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- Product details
- About Pantherella
- Care & material
- Reviews
- Contact us
• One of the world's foremost sock manufacturers, Pantherella has been making socks in Leicester, England since 1937.
• Lustrous mercerised Cottojn Lisle increased durability and lustre.
• Rib knit.
• Long elasticated rib keeps the socks in place.
• Seamless toe for superior comfort.
Back in 1937, Louis Goldschmidt revolutionised the world of sock making with his seamless, fine knit socks. The competition was slow to catch on, and Pantherella quickly became the go-to name for anyone looking for the very highest quality socks.
At its workshop in Leicester, England, the brand continues to combine traditional craftsmanship with the latest technological innovations in order to offer its customers products of the best possible quality.
Answers to our most frequently asked questions can be found here.
E-mail: email@example.com
We aim to reply to all e-mails within one working day.
Telephone: +46 (0)10-707 95 80
Mon-Fri 08:00-17:00 CET/CEST. International rates apply. Please check with your operator before calling or instead contact us via e-mail.


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How Often Should I be Eating After Weight Loss Surgery?
Over time you will have heard many different views on how often, or when you should eat. Three meals per day, six small meals, not after 8pm – all of which may have some merit.
What we do no for sure is that there is no 'one size fits all' answer to how often or exactly when you should eat. However, there are a few of basic principles to remember when planning your meals:
- Start the day right
- A little routine goes a long way
- Let your hunger guide you.
Start the Day Right
It is pretty well established that we should eat breakfast. You will have all heard the phrase "breakfast is the most important meal of the day". Whilst eating breakfast has not specifically been studied after weight loss surgery, wider research tells us breakfast can improve mental performance, reduce fatigue and improve eating habits by reducing snacking during the day. These are positive benefits for all of us, whether we have had weight loss surgery or not.
Do you avoid breakfast thinking it will 'save' you calories? This is a common belief – if you are not hungry for breakfast, why eat the extra calories? We find that often those who are not hungry for breakfast have eaten too late the night before. They then don't start eating again until later in the day, eating most food at night and then not being hungry again the next morning. You become trapped in a cycle.
Many people are afraid to eat breakfast as it makes them more hungry throughout they day. Believe it or not this is a positive thing! If you are becoming hungry regularly throughout the day your body is actually burning the food you are eating, causing you to be hungry again. (Keep in mind, this refers to actual, physical hunger, not the type of hunger you have because you smell a bakery, because the kettle is boiling, because it is your morning tea break or because someone else is eating.)
Reflect on your eating habits. If you skip breakfast do you get hungry mid morning? Are you prepared with a healthy snack or do you grab whatever is available in the lunchroom, vending machine or service station? This is a common pitfall of breakfast skippers. If you skip breakfast are you finding you eat little through the day, but the majority of food later at night? Late at night do you make good food choices?
It is important to start our day right with a good breakfast and spread our food intake fairly evenly over the day. After weight loss surgery your meal sizes are smaller, so 'catching up' for meals missed is no longer possible. You need to get as much good nutrition in as you can and regular meals are the key to doing so.
A little routine goes a long way
Some people find that after weight loss surgery their appetite decreases, or even seems to disappear. This varies a lot according to your surgery type and stage of recovery. Whilst my next point is that you should let your hunger guide you, even if you are not hungry, you should not skip meals totally.
As explained above, many people skip breakfast thinking that if they are not hungry, they may as well 'save' the calories. This generally backfires at the other end of the day. It is similar with lunch. Many clients tell us that they become so absorbed in their day, occupied with work or family life that they 'forget' to eat lunch. This leaves them ravenous later in the afternoon looking for a snack, and then they have no appetite for the evening meal. It is usually the evening meal where people include their largest serve of protein for the day, so this pattern makes it difficult to meet your nutritional requirements.
Skipping meals makes it difficult to obtain adequate nutrition during the rest of the day. This is particularly so for those in the early stages following sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass surgery, when serve sizes are often quite restricted.
To have some routine, you do not have to eat at exact times every day, but your meals should be fairly evenly spaced. It is not reasonable for someone who works night shift to eat at the same times as a schoolteacher, so we need to be flexible in our timing, but keep meals regular. If we keep a basic pattern of three meals per day, we can more effectively read our hunger and satiety signals through the day to fuel our body appropriately, which gets us closer to our goals.
Take a moment to examine your eating pattern.
- How many meals per day do you currently eat?
- If you are not eating regular meals, is there a particular meal you find difficult to include on a regular basis?
- What makes this meal difficult to include?
- What would need to change for you to include regular meals, or a specific meal?
- What steps can you put in place to change this?
Let your hunger guide you
As we have said, a reduced appetite following weight loss surgery does not mean you should regularly skip meals. Even very small, but regular meals will help regulate your appetite. Letting your hunger guide you is important when it comes to meal sizing and whether or not you need snacks between meals. We will discuss snacking in detail at another time.
Some of you may feel you are eating more often than you think you should. If this is the case, practice pausing before eating and ask yourself, "Am I really hungry?". The answer can often be quite enlightening.
If you need a little more help with your eating, check out our Support Options. We offer online support, anytime, anywhere. Find out more here.

subset: commoncrawl


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This week's message:
Current turnaround time is in the 1-3 business day range (excluding weekends).
Now including free US shipping on all in-stock slings!
Cuddle/snuggle/chest-to-chest/tummy-to-tummy hold:
This is the safest carry for newborns. It is what I recommend for any baby who doesn't yet have good head control, and is also great for babies and toddlers of any age. The chest-to-chest position is comforting and soothing, and many babies prefer being upright in a sling to lying down in the cradle hold (mine both did!). You can also nurse in this position once the baby has good head/neck control.
Start with the bottom edge of the sling snug against your body, with almost no slack; or, for a little newborn, make a pouch with the sling.
Hold the baby on your shoulder, opposite the rings.
Slide her into the body of the sling, keeping a hand on her bottom for security.
It's fine to keep your arm inside the sling while you're putting the baby in, no matter what position she's in.
For a small baby, I suggest bending her legs a bit, so they're "frogged" in the sling, and keep her feet inside the sling. The picture at right shows how the legs will be inside the sling, for illustrative purposes.
For a bigger baby, her legs should be spread apart and straddle you as much as possible, as though she's riding a horse. That's best for her hip development, and keeps the baby from slipping down in the sling. Her knees should always be higher than her bottom. In addition to being safer, this also keeps the sling from cutting into the backs of their legs. If you feel that you have to hold onto the baby after she is in the sling, you're probably not doing it right; she may not be big enough to have her legs out, or may simply prefer to have her legs unbent, in which case I would make a pouch with the sling and allow her to "stand" in it, provided there is enough fabric to do so.
Tighten the sling by pulling the upper and lower edges of the tail. You'll want the bottom nice and snug, so that it cups around the baby; she should be "sitting" on the bottom edge of the sling. (Newborns can have their legs tucked in, as shown here.) The body of the sling should also be quite snug, to keep her from arching back.
This position allows the baby to look around, but she may also fall asleep. If she slides to the right or left, you can ease her into the cradle hold in either direction.
You will probably find that the higher up on your chest she is, the more comfortable you are. When wearing a baby in any carrier, you'll generally want her bottom to be higher than your bellybutton no matter what. Many women experience back pain from wearing lower than that, but most pain can be avoided with proper positioning. In a good T2T position, you should be able to easily kiss the top of your baby's head.
You can either loosen the bottom of the sling to nurse in the cuddle hold (good for bigger babies with head/neck control), or slide the baby into the cradle hold nursing position. I tended to do the latter with my newborn, but frequently used the former with an older baby and toddler. You may need to tighten the body somewhat to keep her secure. You can use the sling tail to cover your chest, if you desire, but be sure you can always see your baby's mouth and nose clearly, and move her back up to a higher position as soon as she is finished nursing.


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U.S. Prepared to Preemptively Strike Against Cyber Attacks
The federal government has watched the hacks of Twitter and the sites of The New York Times Co. (NYSE: NYT) and Washington Post Co. (NYSE: WPO) and is ready to defend America against any further attacks - as long as they involve federal agencies. Other corporations and enterprises are on their own. According to The New York Times:
A secret legal review on the use of America's growing arsenal of cyberweapons has concluded that President Obama has the broad power to order a pre-emptive strike if the United States detects credible evidence of a major digital attack looming from abroad, according to officials involved in the review.
That decision is among several reached in recent months as the administration moves, in the next few weeks, to approve the nation's first rules for how the military can defend, or retaliate, against a major cyberattack. New policies will also govern how the intelligence agencies can carry out searches of faraway computer networks for signs of potential attacks on the United States and, if the president approves, attack adversaries by injecting them with destructive code — even if there is no declared war.
Clearly, the review is no longer secret.
Filed under: 24/7 Wall St. Wire, Internet, Technology


