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Last week the Forefront team finally released Service Pack 3 for Forefront Unified Access Gateway (UAG) 2010. This is a long awaited release for us working with SharePoint 2013 and for those using non-legacy operating systems and browsers. In this post I will show you how to publish SharePoint 2013 Host Named Site Collections through UAG 2010 SP3 and consume the published site using Internet Explorer 10 on Windows 8.
What's new in UAG 2010 Service Pack 3
Before diving into the interesting pieces let's take a look at some of the new features of Service Pack 3. First of all, to be able to install SP3 you need to have your UAG at SP2 level – SP3 is NOT cumulative.
The most interesting features in SP3 are support for Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, Windows 8 RT and Internet Explorer 10 (classic and Metro) as client, support for the Office 2013 client and support for SharePoint 2013 as the published application. For SharePoint 2013 the URL Rule Sets has been modified to handle the new types of URL's and request patterns used in SharePoint 2013, and new endpoint policies are added for SharePoint 2013. If you're doing an 2010-2013 upgrade, you need to look over any custom URL Rules and policies. There's also a number of improvements with regards to ADFS publishing.
Get all the nitty gritty details from the KB article: KB2744025.
Ok, now you know what's new! Let's start publish our SharePoint 2013 sites through UAG. First of all before even installing UAG you need to think about your infrastructure, network, DNS and certificates (there it is again – certificates!). The picture below shows my demo environment. As you can see I have a UAG 2010 SP3 server with dual NIC's (actually it have three – but we can safely ignore that). One NIC is connected to the Corporate Network and the other one to the External Network.
Before starting our publishing and SharePoint 2013 configuration we need to plan our DNS namespace. We need at least one publically available (that is a real) domain name. For this demo I will use three:
- trunk.corp.local – this will be used for my UAG Trunk Portal
- sp.corp.local – this will be a SharePoint 2013 site
- teams.sp.corp.local – this will be another SharePoint 2013 site
In order to make it efficient for the end-users I do prefer to have alignment of URL's internally and externally. In this case it means that I have the second two domains above registered in the internal DNS as well. There is no need to register the Portal/Trunk domain internally.
When publishing sensitive stuff such as SharePoint content you most likely would like to use HTTP over SSL, HTTPS, to encrypt the data flying throughout the internet. This is not only a good option to do externally, you should do it internally as well – even more now with SharePoint 2013 and the authorization flow over HTTP. Utilizing HTTPS internally also gives you the benefit of URL alignment for internal and external users and you don't have to worry about sending an unreachable link. And we don't have to do SSL termination.
What you essentially need is one or two certificates – one from a trusted root authority to use on the UAG server and one for SharePoint, which can be a local CA issued certificate. You could use the same though. You should use wildcard certs or SAN certificates here – so in the end it comes down to manageability and costs of certificates.
In this sample I use one certificate, issued by my local CA. So any external clients, not joined to the domain will get a certification error (unless they have the CA root cert as a trusted root authority – which my external demo machine have). Specifically the Office clients have issues with not trusted certs.
The certificate is a SAN certificate covering sp.corp.local, trunk.corp.local and *.sp.corp.local. The certificate is installed on the SharePoint 2013 machine and on the UAG 2010 machine.
SharePoint with HTTPS
Before starting the UAG configuration let's take a quick look at how the SharePoint 2013 farm is configured. In the SharePoint farm there is one Web Application using SSL on port 443. This Web Application is used to host Host Named Site Collections. This installation has two; sp.corp.local and teams.corp.local.
Install and update UAG 2010 to SP3
Installing Unified Access Gateway 2010 and patch it to Service Pack 3 is quite easy. But first of all – UAG 2010 SP3 does not support Windows Server 2012, so you have to dust off your old Windows Server 2008 R2 DVD's and get used to that annoying Start button in the lower left corner.
Before inserting the DVD though, make sure that the OS is patched – yea, this machine should be a secure box and should have all the latest security hotfixes etc. Secondly make sure that you have the two required NIC's wired in. Third – configure the NIC's. If you're uncertain on how to configure the NIC's there is a good TechNet Wiki article called "Recommended Network Adapter Configuration for Forefront UAG" that is highly recommended as a starting point.
Once all that is set, insert the DVD and follow the wizard to install UAG. If your DVD is a UAG SP1 you need to apply the following patches, in this order, to get up on Service Pack 3.
Once that is done a reboot is not out of order. Especially if you fiddled with the NIC's and haven't rebooted since.
Initial UAG configuration
Once you're up on UAG Service Pack 3 it's time to do the first time configuration of UAG. It's a three step wizard that automatically starts when you fire up the UAG Management console the first time – and you can't bypass it.
