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Free Coaching Conference Call about Graves' Disease, Hyperthyroidism and Hypothyroidism
Hi all,
since I am receiving a lot of emails recently and I can barely respond to all of them, (I mean- I receive hundreds of emails every week), I decided to set up a Free Coaching Conference Call for questions, answers, sharing stories and discussions on Graves' Disease or hyperthyroidism (or hypothyroidism for that matter).
The call is Free and open for people worldwide (any country in the world!) There will be access codes provided for each country and you'll be calling a number in your own country (local ph charges apply)
Brief agenda: We'll be talking mostly about your experience and your challenges regarding Grave's Disease, Hyperthyroidism, Thyroid Eye disease and hypothyroidism due to RAI or thyroidectomy.
Feel free to share and discuss:
***1 thing that helped you most with your thyroid problem (a tip, suggestion, method, strategy).
***1 thing you are mostly challenged and need help with (a specific symptom, thyroid tests reading, family and friends, doctors etc. ).
How can we help you?
When: November 05, 2013, Tuesday, at 4 PM Eastern Standard Time.
The conference call is limited to a certain number of participants (not my rules, rules of the company that provides that free conference), so first come, first serve basis… Please register here:
It will be approximately 1 hour, and I'll do my best to record it so we can listen later. If you get a busy signal, that means the room is full, or too many people dialing at the same time. Try again later.
Please, use the World Clock to convert for your time zone. Click on the link below and check your time.
Some housekeeping here: Announce yourself when you enter the "chat room"- name and country will be Ok. Ask specific questions, and if you know the answers of a question somebody asks, feel free to answer. It's a free sharing information/ experience and stories. Keep it short and to the point.
Register here:
All participants in the call will receive my Special Report "10 Secrets for Changing the Psychological, Emotional and Mental Background of Thyroid Disorders".
If you have any questions, let me know.


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News — price war
industry news online marketplace price war
Online marketplace giants are killing many industry categories including the supplement industry in the past few years with prices of products sold at or below retailer's costs. This is due to a few factors that are obvious and some that are not. You may have seen your favorite supplement sold as low as 50% off the price you may have regularly purchased them in recent years. This maybe due companies clamoring for an order and "dropping their pants" in terms of volume purchase orders to secure the deal. Little did many of these brands know that their...

subset: commoncrawl


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- BCC upgrades GDP growth forecasts from 2.7% to 2.8% in 2014 and from 2.4% to 2.5% in 2015
- UK GDP expected to exceed its pre-recession peak in Q2 2014 – one quarter earlier than we forecast in December
- The first increase in UK interest rates expected in Q3 2015 to 0.75%
- BCC predicts that wage growth will exceed inflation from mid-2014
- The youth unemployment rate is expected to remain almost three times the national average over the forecast period (2014 – 2016)
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has today upgraded its growth forecasts for the next two years – from 2.7% to 2.8% in 2014 and from 2.4% to 2.5% in 2015. For 2016 (included in our forecast for the first time) we are expecting growth of 2.5%.
The Q1 2014 Economic Forecast conveys increasing business optimism, with GDP expected to exceed its pre-recession peak in Q2 2014 – a quarter earlier than we predicted in December 2013.
John Longworth, BCC Director General, says that the economy is 'gaining momentum' and pays tribute to businesses across the UK that have fought hard to grow and create jobs. However, Mr Longworth also warns that major issues remain as the economy still faces long-term challenges despite recent progress.
- The BCC is raising its GDP growth forecast to 2.8% in 2014 and to 2.5% in 2015. The upgrades for 2014 and 2015 are mainly due to upward revisions to historic GDP data by the ONS. For 2016 (included in our forecast for the first time) we are expecting growth of 2.5%.
- GDP is likely to exceed its Q1 2008 pre-recession peak in Q2 2014 – one quarter earlier than we predicted in December 2013. • UK GDP quarterly growth is forecast at 0.7% in Q1 2014, easing slightly to 0.6% in Q2 2014, before averaging 0.6% per quarter until the end of 2016.
- The main contributors to UK GDP growth in the next three years will be household consumption and output from services. • After reaching 2.4% in 2013, growth in household consumption will continue at 2.4% in 2014, and will edge up to 2.5% in 2015 and 2016.
- Service sector output is forecast to record growth of 2.9% in 2014, 2.7% in 2015, and 2.7% in 2016.
- BCC expects the unemployment rate to fall from 7.2% in Q4 2013 to 6.0% in Q4 2016. The youth unemployment rate (16-24 year-olds) will remain close to three times the national average, falling from 19.9% in Q4 2013 to 17.8% in Q4 2016.
- Business investment is expected to record strong growth of 6.6% in 2014, 5.7% in 2015, and 5.7% in 2016. Even so, business investment in 2016 will still be slightly lower than in 2008.
- We are predicting that the first increase in official UK interest rates will be in Q3 2015 to 0.75% – one quarter earlier than previously forecast. We expect this will be followed by modest increases in 0.25% steps to reach 1.50% in the second half of 2016.
Commenting, John Longworth, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said:
"Our economic recovery is gaining momentum. Businesses across the UK are expanding and creating jobs, and our increasingly sunny predictions for growth are a testament to their drive and ambition. Our new forecast shows that the service sector is performing particularly well, and is likely to be a key driver of growth. And the manufacturing sector, although small, is pulling its weight too, and will play an important role in sustaining our recovery.
"But it's not time to break out the champagne glasses just yet. Major issues remain, such as the unacceptably high level of youth unemployment. We urge the Chancellor to use this month's Budget wisely by incentivising businesses to hire young people so that the next generation of workers are not left behind.
"Crucially, Britain is simply not investing enough. While business investment is expected to grow, it will remain way below pre-crisis levels for some time. There is also more to do in securing access to finance for growing firms – as this too will be crucial to securing our economic future. So is getting public and private sector funding together to address the crippling gaps in our transport, digital and energy infrastructure.
"We just hope that as the General Election gets closer, politicians are not tempted to abandon a drive for long-term economic security in favour of short-term vote winners. No government over the next decade can afford to get distracted – and our leaders must do everything in their power to ensure the economy goes from being merely good, to being truly great."
David Kern, Chief Economist at the BCC, added:
"The upgrades to our growth forecasts are largely due to revisions to historic GDP data by the ONS. The good news is that GDP growth is expected to remain well above 2% for the next three years, and is likely to exceed its pre-recession peak in the second quarter of 2014 – a quarter earlier than we predicted in late 2013. This shows that the economy is on the right track, but we mustn't be fooled into thinking that it is back up to full strength just yet.
"The UK's current account deficit remains excessive, and without a stronger rebalancing towards net exports, we could face serious risks to our long term economic health. In addition, while business investment is set to pick up, it is still far behind our pre-crisis peak. If we are to better this, we need higher productivity. What's more, businesses will only increase their capital if the current environment of low inflation and low interest rates persists.
"The revamped forward guidance policy goes some way to easing business concerns, and the long-term security will encourage them to invest. However some MPC members seem to be signalling early interest rate rises. This kind of unhelpful speculation will only prevent business from investing and put pressure on an already strong pound, which could put the recovery at risk."
Main components of demand
- We are expecting household consumption to grow by 2.4% in 2014, before edging up to 2.5% in 2015 and 2016. The new forecasts are lower than in Q4, reflecting the sharp slowdown in Q4 2013.
- We forecast business investment to record relatively strong positive growth of 6.6% in 2014, 5.7% in 2015, and 5.7% in 2016. However business investment in 2016 will still be lower than in 2008, both in absolute terms and as a proportion of GDP.
- The trade balance: the overall trade deficit is now smaller than before the financial crisis, largely due to trade surpluses in the services sector. The total trade deficit is forecast to fall from 1.6% of GDP in 2013 to 1.0% in 2016.
Main sectors of the economy
- Total industrial output is forecast to grow by 1.5% in 2014, 1.1% in 2015 and 1.2% in 2016.
- Manufacturing output is unchanged from our previous forecast, with expected growth of 2.0% in 2014, 1.4% in 2015. We are predicting manufacturing output of 1.4% in 2016.
- Construction output is expected to grow by 4.0% in 2014, 3.0% in 2015, and 2.8% in 2016.
- The services sector, the long-standing driver of the economic recovery, is forecast to grow by 2.9% in 2014, 2.7% in 2015, and 2.7% in 2016 – slightly stronger than anticipated GDP growth.
Unemployment and productivity
- We forecast that the unemployment rate will fall from 7.2% in Q4 2013 to 6.8% in 2014, 6.4% in Q4 2015 and 6.0% in Q4 2016. • We are expecting UK unemployment to fall from 2.3 million in Q4 2013, to 2.2 million in Q4 2014, to 2.1 million in Q4 2015, and to 2 million in Q4 2016 – a net overall fall if 330,000 over the next three years.
- We expect youth unemployment (people aged 16-24) will fall from 917,000 (a jobless rate of 19.9%) in Q4 2013 to 818,000 (a jobless rate of 17.8%) in Q4 2016, a modest fall but still far too high.
- Productivity: over the next three years we forecast that output per worker is expected to increase in total by 3.4% and output per hour by 2.8%. This will still be marginally below its Q1 2008 level.
Public finances
- UK public finances: the forecast outlined by the OBR in the December 2013 Autumn Statement is realistic in predicting steady falls in borrowing, but their timetable is slightly too ambitious.
- While the OBR is forecasting that the UK would reach a small budget surplus in 2018/19, we feel that this would take one-two years longer.
- In annual average terms, we are forecasting annual CPI inflation to be 2.0% in 2014, 2.0% in 2015, and 2.0% in 2016. In Q4 2013 we predicted 2.5% in 2014 and 2.3% in 2015.
Official interest rates
- We expect the first increase in UK official interest rates to occur in Q3 2015 to reach 0.75% - one quarter earlier than previously envisaged in the last forecast.
- Further modest increases can then be expected, in 0.25% steps, to reach 1.50% in the second half of 2016.


