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I'm going back to the beginning, sort of. When I first started writing this blog it was with the purpose of improving my writing skills. I had no plan for what topics I might write about. Along the way I settled on photography and genealogy as frequent topics but I also continued to write about my writing (NaNoWriMo). I suppose it was inevitable that with time my primary topic would become genealogy. It is a primary passion of mine.
Then I got caught up in a numbers game. I started to care about increasing my readership and how many hits I got. I began reading the blogs about "how to write better blogs" and I took the information I learned to heart. I became convinced that as long as my blog was focused on one topic and I continued to write good content my readership would increase and I would drive more traffic to my blog. I also thought I would be taken more seriously in the online genealogy community if my blog wasn't "diluted" with other topics. So I did these things.
The thing is, the blogging wasn't so much fun anymore. Don't get me wrong, I truly enjoy writing about genealogy. But I enjoy writing about photography and creative writing too. And I miss that. Somewhere along the way I transitioned from writing a blog that I wanted to write to writing a blog the majority of my readers wanted to read (according to my statistics on which posts were most read). It began to feel like a job and wasn't so much fun anymore.
I started a second blog, Creative Genealogy. I enjoy being creative and I had this idea that having a second blog would satisfy my urge to write about things other than just genealogy. And it did for a while. Then I got caught up in yet another hobby, digital scrapbooking, and accepted an invitation to become a part of the creative team at Stone Accents Studio. It was an exciting time, and very creative. But I went too far and developed a repetitive stress injury in my arm. And that's when my house of cards came tumbling down.
I'd pushed beyond my limit. Web site design, blogging, and digital scrapbooking… Just too much time spent at the computer. It forced me to reevaluate my computer time. I learned how to use and appreciate voice recognition software, designing with a graphics tablet, and using my left hand on my mouse. But I'm still not as efficient as I used to be. Some things have to go.
I have resigned my position as a member of the creative team at Stone Accents Studio. I will continue to do digital scrapbooking here and there but not on a regular basis. I'm not sure if I will continue my Creative Genealogy blog or not. I'm still thinking on that.
Creative Gene will no longer be a focused topic blog. I am more than genealogy and I need to be writing about more than genealogy. I love my Polish heritage but I need to be writing about more than my Polish heritage. The kind of articles I like to write best are the ones like Genealogy and the Environment where I have to stretch a bit, challenge my thinking and writing abilities. And of course, the Carnival of Genealogy.
I've thought about Terry's H.O.G.S. moniker but even that feels limiting. I want to feel free to write about photography, sometimes in a technical way. I want to write about Alzheimer's disease, how it affected my life and what's being done in the field. I want to write about photographing Michigan, and Detroit, my hometown. I want to write reviews about books that have nothing to do with genealogy, history, or Poland. And I want to write hilarious stories about my dog and cat. I want the freedom to write about more than just genealogy. And the beauty of authoring a blog is, I can.
Having said all that, I'll still be writing more about genealogy than anything else. And I definitely won't forget my Polish heritage. But I will no longer feel the need to apologize for "going off topic" with a blog post. As far as I'm concerned, anything is a fair topic. So now Creative Gene will be about Genealogy And More! (I believe that would make me a G.A.M. blogger ;-)
I'm no longer reading the feeds of Pro-Blogger, Lorelle on Wordpress, or CopyBlogger. I'm picking up new feeds in new areas of interest in hopes that expanding my reading will make me a better writer. I'm looking for interesting blogs on writing, preferably fiction writing. If you can recommend any, please do. I will still be reading all of my favorite genealogy blogs too!
So it's a course correction I have in mind for the Creative Gene blog. I hope you will enjoy it.
I'm free!


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Chaplain (Capt.) Emil J. Kapaun, known as the "Good Thief" to starving U.S. troops in a North Korean prison camp, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor Thursday by President Obama.
At a White House ceremony, Obama called Father Kapaun, a Roman Catholic priest, "an American soldier who didn't fire a gun, but who wielded the mightiest weapon of all -- a love for his brothers so pure that he was willing to die so they might live."
Kapan nourished the weak with bits of food he stole from the camp guards, but more importantly he nourished their souls with the power of his faith, Obama said.
"That faith -- that they might be delivered from evil -- was perhaps his greatest gift to those men," Obama said. "That even amidst such despair, there could be hope; amid their misery in the temporal they could see truths that are eternal; that even in such hell, there could be a touch of the divine."
Kapaun's nephew, Ray Kapaun, accepted the Medal for his uncle, who was the seventh chaplain and the only one who served in Korea to receive the nation's highest award for valor.
Kapaun foresaw a life of hardship and sacrifice. In a 1944 letter to his bishop, he wrote that "when I was ordained, I was determined to spend myself for God. I was determined to do that cheerfully no matter in what circumstances I would be placed or how hard a life I would be asked to lead."
In November 1950, Kapaun was serving with the 3rd Battalion, 8th Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division when Chinese communist forces attacked in overwhelming numbers. Kapaun ignored orders to evacuate and calmly walked the battlefield, tending to the wounded and comforting the dying.
After he was captured, Kapaun spotted a Chinese soldier who was about to execute a wounded American. Kapaun shoved aside the rifle muzzle and managed to save the U.S. soldier.
At the Pyoktong prison camp, Kapaun flouted the camp rules to minister to other POWs. He stole food and medicine, prayed with the troops and shaped pots from roofing tin to boil water from melted snow, the Medal citation said.
To punish him, the guards took Kapaun's clothes and made him stand outside in the bitter cold. He was later taken to an aid station that the U.S. POWs called the "death house," where he would die in May 1951.
One of the U.S. prisoners, Lt. Mike Lowe, recalled seeing Kapaun as he was taken to the aid station. Lowe told the Associated Press that Kapaun called out: "Hey, Mike, don't worry about me. I'm going to where I always wanted to go and I'll say a prayer for all of you."
Kapaun was from the small town of Pilsen, Kans., and Obama recalled his own Kansas roots on his mother's side in praising the latest Medal recipient.
"Now, I obviously never met Father Kapaun. But I have a sense of the man he was," Obama said.
"Emil and my grandfather were both born in Kansas, about the same time; both raised in small towns outside Wichita. They were part of that Greatest Generation -- surviving the Depression, joining the Army, serving in World War II. They embodied those heartland values of honesty and hard work, decency and humility -- quiet heroes determined to do their part."
In 1993, the Vatican declared Kapaun a "Servant of God," officially opening a potential path to sainthood for the "Good Thief" of the prison camp.

subset: commoncrawl


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Today marks the 10th anniversary of the worst terrorist attack on American soil in our nation's history.
Victims numbered 2,753 in the World Trade Center, including 343 firefighters and 60 police officers from New York City and the Port Authority, and eight private emergency medical technicians and paramedics.
Another 184 people were killed in the attack on the Pentagon.
There were no survivors from any of the flights and the overwhelming majority of casualties were civilians, including nationals from more than 70 countries.
Since that tragic event, our nation has fought a war on terrorism; 47,000 troops have been wounded, more than 6,000 of them killed including several of our own.
Our hearts go out to the families of those who perished on Sept. 11, 2001, and the families and loved ones of the military members who died as a result of the subsequent war on terror.
We also take this day to pay tribute to the tireless work of our first responders in Clovis, who protect us each day, and their dedication to their profession.
On this day, we take the opportunity to thank Cannon Air Force Base Special Operations Wing for their selfless dedication to the protection of our nation's liberty and freedom.
The financial cost of the war on terror, estimated at $4 trillion, has been another price of the protection of our nation's freedom and liberty.
As Americans it has been our patriotic duty and privilege over the past 10 years to stand behind our elected federal government's decisions regarding the war on terror.
As Americans we have stood together and watched the first of the World Trade Center towers being reconstructed, estimated for completion in 2013.
The Pentagon was repaired within a year of September 2001 and a memorial was opened at the site in 2008.
The memorial to Flight 93 was to be formally dedicated on Saturday.
There have been many challenges over the past 10 years caused in part by the strain of the cost of this war, both in the human and financial realms.
As Americans we are pleased to see these memorials, as acts of our patriotism, showing we will rebuild, reminding us of how we came together as a nation through the events of Sept. 11, 2001, and afterwards,
of how we will not be defeated and we will stand together and move our nation and our nation's communities forward.
As we reflect on what the 10th anniversary means to each one of us, I am truly reminded of what is really important in life. As a nation or a community we may not always agree on the way things are approached, but at the end of the day the important things — family, friends, sense of community and national pride — are what matters.
We have been invited by representatives from America's congressional delegation to observe a minute's silence 11 a.m. today.
I invite all Clovis' residents to join me to respect those whose lives were lost on 9/11 and in the subsequent war on terror and to reflect on the true cost of freedom.
God bless America.
Gayla Brumfield is mayor of Clovis. Contact her at:


