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>Behind the Scenes>Race time predictors, revisited
It's probably doable. The margin of error may need to be increased to account for the larger variability of the terrain, though. Seems like a probability and statistics problem, not a running problem.
It's probably doable. The margin of error may need to be increased to account for the larger variability of the terrain, though. Seems like a probability and statistics problem, not a running problem.
Not without data on each course to match to the time. The problem is that the races for each distance aren't the same, as well as different distances. They're mostly hilly trails (but not all), some are better surface than others..... so on and so on.
Agree with Viich.
This is really more of an engineering / physics issue for the hill aspects (see the tm incline tables) and a coefficient of slowness (for lack of better term) to account for technical issues of the trails and snow conditions - or a piecewise fit for each section. The coefficient will be runner specific since some people are better at uphills and others at downhills. Probability comes into play with the weather, which also affects snow and mud conditions.
A couple of my races are 2000ft uphill in about 2.4 mi, not rough footing, only uphill. One 26.2 mi loop has about 3500ft of uphill with the bulk of it in an 1800ft hill and contains both road and trail. (when looking at mile splits of the faster runners on this course, there's a 50% variation depending on which mile) A 10k loop has about 800ft of uphill with the middle half having a bunch of roots and rocks (as technical as I run). And this year, some of that course will probably be under snow. The winter races are usually on frozen swamps, but snow conditions - packed or like loose sand - make a huge difference in time. On longer races, I'll piece together the various hills and footing segments and add them all up to get an idea of how long to expect - mostly in order to plan fluids, electrolytes, fuel, pack / waistbelt, extra gear, whatever.
Trying to come up with a predictive formula is just too much hassle.
MTA: For perspective, my avatar is from the crest (looking downhill toward finish) of a HM that has about 3000ft up in the first 4mi. There's actually some runners in that picture - specks off in the distance.
This is all getting to what is missing from most/all calculators: the uncertainty of the estimate. Riegel's formula was based on world record times, meaning 1 time for 1 distance, not even the same runner. It is an estimate of the best possible outcome only. Using data across many runners, it is difficult to separate out the people that went out too fast and had a death march to the finish in the marathon times, for example. This massively long tail contributes a great deal of positive skew.
Why not have a calculator that gives a range of performances? Such as,
Optimal Race Estimate: hh:mm:ss (using 1.07)
Realistic Race Estimate: hh:mm:ss (using 1.1)
Pessimistic Race Estimate: hh:mm:ss (using 1.15 or higher)
Optimal Race Estimate is the goal time for a goal race on a fast course in ideal conditions given proper training. Someone trying to set a contemporary PR at Boston, Berlin, Chicago, etc. would use this.
Realistic Race Estimate is the time for e.g. a tune-up race, or a goal race on a course with some added difficulty such as hot weather.
Pessimistic Race Estimate is the time where there are major factors that preclude an ideal effort, such as lack of training. The average race falls into this category.
And then we get back to the place where people with enough data in their running logs to make these kinds of predictors actually work, already know pretty much what they should be capable of.
Runners run.


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Dream team commence: Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg are making a movie about the Pentagon Papers leak, Deadline reported Monday.
This will mark the first time Streep and Hanks have shared the screen. It's also Streep's first live-action movie directed by Spielberg, though she did voice the Blue Fairy in an "A.I. Artificial Intelligence" cameo. Hanks and Spielberg have met a time or two. (Those times include "Saving Private Ryan," "Catch Me If You Can," "Band of Brothers," "The Terminal" and "Bridge of Spies.")
Titled "The Post" and based on a spec script by Liz Hannah, the movie chronicles the Washington Post's early-1970s efforts to expose the Pentagon Papers, which unmasked the United States government's deception about the scale of the Vietnam War. Streep has signed on to play WaPo publisher Kay Graham, and Hanks is on board as editor Ben Bradlee. Together, Graham and Bradlee battled the Nixon administration over their right to publish information from the documents.
Lending this project added timeliness, Streep and Hanks have been outspoken about media rights in the wake of Donald Trump's consistent attacks on the press.
"We need the principled press to hold power to account, to call them on the carpet for every outrage," Streep said while accepting the Cecil B. DeMille Award at January's Golden Globes. "That's why our founders enshrined the press and its freedoms in our constitution. So I only ask the famously well-heeled Hollywood Foreign Press and all of us in our community to join me in supporting the committee to protect journalists. Because we're going to need them going forward. And they'll need us to safeguard the truth."
Hanks first donated an espresso machine to the White House press corps during George W. Bush's administration, then replaced it while Barack Obama was in office. He gave the Washington journalists a new brewer last week, paired with a note that read, "Keep up the good fight for Truth, Justice, and the American Way. Especially the Truth part."
Here's a photo of the actors on the Screen Actors Guild Awards red carpet in 2014 with Rita Wilson:

subset: commoncrawl


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Prepare for the Fourth Imaging Wave
 Sep 14, 2017
Excerpt from Digital Imaging Reporter's State of the Industry 2017
Analog film, the first wave of photography, lasted more than 150 years, with over 1.5 trillion photos captured worldwide during this timeframe. In the 1990s, digital cameras kicked off the second wave: digital photography. Smartphones were introduced in the late 2000s, marking the third wave: mobile imaging.
Always-connected smartphones and social networks have changed how people take and share photos and videos. Mobile imaging is led by companies with no background in photography, such as Apple, Samsung, Facebook, Instagram and Snap.


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I grew up on the East Coast (Baltimore, MD) and have been following racing since Parx was Keystone. I somehow managed to avoid the Bensalem, PA oval until Tuesday, December 30, 2014, and I can now check it off my racetracks visited list.
I did not visit the casino but enjoyed watching the live racing, although it was quite cold outside.
Here I am enjoying the Parx Christmas decorations – Happy New Year!
Adirondack King (above) in the Parx winners' circle following a dead-heat win with Sailor's Revenge in the $75k Auld Lang Syne Stakes. I managed to hit the Superfecta and made a few bucks on the day…yay!
Praetereo after his 9-2 victory in the $75k Valley Forge Stakes. He was claimed for $40k on Nov 17 and was 0-for-10 on the year heading into Tuesday's race.
Photos by Stacy Edwards


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At first I didn't think I had anything in my stash that was exactly THIS colour...but I did find a Memories Mist and went with it!!
This is my entry in the May challenge...
I found an embossed sheet of white cardstock (well its probably more paper than card, quite thin) - tore a wide strip of Prima 'Discover' from the Delight collection - used the ledger half and then fussy cut the bike, sewing machine and corner bow...and a little banner! I wet the whole sheet with water and flicked a little Memories Mist 'red' and watched it bleed out...so cool! While it was drying, I gathered a bunch of chipboard pieces ( mostly randoms but the 'beautiful' is a Scrap FX Wordlet!) I proceeded to splatter the chipboard with assorted Stampin' Up! re-inkers, and Dylusion 'White Linen' when it went a little TOO dark...there is a couple of layers! I used the Prima Tag 'rubbish' and just turned it over to use as a base piece. Adhered the title and chipboard pieces before twirling the ribbon (how good is that colour match?) added some pearl bead centres (for a little glam) then covered the photo and splattered some darker drips - done! There is some Stampendous Fragments 'Burgundy' in there, but I bet you can't see them?
Katrina, Kerry and Julie are some of my favourite friends...we became friends through our husbands working together about 15 years ago - and still catch up when we can...even though life has taken each of us on different paths!
Alison x


