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Those of you who are on FaceBook will know what an awful time I've been having (and I'm still having) with my phone network since last Friday 😦 So the idea of travelling up to London with no phone and no map was not really a prospect I was looking forward to 😦 I jokingly say to people that if its going to happen, it'll happen to me, and it usually does! Proven by the fact that hubby's phone which is on the same network, same phone, same number apart from 1 different digit, is working fine!
I guess I shouldn't have been shocked then when the moment i left the house it started to rain and when I got to the station i discovered that my train had been cancelled and that there wasn't another one for an hour (I ended up taking a different route which cost me more money).
So I finally arrived in Bloomsbury, hungry, tired (I fell asleep on the train) and with frizzy hair! Lol
After a quick stop in Costa I made my way over to The British Museum, managing a trip to the loo and a peek at their wonderful jewellery collection in their shop, before being turfed out at closing time.
I then made my way over to the London Review Bookshop where I have a 10% discount card for being a Faber student. Yes, ok, I did buy a book alright 😉
Then it was time to ring that buzzer *queue dramatic intro music* The Faber building is stunning! From the outside a row of elegant Georgian town houses, but inside, modern, slick, and very very white. Our class is in the attic, on the 4th floor. I'm sure the view from the windows is stunning, but I was too engrossed in everything else to check. The class filled up quickly and there was lots of chair shuffling when Tim, our tutor arrived (we hadn't left a seat for him lol).
I won't bore you too much with the lesson, needless to say we had to go round introducing ourselves and saying what we wanted from the course. I said about my 2 novels and that I needed to be more focused. When he asked if I would be working on 'But Not Forgotten' I was a little bit chuffed, and couldn't help wonder what he actually thought of it. I told him I wanted to start something new and he seemed to approve 😉 He went on to say, to all of us, that we were there for a reason. That he had read every single submission, and that we had been chosen because he saw something promising in every one of our pieces. That was good to know 😉
The rest of the lesson was taken up with writing exercises (I'll share them at some stage), reading recommendations (books about writing) and a pep talk about sacrifice and commitment to being a writer. I think we all secretly squealed inside when he told us that a 3rd of the class from last year now had agents!
Homework for next weeks session is to read up about "planning" (a print out Tim gave us) and to read the other notes we were given. There will be a "peer critique" every week, where one students work is analysed *gulp* so I guess I better start working on my first piece. It has to be under 5,000 words so I'll probably get cracking on the new novel…..exciting….and more about that tomorrow!
Right, I spose I better get some sleep, but I'm buzzing! A great night! Can't wait till next week now 🙂
ps….I went for the red top 😉


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By Traci Tamura and Thelma Gutierrez
The pursuit of the American Dream was what brought Soo (not her real name) to the United States from South Korea. It was 2001, when she befriended a group of people who offered her the chance to invest in a business opportunity in California. Soo jumped at the chance to live and work in the U.S. Shortly after Soo arrived in the States she realized that her friends were operating prostitution-related massage parlors. They took her ID and passport after bringing her up to San Francisco, where they told her she owed them $15,000. Her dream was slowly turning into a nightmare. She was left at a massage parlor and forced to prostitute herself to pay off the debt. The pain of having to sell her body against her will, and the treatment she received from clients, are still fresh in her mind. "They would like to choke me and people pulled my hair and hurt me. When I scream nobody hears and nobody comes," Soo remembers.
Soo tried to refuse prostituting her body but without her legal documents or English language skills, and not knowing where she was, she was vulnerable to their threats of being reported to the authorities and sent to jail. So she says she complied and was even beaten into submission if she tried to flee or seek help from the patrons. Soo and 30 other women were forced to work around 20 hours a day selling their bodies for the repayment of debts. If they didn't, there was a price to be paid. "In the beginning, I said no all the time and I got beaten a lot. Even with all of my bruises I still had to work. Sometimes, I would plead to my customers, even though I don't speak English. I'd try my best but I'd just plead with my customers. But they would just tell my manager and then I'd get into more trouble."
It's been five years since Soo was able to escape from her situation with the help of the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, but the memories are just as vivid as if it was yesterday. When we sat down to talk to her about her experience, the anguish and pain are evident. The reason Soo decided to come forward and tell her story was to help others in her situation and give them hope that there is help out there. And her message to the men who are customers of these types of establishments: think of the women you are dealing with. "We are humans. We are not animals. I want to tell them we are not machines. It's so hard for me to live my life. It's very hard to live. Please think of us as your child. Just once think of us as your child."
Soo is still pursuing the American Dream but it's been altered now. The trauma she suffered being forced into sex slavery has taken its toll on her emotionally. Everyday continues to be a challenge for Soo, but she finds solace in her tiny apartment filled with rescue cats and dreams of having her own pet grooming business someday. For now, she is thankful for her freedom but is still held hostage to the memories.

subset: commoncrawl


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Rue de Ménilmontant
MÉNILMONTANT HAS EXISTED since the thirteenth-century. Then it was a hamlet with just a few houses on a hill with vines and fruit trees. Today, it's part of the thriving alternative Paris.
It was annexed first by Belleville before the French Revolution and then, in 1860, by the city of Paris.
I find streets like the Rue de Ménilmontant fascinating, they are usually off the tourist trail and full of local colour.
On the surface, the street has rather a shabby and rundown look to it far removed from Baron Haussmann's central Paris but this belies the real character of the place. Despite its appearance, the Rue de Ménilmontant and the surrounding area is a thriving centre of alternative Paris as artists and young professionals have moved in.
Although this street really comes to life at night, it's not devoid of colour and activity in the daytime. On the day I went, I found and enjoyed a fascinating street market.
Sounds from the Rue de Ménilmontant:
I spend a lot of time walking the streets of Paris listening to and capturing everyday sounds not only from the glamorous but also from the ordinary streets; the sounds we often ignore but sounds which provide the sonic tapestry to our lives. I think it's really important that these sounds are captured and preserved.


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The BC SPCA is urging the province to include pets as it overhauls its emergency management legislation this year.
In a Tuesday news release, the organization said the past few years of wildfires and floods, both in B.C. and abroad, have shown a need to plan for domestic animals.
"The devastating reports from Australia, where more than a billion animals are estimated to have died as a result of bushfires, are a somber reminder that both humans and animals are extremely vulnerable during a disaster," said chief prevention and enforcement officer Marcie Moriarty.
The SPCA believes this leads to more animals killed, more pet owners refusing to leave their homes because there's nowhere for their pets to go, and owners returning to evacuated areas to save their pets.
Current legislation does not require local officials to include domestic animals as part of their plans.
In prior years, the society has sent staff and resources to help pets and owners during floods and wildfires.
The province is accepting input on emergency management legislation until Jan. 31.


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I had this weird error the other day, when all my report definition .rdl files seemed to get corrupted somehow. I'm not sure what caused it but it might have been something to do with Tortoise SVN.
The error was something like "[rsInvalidReportDefinition] SSRS the report definition is not valid. Details: '.', hexadecimal value 0x00 is an invalid character". A screenshot is below:
When I opened the rdl it looked fine, and when I viewed the source of it in Visual Studio it also looked fine. But the telltale sign was that I could not delete the last character in the .rdl file, a '>' which closed off the final </Report> tag. In the end the fix was quite simple, all I did was delete that last </Report> tag and type it in again.


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Kansas residents who served in the military may now get the word "veteran" printed on their state-issued driver's licenses and photo ID cards.
The Department of Revenue announced this week that the service is available to veterans with an honorable or general discharge or a general discharge under honorable conditions.
To obtain the printing, veterans must provide a copy of their military discharge papers indicating their status, or a letter from the Kansas Veterans Commission.
There is no charge to have the word "veteran" printed beneath the photo on the card.
Veterans may get the designation when they renew their licenses or pay an $8 charge to have a new card issued before it is expired.


text: Founded by Xiaodu Liu, Yan Meng, Hui Wang in 1999, Urbanus is one of the most influential architecture design firms in China. URBANUS has achieved international recognition with projects such as Shenzhen Dafen Art Museum, social housing Urban Tulou and Tangshan Urban Planning Museum. Its works have been exhibited worldwide in contemporary architectural exhibitions, won prestigious awards and been published in international design magazines.


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A leisurely drive down the wrong road
"We all want progress," C.S. Lewis wrote, "but if you're on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive."
This has always been one of my favorite distillations of conservatism. In principle, I still believe it, passionately.
Of course, whenever you read a sentence that begins "In principle," you should consider it a kind of magical conjuring, a rain dance that calls forth a thunderclapping "but" …
But politics doesn't work this way.
For starters, we don't walk down this road as individuals, but as a very large group. And when we walk down the wrong road long enough, people in the troupe start to like it. They like the sound of the birds and the shape of the trees. They grow accustomed to the weather and the view. Those who said this was the right road don't want to admit they chose poorly or forfeit their roles as leaders. They insist the payoff is just around the corner.
Meanwhile, they add that road not taken was a bad one, with perils and horrors we cannot imagine. All bad things happen on the road not taken, they say. Why turn back with such wonderful things ahead?
This is the conservative, status-quo bias inherent to progressivism. (If you think there's nothing conservative about progressives, try telling a prosperous Manhattan leftist that we should get rid of rent control because it hurts the poor.)
In America, once an entitlement is created, it's extremely difficult to get rid of. It turns out that people like free things. And when they can't get stuff for free, they like to purchase it at way below true cost. The wrong road comes with amazing subsidies. The right road has a daunting tollbooth.
In principle, I would like to repeal and replace not just the warp and woof of Obamacare all at once, but considerable portions of the Great Society and the New Deal, too. No, I don't want the aged to suffer or the poor to languish (and if you think that's the motivation behind libertarian critiques of the corporatist-welfare state, you have a comic-book understanding of politics).
That is what I would like, in principle. But it's hard. But voters often don't want it. But entrenched interests will fight for their state-created fiefdoms with any weapon they can find. But the media will freak out like Roman senators being asked to make room in their chambers for Caligula's horse.
Speaker of the House Paul Ryan is in the worst position possible right now. He is a grown-up conservative. He understands both that we must get off the road we are on and that doing so is very, very hard. It's easy to shout, "We're going the wrong way!" It's another thing to convince the caravan to turn around.
Some of the critics of his plan to repeal and replace Obamacare have many good arguments on their side. The replacement bill certainly needs fixing. But other critics don't seem to care much about the legislative or policy details at all. They just want to see Ryan himself repealed and replaced with a more pliant nationalist.
Ryan surely would prefer a quick and total repeal of Obamacare. But he has to deal with the reality that Democrats will lay down on railroad tracks before they agree to change a comma in Obamacare, and he must deal with the byzantine rules of reconciliation.
He also has to deal with the fact that the president ran and was elected on a promise to leave entitlements untouched and to guarantee health coverage for everybody. Trump won by flipping many Obama voters to the GOP column. Obamacare is popular with this constituency. Trump has officially backed Ryan, but he doesn't seem bothered by the prospect of Ryan failing, so long as Ryan gets the blame.
Hence the bizarre argument on the right: the loudest voices for free-market purity on the health care side, with a president who often says he wants to stay on the road that Obamacare (and the New Deal and the Great Society) put us on. This makes more sense than it seems, because much of the Trumpified activist-right only knows how to denounce "the establishment," even when it is the establishment.
It's almost like some people would prefer to stay the course but be able to complain about it at the same time, like backseat drivers on the wrong road.
Jonah Goldberg is an editor-at-large of National Review Online and a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. You can write to him in care of this newspaper or by email at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Meryon, Charles
Meryon, Charles shärl mĕryôN´ [key], 1821–68, French etcher. His short life was saddened by poverty and neglect and complicated by recurring forms of mental aberration. Prevented by color blindness from painting, he became an etcher and evolved an incomparable technique. Reflecting the romanticism of the period, he depicted architectural settings with great structural clarity, often inserting grotesque or enigmatic figures. His fame rests largely on his poetic series of 22 etchings of old sections of Paris, Eaux-Fortes sur Paris (1850–54). Meryon died insane at 47.
See studies by L. Delteil (1928) and C. Dodgson (1931).
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: European Art, 1600 to the Present: Biographies