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Project Thailand 2007
When: Tuesday 28 August 2007 – Sunday 9 September 2007
Where: Krabi, Thailand
Project Leaders:
Potay Parapiboon
Mac Pasawich
Top Pongmorakot
Contact: pt07-leaders [at] sealnetonline.org
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake triggered a tsunami that devastated the coastline of southern Thailand, resulting in enormous environmental and structural damage, sanitation problems, homelessness and unemployment. The lives of the inhabitants of this region continue to be disrupted by the consequences of the catastrophe.
The local people lack awareness of environmental problems and knowledge of how to prevent future catastrophes. This, in turn, has led to past environmental problems, such as the deforestation of mangrove trees, causing the area to be more vulnerable to the effects of a natural catastrophe.
Objectives and Approaches
Prevention : In order to reduce the impact of future natural disasters, we will engage in mangrove restoration, strive to educate people about the ecological importance of mangroves and raise the environmental consciousness of local communities.
Reconstruction : We plan to help out in the ongoing reconstruction process by helping to provide infrastructure and sanitation facilities.
Education : We plan to educate local people on the preservation and conservation of natural resources by running campaigns that will help to raise local awareness. In addition, we will donate relevant books to community libraries and set up exhibitions.
Generating leadership : We will work with the local youth government in the aforementioned projects, endeavoring to develop leadership skills through our joint efforts. Moreover, we will encourage them to initiate their own projects to address local environmental issues of their interest.
Local Partner
Population and Community Development Association (PDA), one of Thailand's largest non-profit organizations, will support and facilitate our work on the site. It will also assist us in ensuring the sustainability of the projects within the community.
Team Member Responsibilities
Team members will be expected to engage in and work with the youth government on environmental issues. In addition, they will plan and execute projects to address environmental problems, raise local awareness and educate the community on environmental issues.
Skills Needed:
We are looking for people of diverse perspectives, skills and passions, who are committed to group learning and teamwork. Those with interest and experience in environmental issues are encouraged to apply.


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So, Renderosity's Holiday contest was a success! We had so many amazing entries and thank you for your participation. There were only 4 winners in each category, but if we could, we would have given you all prizes, but unfortunately it doesn't work like that.
Anywho, please congratulate 3D Grand Prize Winner: JenniferRehnay for her creation and read more about how she created it!
So, tell me about your image.
I can't wait to tell you about my image but first I want to thank everyone who voted for it! THANK YOU, ALL YOU ROCKSTARS. HIGH FIVES ALL AROUND. I'm so excited to have won! The Renderosity 2015 Holiday theme was "Under the Mistletoe" and I didn't want to do two people kissing because, let's be honest, unicorns are better. Sixus has this awesome deer creature (the kirin) I had been dying to play with and inspiration struck almost immediately.
How long did it take?
Inspiration struck immediately but so did a ridiculous truckload of terrible luck, so this picture took two weeks (and also probably two weeks off the end of my life). I mean it was like the frigging Nightmare Before Christmas. First, I attempted to fill the scene with so many trees and pillars that when I tried to render it, my computer just repeatedly shut itself off. After two days of slowly removing (and sometimes adding) objects (I am a slow learner), I came to the conclusion that my computer is not one of the Transformers and resigned myself to painting and stock-photoing the trees. The day after I decided that, my husband and I had to drive 12 hours to Tennessee to visit my family for Thanksgiving. I knew the render was still going to take a while, so I brought my entire rig with me. I hugged my mother, kissed my father, and downed a glass of champagne then hooked everything up in the guest room. I left the scene to render overnight but, in the morning, my computer had turned itself off again. I turned it back on, tried to render it again, and in less than an hour it shut itself off once more. After some investigation, my husband found out two of my sticks of RAM were dead. I had some more champagne. I originally had 32gb of RAM so losing a few sticks wasn't the end of the world. We removed the dead stuff and set the scene to render again. I kid you not, my 4 year-old, 2560x1440 IPS 27" monitor caught on fire. It made the guest room smell like the Joker's own hospital. My mother graciously allowed me to use her old, spare 15" monitor if I wanted to beat my head against the rendering wall one more time. I took her up on it and somehow that time everything worked. No shutdowns, no fire, I don't know why or how. I didn't question it and got hammered with my grandpa. We drove home two days later and I was finally able to proceed with my post-production. Post-production is my favorite part so I savored the off and on time I was able to dedicate to it.
What inspired you to do it?
I had always wanted to do something with Sixus' kirin model but I really didn't have any fun ideas until I found out the theme for Renderosity's 2015 Holiday Contest. Unicorns are the best so they're always on my mind which meant that basically as soon as I read "Under the Mistletoe" I knew exactly what I wanted to do. The tremendous amount of bad luck I encountered while trying to make this thing strengthened my resolve.
How long have you been a member and have you participated before?
I have been a Renderosity member since November 13th, 2013 but I had never participated in any contests until this year's Halloween contest. I didn't place or anything (I struggle with horror themes...like, where do the unicorns fit into that and I won't do a zombie unicorn because that is anarchy) but I had a great time so I was eager to give the next contest a shot. Vyktohria suggested I pay attention and give the winter contest a try whenever it was announced. Thanks, V!
How long have you been an artist?
Since my mother sat me down with a Cinderella picture book and I refused to read the words on the page because the story I was inventing in my head was better. And honey, that dress. No. Let this four year-old whip you up something more majestic.


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On May 11 and 12, volunteers wearing yellow aprons and holding collection canisters will be stationed in front of stores throughout Wauconda and Lake Zurich as part of the Les Turner ALS Foundation's Tag Days drives. Local resident Trudi Falk is spearheading this effort in honor of her friend Tim Paust, 50, of Grayslake, who is living with ALS (commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease). A true grassroots campaign, Tag Days helps increase awareness of ALS and also raises funds to support medical research, patient services and educational activities. The Tag Days drive is one of nearly 30 community drives in the Chicagoland area.
Falk has never served as captain of a Tag Days drive, but has embraced the responsibilities and is getting a positive response from friends and the community. Organizing the donation drive involves coordinating with the city and retailers, recruiting volunteers, assigning people to shifts, and collecting and tallying funds. Volunteers typically commit to a two-hour shift will be stationed at highly-visible locations, such as the Walmart in Lake Zurich and at numerous intersections in Wauconda.
"Seeing what Tim and Deb and their family are going through is difficult, and I wanted to help by doing something that would make a difference in terms of fundraising and awareness," explained Falk. "The Tag Days drive seemed like the perfect way to involve dozens of friends and relatives in collecting much needed funds and educating people about this terrible disease."
Tim's Story
Paust was diagnosed with ALS in March of 2012. For months leading up to the diagnosis, he was feeling tired and was limping, but was unsure about what these issues could be attributed to. As his symptoms worsened and he began to experience cramping in his legs and hands, he sought medical advice, first from his cardiologist, as he thought the symptoms might be a side effect of his cholesterol medicine. This idea was quickly ruled out and the physician referred Paust to a neurologist. Suspecting Paust might have ALS, she ran a series of tests and referred him to the Les Turner/Lois Insolia ALS Center at Northwestern where an ALS diagnosis was confirmed.
Today Paust relies on a walker for mobility, needs assistance with many everyday tasks and is slowly losing his speech. Despite his illness, Paust maintains a positive attitude and is living life to the fullest. He has pursued many items on his Bucket List, including skydiving and renewing his wedding vows.
Paust's family and friends, including Falk, have stepped up to help in every way possible. Last year a relative formed a team called "Tim's Troop" to fundraise and participate in Paust's honor in a charity walk in Dallas, a friend ran the 5K in Champaign, and a cousin ran the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Tim's behalf. Recently, nearly 175 people competed in the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K in Paust's honor as members of the Les Turner ALS Foundation's Run4ALS Program. Collectively, all of these walkers and runners have raised approximately $50,000 for ALS research and patient care.
"Our family is extremely grateful, honored and touched by the constant love, support and prayers we have received since sharing Tim's diagnosis," said Deb Paust, Tim's wife. "We have wonderful family, awesome friends and an unbelievable community who let us know we are not alone in what is sure to be the most heartbreaking and painful time of our lives."
Tag Days
Since 1994, thousands of volunteers have helped with this important effort. In May of 1994, six Tag Days drives were held; this year Tag Days captains will organize 27 donation drives. The Les Turner ALS Foundation is aiming to raise more than $80,000 from Tag Days. The campaign is supported by Pioneer Press, VisoGraphics and Sta-Bil.
Throughout May, which is National ALS Awareness Month, volunteers will hit the streets in the following communities: Algonquin; Barrington; Batavia; Bloomingdale; Buffalo Grove; Carol Stream; Chicago neighborhoods/venues (Lincoln Park, Union Station); Crystal Lake; Elgin, Elmhurst; Evergreen Park; Flossmoor; Glen Ellyn; Glenview; Grayslake; Huntley; Lake in the Hills; Lake Zurich, LaPorte, IN; Lincolnwood; Lombard; Margeno; Mount Prospect; New Lenox; Northbrook; Northfield; Park Ridge; Schaumburg; Skokie; Sycamore; Wauconda; Western Springs; and Wheaton.
Latest Lake Zurich
Tag Days requires only a few supplies and many dedicated volunteers, which enables the Les Turner Foundation to invest a high percentage of proceeds directly into critical services that benefit the ALS community.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease or motor neuron disease (MND), causes motor neurons to gradually stop working and die. The result is loss of nearly all voluntary movement, and other muscle functions such as speaking, swallowing and eventually breathing. In the United States, someone is diagnosed with ALS every 90 minutes and approximately 35,000 people are living with ALS. There is currently no cure for ALS, though treatment of the symptoms often improves quality of life.
Les Turner ALS Foundation
Founded in 1977, the Les Turner ALS Foundation is Chicago's leader in research, patient care, and education about ALS. The Foundation serves 90 percent of the ALS population in the Chicago area with an array of services. The Foundation is affiliated with Northwestern Medicine where it supports two world-class scientific research laboratories and a multi-disciplinary clinical program. Patients and families have access to comprehensive patient services, such as support group meetings, professional in-home consultation services and respite care grants.
To volunteer for Tag Days in Wauconda and Lake Zurich, call Trudi Falk at 847-477-1682. For information about ALS, call 847-679-3311 or visit www.lesturnerals.org.


text: News Volleyball 16/07/2015 Mihajlovic helps Serbs thrash Turkey Serbian teamwork got them past the Turkish side Stuttgart, July 16, 2015 – Serbia beat Turkey (25-20, 25-16, 25-19) in their FIVB World Grand Prix match on Thursday.Jovana Stevanovic and Maja Savic caught the eye for Serbia in set one, as they cruised to a 25-20 win. And Turkey had problems on reception in the second set too, as Serbia's great teamwork and spiking gave them a nine point lead. They closed it out to win the 25-16.And Turkey's capitulation was complete in the third set as Brankica Mihajlovic played excellently, giving the Serbs a 25-19 win and ended the match at 3-0. It was Serbia's second win in the 2015 FIVB Grand Prix.Read the live text commentary from this match here Print this Page News {{item.LocalShortDate}} {{item.Title}} All the News


