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Our Values
Maintaining adequate homeowner's insurance is a vital part of owning a residence and your homeowner's policy should be chosen carefully. This Financial Guide discusses the policy provisions to consider when deciding which homeowner's insurance policy to buy to be sure that your home is adequately insured and that you are getting the most insurance value for your money.
This Financial Guide offers guidance about homeowner's insurance such as what questions to ask your insurance broker or agent and how to find the best insurer for your needs. It also explains why you need to keep a list of personal possessions and provides a homeowner's inventory sheet for you to use to make a list of your belongings, as well as offers useful tips on how to qualify for a discount and helps you purchase the policy that best fits your needs at an affordable price.
Tip: It is equally important that renters maintain insurance. Many renters neglect to obtain insurance, perhaps deterred by cost or perhaps, or because, unlike homeowners, they are not required to maintain insurance. Studies show that about three-quarters of all those who rent a residence do not have renter's insurance. Adequate replacement cost coverage and liability insurance can be obtained for about $200 per year–less if combined with an auto policy for instance since most insurers offer discounts for multiple policies.
Note: Homeowner's insurance is usually required by mortgage lenders
Although exact coverage and policy limits vary, homeowner's insurance usually covers damage caused by the following events or catastrophes:
Basic coverage may also include food spoilage, lock replacement, temporary repairs, and removing debris. If these items are not initially included in your basic coverage, it is possible to have them added.
Planning Aid: For information about the standard types of homeowner's policies, see consumer resource library at the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
If you incur expenses for temporary living quarters because your home is rendered uninhabitable by an insured event/casualty, most policies will reimburse you in part for this so-called "loss of use."
Tip: Earthquakes and sinkholes are not covered under standard policies; however, earthquake insurance can be purchased as an endorsement for an additional fee in all states except California. Flood insurance, which also includes mudflow, must also be purchased as a separate policy. It is only available National Flood Insurance Program run by the federal government.
Other types of water damage such as overflows or backups from a sump pump, sewer system, or drains are also excluded and require a separate endorsement.
There is usually a deductible of $100 to $500 for personal property losses. Raising the deductible can lower the premium.
If you insure your belongings for their "actual cash value," you will not get their replacement value at the time of a loss. Actual cash value refers to the value of your belongings after taking into account depreciation and wear and tear. this is also known as Fair Market Value (FMV). For instance, the actual cash value of a television you bought ten years ago may be worth only $50. On the other hand, "replacement cost" coverage provides you with the costs to replace your belongings. Thus, you would get the $500 you need to replace that ten-year-old television, not the $50 "actual cash value."
You choose the limits on the amounts of coverage on your home and personal property. The premium you pay depends on the limits you choose. Regardless of the policy limit, there is a separate limit on the replacement of high-value items, such as jewelry and artwork. If you want increased coverage for certain items, you must purchase an endorsement or floater (also known as a "rider"). You must generally pay extra for the following:
If your home is damaged or your possessions are stolen, will your homeowner's policy pay as much as you are expecting? If you are willing to pay the premium for full protection, here are the policy coverages you might consider.
The amount of insurance that you buy should be based on the cost of rebuilding–not on the price of your home. The cost of rebuilding your house is usually higher than the price you originally paid for it, and often, even the price you could sell it for today. Most insurance companies recommend you insure your home for 100 percent of the cost of rebuilding it.
Tip: Your insurance agent or company representative may be able to help you calculate rebuilding costs. If not, you could hire an appraiser to do this. Real estate agents can provide you with the names of appraisers.
The cost of rebuilding is affected by local construction costs and by the type of house you have; however, the following are some of the factors that enter into the calculation:
Tip: For a rough estimate of the cost of rebuilding your house, calculate the square footage and multiply it by local building costs per square foot for your type of house. Ask a real estate agent or appraiser for average building costs in your area.
If you already have homeowner's insurance, it's very important to make sure that you have enough. If your home is one of the few that are totally destroyed, and it is insured for less than 100 percent of the rebuilding cost, you risk not having enough money to replace it with one of similar size and quality.
Make sure your insurance agent or broker knows about any improvements or additions to your house that have been made since you last discussed your insurance policy. If you haven't increased your policy limits to cover the cost of rebuilding that new deck, a second bathroom, or other improvements that have increased the value of your home, then you risk being under-insured. If you lack sufficient insurance, your insurer may pay only a part of the cost of replacing or repairing damaged items–depending on the kind of policy you have.
Look at your policy to see what the maximum amount that your insurance company would pay if your house was damaged and had to be rebuilt. The limits of the policy usually appear on the Declarations Page under Section 1, Coverage A Dwelling. Your insurance company will pay no more than this amount to rebuild your home–no exceptions.
Some banks require that you buy homeowner's insurance to cover the amount of your mortgage. However, if the limit of your insurance policy is based only on your mortgage, your policy is unlikely to cover the cost of rebuilding. Make certain that the value of your insurance policy keeps up with increases in local building costs.
Caution: If the limits of your policy have not changed since you bought your home, it is likely that you are under-insured.
Tip: Ask your agent about adding an "inflation guard clause," which automatically adjusts the limit to reflect current construction costs when you renew your policy.
Consider buying replacement cost coverage for structural damage. A replacement cost policy will pay for the repair or replacement of damaged property with materials of similar kind and quality. The insurance company will not deduct for depreciation. Depreciation is the decrease in value due to age, wear and tear, and other factors.
If you own an older home, you may not be able to buy a replacement cost policy. Instead, you might buy a modified replacement cost policy that will pay for repairs using standard building materials and construction techniques in use today, rather than repairing or replacing features typical of older homes, like plaster walls and wooden doors, with similar materials.
Insurance companies differ greatly in the way they insure older homes. Some refuse to insure older homes for 100 percent of replacement cost because of the expense of re-creating special features like wall and ceiling moldings and carvings. Other companies will insure older homes for 100 percent of replacement cost as long as the dwelling is in good condition.
Caution: If you cannot insure your home for 100 percent of replacement cost–or choose not to do so–because the cost of replacing a large old home is prohibitive, then make sure the limits of the policy are high enough to provide you with a house of acceptable size and quality.
A guaranteed replacement cost policy will pay whatever it costs to rebuild your home as it was before the fire or other disaster, even if it exceeds the policy limit. This policy protects you against sudden increases in construction costs due to a shortage of building materials, for example, or other unexpected situations, but generally does not cover the cost of upgrading the house to comply with building codes.
Tip: Building codes require structures to be built to minimum standards. If your home is severely damaged, there may be an extra cost in rebuilding it to comply with standards enacted since the home was built. Complying with building code may require a change in design or building materials. Generally, homeowner's insurance policies will not pay for this extra expense, but some insurers offer an endorsement (a form attached to an insurance policy that changes what the policy covers) that pays a specified amount toward these costs.
Note: A guaranteed replacement cost policy may not be available if you own an older home.
If your home is located in an area prone to flooding, contact your insurance agent or the National Flood Insurance Program (800-427-4661).
Tip: Your homeowner's insurance policy does not cover flood damage. If you buy a federal government flood insurance policy, consider insuring your home for 100 percent of replacement cost and buying insurance to cover the contents of your home as well as the dwelling.
This list should include everything you and other members of your household own in your home and in other buildings on the property, except your car and certain boats, which must be insured separately. Among the items you should include are indoor and outdoor furniture, appliances, stereos, computers and other electronic equipment, hobby materials and recreational equipment, china, linens, silverware and kitchen equipment, and jewelry, clothing and other personal belongings.
Tip: Estimate the value of your personal possessions at current prices and not what you paid for it. The total is the amount of insurance you would need to replace the contents of your home with new items if everything was destroyed.
Check your homeowner's policy to find out how much insurance you have for the contents of your home. The limit of the policy is shown on the Declarations Page under Section 1, Coverage, Personal Property. The contents limit generally is 50 percent of the amount of insurance on the dwelling. For example, on a home insured for $100,000 the contents would be limited to $50,000. Now compare the contents limit with the total value of the items on your list of personal possessions. If you think you are under-insured, give your insurance agent or broker a call.
As discussed before, there are two ways of insuring your personal possessions. If you have a homeowner's insurance policy, find out whether claim payments for damage to your personal property would be based on replacement cost or actual cash value. Check your policy under Section 1, Conditions, Loss Settlement or ask your agent. As with insurance for the structure, a replacement cost policy pays the dollar amount needed to replace a damaged item with one of similar kind and quality without deductions for depreciation. An actual cash value policy pays the amount needed to replace the item minus depreciation.
Check the limits on certain kinds of personal possessions, such as jewelry, art, silverware, and furs. This information is in Section 1, Personal Property, Special Limits of Liability. Some insurance companies also place a limit on what they'll pay for computers and other home office equipment. If the limits are too low, consider buying a special personal property endorsement or rider.
Note: An endorsement is an addition to your policy. A floater is a form of insurance that allows you to insure valuable items separately. Under a rider or floater, you will be able to insure these items for higher amounts than under a standard homeowner's policy.
Tip: If you have a claim, the more information you have about the damaged items–a description of each and the date of purchase and purchase price–the faster the claim can usually be settled.
Videotape or take photographs of rooms and their contents. Note where and when you bought each item and the price. Write down the brand names and model numbers of appliances and electronic equipment. Add new items as you buy them, and keep receipts with the list.
Store the list, photos, and other records in a safe place outside the home in a bank deposit box or with a neighbor or relative so that they are not destroyed if your home is damaged.
The price you pay for homeowner's insurance can vary by hundreds of dollars, depending on the insurance company. Companies offer several types of discounts, but they do not offer the same discount or the same amount of discount in all states. Here are some things to consider when buying homeowner's insurance:
Although it may take a few phone calls to shop around for the best insurance, you could save a few hundred dollars by taking the time to do so. Conduct a preliminary search by compiling a list of possible insurers. Check with your insurance broker or agent, ask your friends, check the Yellow Pages, search online, check consumer guides, and/or call your state insurance department. A thorough investigation of available insurers will give you an idea of price ranges and tell you which companies or agents have the lowest prices.
Tip: Do not consider price alone. The insurer you select should offer both a fair price, good coverage and excellent service. Quality service may cost a bit more, but it provides added conveniences. Talking to insurers will give you a feel for the type of service they offer.
When talking to insurers, ask them what they would do to lower your costs. Once you've narrowed your search to three companies, get price quotes.
Deductibles on homeowners' policies typically start at $250. You might save up to 12 percent of the premium by increasing your deductible to $500, up to 24 percent by increasing it to $1,000, up to 30 percent by going up to $2,500, and 37 percent by raising it to $5,000.
Many companies that sell homeowner's, auto and liability coverage will take 5 to 15 percent off your premium if you buy two or more policies from them. This is called a multiple policy discount.
When buying a home, don't overlook the insurance costs. These may affect the price you are willing to pay for the home. Among the factors to consider:
When deciding how much homeowner's insurance to buy, do not include the value of the land under your house. If it is not at risk against theft, windstorm, fire, or other disasters, why pay for wasted coverage?
You can usually get discounts of at least 5 percent for a smoke detector, burglar alarm, or dead-bolt locks. Some companies offer to cut your premium by as much as 15 or 20 percent if you install a sophisticated sprinkler system and a fire and burglar alarm that rings at the police station or another monitoring facility. Although these discounts are incentives to invest in home security and yard maintenance systems, be aware that these systems are not inexpensive and that not every system qualifies for the discount.
Tip: Before you buy an alarm system, find out what kind your insurer recommends and how much you'd save on premiums.
Insurers may offer lower premiums if all the residents in a house do not smoke.
If you are at least 55 years old and retired, you may qualify for a discount of up to 10 percent at some insurers.
Employers, alumni, and business associations can often benefit from an insurance package at competitive rates. Ask your company's human resources department or your association's director if such a package is available.
If you've kept your coverage with one company for several years, you may get a reduction in your premiums of 5 or 10 percent, depending on the insurer.
Compare the limits in your policy with the value of your possessions at least once a year to make sure your policy covers major purchases and/or additions to your home.