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San Jose Massage Therapy
This San Jose Massage Therapy website is currently available, to make sure check availability here:
If you would like a powerful massage website that reaches people looking for massage in San Jose, then visit www.heretohelpyou.com and take a look at the unique Client Generator web design service for massage therapists.
We've done the online research to determine how many people in San Jose are typing terms like San Jose massage, San Jose massage therapy, San Jose massage therapist and other massage related keywords and we have a website that has been created specifically to be found in the search engines.
All we need from you is some information about your massage business and you'll have a powerful client-generating massage website ready in about a week customized and written specifically for you.
We have only one massage website available for San Jose, so go to www.heretohelpyou.com now and check out this unique service.


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Name: Madeleine Chace, 54
Location: Westerly, RI
Worst of times: 190 pounds
More From Good Housekeeping
Best of times: 125 pounds
My turning point: When my daughter sent me a picture of myself in a muumuu, I was horrified because I thought it was my grandmother.
My slim-down techniques: Drink lots of water and eat several small meals daily that include fresh fruits and veggies. I eat every two and a half hours to keep my energy up.
Kept the weight off: Two years, so far.
My best motivator: Seeing how quickly my weight came off! When I started my diet, I videotaped myself from every angle, and I regularly watched those tapes. I printed out photos and put them on my fridge as a constant reminder.
My greatest temptation: Ice cream, which I still eat in moderation. But when I get a craving now, I take just 2 tablespoons of my favorite -- Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia.
My favorite diet food: My own turkey meat loaf. I use ground turkey meat, then mix in egg whites, onions, mushrooms, garlic, chipotle peppers, a little salsa, sliced fresh apples and bread crumbs (made from toasted 12-grain bread).
My snacking tips: I slice a medium-size red potato into quarters, leaving the peel on, and microwave it for about 5 minutes. The slices come out nice and crunchy like french fries. I then sprinkle on chives and dip the potato slices in vinegar.
My exercise routine: Since I live one mile from the ocean, I ride my bike to the shore, walk on the beach and play in the sand a few times a week.
Slim-down advice: Eat "mini" meals throughout the day. Food is fuel so don't deprive yourself of eating.
The payoff: I feel great, look younger, and I went from a size 20 to a 6!
The Secret of Your Success
Have you lost unwanted pounds and kept them off? Whether you've shed that extra weight with a diet that really worked or by revamping your snack habits, we want to know your secrets for an ongoing Good Housekeeping Web feature. Email us your success story, and be sure to include your name and daytime phone number.


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Gamma-ray bursts are the most powerful (and mysterious) explosions in the universe, shooting massive concentrated jets of hot plasma that are way too powerful to come from an ordinary supernova. And they might be the birth pangs of black holes.
Astronomers have observed gamma-ray bursts for nearly fifty years. We still don't know much about their origins. Here's what we know for certain: after a star dies, matter can be churned up around its remains and blasted away with amazing force, in the process emitting massive amounts of radiation. If the jet happens to be pointed towards Earth, we can observe the event, which looks an awful lot like a regular supernova...except on an order of magnitude that would be totally impossible for an ordinary supernova.
The leading explanation for these gamma-ray bursts, or GRBs, was that they were caused by magnetars, ultra-dense neutron stars that spin quickly enough to create incredibly powerful magnetic fields. In that theory, the magnetic field is responsible for concentrating the matter in two huge clumps around the magnetar's poles, then blasting the two jets away. But there's an upper limit to how powerful those blasts could be, and analysis of four recent GRBs shows they were all much too powerful to be caused by magnetars.
That leaves only one possible explanation: black holes. As black holes form from the husk of collapsed stars, they could also gather together the surrounding matter and create massive jets. Because black holes can be of any size, they could create jets of any possible force. That means black holes could create these mysteriously powerful GRBs. This would likely only occur as the black holes are first forming, meaning GRBs are a sign that a new black hole has emerged.
This doesn't necessarily replace the magnetar model - if anything, it relieves a lot of pressure that was being placed on that theory to explain overly powerful GRBs. It's definitely still possible that somewhat weaker gamma-ray bursts are caused by magnetars - after all, the theoretical framework for magnetars creating GRBs is still sound - but the really massive gamma-ray bursts appear to be the exclusive domain of baby black holes.


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SF lawyer unlocked door for condemned man:
1: to relieve of a responsibility, obligation, or hardship
2: to clear from accusation or blame
In one of my most recent posts about the West Memphis 3 hype machine I noted how at least one journalist has fallen for the line of crap spewed forth by the WM3 defenders. It's not just that journalist either. Many other journalists have fallen in lock and step with the supporters never questioning the WM3 party line.
The article I linked to is an interview with attorney Dennis Riordan. He's basically the head honcho of the Damien Echols legal team, hired by Echols' wife Lorri Davis. One of his other clients is Barry Bonds, so that should tell you something In his interview, Riordan spews the same old crap about how the 'DNA evidence' implicates Terry Hobbs. It doesn't. This is stuff we've all heard before, so I was going to pass on posting about this article until I read this sentence from the interview's author.
Riordan represented Damien Echols, who spent 18 years on death row in Arkansas before he was exonerated and freed in August 2011.
I'm not certain if this is biased journalism or just lazy journalism. The West Memphis 3 were released after accepting an Alford Plea. That isn't even close to exoneration.
An Alford plea (also called a Kennedy plea in the state of West Virginia, an Alford guilty plea, an "I'm guilty but I didn't do it" plea and the Alford doctrine) in United States law is a guilty plea in criminal court, where the defendant does not admit the act and asserts innocence. Under the Alford plea, the defendant admits that sufficient evidence exists with which the prosecution could likely convince a judge or jury to find the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Emphasis mine.
Like it or not chalupas, they pleaded guilty and are for the record convicted killers, especially your outcast messiah Echols.
For The Chronicle not to research this well established fact shows that most news media isn't about the truth but what will get the most eyeballs on their stories.


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To most people, "bonking" implies an R-rated activity. To marathon runners, cyclists, and other endurance athletes, it's something else entirely.
In sports jargon, someone who "bonks" suffers severe fatigue after running out of their stored energy. People who experience the condition, also known as "hitting the wall," describe it as having "your legs turned to cement." Some folks hallucinate too.
The body stores energy as glycogen, a sugar made up of many glucose molecules. When it's needed, the body turns it to glucose for some quick fuel. Run out and you're in trouble.
Once you bonk — as Lance Armstrong famously did during the 2000 Tour de France — you might be able to eat or drink something sugary and keep going, but you might be done for the day. For someone running a marathon, this would be a huge bummer. On a long hike up a mountain, it could be dangerous.
As I train to attempt hiking Mt. Whitney, the tallest mountain in the continental United States, bonking is a concern. My friend's daughter hit the wall right as she got to the top, a precarious place to spend time due to frequent storms. He practically had to carry her back down the entire 11-mile trail.
Eating on the trail to avoid bonking runs against practically anything you've ever heard about nutrition. Skip the protein and fat — stick with carbs. And not those complex carbohydrates that are oh-so-good for you. You need refined carbs, like white flour and sugar.
As your body depletes its energy stores, sugary foods provide the quick, easily accessible energy you need to keep going. Thankfully, there's no shortage of such foods on the market.
Forcing myself to eat large quantities of what usually counts as junk grates on me, but I take my safety seriously. I use long hikes to indulge in treats I love but normally try to avoid, like cookies. I'm also a fan of bananas and sugary dried fruit. But many athletes turn to products marketed especially for them: sports drinks, energy bars, and even pouches of sugary gel that are appropriately named GU.
Fortunately, most Americans are in no danger of overdosing on exercise. And yet, many still eat like they are.
If you aren't burning a few thousand calories by engaging in high-intensity exercise for several hours, you have nothing to fear. To put things in context, marathon runners are the most prone to hitting the wall after they've run 18 miles or more.
Odds are that many of the 77 million Americans who drink sports drinks are not marathon runners. In fact, only about 19 million of us completed at least one of those 26.2-mile races in 2012.
Little separates some of these products from candy. Take those Snickers Marathon bars on the energy bar shelf of the grocery store. And Jelly Belly markets Sports Beans, labeled as "Energizing" or "Extreme Energizing" jelly beans. (If you're wondering, the company puts caffeine in the "extreme" ones.)
Sure, these products contain electrolytes in addition to sugar, and you need electrolytes to replace what you lose through sweat. But do you know what electrolytes even are?
Electrolytes include sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium, but products like Gatorade typically just include sodium and potassium. You could also get those by eating something salty and a banana.
It's wonderful that endurance athletes have no shortage of excellent products available to prevent a bonk, but I fear that these sugary foods are doing us more harm than good on the whole.
High-intensity exercise for more than two hours, like running a marathon, requires more or less the opposite nutritionally from a normal, healthy diet, which means that — unless you are climbing a mountain or running a marathon — these foods are the opposite of good for you.
Or put more simply, they are junk.
Americans will be better off if we steer clear of these sugary energy products except for when we truly need them.