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Winnie the Pooh (2011) – directed by Stephen J. Anderson and Don Hall
I never read the Winnie the Pooh books as a kid. There's no rhyme or reason for my neglect, I just didn't read them. Last year, though, I finally read the first book in the series simply titled Winnie-the-Pooh and I fell in love with it. There's something about the lightness, the emphasis on language, and the characters that makes for a truly wonderful reading experience. It is the definition of delightful. But would that translate to the modern cinema where the bombast of Transformers 3 and Harry Potter 7.2 rule the day? The answer, gladly, gloriously, is yes.
Nothing of any real consequence happens in Winnie the Pooh. We find the titular Bear of Very Little Brain waking up and listening to his grumbly tummy. This Pooh needs some Hunny. So he sets off to find some. Along the way he finds his sad friend Eeyore (voiced marvelously by Bud Luckey, recently Chuckles the clown in Toy Story 3) who has lost his tale. The rest of the film follows Pooh and his friends as they first try to replace Eeyore's tail and then try to rescue Christopher Robin (their best friend and the boy who makes everything happen) from the great and terrible Backson. Most of the film, though, just allows us to spend some time with the denizens of the Hundred Acre Wood. And what a time it is. The songs are simply charming, including the best scene of the film: Owl's explanation of all the hideous things that Backsons do, like sneaking into your library and scribbling in your books and putting holes in your socks and steal your youth, all illustrated in the style of chalk on blackboard. Owl is played by Craig Ferguson and he's the standout actor in the film, filling the boastful bird with such pomposity and silliness that you can't help but love him.
Really everything about this movie works. The writing is filled with the same love of words and language that permeates the books (I will never not love the device of the characters interacting with the words that are telling the story they are taking part in) and the narrator (John Cleese, another bit of brilliant casting) lovingly pushes Pooh along his small journey. I just used the word "love" three times in one sentence. Can you tell that I enjoyed this film? There's a part when all of our friends are trapped down a pit except for the not-so-brave Piglet who doesn't know how to tie a knot which leads to the best rapid-fire dialogue since His Girl Friday. Yes, parts of the film live up to the great screwball comedies of the 30s and 40s. Winnie the Pooh doesn't have a whole bunch to say. Pooh learns a bit of a lesson by the end, but only just. And I doubt it will spark the kinds of deep conversations that a film like The Tree of Life does. It will, however, hold the honor of being my favorite film of 2011, kicking that movie with the dinosaurs and coming of age in the 50s down a peg. There's a lot to be said for a film that exists solely to delight us. It will instill a lasting sense of happiness in anybody that watches it. Winnie the Pooh is a force for good, spreading cheer and wonder wherever it goes.
P.S. The music in the film is also great. Zooey Deschanel provides a new version of the theme song and a couple other tracks and Henry Jackman's score fits the world perfectly. It's obvious that, with Deschanel's involvement and the trailer featuring Somewhere Only We Know by Keane, Disney wants people older than 5 to watch this film. I'm a 23 year old male that loves Winnie the Pooh and I hope that everybody would be as open to such a magical film.


text: Here at Lovell Rugby we offer a wide range of premium rugby boots from the world's leading brands. Our range caters for all ages and abilities and includes the top brands such as Nike, adidas, Mizuno, Under Armour and much much more. With free boot personalisation and an extensive range of Kids Rugby Boots, whatever your skill, style or budget, you're sure to find your perfect boots here at Lovell Rugby.


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Community Voices: Hertz responds to 'hit piece' by Frenchtown school trustee
In response to Jami Romney FitzGerald's Nov. 1 letter criticizing state Rep. Adam Hertz and endorsing his opponent in the House District 96 election, Hertz posted this comment on Missoula Current's Facebook page.
Jami Romney FitzGerald came to Helena during the legislative session as a Frenchtown School Board trustee and we discussed a few bills.
One of them was SB 307, which created a maintenance levy for schools in exchange for phasing out the quality schools facility grants. I initially voted against SB 307, but changed my mind based on my conversation with Jamie. Now, after asking me to support SB 307, she's written a hit piece excoriating me for voting for SB 307. You couldn't make this stuff up!
HB 265 had nothing to do with school infrastructure. It created a suicide prevention block grant program at a cost of almost $100k to the state on a yearly basis but didn't provide a revenue source for actually funding the grants. So, it would've created a new government administrator but no funding to actually implement the grant program the administrator would've been tasked with.
In a subsequent Facebook post, Hertz added these comments about his support for education.
I supported SB 260, which created a school facilities subtrust within the coal tax trust fund. Upon reaching full funding, the subtrust will distribute interest earnings of approximately $20 million per year as matching funds for school facility projects throughout our state in conjunction with funding authorized by SB 307, which I also supported.
These two companion bills scrapped the old school facilities funding system that obviously wasn't working well, given the more than $350 million in deferred maintenance across Montana's public K-12 school system. Each session, the old grant program would receive dozens and dozens of grant requests and very few would get funded.
The requests that were funded came with varying levels of local match, creating an unfair balance across our state. SB 307 and SB 260 created a permanent solution to address the more than $350 million in deferred maintenance across Montana's public K-12 school system, and both bills passed the Legislature with overwhelming bipartisan support.
Adam Hertz is a Republican who represents HD 96 in the Montana Legislature. He is running for re-election against Democratic challenger Tom Winter.


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NeNe's been seen in LA ever since she hosted the Emmy Red Carpet for E!, but she's been doing more than eating lunch at the IVY and posing for photo-ops in Intermix, she also sat in to guest host The Insider.
Flip the hood for more.
During the episode, NeNe talked about everything from Khloe and Lamar's wedding to Dancing With the Stars:
She also guest hosted again last night and talked about receiving about 30 stacks an episode for Real Housewives of Atlanta, while arguing to Niecy Nash that reality stars aren't over compensated for opening up their lives to the public. Looks to us like NeNe is outgrowing the RHOA and might be moving on to bigger and better things. Hey, as long as she keeps the lights on and bills paid, we can't come for her.
Bossip Comment Policy
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The world of numbers is the world of wonders – simple numerical digits sometimes hide a lot of amazing and compelling secrets! Read a compilation of most stunning facts about the numbers "2" and "3" to broaden your horizons!
Facts about "two"
- Did you know that two is a unique number? In fact, two is the only even prime number since it has only two positive divisors that 2 and 1! Therefore, the number "2" is usually called "the oddest prime."
- Two is considered lucky in China. The Chinese people say "good things come in pairs." However, when adding two and two, you get four that is believed to be extremely unlucky in Chinese culture as the word "four" is a homonym of the word "death" in Chinese!
- Twins are two children that developed from one and the same zygote. They sometimes look so much alike that it is almost impossible to tell them apart! Though some twins may even mirror each other, you will always be able to distinguish them by their navels!
- Think that Washington D.C. is the only capital city that bears the name of one of the U.S. Presidents? You are so much mistaken! The capital of Liberia, Monrovia, is named in honor of U.S. President James Monroe!
- Mars has two moons – Phobos (means "fear" or "panic") and Deimos (means "terror"). The moons were named after mythological characters Phobos and Deimos who were sons of Mars (in Roman mythology), or Ares (in Greek mythology), the god of war.
Facts about "three"
- Think that group photos are great? The Vietnamese would hardly agree with you! Since three is an unlucky number in Vietnam, three people are never photographed together. The Vietnamese people believe that the person in the middle might meet his death soon. Creepy, isn't it?
- Three is the exact number of enthusiasts who have ever reached the bottom of the Mariana Trench.
- Didn't you know that our lives are tightly connected with the number "3"? Scientists have estimated that a human can make it only three minutes without air, can survive three days without a single drop of water, and can live three weeks without food!
- There are three primary colors – yellow, red, and blue. Mix them to create other colors!
Feeling smart?
Try to solve the problems from this math quiz!Play Quiz


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Mind if we smoke? That seems to be the question many chefs are asking of diners, and the answer is a resounding "please do!" Smoked flavors are traditionally American – think barbeque and bacon, for example – but what's changing these days are the places those flavors are being incorporated and the "volume" at which they're playing. Diners are relishing dishes in which smokiness levels are predominating, not just serving as background notes.
"The acceptance of smoked flavors goes hand-in-hand with a wider consumer acceptance of bitter flavors," says Maeve Webster, President of Menu Matters, a consultancy that helps food manufacturers and foodservice operators analyze, understand and leverage trends. "It's even led to the acceptance of dishes that are deliberately charred and burnt."
Drinks, anyone?
The trend toward smokiness extends to beverages, with perhaps the most notable example being the "Bitter" cocktail at Aviary, the bar space for Grant Achatz's next restaurant in Chicago. The drink involves overturning a tumbler onto a smoldering coaster made from a bourbon barrel stave, then serving a cognac-brandy concoction in the "smoked" glass. Even Starbucks is getting in on the smoked drink act, recently releasing a Smoked Butterscotch Latte, which it describes as "espresso with steamed milk and smoked butterscotch sauce, finished with a sprinkling of smoky butterscotch topping."
Smoke your condiments
"Condiments are a great way of applying smoke, because they're a quick method of adding flavor without a lot of additional prep," Webster says. "Of course smoke flavoring is traditionally included in barbeque sauces, but it's also great to add it in unexpected ways, such as to aioli or salad dressings. A smoked balsamic vinaigrette with honey is just fantastic." If you'd like a quick and easy way to add a touch of smokiness to your menu, use Marzetti® Smoky Honey Chile Sauce to strike a smoky note for dipping, stirring, glazing and drizzling.
Read more
Serious Eats recreated Aviary's Bitter cocktail, complete with barrel stave and blow torch
Use Marzetti® Smoky Chile Honey Sauce to create exciting new menu items:
Honey Chile Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Honey Chile Barbecue Chopped Steak
Spicy Pineapple and Sirloin Skewers
Menu Matters / (802-430-7085) / firstname.lastname@example.com


