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Thursday, August 12, 2010
Soft and Moist Banana Cake
Dear husband requested me to bake a cake for him to bring to his office. Initially he let me decide on what I wanna bake but next day, he came back with the requested by his staff. They want the banana cake that I baked for them 1 year ago when I just started baking. They still can remember how delicious this cake was even it had been a year and also after tasted so many of my baking :).
Even though I wanna explore and try new recipe but since the request came in, I just need to grant their wish so I went ahead to bake this banana cake.
So coincidentally, my brother also mentioned to me recently that this banana cake is still his favourite. Hmmm... may be he is hinting me to bake one for him? hee hee hee...
For this time, I didn't place the slice bananas on top of the batter cos probably due to the moisture of the banana slices, the small area of cake around the banana slices always being too wet. I do not wanna bake too long cos afraid might over bake the cake so just omit the deco of banana slices to solve the problem.
I baked the cakes into 2 cake tins, one for dear husband's office and one for own consumption.
Ingredients: ( for one 8" x 3.5" x 3" & one 9" x 4" x 3")
250g salted butter
1 1/2 cups castor sugar (I will reduce the sugar depending on what type of banana that I used and how ripe the bananas are, normally 180g to 200g)
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
4 tbsp milk
1 1/2 cups mashed banana (about 3 del monte bananas, sometimes I put more)
2 cups plain flour (220g sift together with 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda and 1 tsp baking powder)
1. Cream butter and sugar in a mixing bowl.
2. Add in eggs, vanilla essence and milk and mix well.
3. Add mashed banana into the mixture and mix well.
4. Finally add in sifted flour and mix well and pour into a cake tin.
5. Bake in preheated oven at 160 deg C for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. If the top layer turns brown after 15 minutes, cover it with a piece of aluminium foil.
6. Cool cakes in the pan then remove. Use a sharp knife to slice and serve
The cake is still as delicious as what my memory can recalled, soft, moist and full of the fragrant of banana. Yummy Yummy!
208 comments:
I like the flat surface of the cake.ReplyDelete
How did you do that??
so soft and moist....could make muffins out of this!ReplyDelete
I like banana cake too! May be I shall try out different recipe now because I've been using a same recipe for few years. Your banana cake looks real moist and soft. Thanks for sharing!ReplyDelete
Ellerinize, emeğinize sağlık. Çok muhteşem bir görüntüsü var. Çok leziz ve iştah açıcı.ReplyDelete
Hi Jess,ReplyDelete
Like Wendy, I am amazed by the flat top too. I like loaf cakes with flat tops. Mine always have a big slit at the top.
Did you use overripe bananas for the cake? whenever I buy bananas, I will tell my family members not to eat them (or at least leave a few for me to use) and wait till they are overripe.
Makes me want to do a banana cake soon. My brother is begging me to do a banana chocolate cake again.
can see this banana cake is very moist just from the picture, well done.ReplyDelete
hmmm...nice banana cake . guess i wanna bake one soon.ReplyDelete
Lovely and moist and I admire the flat top!ReplyDelete
Wow...that looks really soft and moist. Must be better than cake shop. If only I can have a piece now! Would be so good with a cup of tea...mmm. Thanks very much for sharing. MaryMoh at http://www.keeplearningkeepsmiling.comReplyDelete
Every baker has a good banana cake recipe, and I see yours now. Looks really soft and yummy. ;) My MIL just pass me a bunch of bananas, looks like I too have to make some banana cake soon, lol. ;)ReplyDelete
The cake looks so moist & beautiful! Anyone asking for more from your hubby's office? hehe... Have a wonderful evening.ReplyDelete
Cheers, kristy
Wendy, I didnt do anything leh, I think is the recipe itself do the magic ba. This is the 1st recipe I used when I started to bake, you can imagine this cake is how easy to manage since 1st time baker can baked a beautiful cake out just based on the recipe. So far, my every bake of this recipe, came out flat and smooth top, no crack at all.ReplyDelete
thanks Jelena & Fuat.ReplyDelete
Grace, I love banana cake too. This is the only recipe that I had tried so far, too good for me to take risk to try another recipe but after a year, I am thinking I shd give a change liao :). So probably we just swot the recipe hahaha...ReplyDelete
ZY, yes I used very ripe bananas. I am like you, I will ask my helper to jaga the bananas I wanna use for baking, if not it will end up in my fil or daughter's stomach hahaha....ReplyDelete
My brother love this banana cake too, I think I better bake one for him too :)
thanks Sonia & Busygran :)ReplyDelete
苏联妈妈, if you like rich banana cake, you can try this recipe, you wont be disappointed since 10 out of 10 tried this cake gave compliments even my health consious colleague :)ReplyDelete
Mary, it is better than cakeshop (oh I am so thick skin hahaha...). If you like banana cake, you shd try it and you will know :).ReplyDelete
Bee Bee, I used to bake so many bananas cake cos too many overripe bananas at home and eat until we scare hahaha... May b ur mil wan u to bake her banana cake? My mil used this trick b4 :PReplyDelete
Kirsty, yes there was request but need to queue :pReplyDelete
This banana cake looks nice and moist. So kind of you to bake it for your hubby's colleagues! I do too, once in a while!ReplyDelete
This recipe came just in time, I have banana at home right now, if my family didnt finish it, will definitely try this out ^_^ReplyDelete
thanks No-Frills Recipes. I guess most bakers are nice & generous to share good food to others :pReplyDelete
neyeeloh, let me know whether you like the cake if you bake it :)
Jess....I love banana cake that is soft and moist and yours looks delish. Will try your recipe when I have banana at home :) Have KIV this. Thanks! :)ReplyDelete
Jess, I started out baking with bananas ... one of my first bakes was banana bread ... then muffins ... but not yet tried cake. I always assume those calling for creaming method yield similar texture, as in cakey, be it a quick bread or cake. I've been making mine the dump-and-mix method though. I need to try out creaming method for my banana cake/bread/muffins/cupcakes. =DReplyDelete
Your banana cake looks so good with the specks within! Yea, but it's funny why the top came out flat!!?? But still can see the split on top! Amazing!
Been eons since I last made something banana-ish! I saw one on SSB's too not long ago. Will make one soon, but will have walnuts thrown in as I love the combo. Thanks for reminding me, this is a second reminder of a banana-ish bake. Haha! 我人老了,要人家經常提醒我。哈哈!But firstly, need to buy and wait for bananas to ripe!
Elin, do let me know whether u like it or not if you try the recipe ^o^ReplyDelete
That's delicious! I love banana bread and they are really good 2nd day after baking.ReplyDelete
Pei Lin, I am typical Singapore, very kiasu. When I searching recipe for my "virgin" bake, I made sure the receipe is yummy and easy. I was then not familiar with food blogs but I frequent one of the mum's forum alot and the recipe was found there. The reviews were so good and claimed to be easy to bake and what's more, banana cake is my favortie.ReplyDelete
The successful of 1st bake really rised my confidence, I was so lucky to lay my hands on this recipe. If I use other recipe that sensitive with folding (which you know lah I am sucks at it hahaha) I might be giving up baking liao :P.
Seem everyone is amazed with the flat top, I totally clueless how it happened heeheehee... I also saw the spit top, I didnt realise it when I sliced the cake, funny.
老? u or me? my memory is so much worst, think must buy ginko supplement liao :)
Yes Angie, I love to eat when it gets older :PReplyDelete
Jess, once and for all, DON'T call yourself as "kiasu!" That's a bad stereotype of Singaporeans, ya know! You haven't seen LC Malaysians! I can be one if you want ... LOL! There are good and bad everywhere you go ...ReplyDelete
- AnonymousAugust 14, 2010 at 12:31 AM
The banana cake has such a nice interior! They are so speckled, i never managed to get mine to look like yours ( could it be the type of bananas used? )ReplyDelete
Is the sugar that you used already reduced? Or thats the original?
banana cake is one of my favourite cake and you got it baked so perfect!ReplyDelete
Your cake looks so moist...! I prefer apple cake but I wouldn't refuse a slice of your banana cake either ;)!ReplyDelete
i oso want to bake nice nice banana cake! thanks for sharing the recipeReplyDelete
Banana cake is always delicious and this one looks so moist! Yummm-oReplyDelete
ok ok Pei Lin, for you I dun name myself kiasu anymore :p. BTW wat is LC?ReplyDelete
Yan Ee, I think shd be the recipe itself cos I used diff types of bananas, result came out almost the same except I prefer Del Monte bananas.ReplyDelete
The sugar has reduced, I ve the habit of reduce sugar from any recipe most of the time. I think for this time, I reduced to 1 cup cos the bananas was very very riped.
Thanks Bigboy Oven & Evan.ReplyDelete
Thanks Cooking Gallery, oh I prefer banana cake than apple cake but I am thinking to try baking apple cake next time :).
Carrie, try this recipe cos I have shared to many friends and all of them like it a lot too :).
- AnonymousAugust 14, 2010 at 9:12 AM
Hi Jess, so sweet of yur DH.ReplyDelete
that banana cake looks so yummy, may i have a slice with my kopi-o now.
banana cake is the first type of cake that i learn to bake. It has been a while since i last bake banana cake liao !!
Jackie, of course you can ve it :) Go ahead and bake it if you are craving for banana cake :PReplyDelete
No matter how many fancy cakes i've eaten or baked, banana cake somehow holds a very dear place in my heart.ReplyDelete
I want a slice please :)
You really wanna know ar? It's a bad and rude word, of Cantonese origin I believe. Hopefully, there are no kids looking at my comment here: LC is "lan si," which means snobbish and rude.ReplyDelete
Can moderate this message of mine, delete it bah ... Not good leh. I have too many Canto bad words in my brain, too contaminated. LOL!
This looks like a perfect banana cake. It's a cake everyone seems to love and yours is a great recipe. I hope you are having a good day. Blessings...MaryReplyDelete
oh Jess, that Banana cake looks amazing!! so moist and delicious, certainly a wow!!!ReplyDelete
I love how the banana turns purples when cooked. It gives the banana bread an extra interesting dimension! Banana bread toasted with butter is amazing!ReplyDelete
Wow, it looks amazingly soft!ReplyDelete
Pei Lin, I ve many bad words for hokkein too hahaha....ReplyDelete
Thanks Mary, Chef Dennis, Amy & Pigpigscorner :).
Hi... chanced upon ur blog.. can i check with you.. 1 and half cup sugar = how many grams?ReplyDelete
sorry for the question..
Hi Lilin, 1/2 cup of sugar is 115g, you may go the following url to check the baking conversion :).ReplyDelete
Hi Jess.. I tried the recipe.. but my cooked cake have patches of kueh like patch.. any idea why..ReplyDelete
And i dint achieve the "strands" of banana in my cake...u mask the banana till wat status?
Hi LinlinReplyDelete
If is kueh like patches probably you have overfolded the batter, so far I nvr encounter this in this banana cake but for other cakes like chiffon & honey cake.
I mashed the banana until like mashed potatoes, not seeing any lumps. Are you using very riped bananas? I think the more riped bananas you used, you will have more strand of bananas.
Hi Jess.. ok will try it again... I guess sometimes I do not have the patience to fold in the batter.. coz i will see kueh like patches.. normally u will fold in the flour by 2 batches or u just fold in all together?ReplyDelete
Hi Linlin, folding is one of the crucial part for baking cakes, you have to fold your batter gently so your bakes will look and taste good.ReplyDelete
I will fold in flour at 3 times in the batter instead of mix all in.
Hi JessReplyDelete
I tried out your receipe but using sunflower oil. The cake is really soft and moist.Thanks.
Hi Jess,ReplyDelete
Do you leave it to cool completely in the pan?
I cooled like half an hour and unmold, thinking I can leave it to the rack and cool further more.
Most of the cake are stuck on the pan. :(
Can you provide some tips / share on how you do the unmoulding or face any similar problem?
The cake is super soft and nice though. :) haha...
Hi AdeL, thanks for trying out the recipe and glad you like the cake.ReplyDelete
Hi Hanushi, thank you for trying out the recipe snd glad you like the cake. sometimes I unmould the cake next day if I bake at late night that I need to go sleep, sometimes I unmold 10 mins or so after bake. So far no prob cos both side of the cake will shringe and I usually will lay grease paper at the bottom, grease the entire cake pan generously with butter. Perhaps next time you can use grease / baking paper to lay on the bottom and sides to ease the issue. Hope this helps :).ReplyDelete
Hi Jess,ReplyDelete
Thanks for enlightening me on the unmoulding. This recipe will be a keeper for me as well... :)
Cheers!!! :)
- AnonymousDecember 8, 2010 at 6:25 PM
Just made this today and it was great! It was my first time baking too. Thanks for making the recipe so easy to follow!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 11, 2012 at 2:02 PM
It looks delicious. If I just want to bake one tin, can I half the ingredients.ReplyDelete
Hi Anonymous, you definately may halve the recipe if you intend to bake smaller portion.ReplyDelete
Hi and thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. I baked my banana cake accordingly and it came out super fantastic and so delicious. All our family shared and enjoyed it very much:) I will always use this recipe.ReplyDelete
Hello Jess, I saw your picture on this link http://en.petitchef.com/recipes/dessert/soft-and-moist-banana-cake-fid-989369?relatedReplyDelete
Your banana look so delicous, just like heaven treats. I very much love this type of banana cake, and I finally found your recipe here. I will try your recipe this weekend, and let you know how is the result.
Do you think i can use this recipe to bake banana cupcakes?
Also, did you use salted or unsalted butter?
Hi PamReplyDelete
Definitely you can, to bake into cupcakes, reduce the baking time to 20-25 mins.
Hi Jess,ReplyDelete
1 1/2 cups castor sugar (I will reduce the sugar
1 1/2 cups mashed banana (about 3 del monte bananas)
2 cups plain flour (sift together with 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda and 1 tsp baking powder)
Based from this above measurement ingredients, can you let me know 1 1/2 cup castor sugar is how much grams ? and also others (2 cup plain floor) the grams is equal to ?
and 1 1/2 cups mashed banana is equals to how many gram?
Thx. :)
Hi Apple,ReplyDelete
1 1/2 cup castor sugar = 340g, normally I will reduce to 250-300g depending.
2 cup plain flour = 220g
As for mashed bananas, I didnt weigh so I am not sure what is the weight, I used those measuring cup to measure. I normally used about 3 medium size del monte but sometimes the type of bananas or size are various so I didnt really follow the exact amount, sometimes I put in more.
Hi Jess,ReplyDelete
Noted..and thanks ya..
let me try it
Hi Jess,ReplyDelete
Btw, if 1 1/2 cup mashed banana, around what is the weight/cup measurement?
By the way, you use fork to mash it?
Hi Apple so sorry I am not able to tell you the weight of banana since I never weigh b4. Actually you do not need to be precise on the weight of bananas cos for me, only 1st time I followed exactly to use the cup n measured, subsequently, I just aga aga put 3-4 bananas depending on size, all turned out great.ReplyDelete
Oh yes, I use the back of the fork to mash bananas.ReplyDelete
Hi Jess,ReplyDelete
Got it..let me try it out..
Thanks ya :)
- AnonymousAugust 6, 2012 at 12:40 PM
Hi need to check, Cream butter and sugar in a mixing bowl.How should the mixture look like?ReplyDelete
Hi Anonymous, below pls find the photo of the mixture that I took from internet :ReplyDelete
- AnonymousAugust 7, 2012 at 11:40 AM
Hi JessReplyDelete
After i beat the sugar n butter, mine mixture become creamy but not your sticky n creamy mixture. Is it because i dint beat long enough or i beat too long?
Hi Anonymous, if your mixture is too creamy, perhaps is due to the butter to soft? cos sometimes when I over soften my butter, my mixture will be more thin and creamy. How is the outcome of your bake?ReplyDelete
Just tried your recipe. It's the best! Came out moist, the way I envision good banana cake recipe should be. Kudos and a BIG THANK YOU.ReplyDelete
Hi SY Thanks for trying the recipe and glad to learn that you like the cake.ReplyDelete
- Brian in LondonAugust 18, 2012 at 7:09 AM
I baked it this evening... It was nice but having checked it after about 50 mins it was already slightly overcooked. As if 180C in a fan oven was a bit too hot. Or maybe I did something else wrong?ReplyDelete
Hi Brian, each oven is different so normally what I do is I will adjust my oven temperature accordingly. BTW for my oven, I dun use 180C even recipe indicate 180C cos my oven is hotter. And I will normally check the cake 10-15 mins before the indicate baking period. May be you can give it a try again using the above method? Thanks.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousAugust 29, 2012 at 5:02 PM
Hi Jess,ReplyDelete
1. I wanted to add more banana flavor in the cake so instead of 3, I used 4 bananas (total weight of 4 bananas without skin 260g). But the cake did not rise much and mashed bananas fell bottom of the cake caused the cake to be very dense. Do you know what could be the reason? should I reduce the amount of bananas to 2 or 3?
2.I only have a hand mixer. can use hand mixer to blend banana into batter? or spatula to mix?
3. use spatula to fold in flour in 3 batches?
4. what could be the reason that the cake raised in the oven and deflated after removed from oven to cool on wire rack?
5. to measure the milk, is it ok to use normal stainless steel spoon to measure?
Hi AnonymousReplyDelete
1. If you want to have more banana flavour, you have to make sure to use very very ripe bananas or you may add 1 tsp banana essence cos sometimes not necc that more banana will increase the flavour, it also depending on the type of bananas used. I used 3 bananas and the cake is very flavourful.
As for the mashed bananas to fall at bottom, did you mix well with the batter? cos so far the mashed mashed bananas are quite well spread for me.
Perhaps next time you just stick to the exact measurement of 1.5 cups of mashed bananas to see the result. Pls use those baking measuring cup.
BTW pls make sure the bananas are well mashed.
2. I used spatula to mix the mashed bananas into the batter.
3. yes I used spatula to fold the flour into the batter.
4. there are a few reasons that the cake deflated :
- incorrect oven temperature
- over mix the batter
- too much liquid (too much mashed bananas may be the caused)
5. I am not too sure whether can use normal spoon to measure since I never use before but I reckon should be alright.
This is a perfect banana cake... Ive been trying out other recepies but this is the perfect one... Tks for sharing all my family love it..ReplyDelete
- AnonymousSeptember 23, 2012 at 12:42 AM
Hi, can i use frozen bananas?ReplyDelete
- AnonymousSeptember 23, 2012 at 12:43 AM
Hi, can i use frozen bananas to make this cake?ReplyDelete
best banana cake recipe i have tried, i cut sugar to a cup and may cut it further to 3/4 cup if bananas are sweet .... will try more of your recipesReplyDelete
hi I baked the banana cake using your recipe and my husband loved it. I got 3 aluminium loaf pans out from your'recipe. it's very moist and the sweetness is just right. thank u so much.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousNovember 29, 2012 at 12:50 AM
simply divine and scrumptousReplyDelete
Hi, I just found your rep and i m trying it out now :-). I m not much of a backer but i m learning since i have two toddlers, we love food and we love garden and my little girl love dress up too, check out my site if you have little girl who love to dress up like my wee girl :-) http://www.currentchic.com/ you might find something she like. I will post again and let you know how my cake turn out. It smell good so far :-)ReplyDelete
My cake turn out perfect! :-). It's bigger then i thought and it's so moist, my little girl can eat the whole lot if i let her :-). If any one know an easy rep for making mince pie with mash potatoes, please leave me a message at my website http://www.currentchic.com/ thanks.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJanuary 3, 2013 at 2:32 AM
Love it. Tried it. Able to bake it into 2 baking tins. Thanks for the recepi. It's really moist and delicious.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousFebruary 26, 2013 at 6:38 PM
I admire your moist & soft banana cake. Looks delicious. I tried your recipe but it doesn't turn out like that. I don't know what's wrong. I did it for so many times and the result is still the same. Can u help me please? Thank you!ReplyDeleteReplies
Hi, may be can you enlighten me what exactly wrong with your cake? cos this is a very easy cake, I started baking with this cake and there is no failure after umpteen times baking this recipe.Delete
Hi JessDelete
Thx for the wonderful recipe...tried and it was sooo delicious (derailed my diet plan). However, my cake split on the top...may I know what was the possible reason? Thanks again!
Hi mykono, so happy that you like the cake. As for the cake split on the top, you may refer to here for answer http://www.ehow.com/facts_5818714_reasons-cake-splitting-top.html.Delete
- AnonymousApril 1, 2013 at 9:54 AM
Hi Jess, I baked this. This is not the fluffy type of banana cake, correct? My hubby loves it but I thought it was quite dense and oily to my liking. :)ReplyDelete
Hi Ally, thanks for trying the recipe. Too bad this cake doesnt suit your taste bud. This recipe is not spongy type but it did yield fluffy and soft texture. If you are looking for spongy kind like sponge cake, you may look at this http://bakericious.blogspot.sg/2012/11/banana-sponge-cake.html, this is good recipe too.Delete
- AnonymousMay 8, 2013 at 7:49 PM
Tried this recipe for my son's birthday cake, and the result was fantastic, all my friends can't stop talking about it, even though I reduced the amount of sugar to 1 cup, it came our lovely. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe.ReplyDelete
Absolutely simple and so delicious! Everyone loves it! Do you have a butter cake recipe similar to this? Thanks so much for sharing this! You're the best :DReplyDelete
Thanks for sharing this recipe. This recipe is definitely a keeper. I baked it yesterday...it tastes even better today. I would like to clarify if you are using fresh milk for the recipe? I don't have any fresh milk so I used evaporated milk. It still turned out great. =)ReplyDelete
