentations which were originally meant for Thrust's missile launchers to attach to. Unfortunately, due to safety concerns, this feature had to be eliminated in the end (more on that in Thrust's review). Still, Inferno has one big honkin' missile launcher, which is very cool for such a little 'bot. Inferno's Powerlinx point is on the underside of the vehicle.
Transformation to Robot Mode:
- Move the arms out to the sides.
- Detach the missile launcher and set it aside.
- Flip the cab section forward.
- Attach the missile launcher to Inferno's arm or back.
Robot Mode:
Inferno's robot mode has a neat little design. He's a rather stocky little robot, with a wide upper body and legs that are not as wide (mostly due to the arms). The funniest part of his sculpt is the robot face, which looks like a bird's face. It has a beak and a larger eye on the right. It's a rather humorous appearance for an "evil" robot. Inferno has seven points of articulation including his waist and legs.
Inferno's instructions list an alternative "Attack" mode for him. Basically put his arms forward, bend his knees and have him face down. Then attack the missile launcher onto his back and fire away!
Inferno would have been cool to have in a Mini-Con team or by himself so having him be part of a Supercon pack is very cool.
Thrust is an old Transformer name. Dating back to 1985, Thrust was one of the second line of Decepticon jets (along with Dirge and Ramjet) who aided Megatron in his quest to conquer the Earth. During Beast Machines, Thrust was a motorcycle who served under that generation's Megatron. In 2003, Thrust serves yet, another Megatron, but he is back to being a jet fighter!
Vehicle Mode:
Thrust is a jet fighter in vehicle mode. Dave Van Domelen's review (no link at this time) states that it is an F-35 jet. The official web site for the F-35 is: http://www.lmaeronautics.com/products/combat_air/x-35/. You'll see many similarities. Of course, take into account that being a Transformer, the toy is going to have a certain amount of undercarriage junk and the Mini-Con of course.
Thrust is mostly dark gray with light and medium green parts. The sculpted Decepticon symbol on his wing is purple, and his cockpit is metallic blue gray. Silver is used for detailing such as exposed machinery. Some red is used for tiny details which really help give the feel of a living machine by contrasting against the dark colors. The rear thrusters are silver with orange painted at the ends to show the glow of the engines. A fantastic color detail on Thrust are hand brushed black details. The interesting thing here is that since this is a hand applied pattern, almost no two Thrusts will have the exact same pattern. My mint on card Thrust and loose one have completely different brush patterns, and others have reported seeing different patterns on toy store shelves.
Thrust's sculpt is wonderfully done. The top of the vehicle mode has an intricate seriesof lines and etchings making for one complicated looking machine. Towards the center of the jet is an exposed fan and behind that there appears to be a panel misisng exposing some machinery. I really must say I like the look of the raised/sculpted symbol on the wing. The purple paint goes well against the dark gray background.
Mounted under each of the wings (but actually attached to the robot legs) are pressure missile launchers. Push the back of the missile and they will pop out. Inferno can be mounted on the back of the vehicle via the Powerlinx point on Thrust's silver platform. In a rather unique design, the Powerlinx point on Inferno also doubles as a trigger for the missile, so pull back on the vehicle and the missiel will fire! The jet looks good with or without this, but doing so adds a bit of firepower to the plane.
Thrust has landing gear built into the back portions that lead to the thrusters. Coupled with the landing gear under the cockpit and Thrust is quite stable in vehicle mode.
Thrust's vehicle mode adds another jet to the Decepticon arsenal. Between him, Cyclonus, Starscream, Thundercracker and Skywarp, the Decepticons in Armada really do have aerial superiority, much like they did in the original G1 cartoon (in the early years anyhow). It's a cool looking jet with fantastic detail and deco.
Transformation to Robot Mode:
- Remove Inferno if he is attached.
- Move the thrusters out to the sides, this frees the center silver panel that Inferno would rest on.
- Flip the silver panel up onto the top of the plane.
- Swing the front of the nosecone down and flip the plane over. Turn the flat piece the robot head rests on
around, and make sure the robot head is facing you.
- Move the "cone" on the robot head back a bit to reveal the robot eyes.
- Swing the sides of the plane (where the missile launchers are attached to) out a bit. Straighten them out and
flip the silver ends up to form the robot legs and feet.
- Move the thrusters down to form the robot arms.
Robot Mode:
In robot mode, Thrust shows more of the same colors that we saw in vehicle mode. His chest is mostly silver and green with a red detail on the right side. His eyes are purple, as are the sculpted Decepticon symbols on either shoulder. His upper legs and waist are green while his lower legs and feet are dark gray and silver respectively. On his head, the faux cockpit piece has metallic blue gray windows just like the actual cockpit from the vehicle mode does. On the sides of Thrust's lower arms are black washes that help bring out the sculpted detail there. I'm of the mind that black washes on most toys (especially robotic ones) are always welcome details, so it was nice to see that here.
Thrust's sculpt is well detailed in this form as well. His upper body has three distinct layers which come down to triangular points on either side. They go from a rather wide chest down to a small waist. This angular appearance helps to make the toy look sleek and fast. His shoulders are also quite detailed, with an intricate pattern of lines in back of the sculpted Decepticon symbols. Having symbols on both shoulders looks fantastic.
Thrust's head pays direct homage to the
original Transformer his name derives from. Generation One Thrust (as he appeared in the comics and tv show) had a conehead (where the cockpit became the head piece). This transformation allowed a big distinction between the appearance of the first set of jets (the original Starscream, Thundercracker and Skywarp) and the second set (Thrust, Dirge and Ramjet). At the time, this was important since they were all based on the same basic toy design. With Armada Thrust, the cockpit piece on his head could have easily been made to fold all the way back or just be a part of the cockpit while the robot head separated from that section, but having this fun piece of visual trivia adds a charm to the toy.
A Powerlinx point can be found on either of Thrust's wings. He has another one on his chest, but that doesn't become useful until later. Because of how wide his lower arms are and the fact that the wings aren't very far out from the main body, you have to be fairly choosy about which Mini-Cons you put on there. Some won't fit well, others will only fit at angles while others fit perfectly.
Many have noted that Thrust's missile launchers (attached to his legs) look like they were meant to attach to his robot arms as well as Inferno. This is true, and unfortuantely, safety laws kept this from becoming a feature of the toy (I pray that the Japanese version will do this, but I'm not hopeful). Some may ask why since the missiles are long enough. The problem is not the missiles, but rather the launchers themselves. The basic concept is that if you hold on to the missiles and push the launcher, it becomes a projectile itself. Personally, I would have preferred that they either: a) Not make the missiles launchable at all and just a cosmetic detail or b) Made the launcher itself longer so the weapons could be mounted on the arms.
The unfortunate side effect of this is that the missiles stick up from the legs so much they sometimes get in the way of movement. Also, it reduces the "firepower" that Thrust has in this form. This change was most likely made very early on as the animation model pretty much reflects this design.
Inferno's missile launcher can be detached and attached to Inferno's arm for added firepower.
Thrust has twelve points of articulation in this form, which is quite high for an Armada toy and deserves recognition. His arms alone have six of these twelve points. Articulation fans take note: his upper leg and knee joints are on ball joints.
Thrust's robot mode is primarily hurt by the missile launchers being stuck to his legs. However, everything else about this robot mode rocks, and really overwhelms the one flaw.
Transformation to Attack Mode:
- Starting from the robot mode, raise the robot arms up.
- Turn the head around.
- Turn the lower legs to the sides (you may have to adjust this if you're going to stand the figure)
- Lift the section with the wings out, then pull it forward.
- Attach Inferno (preferably without his missile launcher attached) to the Powerlinx point on Thrust's chest.
Attack Mode:
The Attack Mode is just a variant of the robot mode. Push Inferno down to make the wing section spin around and around. This can be seen as Thrust using a tornado blast weapon or as a shield of some type. Either way, it's a neat action feature to include in the toy. The only thing you have to do is make sure obsctructions such as the missiles on the legs are clear before activating this feature.
Thrust is a very nice toy. Had more of the first line of Armada Supercons been more like this, I think people would have a less negative perception of the line overall. Highly recommended.