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It has been almost seven months since I first sprouted tiny, budding peach fuzz mohawk regrowth on the top of my little head. My hair is now long enough to straight iron, pin up, play with and otherwise "style" in a way that is sort of growing on me (although I still don't really recognize my own reflections in mirrors, there's probably a blogpost in their somewhere I'm sure.)
Anyways, in an instagram conversation (where I post probably hourly updates on my hair regrowth, forgive me, I am just delighted and I can't help myself) I had an exchange with another woman (and then stalked her instagram) who is also about the same time post-chemo I am, but does seem to have less hair than I do.
Now I'm sure part of this is genetics (remember during my first 4 rounds of A/C when my hair would grow back in fast enough to fall out again every 3 weeks - leading to horrible folliculitis and my inability to wear wigs/hats/scarves?Trust me I DO, I still have nightmares about it, but anyways...)
I keep reading about how hair is supposed to grow about 1/4 inch per month. My hair is definitely growing faster than that. In fact, my hair is about 5 inches long in places, which ends up being more like .714 inches a month or 5/7 inches a month if you want to be accurate (ha!)
Have I warmed you up enough? Do you want to know what I am doing?
Well, one of my nurses told me the only thing clinically proven to help regrow hair was Rogaine, and 2,000mgs of biotin everyday, so I stopped taking all those other expensive supplements I was taking. For the last 5 months or so I have just taken the Biotin (plus my fish oil, a pre-natal vitamin for my skin, B6 & glucosamine for my neuropathy, but none of those have been linked to hair regrowth, I'm just over sharing.) I also use Rogaine, which I also cleared with my doctors first, and which I was (OVERSHARING AGAIN) already using before hurricane cancer because male-pattern baldness runs in my family.
Now I am sure there are just oodles of factors that contribute to hair growth, but I have some other friends who have tried Biotin (without all that other stuff) and swear by it. Maybe I am just willing my hair to grow. Maybe the extensions have been pulling it out of my head faster. I have an incredible imagination.
So if you try it, let me know how it works for you!
Dena, who is definitely obsessed with her hair and needs to stop blogging about it, and will soon, I promise


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So last night was GPS/MAPP class and per usual I am instructing. Now due to an accident (not me) I was late so when the other instructor said "Can I talk to you later?" all my paranoia kicked in at full force. At the break I find out that the two home finders split the foster parents up and I was to be with M. OK no issue she must have questions about C that all made sense. My paranoia waned almost completely
Class ends and she comes over and says "I got an email that was strange and I don't know what to do about it. It said 'ANYM family is interested in XXX child" sorry I can't remember the name." I said it could be true but that it might be old as I have been looking for almost two years so if she gives me the name I can say if it is old or new. She looked at me and said "What do you mean you have been trying to adopt for two years? Are you being serious I can't tell" I assured her I was being completely and totally serious. She said "What the heck what was the issue?"
I laughed and said that sometimes it was the home finder who said no because it was more than four hours away. Sometimes she said no because it was not a good match. Sometimes she said no because I currently had a placement. But that for two years the answer was no so last week I did ask the county adoption a question about a child here in the county because I thought maybe that would get me a yes. She stared at me and said "You are not kidding are you? ANYM your file doesn't say you're interested in adopting?"
OK I cannot tell you the actual words that went through my head in the shock of the statement she just said. What do you mean it does not say that I want to adopt I was VERY CLEAR about that with the old home finder. The conversations continue throughout the day and it turns out there is almost nothing in my file about all of my inquiries, being matched or not being represented by the agency. No one but the old home finder knew I wanted to adopt and could I please spell out what I was looking for.
You have GOT to be kidding me nothing at all nothing. I asked about C's file that I KNOW was sent and KNOW it was received. I am told there is nothing about her in my file. Only that I had made an inquiry. M asks can send it again? Ummm freak yes. What the heck happened and now I am thinking maybe it was only the home finder who didn't want me to have five kids. Would M be willing to ask the Supervisor again for me because if she did object then OK we back to the plan for going to a new agency. BUT if the Supervisor said yes…well can I start now? The Littles are due to go home this summer and the ICPC process takes months. M said to send her C's file and she would talk to the Supervisor for me.
Now the realist in me says that nothing will change and the Supervisor will probably say no BUT I did spell out I want to pursue C and still be open for the Littles should they return. M then emailed me and said that she and county adoption were going to hold a matching event since there were so many families that want to adopt and for years no one has helped them. Can I tell you I almost cried. Now yes I am a wreck this week so that contributes but could this really happen. Could I actually end up adopting? I was excited and for the first time in months actually felt hope that it could work out to my best interest.
Please holy high roller let this work out!!!!


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Patient & Family Centred Care
Person and Family Centered Best Practice Guideline Implementation team is working with all Health Unit employees to help create an environment that is focused on providing care and services that is respectful, considers the lived experience and improves outcomes and overall satisfaction.
The recommendations we are working on are;
- Educate health care providers at a minimum on the following attributes of person- and family-centred care to improve the person's clinical outcomes and satisfaction with care:
- Empowerment;
- Communication; and
- Shared decision making.
- Create an organizational culture that exemplifies its commitment to person- and family-centred care by:
- Demonstrating leadership and commitment to this approach to care;
- Involving the person in co-designing health programs and services; and
- Building healthy work environments for all health care providers.
Visit the RNAO BPSO initiative website for more information.


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a skeleton in the cupboard
skeleton in the/(one's) cupboard
An embarrassing or shameful secret. Primarily heard in UK, Australia. If you've got a skeleton in the cupboard, it will probably be exposed during this campaign. He didn't believe me when I said that I didn't have any skeletons in my cupboard.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
a skeleton in the cupboarda discreditable or embarrassing fact that someone wishes to keep secret.
A US variant of this expression is a skeleton in the closet .
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
a skeleton in the ˈcupboard/ˈclosetsomething shocking, embarrassing, etc. that has happened to you or your family in the past that you want to keep secret: The new presidential candidate is certainly popular, but does he have any skeletons in the closet?
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017


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Gianni Longo
Gianni Longo has assisted dozens of cities and regions in developing their unique "vision" of place and community. He places citizens at the heart of planning and believes that rigorous public engagement is an indispensable ingredient in the creation of great communities and authentic places.
Book Review: The Well-Tempered City
Rose's latest book "is an urgent call to re-evaluate the theory and practice of city-making"


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As Bostonians ring in 2018, temperatures will be in the single digits, and, factoring in the effect of the wind, the weather will have a subzero feel.
Earlier parts of the day on New Year's Eve won't be much warmer, according to forecasts from the National Weather Service.
When First Night festivities kick off in Boston at noon Sunday, temperatures will be in the low-to-mid teens and the windchill will be just below zero degrees. Those figures will hardly budge for the rest of the afternoon.
By the time fireworks start over Boston Common at 7 p.m., the mercury will have fallen below 10 degrees, and it will feel like around minus 7 degrees.
Those who stay out until the city's bars close will step and stumble out into low single digit temperatures, and it will feel like it's about minus 12 degrees.
Throughout the day and into the early morning hours, winds are expected to blow anywhere from about 10 to 13 miles per hour, though gusts will range from about 20 to 25 miles per hour.
The only thing falling from the sky should be, potentially, confetti. Forecasters don't expect any precipitation between midday Sunday and Monday morning.
The hourly weather predictions could shift slightly as the weekend goes on, but forecasters say they don't expect any significant changes between now and Sunday.
Even if the outlook fluctuates somewhat, they're confident that: "It's going to be bitterly cold outside pretty much anywhere in southern New England," said Kim Buttrick, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Taunton.
And, for those ushering in 2018 outside of Boston, "It will be slightly colder in the suburbs, particularly north and west of the city," she said.
Matt Rocheleau can be reached at email@example.com. Follow him on Twitter @mrochele.