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The start of the second day of the conference was definitely interesting! As usual during the opening session, key people were introduced and thanked and as Curt Witcher was mentioning the fact that this year is the 30th anniversary of the miniseries made from Alex Haley's Roots, the sounds of "Day-O, Day-O, Daylight come and we wanna go home" was heard throughout the auditorium. At first, it was hard to tell where it was coming from, it sounded like it was all around, and then we saw him, still not know what was going on. Well, turned out it was Chris Haley, the nephew of Alex Haley. He spoke for a few minutes, primarily about Roots Television, where he would be interviewing people throughout the day. Then the proceedings continued.
[my personal opinion: Regardless whether Roots was fact or fiction and whether or not the charges of plagiarism were warranted, you have to admit the impact of Roots on the American psyche and genealogy in particular was tremendous. I'm not going to say that the miniseries was the reason that I got into genealogy, because it wasn't, but it definitely had an impact on my life in other ways.]
The keynote speaker was Dr. Andy Anderson the senior VP and Chief Historian of Wells Fargo who spoke on "The Healing Power of Family History and Genealogy" and I must say, it was very inspirational. A great way to start the day! There was a two-hour break so that everyone could peruse the exhibit and vendor area. Personally, I could have done without that break. So the first lecture session of the day began at 11 a.m., was over an hour later, and then there was another two-hour break for lunch!
The lecture I attended at 11 a.m. was on The New FamilySearch presented by Jim Greene. The initial rollout has already started with the St. Louis and Reno temple districts. It is going to be released to LDS Church members first and, likely within the next two years, will be released for use by the general public. It is going to take a lot of work to 'clean up' the existing information, which came from contributed data and the IGI. The problem is with the fact that there are, in many cases, multiple records for the same person and it can be troublesome to determine if it really is the same person. Their goal is for collaboration to create a "pedigree of mankind" as well as to preserve the records and information. Privacy features are in place to protect the information of living people and they are going to be improving the method for sourcing data. Eventually you will be able to include images of the source documents, if you have them, or links to the documents if they are posted on a website. The interface seemed intuitive and easy to use, although it wasn't a live demo.
It was a tough choice as there were two other lectures I wanted to go to at the same time, but after the lunch break I went to the lecture by John Philip Colletta on "Using Original and Derivative Sources: How to Evaluate Evidence" and was not disappointed. He didn't just explain the concepts of original/derivative sources and primary/secondary information but showed examples and engaged the audience. It was informative and entertaining at the same time. There are relatively few speakers that could talk about anything and you'd learn from them and enjoy it in the process, Mr. Colletta is one of those speakers.
The next session for me was "Working on Tomorrow's Virtual Community Today" by Curt Witcher. Curt is also one of those few speakers who is engaging, informative and enjoyable. I was especially interested in this lecture because it was about the relationship that the Allen County Public Library has established with the Foundation for On-Line Genealogy and the WeRelate wiki. Curt didn't really say much about the role that the ACPL is playing in the partnership but we learned about the philosophy behind the relationship and the goals they want to achieve. I'll post more on this in the near future (probably next week) but it is all about collaboration, getting more people involved in genealogy, and free access to information and records.
Going along with the theme of collaboration, cooperation and free access, the next session I attended was very interesting indeed! A panel consisting of Randy Olsen of Brigham Young University, Michael Hall of the Family History Library, and Curt Witcher of the Allen County Public Library announced and discussed "A Collaborative Digitization Project" which is a continuation of the current BYU project which has just finished digitizing 5,000 family history books from their collections. These have been made available online (see link below) as they were completed. Each of the libraries involved will be able to select what they feel is unique to their collections. There will be checks and balances in place to ensure there is no duplication of effort so they aren't scanning the same item. The project will only include books and periodicals that are in the public domain. If the author of a book under copyright gives written permission then that work could also scanned. Curt stated that the ACPL will concentrate on its collection of Local History books first. BYU will be scanning much of its map collection for inclusion in the project.
You'll be able to search for a book, when you open the book you will then be able to do a full-text search within that book. But what I think is really cool is that the online catalogs of all the libraries involved in the project will be linked together so that when you do a search for a book or periodical you can tell which of them has the physical book and whether or not it has been digitized. If it has been digitized there will be a clickable url to display the digitized version. You can do this now with the Family History Library catalog because the books that have been digitized by BYU already have a clickable link in the catalog entry. But this will be across all the libraries involved. In addition, a fourth library has been brought into the project - the Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research in Houston, Texas. Other libraries may be added in the future.
I'm sure there will be a press release, if there hasn't already been one, with more details on the BYU/FHL/ACPL and Clayton Library project. Exciting times indeed for genealogists and family historians! Three cheers to everyone involved in the project! And three more cheers for collaboration and free access to records and information!
Thursday, August 16, 2007
FGS Conference - Day Two
Posted by Becky Wiseman at 10:31 PM
Labels: 2007 FGS Conference, Conferences
3 comments:
- footnoteMaven said...
Green with envy. Wish I was there!
- August 17, 2007 at 1:19 PM
- Craig Manson said...
Thanks for the great reporting!
- August 18, 2007 at 9:03 AM
- Becky Wiseman said...
Thanks for stopping by fM and Craig. To some extent it was a bit overwhelming trying to decide which lectures to attend but I was happy with the choices that I made. I'm glad you've enjoyed reading about it all.
- August 19, 2007 at 12:18 PM


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text:
Honda Civic Coupe Maintenance Parts for the 2006-2011 Civic Coupe models.
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USDA says Petaluma-based plant circumvented inspection rules
Charge strongly denied by facility owner
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is alleging that a California slaughterhouse engaged in "circumvention" of federal inspection rules - a charge strongly denied by one of the facility's owners.
California plant shuts down after beef recall
The USDA issued a short statement Thursday on the ongoing investigation into Petaluma-based Rancho Feeding Corp., which voluntarily halted operations this month following a recall of more than 8.7 million pounds of beef products that it processed.
List of retailers that might have sold the meat
The facility is accused of processing diseased and unhealthy animals without a full federal inspection.
List of recalled items
The Santa Rosa Press Democrat says the document from the department's Food Safety and Inspection Service suggests a distinction between an accidental breach in slaughterhouse protocol and intentional wrongdoing.
Rancho co-owner Robert Singleton insists the plant consistently slaughtered animals in accordance with the USDA's rules.
The USDA inspector general is conducting a separate investigation into the plant.


text:
I love being able to have supper on the table in less than 30 minutes. Especially on nights that I work, there's so little time in the evening that I don't want to spend most of it making supper! The best way to cut down on cooking time and still have a decent meal is to utilize the crock pot. A few weeks ago my hair stylist and I were trading crock pot recipes while she worked on my hair, and I mentioned that I rarely cooked chicken in the crock pot on weeknights. I find that it is always overcooked after 8 hours, even on low. She told me that she never thaws her chicken before sticking it in the crock pot – and that way it's perfectly cooked by the time you're ready to serve supper!
This method really intrigued me, so I tried it. It worked perfectly! I am happy to have a method for cooking chicken in the crock pot on long days! The recipe I'm sharing with you today is a breeze to pull together. All you have to do before supper is cook the noodles and throw a salad together!
A word of caution…I know there is some controversy about putting frozen chicken in the crock pot, and I did my research. I agree that if you're cooking for someone who is at a high risk for food poisoning (very young children, pregnant women, the elderly, persons with compromised immune systems and chronic diseases) it's wise to thaw the chicken first (source). I am not cooking for those types of people on my weeknights, so I'm going to live on the wild side and pop those frozen guys right in there. I always wear my seat belt, don't smoke or drink, never ride roller coasters and I don't text and drive. This is wild for me. 🙂
Chicken Spaghetti In The Crock Pot
- Chicken Breasts (frozen, bone in will take the longest to cook and won't be as likely to dry out while they cook)
- 1 Jar Prepared Spaghetti Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning
Place chicken in the crock pot and add sauce and seasoning on top. Cook frozen breasts on low for 8-10 hours (adjust cooking times as needed for faster cooking crock pots). Remove the cooked chicken from the crock pot and let stand for a few minutes. Cut the meat off the bone and serve on top of cooked pasta. Add the extra sauce from the pot and top with Parmesan cheese and extra Italian seasoning.


text:
Work continues at Winnacunnet
HAMPTON — When school opens in a week and a half for students, it may not be pretty but it will be ready to open says Winnacunnet School Board Chairman Susan Kepner.
The construction firm Pro Con, is working day and night, with 120 employees, trying to get the building in shape before school starts.
Seacoast School of Technology students return on Monday, Aug. 29; freshmen and other new students on Aug. 30; and all students on Aug. 31.
Desks and chairs are being moved back into the classrooms. Walls are being painted and the new roof is almost completed.
"People need to understand that the construction is ongoing," said Kepner. "It was never supposed to look finished. It will be safe and there will be learning going on and each day it will look better."
Kepner, along with Superintendent James Gaylord and Principal Randy Zito, took The Hampton Union on a tour of the building on Wednesday.
The school is inspected by the Fire Department and the building inspector on a routine basis and everything is almost ready to open.
"We wouldn't be able to open if they thought the building was unsafe," said Kepner.
Zito said the new entrance on Winnacunnet Road, which will only be for students with cars and parents dropping and picking up, will be ready on the first day of school.
The Alumni Drive entrance, which is now only for buses and teachers, will also be cleared and ready to go.
A police officer will be on duty at the intersection of Winnacunnet Road for the first couple of days of school.
Pro Con project manager Jim Drugg said the 25-classroom addition is on schedule and will be completed by December.
Since the new science and math wing is still under construction, not every student will have a locker.
"We will issue every freshman a locker and offer lockers to sophomores and juniors," said Zito. "Seniors may be without lockers during the first few months of the school year."
While the new cafeteria, which is the old gym, is ready to go, Zito said they will not be able to have hot lunches for the first couple of weeks of school.
Director of food services Trish Simas said they will have a few cold items to be sold during breakfast and lunch.
Those receiving free or reduced priced meals will have the following options: cereal with milk, granola bar with milk or a yogurt with milk or fruit juice.
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches will be available for lunch.
Several hallways will not have tile covering the ceilings when student return.
"The original plan was to always have the ceiling out in the corridors because we will be doing work until March," said Drugg.
The new performing arts center, which is the old cafeteria, will be ready by November.
"This new area will have separate band and choral rooms, an electronic room equipped with the latest technology, and a new television studio where our media classes will be taught," Zito said.
Construction will continue in that section but the area will be blocked off from students. The work will be performed when school is not in session.
In the meantime, band and chorus will be held where they are currently being held.
Kepner said the project is still on track to be completed by March.
Zito said when the project is finished trailers will no longer be used for classrooms and offices, and the school will have renovated more than 30 classrooms and moved into 30 new classrooms.