Hi Jessy,ReplyDelete
I am trying to bake this cake recipe today. It is my 1st time baking banana cake. wish me luck. I will comment here the outcome.
Bandar Seri Begawan,
Hello again,ReplyDelete
So I tried using this recipe this afternoon. It turned out great. But I turned it into a double layered cake with cream cheese icing as its frosting in between the two cakes and also outer part of the cake. My family love it so much. Thank u so much for sharing.
- AnonymousJune 8, 2013 at 9:01 PM
Hello! I baked a half quantity of this today, but I didn't measure the half teaspoon of bicarb and I didn't have any baking soda, so it tasted a little bit funny (salty). I will be trying again tomorrow!ReplyDelete
Thanks for the recipe - it is buttery and dense but smells and looks perfect like the shop!
- TayamaelJune 19, 2013 at 8:34 AM
Have been wanting to try my hand at a banana cake for the longest time now and I finally decided to try yours today and it is deeeeelicious. Thanks!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJuly 21, 2013 at 12:11 PM
Hi Jess,ReplyDelete
May I ask where to purchase del monte bananas ? I cant find any.. is it ok to use any brand of banana?
Hi Celine, are you located in Spore? If yes you can get del monte bananas at most supermarkets and fruit stores. Below pls find the pix of the bananas :Delete
I use any type of bananas available at home, I dun stick to del monte bananas. I even mix varies type of bananas to bake one cake, taste still wonderful.
Oh Celine, remember to use very ripe bananas.Delete
- AnonymousJuly 30, 2013 at 4:08 PM
This is an absolute delicious recipe. I tried it and totally love it.ReplyDelete
Thanks JessReplies
Glad you like it :DDelete
- AnonymousAugust 5, 2013 at 8:34 AM
Mix well meaning using hand mixer or use spatula to mix? and if using hand mixer how long i need to mix well?Replies
Hi, step 1 to 3 I used stand mixer, step 4 used spatula. Which step are you referring?Delete
- AnonymousAugust 5, 2013 at 11:10 AM
Noted, but for step 1 to 3, how long I need to mix? and what kind of milk u using?ReplyDeleteReplies
for step 1, you cream the butter and sugar until the batter become light in color, texture may be like mayonaise.Delete
for step 2 and step 3 , you just mix until the added ingredients are mixed well will do.
- AnonymousAugust 5, 2013 at 1:00 PM
Hi Jess,ReplyDelete
Thanks a lot for ur help! :)
- AnonymousAugust 19, 2013 at 10:21 PM
The reciepe is wonderful! I have tried many banana cake/bread recipes. This has got to be my favourite! Yummy!! Thanks :)ReplyDelete
:) thank you so much for sharing your receipe. The cake turned out amazing and my kids now shout for me to bake it with great excitement :)ReplyDelete
I tried baking today. It taste really good. Just that felt that too much of butter used.ReplyDelete
Hi JessReplyDelete
Your cake looks really scrumptious!
If You want to make the cake in 1 tin what are the measurements for ingredients ? Or do I half the recipe ?
Hi Rani, you just need to halve the recipe.Delete
Thanks for sharing this recipe!! Baked this today and both my husband and I are in love from the first bite. Love how the whole house smells lovely during and after the 1 hour loving baking process. Thanks again. Big fan!!ReplyDelete
Thanks for sharing this recipe!! Baked this today and both my husband and I are in love from the first bite. Love how the whole house smells lovely during and after the 1 hour loving baking process. Thanks again. Big fan!!ReplyDelete
Hi Jess,ReplyDelete
Your banana cake looks so moist and yummy. Allow me to try it out. Can't wait.
Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Have added you in my list of blogs that I follow. Hope you don't mind.
Thank you.
God Bless.
- AnonymousSeptember 28, 2013 at 4:01 PM
Thanks for sharing the recipe! I tried it and the cake turned out as yummy as u hv described. It looked juz as great as the pic u posted on the blog as well! For a first timer like me I must say the instruction is really easy to follow. I only use DIY cake pack in the past to bake. Will try out some of the butter cake recipe from your blog the next round. THANK YOU!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousOctober 7, 2013 at 8:39 AM
If I want to add walnuts to the banana cake. How much should I add? Do I need to make any adjustment to the other ingredients? Thanks.ReplyDeleteReplies
Hi Anonymous, it depends on whether you wanna add the walnuts into the cake or just on the top of the cake. If inside the cake, probably 100g should be sufficient or depends on individual preference. If on top of the cake, just sprinkle your desire amount can already.Delete
Hi Bakericious,ReplyDelete
I tried this cake. I like the taste of the cake but my cake did not turn out well. few things i noticed it is different from other moist banana cake.
1) the batter is very thick after I have mixed in the flour. which I was so worried that my cake will be hard.
2) after baking for 1 hour, cake is still not cook in the center. Therefore, i bake for another 15 minutes. Inserted skewer, it came out clean but when the I cut the cake after it has cooled down about 2 hours later..the center inside is still very wet. But i cannot bake again because the top and the side of the cake is already very hard and burn even though I cover it with aluminum foil after 30 minutes.
3) I noticed that the recipe ask to bake at 160 degree for a whole 8" cake. Is it because of the low temperature? (I have never had this experience before with my moist butter cake. But I bake at 200 Degree for 45 minutes. My butter cake came out perfect.)
4) quite disappointed with the uncook cake. Not sure if I should try again at a higher temperature and don't know what else i can change in the recipe to get the cake cook.
5) Also my cake sunken in the center. Very deeply. This should be because of the uncooked inside.Replies
Hi KGHYAF, so sorry to hear that you had failure on this cake. I baked this recipe very frequently, there was once I even baked a few times per week as give away, so far none had gone wrong. This was the 1st recipe I tried when I 1st picked up baking, and even my 1st time the cake was successful, I baked into cupcakes instead.Delete
for pointer 1, yes the batter is thick but I can assure you that this cake is very soft and moist, so far is one of the recipe that I will never fail to get complement, thus why I always bake it as give-away.
for pointer 2, I can't recall I ever bake more than 1 hour, but most of the time, I used 8" x 3.5" x 3" & one 9" x 4" x 3".
for pointer 3, we are following the exact temperature to bake this recipe, i am not too sure why it went wrong. It may be the cake is too huge for 8" thus will need longer time to cook. I never use to bake in 8" cake pan before, the biggest I used was 6" and I only filled up the cake pan 60% full. Most of the time, I used 8" x 3.5" x 3" cake pan.
for pointer 4, I will suggest you to split the batter into 2 cake pan (like what I had used) instead of bake in higher temperature.
for pointer 5, yes it was due to the uncooked center thus caused the sunken cake in the center. This did happen to me when I baked another recipe.
I hope you can give this recipe another chance by halve the recipe to try out, use 8" x 3.5" x 3" cake pan to try out.
This is the best banana cake recipe in the world! Anybody who disagrees can see me :) Seriously, I have been looking for a recipe like this for so long. This is the banana cake I've had in my childhood, and have been longing for it for many many years. Thank you so much.ReplyDelete
Your banana bread recipe looks great. I have been searching for a good one for some time. Your pictures are making me hungry for some moist, decadent banana bread!ReplyDelete
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This comment has been removed by the author.ReplyDelete
Hi there, i have try the recipe. thanks for sharing the great recipe, will bookmark this.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 24, 2013 at 10:18 PM
Hi Jess,ReplyDelete
Thanks a lot for sharing the recipe!!! I have tried baking it and It turns out very soft and flavourful! The colour is great too. However, I feel that it is very very moist as compared to other pound cakes, is it supposed to be so moist? I think the amount of butter can be reduced too as it is quite oily.
I tried the recipe. But my cake turned out slightly "rubbery" - kueh-like texture. Moreover my cake didn't brown as evenly as yours. Why is this so?ReplyDeleteReplies
Hi you may have over mixed your batter.Delete
- PhyllisCFebruary 24, 2014 at 1:16 PM
I tried your recipe and it is the best ever banana cake. My family & friends just loved it.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMarch 9, 2014 at 3:33 AM
What size square pan to use instead of 2 rectangle tins?ReplyDeleteReplies
You can try using 8".Delete
It gave me great quinces, and the recipe that I am not happy, I am very grabs! thank you in advanceReplyDelete
I board a good recipe already dealt a site like this http://le-couscous-marocain.blogspot.com
Hi, can i use margerine instead of butter?ReplyDeleteReplies
Hi Jiahui apologise for the late response. I reckon shd be no issue to use margarine but I never try before, you may give it a try.Delete
Hi Jess, would it matter if I use unsalted butter instead? ThanksReplyDeleteReplies
Hi MQ, no problem I also used unsalted butter.Delete
i cook this last Maunday Thursday.....i love it...!!!ReplyDelete
Pardon me Jess, I'm a little confused now. Your recipe states salted butter but you mentioned unsalted butter in your reply. Should I be using salted or unsalted butter? 😁ReplyDeleteReplies
Hi MQ, this recipe is a frequently bake items for me as long as there are bananas to clear in my house. The original recipe stated used salted butter but after baking so many times, I will take any butter that is available in my fridge, be it salted or unsalted, sometimes I dun even check the label, I even used veg oil to replace butter as well. so far, salted or unsalted, doesnt affect anything for me. If you wanna use unsalted butter and you afraid might affect the result, you may add in a pinch of salt with flour and sift. Hope this helps.Delete
hi.........thank you loads n loads n loads for dis cake recipe.... IT IS AWSOME :) mine turned out exactlty like the photo you have posted. it was super soft, moist, fragrant, full of banana flavour n TASTY...DELICIOUS. it had the b'ful black specks from d banana seeds...lukd amazin :) i made 2 cakes for 2 parties and people from bothe d parties simply loved it....ate 2-3 slices each n...i was so very happy :) definitely gonna make dis many many more times...thank you jess....muah :)ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMay 30, 2014 at 9:15 PM
Can I halved this recipe to baked in a 9x5 loaf tin?Replies
Hi of course you can but you may yield a shorter cake cos the whole recipe is just nice for 2 8" x 3.5" x 3" loaf pan.Delete
Hi! Thank you for the amazing recipe(: I tried it out and everyone loved it, even my grandmother who's usually so picky about the things I bake. Really moist and not too sweet. Definitely gonna keep this recipe! Thank you so much!ReplyDeleteReplies
Glad to hear that your family enjoyed the cake :DDelete
- AnonymousJune 1, 2014 at 9:17 PM
Hi, can i replace the plain flour for the self raising flour?ReplyDeleteReplies
Hi I think should be ok but as I didnt try it before, so I am not too sure.Delete
This sounds fantastic! Can't wait to give it a try.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJune 22, 2014 at 3:13 PM
I followed your recipe, it was easy to make but the cake did not look as nice as the one you posted.ReplyDelete
While the taste was good, there was a split in the middle of the cake and there was a soggy layer at the bottom. I wonder what I have done wrong.
Hello =) Can i use cake flour instead of plain flour ?ReplyDeleteReplies
Hi Evon, I think it should be ok to use cake flour, the texture may be finer but as I never use cake flour for this recipe b4, so I guarantee that.Delete
Hi JessReplyDelete
Can I replace butter to oil? how much oil to use? Thanks
Hi Christine, I cant remember whether I try before so I cannot comment on it.Delete
- AnonymousAugust 30, 2014 at 5:49 PM
Hi jess! How long can I keep my banana cake? Will it still stay fresh after 2 days?Delete
Hi.. thanks for this great recipe. i've given it a try and it was AWESOME! just that my cake look abit more dense. overall, it taste delicious...ReplyDelete
- AnonymousAugust 30, 2014 at 5:45 PM
How long can I keep the banana cake? Can I keep it for 2 days?ReplyDeleteReplies
Hi, if keep in fridge I suppose can keep up to 3-4 days.Delete
- AnonymousSeptember 7, 2014 at 11:27 PM
Thank you very much! My banana cake turn out very nice! I added a bit of cinnamon and make them into muffins!Delete
- AnonymousSeptember 6, 2014 at 7:38 AM
Thank you so much for this receipe! When in the Outer Hebrides I ate one delicious banana loaf, and I was on the quest for a perfect receipe. Yours was my first approach and I am not going to search any further :)ReplyDelete
- AnonymousOctober 3, 2014 at 9:37 PM
Hi! Thank you for sharing such an awesome banana cake recipe! I tried it and family and friends loved it! - SuzanneReplyDelete
- AnonymousOctober 20, 2014 at 9:58 PM
Thank you for the wonderful recipe. I baked twice and I love it. Can I ask why my inside of the cake looks more "black" or dark compared to your photo? Could be it cos I have beat too long? from MargaretReplyDelete
This is just like the recipe I'm using. Very moist and delicious.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 21, 2014 at 5:53 PM
I use part butter, part coconut oil, plus I used a mix of mascavado and coconut sugar (mostly coconut sugar), and it was fantastic. I've loved experimenting with other ingredients. I've used your recipe for both cupcakes and cakes and every time the results have won a LOT of fans. Next time I will use all coconut oil and all coconut sugar. It's the best banana cake recipe I've ever used, and I really suck at baking! Thanks very much!ReplyDelete
Hi Jess,ReplyDelete
Is your recipe for 2 cake in total?
Hi Rachel, sorry for late reply as I am busy with work. Yes, as stated, the above recipe can yield one 8" x 3.5" x 3" & one 9" x 4" x 3", total 2 cakes.Delete
Hi, are u sre 2 cup flour=220g? bec i measure is not..i got use measurement cup.ReplyDelete
Can i use self raising flour?
i got try tis recipe but it is too wet and sticky..can i send u the photo,but here can't post photo..Replies
Hi Ting Ting, I just used one of the baking site for the conversion, if you think is not right then you can use your own measurement. You may replace with self raising flour, just omit the baking powder. If is too wet and sticky, you may under bake the cake, each oven is different, my baking timing and temperature is for reference only. I had just baked this cake twice 2 weeks ago, so far this recipe never fail me once.Delete
Wow! I just baked it and it's really more than yummy....superbReplyDelete
- AnonymousMarch 23, 2015 at 10:30 PM
My first attempt resulted in a dense oily cake probably cos improper folding of flour. So I tried again more carefully and with cake flour too. It was a success! Cake was moist, soft, aromatic and yummy! Thanks much for sharing this recipe. I'm going to practice more and make this my signature homemade gift!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 22, 2015 at 9:42 AM
(1) I don't have bicarbonate soda, can I substitute it with baking power?
(2) I don't have the rectangular tin. Can I use 8 or 9" round/square baking tin?
Appreciate your reply. I tried the recipe from Rasa Malaysia last night. Bad and wasted a lot of my $$$!Replies
HiHi apologise for late reply as I am very busy with work that hardly can do blogging. You can refer to the link for substitution http://chemistry.about.com/od/foodchemistryfaqs/f/powdersoda.htmDelete
- AnonymousApril 25, 2015 at 8:18 PM
Hi it's me again. In the past month, I baked this cake nearly 2 dozen times as practice makes perfect. My results were consistently good. Inlaws, relatives, friends, neighbors and colleagues all enjoy this cake. This is indeed a winner! Thank you very much!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMay 16, 2015 at 8:34 AM
Hi,just like to know did you use powder or liquid milk.Thankyou.ReplyDeleteReplies
Hi I used liquid milk.Delete
Hi what grade eggs did u use?ReplyDeleteReplies
my eggs are varies but mostly 55g to 60g with shell.Delete
Hi i use 250gm of butter it turn out to be very very oily. Is it like that or i should i cut down my butter?ReplyDelete
So deliciousReplyDelete
nha xinh
thiet ke nha
duong vat gia da nang
Yummy cake kids love it so much...ReplyDelete
Cakes recipes for kids
I can't wait to make this delicious looking cake! check my favorite recipes for dinner here : http://goo.gl/hFBtJTReplyDelete
- AnonymousJanuary 15, 2016 at 9:21 AM
I love your recipe so much, but i change the 4 tablespoon of milk into 4 tablespoon of greek plain yogurt and it comes out moist too.ReplyDelete
xin phep xay dung quan 12
thiet ke nha dep
dich vu giat tham van phong
sua nha depReplyDelete
tam chong am khoi
da hoa cuong
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- AnonymousMay 22, 2016 at 5:15 PM
Hi Jess, Thanks for sharing the recipe. I have tried the recipe a few times. However, my cake turn out soggy everytime. Could you share with me the possible reasons for it?ReplyDelete
By the way, I hope you could consider record the baking process and put it in your blog. I really want to learn how to bake the cake successfully. Your consideration on the suggestion is very much appreciated. I am sure a lot of people will benefit from it.
Thanks. Aries
I am looking first time honey challahs recipe it is amazing and creative and also looking delicious. thanks for sharing.Online Food Delivery OrderReplyDelete
- StefaniJune 1, 2016 at 10:29 PM
Hi! This is my first time baking banana cake. I cut down the sugar to 180g but added more banana, still taste a little sweet once cooled but when it's warm, it's super good! Thanks a lot for the recipe! This will be my go to recipe in future :)ReplyDelete
thiet ke nha pho depReplyDelete
thiet ke nha pho
cong ty xay dung nha dep
Great article. I read this article properly. This is one of the best posts. Thanks sharing this articleReplyDelete
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Great article. I read this article properly. This is one of the best posts. Thanks sharing this articleReplyDelete
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Great article. I read this article properly. This is one of the best posts. Thanks sharing this articleReplyDelete
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Hi Jess, Thanks for sharing the recipe. I have tried the recipe a few times. However, my cake turn out soggy everytime. Could you share with me the possible reasons for it?ReplyDelete
By the way, I hope you could consider record the baking process and put it in your blog. I really want to learn how to bake the cake successfully. Your consideration on the suggestion is very much appreciated. I am sure a lot of people will benefit from it.
Thanks. Aries
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text:
It is well known that winter can be a stressful season for plants and animals in streams and rivers. It is reasonable to assume that more extreme weather conditions are the most taxing, but the ecological significance of this is poorly understood.
The research team, headed by Professor Christer Nilsson at Ume University, describes how extreme conditions especially those associated with ice formation and ice break-up vary over time and affect both the non-living river environment and its fish. For example, streams can fill up with ice and kill all the fish that do not manage to flee to backwaters or stretches with deep, quiet water that is not filled with ice. Young fish are especially vulnerable.
The researchers also discuss how humans have impacted what happens in streams and rivers in the winter.
"Rivers that have been exploited for hydroelectric power can be especially hard for fish to live in, because the way hydropower is produced often means that the flow changes radically very quickly and often, which can lead to repeated ice break-ups and a great deal of anchor ice formation. When the ice cover at the surface disappears, cold air is fed downward in the water and forms ice crystals that cover the bottom, making it hard for fish to survive," says Christer Nilsson.
The scientists draw a number of conclusions from the study. One is that more measurements are needed in order to be able to predict when extreme situations in waterways may arise and that information about both the lives of different fishes and how they are affected by extreme events should be included in such data gathering. Another is that models of how water moves and what fish populations look like should also take winter conditions into consideration.
Today most models focus on the ice-free period. A third conclusion is that in order to be able to manage streams and rivers in a long-term sustainable manner, we need to pay attention to future changes in climate when we, for example, design restoration and conservation measures.
"The predictions made about what the winter climate will be like in the future say that there will be more back and forth between thaw and frost, entailing more unstable ice conditions, more rain, and flooding, and ultimately perhaps more challenges to the survival of fish in many waterways," says Christer Nilsson.
Extreme Winters Impact Fish Negatively
NORWAY - Ecologists from Ume University and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim have studied fish communities and fish habitat and reviewed the importance of winter conditions for fish in streams and rivers in cold regions. The findings are now being published in the journal BioScience.
It is well known that winter can be a stressful season for plants and animals in streams and rivers. It is reasonable to assume that more extreme weather conditions are the most taxing, but the ecological significance of this is poorly understood.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Recruiter Appreciation II
This aint Berkeley, this aint Olympia, Washington.
It's not Toledo, D.C., or even Chapel Hill.
This is not another tale of worm-hearted protesters attacking a military recruiter.
This is a group of people that are genuinely proud of their country – grateful to be able to call themselves AMERICANS. – and anxious to honor the men and women who have volunteered to protect America.
This is the second annual Operation Recruiter Appreciation day organized by the Gathering of Eagles.
The national GOE has visited recruiter's offices across the nation this weekend to let them and all of our soldiers know that their sacrifice and service is appreciated. This is a day we chose to express our Gratitude, Admiration and Respect.
This particular report is of a simple lunch served to the soldiers that man the Recruiting Station on Calvary Drive, Raleigh, North Carolina.
Since a picture is worth a thousand words, here's 26,000 words worth.
Follow up:
May 16th, 2008 under Uncategorized.


