text:
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
September 2009 Organizing Tips and More
My September 2009 newsletter is now available.
Tip of the Month: 8 Guidelines For Choosing and Using Containers
Organizing Product of the Month: Moose Storage
Recycling/Reuse Idea of the Month: Reusing leather jackets at reMade USA
Also included: Organizing Quote of the Month and some Twitter tidbits
Posted by Jeri Dansky at 11:44 AM 0 comments
Labels: green alternatives, organizing products
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Quick Tip: Taking Good Meeting Minutes
Do you take part in meetings: meetings within a company, meetings with clients, meetings of a non-profit organization you are involved with, etc.?
For almost all meetings, I recommend that someone takes and shares meeting minutes - but very abbreviated meeting minutes. All you really need to know is:
1. Who was there (and who was invited but couldn't make it).
2. What decisions were made.
3. What to-do items were assigned - who is going to do what, by when.
Writing down these few things takes very little time - and saves time in the long run!
Photo Credit:
Posted by Jeri Dansky at 11:42 AM 2 comments
Labels: time management
Monday, September 28, 2009
Stashing the Shoes: Yet More Options
Shoe storage seems to be a field with continual innovations. Last November, I wrote The Definitive Guide: 15 Ways to Store the Shoes. But since then, I've found yet more options - so here's an update.
In the one-of-a-kind arena, we have the Shrine shoe rack - a way of displaying a special pair of shoes. [via Better Living Through Design]
In the area of shoe racks, there's this unusual option, called the Nest shoe rack. There's also a wall-mounted version. [via Cribcandy]
And here's another shoe rack - available in two widths, and a number of finishes. This comes from The Bramble Company, which uses only sustainable wood from Indonesia - and is now also replanting trees. You can't buy directly from the company, but you can search for a dealer by you. (Hint: Searching by state seems to work best; search by city or by zip code will only work if there's a direct match.) I don't see any distribution outside the U.S. Update on Jan. 29, 2012: I'm no longer finding this product.
In the realm of cubbies, there are configure-it-yourself shoe organizers, either two-wide or three-wide. You can add as many tiers as you like.
And finally, I need to thank organizer Claire Tompkins for pointing me to the Shoe Skirt.
Posted by Jeri Dansky at 9:28 AM 6 comments
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Organizing and Displaying the Collection: Thimbles
If you're going to have a collection of special objects, it's nice to make the most of it by having the objects (or perhaps a rotating subset of those objects) on display, so you and other can enjoy them.
For example, take thimbles. There are so many ways to display them! Of course, you could have a few just sitting out almost anywhere - but what if you want to display more of them? Many companies sell basic display cases, but let's look at some of the more unusual options.
Langford Woodcraft sells a range of semicircular thimble display racks - and a full circular one, too.
Paul Anderson makes some fun thimble racks - in pine or mahogany finish - shaped like countries and animals.
And here's a different sort of thimble rack, available in four colors.
The Thimble Guild carries a few of Paul Anderson's many products, as well as some of Langford Woodwork's products. But it also has brass racks - free-standing racks and racks for the wall. There's also this one, which revolves. Update on Nov. 11, 2012: The Thimble Rack no longer carries this product, and I'm not finding it anywhere else, either.
The Thimble Guild also carries this leather "thimble harness."
These come from Thimbleselect, of Australia.
Nimble's Thimble Display Case Co. makes some lovely products.
Here's another thimble display case - this one with glass shelves.
And here's a thimble display cabinet that was made by Redpath Design, a fine furniture company.
And then there are also the thimble domes, in a range of sizes.
As you can see at the start of this video, this collector has a number of thimble cabinets (and some pretty wonderful thimbles)!
Related Post
Reader Question: Controlling and Displaying the Collection
Photo credit:
Posted by Jeri Dansky at 1:18 PM 2 comments
Thursday, September 24, 2009
How to Shop So You Don't Wind Up with Clutter
I don't remember who or what inspired me to buy Entre Nous: A Woman's Guide to Finding Her Inner French Girl, by Debra Ollivier. But I just picked it up off my bookshelf, and found these words within the first 50 pages:
The French girl's preference for quality over quantity ties directly into her ability to say No: No to excess in people, things or ideas; No to what doesn't grace her world. Quality over quantity is not just about material things. Who inhabits her world, who feeds her mind, who's allowed into her private garden? ...
If she can't afford it, she won't buy it. If it doesn't fit (or make her feel good, or flaunt what she's got), she won't wear it. If she can't find it, she won't compromise. If she loves it, she won't toss it. ...
When the French girl shops, it isn't a solitary act of buying something new. It's part of a lifelong process of editing her environment, making small but meaningful additions or adjustments to her home, her closet, her life. ...
You invest in authentic things of quality that will endure and you focus on what's essential. ...
The French school of fashion advocates having those few perfect items: The perfect black dress. The perfect white blouse. The perfect pullover. The perfect overcoat. The idea here is singularity: pieces purchased one by one that slowly build up a quality wardrobe through discretion.
Posted by Jeri Dansky at 10:31 PM 13 comments
Labels: books
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Emergency Preparedness: Take Baby Steps
Flylady teaches her readers to take baby steps to get the house clean and organized; the same principle works when it comes to emergency preparedness. While some people might want to set aside a chunk of time and dedicate it to getting prepared, other people will be more successful in taking a whole series of small steps.
I recently heard Margaret Lukens of Preparation Nation talk about three types of situations we need to be prepared for: We need to file (an insurance claim), flee (from a fire, for example) or freeze (shelter in place).
And in her blog, Margaret provides all sorts of ideas of baby steps we can take, such as:
- For those of us with pets, put a pet rescue alert sticker on the house.
- Keep some cash on hand.
- Learn how to turn off the gas.
- Get some QuakeHold - and use it.
- Take a CPR class.
Another useful site is SMC Ready - the emergency preparedness site for San Mateo County. The site has a number of checklists, and you could take any of those checklist items as your next baby step. For example, the home safety checklist includes this advice:
- Strap down your water heater and fit all gas appliances with a flexible gas supply line.
- Be sure your house number is visible from the street so emergency vehicles can find you.
You could also take small steps to create your emergency supply kit, using the SMC Ready checklist. You don't need to get everything together all at once! As Margaret says, you can begin with water.
As one parent said: "I used to get overwhelmed about emergency preparedness, but once I broke it down into small steps it got easier. ... I feel better knowing I'm ready instead of worrying about getting ready."
Photo credit:
Posted by Jeri Dansky at 10:55 PM 0 comments
Labels: disaster preparedness
Recycling Made Easier: Recycling Bins
If you want to separate your recyclables, and yesterday's recycling bags aren't quite what you had in mind, maybe a recycling bin would work. Many of the companies that make trash cans also make divided cans, in various sizes, to help with recycling.
One of those is Brabantia, whose products can be bought here or here. You can get either a pedal can or a "touch bin" that opens with a soft touch on the lid. [via UK Home Ideas]
As organizer Joan Kosmachuk noted, Simplehuman is another company making these bins.
Simplehuman also makes these recycling magnets you can put on metal bins - great for turning bins you already own into recycling bins. [via Apartment Therapy] Update on July 5, 2014: Simplehuman no longer sells these magnets.
Here's a recycling bin from Wesco - another approach to the divided bin.
And here's a two-compartment recycling bin from iTouchless, sold here and here (among many others).
Other companies making divided bins for recycling include Hailo (see sample here), Rotho (with a 2-section and a 5-section version), Dulton, and Neu Home.
John Lewis has a somewhat different product: two paired bins. Update on Dec. 12, 2011: Joh Lewis no longer has this product, but it has another recycling bin.
And then there are the "tall" recycling bins. This one comes from Dulton; it's also available in white. Update on Dec. 12, 2011: I'm no longer finding this product.
And here's another one, from an office supply company. It's currently on sale, because the company is shutting down its U.S. operations. Update on Dec. 12, 2011: I'm no longer finding this one, either.
Then there are the Mode all-in-one recycling centers. The premium one includes a compaction system to crush cans and plastic bottles. [via the San Francisco Chronicle/SFGate]
And finally, there's a recycling option with Italian style: the Ovetto differenziato, or recycling egg, designed by Gianlucca Soldi. There are a number of color options. It's available here, here and here. [via organizer John Trosko and Retro To Go]
Other ideas: Some people have used the IKEA Trofast as a home recycling center. Others have used elfa drawer systems; that's one of the ideas suggested by Popular Mechanics.
Posted by Jeri Dansky at 12:28 AM 1 comments
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Recycling Made Easier: Recycling Bags
I'm having a bit of a garbage can/recycling bin dilemma that I'm hoping you might be able to help with. I keep my main recycling bin on the main level of my house because that's where it fits best (for space and cleanliness reasons). But I have bathrooms and bedrooms upstairs (and I do most all of my paperwork upstairs in my bedroom) where lots of recyclable waste is generated.
Though it's good exercise, it's a pain in the butt to run downstairs every time I want to put something in the recycle bin. I don't like keeping a little pile in a designated spot to be brought to the bin on my next trip downstairs because I'm anal and it bothers me to see those things "not in their proper home". So what I'm looking for is a sort of dual-garbage-can that has two compartments -- one to be used for garbage and the other for recyclables.
I've directed this reader to the trash mug - but the question also reminded me of the various recycling bags that are available, which could be helpful in gathering recyclables to be taken to another part of the house. The recycle bags above come from KangaRoom, and are made from recycled materials.
Other recycling bags are divided by type of recyclable. Esschert Design makes a set of bags: orange for paper, gray for cans, blue for bottles, green for organic matter. You can buy the orange, grey and blue bags individually on Amazon.com - or you can buy a set of three from Gaiam, or a set of four from Design Within Reach.
Cost Plus World Market sells jute recycling bags. [via the kitchn] Update on Dec. 12, 2011: Cost Plus World Market doesn't have these any more - but it does have other recycling bags.
And finally, I want to mention these collapsible recycling bins from Seletti - a bit more than a bag, but still a portable alternative. You can buy them here and here.
Posted by Jeri Dansky at 8:40 AM 6 comments
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Cosmetics: They Don't Last Forever
How long do cosmetics last? In some cases, even unopened cosmetics can go bad; more often, the important consideration is how long the product has been opened.
If you live in the European Union, your products will have a symbol like the one above, showing the lifespan - the "period after opening." However, there are no such labeling laws in the United States.
Every site I've looked at says that mascara is the item that is most likely to get contaminated; some say toss 3 months after opening, while others say 3-4 months or 3-6 months. On the other end of the scale, eye and lip pencils are good for 2 years (according to some sites) or 3-5 years (according to another.)
You can read more from these sources:
* CBS News
* Good Housekeeping
* Mail Online
* Marie Claire (summarized at Unclutterer)
* Real Simple
* U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Now, how do you keep track of when that product was opened? You could use any basic label and stick it on the product - or you could use BeautyAlert stickers. [via Springwise]
Another option is the product called Timestrips. The company seems to be encouraging manufacturers to incorporate Timestrips into their packaging, but a Timestrip that tracks up to four months is available online.
Or you could note to-toss dates on your calendar, use a general-purpose reminder program (such as Remember the Milk), or use TossTime - but the TossTime web site seems under-developed, so I might hesitate to use this service.
Posted by Jeri Dansky at 8:53 PM 2 comments
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Definitions of Clutter: 8 Perspectives
Over on Unclutter, Erin Doland recently defined clutter this way:
Clutter is any distraction that gets in the way of a remarkable life. Clutter doesn't have to be physical — you can have time clutter or mental clutter or even bad processes that qualify as clutter.And a commenter, identified only as shris, writes:
For me, clutter isn't about distraction but what you feel, say, or think when you actually *look* at it.This inspired me to look at how other define clutter; here are some of the best perspectives I found.
If you make a face or grit your teeth or purse your lips, or your mental noise is 'ugh' or 'grr' or 'feh' or 'ew', then it's clutter whether it serves a purpose or not.
In her wonderful book Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui, Karen Kingston writes:
In my definition there are four categories of clutter:In The Clutter-Busting Handbook, Rita Emmett writes:
* Things you do not use or love
* Things that are untidy or disorganized
* Too many things in too small a space
* Anything unfinished
I think stuff becomes clutter when:In Unclutter Your Life, Katherine Gibson defines a number of types of clutter:
* It creates problems, stress, or embarrassment.
* You don't know what you have or can't find what you have.
* It keeps you from using an area, place, or thing for its intended purpose.
* It impairs your ability to function.
Physical Clutter: The possessions in our world that do not have a purpose, do not reflect who we our, and do not enhance our lives aesthetically or spiritually.In Clutter's Last Stand by Don Aslett, I didn't find a definition of clutter - but here's Don's definition of junk:
Mental Clutter: Expectations, distractions, and obligations that affect our peace of mind.
Emotional Clutter: Unfulfilling activities and the self-defeating thoughts and feelings that keep us from our highest potential.
It is junk if:And finally, let me leave you with some definitions from Debbie Stanley's excellent book, Organize Your Home in No Time:
* It's broken of obsolete (and fixing it is unrealistic).
* You've outgrown it, physically or emotionally.
* You've always hated it.
* It's the wrong size, wrong color, or wrong style.
* Using it is more bother than it's worth.
* It wouldn't really affect you if you never saw it again.
* It generates bad feelings.
* You have to clean it, store it, and insure it (but you don't get much use or enjoyment out of it).
* It will shock, bore, or burden the coming generation.
Does the object do a job for you? If so, it's essential; if not, it's clutter.And here's another definition from Debbie:
Now, that job could be to help you brush your teeth (the toothbrush in the stand on the counter), it could be to give you something beautiful to look at (the pictures on the wall), or it could be to make you feel good by bringing back a happy memory (that little jar of sand labeled Beachfront Property.)
Clutter = homeless items = unmade decisions.
Related post:
Clearing Clutter: Beyond the Stuff
Posted by Jeri Dansky at 2:31 PM 5 comments
Labels: books, clutter is more than stuff
Friday, September 18, 2009
Waste Bins and Baskets with Lots of Color
If you're not into neutrals, you might want to look at the trash bins from Vipp, which are hand-assembled in Denmark. While the Vipp trash cans mostly come in neutrals, there's one limited edition color-of-the-year: yellow cab in 2009, and a purple in 2008. The bins come in five sizes; Giggle recommends using one of them as a diaper pail!
You can get the 2009 color from the Vipp web site, or check the list of vendors; Design Within Reach and Emmo Home are two of many. I found the 2008 color at Zinc Details. [via Retro To Go]
Update on Nov. 21, 2011: The sites listed may not carry the specific colors they did when I first wrote this post, but they all still have some Vipp trash bins.
Not the right colors for you? Brabantia will let you pick from over 200 colors!
And while this photo isn't the best, I'm guessing the Mondrian waste basket, made from lacquered wood, is lovely in person.
Related Posts:
6 Wastebaskets You Won't Find Just Anywhere
7 More Wastebaskets You Won't Find Just Anywhere
8 Wastebaskets I Found Today
Wastebaskets and Trashcans, Revisited
A Green Wastebasket
Trashcans with a Green Tinge
The Latest Things in Waste Cans
Star Wars R2-D2 Trash Can
Posted by Jeri Dansky at 1:08 AM 4 comments
Monday, September 14, 2009
Hooks: Organize with the Animals
Continuing my quest for the world's most interesting hooks - hooks being such a good organizing tool - I've found that Anthropologie has added some lovely option in its hardware section. It was hard to pick a favorite between the squirrel and the owl. [via Oh Joy]
There are only two of this cat hook left at The Fair Trade Faerie.
And over at Cocoboheme, I'm equally taken with the lobster and the bull. Update on January 9, 2012: I'm no longer finding these products on the Cocoboheme web site.
Somehow when I wrote about dog-related hooks before, I missed this dachshund from Haseform; the company also has an octopus, an elephant and more. [via Ohdeedoh] Update on January 9, 2012: You can find many of the Haseform products at Connox, but I'm not finding the dachshund.
This fish and crocodile are just two of the marvelous hooks made by Sandra Tagliabue.
Over at fredflare you can get these sparrows. [via Mrs_PJs, on Twitter] Update on January 9, 2012: I'm not longer finding these sparrows on Fred Flare, but they come from Decor Craft Inc. and you can find them other places, such as here.
And this blue crab hook is made from recycled steel drum.
Related Posts:
Not Your Ordinary Children's Hooks
Four More Fanciful Hooks
Use Your Walls: Unusual Hooks and Coat Racks
Hooks I Wish Were Sold in America
Posted by Jeri Dansky at 1:04 PM 0 comments
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