The first step is to connect UAG to your different NIC's. As I said you need two of them – one for the internal network and one for the external network. In the Network Configuration Wizard (Step 1 in the UAG Getting Started Wizard) you have to choose which adapter to connect to the UAG Internal and External zone respectively. A good practice is to name your network adapters (in Windows) and give them describing names so they are not called just "Local Area Connection 1" and "Local Area Connection 2" – very easy to make stupid mistakes then…
The image below shows how I connected my "Corporate Network" NIC to the Internal UAG zone and the "External Network" to the External UAG zone. The machine have a third NIC – which I leave unassigned in this case.
Click Next when you're done and finish the wizard. Step 2 in the Getting Started Wizard let's you specify the UAG topology – leave it as as a single server and finish the wizard. Step 3 is the obligatory – do you want Windows Update and do you want to send usage data to Microsoft – I'll leave it up to you to figure out the settings here.
Note: you can always get back to the Getting Started Wizard by choosing Admin > Getting Started in the UAG Management app.
Now all is set to start publishing some applications.
Creating a UAG Trunk
All applications in UAG are published in Trunks. A trunk consists of a portal and one or more applications. Each trunk have a set of shared settings between the different published applications – such as a public host name, certificate, URL Rules, endpoint policies, authentication and authorization settings etc.
Since we would like to publish an HTTPS SharePoint 2013 application we start with creating a new Trunk under the "HTTPS Connections" node in the UAG Management App.
This will start yet another wizard (YAW). In Step 1 choose to create a Portal trunk. In Step 2 we need to specify the name, public host name and IP of the trunk.
Step 3 is used to configure how the end-user will authenticate. Click Add to select (at least) one Authentication Server. If you don't have any servers in the server list you need to add one. You have a lot of options here – but in most cases you will add an Active Directory server and connect it to your forest. You also need a service account for this – that needs permissions to retrieve user information and change password.
In Step 4 it's time to select the external certificate. Hopefully you followed the instructions and have already registered the certificate on the UAG box. Choose the appropriate certificate and click next. If you're like me and using a dummy domain (corp.local) you will get a warning here – it's safe to ignore, we're only writing a blog post.
The fifth step allows you to select what kind of endpoint protection you would like to use. Choose between UAG access policies or NAP. Choose UAG and continue to step 6, where you choose the endpoint policies – keep the default ones and continue. Then review your settings and click finish.
That's it, you now have a trunk. All you now need to do is to save and then activate your new configuration. This is done through the cog wheel button in the management console.
You should now be able to test if you can access the trunk from a remote machine. The first time you access the trunk URL you will be asked to download and install the Forefront UAG client components. Depending on your configuration you will have limited access to your applications unless you install it. These components does a number of client security validations and they are also responsible for cleaning up your machine when you log out. Once logged in you should see an "empty" portal saying "No applications defined".
If you don't see anything like this or get errors here – it's most likely related to certificates. Make sure that you have a correctly issued certificate registered with the Trunk. Also check the certificate chain and make sure that all the certs in the chain are trusted.
Add an application to the trunk
Now the time has come to publish our SharePoint 2013 Site Collection. In the Trunk you created under Applications click the Add button. YAW! In Step 1 you specify what kind of application you want to publish. You will find SharePoint 2013 under Web – it's called "Microsoft Office(!) SharePoint Server 2013".
Click next, give the application a name. In Step 3 leave all the endpoint policies as-is – you could easily spend a day fiddling with these if you have the time or need. In the fourth step choose to publish an Application Server. You should choose this if you have one server or a SharePoint farm behind some kind of load balancer. Step 5 is where you configure the actual SharePoint 2013 application. Add the name of your internal SharePoint 2013 site and specify the public host name. In my case my SharePoint 2013 site is published using HTTPS internally so I need to specify HTTPS/443 here – no SSL Termination.
Step 6 – Authentication. Choose an authentication server (use the same as you created and used for the Trunk). Here you also specify how rich clients authenticate with your application – in my case I choose to use both Rich Client integration and a Office Forms Based AuthN.
In the seventh step you configure how the application appears in the portal and in the eight and last step you can configure which users actually have access to your application, but just leave the default settings for now – that is everyone who can log in can also access the application (note, that this doesn't mean they bypass any security in SharePoint).
Once you're done with the wizard you should have two applications listed in your trunk – the portal and your newly added SharePoint site:
Now save and activate your new configuration.
Take it for a test-drive…
Close down your browsers, if you did test to log in to the Trunk earlier, and browse to the public portal URL once again. If you don't see your application – log out of the portal and log in again.
You should see something like this:
Now, click on the application link and see how beautifully your SharePoint 2013 site is published through UAG. Test how you can drag and drop documents, open them in Office clients, edit lists in Quick Edit mode and work just perfectly!
Publishing the second SharePoint 2013 Site Collection is exactly the same – you add a new Application to the trunk and follow the wizard.