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For book/ebook authors, publishers, & self-publishers
New York, NY (PRWEB) March 10, 2012
Celebrate 4/29/12 Brunch Fundraiser @ Landmark Tavern for 30th Anniversary of Daniel P Quinn's
debut Off-Broadway with plays by Edward Bond, Sophocles, Yeats, Shelley, Weill/Brecht, Berlioz, Irish Institute Awards, Short Play Award, OBIE Award as co-producer. Corporate
sponsors are welcome with $1,500 contribution or more for a table of 10. Individual tickets @ $75.00 person; infants free. JOIN US FOR THIS MUSICAL CELEBRATION and ARTSPR event.
Sample autographed copies of Daniel P. Quinn's "Organized Labor: Collected Poems," Tom DePoto's IMAGES OF VENICE, Daniel P. Quinn's "Exits & Entrances: 25 Years Off-Broadway" will also be available. Mr. Quinn is also the great-grandson of Bernard O'Neill who managed the Landmark Tavern in the 1890's.
Aideen O'Donnell will grace the halls with music and songs on her Irish Harp at New York's Landmark Tavern on 4/29/12. Ms. O'Donnell has appeared at Carnegie Hall, the NJ Performing Arts Center, and made many wonderful recordings including THE WATER IS WIDE which will also be available for sale. Ms. O'Donnell also appeared with us in The Yeats Project at the Morris Museum, Opera Bis!!! at the Bickford Theatre, and our Historic Festival in the City of Paterson, and recital in Bloomfield, NJ as well and was featured in The Irish Voice among other publications.
Mr. Quinn, great-grandson of the manager of the Landmark (1890's) will talk about his grandmother who was born there in 1887 and talk about his family as well.Mr. Quinn also wrote Exits & Entrances (2007) a Theatre Memoir from l981-2006. (AuthorHouse 2007). Quinn was formerly also with the Irish Arts Center where he served as Associate Producer, and Guest Director. His notable works included the World Premiere production of Janet Noble's Away Alone; the NY Premiere of Graham Reid's Remembrance, the NY Premiere of Tom Murphy's The Gigli Concert with Kate Burton in a well received staged reading and the Obie Award for Tim McDonnell as Best Actor in Diary of a Madman.
He produced Frank and Malacy McCourt's A Couple of Blaguards, Trouble & Strife Theatre's Now and at the hour of our Death, and received the Irish Institute Award winning production of John Maguire's l877 melodrama Honesty is the Best Policy. He also co-directed the controversial Black Jesus Passion Play at the Park Theatre in Union City, NJ. At the Bickford Theatre in Morristown he was a Guest Producer with John J. Trause's epic Latter Day Litany, and William Butler Yeats' PURGATORY, AFTER THE BALL in 2007, and BEFORE THE CRASH in 2011.
He was also active as a producing scout at the Dublin Theatre Festival as a guest of Aer Lingus. Prior presentations of Organized Labor have been seen at Bridgeton Poetry Center, Grover Cleveland Birthplace, William Carlos Williams Center, Landmark Books, Bowery Poets Cafe, Cafe Local, Morris Museum, Il Trapezio Cafe, the Irish Arts Center in NYC and Nutley, Secaucus,Belleville Libraries and Italian American Museum in January 2012 in NYC on Mulberry St.
His books are for sale for $15.75 at Amazon.com, Montclair Book Center; Drama Books, NYC, http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/3/prweb214498.htm. Press copies Book signings are also available. Go to http://www.authorhouse.com or 800-839-8640.
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Besides the 1 for 1 housepour spirits that are available every Friday evening, special vodka martinis and two different DJs are on hand to light up the nights.
The alcohol quotient will certainly go up with the range of custom home infused martinis made by the resident mixologist, known simply as Thina.
Using premium Stolichnaya Vodka, he has come up with a delightful variety of clever and refreshing beverages that will please the softer gender.
|Beautiful and Tasty Martinis
Featuring such fancy and inviting names like "Stoli Spring Break" and "1901 Showdown", the drinks are only available on Friday nights.
In addition, there is also a food menu with a delectable plate of lamb skewers and garlic prawns to pair with the cocktails. Located at Asia Square in the heart of the Marina Financial District, it is certainly one of the places to be on a hot Friday night.
|Sarawak White Pepper Crab
Gu Ma Jia celebrates its 5th year anniversary and is known primarily for its zhe char dishes. Chef Yap has a range of family style dishes with a wide range of familiar and new plates on offer.
The Sarawak White Pepper Crab makes for a welcome change from its black pepper cousin, and among its other selections, there are also XO prawn mee, Clam Bee Hoon and their signature Asam Curry Fish Head.
|Teochew Porridge
ChaoZhou Porridge is the latest entry in classic Teochew Porridge eateries and they are found along the main part of River Valley Road.
Boasting a wide selection of Teochew classics, from Chai Por Omelette, to Spicy Minced to Steamed Fish, it is another venue best suited for family outings. In particular, the older generation may find some these flavours particularly comforting and nostalgic.
|Steamed Squid
The Steamed Squid dish, in particular, was a standout with its tender and melting texture. Best with just a simple bean paste dip, it is something that when done right is just simple and delicious.
The more modern furnishings of this place also calls for a more comfortable setting for the diners. Fully air conditioned, it is serves as a tribute to classic Teochew Porridge places as well as a cosy dining establishment for the younger ones.
The Exchange
Asia Square Tower One
8 Marina View
Gu Ma Jia
45 Tai Thong Crescent
ChaoZhou Porridge
221 River Valley Road


text: Discover classic fashion, redefined. At Shop a Corner Cottage, too, we want every woman to feel welcome. Our collection of classic women's clothing embodies effortless, timeless style. With high quality and exciting new looks every month, we aim to brighten our community through meaningful experiences and unlimited possibilities. Your outfit should make you feel good and look your best so that your natural beauty can shine bright!