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Lawn Care Tips
Be Careful Out There! Beware of Lawn Mower Dangers this Summer
Summer is here and so is the desire to have a beautiful lawn to make backyard play and entertaining more enjoyable. A crucial part of maintaining that gorgeous lawn is watering the grass properly according to the type of grass and also for cutting the grass to the proper height for root protection. About that…Read More
3 Things to Consider When Choosing Sod
Laying sod is not only the quickest way to a lush green lawn, but it's also the easiest way. While prepping your yard and laying sod can take the better part of a weekend, it beats waiting weeks, or even months, for grass to grow from seed. That being said, there are a few things…Read More
'Spring' your lawn out of winter hibernation with these tools
It might only be January, but spring fever is in the air! Garden centers will soon be packed with people. Get a jump on the season by making sure you've got everything you need – including the right tools – to make your springtime tasks easier. But first, step outside. Breathe that fresh air, and…Read More
Achieving 'grow'-in-the-dark grass
Growing grass in shady sections of a yard is a problem almost every homeowner faces. In fact, about 20 to 25 percent of all grassy areas in the U.S. are at least partially shaded. Even the most tolerant turfgrass needs a minimum of four hours of sunlight daily to survive, but there are steps you…Read More
Goblins and witches might be scary, but dethatching your lawn is not
October belongs to ghosts, goblins and other creepy things. Thankfully, dethatching your lawn is almost frighteningly easy. What is thatch? Thatch is a loose layer of living and dead shoots, stems and roots that can compile between the grass and the soil surface. This can happen when your lawn produces organic debris faster than it…Read More
Overseeding is the anti-aging secret for cool-season lawns
Lawns may not wrinkle over time, but older turf can show its age by getting a little sparse. Here's a practically foolproof anti-aging secret for cool-season lawns: overseeding. This one simple step – spreading seed over your existing lawn – can help restore your yard to a thicker, healthier state. How overseeding keeps your grass…Read More
There's Still Time to Get a Jump on Next Year's Weeds
The days may be getting shorter but if your weeds are getting taller, take heart. Fall – specifically September – is the perfect time to start working toward having a weed-free lawn next spring. Many experts consider fall weed control to be more effective than waiting to tackle weeds in the spring for a…Read More
Why September is a Critical Month for Cool-Season Grasses
You know it's September when kids are back in school and holiday decorations are already in all the stores. It's also a critical month for cool-season grasses. This is the perfect time to fertilize cool-season grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue. Sixty to seventy-five percent of all nitrogen applied to cool-season lawns should…Read More
6 Fall Lawn Care Tips for a More Beautiful Yard Next Spring
As the temperature starts to drop, it's more pleasant to spend time outdoors. And while you're enjoying the change of seasons, there are a few ways you can also help your lawn make the transition.Autumn's cooler temperatures and spotty rainfall are actually great conditions for your lawn to absorb energy, moisture and nutrients before it…Read More
Grasscycling Your Lawn Can Save You Time (and Fertilizer)
It's time to stop cleaning out your lawn mower's grass catcher. Not only does it add time to your lawn mowing duties, but it may even be counterproductive to maintaining a healthy lawn. There's even a fancy name for leaving grass clippings on the lawn: grasscycling. Grasscycling is good for your lawn and the environment.…Read More


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Visit our Re-post guidelines
April 10, 2019
Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA) and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) introduced the bicameral Cabin Air Safety Act (H.R.2208) to protect commercial airline passengers and crew from toxic cabin air. Congressman Garamendi is a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and Senator Blumenthal is a senior member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
"All Americans have the right to expect safe, clean air when travelling or reporting to work. I am deeply concerned by the documented cases where pilots, flight attendants, and other airline crewmembers have become sick and even hospitalized from toxic cabin air," said Congressman Garamendi. "The Cabin Air Safety Act takes commonsense steps to protect airline passengers and crew, including installing carbon monoxide detectors in commercial aircraft. I thank Senator Blumenthal for leading this bill last Congress and look forward to working with him to advance this critical legislation."
"This legislation would protect the flying public and airline crews by ensuring the cabin air they breathe during flights is safe—free from any hidden and toxic fumes. Our bill would require the FAA and aircraft manufacturers to stop ignoring this horrific issue – mandating thorough investigation of dangerous cabin air quality reports, proper training and resources for pilots and flight attendants, and the installation of carbon monoxide sensors on commercial flights," said Blumenthal.
"Toxic fume" events occur when air contaminated by engine exhaust, fuel fumes, de-icing fluids, and ozone enters the aircraft cabin through the jet engine intake. Exposure to even low levels of these contaminants can incapacitate passengers and crew, and long-term exposure could lead to serious, debilitating health issues. The Cabin Air Safety Act(H.R.2208) would better protect airline passengers and crew members by:
Mandating Training Regarding Toxic Fumes on Aircraft: Require that flight attendants, pilots, aircraft technicians, and first responders receive training on identifying toxic fumes. The training materials will include education on sources and types of fumes, symptoms, appropriate responses, and how to report incidents.
Requiring FAA to Record and Monitor Reports of Fume Events: Directs the FAA to develop a standardized form/system to record airline crew reports of toxic fumes. The FAA is required to publish these reports at least quarterly on a public website, so that they can be searched, reviewed, and analyzed.
Ensuring Investigations Occur: Requires the FAA to conduct investigations, in cooperation with the airlines and labor unions, after a toxic fume event to study the cause and prevent future events.
- Installing Carbon Monoxide Sensors on Aircraft: Directs airline manufacturers and air carriers to install and operate carbon monoxide detectors situated in the air supply system to best enable pilots and maintenance technicians to locate the sources of air supply contamination. These detectors will alert the crew if carbon monoxide levels exceed national air quality standards. Aircraft manufacturers must develop procedures that inform the crew on how to respond to alarms.
The Cabin Air Safety Act (H.R.2208) is endorsed by the Air Line Pilots Association International, Association of Professional Flight Attendants, Association of Flight Attendants, Transport Workers Union of America, Allied Pilots Association, Association of Professional Flight Attendants, International Union of Teamsters, National Consumers League, Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association, and International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.
Please consider joining the Aerotoxic Association (www.aerotoxic.org) or make a donation and find out more about the issue.
Aerotoxic Syndrome in 2 Minutes.
Why Do Airlines Force Us To Breath Toxic Air From Jet Engines?
Cabin Air Safety Act: A Huge Step Towards Exposing Aerotoxic
Press Release: Aerotoxic Association on British Airways Fume Event & Hospitalizations


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Kikini furnished several items from the new Allure collection. One of those pairs is the Bandicoot Jockstrap. This pair is the Kiniki take on the jock strap. The first thing you can count on is that the jock will be very sexy! This definitely is the case and one reason I really liked it!
They say this about the pair: Butt hugging Jock strap style rear with exposed back panel makes this tanga one to remember. They call this jock a tanga. What is a tanga? According to Google it's "a pair of briefs consisting of small panels connected by strings at the sides" Meaning it's more like a string bikini. This pair has a solid waist band with a pouch in front ad the exposed back panel.
This pair was a lot of fun to wear. Its made out of a great fabric and the back has a design I really liked. Unlike a traditional jock with elastic straps this pair has straps made out of material. It may sound odd but look at the picture below. Its as they described, a cut out panel. Its basically like they made a Tanga and cut the middle of the back out. The straps held their place and felt great on. Unlike a traditional jock, this pair didn't bind or feel too tight in the leg straps.
The Bandicoot line has the same waistband as the Peek-A-Boo line. It's a silver band with Kiniki written in the band. It's a really great contrast against the black. To me this make the pair just pop. Its sexy without going too cliché.
I wore this to work and running errands. I really loved the support this pair gave me. The straps as I have mentioned stayed in place. It's a great pair for being active. There was no binding or issues moving or lifting with this pair on. It can be worn by guys who have an active job or a desk job.
The one issue I had with the pair is the sizing. It did fit me in the size they sent. The issue was the waistband was a bit tight at times. In normal wear it didn't bother me. When I put it on or took it off I could tell that the waistband was at the limit. So if you're on the upper end of the chart pay attention.
- Innovative Jock Design
- Great waistband
- Supportive pouch
- Waistband was a little tight
- Some guys may not like the skimpy design
- Daily fit – 8
- Sizing – 7
- Construction – 9
- Styling – 9
- Daily Performance – 8
- Overall – 8.2
Find the Bandicoot Jockstrap at the Kikini site for £19.90. It is also available in white.


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The female fronted progressive power metal band VANDROYA just released a music video for "The Path To The Endless Fall", the second single from their new album "Beyond The Human Mind". The album is available now through Inner Wound Recordings in Europe and North America and through Bickee Music in Japan.
[arve url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qGFFTD8h9M"]
With a more evident progressive influence but without giving up the weight and virtuosity of power metal, the new album brings a more mature band, a more balanced sound and reflects the musicians technical and artistic evolution since the debut album "One".
The album concept revolves around the journey we all go through in search of fullness and inner peace. The album artwork is created by Felipe Machado Franco [Blind Guardian, Rhapsody of Fire, Iced Earth].
Led by vocalist Daísa Munhoz, Vandroya are ready to take the next step and make a mark in the metal scene with "Beyond The Human Mind".
"Beyond The Human Mind" track listing
01. Columns Of Illusion
02. The Path To The Endless Fall
03. Maya
04. Time After Time
05. Last Breath
06. I'm Alive
07. You'll Know My Name
08. If I Forgive Myself
09. Beyond The Human Mind


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30 days of writing, angst, Eddie Izzard is awesome, epic fantasy, flu, killing characters, lurgy, writing
Oy. This is the longest 30 days of my life. Didn't I start this in November?
Anyway, I've spent the last week or so with some variation of the flu — my fault, as I was dumb enough to mention to someone how miraculous it was that I'd gone a whole winter without getting sick. I should know better by now than to issue blanket invitations like that, but the words were out of my mouth before I thought of it, and I spent most of last week curled up on my couch hacking up a lung as a result. I'm going to call it lurgy instead of flu, because it sounds more interesting that way, plus this way I can pull in Eddie Izzard.
But here I am, (mostly) recovered, ready for another day. So:
How willing are you to kill your characters if the plot demands it? What's the most interesting way you've killed someone?
Well, I think I'm as willing as it is necessary, if that makes any sense. I'm not one for random deaths (then again, I've never written something that demanded a lot of death) or that annoying species of deliberate yanking-on-the heartstrings killing that always leaves me feeling like the author was midway through a good chapter and then thought damn, this needs more angst. Where can I get me some good angst?
We've all seen those scenes, I guess. And I don't think cannon fodder counts toward this question: if it did I'd look like a mass murderer. 🙂 I write epic, after all, and that often means I rack up a good body count. But killing off a main character or a fairly important minor character is a different experience. This is somebody your MC cares about, therefore somebody you've invested some time and effort in; presumably (well: if you're me — I don't know how it works for other writers, though I suspect I'm in good company) somebody you care about too. You know it's necessary for the plot, you know it's a great moment of drama and angst, you know it will move things forward in precisely the right way and Character X will have to deal with Situation Y as a result, blah blah blah.
But still, man, what a hard thing to write. I was all lip-quivery and sniffling when I killed off my first major-minor character (well, let's be honest: I was in more or less the same state when I killed off my last one too)… and it wasn't just because my MC(s) were so traumatized by it, though that was a wonderfully traumatic scene. I'd worked hard on that character, and I liked him rather a lot. I can only hope others reading that scene had a similar reaction.
As for the most interesting means of offing a character, I'm not sure any of mine are too far outside the pale: one died drowning in a haunted lake, one died by murder, one died by lightning (and killed several other people in the process) — and all died trying to save someone else.