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......currently no jobs posted, please contact for any inquiries......We are seeking applicants with enthusiasm in teaching and potential in research, and invite applications for faculty positions of Professor, Associate Professor and Assistant Professor, whose research interests lie in all areas of Electrical Engineering (but not limited) as follows:
Multi-Agent Systems, Intelligent Robotics, Mechatronics, and General Control Areas.
Power Electronics, Renewable Energy, and Smart Grid.
Nanoelectronics / Advanced CMOS / Green Energy / Display /Bioelectronic Devices and Technologies.
Biomedical Electronics, Biomedical Imaging, Nano-Biotechnology, Biophotonics, and Bioinformatics, Medical Informatics.
Embedded Systems, Cloud/Green/Ubiquitous/Mobile Computing and Networking, Security, Machine Learning, Data-centric Computing.
Microwave and Millimeter-wave Techniques, Antennas and Applications, Electromagnetic Theory and Computational Techniques, IoT Enabling Technologies.
Communications, Signal Processing, Optimization, Information Theory, and Emerging Fields in the Aforementioned Areas.
SOC Design (Embedded Processor, Memory Design, Green Electronics, Medical Electronics, Sensing Circuits & Networks).
Computer Science and Engineering, Data Science and Engineering.
Electronic Design Automation (EDA).
Photonics for Solid-State Lighting, Display, Flexible Devices, Solar Cells, Portable Devices, Optical Interconnects, Ultrahigh Speed Optoelectronics, and Optical Communications.
Network Science, Learning Theory, Data-centric Computing and Networking, Internet of Things, Social Networks, Software Defined Networks and Network Function Virtualization.
All ranks of Professor are compensated in accordance with the salary rank published by Ministry of Education. Additional faculty merit pay include NTU Subsidy for Incoming Distinguished Talents, support from Foundation for the Advancement of Outstanding Scholarship (http://www.faos.org.tw/application.html), Principle Investigator's salary from Industrial-Academic Cooperation Projects, etc. More information can be found in the NTU Faculty Handbook.
To apply for a faculty position, please visit our website at https://ee.ntu.edu.tw/eeoffice/ntueejob/ for on-line application with the following materials. 1)A curriculum vitae, along with a full publication list and a teaching and research plan 2)Reprints of 1-3 publications within the past 3 years 3)Two or more reference letters (sent directly to us by your referees) 4)A copy of the highest diploma granted (or a proof of Ph.D. degree to be granted by July 31, 2018) 5)Original copies of undergraduate and graduate transcripts. Please also send a hardcopy of your application materials to the following address by December 31, 2017: Professor Chih-Wen Liu, Chairman Department of Electrical Engineering, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Section 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 10617, Taiwan ROC. For more details: E-mail: email@example.com Tel.: +886-2-33663700 ext. 123 Fax: +886-2-23671909 URL: http://www.ee.ntu.edu.tw/


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Dec 7, 2014
December 7, 2014 Alan Olschwang
36 comments:
- Barry G. said...
Morning, all (and Happy Birthday to Windhover)!
This one was just too much for me. I never figured out exactly what was going on with the theme, thinking it was basically just puns. As a result, I had MATE MARKET instead of DATE MARKET (as well as FAZE instead of DAZE).
Aside from the theme, however, there were just way too many geographic answers that I didn't know or couldn't get from the clues, as well as a bunch of unknown names such as GRADY, KIDD, GANT and STYNE. I finally had to turn on the red-letter help and start guessing random letters to finish the GANT/STEIN section.
- December 7, 2014 at 6:48 AM
- desper-otto said...
Good morning!
This one took the full allotted time. Favorite answer: GRATE EXPECTATIONS. Nice to see old friends RAREE and AMAH again. They've been hiding recently.
My dyslexia was going full steam this morning. I read it "Hokey Hall of Frances Farmer."
Amazingly, MIRABEL came floating up from some nether region. Never saw that name for a pufferfish before. I've read that if it's incorrectly prepared, it can be immediately fatal.
My old standby rule failed me today. Four-letter Spanish River = EBRO. Five-letter Spanish walled city = AVILA. I had to Wite-Out AVILA in order to see the correct answers in Texas.
DECIMATE is an interesting word. Originally it meant to kill every tenth man, not "nearly wipe out."
C.C., that SHIP is often spelled "Barque." And back in '98 Nestle acquired a large chunk of Borden, including the CREMORA brand.
- December 7, 2014 at 7:05 AM
- desper-otto said...
Oops, made a note so I wouldn't forget, and then forgot anyway. Happy Birthday, Windy!
- December 7, 2014 at 7:11 AM
The Week in Review:
Whew! I almost gave up on this one. After finally filling the NE corner I wasn't at all surprised not to hear the "TaDa". And I feared it was due to more than a mere typo. I changed SIRABEL/SSGT to MIRABEL/MSGT but that didn't do the trick. Then I changed RALEE ("ralley"?) to RAREE (what?) and the sound of music was heard across the land. A WAG but I'll take it.
In other news, I enjoyed Marti's puzzle on Friday and, of course, I went through the usual stages of grief on Saturday: Despair, Hope, Frustration, Relief.
See y'all next weekend.
- December 7, 2014 at 7:47 AM
- Lemonade714 said...
The spelling changes preserving the sound was impressive on its own but to so symmetrically with the two letter boogie is awesome.
A challenging Sunday but entertaining.
Thanks to an old timer and C.C.
- December 7, 2014 at 8:19 AM
- Lemonade714 said...
Happy birthday and many many more, Larry you are a gem.
Be well
- December 7, 2014 at 8:20 AM
- Hahtoolah said...
Good Morning, C.C., and friends. A lazy, chilly Sunday morning.
This will not count as one of my favorite puzzles. I got the theme (on the second pass) with MATE MARKET, which led me to know what to look for in the other theme answers.
There were just too many other unknowns or just plain "Meh" for me. Ships are BARKS? I wanted Yelps, or some sound that a dog make.
Hand up for Tree before WOOD. At least I understood the Wood answer.
I will not, however, Vent with Vehemence, so no RANTing or RAVing.
I also liked seeing Shock twice = DAZE and ASTOUND.
I misread the Point on a Mall Map as Point on a Small Map. My first thought, therefore, was Isle.
Happy Birthday, Windhover. Hope you and Irish have a fabulous day. I miss you on the blog.
In honor of 67-Down, here is today's QOD: The big print giveth and the small print taketh away. ~ Tom Waits (b. Dec. 7, 1949)
- December 7, 2014 at 8:29 AM
- Avg Joe said...
This was the toughest Sunday puzzle I can recall. Started out slow and never did pick up any speed. And the theme aspect of moving one letter over two places also completely eluded me. All were pretty good puns, so I was able to get them with varying numbers of perps, but couldn't suss out the common thread.
Mirabel was in the NYT Sunday puzzle a couple weeks ago, so that was a big help. Other wags along the way were also a big boon. Got it done, but it took over an hour. A very good puzzle nonetheless.
I wish you a very happy Birthday, Windhover. And IIRC, it's also PK's birthday. I hope you are all right and wish you a good day as well. Both of you are missed.
- December 7, 2014 at 9:34 AM
- Irish Miss said...
Good Morning:
This was a DNF because of Fugu/rage crossing as well Lorca/on CD. Caught the theme early on but not the letter shift consistency.
Thanks, Alan, for a pleasant Sunday work-out and thanks, CC, for the informative expo.
Happy Birthday, Windy; hope you enjoy a special day. We miss you.
Have a Super Sunday.
- December 7, 2014 at 9:57 AM
- Lucina said...
Good day, Puzzlers. Thank you so much, C.C. for showing the anagrammed answers. I got them but didn't "get" them.
WEES. This was a slow slog but I appreciate the cleverness of it. Barks as SHIPS was very witty though I agree, barque, is the usual spelling.
GANT/STYNE and STADT stymied me so DNF. Also it took way longer than my allotted time.
Wishing you a very happy birthday, Larry! I'm sure you and the Irish will celebrate accordingly. I miss you, too.
Have a great Sunday, everyone!
- December 7, 2014 at 10:30 AM
- Spitzboov said...
Good afternoon everyone.
WEES. Almost skipped it but upon seeing Olschwang as the constructor, I wanted to give it a try. (A name I remember from my first days of doing puzzles.)
CREMORA - I eschew Cremora because I found it gives me heartburn. In coffee, I take just a few drops of 2% milk, or drink it black.
DAM - The dam holds back the water to make power. Power is produced by the hydro-electric turbine generators emplaced at the end of descending penstocks in the dam or externally so as to discharge to the lowest possible tailwater in the stream below the dam.
Kind of a loose clue like the tide thing yesterday.
Welcome aboard to Rainman.
Happy Birthday Windhover. Hope you are doing well.
- December 7, 2014 at 12:19 PM
- Yellowrocks said...
This took quite a while. I was defeated in the NW by DATE MARKET instead of MATE. Of course, I couldn't anagram DATE and resorted to red letters. The M suggested DAMS, then DAZE and ZETA, so one red letter help.
Happy birthday, Larry. I miss your posts.
CC, I have heard of FUMY, but thought of it as informal. Apparently it is a standard adjective.
I wasn't at all surprised to find BARK spelled with a K.
"HMS Endeavour, also known as HM Bark Endeavour, was a British Royal Navy research vessel that Lieutenant James Cook commanded on his first voyage of discovery, to Australia and New Zealand, from 1769 to 1771."
- December 7, 2014 at 12:41 PM
- Yellowrocks said...
SAIL ON, SAIL ON by Thomas Moore
Sail on, sail on, thou fearless BARK --
Where'er blows the welcome wind,
It cannot lead to scenes more dark,
More sad than those we leave behind.
Each wave that passes seems to say,
"Though death beneath our smile may be,
Less cold we are, less false than they,
Whose smiling wreck'd thy hopes and thee."
Sail on, sail on -- through endless space --
Through calm -- through tempest -- stop no more:
The stormiest sea's a resting-place
To him who leaves such hearts on shore.
Or -- if some desert land we meet,
Where never yet false-hearted men
Profaned a world, that else were sweet --
Then rest thee, bark, but not till then.
- December 7, 2014 at 12:42 PM
- GrannyAnny said...
Since I started this puzzle in a grumpy mood, I figured it was just me, but apparently this puzzle was more of a challenge than usual for the Sunday solvers. Turned on the red letters after 40 minutes to take out the errors; turned them back off and ran through again; turned them back on and still had to go letter by letter. Spent over an hour on it.
Sorry, Alan. I'm sure that technically it's a wonderful puzzle, but I'm still feeling grumpy. Maybe some lunch will help.
- December 7, 2014 at 2:02 PM
- fermatprime said...
Thanks Alan and CC! Lot of work.
Another red-letter day for me. And the most difficult LAT Sunday puzzle that I have ever seen.
Good to see old friend RAREE. Didn't know GANT, ARON, AON, MIRABEL, EMILE, LORCA, STYNE. Figured out PAMELA from the PA.
Happy belated birthday to Lucina! Hope that you had a piece of chocolate cake!! Happy birthday Windover, wherever you are!
Feel better today. But head is ver foggy.
- December 7, 2014 at 2:17 PM
- Bill G. said...
Happy Sunday! Wow! This puzzle was a little too hard for me to complete comfortably but I still liked it. I had even more trouble at the bottom with too many words I didn't know, couldn't suss out and not enough crossing letters to help. I agree with D-O that DECIMATE means to kill every tenth person in an army. Like so many words, it has been misused so often that it's meaning has become changed.
Windhover, I hope you stop by again. I miss your intelligent slant on things.
We got a Christmas tree yesterday. It will be delivered today. The nursery puts a fresh cut on the tree and fits it with a stand so the tree is perpendicular to the floor. It's been kept in water in its stand and will be fresh. We find it's worth the extra money, especially since we don't have to get down on the floor to get it straight in our own stand.
We also bought Jordan a bicycle for Christmas yesterday. That will be something fun for Grandpa and Jordan to do together.
- December 7, 2014 at 2:19 PM
- Dudley said...
Hello Puzzlers -
Technical DNF today due to NSPCA instead of ASPCA. Oops. Otherwise, it was a real workout, but what detailed themage! This must have taken ages to construct. Styne was a complete unknown, but Gant came from a less-used cranial cranny, and Raree came back from some long ago crossword.
Hello C.C., in the past I've read up on barks/barques and barkentines, as well as brigs, with a view to trying to keep them straight. No can do. The differences among some of those old sailing rigs are just too hard to remember and categorize. I'm more at home with the smaller craft.
A few of us neighbors got together today to aid a pair of recently widowed sisters who had fallen behind in farm chores. There's a cold north wind, but the sun is bright and the soil still workable - not a bad day for agriculture. We intend to hoist some ales later on in celebration of our righteousness. :-)
- December 7, 2014 at 2:30 PM
Re: East of Eden: Cal and Aron are analogous to Cain and Abel. Their father is Adam Trask.
There's a pretty decent rom-com on TV now called Selfie whose main characters are Eliza Dooley and Henry Higgs. I wonder how many young viewers miss the rather obvious allusion.
- December 7, 2014 at 2:54 PM
- Mike Sherline said...
I concede bark is accepted spelling, but new to me, only knew barque. To me that's part of the beauty of crosswords, though - hoping to see enough that you know that you can figure out what you don't.
On that note, can someone please explain 18D - SWELL PAIR=ELLS? CC, in your writeup the two Ls are colored purple, and there's a period after ELLS.,as in an abbreviation, though there's nothing I can see in the clue to so indicate. Huh?
By the way, I too thought FUMY was a made up word - "Boy, it sure is fumy in here".
- December 7, 2014 at 3:17 PM
There are two "ELLS" (i.e. the letter "L") in the word "swell".
I also thought FUMY was a made-up word but I was confident that Yellowrocks would set us straight.
- December 7, 2014 at 3:26 PM
- Husker Gary said...
DAZE, FAZE, TAZE cost me one bad cell on Alan's big time Sunday challenge. Working late due to grandchild visit.
-My daughter met new husband on match.com
-I too enjoyed old friends AMAH and RAREE
-First of 12 wasn't PETER
-Nice view from the RIM of this extinct volcano
-His RAGE-filled RANTS got him fired
-NEUT. – Tin and I are of Swiss heritage
-In the Farmer In The DELL, the cheese stands ALONE
-These events usually feature the YMCA
-Have seen the ad where the GENIE gives a guy a million bucks
-Some peeps got EXEMPTED from Obama Care
-We use 5 of the 36 PRESETS on our radio
-New plans for milk jugs
-Said Simple Simon to the pieman, let me taste your WARE
-He wouldn't NAME NAMES
-Some athletes like playing in FL and TX where there is no STATE TAX
-HBD, Windy!
- December 7, 2014 at 5:21 PM
- Mike Sherline said...
Thanks, LR. The letter L spelled out. For some reason I almost never see that, at least not right away. Will try harder to remember for next time.
- December 7, 2014 at 5:32 PM
- BV Ahlers said...
A bark is a type of smaller boat with 3 or more masts with sails; usually not large enough to be considered a ship.
- December 7, 2014 at 5:49 PM
- BV Ahlers said...
1D Power producers could be DAMS which would make 23A MATE market!
- December 7, 2014 at 6:02 PM
BV Ahlers said...
"1D Power producers could be DAMS which would make 23A MATE market!"
Ya think?
- December 7, 2014 at 6:13 PM
- Rainman said...
A real slow drudge for me. I also had DATEMARKET and FAZE. Took me waaay toooo long. In the end I had a couple of other mistakes and never got the theme as well. I think doing puzzles the old-fashioned way (newspaper and Erasermate pen, for me, because I can put it down and go back later)... tends to slow me down. I'd like to find a good way to do them online. Shopping around. Yes, happy natal anniversary, Windhover!
- December 7, 2014 at 7:05 PM
Rainman said...
I'd like to find a good way to do them online.
Try the Mensa site.
- December 7, 2014 at 7:12 PM
- Mike Sherline said...
Rainman -
or web crosswords.com, then click on LA Times Crossword. There are several others available there too. In Hawaii I get each day's puzzle in the afternoon of the previous day.
- December 7, 2014 at 7:51 PM
Lime Rickey @ 6:13
Was that necessary ?
- December 7, 2014 at 8:27 PM
- windhover said...
Hello All,
A little late to the dance, since I won't see this puzzle till late tomorrow evening. Tomorrow is my youngest son's 42nd b-day, so the the party that started Friday night will be extended on more night.
Thanks to C. C. for remembering my birthday, and thanks to the rest of you for your very kind compliments. It's greatly appreciated.
I still read every blog, and since
- December 7, 2014 at 8:53 PM
- windhover said...
Dammit, almost 6 years and I still can't do this right. The iPhone keyboard locked up and I had to publish and then start a new post.
As I was (trying to) saying, I still read every blog, but since I still don't have a computer (no broadband in this backwater) I have to rely on the Irish to print and bring them home and it's often 2-3 days later if she's working out of the office. Normally, as many of you know, I solve the puzzle the evening of the publication date.
But (again, as many of you know) puzzle analysis and/or criticism has never interested me as other than a spectator sport, so I've had little to contribute the past several months. I do enjoy reading your comments.
Thanks again for the b-day wishes and the nice shout-outs.
BTW, this birthday for me was what used to be known here as "Jeannie's number".
- December 7, 2014 at 9:03 PM
- Yellowrocks said...
Lime Rickey, thanks for your faith in me. I happen to have my own unique take on unusual words.
As I said yesterday, the meaning of SEMI used in a novel I am reading to refer to a type of a residence was new to me. I love meeting new words or new forms of words like that in novels and crosswords. Rather than suspecting them as made up or not quite legitimate, I research them, try to find their origins, and look for examples of their use in print. That way I increase my vocabulary and make the new word more memorable.
I am finding my avid interest in novels about the exploits of the Royal Navy under sail has frequently been of use in crossword solving, for example, BARK today. I read many of those novels with an online dictionary or Google at hand.
-From an incorrigible logophyle.
- December 7, 2014 at 9:28 PM
Cremora is a brand. It was created by Borden, but they sold some of their international business in 1998 to Nestle, which now controls the Cremora brand in the Middle East and Africa.
- December 7, 2014 at 10:38 PM
- Blue Iris said...
Time spent on today's puzzle left me with no GREAT EXPECTATIONS and soon turned to red-letter help on a RESCUE MISSION.
My favorite clue was "Members of a trendsetting family?"
We have wanted to visit the HST Presidential Museum and Library, in Independence, MO, and just haven't got around to it. We've been to DDE Presidential Museum and Library, in Abilene, KS, several times over the years.
Remembering the young men who died on Pearl Harbor Day. My 92 yr. old uncle has just started to talk about his service in the Japanese Islands during WWII. He was there for 3 1/2 yrs and was the radio man. He was always on the HAM radio when I was a child and I never associated it with his military service.
Happy Birthday, Windhover! Hope you had a good one!
- December 8, 2014 at 12:34 AM
- Anonymous T said...
Didn't even have time for a puzzle today said...
HBD Windhover!
Cheers, -T
- December 8, 2014 at 12:50 AM
- Bill G. said...
BTW, did anybody explain why Jones is a trendsetting family? I know I'm going to feel silly but I didn't get it.
Ah! As in "Keeping up with the Joneses?" It just hit me while I was typing. Never mind...
- December 8, 2014 at 1:34 AM