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Communicate with Bluetooth low energy and BR/EDR ("Classic") Devices.
- iOS 5.0+
- macOS 10.10+
- Mac Catalyst 13.0+
- tvOS 9.0+
- watchOS 4.0+
The Core Bluetooth framework provides the classes needed for your apps to communicate with Bluetooth-equipped low energy (LE) and Basic Rate / Enhanced Data Rate (BR/EDR) wireless technology.
Don't subclass any of the classes of the Core Bluetooth framework. Overriding these classes isn't supported and results in undefined behavior.
Core Bluetooth background execution modes aren't supported in iPad apps running on macOS.


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July 26,
After dinner on Friday night, students met up in St. Bernardine of Siena Library for a dramatic — and, at times, hilarious — reading of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest. To allow as many students to participate as possible, some of the major roles were divvied up among several actors. And delighting all with his performance of Algernon "Algy" Moncrieff was none other than the Summer Program's director, Dr. Christopher Decaen.
Afterward, students headed down to the lower part of the campus, where they prayed along the College's new outdoor Stations of the Cross. From there, they walked over to the three spring-fed ponds for sing-along by the campfire.


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OLD HOME MOVIES by The Botticellis.
In the restaurant business it's LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. In the album making world it's PRODUCTION.
Ok, maybe that's not the only thing that matters, but it sure shines through on Old Home Movies.
I'm also getting ready to pick up:
A PIECE OF WHAT YOU NEED by Teddy Thompson. Anyone out there have this yet?


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HAPPY 2014! We took our biggest leap in 2013 — selling our home and giving away all of our possessions to document amazing farm and energy innovators, culinary pioneers and off-gridders across the continent, while searching for our own piece … Continue reading
Tag Archives: travel
Still Illegal: Confessions of a Moonshiner
I've been a moonshiner For seventeen long years And I spent all my money On whiskey and beer And I go to some hollow And set up my still If whiskey don't kill me Lord, I don't know what will … Continue reading
The Toilet That Will Change the World!
Living full-time on the road and in the woods has put our survive and thrive priorities up front – instead of paying someone else to take care of our needs, the basics take up a good chunk of our time. … Continue reading
Traveling the country with Portland Nutcases and our new (very affordable) Citizen folding bicycles!
I was 10. I had a 3 speed pink banana seat with handlebar fringe… It was a cruiser-looking thing with no fenders that left a mud track up my back as I sped through puddles. I had no fear then. … Continue reading
Kitchen counter and storage install part 2 + Bathroom walls!
The short bus conversion in progress! Subscribe here or follow us on Facebook to see more updates as our project moves ahead! Night and day (in below freezing temperatures and with multiple layers of clothing) we installed the kitchen countertop and sink, … Continue reading
Building the Bed Platform -or- The Case of the Tiny Space!
This week we started the construction of the bedroom in ALFie. We decided on a raised storage platform because storage is what we are lacking most in the space and we liked the idea of the bed being toward the … Continue reading
Keep on truckin'! Powering through discouraging delays
Though we've had some major delays in our remodel schedule, we were still able to make some great progress during the month of August. We got a pretty nasty rock chip in the windshield and that needed to be repaired … Continue reading
Inspiration at the Mission: "I'm Fine, Thanks"
Kristina and I paid off all of our debt in 2011. Save for our home, we have no loans. We have worked very hard to become more self-sufficient (stop paying people to do things we could learn to do ourselves) … Continue reading


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It's warming up and the sun is coming out from behind the dreary winter clouds more often. It's spring! For a second, anyway, because here comes the rain, a freeze and yes, even more snow in some areas. The freeze warning/watch stretched from Chicago to Missouri to Arkansas to Alabama. In May. In spring. But don't worry, a few days after the frost and snow it will be 80 degrees and the trees and flowers will try again.
Hot to cold to warm to freezing to hot to warm. Up to down to ok to way down to way up to ok. Over goal to not at goal to at goal to behind last year to over goal to at goal. Sound like you, or, if you are a manager, like a salesperson or two on your media sales team?
If so, you know how hard it is to gauge your paycheck when your sales are erratic, just like it is hard in the spring to know if you should wear wool or cotton. Instead of planning after the fact – on payday, trying to figure out how you are going to afford gas – try planning ahead.
In our spring analogy, you might layer your clothing and grab an umbrella because "you never know…" That is planning ahead. In media sales, we should be doing the same, knowing that what we do now impacts three months from now (or longer).
- Use your calendar. Put reminders in future weeks to call someone who initially put you off or to follow up. Your memory may be cloudy, as it is filled with a lot of things to do. Your calendar is a tool that can give you a clear direction.
- Analyze the average number of asks and activities it takes to make your sales happen and level it out. If you have a CRM system, you probably have a way to keep track of this. If not, start by counting at the end of each week and keeping a record of it. Don't have such a busy week doing other hot things that your asks get the cold shoulder.
- Pull reports that will help you get a grip on your media sales analytics, such as who was on next quarter last year, and see if they are spending at the same level or if they're on at all! These are warm prospects for your calls right now, because, if they had money last year, they probably do this year.
- Reach beyond your goals. Assume there will be rainy days and be prepared for them. Mentally, round up your budget, or try to hit a figure that is a bit of a reach for you.
- Make an annual forecast, account by account, and revisit it quarterly or monthly. Look ahead three months and if an advertiser has gone south, know that you have to replace those dollars. Make a plan for how you are going to do that – more prospecting, asking for bigger dollars or share, or upselling your top customers with a new idea to make them money.
Spring weather, like media sales, can be volatile. Use your CRM and media sales analysis tools to forecast accurately and keep the sales growing!
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A media sales CRM and analytics program would make crunching your sales numbers, managing accounts and keeping track of your contacts a piece of cake. If you're thinking about taking the plunge and procuring one for your media sales organization, read Five Steps to Perfect CRM Implementation.