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These keto Instant Pot recipes will make getting dinner on the table so much easier! Here are 23 fast and easy keto instant Pot recipes including low carb chicken, meat and fish recipes, soups, snacks, and side dishes.
Instant Pot cooking has really taken off in the last few years. For good reason—the Instant Pot makes short work of time-consuming recipes, like chicken, beef, and vegetables. Best of all, there so many delicious keto instant pot recipes out there!
For those of you unfamiliar with the Instant Pot, it's essentially an electronic pressure cooker. I've been an Instant Pot user for several years. Read my Instant Pot recommendation and suggestion for the 10 best Instant Pot accessories here. I've also shared some yummy paleo Instant Pot recipes (many of which are keto-friendly as well).
The greatest aspect of cooking keto meals in your Instant Pot is the time it saves. You'll enjoy juicy, delicious chicken, filling soups, perfect pulled pork, all in a fraction of the time. Many Instant Pot recipes are ready in 30 minutes or less.
The Instant Pot is extremely user-friendly as well. The digital display is easy to read and understand. If you have a favorite slow cooker or even stovetop recipe, a quick search will yield plenty of advice on making the recipe Instant Pot-friendly. One of the best resources I've found on converting slow cooker recipes for the Instant Pot is over at Kitchen Stewardship.
So if you're looking for delicious keto Instant Pot recipes, here are plenty of ideas to help you get started. Once you try cooking in the Instant Pot you'll be surprised at how easy it is.
Keto Instant Pot Recipes
Keto Soups & Snacks in the Instant Pot
The Instant Pot is so versatile. Of all the recipes I cook in it, probably one of my favorites is eggs (I make them just about every week!). They're a great snack and an easy grab-and-go option. Many slow cooker soups also translate very well to the Instant Pot, since it cooks with liquid. Don't limit your keto Instant Pot recipes to main dishes. Try a few soups and snacks as well!
Hard Boiled Eggs Cook Eat Paleo
Hard boiled eggs are absolutely foolproof in the Instant Pot. Technically, they're steamed rather than boiled, but the results turn out perfectly every single time. It's easy because most models of the Instant Pot have an "egg" setting. You simply add a cup of water, layer in your eggs, and press the button. The eggs are easy-to-peel and cooked perfectly. It's the perfect grab-and-go keto snack recipe (and great for paleo and Whole30 diets as well).
Instant Pot Keto Steak Bites from Fit Slow Cooker Queen
These steak bites are a great high-protein lunch, snack, or dinner. Because the meat is cubed in small pieces it cooks up quickly. You can serve a savory, meaty dish ready in less than 30-minutes. She suggests serving it over mashed cauliflower, which is a great vegetable option if you want to turn this keto recipe into a full meal.
Cauliflower Soup with Sausage from Fit Mom Journey
This cauliflower soup with sausage is dairy-free, grain-free, Whole30, keto and paleo friendly, making it a perfect recipe for almost everyone. I feel like cauliflower doesn't always get the credit it deserves. It's such a versatile vegetable. It's a great addition to this creamy, satisfying keto soup.
Lamb Stew from Paleo Mom
This recipe calls for lamb, but you could also swap in beef or another red meat. This stew is ready in 35 minutes in the Instant Pot. The flavors are the perfect comforting meal for fall or winter. This stew is low carb, keto, and paleo-friendly. It's hearty enough to work as a main dish but it's also a great soup option for a filling keto lunch.
Chicken & Fish Recipes for the Instant Pot
The Instant Pot works great for chicken and fish. Because the Instant Pot requires less cooking time, it takes a little practice to get used to. Once you've tried it though, you'll love how quickly you can cook moist and delicious keto-friendly chicken and fish dinners, your whole family will love.
Keto Pressure Cooker Chicken Recipe with Garlic Butter from Keto Summit
This keto Instant Pot chicken recipe is especially perfect if your family is following different diets as it's paleo and Whole30-compliant, as well as low-carb. And who doesn't love the flavor of garlic butter? This recipe uses ghee for the butter flavor.
Whole30 Bruschetta Chicken from Sustainable Cooks
This simple chicken comes together fast and flavorful in the Instant Pot. It's topped with all the yummy flavors of classic Italian bruschetta. This is a paleo, keto and Whole30 friendly recipe, with no grain or dairy. It's a perfect dinner option for everyone!
Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Salmon from Frozen from The Natural Nurturer
Frozen salmon is great to have on hand. It's often inexpensive and easy to store. Certain times of the year, you can find great deals on large cuts of salmon from big box stores like Costco. When you find a good price, stock up and cook this impressive Instant Pot dinner in minutes. With three minutes prep and only 17-minutes of cook time this is an impressive and healthy keto meal fit for a special dinner (but easy to throw together on a weeknight).
Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Meatballs from What Great Grandma Ate
Almond meal makes a delicious binding for these chicken meatballs. Buffalo sauce adds a flavorful kick (although you could also use a mild sauce as well). Meatballs are perfect with zoodles (zucchini noodles) or on their own. These cook up in 20 minutes in the Instant Pot, for another fast keto dinner recipe your whole family will enjoy!
Green Chili with Chicken from Serious Eats
This saucy, spicy chicken dish is a delicious low-carb dinner option. You can enjoy the chicken on its own as an appetizing stew, or you could serve it over a bed of cauliflower rice. This dish has great Mexican flavors. It's a quick and easy keto Instant Pot recipe.
Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken from Predominantly Paleo
Lemon garlic chicken is such an easy favorite. Using chicken thighs in the dish will be extra juicy and flavorful, but honestly, in the Instant Pot, chicken always turns out juicy, regardless of the cut. You could use breasts in this keto chicken dish as well. This chicken cooks up in about 15 minutes, so it's ready for a fast keto dinner any time. Just skip the arrowroot flour to keep it low carb.
Instant Pot Shrimp with Coconut Milk from Two Sleevers
Fish or seafood in the Instant Pot is often a challenge at first. Many new Instant Pot cooks struggle with getting the cooking times correct. This recipe outlines exactly how to cook tender, delicious shrimp in your Instant Pot, with very little effort. This is a great keto Instant Pot method for cooking shrimp.
Beef, Pork, & Lamb Instant Pot Recipes
Beef, pork, lamb and other meats are perfect for the Instant Pot. The liquid pressure-cooking means the meat is mouth-wateringly tender and juicy every time. The keto-friendly recipes you cook in the Instant Pot, always taste like they took all day to prepare (but many are ready in less than an hour)!
Instant Pot Pulled Pork from Cook Eat Paleo
My family absolutely LOVES this super easy pulled pork recipe! With just three ingredients it couldn't be simpler to get amazingly tender pulled pork that's perfect for sandwiches (with keto-friendly rolls, of course), pulled pork bowls, or lettuce wraps. There's no risk of dry, tough pork with the Instant Pot. Every Instant Pot recipe turns out succulent and delicious every time.
Instant Pot Chili Lime Steak Bowl from FoodNService
I absolutely love any dish with avocado. They're one of my favorite foods! So this Instant Pot chili lime steak bowl is perfect. The base of the bowl is creamy, yummy avocado, topped with flavorful Tex-Mex marinated steak. This would be a satisfying lunch or dinner. Best of all, this keto Instant Pot recipe is calls for only 15-minutes of cooking time!
Instant Pot Beef Bourguignon from Savory Tooth
Beef Bourguignon is a classic French dish known for a 6-hour cook time. The results are a delicious, tender, juicy beef stew that's company-worthy. The Instant Pot enables you to cook the same, flavorful and delicious dish in a fraction of the time. In fact, this meal cooks up in under an hour! This is a low-carb, keto recipe that will earn you rave reviews.
Ropa Vieja from My Heart Beets
This keto dish is a Cuban classic. Tender shredded beef is enhanced by a delicious tomato sauce with onions, pepper, spices, and vinegar. Yummy olives add dimension and additional savory flavors to this comfort food. This dish is great on its own or served over a bed of cauliflower rice. Like most keto Instant Pot recipes this dish can also be made in a slow cooker.
Instant Pot Green Chili Pork (Carnitas) from Tessa Domestic Diva
Pork shoulder roast is often on sale. If you find a great price, this Instant Pot recipe is a great keto dinner option. In a short time (about 35 minutes of cooking time) you'll enjoy tender, shredded meat with plenty of flavor. Cumin, coriander and garlic powder make this Instant Pot pork recipe extra savory and delicious.
Paleo Beef Barbacoa from Jay's Baking Me Crazy
This is a yummy, tender beef recipe that's a Chipotle copycat. This is the perfect addition to a salad over a bed of lettuce with guacamole. The tender, shredded beef melts in your mouth. It's ready in only an hour thanks to the Instant Pot, so you can enjoy a crowd-pleasing keto dinner tonight!
Keto Kalua Pork in an Instant Pot from Easy Day Keto
This keto Kalua pork is flavorful, smoky and delicious when cooked in your Instant Pot. Again, the Instant Pot is perfect for shredded and braised meats. It adds so much flavor and with the pressure, the meat is done in a fraction of the time.
Instant Pot Zucchini Bolognese from Nom Nom Paleo
This easy paleo and keto Instant Pot recipe is great for pairing with zoodles! Zucchini noodles are so delicious and simple to make. This is an easy, family-friendly dinner your kids will love too. The sauce is simple—meat, onions, spices. Look for the cleanest, highest quality sausage you can find for this keto dish.
Instant Pot Low Carb Goulash Soup from Kalyn's Kitchen
This low carb goulash soup with ground beef and peppers is a quick and easy dinner that's keto and gluten-free. And if you skip the optional sour cream it's paleo and Whole30 as well. Just swap out the sour cream for cashew cream or my favorite topping on anything and everything—guacamole!
Keto Side Dishes in the Instant Pot
The Instant Pot takes the extra work out of my favorite keto side dishes. When you cut the cooking time down to minutes, getting dinner on the table is a breeze. Even notoriously hard-to-cook vegetables like artichokes are ready quickly in the Instant Pot.
Brussels Sprouts from A Real Food Journey
Brussels sprouts are a savory favorite side dish, especially when they're cooked with bacon. Making them in the Instant Pot is fast and easy. Because of the bacon, these Brussels still turn out flavorful and smoky, even without roasting them in the oven. If your kids are on the fence with Brussels sprouts this keto side dish recipe will change their mind.
Cauliflower Faux Mashed Potatoes from Paleo Pot
Cauliflower mash cooks up in 20-minutes for an ultra-comforting side dish. The Instant Pot is perfect for getting tender cauliflower, ideal for mashing. You can use a ricer or a plain masher to blend up your cauliflower. Serve it with any of the beef recipes for a perfect keto dinner.
Steamed Artichokes from Flavorrd
Artichokes are another hard-to-prepare vegetable that's seemingly made for the Instant Pot. The pressure-cooking works so fast, to cook tender, ready-to-eat artichokes in just 20-minutes. Serve these with your favorite dipping sauce for a low-carb side dish or even a delicious keto lunch!
Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash from Cook Eat Paleo
Spaghetti squash is a low carb gluten-free pasta alternative that's super easy to make in the Instant Pot. No struggling with the knife to cut open the hard squash!
The Instant Pot takes a little bit of time to get used to, but once you give it a try, you'll be hooked. These yummy keto Instant Pot recipes are a great way to get started using the pressure cooker. In a fraction of the time, you'll enjoy a savory keto dinner that will please your whole family!


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BOSTON — A Minnesota man was charged today in federal court with hacking a protected computer and obtaining personal information of his co-workers. The charge is the result of an investigation being conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Trevor R. McDonald, 20, of Maplewood, Minn., was charged with violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.
According to court documents, between May 3 and June 6, 2011, McDonald launched a "brute force attack" against the servers of Workscape Inc., a Marlborough, Mass., company. Workscape hosted an employee benefits site for employees of FedEx Ground. McDonald, himself a FedEx Ground employee, allegedly created a computer program to hack into the Workscape system and obtain personal information about other FedEx Ground employees, including their names, addresses and social security numbers.
Based on information obtained during the investigation, it appears that McDonald never used or released this information. The victim companies have cooperated fully with the HSI investigation.
If convicted, McDonald faces a year in prison and a $100,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Harman Burkart, District of Massachusetts, is prosecuting this case.
HSI, the largest investigative agency in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), protects national security by enforcing the nation's immigration and customs laws. One of HSI's leading priorities is to combat criminal activity conducted on or facilitated by the Internet.
The HSI Cyber Crimes Center (C3) delivers computer-based technical services to HSI components to support domestic and international investigations into cross-border crime.
The Cyber Crimes Section, the Child Exploitation Section, the Computer Forensics Section and the Cyber Administration Section comprise C3. This state-of-the-art center offers cyber-crime support and training to federal, state, local and international law enforcement agencies. C3 also includes a fully equipped computer forensics laboratory, which specializes in digital evidence recovery. In addition, C3 offers training in computer investigative and forensic skills.
To learn more about C3, click here.