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Social Researcher in the areas of information and communication technologies for development (ICT4D), sustainable development, community and social informatics, virtual communities and social media.
- Senior Research Fellow, SALISES
- Associate Dean, Research, Faculty of Social Sciences
- Senior Editor, Electronic Journal for Information Systems in Developing Countries, Wiley
- Associate Editor, Information Technology for Development Routledge / Commonwealth Secretariat
- Vice Chair, Association for Information Systems Special Interest Group on ICTs and Global Development (AIS SIG GlobDev)
- Secretary, International Federation for Information Processing Working Group 9.4 on the Social Implications of Computers in Developing Countries (IFIP WG 9.4)
- Member, National 2021 Census Technical Committee
Research Interests
- ICTs for Development
- Citizen social science Research methodologies
- Selected Publications
- Virtual communities ICTs in agriculture
- ICTs in education ICTs in health
- ICT4SDGs (ICTs for the Sustainable Development Goals)
Recent Projects / Ongoing Research
- Collaboration with University of Edinburgh, UK team on "Caricrop: exploring the potential of new technologies to support local and inter-regional agricultural trade in the Caribbean"
- Collaboration with Delft University of Technology, Netherlands team on "Towards an inclusive bioeconomy – capitals of farming communities"
- Public Internet Access and Community Access Points in the Caribbean and its Diasporas
SALISES Team Projects:
- GOJ/UNDP First National Sustainable Development Goals Report for Jamaica – 2018; Co-Principal Investigator
- International Organization for Migration/GOJ Feasibility Study for a Proposed Global Jamaican Diaspora Card
- World Bank study on Energy Access for the Urban Poor in Jamaica
Selected Publications
Edited Journal Special Issues
- Bailey, A., & Osei-Bryson, K. M. (2018). Contextual reflections on innovations in an interconnected world: theoretical lenses and practical considerations in ICT4DPart 1. Information Technology for Development, 24, 3,423-428.
- Hayes, N. and Bailey, A. (Eds.) (2014). IFIP 9.4 Special Issue - Into the future: themes, insights, and agendas for information and communication technologies for development. Information Technologies & International Development, 10(2), iii-v.
Journal Articles
- Bailey, A. (2016) Creating Comparative Cases Supported by YouTube Videos: Engaging Students in Survey Design, Journal of Education and Development in the Caribbean, Special Issue on Enhancing University Teaching and Learning in the Caribbean Context, 15, 2, 71 – 88.
- Bailey, A. and Ngwenyama, O. (2016) Community Bridging through ICTs: Seeking to Overcome Digital and Community Divides, The Journal of Community Informatics, 12, 1, 69 –89.
Recent Awards
- 2019 - The Principal's Research Award for The Project with the Greatest Business/ Economic/ Development Impact, Faculty of Social Sciences, UWI Mona - GOJ/UNDP First National Sustainable Development Goals Report for Jamaica – SALISES
- 2019 - The Principal's Research Award for The Research Project Attracting the Most Research Funds, Faculty of Social Sciences, UWI Mona - International Organization for Migration/GOJ Feasibility Study for a Proposed Global Jamaican Diaspora Card – Tindigarukayo, J., Bailey, A. and Henry-Lee, A.
- 2018 – SALISES Excellence in Teaching Award
- 2017 – SALISES Top Researcher Award and SALISES Excellence in Teaching Award
A montage of community access points involved in research initiatives
Member of Jamaica's delegation to the United Nations High-Level Political Forum (UN HLPF) 2018
Member, UWI Research Days Steering Committee
Dr. Arlene Bailey served as Conference Organizing Co-Chair for the IFIP WG 9.4 2013 Conference on the Social Implications of Computers in Developing Countries


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LRG - Spring 2011 Collection | Delivery 1
LRG is taking an ambitious approach to the new year, with a 10-part series of releases planned from the 12-year old clothing company. For delivery one, the brand left it's California base and traveled North to the beautiful San Juan Islands off the Washington coast, to shoot photo and video lookbooks for the collection. The collection is one of the more mature we've seen from LRG, including cardigans and refined flannels, jeans and pants with a grown up cut, and several accessory pieces in canvas and leather. The collection is well suited to the island hopping in the Pacific Northwest that the accompanying video shoot shows. LRG did a great job stepping outside of their typical style a bit for this collection, and the video shoot is very well done too - a nice look at a beautifully rugged part of the country that is often overlooked. Check out the collection and the video after the jump. The Spring Collection delivery one is available from LRG stockists now.


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As COVID-19 cases rise, Sask. teachers' union renews call to suspend extracurriculars
Personal protection equipment is seen on the teacher's desk in classroom in preparation for the new school year at the Willingdon Elementary School in Montreal, on Wednesday, August 26, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson
SASKATOON -- After an increase of 66 new COVID-19 cases Monday — Saskatchewan's highest daily jump since the onset of the pandemic — the head of the province's teachers' union is renewing his call to suspend extracurricular activities.
"Dr. Shahab has been talking for some time about a second wave, and it appears it is upon us so we need to be vigilant and continue to take all the proper precautions in our schools," Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation (STF) President Patrick Maze said in a news release.
Currently, under the provincial government's Safe School's Plan, extracurricular activities are permitted as long as they adhere to the Chief Medical Health Officer's current guidelines.
"School divisions have made changes to schedules, implemented cohorts, social distancing expectations, timetable adjustments, staggered start times and other precautions. Extracurricular activities undermines these efforts," Maze said.
In the release, the STF points to the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan schools — 50 cases in 41 schools since September 8, according to the union.
Maze called for more information to be shared when cases are reported.
"Parents, students and school staff deserve to know and understand what the impact of school opening is on caseload, and how the risks in schools and communities are changing," said Maze.


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It's been a very long while since I've posted, mostly due to lack of time and Twitter. For those of you who know me, I drink a LOT of wine. And, some of you have asked for wine recommendations, as well as winery tour recommendations in Sonoma and Napa Valleys.
A few weeks ago I did a significant wine tasting tour throughout Sonoma – Russian River, Dry Creek, Anderson Valley, and the tip of Rockpile – and bought a lot of wine. So, I'll be posting my notes from the wine over the next month or two. Also, I'm taking a trip to Oregon in a few weeks for a family reunion, in the Willamette Valley, so I have to plan a one-day tasting tour. Recommendations are welcome, and I'll post the schedule once I have it.
Sbragia Family Vineyards 2007 Home Ranch Sauvignon Blanc
We found this wine at the end of a very long day of wine tasting. The winery has a beautiful view of the Valley from the outside patio and inside tasting room. Earlier in the year, they held a great barrel tasting on their patio, complete with a great tasting of their current releases and food pairings. It's a nice winery to visit if you make it up to the north end of Dry Creek.
This is a great summer afternoon wine! Bright, crisp, pineapple, and very mild lemongrass are the most prominent. The first night I had it with herbed chicken, but it paired really well with Alaskan King Crab on the second night. It's really easy to drink, and really opens up once it's been breathing for 20-30 minutes, and at near room temperature. And, at $20 (I think it was less at the winery) it really is good for a relaxing afternoon. This is a great wine for your "wine snob" friends and those who aren't.
Check it out if you are up in Geyserville. An interesting point, this wine is bottled with a glass top. No need for a corkscrew, and the top is standard sized, and can be re-used on other bottles. Good stuff!