text:
Paris PhotoPoems Series, #4 "Music at Shakespeare & Company"
Pictured Left : Slumming in Paris Part One, Arthur & Gricinda
Universal Amazon eBook Link – http://mybook.to/SlummingInParis1
"the intent of this blog is to incrementally build a body of thought that works toward integrating various topics, yoga, fitness, and the arts – it's a process…"
Paris : PhotoPoem # 4 : "Music at Shakespeare & Company"
"Music Inside the Books"
a second generation
literary bastion
quartered in an ancient gallic city
across time's enduring symbol
notre dame
prayed the flowing seine
piano-classic played
stroked by a passers-bye-public
keys touched, kissed
like flowers bent down to the dew
pulling strings, sounds, of wonderment
conversing replies to any country's words
joining forgotten inner movements
flipped like pages soft as the air
in the fertile arts of paris
© 2012 felipe adan lerma
today's photopoem is linked to dversepoets' prompt from Victoria Slotto's fine post, Meeting the Bar: Literary Allusion
"A literary allusion in poetry is, simply put, a reference to another literary work. This can encompass sources such as mythology, the Bible, performance art, a novel, or, of course, another poem. Think of it as a sort of hypertext, linking the reader to another piece of literature, art, or any form of creative expression. Examples of literary allusion also include ekphrasis and response poetry. You are no doubt familiar with ekphrasis, when a work of visual art serves as the inspiration for a poem. A response poem is written, as it implies, in response to another poet, a sort of answering-back."
she offers excellent examples, including from robert frost, images, and several other interesting pieces
Shakespeare and Company
though not an exact fit, my own poem is a response in a row of literary artistic impulses, and when doesn't that happen? 😉
coming across and entering the history filled rooms of shakespeare and company, created by sylvia beach, and continued by george whitman (after WWII in 1951, after sylvia chose to close her store than to sell a final copy "finnegan's wake" to the nazis), the stacks and rows of cleanly lined books, whisper-searched by visitors in english and french, rushed like an opening of time's secrets into sheila and myself
the cloth book-bags (or for otherwise) for sale sport a great saying
"Be Not Inhospitable to Strangers, Lest They Be Angels in Disguise"
paris, unlike most american cities, still abounds with small sprawling physical bookstores, visible on almost every few blocks, and often filled with browsers
small wood ladders lean against the book-lined walls for reaching upper shelves, and a winding narrow staircase leads to an upstairs filled with more books, old chairs, a room with a window view of notre dame, and even a nook plastered with notes about children's books
and as we rose into the second level, music soft as the air surrounding the seine shifted and mixed our literary expectations deeper into the arts
a young man, face away from us, intent on his sheet music, moved his body into the intonations his fingers found along an old piano's keys
i sat on a bench behind him, opened my iphone to my notes app, and let myself respond the waves of sound dancing with the words also preserved on pages
though the oral tradition had a power to move our ancestors, and still does of course to today, without the placement of symbols of those spoken words and heard sounds, onto paper, or even digital form, sharing our past(s) into our present, to create our futures, would be much less rich
the existence, and continuance, of all our artistic traditions is my favored road –
and paris, like yoga with the body and mind, does a fantastic job of this, 😉
Paris PhotoPoem Posts
Paris : PhotoPoem # 1 : "Paris, a View from Starbucks"
Paris : PhotoPoem # 2 : "At the Quai of Notre Dame"
Paris : PhotoPoem # 3 : "Big Treats on Little Streets"
Paris : PhotoPoem # 4 : "Music at Shakespeare & Company"
Paris : PhotoPoem # 5 : "The Tuileries" With Photo-Essay
Paris : PhotoPoem # 6 : "Monet & Renoir at the Orangerie, Paris"
Paris : PhotoPoem # 7 : "Luxembourg Gardens" With Photo-Essay
Paris : PhotoPoem # 8 : "Au Revoir Paris, Hellooo Paris in Memories"
PhotoPoem: "Passages in Moments"
blessings everyone 😉
namaste´- con dios – god be with you
My Amazon Author Page (universal link)
Related articles
- Texas to Vermont – Finishing Up, On to Paris, then Back to Texas
- Paris : PhotoPoem # 3 : "Big Treats on Little Streets" (yoga-adan.com)
- Vermont : PhotoPoem # 4 : "New Page Across the Waters" (yoga-adan.com)
- Photo-Poem : "Magic at Art Hop 2011″ Burlington Vermont
- Music – Original Poetry
- Wild Music – Original Arts & Love Poetry