text:
Portraits That Show The Human Side of Animals
Photo courtesy of TimFlach.com.
These creatures may be wild, but they've never looked so relatable as they do in the series of amazing photographs by Tim Flach as seen in his new book, More Than Human. The title couldn't be more appropriate either. Whether shooting gorillas, roosters, bats, owls, tigers, or even bugs, Flach has an amazing eye that manages to bring out the human side of just about any creature.Photo courtesy of
Of course, even with this photographer's impressive skill level, putting together a collection this remarkable still takes time. In fact, the book took seven years to compile, which should tell you just how serious Flach takes his role when it comes to capturing animals in a way we can truly connect with.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
A Venetian Affair
A True Tale of Forbidden Love in the 18th Century
A True Tale of Forbidden Love in the 18th Century
By Andrea Di Robilant
By Andrea Di Robilant
By Andrea Di Robilant
By Andrea Di Robilant
The First Actress
The Song of Hartgrove Hall
Family Baggage
The Elegant Gathering of White Snows
The Gallery of Vanished Husbands
The Last Time I Saw Paris
What the Lady Wants
The Matchmaker of Kenmare
The Wedding Officer
The Light of Paris
"Splendidly engrossing. . . . An extraordinary story." —The New York Times Book Review
"Jane Austen herself could not have conjured a romance with more passion, deception and intrigue."–People
"Thoroughly fascinating. . . . Has all the hallmarks of a Henry James novel. . . . Interweaving dramatic scenes and keenly observed expository passages [di Robilant] creates a narrative of novelistic resonance." —The Washington Post Book World
"A story of Venice at at time when people lived for romantic intrigue and where social and political restrictions led men and women into liaisons that made for delicious, tormented melodrama." –-Salon
"Filled with quiet intensity and elegant, thought-provoking prose…An elegiac and powerful novel with a fresh presentation of evil and the healing potential of forgiveness." —People
21 Books You've Been Meaning to Read
Become a Member
Start earning points for buying books! Just for joining you'll get personalized recommendations on your dashboard daily and features only for members.Find Out More Join Now Sign In


text:
A man wielding bottles of Jack Daniels whiskey and vodka was captured on a liquor store surveillance camera tossing the full bottles at a clerk, who chased after the man and whacked at him with a garden spade.
The video is especially graphic, showing a clear view of a young man, wearing a black cap and California-themed T-shirt, yelling at the clerk, grabbing cigarettes from the overhead counter, walking around with a case of Bud and appearing to threaten the clerk with the booze.
The video was recorded June 16 at Tip Top Liquor in the 400 block of Bascom Avenue in San Jose.
Santa Clara County Sheriff's Sgt. Kurt Stenderup released the video Thursday, noting he had edited out the end, which showed the attacker pummeling the clerk, before being pulled off by a customer who broke up the fight. The suspect sped off in a white car, and the clerk suffered minor injuries.
"He just started chucking bottles at him," Stenderup said of the suspect, noting that aside from Jack Daniels, Smirnoff and Skyy Vodka were also waved about.
The violence began, according to the video and clerk, when the man entered the store and picked up a case of beer, approaching the counter as though he were going to pay for it. He then asked the clerk how much a bottle of liquor was from behind the counter.
When the clerk went to check the price, the man went behind the counter and started grabbing bottles of liquor and cigarettes, as seen on the video.
"Every time they throw a bottle it constitutes as a new act," Stenderup said. "Potentially, we are looking at multiple charges of assault with a deadly weapon."
The clerk confronted the man, who became angry, and can be seen in the video holding the liquor bottles over his head as if about to hit the clerk.
The clerk can then be seen in the video chasing after the man, going after him with a spade.
"I feel [he was] very brave to help their fellow citizen and their neighborhood," said Benita Espinoza, who lives near the liquor store. "We need more people like that."
The suspect is described as a man standing 5'8" tall and weighing 160 to 180 pounds, with black curly hair in a ponytail and a mustache. He was wearing a backwards black hat with "SF" written on it. He was wearing a black T-shirt that said "CALI LIFE" on the front.
- Must See Photos: Crazy Fans at the World Cup
Anyone with information on the identity of this suspect, please contact the Santa Clara Sheriff's Office at 408-808-4431.