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Launch coincides with the Scottish Government's announcement to explore how it can become a leader in IoT technologies
Coverage of the Internet of Things (IoT) has been extended in Scotland to organisations and communities in Aberdeen, Dundee, Paisley and Orkney. It follows the roll-out of other low power wide area (LoRa) networks in Glasgow and Inverness. It means both rural and urban areas can explore the benefits of the IoT.
A consortium of experts are involved in deploying the networks which include CENSIS, the Scottish Innovation Centre for Sensor and Imaging Systems, and IoT and smart city connectivity specialists Stream Technologies and Boston Networks.
Allowing a host of everyday, even small and battery-powered, objects to send and receive data efficiently and reliably, the LoRa network will enable companies, communities, and public services to develop a range of new products and services. For example, the network could be used to develop building and indoor environmental monitors, pollution sensors, tags for tracking valuable assets or livestock, and social care devices designed to support independent and assisted living.
News of the initiative comes as Fergus Ewing, Scotland's Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity, announced yesterday (26 October) at a Westminster Forum conference the Scottish Government's commitment to explore making the country a leader in IoT technologies.
"Scotland has all the ingredients required to be a world-class digital location," said Mark Begbie, business development director at CENSIS: "As we roll out LoRa across the country, the affordable, open networks will give SMEs low-cost access to next-generation connectivity, helping them to grow through the development of new solutions and devices with global export potential.
"These new IoT networks will be a force for public good too, through the monitoring and protection of the vulnerable in society, as well as our historic sites and the environment. At the same time, they will open up opportunities for communities to develop their own solutions across a diverse set of potential applications.
"As we look to roll out the network through more urban and rural areas in Scotland, it will create a great deal of exciting opportunities for businesses and government across the country. It will also further our understanding of the potential benefits of this technology in both urban and rural economies. The IoT has the potential to be as disruptive as the internet has been already to daily life."
The deployment of the LoRa network in Orkney will build on the island's existing TV White Space (TVWS) technology, which uses VHF/UHF channels, released by the analogue TV switch-off, to transmit internet traffic wirelessly over long distances. It will complement this radio infrastructure for broadband delivery, by bringing top-of-the-range IoT connectivity to an island that has traditionally been right at the edge of internet and mobile networks.
Meanwhile, implementation throughout Paisley and parts of wider Renfrewshire will enhance the city's bid to be UK City of Culture 2021. The network will be used to monitor local social housing for damp and help tackle fuel poverty, as well as many other potential applications.
If you like this, you might be interested in reading he following:
More LoRa roll-outs expected in Scotland
The low power wide area network is playing a key role in CENSIS' strategy to stimulate demand for the IoT across the country
Scottish Highlands connects to the IoT
The low power, wide area network on Inverness Campus will enable private and public sector organisations and universities to work together to develop new business solutions
Glasgow city pioneers Internet of Things connectivity
A consortium of tech companies and local universities have installed the wireless network across 12 sq km of the city, including its commercial centre


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The magic ingredient of Flash Pack travel
At Flash Pack, we provide an antidote to nice-but-generic holidays. We don't do adventures that easily blur into one another.
Instead, we pack our trips with experiences so potent, you feel like you've been away for weeks. The group dynamic is key for us, but it can only play out if we use rich experiences as a starting point.
Our small crews of like-minded travellers bond precisely *because* they do amazing things together. And this just can't happen with your average run-of-the-mill itinerary.
"Authentic cultural experiences are really important to us," says Flash Pack co-founder Radha Vyas (pictured above, in Japan). "We won't take you to a famous sight, just because everyone else is doing it, if we don't think it's a really good experience.
"We try and stay away from anything too contrived, and create immersive local experiences in a meaningful way."
A life less ordinary
Whether you're learning how to cook with locals in the jungle-clad hilltops of Bali or canyoning the lagoons of Bohinj Valley in Slovenia, our trips aim to conjure up something fresh and different.
By coming on-board with us, you'll be stepping away from the hordes and into experiences that are distinct and energising.
It's an approach that Julie – who learnt how to bridge-swing with Flash Pack in the Scottish Highlands recently – appreciates.
"It was brilliant. It wasn't touristy," she says. "It felt very unique. I felt quite special, like all the details had been arranged really well."
Farewell, comfort zone
Challenges are an important part of our trips. As Flash Pack co-founder Lee Thompson notes, "We always try and throw people outside their comfort zones quite quickly".
And this, too, is something that makes the whole adventure formula more vibrant.
"It's not just going away and staying by the beach or by the pool and doing nothing for two weeks," says Craig, who joined our Peru expedition (an adventure that involves mountain climbing and a night-time cruise through the jungle, amid other highlights).
"You get all the adventure that you could want, plus that little bit of luxury with people that think and are the same sort of age as you. It's the perfect package."
Victoria, who signed up for our Jordan adventure, agrees that the challenge element is key.
"We went canyoning in the morning, which was kind of quite dangerous and we were all helping each other," she says. "And it was our first day, so we were all thrown into this environment where we were hauling each other up rocks and stuff like that."
A genuine snapshot
Of course, no-one can get to know a country in two weeks. But our trips are designed to get under the skin of different places as much as possible, so you walk away feeling like you have a good idea of what a particular culture is about.
Throwing yourself headfirst into immersive experiences – with a few lighter activities mixed in along the way (think cocktail-making and river tubing) – is the best way of doing this.
The fact that you are travelling with strangers also helps, as you'll be more open to experiences around you (rather than being distracted by who you're with, or the logistics of arranging everything).
"The itinerary was really good," says Agnes, who Flashpacked to Peru. "You get the flavour of the country, and the flavour of the experiences that really make you feel like you know part of the culture.
"You get to experience the country a lot more than if you would have done it with your friends, I think."
Plan your next Flash Pack adventure by checking out the schedule for our many eclectic trips right here.
Images: Flash Pack, Shutterstock


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Bijbelstudies, beschikbaar op onze Engelstalige website www.endtime-messenger.com per 1-1-2014
Studies van E. van den Worm:
- Called by the Spirit of God to take part unto the Marriage Supper of the Lamb of God and unto the Divine Marriage.
- Called to be made up to God's purpose with mankind: an eternal sanctuary of our almighty God and Father.
- God shall shake the Church and the world in the end-time.
- Jesus our Guide, Redeemer, Saviour, Sanctifier and Complete and Perfect maker.
- JOHN – The book about the life of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
- LUKE – The book of the NEW MAN in Christ (about Jesus, the High Priest, and how we, as priest of the most high God, must serve Him).
- Our earthly Divine calling: "And you shall by My witnesses".
- Sanctification.
- Soon there will be a Divine Wedding here on earth (namely, a great latter Rain, a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit in these last days).
- The 5 wise and the 5 foolish virgins and their destiny in the end-time.
- The 7 phases of the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- The 7 Spirits of God and of the Lamb of God (Revelation 4:5 and 5:6).
- The 7 thunderclaps of Revelation 10:3.
- The 10 fulfilled (perfect) laws of the Kingdom of heaven on earth (the Church), given by our Lord Jesus Christ.
- The Day of YaHWeH (and the development of the Church during that "Day").
- The Divine healing work in the Church of the end-time.
- The false state church of the last days (a co-ordinate institution of Christian Churches in the end-time.) The great harlot of Revelation 17.
- The ladder of God's blessing bringing grace.
- The New Jerusalem, the Bride of God's Lamb, the Body of Christ.
- The perfection in Christ on earth, in the end-time.
- The sermon of the Lord Jesus Christ on the mount (the constitution of the Kingdom of heaven on earth – part 1, 2, 3).
- The shed Blood of God's Lamb, Who now sits on heaven's throne, Who overcomes all satan's (sin)power.
- The tabernacle of Israel (God's prophetic model of the spiritual developments of a true child of God unto all perfectness).
- The ultimate, Divine GLORY of the true Church of the Lord Jesus Christ in the end-time, which is GREATER than the glory of the first Church.
- The victors; over (the power of) sin and satan in the last days.
- The wonderful works of the Holy Spirit in the end-time.
- Thou, people of Israel, wake up! (A prophetic Bible study with relation to the political repair and the complete return of the whole of Israel to Canaan).
- What God has prepared for those, who love Him.
- What Scripture teaches about the Millennium of King Jesus (the porch of the New Heaven and the New Jerusalem).
Studies van diverse schrijvers:
- A closer look at Christ's Second Coming / van A. Klein
- God and His Name /van WH Offiler
- The Tabernacle / van FG van Gessel
KLIK HIER voor de downloadpagina van bovenstaande studies.
KLIK HIER voor onze lijst met (korte) Engelse BLOG-studies / vervolgstudies.


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Voting Time for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
We're happy to welcome to the show Mike Litherland of Induct Janet who's been working tirelessly for several years to get the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to induct Janet Jackson. Mike is here to explain how the voting process works, the nominees for the 2017 class and who he thinks will get the final nod and get voted in this coming year. We also chat with Junior Hubbard of the JanFam Dance Experience and what you can expect if you decide to attend this event in a city near you. We wrap things up with two new remixes, one from Christina Aguilera called "Telepathy" and the other from Jessica Sanchez called "Stronger Together."
Image Source: Janet Jackson and Mikey Garcia