text:
When most people think "hot dog relish," the first thing that comes to mind is the sweet, green pickle relish you find at the grocery store. And in a lot of places this's exactly what you'll get if you ask for relish on a frankfurter.
But there's a lot of areas and unique hot dog joints where "relish" has nothing to do with pickles. Some are cooked, some are pickled and canned, others made fresh. In fact the only consistent "recipe" is a vegetable-based sauce or slaw that usually involves some combination of vinegar, sugar, and salt.
Like everything else with hot dogs, relish loyalties are fierce. Local rules about what should or shouldn't go on a hot dog and definitions of what exactly constitutes "relish" or "slaw" are controversial. You have pockets of the country like Connecticut where hot pepper based relish is almost ubiquitous, obscure regional anomalies like Philadelphia's pepper hash—once widespread, now served at maybe five or six hot dog spots at most—and then both gourmet and traditional places that have totally unique secret recipe relishes like nowhere else in the country.
I'm sure I missed a few good relishes, but here are 14 across America. Definitely let us know your favorite! See all the relishes in the slideshow >>
The United States of Relish
Neon Relish (Chicago)
Red Onion Sauce (NYC)
Sauce (Birmingham, Alabama)
Grandma Fencz's Hungarian Onion Sauce (New Jersey)
Hot Relish (Connecticut)
Flo's Relish (Maine)
Snappy Dogs' Zucchini Relish (Eastern Massachusetts)
Paul's Place Relish (North Carolina)
Charlie Joseph's Spicy Relish (LaGrange, Georgia)
Creamy Slaw (most of the South)
Pepper Hash (Philadelphia)
Roast Grill Slaw (Durham, North Carolina)
Mustard Slaw (Tennessee and Alabama)
Rutt's Hut Relish (New Jersey)