Tip: On the other hand, you do not want to spend money for unnecessary coverage. If your five-year-old fur coat is no longer worth the $20,000 you paid for it, reduce your rider and cut your premium.
If you live in a high-risk area, that is, one that is vulnerable to coastal storms, fires, or crime, and have been buying your homeowner's insurance through a government plan, you may find that there are steps you can take to buy insurance at a lower price in the private market. Check with your insurance agent or broker.
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To be sure you have adequate homeowner's insurance, ask your insurance agent questions about the issues discussed in this Financial Guide. A thorough inquiry into specific coverage and costs should result in a policy that offers the best coverage and value. It is also important to ask your agent or broker to explain what factors were used to calculate the policy limits for the dwelling.
Planning Aid: National Flood Insurance Program provides information about National Flood Insurance.
Tip: If you have a problem or need more information, contact the Consumer Federal of America (CFA) Insurance Group.
For your convenience, several common insurance terms are defined below:
Actual Cash Value. The current value of property measured in cash arrived at by taking the replacement cost and deducting for depreciation brought about by physical wear and tear, age and other factors.
Endorsement. A written form attached to a policy that alters the policy's coverage, terms or conditions.
Floater. A policy or endorsement that applies to moveable property whatever its location. The coverage floats or moves with the property.
Guaranteed Replacement Cost Insurance. Insurance providing for payment of the cost of replacing the damaged property without deduction for depreciation and without a dollar limit
Inflation Guard Clause Provision. In a policy or endorsement that automatically adjusts the dwelling limit at policy renewal time to reflect current construction costs in your area.
Replacement Cost Dwelling Insurance. Insurance providing that the policyholder will be paid the cost of replacing the damaged property without deduction for depreciation, but limited by the dollar amount displayed under Section 1, Coverage, A. Dwelling on the Declarations Page of the policy.
Replacement Cost Contents Insurance. Insurance that pays the dollar amount needed to replace damaged personal property with that of similar kind and quality without deducting for depreciation.
Use this form to document and determine whether your personal property coverage is adequate. Go through each room and inventory your belongings. Write in the year you bought the item and how much you paid for it. Then write in the approximate cost to replace the item today. Finally, calculate the totals at the end of the form. This list will also help in case you need to submit a claim.
Tip: Make a photographic or video record of your belongings, too, and of the outside of your home. This will help should you ever need to submit a claim.
|Year of Purchase
|Replacement Cost
|Table, chairs
|Hutch, sideboard
|Large appliances (list)
|Small appliances (list)
|Dishes, two sets
|Silverware, flatware
|Year of Purchase
|Replacement Cost
|TV, VCRs, DVD Players and other electronics
|Book shelves
|CDs, videos, tapes, albums
|Carpeting, rugs
|Year of Purchase
|Replacement Cost
|TVs, VCRs, radios, stereos, and other elctronics
|Bedding, sheets
|Personal Computers
|Formal Wear
|Sports, Hobbies, Bathroom, Miscellaneous
|Year of Purchase
|Replacement Cost
|Grooming gear
|Bathroom appliances
|Golf clubs
|Ski gear
|Camping equipment
|Exercise equipment
|Telephones, answering machines
|Fans, heaters, air conditioners
|Desk, chairs
|Piano, musical instruments
|Sewing machine
|Lawn mower
|Garden tools
|Office equipment
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Remarks By Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
"Housing Plan For New York City's 21st Century Neighborhoods"
New York Housing Conference/National Housing Conference 29th Annual Luncheon
Sheraton New York Hotel
I was talking to Katie Couric on the Today Show this morning. She asked me, "what's new in New York?" I said, "not much. A big budget deficit. Service cuts. A possible transit strike. My approval ratings plummeting. The Knicks in the NBA cellar. Same old stuff. "
All this must sound like déjà vu all over again to Mayor Koch. In fact, yesterday I was watching film of him from the 1980 transit strike. Ed-you didn't look a day younger.
But seriously, I'll be happy if, at the end of the day, New Yorkers remember me for the same reason they remember and love Ed Koch: for his tremendous record of achievement in areas like housing.
I also join Ed and all of you in honoring the memory of another giant: the former chair of the New York City Housing Authority, the late Albert Walsh.
Housing was a passionate concern of Albert's. So what's its future?
In this economic climate? There's been a lot of speculation in the news media recently about whether New York might return to the bad old days of the 1970s-when services fell apart and progress stopped.
There's a short answer to that question. Not a chance.
One big reason why: you, the National Housing Conference and New York Housing Conference, and what you have helped us achieve in communities throughout the city.
As exhibit "A," consider the example of our own Harlem. Every person in this room can remember thirty years ago, when Harlem was a community with a rich past, but an ominous future--
When it was a neighborhood with block after block of vacant lots and derelict apartment buildings-
When it was a community that seemed to be locked into a downward spiral of abandonment and decay.
Take a look at Harlem today. It has become one of the hottest residential neighborhoods in the five boroughs. Families are snapping up its magnificent 19th Century townhouses. Harlem's population, which was shrinking just fifteen years ago, is growing again.
Yogi Berra once said that you should never make predictions-especially about the future. But I'll ignore that advice and predict that Harlem has reached a turning point.
In the seventies, the word on Harlem was that it was a bad risk for private housing lending. Those days are long gone. It has not only stabilized-it's soaring. Now people want to put private housing money into Harlem.
That's a story that all of you know-because many of you have helped write it in communities throughout the city-in the South Bronx and Central Brooklyn, as well as in Harlem.
These turnarounds didn't just happen by chance. They have been the product of sustained and coordinated public policy and public investment that catalyzed a revived private market.
They are stories of community renewal that are far from over-and that are entering an important new phase.
Now we have to repeat those stories-albeit in difficult times. Today's challenge, as we work on other parts of the City, is to make scarce city dollars go farther in an era when deep cuts to capital spending for housing are unavoidable.
The solution is doing the kind of strategic investment and groundwork that turns dreams into realities by using limited public funding to encourage private investment.
We need to target our financial resources and policy initiatives to make more Harlem miracles-catalyzing private housing development in neighborhoods throughout the city.
We're the world's second home-a magnet for people who want to build better lives for themselves and their families.
That new generation of ambitious and hard-working New Yorkers, want just what my parents struggled to achieve, and what all parents want for their kids: the security that only good living accommodations in safe and stable neighborhoods can provide.
Without these homes and neighborhoods, New York will lose these people-and lose its future. That's why affordable housing is fundamental to our long-term economic prosperity.
Today I want to describe my administration's housing strategy for securing that future.
It's a strategy with two principal elements.
The first is innovative financing-a process of facilitating private housing investment with creative use of public financial resources.
Over the next five years, we will implement new strategies that will, combined with existing programs, create more than $3 billion in public spending on housing. That money will finance some 27,000 new units and preserve 38,000 more, for a total of 65,000 units.
This public spending will increase production of new units by 25% compared to the last five years. And it will, in turn, stimulate the private sector to make major new investments in our city.
Here's how the money breaks down. The City's Housing Development Corporation (HDC) will leverage a new pool of $500 million to finance construction of 17,000 units.
In addition to that, some $555 million will be redirected by the City's Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) from housing maintenance to new investment in some 8,000 units.
And the remaining $2 billion is the continuing maintenance of effort by HPD in the City's housing capital and expense budgets-ensuring creation and preservation of some 40,000 units.
The second principal element is a combination of legislative and administrative change.
Here, the City will coordinate a variety of initiatives, including brownfield clean-ups, rezoning, land disposition policy and regulatory reform.
This will cut building and land acquisition costs, and lay the groundwork to attract more private construction.
Let me describe these initiatives in a bit more detail, starting with our financial strategy.
Between now and fiscal year 2008, HDC will make twice as much money available for affordable housing as it has over the last five years.
That public investment will be created by aggressively and creatively pushing the financial envelope on HDC's equity. To create these funds, we're going to put HDC's cash assets to work, and borrow against the mortgages that HDC holds.
The half-billion dollar pool this generates is expected to leverage four times as much money-or $2 billion-as private financing will accompany the public's initial investment.
This will be in addition to funds raised through HDC's traditional tax-exempt bond financing, which will come to some $750 million over the next five years.
This pool will finance the construction and rehab of more than 17,000 units of low- and moderate-income housing in targeted communities.
And for the first time, HDC will also commit a portion of these funds to middle-income housing. HDC's so-called "New-Hop" program will be expanded to include housing for middle class New Yorkers with incomes between about $38,000 and $63,000 a year.
These include teachers, police officers, firefighters, health care workers-the kind of people who make communities stronger.
To complement that pool of HDC funds, HPD also is performing a little financial magic of its own.
Over the next five years, HPD will redirect more than $555 million in planned city and federal funding to targeted neighborhood renewal.
Much of this money was originally intended for the rehabilitation and disposition of the City's in rem housing stock. But as you know, most of that housing has now passed to new private owners.
That's wonderful news. Private ownership is our ultimate goal. And for an added bonus, it will give us the opportunity to redirect those funds to targeted housing investments over the next five years.
Part of this re-directed funding includes equity we'll raise against the low income housing tax credit program - to achieve these goals.
HPD will, for example, provide low-interest loans to acquire and clean up brownfields for housing development. The bottom line is that all of these new and existing funds will preserve and create 65,000 units citywide between now and 2008.
This commitment demonstrates that, even in these difficult budget times, the city is not walking away from the job of funding affordable housing.
Today, we're distributing a plan called "new marketplace: creating housing for the next generation." It details how our commitment to housing will also extend to:
- Providing low-cost loans to renovate and lease apartments that have long been vacant and off the market...
- Doing what our conscience demands to help homeless families with special needs and youngsters aging out of foster care...
- And helping new homeowners make their first down payments, while also encouraging private employers to do the same.
The public dollars in these programs represent an important part-but only a part-of the city's housing strategy.
Just as important is the second part of our plan-that is, to jump-start private investment in targeted communities by removing barriers to development and reducing costs of construction.
And we'll use a range of policy tools toward that end.
I mentioned HPD's capital program for acquiring and cleaning brownfields. Under the leadership of the Department of Environmental Protection, the city is conducting a comprehensive assessment of potential brownfields throughout the city with an eye toward beneficial reuse.
Complementing that effort in many neighborhoods, will be targeted rezoning of abandoned waterfronts and underutilized manufacturing areas for mixed residential and commercial use.
I have asked our city planning commission to move forward aggressively with rezoning plans in communities throughout the City, including: East Harlem, Jamaica, Long Island City, Port Morris, Morrisania, Park Slope, Greenpoint, and Williamsburg. We'll work with the city council to enact these zoning changes.
I also have asked Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and Rebuilding Dan Doctoroff to coordinate the disposition of City-owned land appropriate for residential development. This will ensure that we use our scarce land resources as effectively as possible.
For example, over the next five years, HPD will continue to make vacant, city-owned land available for the development of more than 7,000 new residential units.
HPD and the City Housing Authority (NYCHA) will collaborate to develop affordable housing on NYCHA's underused and vacant property.
And I've directed HPD and the Department of Buildings (DOB) to streamline the approvals needed to develop and rehab housing.
This must include working with the City Council to assess the feasibility of adopting a model building code.
That's the strategy: to make creative use of all the tools at our disposal-in the neighborhoods where they will have the most impact-to jump-start and complement private sector investment.
The success of that strategy is crucial to our city's long-range economic future. Keeping housing affordable-like improving the public schools-is vital to attracting and keeping talented and productive people in New York.
Housing will, for example, be key to bringing people and jobs back downtown. On Thursday, I'll outline my vision for transforming lower Manhattan into a true 24-7 residential and commercial community. New housing development is a critical part of that vision.
To help guide the housing initiatives we've outlined today, we have named a neighborhood investment advisory panel. It includes key partners from the finance, development, academic, and philanthropic communities.
To the members of it who are present today: thank you in advance for your time and talent.
Your work-and the continued work of the New York housing conference-will play a crucial role in neighborhoods throughout the city.
The British journalist Alistair Cook once described New York "as the biggest collection of villages in the world."
He was on to something.
We are a city of more than 300 neighborhoods. They're the places we call home...where our children go to school, shopkeepers serve their customers, and New Yorkers enjoy family life.
Our neighborhoods are what makes New York tick. Wall Street or Canarsie, Lincoln Center or Tottenville, Madison Square or Rego Park, 5th Avenue or Arthur Avenue. We believe in our neighborhoods passionately and we must nurture them.
And with this housing plan-and with your continued hard work-we'll make New York the biggest, greatest, most diverse and vibrant collection of villages in the world.
Thank you and happy holidays.