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1758-08-05 - Combat of Mehr
Hierarchical Path: Seven Years War (Main Page) >> Battles >> 1758-08-05 - Combat of Mehr
Allied Victory
In June 1758, Ferdinand of Brunswick had crossed the Rhine and undertaken a campaign on the western bank with the Allied army and defeated Clermont at Krefeld on June 23. He spent the month of July campaigning on this side of the Rhine. However, his long supply line across the Rhine with Hanover was very vulnerable. Indeed, it depended entirely on a single bridge at Rees guarded by a small detachment under Imhoff.
Contades, the new commander-in-chief of the French Army of the Lower Rhine, sent Chevert forward with a corps to attack this bridge. When Imhoff learned about the approaching French force, he left some 500 men to guard the bridge and deployed the rest of his detachment in a defensive position at Mehr, about 2 km upstream of Rees.
Zastrow was also detached with troops from Büderich and Rheinberg to reinforce Imhoff. He made his junction with him in the evening of August 4. Meanwhile, the garrison of Kleve (some 1,000 men) was also sent across the bridge but remained between Mehr and Rees and did not take part to the combats.
- Light blue: Imhof's positions at 8:30 a.m.
- Dark blue: Imhof's positions at 9:45 a.m.
- Medium blue: Stolzenberg's attack at 11:00 a.m.
- Red: Chevert's infantry positions at 10:00 a.m.
- Light red: Chevert's cavalry attack around noon
- Allies
- St : Stolzenberg
- J : Imhoff
- T : Toll
- E : Erbprinz
- S : Sachsen-Gotha
- G : Grenadiers
- Car. : Bückeburg Carabiniers
- French
- R : Reding brigade
- P : Périgord Infanterie
- F : Foix Infanterie
- R.L. : Royal Lorraine Infanterie
- Br. : Brancas Infanterie
- Ch. : Chavigny's vanguard
- R.D. : Du Roy Dragons
Imhof's front was covered with coppices and ditches with a rising ground on his right.
Description of Events
On August 5 at 6:00 AM, Chevert left his camp near Wesel. He had previously incorporated militia into some of his regular units.
At 7:00 AM, Chevert was in full march on the eastern bank of the Rhine towards Rees.
At 10:00 AM, Chevert arrived at the village of Diersfordt where he learned that the enemies had marched from Rees to the heights of the village of Mehr where they occupied the hedges. Furthermore, they had two redoubts behind the hedges. The French artillery opened fire to cover the advance of the infantry.
Imhoff had resolved to attack the French as soon as they would enter the difficult ground in front of his positions. He ordered his infantry to advance about 200 paces behind the first hedges. He also sent Stolzenberg Infantry upon his right, in a coppice, in order to fall upon the uncovered French left. He also gave orders to the other regiments to march, with drums beating up to the enemy and to attack them with bayonets as soon as they should hear the fire of the regiment in the coppice on the right.
Meanwhile, Chevert planned to send Chavigny forward towards Rees while he was dealing with Imhoff's forces at Mehr. However, he finally decided to send Chavigny directly against the village of Mehr where some 250 Allies held an isolated house and a post at the village entrance. Meanwhile, Chevert ordered Brancas brigade to deploy to the right of the road coming out of Mehr and Reding brigade to do so on the left side of the road.
Chavigny managed to chased the Allies from the house and the post at the village entrance and to advance some 300 paces beyond this post.
Chevert then ordered Brancas brigade to penetrate straight forward and to envelop the Allies left wing and a post in front of their centre from where a very lively musket and cannon fire was poured. Brancas brigade met obstacles who forced it to move to its left, partly through light woods running along the right of the road for about 500 paces, partly through dense hedges attached to the first abandoned house.
The Périgord, Royal Lorraine and Foy battalions, all belonging to the Brancas brigade, were the first to arrive on the road,and they moved between Chavigny's left and the right of the Reding Brigade. The three grenadier companies of the afore mentioned battalions marched in front of Chavigny's right, along the wood to contain Allied troops lying flat in this area.
Chevert then called back the Du Roy Dragons who were to the right behind the village. He also ordered Brancas Infanterie to close up to its left because the enemies seemed to be getting stronger on our left. Imhoff was indeed leading the Stolzenberg battalion against the left flank of the Reding brigade.
While Brancas Infanterie was reforming to support the centre, some militia from Chavigny's force began to retire and others refused to advance. Chevert was trying to rally the shaken militia when he heard the beginning of the attack of his left. This was Imhoff falling on the left flank of the Reding brigade at the head of the Stolzenberg battalion. Simultaneously, the Imhoff Regiment charged frontally at the point of the bayonet. Reding brigade, without waiting for orders fired a badly aimed volley and then retired quite disordered in the plain. M. de Voyer managed to rally them only to see them break once more.
Seeing the left wing of the French retiring, Zastrow ordered a general attack, driving the French off the field. Chavigny's ranks, seriously depleted by the flight of the militia, was repulsed, Chavigny himself being wounded. His entire force then retreated. Brancas Brigade, now isolated and unsupported, soon broke as well. During the precipitous retreat, the French lost ten of their guns and left several ammunition wagons and carriages behind them.
Chevert then moved the Du Roy Dragons into the small plain behind the village of Mehr. These dragoons, by their good behaviour, momentarily stopped the Allies. This gave time to all the infantry to gain the heights located in the heather of the village of Diersfordt about 1 km from Mehr. The French established two guns on these heights to fire on the heads of the Allied columns.
Chevert finally ordered retreat through Diersfordt, where his corps stopped for an hour to wait for the laggards and for the mobile hospital, and back to Wesel.
The French lost 517 men (including 354 soldiers and 11 officers taken prisoners) and 10 guns. The Allies lost some 200 men killed or wounded.
The bridge at Rees was saved but the danger of losing it to the French was one of the factors who convinced Ferdinand to recross to the eastern bank of the Rhine during the night of August 9 to 10.
Order of Battle
Allied Order of Battle
Commander-in-chief: General von Imhoff
Summary: 6 battalions, 2 grenadier companies, 4 squadrons for a total force of about 3,500 men
- Infantry (6 bns)
- Hanoverian Infantry
- Stolzenberg (1 bn)
- Sachsen-Gotha (1 bn)
- Hessian Infantry
- Brunswicker Infantry
- Imhoff (2 bns)
- Hanoverian Infantry
- Grenadiers (2 coys)
- Cavalry (4 sqns)
- Hanoverian Busche Dragoons (4 sqns)
- Bückeburg Carabiniers (about 40 men)
French Order of Battle
Commander-in-chief: M. de Chevert assisted by MM. de Vallogny, Le Hausseur and Derville.
- First Vanguard Detachment under M. de Chavigny, lieutenant-colonel of Brancas Infanterie
- 1st Line: 4 guns à la suédoise
- 2nd Line (from left to right):
- Volontaires de Pajet
- Volontaires de Cambefort (the Chasseurs de Cambefort were raised only in 1759)
- Volontaires de Muret
- 3rd Line (detached from Köln):
- Grenadiers of Conty Infanterie (2 coys)
- Grenadiers of the Cambrésis Infanterie (1 coy)
- Grenadiers of the Royal Roussillon Infanterie (1 coy)
- 4th Line: Militia Grenadiers (9 coys)
- 5th Line: Detachment of the Corps Royal de l'Artillerie (200 men)
- 6th Line: Militia (100 men)
- 7th Line:
- Feslev ferrymen
- Detachment of the Corps Royal de l'Artillerie (100 men)
- Left flank of the column: 50 hussars (unspecified unit)
- Right flank of the column: 50 hussars (unspecified unit)
- Vanguard
- Front rank: Du Roy Dragons (4 sqns)
- Left column: Reding Brigade under the Chevalier de La Marck as brigadier and the Marquis de Voyer as maréchal de camp
- Reding (2 bns)
- La Marck (2 bns)
- Royal Barrois (1 bn)
- Right column: Brancas Brigade under Milord Hamilton as brigadier and the Comte de Vence as maréchal de camp
- Brancas (2 bns)
- Périgord (1 bn)
- Foix (1 bn)
- Royal Lorraine (1 bn)
The mobile hospital followed.
This article incorporates texts from the following books which are now in the public domain:
- Anonymous, A Complete History of the Present War, from its Commencement in 1756, to the End of the Campaign, 1760, London, 1761, pp. 304-305
- Chevert, M. de, Relation of the combat of Mehr, 1758
- Hotham, The operations of the Allied Amy under the command of his Serene Highness Prince Ferdinand Duke of Brunswic and Luneberg beginning in the year 1757 and ending in the year 1762, London: T. Jefferies, 1764, pp. 58-59
Other sources
Évrard, Philippe, Praetiriti Fides
Rogge, Christian, The French & Allied Armies in Germany during the Seven Years War, Frankfurt, 2006


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WHAT-A-DEAL: In celebration of Whataburger's 60th anniversary, every dine-in customer decked out in orange will snag a free Whataburger (just the sandwich) from 5 to 8 p.m. tonight.
"Whataburger has been blessed with 60 years of success thanks to the loyalty of our customers, the hard work of our employees and the commitment of our Franchisees," Whataburger Chairman and CEO Tom Dobson said in a press release. "In 1950, when our Dad opened the first Whataburger in Corpus Christi, he served over 400 customers that first day. Here we are, sixty years later, and on any given day, we serve over 460,000 customers. We are thankful for the success our family-owned company has achieved and eager to continue serving our customers for many more years."
CHEAP CABANA: All Dallas-area Taco Cabana locations are promoting the restaurant's happy hour by giving away free chicken fajita tacos tonight from 4 to 9 p.m.
Just a few weeks ago, the Cabana wheeled in a taco truck to Fort Worth Sundance Square for a free taco promotion -- but tonight's deal should be far more accessible.
Got more deals and discounts we should know about? Send an e-mail to firstname.lastname@example.com.


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The Walking Dead Covers
The Walking Dead # 31
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It's Michonne versus the world... and she's completely pissed off with the world. And Rick will get some unexpected help to get out of this situation.
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HUNDREDS of peace campaigners gathered at the home of the UK's nuclear deterrent for an international rally yesterday.
Around 600 demonstrators holding banners and waving CND flags and Saltires walked from the peace camp at Faslane in Argyll and Bute to the gates of HMNB Clyde, where the country's nuclear submarines are based.
Key figures from the disarmament movement were among those attending the Nae Nukes Anywhere rally, including representatives from the US, Israel, Russia and Germany.
They were welcomed in an address by Scottish makar Jackie Kay, who read three poems for the occasion.
There was a large police presence outside the north gates of the base, where protesters gathered.
Flavia Tudoreanu, of Scottish CND, said: "We want people to know that Scotland does not want nuclear weapons and aligns itself with the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons Treaty which was passed last year.
"We want to put the message out that Scotland opposes nuclear weapons and we would love to sign the treaty but we can't.
"It's been a year since the treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons was adopted.
"It's got more than 60 countries now signing and many of them have ratified.
"Internationally speaking there's a lot of progress being made in disarmament."


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For a long, long time I have wanted to try cooking a sponge. I gather they can be pretty hard to make, some people can never pull it off, and others just have the knack. I have long remembered a comment my father made when I was a child about his aunties making sponges from heaps of eggs, which I thought just sounded fun, and decadent. So when the Cook's Sponge began, baking a sponge was at the top of my list. I've never really believed that baking is about magic, or having the knack, it's just about having the knowledge. Following the recipe.
|Check out the HEIGHT on that baby!
So I tried. And I tried and I tried. And I don't really want to talk about it. I rang my own aunt who is a bit of pro, and read all sorts of things and got all sorts of advice, on how to beat the eggs and how many times to sift the flour and which brand of cornflour to use and whether to grease the sides of the tin. My favourite tip was the one where you drop the tins on a hard floor as soon as they come out of the oven to knock the air bubbles out of the cake and stop it from sinking. I definitely tried that one, whipping out the back door and dropping them with great delight straight down on to my patio. But really I should have just thrown them across the patio.
They were all sort of edible, but that's not really the ultimate aim of cooking is it? The problem that kept repeating itself was how flat they were. Hopelessly flat. I even started getting suspicious of my oven and started blaming my tools...
So we've been away for a few days in Greytown this week, staying on a farm. As always, the Saturday DomPost featured a recipe from Alison and Simon Holst. I have never been particularly inspired to try their Saturday night contributions, but I certainly raised an eyebrow when I saw their Cornflour Sponge. And I couldn't believe how high it had risen! I was also curious about a recipe that had only cornflour, and no standard flour. Perhaps this was the key.
And that was that, I had to try. With two children rising at a revoltingly early hour because they were sleeping in strange beds, I had plenty of time to fill. It's just a pity I had to turn the oven on in the 34 degree heat.
The result was fantastic! They were higher than I could ever have believed! What do you reckon? I think I have cracked it, and won't look at another sponge recipe ever again. Thanks Alison and Simon.
There's actually not a lot to do. Just keep your wits about you and follow the instructions closely.
I know the traditionalists only do strawberry jam and cream in the middle with icing sugar on top, but I wanted cream on top, so I added mock cream to the centre (beat equal quantities butter, sugar, boiling water).
Does this excite you? Do you want to make a sponge? Do you want to eat a sponge? You don't find them in cafes these days, and even if you did, would you choose it over a brownie or a lemon syrup cake? I really enjoyed it very much, but feel as though it's a rare occasion that calls for a sponge. Perhaps just an ordinary Sunday summer afternoon is all you need. I could definitely eat this often. It's a sugar hit though, so don't do it every Sunday. Glucose/dextrose doesn't work so don't attempt it (believe me), you'll have to go for the full-fat version this time.
Aside from a few wording changes from me, all credit to Team Holst for the recipe below.