text:
I arrived at the Canopy Tower at 2:15 to find out my first bird tour was at 3. I quick, quick, changed clothes and met Domi, one of the guides, in the parking lot. We headed out to the Pipeline Road. We were no sooner out of the car before we saw a mixed flock picking through the trees. Domi sang out "Crimson-backed Tanager" and I got my first awe-struck look at an incredible bird. The day only got better. I am blessed with being the only birder at the lodge so I had a personal guide. Let me leave you with the list of what I saw today. I'll blog more tomorrow. I am too pooped to even type straight. Remember I've been up since 2:30 am.
Rufescent Tiger-Heron, Cattle Egret, Green Heron, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Gray-headed Chachalaca, Purple Gallinule, Southern Lapwing, Wattled Jacana, Pale-vented Pigeon, White-tipped Dove, Red-lored Amazon, Smooth-billed Ani, Blue-chested Hummingbird, Keel-billed Toucan, Red-crowned Woodpecker, Cinnamon Woodpecker, Plain Xenops, Cocoa Woodcreeper, Fasciated Antshrike, Barred Antshrike, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Paltry Tyrannulet, Yellow-olive Flycatcher, Lesser Kiskadee, Great Kiskadee, Social Flycatcher, Streaked Flycatcher, Streaked Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Cinnamon Becard, Scrub Greenlet, Golden-fronted Greenlet, Gray-breasted Martin, Mangrove Swallow, Barn Swallow, Plain Wren, House Wren, Clay-colored Robin, Tropical Mockingbird, White-shouldered Tanager, Crimson-backed Tanager, Blue-gray Tanager, Palm Tanager, Thick-billed Euphonia, Golden-hooded Tanager, Blue-back Grassquit, Variable Seedeater, Ruddy-breasted Seedeater, Buff-throated Saltator, Great-tailed Grackle, Yellow-tailed Oriole.