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The CW drama series THE VAMPIRE DIARIES knows exactly how to tease its fans and how to wring every bit of emotion out just one episode of television. In the upcoming 'Do Not Go Gentle' episode, that last remaining white oak stake has a vital role to play. We knew it as soon as everyone realized it was missing and when it was revealed last week that Alaric's alter-ego self and Esther possessing-her-daughter Rebekah had teamed-up. So as the evil duo unleashes their plan to take down the Originals, it sets off a chain of events that will leave fans reaching for their kleenex boxes.
Let's just say from the get-go: Esther is one nasty mother. She will literally do anything to eradicate every single vampire from the face of the planet; and it is just horrific that she found a sympathetic ally, Alaric's "Dr. Jekyll" side.
So the Decade Dance proves yet again how ill-advised it is for Elena, Caroline, Matt, and Bonnie to think that they should even contemplate having a night trying to normal teenagers. But each wants to try and have a night of fun and revelry, and to forget about Klaus, Rebekah and all the other nasty things that go bump in the night. Elena, still waffling over her feelings for the Salvatore brothers, attempts to rekindle the romance with Stefan, who is elated that she invites him and not Damon. Damon in the meantime, does what Damon does best when thwarted: he stirs up trouble — or rather trouble finds him. While Damon is not in death's crosshairs in this episode, many a tear will be shed for the vampire as we witness his pain in this episode.
Finally, as the night ends up revealing what Esther and Alt-Alaric are up to, it is spine-chilling and scary as hell. Let's just say it ends up rounding up everyone in a way that they never saw coming. Even Rebekah has her part to play in this night of foreshadowed doom. Plus, anytime there is a scene where Matt and Jeremy are threatening to shoot each other, we know something has gone terribly wrong. Likewise, Tyler is back and having to pretend to kow-tow to Klaus lest Klaus figure out that Tyler may have broken the sire-bond, which leads to a sticky scene at the dance when Klaus puts the moves on Caroline. So the romantic triangles are in play as Caroline and Elena are forced to confront their multitude of romantic prospects. Fortunately for Caroline, her love has never wavered; and for Elena, with Jeremy and Caroline voting "Team Stefan," it seems like she may be lured back into the safe-haven arms of Stefan.
Then the final clue and teaser that will take fans and viewers through 'Do Not Go Gentle' and last two remaining episodes of the season: what will be Jeremy's fate since he continues to wear his invincibility/resurrection ring? When warned yet again against the dangers of continuing to wear it, Jeremy merely retorts, "When my sister stops hanging out with vampires, I'll take it off." Even after witnessing the harm the ring brought to Alaric, it still has not proved a strong enough warning to Jeremy. What will it take to be the "tipping point"? If Alaric's behavior and actions in this episode do not do it, then nothing will. How many times have we cheered when both Alaric and Jeremy have cheated death with those rings? But there is always a price to be paid. Alaric's price is entirely too high and it will shake Jeremy to the core.
Death comes a knocking' at Mystic Falls' door and you're going to be surprised who is standing on the other side. Warning: It's not who you think!
THE VAMPIRE DIARIES airs Thursday nights at 8:00 p.m. on The CW.
Where to find this article:


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I've been back running for a while now since my Physio signed me off, and all in all it has been great getting back onto the trails and pavement. This has been a good week of running, especially after I discovered that there are showers at work - meaning I can run at lunch times.... Continue Reading →
One step at a time – but we survive
Where life and my running has been concerned it really has in the last 6 months felt like all I could do is to put one step in front of the other. Last year was up and down with running - but towards the end of the year I was so excited to be back... Continue Reading →
Achieving those running goals
I haven't written in a while quite simply because I felt like I had nothing exciting to say! The year so has been a roller coaster ride life wise, and I felt a real 'can't be bothered' attitude where my running was concerned. Everything that I originally wanted to do just got put in the... Continue Reading →
Tips for drinking more water in general and running
What a week it has been. It was my son's birthday party this week, and we had over 30 people at the house including kids which was awesome but crazy! We survived and I even made the time to make my son a monster truck cake - but I have spent the rest of the... Continue Reading →
Running and life goals
I finally decided it was time to get back to my keyboard and to start writing again after having a couple of weeks of neglecting my blog. I hesitated and to be honest I have not been at all motivated to write the last few weeks with work commitments, general lethargy and actually not even... Continue Reading →
Product Review: empassion cleanser and exfoliant scrub
Ok so this is not my normal kind of post. I generally talk about food or running - but today I am writing about another passion of mine natural products. Ever since my very close friends brother died from cancer back in 2006, and the nurse made it clear that everything we put in and... Continue Reading →
Race recap: SEQ Trail series – Bunya 15.7km
It's been a couple of weeks since I did my trail race before flying to the UK, but I decided I'd best write it up otherwise I would forget. How could I forget though - it was a crazy hot day! I had originally entered to run the 8k race but my friend who was... Continue Reading →
Running Goals for 2017
As I started writing this post yesterday I was sat looking out of the window at the rain pouring down! It has been so sticky lately - I hoped that the rain would lighten the humidity - but no - it has stayed humid. Today has been slightly better but I am actually looking forward to... Continue Reading →
Product Review: SIS Immune, Hydro & Whey Protein @ScienceInSport
As you may know I made a radical change to my diet in April last year, and now eat a Low Carb High/Healthy Fat diet. It's going really well but it has been an issue where running has been concerned, as gone are the days of taking my Science In Sport energy gels which I... Continue Reading →


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Wollmeise Birdies, The African Queen, Charlie und Rosi, 240g
Get 8 colours of Wollmeise Birdies in one set! Wollmeise Birdies are mini skeins of 30g each.
The African Queen, Charlie und Rosi is available in Twin quality (80% wool, superwash merino / 20% nylon).
The African Queen, Charlie und Rosi contains 30g each of the following colours:
Wollmeise Twin is a non-scratching yarn in 4ply. It is a twin of Wollmeise's superwash sock yarn in that both have the same twist. To knit with this yarn is similar to superwash sock yarn but you need approximately 2-4 stitches less than usual.FIBRE: 80% Merino (superwash), 20% Nylon
CARE: Machine washable at 30 degrees (gentle cycle).
LENGTH: 30g = 93m
TOTAL WEIGHT: 8x30g = 240g.
Hand-dyed in Germany. Ideal for shawls, scarves, fair isle knitting or patchwork.
Don't forget to check out our complete Wollmeise collection!
We Also Recommend
ggh Elbsox 4 flow color 001, black dégradé, sock knitting yarn, 4ply, 100g


text: 67that continuing as they were --a home builder --would be foolhardyunless they also got into land ownership and development. Unlike many of their industry colleagues, who turned their attentionto carving out a niche in high-rise development in Toronto'sdowntown core, Geranium remained true to its roots in low-risehousing. And so the partners made a difficult corporate decision --wind down their prodigious output in building and take the time toreorganize. Meanwhile, Feiner's youngest son, Boaz, had beenlearning the business from the ground up. They turned over thehome building arm of the company to him, while Rumm and FeinerSr. launched into large-scale community development. They laterset their sights on settlement areas identified in the province'sPlaces To Grow legislation.By 2007, nearly 10 years had gone by, and Geranium Homes waswell-positioned for re-entry into the low-rise housing market. Ratherthan a subdivision tract, though, the company launched a full-fledged master-planned community --its first --on landsdeveloped by parent company Geranium Corporation. Today over500 families call this community in Stouffville home, and Geraniumcontinues to build there.On the strength of a three-decade long track record, Boaz Feinerbrought a new energy and fresh approach to creating communitiesand garnered Geranium national recognition in 2011 as a nomineefor the Grand Sam award that honours the top builder by theCanadian Home Builders' Association. Each year, Geranium's new projects have established theirreputation for creating livable communities, thoughtful design andquality construction. Those are values that will be evident in everynew community the Geranium name will be associated with, startingwith a major resort development on Lake Simcoe; large scalemaster-planned communities in Midhurst, near Barrie, and alongHighway 400 in Bond Head.Creating sustainable neighbourhoods may take more time, expertise,money and patience than it used to, say Rumm and Feiner, but it'swhat Canadians expect, and the company wants to deliver.