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With its 20 arrondissements connected by a busy metro system, Paris can feel intimating at first. The key to planning a Paris itinerary with kids is to plan your days ahead of time, grouping destinations by proximity and utilizing walking tours to bridge the gaps (figuratively and literally).
When planning our five days in Paris, I started by making a list of our must-do's, which included the usual suspects: the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Sacre Coeur, Notre Dame, and d'Orsay. Of course, at this point in my planning, I knew I was missing a lot. To properly fill out my itinerary, I utilized itinerary planning services that offer local recommendations, walking tours, and dining picks. Once I had 'B list' destinations and restaurants in the mix, I organized my days based on where we could walk after only one or two metro rides per day. Finally, I bought every ticket possible ahead of time, including Paris Museum Passes, which allowed us to skip every entrance queue we found (and we found quite a few).
Itinerary services we recommend:
I've known the folks at Momaboard for years, and I was thrilled to learn they'd launched their trip planning program. Momaboard pairs traveling families with local experts with kids of their own. After a brief questionnaire about our trip, the ages of our kids, and our interests and goals, our Momaboard expert put together several days' worth of itineraries for us, including detailed directions, dining recommendations, and fun facts en route.
How I used this information: certainly, families can use the itineraries 'out of the box'. They're ready to go. However, since I already had a very loose sketch of our our days would look, I instead mixed and matched the attractions suggested. For instance, our Momaboard itinerary suggested a morning in Montmartre followed by an afternoon near the Eiffel Tower. I did both, but broke them up into two different days. By far the most useful part of our Momaboard itinerary: the dining recs. We are not foodies, and we have hungry teens to feed, and all the restaurant picks were right on target for us.
We also tried out Travelove on this trip. Similar to Momaboard in that Travelove uses local itinerary-builders and asks families questions ahead of time, Travelove printed us a multipage, bound guidebook with custom itineraries, walking tours, and maps…lots and lots of useful maps. They also put together a journal/activity book for our ten-year-old that included custom-built questions and activities based on our particular itinerary. He had a lot of fun with it.
By far, the best attribute of our Travelove service was the walking tours suggested. They went point-by-point, with great maps and descriptions. For instance, they put together an excellent walk from the Tuileries to the Lourve, which we actually walked in reverse. Starting at the Lourve after our morning there, we walked along the Seine past the booksellers, Latin Quarter, and Notre Dame, learning things along the way.
Here's what our itinerary looked like by the time we'd implemented both these services and gathered ideas from other guidebooks. (I recommend Rick Steves.) Our must-dos we started with are highlighted.
Day 1:
Metro from our neighborhood in Montmartre to Musee de Lourve. Morning at the Louvre, followed by a walking tour along the river through the Latin Quarter to Notre Dame. Dinner in the Hotel D'Ville area. Metro back 'home' in time to walk to Sacre Coeur at night to watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle.
Day 2:
Metro from our neighborhood to the Eiffel Tower area, where we booked a morning Fat Tire Tour of the Concorde and Invalides area. (See separate post.) Lunch at street vendors under the tower, followed by a stop at a creperie recommended by Momaboard. Timed tickets to go up the Eiffel Tower at sunset.
Day 3:
Metro from our neighborhood to the d'Orsay Museum, followed by a shorter stint in the Rodin courtyard (recommended by a tour guide). Built-in 'free' afternoon; we spent it watching the new Star Wars movie followed by a visit to the Paris catacombs.
Day 4:
Toured the area near the Arc d'Triumph and Champs Elysees, including dining recommendations from Momaboard. We concluded our day with a boat tour along the Seine, and explored the seasonal Christmas markets. Almost all of this day was built out based on local recommendations.
Day 5:
Viator tour through Normandy to see D-Day beaches and museums (see separate post).
Getting around:
We used the Paris metro system exclusively. We found it very easy to use once we got our bearings, with good signage and multiple stops. Each day, we hopped on the metro from our Montmartre neighborhood (Chateau Rogue stop) and rode it multiple times per day. To do this, we found multi-day metro passes to be crucial (see below).
A word on the Paris Museum Pass:
The Paris Pass allows families to skip the long lines at museums, and gives parents the freedom to plan shorter museum visits (with the pass, it's no big deal if you only spend 30 minutes checking out 2-3 major works). Kids are free at almost all museums (18 and under) which is wonderful, but if they don't have a kids' Paris Pass, you'll still need to wait in line to get them a ticket (silly, I know). Because the Paris Pass comes included with a multi-day metro pass, it may be worth it to pay for kids' passes along with adults, so everyone can skip the lines. Without these passes, we would have waited over an hour to get into the Lourve and Notre Dame each (instead we walked in immediately). Look for the Paris Pass or advanced tickets queue, or ask for it. Note: a few locations indicate they 'don't guarantee line skipping', such as Notre Dame. I asked the guard at the start of the line politely if we needed to wait in line, showing our Paris Pass, and he waved us right in.
General tips:
Seek out the less touristy cafes and food carts, but not at the expense of hunger. After hours in the Lourve, we knew we should go in search of a crepe or baguette, but everyone was hungry and tired and ready to revolt if we walked in the wrong direction. The museum cafe sufficed (and actually had very good takeaway sandwiches).
Give kids spending money: there are so many tempting treats as you walk along the streets in Paris, you'll be saying 'no' every ten minutes if you're asked to open your wallet that often. Give kids money of their own to spend on tasty but small change treats such as macarons, eclairs, and crepes.
What are your best tips for touring Paris with kids?


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1 1/2" Mosaic Jasper Earrings (Item#WE6)
SKU: Item#WE6
per item
These are Mosaic Jasper earrings and approximately 1 1/2" in length. They are Sterling Silver and Hallmarked .925. These earrings are teardrop in shape, on a raised mount and encircled by Bali design silver. The stones are smooth, shiny and a mixture of reds, yellows, and greens splashed over them. Very festive and new with tags.


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Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Properties of Phenolic Extracts from Bitter Melon (Momordica Charantia) Fruit and Their Potency to Fight Infectious Diseases Through Their Immunomodulatory EefectWritten by Ronny Horax, Navam Hettiarachchy, Pengyin Chen, Shahidul Islam, Michael Johnson
Ronny Horax,1,2 Navam Hettiarachchy,1 Pengyin Chen,3 Shahidul Islam,4
and Michael Johnson1
1Department of Food Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72704, U.S.A.
2Department of Pharmacy, Health Polytechnic, Makassar, Sul-sel 90223, Indonesia
3Department of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences, University of Arkansas,
Fayetteville, AR 72701, U.S.A.
4Department of Agriculture, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, AR 71601, U.S.A.
BACKGROUND : Bitter melon (Momordica charantia L.), a member of cucurbitaceae, is cultivated for its edible fruit as a vegetable and for medicinal purposes. Phenolic compounds from fruits and vegetables have been intensively studied due to their potency to prevent oxidative damages by quenching free radicals as well as inhibit microbial growth. Due to consumer preferences on natural products over synthetic substances, there is an increase demand for the use of plant phenolic extracts for minimizing oxidation in food products or combating diseases.
OBJECTIVE -Our study aimed to determine phenolic contents in bitter melon fruit tissues, extract the phenolics using aqueous ethanolic solvents, and evaluate the obtained phenolic extracts for their antioxidant and antimicrobial activities.
RESULTS-The phenolic contents of separated bitter melon tissues (pericarp/fleshy portion, rind/seed coat tissue, and seed) from various varieties ranged from 4.64 to 8.94 mg chlorogenic acid equivalent (CAE)/g (dry weight basis) with the main phenolic compounds were gallic acid, gentisic acid, catechin, chlorogenic acid, and epicatechin. Total phenolic assessment demonstrated 80% of ethanol to be the optimal solvent to extract phenolics either from pericarp or seed of the mature bitter melon fruits. Similar to the total phenolic contents, there were significant effects of the ethanol levels as the extraction solvents on their antiradical extract power values (P < 0.05) that ranged from 40 to 81 mg DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl)/g extract; 80% ethanol extract showed the most effective antiradical power. The extracts were more effective as antimicrobial agents specifically against infectious foodborne pathogenic Gram positive bacteria such as L. monocytogenes (> 4 log CFU/mL reduction) and nominally effective in inhibiting Gram negative bacteria such as E.coli and S. Typhimurium (<3 log CFU/mL reduction).
CONCLUSION -The phenolic extracts from bitter melon fruit flesh were more effective than those from bitter melon fruit seeds. These natural plant phenolic extracts can be a potential antioxidant and antimicrobial agent for application in food system. The phenolic compounds with antioxidant activities in bitter melon extracts could also have a potency as natural immunomodulators for curing infectious diseases. These extracts could be used alone or concomitantly with antibiotics to fight future infectious diseases through their potential immunomodulatory activity by either preventing phagocytosis caused by leukocyte migration as a normal immune response to infections, regulating macrophage and lymphocyte activations, or minimizing oxidative stresses that can cause autoimmune disorders resulting higher susceptibility to infections.