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Variety is the spice of life, and some days coffee is my life.
That makes variety in my coffee one the most important things to me.
For those like me, who want to see, taste and experience everything, there's no need to feel limited by the pod and capsule compatibilities of your Nespresso and Keurig coffee makers.
Enter HiLine Coffee.
A small coffee company based in New York, NY, HiLine Coffee hasn't been in existence for very long.
But in their short time, they have established themselves as one of the best alternatives to Keurig and Nespresso pods.
This is The Coffee Maven's unbiased HiLine Coffee review.
Table of Contents
- 1 Who Is HiLine Coffee?
- 2 What Products Does HiLine Offer?
- 3 Where Does HiLine Get Their Coffee?
- 4 HiLine Coffee Review: Final Word
Who Is HiLine Coffee?
Their mission is to provide the freshest alternatives to Keurig and Nespresso pods.
Actually, the story of their beginning is one we can all relate to.
One fateful New York morning back in 2013, co-founder Gene Kakulin reached for his favorite Nespresso capsule only to realize they were all out! A resourceful New Yorker, Gene grabbed an empty capsule, filled it with his own ground coffee, sealed it with tin foil and brewed it in his Nespresso machine.
The resulting coffee was better and more aromatic than the Nespresso-brand capsules he'd grown accustomed to using.
Then Gene had his light bulb moment.
Why not create a business around providing fresh alternatives to the brand name capsule manufacturers?
That's exactly what he did.
HiLine Coffee Company, Inc. opened for business that same year and has grown to employ over a dozen people with annual revenue grossing around $2 million. (That's less than one-half of 1% of what Keurig did in 2015, so we're talking about a legitimate small business here.)
HiLine delivers coffee pods which are roasted right before being shipped to you, making them among the freshest — if not the freshest — Keurig- and Nespresso-compatible alternatives out there.
Over the last 4 years HiLine has rapidly expanded, offering more products beyond pod coffees, and has positioned themselves as one of the leading alternatives to Keurig and Nespresso pods.
In The Coffee Maven's opinion, HiLine Coffee is poised to continue their ascent.
What Products Does HiLine Offer?
Initially offering pod-based alternatives to the major single serve manufacturers, HiLine has expanded to offer the following products:
- Nespresso-compatible capsules
- Keurig-compatible pods
- Whole bean coffee
- Ground coffee
- Cold brew packs
- Coffee accessories
I'll explain each in more detail below. (Click on each link above to jump to the appropriate section on this page.)
Where Does HiLine Get Their Coffee?
HiLine sources their coffees from high altitude, small lot farms in Latin America, Africa and Southeast Asia.
What does that mean?
While science doesn't definitively answer the question, "Why is high altitude important when growing coffee?" the general consensus seems to be that higher altitudes mean lower temperatures, according to Dr. Shawn Steinman, who actually holds his Ph.D in Coffee Science.
Yes, that's a thing.
Coffee grown in lower altitudes and hotter temperatures tends to take on an intense "this tastes like plain ol' coffee" flavor. Considering many of the best coffee growing regions are around the equator — where it gets sorta hot! — it makes sense that the cooler temperatures at higher elevations would lend themselves to more complex coffees with an array of delicate flavors.
Small lot farms are the agricultural equivalent of buying from mom and pop shops.
In doing so, HiLine supports the local economy and frequently gets a higher quality roast out of it.
However, because these small lot farms typically don't have the resources of their larger competitors, they don't have organic certifications. That doesn't mean the coffees aren't delicious and responsibly grown, it just means they don't carry the Certified Organic designation. HiLine does try to work with farms that are Fair Trade or members of the Rainforest Alliance, though.
HiLine Nespresso-Compatible Capsules
As noted in HiLine's origin story, the company began out of a perceived necessity to improve the quality and freshness of pod coffee available on the market. To that end they've developed numerous varieties of Nespresso-compatible capsules to appeal to all palates.
As of this writing, they offer the following Nespresso-compatible capsules:
Standard roasts (with an obvious New York influence):
- Wall Street: Dark roast from Sumatra with creamy, nutty profile
- Greenwich Village: Dark roast from Brazil with fudge, orange and vanilla
- Broadway: Dark roast from Sumatra with fruity, tart notes
- Liberty: Dark roast from Colombia with raspberry and caramel
- Times Square: Dark roast from Brazil with chocolate and sage
- Grand Central: Dark roast from Colombia with caramel and cherry
- Soho: Medium roast from Guatemala with chocolate and blackberry
- Brooklyn: Medium roast from Ethiopia with sweetness, walnut and blueberry
- Chelsea: Light roast from Guatemala with cinnamon, citrus and blackberry
- Central Park: Decaf from Brazil with cacao nib and nuttiness
- West Village: Dark roast from Guatemala with notes of cocoa and almond
- Kona Blend: Dark roast from Hawaii with real Kona coffee
Specialty roasts:
- Vanilla Macaron: Dark roast from Ethiopia
- Creamy Coconut: Dark roast from Brazil
- Hazelnut Cupcake: Dark roast from Ethiopia
- Chocolate Donut: Dark roast from Ethiopia
- Peppermint Bark: Dark roast from Sumatra
- Pumpkin Spice: Dark roast from Brazil
- Sea Salt Caramel: Dark roast from Ethiopia
HiLine vs Nespresso Capsules
Simply put, HiLine is one of the best Nespresso capsule alternatives.
- They offer nearly 20 different varieties for Nespresso OriginalLine machines.
- HiLine capsules cost around $0.60 per capsule.
- Nespresso brand OriginalLine capsules cost around $0.75 per capsule.
- That's a savings of around $0.15 per capsule, or $55 per year.
Plus, HiLine's roasts are fresher, and because the company is so picky when choosing partner farms that meet their high altitude, small lot criteria, HiLine capsules tend to be less intense, more flavorful and more complex.
- Coffee capsules compatible with Nespresso Original Line machines
- 3 bags, each containing 20 capsules, totaling 60 capsules
- 20 capsules of Wall St Roast (Intensity 10)
- 20 capsules of Liberty Lungo DarkRoast (Intensity 10)
- 20 capsules of Greenwich Village Roast (Intensity 10)
HiLine Keurig-Compatible Pods
Similar to the write-up on HiLine's Nespresso-compatible pods, the company offers fresher and higher-quality roasts for both Keurig 1.0 and Keurig 2.0 machines:
Standard roasts:
- East Village: Medium roast organic from Peru with almond, toffee, vanilla
- Donut Truck: Medium roast from Colombia with nutty, chocolate, citrus
- Fifth Ave: Medium roast from El Salvador with honey, creamy radiant profile
- Stock Exchange: Dark roast from Brazil with raspberry, nutty, bold
- Kona Blend: Dark roast from renowned Kona region of Hawaii
Specialty roasts:
- Coconut Cream: Medium roast from Brazil
- Vanilla Bean: Medium roast from Brazil
- Hazelnut Macaron: Medium roast from Brazil
- Salted Caramel: Medium roast from Brazil
- Chocolate Truffle: Medium roast from Brazil
- Pumpkin Spice: Medium roast from Brazil
- Peppermint Bark: Medium roast from Brazil
HiLine vs Keurig K-Cups
HiLine pods are compatible with both original Keurig and Keurig 2.0 machines. This means if you have a Keurig model from the K200, K300, K400 or K500 lines, HiLine's pods will work with your machine's pod scanning technology.
- HiLine offers 12 different varieties for Keurig brewers.
- HiLine pods cost around $1.10 per pod.
- Keurig-licensed K-cups for 2.0 brewers cost around $0.70 per pod.
- That means HiLine pods cost around $0.40 extra per pod, or $146 more per year.
In terms of cost, that's the opposite of what we saw with HiLine's Nespresso-compatible capsules. So, why would anyone buy HiLine's Keurig-compatible pods?
Medium roasts are my favorite, and I think HiLine's East Village roast is absolutely delicious. It's probably in my top 3 K-cup roasts I've ever had. Still, the extra cost with HiLine's pods is a little hard to swallow. At $146 per year that's akin to buying a whole new Keurig machine every 12 months!
For those who want single origin, small lot roasts and want to support a small company like HiLine, I can't recommend them enough. But if the extra cost doesn't fit your bottom line, that's completely reasonable.
HiLine Whole Bean Coffee
Unlike HiLine's Nespresso and Keurig alternatives, their whole bean coffees come from El Salvador and New Guinea.
All of these roasts, including the Union Square dark roast, are extremely smooth — a characteristic of coffees grown in those regions.
"Low key" is a great way of describing all 3 roasts below, and you can see from the tasting notes of each that nothing here is going to be overpowering.
With HiLine's strict requirements — high altitude, small lot — they can deliver great quality for an affordable price.
These are the whole bean coffees HiLine offers:
- Madison Ave: Medium roast from El Salvador with peach, almond, fruity notes
- Union Square: Dark roast from New Guinea with rich, savory, berry notes
- Flatiron: Organic medium roast from El Salvador with peach, honey, floral notes
The first two roasts sell for around $16 per pound, and the organic sells for $18.
HiLine Ground Coffee
Ready for something different?
HiLine's ground coffees come in individually wrapped single serve packs! The accompanying image shows one of these packs. Why does HiLine package their coffee this way?
Recall the company's mission statement from the introduction: to provide the freshest alternatives to Keurig and Nespresso pods.
OK, so the Nespresso and Keurig part of that doesn't apply here (unless you use a reusable pod), but the freshness part does.
Coffee goes bad when exposed to oxygen, as the oils oxidize and turn rancid. The exact shelf life of coffee is of much debate, but I've heard people say you can detect a noticeable decline in flavor in as few as 15 minutes!
The point is this: It's always best to grind your coffee beans immediately prior to use. In the case of ground coffee that's not possible, so the next best thing is to do what HiLine has done here.
No, it's not the best thing for the environment — that's a lot of extra plastic — but the cost of individually packing their coffee packs isn't overwhelming to the customer. These ground coffees can be had for around $14 per pound.
- Tribeca: Medium roast from Colombia with fruity, creamy, balanced profile
- Empire State: Medium roast from Ethiopia with blueberry, nectar, full-bodied profile
- Park Ave: Dark roast from Brazil with chocolate, caramel, robust profile
HiLine Cold Brew Packs
Similar to their ground coffee above, HiLine offers individually packed ground coffee packs for use in cold brew coffee. Each order comes with 4 packs, which makes 12 8 oz servings.
That's 96 oz of cold brew for $12, or $2.00 per 16 oz — the size of a Starbucks grande cold brew. I'm sitting in a hotel lobby next to a Starbucks right now and their grande cold brew goes for $4.65. That's $2.50 savings per serving!
It's still cheaper to go with whole bean or ground coffee, but for convenience and freshness the cold brew packs do quite nicely.
Cost analysis aside, this is what HiLine offers in the cold brew line:
- Gramercy Park: Balanced, ultra smooth, rich and designed to be brewed in cold water
From their website, here's the cold brew recipe:
Drop 2 pitcher packs into a 48 fl oz (or larger) pitcher. Add 32 fl oz of cold, filtered water to the pitcher. Steep coffee in the fridge for 24 hours. Gently remove the pitcher packs and add 10-16 fl oz cold, filtered water to taste.
HiLine Accessories
In addition to their coffees, HiLine offers a few coffee-related accessories:
- Tumblers with funny sayings on them
- Descaling powder for coffee machines
- A tote bag
- A zip pouch
Honestly, not much to see here. You can find better stuff on Amazon.
HiLine Coffee Review: Final Word
HiLine Coffee emphasizes fresh coffee above all else, and it shows up in each of their product lines. Their beans are sourced from high quality, small lot farms at high altitudes in some of the best growing regions in the world and are roasted right before delivery. Even their ground coffee options are individually packaged to lock in freshness.
Their Nespresso-compatible roasts are less intense than Nespresso's offerings and can be purchased at savings of around $0.15 per capsule. However, they're compatible with OriginalLine machines only.
Their Keurig-compatible roasts are high quality as well and work with both Keurig 1.0 and Keurig 2.0 brewers, but they're more expensive than Keurig's own licensed K-cup pods and many other third party manufacturers.
The Coffee Maven Conclusion
If you've never tried HiLine Coffee Company's products, give them a go. It can be more difficult to justify paying up for their Keurig-compatible pods, but their prices on Nespresso-compatible capsules, whole bean coffees, and ground coffees will fit almost anyone's price range.
I wouldn't go so far as to purchase their cold brew-specific product — regular ol' coffee beans will do just fine — but I encourage everyone support a small business like HiLine, who offers superior quality and dedication to the satisfaction of their customers.
If you've ever tried HiLine's coffee or have any questions, comment below!