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Last week, we brought you some exclusive concept art from David Cronenberg's unmade version of Total Recall. And now artist Ron Miller has dug up another amazing trove of unused Cronenberg Recall art — including a photo of makeup tests for Kuato.
And this time around, there's a look at the Ganzi Bulls, weird creatures that would have been in the Cronenberg film but weren't in the Verhoeven version. Plus the strangest form of transport on Mars, that we never got to see.
Top image: The Sandsub.
Writes Miller:
These drawings show a lot of ideas that were in the original Cronenberg version of the script but which never made into the Verhoeven/Schwartzenegger film. For instance, the ganzi-bulls: monsters that lived in the sewers beneath the Mars city, Chryse Planitia. They were for the most part the disposal system for unwanted bodies. And one of the main modes of transport on Mars would have been sandsubs that burrowed their way under the deserts. A lot of attention was also paid to the design of the transport spacecraft, the Martian city, the hotel and the sphinx.
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"Kuato Sphinx Vagina"
Kuato Test
The Ganzi Bull
Ganzi Bull
Kuato's HQ
Kuato's HQ
Mars City
Mars City
Mars City
Mars City Interior
Mars City with Embedded Transport Modules
Mars Hotel Interior
Mars Hotel Interior
Mars Liner
Mars Liners
Martian City
The Sandsub
Martian Sphinx
NYC with Cohaagen's Tower and Space Port
The Sandsub
The Sphinx


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The USDA Crop Progress report released Monday showed yet another decline in conditions. With over 50% of the nation's corn crop in Poor or Very Poor condition, it appears unlikely that anything now can be done to change the anticipated decline in yields. Despite widespread, yet limited, moisture in the Corn Belt this week, conditions continued to deteriorate. In fact, many analysts have begun to compare 2012 to 1988, and year-to-year comparisons actually do show this year's crop is equal to, or in worse condition, than 1988.
Closer Look: State-by-state breakdown of USDA Crop Report
Of course, if it turns out to only be the worst yield in 30 years, that could be considered a plus, as we are in the worst drought since 1956. We know yields have been severely hurt, but the real question has become how many acres will be harvested, as a lot of corn in the Corn Belt is being chopped for silage.
In the more marginal areas, the dryland corn is practically a total loss. Anecdotally, in my area in eastern Colorado, producers started baling the corn as soon as it was released by the insurance companies. However, the nitrate levels were so high after the initial tests that most have given up trying to utilize it as a forage, as it was too "hot" to even make it practical to mix.
Despite the short-term setback, however, many grain producers will actually exceed per-acre revenue projections. And, in those cases where the drought impact will move some into negative return territory, most are still very optimistic about the future, and in good shape financially given the record returns of the last few years.
While there may be mostly long-term optimism relative to grain production, the attitudes in the cattle industry haven't survived the last several years of drought nearly as well. The last several cattlemen's meetings I've attended have been disconcerting, as long-term, well-established and successful producers have talked openly about considering getting out of the cattle business.
The common refrain is that the land they own has increased in value by a considerable margin. Meanwhile, the cattle have been break even at best and the thought is that perhaps it's time to cash in that value appreciation and live without the stress. Most of these folks were expecting the reduction in cow numbers to boost profitability; instead, balance sheets have taken a hit, and cash flow has moved sharply negative.
The wonderment at the beginning of 2012 was whether this was the year that expansion would begin. Today, the question is how small will the cowherd have to get to trigger expansion?


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I am participating in the A to Z 2012 blog challenge throughout April. My theme is a genealogical travelogue or a travel genealogue (I'm not sure which). Today I am going to keep comments on each place succinct and refer you back to earlier posts.
R is for Retford (Nottinghamshire, England)
Mr Cassmob's Cass ancestors lived in Retford where his 2xgreat grandmother Suzannah Cass and her sisters ran a school for young women with her sisters. The women lived in the adjacent area of Moorgate. Back in 2006 we had a great time on this particular leg of our family history adventures. You can read about it here.
R is for Rotterdam (Netherlands)
My 2xgreat grandfather, Laurence Melvin, worked as a merchant sailor, travelling between Leith and the northern European ports. He was a young man, with a wife and three small children, when he took ill on one of his voyages. He died overnight and is buried in Rotterdam. I'm not sure I'll ever know precisely where.
R is for Rockhampton (Queensland)
Rockhampton was the Queensland hub for my McSherry/McSharry ancestors after they arrived in 1884/1883 respectively. Last year I posted about discovering the sale of my great-grandfather, Peter McSherry's estate on Trove. More recently I wrote about how his mother, Bridget McSharry, had a boarding house in Rockhampton and the hardships she experienced in her new Queensland life, and the on-going mystery and brick wall of her husband, James McSharry. Peter, his wife Mary, and mother Bridget are all buried in the Rockhampton cemeteries. Although I've visited Rocky briefly in recent decades, for me the mental associationis stopping there on the Sunlander train, and Dad making a mad dash to get us beautiful fish and chips for our lunch.
R is for Rushden (Hertfordshire, England)
Although my Kent (name, not place) ancestors belonged to the Sandon parish in Hertfordshire, it's likely they also visited the Rushden church from time to time as it was just as close to the Red Hill area of Sandon. I too have visited this church several times over the decades. It may only be "just another 14th century church" to quote a family member, but I love its simplicity and its peace, tucked away up a lane. When the daffodils flower in the churchyard among the graves it is simply lovely. The village has many gorgeous old homes with timber work and thatched roofs. I'm also enamoured with the name of the local pub The Moon and Stars. In one of those flights of fancy I usually never apply to my ancestry, wouldn't it be nice to think my Kent publicans might have worked there once.


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Assault Heavy Tank
This is a proposed field modification from skill4ltu for Object 705. Feel free to try it and share your thoughts about it on twitch or youtube.
Skill4ltu's note: Level II: Both options are optional. Level VII: Both options might work BUT you don't want your crew to die or lower speed either.


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Freedom Corridor vs. Belt and Road
India's opposition to One Belt One Road makes sense given the whole Kashmir issue, and general geopolitical competition. Indian think tanks have therefore been warning about risk to both China and target countries(ie this article makes some good points but is a bit cliched and hyperbolic)
Making things more interesting, India and Japan this month launched their own similar(albeit geographically narrower) initiative: The Asia Africa Growth Corridor(AAGC), aka the Freedom Corridor. Right now its still in the development bank and think tank press release phase, but India and Japan have strong incentive to follow up with real money pretty quickly. India and Africa have a deep history of mercantile and maritime connections. India's Exim bank has already funded $8 billion in credit in Africa, according to Modi's speech during an African Development Bank meeting, which was held in India last week. Port infrastructure in East Africa and the Indian Ocean are likely to be the first priorities, along with agriculture and electricity. Incidentally, India and Japan are also building a LNG terminal in Sri Lanka, a country that is heavily in debt to China as a result of controversial infrastructure projects.
There is a Chinese aphorism, "When the sandpiper and the clam grapple, it is the fisherman who profits" (鹬蚌相争渔翁得利). If China and India really end up competing by spending money around East Africa, companies involved in building or benefiting from improved infrastructure could reap a decent reward. Will the benefits accrue to any outside minority investors in publicly listed companies? Too soon to tell, but it will be interesting to watch. The usual caveats about EM corruption and waste apply to AAGC as much as they do to OBOR, but the financial media is likely to oversimplify. India and Japan's now official strategy could impact select companies listed in India and Japan, in addition to companies in the less developed capital markets of East Africa and Sri Lanka.