text:
Shoppers Van
September 29 @ 9:00 am - 1:30 pm
|Recurring Event (See all)
An event every 2 days that begins at 9:00 am, repeating indefinitely
Our van runs on alternate Wednesdays. Pick-ups approximately 9am, returning around 1.30pm.
Bookings are essential so please call Nicky on 329 4341 or Wendy on 329 4483. A $10 contribution towards fuel costs is invited.


text:
Decide what's right—rent or buy?
Maybe you already know what's right for you, or maybe you're trying to figure out the best option—either way, the more educated you are, the better informed you'll be.
Renting may be an option if you:
- Plan to move around and don't want to be tied to one location
- Don't have the funds for a down payment and closing costs
- Can't afford the potential maintenance costs of owning (repairs, lawn care, etc.)
- Are saving for the future
Buying may be an option if you:
- Plan to stay in one location
- Want to build equity over the long-term
- Have funds for a down payment and closing costs
- Want the potential tax advantages (check with a tax advisor for details)
- Can afford the maintenance costs of owning (repairs, lawn care, etc.)
Here's a snapshot of how renting and buying may differ.
Initial Costs
- Rental application fees
- Broker/Agent fee (if applicable)
- Security deposit
- First—and sometimes last—month's rent
- Moving expenses
- Mortgage application fees
- Earnest money
- Down payment
- Closing fees
- Moving expenses
Ongoing Costs
- Rent
- Renter's insurance (if applicable)
- Some utilities may be paid by the landlord—be sure to ask
- Mortgage
- Property Taxes
- Homeowner's insurance
- Homeowner's Association Dues (HOA)/Condo fees (if applicable)
- Private Mortgage Insurance (if applicable)
- Included usually as part of the monthly rent (though each property may vary); however, improvements or changes to the property are limited.
- Not included. Maintenance and any repairs are paid separately. However, some homes may include these expenses as part of the monthly HOA/condo fees.
- None
- Pay local property taxes (either monthly as part of an escrow account or you pay directly on a semi-annual or annual basis); however, both mortgage interest and property taxes are usually tax deductible.
- Consult a tax advisor for complete details.
- Choose from 3-, 6-, 9- or 12-month terms (or month-to-month) giving you the flexibility to move/change locations.
- Usually the longer the term, the lower the monthly payment; however, there may be penalties if you leave or terminate the lease before the end of the term.
- Fixed payments for the term of the lease only.
- Own the home until you choose to sell or rent the property.
- HOA fees, property taxes and homeowner's insurance typically increase over time—so be sure to plan for that in your budget.
- Short-term flexibility
- Ability to move around, change location if needed—especially if new to an area
- Don't have to worry about repairs and maintenance
- Monthly costs are usually fixed for the term of the lease
- Some utilities may be included in your rental payment
- Long-term stability
- Build value over the long term
- Pride of ownership
- Interest and property taxes are usually tax deductible—check with your tax advisor


text:
The LeMons race season has entered a particularly crazy stretch, due to the break triggered by Chief Perp Lamm's wedding, and so we have races on back-to-back weekends. Here are the results from last weekend's New Orleans event.
We experienced zombies, alligators, drive-thru daiquiris, exhaust-cooked ribs, 10,000 percent humidity, a Hemi-powered '51 Saratoga, drag racing, and many E30s in the hunt for the overall win. Have the E30 racers finally solved their cars' nagging reliability problems, or are we just witnessing the results of a Darwinian culling of the weaker Bavarians? Either way, we saw the second-ever multiple LeMons winner, and a German Index Of Effluency winner gave the awards ceremony a decidedly Teutonic cast. The enervatingly swampy weather sapped the will to wrench from many teams whose vehicles crapped out early— including the Integra that was knocking off laps about five seconds quicker than the next-quickest competitor— and that led to quite a few teams giving up on racing and retreating to the blessedly thrown-rod-free French Quarter. We'd never see that sort of attitude in South Carolina or California, but life moves at a different pace in the bayou.
Not enough LeMons action for you? Check out the top lemons of past races: Altamont '07 • Arse Freeze '07 • Altamont '08 • Ohio '08 • New England '08 • South '08 • Texas '08 • Arse Freeze '08 • Texas Spring '09 • South Spring '09 • Reno '09 • New Orleans '09 • New England '09 • Buttonwillow '09 • South Fall '09 • Ohio '09 • Texas Fall '09 • Arse Freeze '09 • Phoenix '10 • South Winter '10 • Texas Winter '10 • Sears Point '10 • Detroit '10
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1. Race Hard Race Ugly #93, BMW 325iS
Overall Winner
2. Red Rocket Ratnest Revival, Ford Taurus SHO
Winner, Class Bad
3. Team Operation, BMW 318i
Winner, Class Good
4. Live Oak Nudist Resort II, BMW 320i
5. Who Dat! Piranha-n-Chitlins, BMW 325e
6. Speed Racer & the Racing Rednex, Ford Mustang
Winner, Least Horrible Yank Tank award
7. Team HOR, Nissan Sentra SE-R
8. FUBAR Racing, Ford Escort ZX2
9. Kentucky Fried Racing, Honda Civic
Winner, Class Ugly
10. Race Hard Race Ugly #94, BMW 325iS
11. Boner Motorsports, Ford Probe
12. Mostly Harmless Racing, Volkswagen Karmann Ghia
Winner, Index Of Effluency
13. Cupcake Racing, Ford Thunderbird
14. TDH Motorsports, Ford Mustang
15. TWSS Racing, Nissan 240SX
16. Who Dat! Shrimp & Boots, BMW 325e
Winner, Heroic Fix award
17. Warthog Racing, BMW 325e
18. Team Sensory Assault, Mazda RX-7
Winner, Organizer's Choice
19. www.team8racing.com, Porsche 924
20. GT$500 Racing, Toyota Celica
21. The Whip-Its, Datsun 280ZX
22. Tetanus Neon, Dodge Neon
Winner, Grassroots Motorsports Most From The Least award
23. Team Danger Ranger, Ford Ranger
24. Krewe of Wrecks, Nissan 300ZX
25. Rolling Chicane Racing, Honda Civic
Winner, I Got Screwed award
26. Ludicris Speed, Volkswagen Jetta
27. Prancing Donkeys, Acura Integra
28. Team Petty Racing (Celebrity Team Impersonated), Dodge Daytona
29. Altimate Annihilation, Nissan Altima
30. @*%!? Unknowns, Pontiac Fiero
31. 240 Racing, Nissan 240SX
32. Team Blue Goose 2, Volkswagen Rabbit
33. NSF Racing, Chrysler Saratoga
Winner, Judges' Choice award
Disclosure: Murilee Martin gets paid crazy baksheesh (and, if he plays his cards right, a fully restored De Tomaso Longchamp) for his work on the LeMons Supreme Court.


text:
Vincent Vittorio
Director, Producer, and Writer in Los Angeles, California
Vincent Vittorio is the founder of Life Is My Movie Entertainment, a company built on his ambition to elevate the documentary genre through visionary means of development, production and distribution. Vincent's belief in the stirring power of documentary coupled with his dedication to maintaining integrity in non-fiction storytelling, have set the table for exponential growth in the years ahead. His mission is simple: to grow Life Is My Movie Entertainment into one of the most respected names in the entertainment industry.
Under Vincent's leadership, Life is My Movie Entertainment continues to grow and has assembled a team of vested partners to facilitate the influx of interest from filmmakers, collaborators, and audiences interested in his company. His relentless drive and work ethic work in concert with his ability to find unique ways to reach large audiences. As an innovative collaborator, Vincent's contagious leadership style creates a "skin in the game" atmosphere of total teamwork and mutual respect. He has been a featured speaker at colleges and universities nationwide and has also been a featured guest on Bloomberg, CBS, Fox Business, MSNBC, C-SPAN, Huffington Post Live, and Fox News among others.
A graduate of the University of Florida, Vincent earned a Bachelor of Science in Journalism with an emphasis in Telecommunication Production as well as a Bachelor of Arts in English with a concentration in Film and Media studies. He currently resides in Burbank, California with his wife, Jessica and four children, Lucca, Abrianna, Giuliana and Viviana.


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Throughout the year, the Mercury News will map homicides as they happen in San Jose. Click the locations on the map for more info, and read stories related to the homicides.
To compare past years, see our maps from 2010, 2009, 2008 or 2006-07. Note: The maps are best viewed in Firefox or Google Chrome. Internet Explorer users: Click here for help if you're having trouble seeing the map.
View 2011 San Jose homicide map in a larger map


text: In a recent ominous tweet, the zillionaire athlete shared his musings on Michael Jordan's strangely autobiographical interstellar odyssey. This will no doubt start a wildfire of studio execs clamoring for a sequel to the most important film of twentieth century. By all means, regale us with your best Space Jam 2 pitch in the comments. And if you need inspiration, the original Space Jam website is still alive and wheezing. [Via Blastr]


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Back in March, there was a burst of enthusiasm in the gaming community for Ageia's PhysX Physics Processing Unit (PPU), which promises to do for game physics what 3Dfx's Voodoo cards did for real-time 3D rendering. September brings news of a new accelerator chip in the works from a different company, this time for game AI. According to this ExtremeTech article, a company called AISeek plans to announce a launch date for their first dedicated AI acceleration processor for in-game AI sometime in 2006. (I realize that I'm a bit late with this link, but my month was interrupted and I'm just now getting back on track.) Like Ageia, AISeek hopes to mimic 3Dfx's success by creating a market for an add-on board that gamers didn't know they needed. Will their AI acceleration idea fly? Maybe, but the whole idea of AI acceleration faces a fundamental technical obstacle that 3D rendering and physics acceleration never had to contend with.
Even if we ignore the fact that academic AI researchers are still groping for the right questions and haven't yet moved to the answers phase, the more limited problem/solution space for specifically game-oriented AI is still fairly ill-defined. (For the cognitive science people reading, I realize that the previous blanket statement about the AI field carries a strong philosophy of mind bias that neuroscientists, NLP researchers, computational theorists, and others may find objectionable.) Within the realm of first-person shooter AI, there's a wide spectrum of end results that signify an equally wide spectrum of approaches. And then there's real-time strategy AI, resource management AI, sports game AI, and so on. All of these different genres of games demand different types of AI, and within each game genre there's no set approach to providing good AI.
I won't even speculate on how AISeek plans to address this very fundamental barrier to the success of any kind of AI add-on chip, because the company hasn't yet made any real technical details public. However, I can say that they've got their work cut out for them. From what I can tell, they seem to be banking on the fact that game AI is in such a sorry state right now that anything will be better than what's currently on offer. I think that's probably true, but I remain skeptical that any solution they've come up with will work equally well for multiple game genres. This suspicion is backed up by the details that are currently available, which suggest that the first product, the AIS-1, will have a fairly narrow scope:
The AIS-1 chip will focus on four key areas: path finding, or computing the most tactically sound way to move from point to point; terrain analysis; moving AI bots in formation and squads; and sensory simulation, which may mean the ability to react to stimuli in the artificial environment.
Software applications will access the chip through a weighted graph algorithm as well as a pathfinding API, which will then access the AIS-1 via a device driver and a set of hardware application layers, according to a diagram of the company's technology. The result is a "1000 times acceleration over current algorithms," according to the chip's project description.
While the technical challenges that face AISeek are much more fundamental than those that face Ageia, as an add-on product the AI chip doesn't face one barrier that the PPU faces. In my first post on the PPU, I noted that, in the case of games that take game engine physics seriously, in-game physics has a pretty drastic effect on gameplay. You can't just drop an entirely new physics engine into a physics-intensive game and expect the game to function the same way. The more prominent a role physics plays in the game, the more this is true. So to really take advantage of the PPU a game will have to be built with it in mind. But if there are very few PPUs in the hands of gamers, there will be no incentive to write games for it.
Game AI doesn't really offer this kind of chicken-and-egg barrier to mass-market adoption. At this point, we're all quite used to really bad AI, so much so that it's big news when a game has even decent AI. This being the case, I can't really think of many games where the AI is as integral to the actual gameplay as physics is to most 3D games. So developers can release a very marketable game with bad AI, and then invite gamers to pick up an AI add-in card if they want to take the game's AI to the next level.
Ultimately, I think the ideal solution for any kind of dedicated acceleration hardware, be it graphics, physics, AI, or whatever, is to stick it on the same die as the processor. I used to think that the future of multicore computing was not so much in multiple identical cores on one die, but in multiple IP blocks from various vendors (ATI, NVDIA, Intel, AMD, etc.) on one die. If I recall correctly, this was the kind of thing that Sun had envisioned with MAJC. This has yet to pan out, but it doesn't keep me from hoping. I suspect that quad-core processors are going to arrive a lot faster than the software that will take advantage of them, and at that point market pressures may force this kind of multi-vendor, asymetric integration as a way to take advantage of process shrinks.