text:
James I
James I, 1394–1437, king of Scotland (1406–37), son and successor of Robert III. King Robert feared for the safety of James because the king's brother, Robert Stuart, 1st duke of Albany, who was virtual ruler of the realm, stood next in line of succession after the young prince. Albany had already been suspected of complicity in the death of James's older brother, David Stuart, duke of Rothesay. Accordingly, in 1406 the king sent James to France for safety, but the prince was captured on the way by the English and held prisoner until 1424. So, although James technically succeeded his father in 1406, the regent Albany ruled until his own death and was succeeded by his son, and the king's ransom was arranged only at the insistence of Archibald Douglas, 4th earl of Douglas, and other nobles. The king had been well educated by his captors, Henry IV and Henry V of England, who had treated him as a royal guest. Shortly before his return to Scotland in 1424, James married Joan Beaufort, daughter of the earl of Somerset. The Kingis Quair [the king's book] (rev. ed. by W. W. Skeat, 1911), the story of his captivity and his romance with Joan, is usually considered to have been written by him. It and other poems attributed to him would establish him as one of the leading poets in the Chaucerian tradition. James was crowned at Scone and set about governing energetically. He asserted his authority over the nobility, ruthlessly exterminating members of the Albany family and a number of other barons and reducing the Highland clans to order. He also achieved important financial and judicial reforms and sought to remodel the Scottish Parliament, which he convened annually, along English lines. His plans for including burghers in the Parliament and improving commerce and the army were opposed by his militantly feudal nobles, and his vindictiveness, cupidity, and quick temper understandably diminished his popularity. He was assassinated by a group of nobles, one of whom, the earl of Atholl, probably hoped to claim the throne. However, James was succeeded by his son, James II.
See biography by J. Norton-Smith (1971).
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: British and Irish History: Biographies


text:
I'm just doing a count now on my upper middle grade action adventure. It's at around 57,000 words. I wonder what the actual word counts were for books aimed at this age range--the initial Harry Potter books or the Percy Jackson books for example?
But don't forget Wimpy Kid was originally written as a humorous little adult book to remind us of our childhood. The publishing house decided it was better suited for kids.
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
Page created in 0.219 seconds with 30 queries.


text:
It's New Year's Eve, and your guests are about to come tumbling in. You set out bowls of salty snacks and a grand platter of cheeses. There's creamy white chèvre, a Stilton, some Brie, nutty aged Gruyère, tangy Vermont cheddar, and a splurge-worthy chunk of 4-year Gouda. With a flourish you top the platter with fruits and nuts just as the doorbell rings.
It's time to start popping corks. There's Champagne, of course, and let's see—what else? What wine goes best with all those cheeses?
The good news is that your guests will be thrilled no matter what you pour. The bad news is: it's complicated. Pairing wine and cheese is harder than you'd think.
That's because there isn't just one kind of wine and one kind of cheese. Cheeses vary in moisture content, fat content, texture, flavor. Wines, too, vary in acidity, sweetness, body, and structure. Fortunately, a few basic guidelines will bring match-making success, and by midnight your cheese and wine will be arm and arm singing Auld Lang Syne.
Protip: Consider Age and Intensity
All of cheese-dom lies along a continuum from fresh through hard-aged. Young fresh cheeses have a high water content and a milky and delicate texture. As a cheese ages, a process called affinage, the moisture in its body slowly evaporates, leaving behind fat and protein. Since fat and protein carry flavors, older cheeses tend to be more rich and savory.
In addition to drying and concentrating the cheese, age also introduces new flavors. Bloomy-rind cheeses like Brie remain gooey and spreadable, but have picked up earthy notes from a few months in the cave. Older cheeses like Gruyère and Emmental acquire nutty flavors. Blue cheeses develop pungency from the mold in their veins. Washed-rind cheeses like Époisses earn a funky, bacon-y redolence that you either love or hate.
Like cheeses, wines also run the gamut from delicate to bold, and their depth and complexity can correlate with their age, too. Young wines are fresh and spirited, with lively aromas and bright flavors of fruits, flowers, citrus, herbs, or spice. Wines that have spent time in cask or bottle have had a chance to knit together and acquire more nuance. In addition to their primary fruit flavors, they take on secondary notes of oak, toast, earth, oxidation, minerals, umami, and more. Like cheeses, these wines tend to be more complex and savory than their younger counterparts.
We can readily see how young cheeses might partner best with wines that are juicy, fruity, fresh and spirited—sparkling wines, crisp whites, dry rosés, and reds with good acidity and sprightly fruit.
Older cheeses would need wines with more body and complexity. The very oldest cheeses, those that are the most savory and rich and nutty, pair best with wines that have ample body and structure, and maybe oxidative notes, too.
Putting this all together, we arrive at the first rule of wine and cheese pairing: Pair by flavor intensity, and consider intensity's correlation with age.
More Essential Pairing Pointers
But age definitely isn't the only factor to keep in mind. A cheese's texture, saltiness, and pungency also influence a wine pairing, as do the wine's structure and sweetness. Here are a few other notes to keep in mind:
Watch those tannins. Tannic red wines are terrific with rich, aged cheeses, because their tannins literally bind to protein and fat, cleaning your palate after each bite. But the same process makes tannic wines feel far too astringent with young cheeses; they tie up what little fat's available, leaving you with a chalky sensation and a metallic aftertaste. If you must serve red wine with young cheeses, reach for one low in tannin, like Beaujolais or sparkling red Lambrusco.
Salt loves sweet. Sweet wines beautifully balance the saltiest cheeses like hard Grana, blue cheese, aged Gouda, or feta. The salt in the cheese heightens the perception of sweetness in the wine, so a wine that's already headed in that direction makes for a breezy pairing.
Cheese loves fruit and nuts. There's a reason we adorn cheese plates with fresh fruits, dried fruits, and nuts. The juicy, tangy fruits go well with young cheeses like Brie. Sweet dried fruits are wonderful with salty cheeses like Stilton. Buttery, bitter nuts are tasty with rich Cheddar. From fruity to sweet to nutty to tannic, these same pairing principles apply to wines, too. When in doubt, try to imagine which food would pair best with a cheese, and let that guide you toward a wine.
Texture: complement or contrast. Rich, creamy cheeses blend seamlessly with buttery, oaky white wines, creating a truly harmonious palate sensation. But contrast can be welcome, too. The bubbles in sparkling wines pose a nice counterpoint to a rich cheese, scrubbing your tongue clean and making you want another bite. That's why Camembert and Champagne are a classic combination.
What grows together goes together. Following this old adage, French goat cheese from the Loire is gorgeous with Loire Sancerre; the grassy, minerally qualities of the wine perfectly complement these flavors in the cheese. Red Burgundy's a natural with Époisses, a creamy cow's milk cheese whose rind is washed with a brandy made from Burgundian grape skins. Manchego, a hard Spanish sheep's milk cheese, is great with both Sherry and buxom, grippy Monastrell from southern Spain. Matching by region doesn't always work flawlessly—I wouldn't serve fresh Loire goat cheese with a tannic Loire Cabernet Franc—but pairing by terroir can be a great place to start.
Get to the Cheat Sheet, Already!
Here it is, an easy guide to pairing wine and cheese. Find each cheese by type below, then pick a wine from the recommended list to find pairing perfection.
Fresh and Soft Cheeses
Fresh and soft cheeses love crisp whites, dry rosés, sparkling wines, dry aperitif wines, and light-bodied reds with low tannins. Wines with apple, berry, stone fruit, tropical, melon, or citrus flavors work best. Avoid big, tannic red wines like Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux, and Bordeaux blends.
Cheeses: Ricotta, Mozzarella, Burrata, Chèvre, Feta, Halloumi, Brie, Camembert, Brillat-Savarin, Crottin, Bûcheron
Pair with: Riesling (dry to sweet), Gewürztraminer, Moscato, Champagne, Cava, Chablis, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Grigio, Albariño, Grüner Veltliner, unoaked Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Provençal rosé, Beaujolais, Lambrusco, White Port, Fino sherry
Semi-hard, Medium-aged Cheeses
These cheeses have a firmer texture and stronger flavors. They need medium-bodied whites, fruity reds, vintage sparkling wine, and aperitif wines that offer a balance between acidity, fruit, and tannin.
Cheeses: Havarti, Edam, Emmental, Gruyère, Jarlsberg, young Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Manchego, Tomme d'Alsace
Pair with: Chardonnay, white Burgundy, white Bordeaux, Pinot Blanc, Viognier, white Rhône blends, Riesling (off-dry), Gewürztraminer, Champagne, red Burgundy, Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, Dolcetto, Barbera, Zinfandel, Merlot, vintage Port, young Tawny Port, Amontillado sherry
Stinky Cheeses
Stinky cheeses call for light-bodied wines with demure aromatics that complement rather than compete.
Cheeses: Époisses, Taleggio, Morbier
Pair with: Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Sauternes, red Burgundy, Pinot Noir
Blue Cheeses
Blue cheeses need wines with both oomph and sweetness to balance their bold flavors and usually very salty, savory body.
Cheeses: Stilton, Gorgonzola, Roquefort, Cambozola, Bleu d'Auvergne
Pair with: red Port, Tawny Port, Sauternes, Oloroso sherry, Banyuls, Recioto, Tokaji
Hard-aged Cheeses
Harder cheeses love full-bodied whites and tannic reds. Their nuttiness also works with oxidative wines like sherry, and their saltiness makes them terrific with sweet wines.
Cheeses: Aged Cheddar, Cheshire, Comté, aged Gruyère, aged Gouda, Pecorino, Manchego, Asiago, Parmigiano Reggiano
Pair with: Aged white Burgundy or Bordeaux, white Rhône blends, sweet Riesling, Viognier, vintage Champagne, Vin Jaune, red Burgundy, red Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon, Barolo, Barbaresco, Nebbiolo, Petite Sirah, California red blends, red Rhône blends, Zinfandel, red Port, Tawny Port, Madeira, Sauternes, Oloroso sherry.
One Wine to Rule Them All?
It's fun to open a range of bottles to sample with your cheese assortment, but if you must pour a single wine with a mixed plate of cheeses, try Riesling, especially off-dry. The wine is low in alcohol, but its acidity, sweetness, tropical fruits, and mineral backbone let it partner broadly. Alsatian Gewürztraminer is another great choice. It's dry with a delicate body, but its floral aromas will waft ethereally above the savory notes of all of the cheeses.
Sparkling wines, from dry to sweet, almost always work well, too. Their ample acidity and toasty, nutty flavors complement cheeses from fresh through aged. A mixed plate of cheeses is a great excuse to open another bottle of Champagne—as if you needed one.