subset: commoncrawl


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Shortly before the earthquake struck Japan on Friday afternoon, a jumbo jet pushed back from the gate at Narita Airport, preparing to depart when a passenger got up to go to the bathroom. As my friend, pilot Jim Karsh tells the you've-got-to-be-kidding tale,
"Of course you can't take off with anyone out of their seat, so the purser called the cockpit and the flight was held until the passenger finished in the restroom and was reseated."
|Sendai Airport in better days photo courtesy Sendai Airport
Reinforcing Ernest Gann's Fate Is The Hunter philosophy is the story of lovely Sendai Airport in Miyagi Prefecture, which is much closer than Tokyo to the center of the 8.9 quake. View these before and after photographs to see the power of the tsunami that followed the quake as it washed across the Sendai Airport airfield, sweeping heavy tugs along like toys. Note the people standing on the roof as the wave rolls through.
You may find yourself asking, "Where are the airliners?" I know I was. So I asked my intrepid correspondent Takeo Aizawa to do a little sleuthing and he discovered the answer was once again, the whimsy of fate.
"It was kind of lucky there were no planes at the time of the earthquake," he told me via skype this morning, because there should have been. JAL Flight 2209, an Embraer 170, was scheduled to land nine minutes before the quake hit but it was delayed on departure from Osaka. "It takes 76 minutes from Osaka to Sendai, so 50 minutes late departure means very safe distance from the quake," Takeo-san explained. Flight 2209 was in the air when the earthquake hit and the pilots were instructed to return to Osaka. Some very lucky passengers were delivered from the teeth of disaster.
|Photo courtesy Kyoto Communication
"The tidal wave was more dangerous than the quake itself," Takeo-san said via skype this morning. When I first heard about the quake, I worried about my friend Takeo-san even though we've never met in person, I feel I know him from working on a story about the Goodwill Guide program following my visit to Japan last fall. I was delighted to hear that he and his wife were okay with no greater damage to their home than a lot of broken glass to clean up.
After seeing the destruction at Sendai, its clear that while the city of Tokyo and the two international airports that serve it; Haneda (Tokyo International) and Narita International were places of drama on Friday afternoon, as this You Tube video shows, for the most part the quake was not much more than a very scary, very messy inconvenience in this part of Japan.
|U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Samuel Morse
The news today from Tokyo's big airports is that congestion in the terminals is thinning as airlines move back to their regular flight schedules. My friend Jim, who flies a B747 for a U.S. carrier and who had a 96-hour layover in Tokyo (read his story here) tells me he's killing time talking to the excellent employees at the Raddison Hotel Narita Airport, (I've stayed there, he's right, they're great.) And hangar flying with the other flight crews staying there.
Yokota, but not all were permitted to stay.
"One went to Yokota then flew from there to Haneda, then on to Narita." Jim said that he was told, "Japanese customs would not let the passengers off the airplane in the first two airports, so the passengers and crew were on the aircraft for 32 hours until they deplaned in Narita."
I hesitate to bring this up, since I know the passenger bill of rights crowd is always looking for new recruits, but the 529 passengers and 29 flight crew members who did get off the plane at the air base were fed, treated to entertainment by Staff Sgt. Anthony Schmaus from the U.S. Air Force Band of the Pacific and put up for the night.
Some folks had it easier than others. Ernie Gann nods knowingly.