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Fireworks sales exceed initial predictions
Fireworks generate $380,000 in sales tax revenue
Sales at Maine's fireworks stores have far exceeded initial projections since fireworks became legal last year for the first time in 63 years.
When legislators debated a bill in 2011 to legalize fireworks, the Maine Revenue Services estimated that fireworks stores would generate about $120,000 a year in sales taxes.
In reality, the state collected $380,000 in sales taxes for the latest 12-month period ending May 31.
With a sales tax of 5 percent, that means fireworks stores had $7.6 million in sales in the past year.
Maine Revenue Services spokesman David Heidrich says the original projections were somewhat conservative since fireworks were new. But he says the figures are still impressive and have far exceeded expectations.
Maine now has 18 fireworks stores, up from a dozen last Fourth of July.
While fireworks are legal in Maine, cities and towns can ban them through ordinances. Many municipalities have bans.
According to the State Fire Marshal's Office, 55 percent of all fireworks injuries occur in the week leading up to the Fourth of July. Some of those injuries include burns to hands, feet and eyes.
Sanford Fire Marshal Peter Cutrier has a number of tips for people setting off fireworks, which include keeping your distance, reading the directions and making sure all fireworks are firmly grounded.
Mobile users click here for some other tips.


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Unionmade: Retailer of Expensive Fashions That Are Not Union Made
Unionmade is an upscale men's clothing store, based in San Francisco and celebrated by GQ, that sells $258 "Vintage Styled Work Shirts" and $68 Cow Horn Combs and $565 "Vintage" Levi Jeans, and things of that nature. The company says that it "aims to improve the lives of our customers, community and suppliers by offering fairly priced products made from the best available materials." You might want to know, however, that Unionmade's products are not union made.
We live in an age in which organized labor is on the decline—a fact that makes the remaining unions all the more important. The people who care about unions, labor, and workers rights know this. They make up quite a committed support base. If they think they have found a fellow traveler—a popular retailer that supports the cause—they will make it a point to support that retailer. Which brings us to Unionmade. We would never have heard of them, except for the fact that twice in the past few months we have gotten emails from people who were excited to finally go out and shop at a store that supports unions, only to have those illusions shattered.
First, we heard from a woman who emailed Unionmade saying that she wanted to buy a present for her dad, a Teamster. They informed her that, no, their goods are not actually union made—"The name UNIONMADE is an overarching concept and narrative for the store, signifying that we strive to carry well made and aesthetically timeless goods." A rather unsatisfying explanation for a term that already has a well understood explanation.
Then, we heard from another disappointed would-be customer, who wrote:
There is a store (and website) in San Francisco that calls itself "Union Made Goods" (http://www.unionmadegoods.com/). As a member of a union household, I was initially excited to learn about the store, as I try to buy union-made goods as much as possible. Unfortunately, when I inquired by email whether the store called Union Made Goods does in fact sell union-made goods, I was disappointed to learn that the name is merely an "homage to a time in our history when products were crafted with care, quality, longevity, and respect to the people that made them." The email went on to say "we try to carry products that represent the "Union Made" ideals of yesteryear as it is virtually impossible to curate a store entirely of union labor made products."
While I support the store's effort to 'curate' its inventory with products that are crafted with care, etc., the name of the store seems pretty fraudulent and insulting. "Union made" is not just an "ideal of yesteryear." There are websites out there that sell goods that were actually made by union members, under the protection of a union contract. See, e.g., http://www.unionlabel.com/. As many workers that you've written about can attest, collective bargaining through a union representative remains an important path to a living wage and basic protections for employees. It's something that many people fight hard for, today.
That sums up the point well. If you want to have an attractively curated store that sells insanely overpriced clothes designed to mimic the clothes that poor people wore a century ago, fine. But calling your store "Unionmade" (and modeling your logo on the AFL-CIO's) while not selling union made goods is just as asinine and insulting as calling your store "Americanmade" while selling things manufactured in China. It's blatantly misleading. It's fraudulent. It's the fashion equivalent of a TV preacher using Jesus love for the poor as a selling point to line his own pockets. On the other hand, subjugating the meaning of a real, serious political issue that affects millions of people's lives to the fact that you like the vibe of the sound of the name of it seems perfectly in character for a store that sells luxury-priced 1890s miners clothes to affluent people who will wear them while sitting inside their air-conditioned advertising agency office job.
We emailed Unionmade about this, and received the following response:
You are correct, though some of the brands we carry are union made, many are not. The unfortunate reality is that there are not many unions left in the garment industry and so the name was cultivated as a signifier of well-made and aesthetically timeless goods. There have been customers that take issue with the store's name and we certainly understand and respect their opinion, though by and large the majority of our customers understand the use of the name as an overarching narrative of the store. This being that we strive to carry well-made items that will age well in regard to both wear from use and stylistically.
At this rate, your $1,085 Unionmade military jacket will last longer than unions will.


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Blog Archives
Advent Reviews Day 21: Erevis Cale Trilogy by Paul S. Kemp
Paul's Erevis Cale Trilogy was my first introduction to Forgotten Realms, and to Wizards of the Coast, earlier this year, and it's turned into a fascination with the entire setting that just refuses to go away. I haven't read as much within it as I'd like, but the stuff I've read has been fairly good so this fascination is definitely here to stay. Plus Paul is an excellent writer in my opinion. This is another from-memory review so if I get anything wrong, I do apologise.