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Toko Lisse Premium Bakeware
Mooncake Press Mold 50gr Rabbit Mold Code 015
Model : Moon Cake Mold
Capacity : 50gr (4 Molds)
Material: Plastic
Mold Size : 4.5 x 4.5 x 0.5Cm
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SIZE approx. YES
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Don't forget to write a note **ALREADY FOLLOW**
Notes :
- Before the goods are packed, they will be checked first to avoid damage during shipping
- Damage due to negligence of the delivery party, beyond our responsibility
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Market Recap: Hog Futures Tumble on Expectations of Expanding Supplies
U.S. lean-hog futures fell Wednesday, with deferred contracts tumbling amid technical selling and expectations supplies are set to expand. Weakness in deferred contracts spread to the entire complex Wednesday, causing nearby contracts to erase early gains. The market's failure to make new highs early in the day prompted some technical selling, traders said. August lean-hogs ended down 32 to $100, while October lean-hogs fell 152 to 84.92.
Live-cattle futures ended mixed. Traders are awaiting direction from the cash-market. Futures, after falling to six-week lows last week, have since rebounded and are again trading in a range, analysts said. Feeder-cattle fell sharply. august live-cattle closed up 3 to $121, while October live-cattle settled unchanged at $124. August feeder cattle ended down 167 to $152.
U.S. wheat futures settled lower Wednesday, pressured by foreign buyers purchasing wheat from outside the U.S. and expectations for ample world supplies. Corn futures fell on continued favorable weather for U.S. crop growth. Cool temperatures have kept stress on crops low, even though dryness is a concern in some areas of the western Corn Belt. Soybeans were mixed, with nearby futures up on tight current supplies and deferred futures down on favorable crop weather.
September wheat in Chicago fell 7 to$6.43, September KC wheat fell 3 to $6.99, September corn futures fell 4 to $4.68, August soybeans rose 3 1/2 to $13.27.
Hot weather in China boosted cotton futures, which settled at a seven-week high. October cotton gained 271 to 88.53, and December new crop gained 71 to 86.40.
Gold futures carved out slight gains Wednesday as the dollar neared a seven-week low against a basket of currencies and as declines in equities prompted some traders to seek a haven. December gold gained $2.80, to $1,285.30, September silver closed at $19.50, down 1.8 cents
Oil futures fell for the fourth straight session Wednesday after a closely watched report showed a decline in crude inventories, but also revealed that fuel stocks rose against expectations. Gasoline futures tumbled to their lowest level in a month following the unexpected rise in stockpiles, extending a recent slide that could signal lower prices at the pump in the coming weeks.
September crude dropped 93 cents to $104.37 a barrel, September gasoline fell 4.40 cents to $2.87 a gallon, and September distillates fell 4.41 cents to $2.96 a gallon.
Natural-gas futures skidded to a fresh five-month low Wednesday, amid expectations of above-average increase in domestic gas inventories as cool weather damped demand for the fuel. September Natural gas fell 7.1 cents to $3.24.
On Wall Street, stocks lost ground for a third consecutive session on Wednesday on growing uncertainty over when the Federal Reserve may start to wind down its stimulus, which has been a driving force behind the rally in equities this year. The Dow fell 48 to 15,470, the Nasdaq closed at 3,654, down 11 and the S&P 500 fell 6 to 1,690.


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"Dallas has the most restaurants per capita of any city in the U.S." Have you heard this one before? The statement is as pervasive here as "Hey, where is the valet stand?" and "I'll have my steak well done."
Usually, it's issued as a sort of bragging right. Dallasites who are proud of their city belt it out like a statement of achievement, and tourism officials tout the fact as evidence of Dallas' worthiness as a destination. I've also heard foodies use the statistic to frame a negative rhetorical question: "If Dallas has the most restaurants per capita, then why don't we have more good ones?"
But is the statistic even true? Every time I ask for a source I'm met with a quick change of subject, and I've heard the per capita card played in just about every place I've lived. I went to college in West Virginia, where I majored in moonshine and was told that I lived in the town with the most bars per capita. It was almost believable because the town was so small, and I was always so drunk, but the folks at International Business Times disagree. They say Pittsburgh is king of the swill.
I heard the same thing when I lived in Washington, D.C., and it looks like that one may actually be true. According a list compiled by the National Restaurant Association, D.C, is the most restaurant-heavy state in the union. It makes sense if you think about it (and ignore that D.C. isn't a state) because the district is the only "state" that's entirely a city.
So what about Dallas? Sometimes you'll see the per capita card played on the Dallas/Fort Worth area collectively. Even if that tips statistics in our favor that's a really lame grab. Dallas and Fort Worth have little in common and they're separated by 45 minutes of what can often be the worst traffic known to man. And yet, even with the two metro areas combined, we don't get any love from this list on Bloomberg. Not until No. 15.
That's nothing to brag about at all.
I'd love to see some reputable statistics to the contrary, and I'm sure I'll get plenty of data in the comments below (that might be the whole point of this post), but it's obvious we shouldn't worry about the quantity of restaurants that operate in our city. We should worry about the quality of those restaurants. Bragging about scores of Chili's and Romano's Macaroni Grills within a fork's throw of your office is like bragging that you're within driving distance of an outlet mall. Nobody outside of this bubble cares.
Even if Dallas does turn out to be the city with the most restaurants per capita, let's all stop bragging about it. Don't even mention it. Let's focus on dining and discussing our very best restaurants, instead. Let's brag about how far our food scene has come in just the past few years, and let's not lose sight of the fact that while we have some great restaurants, we're still far behind the best food cities in the country. There's always room for improvement and we won't become a more destination-worthy dining city by throwing around numbers built on chain restaurants. We need to celebrate passion instead.


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American Society of Legislative Clerks and Secretaries (ASLCS)
Nashville, Tenn.
Saturday, May 3, 2014
The meeting of the Legislative Administrator Committee was called to order by David Byerman (Nev.), chair.
The following members of the committee were present:
David Byerman (Nev.), chair
Denise Weeks (N.C.)
Rose Ramsey (Va.), vice chair
Scott Caffey (Texas)
Other members/guests in attendance included: Suzi Lowell (Alaska), 2013‐2014 ASLCS president.
Upon a motion by Denise Weeks, seconded by Scott Caffey, the minutes of the virtual meeting of the Legislative Administrator Committee held via Cover It Live on Jan. 29, 2014, were approved.
Chair David Byerman (Nev.) noted the highly successful virtual meeting held earlier in the year. Fourteen members of the Legislative Administrator Committee participated in the virtual meeting, held via Cover It Live. Chair Byerman indicated that he plans to hold more virtual meetings as the year progresses. The January meeting was very productive, as it resulted in a great number of story leads for the spring issue.
The spring issue was discussed. Chair Byerman thanked Vice Chair Ramsey and noted the productive partnership between Nevada and Virginia. The splitting of responsibilities, with Nevada assuming editing responsibilities and Virginia responsible for layout and publication, has worked well and could serve as a template for future years, when a small state chair needs to work collaboratively with a large state partner. Vice Chair Ramsey indicated that the technology employed to facilitate that partnership has worked well. Dropbox has proven to be a very efficient method of sharing large files between the two states. The two states have also utilized Google Drive to collaboratively edit spreadsheets and documents planning the layout of the issue to come.
The spring issue was produced on budget and in time for in‐person distribution at the Spring Business Meeting. Chair Byerman indicated that, in a departure from previous years, he had asked that enough copies of the Administrator be shipped to the Spring Business Meeting for all attendees, rather than just for committee chairs. There was a consensus that this made sense, as long as it didn't impact the budget. Copies of the Legislative Administrator for non‐attendees were shipped to members in their home states and en route at the time of the committee meeting.
The committee brainstormed potential items for the summer issue of the Legislative Administrator. A memorial page for McDowell Lee, longtime secretary of the Senate for Alabama, was planned. Secretary Lee passed away in April. Chair Byerman indicated he would make an announcement at the Business Meeting and Luncheon to solicit content for the memorial page.
There being no objection, the meeting was adjourned.
Respectfully submitted,
David A. Byerman (Nev.), chair


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The year is 2061. The Golden Age of empowered heroes ended in the cataclysmic fires of The Collapse. Costumed demigods brought the world to a dire precipice and individuals and institutions are still picking up the pieces, still walking the precarious tightrope of a world-shaking paradigm shift.
The world is not as it once was. The relics of the Golden Age, natural and artificial both, stand as monuments to a period of history that some wish to forget. All across the known world, individuals and institutions try to guide the new world towards salvation, preservation or destruction.
In a city on the verge of collapse, Sabra Kasembe dreams of being a renowned hero, even as her idealistic efforts draw her towards a future where the only ones calling her name are her victims. Pavel Fisher is a weary ex-hero, bereft of powers and costume in the wake of horrific trauma, listlessly searching for purpose.
When their lives intertwine with that of the iconoclastic mercenary known only as Leopard, whose murderous associates threaten to usher in an apocalypse, the trio realizes that maybe — just maybe — three people can change the course of history.
But heroism and villainy are matters of perspective — and narrative.
Not all apocalypses are cataclysmic. And some say apocalypses don't merely end.
Note: Not All Heroes contains some graphic violence and harsh language.