text:
Jim Henson on Muppet History, Construction, and Performance
In this ten-minute video, Jim Henson, Frank Oz, and Michael Frith discuss some of the history and functions of muppets -- how they're put together, how simplicity leads to subtlety, and how to bring life to puppets. This is nerdier and not nearly as emotionally loaded as yesterday's post on Jim Henson's Memorial Services.
It's unclear to me
when this was recorded, but I'm guessing it's the very late 1980's
-- as a commenter points out, it was apparently March 1, 1990. If anyone knows where this came from and when it was recorded, please post your info in the comments! NOTE: this video is cut off at the end; it's unclear how much more there is to this clip.
See also: Jim Henson Makes Muppets (Video, 1969) and rare footage of Muppeteers learning their craft in France. I would have included the latter video in this post, but the uploader has disabled embedding.


text:
"Everything is coming up roses' at the rabbitpatch! The rose bushes are full of blossoms and it makes a stroll through the territory a grand event . Miss Sylvias' irises are blooming too. They are so named, in her memory. Their watery blue color is striking and so cheerful, at the entrance of the drive way. Now all of the grass is green and the lilies are up and full of promises. New leaves adorn the old trees and quiver tenderly in the constant breeze.
The morning dawned silvery. Not long after a light shower fell. Tres had spent the night here, but he had stayed up pretty late with , Kyle and Christian, for someone who was smoking pork at six am. Christian, was up first and he made extra coffee, as Tres loves coffee as much as I do.
I decided, to take it easy today and just do what was required for housekeeping. Maybe I would cut the wild vines as they grow with great vigor. It would at least keep them at bay, for a bit. I have often wished vegetables grew with the same vitality as those hateful vines. I had laundry washing, by the time Tres and Kyle were up. We had a light breakfast and then Tres went out to inspect the car and the mower. That is my Tres. He reminds me so much of my daddy, who always walked in my house and found repairs needed somewhere. Once, when Jenny was little, she piped up and said "Granddaddy, you just want something to be broke!" She was maybe four, but had learned the circumstances, – and ( had not learned to use the word, Broken, instead.) I still chuckle, remembering.
Tres left around mid afternoon and so the holiday was officially over. I did collect some branches, that were strewn again, all over the place – and I did cut some vines. I packed another box and that was about it. I also spent some time in front of a window fan, which I declare is as pleasant, as can be. It is a worthwhile practice and I look forward to using fans each year.
This time of year, at school we are preparing for the folk dance program. The dances come from all over the world. This means that I am outside all day watching the children perform and dancing with them often. On the day of the program, the children will don clothing that reflects the country they have been studying. They will also prepare foods and display art from places like Colombia, South Africa and the Dominican Republic. These days, I sleep especially well, but few things are as lovely, as children dancing in the sunshine , in spring.
The fireflies are back! With such good weather, I am back in the habit of going out each night to bid the world good night – and so I have seen them twinkling, this past week. The first one of the season, flew very close to my face, and I was sure a star was falling on me! It was startling – but I laughed a good bit later, about it. A night or two later, another thing happened . . . I keep the windows up, this time of year, and I heard rustling sound just outside the window, by my beloved morning table. I ignored it, but it kept getting closer and closer. The boxer didn't seem concerned, but I was. Surely the sounds were footsteps and were approaching the back door. It was just after twilight, and I couldn't see a thing, so at last, I mustered the courage to go see. I stepped cautiously out, and "screamed like a banshee" for a young rabbit hopped onto the door step with me !
Now, the sweetest month, May has arrived, like a well loved friend, that was sorely missed. It is no wonder to me that the birthstone for May is the emerald. . .for in May, the fields and woodlands are all shades of green and even the most hesitant flora, will bloom in May. This is the month for picnics, if there ever was one, for pesky creatures, like mosquitoes are scarce for now- and so are the dreaded flies of summer. Once, I brought a baby home in May and how delighted I was to sit on a front porch swing with Tres when he was but days old. Maybe it is for that reason, that I am very partial to May.
Every May, I remember, that children were allowed to go barefoot, on May 1st, when I was growing up. But in those days, of long ago, things were different. I was richly blessed with a lot of loving adults, who indulged us with rich memories. We were children, but highly involved in the day to day tasks, meals and all aspects of life on that little farm. Looking back, I do not know how the grown folks did it all. I learned nursery rhymes, songs and Bible verses in the old barn, and in the garden and in the kitchen. There was also the faithful clothes line and the back porch, where beans were snapped or shelled. Stories were told and songs were sung. We wrote our abcs' in the dirt, for the first available adult to check. . .and the World Book Encyclopedias, was a required reading.
Sometimes, however, a task just did not require the assistance of a child and so we were sent to play untethered . . mostly. To keep us safe, all sorts of notions were put in our heads. If we played in the ditch (by the road) we would surely get the "ditch itch" – and that is the way, we were kept out of the road. No one ever talked to me about the possibilities of snakes or black widows, being under the house . . for the devil himself, lived there! I can say truthfully, not one of us met our demise under any house. The well would swallow a child whole, so none of us drowned either. If you stayed out after dark, you were not only late for supper, but there was the chance, that a bat would make a nest in your hair-hence no one was late for supper. We kept our shoes on too, . . .to avoid the "Hong Kong" flu, which would kill you, . . . before the first of May.
In this way, we all managed to live to grow up. . .and tell about it.
Dear Diary, I love the gentle, fair time of May, when the wild becomes tender and "flowers appear on the earth."