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WP Super Cache is a full page caching plugin for WordPress that makes your website run much faster!
I've just released a new version and the biggest change in this one is the addition of Content Delivery Network (CDN) support thanks to Mark Kubacki who allowed me to integrate his OSSDL CDN Off Linker plugin. (Please go visit his blog and say thank you if you use this feature!)
The CDN support simply rewrites images, CSS and Javascript files so they point at a different hostname. That hostname can be another virtual host on your own server (aka "Poor Man's CDN") pointing at your WordPress install or a fully fledged CDN. If your CDN supports "origin pull" then all the files on your server will be copied there as they are requested by visitors. Otherwise you'll have to transfer the files over manually.
Apart from that, bugs have been fixed, a few features have been tweaked including the uninstall script which has been streamlined somewhat.
I also added links (on the "Easy" settngs page) to some plugins and tools you may find useful in making your site run faster.
Problems? Go to the forum and someone may already have had that problem and solved it. If not, post there and you'll get a reply.
Related Posts


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Tuesday Twaddle
From beyond the grave, Julia Child shows that print still matters
The late chef's magnum opus, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," sold 22,000 copies in one week following release of the movie "Julie & Julia." That is "more copies than were sold in any full year since the book's appearance" nearly 48 years ago, according to the New York Times, citing the book's publisher, Knopf.
The book also hit No. 1 at both Amazon and B&N.com earlier this month, and is racing up the charts at Publishers Weekly's hardcover nonfiction best sellers.
i.e. People still read books!
Yes, I know how Twitter can drive events. The Tehran uprisings are a classic example. But predictions of the demise of print (as well as the power of an old-fashioned Hollywood movie) have been greatly exaggerated!
Think about it. Here we have a 752-page book that's racing off the shelves, and the publicity for it has been driven exclusively by the film, as well as (I would argue) the stellar reviews it got, mostly in print newspapers and magazines. Could social media have resurrected "Mastering"? Maybe, but the book's amazing comeback proves that the tried-and-true way of making things famous still holds a trick or two up its sleeve.
* * *
2009 Vintage could be great
The winter was very cold. Rainfall was low until Spring, when the skies opened up, making for near-normal precipitation. A hard frost hit statewide in mid-April, followed by a heat wave. May and June were rainy and cold, with June setting low temperature records. July was fairly average, and August has been mild. There were some excessive heat spikes in the usual hot places, like Paso Robles, but nothing that could spoil the vintage
Harvest began August 12, mainly for sparkling wine grapes and Sauvignon Blanc. Some vintners expressed concern about green flavors, due to the coolness. Monsoonal moistness in late August also raises the threat of mold, although this doesn't appear to be a big problem. The big reds have yet to be picked, but 2009 could be a very good year for Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir, provided that ripening proceeds steadily, with no major heat waves, and the rains hold off. With a weak El Nino effect in the Pacific, California, especially Southern California, could be in for higher-than-usual rains this Fall, but it's too soon to tell. But overall, the pieces are in place for a good vintage: coolish weather, dry conditions during harvest (so far) and an absence of heat waves should enable ripeness without high alcohol.
I agree completely about the potential. This will be my 40th year here and I do not remember a year with such even moderate and cool growing conditions accompanied by abundant sunshine. The only one close would be 1970. Shatter and mildew have been the big issues so far. The vines look good. About green flavors, I know I am a dinosaur, but a little acid and varietal flavor never hurt anyone, unless you don't know how to modify your practices to ripen, pick, crush, ferment such grapes and age such wines. People used to know how to do it and there are a lot of 1970's still showing nicely as a result. (Hint – the solution is not to let the grapes turn to raisins, add water or use reverse osmosis.)
I agree that the demise of "traditional media" has been overblown. It will transform, no doubt. But TV, movies and newspapers still have massive impact and will continue to be a major driver, despite us bloggers sometimes suggesting otherwise.
On vintages, '07 Pinots RRV: great.
BTW- talk about a chick flick. Julie & Julia… I'll need plenty of Cab on hand to make it through with Loni.
PS- why doesn't your blog get more comments, Steve. I never understood that.
Um, hate to state the obvious here, but the movie was based, at least partly, on a book that was based on a blog about somebody cooking their way through the book. In fact, the movie title came from the blog of the same name.
To answer your question — Could social media have resurrected "Mastering"?
A blog that turned into a book that turned into a movie resurrected "Mastering."
I never liked much how print and social media were pitted against each other. It's as ridiculous as pitting print against television. Social media is, at its core, another form of media. It's another means to connect and engage with people, but by no means is it a harbinger of destruction for traditional means. In fact, I would say it's there to enhance them–the success of the book sales is an example of that.


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What to Watch: Jamie Lynn Sigler announces pregnancy
Staff Writer
Trending topic
Jamie Lynn Sigler, known for roles on "The Sopranos" and "Entourage," is expecting a child with fiance Cutter Dykstra, People.com reports. Sigler and Dykstra, a minor-league baseball player for the Washington Nationals, recently announced their engagement over Twitter and Instagram. Sigler was previously married to A.J. DiScala.
On TV
On tonight's episode of "Justified," called "Foot Chase," Raylan is chasing Josiah Cairn, who's missing a foot. Elsewhere, and with all their limbs still attached, Boyd and Ava try to move up to a higher level of Harlan County's social pyramid. FX 10 p.m. EST.
Hot video: Toddler caught "sprinkle-faced"
GateHouse News Service


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Louisiana cemeteries sinking, washing away
- Eleven cemeteries in Jefferson Parish have repeatedly flooded since Hurricane Katrina
- Some towns have tried pouring concrete slabs to hold headstones in place
- Coastal Louisiana has lost about 1,900 square miles of land since the 1930s
LEEVILLE, La. (AP) — As a young adult, Kathleen Cheramie visited her grandmother's grave in a tree-lined cemetery where white crosses dotted a plot of lush green grass just off Louisiana Highway 1.
Now, the cemetery in Leeville is a skeleton of its former self. The few trees still standing have been killed by saltwater intruding from the Gulf of Mexico. Their leafless branches are suspended above marsh grass left brown and soggy from saltwater creeping up from beneath the graves.
"It was a beautiful place to visit," said Cheramie, 67, who lives in nearby Golden Meadow. "It hurts to see it now."
Cheramie's small family graveyard is among at least two dozen cemeteries across the southeast Louisiana coast that are rapidly sinking or washing away because of erosion and subsidence accelerated by the tropical punch of storms such as Katrina, Rita, Gustav, Ike, Lee and Isaac.
Local residents say 11 cemeteries in Jefferson Parish have repeatedly flooded since Hurricane Katrina. In Lafourche, Terrebonne and Plaquemines parishes, more than a dozen others have succumbed to tidal surge. Some have more than 300 gravesites.
Officials say not much can be done to save the cemeteries or the sinking communities that surround them, though some towns have tried pouring concrete slabs to build up the burial sites and hold headstones in place. They've also anchored above-ground caskets to the slabs to keep them from floating off.
"When I was a kid, you didn't see graves floating away and going under water," said Timothy Kerner, 53, mayor of the fishing town of Jean Lafitte, where schools, restaurants and homes have flooded at least four times in the past seven years.
Kerner said all 11 cemeteries in the area were under water during Hurricane Isaac, which struck Louisiana in August. Although many caskets had been anchored to concrete slabs, dozens still floated away, finding new resting places under and between houses.
In some cases, human remains became separated from the caskets.
"It's horrible," said Kerner, shaking his head as he flipped through photographs taken as officials recovered the caskets and remains. "It's sad, and it would be sad in any circumstance, but in this case you have families that have been here for 300 years, for generation after generation."
Kerner said his community has about 1,500 gravesites — some dating back to the early 1800s, when the town's namesake, pirate Jean Lafitte, used the bayous for smuggling.
Along the Louisiana coast, towns like Jean Lafitte watch the Gulf march closer each day, threatening wildlife habitats and a way of life.
Coastal Louisiana has lost about 1,900 square miles of land since the 1930s as canals dug for oil exploration allowed salty water to intrude into marshes and a succession of powerful hurricanes sucked marsh muck that protects populated areas out into the Gulf.
Archie Chaisson, coastal zone manager for Lafourche Parish, said about 90 percent of one Leeville cemetery dating to the 1800s has been swallowed by a wide bayou that empties into the Gulf, and two other burial sites have been submerged in recent years.
What's left of the bayou-side cemetery is accessible only by boat. Some headstones are barely visible above the water, and waves lap at the bricks and concrete surrounding caskets.
Chaisson said that as recently as 1920, the cemetery was several feet above sea level, surrounded by orange groves, cotton fields and cattle farms. Much of the ground has subsided to barely sea level, and during Isaac, about seven feet of land washed away in the tidal surge, he said.
"The bodies just lay abandoned because there's nothing we can do for them now," he said.
South Lafourche Levee District General Manager Windell Curole, who also serves on the state's Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, said saltwater from the Gulf is causing a crippling subsidence problem.
"We did not bury people in marshes," Curole said. "We buried them on high ground. This was high ground, and now it's subsided to the point of being wetlands and open water."
Curole said Louisiana's coastal erosion problems started with the cutting and dredging of canals for oil and gas exploration, which allowed saltwater to work its way into freshwater marshes. The damming of the Mississippi River in the early 1900s also prevented the river from re-depositing freshwater sediment.
"We created the problem, and now we have to be smart about fixing the problem," Curole said.
In Lafourche Parish, some of the earthen levees are as high as 16 feet to protect the communities within, and the parish is creating "apron marsh" by pumping sediment from inside the levee out to the broken marshes just beyond it for added buffer from the Gulf.
Curole said there isn't much that can be done to save communities like Leeville, which sits beyond the levee system and today is about two-thirds open water.
"It's so strange to not see any trees," Cheramie said, adding that she rarely makes the short drive from her home inside the levee system to the family cemetery just beyond it. Her grandmother's gravesite today is surrounded by saltwater-soggy ground and patches of dead marsh grass, with open water nearby. "It makes me feel sad."
Cheramie said that about 10 years ago, a concrete slab was poured to try to raise the ground and hold the cemetery's crosses in place, but with repeated hits from storms since 2005, sand and mud from the marsh have begun taking over the slab.
"It's just disappearing," she said. "It's a shame to say, but you stay away because it's too much. It's too hard. We're losing so much so fast, and it's out of our control."