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Happy New Year! Allow me to introduce myself. I am Tina Westbrook, and I am a writer. I know, it kind of sounds like an intro at an AA meeting, but it's actually one of the things I have put on my New Year's Resolutions list, but I'll get to that shortly. For now, I will entertain you with some highlights of what I do and who I am. Okay, maybe it will entertain you and maybe it won't, but either way I'm doing it, so here we go: I write books. What genre you ask? Well, I write thrillers. I enjoy books that leave me wanting more and I hope that's what I leave my readers with. I also enjoy books that have that, "Gotcha," ending and you sit there saying, "Oh dang! I never saw it coming!" Yeah, that's me. I figure if I like to read books like that, I might as well write them. Some of my recent titles (all available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million and any other place you typically purchase books) are Death by Consent: An Erotic Thriller, Coffee with the Devil, and Cloak of Sanity. My most recent book, A Presence in New Orleans, coincidentally launched on January 1, 2014. Do you like the way I just plugged it? Yep, I'm pretty sly.
Besides writing, I'm an avid reader – bet you never saw that coming – but I never read if I'm currently working on a manuscript. I have a fear I'll read something and it will influence what I'm working on, so I don't risk it. It's commonly referred to as paranoia, but I'm okay with that.
My other interests include photography, travel (I could go on-and-on about travel,) social media, and music. But enough about me, let's discuss my writing oriented resolutions. Ooops, I guess that's still about me. Oh well, if I find them worthy of making, maybe others will, too!
To be perfectly honest, I've never been one to make resolutions. I've always felt that making resolutions – on the first day of a brand new year – was basically setting my own self up for a year of disappointment. Then in late October, 2013, I made a snap decision to join NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month,) and write a novel in thirty days. That got me to thinking; if I could buckle down and write daily for a month, then why can't I do it all the time? The answer to that question was lack of discipline. So, I resolve to….
1) Write daily, whether I want to or not: I learned from participating in NaNoWriMo that despite my years of saying, "I have to be in the mood to write, I can't just write for the sake of writing," I was merely lacking discipline. It's true that creativity can't be forced, but if you don't sit down and just write, you don't know what creativity you might be missing out on.
2) Try something new: I confess, I always write in third person. This year I resolve to write a novel in first person. It couldn't hurt (too much) if I step out of my comfort zone.
3) Give another writer a gift: This year, I'm going to read four books that no one is talking about. And when I'm done reading them, I'm going to review them. Let's face it, being a writer can be downright difficult. This year I resolve to pay it forward.
4) Call myself a writer: This goes back to what I mentioned in my introduction. I'm one of those people (writers) who never refer to myself as a writer. In my mind, despite the fact that my sixth novel is now available and I'm currently writing my seventh, I don't really consider myself a writer. I tend to think I dabble in writing. This year I resolve to stop thinking that way. The truth is; if you write, you are a writer.
Of course, resolutions aren't written in stone, they're nothing more than a formality. But, when we resolve to do something, little or big, we plant a seed. If we tend to what we plant, it grows. With that, I wish each and every one of you a year of personal and professional growth.
After a traumatic life-changing event, novelist Levi Brashear is unable to move forward. With a deadline looming, his agent and publisher begin to apply pressure and Levi experiences writer's block for the first time.
Turning the events of the past twenty-six years over-and-over again in his mind, he realizes the only story he can tell is his own.
Set in New Orleans, Louisiana, Levi Brashear is about to discover ghosts exist beyond his own imagination.
Turning the events of the past twenty-six years over-and-over again in his mind, he realizes the only story he can tell is his own.
Set in New Orleans, Louisiana, Levi Brashear is about to discover ghosts exist beyond his own imagination.


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This is entertainment. Lies are entertainment.
I love InnerPartySystem so much. We put out an ep very quietly a couple weeks ago, and the response has been amazing -- and all offline. Like, people are actually going to stores and picking up their EP. I can appreciate that.
They're a trip. When they played the ST CMJ show it was like NIN meets the Chemical Brothers. Their light show was over the top and I felt a wash of lights all around me and total bliss.
Here, you can have a song for free: Innerpartysystem - "Don't Stop" (right click/save as)
More on their Myspace (where you can find a list of stores carrying their EP)
And tourdates:
26 October - Boston, MA - Harper's Ferry (Paper Party)
30 November 2007 M Room Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
5 December 2007 The Orchard NYC New York, New York
12 December 2007 Piano's New York, New York
20 December 2007 Legend's Reading
and check out this psychedelic video:
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sarah's so boring ever since she stopped drinking
music. musings. mumblings. mine.
a personal blog that used to be about my sobriety.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
3 comments:
I have to say that I am very much in love with Innerpartysystem. We have a review of the EP coming soon.
- October 25, 2007 at 1:06 PM
I saw them at dingy little Rex's in West Chester about a year ago and you knew--just knew--that they were meant for so much more. I'm really pleased to see them getting the recognition they deserve. and honestly, Sarah? THEY are your breakout act on Stolen Transmission.
- October 25, 2007 at 6:27 PM
- The Dagger said...
i love INTERNpartysystem so much.
- October 25, 2007 at 7:06 PM
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Sylvia Tosun, Linda Mertens, AnnaGrace,Gabry Ponte
Sylvia Tosun house diva came on dance scene with two new songs, the first one is a remix made for Alex M.O.R.P.H."World Keeps Turning" and the 2nd it's a collaboration between Alex M.O.R.P.H. and it's called "An Angel's Love" trance anthem of 2011 named by Armanda Music. All the tunes can be found on digital megastores.
Milk inc lead singer Linda Mertens cover this week P-Magazine.
AnnaGrace made for Q music 10th annyversary a cover of Black Eye Peas,the tune was recorded in Regi studio with Jelle Lasgo and Kate Ryan you can see it here.
Gabry Ponte former Effel 65 release a new single called Skyride, the tune was release in Italy on July, and the video for this video gather almost 305000 visits.
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Shaun Baker, Gabry Ponte, Groove Coverage
Gabry Ponte joined forces with italian legend rapper and songwriter, Jovanotti, the new single is called "Tutto l'amore che ho(All the love that i have)" and was released this month on beatport and itunes.
Groove Coverage just release the new video" Innocent", a preview here.
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Eurodance News
Alexandra Prince release the new single it's called "Treat Me Right", the EP was made in collaboration with Chic Flowerz and was released officially on November 5.
Twenty 4 Seven released on itunes a "Best of". More infos here
Marcia Juell and the project CyberSutra were nominated at IDMA,and you can vote for them here
Gabry Ponte made a mash up of "Barbra Streisand" and can be listen here.
Susana( Armin Van Buuren) release a new single called "If I Could" from her recent material "Closer". The EP was made with Bart Claessen and will be official released on December 20. More infos here.
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Mylène Farmer, Helena Paparizou, Gabry Ponte
Mylène Farmer I really love this european singer not because it's beatiful and she has that 50's look of classical french actor, 'cause it's enigmatic person and rumors are hunted her like ravens looking for dead bodies... A few years ago european press named her Madonna because she has more fans then her ... and it's a notorious singer every appearance it's a subject for French tabloids... now i leave the description of this big star alone and i will tell you what i saw o her twitter fanbase account that a new single it's one the way, the name it's "Oui mais... non" and it's # 1 on top of downloads and includes remixes by Chew Fu the same who remixed the new single from Ysa Ferrer "French Kiss".
Helena Paparizou the winner of ESC in 2005 and ex lead singer of eurodance project Antique posted on her twitter account that her new single it's called "Psaxno Tin Alitheia"(Searching For The Truth) , the truth we try to find also...!? why she forgot her european fans and why is still doing greek music and also why she posted this single released in May !? i think we never find the answers to this questions!? because Helena forgot us and it's concentrated over her greek public....
Gabry Ponte(former member Eiffel 65)made a new remix to Italian project Fabri Fibra and the name of his song is "Vip in trip" like the the title, the subject is very common: Television , and how it's manipulate the people, with a very hilarious video, where appears and italian premier Silvio Berlusconi, the project it's ready for italian dance tops.
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Pandora, Gabry Ponte, Kim Sozzi
Pandora's single "You Believed" was release in Europe by Toco-international. You can buy the single here.
Gabry Ponte release a new song called "Love 2 Party", a song made in collaboration with SpoonFace and was dropped out on August 30. Infos about the single here.
Kim Sozzi the american dance singer from Melville it's working on her future EP, after "Just one day" who was a success, Kim thought that it's time for a another smash hit EP called "Rated-R", i don't know if is a cover after Rihanna but soon will find out when the tune will be available on all digital megastores.
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Daniel Aminati , Gabry Ponte,BBB
Daniel Aminati finally comes back on the music scene with a new single after a long long waiting.The song is written in german and is called Wie Keiner Dieser Herrn (As Nobody Else).It is available for online download from 22 May 2009 and released as single on 29 May 2009.The style of this track is totally oldtime defined but the three bonus remixes are currently modern electro and house.
Daniel is popular as member of the boyband Bed & Breakfast til 1996 and as a speaker on the german TV Channel Pro 7 today. He takes parts in several social and charity programms. Musically he recorded one solo album called I Feel At Home in 1999 and some solo singles :Turn Me Up (96), I Want You Back (97), My Greatest Love (99), With You I Wanna Be (99), When I Give My Love To You (99) and Happy By Mistake(2006).
Drum Mode is proud to present a collaboration between 3 veteran and well respected artists of the international dance industry. Teaming up are the fabulous Victoria Wilson James (ex The Shamen) and Dutch production duo Jaimy & Kenny D.
Together they have recorded a song Never Stop which is originally written and performed by The Brand New Heavies and was one of their biggest successes back in the early 90s.
Gabry Ponte , the famous italian dj and member of Eiffel 65, presents his new album Gabry 2.o Vol. 2 recorded in 2009. In 2008 he released the Vol. 1 . This album contains his latest single Ocean Whispers with a popular sax melody similar to Guru Josh's Infinity.
Ferry Corsten presents his new album compilation Corstens Countdown 100 - 2009.
Roger Sanchez , the american dj star producer and remixer, presents his latest compilation Release Yourself Vol. 8 - 2009.
Crystal Method The british techno band Crystal Method released their new album in 2009 called Divided By Night. It contains 12 new tracks in a brand new style for the band, some of them are Dirty Thirty, Drawn In The Now and Smile.
Bad Boys Blue According to their last album Heart & Soul, Bad Boys Blue will release the new album compilation Rarities Remixed on 19 June 2009. It will be published by Coconut Records Germany.The album will contain 10 old remixed hits as "Jungle In My Heart", "House Of Silence" and "Follow The Light".The album can be found here
News written by Krassik
Klubbingman's new single Another Day Another Night feat Trixi Delgado reached #72 in the Media Control German charts.
Infernal started their summer tour, 30 dates through Denmark. They opened their own shop, where you can find all kind of Infernal goodies...
Real McCoy O'jay announced on his Myspace that he completed the recordings and the final mixing for the new album on friday last week. "We're taking a break for the rest of this week and going to start fresh next monday with the preparations for our live set-up" he explains.
Kandystand announced the title of their next single on Twitter : "Open Your Heart", a Madonna cover with an electro touch.
News by Karine Sanche
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Why might my dentist recommend Yomi?
Yomi patients experience a new level of care with the benefits of robotic assistance. Yomi gives your dental team important information on your teeth and jaws that helps them personalized treatment for your specific needs. The system robotically guides your dentist's hand to achieve that plan. The technology allows the dentist to adapt the plan per their expertise and your patient care needs.
Yomi empowers your dental team to provide you with personalized, precise, enhanced patient care.
Are you preparing for dental implant surgery?
Yomi-Enabled Surgery is a state-of-the-art treatment to help you get your smile back!
Yomi Patient FAQs
What is Yomi-Enabled Surgery?
Yomi provides assistance to the dental surgeon in planning and placing your implants. Yomi provides dental surgeons with robotic guidance during surgery. This helps your dental team place your implant precisely for a natural look and feel.
Are robotic procedures new?
Robotic assistance is becoming a standard of care in medicine, used to help over one million patients every year[1]. Yomi is the first and only system for robotic guidance for dental surgery in the United States.
Does Yomi replace my dental surgeon?
Yomi does not replace your dental surgeon. Yomi gives your dental surgeon helpful assistance. The dental surgeon holds onto and directs the Yomi instruments. Yomi combines your dental surgeon's skill with the benefits of robotic surgery.
What can I expect with Yomi surgery?
If Yomi is right for you, your dental team will create a custom treatment plan with Yomi software. During surgery, Yomi will assist your dental surgeon. Yomi will provide important information that your dental surgeon can feel, hear and see.
"Yomi doesn't operate autonomously, meaning I can't go home and leave the robot operating for me. It assists me at the time of surgery. It helps reduce the risks associated with free-hand surgery. It's a way to guarantee that we're going to go where we want to go."
Dr. Guillermo Chacon
Oral & Facial Surgery Centers of Washington
Efficient Treatment
Yomi allows for same-day implant surgery for candidate patients.
Ask your dentist if you may be a candidate.
Minimally Invasive
Yomi may allow your dentist to provide surgery with smaller incisions and no sutures.
Ask your dentist if you may be a candidate.
Yomi helps your dentist plan and place your implant precisely for a return to dental function and a brilliant smile.
Be sure to discuss all treatment options with your dental provider. Your dental team will look at your medical and dental history. Your dentist can then recommend a good option for you.
Elevated Patient Experience
Yomi promotes a more convenient treatment experience, with fewer visits, due to a digitally guided flow. Yomi allows for same-day implants and minimally-invasive surgery for candidate patients.
Yomi assists dental team in providing highly efficient treatment, for an elevated patient care experience.
With Yomi, the doctor and the staff have more time and attention on you and what's going on with you"
– Jane Bozarth, Yomi patient
Confident Patient Care
"Because of Yomi, my dental surgeon was able to do it all at once…it saved four month's time and also the cost of having to come in for a second appointment. I'm very happy with the experience"
– Kathleen, Yomi patient
"A common misconception among patients is that Yomi does the surgery. I still perform the surgery and the machine helps to guide my direction."
Dr. Eddie KotaryAdvanced Dentistry
What are other ways my dentist may place my dental implant?
Free-hand is the traditional technique for dental implant surgery. In free-hand surgery, the surgeon uses a hand-held instrument to place your implant. The surgeon places the implant after looking closely at your bone, gums, and nearby teeth. Exact implant placement can sometimes be challenging with free-hand surgery. Printed or milled surgical guides fit to your teeth with guide holes for the implant. Guides do not allow the surgeon to make changes to the plan during surgery. This may result in delays to complete your surgery. Sometimes surgical guides may not work well due to poor fit. This may also result in delays to complete your surgery. Guides may not be a good option for hard-to-reach areas. However, guides may make it easier to place your implants in exactly the right place. Like Yomi-Enabled Surgery, physical guides may also allow for less invasive surgery. These are some reasons surgeons may recommend guides.
The information provided herein is not meant to substitute for the in-depth consultation you should have with your dentist. Only a licensed dentist can adequately diagnose and explain your underlying condition, Yomi-Enabled Surgery, medically acceptable alternative procedures, and the potential complications and risks of any procedure and/or operation. In every case your dentist must guide you on all aspects of your surgery, including pre- and post-operative care. Individual results will vary. Yomi is not indicated for patients with no teeth.
All claims of product performance and indications for use contained within this document relate only to data submitted to and reviewed by regulatory authorities in those jurisdictions in which clearance(s) and/or approval(s) have been obtained, including the United States. No product performance claims or indications for use are made for jurisdictions in which such clearance(s) and/or approval(s) have not been obtained.
Adverse events are possible in any surgery, including Yomi surgery. Possible adverse events include, but are not limited to inaccurate implant site preparation, resulting in damage to patient anatomy, delays in surgical procedure, injury to user or patient due to unintended motion of the system, electric shock to user or patient due to electric malfunction, misuse or off label use of the system that leads to manual manipulation of the osteotomy, damage to patient anatomy, or hazard to the user.
For full indications for Yomi-Enabled Surgery, please visit neocis.com/indications-for-use
References 1. Intuitive Surgical Q4 2018 Investor Release