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After a four year campaign by residents, the proposal for a Traveller site in Church Grove, Ladywell has been rejected by the Mayor of Lewisham.
The decision followed a report which found that the narrow road leading to the site would mean that caravans would have to illegally mount the pavement to gain access.
Lewisham Council have spent £11,000 on the consultation for the site, which previously housed Watergate School.
The council will now need to seek an alternative site within the borough, as they are required to provide suitable accommodation for Travellers under the London plan. It is estimated that there are around 500 Travellers currently living in Lewisham, yet there is no dedicated site.
Church Grove residents had started a campaign against the site, 'Save Church Grove' using a blog and twitter account. The proposals had also been the subject of several public meetings since Church Grove was selected out of a possible 41 sites in the borough in 2007.
Residents told EastLondonLines in November that they were considering taking legal action if the site was given the go-ahead.
Lewisham Council's official website states that: "After considering the results of public consultation and the independent technical report on access, the Mayor decided not to proceed with Church Grove as the preferred site to meet the current accommodation needs of Travellers. The Mayor instructed officers to undertake a further search to identify a suitable site or sites."
Alexandra Moore on Twitter said: "Just heard the brilliant news @ChurchGrove. 5 years the council has taken to work out caravans won't fit. About time."
Jo Pollitt added: "congratulations – welldone [sic] for your hard fight to get travellers an appropriate site – an inspiring example of community"


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Patti Preiss has been performing on the piano since the age of seven. During her career as a professional musician, she has appeared at such venues as New York's Carnegie Recital Hall and the Bottom Line; The Hague Jazz Festival, The Netherlands; Norway's Molde Jazz Festival; the Jazz Festival at Cannes, France; and "At My Place" in Los Angeles. She has concertized with jazz greats Jimmy Giuffre, Ed Blackwell and Karl Berger; toured with renowned jazz composer Carla Bley; and recorded with legendary folk artist Arlo Guthrie. Ms. Preiss has also led a number of her own groups performing her original compositions and jazz standards.
In the 80's, Patti released a recording of original piano improvisations entitled "Jamaica's Album" on her own record label as well as wrote a book on techniques of improvisation, "Musical Materials." In addition, she received numerous grants to support her composing and performance projects. In the 1990's, Ms. Preiss served as vocal accompanist at the State University of New York at Purchase, and as dance accompanist for the Northern Westchester Center for the Arts and the Steffi Nossen School of Dance. She also performed regularly at private functions throughout the metropolitan New York area and appeared frequently at the Regency Hyatt Hotel in Greenwich, Connecticut, playing contemporary jazz.
More recently Patti has been the accompanist for several choruses, including the Darien-based Blue Notes and the Greenwich-based Angel Choir directed by singer Pamela Kuhn. She formed a quartet with her husband, saxophonist Bill Harris, bassist Andy Eulau and drummer Thierry Arpino to perform her original jazz compositions. She works with jazz singer Sylvia Mims Goncalves. She also concertizes with the Piano Ensemble, a group of seven women performing nineteenth and twentieth-century piano music for four and eight hands.
A classically-trained pianist, Patti is equally proficient in jazz, classical, pop, and musical theater styles. She holds a bachelor's degree in music composition from Harvard University and a Master of Fine Arts in performance from the California Institute of the Arts. In addition to performing live, Ms. Preiss teaches piano and composition privately. She is noted as an "emerging contemporary performer" in Linda Dahl's book "Stormy Weather: The Music and Lives of a Century of Jazzwomen." Patti can also be found in the "Who's Who of American Women" and in "Who's Who in Entertainment."


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BoI ex-MD, Olaoluwa bags award
In recognition of his contributions towards driving government's industrialisation agenda while at the Development Finance Institution (DFI), a former Managing Director of the Bank of Industry (BoI), Rasheed Olaoluwa, has been adjudged Leadership Newspaper's Banker of the year for the year 2015.
According to the institution, the former BoI helmsman, who was appointed in May 2014, wasted no time in developing a five-year Strategic Plan 2015-2019 which led to the transformation of the Bank.
Indeed, Olaoluwa has over 29 years' experience in banking and financial services sector playing different critical roles at reputable institutions such as KPMG, GTBank, Ecobank and UBA before his appointment as Managing Director/CEO of BoI.
He holds a first class honours degree in Civil Engineering, professional membership of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and an Executive MBA from International Graduate School of Management (IESE), Spain.
Under his watch, the industry units were restructured to align with the key sectors of Nigeria's comparative advantage (Agro-Processing, Solid Minerals, Gas & Petrochemicals, and Light Manufacturing) under the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP), while over N77 billion was approved and disbursed to companies I n these real sectors in 2015.
"Olaoluwa developed a new system for efficient loan monitoring and embarked on aggressive loan recovery activities. The results were outstanding. The Bank's Non-Performing Loans (NPL) ratio reduced dramatically from 18% in May 2014 to 4% in December 2015, below CBN's 5% guidance.
"During his stint at the Bank of Industry, the Bank's operations and credit process were also automated with the introduction of an Online Loan Application Portal and a Work Flow System for credit approvals. This reduced the credit turnaround time from 6-12 months to less than 3 months.
"Perhaps his greatest impact was in the programmes he created for Nigeria's Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The Bank accredited 200 Business Development Service Providers (BDSPs) nationwide, to provide support (business plans, loan applications, etc.) to SMEs. Forty (40) different SME clusters identified across the country and loan products were designed for each cluster.


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Whether it's unconscious bias leading to a lack of women in leadership positions in Silicon Valley, or fears projected onto the natural world contributing to environmental destruction, we all have work to do in order to heal our communities and protect the planet.
Being Human
At Emergent Law we're working to understand what it means to be human and the implications of the question(s) on the economy and on the environment. Workplaces, campaigns, and movements are all driven by very human elements. Each of us has a shadow side that needs to be acknowledged and integrated in order for it not to have a dysfunctional impact on our lives in ways seen and unseen.
We draw upon Jungian psychology, post-modern philosophy, mythology, and a variety of other discourses in order to articulate these dynamics, uncover "the real beneath the apparent," and help drive the discussion forward.
This awareness is both a topic of our work in itself, typically through content we create (check out our blog for more), as well as a thread we weave through our other work, whether it's advising a startup on creating an inclusive environment or informing the environmental activism we do.


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Restaurant and other employers will soon be required to use a revised version of the government's I-9 form when hiring new employees.
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, a division of the Department of Homeland Security, published its new version of the form Nov. 14. Beginning Jan. 22, 2017, all U.S. employers must start using it. Employers can use the current version, dated March 8, 2013, until Jan. 21. After that, they must use the form dated Nov. 14, 2016.
I-9 forms are used to verify an employee's identity and eligibility to work in the United States.
The USCIS said the revised three-page form will be easier to complete on a computer. It also is designed to reduce confusion and will help employers avoid technical errors that could result in hefty fines. The changes include:
- Prompts to ensure information is entered correctly. It will notify the user of any missing fields, dates inputted incorrectly and social security numbers that are missing a digit.
- Improved naming convention. Employees now only need to provide "other last names used" rather than "all other names" used. This is expected to avoid possible discrimination issues and protect privacy of transgender and other individuals who have changed their first names.
- A dedicated area for additional information. Employers currently provide this in the margins of the form.
Other enhancements include:
- Drop-down lists and calendars.
- Embedded instructions that pop up when the cursor hovers over each field.
- Instructions separate from the form. Employers are still required to present the instructions to employees completing the form.
- Buttons that allow users to access instructions electronically, print the form, and clear the form to start over.
- A QR code that's generated once the form gets printed. This can streamline and facilitate auditor reviews.
The USCIS said employers must remember that the revised I-9 form must still be printed out so employees and/or their preparers can sign them. They can be stored on- or off-site in a single format or combination of formats, such as paper, microfilm or microfiche, or electronically.
Go to the USCIS website to learn more about the changes to the I-9 form.