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It was three years ago, when the DPS Dhamaka tapes finally opened our eyes to the licentiousness among today's kids, that I wrote:
When I sing "Nanhe Munhe Bacche Teri Mutthi Main Kya Hain?†(Innocent Kiddie, what's in your hand?â€) and our innocent kiddies wink back and show us contraceptives (thanks to what they have learnt in school)………….well that my friends would be the end of civilization as I know it.
Well now it is time to take back our heritage from these titillated tykes. In a development that gladdens my heart, the governments of Maharashtra and Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh have disallowed sex education in their schools thus taking a stance against the tide of decadence that seeks to sweep the nation.
Sex education in schools ! What is the world coming to? Soon children will definitively know that little brother was not picked up from a temple, that auto-manipulation will not make them go blind and that they should not get close to that uncle who insists on exploring them as they sit on his knee.
Needless to say, such knowledge cannot be allowed.
After all they should grow up, as we grew up. With shame, guilt and ignorance, where the closest we came to formally knowing about birds and bees was the two pages detailing the reproductive system of a toad that was followed by a page about the human reproductive system, which was not taught in class and was kept out of syllabus (Such was the case in West Bengal Secondary when I was a kid). Needless to say, there was a reason for why the toad was chosen — after seeing the internals of the toad's reproductive system, you would want to stay celibate for life.
Some people tell me that one of the aims of sex education is to inform students about AIDs and STDs. Why they need to learn about AIDS in schools is something I do not understand. They should just be told that AIDs is a dirty disease —like diarrhoea. And that good kids are not supposed to know or talk about it. Then they can discuss, in hushed whispers, whether AIDs could be transmitted by kissing or through touching or through mosquito bites.
Just like we did. But we belonged to the age of innocence. Wonderful it was. I remember a few of my friends arguing,after seeing ads about "flavoured" condoms on TV, whether naughty macho men (we understood condoms were for people doing dirty things) chew it like gum while performing the act (of which most of us had a very vague idea).
And now? These newfangled kids are being taught contraception and what not. In schools. Just like we were taught the length of the Nile. And the value of Pi.
The most alarming thing is that, according to some, these are not being taught in a medical, boring style, with the same detached monotonicity with which our work education sir used to teach us how the screw goes into the nut, our biology "aunty" used to inform us of aerobic organisms and our physics sir used to teach us about capacitors discharging.
As Mr.U.R.Rao (Side PJ: When you refer to him he is "U.R." Rao and when he speaks he is "I.M.' Rao) says:
Rao said his problem was with the fact that the illustrations and graphics in the textbook are unnecessarily erotic.
"I have gone through the text. It is supposed to be prepared on the advise of WHO, but I don't think WHO or anybody would have said anything about what should be written. But it is very explicit and the drawings are horrible. It talks about the actually enactment,†he said.
[In the video, and this is not in the transcript, U.R.Rao also objects to 'group' discussion]
Enactment? Such has been the moral derailment of our generation that instead of dissecting a toad and preparing a N/10 acid solution, students are doing practicals in sex through "enactment" and role-playing. And without any workbook even !
Vidya Chauhan, a sagacious NCP activist puts the crisis in plain words: (this quotation taken from the ones in this video)
Children will become curious. Nobody will want to study history, geography or math.They will want only sex education.
Yes we know. Students will be saying proudly: "Loveology main first, baki sab main fail. Maine bas sikha hain karna dil se dil ka mel". A generation of demented souls will come out of the education system, with no life skills other than that of holding hands and going 'Hush-a Hush-a we all 'go down'".
Vidya Chauhan is not alone in her realization. SIMI, that great bulwark of the nation's territorial and moral integrity says truly:
Sex education does not encourage good moral behaviour. It encourages AIDs.
And in a very smart analogy with terrorism (as an aside I often wonder why every mention of SIMI is always followed by the word 'terrorism'), Pratibha Naithani, Principal, St.Xavier's College says:
If you are telling children about terrorism,you do not actually teach them how to hold a weapon and face a terrorist. So in this sexual education program, why should they use a condom?
Echoing her words is Mulayam Singh Yadav's basic education minister:
Nanhe munhe bacchon ko condom sikhana hain?
And again the main point, articulated with great skill here.
Reacting to the proposal, Karnataka Education Minister Basavaraj Horatti says, "In today's world, we need moral education and not sex education."
"Sex education as a subject was to be introduced in schools to create AIDS awareness. But, school-going children are too young to contract the disease. It will unnecessarily affected their tender minds," he claims.
You can just see how Basavaraj Horatti is a product of more innocent times from the line in bold.
Of course, some deluded fools try to rationalize this condomization of the nation by saying that in an age when school students are exposed 24/7 to the onslaught of the hyper-sexed media, not teaching them how to wear a condom properly wont dissuade them from sexual experimentation but will just result in the engaging in of sexual behaviour without the knowledge of proper precautions. Something that has been known to have disastrous consequences. In other words, sex education does not make school-children licentious, but provides them the opportunity to make informed choices, free of myths and misconceptions.
This is echoed by imperial organizations like the WHO when they say:
Early sexual education delays the start of sexual activity, reduces sexual activity among young people and encourages safer sex.
But WHO cares?
So what should students learn instead ? Shivraj Singh Chouhan, CM, Madhya Pradesh has the answer.
Yes we really do need to do that. Just as we need to bury our head in the sands of denial and hope the pervasive horniness just blows away.


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MM Coronavirus Update
We're changing our phone hours to 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM Pacific Time (Monday-Friday, excluding holidays) so we have more time to process orders and get them out to you.
Please be awareOur supply chain is suffering major pandemic-related disruptions. Many of our suppliers shut down for a time, and like us are operating with reduced manpower. Meanwhile, demand for MM products has skyrocketed. Thank you! We're a small company and we regret our website isn't fancy enough to inform you of back orders when you buy something. Please understand that we're working as fast as we can to fill your orders.
UPS Shipping Times As of March 24, UPS no longer guarantees the shipping time for any shipment. i.e., expect shipping time to lengthen.
Front Swaybar End Link Kit, 1983-88 Thunderbird, 4-3/4" Overall Length


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Through continuous process and equipment advancements, semiconductor manufacturers are approaching 14 nm feature sizes and heading even smaller, while hard-disk drive fly heights are now less than 10 nm. This ever-reducing device feature size requires comparable cleanliness-level improvements in ultrapure water (UPW). UPW purity is especially important with its high use in direct contact with wafers as a final cleaning and rinsing agent in many production steps. Leveraging recent advances in laser optics and detector technology, UPW particle concentration ≥20 nm (≥9 nm for metallic particles) can be effectively monitored.
This paper provides you with a comparison of three models of UPW particle counters to help you identify the best solutions for your application.


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Google Maps has made speculative road trips easier than ever before. But when you actually make up your mind and decide to head out on one, wouldn't it be great if you could choose the route which had the best weather?
Fortunately, Stamen Design, which is responsible for some pretty cool alternative map skins, has been working with the Weather Channel to create a tool that lets you see how the weather is set to vary along your route. It mashes up Google Maps and Weather Channel data, and it's kind of cool.
You type in your origin and destination, and it displays weather icons along the route so you can see what conditions are going to be like. Importantly, it takes into account journey time, too, so you don't see what the weather is like now along the route, but instead what the weather will be like when you arrive at every point. If there's rain, you can drag the route to change it and see how the weather changes before settling on the best option.
It's kind of a shame that it can't automatically plan your route specifically with the best weather in mind—but it's still a pretty neat combination of data sets. You can play around with it on the Weather Channel website. [Weather Channel via Stamen Design via Flowing Data]


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Watch this space – more announcements to come!
NORPA is a company that makes theatre from the ground up. Based in the Northern Rivers of NSW, we program and co-produce shows by leading national companies too, but creating original Australian work is at the heart of what we do and why we exist.
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[email protected]
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Lismore NSW 2480
© 2023 Northern Rivers Performing Arts


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Commentary: Jindal has long record of success
Bobby Jindal once gave a speech disturbing TV entertainer-commentator Jon Stewart to the point of satiric torture, which is to say, the speech wasn't just a little awful, but laughably awful. The other day, I saw Jindal give a speech inspiring a massive audience to a standing ovation, which is to say, it is untrue he's all substance and no show. He has the oral oomph to get to the Oval Office.
To be sure, that's a perilous, always uncertain journey. If the Louisiana governor gets as far as the 2016 primary season, a host of fellow Republicans will be standing in the way, and, if he swerves past them, he might then face a former first lady, senator and secretary of state some think of as Hillary The Inevitable.
But his was a possibility-revealing performance at Denver's intriguing Western Conservative Summit, sponsored by two entities with which I am associated -- Colorado Christian University and Centennial Institute.
Here was a three-day conference that mixed the best of traditional conservatism (patriotism, an allegiance to liberty, constitutional reverence, an appreciation of limits) with some excesses (Sarah Palin's call for President Barack Obama's impeachment) and a profound sense of outreach (calls for attendees to involve themselves with the needy, the presence of eager young people, a happy embrace of racial inclusiveness).
I'd argue the summit was mainly about compassion. Palin herself focused mostly on "the forgotten man," a phrase used by President Franklin D. Roosevelt about victims of the Depression and by her about Americans who, as one example, cannot find work because of misbegotten policies. Among the impressive voices was that of Robert Woodson, an African-American activist who points the poor to ways of helping themselves and sees many government programs as impoverishment aids.
And Jindal? I'd say forget his overly preened, widely ridiculed, supposedly career-stunting 2009 nationally televised response to a State of the Union speech by President Barack Obama. Instead, understand that he's back on the rhetorical track -- which is important in a leader -- and focus on what he has done and could do.
This son of immigrants from Punjab, India, was, for starters, a wunderkind who, in high school, initiated a computer software business, and who, in college, was academic whiz enough to become a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford.
All of that's merely preamble to how, at the age of 24, he took over Louisiana's health department, performed a transplant operation in which a $400 million Medicaid deficit was replaced by a $220 million surplus, and, at 28, was president of the University of Louisiana System. There's more, such as his serving in Congress and then becoming a governor who has been putting together programs so outstanding in their services to citizens that the Obama administration has reacted with rare dispatch to dismantle them.
In his summit speech, Jindal mentioned how one of those programs gave poor kids in failing public schools vouchers enabling them to thrive elsewhere. Attorney General Eric Holder took legal action threatening to maintain the suffering while teaching the rest of us a lesson: that we should see through liberal professions of caring when their control of our lives keeps making things worse. As a concrete illustration of conservative perspectives that matter, Jindal understood how tax reductions of the right kind could bring his state's unemployment rate down to becoming one of the lowest in the nation.
Jindal wasn't the only interesting presidential prospect at the summit who spoke of what a self-reliant people can accomplish when government abets instead of thwarts their efforts and unites instead of divides them over matters of gender, race and income. I do happen to think he has an awful lot to offer and I am glad he is in a position to be taken seriously as a possible candidate, just as I am glad conservatives seem to be moving in positive directions.
Jay Ambrose is an op-ed columnist for McClatchy-Tribune. Readers may email him at firstname.lastname@example.com.