In this post I showed you how to install, patch and configure Forefront Unified Access Gateway (UAG) 2010 Service Pack 3 to be able to publish SharePoint 2013 Web Applications and Site Collections. It's a pretty straightforward approach but involves some crucial steps. If you previously published SharePoint 2010 applications using UAG you noticed that there is no difference with regards to setting it up. The difference are in the details, specifically in the URL rules applied and a new set of policies.


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Following the Manual
Jafree Ozwald and Margot Faher wrote a book called The Manifest Manual. I bought the book on line since I could use a little serious manifesting and I had been receiving some tidbits by email over the last few months.
The book has fourteen chapters and I have perused the book and am now ready to read it. I love to read but not wanting to waste my time, I read through each book quickly. If it gets my interest then I read through again.
The book promises a lot…if you follow it exactly. Well tomorrow I start and will post what I get from each chapter each day. Let's see what lies ahead!

subset: commoncrawl


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Table of Contents:
Annual report on human rights 2005
Outline of the Community (European Union) legislation about Annual report on human rights 2005
These categories group together and put in context the legislative and non-legislative initiatives which deal with the same topic.
Human rights > Human rights in non-EU countries
Annual report on human rights 2005
This seventh annual report from the European Union (EU) on human rights covers the period between July 2004 and June 2005. It presents an overview of activities linked to human rights carried out by the EU with regard to third countries, actions undertaken at multilateral level and certain important topics. The report highlights external relations as well as the situation within the EU's borders.
Document or Iniciative
Annual report from the European Union on human rights – 2005. Coreper / Council of the European Union of 3 October 2005.
In contrast to previous presentations, in this report the European Parliament has for the first time drafted a section devoted to its human rights activities. Following up the decision in 2003 to extend the remit of the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia and convert it into a Fundamental Rights Agency, a proposal for a Regulation establishing this agency was adopted in June 2005.
At the annual session of the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, the European Parliament adopted a Resolution. This addresses recommendations to the Commission and the Council concerning the position to be adopted by the EU in negotiations with third countries.
In the Resolution of 24 February 2005, the European Parliament also tackled topics such as the protection of human rights in combating terrorism, freedom of expression, children's rights, trafficking in human beings and defenders of human rights. In 2004, it awarded its annual human rights prize, the Sakharov prize for freedom of thought, to the Association of Journalists in Belarus in recognition of its commitment to free speech and the promotion of independent journalism in that country. Many individual cases were raised by Parliament concerning political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, journalists, scientists, trade unionists and defenders of human rights in prison or victims of harassment or threats.
EU instruments and initiatives in third countries
With regard to joint actions, the one in May 2004 concerning the European Union's support for the establishment of an integrated police unit in the Democratic Republic of Congo should be emphasised. In addition, in order to strengthen internal security, it launched the European Union police mission "EUPOL Kinshasa" in April 2005.
To support its initiatives, the EU has approached a number of countries and international bodies such as the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and the General Assembly of the United Nations on aspects of the reform of the United Nations relating to human rights and in support of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
There have been dialogues on human rights and ad hoc consultations with China (which has been called upon in particular to apply the principle of "non-refoulement" to North Korean refugees in China in accordance with international obligations), Iran and Russia. There have been consultations on human rights between the troïka and the United States, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and the candidate countries.
The European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR), the EU's principal budgetary instrument for promoting human rights, democracy and the rule of law, was financing more than 1 000 projects throughout the world at the end of June 2005. In 2004, its budget increased to over EUR 100 million and financed projects in 32 countries covering four priority areas: the promotion of democracy, the rule of law and good governance; abolition of the death penalty, combating torture and impunity; supporting international criminal courts and the International Criminal Court; and combating racism, xenophobia and discrimination.
Topical questions
The topical questions cover a broad spectrum of actions.
In 2004, five countries abolished the death penalty for all crimes: Bhutan, Greece, Samoa, Senegal and Turkey. In Kirghizstan, the president announced that the moratorium on executions in force since 1998 would be extended for a year, and in Tajikistan the existing moratorium was enshrined on 8 July 2004 by a law suspending the application of the death penalty. On the other hand, the EU regretted the ending of moratoria in Lebanon and Indonesia and of the de facto moratorium in India, the suspension of the moratorium in Afghanistan and the decision taken by the interim government in Iraq to reintroduce the death penalty in its legislation.
The EU also referred to the ill-treatment discovered at the Abu Ghraib detention centre, and called upon Algeria, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Israel, the Russian Federation, Tunisia and the United States to issue an invitation to the Special Rapporteur on Torture.
With regard to children's rights, the EU stepped up action aimed at implementing the EU guidelines adopted in December 2003 on Children and Armed Conflict. These guidelines commit the EU to address the effects of armed conflict on children, asking heads of mission, military commanders and EU special representatives to follow up and draw up reports on the subject and encourage political dialogue and cooperation. There is also the programme aimed at protecting children from sexual exploitation on the internet (Safer Internet Plus) which is spread over four years (2005-2008) and will have a budget of 45 million euro.