text:
235 Hilliard Green Green Nw, Edmonton
Courtesy Of Sara Hunter Of Royal LePage Noralta Real Estate.
There is so much to love about this "Homes by AVI" 2,278 sq. ft. 2 storey located in the highly desirable area of College Woods! To start with the entire house has been TOTALLY REPAINTED with soft, current colour as of OCT/ 2019 giving it the Feel of a New Home!! Upon entering you will love the SPACIOUS, OPEN Front Entry Area that leads through French Doors to an Office/Den/Flex Room and then to the Formal Dining Room, eventually opening onto a Gorgeous, South Facing Kitchen/Great Room with Vaulted Ceiling & Skylights that also features a Mantled Gas FP & Breakfast Nook. Maple HDWD Floors, Granite Counters, Lge. Central Island, SS Appliances incl. Gas Range complete this Fabulous Kitchen! Upstairs are 3 lge. Bdrs. with a 5pce. Master Ens. featuring 2 Sinks, Corner Soaker, Separate Shower and WI Closet. Recent upgrades also incl. HE Furnace, Water Softener, Central AC, a NEW Bradford HWT in January/2020, 2GAtt Insulation (in process). The South Backyard is Fenced and features a Deck &Tiled Patio!!!
Residential Detached Single Family
Air Conditioner, Deck, Porch, No Smoking Home, Patio, Skylight, See Remarks
Double Garage Attached, Front Drive Access
Ceramic Tile, Wall to Wall Carpet, Hardwood
Air Conditioning-Central, Dishwasher-Built-In, Dryer, Garage Control, Garage Opener, Hood Fan, Oven-Microwave, Refrigerator, Stove-Gas, Vacuum System Attachments, Vacuum Systems, Washer, Water Softener, Window Coverings
Gas, Heatilator/Fan, Insert, Mantel
Fenced, Landscaped, Park/Reserve, Playground Nearby, Public Transportation, Schools, Shopping Nearby, Ski Hill
Listing information last updated on August 13th, 2020 at 2:31pm MDT.