text: FACA Committee Purpose & Justification The information in this plan was imported from the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) database and transformed into StratML Part 1, Strategic Plan, format. Fiscal Year:2011 Committee Type: Grant Review National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research Special Grants Review Committee HHS 0a1e033b-5563-44c7-aaa8-abced7fe8f88 [ Location : (http://stratml.fido.gov/dick/HHSFACA970.xml) ][ Federated Name : (urn:www.hhs.gov:agency:32:committee:970:) ][ Agency Name : (Department of Health and Human Services) ][ Agency Acronym : (HHS) ][ Agency Domain : (www.hhs.gov) ] [ Agency Web Site : (http://www.hhs.gov/) ][ Committee Name : (National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research Special Grants Review Committee) ][ Committee Type : (Grant Review) ][ Committee Web Site : (http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/AboutNIDCR/CouncilAndCommittees) ][ Goal? : (no) ][ Vision? : (no) ][ Mission? : (yes) ] Department of Health and Human Services http://www.hhs.gov/ http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/AboutNIDCR/CouncilAndCommittees Not Available 78d4c946-cfc5-4b4f-b238-3d1061ea24f8 The goal of NIH research is to acquire new knowledge to help prevent, detect, diagnose, and treat disease and disability, from the rarest genetic disorder to the common cold. The NIH mission is to uncover new knowledge that will lead to better health for everyone. NIH works toward that mission by supporting the research of non-Federal Scientists in universities, medical schools, hospitals, and research institutions throughout the country and abroad. Section 492 of the PHS Act states that "The Secretary ... shall by regulation require appropriate technical and scientific peer review of: (A) applications ...; and (B) biomedical and behavioral research and development contracts ..." e03f8581-f210-404a-9dfb-f65a80c555e3 Not Available e3102b97-0297-4551-bb9c-b9919bee5c3b 43e72a74-837d-4f4e-adc4-ee1d15ceea64 42e274b8-285d-4f13-b684-423a77380273 2010-10-01 2011-09-30 2013-07-09 http://explore.data.gov/resource/datasets/c5i3-bb9j Gannon (J.) Dick firstname.lastname@example.com


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Hernandez goes 9, Rays top Arizona to stay atop AL East
St. Petersburg, FL – Roberto Hernandez tossed his eighth career complete game as the Tampa Bay Rays downed the Arizona Diamondbacks, 5-2, in the opener of a brief two-game interleague set at Tropicana Field.
Hernandez (6-11) scattered five hits and a walk while fanning six to pick up his second win in three starts.
"We have had better days he has thrown the ball better, but not with the results he wanted. Today was really, really special because of the results," said Rays catcher Jose Molina
Ben Zobrist went 3-for-4 with two RBI and Yunel Escobar had two hits, including a solo homer, and two RBI for the Rays, who improved to 23-4 over their last 27 games.
Tampa also maintained a half-game lead over Boston in the AL East.
Ian Kennedy (3-8) was tagged for three runs on six hits and three walks over five innings.
"It's been kind of consistent early on, leaving pitches up in the zone. As the game went on I started to feel pretty good and got a lot of pitches over for strikes," said Kennedy.
Eric Chavez had a two-run homer and Gerardo Parra scored a run for the D'backs, who fell 3 1/2 games behind the surging Dodgers for first place in the NL West standings.
The Rays jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Desmond Jennings doubled then scored on Zobrist's single to right. After Evan Longoria grounded into a force out at second, James Loney laced an RBI double to center to give Tampa Bay a two-run lead.
Escobar cracked a solo homer in the fourth and a sacrifice fly in the sixth to make it 4-0.
Matt Joyce walked to open the sixth before moving to third on a perfectly executed hit-and-run. Escobar followed with a fly ball to right to bring Joyce around.
The Rays tacked one more in the eighth. With two on and one out, Zobrist smacked a double to left field to push Molina across.
Chavez's two-run shot in the ninth accounted for the final margin.
Game Notes
The game was delayed 20 minutes in the top of the third inning after a lightning strike caused a power outage in the stadium ... Hernandez threw his first complete game since 2010 ... Longoria had his 11-game hitting streak snapped ... Rays outfielder Wil Myers extended his hitting-streak to 11 games ... Kennedy struck out seven batters ... Arizona has dropped three straight ... The Diamondbacks took two of three from the Rays the last time these teams met in 2010.


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After attending a conference, I usually think, "Wow, we're so far ahead here at Middlebury!" Not this time! DrupalCon was incredibly helpful in demonstrating all of the ways we can improve our site with better performance, better search, better content, and better code. I'm also really excited about the upcoming release of Drupal 7 and both confident we can move our site onto this new version and eager to use all the new features.
Here are the highlights from the last day: Continue reading


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M2P2, based in Ames, IA, has been purchased by AgFeed, a U.S.-based company with strong production ties in China, for $16 million in cash and stock.
M2P2 has sow operations in Colorado, North Carolina and Oklahoma, and finishing operations centered in Iowa, producing 1.3 million pigs annually.
AgFeed teamed up with M2P2 last May to establish a management company in Asia, AgFeed International Protein Technology Corp., which focuses on introducing the western model of pork production to China and Asia.
Ag Feed is purchasing M2P2 for 80% cash and 20% AgFeed stock.
AgFeed is one of the largest independent hog production and animal nutrient companies in China. Earlier this year, plans were announced to invest in a hog production project in Jiangxi Province to build five western model hog farms. The complex will boast annual production capacity of up to 600,000 hogs when the project is completed during 2012.


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Flanked by TikTok influencers, Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., used a Wednesday afternoon news conference outside the U.S. Capitol to launch a defense of the popular social media platform, whose ownership by a Chinese company could result in a sweeping and unprecedented ban in the United States.
If Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis defeats former President Donald Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, he may have a harder time winning the general election than his supporters expect, according to the latest Yahoo News/YouGov poll.
"The Office" stars have talked publicly about their on-and-off romantic relationship, and they've made it clear that they'll always be friends.
Noah Schnapp also said he's excited to "see what the future holds" after he wraps up the final season of "Stranger Things."
Style experts say people should swap out bomber jackets and teddy coats for leather trenches and vests in their 2023 wardrobes.
The longtime friends Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston will star in an upcoming Netflix movie "Murder Mystery 2," which premieres on March 31.
Cardi sued Tasha K in 2019, claiming the YouTuber had launched a "malicious campaign" against her and became "obsessed" with her.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has revealed the root cause of the battery fires that halted Ford F-150 Lightning production.
This woman called out the "seasoning police" and is now taking heat for it.
Ford gave investors and analysts today a peek behind how it will reorganize its business units, and report financial performance.
The FTC hopes to make it as easy to cancel a subscription online as it is to sign up.
TikTok, which now boasts more than 150 million monthly active users in the U.S., is set to testify before Congress on Thursday morning. Over in China, home to TikTok's parent ByteDance, many startup founders and investors are preparing to stay up and watch the app's CEO Shou Zi Chew take thorny questions over China's potential influence on the short video giant. To an extent, what happens to TikTok foreshadows the future of any Chinese tech company that will make it big in the U.S. As tensions between the two superpowers rise, Chinese startups expanding in the West find themselves increasingly caught in between.
Porsche's bid to join the Formula 1 grid in 2026 has ended. Due to the nature of the sport, it could be a decade before the company reconsiders.
Snap users are already quite familiar with the company's expertise in AR thanks to Lenses and Filters. Now, the social media company is unveiling AR Enterprise Services (ARES) to offer those tools to businesses. As part of the launch, Snap is offering a "Shopping Suite" to brands that can help them get more customers.
The proposals may unintentionally hurt those least prepared for retirement.
You can grab Samsung SSDs and microSDs at a discount right now from Amazon if you're looking for some storage products for your computers, consoles or mobile devices.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's plan to seize control of Houston's public school district and install a handpicked board of managers in place of the duly elected school board is not sitting well with the city's educators.
Dick Van Dyke, 97, had a mishap during the torrential rains in Southern California, losing control of his Lexus and sliding it into a gate in Malibu.
Proving that there's still plenty of venture money in cybersecurity, cloud identity security platform Britive today announced that it raised $20.5 million in a Series B funding round. Led by Pelion Venture Partners with participation from Liberty Global Ventures, Crosslink Capital and One Way Ventures, the new brings Britive's total raised to $36 million. CEO Art Poghosyan says that it'll be put toward expanding the company's investments in customer successes, marketing and sales, as well as product development.
The Federal Reserve has raised rates aggressively in the last year and projected on Wednesday its work raising rates is likely done. Dealing with the fallout of these moves, however, appears to be a project just getting underway.
Here's a list of the best smart scales you can buy to keep track of your weight and get healthier, as chosen by Engadget editors.
Shepherd Neame warned of higher prices following a surprise increase in inflation.
Ford will open the order bank for the 2023 Bronco to the public on March 27 for 24 hours. Production constraints keep some popular options off limits.
ONDC, a non-profit firm set up by India's commerce ministry in 2021, is opening up its railroads to serve mobility firms, it said at a press conference in Bengaluru today. The firm is kickstarting its mobility journey by on-boarding Namma Yatri, an on-demand auto rickshaw booking app operational in Bengaluru. The open source mobility app, launched recently, was developed by payments startup Juspay and says it serves nearly half-a-million customers and works with 45,000 drivers.
Block shares sank 20% after short seller Hindenburg Research said the digital payment company formally known as Square has "systematically taken advantage of the demographics it claims to be helping."
For those looking for a more affordable gaming laptop, Lenovo's new LOQ line offers surprisingly good specs and solid designs starting at just $900.
Boris Johnson was in the hot seat as he was grilled over Partygate, but there were other important events that day worth keeping track of.
Volkswagen realized that people own cars for much longer than phones, making continued support of infotainment and other features of vital importance.
One of the newest VC funds to wear it's "former operators" badge on its sleeve is Plural, a VC we covered last year on its launch of a €250 million early-stage venture fund. To date, it has consisted of Taavet Hinrikus (co-founder of Wise), Sten Tamkivi (co-founder of Teleport), Ian Hogarth (formerly Songkick) and Khaled Helioui (a former tech CEO).
Let this genius software simplify the filing process and help you keep your sanity.
The SEC warned the largest US crypto exchange about a possible enforcement action. Coinbase said SEC "has not been fair or reasonable."
Elle Adams is living with Fowler's Syndrome, which means she will have to use a catheter for the rest of her life.
Hyundai and Kia are recalling over 570,000 vehicles and advising owners to park outside due to fire risk from the circuit board in the tow hitch harness.
Starting today, users can start placing orders for items at Lush Cosmetics, Victoria's Secret and Party City. The announcement is part of DoorDash's ongoing efforts to expand into new retail categories. The new partners join DoorDash's current retail offerings across apparel, cosmetics, sporting goods, household essentials and more.
A new poll for Yahoo UK shows that younger people are more likely to support Harry being invited to the coronation in May.
Two economists think COVID-related supply disruptions are still a big cause of inflation. If so, the Fed might be done hiking interest rates.
What is perimenopause? Drew Barrymore and Gayle King open up about the symptoms.
China's President Xi Jinping appears to be using the leverage he has gained over Russia in the wake of the Ukraine war.
No lotto tickets required.
"American workers are desperate for a break."
"Workers will have more leisure but at the cost of less efficiency and a lower standard of living."
"We have more important things to do now than spend our lives making a tiny group of very rich people even richer."
"Some industries and deeply entrenched work cultures mean the four-day workweek may not be realistic for all employees."
"While workers have spent the last 50 years steadily producing more and more, real wages have not risen at the same rate."