text:
From Administrative
Accelerator Physics - T. Satogata (Interim CASA Director)
Todd Satogata
- Previous two weeks (July 23-Aug 3)
- ADMIN: Leadership meetings, staffing input and planning
- ADMIN: DOE Operations Review (Jul 25-26)
- JLEIC: pCDR writing, template, EIC lunch, impedance/HE/R&D meetings
- JLEIC: NAS report release presentation (Jul 24)
- JLEIC: Summer student work on Booster simulations, training
- JLEIC: EIC User's Group Meeting (Catholic University, Jul 30-Aug 2)
- JLEIC: Summer student poster session (Aug 3)
- IPAC18: Finalize proceedings
- Next two weeks (Aug 6-Aug 17)
- ADMIN: Leadership/group meetings, staffing input and planning
- JLEIC: pCDR writing, template, EIC lunch, HE/R&D meetings
- JLEIC: Complete Booster vacuum tech note calculations
- JLEIC: Director's Cost Review round table (Aug 6)
- JLEIC: P&C Meeting pCDR Update (Aug 13)
- OPS: Re-engage with BTeam, CEBAF startup, OOC schedule input
- ODU: Sal Sosa annual review presentation (Aug 9)
- IPAC18: IPAC'18 delegate survey report
- JACOW: 2018 Team Meeting agenda and cost review
Alex Bogacz
- Previous two weeks (July 23-Aug 3)
- ADMIN: Materials for European strategy collaboration:
- PERLE with Orsay
- LHeC with CERN
- Muon accelerator with INFN Frascati
- PERLE: Refinement on PERLE lattice
- OPS: Arc 2 Optics: further phase advance optimization
- ADMIN: Materials for European strategy collaboration:
- Next two weeks (Aug 6-Aug 17)
- MUONS: Summary on muon acceleration for European Strategy Group
- LHEC: Refinement on the LHeC ERL lattice
- MUONS: NuFact SPC mtg. at Virginia Tech
- ADMIN: Tech Transfer database training
Rui Li
- Previous two weeks (July 23-Aug 3)
- JLEIC: Calculate resistive-wall impedance contributions to the coupled bunch instabilities. Found out that for the electron ring, their effects are negligible for the longitudinal coupled bunch instability, but they play a major role for the transverse coupled bunch instability (dominant over the RF cavity HOM effects).
- JLEIC: Summarize the LCBI and TCBI results and presented them at the impedance meeting
- JLEIC: Review early literatures on collective instabilities
- Next two weeks (Aug 6-Aug 17)
- JLEIC: modify the section of preCDR to include new findings of resistive wall effect on CBI
- JLEIC: continue to develop more understandings on collective instabilities by going over literatures
- JLEIC: digest discussions on the impedance meeting, forming up my vision for the impedance studies
Edy Nissen
- Previous two weeks (July 23-Aug 3)
- JLEIC: Booster working point simulations, up to 96% survival but still with long-term beam stability issues
- JLEIC: Update pCDR contribution based on reviewer feedback
- Next two weeks (Aug 6-Aug 17)
- JLEIC: Continue Booster working point simulations
- JLEIC: Assist with pCDR as necessary (referencs, tables, Booster section)
Chris Tennant
- Previous two weeks (July 23-Aug 3)
- LERF: LERF lattice study for isotope production (no constraints)
- ADMIN: planning mini-ERL workshop
- Next two weeks (Aug 6-Aug 17)
- ISOTOPES: isotope kick-off meeting
- ISOTOPES: isotope lattice design (with constraints as they become defined)
- JLEIC: model 476 MHz linac for cooler ERL and work on longitudinal match using arc from Project-E
Accelerator R & D - Y. Zhang
Fanglei Lin
- Updating the electron collider ring design for the pre-CDR.
- Helping the student and working on the storage ring cooler project.
- Miscellaneous: attended innovative electron cooling project status meeting, discussion the synchrotron radiation in the electron ring with engineers.
Vasiliy Morozov
- Last two weeks
- Attending EIC User Group Meeting
- Ion polarization: writing a pCDR contribution on ion polarization control at 200 GeV, teleconference with Anatoliy's group
- Editing a pCDR chapter on crab crossing
- Working on beam loss studies with Hannah
- Geometry tagging LDRD: building GEMC model of the detector regions and running cross section calculations
- Next two weeks
- Ion collider ring design
- Writing pCDR contributions
- Geometry tagging LDRD
Amy Sy
- Working on Skew PIC closeout report.
- Working with transverse feedback pickup and kicker elements in Elegant. Working with the TFBFilterSetup module to calculate the FIR filter coefficients for a transverse feedback system in the ion collider ring. Literature study of decoherence effects due to transverse position errors at injection. Studying decoherence effects due to transverse position errors in the ion collider ring.
- Invited to participate in a DOE review of the Mu2e project at Fermilab in October.
Guohui Wei
- On Leave
Yuhong Zhang
- Attended EICUG meeting and gave a talk
- Prepared EICUG talk
- Started organization of EIC Accelerator collaboration meeting
- Continued writing JLEIC pre-CDR sections
Computational Physics - Y. Roblin (Awaiting Update)
Yves Roblin
- OPS: preparing for upcoming run
- OPS: BTEAM meeetings. Now weekly again.
- OPS: incorporated new optics into CED
- OPS: meetings with physics regarding energy determination for past experiments
- JLEIC: pCDR writing, pCDR meeting
- ADMIN: acting Casa Director during Todd's absence, Leadership meeting.
- ADMIN: budget. Adjusting charged hours for a "soft " landing and closing MEPCEC
- ADMIN: budget: preparing projections for JLECBB
Dennis Turner
- Shifting back to operations
He Zhang
- Last two weeks
- Beam-beam code development
- The symplectic tracking code using one of the four classical generating functions has been finished and benchmarked with COSY Infinity 9.0. To use the new code, the user only needs to provide the truncated map and specify which generating function to use for symplectic tracking. The generating function will be constructed automatically. The following figures show the benchmark for the symplectic tracking of 1,000,000 turns using the first generating function. Our code agrees well with COSY Infinity. The same benchmark has been done for all the other three generating function and for tracking with a truncated map. In all the cases, the both codes agree with each other. A few places of the code are revised for better efficiency. A new parser is also added so that the truncated map generated by MAD-X can be loaded. But we have not done anything to convert the coordinates between COSY Infinity and MAD-X. A bug in the original TPSA code is found and fixed.
- Now we can consider how to fit the tracking code into BeamBeam3D. The following issues needs to be addressed:
- Calling C++ functions in Fortran.
- Convert COSY Infinity and MAD-X coordinates to BeamBeam3D coordinates.
- Parallelization.
- I have read some tutorials on calling C++ in Fortran. In principle, it can be done. Need more testing to learn how it works.
- JSPEC code development
- Continue working on the arbitrary electron bunch module for JSPEC. A new electron beam model has been added. The interfaces between the following modules: electron beam, friction force calculation, cooling rate calculation, have to be revised. This work has not been finished.
- Others
- Investigated and wrote about high energy DC cooler
- Submitted the abstract for ICAP'18
- Beam-beam code development
- Work plan in the following two weeks
- Finish fitting the arbitrary electron bunch module into JSPEC.
- Write about enhancing cooling efficiency for pCDR.
- Document the work on symplectic tracking.
Kirsten Deitrick
- Last two weeks
- Magnetized beam (LERF PoP)
- check 3D FEL booster optimization results (need to re-run)
- magnetization preservation through mergers (setting up)
- Straight Merger at CBETA
- finish coil field calculation for calibration check (final verdict: conflicting calibration data)
- continue simulations
- explain discrepancies (conflicting calibration data, beam wasn't set-up carefully - somewhat messy)
- Impedance
- finish collision ion ring broadband impedance presentation
- meeting (Aug. 2)
- Meetings
- Cooler (x1) (next week skipped due to Ops Review)
- Impedance
- NAS report webinar
- Misc
- LINAC18 presentation practice (x2)
- Last of Geoff's REU student help
- Magnetized beam (LERF PoP)
- Next two weeks:
- Magnetized beam (LERF PoP)
- check 3D FEL booster optimization results (after the re-run)
- magnetization preservation through mergers (finish setting up, run)
- Straight Merger at CBETA
- continue simulations (using both possible calibrations)
- data analysis (clean, fitting)
- use simulations to determine correct fitting formula
- Impedance
- update webpage
- schedule next meeting
- Meetings
- Cooler (x2)
- JLEIC (x2)
- Misc
- Linac18 presentation practice
- start writing Linac18 papers
- Travel arrangements, visa for Linac18
- Magnetized beam (LERF PoP)
Diagnostic Development - K. Jordan
Kevin Jordan
- LCLS-II was again the major effort
- Transfer line was installed, welded, and leak checked
- FEL 01/02 (1/4 + full C50 modules) were cooled down - this was major effort by a number of groups because despite my requests no one looked at the hardware until the last days and found the CAMAC serial highway dead among other problems. This was crucial to a tasks including the cool down of the first two LCLS-II modules in October as well as Gigi & Gary Chen's Q0 studies.
- The cable termination for CM # 2 is progressing well, wrapping up orphan cables - a few more to pull in...
- Presented a talk on isotope target concepts at the Isotope Kickoff meeting
- Joined Joe in weekly Radiabeam meeting on wire scanner controls
- Attended review for Arc 7 SLM design
Joe Gubeli
- The majority of time was spent on finishing the proposal for four new diagnostics in CEBAF ARC 7. Presented the proposal to a number of people and had a very good feedback.
- Had a telcon with Radiabeam on the high power high speed wire scanner.
- Had several meetings on the LCLS-II in LERF test. Pushing through a trolley beam hoist to move the bellows on the cryocan end. Ceiling obstructions were removed from beam installation.
- Had the kickoff meet for the Isotope project.
Michael Tiefenback
- Diagnostic optimization for SLMs in Arc7A, practically achievable resolution, layout details concerning slits and diffractive consequences. Writing up a coherent justification for this diagnostic hardware.
- Preparation for beam and system tests in August, particularly time-of-flight related measurements in the NL: potentially huge speedup of cold-start cavity phasing and an alternate, more precise, non-magnetic cavity gradient calibration. Item #5 below is operationally linked to the RF manipulations involved here.
- Updating the M56 tuning section of ops procedures to replace instructions using obsolete and no-longer-available hardware with steps using updated and available signals.
- Residual nightmares concerning magnet mis-wiring, although I expect to be done with this now. Some small issues arose with 1L07/1L08 girder mods.
- A bit more coordination and data planning concerning intercalibration of cryogenic heat load vs. JT setting as we move back to 2K operation.
LERF - S. Benson
- July 23-Aug. 3
- ISOTOPES: Prepared for and attended kickoff meeting for isotope project
- JLEIC: Went over CEC study by Stupakov to derive ERL specifications
- ADMIN: Attended Operations review
- JLEIC: Wrote up cooling section of HE-JLEIC appendix
- JLEIC: Worked on editing Cooling chapter of pCDR
- OPS: Met with Tim Minga to survey fire safety status of the LERF
- JLEIC: Held Cooling ring meetings and wrote up minutes.
- JLEIC: Derived utility needs for cooling ring with Cooling ring group
- ADMIN: Held program committee meeting for "ERLs for EIC" mini workshop.
- August 6-17
- JLEIC: Visit Fermilab to plan out the FAST/IOTA transport of magnetized beam experiments.
- JLEIC: Hold FOA project status meeting (Aug. 17)
- ADMIN: Try to define HZDR collaboration
- ADMIN: Prepare ICPA-18 conference presentation.
- OPS: Work on fire safety punch list items in the LERF
- JLEIC: Continue to work on pCDR
- ISOTOPES: Revise LOD for isotope work
A. Hutton
- July 23-Aug 3
- JLEIC: Read all of the JLEIC PreCDR updates and sent out comments to the authors.
- ISOTOPES: Prepared for the Isotope Kick-off meeting
- Started my invited talk on Transverse Deflecting Cavities for the HL-LHC Collaboration Workshop. Contacted people in the US, Europe and Japan to get input, incorporated slides I received from UK and ODU.
- Some discussion with Kirsten on the Cornell results


text:
A U.S. appeals court on Monday rejected Apple request to fast-track its bid for a sales ban on several Samsung Electronics phones, ruling the iPhone maker could not argue its case to the full appeals court right away.
A lower court judge had rejected Apple's bid for a permanent injunction following a blockbuster trial last year. In its ruling on Monday, the Federal U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., said a three-judge panel will first consider Apple's appeal, and the full appeals court would not decide whether to hear the case until after that.
Representatives for both Apple and Samsung declined to comment.
The fight in the appeals court comes after Apple won a $1.05 billion verdict last year against Samsung in a California trial court. Apple followed up its win by seeking a permanent ban on several older Samsung phones, but analysts expected Apple to try to extend such a ruling to Samsung's hotter selling models like the Galaxy S III.
U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, California, rejected Apple's request.
The fight between Apple and Samsung has been widely viewed as a proxy war between Apple and Google Inc. Samsung's Galaxy smartphones and tablets run on Google's Android operating system, which Apple's late co-founder, Steve Jobs, once denounced as a "stolen product."
The Federal Circuit ruling on Monday allows Samsung to keep its products on store shelves while Apple's appeal proceeds on a slower pace. Brian Love, a professor at Santa Clara University School of Law, said Apple's request for immediate full court review was a long shot to begin with.
"In some sense, Apple was asking to 'cut in line,' and judges are generally reluctant to give certain cases special treatment," Love said.
The same appeals court had rejected a separate Apple bid for a pretrial sales ban against Samsung's Galaxy Nexus phone. Last week it refused to rehear that appeal before the full court.