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In this paper, we reported the realization of an ultra-long ring fiber laser (RFL) with hybrid emission related to both random lasing and cavity resonance. Compared with a linear random fiber laser (LRFL), the Rayleigh scattering (RS) inducting distributed feedback effect and the cavity inducting resonance effect exist simultaneously in the laser, which reduces the lasing threshold considerably and provides a hybrid way to form random lasing (RL). The laser output can be purely modeless RL when pump power is high enough. It is also discovered that the laser is insensitive to temperature variation and mechanical disturbance, this is unique and quite different from conventional RFLs which are environmentally unstable due to existence of the cavity modes.
©2012 Optical Society of AmericaFull Article | PDF Article
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The good part about training camp is the return of football, obviously.
The bad part is the list of injuries that inevitably starts to pile up when professional athletes resume their task. Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta added an entry to that list on Monday. Coach John Harbaugh told reporters that Pitta broke his hand and may require surgery, according to Aaron Wilson of the Carroll County Times.
Harbaugh said that the team expects to have Pitta back in time for Week One of the regular season, although there will probably be some adjustment to that timeline once doctors get a fuller idea of the extent of the damage. The loss would be a significant one for the Ravens offense as Pitta took on a big role toward the end of last season.
After catching 27 passes in the first 11 weeks of the season, Pitta had 13 catches and two touchdowns in the final five games. He added seven more catches and another touchdown in the postseason. Ed Dickson, who had 54 catches last year, will take on a bigger role while Pitta is out, but the Ravens might be waiting a while for one of their reliable targets to get back up to speed.


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Tropical Heat
Tropical Heat
|Prijs (incl. BTW):
|€ 109.00
Tropical Heat kan alleen gebruikt worden in combinatie met de emWave Desktop, emWave Pro of emWave2 en is alleen beschikbaar met Engelstalige handleiding!
Ideaal voor volwassenen en kinderen die van computerspelletjes houden om onder spanning hun coherentievaardigheden te oefenen.
Visit the virtual island of your dreams with sparkling seas and dazzling sunsets in HeartMath's new and exciting Tropical Heat Jet Ski Racing game. Tropical Heat, based on heart rate feedback has multi-player racing, top notch graphics and animation, and amazing trick capabilities that make the game fun and teach you greater inner control of your heart rate and stress levels. Tropical Heat can be played in hands free relaxing island cruise mode, extreme racing mode, or many modes in between. Tropical Heat has a setting for everyone, whether that is a relaxing cruise through beautiful tropical islands, or an extreme race to achieve the Tropical Heat World Record.
Special Features
- Experience sparkling seas, beautiful sunsets, lush foliage, splashing dolphins, gliding birds, and warm tropical raindrops.
- Multiple music settings for a relaxing, energizing, or tropical mood.
- Customize your Jet Ski character: Choose a man or a woman, swimsuit, hair style, sunglasses and the Jet Ski.
- Perform amazing Jet Ski stunts: pull off a handstand, Superman, roll, or flip in the air!
- Learn breathing and heart rate control as you play, using the breath pacer animations that are integrated into Tropical Heat.
Playing Tropical Heat and practicing HeartMath techniques can:
- Optimize heart rhythms and raise coherence.
- Increase physical, mental and emotional balance.
- Sharpen focusing and attention skills.
- Improve decision-making and other cognitive abilities.
Note: Playing this game on a Mac or PC requires either the emWave® Desktop or emWave2
System Requirements
- Microsoft Windows® XP SP3 or Vista 7
- 256MB dedicated video card w/DirectX9
- 2 GB RAM — recommended 2GB or more
- DVD drive and USB port
- Internet Access Recommended
- Mac OS® X 10.6.8 or later
- 256MB dedicated video card w/DirectX9
- DVD drive and USB Port
- Internet Access Recommended
- If you are using a Mac PowerPC, emWave Games and Tutorials are not supported


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for a fantastic result in the 2017 Rolex Fastnet
2nd in Class – 5th Overall
"Pata Negra came into her own and took off on the way home from the rock"
Pata Negra has proved herself inshore and offshore this summer with 5th overall and 2nd in class in the largest offshore race globally and inshore with 3rd in the IRC Nationals.
If there were prize for the quickest boat back from the Rock, it could have been awarded to Pata Negra. The Fastnet Rock to the finish line in 23 hours and 49 mins. She flew!
If you are looking to charter a yacht this winter then Pata Negra could be an ideal race boat for you.
Pata Negra is available to charter for;
RORC TransAtlantic Race – Nov 2017
RORC Caribbean 600 2018 – Booked
St Maarten Regatta – Booked
BVI Spring Regatta
Les Voiles de St Barths
Antigua Sailing Week
Antigua Bermuda Race
Antigua Sailing Week
Antigua Bermuda Race
Newport Bermuda
AAR TransAtlantic Race 2018 – Booked
AAR TransAtlantic Race 2018 – Booked
We will provide you with an owners rep and or skipper to ensure you get the most out of this stunning performance racing yacht.


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You've waited long enough and the time has finally come! We are launching our presale today to all of our social media followers! Please visit our website at HendersonLive.com/tickets for all of the details.
The City of Henderson's Cultural Arts and Tourism department has been working overtime, aiming to meet and surpass the outstanding line up of shows and events that we presented to our loyal fans and newcomers in the 2011 season. Our Henderson Pavilion, located at 200 S. Green Valley Parkway, just adjacent to the Green Valley Ranch Resort, is kicking off its ten year anniversary with a variety of entertaining events ranging from Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, as depicted by the Las Vegas Shakespeare Company (also responsible for last season's spectacular depiction of the classic Wizard of Oz), to classics like Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times featuring the Henderson Symphony Orchestra, The Phantom of the Opera, the Las Vegas legendary Yellow Brick Road with their Symphonic Rock Show and much more!
Thank you for taking part in our 2011 season and our special presale of the 2012 season, and we hope that you are as excited as we are. And don't forget to Stay Connected and Stay in the Loop via our other social media sites: Facebook, Twitter and now Google+!