text:
Your home is the most valuable investment that you have in this world and therefore it must be protected and taken good care of. Most people undervalue homeowners insurance and this is because they don't understand how important it is to have this type of coverage. Those who have it on the other hand do not take their time to check on this insurance policy and to know whether it is protective or not. Homeowners insurance Florida has helped most of the homeowners to protect their houses and take good care of them. Knowing the common gaps in home insurance policies is very crucial and it will help you move to the next level and it also makes it easy for you when you want to reassess your coverage. Some of the gaps to look at this article are discussed below.
Floods and Earthquakes
Floods and earthquakes are very bad natural disasters and most people tend to assume them but they have negative impacts on our environment. They are not covered under the home policy because the homeowners' policy covers all kinds of damages whether caused by vandalism, fire or even theft. Earthquakes and floods are covered in a different coverage because they have devastating effects on our homes.
Valuable items
Most homeowners have a lot of valuable items that they have kept in their homes and these items have a restrictive coverage for these valuables. Some of them include collectibles, jewellery, musical equipment, antiques, expensive sporting equipment, art and many others. There are those homeowners who have items of high value or quality and for such it are important for them to take a policy that covers all these possessions adequately.
Home Updates
Home improvements are very necessary but it is important for you to review your home insurance coverage once you make these updates so that insurance can be able to cover all these. Most of the homes in the world are undervalued buy home insurance companies and this is because most of them have not gone back to update their home policies so that they can include the current property. It is very crucial for your insurance agent to be aware of any big changes or renovations that occur around your house so that it can be easy for the insurance company to pay you when something bad happens to your home. Touching base with your insurance agent makes it easy for them to insure your additional properties and value them as they are currently.
In conclusion, buying a new home requires a lot but it goes without saying that when you buy a new home you need to look for homeowners insurance. The home insurance that people take covers the following things; Your personal possessions, the structure of your home, your liability to other and cost of additional living expenses and this happens when your home is damage and you move to live somewhere else waiting for repairs to be done. Insurance Florida is readily available for the homeowners because protecting your house is very important.


text:
In every stage of designing a circuit you need an oscilloscope to see whether you are getting the desired output signal or not, and if you are reverse engineering a circuit then oscilloscope is very much essential tool for that. A wide variety of oscilloscopes are available in the market and they are very expensive so most of the hobbyist choose to buy a PC oscilloscope. After some research I bought a cheap one for my basic experiments it's a Hantek 6022BE, it has 20MHz of bandwidth and 48MSa/s of real time sampling rate. But before using it we have to cope with some problems that can blow this device in seconds.
Here is a awesome video by Dave from EEVBlog on this purpose.
Many of us use a computer SMPS as power supply personally I also use, but when you are probing a circuit with your PC oscilloscope which is powered by the SMPS you need to do a small and simple hardware hack in the power supply. At first there are two sections present in the SMPS, high voltage(HV) side and low voltage(LV) side. HV side and LV side are isolated either by isolation transformer or by opto-couplers.
But in most cases the ground of the LV side is connected with the earthing of the HV side and this is quite dangerous so our hack will be to isolate ground form earthing in HV side.
Now, we have to test the continuity to be sure that ground and earthing of LV side and HV side are connected. Probe the multimeter in the continuity mode if there is no continuity then the HV and LV side is isolated otherwise we have to connect the earth wire of the LV side to the HV side or the circuit
The metallic casing of the SMPS is earthed, so the screw mounts of the LV side needs to be isolated form the LV side circuitry by isolation tape I've used thick double sided tape.
From these pictures we can see that the earthing is attached only with the HV side screw terminal which is isolating the the earth and ground and after the hack in working condition a 5V output is tested.
I added a buck converter circuit to +12V output so that I can use it as a variable voltage output between 0-12 volts also drilled the casing and attached banana connectors to make the supply more portable.
Written by : Subhadeep Biswas


text:
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What's better than one type of pork product in a dish? Yep, two!! Ground pork AND bacon … sign me up! I've loved this dish for years and when I made it last night, I was sure I must have dubbed it a "Weekly Winner" already… but apparently not. Chinese Egg Noodles with Five-Spice Pork is quick, satisfying, and pork-a-licious. It is the perfect dish to curl up on the couch with on a cold night, which is exactly what happened last night. I have yet to find authentic fresh Chinese-style egg noodles but have used fresh egg fettucine each time and love it. The recipe comes from Fine Cooking Magazine.
Chinese Egg Noodles with Five-Spice Pork
Serves 4
1/3 cup salted peanuts
1/4 lb. bacon (3 to 4 thick slices), cut in thin strips
2 medium cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 2-inch piece ginger, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup canola or peanut oil
3/4 lb. ground pork
1/2 tsp. five-spice powder
3 scallions, trimmed and sliced (white and green parts kept separate)
2 Tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbs. Asian sesame oil
2 tsp. white vinegar
1 tsp. granulated sugar
3/4 lb. fresh Chinese-style egg noodles
Bring a medium pot of well-salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, coarsely chop the peanuts in a food processor. Transfer to a small bowl. Put the bacon, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes in the food processor and pulse to finely chop.
Heat the oil in a heavy-duty 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon mixture and cook, breaking it apart with a spoon until the bacon renders most of its fat and darkens somewhat, about 4 minutes. Raise the heat to medium high and add the pork, five-spice powder, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until it loses all of its raw color, about 3 minutes. Stir in the scallion whites, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, and sugar. Keep warm over low heat.
Cook the noodles in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and put in a large bowl; toss in the pork mixture. Portion among 4 bowls, sprinkle with the peanuts and scallion greens, and serve.


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Soilman meets soiled man
Something unusual happened to me today.
This has nothing to do with vegetable growing, so not germane to this blog. But I feel the need to share.
I was on the London Underground at about 7am. A pleasant looking blond young man boarded our carriage. He wore only a cotton t-shirt (surprising, given the freezing weather today), but in all other respects he looked like a personable chap. He had the agreeably muscled, well-groomed look of an urban homosexual who takes care of himself.
It quickly became obvious that he was drunk. Very drunk.
He mumbled and moaned, uttered semi-coherent unfinished sentences, tried to engage his fellow travellers in disjointed conversation and generally made a vague but unthreatening nuisance of himself. So far, so banal. This is London. Drunk clubbers on early morning trains are not unusual.
What followed next, however, was rather unusual: the luckless young man shat himself. In full view. Lavishly.
It was really a most arresting sight. A brown stain spread sideways from the backside of his jeans into the seat and down his legs. Liquid shit began to drip out of the bottom of one trouser leg. At the same time, a ghastly and noisome aroma radiated outward, quickly rendering the atmosphere unbearable.
The young man seemed oblivious to all this. Not so the other four occupants of the carriage, who swapped silent and oh-so-British glances of wild surmise. Oddly, given what we were all witnessing, this was the most extraordinary part of the drama – the exquisite intensity of a look between strangers that expresses an eloquence of meaning ten thousand words could never achieve.
I got off at the next stop and moved to a neighbouring carriage. That's an act nobody can follow.
Posted on 22nd February 2013
Under: Rants | 7 Comments »


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Cal Crutchlow believes the new Silverstone asphalt will reduce lap times by around 1.5s during August's British MotoGP weekend.
The triple premier-class race winner became the first MotoGP rider to sample the new surface on Monday, during some demo laps on a Honda RC213V-S, the road version of his RC213V prototype.
"It's been a privilege to be at Silverstone today and to see the work and investment that has gone into the improvements to the track," Crutchlow said.
"Silverstone has listened to us as riders and they have resurfaced the entire circuit. I was really surprised at the consistency, and the grip levels across the entire lap were really impressive. The changes made are very good.
"Before the resurfacing there were lots of changes to the track surface, lots of bumps and it made it a tough track to ride fast. Now, the consistency is incredible and that's definitely going to have an impact on lap records.
"If I was to take a guess at the impact on lap times, I would think it's going to be about 1.5 seconds a lap faster than before and that's a massive amount of time to save each lap at MotoGP level."
The resurfacing project took place in February, despite freezing temperatures.
Crutchlow will be back in MotoGP action for LCR Honda at this weekend's French Grand Prix at Le Mans.


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Endless Summer in the National Parks: Explore a South Pacific Paradise
You want exotic? You'll have to think past Hawaii—2,500 miles past, to American Samoa, the uncontested champion of the system's tropical getaways. Yes, it's everything you imagine: Thickly rainforested peaks rising above white-sand beaches, fruit bats with 3-foot wingspans flitting among the lush trees. Head to Tutuila island and up 1,610-foot Mt. 'Alava for the park's best view. From Fagasa Pass, trace a ridgeline for 3.5 miles, beneath banyan and fig trees alive with the calls of tropical seabirds, to reach the summit, where views extend down to the glittery blue Pago Pago Harbor (pictured). Connect to the Mt. 'Alava Adventure Trail and continue 2.5 miles (shimmy down a series of rope ladders) to tiny Vatia Village. Continue 1.1 miles on the Tuafanua Trail to a secluded beach where red-footed boobies fish and butterflyfish dart among coral reefs (you'll have to come back in summer to snorkel here, though—winter's rip currents make swimming sketchy). Backtrack or (better yet) arrange for a homestay with a family in Vatia. Average January high/low: 87°F/78°F Season: Year-round