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This challenging project is under construction in the beautiful town of Clocolaan in the Eastern Free State.
The placement of the building site presented a huge problem for conventional building methods as it is halfway up the mountain. Breathtaking views will be at the order of the day from this site location.
We are looking forward to a spectacular end product.


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I remember all those New Years Eve nights when I got dressed up in sequins… hair did… makeup did… and looking all fabulous for a night of nonstop dancing and celebrating. *sigh* Ok. I might still have another couple of those years left in me. BUT – I do have to admit that as my kids get a little older, I will definitely want to share in this holiday with them as well. They are still young and midnight is beyond their bedtime… but in due time, they will get the exception to stay up and party it up with me – family style.
In the meantime, I'm finding some wonderful ideas floating around on Pinterest, so I'm compiling a list here:
** New Year's Evening countdown. I am obsessed with what this momma did for her kids. SOOO fun. In fact, put an adult twist on the activities inside the balloons and this could be something my friends and I could enjoy now. hehe. Many of her individual ideas are already great on their own, but to stack them all into a countdown throughout the night?? Genius! There's also another similar and cute concept for this using countdown bags.
UPDATE: Elena over at Craftibilities posted her most recent NYE celebration countdown with some new ideas, including a fun photobooth!
** New Year's Resolution Statements. Free Printable from 30 Handmade Days. I love this idea and its a great keepsake for the kids to look back on as they get older.
** Year in Review. Free Printable from Dating Divas – including one with blank year. Originally an idea for couples, but this is super cute for older kids and another great keepsake. This can totally turn into a wonderful lifetime scrapbook. There are other similar concepts for this to check out… free printable versions of Time Capsule Questions and Celebrating the Year.
**Kid-Friendly Bubbly. Bubbly Jell-o Parfait Recipe from Spoonful. These just totally look festive and yummy at the same time!
** New Year's Eve Hat Making. These are adorable. And if I ever do a kiddie NYE party – we are totally doing a photobooth with a fun backdrop like that!
** NYE Playdate Party. Why not let your kids invite a couple friends over to join in on the festivities? Could totally do the countdown activities as a group. Then you can also have some other fellow adults to celebrate as well. A win-win fun situation. Here are some ideas for some kid's NYE party food. Don't forget to do a balloon drop! Yes!!!! And a New Year's Eve Ball Drop too! Yes!!!!
** NYE Movie Night. This can include doing it pajama style and with some fun refreshments. My little ones are watching Rudolph's Shiny New Year since they are really young. Since its still so close to the Xmas holiday – you can still get away with watching a movie from this list of Holiday Movies for Kids.
For my local San Diegans… Here's a list of family-friendly NYE events around town for celebrating. It includes the Pajama Jam that I had posted about not too long ago. I soooo want to do that next year!
Whatever you decide to do to celebrate, I hope you enjoy yourself! Happy soon-to-be 2014!


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This Genius Built a Drivable Hot Tub and It Looks Like an Insane Amount of Fun
Colin Furze is a man of manybizarreinventions. So, it's worth paying attention when he says, laughing maniacally, "This is the best thing I've ever made!"
In a new video, Furze turns a BMW into a drivable hot tub. It's not just a car filled with water and a pond liner. The car is sealed and genuinely turned into a weird, mad scientist hot tub.
It has heating coils powered by the engine to warm the water. Of course, a hot tub must have bubbles. So, Furze has a pair of leaf blowers mounted on the sides to get that sweet bubbly action rolling. For a bit of aesthetic pow, the car is lined with faux grass and there's a working barbecue where there was once a trunk.
The whole thing, as outlined in a couple videos about building the party on wheels, was commissioned by Google for an advertisement it will film at some point. In those videos, Furze, a former plumber, goes in depth about making an exhaust pipe drain, dealing with the additional weight of the water, and other odd features that probably only make sense when you're turning a car into a hot tub.
Watch the videos below to get a look behind the scenes as Furze puts this monster together.
[h/t Sploid]
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I got a comment a couple of days ago on the "Aftermath of Pluto in Leo" post that I deleted. I really should have kept it and posted it as an example of what I'm talking about with the Pluto in Ego...I mean, Leo...generation. (Total typo, but it works.)
But hey, why don't I post about it now? It's educational.
(Again, disclaimer: this is not for any Pluto in Leos who do not carry around seven tonnes of ego detritus, leaving a trail of energetic skid marks behind them wherever they go. I know you exist, but the guy commenting was not one of those.)
So this Pluto in Leo dude started off the comment by saying that he "didn't appreciate my outburst." (IE. the post)
hahahaha First off, it's my own fucking blog! I couldn't give a rat's balls what you do not appreciate about what I write here.
I don't water myself down for mainstream commercial appeal, and I stand behind everything I write here. I keep it real from my astrological perspective and personal experience, and if you don't like what you read, there are 1,354,565,847,352,346,984,038 other blogs on the webosphere, including 284,957,387,572 astrology blogs. I suggest you visit one of those that might be more to your liking.
Buddy then went on to say he didn't like women stereotyping him and suggested this was what I was doing. Because, again, my blog is all about him. I'm just one more in a long line of women who don't "get him," apparently.
I think we're getting you just fine, actually.
The hilarious part, of course, is that one of the themes of the Aftermath of Pluto in Leo post was how the majority of Pluto in Leos need to stop tripping over their own egos and get over themselves! (Especially in light of the damage wreaked by their gen's way of doing things/regime)
Just as I've said in the past re: establishment New Agers, if you want to stop being treated like a cliche, first stop acting like one. Until then, if you choose to come into contact with me, I'll be pointing it out.
I practise astrology. I write about what's important to me. Your reaction to what I write is not my concern. I follow higher orders than that. It's not my job to deal with your ego-detritus-laden reactions.
This is what Pluto in Leos who haven't taken on the process of stripping down their crystallized ego constructs need to know. It's no one else's responsibility to deal with your ego/personality demands. It's no one's job to indulge you - despite the ways you have set things up for this purpose.
So many in this generation leave a trail of ego bullshit wherever they go and then expect other people to deal with it as if it's something important instead of the big old heap of steaming shit that it is.
Sorry, I avoid stepping in shit at all costs. And if I can't avoid it entirely, I just step over it.
The fact that this enrages a lot of Pluto in Leos says more about them than it does about me. If they can't entangle people in their bullshitty ego constructs, how do they siphon energy off to feed those ego constructs?
This is a perfect example of the dangers of not fully developing Pluto's polarity point. The more the Pluto in Leos navel-gaze and obsess over themselves, turning everything into an extension of themselves, the more mired in ego hell they get.
And when you're constantly dumping ego garbage on people and trying to suck them into false ego constructs, you're not going to get the appreciation and recognition you so crave. People are going to see through that and say no thanks.
Getting outside themselves, taking a more objective view and understanding that there are broader forces at work than just them and what they personally want/think they deserve (Aquarius) would actually allow for a healthier self-expression. It would allow the Pluto in Leos to align with the real needs of the planet/humanity/community and find a successful place within that context for their creative contributions.
Again, too many fall into the trap of doing for the community only what feeds their own egos/needs for status/recognition. It's false.
Without that alignment with Aquarian reality and as long as what they personally want and believe they deserve (especially materially) trumps all else, the Pluto in Leos will increasingly have Pluto problems.