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June 28, 2011
For Immediate Release
June 28, 2011 Contact: Ferd Hoefner 202-547-5754
Farmers Have 60 Days to Apply for Value-Added Grants from USDA
Washington, DC June 28, 2011 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture today released a notice inviting farmers to apply for Value-Added Producer Grants (VAPG). Today's notice combines two year's worth of funding for the program, making $37 million available for new value-added projects. Project proposals are due by August 29.
"We have fought hard for VAPG and are delighted the notice of funding availability is out and the program is once again open for business," said Ferd Hoefner, policy director of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. "Value-added grants are an important opportunity for entrepreneurially inclined small and mid-sized family farms to expand markets and increase farm income. The resulting projects also help meet consumer demand for quality food products and increase rural jobs."
VAPG is a competitive grants program that awards grants to producers to help them develop farm-related businesses that add value to basic agricultural products through branding, processing, product differentiation, labeling and certification, and marketing. VAPG includes projects that market inherently value-added production, such as organic crops, grass-fed livestock, and locally produced and marketed food products. VAPG also funds regional food supply networks that benefit the small and mid-sized farms by incorporating the producer into the larger farm-to-plate value chains.
"Congress made a good choice in targeting VAPG funds to small and medium sized family farms as well as to beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers," noted Hoefner. "Projects involving these target groups receive extra ranking points during the grant evaluation process. In addition, ten percent of program funding is reserved for local and regional food supply networks that link farmers with other processors and distributors that market value-added products in a manner that improves small and medium-sized farm profitability. Ten percent is also reserved for projects primarily benefitting beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers."
The VAPG program was initiated by Congress as part of the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000 and extended and revised as part of the 2002 and 2008 Farm Bill. Funding in Fiscal Year 2010 was over $20 million, but funding was reduced to just under $19 million as part of the Continuing Resolution for Fiscal Year 2011. The agricultural appropriations bill recently passed by the House of Representatives would slash the program by more than a third to $12.5 million.
"We urge the Senate to reject the House-passed cut to VAPG and to maintain funding for this innovative, market-based jobs-creating program," said Hoefner.
Grants may be used to develop business plans and feasibility studies (including marketing plans) needed to establish viable marketing opportunities for value-added products or for working capital to operate a value-added business venture or alliance.
"One of the stumbling blocks of late to farmers and groups of farmers seeking VAPG funding is the one-for-one matching grant requirement," said Hoefner. "In a major win for farmers that NSAC fought for, farmers may now provide up to half the match requirement through "sweat equity" – the farmers time in developing or implementing the project. This is an important new development that should make it easier for farmers to apply for program funding."
The agency estimates it will make about 250 awards. Awards are expected to be announced by the end of November 2011.
Applicants may submit a planning grant (up to $100,000 each) or a working capital proposal (up to $300,000 each). The agency is estimating, based on previous experience, the average size grant award will be $116,000. In the last round of awards, 41 percent of total awards were under $50,000.
Applicants may propose any time frame for the project provided it does not exceed three years.
The complete application package will be available from the USDA Rural Development site at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/BCP_VAPG_Grants.html.
Get the application package from the Rural Development site.
You can also find out more about eligibility and the application process guidelines by contacting your local USDA Rural Development Office, or contact the national program staff Lyn Millhiser at 202-720-1227 or Tracey Kennedy at 202-690-1428, or by emailing email@example.com for additional information.
Additional Resources
If you are an agricultural producer or producer-controlled entity interested in applying, you can learn more at NSAC's summary of the VAPG program and read this guide to applying from the University of Wisconsin's Agricultural Innovation Center or this guide from Iowa State University's Agricultural Marketing Resource Center. Templates for applications are available from the University of Nebraska's Food Processing Center. More information specifically about this 2011 iteration of the program will likely be forthcoming in the near future.
To see how the FY 2009 awards were distributed and 15 examples of the projects that were funded, go to NSAC's two page summary of the 2009 VAPG projects.
To read a summary of the NSAC comments to USDA on the February 2011 Interim Final Rule for VAPG, or to read those comments in their entirety, go to this NSAC blog post.
A video of USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan discussing the many innovative uses of the VAPG program is also available for viewing.
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition is a grassroots alliance that advocates for federal policy reform supporting the long-term social, economic, and environmental sustainability of agriculture, natural resources, and rural communities.
— 30 —
Categories: Grants and Programs, Press Releases


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Details emerge on Canadice crash
David Johnson, his longtime girlfriend Amanda Carey, and their close friend Michael Moulthroup had a quiet Sunday evening together: The trio had watched a football game and had dinner at the couple's home on Curtis Road in Hemlock.
They decided to call it a night fairly early, since Moulthroup had to work early the next morning — he had just been accepted into a carpenters' union.
The three got into Johnson's 1993 Saturn station wagon and headed toward Moulthroup's place at 9125 Culberson Road in Dansville. While driving south on a stretch of County Road 37 in Canadice just after 9 p.m., an unfathomable tragedy happened: Johnson's car struck two horses that had broken through a fence nearby.
Mr. Moulthroup, 23, and Ms. Carey, 21, were killed, as were the horses. Johnson, 23, was taken to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, where he was treated for neck pain and released.
Days later, more details are emerging and loved ones are finalizing plans to lay Mr. Moulthroup and Ms. Carey to rest.
Ontario County sheriff's deputies who are overseeing the crash investigation initially reported that Mr. Moulthroup and Ms. Carey were not wearing seat belts. However, Mr. Moulthroup's family said they were told otherwise — that Johnson and Ms. Carey were both buckled in; only Mr. Moulthroup, who was sitting in the back seat, was not.
Sheriff Phil Povero said Tuesday afternoon that while both Johnson and Ms. Carey, the front-seat passenger, were wearing the automatic shoulder harness, they had not fastened the manual lap belts.
Johnson was driving about 44 miles per hour when his car struck the first horse, which was standing partially in the lane ahead. That horse, Povero said, struck the front driver's side of the vehicle, including the windshield. The horse was pushed to the side of the road. The second horse, also in the lane ahead, struck the vehicle and was thrown up onto the roof over the back seat, the sheriff explained.
Johnson lost consciousness "momentarily, upon impact," Povero said. When he came to, the vehicle was stopped. He freed himself and was able to pull Ms. Carey from the wreckage, the sheriff said.
The sheriff's office is still investigating the crash. Deputies are awaiting the results of autopsy reports to determine the causes of death for Mr. Moulthroup and Mr. Carey; they suffered massive internal injuries and were pronounced dead at the scene by an Ontario County coroner.
"This tragedy should remind motorists that their attention to the road while they're driving must be constant," Povero said, "because animals or other objects can rapidly enter the highway and result in a collision or a tragedy of this nature."
Mr. Moulthroup's sister, Lisa Moulthroup, said it was a tragic, "freak accident."
She said her brother and Johnson went to school together in Dansville and were best friends. Ms. Carey and Johnson had been dating for about three years and were living together at 5430 Curtis Road in Hemlock.
Calling hours for Mr. Moulthroup will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday at the Hindle Funeral Home at 271 Main St. in Dansville. A funeral service will begin at 7 p.m. at the funeral home. Burial will be at Greenmount Cemetery in Dansville at 11 a.m. Saturday.
Calling hours for Ms. Carey will be held at the St. George-Stanton Funeral Home, 109 W. Naples St. in Wayland, from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday; her burial will be at 11 a.m. Friday in Cuba, Allegany County.
Lisa Moulthroup said her grief-stricken family is finding comfort from the many who have turned out to support them in the past few days.
"We're getting through it," she said. "We've got a lot of friends that have been here for us."
Jessica Pierce can be reached at (585) 394-0770, Ext. 250, or at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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EDIT : title modified due to inappropriate wording.
During my years in Japan, I was told hundreds of times about the 4 seasons of Japan, that the Japanese seem to be so proud of. The Japanese also compliment themselves on their closeness to nature. I never really understood what the fuss was about. Don't misunderstand me, I love nature, and since my childhood I have been able to recognise numerous trees just by their leaves, or made a point to distinguish a mouse from a long-nosed shrew or a stout vole. I gave up studying species once I reached teenagehood, so my knowledge is still pretty superficial, but probably better than average.
What I mean here is that the Japanese only seem interested in nature and the seasons, but usually don't know much about either of them. And indeed Japan is far from exceptional for its nature and seasons, which is my second criticism.
It is now 10 months that I have returned to Europe, and during this time I paid particular attention to the passing of the seasons compared to Japan. Here are my observations.
Here in Belgium, when I go to the park I can find dozens, and sometimes hundreds of kinds of trees and shrubs. In Japanese cities you always find the same few trees everywhere : cherries (along the main roads and canals, and in parks), plums (esp. around temples and shrines), gingko (along many of Tokyo's roads), and momiji (esp. in mountains and gardens) + a few conniferous like the Japanese cedar (sugi) and the pine (matsu). Hardly ever do we see oaks (kashiwa), beeches (buna), elms, maples (kaede, apart from momiji), lindens (shina), chestnuts (kuri), walnuts (kurumi), willows (yanagi), birches (shirakaba), poplars (popura), etc. Yet most of these trees are also native of Japan, as the Japanese names (and kanji) indicate.
Trees in cities and parks are the reflection of human selection. I understand that the Japanese mania of cherry blossoms has led them to plant chery trees everywhere, but unfortunately to the demise of other species. My wife, who has always lived in Tokyo, has no idea what most of the above-mentioned trees look like, eventhough she has heard of their names.
Autumn is slowly arriving in Belgium (although we've still had over 25'C recently). The first leaves have been falling since late August, and will continue to fall until late October to mid November. The great diversity of trees means that the "autumn leaves" (koyo) seasons is much longer in Belgium than in Japan, as each varity of tree sheds its leaves at a different time. Instead of having 2 weeks of "koyo" like in Japan, we have about 3 months. This feels like a real season (3 months is exactly the lenghth each season should be, to be perfectly balanced).
This summer was particularily hot and sunny in July (and September). My image of summer was always that of the sun and long daylight. Sun rises around 5am and sets around 10:30pm in late June and early July. Still now, a few days from the Autmumn Equinox (21 September being the official first day of Autumn here), we still have longer days than in Japan in June. Summer in Kanto is so rainy and cloudy (and dark) that the only thing that make it feel like summer is the heat. For me, a typical Japanese summer is not summer. It's a strange season reminding me more of tropical countries. In fact, this semi-tropical climate starts around May and continues until October in Japan. So almost half of the year is tropical, hence the term "semi-tropical".
Of course Japan is not homogenous when it comes to seasons. Normal as it streches over 3000km, as far as from England to Turkey, across all continental Europe ! Hokkaido and the Tohoku region are much colder and snowier in winter and do not get so hot and muggy in summer. Their climate are more similar to Eastern Europe. Okinawa has no real seasons. So I will concentrate on the heart of Japan, between the Kanto and Kyushu (where 90% of the Japanese live).
Even Spring, Japan's most "sacred" season thanks to the cherry blossoms, is hardly a season by European standard. Cherries only blossoms for 1 or 2 weeks, and once it is gone there are rather few flowers and blossoms to remind you that you are still in Spring. In Belgium, we also have cherry blossoms (some neighbourhoods also have streets lined with blossoming cherry trees), but so many other blossoming trees and shrubs (white, yellow, pink, red, orange...), and so many flowers on the balconies, in the parks or elsewhere, that it really does feel like Spring until leaves grow all over the trees and the temperature rises to reach Summer.
Here is a typical flowerbed found in a Belgian city in Spring (here in front of a train station) - and this is nothing compared to the Netherlands :