text:
Moment Of Celebration-Beauty Of The Snowflake
JOHN SHIRK – Today's Moment of Celebration reflects on the beauty of a snowflake.
The design of a single snowflake is unique from all other snowflakes. In a similar way, God has made each of us with unique features. There is only one of you, which reflects God's creativity in designing you as a distinct personality. In pondering the way God knew him personally, David said in Psalm 139, "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. I know that full well."
Another dimension of snow in the Bible is how it is compared to purity. The mercy of God toward his people purifies His people from the guilt of sin. In Psalm 51:7, as David was confessing his sin of adultery and murder, referred to snow with this statement, "Wash me and I will be whiter than snow."
The beauty of a snowflake reminds us of the unique way that God has created us, and the refreshing way that God cleanses us. Because of God's powerful love, our formation and spiritual transformation are reasons to be glad in the Year of Celebration.
John Shirk


text:
Gradually, it was disclosed to me that the line separating good and evil passes not through states, not between classes, nor between political parties either – but right through every human heart – and through all human hearts.
This line shifts. Inside us, it oscillates with the years. And even within hearts overwhelmed by evil , one small bridgehead of good is retained. And even in the best of all hearts , there remains … an unuprooted small corner of evil. Since than I have come to understand the truth of all the religions of the world: They struggle with the evil inside a human being (inside every human being). It is impossible to expel evil from the world in its entirety, but it is possible to constrict it within each person.
Aleksander Solzhenitsyn, "The Gulag Archipelago 1918-1956"


text:
Choosing the right baby bag or backpack for your little ones can be so overwhelming. There are so many choices out there. In recent years many great non-toxic alternatives have become available. These products are being produced without the use of nasty chemicals, such as BPA, PVC, Phthalates and Lead. These chemicals are detrimental to our health and the development of growing children. If you're interested the information that informed my decision to buy a non-toxic alternative check out the links on the bottom of this post.
When I was still pregnant I began doing my own research for the safest non-toxic baby bag. I ended up going with the SoYoung Charlie Diaper Bag. The unisex style is great for both myself and my partner to use and it has many compartments for all those baby essentials you need to travel with.
Now as my little one is about to start daycare I have begun looking at the best non-toxic backpacks for her. So here is the result of my own research of products that are available to the Australian market. I hope it helps you find a safer alternative for you little family too. I have also begun researching lunch bags and boxes so stay tuned for a future post for more non-toxic alternatives.
Diaper Bags
Colours: Brown, Black, Slate, Khaki
Features: Canvas exterior with vegan leather straps, Shallow bottom with no black hole effect, Contrasting interior lining with clear and mesh pockets, Laminated and wipeable interior compartments, Completely insulated interior compartment to hold snacks (fits a 13″ laptop), Back slide pocket for bulky items such as blanket, newspaper or umbrella; Dedicated sunglass, cell phone and wallet pockets; Two insulated bottle pockets, Detachable messenger strap, Backpack conversion option, Laminated change mat, Adjustable stroller straps, Shoulder straps with detachable comfort grip padding
Free of PVC, Phthalate, Lead and BPA.
Dimensions 15W x 10H x 7D (inches)
2. Lassig Green Label Neckline and Urban Bags
Neckline Colours: Black Melange, Choco Mix, Black, Denim Blue, All Over Fleur
Urban Colours: Black Melange, Choco Mix
Features: Material 100% Recycled Polyester, large main compartment, additional, outer compartments, changing mat, insulated, removable bottle holder, zip pouch, water-repellent wet pocket, removable compartment for jars, compartment for baby wipes! stroller hooks, additional adjustable shoulder strap
Free of PVC, Nickel, Azo dyes, Cadmium and Phthalates. Use recycled materials and organic cotton to manufacture goods.
Neckline Dimension: 43 L x 14w x 43D (cm)
Urban Dimension: 37 L x 15 W x 31 D (cm)
3. SkipHop Forma Diaper Backpack
Colours: Forma Black, Peacock, Forma Grey, Indigo, Domes
Features: Front section allows easy access to storage cubes, Insulated cube is perfect for bottles, Multipurpose mesh cube for clothing and snacks, Changing pad pocket holds tablets and laptops up to 15″, Extra wide dual zip opening, Insulated side bottle pockets, Elasticized interior pockets and cell phone pocket, Cushioned shoulder straps, Stroller straps, Cushioned changing pad
Free of BPA, Phthalate, AZO, Lead and PVC. Other diaper bags in the range are free of all listed except PVC. Meet or exceed ASTM, CPSIA, EN71.
Dimensions: 16 L x 8 W x 14 H (inches)
4.2 Red Hens Studio Coop Carry-All Diaper Bag
Designs: Grey Damask, Chevron Stripes, Peacock Mum, Pink Lemonade, Owl Dots
Features: 2 conveniently placed interior bottle pockets for easy access; Includes extra long changing pad in 2 Red Hens red dot pattern (26″L x 12.5″W); Easily convertible straps for use on shoulder or stroller; 6 interior pockets and 2 exterior pockets keeps hard-to-find items organized and at your fingertips in seconds; Water resistant backing for quick, hassle-free cleaning; Stylish and color coordinated red zipper closure keeps your personal belongs safe and secure; Fasten the elastic strap under the signature red button quickly for those in-a-hurry time crunches.
BPA, PVC, and Phthalate free.
Dimensions: 17.5 L x 6 W x 12.5 H (inches)
5. OkieDog Nappy Bag Sakawa Celeb
Colours: Blue, Red
Features: Includes
Clipix Stroller Clip, Accessory Bag, Insulated Bottle Holder, Antibacterial Changing mat; Lightweight yet large and functional; Easy to remove from/put on your pram; Bright interior; Padded handles and adjustable removable strap; 2 quick find loops; Outer pockets; Japanese motifs featuring waves and cherry blossom; Easy clean nylon;
Clipix allows you to add many optional extras onto you stroller
PVC, Phthalate, AZO and BPA free
Dimensions: 45 L x 30 H x 14 D (cm)
Toddler Backpacks
1. SoYoung Raw Linen Toddler Backpack
Designs: Orange Fox, Pink Birds, Aqua Bunny, Neon Giraffe, Grey Robot, Blue Dinosaur, Pink Fawn, Pink Giraffe, Purple Dandelion, Brown Horse
Can be purchased with Toddler Backpack Lunchbox as a set.
Aged 3 to 7
Features: Machine Washable, 2 stretchy mesh side bottle pockets, Lined nylon interior with zippered mesh pocket, Reinforced bottom to protect material, Chest strap with clip
Free of PVC, Phthalate, Lead and BPA.
Dimensions 9.5W x 13H x 5D (inches)
Designs: Dog, Rabbit, Owl, Dragon, Tiger
Coordinates with Okiedog Bag Tags (also free of PVC, AZO, BPA and phthalate)
Aged 2 and 6
Features: 3D Design with soft plush ears, Water resistant soft shell, Interior write-on name tag, Interior mesh pocket, Adjustable shoulder straps
Free of PVC, AZO, BPA and Phthalate and Lead. Medically endorsed, no child labour, recycled PET fabric.
Dimensions: 22 x 27 x 12 (cm)
3. SkipHop Zoo Little Kid Backpack
Designs: Dog, Elephant, Frog, Monkey, Mouse, Owl, Ladybug, Bee, Penguin, Zebra, Fox, Hippo, Dinosaur, Giraffe, Cat, Shark, Panda, Hedgehog, Butterfly, Cow, Unicorn, Raccoon, Chameleon, Pig, Bunny
Coordinates with SkipHop Zoo Lunch Kit
Aged 3 and up.
Features: Roomy main compartment (big enough for books), Insulated pouch for snacks, Adjustable mesh bottle pocket (drink bottle); Padded, adjustable comfy straps; Write-on nametag inside, Easy-to-clean lining
Free of BPA, Phthalate, AZO, Lead-free. Meet or exceed ASTM, CPSIA, EN71.
Dimensions 11L x 5W x 12H (inches)
4. Apple and Mint Little Backpack
Designs: Dinosaur, Flamingo, Fox, Ice-cream, Mermaid, Pineapple, Robot, Superhero
Coordinates with Apple and Mint Lunch Bags.
Aged 1 to 4.
Features: Gloss coated material with carry handle; Interior zippered pocket; Two side pockets for drink bottles, Big enough to fit nappies, wipes, a change of clothes, and of course a toy.
Free of PVC, BPA, and lead, non-toxic, earth-safe, & reusable.
Dimensions: 35 H x 22.5 W x 12.5 D (inches)
5. Petit Collage Eco-Friendly Toddler Backpack
Designs: Animals, Butterflies, Dinosaurs, Sharks, Woodland
Coordinates with Petit Collage Eco-Friendly Lunchboxes
Aged 3 and up.
Features an eco-friendly wipeable cotton canvas exterior coated with a protective, solvent-free biodegradable laminate made from sugar cane. Side mesh exterior pocket fits water bottles perfectly. Includes large interior pocket, name tag, and adjustable padded straps.
Free of BPA, PVC, and Phthalate. Conforms to CPSIA, ASTM, and EU standards.
Dimensions 10.5L x 4W x 14H (inches)
Designs: Monsters, Big Fish, Butterfly Garden, Robots, Green Camo, Mermaids, Out of this World, Horse Dreams, Dinomite Dinosaurs, Game On, Birdie, Dinosaur Land, Paisley, Owls, Wild Animals, Heroes, Trains Plains & Trucks, Big Dot Aqua, Under Construction, Horse in Pink, Watercolor Ponies
Aged 3 and up
Features: Insulated, easy-to-clean, food-safe front pocket; Front pocket can be used for snacks, lunch, or school supplies; Reflective tape on front of bag for night-time safety; Mesh side pocket for water bottle; 2 zippered pockets;
Matching Nap Mats available in most styles
Free from PVC, Phthalates, BPA and lead safe. Conform to CPSIA.
Dimensions: 12 L x 10 H x 4.5 D (inches)
7. Beatrix New York Little Kid Backpacks
Designs: Octopus, Dino, Ladybug, Shark, Robot, Icecream, Whale, Owl, Strawberry
Aged 2 to 10 (Big Kids Backpack from aged 4, see below)
Features: Roomy main compartment fits our Lunch Box, Bento Box, "Cozy Can" Water Bottle add-ons and a few small toys; Interior pocket; Laminated front easy to wipe clean; Beautifully embroidered details; Heavy-duty stitching insures sturdy seams; Strong, custom-shaped metal zipper pulls easy for kids to manage; Top haul loop for easy bag hanging; Write-on name tag on back; Machine-wash alone in cold, gentle cycle with zipper closed. Line dry.
Free from PVC, Phthalates, BPA and lead safe.
Coordinates with Beatrix New York Lunch Box.
Dimensions: 9 L x 12 H x 5.5 W (inches)
Grade School Backpacks
1.SoYoung Raw Linen Grade School Backpack
Designs: Orange Fox, Pink Birds, Aqua Bunny, Neon Giraffe, Grey Robot, Blue Dinosaur, Pink Fawn, Purple Dandelion, Black Shark, Pink Russian Dolls, Purple Birds, Orange & Pink Peonies,
Coordinates with SoYoung Raw Linen Lunch Box
Aged 6 to 11.
Features: Machine washable (gentle – do not heat to dry), Chest clip, Name tag, Interior zippered mesh pocket, Two side bottle pockets, Carrying Handle
Free of PVC, Phthalate, Lead and BPA.
Dimensions: 11″W x 15.5″H x 5.5″D (inches)
Designs: Blue Stripes, Purple Gingham
Features: Large main compartment, Interior organizer pocket, "Property of" name tag, Zippered front compartment, Two side mesh pockets, Adjustable, padded shoulder straps, Padded back for extra comfort, Padded top carry handle
Phthalate free. Meets CPSC safety requirements and is FDA compliant.
Dimensions 33.66cm x 16.51cm x 40.64 (cm)
Designs: Starry Blue, Nebula, Perfectly Pink, Botanical, Plaid, Dino Camo
Coordinates with Planetbox Carry Bag and Planetbox Lunchboxes
Aged over 8 years.
Features: An exclusive docking station for storing your PlanetBox® flat. This unique, zippered compartment on the bottom of the JetPack makes your lunch easily accessible; A roomy main compartment for storing books, binders and other large items.Multiple zippered pockets for organizing pencils, pens, and other small itemsHidden zipper pocket to stash your phone or a wallet; Two side pockets for your water bottle (perfectly fits our BottleRocket)
Free of PVC, Phthalate, BPA. Non-Toxic Certified, Recycled Materials, Zero waste.
Dimensions 13 in (L) x 12.5 in x 17 in (H) (inches)
4. Penny Scallan Large Backpack (Bare Collection)
Designs: Pear Salad, Chirpy Bird, Navy Star, Space Monkey, Pineapple Bunting, Big City
Features: made from durable polyester cotton, water resistant lining, 2 zippered compartments with roomy front pocket, applique design, adjustable shoulder straps, metal pineapple shaped zip pulls
BPA & Phthalate free
Dimensions: 42 L x 29 W x 12 D (cm)
Designs: Pink Camo, Zigzag Pink. Horse Dreams, Pink Giraffe, Bright Stripes, Paul Frank, Pinwheel, Pink Leopard, Blue Camo, Owls, Horse in Pink, Big Dot Aqua, Watercolor Ponies, Wishbone, Chevron Seabreeze, Twizzler
Aged 8 and up
Features: Three spacious zippered compartments, Multiple interior pockets and mesh enclosure, Side pockets for water bottles
Free from PVC, Phthalates, BPA and lead safe. Conform to CPSIA.
Dimensions: 17 H x 12.5 Wx 7.5 D (inches)
6.Beatrix New York Big Kid Backpacks
Designs: Octopus, Dino, Ladybug, Shark, Robot, Icecream, Owl,
Ages 4 to 10
Features: Main compartment spacious enough to hold a standard binder and lunch box in addition to a couple of favorite library books and small toys; Interior pocket; Front laminatedl panel pocket; Heavy-duty stitching insures sturdy seams; Strong, custom-shaped metal zipper pulls easy for kids to manage; Fitted chest clip; Top haul loop for easy bag hanging; Write-on name tag on back; Machine-wash alone in cold, gentle cycle with zipper closed. Line dry.
Free from PVC, Phthalates, BPA and lead safe.
Coordinates with Beatrix New York Lunch Box.
Dimensions: 10.75 L x 15 H x 6 W (inches)
Research on Backpack and Diaper Bag Safety:
Is your Diaper Bag poisoning your child?
Toxic Chemicals in Kids' School Supplies. How Real Is the Threat?
Phthalates, BPA and toxic lead paint: How safe are toys and school supplies made for children?
Dozens of Back to School Products That Are Exposing Your Children to Toxic Chemicals
Back to School: Non-Toxic and Eco-Friendly
The Dangers Of Toxic PVC School Supplies – How To Keep Your Kids Safe