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Ergonomic Assessments
As a certified Back School Instructor, Dr. D'Angiolillo has performed hundreds of work, and home based activity assessments. While you may be able to get away with a faulty habit pattern a few times, continual improper body mechanics may lead to chronic health and pain syndromes. During your consultation you will be asked about activities that aggravate your condition. Recommendations will be discussed about improving your body mechanics and postures.
In addition to assisting you with suggesting activity improvements, Dr. D'Angiolillo is also available for work place ergonomic evaluations, injury prevention work shops and Back School Programs.


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As soon as I wrote the title, I realized I would be in trouble with my French friends. Gougère is in fact a delicious little French cheezy puff and it is made one way and one way only. But since I was inspired from the original recipe to create my own, I felt it was only fair to keep the name. Though as you will see, I have made many modifications including OH NO!!! using olive oil instead of butter… Sacrilège!
I will be brave and divulge this recipe as it turned out absolutely delicious and addictive!
Oh and yes… it has been 2 years since my last confession… oh sorry, since my last posting. Apologies. I hope to be better but I am also collaborating with two other food blogs focusing on healthy eating and smart food that actually works to fuel your body with the proper energy and nutrition. Don't worry, I still focus on delicious and simple.
These little guys are so easy to make I will get right to it (and since I am in a healthy mood, I have added turmeric and black pepper to make them a super food).
(yields about 30 balls)
- 150 gr. organic Kamut flour
- 250 ml. water
- 75 ml. X.V. Olive oil
- 140 gr. Aged Italian goat cheese (or your favorite, parmigiano is ok but a bit strong and avoid roman pecorino, way too salty and strong)
- 4 Organic free-range eggs (if you are in Europe #0)
- 1 teaspoon of Turmeric
- A pinch of saffron threads grounded down with a few grains of rock salt or a teaspoon of ground saffron
- freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 180° C (about 356° F)
In a sauce pan, bring the water and oil to a boil and remove from heat.
Add the flour all at once and stir with a wodden spoon, heat on low heat until it is smooth and no longer sticks to the pot.
Let the mixture cool.
Add one egg at a time and stir to incorporate. It will feel like it does not mix but keep at it, it will incorporate.
Add the saffron, turmeric, black pepper and cheese and stir to incorporate.
Flour your hands and form little balls about the size of a walnut, place them on your oven pan lined with parchment paper.
Bake for 25 minutes (checking on them after 20 as each oven is different)
Enjoy and serve to all your French friends! 😉
If you want to see the blogs I colaborate in:


text: On Wed, May 19, 2004 at 12:01:41AM +0200, Francesco Poli wrote: > I'd say that sort of information shouldn't belong in the DFSG: IMHO it > would fit much better in informative pages such as > http://www.debian.org/legal/licenses/ > > What do you think? That's what a lot of people think. It's unclear whether DFSG#10 says [a] "these licenses always pass, regardless of the above" or [b] "the above must be interpreted such that these pass"; neither are very good. It probably originally meant "we think these obviously pass the above", which became false as license evaluation evolved and became stricter. Watch out before trying to get rid of it, though. The GPL has some parts that would fail the DFSG without using DFSG#10 as an escape. For example, the "date changes" restriction (2a) and "output a GPL blurb" (2c) would probably both fail DFSG#3. I don't like using DFSG#10 as an escape clause for "the GPL doesn't quite pass, but we need it to"--but I think it would be much worse to lower our standards when evaluating new licenses. For that reason, I tend to prefer [a] to [b]. [b] leads to slippery slopes, since it requires a weak interpretation of DFSG#3 that allows those restrictions, leading to "those are allowed; why not [my pet restriction]?" (However, while [a] permits the LGPL--which is dual-licensed with the GPL--it wouldn't allow other licenses derived from the GPL. It would be strange and inconsistent to reject a GPL-derived license that was only changed in free ways, such as adding a "must change the name" clause. So far, this hasn't come up--I don't think anybody has actually brought a GPL-derived license to d-legal that didn't violate the FSF's copyright. Most people really don't want to do that, anyway--it results in a copyleft license that's incompatible with the GPL, and I suspect that would have linking consequences that havn't yet been well-explored.) -- Glenn Maynard


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Australias stay and defend approach: up in smoke?
Australias stay and defend approach: up in smoke?
10 February 2009
published by features.csmonitor.com
Australia — With 200 feared dead and entire towns declared arson crime scenes, Australians are trying to determine if anything could have been done to prevent the loss of so much life and land. The countrys policy of allowing rural residents to stay and defend their homes during wildfires is already under close scrutiny.
While some of the fires are contained, firefighters are still battling flames north of Melbourne. In addition to the grim death toll, about 5,000 people have been left homeless and roughly 1,351 square miles (roughly the area of Rhode Island) have burned since last week.
Many of those killed were attempting to protect their homes or were too late to leave and died while trying to outrun the fires in their vehicles, according to our recent story on the devastating fires. Experts told us theyre taking another look at the stay and defend approach, which became common practice throughout Australia after 1983, when 75 people were killed in the worst fires to date at the time.
There is nothing to suggest at this stage that the stay and defend approach has failed, Naomi Brown, chief executive officer for the Australasian Fire Authorities Council told the Monitors Lindsey Arkley in our recent story. The fire conditions on Saturday were unprecedented in terms of their size, speed, and ferocity, but we need to conduct an analysis of whether people should be given different advice.
Until the weekends fires, the stay and defend idea was the most talked about strategy in the firefighting world, according to theLos Angeles Times. Southern California wildland firefighting agencies were even in the process of adopting aspects of the approach. Land managers across the US West were also taking a shine to the idea, which includes heavy doses of prevention, education, and personal responsibility.
The appeal is obvious. People who live in forested areas dont like being forced to evacuate their dream homes and taxpayers dont like footing massive firefighting bills. During a fire in Montanas Stillwater River Drainage in 2006, many homeowners snuck around evacuation lines todefend their homes. Some were successful and probably saved homes that would have otherwise been lost, according to accounts in The Billings Gazette even if they narrowly escaped with their lives. The owner a cabin eventually took refuge in the water, according to one story, As he huddled in the stream behind boulders, a robin landed next to him and sat in the water up to its neck. He and the robin kept a low profile as the fire jumped the river, setting nearby trees ablaze.
The idea goes deeper, though, than rugged western individualism. Its more about personal responsibility: If a person chooses to live in remote, fire-prone areas (basically, the entire American and Canadian west), should he or she expect Smokey Bear and the cavalry to arrive the minute smoke appears on the horizon?
This is going to be an increasingly important question and increasingly complicated, following the weekends devastation in Australia according to an interview I conducted in 2007 with fire experts and an author of a research paper on the soaring costs and risks associated with wildfire in the American west.
Attracted by the clean air, open spaces, relatively low costs of living, and access to recreation, western states have experienced boundless growth in recent years. Many newcomers come for the scenery, buying homes smack dab in the forest, despite decades of data showing these areas to be prone to fire.
But with federal firefighting forces at the ready, these homeowners have little cause for concern, according to Ray Rasker, an economist and executive director of Headwaters Economics, of Bozeman, Mont. Local counties can permit subdivisions without having to incur most of the costs of fighting fires, Rasker said in an earlier interview. The firefighting costs are paid by the national taxpayer. It amounts to a subsidy, basically.
With global warming, thefires are only expected to worsen in coming years. Melting snowpack no longer keeps forests moist through dry summer months. Beetles that were once killed off by winter deep freezes are propagating and creating ever-growing swaths of dead, easily ignited trees. Were only starting to see the magnitude of the problem, Rasker said.
According to a study by Raskers group, about 14 percent of private land surrounding national forests in the West has been developed and an estimated $1 billion is now being spent annually by federal land management agencies to protect homes in these areas. Expect both numbers to continue to rise, Rasker said.
Were asking firefighters to risk their lives to protect homes, Rasker said. If you build in harms way, you should at least be responsible for that.
Which is exactly what Australia had been doing. The current stay and defend policy includes a heavy component of prevention and education without this, the death toll might have been even higher, experts say.
Theres one idea, though, that no fire expert will reconsider: Nature always bats last.