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A few weeks back, I unintentionally breached the Serious Eats code of taste-testing with my post about whether or not to freeze coffee beans. In retrospect I realized I didn't test a broad enough series of variables to really get down to the nitty-gritty facts.
Mea culpa, Eaters. I hereby pledge never to take your love of absolute food truths for granted again!
So with the help of Kenji I concocted a new series of samples (eight in total) and hosted a blind tasting at Serious Eats Headquarters in an attempt to finally get to the bottom of the beans.
The table was littered with tiny paper cups numbered one through eight, each representing a different method for storing coffee beans:
- 1. Whole beans stored at room temperature in a Ziploc bag (Ziploc bags are not hermetically sealed—air can still escape and enter the bag)
- 2. Whole beans stored at room temperature in a one-way valve bag (from which CO2 can escape but stale-making air can't get in)
- 3 and 4. The same beans stored in the freezer
- 4, 5, 6, and 7. Ground coffee stored in the same 4 manners
The grinds and whole beans all came from the same batch. The coffee was stored for two weeks before we cracked it out, to get the full effect. (It was Ecco Caffe's lovely El Tambor from Guatemala, roasted on September 17, measured and stored on September 19, and tasted on October 5.)
Seven Serious Eaters put themselves at risk of caffeine overdose for the experiment, and I prepared all the samples the same way: Each batch of beans weighed 24 grams and was brewed using 12 ounces of 30-seconds-off-boil water poured in two 6-ounce increments through Bonmac coffee drippers.
Each taster was given a form on which to rank the coffees' flavor, acidity (or fruitlike brightness), body, and aftertaste from one to ten, leaving comments about what stood out from each cup. At first, we compared samples in pairs while they were hot, revisiting the collection as a whole once the cups had all become lukewarm.
The results were reassuring, since they closely mirrored what we had found in the first test, and demonstrated remarkably clear trends.
As you can see from the graph, the overriding factor in coffee quality is storing at room temperature versus freezing, with room temp beans scoring a good point or two higher on average than frozen beans. The valve bags, with their hermetic seal also produced better tasting cups than the Ziploc bags, which allow air to breathe in and out (thin plastics are air-permeable). The difference between whole beans and preground beans stored at room temperature was actually minimal.
Valve-sealed bag produced the best-tasting cups of both whole bean ("bright and balanced") and preground coffee ("smooth—no weird aftertaste").
The poorest performance was from frozen whole beans in a Ziploc bag: "Bitter, like nail-polish remover," one taster commented. Not really what something you'd want to wake up to.
Fear the Freeze
So now we have the benefit of impartial opinions from several Serious coffee drinkers, but the question remains: Why is freezing so bad for your cup quality? As I said in my original post, freezers and refrigerators freeze moisture in order to prevent decay and mold, but the beans' internal moisture content is pivotal to the way they retain and translate their flavor. Temperature fluctuations (caused, for instance, by opening and closing the ice box) can cause ice crystals to constantly form and defrost, throwing that yin and yang out of balance.
But the most detrimental effect is likely the sweating caused by the thaw after being removed from the freezer. Brewed coffee has two ingredients: coffee and water. When coffee beans come in contact with water, the liquid begins to absorb some of the solubles that normally wind up in your finished morning cup. Messing with the dynamic interaction of water and coffee (in this case caused by the condensation as they thaw) is one of the easiest ways to end up with a subpar, bitter mug.
In the end, I think it's safe to repeat the earlier recommendation for ideal storage: Buy beans fresh in small batches, store them whole or freshly ground at room temperature in a sealed valve-bag, and drink them quickly for the most delicious results.


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20160922_zaa_n230_402.jpgAdd to Lightbox Download
September 22, 2016 - Idomeni, Greece - Daily life inside Diavata UNHCR refugee camp in Northern Greece on 22 September 2016. Diavata Refugee camp is a former military camp ( Anagnostopoulou camp) that was not in use. Now it hosts more than 1000 refugees. In the peaking time it held 4500 people. It is run by UNHCR, IRC (ngo) and the greek army, under the supervision of the Migration ministry. Refugees are blocked in Greece. They don't want to stay here but to continue their trip to central and northern Europe. Many of them mention the welfare privilages. Others complaint about the living conditions and that they are not allowed to work in Greece in contrast with Turkey that they were working for a few pennies. Most of the people here are from Syria, Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq. This camp has a high concentration of minors. (Credit Image: © Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via ZUMA Press)
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- Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto
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Greece Greek Idomeni Macedonia Crisis Refugee refugees Migrants Migration immigrants immigration Europe european war Syria Syrian Afghan Afghanistan Iran Iraq Iraqi Camp tent tents NGO UN UNHCR united nations nation national white children military helicopter escape bomb target under underaged minors minor unaccompanied father mother child daily life live every boy boys girls girl man army agency conflict asylum seeker proposal ministry work welfare Thessaloniki Salonica Griechenland rescue safe save food eat wash bathrooms toilets wc play playing zworld zumapress.com thepicturesoftheday.com zselect zagency economou-notitle160922_np4dZ.jpg zadvisory 20160922_zaa_n230_402.jpg
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- Greece: Airstrikes in the west of Aleppo, 22 September 2016


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Karlsson Puts Finishing Touches on Norris Campaign
Sharks Locker Room: Karlsson Talks Zetterlund, Labanc on Reimer Going 'Against the Grain'
Karlsson Scores Twice, But Sharks Drop 5-4 OT Thriller
Karlsson Talks Oilers' Trade Interest, Reimer's Decision, Eklund & More
Preview/Lines #71: Gregor Pulled Back on Potentially Devastating Hit
Sharks Might Regret Tomorrow Sending Eklund Down Today
Sharks Send Eklund Down to Barracuda
REPORT: Sharks Sign Finnish Defenseman Valtteri Pulli
BREAKING: Mukhamadullin To Start With Barracuda
REPORT: Sharks Rejected 'Legit Offer' for Ferraro, Interested in Greenway?
Scouts on What Thrun, Peterson, Henrikson Offer Sharks (+)
Grier on What Sharks Organization Needs To Address Next After Trade Deadline & More
Kurtis Gabriel on Real Reason Why He Retired, Provorov, Alphabet Sports Collective
Weatherby Says Good-Bye to Sharks Fans, What He'll Miss Most About Eklund
Brianna Decker Talks Next Step of Her Career, Unified PHF-PWHPA League
Marleau: 'That's the greatest honor, to be able to be the first one up there.'
GOTTA SEE IT: Sharks Retire Patrick Marleau's Jersey
Ex-NHL Head Coach Details What He's Liked About Eklund (+)
Joe Will on How Gushchin, Robins, Wiesblatt, Other Sharks Prospects Are Progressing (+)
Scouts on What Sharks Are Getting in Mukhamadullin, Zetterlund, Okhotiuk (+)
What Can Blues Offer Sharks for Meier? (+)
Compared to the Colorado Avalanche, the San Jose Sharks may as well be playing in another league. While the dynasty-minded Stanley Cup champions may just be...
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Last week, we unveiled the new Office. This is our most ambitious release to date. It is a touch-friendly, social release that is at its best on Windows 8 and works wherever you do in the cloud.
As part of this introduction, we also unveiled a new logo and new naming for this modern Office. Such a significant release deserved a fresh look. This post explains the story behind the new logo and the different ways you get the new Office.
The new Office logo represents the doorway to new opportunities. You can think about it as your doorway out of your traditional workplace and into the world – to all the places where the doing gets going.
The new Office helps you get things done from anywhere on your favorite Windows 8 devices, and the new logo embodies this. You'll probably notice that the new Office logo is highly reminiscent of the new Windows mark and part of a company-wide approach to deliver a more consistent branding experience across all of our products.
However, since you can't really use a symbol as a name, the name is important too. So what are we naming this new release? Quite simply, we call it "the new Office."
There are two primary and different ways you can get the new Office:
- Office 365. This is our services brand. Office 365 services are subscriptions with multiple installs for different devices and are always the latest technology every day of the year. Last week, we announced an extension of our Office 365 services for consumers – Office 365 Home Premium – and a new option for business users – Office 365 ProPlus, which join our Office 365 services for small businesses, enterprises, education and government.
- Office Client – Release Year Editions. Just like a car, these editions are the latest technology up to that year. The new release is the "2013" edition. You'll see this label in suites such as "Office Home and Student 2013." These editions are also in the cloud and save to SkyDrive by default, but people buy and install once on a single machine.
- Note: Individual client applications such as Word, Excel, Outlook, OneNote and PowerPoint carry a year-model moniker no matter how you get them. If you are a subscriber, the year model edition is updated as part of new updates.
In addition, the Office Web Apps, free browser-based companions to Office, are available to everyone and deliver the best browser-based productivity experience for quick viewing and light editing.
Office has been and continues to be the best tool to get things done, and the new brand identity celebrates "doers". Strong active verbs reinforce all the great things you can do with Office and echo the confidence or self-assuredness people told us they feel when Office is their partner helping them get things done.
Simply put, the new brand is designed to amplify the key investments in the new Office.
Stay tuned to this blog and Office Next for more information in coming weeks and months. For now, visit our Pressroom for more information, and don't forget to download the preview of the new Office yourself.