text:
A Grand Reunion! The 10 best trees in video games, Dan Amrich talks about his new book Critical Path, and a prolonged, SPOILER-FREE Mass Effect discussion…
Bam Ramdick, AND a top list of things!? It's a St Patrick's day miracle.
Dan Amrich: FUCK YEAH!
Top 10 Trees: FUCK YEAH!!
Mass Effect Discussion: Ehhhhh, fine, I'll deal with it.
I missed Dan so much. =)
Oh man, this one looks good! I mean blow me!
Change? Too soon for more change. Obviously I am making a bad joke and welcome Chang.
Awwww yea!
I am only 8 minutes in to the episode and I love everything about it.
Awesome! Reminds me of good Talkradar based on the content!
This is great guys, thanks a lot 🙂 I definitely missed Dan, and this episode seems to have a very talkradar feel to it.
I need that book.
Serious question to anyone that has listened to it, is it 2 hours of Dan ironically mispronouncing "journalist/journalism", joking about being paid off for reviews and the gang shitting on people that didn't like ME3 and dumping them in them with the "we want a new ending" crowd? I love Lasertime because it's usually detached from that type of stuff :(.
I know no one will probably see this comment, and since Talkradar is on hiatus I couldn't post it there (the 200 title made me think of TR)
But I juts wan't to say how HELPFUL you guys have been to me, the whole Tdar gang/PC Gaming staff. I have a slight extrovert condition where I really just need to hear people talking, and as an Illustrator I spend countless hours sitting in the same spot working on something for days on end. And I am without a doubt the most productive when I'm either listing to this, TalkRadar or PC Gamer podcast.
So thanks again for all the comedic and stress relief you guys have given me!
I am Commander Shepard, and this is my favorite podcast on the citadel
Very Original
I had finally given up and unsubscribed to Talkradar this morning and then downloaded this to find a reunion… Man, I almost teared up.
This combination of hosts is pure magic.
Damn Gina!
Everyone's saying they miss Dan. Am I the only one that listens to the One of Swords podcast!!
Also, is tdar dead? Tell me so I can stop sighing on Fridays.
I'll be listening to this one everyday until next weeks ep, just like usual! 🙂
Downloading at the speed of my internet
Still waiting for Paul Ryan, and sadly can't listen till later this week due to the uni, but damn am i looking forward to it.
P.S. at least try and get paul to write for the site
P.P.S how bout that amazon.ca link so i can start giving you my money, i have 8 more issues of sandman to buy and bond 50!
Man this is a really good episode of TalkRa- errm…Lasertime.
So yeah, if TalkRadar never comes back from hiatus, I have no problem with Laser Time just BEING "TalkRader that's not just video games".
I've been jonesing for a top 7 for weeks now.
I know, right? I didn't realize how much I missed listening to the guys talk about the "top number" lists until it stopped happening.
What a cast! An episode of good length? Count me in!
Damn, great episode. Made me slightly nostalgic for the old talkradars, I didnt even realize how long its been since an episode with original four hosts, that needs to happen more often.
I clapped and whooped when Bret said "When I worked at Toys R Us." Is my life sad and pathetic?
Only if that means hundreds of other people are pathetic as well.
Hold on…
Great show, you should all do this "format" here from now on (wishful thinking I know)!
Trees, eh… let's see how old and obscure I can go… Crystal Castles had some badass walking trees as maze monsters. The evil boss in the NES Strider was actually a demon tree thing called Yugdesiral. In Synapse's Necromancer computer game, you had to plant and protect trees from orcs and spiders in one screen, and in the next screen you make them walk into a spider lair to crush their nests. In Activision Skiing I ran into a lot of trees. Yeah that's about it.
Awesome, awesome episode.
In regards to the ME discussion and bear with me: Arrival seems to be a skippable DLC because it was so short and you don't take your squad mates with you. The thing about Arrival is that it was very different to what we've seen before and being just Sheppard supports how fragile and vulnerable you feel about the whole situation. It rates low on the scale because the DLC is compared to the wonderfully good Liar of the Shadow Broker however they really can't be compared as they're apples and oranges.
Hackett was the general who talked to you in ME1 and we don't see him until Arrival, (as Chris said). When I finally saw Hackett, I was very happy to finally be able to see the guy face to face to the voice I'd heard throughout the first game (plus its Lance Henriksen).
Play ME1 (was one of my favorites at the time/blow me I enjoyed exploring as well) obviously play ME2 (became my favorite overshadowing ME1 even though the story was not as strong as the first (which is understandable with any medium that follows an origin story), combat and pacing improved) and play ME3 even though the ending situation – the other 96% is exceptionally powerful and good.
ME fan signing off.
gah, bare instead of bear & Lair instead of Liar – we need an edit button here
It is actually "bear" because you're asking us to tolerate something with you, not get buck-ass naked with you that "bare" implies.
That 8-bit Mass Effect music was quite a treat.
Damn, this sounds like classic tdar. You know, before you guys got new jobs and became depressed.
Great episode this week guys, sorry to see this old style ended.
Love this episode, if Tdar got the ax, i would love 2 see more lasertimes like this, Hell i don't think i would be the only one who would be excited 4 a whole new podcast about games from Lasertime studios!
I've been missing Palette Swap Ninja on Talkradar (or I was, until they stopped making Talkraiders), so hearing him again was terrific. I have their whole first album downloaded and all, but I like hearing it in the context of the podcast. That's why I go back and listen to 80 every now and then.
As a spiritual successor to Talkradar 198, I wholeheartedly applaud the effort. Lasertime is its own beast, but I sure love me some Talkadar.
And how about that Top 10 Trees! Years in the making!
so is talkradar dead? stoked for me3 talk, and i love laser time, but i love the crew talking about video games best.
Really enjoyed that closing music. Haven't heard that tune on a new podcast in too long.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I personally loved this cast. It was a proper send off. A proper tribute. I can now move onward from TDar and enjoy these casts much more.
Be well, guys.
This episode really reminded me how much I enjoy the Laser Time format. I loved TalkRadar but it's good to see everyone back for one final farewell to an excellent show. Saying that, I still much prefer Laser Time and look forward to many new Laser Time Productions Inc entertainment products.
However could you guys consider changing the "the following has been a Laser Time production" label at the end of the podcast? It doesn't make any sense. It should either be at the start of the podcast and say that "the following is a Laser Time production" or at the end saying "This has been a Laser Time production". Just a little niggle and I'm not sure if it's on purpose or whatever
So what's this new podcast going to be called? Chat radar? Talk radio wave deflection detection? Just suggestions. Awesome episode by the way, I send bam ramdick my regards.
Lasertime makes me moist
Two things:
1. Usually I wouldn't complain about this, but since it happened more than a few times: the editing on the second segment was just horrid. I know you guys had tech issues with Skype and all, but the flow of the conversation kept breaking when I realized the disconnect. Not THAT big a deal though, I suppose. As long as I'm getting my Laser Time.
2. I never had Mordin sing to me in my ME2 playthrough and he survived. Just saying.
Let me preface this diatribe by saying this: I love everything you guys have ever done, and have listened to it all (most of it more than once).
But would it kill you to make just two more episodes of TalkRadar and not leave your fans hanging? I might be being premature, you guys could have something in the works. But consider this my humble appeal for a Talkradar 200: the place where it all began, and a 'cast that I have an embarrassing sentimental attachment too.
Still LaserTime to me. It's no 200. Just 26 or whatever numeric number LaserTime is.
i miss paul ryan
unbelievable guys, like a trip back in time. Missed the old show so much, It was great hearing you all together again.