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This report contains images of violence that may be difficult for some viewers
Israeli airstrikes have killed more than 650 Palestinians and wounded nearly 4,000. All too often, it is the youngest residents of Gaza who are caught in the middle of this violence. Ben Wedeman reports on the crisis.
Post by: AC360
Filed under: Ben Wedeman • Crisis in Gaza • Gaza • Israel
Someone in Gaza violated the cease fire no question about that at all
Ben Wedeman shakes the hand of the palestinian civilian who says, it doesn't matter where we'll die – here or there, it's more honorable to die at home. CNN encourages Palestinian civilians to put there kids at risk. It's the press, media, especially anti-semitic correspondence. Anderson Cooper, I am really really really disappointed to see this kind of reports on your blog. I always thought of you as of unbiased and independent journalist. You show only one side of the story. What about almost 3000 rockets headed to Israel – should they just wait to die and do nothing. FIRE Ben Wedeman – he's anti-semitic and anti-Israeli journalist who doesn't deserve to be appointed in your blog.
Ben Wedeman has always been a balanced journalist. Obviously, you are biased. Children of any group should not be killed. It is sad for the children. The proportion of Palestinian deaths is 300 to 1. How can you condone the deaths of the children?
Hello, my name is Semahagne . I lived in Russia for about 4 years, I speak , read and write Russian but I was born in Ethiopia. More or less I know how Russian mind works. When Russians took over Crimea at the begging they denied every thing before the wold. After they took control Crimea , immediately they admitted that every thing was done by their army and Putine was in it from planing to execution of the take over.
My question to CNN is why are you calling Russian invaders as the Danske republic or Easter Ukraine sparatist etc...? To me there is no sparatist in eastern Ukrian, the only army I see in eastern Ukirean is the Russian army or are you waiting till Putine admite the Invision of Eastern Ukriean by Russians army one more time?
Point number 1, no cease-fire was broken the cease fire is over based on the agreement they had struck Tuesday. I believe it was a 72 hour cease fire, so how was it broken ? Can anybody there add, subtract, or divide?
Reblogged this on A Better You -Inside and Out and commented:
Those children just grow up to what they see. A circle of violence.
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Questions or comments? Send an email
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Thirteen states, the District of Columbia, and the federal government have already passed laws making simple drug possession a misdemeanor instead of a felony, and the momentum appears to be growing. A bill in California to do something similar has passed the legislature and is currently sitting on the governor's desk, and efforts are afoot to push a defelonization measure through the Washington legislature next year.
In California alone, even after Gov. Jerry Brown's (D) prison realignment scheme, more than 4,000 people remain in state prisons on simple drug possession charges. At $47,000 per inmate per year, that comes out to more than a $200 million annual bill to state taxpayers.
Under current California law, people convicted of a drug possession felony can be sentenced to up to three years in prison. More than 10,000 people are charged with drug possession felonies each year, although many of them receive probation if convicted.
California state Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) moved to redress that situation with Senate Bill 649, which passed the legislature on the final day of the session. The bill is not a defelonization bill per se; instead, it makes drug possession a "wobbler," meaning it provides prosecutors with the flexibility to charge drug possession as either a felony or a misdemeanor.
"Our system is broken," said Lynne Lyman, California state director for the Drug Policy Alliance, which supported the bill. "Felony sentences don't reduce drug use and don't persuade users to seek treatment, but instead, impose tremendous barriers to housing, education and employment after release -- three things we know help keep people out of our criminal justice system and successfully reintegrating into their families and communities."
Even Republicans got on board with the bill, helping to get it through the Assembly earlier this year.
The bill currently awaits Gov. Brown's signature, and although his signature is not required for it to become law, Leno said he believed the governor would act on it, and he urged supporters to let the governor know now that they want him to sign it.
"Anyone can go to the governor's web site and offer support through an email communication," Leno said. "I am always hopeful he will sign it."
While Californians wait for the governor to act (or not), activists and legislators in Washington are gearing up to place a defelonization bill before the legislature there next year. Sensible Washington, the activist group behind the effort, says it has lined up legislative sponsors for the bill and will pre-file in December for next year's legislative session.
State Rep. Sherry Appleton (D-Poulsbo) will be the primary sponsor of this proposal in the House. Reps. Joe Fitzgibbon (D-Burien), Jim Moeller (D-Vancouver), Jessyn Farrell (D-Seattle), and Chris Reykdal (D-Tumwater) have all signed on as official cosponsors, with more to be announced soon. Sensible Washington hopes to have a companion bill filed simultaneously in the Senate.
Under current Washington law, the possession of any controlled substance (or over 40 grams of cannabis) is an automatic felony. Under this new proposal, the possession of a controlled substance -- when not intended for distribution -- would be reduced from a felony charge, to a misdemeanor (carrying a maximum sentence of 90 days, rather than five years). Laws regarding minors would not be affected.
"Removing felony charges for simple drug possession is a smart, pragmatic approach to reducing some of the harms associated with the war on drugs," said Anthony Martinelli, Sensible Washington's communications director. "The goal is to stop labeling people as felons, filling up our prisons and ruining their lives in the process, for possessing a small amount of an illegal substance."
He elaborated in a Tuesday interview with the Chronicle.
"We support full decriminalization, like the Portuguese model, but defelonization is a big step forward, and we feel that the public and lawmakers are ready for it," he said. "We have to find a way to deal with the dangers of the war on drugs. Another reason is the massive disparity in our cannabis law -- an ounce is legal, but an ounce and a half is a felony. This would remove felonies for cannabis possession, but we don't think anyone should be hit over the head with a felony for personal drug possession."
Martinelli said Sensible Washington and its allies would be spending the next few months preparing to push the bill through the legislature.
"We will be building public and legislative support, continuing to work on garnering media attention, activating our base, and getting more lawmakers on board," he said. "We're really trying to form a bipartisan coalition and get other organizations involved as well."
One of those groups is the ACLU of Washington. Sensible Washington and the ACLU of Washington were bitter foes in the fight over the state's successful I-502 marijuana legalization initiative -- Sensible Washington opposed it as a half-measure that endangered medical marijuana, a claim that ACLU and other advocates contested -- but appear to be on the same page when it comes to this sentencing reform.
"We support the decriminalization of drug use", said Alison Holcomb, criminal justice project director for the ACLU of Washington. "We're looking forward to working in collaboration with Sensible and its allies to achieve that goal."
Martinelli said he could now announce that the proposed bill has picked up its first Senate sponsor, Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles (D), to add to its growing list of House sponsors. Missing from that list of House sponsors is one of the most prominent drug reformers in the House, Rep. Roger Goodman (D-Kirkland), the chairman of the House Public Safety Committee, but that's not because he opposes the idea, Goodman told the Chronicle Tuesday.
"As chair of the committee, it's important for me to be an honest broker to get legislation through," Goodman explained. "My position as chair is weakened if there is a potentially controversial issue and I'm seen as being on one side of it. It's not that I oppose it, and I certainly will hold a hearing on it and move it, but my role is more to facilitate negotiations on provisions of the bill without being an interested party," he said.
It is an idea that is certainly worth pursuing, he said.
"We need to reprioritize. The tough penalties we impose on people for merely possessing drugs is so arbitrary compared to the penalties for other offenses where there is direct physical harm perpetrated against others," Goodman said. "And by now, we all acknowledge that drug possession is not merely an indiscretion, but might be linked to behavioral health issues. Our approach should be to facilitate therapeutic interventions. We have deferred prosecution programs already, but only for alcohol. Those arrested for drug possession are not eligible because it's a felony. If we could make deferred prosecution available for drug cases, we could make much more headway on the problem," he said.
And doing so would only codify what is already often existing practices, he said.
"Many or most courts and prosecutors are already pleading down felony drug cases to misdemeanors because of budget constraints and space limitations in the jails," Goodman noted. "We can change the law to conform with that practice without an additional threat to public safety. Beyond that, we could remove the prejudicial effect of a felony conviction when it is so evident they hinder people from reintegrating into the community."
While Sensible Washington and its allies are moving full steam ahead, passing the bill could be a multi-year effort, Goodman warned.
"I anticipate prosecutors saying that if we set a certain possession threshold, drug dealers will make sure they possess no more than that amount and will play the system," he said. "We have to figure out a way to find a threshold or divide possession cases into degrees. I hear the concern, but I'm not sure what the solution is. But this is a next important phase of drug policy reform: cranking down the drug war yet one more notch and doing what's rational and fiscally responsible."
There is lots of work to be done, Goodman said.
"We'll see how this plays out in the legislature. It's probably going to need more lobbying and more background discussion among more legislators," he predicted. "So far, it's not a real prominent topic, so it might end up being a work in progress. But who knows? It might catch on fire, and we'll get a quick consensus."


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Aromabeads Singles Apple Melon Wax Melts 10 Pack
- Apple Melon Fragrance Notes: Dewy cantaloupe, green apple, cucumber, muguet, freesia, and white musk
- Quick Fragrance Release
- 48 different fragrances available - pour beads right into your warmer!
- Concentrated Fragrance Beads that work just like wax melts
- Versatile, easy to mix and match or "Mingle your Singles!"
- Combine a few beads from different cups to create a new fragrance all your own!
- Warmer (pictured) is required but NOT included
- 1oz plastic cup- 10 cups included
- Burn times vary: 2-3 melts per each Aromabeads Singles plastic cup
- Melts are: flameless, wickless, no wick, no flame
- Includes 10 Apple Melon 1oz plastic cups in acrylic tray
- Stock up on your favorite fragrance and save! Almost $6 savings from buying individually. That's like getting 3 cups free!
Just lift the plastic cover on the individual beads cup and pour into your warmer! Only Aromabeads Singles Warmers are approved for plastic Aromabeads Singles cup placement inside warmer. Warmer NOT included. Mix and Match! Combine fragrances to create a new fragrance, all your own! Great for crafts, too!
You need a melt warmer to melt these Aromabeads Singles Melts. You can purchase one of our beautiful melt warmers here.
How to use Aromabeads Singles including videos HERE.
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Full House Poker Teaser Trailer
Go all-in with Full House Poker! Play Texas Hold 'Em against your friends and thousands of players worldwide, and bring your personality to the table with unique tells and unlockables galore. Save your player progression and winnings between sessions as you increase the stakes and make your mark as a Full House Poker pro!
See the trailer below!


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New Team, New Shenanigans
So pleased and proud to be part of this amazing group of hardworking people.
Watch out 2014: #500STRONG is going to kill it.
So pleased and proud to be part of this amazing group of hardworking people.
Watch out 2014: #500STRONG is going to kill it.
Lose the shirt off my back? Nah.
When life got dicey, I opened my closet doors, bypassed the blouses, and earned a (modest) payday by selling used hangers in 25-pack bundles.
More recently, I put my hustle into play at 500 Startups, the world's most active venture capital fund and startup accelerator, where I led content, branding, marketing, operations, and corporate partnerships for business development and global programs.
Before transitioning into tech, I worked in higher education, teaching online research and media production classes across a variety of disciplines at the University of California, Berkeley. During that time, I also worked as the Director and Executive Producer of Digital Media Projects at the Blum Center for Developing Economies, where I co-founded and led The #GlobalPOV Project, a mixed-media approach to thinking about poverty, inequality, and undertaking poverty action.
In addition, I was the Director of Media at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, where I had the opportunity to interview Bashar al-Assad in his presidential palace in Damascus, Syria, in late December of 2010. I asked Assad if he considered himself a dictator. He dodged the inquiry, but his actions in the immediate weeks, months, and years to follow answered the question . . . and then some. Sadly.
Before that, I was a practicing journalist and graduate fellow at the University of Southern California. During that time, I worked as a web reporter and photographer for KCET's "SoCal Connected," as an online editor for the London-based New Statesman magazine, and as the co-editor-in-chief of USC Annenberg's award-winning digital news website. I got my start in journalism as a full-time associate editor (and employee #20!) at P✪PSUGAR, a Sequoia-backed content and commerce startup turned global media empire.
My freelance reporting has been featured in NBC, CBS, and ABC news broadcasts and in online publications, including The Huffington Post. I have also done manuscript editing for various authors with recognized commercial and university presses.
You can find me tap dancing in the dark corners of my imagination to a sold-out audience of — none. Like most everything else, it's all for fun.
Let's connect! Join me on Twitter or Instagram or LinkedIn.
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NEW YORK -- Charles Barkley thinks LeBron James can be better than Michael Jordan.
Jordan is considered by many the best player in NBA history, but Barkley believes his teammate with the Dream Team can be surpassed by James.
"I do think he can be better than Michael," Barkley said. "I thought I would never compare somebody to Michael Jordan. But this guy, LeBron James, he does everything well. Michael did everything well. LeBron James is just bigger, stronger, faster. That's the only difference."
Barkley makes his comments on the first episode of NBA TV's "Open Court," to debut Tuesday at 11 p.m. ET. The series features a round-table discussion of NBA TV and TNT commentators. They include Shaquille O'Neal, Reggie Miller, Kenny Smith, Steve Smith, Chris Webber, Steve Kerr and Ernie Johnson.
James won his first NBA title and third MVP award last season, joining Jordan as the only players to win the NBA title, regular-season MVP, NBA Finals MVP and Olympic gold medal in the same year.
Jordan won six championships during his Hall of Fame career.
"Unfortunately for LeBron, now that the monkey is off his back, he is going to be compared to two people: Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan," O'Neal said. "So now the question is how many championships can he get? We all know he is a competitor."