In line with its commitment to the establishment of the International Criminal Court, throughout the year the EU has approached parties other than the States with a view to encouraging the ratification of the Rome Statute. It has also agreed with the ACP countries to mention in the new Cotonou agreement the common commitment to the ICC. Political and financial support have been given to other special courts, such as the International Criminal Court for the former Yugoslavia, the Special Court for Sierra Leone and the International Criminal Court for Rwanda. The EU has asked for the rapid setting up of a special court to try the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia.
With regard to EC anti-discrimination legislation, the Member States have made progress concerning the transposition of the two Community anti-discrimination Directives adopted in 2000 by the Council of Ministers. With regard to policy on combating discrimination, in May 2004 a Green Paper on "Equality and non-discrimination in an enlarged EU" was published. In June 2005, the Commission adopted a communication defining a framework strategy on non-discrimination and equal opportunities for all.
EU action in international bodies
The Third Committee of the UN General Assembly met between 4 October and 24 November 2004. The joint resolution on children's rights presented by the EU and a number of Latin American countries was adopted, as was one from the EU relating to religious intolerance.
With regard to the UN Commission on Human Rights, the EU played an active part in discussions for the establishment of a Council on Human Rights intended to replace the CHR. In addition, the EU and its Member States presented 40% of the resolutions adopted by the Commission.
The EU cooperates fruitfully with the Council of Europe within a number of joint programmes financed by the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights. Joint programmes relating to Georgia, the Southern Caucasus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro and Ukraine have begun.
Questions targeted at certain countries
There are contrasting situations in different countries: in some, such as Ukraine and Moldavia, visible progress has been noted; in others, such as the People's Democratic Republic of Korea (PDRK) and Iran, almost no improvement has been observed. The EU's influence varies considerably from one country to another, and sometimes all it can do is congratulate or condemn.
In Europe, the EU has a very strong influence and encourages change, for example in Turkey, where the prospect of accession has been a strong incentive in favour of reform. Elsewhere, such as in Africa and Asia, long-term cooperation is beginning to bear fruit. EU cooperation with the African Union is helping to strengthen the work of the African Commission on Human and People's Rights and the AU's ability to maintain the peace.


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Hundreds of family members, friends, fans and fellow musicians gathered in New Orleans Monday (July 8) to bid farewell to rock 'n' roll pioneer Dave Bartholomew.
A trumpet-shaped flower arrangement stood next to the open casket at the music-filled service at St. Gabriel the Archangel Church, The Times-Picayune/ The New Orleans Advocate reported . Musicians who came to pay their respects included Robin Barnes, Kermit Ruffins, Al "Carnival Time" Johnson, Charles Moore, Irvin Mayfield, Ivan Neville and Dr. Brice Miller, the newspaper reported. Many played in his honor.
Bartholomew was 100 when he died June 23 in a suburban New Orleans hospital.
Along with Fats Domino, Bartholomew co-wrote and produced classics including "Ain't That a Shame," ″I'm Walkin'" and "Let the Four Winds Blow."
Bartholomew was a trumpet player since childhood and a bandleader and arranger before World War II. He befriended Domino in the late 1940s and they collaborated on dozens of hits that captured Domino's good-natured appeal, made him one of rock's earliest stars and made New Orleans a popular music center.
Al "Lil Fats" Jackson evoked Domino with a rendition of "Blue Monday" during the visitation, the newspaper reported, and Jon Cleary sang "Someday."
Despite the restrictions of segregation, Bartholomew rose to become a pop music icon, said the Rev. Tony Ricard, who led the funeral mass and joined in the spirited dancing on the church steps as the crowd followed the casket outside afterward.


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POPSUGAR Beauty on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, & Pinterest
Find POPSUGAR Beauty on All Your Favorite Social Media Sites!
You already visit POPSUGAR Beauty to get product reviews, helpful tips, and news on what's happening in the world of beauty, so be sure to check out what else we're doing around the Internet. We're coming at you from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+ to keep you looking and feeling beautiful and inspired. We constantly update so you're in the know, whether it's about a new lip gloss we keep passing around the office or tips on how to pull off the perfect updo. Here's where you can find us:
"Like" us on Facebook. Our page is chock-full of beauty tips, breaking news, videos, and polls. It's the most beautiful place to be.
We're on Instagram, too. Follow POPSUGAR Beauty to see what products we're loving, what inspires us, and what the team is up to daily in San Francisco, NYC, and LA.
Follow us on Twitter. You'll stay up-to-date on what we're writing about, especially breaking beauty news. Plus, our editors will answer your tweets about questions or suggestions you have.
Pin with us. We're regularly pinning looks we're loving, of-the-moment trends, and products we're keeping our eyes on.