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Press Release | Fact Sheet
The United States Department of Justice (Department) initiated this matter as a compliance review of the City of Newport, Rhode Island (the City) under title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), 42 U.S.C. §§ 12131-12134, and the Department´s implementing regulation, 28 C.F.R. Part 35. Because the City receives financial assistance from the Department of Justice, the review was also conducted under the authority of section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 794, and the Department´s implementing regulation, 28 C.F.R. Part 42, Subpart G.
The review was conducted by the Disability Rights Section of the Department´s Civil Rights Division and focused on the City´s compliance with the following title II requirements:
As part of its compliance review, the Department reviewed the following facilities, which – because construction or alterations commenced after January 26, 1992 – must comply with the ADA´s new construction or alterations requirements:
Louis Duke Abbruzzi Little League Complex
Van Zandt Pier
Elm Street Pier
Newport Gateway Center
Parks and Recreation Cottage Office
Easton´s Beach
King Park
The Department´s program access review covered those of the City´s programs, services, and activities that operate in the following facilities:
Miantonomi Park and Stone Tower
Department of Utilities
Cardines Memorial Field
Vernon Park
Hunter Field
City Hall
Tot Lot (Edwards Street)
Edward King House
Newport Harbor Center
Golden Hill Rec Center and Recreation Department Office
Little League Ball Field and Shed
Eisenhower Park
Newport Police Department
Mary Street Restrooms
Ann Street Pier
Brick Market Place
Morton Park
Maintenance Facility (The "Clean City" Program)
The Department conducted a program access review of the following polling places:
Florence Gray Center
Knights of Columbus
St. John the Evangelist Church
Fenner Hall
St. Peter´s Church
Donovan Manor
The Salvation Army
Newport Public Library
Hibernian Hall
St. Augustin´s Church
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center
Thompson Middle School
This review was limited to the areas of the facilities used by the voting public: parking, the route from the parking area to the area used for voting, and the area used for voting.
The Department also conducted a program access review of the following facilities that are designated as emergency shelters:
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center (also reviewed as polling place)
Thompson Middle School (also reviewed as polling place)
This review was limited to the areas of the facilities used by members of the public during an emergency: parking, the route from the parking area to the area used as a shelter, the area used as a shelter, and toilet and bathing facilities serving that area.
The Department reviewed the City´s policies and procedures regarding voting, emergency management and disaster prevention, and sidewalk maintenance to evaluate whether persons with disabilities have an equal opportunity to utilize these programs.
Finally, the Department reviewed the City´s Police Department´s policies and procedures regarding providing effective communication to persons who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.
For the City of Newport, Rhode Island:
By: ____________________________
JEANNE-MARIE NAPOLITANO, Mayor
Date: _____7/14/2010________
For the United States:
Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General
Civil Rights Division
JOHN L. WODATCH, Chief
JEANINE M. WORDEN, Deputy Chief
DOV LUTZKER, Special Counsel
NAOMI MILTON, Supervisory Attorney
PAULA N. RUBIN, Investigator
Disability Rights Section - NYA
Civil Rights Division
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20530
(202) 307-0663
(202) 514-7821 (fax)
Date: ______9/30/2010_____________


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X-Men: Legends will be the first real attempt at crafting an RPG around Marvel's exquisite superhero universe. Activision's pre-E3 editor's day gave me the chance to catch up with the development of Iceman, Wolverine and the boys, and so far things are looking pretty good for the X-Men. Activision has teamed up with Raven Software -- better known for its popular PC Star Trek Voyager first-person shooter series rather than RPGs -- and after a demo of the game, it's fair to say that X-Men fans are in for a great ride.
The game is a true action role-playing game. Viewed from an isometric 3D perspective, it's up to you to take control of a large selection from the more famous of the X-Men -- including the likes of Gambit, Storm, Cyclops, and Nightcrawler -- and crusade against the evil forces of the mutant collection known as the Brotherhood. The game kicks off with a CG sequence (the CG so far looks rather dated) which depicts the kidnapping of a girl. Professor X grows concerned with the Brotherhood's interest in this girl, and sends out a four-man team of X-Men to investigate.
The level shown during the demo took place on a military battleship, and saw Cyclops, Wolverine, Storm, and Gambit heading up the action. The 3D environments are made up from destructible and deformable objects, nearly all of which can be brutalized by your characters' special X-moves. This comes in handy and allows many different ways of solving the same puzzle to occur. For example, Nightcrawler might simply teleport through a wall to get to the hostage on the other side, while Cyclops might use his optic blast move to rend a whole in the wall. Another option could be that Iceman erects a bridge of ice to overcome a wide gap, while Storm simply might fly over the space instead.
The X-Men have stats, abilities, and powers which can all be leveled up through combat and mission-based experience. Each character has up to five levels of power in regards to their unique X-moves, and each level increased reflects the experience gain with visual as well as damage upgrades. For example, Cyclops' optic blast move becomes more and more impressive in terms of on-screen visuals, and it does more damage over a wider area.
There will be around 15 playable characters in total, but a reasonable percentage of these guys will need to be unlocked by beating missions and gathering items and rewards with the initial crew. Luckily, gaining experience and items is helped along by a nifty group-combat combo system, where all four members of the group can club together to tag-team specifically targeted enemies. Tech bits are the game's equivalent of credits or money and can be used to purchase upgrades and items along the way.
X-Men: Legends' in-game graphics and sounds are quite impressive. The models look like their comic-book counterparts, and engine effects including real-time lighting, particle effects, and deformable environments are suitably impressive.
The framerate seemed to keep up to snuff, even when there was a bunch of explosions and fighting occurring on the screen at once. On the whole, the demo presented what seemed to be a really tight action/RPG experience in the X-Men world -- something that surely appeals to a huge number of video gamers and comic-book fans alike.
Activision was also keen to point out that while the game contains no online play (future titles may, however) there are a few multiplayer options available. A cool two-player co-op mode allows two friends to control two of the four members of the team, while a four-player competitive mode sees four peeps going head-to-head with their X-Men of choice.
It's clear to me that X-Men: Legends will appeal to a bunch of different people; all of whom might not yet know that they could dig RPGs. Here's hoping that Professor X can get the word out that action/RPGs can be much more fun than average or even sub-par X-Men 3D fighting games. We're looking at you, Wolverine's Revenge...