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Kūlia i ka Nu'u
Kapi'olani Community College (Kapi'olani CC) seems to merge organically with the native landscape at the base of iconic Diamond Head. Overlooking the Wai'alae coast, Kapi'olani CC is conveniently located just minutes from Waikīkī and the sprawling lawns of Kapi'olani Park. Our technical, professional and occupational programs continue to garner national attention with a cross-cultural emphasis on innovation and diversity.
Culinary Arts
Our superior award-winning Culinary Arts program is accredited with the American Culinary Federation and is the only program in the state with a specialization in Pastry Arts. The Kapi'olani CC Culinary Arts Program offers food service students a world-class learning environment that includes ten modern kitchens, a 130-seat culinary demonstration auditorium, on-campus restaurants, banquet rooms, computer labs and more. In addition to an award-winning, international faculty, the Kapi'olani CC Culinary Arts Program offers over $20,000 in scholarships annually. Perhaps one of the most exciting developments at Kapi'olani CC is in the creation of the Culinary Institute of the Pacific. When complete, this state-of-the-art facility will stand shoulder to shoulder with some of the most prestigious culinary schools in the world…offering such innovative programs as culinology and applied sciences. Read more >>
Health Education
Our exclusive health programs highlight the diverse areas of study in support of the growing medical services community. Kapi'olani CC offers degrees in Radiologic Technology, Respiratory Care, Medical Laboratory Technician, Emergency Medical Technology, Medical Assistance, Occupational Therapy Assistant and Nursing. See our list of Programs >>
International Education Leader
In addition to a thriving study abroad program and customized contract training, Kapiʻolani Community College is well-known as a truly unique learning environment. The Kapi'olani CC student body is as diverse as our academic programs, with students from over 100 countries as well as our many culturally-diverse local communities. Read more >>
The Kapi'olani Community College STEM program is leading our campus on a journey toward technological excellence. STEM is an acronym for "Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics". In his 2012 State of the Union address, President Barack Obama said, "Now you need to give more community colleges the resources they need to become community career centers–places that teach people skills that local businesses are looking for right now, from data management to high-tech manufacturing." Our STEM program is key to helping Kapi'olani CC become a model of the kind of institution the president referred to. Kapiʻolani Community College is taking the lead with the only full-time science, technology, engineering, and math program in the UH Community College System. Read more >>
Transfer Excellence
Kapiʻolani Community College offers the state's largest and most comprehensive academic program to allow students to complete courses towards a baccalaureate degree. Each year, Kapi'olani CC transfers the largest number of students to four-year universities among all UH community colleges. Kapi'olani CC offers a unique "dual admission" program which allows highly qualified students to be enrolled at Kapi'olani CC and UH Mānoa simultaneously. Kapi'olani CC is #1 among transfer students currently enrolled at the flagship University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Read more >>


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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials announced today that singer-songwriter Bebe Rexha will perform the national anthem before the start of the 101st running of the Indianapolis 500.
Rexha will sing on race day in the traditional spot before the 33 drivers are called to their cars.
"This will be my first time attending the Indianapolis 500, and I can already feel the electrifying energy that comes with it," Rexha said. "I couldn't be more excited and honored to perform the national anthem and am looking forward to seeing everyone there and experiencing my first big Race Day."
Rexha just wrapped up a North American tour following the release of her album "All Your Fault, Pt. 1."
She hit No. 1 on both the Billboard Pop and Rap charts with her platinum-selling smash single "Me, Myself & I" with G-Eazy. Her single "No Broken Hearts," featuring Nicki Minaj, has more than 180 million YouTube/VEVO views to date.
"We welcome Bebe to IMS on Race Day to sing the national anthem for a packed crowd and millions of viewers across the globe," Indianapolis Motor Speedway President J. Douglas Boles said. "She is a fantastic performer with an amazing voice that has been streamed around the globe, and she's going to deliver a memorable rendition befitting such a monumental day and iconic sporting celebration."
The Indianapolis 500 will take place on Sunday, May 28. You can purchase tickets here.