We're on Google+! Follow us to stay informed on breaking news, trends, and everything in between as it's happening.


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I want to install Guest Additions in a virtual Windows 7 running inside Ubuntu. The VirtualBox instructions are:
In the "Devices" menu in the virtual machine's menu bar, VirtualBox
has a handy menu item named "Install guest additions", which mounts
the Guest Additions ISO file inside your virtual machine. A Windows
guest should then automatically start the Guest Additions installer,
which installs the Guest Additions into your Windows guest.
How do I get to the "Devices" menu in the virtual machine's menu bar?


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|August 15, 1999, 09:10 PM
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Join Date: December 17, 1998
Posts: 1,885
We finally got a break in the weather. Last couple of weeks it's just been plain HOT! Today was beautiful! So off to the range I went.
I've got this 4 inch S&W Model 19-3. It's an older gun with recessed case heads and a pinned barrel. Looked good when I bought it. However it didn't care for the .357 loads that I've been using for years. I figured the gun was just picky about it's loads. So over the last week or two while it's been too hot to enjoy a shooting session, I've been going thru the books and my cabinet to work up as many loads as I could find.
I started with a Winchester 125gr JHP. I buy these in bulk from Midway. I came up with loads for 10 different powders that I had on hand. These covered the whole range from Bullseye to W296. The trick was to find a load that both of my .357s liked. So I loaded ten rounds each of ten different powders. The plan was to shoot one five round group of each load from each of the two revolvers off a sandbag rest at 25 yards. That much went fine.
Needless to say, the results with the Model 19 were disappointing. About the best this gun will do is 3 1/2 inches, most loads ran about five inches. This is simply not acceptable to me. My personal cut off point for any handgun I own that might be used in the field is 2 1/2 inches at 25 yards. Since I bought this gun intending to use it as a camp gun, it just don't cut it.
Even the best manufacturer of any product, be it a car, a computer or even a gun, occasionaly turns out a lemon. Looks like I got one.
On the bright side, I did come up with three excellent loads for my 6" 586. One really surprised me. A load of 7.6 gr of Universal clays came in at just over one inch. Hogden's data lists it at 1450fps. As soon as I get a chance, I'll run some of these over the chronograph. I didn't really expect that load to do that well. Just proves you need to try everything.
I finished off the day with my Gold Cup. That always makes me feel better.
At any rate, I guess the 19 will go to the next gun show to be sold or traded and I'll get something else. Maybe I'll try my luck with another 19, I do like the gun. Maybe a 4" L-frame, then there's always Ruger, how about a new rifle, hmmmmm.............. decisions, decisions.
|August 17, 1999, 02:07 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: August 16, 1999
Posts: 1,173
I am sure a decent gun smith could work over this Smith for you - sounds like its timeing could be off a hair - or the pin the cylinder revolves on could be off - or the barrel could be shot out... or severly leaded...
Anyways - take it to a Gun Smith and have him take a look. Guns, these days are too valuable to give up on!
"But I don't want to go among mad people," Alice remarked.
"Oh, you can't help that," said the Cat: "we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad."
"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn't have come here."
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You may recognize this dude from his days onBreaking BadSwitched at Birth
, and now, he's one of the hot new guest stars on ! RJ plays Campbell, a pre-med sophomore who is working at the clinic that Daphne goes to for community service. With charm like RJ's, it's no surprise that a love triangle ensues shortly after they meet.
MORE: "Breaking Down Breaking Bad" and 11 More Of The Coolest College Courses
It's not all seamless bliss though. Campbell is in a wheelchair after suffering a spinal chord injury and being told he would never walk again. After being a star snowboarder, it's a change that altered his life drastically. But portraying someone with a disability is something RJ is passionate about. In real life, RJ has cerebral palsy, a condition he has had for his whole life and has made RJ a pro at getting through hard times.
More From Seventeen
"At the end of the day there will be so many things trying to hold you back," he told us when we caught up with the star. "You should be your own inspiration and should always want to strive to be something greater than what you are."
RJ is living proof that you can do anything if you work hard enough. He's currently working on several projects that include both acting and producing, so expect lots more of him in the near future!
RJ also told us about another important role he enjoys playing—older brother to his 9-year-old sister, who he helped care for from early on. After his mom was in a car accident about 2 months after his sister was born, he had to step in and take care of both of them.
MORE: 17 Hottest Boys On TV To Watch In 2014
Okay, so if you're like us, your RJ crush just got out of control, but when it comes to picking his celeb crush, the adorbs actor had a hard time choosing, telling us he has to meet someone and get to know them before he crushes—awww! And despite his rising celeb status, RJ still gets nervous when approaching a girl. Rejection scares him (us too, RJ!), so he prefers to become friends first and feel things out, which wouldn't be hard: His favorite date is just hanging out on the beach all day—eating, drinking, and just being together! Um, so dreamy!