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Ezra Klein of the Washington Post has written an excellent treatise on how the American economy collapsed, what the government did about it, and what the government might have done differently that would have actually fixed it.
At the beginning of the article, Klein publishes what might be described as the chart that will get President Obama fired.
The chart (below) shows three lines:
- The incoming Obama Administration's projections for what the unemployment rate would be if no stimulus was enacted in the depths of the financial crisis.
- The Obama Administration's projections for what the unemployment rate would be with the President's stimulus plan.
- The actual unemployment rate.
The actual unemployment rate in the chart, you will note, is higher than the "nightmare scenario" initially envisioned by the Obama Administration (The unemployment rate with no stimulus).
As the chart makes instantly crystal clear, the Obama administration drastically underestimated how bad the economy was and drastically overestimated its ability to do something about it.
As a result of this, President Obama over-promised and under-delivered on the single most important challenge of his Presidency (so far).
Also as a result, President Obama gave the Republicans ammunition to argue that his stimulus "failed," when, in fact, it helped matters considerably (just not enough to fix everything).
(Obviously it's not this chart that will get Obama fired--it's what the chart shows: Unemployment well above the level at which any President since Roosevelt has been re-elected, and the "failure" of Obama's stimulus to bring it down to a level that he said it would.)
Could the Obama Administration have fixed the economy in four years had they had done something different?
In my opinion, no.
Given the extent of the damage—and the kind of damage—that Obama inherited, this was always going to be a long slog. As a quick glance at debt-to-GDP charts show, this recession was not a run-of-the-mill cyclical recession. It was a debt-fueled balance sheet recession. And if there's one thing history shows about those, they take years if not decades to fix. (See Japan and the Great Depression).
But Obama certainly could have given himself a better chance to get re-elected despite the horrible economy. If Obama had recognized how bad things were, asked for a much bigger stimulus than he ended up asking for, and, importantly, set the appropriate expectations, he'd probably have been able to pin the blame for the mess where it belongs: On the three decades of decisions that facilitated the debt build-up that eventually culminated in the financial crisis.
Instead, however, Obama over-promised and under-delivered. And this will make it that much harder for him to get re-elected.
SEE ALSO: Here's What's Wrong With The Economy (And How To Fix It)


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Expert Panel Promotes Global Agricultural and Food Reform Highlighted in New Book
Worldwatch Institute
The Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition (BCFN) in collaboration with the Worldwatch Institute's Nourishing the Planet project launched Eating Planet-Nutrition Today: A Challenge for Mankind and for the Planet at an event in New York City today. The book highlights the challenges facing today's food and agricultural system, as well as the myriad of benefits that reform could bring.
"The book's conclusions represent a major step toward ensuring that agriculture contributes to health, environmental sustainability, income generation and food security," said Paolo Barilla, vice president of the Barilla Group. "The ingredients will vary by country and region, but there are some key components that will lead to healthier food systems everywhere."
At the Eating Planet event, a panel discussion was moderated by Samuel Fromartz, editor-in-chief of the Food & Environment Reporting Network, and included the following panelists: Danielle Nierenberg, director of Nourishing the Planet; Ellen Gustafson, advisory board member of the Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition; Jonathan Bloom, food waste activist and author of American Wasteland; Brian Halweil, publisher of "Edible Manhattan" and author of Eat Here; Stephanie Hanson, director of policy and outreach for the One Acre Fund; Kelly Hauser, agriculture policy director for the One Campaign; and Dan Morrison, founder and director of Citizen Effect.
Worldwide, 30 percent of food is wasted, 1 billion people go to bed hungry each night while another 1 billion suffer from health problems related to obesity, and agriculture contributes to a third of global greenhouse gas emissions. Reversing these trends will require a more holistic approach to agriculture and more investment in agro-ecological practices.
"The fundamental problem continuing to cause both hunger and obesity is that it is difficult, almost everywhere in the world, to access nutritious foods," said Gustafson. "In industrialized countries, food is abundant, but the most abundant is usually the least nutritious and most calorie dense. In developing countries, you can often still access soft drinks or packaged processed foods, but not the diversity of healthy foods that are needed for good nutrition."
"What we all need is more fruits and vegetables, whole grains and healthy proteins for good nutrition," said Nierenberg. "Until those foods are the focus of agricultural systems all around the world, both sides of the malnutrition coin—hunger and obesity—are likely to persist."
Eating Planet is divided into four sections: Food for All, Food for Sustainable Growth, Food for Health and Food for Culture. Each of the sections ends with concrete recommendations, proposals and actions that need to be taken to solve the global food crisis.
Food for All: Agriculture offers a crucial opportunity for effective investments in development. Because agriculture plays such a large role in rural populations in developing countries, growth in this sector is at least twice as effective in boosting incomes as growth in a non-agricultural sector. Agriculture also directly contributes to food security among the world's poorest populations, and reforms to the sector are badly needed to reduce both poverty and hunger.
These include reinforcing the mechanisms of global governance, such as curbing the trade of food-related stocks to lessen price volatility; encouraging the use of new approaches and tools to measure and promote well-being, in part by shifting away from Gross Domestic Product as a primary indicator of national development; and fostering eating habits that are healthier for humans and have a lower environmental impact.
Food for Sustainable Growth: While many agricultural activities, such as artificial fertilizer application or heavy pesticide use, may boost food production in the short term, they create serious obstacles to feeding the world over the long term. Environmental degradation, including water scarcity, soil depletion and deforestation, are all results of the industrialized agricultural system, and these problems seriously compromise future generations' prospects of well-being. Part of achieving sustainable well-being involves an understanding of the environmental impacts of different types of foods.
"More than a third of the food produced today does not even reach people's plates, placing unnecessary pressure on land, water and soil resources," said Bloom. "All of us—producers, consumers, policy makers and those in the food industry—need to make an effort to reduce the amount of food that is wasted and its environmental impact."
"Becoming active in the local food movement is one way to help reduce the environmental impact of the food you eat," said Halweil. "Not only can local food provide superior taste, it's also fresher than supermarket produce, which typically travels between 1,500 and 2,000 miles before it reaches your plate."
Food for Health: The global food system also affects issues of human health, including incidences of disease, malnutrition, obesity and diabetes. The book notes several unhealthy changes in dietary and lifestyle patterns, including an increase in calories consumed, a lack of balance and diversity in diets, a lack of education about health and nutrition early in life, and a significant reduction in the amount of time dedicated to physical activity.
Food for Culture: The book emphasizes the need to reconnect people with producing, obtaining, preparing and eating their food. This involves the transfer of knowledge from older to younger generations about the production and preparation of food, the return to a healthy relationship with and appreciation of the land on which food is grown, the revitalization of conviviality associated with food preparation and consumption, and the recovery of traditional flavors in the context of contemporary tastes.
The book draws on advice from experts and activists around the world to suggest specific reforms to the food and agricultural systems. These include:
- Healthy eating and lifestyles. In developing countries, where rising average incomes are affecting dietary choices, it is important to provide access to and education about healthy foods like fruits and vegetables before bad eating habits develop into deep-rooted cultural practices. Ensuring proper nutrition among infants and children can greatly improve overall health later in life. Among both children and adults, a balanced diet, coupled with an active lifestyle, can minimize the risks of obesity, tumors, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and metabolic syndrome. One extensively studied example is the Mediterranean diet, which characteristically emphasizes a balanced consumption of fruits and vegetables, legumes and grains while limiting meat intake.
- Fair food prices. To ensure that agriculture remains a viable and sustainable source of livelihood, farmers must be able to ask realistic prices for their products. In many countries, food prices are kept artificially low because they do not take into account the environmental impacts of producing food, the high medical costs associated with long term unhealthy eating habits, the costs required to pay farmers and farmworkers a decent living wage plus benefits, and the billions of dollars in government subsidies that farmers receive to grow certain commodities. If farmers could charge real prices for the food they grow, consumers, especially in wealthy countries, would reconsider the impacts of their various food choices.
- Transparent and responsible food trade. To improve universal access to food, policymakers must address the lack of transparency and responsibility in the commercial exchange of food around the world. This means, for instance, ensuring that production of crops to be used as biofuels does not interfere with the cultivation of crops for food. In Europe, 8.6 million metric tons of vegetable oil is used for the production of biodiesel fuel and continues to expand by 15 percent annually. The food system must encourage "sustainable well-being," or the idea that people's current well-being should not be achieved at the expense of the happiness or prosperity of future generations.
Visit EcoWatch's SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE and FOOD pages for more related news on these topics.