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A little Italian garage rock for you today.
Wild Lignu – Drunkula by SMFSP
Wild Lignu is actually the amalgamation of Wildmen and Capputtini 'I Lignu, and this song, "Drunkula", is the B side of their split 7″. Side A contains Capputtini 'I Lignu's "He Never Tells" and Wildmen's "Born After Midnight". You can order the vinyl here and the digital here. Then keep an ear out for the Wildmen's debut full-length next month.


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Tonight Boston's SpeakEasy Stage production of Next to Normal opens at the Calderwood Pavilion on Tremont Street in the South End. This play won 3 Tony Awards and received the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama so I know the story line will be compelling. According to the website the show has a pop rock musical score which should add an element of drama to this story of a suburban family dealing with the direct and indirect effects of mental illness.
The cast of six includes three handsome faces who are making their debut with the SpeakEasy Stage. Native New Yorker – Chris Caron, Northeastern University graduate – Michael Levesque, and Boston Conservatory's very own – Michael Tacconi.
Look for my review of the show early next week, and in the interim start talking to friends to line up a date to step out and enjoy this show.


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Separate Accounts
Posted by Charles Kahn on Mar 8, 2013
Filed Under (Finance, U.S. Fiscal Policy)
That a large percentage of individuals in the US do not paying income tax is a matter of concern, and not just to conservatives. There is an underlying sense that the paying of taxes is a duty, an act of solidarity with the collective goals of a democratically constituted nation. While fairness requires that those best able to do so provide more of the financial support for those collective goals, fairness also requires everyone provide a share, even if that share is small.
In fact, this decline in tax-paying is partly connected with one of the programs often argued to be the most effective at reduction of poverty–the earned income credit. Under this program, recipients' credits are often greater than the total taxes they would have paid.
Many of the features of the earned income credit are desirable from the point of view of economic theory. The program entails virtually no overhead costs for its running. Its relatively low marginal rates distort decisions less than many alternatives (such as a minimum wage or food stamps). It can be targeted fairly accurately to those it is intended for (the working poor with children).
From the point of view of the economist, there is no difference between having a program in which an individual receives $5,000 from the government and pays $500 in taxes, or a program which just nets it all out and pays the individual $4,500. From the point of view of the voters, and possibly from the point of view of the recipient, there is a big difference between the two.
Beside the moral, even quasi-religious, sense to this–that paying taxes imparts a dignity to the payer (like the "widow's mite"; also compare the rabinnic teaching that the poor are also required to give charity), there is of course also an astute political sense to this: if government coffers are filled by "others," there is no limit to what we demand of government; if they are filled by "us" then we weigh the costs versus the benefits.
We probably need a name for the psychological quirk that causes us to regard such two-way passage of moneys as different from a one-way passage of a net amount. I recommend the term "budgeting illusion" — the sense that when sums are arbitrarily divided into different accounts, the separate pots take on a reality of their own.
Budgeting illusion also lies behind some of the difficulties we have in dealing sensibly with social security. Ultimately the money goes into the government in whatever form–payroll tax, income tax, gasoline tax–and the money comes out in national defense, social security, highways. There is no economic sense in which the dollars collected "for" one purpose are separable from the dollars collected "for" another. For social security recipients the fungibility is fortunate, since, in particular, the present value of most people's social security contributions is not sufficient to pay for their benefits. Nonetheless, most taxpayers feel that the social security payments are "their" money and the benefits are "their" compensation for it.
Even if there is no economic distinction between different dollars, there is a political distinction: Having the social security's trust fund in a separate pot allows the social security administration some political autonomy. It enables SSA to pay benefits without resort to the Congress even in years when they are not bringing in enough revenue to cover their costs. The system was intentionally set up this way, of course, to ensure that changes would be close to politically impossible. But the problem that arises is just the flip side of the earned income credit problem: in each case our awareness of the magnitudes of the payments are altered when we separate or combine the different pots of funding.


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To Jeff Sexton at SWGA Politics blog
Jeff: Did I just come home from church to see that Carlton Fletcher gave you and your blog mad love in his Sunday column in the Albany Herald? Wait just a cotton-picking minute; your meteoric blog just stepped in the game and already Fletcher is commenting on you.
Fletcher…Albany State Grad Fletcher…we when to the same college Fletcher…never read ProjectLogicGa.com produced by ASU grad me Fletcher. I tip the Panama hat I worn to church today (actually I got it in Ecuador) to you and SWGA Politics for the nod Fletcher gave you guys. And Carlton Fletcher was right about having a deep detailed newspaper in one's hand—I still can't believe that the AJC is not available in south Georgia anymore. When he wrote that he was not going to bank on the depth of reporting from anyone whose job description includes "getting your makeup right," was he talking about you or the TV news reporters he mentioned. Lewis Grizzard is smiling on the other side about that line.
Fletcher's article about "Bright Flight or White Flight" from Albany into Leesburg is an instant classic. In Worth County, we welcome those working in east Albany who seek a quieter community. Whom am I fooling; those kids (Black, White and Brown) with the booming car stereos are about to drive me into the rural area of Worth County.
If Fletcher reads this, he should tell Candace the Herald's circulation department that I am again sorry for fussing about my paper not being in the box this morning; the thoughtful delivery person tossed it in the garage because someone who likely doesn't read has been stealing my paper lately. The communities of Isabella, Acre and Ty Ty are starting to look pretty good these days.
I am no where near anybody's journalist…I am just a guy venting and waiting for Sawgrass and the NBA to come on the tube.