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Leon Russell, the longhaired, scratchy-voiced pianist, guitarist, songwriter and bandleader who moved from playing countless recording sessions to making hits on his own, died on Sunday in Nashville. He was 74.
His website said he had died in his sleep but gave no specific cause.
Mr. Russell's health had incurred significant setbacks in recent years. In 2010, he underwent surgery for a brain fluid leak and was treated for heart failure. In July he had a heart attack and was scheduled for further surgery, according to a news release from the historical society of Oklahoma, his home state.
With his trademark top hat, hair well past his shoulders, a long, lush beard, an Oklahoma drawl and his fingers splashing two-fisted barrelhouse piano chords, Mr. Russell cut a flamboyant figure in the early 1970s. He led Joe Cocker's band Mad Dogs & Englishmen, appeared at George Harrison's 1971 Concert for Bangladesh in New York City and had numerous hits of his own, including "Tight Rope."
Many of his songs became hits for others, among them "Superstar" (written with Bonnie Bramlett) for the Carpenters, "Delta Lady" for Mr. Cocker and "This Masquerade" for George Benson. More than 100 acts have recorded "A Song for You," which Mr. Russell said he wrote in 10 minutes.
By the time he released his first solo album, in 1970, he had already played on hundreds of songs as one of the top studio musicians in Los Angeles. He was in Phil Spector's Wall of Sound Orchestra, and he played sessions for Frank Sinatra, Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, the Ventures and the Monkees, among many others. His piano playing is heard on "Mr. Tambourine Man" by the Byrds, "A Taste of Honey" by Herb Alpert, "Live With Me" by the Rolling Stones and all of the Beach Boys' early albums, including "Pet Sounds."
The music Mr. Russell made on his own put a scruffy, casual surface on rich musical hybrids, interweaving soul, country, blues, jazz, gospel, pop and classical music. Like Willie Nelson, who collaborated with him, and Ray Charles, whose 1993 recording of "A Song for You" won a Grammy Award, Mr. Russell made a broad, sophisticated palette of American music sound down-home and natural.
After his popularity had peaked in the 1970s, he shied away from self-promotion and largely set aside rock, though he kept performing. But he was prized as a musicians' musician, collaborating with Elvis Costello and Elton John, among others. In 2011, after making a duet album with Mr. John, "The Union," he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. At the ceremony, Mr. John called him "the master of space and time" and added, "He sang, he wrote and he played just how I wanted to do it."
Leon Russell was born Claude Russell Bridges in Lawton, Okla., on April 2, 1942. An injury to his upper vertebrae at birth caused a slight paralysis on his right side that would shape his music: A resulting delayed reaction time in his right hand forced him to think ahead about what it would play. "It gave me a very strong sense of duality," he said last year in a Public Radio International interview.
He started classical piano lessons when he was 4, played baritone horn in his high school marching band and also learned trumpet. At 14 he started gigging in Oklahoma; since it was a dry state at the time, he could play clubs without being old enough to drink. Soon after he graduated from high school, Jerry Lee Lewis hired him and his band to back him on tour for two months.
He moved to Los Angeles in the late 1950s and found club work and then studio work; he learned to play guitar, and he began calling himself Leon Russell, taking the name Leon from a friend who had lent him an ID so he could play California club dates while underage.
His music-making drew on both his classical training and his Southern roots, and he played everything from standards to surf-rock, from million-sellers to pop throwaways. He was glimpsed on television as a member of the Shindogs, the house band for the prime-time rock show "Shindig!" in the mid-1960s, and was in the house band for the 1964 concert film, "The T.A.M.I. Show."
In 1967, he built a home studio and began working with the guitarist Marc Benno as the Asylum Choir, which released its debut album in 1968. He also started a record label, Shelter, in 1969 with the producer Denny Cordell. Mr. Russell drew more recognition as a co-producer, arranger and musician on Mr. Cocker's second album, "Joe Cocker!," which included Mr. Russell's song "Delta Lady."
When Mr. Cocker's Grease Band fell apart days before an American tour, Mr. Russell assembled Mad Dogs & Englishmen, a big, boisterous band that included three drummers and a 10-member choir. Its 1970 double live album and a tour film became a showcase for Mr. Russell as well as for Mr. Cocker; the album reached No. 2 on the Billboard album chart.
Mr. Russell also released his first solo album in 1970; it included "A Song for You" and had studio appearances from Mr. Cocker, Eric Clapton, two members of the Beatles and three from the Rolling Stones. But Mr. Russell's second album, "Leon Russell and the Shelter People," fared better commercially: It reached No. 17 on the Billboard chart.
Mr. Russell had his widest visibility as the 1970s began. He played the Concert for Bangladesh at Madison Square Garden with Mr. Harrison, Bob Dylan and Mr. Clapton; he produced and played on Mr. Dylan's songs "When I Paint My Masterpiece" and "Watching the River Flow." He toured with the Rolling Stones and with his own band.
His third album, "Carney," went to No. 2 with the hit "Tight Rope"; it also featured his own version of "This Masquerade." In 1973, his "Leon Live" album reached the Top 10, and he recorded his first album of country songs under the pseudonym Hank Wilson. The fledgling Gap Band, also from Oklahoma, backed Mr. Russell in 1974 on his album "Stop All That Jazz." His 1975 album "Will o' the Wisp" included what would be his last Top 20 pop hit, "Lady Blue."
But he continued to work. He made duet albums with his wife at the time, Mary Russell (formerly Mary McCreary). And he collaborated with Mr. Nelson in 1979 on "One for the Road," a double LP of pop and country standards. It sold half a million copies.
That same year he married Janet Lee Constantine, who survives him, as do six children: Blue, Teddy Jack, Tina Rose, Sugaree, Honey and Coco.
Mr. Russell delved into various idioms over the next decades, mostly recording for independent labels. He toured and recorded with the New Grass Revival, adding his piano and voice to their string-band lineup. He made more country albums as Hank Wilson. He recorded blues, Christmas songs, gospel songs and instrumentals.
In 1992, the songwriter and pianist Bruce Hornsby, who had long cited Mr. Russell's influence, sought to rejuvenate Mr. Russell's rock career by producing the album "Anything Can Happen," but it drew little notice. Mr. Russell continued to tour for die-hard fans, who called themselves Leon Lifers.
A call in 2009 from Mr. John, whom Mr. Russell had supported in the early 1970s, led to the making of "The Union" — which also had guest appearances by Neil Young and Brian Wilson — and a 10-date tour together in 2010. Mr. Russell also sat in on Mr. Costello's 2010 album, "National Ransom." Then he bought a new bus and returned to the road, on his own.


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May 28, 2014 – The best thing to come out of my year on David E. Kelley's fantastic Picket Fences wasn't the career cachet or even the Emmy statuette, it was my deep and lasting friendship with the incomparable Zelda Rubinstein. Zelda was a collector of people, and if she liked you, you were in for life. I count myself quite fortunate to say the first time I met her, she took a shine to me. One of the most compassionate people I've ever known, and one of the most wickedly funny, she would call from time to time and leave the most delightful ramblings on my answering machine. We'd see each other every two or three months, usually for dinner at one of her many favorite haunts were she was always welcomed like royalty. Suffice to say that what Zelda lacked in physical stature, she more than made up for with humor and heart.
In the ensuing years of my television career, I was always on the lookout for the right role for her on whatever show I was working on. I wanted her to guest star on Moon Over Miami, but we were cancelled before we found the right story and character. She would have been brilliant on Law & Order, but for the brief thirteen episodes I was on staff, the opportunity never arose. Same for so many series that followed: Party of Five, Time of Your Life, Pasadena, etc. I came close on a brilliant but tragically short-lived show called First Years, but it was shut down after only three episodes had aired.
At long last, just after the WGA strike in 2007, I got a call from a friend who was running the CBS Friday night hit Ghost Whisperer, asking if I'd come help out. As a random aside, this would be my third prime time show with Jennifer Love Hewitt. It ended up being so much fun, I stayed on for the end of the third season, and remained through the next two until the series was unceremoniously cancelled. It was a great creative departure for me, but fit right in with my love of horror movies and ghost stories. As one of our fifth season story arcs led inevitably to a big haunted house extravaganza, I pitched an idea for the character of the evil ghost of a spirit medium who'd been a presence there since the 1940s, a role that would be perfect—in fact, beyond perfect—for Zelda, especially when you consider that she was the inspiration for the part and it was created specifically for her. Our showrunner and casting director were thrilled with the idea, and so I ran it by Zelda one day on the phone. Madame Greta Hanson (a play on Hansel & Gretel because she lured the ghosts of children to the spooky old house she haunted) was a former fraudulent spirit medium who had scammed the families of executed prisoners into believing she could contact the spirits of their loved ones. Instead, she was unwittingly collecting a whole houseful of truly terrifying ghosts, only to become one herself when she fell down the stairs of the sinister old house, which, incidentally, had been the famous Chicken Ranch in the movie version of Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and was within spitting distance of Boo Radley's house on the Universal backlot, but I digress. Given Zelda's mobility issues, I even suggested we'd put the character in one of those creepy old wooden wheelchairs. She loved the idea, and didn't even balk when I told her that her character would have to say "Don't go into the light" in homage to her career-making turn as the psychic in Poltergeist. "Oh, I'll say it, honey," she said with the delightful and ever present tone of mischief in her voice.
The episode was entitled Old Sins Cast Long Shadows (if you're hardcore, go here), and as I was writing the script toward the end of 2009, Zelda had a mild heart attack and was admitted to the hospital. I visited her there, and she assured me the doctors were confident she'd be out in no time and ready to go back to work. But as the start date of production grew near, Zelda took a turn for the worse, at first losing her inimitable voice due to a tracheotomy, and finally slipping into a coma. I was bereft over the gravity of her condition, but learned the practical truth to the age old adage that the show must go on—only in this case, it would have to be with someone else as Madame Greta Hanson. The script was specifically written for a little person, but in the short amount of time we had, we couldn't find anyone who could match Zelda's diminuitive but powerful presence. Ultimately, we cast a wonderful actress, Deborah Van Valkenburgh, and she truly rose to the occasion and created a fantastic character, but in my writer's eye (and heart), I could only see Zelda in the role.
Zelda went into the light on January 27, 2010, not long after the episode wrapped principal photography, and when it aired in March of that year, I watched through a shimmer of tears. The part was written specifically for her, and ended up being my own private tribute to my truly astonishing and beloved friend. I urge you to watch the promo…
…or hell, watch the episode, and just picture Zelda in the role. I'm sure you'll agree that she was beyond perfect for the part.
Today would have been her 81st birthday. So happy birthday, honey. I miss you each and every day. Stay tuned…


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From my (life) travel notes:
– by June 13, the delivering of the 60 piume in viaggio was completed by snail mail and the responses have been amazing!
– Videos of my performance "Danse du Tarots en F" in Paris had new links, after the participation in Magmart video festival. You can now find them at https://youtu.be/8qOFcx4uorw and https://youtu.be/AY1yzJ602UY
– The new project/exhibition "microstorie di cibo" of ArtCafè in Milan hosts my contribution "Fiabe da gustare" at http://microbonet-artcafe.blogspot.it/2015/06/laura-cristin.html