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Sunyoga levels of teaching are given for those who would like to practice Sun Meditation India and to understand own spiritual growth and for those who would like to become Sun Yoga India teachers.
Level I
Holistic Health & Happy Life – includes the following topics which will help you to prepare for stable daily life and spiritual practice:
How to be healthy and why we are not healthy?
Physical health – how to change habits and life style easily and naturally?
Eat local, organic food and make your own diet according to your needs!
Do simple and effective Yogasanas!
Learn basic breathing exercises!
Learn basic acupressure points to keep your body healthy!
Learn how to understand yourself first and improve your psychological condition!
Easy and simple steps to resolve fears, traumas and depression.
Emotional and psychological stability are the key for stable spiritual growth!
Level II
Holistic Health & Happy Life
Chakra cleansing – breathing exercise Pranayama
Eye to Eye Meditation
Sun Meditation
Level III
Basic Sun Yoga India Workshop
Yam, Niyam, Asana
Sun meditation
Level IV
Advanced course – 7 days course
Prerequest: at least 6 months of regular and sincere practice of Sun Meditation after finished basic Sun Yoga India workshop
Holistic life
Practical application of Yam, Niyam, Asana in practical form
Samadhi experience after Kundalini awakening
Chakra Darshan meditation
Chakra opening and chakra awakening
Kumbak Breathing
Practical Samadhi experience
Level V
Beginning of Enlightenment
Freedom from dependency on food and water
Six month course in the Ashram after one year of sincere Sun Meditation practice after finishing Advanced Sun Yoga India Level IV workshop
Level VI
3 years of sincere practice after advanced course.
6 months course in the Ashram
Level VII
12 years course


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What If We Just Paid For the Things We Needed?
Earlier today I was listening to yesterday's podcast of the Diane Rehm Show on which the panel was discussing what the Amtrak accident means in light of our decaying infrastructure. Unfortunately, as is often the case with discussions of public transit, the debate got bogged down in the end in a very stupid Republican talking-point. Basically, any time Republicans encounter government money being spent on something they don't like (as opposed to Good And True things like bombing Middle Eastern countries), they'll complain about those things being "subsidized." Why are we subsidizing Amtrak passengers?! cries Rep. Andrew Harris of Maryland, idiot.
Ed Rendell, a person who seems to have something resembling a functional nervous system, sensibly replied that all transit systems everywhere are subsidized. Unfortunately, while getting the particulars right, Rendell neglected to defend the larger principle. Ignore for the moment the fact that automotive transport has been the beneficiary of innumerable government subsidies for decades, not least of which is the actual interstate highway system the imminent collapse of which is going to kill us all presently because we won't spend the money to repair it.
The larger principle that Rendell should have defended, but which apparently cannot be uttered in polite company, is that sometimes it makes sense to subsidize stuff. We "subsidize" public education, for example; we do it poorly and often reluctantly, and usually in racially inequitable ways, but we do do it. There are undertakings that we, as a society, deem worthwhile, and that means that we can choose to spend public resources on them. There's nothing wrong with that determination! Rendell's hemming on the issue serves to obscure this basic point, but it's just as true of alternative energy or education as it is of infrastructure or public transit. There's no magic way to get something you want without paying for it, and yet the inability to openly acknowledge this basic fact continues to hamper the ability to push for necessary public works.
These are the fruits of decades of well-poisoning on the part of conservatives with regard to any notion of the public good. Even people who ostensibly favor such public efforts cannot bring themselves to say with a straight face that yes, these things are good, and we can and should spend money to achieve them. "Subsidy" is not a dirty word; it's an integral part of development throughout the history of this country.


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Don't Go Breaking My Heart 2
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Zixin is about to marry Qihong, but her gallivanting ex returns to wreak havoc as mistaken identities and love triangles stir up the lovers' paradise. She didn't choose him the last time. But he's so not over her. And now he's back -- just when the fiancé's away on business.Unable to Watch without Unlocking
Louis Koo, Gao Yuanyuan, Miriam Chin Wah Yeung, Vic Chou, Daniel Wu
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Brookfield Dementia Care Home
Client:SSL Healthcare Ltd
Duration:5 months
The works consist of both internal and external work including modification and refurbishment to Brookfield House, Lazenby. The facilities provide an improved facility for day users and facilities for specialist respite care to give families and carers a break.
The project involved the construction of a single storey side extension to provide 4 new bedrooms with en-suite facilities, one for respite care. NCS also rebuilt the front bedroom extension, refurbished two existing rooms, and undertook general internal alterations and refurbishment to the lounge, sensory rooms & other services. External works to the garden area were undertaken to provide more seating and sensory facilities and drainage alterations, and parking provisions.
NCS have taken great care in ensuring the works are safely undertaken within a live care home environment and within a residential area. Funding for the works has come from the Department of Health's Dementia Friendly Environments fund.