Since it sounds like RJ may be too busy for beach dates these days, you can catch him on Switched at Birth this Monday at 8/7c pm on ABC Family!
What do you think of our Crush Of The Week, RJ Mitte? Who are you crushing on this week? Let us know in the comments below!


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Review: Manoir d'Apreval Calvados – Complete Lineup
Review: Manoir d'Apreval Calvados – Complete Lineup
Don't call it apple brandy: It's Calvados, the most exclusive of apple-based spirits and the only fruit brandy with a serious pedigree. Created by a family-owned estate of 25 hectares of apple trees (17 varieties are grown here) in France's Pays d'Auge, on the banks of the Seine River, this French classic is making its way to the U.S. for the first time, with a staggering selection of expressions available… suitable for any price point. Apreval's Calvados brandies are double-distilled, then aged in French oak barrels.
We got to to try them all… nine expressions of Calvados in total, ranging from a two-year old youngster to varieties aged nearly half a century (and priced as you'd expect). So, how do they acquit themselves? Thoughts follow, ordered from youngest to oldest.
Manoir d'Apreval Calvados Blanche – Aged 2-3 years. Crisp apple aroma, but there's plenty of heat here as well. The body offers tart apple (think Granny Smith), lemon peel, some floral elements, and a touch of wood on the back end. Rustic, almost pastoral. This is clearly young stuff, particularly on the slightly rubbery and lightly vegetal finish, but it still drinks well. I'd consider it primarily for cocktailing, sipping neat in a pinch. 80 proof. B / $55 [BUY IT NOW FROM CASKERS]
Manoir d'Apreval Calvados Reserve – Aged 4-6 years. Slightly nutty, almost Amaretto-like, on the nose, with clear apple cider coming through behind. A clearly stronger wood influence lends this Calvados a bigger and bolder body, with a rounded mouthfeel and stronger vanilla notes on the palate. The finish is still a little tough, though the more vegetal notes have started to balance out with the sweet ones. 84 proof. B+ / $67 [BUY IT NOW FROM CASKERS]
Manoir d'Apreval Calvados Grande Reserve – Aged 10-12 years. The nose is mellowing out here, with more of an applesauce and gentle honey character to it. The body offers strong apple flavors, balanced by hazelnuts, chocolate, and a light herbal quality. Good balance, with a bit heat on the back end. It's definitely a Calvados I'd have no trouble sipping on, offering the best of both the orchard and the world of brandy. 84 proof. A- / $92
Manoir d'Apreval Calvados XO – Aged 15-20 years, noticeably darker in color (from here on out). Becoming increasingly Cognac-like on the nose, with sweet caramel, gingerbread, and incense notes… but still those unmistakable apples shining through beautifully. Robust on the body, with thick cinnamon-apple notes and a big Christmas cake character that lasts for a long while. The finish builds dramatically to something that is both sweet with notes of cake frosting, and savory, with a woody, almost earthy conclusion. Lots going on here, and probably my favorite expression in this lineup. 84 proof. A- / $134 [BUY IT NOW FROM CASKERS]
Manoir d'Apreval Calvados 1980 – Single-vintage (harvest?) brandy from 1980, 33 years old. Just imagine, when these apples were picked, Jimmy Carter was President. Sultry nose, with a slight licorice note to it, along with ample wood. The body is vast, with the wood notes taking center stage.There's even a touch of astringency here, as the deep oak character muscles aside the fruity apple cider core from time to time. Intriguing but a much different animal than the XO. Try the two side by side for a real mindbender. 84 proof. A- / $230
Manoir d'Apreval Calvados Cuvee Victor – A blend of brandies, each at least 30 years old. Coffee and licorice notes on the nose lend this a Spanish brandy feel. There's lots of dried fruit — not just apples but raisins, too — on the palate, but the finish takes things toward a winey character, almost like a Marsala, with some balsamic touches. Quite the curiosity — rich and austere. 82 proof. A- / $283
Manoir d'Apreval Calvados Cuvee Gustave – A blend of brandies, each at least 40 years old. Dense coffee, mixed nuts, and dark chocolate notes. You won't catch much more than a bare whiff of apple character on the nose, but it comes across on the body — dried, baked, then chocolate-covered and baked into an almond torte. Another intriguing, hoary, and unexpected spirit. 82 proof. A- / $356
Manoir d'Apreval Calvados Brut de Fut 1974 – Single-vintage Calvados from 1974, 39 years old. Stronger apple character here than in some of the other old expressions, with a distinct vegetal note on the nose. Spicy on the palate, with some cinnamon notes, but also a tougher, more rubbery finish. Not as successful as the blends. This is no longer in production. 84 proof. B / $NA
Manoir d'Apreval Calvados Brut de Fut 1967 – Single-vintage Calvados from 1967, 44 years old (bottled 2011). This is a bit of an anomaly. This is a 44-year old 1967, bottled two years ago. It's no longer on the market, but a 46-year-old version of the same spirit, bottled 2013, is available. Since this version spent 2 years less in cask, it's not going to be identical to the new bottling, but it should be in the vicinity (the proof level may differ, also). A much hotter spirit, it's got a more alcoholic nose that mutes some of the fruit from the start. The palate offers heavily woody notes with touches of mint, with a big lush apple in the core (ahem) of the brandy. But that that tough and tannic finish creeps in as the body begins to fade, dulling the fruit. 102 proof. B+ / $650 (current version)
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This seller on our site says he has the last six bottles in the world of Manoir d'Apreval Calvados Brut de Fut 1974
Here's a direct link to the ad, although you may have to agree to site terms before getting to it.