text:
President #18, C-SPAN historians' ranking #23
Read this unconditionally
Americans have never been shy about making their military heroes Presidents. They have ranged from the great (George Washington and Theodore Roosevelt) to pretty darn good (Andrew Jackson and Dwight Eisenhower) to the quickly dead (William Henry Harrison and Zachary Taylor).
Ulysses S. Grant was undoubtedly one of America's greatest generals, leading the Union Army to a victory in the nation's bloodiest conflict, the Civil War. As a President, Grant is much harder to read. Back in 2000, historians ranked him #33. But, by 2009, Grant had risen ten spots in the rankings.
What had happened to Grant's reputation in that time to pull him out of Herbert Hoover and Millard Fillmore territory? Grant's Presidency was rife with scandals, including one where he had to dump his Vice President when running for re-election, only to replace him with a man who was caught up in the same scandal.
Josiah Bunting III, who served in the Army and also worked at the Virginia Military Institute as well as West Point in addition to writing novels, tries to present the case that Grant's Presidency was more than just a series of scandals. He presents Grant as a leader, who while a bit too keen to delegate work to people who were not competent or honest, but also as a strong supporter of civil rights for the newly freed slaves. Grant also wins praise from Bunting for trying (although ultimately unsuccessfully) to reform government policy toward Native Americans.
Was Grant as good of a President as he was a general? No. But was he the 19th Century's answer to Richard Nixon? No, far from that. Grant was not a paranoid man. He was not personally corrupt. He firmly believed he was always in the right. And, he never forgot his friends. Unfortunately, Grant could have benefited from having a higher class of friends.
Ulysses S. Grant was born Hiram Ulysses Grant on April 27, 1822 in Point Pleasant, Ohio. When he was 17, his father, Jesse, managed to get him a nomination to West Point. The Congressman writing the nomination, Thomas Hamer, thought Jesse's son bore his mother's maiden name as his middle name. So, Hamer nominated Ulysses Simpson Grant for an appoint to the United States Military Academy. Grant decided to stick with this name.
Grant's West Point class had only 39 graduates. Grant ranked 21st in his class. He served as a quartermaster at the Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis. But, world events thrust Grant into much different duty.
The border between the United States and Mexico in Texas was becoming subject of a heated dispute between the two countries. Grant joined what became known as the Army of Observation, under the command of General Zachary Taylor. This group ultimately forced the start of the Mexican War by engaging Mexican forces in a disputed territory.
Grant enjoyed serving under Taylor. He liked Taylor's "Rough and Ready" approach. Grant believed it was best to lead soldiers not by wearing fancy dress, but rather by just getting the job done. Grant would always be known for eschewing dress uniforms when he could. Grant won plaudits for his service during the war.
When the war was over, Grant married Julia Dent in 1848. He was soon dispatched to the West Coast as the population there boomed because of the California Gold Rush. During his long absences from Julia, Grant began to develop a drinking problem. Whether or not Grant was an alcoholic cannot be determined, but, Grant would be branded throughout his life as a drunkard by his enemies.
Regardless, Grant's drinking caused him to resign his Army commission in 1854. He returned home to Jesse and his growing family in the St. Louis area. After a succession of dead-end jobs, Grant and his family moved to Galena, Illinois in 1860
And, as we should know, the Civil War began in April of 1861. Grant offered his services to the Governor of Illinois. He was named a colonel of a volunteer regiment. Then, he quickly moved up to brigadier general. In August of 1861, Grant was given command of all Union troops in Southern Illinois. When the Confederate Army took over the city of Columbus, Kentucky, Grant was ordered to retake the city.
Grant's men engaged the Confederates across the river from Columbus in the town of Belmont, Missouri. The Union won a rousing success. Grant was supposedly the last man to leave the battlefield.
Now, the Union Army was taking aim on Confederate defenses in the Ohio Valley. In the battle for Fort Donelson, Grant faced an old friend of his Confederate General Simon Bolivar Buckner. Buckner realized that his men were outnumbered and sent a message asking Grant for what his conditions for surrender would be. Grant famously replied, "No terms except immediate and unconditional surrender can be accepted." From then on, many believed that U.S. Grant stood for "Unconditional Surrender Grant."
From then on, Grant's military career skyrocketed. The names of the battles are almost like a roll call of the famous battles of the Civil War: Shiloh, Vicksburg (which ended at about the same time as Gettysburg), Chattanooga, the Wilderness, Spotsylvania Courthouse, Cold Harbor, Richmond, and, finally, Appomattox.
Grant's victories were not for the faint of heart. He knew that numbers were on his side. Grant was denounced by his opponents as a "butcher." However, President Lincoln firmly believed in Grant. As Lincoln reportedly said, "I can't spare this man. He fights." Grant rose to the rank of Lieutenant General, the first man to hold that title since George Washington.
Despite the high casualty rates, Grant's men were extremely loyal to him. Grant did not enjoy the death toll, but, according to Bunting, Grant was certain that he was in the right. And Grant believed in "the certainty of victory." Grant would push forward all the time. He would make the South pay for their actions.
When Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to Grant at Appomatox Court House, Grant no longer wished for unconditional surrender. Grant asked that Lee's men simply surrender their arms and agree not to fight again. Lee's men could then go home and try to rebuild their lives. Grant became General of the Army of the United States.
Lincoln had asked Grant and his wife to go with him to Ford's Theater on that fateful April 14 of 1865. Grant declined, mostly because Julia did not wish to spend a night with Mary Todd Lincoln. After Lincoln's death, Vice President Andrew Johnson took over the role of bringing the country back together.
The next four years would nearly ruin the nation again. Johnson wished to immediately bring the Southern States back into the Union with full voting rights in Congress. Johnson, although a firmly believer in abolition, had no desire to see the freed slaves attain any other basic civil rights. Republicans in Congress resisted Johnson at every turn. The Reconstruction of the United States would not be accomplished only by the powers of persuasion. It would take the United States Army.
Johnson opposed the 14th Amendment, which granted full citizenship to anyone born on United States soil. Grant supported it. Johnson wished to speak out against it, along with many other Radical Republican measures in Congress on a speaking tour through the Midwest by train. Grant came along for moral support, but quickly tried to distance himself from Johnson, who was often heckled by crowds, and Johnson would respond in kind.
In 1868, matters between Congress and President Johnson came to a head with the Tenure of Office Act. This act made it illegal for the President to remove from office without Congressional approval. Johnson wished to remove Secretary of War Edwin Stanton (who was leaking information to the Radicals) and replace him with Grant. At first, Grant accepted the job, but, realizing that he had a chance to become President later in the year, declined. Eventually, Stanton was replaced. The House impeached Johnson and he escaped conviction by one vote.
The Presidential Election of 1868 was perfectly set up for Ulysses Grant. No one else in the country had the stature to take over. Grant won the nomination without any opposition. Speaker of the House Schuyler Colfax was named as Grant's running mate.
The Democrats nominated former New York Governor Horatio Seymour. Seymour was no match for the hugely popular Grant. With much of the white Democratic vote in the South suppressed by the Army, Grant won by a 214-80 margin in the Electoral Vote and had 52.7% of the popular vote.
While everyone knew of Grant's military heroics, very little was known about how he would govern. Not many people seemed to care too much about that at the time.
Grant would not reveal the names of his choices for Cabinet posts until he forwarded them on to the Senate. Some of his choices were curious. For example, he chose an Ohio friend, Elihu Washburne for Secretary of State. But, Washburne resigned the post after 12 days to become Minister to France. Grant felt that Washburne would be considered a more prestigious emissary with "former Secretary of State" on his resumé. Hamilton Fish would replace Washburne for the next eight years.
Grant's military chief of staff, John Rawlins, was supposed to head up the Army in the Southwest, but Rawlins told Grant that he would rather be Secretary of War. And Rawlins got the job. But, he died in September of 1869 of tuberculosis.
A quiet, but wealthy campaign contributor from Philadelphia, Adolph Borie, became Secretary of the Navy. However, Borie did not know anything about naval affairs. Grant just thought he would like the job. Borie resigned the position in June of 1869.
Grant also wanted to pick financier Alexander Stewart to be Secretary of the Treasury. However, Stewart's vast wealth and many entanglements with Federal funds, made the Senate balk at his nomination. Grant withdrew Stewart and nominated George Boutwell, one of the House managers for the impeachment of Andrew Johnson.
Soon after taking office, Grant decided to tackle the issue of the national debt, which had ballooned to nearly $3 billion (about $46 trillion in today's money, almost four times today's national debt.) Grant had Congress pass a law requiring that the debt be repaid with gold and not paper money. Grant wished to avoid inflation at all costs.
The increased demand for gold led two New York speculators, Jay Gould and Jim Fisk, to try to corner the gold market. With inside knowledge from one of Grant's brothers-in-law, the two men persuaded the Treasury to delay public sales of gold. Gould would buy large sums of gold, which served to drive up the price. The idea would be that when people tried to redeem their greenbacks for gold, they would reap even more money. The whole plan fell apart though when the Treasury sold a large amount of gold earlier than expected, which sent prices plummeting. Many people were ruined, although Gould and Fisk were not, and neither faced any criminal prosecution.
Grant's response to this crisis gave people the impression that he was in the pocket of Wall Street, and likely in over his head in the job of President. Scandals would be a constant presence during Grant's Administration.
Besides the national debt, one of the major crises for Grant was dealing with the problem of how to bring back the Southern states into the Union. Although the slaves were free, Southerners showed no inclination of allowing the freed slaves to vote. Methods ranging from legal chicanery (such as literacy tests) to blatant violence (from groups like the Ku Klux Klan) were employed to keep African-Americans from voting.
Grant was not afraid to use Federal force to maintain order and uphold civil rights. Under Grant's watch, the Fifteenth Amendment, which explicitly granted the franchise to all adult male citizens regardless of race, was adopted. Grant also created the Justice Department, headed by the Attorney General, to enforce civil rights laws. Prior to 1871, the Attorney General was mostly a glorified White House counsel. Grant made the position into one of the most powerful jobs in the country. Nevertheless, Grant's desire to use Federal force to enforce black voting rights in the South was often more of a political calculation than a moral one. Bunting admits that Grant would time Federal activities in the South to help with elections in various parts of the country.
Toward the end of Grant's first term, a major scandal shook up his Administration. It would be known as the Credit Mobilier Scandal. Credit Mobilier was a construction company set up by the Union Pacific railway. Several members of Congress had taken bribes, usually in the form of stock, to give the Union Pacific favorable votes in Congress. Vice President Colfax was caught up in the scandal and dropped from the ticket in 1872.
The Democrats did not run an opponent against Grant in 1872. Instead, an odd coalition of government reformers who were opposed to the rampant use of political patronage jobs, as well as Northerners who objected to the continuation of military Reconstruction in the South, formed a group called the Liberal Republicans. They nominated newspaper publisher Horace Greeley.
Greeley had never held elective office before. His campaign never got very far as he proved to be a rather unusual character. He always wore a long coat and carried an umbrella regardless of the weather.
Grant had little trouble winning another term. He won with 286 electoral votes and 55.6% of the popular vote. Soon after the election, Greeley's wife died. Bereft after her passing, Greeley soon died as well, leaving his 66 pledged electors to vote for whomever they wanted. (For those not scoring at home, here is how the voting went.)
The next four years for Grant would bring about even more scandal. His new Vice President, Henry Wilson, turned out to also be involved in the Credit Mobilier scandal. However, he passed away in 1874, before any final determination of his complicity.
In 1873, Congress passed a law doubling the President's salary to $50,000. That did not bother people. What bothered people was that Congress voted itself a raise and made it retroactive for two years. And members of Congress would get a $5,000 bonus on top of that. Public opposition forced the repeal of this pay raise (but not Grant's) in 1874.
Grant's personal secretary had to resign in connection in a tax evasion scheme involving distillers. The Secretary of War extorted money to allow a trading post to stay open. The Attorney General took a bribe to stop the prosecution of a case against a customs house.
Adding to all this was a major financial crisis: the Panic of 1873. This crisis came about because of speculation in the railroad industry. Those stocks became over-valued and then collapsed in price. Banks began to fail. Unemployment shot up. Wages declined. Congress wanted to relieve the credit crisis by allowing more greenbacks into circulation. But, Grant vetoed the measure, keeping in line with his strong belief in the gold standard, as well as a fear of inflation. Although it did take time (until 1879 when Grant was out of office), the economy did right itself.
It might seem that Grant did little right. Bunting does not believe that to be the case. He believes that the domestic ills were the result of Grant's military background and his belief that he could delegate authority correctly.
Bunting also gives Grant credit for foreign policy successes. Secretary of State Hamilton Fish negotiated a major treaty with Great Britain over a dispute that originally centered on a claim that the United States had against the British for helping the Confederate Navy build a steamer called the Alabama. Fish initially received monetary remuneration from Britain, but Senate Foreign Relations Chair Charles Sumner declared that to be inadequate. Sumner believed the Alabama extended the Civil War for two years. Sumner wanted Canada as payback.
Fish ultimately got the British (and Sumner) to come to an agreement to have the matter sent to binding arbitration. Fish would also negotiate a sticky border dispute between the U.S. and Canada in the newly acquired Alaska Territory.
Bunting makes a case that Grant had the most humane policy toward Native Americans of any President. Grant wanted to smooth relations between the various Native American nations and the United States. He wanted to establish schools. He appointed Native Americans to administer the programs. Grant wanted to complete Jefferson's dream of making the original inhabitants of the United States Americans on equal standing with those who came later.
Sadly, this was not to be. Toward the end of Grant's administration in 1876, when an Army Cavalry regiment under the command of Colonel George Armstrong Custer, was wiped out by a Lakota-Cheyenne force at the Little Bighorn River. Public opinion no longer favored giving the Native Americans any more aid.
After leaving the White House, Ulysses and Julia Grant took a tour of Europe that lasted over two years. They were celebrities wherever they went, but, to Grant's disappointment, he was mostly honored as a general, not a President. He came back to the United States hoping to reenter the political fray in 1880 as a candidate for President.
The Republican Convention could not decide between Grant and James Blaine of Maine. James Garfield was nominated as a compromise choice. Grant had to leave the arena.
Unfortunately, a bad investment left Grant nearly penniless. Wealthy benefactors helped out as much as they could. Around this time, Grant developed a sharp pain in his throat. It turned out to be throat cancer.
With little time to live, Grant opted to sign with a publisher to write his memoirs. Despite being in tremendous pain, Grant produced a two-volume work. He finished writing the manuscript on July 18, 1885. He died on July 23, 1885 in Mount McGregor, New York. (Grant is the only President known to have died from cancer.) The memoirs earned his estate over $450,000 in royalties.
Bunting's book does not make the most persuasive case that Grant was anything but a mediocre to terrible President. Grant should be credited for his strong stance on civil rights and his relatively enlightened attitude toward Native Americans. Ulysses S. Grant as President probably seemed like a good idea at the time for the United States. But, the United States did not have the brilliant military strategist as President. Instead, the country got the ne'er-do-well who could not hold a job before the Civil War. We all have some job that we are best suited for. For Ulysses S. Grant, that job was in the military, not in civilian life.
Other stuff: Grant was 46 years old at the time of his inauguration, making him the youngest man to hold the office at the time. Vice President Schuyler Colfax was just 45.
Grant's birthplace in Point Pleasant, Ohio is open to visitors. It is operated by the Ohio Historical Society. Grant and his wife Julia are entombed at the General Grant National Memorial in New York City at 122nd and Riverside. It is familiarly called Grant's Tomb. It is operated by the National Park Service.