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Several public opinion surveys taken over the past few months confirm this view offered by a veteran parliamentarian. For the first time in a quarter century Canadians head into a federal election in which the Conservatives, the Liberals and the NDP are within striking distance of one another. The outcome of the contest is highly unpredictable and could take any number of configurations.
What does this electoral fluidity imply for Canada's policy agenda going forward?
More than likely it means that in 2016 and beyond Canadians will be in for significant public policy change in Ottawa, whoever wins the election and independent of the parties' platforms. In other words, fairly big and unexpected policy change is probably in the air.
Typically, party platforms in Canada are not detailed governing agendas for a mandate. Rather, they tend to contain a few big commitments and a litany of trivial items designed to win votes, shore up the brands of political parties and their leaders, and motivate certain segments of the electorate.
At the time of writing the parties haven't released their full platforms, although some significant commitments have been made. The Liberals, for example, have said they will make changes to marginal tax rates — increasing the top rate and decreasing the middle rate — along with a significant boost to child benefits. They also seem to remain committed to Justin Trudeau's promise during his successful leadership bid to legalize marijuana. The NDP have told Canadians they will increase corporate tax rates to help pay for a national daycare scheme. The Conservatives haven't promised anything new beyond the measures in this year's federal budget. But there are rumours that the party of tax cuts might commit to go one step further with another reduction in the harmonized sales tax/goods and services tax (HST/GST).
Platform commitments, however, are but a fraction of what any government deals with during a mandate. Responding to what British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan famously called "events," together with the pressures of running a complex country, means whichever party forms government will be going well beyond election commitments. In other words, the real policy agendas of the parties might not become clear until the campaign is over.
So what can we expect from the Liberals, the NDP and the Conservatives in office? What significant and unexpected policy changes might be in the offing for Canadians in 2016?
Prior to his landslide election victory in 1984, Brian Mulroney famously promised to deliver "pink slips and running shoes" to what in his view was a bloated federal public service that had become too Liberal in orientation over the previous two decades, when Pierre Trudeau and Lester Pearson were in charge. But it wasn't that the public service that had become Liberal through the '60s, '70s and '80s. Rather, the Liberal Party, or at least many senior members of the Trudeau government, had become public servants in all but name.
As a classic brokerage party with no fixed ideology — and to some critics no convictions at all — the Liberals then, as now, tend once in office to be strong believers in what is fashionably called "evidence-based policy." In other words, the Liberals often think like public servants, eschewing an ideological agenda in favour of public policy rooted in facts and analysis.
When Jean Chrétien and his team were elected in 1993, for example, they tried to follow through with promises contained in Creating Opportunity, better known as the "Red Book." However, within a few months of the Liberals assuming office, the Red Book's moderate fiscal agenda, aimed at cutting the federal deficit — which stood at over 6 percent of GDP — in half over four years, was jettisoned in favour of the most aggressive austerity drive any federal government has taken since the Second World War. Within three years the Liberals erased the deficit entirely through deep spending cuts to federal departments and sharp reductions in transfers to provinces.
Notwithstanding the fact that the Red Book was authored by Finance Minister Paul Martin and the Prime Minister's director of policy, Chaviva Hosek, it didn't take long before the public service, and in particular officials from Finance Canada, seized the moment and forced a true austerity agenda through the breach of an evidence-based brokerage party that harboured conflicting views on the deficit, the central policy issue facing the country at that time. This macroeconomic agenda was in turn linked to a public-service-inspired microeconomic policy thrust based on trade and investment liberalization, deregulation of some sectors of the economy and privatization of federal assets — ideas that had caused the Liberals conniption fits while in opposition.
As a result, by the mid-1990s, Canada had its first truly right wing federal economic and fiscal policy in a generation. No one, least of all the Chrétien cabinet—oscillating between its right, left and centre poles — expected that to happen. You can largely thank Finance Canada and a handful of senior officials in some other economic portfolios for turning senior members of the Chrétien government into deficit hawks and Thatcherites, through the skilful use of evidence and argument.
This is but one example of the degree to which the public service has influenced the direction of Liberal governments. If Justin Trudeau's Liberals take control of the levers of power this fall, expect them to revert to this type. Senior officials whose policy advice has been supplanted by the ideology and populism of Stephen Harper's government will need to get ready to be asked for their research, analysis and opinion ad nauseam if Team Trudeau takes the reins. In this context, if the public service has a clear agenda and good leadership, bureaucrats can have enormous policy influence on a Liberal Party that lacks an ideological anchor and is often internally conflicted on big issues.
For example, officials in the Department of Justice would likely try and could perhaps succeed in convincing a Liberal justice minister to junk some of Harper's "tough on crime" legislative initiatives, which legal experts consider to have been forged in an evidence-free zone.
Likewise, expect tax policy purists in the Department of Finance to step forward and trash most of Harper's and the late Jim Flaherty's tax credit bonanza, which is ridiculed by the economically literate and has drained the treasury of billions. If the finance department managed to persuade Chrétien and Martin to abandon one of their central campaign commitments from the 1993 election — the pledge to "replace" the reviled GST — they probably have a shot at motivating Trudeau and his finance minister to abandon some of the most egregious elements of the Harper government's tax populi. Doing so would of course have the added benefit of helping the Liberals in their quest for scarce revenue to fund their priorities. And we can almost guarantee that Finance officials will at least try to persuade the Liberals to back off their commitment to increase the top marginal tax rate, which would move the combined federal-provincial top rate to over 50 percent, something economists think merely increases tax avoidance among high income earners and produces very little added revenue for the treasury.
Then there is the beleaguered Department of Foreign Affairs, which has been marginalized by Harper's office for years. Expect Foreign Affairs officials to lean forward, such that we would likely see an immediate and major shift in the tone if not the substance of international relations under the Liberals. The Harper government's good versus evil, at turns bellicose, foreign policy would give way with alacrity under the Liberals to a more nuanced — some would say feckless — "on the one hand, on the other hand" posture that the professional diplomats abide. This will play out most obviously and immediately in the case of Israel. Under a Trudeau government, the prime minister of Canada will no longer be Benjamin Netanyahu's closest friend, nor will Canada be the world's leading supporter of unrestrained Zionism.
These are the kinds of public policy shifts that are quite possible if the Liberals form a majority government. A Liberal minority, on the other hand, would be much more constrained in the degree to which it could indulge an evidence-based, public-service-driven agenda. Likely governing with the support of the NDP, a Liberal minority would need to adhere primarily to its election platform commitments, while at the same time making some big concessions to the NDP, as Paul Martin's minority government did in its 2005 budget (in the final analysis conceding almost $5 billion in additional social program spending to ensure the budget passed through Parliament).
In either a Liberal majority or a minority configuration, then, we could expect a very busy time on Wellington Street, as Prime Minister Trudeau gets tutored by the senior mandarins on what his policy priorities should really be now that the electioneering is over. Or, alternatively, Trudeau could be spending more time than he would like getting to know Thomas Mulcair and the NDP agenda.
Bob Rae's political memoir, From Protest to Power, published shortly after his government lost the 1995 Ontario election, offered two important messages for NDP leaders. First, if you come to office in the midst of an economic and fiscal crisis, as Rae faced when elected in 1990, don't be wedded to old nostrums and rigid ideological positions. Second, if you follow that advice, watch your back, because your core constituencies will be stabbing you in it.
Thomas Mulcair won't face an economic and fiscal crisis if he becomes prime minister this fall. And to his credit, he has done what Rae failed to do in opposition — he has moved his party off some of its most extreme legacy positions. Yet we know from the NDP policy book that many of the party's core beliefs remain outside the Canadian policy mainstream; for example, the suggestion that an NDP government would meddle with the independence of the Bank of Canada to ensure a low interest rate policy. The degree to which such beliefs would translate into hard and fast platform commitments remains to be seen. But we can certainly expect Mulcairism to usher in some major policy changes.
This would be the first federal social democratic government in Canadian history — truly a watershed moment. And while Mulcair has moved the NDP closer to the political centre with a balanced budget commitment, more mainstream foreign and defence policy positions and a pledge not to raise personal income or sales taxes, we can still expect some signature social democratic initiatives to emerge on the NDP watch, whether they formed a majority or a minority government. Notable among them, of course, is their $15- a-day universal daycare scheme, based on the Quebec model (which the Quebec government has just abandoned as being too expensive) and financed by an as yet unspecified increase in corporate taxes.
No one has accused Mulcair of having a hidden agenda. Nevertheless, in office we can expect a NDP government to face, and probably cave in to, some pressure from its core supporters who have toiled for two generations to get their party's hands on the levers of power. The need to prevent the knives from coming out within the extended NDP family will likely mean, therefore, that Mulcair will placate at least some of these old guard interests. We could see, for example, the auto unions demand and get concessions — large subsidies to attract production work from the Big Three parents in the United States, for example — for the struggling Canadian auto industry.
As Brian Mulroney was in 1984, an NDP government will be less than comfortable with a federal bureaucracy that has been serving Liberal, Progressive Conservative and Conservative governments forever and is known to be right of centre on many big issues. A Mulcair government will therefore likely reach back into provincial ministries and bring to Ottawa senior mandarins who have worked well with NDP governments in the provinces. Canadians could be in for some policy surprises if a few deputy ministers from the provinces get the helm of a handful of federal departments and are given latitude to indulge a more provincialist agenda. We might, for example, see a willingness to support provincial demands for significant increases in intergovernmental transfer payments and infrastructure funding beyond what the NDP commits to in its platform.
Mulcair wants Canadians to believe that his is not your father's NDP — and it isn't; the party has clearly moderated itself in some key areas. However, if the New Democrats were actually to come out on top in this election, expect to see some real social democratic public policy come to the fore in Ottawa, not to mention some surprises aimed at keeping the unreconstructed NDP supportive, or at least tolerant, of Mulcairism.
Unlike Tom Mulcair, when Stephen Harper was opposition leader he was frequently accused of having a hidden agenda that would be implemented if he came to power. Yet after nearly a decade in office, Harper's governing record has proven to be the most transparent of any prime minister in 30 years.
On the big issues, the Harper Conservatives have campaigned in four successive elections on a few themes — cutting taxes significantly, getting "tough on crime," staying clear of provincial jurisdiction and pursuing a muscular foreign policy rooted in "moral clarity." Those campaign themes have been largely faithful to the policy and legislative agenda of three successive Harper governments.
If Harper's parliamentary standing after this election is reduced to a minority, Canadians would be unlikely to see big policy change. An electorally chastened Conservative government would not want to tempt parliamentary fate with any bold moves. However, judging by Harper's first two minority governments in 2006-08 and 2008-11, Canadians shouldn't expect these Conservatives to make many concessions to the opposition in order to stay in office either. Rather, a Harper minority will likely assume the Liberals and the NDP will have neither the guts nor the election war chests to defeat them quickly and force another election. This dynamic should allow the Conservatives at least a year or two of running room for an agenda based on continuity.
However, if Stephen Harper is to be re-elected this year with a majority, expect something bolder and perhaps even a hidden agenda of sorts to emerge — although it would be one that likely hasn't yet been written down or thought about much inside Conservative circles.
A second Conservative majority would likely lead Harper to become fixated on his place in Canadian history, as this will almost certainly be his final mandate. This is the norm for long-serving prime ministers as they eye the end of the political road and ask themselves the question, "What historically important achievements have I made in office?" For Pierre Trudeau, the answer was the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. For Brian Mulroney, it was free trade with the United States. For Jean Chrétien, it was ending a quarter century of federal deficits. For Harper the answer is probably unclear at this point.
In their final mandates, prime ministers often look to the international arena to make their mark on history. And as the second-longest-serving leader in the G7, Harper appears very comfortable on the global stage, making bold pronouncements on global economic affairs and sometimes leading the charge on issues of peace and security — against Vladimir Putin's aggression in Ukraine, for example. It is far from obvious what major foreign policy initiative Harper could pursue that would secure his place in the Canadian history books, but it is not hard to imagine he will try to find one.
On the domestic front, there aren't many ideologically Conservative files left to tackle that would be considered historic achievements. There is, however, one issue that is the stuff of history, which we know Stephen Harper is passionate about: Senate reform.
Is it conceivable that if he won another majority Harper would swallow his pride and engage the provinces in a constitutional negotiation to forge a consensus on Senate reform? With the Senate now engulfed in scandal and at a low-water mark in public support, and given a re-elected Harper majority with loads of political capital, a window of opportunity would surely exist to reform the Senate the hard way — through negotiation with the premiers followed by constitutional amendment. If he pursued that path and succeeded, Harper's place in the pantheon of great Canadian prime ministers would be assured. There are those who would counter that this prime minister would never abandon his long-standing position against opening up the Constitution. Perhaps. But who would have thought 10 years ago that the Harper Conservatives, who pledged never to run a deficit, would be in the red seven out of their nine years in office?
Canadians have seen relative continuity in Ottawa's policy agenda following the last two general elections (2008 and 2011). Harper's Conservatives, victors in both of those contests, have for the most part pursued initiatives that should not have come as a surprise to anyone paying attention to Canadian politics. If they were to be returned this fall with a minority government, the policy trajectory they have established over the past decade would likely continue. But if any of the other likely electoral outcomes emerge — a Liberal or NDP governments or a Conservative majority — Canadians can expect significant policy change, a good deal of which would not be evident by reading election platforms.


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Today we are celebrating the Nativity of St. John, dearest brethren, something which we read has never been granted to any of the other saints. Only the Nativity of our Lord and that of Blessed John [the Baptist] are celebrated and honored throughout the world. 1 A sterile woman bore the latter, a virgin conceived the former; in Elizabeth sterility was overcome, in blessed Mary the method of conception was changed. Elizabeth bore her son by knowing a husband; Mary believed the angel and conceived hers. Elizabeth conceived a man, and so did Mary; but Elizabeth conceived only a man, while Mary conceived both God and man.
What did John want for himself? Why was he interposed? Concerning Whom was he sent ahead? For this reason John was great, and to his greatness even the Savior bears testimony when He says, "There has not appeared on earth a man born of woman greater than John the Baptist" (Mt 11:11). He surpassed and excelled everyone; he excelled the prophets, he surpassed the patriarchs. Anyone who is born of a woman is inferior to John. Perhaps someone may say: If John is greater than all the sons of women, he is greater than the Savior. Far be it from that. John indeed was born of a woman, but Christ was born of a virgin. The former was brought forth from within a corruptible womb, while the latter was born through the flowering of an undefiled womb. Yet the birth of our Lord is considered along with that of John, so that our Lord may not seem to be outside of the reality of human nature. If John is compared with men, that man surpasses all men; none but the God-man 2 excels him.
John was sent ahead, before God. So great was the excellence in him, so great his grace, that he was considered as the Christ. What, then, did he say concerning Christ? "Of his fullness we have all had a share" (Jn 1:16). What does this mean, "we all"? The prophets, the patriarchs, the apostles, as many holy people as were sent ahead before the Incarnation or were sent after it, we all have shared in His fullness. We are the vessels, He is the fountain.
Caesarius of Arles, Saint Caesarius of Arles: Sermons (1–238), ed. Hermigild Dressler and Bernard M. Peebles, trans. Mary Magdeleine Mueller, vol. 3, The Fathers of the Church (Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press; Consortium Books, 1956–1973), 117–118.
- The cycle of John the Baptist is an early Palestinian rite that serves as the model for the Mariological cycle. It includes the feasts of conception, nativity, and martyrdom. In the Coptic Orthodox Church, we also added a feast for the nativity of St. Takla Hymanout, most likely as a result of the shared piety between the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. ↩
- In Orthodox terminology, we use the word Theanthropos. ↩