Just thought you might be interested.


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Wolf Blitzer delivers the most important breaking news and political, international, and national security stories of the day. Tune to The Situation Room weekdays 5-7pm ET on CNN.
(CNN) – Neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who rose to GOP fame in recent months, apologized Friday for appearing to equate homosexuality with the criminal acts of pedophilia and bestiality.
"I love gay people. I love straight people. So this was really, I think, on my behalf, somewhat insensitive and I certainly apologize if I offended anyone, because I was not in any way comparing gays with people who engage in bestiality or sexual child abuse," Carson said on CNN's "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer."
Another "great black hope" of the GOP has bit the dust...
Sorry Dr. Carson, but your apology does not ring true. Conservatives, liberals, moderates,all people in all groups should be able to speak about their differences without insulting each other. For Dr. Carson do otherwise does present a problem. We have a doctor who took the Hippocratic Oath, was expected to treat all people fairly, and had many opportunities to provide leadership in his given field. His words are worrisome/. What else has he said and what has he said in private?
Sometimes well meaning people say the wrong things. Dr. Carson has done alot of good for people and will continue to help others in need. Let's give him a pass on this one and accept his apologies.
Next candidate.
HaHaHa. So true.
I am so sick and tired of man trying to justify making something that is sooooo morally wrong right and lawful. Then every time someone like this gentlemen comes along and tell the truth about it, they end up back tracking on his words instead of defending them. We are creating Sodom and Gomorrah not only in America but the whole Western Hemisphere. I believe homosexuality and lesbianism is a mental condition. Just think about it, do you really think it is "normal" for a man to have sexual intercourse with another man or a woman to have sexual intercourse with another woman? Why would God condone that? How is that natural? If this is a natural act or behavior, why is man the only creature on the planet that engage in this type of behavior? Folks, wake up. Homosexuality, lesbianism, pedophilia and bestiality are all crimes against nature.
I do not and will not EVER, support same sex marriages and neither should the US Supreme Court.
He has nothing to apologize. He only has to explain his ideas more elaborately. He does not equate homosexuality with beastiality. His point is where do you draw a line; marriage is a sacred event in all major religions. Gay people don't have the right to devalue marriage by borrowing the word for their activity. As Carson points out any two persons (same sex or not) can have a contract for the purpose of legal inheritance, visitation, and all other such legal rights available to heterosexual marriage partners. But don't glorify homosexuality in the name of equality. It will cause the beginning of the decline of human civilization. Politically, I do not approve of republicans' ideas. But I like Carson's intellectual and moral analysis of homosexuality problem. Carson apologizing sends a wrong signal and unnecessarily dilutes his good thoughts. I do love all humans gay or not, but let us have certain decent norms in the society.
The usual attack from CNN.
Where was their outrage when Biden insulted Indian Americans?
"Could this be anhother Barack Obama?? Is this how Obama did it to get himself elected CIC. Obama will teach this guy just what he did, and then forge another Birth Certificate to make sure he gets the job: Quote: He is a "straight shooter" from Texas who worked as a telecoms executive until November. But Ghassan Hitto now finds himself the presumptive caretaker-leader of Syria as world powers plot the end of Bashar Assad's crumbling regime.
The American citizen, born in Syria, is the new prime minister of the opposition's interim government – the apparatus that the international community hopes will seal the end of Assad's rule. Unquote: .
Commonsense says Leviticus 20: 13-14 speaks of human beings, 15-16 speaks of beasts. The doctor did the same thing. He spoke of human beings as 13-14 and of beasts as 15-16. He did not compare the two. Why are people
trying to make a "mountain out of a mole-Hill"??
It's hard for me to fully understand, why politicians and those who come forward to be politicians, speak before they think. We have had too many of those in recent past that I feel, either you were brought up wrong, or you did not learn well decency or you were lying when you say that you "didn't mean" what you said. Which one is it? Please tell me, Dr. Carson.
Why does Dr. Carson or anyone have to defend what they believe in. Just because you have issues why make people feel bad about what is right. Read your bible and maybe you will see why this country was founded on morals and values. This is my opinion.