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The Slash-and-Burn House Republican Yahoo Caucus Rampages On
A group of lawmakers isn't interested in reducing the deficit or smart reductions to government -- it just wants to cut at all costs.
Congress is filled with informal caucuses, from the Black Caucus to the Wine Caucus. I have a new one to propose, which might be among the largest: the Yahoo Caucus.
I actually began to think about this group last year, when Rep. Daniel Webster, R-Fla. (yes, that is really his name), tried to eliminate the Census Bureau's annual American Community Survey. ACS is a critically important source of data, by neighborhood, that businesses, manufacturers, retailers, home builders, and local governments use to make critical decisions. The survey provides data on local labor markets, traffic patterns, crime, income, poverty, and countless other areas. It tells businesses the best place to open plants, locate stores, or build homes; tells local governments where and when to place police and firefighting forces; informs emergency planners about disaster preparation; and on and on. Eliminating it would be colossally stupid and counterproductive -- but what placed Webster on the Yahoo list was his comment at the time: "This is not a scientific survey, it is a random survey." Ouch. Webster has been superseded by Rep. Jeff Duncan, R-S.C., who wants to eliminate all funding for all census surveys other than the big one every decade.
Another charter member of the caucus is Rep. Paul Broun, R-Ga., who famously said last year that evolution, embryology, and the "big bang" theory were "lies straight from the pit of hell." Naturally, Broun is a senior member of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee. A new member of the caucus is the chairman of that committee, Lamar Smith, R-Texas, a smart guy (intelligence is not the determining factor here) who this week floated the notion of having every science grant application at the National Science Foundation pass a key hurdle -- explaining how the idea would directly benefit the American people. This went beyond the previous efforts by many Yahoos to defund all political science grants to attack grants in every scientific area, social and hard sciences alike, and ultimately make the peer-review process, the linchpin of scientific enterprise, superfluous. Some of the most significant scientific research projects started as out-of-the-box, "wild-eyed ideas" whose immediate benefit to the broader public would not be evident for decades. What a great idea to have Congress vet the ideas instead of scientific peers.
But the largest class of Yahoos is the group of lawmakers ardently supporting the sequester now hitting a range of government policies and programs.
In the weeks leading up to the implementation of the sequester, a steady stream of House Republicans expressed their eagerness to bring it on. House Republican Whip Kevin McCarthy said, "This may be the only way we get real spending cuts over the next year." Budget Chairman Paul Ryan said, "The sequester is going to happen." Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana said, "The consensus is that we want the sequester numbers to come in and finally see spending reduced in Washington." Rep. Scott DeJarlais of Tennessee said, "Sequestration needs to happen."
For every lawmaker like Sens. John McCain or John Thune, who fretted about mindless cuts in defense (while saying nothing about mindless cuts in domestic programs), there were 10 House Republicans who were happy with budget cuts; they did not care where they came from or how they were implemented.
And that is where my disdain is especially focused. From the failure of the super committee forward, to the alarm by House Republicans that some of their Senate counterparts might endorse a plan to raise revenues and make cuts in the growth of Social Security and Medicare, it has become clear that reducing debt is not the real priority here. Cutting government is. But it is not a careful or reasoned effort to create a leaner and meaner government, focused on priorities, operating efficiently and solving problems prudently. It is instead a slash-and-burn approach that reflects a combination of extreme ideology and extreme ignorance, an ardent belief in cutting government without knowing or caring what government is.
Basic research is especially endangered. Here is the reality: Basic research is the fundamental building block for American ingenuity and creativity, as well as our unsurpassed role as the globe's innovators. In the Mad Men era, Ma Bell could create and fund Bell Labs as a prestigious loss leader, and let other companies turn the research product into commercial ventures. Those days are long gone. No company will spend money on something that has no immediate payoff, hits the next quarter's profits, and may be exploited by other companies down the road. Only government can do the basic research work that has an enormous long-term payoff for society.
The defense sequester exempts military personnel and focuses on civilian employees at the Defense Department -- and DARPA, the brilliant agency that spearheaded the development of the Internet and has created many other valuable innovations, will suffer as a consequence. At the National Institutes of Health, the sequester will be devastating to new research grants. As Elias Zerhouni, the former head of NIH, has pointed out, the grants are usually for five years, rolled over each year. So a 10 percent cut overall in research grants could mean a 50 percent cut in new grants. NIH, the Centers for Disease Control, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Science Foundation and the Food and Drug Administration have already seen their budgets shaved over several years of pressure on discretionary spending, which have grant funding levels at roughly those of the Eisenhower era. For new and emerging scientists aspiring to careers in medical research, NIH grants are critical -- many are already discussing changing their career paths or going to a place like Singapore, which is stepping up with ample sums to attract our best and brightest. The impact of the cuts is equally damaging for medical schools, teaching hospitals, and universities.
So for lawmakers who stampeded in to make sure the flights back to their districts would run on time by shifting funds to air-traffic controllers from airport improvement and construction -- while blithely cheering on cuts in research -- welcome to Yahoo Land.


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- Wilson Allen, Self-appointed spokesman for Center Township Democrats, 1146 Tecumseh Street ($140.36)
- Patrice Abduallah, Democratic City-County Councilor, District 15, 937 N. Sheffield Ave. ($535.21)
- Rozelle Boyd, Democratic City-County Councilor, At-Large, 938 N. Alabama Street ($2,069.38)
- Billie J. Breaux, Democratic Marion County Auditor, 5155 N. Arlington Ave. (27.68), 5155 N. Arlington Ave. ($511.54)
- Lonnell Conley, Democratic City-County Councilor, At-Large, Majority Leader, 6223 E. 56th St. ($1,433.44)
- Mark Anthony "Tony" Duncan, Democratic Center Township Constable, 340 Harvard Pl. ($1,367.54)
- Carl Drummer, Democratic Center Township Trustee, 3563 N. Central Ave. ($1,273.40)
Now, the purpose of this exercise was not to single out Democrats only. I checked the listings of all major Republican officeholders in Indianapolis, including legislators, CCC members and county officeholders and didn't pull up any Republicans who were delinquent. If I have missed one, please bring it to my attention. I think the most surprising name on the list is Wilson Allen, particularly since he's badgered former Center Township Small Claims Court judge candidate Darla Williams endlessly about an unpaid property tax bill. Does the word "hypocrisy" come to mind? I would note that it is possible that persons on this list have since taken care of their delinquency and the Marion Co. Treasurer's website hasn't updated their online database. They'll need to take that up with Treasurer Mike Rodman's office.


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I'm not sure why I had a graving for cornflakes cookies a few months back. As I really could not remember the recipe my mum had used, I randomly took one off the internet. I tried it out but somehow the cookies did not turn as I had hoped. So I dropped an email to my sister who is currently residing in Melbourne to ask for her recipe. Ever since I tried out her recipe, I've made these cookies on four separate occassions.
Cornflake Cookies
85g sugar
113g unsalted butter
141g self-raising flour, sifted
1/2 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups lightly crushed cornflakes
1) Beat soften butter and sugar until light in colour.
2) Add egg and vanilla extract.
3 Fold in flour in one go and shape the biscuit dough into the size of small limes.
4) Roll the dough balls into the cornflakes and place on a lined baking tray about 1 1/2" apart.
5) Bake cookies in a preheated oven of 160-170C for 15-18 mins
Bakers Note:
To make self-raising flour, mix 150gm plain flour with 1 tsp baking powder.
For variation to the cookie recipe, you can add in 1/2 cup of raisins or cranberries.


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Free art from Banksy!
We've covered the British renegade graffiti artist Banksy a few times on our blog (I think this was our first entry on him). From walking into famous art museums and non-chalantly hanging his own pieces up, to sneaking into Palestine and painting dreamy images on the gigantic West Bank barrier, to stealthily climbing into the penguin exhibit at the London zoo and painting "we're bored of fish" on the walls, Banksy's work never fails to amuse.
In any case, the artist seems to be at it again, albeit in an admittedly milder way. He's offering free art on his online shop in terrific resolutions. And in typical Banksy style, he's advising that: "Prints look best when done on gloss paper using the company printer ink when everyone else is at lunch."Â Link via Productdose.