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Srinagar is the capital of Kashmir defined by its large lakes and flowery gardens. The first stop during any trip to Kashmir valley is Srinagar. While the Mughal gardens bloom ushering in spring with all its colors; Dal Lake and Nagin Lake are its lifeline. The pristine beauty of nature comes alive as you float along the lakes, saunter in the gardens inhaling the fresh mountain air and dig into the delicious spread of kababs and pulaos.
The Best Time to Visit Srinagar is between March and October when you can see the valley bloom. It is best to avoid visiting during Amarnath Yatra period to avoid the crowd and rush. If you like to Trek for a day or a few days along with your trip then plan to visit in August-September when the routes are open for the Great Lakes and smaller ones around Pahalgam, Sonmarg.
The day time temperatures in the months of March to October will be between 15 degrees and 25 degrees centigrade. While woolens will be required in the mornings and late evenings, day time weather is pleasant with slight chill in the wind.
- Stay in a Houseboat for atleast 1 night. There are houseboats everywhere on Dal Lake and Nagin Lake. The fixed wooden boats are categorized by the facilities and locations and their rates are fixed as per category. They can cook and serve you or in some cases they get it from a nearby restaurant. If you are in a houseboat which is in the deep, then you will need a Shikhara to get to the main roads. Stay for a night at least and experience the life of a local.
- Shikara Ride on Dal Lake: I would suggest taking a morning ride and an evening ride in Dal Lake. The pristine beauty of the morning gives way to warmth and glow in the evening. You can watch the floating market in the morning warming up with Kahwa and watching the men do brisk business across their Shikharas. Pick up a few green apples if you want to but be prudent with buying spices. Evening is all about watching life go by and the sun set. Somewhere in the middle of the lake, a Shikhara may pop by with some freshly grilled delicious kababs. Take a pit stop at the Char Chinar- the small island with 4 Chinar Trees or the small park and get a 360 degree view of the lake.
- Walk around in the Mughal Gardens: A visit to Srinagar is incomplete without a stroll in these gardens. Built nearly 4 centuries ago by the Mughal Emperors and their ministers; Shalimar Bagh is the largest followed by Nishat Bagh and Chashme Shahi. They have retained their grandeur and charm over the years. They are located at the far end of the Dal within a 3 km radius with the Zabarwan range as the backdrop. While Nishat and Chashme Shahi have beautiful Dal Lake view, Shalimar Bagh is a little away from the Lake. All 3 gardens will be a good 3 hours. They are open from 9am to 5pm.
- Climb up to Shankaracharya Temple: This temple dedicated to Adi Shankaracharya is located atop the Zabarwan hill which can be noticed while you are floating on the Dal. It is believed that he meditated here in the 8th Century though the temple dates to 2nd century BC at the time of king Gopaditya who dedicated it to Shiva. There is a small Shivalinga in the temple where prayers are held daily. Indian Army personnel guard the temple round the clock. Vehicles are allowed at some point from where visitors need to walk up about 100 steps. Mobiles, cameras and bags are not allowed. The view from the temple is simply breathtaking and you will notice that most of the Dal Lake is now covered by house boats. Sharika Devi Temple in Hari Parbat is not accessible any more since the fort above is occupied by Indian Army
- Bow down in hope in Hazratbal Mosque which houses the relic (hair strand) of Prophet Muhammad. This shrine is located on the Western Bank of the Dal which can be reached by Shikara or by local transport. This sight of this spotless white majestic marble structure by the lake is sure to soothe the tired soul. I have not yet been lucky to go close; maybe you will. I am hoping to make it there during my next visit.
- Shop in the Boulevard/Lal Chowk: Boulevard is along the lake and Lal Chowk is the central hub of Srinagar, the square that defines the city. While it is easy to walk along the Boulevard with its plethora of shops and restaurants, you can perhaps saunter around Lal Chowk on a normal day. Look out for walnuts, apples, Kashmiri Shawls, Pashmina Shawls, paper mache items, wood carvings , carpets etc. Just be extra prudent during purchase and check the items you are buying. Better to go into established shops for quality assurance.
- Warm up with Kahwa and Cool off with Falooda: Kashmiri Kahwa is less of tea and more of a health drink. It is made from Kashmiri Green Tea leaves which is boiled with Kahwa mixture (green cardamon, cinnamon sticks, almond powder, sugar) and is instantly energizing. On the other hand is the cooling Falooda specially on a warm summer afternoon is a drink made from vermicelli, rose syrup, vanilla ice cream mixed with sabja seeds.
- Dig into Kashmiri Wazwaan:Visit to Kashmir is incomplete without digging into the flavours of Wazwan. Ever since It is not one dish nor is it a drink but the name of the elaborate and uber delicious set of dishes from the Kashmiri cuisine typically served in banquets. Experience the delights of Tabak Maaz, Chilly Kabab, Gushtaba, Rista, Pulao etc and round it off with the dessert Firni. Well if you are a vegetarian, the paneer, green apple curry and Aloo Dum are not to be missed. Ahdoos and Mughal Darbar are some of the famous places for experiencing the Wazwan delicacies.
- Day trip to Sonmarg – which is about a 3 hour journey(87 kms) away from Srinagar. The landscape changes as you drive by the Sindh which is a tributary of the Jhelum. Most visitors head to the Thajwas Glacier on a pony to get a glimpse of this meadow of Gold. Sonmarg is also the starting point for the Amarnath Pilgrimage or the Great Lakes trek that leads to Vishansar, Kishansar, Gangbal, Nundkol Lake at the feet of Mt Harmukh. The real Kashmir is concealed in the lap of the mountains far away.
- Day Trip to Pehelgam and Gulmarg via Awantipora: This will be a 2 day trip if you are planning to visit all 3 places. Awantipora is the ruins of temples built by Awantivarman just outside Srinagar on the way to Pahalgam which is 3 hours away. Pahalgam is located at the confluence of the gurgling Lidder and the Sheshnag Lake. Apart from being the starting point of the traditional Amarnath Yatra and the Tarsar Trek it is also home to several Mughal Gardens (Kukkernag) and beautiful valleys (Betaab movie was filmed). Gulmarg is a Skiing destination in winter and famous for Gondola Rides in Summer.
Travel Tip:
- Srinagar is connected by Air from most major Indian Cities connecting through Delhi/ Mumbai/ Amritsar. Alternatively, take a train to Jammu and then drive to Srinagar (about 8 hours). You will pass through the Jawahar Tunnel on this route.
- The ideal tenure of the trip for all the above is about 6-7 days.
- Day 1 – Srinagar- Pahalgam via Awantipora
- Day 2 -Pahalgam- Kukkernag; Betaab Valley
- Day 3 – Pahalgam to Gulmarg via Martrand Sun Temple. Evening Gondola Ride
- Day 4- Gulmarg to Srinagar; Afternoon Shikhara Ride
- Day 5 -Gardens and Shankaracharya Temple in the Morning; Wazwan in the Afternoon; Shopping in Lal Chowk and Trip to Hazratbal
- Day 6- Sonmarg Day Trip
- Day 7- Morning Shikhara Ride to Floating Market and Depart
- The rates for hiring cars, sightseeing trips, horse rides are fixed by local authorities and better to go with an authorized people to avoid hassles. Others may offer some discount but it may come with an untold rider that you may realize later.
- Inspite of all the turmoil, this city has resiliently held its ground; just go and explore Paradise on Earth and you will love your time spent in this beautiful land.
- In case you are flying out of Srinagar, just report to the Airport hours in advance since there are 3 levels of checking. Please do not carry any hand luggage other than your wallet, laptop, camera. If you have crossed your luggage limit shopping in Kashmir or carrying boxes of apples; they may just let you go!!
- Everyone expects a little extra tip; keep that in mind to travel smooth. The state hardly has anything beyond tourism and given the weather and terrain they need to earn for the year in 5-6 months.
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SlutWalking entered the UK on Saturday with marches in Cardiff, Newcastle and Edinburgh and Glasgow. I stood under Grey's Monument in Newcastle, watching the protesters gather. As I write about SlutWalking, I first wonder if I can call the SlutWalkers "sluts", without the ironic speech marks. I think I should. Isn't this the point? To decontaminate the term through overuse? If I am repelled by repeatedly writing it – and you by reading it – perhaps we will learn whether the "reclaiming" of abusive terms is helpful, as the fight for equality stalls and porn culture swallows everything.
Grey's Monument is a phallic column, commemorating the white male Charles Grey's role in passing the Reform Act of 1832. So, as a symbol for female emancipation, it doesn't work. A first generation feminist might say we were standing under a patriarch's penis that is covered in pigeons. Some sluts, like me, are dressed in jeans or long skirts and jumpers, like Tories seeking labradors. Some wear spidery black underwear and bovver boots, like pole dancers in fear of broken glass. Others wear pink dresses and wigs and carry teddy bears. There are also some normal-looking men and a delegation from the Socialist Workers party, who for some reason don't want to give their names. They carry signs, made from cardboard or sheets. "Feminism: Back by Popular Demand." "Stop Telling Me – Don't Get Raped. Tell Men – Don't Rape." "My Clothes Aren't My Consent."
The SlutWalk is the latest chapter in the story of modern feminism, perched between the Rise of the Fragrant Good Wife – Samantha Cameron, Catherine Wales – and the Return of the Bunnies and Their Big Ears to the new Playboy club in London. The SlutWalk is not poised and it is not reticent. It is a scream of dirty, unfeminine rage ripping through conventional gender stereotypes, which seem more solid and irritating than ever.
It began on 24 January this year, when policeman Michael Sanguinetti walked into the Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, to tell women how to avoid sexual violence. "I've been told I'm not supposed to say this," Sanguinetti said. "However, women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimised."
Sonya Barnett and Heather Jarvis decided to publicise this random example of women being damned for sexual violence by a law-enforcement officer. So on 3 April, they organised the first SlutWalk. Thousands of women walked through Toronto, some with the word "slut" painted on their almost nude bodies. Their manifesto said: "We are tired of being oppressed by slut-shaming; of being judged by our sexuality and feeling unsafe as a result. Being in charge of our sexual lives should not mean that we are opening ourselves to an expectation of violence, regardless if we participate in sex for pleasure or work. No one should equate enjoying sex with attracting sexual assault."
Sanguinetti duly apologised. But, eased by Facebook and Twitter and the overuse of the term "slut", which the media adores for obvious reasons, the movement has spawned satellite SlutWalks. There were SlutWalks in Boston and Los Angeles. There will be SlutWalks in Buenos Aires and Delhi. A Facebook page says one is planned for Tehran, but I think this is a joke.
The name has caused much feminist headbanging. What is a slut? In her famous 1963 essay Sluts, Katharine Whitehorn described sluts as women who fish their clothes "back out of the dirty clothes basket because it had become, relatively, the cleaner thing," and spend their money "at the beginning of the month like drunken sailors". Then, sluts were merely disorganised women who failed the reach the polished ideal of 50s housewife serfdom – gloves on fingers, husband in secretary, Valium in mouth.
But the term slut is now sexualised to mean promiscuous woman. In using the term, some feminists believe the SlutWalkers have internalised their abuse. They march under the word "slut". They are mirrors of shame. Gail Dines wrote in the Guardian: "The term slut is so deeply rooted in the patriarchal 'madonna/whore' view of women's sexuality that it is beyond redemption." Germaine Greer disagrees, and wrote: "The rejection by women of compulsory cleansing of mind, body and soul is a necessary pre-condition of liberation . . . "
I count the sluts. There are only 30 so far. Surely more will march against the pervasiveness of rape than for the right to kill foxes? And, as I wonder if the UK SlutWalk will die in childbirth, I watch a slut munch her first victim. He is a Christian preacher in a tracksuit, wearing the sort of microphone that Cheryl Cole dribbles on. He is St John Rivers plus Sean Combs.
He is standing on a chair, talking to a small crowd. "Jesus loves you," he says in a thick Geordie accent, waving his arms. Next to him is a man advertising an Indian restaurant, and next to him is a stall informing the public about Islam. It's Saturday midday on the high street – a pick'n'mix of conflicting ideologies.
"Love the Lord," he shouts in a thick Geordie accent, "Get real with God." The slut attacks. She is slender, in jeans and bra and her head is shaved. "God doesn't give a shit," she shouts. She turns to the crowd, which is growing bigger and more interested with the promise of violence. They watch it, like TV. They take pictures and they should. This is a very photogenic movement. Bras and sluts everywhere. It could be Stringfellows, except the women don't have dead eyes. "All they do is preach shame," she screams. "This man," she points at him, "is a liar!" He sucks in his cheeks, blows out, and looks bewildered. He probably thinks she sprouted out of a Hieronymus Bosch painting. His eyes ask – why is she talking like the Bible? At me?
A bearded slut joins her. "Religion is a system of control," he screams, "a machine!" This gets applause from the crowd, even as they carry their Next bags and think about lunch. "You lying fuck!" screams the slut. "Stop your language," the preacher replies, "there are women present." "We want to live in sin!" shouts the bearded slut. I do not think this is true. I think they actually want to redesignate sin as not being sinful. Two sluts approach and kiss, very tenderly, right by the preacher. His face swells, and he gets off his chair and rubs his head. The SlutWalk has mashed the first head not its own.
The organiser (chief slut?) is Lizi Gray. She is 16 and still at school. She is small and dark, with a red rose in her hair, which makes her look like a bizarrely politicised Snow White. She makes a swift, nervous speech to the assembled crowd, who now number about 100. "Woman have the right to dress how they like and not be attacked," she says. "It has all been cleared by the police but we need to stick to the pavements." And they set off, shouting: "Whatever we wear, wherever we go, yes means yes and no means no!" People come out of shops and watch, with calm eyes. They don't clap, or jeer, or throw down their shopping bags to join us. They don't even look amazed. Even the men standing outside pubs just watch, neutrally, sipping their pints.
I chase the woman who argued with the preacher. Her name is Cleo Rose-Nash. She is a sex worker. "A week and a half ago I was raped by a client," she says. "People don't understand consent and how much rape is part of our culture. We tend not to talk about it. We tend to keep quiet about it." And so covering the SlutWalk, which began so joyously, with funny costumes and shouting at preacher-men in tracksuits until they looked as if they were going to cry, becomes the act of collecting the testimony of rape survivors. But this is a SlutWalk. Who did I think would come?
Katie Cullinane is 26; a central-casting Girl Next Door. "I was raped when I was 18," she says. "I was terrified to go to the police. I knew what they would say." And what did they say? "I was told to put it down to experience," she replies. She adds that most women are raped by people they know, and most women who are raped are wearing jeans when it happens. The stranger pouncing on a drunk woman in a thong is a lie, a symptom of our collective denial, she says. Don't blame the men. Blame the thongs, and the women who wear them.
H, 30, doesn't want to give her name. "I was sexually assaulted when I was nine," she says, "by kids at school. But I was blamed. They told me if I hadn't been on my own in a corner of the playground, it wouldn't have happened. Why should I travel in a pack?" She is dressed in jeans and a thick blue cardigan, with bright purple earrings. She came from County Durham and she has never marched for anything before. "Women should be able to go where they like, on their own, dressed however they like," she says. "Men have that right. Women should have it too. Men get drunk and they don't fear rape." She asked her mother and her partner to come with her, but they both refused.
The march is surprisingly short. Just 40 minutes, and we pause in the centre of the city. Gray thanks the SlutWalkers and the police. But a group decides to head to the Green festival in a nearby park, where I corner the SlutWalker Sarah Bennison, 37. She wears a purple kilt, a feathery cape, and pink fishnet tights under shorts, topped off with an electric-blue mohican. She looks like a human bird. That is why I noticed her. Bennison is simply marching for the right to be weird. "I am regularly called names I shouldn't be called," she says. "Slag. Slut. Tart. Freak. I quite like freak. I have had 10-year-olds asking for blowjobs at three o'clock in the afternoon. I want to be left alone to dress how I want, without being told I am stupid." She grins, and walks away.
I find the pair in pink dresses, who I call the Dorothys because they are dressed as a less drugged Baby Judy Garland. One is male and gay. The other is female and describes herself as "pan-sexual". The boy, Jordan, is 16. He is dressed in ruby slippers and a dress that says "soft cream". His hair is in pigtails. He has pink-and-white striped socks. When I tell him I thought he was a girl, he looks happy. "It [the dress] makes me one of a kind," he says, "it is who I am. If anyone has a problem with that, they can fuck themselves." He doesn't dress as a girl at school. He makes do with a bow in his hair. The Guardian photographer, who is also a Geordie, thinks Jordan is the bravest man he has ever met. "We have had a lot of abuse," says the girl, Samanteina Bloodmyer, 20, who is carrying a bright pink teddy. "Man or woman, nobody deserves to be sexually assaulted because of how they are dressed. We can brush it off, but it still angers us."
Later that night I check the Newcastle SlutWalk Facebook page and find a crisis. Vicky Vampvick Lyth has written: "I was told . . . that a small group of girls on the SlutWalk were on their way to the Green Festival . . . a police officer then said, 'You can't go there because you're dressed like a slut.' That annoyed me because it's further proof of victim blaming . . . "
I make inquiries online – what exactly was said? – but I feel stupid attempting to ask a woman on a SlutWalk who wants to reclaim the word slut how she feels when she is actually called a slut. It is still not a word that I like by itself. But at least it isn't Bunny.
• The London SlutWalk is on Saturday. Click here for other dates. Do you think SlutWalks are a useful protest against sexual assault? And what do you think of this attempt to 'reclaim' the word "slut"?