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It's hot outside in New York City today. Like, 90 degrees, middle-of-summer hot. We all know that when the temperature rises, primers, makeup mists (like Urban Decay's Chill Makeup Setting Spray), and transparent powders can keep your makeup from dripping off. But they won't do much if you can't even apply them without breaking a sweat (also, why is my apartment so hot?). Here's what you do:
1. Face your A/C. One trick I picked up: applying my makeup directly in front of my window-mounted air conditioner unit. The chilly air keeps my skin cool to the touch, plus I get the added benefit of natural light from the window. This way, there is no sweat or redness to battle before I've even stepped outside to face the heat.
2. Blow-dry at night. If you have to blow-dry your hair, do it the night before. Unless you like the look of sweaty (but freshly blown-out!) bangs. If you must style your hair in the morning, don't forget about your dryer's cool setting. It will set your hair's cuticle AND feel like a personal fan.
3. Store products In the fridge. I would suggest taking cold showers, but who can actually do that? Instead, try sticking your cosmetics in the fridge before using them. Cool down your primer, liquid foundation, and moisturizer before slathering them on—not only will it feel amazing, but it can reduce inflammation. Just be sure to check the formula: Refrigerating certain cosmetics can turn the consistency wonky, while others may have a longer shelf life because of the chill.
How do you stay cool in the heat?
• Meltproof Makeup Secrets From a Dancer
• Tips for Battling Summer Breakouts


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Truffle Box Cake
By Angie Dudley
This heart-shaped box filled with cake ball "truffles" reveals a clever surprise — there's a cake inside!
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
- Yields:
- 8
- Prep Time:
- 1 hr 30 mins
- Total Time:
- 3 hrs
- 1 1/2 c.
all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp.
baking powder
- 1/2 tsp.
Kosher salt
- 3/4 c.
granulated sugar
- 1 tsp.
pure vanilla extract
- 14 tbsp.
unsalted butter
- 2
large eggs
- 5 tbsp.
whole milk
- 2 tsp.
whole milk
- 1 1/2 c.
confectioners' sugar
- 1/4 c.
unsweetened cocoa powder
- 12 oz.
bittersweet chocolate
Red nonpareils
Flaked salt
Chopped nuts
- 1 lb.
ready-to-roll red fondant
- 60
mini candy paper cups
- 2
heart-shaped springform cake pans (see Note)
- Step 1To make the cakes: Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat four cups of a muffin tin and the two heart-shaped cake pans with cooking spray. Line the bottoms of the hearts with parchment paper; coat the paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Step 2Using an electric mixer, beat the granulated sugar, vanilla, and 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Reduce the mixer speed to low and alternately add the flour mixture and 4 tablespoons milk, mixing just until incorporated.
- Step 3Spread 3/4 cup batter into each heart pan. Divide the remaining batter among the muffin cups (about 1/4 cup each). Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely (cool the hearts upside down).
- Step 4Using an electric mixer, beat the confectioners' sugar, 2 teaspoons milk and the remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Transfer 1/4 cup frosting to a small bowl. Add the cocoa powder and remaining 1 tablespoon milk to the remaining frosting and beat to combine.
- Step 5To make the cake ball truffles: Working over a large bowl, crumble the cupcakes into fine crumbs. Add the 1/4 cup reserved white frosting and mix until evenly distributed. Shape level teaspoons of mixture into balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze for at least 1 hour and up to overnight. Melt the chocolate according to package directions. Dip the balls in chocolate, tapping off extra. Decorate as desired (sprinkle with nonpareils, flaked salt, or chopped nuts when wet, or drizzle with melted chocolate when set). Return to the prepared baking sheet and let set, about 30 minutes.
Tips & Techniques
21 Chocolate Easter Eggs That Are to Dye For
How Long to Cook a Holiday Ham
60 Best Memorial Day Recipes for the Cookout
30 Graduation Cake Ideas
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below


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International dining
When you fly overseas with us, you'll be presented with the freshest seasonal flavours, award-winning wines, a range of spirits and non-alcoholic drinks to choose from.
On this page
As the first airline to collaborate with an established restauranteur in 1997, Qantas and Neil Perry AM are celebrating the longest partnership of its kind. We have redefined the travel experience to provide a personalised offering tailored to your requirements.
With attentive service, a multi-award winning wine cellar and a five star dining menu designed by Neil Perry AM, Creative Director, Food, Beverage and Service – we've set a new benchmark for dining in First.
Menus are designed around seasonality and local Artisan producers drawing from the rich cultural diversity of the globe. We've also introduced a new selection of premium plant-based meals on our inflight dining menu. Commencing with Champagne, followed by a range of Neil's delicious dishes, the First experience is tailored to your preferences.
The Qantas Neil Perry Sommeliers are proud to present an exceptional selection of wine from boutique producers to iconic brands from across Australia, New Zealand and Champagne. To assist onboard are our, Sommeliers in the Sky, who are passionate individuals who have been trained in all aspects of wine service.
With a multi award-winning cellar selection, seasonal menus, stylish tableware designed by David Caon and personalised service intended to enhance your chosen infight experience.
Our International Business menus offer a contemporary selection of locally sourced seasonal dishes with a focus on choice. Providing the option of lighter style dishes through to a full dining experience at any time so you can design your inflight activities.
Throughout your flight, let our cabin crew prepare you delicious snacks such as our signature chicken schnitzel and Swiss cheese toasted sandwich, or simply help yourself from our inflight bar.
The Qantas Neil Perry Sommeliers are proud to present an exceptional selection of wine from boutique producers to iconic brands from across Australia, New Zealand and Champagne, France. To assist onboard are our Sommeliers in the Sky, passionate individuals who've been trained in all aspects of wine service.
The dining experience is delivered by our professional, personable crew and enhanced by stylish tableware designed by David Caon.
Premium dining
Relax onboard with a welcoming glass of Australian sparkling wine followed by a contemporary menu accompanied by a premium selection of drinks; all served on stylish tableware designed by David Caon.
Choose from a selection of snacks and drinks throughout your flight or, on selected aircraft simply help yourself from the self-serve snack bar.
Enjoy a multicultural selection of dishes boasting local ingredients served in generous portions with a range of Australian wines, spirits and non-alcoholic drinks to choose from.
You can also access a collection of drinks and snacks throughout your flight from the self-serve section.
Are you wanting to recreate a Neil Perry dish?
Watch the videos and download the recipes for some inflight Spring favourites.


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Sea ice fascinates us. Our village can be seen in the upper left of this photo. At the time of the photo, north winds had blown much of the ice away from the land. The "sticky ice," the ice which clings to the shore, can usually be relied on to be safe to walk on. Even this sticky ice is subject to the whim of Mother Nature's strong winds and current.
Piles of ice form along pressure points of the frozen surface of the sea. There are many histories of boats navigating too late in the season and becoming stranded or crushed between these pressure points.
Recently, wind from the south has closed this lead – the open water to the right. The view from our village today is solid ice as far as the eye can see. The villagers are readying their seal skin boats to go whaling. Soon the bowhead migration will begin. When the north wind blows open a lead, the whaling crews of Tikigaq will patrol the open water in hopes of catching animals that are in their Spring migrations. These whales make up a critical part of the subsistence catch in this Inupiat village.
I've recently been reading the book The Firecracker Boys. This true story is about a crazy post WWII idea some engineers and scientists had for using a nuclear bomb to blast a harbor between the peak in the center of this photo and the ridge on the left. This is about 25 miles east of Point Hope. The proposed H-bomb was to be 163 times the strength of the bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima. Scientists and engineers promised to sculpt the land based on human requirements. It was part marketing (using bombs for good) and part wild scientific experimentation. It's a shocking and crazy true story!
Nose pressed to glass, I peered out from the bush plane window as we lifted straight up, like a helicopter, in the 40 m.p.h. north wind. It seemed scary on the ground. With gusts well above 40 m.p.h., the plane arrived, landed on the airstrip and never turned into the usual parking area. I fought my way toward the plane, slipping along the airstrip as if being pushed down by a strong arm. Once in the plane, I felt calm and safe with skilled bush pilots at the controls.
From the air, the village looks like a patchwork quilt as rooftops peak above a blanket of snow. If the snow and ice were sand, Point Hope could be any beachfront real estate in the world!