text:
Is Portugal about ready to implode?
That's what one hedge fund manager believes. For now, interest rate action suggests otherwise.
We will explore the case for implosion but first consider this chart of 10-year sovereign bonds.
Portugal 10-Year Sovereign Debt Yield
One certainly could have made a fortune plowing into 10-year Portuguese bonds. Does that mean Portugal is out of the woods?
I don't think so, and neither does Tortus Capital hedge fund manager David Salanic.
The New York times describes the setup in A Lonely Bet Against Portugal's Debt, but I am more interested in Tortus Capital's thesis.
Salanic maintains the status quo is not sustainable. Here is his overall thesis.
Portugal Debt Implosion Thesis
- The Troika Program is off track. Portuguese bondholders are at the mercy of that market.
- Portugal has excessive public and private debt financed from abroad. Portugal can neither grow nor devalue that debt.
- Austerity fatigue has set in as the people carry the full burden of the adjustment.
- Corporates are defaulting en masse and cannot sustain their debt burdens, leading to a vicious cycle of deleveraging.
- The long-term outlook is bleak.
- Debt-to-GDP is very high and growing one percent per month. Portugal is the third most leveraged country in the Eurozone.
- Accounting for growth and interest expense, Portugal's debt is the highest in the Eurozone and is not sustainable.
- Portugal can neither raise taxes nor cut expenditures, leaving little room to improve debt-servicing capacity.
- 40 consecutive years of deficit and 18 years without a primary surplus confirm that Portugal cannot sustain so much debt.
- In the most optimistic case, the Portuguese sovereign has at least 30% too much debt.
Salanic does a fantastic job presenting his case in a 62 page document, Rehabilitating Portugal.
I recommend reading the presentation in entirety, but here are a few charts.
click on any chart for a sharper image
Missed Deficit Targets
Missed GDP Targets
Wishful Thinking
Debt Financing
Credit Ratings
Inability to Outgrow or Devalue Debt
Corporate Debt Levels
Debt to GDP
Debt to Revenue
Interest Expense vs. Revenue
Target 2 Liabilities
ECB Liabilities
Mish Comments
That was a lot of charts, but there are another 40 or more in the article. I didn't count.
Other than target 2 imbalances (debt owed to other countries), Spain appeared at least as bad in most of the comparison charts.
Portugal alone is enough to sink the Eurozone given ECB leverage.
I have said repeatedly there is absolutely no way the Eurozone can stay intact and the above analysis strongly supports my claim.
That bond yields are so low in spite of the fundamentals is not an indication things are getting better. Rather, it is a strong sign of a bubble-supportive speculative mentality that central banks have fostered.
I do not know what the catalyst for a breakup will be, or when it happens, but Portugal is clearly back on my radar of things to watch.
Sincere thanks to Tortus Capital fund manager David Salanic for an outstanding report.
Mike "Mish" Shedlock


text:
So, you may rightfully ask, what on earth does that have to do with a blog that reviews literary fiction?
The Heart Specialist, by Claire Holden Rothman, was inspired by the real life story of Dr. Maude Abbot, one of the first female physicians in Montreal (at almost the same time as the first Nobel was awarded). Holden Rothman makes it clear that her heroine, Agnes White, is an inspiration, not a representation, of Dr. Abbot — but one of the central themes in this thoroughly rewarding novel is the immense difficulty that Canadian women faced in taking their rightful place in the scientific world as the nineteenth century came to a close. As the Nobel numbers above indicate, that struggle continues more than a century later.
Regular visitors to this blog probably have noted that KfC has some problems with historical novels as a genre. I struggled to finish both Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall and A. S. Byatt's The Children's Book, two 600-plus page blockbusters on this year's Booker Prize shortlist, either of which may claim the prize when it is announced tomorrow. How did Holden Rothman succeed for this reader in her first novel (she has published two short story collections) when those two renowned novelists failed?
First, and most important, she made the novel Agnes White's story (and she manages to tell it in only 325 pages). While breaking new ground for women in medicine is the constant framework for the story, it is only a framework. Agnes is introduced in a prelude, a memory of a moment that occured just before she turned five. She awakes to find her scandal-ridden doctor father — recently accused, but cleared, of murdering his crippled sister — weeping over her as he prepares to depart forever. It is a moment that she will never forget:
For the longest time I felt that I had chased my father away. My tears had sent him running. His face had been there one moment and then, after I shut my eyes and wept, he was gone. A child's logic, I suppose, but logic nonetheless. What if I had kept still, I later could not help thinking. What if I had reached out my childish arms to embrace him? From that day on I lived with one thought paramount in my mind. I would find my dark, sad father and win him back. Though I could not claim to have known him well, and my first memory of him was almost my last, it did not matter. His face stayed with me through the years, as clear as on that night in January when he went away.
That introduces the first of Agnes' motivations but it is another memory that drives what will become the quest of her working life. Her father's specialty (he was a professor at McGill University before being released as a result of the scandal) was "morbid anatomy" and he kept a "Death Room" at home where he did dissections. When her mother died a few years after her father's disappearance, Agnes managed to hide away his microscope and a box of slides — when the proper novel opens, at the age of 11 she has established her own dissection room in her grandmother's barn (although she is working on animals, not humans, at this point). Her grandmother guardian wants all elements of her father erased from her life; a sympathetic governess, on the other hand, encourages Agnes' interest in science.
She is smart and wins a full scholarship to McGill. She is equally successful there and passes her bachelor's with flying colors. Agnes, and four other women, want to become the first female students ever in McGill's medical school. Told that $250,000 must be raised to cover the extra costs of educating the women (they can't share classes with males, after all), she succeeds with the help of some well-connected Montreal matrons. The entrance committee still refuses her entry, in a unanimous vote.
Agnes eventually graduates from Bishop's University (a distant second to McGill as Montreal's other English language school) as a doctor, but her fledgling practice is minuscule — people don't go to women doctors. One of the professors at Bishop's who had taken her under his wing is now dean of medicine at McGil. He offers her a job as custodian of McGill's medical museum.
I am foreshortening the story dreadfully, but Agnes soon discovers that many of the preserved body parts (particularly hearts) in the museum are, in fact, from her father's old collection. They have been provided by a former student of her father, Dr. William Howlett, who is now a rising star at Johns Hopkins University in the United States, arguably that country's best medical school at the time. Howlett also happened to be on the McGill entrance committee that rejected her. To the obsessions of finding her father and her role in science, Agnes adds a third — impressing and serving this new mentor to her cause. The irony of a feminist being driven by two male models is not lost on the reader. What other choice is there?
Howlett certainly helps, in his way, and Agnes begins to acquire an international reputation. A particularly good part of the book, which I don't have the space to explore in detail in this review, comes with the arrival of the Great War. Most of the McGill medical school heads off to set up a Canadian field hospital on the war front. Agnes is conflicted — she would like to go and do her patriotic part, yet the very absence of all those people has suddenly made her an attractive visiting international expert in the U.S. (still not in the war). Holden Rothman does a particularly good job of exploring how the war-driven need to expand the role of women creates its own internal conflict for the women involved — a theme that is also present in another Giller longlist book, Jeanette Lynes' The Factory Voice (reviewed here).
Agnes White becomes a fully-developed character as all this unfolds — that for me is the major difference between my reaction to this novel as opposed to Mantel and Byatt. Instead of characters merely serving the historical story, this book is an exploration of how the story effects the character. (I'm fully aware that those who love Wolf Hall are going to dispute that assessment and argue it is all about a fascinating Thomas Cromwell. I found him more a narrative voice than a developed character, but I digress.)
The other thing that I very much appreciated in The Heart Specialist is that Holden Rothman never lets her prose style get in the way of her purpose. Again with Byatt and Mantel, I often found that soaring and inflated language served only to muddy an incomplete story. Straightforward prose may seem to be damning with faint praise, but in a complicated historical novel it is a definite asset. One more illustration, this time Agnes' reaction after the McGill entrance committee has rejected her:
I stood, not trusting myself to speak. It was all I could do to get my body out of the chair and out of Laidlaw's office, away from the intrusive eyes of these men whom I now understood had never intended to admit me, no matter what feats I performed. Dr. Howlett jumped up as soon as I rose and offered me his arm, but I did not take it. I could not stand any reminder of my gender. In the alcove the secretary looked up, but I looked right past her without speaking. One word and the floodgates would open.
The Heart Specialist explores some complex issues in an equally complex period of history, but the author makes sure that both are appropriately contained. It does this by focusing on how these circumstances effect its principal character, who comes to life in a fully-developed way. As today's Nobel announcement shows, the issues remain timely. And the book does this in a reader-friendly prose style that never gets in the way of the story. While the theme and subject matter will not be to everyone's taste, for this reader that made for a quite successful novel.