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The mission of the new-for-'15 Chrysler 200 is a challenging one: Represent the Fiat/Chrysler empire in the hotly contested mid-size-sedan segment. Although the basic recipe for success is hardly a secret, Chrysler's previous Sebring/200 mid-sizers always felt undercooked. So when the 2015 200 made its debut at the 2014 Detroit auto show, hope sprung anew that the maker had finally found the right mix of ingredients that make cars such as the Honda Accord and the Mazda 6 so good.
Freshly Baked
Chrysler anticipates that 70 percent of the buyers for its new mid-size sedan will choose a four-cylinder powerplant, which is why the 2.4-liter Tigershark-equipped 200 is the focus of this test. (A 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 is also available.) Our mid-level Limited test car arrived at our offices wearing subdued Granite Crystal metallic paint and a set of satin silver 18-inch aluminum wheels shod with 235/45 Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 tires.
Inside, the 200 Limited's cabin provides a contemporary atmosphere befitting of its newly sleek exterior, avoiding discordant garnishes in favor of elegant minimalism. Basic black abounds, accented by thin strips of chrome breaking up surfaces and delineating control groups on the dash, doors, and console. Chrysler's rotary gear selector shares space in the console with the electric parking brake and large round climate controls, all appropriately sized for easy, intuitive operation by the meaty paws of corn-fed North Americans. The instrument panel follows suit, placing two large and legible dials front and center, the space between them occupied by an information screen and segmented fuel-level and engine-temperature gauges. The layout might not be cutting edge, but you'll rarely waste time looking for switchgear or controls. Our test car's kit didn't include Fiat/Chrysler's now-ubiquitous 8.4-inch Uconnect screen, instead making do with a 5.0-inch version, which still provides Bluetooth connectivity but lacks navigation.
What the car did have was the $895 Convenience group (power front seats, backup camera, body-color power sideview mirrors with heat, leather-wrapped steering wheel, SiriusXM satellite radio); the $645 Comfort group (dual-zone automatic climate control, heat and A/C ducting for the rear seats, heated front seats, remote start, and auto-dimming rear-view mirror); and the aforementioned wheels ($595), our example wore an as-tested price of $26,385.
Taste Test
Producing 184 horsepower and 173 lb-ft of torque, the naturally aspirated 2.4-liter Tigershark engine is up to the task of hauling around the 200's 3488 pounds, but not without registering a few noisy complaints. Peak torque comes on at 4600 rpm, right around the same spot where the sounds emanating from under the hood begin to get gruff. It'll pull hard to the electronically limited 6500-rpm fuel cutoff, but the soundtrack leans to the death-metal side of the musical spectrum. Thankfully, the average buyer will rarely venture past 6000 rpm, aside from the occasional passing maneuver. With nine speeds to choose from in the ZF-designed automatic, there's seldom a time when the engine is caught lumbering in the wrong ratio. The shifts are almost imperceptible, save for foot-down moments when it'll skip a gear on the way to finding the optimal ratio. Sixty mph comes up in 8.4 seconds, the quarter-mile mark arriving in 16.6 with a trap speed of 85 mph. Compare those to the 7.4- and 15.9-second times recorded by an Accord EX-L Sport automatic we tested in a recent comparo with the Mazda 6, and then consider that the Chrysler is light years away from the Honda in high-rpm refinement. (As an additional comparison, our long-term 2013 Accord Sport equipped with a six-speed manual turned in 6.6- and 15.2-second figures.)
The 200 is far happier running errands and shuttling people about town than clipping apexes on a curvy back road. Swapping the efficiency-minded Ecopia tires for a set more concerned with grip than thrift, however, likely would improve the 200 in both environments. Still, our test driver coerced a surprising 0.81-g roadholding number from them, noting moderate understeer in the process. In town, it's easy to make the tires squeal like the proverbial pig (apologies to Ned Beatty) by combining a dollop of accelerator with slightly turned steering wheel; under more restrained operation, the steering is reasonably quick but, as with most electrically boosted setups optimized for fuel economy, devoid of most road feel. Braking consumed 179 feet of pavement with no fade in repeated stops, putting it right in the meat of the class.
We achieved 27 mpg from the 200 in mixed driving. Good for the segment, that figure is of particular interest as it betters the 26 mpg we achieved in the smaller (8.4 inches shorter overall), slower, and 150-pound-lighter 2013 Dodge Dart Limited with the 1.4-liter Multiair turbo engine and six-speed dual-clutch automatic. No doubt, the 2.4-liter-powered Chrysler 200 just isn't working as hard as the smaller turbo-powered Dart just to keep up with the flow of traffic, hence smaller throttle openings and better real-world fuel economy.
Although the new-from-the-ground-up 200 is a fully baked product, we can't help but feel that drivers with sporting intentions will find it a little on the light side of hearty. The 200 doesn't have the poor-man's Bentley street presence of its larger 300 sidekick, either. In a segment flush with blue-ribbon entries that manage to mix four-door practicality with genuine fun-to-drive character, the 200 is still a few ingredients short of being top-shelf material.
Andrew Wendler brings decades of wrenching, writing, and editorial experience with numerous outlets to Car and Driver. A rust-belt native and tireless promoter of the region, he once won a $5 bet by walking the entire length of the elevated People Mover track that encircles downtown Detroit.


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We just got some playtime with the ROAM, a new action-minded video camera from Contour. Its strong, no-frills design and 1080p video makes it very competitive with similarly-priced GoPros.
The build quality is terrific. It's just an aluminum bullet, and it's light, compact, and streamline. The 170 degree, rotatable lens pack a serious wide-angle and makes it tempting to point it at yourself while you're doing something stupid (see video). It's incredibly simple: push the switch forward, then it's on and recording. Smart, fast, and saves power. You can get a ton of different mounts for everything from your head to your handlebars to your surfboard. The battery meter lets you know exactly how much juice you have left, and it's got a laser site so you can tell you're shooting straight. It can shoot up to 1080p at 30fps, and it's "waterproof" (like all gadgets should be), rated to withstand 1 meter (roughly 3 feet) for 30 minutes.
No Like
Well, it's only waterproof to one meter. While there will be a waterproof housing for it in the near future, GoPro's cameras come with a waterproof case rated up to 60 meters/180 feet. The battery is built-in, which makes it solid, but you can't quickly swap in a new one when you're out in the field. Audio was also pretty quiet and muffled. The free Contour Storyteller application is not really an editor, as you can't even combine clips. The software might be handy for someone who just wants a quick and easy way of putting a few highlights online, but you'd be better off with even a very basic video editor.
Last Word
At just $200 this is very much a viable competitor. The footage it takes looks very good. It doesn't have Bluetooth and GPS like Contour's higher end models, but if all you really need is an action camera that takes very nice video and is super easy to operate even in hairy conditions, you should definitely check this one out. Personally, I'm itching to do a Battlemodo with this, a GoPro, and a couple other tough customers. In the meantime, take a look at this hastily gathered test-footage.[$200 at Contour]
PSA: Do not strap this to your bike and go riding into oncoming traffic on a rainy night in Brooklyn. That is not what this product is intended for. Let reckless bloggers do stupid shit like that for you, and do not try it yourself. Capice? Good.
You can keep up with Brent Rose, the author of this post, on Google+ or Twitter.


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HES ND-605 Faceplate for 1006 Series 4-7/8", Bright Brass
HES has faceplates in sizes and corner configurations that fit into ANSI metal jambs as well as aluminum frames. These faceplates are designed not only for easy installation but to work perfectly with HES electric strikes.
Faceplates are available as part of the Complete Pac for the entire series of HES electric strike up to the 8300 Series. Each Complete Pac includes two faceplates of the same save but with squared and radius corners. Different sized faceplates are available.
Filler blocks and stackable lip extensions in three sizes can be ordered with any Complete Pac to make installation easier. HES also offers electrical components as accessories to any Complete Pac.
Bright Brass
We are very pleased to carry electro-mechanical locks and access control devices from HES. They are part of the ASSA ABLOY group of companies, which we find to provide outstanding products and exceptional customer support.
HES manufactures cutting edge electrical locking systems that are designed to meet the demanding needs of a variety of commercial, medical and educational applications. Our customers have been able to find the right product for any job from the extensive HES catalogue of electro-mechanical locks.
We are proud to carry this line of access control devices because of the incredible history this company has of award winning products. They have been recognized by ASIS International, the premier worldwide professional security organization, in 2012 and in 2015. The have been awarded the coveted Good Designs award repeatedly, including a Green Good Designs award in 2016.
It is no wonder that Forbes magazine has named the HES parent company to their list of the world's most innovative companies 3 times. HES matches this dedication to creating new and useful designs with a similar passion for excellence in customer service and outstanding quality control.
Explore the full line of electrical locking and access control devices we have available from HES and other ASSA ABLOY companies.


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Monday, December 27, 2010
Carnival of Genealogy 101 - My Genealogy Research/Writing Plan for 2011
It is good to set goals and prepare a plan to help focus oneself. Now, we don't always achieve our goals or follow our plan but if we don't think about what we what to do, we can get scattered and accomplish little. Well that sounds good but I am not always the greatest planner and I am not always good at keeping focused but let's see if I can do it for the coming year.
Goal 1: Complete the book on the Soldiers from Knox United (then Presbyterian) in the First World War. Most of the research is done, I think. I may find out differently when I go to work on writing about each one. I have started the writing on about four or five. There are 23 men involved with two being siblings.
Plan: To focus on one a week, finishing research and writing. That will take me to the end of June.
To decide how I am going to publish it and distribute it. It is not meant to be for a large distribution but I wanted the information about them in writing so that it is preserved for future generations.
Publish by September 14, 2011 (92 years after the organ was dedicated in memory of these men).
Goal 2: To update the family history that I did for first for my brother and sister and then updated it again for my four Iles nephews. This is not a full blown history but it focuses on the main people in my parents' lines. My parents are the focus in the book. The first two versions were done for 3 ring binders done on my computer and printed out on my ink-jet printer. This time it will be for all my nieces, nephews and my siblings.
Plan: Add information to my genealogy software that I found while I was at Salt Lake City in August.
Add the appropriate people and information to the "book".
Review what I have and decide if there is further research that I could do to make the information and stories more appealing to non-genealogists.
Look for maps and photos that might be useful.
Decide on how it will be produced. - 10 copies needed.
To accomplish this all before Christmas 2011.
How well I do on this will be dependent of course on what else is happening in my life. When you work as a freelance researcher, you do not know how much work you will have and when it will occur. I have two talks booked already. I am also President of two organizations. All I can do is my best and try to focus on these two goals.
© 2010 Janet Iles
3 comments:
Very focused plan. I'm in the process now of figuring out my goals for my new blog. Tomorrow is the 100th anniversary of Josef Gärtz, my grandfather, boarding the ship to America. Now I have to figure out how to proceed with the blog--and if I want to start a new blog.ReplyDelete
Looks like a good plan for a busy woman! I can relate to the part about "dependent on what else is happening". I cut back one really time consuming thing last year so I could focus on what was really important to ME. It was a good move. "All I can do is my best" is the right way to look at things. Good luck with all you do!ReplyDelete
Wow 92 years and you are making it happen kudos!ReplyDelete
J at Cow Hampshire
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It won't stop you from overdrinking, but Rotgutonix will test unmixed drinks (or those mixed with water) for the presence of unadulterated alcohol aka rotgut. The concept has a chemical sensor can detect several alcoholic brands in about 20 seconds.
At present, the device is set to analyze the following brands: Johnny Walker, JB, DYC, Pampero, Brugal and Havana club, although in future version we expect that Rotgutonix will be able to analyze the chemical composition of over 20 well-known brands, mainly rum, whisky, gin, and vodka.
The site also says the device is currently "a prototype still in the marketing phase", but we'll look out for it.
A fun side note: it's designed by the guy who gave the world the Condometric (a condom with a ruler stenciled on it) and the ball and chain student study aid (with built-in unlocking timer). Right then! [Curiosite via Technabob]