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Unstructured Viscous Boundary Layer Meshing: T-Rex
For the complex geometries encountered in modern analyses, creating boundary layer resolved meshes can be tedious and error-prone, often leaving the engineer with less than satisfactory meshes. Pointwise's anisotropic tetrahedral extrusion method, aka T-Rex, is a robust and highly automated method for creating unstructured boundary layer meshes on complex geometries.
Discover how to
- Use T-Rex to handle difficult regions such as corners, gaps and high curvature and transitions
- Construct baffles for localized spacing control and wake resolution
- Reduce time spent setting up T-Rex meshes with its top-down approach
- Speed up diagnostics through improved visualization and reporting techniques
- Convert boundary layer tets into triangular prisms
Chris Sideroff
Chris Sideroff joined Pointwise in September 2007 after working as a petroleum engineer for the NATCO Group, a CAD engineer for ARV Development, and a computer technician for Harddata Ltd. Dr. Sideroff earned both a B.S. and M.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Alberta in 2000 and 2003. He earned a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Syracuse University in 2009, where his dissertation subject was "Detailed Examinations of the Human Micro-Environment by CFD".
Travis Carrigan
Travis Carrigan joined Pointwise as a senior engineer after completing his M.S. in aerospace engineering at The University of Texas at Arlington in May 2011 where his graduate research involved aerodynamic design optimization. Currently, as Manager of Technical Sales, Mr. Carrigan works with prospective customers and demonstrates how Pointwise software can be used to improve their CFD process. He also produces technical marketing content and works with customers and software partners to demonstrate best practices in grid generation, solver setup, and solution post-processing for a variety of industries.


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This week was all about the grand finale of the fourth edition of the Women in Business Challenge (WIBC). Last Sunday we welcomed our finalists, five inspiring women, Lauren Thomas (Mozambique), Dr. Nene Sanjeevani(India), Paola de la Rosa, Jazmin Chi (Mexico) and Affiong Williams (Nigeria) at Amsterdam airport. They had a full week with training sessions, meetings and the final award ceremony hosted at the ING headquarters yesterday, 12th September 2013.
BiD Week
On Monday we kick-started the program with a Ready 4 Finance training during which the finalists were explained the several financial options for their companies and how to pitch their ideas to investors in a two-minute elevator pitch. Tuesday and Wednesday were dedicated to business-2-business meetings, a pitch event for investors and the interviews with the WIBC jury. The women entrepreneurs visited like-minded organisations, potential business partners, investors and tried to convince our jury of their business plan potential. Accompanied by their "buddies" they travelled the country to meet with for example De Fietsfabriek, Nutland B.V., Noordhoff Uitgevers,Yumeko and an expert in mobile clinics. Furthermore, 4 of the entrepreneurs met with a EY consultant for a financial consultancy during which the investment plans of the entrepreneurs were discussed in detail.
Final Event at ING
So far it was a very interesting week with promising networking moments. However, it was clear that the women came to the Netherlands with one goal; winning the competition. Yesterday, the Final Event took place at the headquarters of our main partner in this competition; ING. The event was moderated by founder and director of the BiD Network Foundation, Thierry Sanders, who welcomed Fleur Hudig, Community Investment Manager at ING, to the stage to officially open the event. She spoke about why women and entrepreneurship are so important for the ING bank and why ING is so dedicated to support the Women in Business Challenge. Fleur's opening speech was followed by Hannah Schiff of Value for Women. She gave a very interesting presentation on the recent research on Women led-enterprises in emerging markets. The question and answering round about the research tells us that we will definitely hear more about it after the official presentation on October 1st. So stay tuned for the video to learn about the main findings of the research. After Hannah it was up to Marcel Neutel, Senior Investment Manager at ICCO, to tell about the recently launched ICCO Investment fund. 'Marcel recognized many of the points raised by Hannah and expressed the wish to increase the number of investments in women-led enterprises. So there is definitely potential for our finalists. During our panel discussion, two Dutch women entrepreneurs, Pauline Wesseling (O My Bag) and Manon De Bruin (ManonJuliette) shared their stories about how they are running a successful growing business at the moment and how BiD Network and theOndernemen Zonder Grenzen competition supported them in this. A good motivator for our five ladies that had to pitch in front of the audience once more to convince the jury. After very positive feedback from the jury members it was finally time to announce the winner.
And the winner is…
Thierry tricked the audience by announcing the ING coach that supported the winner during the competition before announcing the actual number one. When Marc-Antoine Delforge was called to the stage it was no longer a secret that Affiong Williams was the winner of the Women in Business Challenge 2012-2013. Her market based approach; innovative thinking and dedicated enthusiasm were what convinced the jury to grant the 5000 Euro prize money, raised by Happietaria, to her business plan REEL Fruits.
A short interview on stage with her coach and Affiong proved once more that the ING coaches, and coaches in general of course, are of high added value for the entrepreneurs. We celebrated the end of a successful week with a networking cocktail during which even more business took place.
We would like to thank all the attendees for coming and ING, ICCO, United Success, DOB Foundation, FMO for their support. We will follow our five finalists in the upcoming months and support them in finding the right financial match. We will keep you updated!