text:
Contrary to popular belief, the marijuana plant is a whole lot more than just a psychoactive drug that "stoners" use to get high.
In raw form, marijuana leaves and buds are actually loaded with a non-psychoactive, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer nutrient compound known as cannabidiol (CBD) that is proving to be a miracle "superfood" capable of preventing and reversing a host of chronic illnesses.
Though you may not have heard much about it, the CBD found in the marijuana plant — marijuana is technically just a vegetable, by the way — is a highly medicinal substance with unique immune-regulating capabilities.
Since the human body already contains a built-in endogenous cannabinoid system, complete with cannabinoid receptors, inputting CBD from marijuana can help normalize the body's functional systems, including cell communication and proper immune function.
The way CBDs work is that they bridge the gap of neurotransmission in the central nervous system, including in the brain, by providing a two-way system of communication that completes a positive "feedback loop," according to Dr. William Courtney, a medical marijuana expert and founder of Cannabis International.
As opposed to a one-way transmission, which can promote chronic inflammation of healthy tissue, the unique two-way transmission system engaged by marijuana CBDs mimics the body's own natural two-way communications system.
So individuals whose systems are compromised by autoimmune disorders, cellular dysfunction, chronic inflammation, cancer cells, and various other illnesses can derive a wide range of health-promoting benefits simply by consuming CBDs.
And one of the best ways to obtain CBDs is to juice raw marijuana leaves and buds, according to Dr. Courtney, who currently runs a clinic in Luxembourg that provides raw cannabis medicinal services to patients in need.
"CBD works on receptors, and as it turns out, we have cannabinoids in our bodies, endogenous cannabinoids, that turn out to be very effective at regulating immune functions, nerve functions, bone functions," says Dr. Ethan Russo, a Seattle, Wash — area physician who is also a senior advisor to GW Pharmaceuticals, a British drug company that is utilizing CBDs in a new marijuana mouth spray known as Sativex.
"There's a tendency to discount claims when something appears to be good for everything, but there's a reason this is the case. The endogenous cannabinoid system acts as a modulator in fine-tuning a lot of these systems, and if something is deranged biochemically in a person's body, it may well be that a cannabinoid system can bring things back into balance."
Be sure to check out these amazing videos from Cannabis International that explain more about how raw cannabis, and specifically the CBDs found inside the plant, work to promote health and reverse disease:
"While some U.S. states like California and Colorado are beginning to recognize and accept that marijuana has legitimate therapeutic value, the federal government continues to classify marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug with "no currently accepted medical use."
And as long as it remains classified in this way, most Americans will never have the opportunity to experience the healing potential of this vital superfood.
But Cannabis International and other groups are continuing to educate the public about why marijuana is a food essential, and how legalizing it could change the world. To learn more, be sure to visit: cannabisinternational.org
Read more: 6 Strong Reasons to Juice Cannabis


text:
Before I start this post, I will state for the record that I am still madly attracted to my spouse. I wouldn't change the many blessings we've had heaped upon us when so many have so little. This goes from our home to our children to our jobs to our health.
That all said, I'm human like anyone else. Here's my list of the 10 Libido Busters in my marriage. Because I am such a generous person (well, guilty is more like it... I come from strong Catholic and Jewish stock... double the whammy) I am going to list how you can go from moaning about your sex life in a bad way to moaning about it in a good one.
1. Kids: (This is, without a doubt, the BIGGEST BUST that keeps my spouse from enjoying the other big bust in this household.) Perhaps you know what I mean. Children are dorable and sweet but time sucking demons. They can turn your once spicy union into a business operation. "I've had them all day, you get them now, GO!!!!!!" The Solution - Come up with a plan to get those kids in bed early and stick to it! You'll both get some much needed alone time as well as together time without having to fight for conversations that don't include Dora, requests for water and complaints about who stole whose fork.
More From Good Housekeeping
* As I type this, it's 6:54PM my time. My kids are in their rooms and my husband is... well, he's... see #2.
2. Computers: The Buster - It's easy to think we're getting a lot done in our fast and saavy internet world. We connect on Facebook! We schmooze on Linked In! But the person we should be downloading (at slow and steady and sexy speed) is our spouse. (Check out In Praise of Slowness by Carl Honore and join the movement to reconnect with people, not our blackberries! The Solution: Set boundaries on your computer time. (But first finish this article! I want your opinions!)
3. Letting It All Go: The Buster - Farting in bed, forgetting the makeup, saving flower shopping for funerals only. The Solution - Practice wind restraint (or buy some Beano.) Start thinking of your spouse like a first date! Surprise your mate with the things that make their hearts sing.
4. Exercise: The Buster - Not doing it. The Solution - Do it. (Fine, turn off this article. Run around the block. I'll take a hit for your horny spouse.)
5. Practice Gratitude: The Buster - Taking your spouses qualities for granted. (Example: What I fell in love with with Rex are often the things I'm the most frustrated with now. Same for him re me.) The Solution: Write down a list every day of the things you love about your life. For me, I have a hard time not thinking of Rex with appreciation when the first things I am thankful for are my safety, my home, my kids and my stability despite a crazy economy. (And then I feel like a brat for complaining in the first place.)
6. Hobbies: The Buster - Forgetting who you were before you got married. The Solution: Pick up your old dance class, start a new project, get a job. All these things seem small, but it's amazing how much we expect our spouses to do for us when there's a lot we can find within ourselves. Plus there's more to share about with our partner.
7. Spirituality: The Buster - Thinking that our spouses are the head of the universe. The Solution - Giving up the power to a force outside ourselves. It certainly takes the pressure off.
8. Fun: The Buster - Being boring. The Solution - Stop being boring! It's that simple. Try a new recipe. Get a haircut. Walk the neighbor's dog. Buy a bathroom joke book. Why does everything have to Be. So. Serious. Stop it!
9. Read: The Buster - Thinking it's all about you. Word to the wise and not so wise - there's a whole world out there ready to be discovered through your local library and book stores everywhere. Solution - Get your mind off yourself, slow it down a notch or two, and learn something. It's pretty damn stimulating. (Trust me, from a woman who makes some of her living writing about herself, it's essential I read about other people, news and events.)
10. Eat: The Buster - Eating poorly makes you sluggish and tired. The Solution - Put some water and greens into that there diet. I swear, you'll feel better! (Um... as I sit here drinking my Yuban... um... I'm a hypocrite, but trying.)
As evidenced by #10, I am not an expert at any of this. In fact, just the other day I was a whiny feel-sorry-for-myself little Missy. But I tackled about half on this list and I'm back to my sassy self already.
What are your thoughts and tips to get your married sex life back on track! If your locomotive of love has never stopped chugging, what keeps it from getting derailed?
* Photo from Allposters.com. I want to go there and do that with my man. Sigh....


text:
The International Bank of Azerbaijan, the largest lender and the only state-owned bank in the country remains confident to promote Azerbaijan as an Islamic Banking hub in the region.
Behnam Gurbanzade, Director of the Islamic Banking Department of the IBA, spoke quite positive about the prospects of Azerbaijan's eventful role in the Islamic finance markets.
"Developing Islamic Financing in Azerbaijan gives us an advantage to set up a center for the development of Islamic Financing in the CIS based in Baku," Gurbanzade wrote in an e-mail to AzerNews.
"Thus, in 2015 we are planning to increase the amount of Islamic financing in Azerbaijan. To this end, an alternative banking division was set up within Bank IBA-Moscow where the Islamic Banking is also part of new duties," he said.
The IBA concluded last year with $526 million sharia compliant assets compared to the Islamic Banking assets at the level of $220 million at the beginning of 2014.
Islamic finance has not developed well in Azerbaijan, which has a predominantly Muslim population. The IBA assists the government to draft the relevant regulation. It also plans to convert its Islamic unit into major Shariah-compliant lender after the country OKs the Islamic legislation licenses.
The Baku-based bank actively works in this direction, which is encouraging the development of Islamic Finance here. The bank currently offers Shariah-compliant products through an Islamic window introduced in September 2012, a practice which allows conventional lenders to provide Islamic financial services as long as client money is segregated from the rest of the bank.
Gurbanzada said the IBA Islamic Banking department is working on draft legislation together with consultants. "The initial documents including Islamic Financial Policies and Procedures, Operational procedures and Products and Services are under consideration," he said.
Laws allowing Azerbaijan to OK Islamic bond offerings is expected to be passed in 2015, and the government may issue securities that adhere to Islam's ban on interest the next year.
Speaking about the role that the Islamic bank could play in driving the banking sector of the country, Gurbanzada said Islamic Financing is considered as alternative investment sources to the economy of Azerbaijan.
"Azerbaijan and CIS markets are growing and there is a huge demand for direct investments. The IBA realizes that sources of funding should be diversified in order to secure economic safety. All this comes against the backdrop of the world financial crisis in which the liquid capital stands as the primary issue," he noted.
Gurbanzada said the current Islamic Banking portfolio of the IBA is 386 million manats ($493 million) which is approximately 6.2 percent of the total credit portfolio.
The loan portfolio of the Bank hit 5.868 billion manats as of early January with an increase of 16.6 percent since early 2014.
IBA Islamic presented a new Murabaha card which was set up on MasterCard Gold basis. The card is for retail financing in Azerbaijan and outside of the country. "Furthermore we are also strutting Musharakah refinancing products and unrestricted and restricted Mudarabah financing. Most of products and services will be implemented after legislation development," he concluded.
The bank, 50.2-percent owned by the Azerbaijani Ministry of Finance, holds over 40 percent of banking assets in the country and enjoys huge importance for Azerbaijan's economy. The IBA's reported consolidated total assets of 8.8 billion manats, aggregate capital of 1.008 billion manats and net profit of 64.5 million under audited IFRS as at year-end 2014.
(Azernews / 30 January 2014)---
Alfalah Consulting - Kuala Lumpur: www.alfalahconsulting.com
Consultant-Speaker-Motivator: www.ahmad-sanusi-husain.com
Islamic Investment Malaysia: www.islamic-invest-malaysia.com