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I received this book free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Palace of Treason by Jason Matthews
Narrator: Jeremy Bobb
Series: Red Sparrow Trilogy #2
Published by Simon & Schuster Audio on June 2, 2015
Length: 20 hrs and 7 mins
Genres: Spy Thriller
Format: Audiobook
Source: the Publisher
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Audible
Also by this author: Red Sparrow
Red Sparrow is now a major motion picture starring Jennifer Lawrence and Joel Edgerton!
The pulse-pounding sequel to the bestselling, Edgar Award-winning Red Sparrow that The New York Times Book Review called "terrifically good": star-crossed spies Dominika Egorova and CIA agent Nate Nash return in a cat-and-mouse race to the finish.
Captain Dominika Egorova of the Russian Intelligence Service (SVR) has returned from the West to Moscow and the Center, the headquarters of her service. She finds things worse than when she left. She despises the men she must serve, the oligarchs, and crooks, and thugs of Putin's Russia. What no one knows is that Dominika is working for the CIA as Washington's most sensitive penetration of SVR and the Kremlin.
As she expertly dodges exposure, Dominika deals with a murderously psychotic boss; survives an Iranian assassination attempt; escapes a counterintelligence ambush; rescues an arrested agent and exfiltrates him out of Russia; and has a chilling midnight conversation in her nightgown with President Putin in one of the Tsar's palaces. Complicating the risks is the fact that Dominika is in love with her CIA handler, Nate Nash, and their lust is as dangerous to both of them as committing espionage in Moscow. And when a mole in the SVR finds Dominika's name on a restricted list of sources, it is a virtual death sentence. She must face off alone against her psycho boss, who's got an eight-inch knife up his sleeve…
Just as fast-paced, heart-pounding, and action-packed as Red Sparrow, Jason Matthews's second novel proves he is "an insider's insider…and a masterful storyteller" (Vince Flynn, #1 New York Times bestselling author).
"Dvorets v Izmene," said Dominika under her breath.
Benford looked over at Nate, one eyebrow raised.
"Palace of Treason," Nate said.
"Works for me," said Gable."
Palace of Treason, the thrilling follow up to Red Sparrow, places Captain Dominika Egorova in a place both advantageous and dangerous. She's in a position of great importance within Moscow and is able to provide vital intelligence to the CIA, however, she isn't beloved by all and a few alarming individuals suspect her of wrongdoing. To make matters even more precarious, she's caught the eye of the Russian president and one misstep will destroy everything she's worked for.
Matthews continues to excel at the multitude of characters in these stories that all manage to be meticulously described without becoming excessive. The storyteller's tendency to fall back on stereotypes, primarily when it comes to the Russians, is a bit of a low point. The lack of depth and distinction, fortunately, didn't take away from the strength of the plot itself. Egorova fights throughout the story to keep her cover and to quietly take out anyone who could destroy it. She survives through so many assassination attempts that it was both incredible and unbelievable, but then again, she trained for years to survive this kind of life. She's a woman on a mission, intent on getting payback for what she was forced to do for so many years in the name of Russia, but the one thing that she seems to be willing to risk it all for is love. A bit of a contradiction, but much like the seemingly odd inclusion of recipes at the end of each chapter, it still manages to work out nicely.
"You remember what I told you both in Vienna?" […] "That someday you're gonna have to make a decision that'll make you taste your stomach behind your teeth, but you got no choice, and maybe it even means hurting someone you respect and trust. Well, it happened today and it'll happen again tomorrow, and the next day."
I received this book free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.The Kremlin's Candidate by Jason Matthews
Narrator: Jeremy Bobb
Series: Red Sparrow Trilogy #3
Published by Simon & Schuster Audio on February 13, 2018
Length: 17 hrs and 48 mins
Genres: Spy Thriller
Format: Audiobook
Source: the Publisher
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Audible
Also by this author: Red Sparrow
In the final, thrilling New York Times bestselling installment of the Red Sparrow Trilogy, Russian counterintelligence chief Dominika Egorova and her lover, CIA agent Nate Nash, must find a Russian agent about to be appointed to a very high office in the US government.
With a plot ripped from tomorrow's headlines, Jason Matthews's high-powered, seductive third novel not only continues the dangerous entanglements of Dominika and Nate but reveals with chilling authenticity how Russian espionage can place agents in the most sensitive positions of power. The novel opens with Russian president Vladimir Putin planning the covert assassination of a high-ranking US official with the intention of replacing him with a mole whom Russian intelligence has cultivated for more than fifteen years.
Catching wind of this plot, Dominika, Nate, and their CIA colleagues must unmask the traitor before he or she is able to reveal that Dominika has been spying for years on behalf of the CIA. Any leak, any misstep, will expose her as a CIA asset and result in a one-way trip to a Moscow execution cellar. Along the way, Matthews, a thirty-three-year veteran of the CIA and winner of the Edgar Award for Best First Novel, sets vivid, unforgettable scenes in Moscow; Washington, DC; Hong Kong; New York; the Sudan; and Turkey, and introduces two cold-blooded killers: Iosip Blokhin, a brilliant Spetsnaz military officer, and Grace Gao, ravishing Chinese spy, master of Kundalini yoga, and Beijing-trained seductress.
Ultimately, the lines of danger converge on the spectacular billion-dollar presidential palace on the Black Sea during a power weekend with Putin's inner circle. Does Nate sacrifice himself to save Dominika? Does she forfeit herself to protect Nate? Do they go down together?
This dazzling finale to Jason Matthews's New York Times bestselling Red Sparrow Trilogy, called "a primer in twenty-first-century spying...terrifically good" (The New York Times Book Review), confirms the critical acclaim he received for the first two novels, praise that compared Matthews to John le Carré and Ian Fleming.
"The tenets of espionage were immutable—go forth and steal secrets—but technology was changing the Game."
In The Kremlin's Candidate, the race is on to identify the Russian spy who is one of three individuals currently in the running to become the next CIA director. This was hands down my favorite plot line of the trilogy and is by far the most thrilling in how Matthews brought everything full circle. Retelling Dominika's time when she was still just a Sparrow, she was instructed to compromise U.S. Navy lieutenant Audrey Rowland and get her to agree to work with the Russians back in 2005. The mission was a success and Audrey's been feeding information to them ever since. Flash forward back to the present, Audrey is in place to become the next CIA director and if she gains that position, she'll be able to obtain the name of the Russian mole, Diva, who she knows intimately well as Dominika Egorova.
Matthews doesn't settle for that one, immense plot, unfortunately, and it ends up far more convoluted than necessary. In addition to American and Russian spies, North Korean and Chinese spies are also thrown into the mix. There's even mention of the Chinese version of the Russian "Sparrow" and while I understand we've been drilled on assassin and seductresses going hand in hand for three novels, this bit of added detail came off as cheesy more than anything. Sections certainly could have been omitted for a more streamlined story. The build-up to the grand finale does, in retrospect, feel like something I should have anticipated but it still managed to astonish. A lot of the details makes you question whether Matthews is including his actual knowledge from his own personal spying days, or if it's simply randomly added detail. Either way, it was most convincing. This is the third and final story of the Red Sparrow trilogy and while it is obvious that Matthews has developed a formula by this point, it doesn't matter, because it's exciting and it works. In looking back on the near 60 hours I spent listening to the ordeals of Dominika Egorova and Nathaniel Nash, it was easy to lose yourself in the intricate web of the spy world. It was a most enjoyable thrill ride and I've never laughed harder at my new favorite insult: "I don't know what's wrong with you but I bet it's hard to pronounce."