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So as I mentioned yesterday divine intervention made me call J.T. my trusty OB because I hadn't felt the baby move for a few days and when we got there he warned me that there was a possibility we might need to do a c-section sooner rather than later.
I tried to remain calm when reporting this to everyone but when I was faced with the possibility that baby day might be fast forwarded two weeks my brain freaked out and did a back flip out the back of my head.
I believe my exact thought process was:
1. Is my baby ok in there?
2. 38 weeks is too early for the baby to be born!
3. All that time spent letting nature take its course was for naught!
4. I haven't bought my pretty hospital bathrobe yet!
5. The diaper pail at home is overflowing and I need to change it before my in-laws come over to pick up Ellie!
Not necessarily in that order but you get the gist.
We had an ultrasound to see what was happening and found that my fluid was dangerously low. The conversation went something like this:
Ultrasound Tech: (silent as she probes around, then) Have you been drinking?
Me: (thinking) Oh Jesus I'm busted! My weekly wine allowance has given my baby some sort of fetal alcohol thing! Oh God - do I own up to it or play dumb? Can they trace wine in my system from three weeks ago? I'm totally going to lie - no one can prove anything. Except all of those people who watched me drink wine.
Ultrasound Tech: (after 10 seconds of silence while I contemplate life in prison for killing my unborn baby) Because you look like you might be really dehydrated. Have you been drinking enough water?
Me: (relieved laughter) Oh no... I don't drink that shit.
Apparently I'm supposed to be drinking water. My homework assignment was to go home and hold my mouth open under the bathtub faucet on full throttle for 24 hours then come back in today to see if the fluid had increased. If so, then the problem was dehydration. If not, then we had bigger problems and it was baby time.
So began my 24-hour water binge. With the life of my baby on the line I forced myself to down almost 5 gallons of the nasty stuff.
It must have paid off because not only was my fluid way up, but the baby has actually turned into a duck.


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We all know stilettos are a true wardrobe staple, so grab a pair and get your strut on.
There's a stiletto for every occasion; from a meal out with your girls to the season's hottest party. Our selection of lace up and pointed stiletto high heels are totally on point for this season.
Stay on trend with embellishments, multi-straps and perspex details. Coming in a range of super-chic shades, such as nude, gold and black, they'll ensure your feet look fierce all night long.
Not sure how to style your stilettos? You can't go wrong with an LBD or cute jumpsuit. We're constantly updating our edit too, so whatever the season or event you're shopping for, we've got you covered.
Perspex Heels Heeled Mules Heeled Boots


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Apple and Squash Soup
Try topping this sweet-and-savory autumnal soup with fried sage leaves. To fry sage leaves for garnish, heat about 1/4 inch oil in a small saucepan until hot and "shimmering." Add 5 or 6 medium-size leaves at a time and stir 5 seconds. With slotted spoon, quickly transfer leaves to paper towels to drain. Cool completely. Leaves will crisp as they cool. You can fry leaves the day ahead and store in an airtight container at room temperature.
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- Yields:
- 12
- Prep Time:
- 20 mins
- Cook Time:
- 1 hr 15 mins
- Total Time:
- 1 hr 35 mins
- 2 medium butternut squash
- 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion
- 1 stalk celery
- 4 large Granny Smith apples
- 4 c. chicken broth
- 4 c. water
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- Fried sage leaves
- Step 1Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line 15 1/2" by 10 1/2" jelly-roll pan with foil. Place squash halves, cut sides down, in lined pan and roast 40 to 45 minutes or until very tender when pierced with paring knife. Cool until easy to handle, then, with spoon, scoop squash from skins and place in large bowl. Discard skins.
- Step 2Meanwhile, in 5- to 6-quart saucepot, heat oil on medium until hot. Add onion and celery; cover and cook 10 minutes. Add apples; cover and cook 10 minutes longer or until vegetables and apples are very tender.
- Step 3Add broth, water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and squash to saucepot; cover and heat to boiling on high. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes.
- Step 4In batches, ladle squash mixture into blender; with center part of cover removed to allow steam to escape, blend until pureed. Pour into large bowl. Return all soup to saucepot and heat through. Ladle soup into tureen. Makes 16 cups. Garnish with fried sage leaves.
Tips & Techniques
60 Creative, Easy and Healthy Chicken Recipes
70 Healthy Lunch Ideas That Will Keep You Full
70 Easy Vegan Recipes You Need to Try
Steak, Peach, and Watercress Salad
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The United States spends more on health care per capita than any other nation, yet we have millions of people with no health care and poorer overall health than other industrialized countries. The most pampered generation, the Baby Boomers, may not live as long as their parents, and those who do will live sicker. Poor people of all races in the United States are seeing their life expectancies decline. The more we spend on Medicare, the sicker our population has become. And the shiny, new medical tech, procedures, and drugs we see in the news are too costly for all but the elites.
We waste $210 billion in unneeded care, $190 billion a year in excessive administration, $130 billion in overpriced care, and $75 billion in fraud. More than half of health care spending goes to cultural illnesses caused by obesity and sedentary lifestyles -- ailments that are entirely preventable. We spend too much and get too little, and we'll spend even more as we get less healthy as a nation.
[ Also on InfoWorld: Consumerization comes to electronic health records. • The rough road to reliable data exchange among EHRs • Patient engagement will be tough task for health tech • The iPad revolution is coming to a hospital near you • iPads have won the hospitals, but Android may win the patients. | Subscribe to InfoWorld's Consumerization of IT newsletter today. ]
The answer to these woes may be a benevolent electronic Big Brother, a combination of monitoring technology and Amazon.com-like technology-based marketing. Or so several speakers in effect proposed at this week's Wireless Life Science Alliance conference, which brings together medical and technology providers and whose speakers shared those scary stats.
Frankly, I'm not sure which is worse: the disease or the cure. The idea of being constantly monitored deeply bothers me. (That's the odious business propelling Google and Facebook.) The same goes for the idea of being manipulated constantly by electronic feedback systems trying to change my own behavior, albeit in a quiet and friendly manner. (That's the Amazon approach to getting you to buy more and more often.)
But it's also clear what we're doing today isn't working, as the above stats show. Maybe we need to be more European, more Chinese, more Singaporean and give government (or perhaps, in our anti-government culture, corporations) the power to monitor and manipulate us for our own good.
Retraining people's attitudes on health
Robert McCray, CEO of the Wireless Life Science Alliance, says we need a change in culture away from health care to simply health -- that is, being healthy. As long as the focus is on care, people will not act to stay healthy, expecting instead their doctors to fix their self-induced ailments. We just can't afford it, he says.
We need a consumer movement, McCray says: "Healthy people have more fun." He cites several successful movements that have increase quality of life, such as the demonization of drinking and driving in the 1980s, the de-cool-ification of smoking by the entertainment and media industries in the 1990s, the safety campaigns in the 1970s to train people to wear seatbelts and government and insurance efforts to make airbags affordable standard equipment in cars at all price levels, and the broad government and business effort to train people to think about energy as a "how to use less" perspective (the MPG mentality) instead of a "where do we get more" mentality (the "drill, baby, drill!" thinking that hasn't entirely gone away). You could argue the various equality movements followed a similar trajectory since the 1960s, with the "liberal media" and various governments teaming up.


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SAN ANTONIO—Former Sgt. Santiago Erevia remembers the day in May 1969 when his Army unit came under heavy enemy fire in Vietnam. While crawling from one wounded solder to the next, the radio telephone operator used two M-16s and several grenades to single-handedly destroy four enemy bunkers and their occupants.
Decades later, the Texas man's heroic feat earned him the Medal of Honor.
"I thought I was going to get killed when I started to advance because when you fight battles like that you don't expect to live," Erevia told The Associated Press on Saturday.
Erevia is one of 24 veterans who served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam to receive the U.S. military's highest honor after a congressionally mandated review of minorities who may have been passed over because of long-held prejudices. The veterans—most of Hispanic or Jewish heritage—will be recognized in a March 18 ceremony that will try to correct the long-ignored ethnic and religious discrimination in the armed forces
The 68-year-old retired postal worker is one of 18 Latinos whose heroic deeds earned them the Distinguished Service Cross, the nation's second-highest award for gallantry, and whose recognition is bringing to light the long history of military service among the Latino community—despite the prejudice they faced.
"For Mexican-American and Latino veterans, it's a really high point," Ignacio Garcia, a Vietnam veteran and Latino history professor at Brigham Young University, said. "It highlights the notion of duty—in spite of problems, and despite limitations that people put upon the Latino community, and despite having being treated as second-class citizens."
Erevia, cited for courage during a search and clear mission near Tam Ky, South Vietnam, on May 21, 1969, is one of three of the 24 veterans who will be honored who are still alive. Former Sgt. Jose Rodela, from Corpus Christi, Texas, who will receive the medal for bravery during fighting in Phuoc Long province, Vietnam, in early September 1969, also lives in San Antonio.
The other recipient still alive is Melvin Morris, became one of the first soldiers to don a "green beret" in 1961 and volunteered twice for deployments to Vietnam during the war. Morris endured massive enemy fire directed at him and his men—he was hit three times—but was able to a fellow commander who'd been killed and recover the body. He also retrieved a map that included strategic information that would have been trouble if it fell into enemy hands.
"Those that aren't even here to receive their medals, those are my heroes," said Morris, who retired from the Army in 1986 as a sergeant first class. "They gave their whole life. They gave everything. They gave it all."
Among those posthumously honored is Pfc. Leonard M. Kravitz, the uncle of musician Lenny Kravitz.
"I am grateful that my uncle is finally receiving this honor," Kravitz said in a statement Saturday night. "He sacrificed his life for his brothers and is a true hero. My family is extremely proud."
The Army conducted the review under a directive from Congress in the 2002 National Defense Authorization Act. The law required that the record of each Jewish American and Hispanic American veteran who received a Service Cross during or after World War II be reviewed for possible upgrade to the Medal of Honor.
The Pentagon said the Army reviewed the cases of the 6,505 recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross from World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars and found an eligible pool of 600 soldiers who may have been Jewish or Hispanic.
Of the 24, eight fought in the Vietnam War, nine in the Korean War and seven in World War II.
Latinos have served in the U.S. military for generations because they see it as a chance to change their circumstances, get out of poverty or obtain an education, Garcia said.
Erevia, a high school dropout, joined the Army while going through a divorce.
"I joined the Army because I had no money to go to college and I wanted a better future," Erevia said. He eventually got his high school equivalency certificate and went to college, although he didn't earn a degree.
Many Latinos who served in the military later would be the ones who fought for equal treatment, Garcia added.
Albert Gonzalez, the national commander of the American GI Forum, the largest Hispanic-American veterans group, said recognizing the veterans with the Medal of Honor shows a willingness in the country to face a blemish in American history.
"It says to us that the country hasn't forgotten us even though they keep certain doors closed to us …" he said.
Erevia's wife, Leticia, said her husband is glad to be recognized but has mixed feelings about the war.
"Many times when he tells me these stories, he cries," she said.
Erevia said he thinks there were people more deserving of the highest honor than him, including a soldier who carried two wounded comrades out of harm's way just minutes before he was shot in the head and killed.
"I think he deserved it more than I did," he said.
AP National Security Writer Robert Burns and AP writers David Fischer in Miami and Jim Kuhnhenn in Washington contributed to this report.