text:
HPV Vaccine Rates Lagging in Southern U.S., Study Finds
The findings are especially alarming because rates of cervical cancer -- which is caused almost exclusively by HPV -- are higher in the southern U.S. than in other regions, according to researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB).
The study authors analyzed data collected between 2008 and 2010 from 12 states in four regions: the Northeast (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island); the Midwest (Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska); the West (Wyoming); and the South (Delaware, Oklahoma, Texas, West Virginia).
About 28 percent of women in all these states began the vaccine regimen and 17 percent completed the three-dose series over the three-year study period. HPV vaccine initiation and completion rates, respectively, were 37 percent and 23 percent in the Northeast; nearly 29 percent and about 19 percent in the Midwest/West; and 14 percent and 6 percent in the South, the findings showed.
Among people starting the vaccine regimen, rates in the Northeast rose from nearly 21 percent in 2008 to 44 percent in 2010. In the Midwest/West, the initiation rates dropped from just over 36 percent in 2008 to 29 percent in 2010. Initiation rates were consistently lowest in the South, at 14 percent in 2008 and 22.5 percent in 2010.
White women were more likely than those in other racial/ethnic groups to begin and complete the vaccine series, according to the study published in the Nov. 12 online edition of the journal Vaccine.
"If a lower rate of HPV vaccine uptake in the South persists, it could contribute to the national burden of cervical cancer in the long run," Dr. Abbey Berenson, director of UTMB's Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Women's Health, said in a university news release.
To lower rates of HPV-related diseases, doctors should do more to encourage their patients to get vaccinated, Berenson suggested. More money spent on vaccine programs and educating patients could also help, she added.
The regional disparities in HPV vaccination could be due to several factors, including differences in income, education and insurance coverage, the researchers said.
About 79 million Americans are currently infected with HPV, and most sexually active people will be infected with at least one type of HPV at some point in their lives. The virus is responsible for nearly all cases of cervical cancer, which kills more than 4,000 American women a year. Half of those deaths occur in the South.
HPV is also associated with genital warts and cancers of the mouth and throat, as well as vulvar, vaginal, penile and anal cancers.
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about HPV vaccination.
Fiery car crash in Nassau ... High school basketball team manager gets his shot ... What's happening on LI this weekend
Fiery car crash in Nassau ... High school basketball team manager gets his shot ... What's happening on LI this weekend


text:
BHAB has launched TelehealthLearn More Service Payment
Important Notice: The health and wellness of our clients, staff and community is of utmost importance. Therefore, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, face-to-face services at Behavioral Health Associates of Broward, Counseling Centers of Goodman JFS are postponed until further notice. However, our staff is working remotely and are accessible by phone and email. We are excited to announce that we will be launching Telemental Health Services soon. Please email email@example.com or call 954-909-0888 for the latest information, to schedule an appointment or to reach your clinician.
BHAB provides numerous seminar topics for corporations, schools, clubs and community organizations. BHAB can also provide behavioral health seminars designed to fit the needs of your organization.
Please check our Events Calendar for upcoming Groups & Workshops
Phone: 954-909-0888
Fax: 954-337-2932
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Coral Springs/Parkland:
11555 Heron Bay Boulevard
Coral Springs, FL 33076
Davie/Cooper City:
5890 South Pine Island Rd, Suite 201
Davie, FL 33328


text:
Madison East teacher charged with secretly recording students to create child porn
MADISON, Wis. – A Wisconsin high school teacher was charged Thursday with seven federal counts of attempting to create child pornography by secretly recording minors twice last year.
The charges follow an investigation triggered by the discovery of hidden cameras that were planted in the Minneapolis hotel room of students he was chaperoning on a business club trip.
David Kruchten, a teacher at Madison East High School, was indicted by a federal grand jury on Wednesday and arrested at his home in the Madison suburb of Cottage Grove on Thursday morning, according to U.S. Attorney Scott Blader.
Kruchten, 37, was placed on leave in December after the students found the hidden cameras and the investigation was launched. No attorney was listed for Kruchten in the online case file. He was scheduled to make an initial appearance Thursday afternoon in federal court in Madison.
If convicted, Kruchten faces 15 to 30 years in federal prison on each count.
"This indictment alleges criminal conduct that is an unconscionable betrayal of trust," state Attorney General Josh Kaul said in a statement. "We will continue working to ensure that there is full accountability for the crimes alleged in this case."
The indictment charges Kruchten with six counts of attempting to produce child pornography involving six different minors on Oct. 27, 2019, and one count of attempting to produce it with a seventh minor on Jan. 20, 2019, using hidden recording devices that had been moved across state lines.
It was not immediately clear where the alleged recordings that led to the charges were made. The state Department of Justice previously asked parents for information about other trips involving the business club, other than the one in December to Minneapolis.
"This news is incredibly disturbing to the (school district) family and our community," said interim superintendent Jane Belmore in a statement. She said the district will do everything it can to offer support to both students and the community "through this unimaginably challenging time."


text:
Marriage: The Good News and the Bad News
- Barry R. Leventhal, Ph.D. Christian Family Life
- 2004 30 Nov
I've got some good news and some bad news for your marriage. You've probably already experienced both. The truth of the matter is that when the honeymoon ends, which it always does (for us right at the two week mark), both the good news and the bad news come crashing into every marriage like a mosquito smashing headlong into the windshield of a Mack Truck. The good news is what we all dream of. The bad news is what we all dread. All of sudden, everything that we expected for our marriage collides with the reality of what we are actually beginning to experience. And when dreams collide with reality, we begin to question the whole institution of marriage and, more specifically, our own! So before we lose it altogether, we better take a look at the good news.
The Good News: Marriage brings out the best in each one of us.
The good news in our marriage is that, in some unique and joyful ways, it brings out the best in each one of us -- at least for a season. Many of the good things that blossomed in our dating and romancing years (months? weeks?) spill over into the early days (weeks? months?) of our marriage. You know, things like: romance, spontaneity, sensitivity, adventure, joy, etc. It almost seems like we have actually arrived: marriage as it was meant to be and for which we hoped, dreamed, and prayed.
Maybe it is the newness of it all, maybe even the sense of novelty. Areas of intimacy, so long protected before marriage, are now to be freely enjoyed. God's plan for marriage actually begins to make sense. But for most of us, all of this begins to fade, often in a short period of time. Virtual marriage begins to disintegrate into reality marriage. The fact is that not one of us stood before God and His witnesses on the day of our wedding and vowed, "In six months we will wipe this whole thing out!" No. Our hopes and dreams were sky high. We never planned to fail. But now that seems like a real possibility. Talk about a marriage crash and burn! How did this happen? How can something so longed for begin to fade so fast?
The Bad News: Marriage also brings out the worst in each one of us.
The fact is, until we are willing to face up to the bad news in our marriage, we will not be able to move onto the good news. You see, the bad news of our marriage is that God is committed to using our mates to surface the innate selfishness in each of our lives. Before I was married I use to think that I was a sensitive and caring man, that was able to adjust to new circumstances. But after two weeks into our marriage, I realized these so-called strengths were merely self-promoting delusions.
The reality was that I was not a sensitive and caring man. I certainly was not adjusting to this new marriage circumstance with ease and grace. Quite the contrary, I was insensitive and uncaring toward my wife and her needs. I was fighting every adjustment with all the strength I could muster. This is called a moment of spiritual awakening. It is God's personal revelation of the bad news of my true inner person. In reality, I am a selfish and self-serving individual. The theological term for this is "total depravity." When this painful revelation kicks in, then, and only then, am I ready for the Lord to begin transforming me into His kind of Christlike servant. That's the good news!
In summary, all of this means that your marriage is not as bad as it seems and not as good as it can become. But how can your marriage begin to radiate God's good news? Not surprisingly, we must go back to all of the basics of the Christian life: renewing our understanding of and commitment to God's plan for marriage (see Christian Family Life's material), confession to God and our mate for our selfishness, a renewed commitment to Christlike servanthood, dependence upon the Holy Spirit for strength, integrity, and perseverance, and banding together with other Christian couples who also want to move into the good news of marriage. And the even greater good news is that the sovereign and gracious triune God of heaven and earth is delighted to help our marriage become all that He created it to be!
Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen (Ephesians 3:20-21).
The Good News and the Bad News of Your Own Marriage:
In light of the good news and the bad news in your own marriage, prayerfully consider the following questions:
1. What did "the good news" look like when you first began your marriage? When did "the bad news" first kick into your marriage and what did it look like?
2. How did you respond to your mate when the realities of "the bad news" first kicked into your marriage? In hindsight, how should you have responded?
3. As you consider the realities of "the bad news" as well as "the good news" in your marriage, what is God trying to teach you right now? Be specific. Pray about it.
© 2004 Christian Family Life
FREE - Would you like encouragement for your marriage? Click here to receive a weekly email devotional from Two Becoming One with principles and scriptures that will strengthen your marriage.
Two Becoming One publications and small group resources help couples understand God's purposes, principles and provisions for marriage. Many key concepts in Two Becoming One are taught in the popular FamilyLife Ministry marriage seminars.
Enjoy this article? Then find out more! Enrich your marriage in 8 weeks with Two Becoming One. Click here to see what leaders say about this marriage changing resource, discover our NEW Leader Kit, and learn about the FREE "Pastors Checklist" offer.