Whew, he is not easy. Does a doctor usually run more risks than a patient?
Common sense trumps all other senses.
"...I was not in any way comparing gays with people who engage in bestiality or sexual child abuse."
Yes, he was. Now he's walking it back. (I heard what he said, in his own voice, within context.)
What's wrong with everyone? Doesn't Dr. Carson have the same right to free speech everyone else does? Why are we demonizing him? Why are you taking his words out of context? Seems to me, if you are a liberal and a democrast only what you say matters. Why? If anyone thinks or feels differently you seem to want them persecuted and demonized....doesn't sound like you are an American to me. Those idiotic students at Hopkins need a lesson in freedom of speech!
Hi, Rose Colvin!
Freedom of speech has two parts: The ability to express oneself without government suppression and the speakers responsibility to exercise the right judiciously. Freedom of speech is not exclusively and American right or ideal, by the way. People expressing opinions here have the right to make their thoughts known, liberal, conservative, Democrat or Republican. If someone makes an ass of himself by his own words, that's a risk one takes when speaking up or speaking out. The right of free speech includes the right of rebuttal.
As I said in the comment to which you responded, I heard what was said, in his own voice, in his own words, in context. From time to time, it would be a really good idea if the freedom of speech were exercised in tandem with the freedom of thought, with the latter preceding the former.
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Peanut Butter Cream Sandwich Cookies (Adapted from BH&G)
For the dough
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup peanut butter
8 tablespoons trans-fat free shortening (I use Spectrum Organic)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
granulated sugar
For the filling
3/4 cup chunky peanut butter
3/4 cup marshmallow fluff
3 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
To prepare the dough
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together peanut butter and shortening until combined. Add brown sugar, egg and vanilla - beat until incorporated, scraping down the sides as needed. Add flour mixture and mix until combined.
Using a level teaspoon, scoop out the dough and roll each piece into a ball. Place balls onto baking sheets lined with parchment papers - using a fork dipped in granulated sugar, flatten each ball by making crisscross marks on top. Place into the oven and bake until the edges are lightly brown, about 7 to 8 minutes. Remove and set baking pans on a wire rack to cool for 1 minute - transfer cookies to the wire rack and let cool completely.
To prepare the filling
In a medium bowl, whisk together peanut butter, fluff, milk and cinnamon - add confectioners' sugar and mix until creamy. Spoon about one teaspoon worth of the filling onto the flat bottom of half the cookies - sandwich with remaining unfilled cookies.
Makes about 48 sandwich cookies.
Just found the recipe? Click here to see where we talked about it!
Sunday, May 15, 2005
Peanut Butter Cream Sandwich Cookies
2 comments:
- Anonymous11/23/2008 11:16:00 AM
I think a creamy chocolate icing or ganache would also be yummy as a filling - it's that whole PB/Choc. thing. LOL
Anon - I bet it would be fantastic!ReplyDelete
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This script will create an event in an existing event log or a new event log.
This can be useful to keep track of what happens in your script either locally or using monitoring tools like SCOM. You can also use it to test if custom event monitoring you've configured is working as expected.
Or run a task in response to a given event as explained here.


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If you're like me, during the winter months, it's miraculous if you dress yourself, much less leave the house for something not medically necessary. Your workout playlist becomes tiresome, like dog pee saturated snow in a gutter. Let's fix this.
I made the perhaps-misguided decision to run in my second marathon this June, and while my training schedule hasn't yet started to take over my entire fucking life, I'm still putting in a fair number of miles every week. Listening to the same shit every day gets boring, especially on those dreaded days when it's too cold or snowy to safely run outside and I'm relegated to the treadmill, and finding new music is time consuming. You have to listen to a lot of crap before you find something you like, and who wants to spend hours listening to crap?
That's where you come in, dear readers. If we combine our ipods into one superplaylist, we could possibly build a workout playlist so awesome that not even the coldest, snowiest, crappiest day can keep us from working toward whatever fitness goals we've set for ourselves.
Fair is fair, and since I'm asking you to mine your playlists, here's a sampling of the songs I've been listening to almost to death over the last month or so. I'm about done with them, but perhaps you might have some use for their hard-driving swagger-heavy sounds.
1. The Bloody Beetroots- Dimmakmmunication
2. The Hood Internet- Light Falsetto Music
3. Kanye West- Power
4. Maximum Balloon- Tiger
5. Animal Collective- Fireworks
Your turn now. What's been on heavy rotation on your workout playlist? It doesn't have to be cool or new; it just has to get you moving. For the sake of continuity, let's each try to suggest five tracks in this first Jezebel Workout Jamz Swap.
Image via Shutterstock


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This page is part of the OpenRaster file format description.
(The following is historical information salvaged from the old wiki. It preserves the final text from the Requirements and Challenges sections as of 22 January 2011.)
OpenRaster Requirements
Following features should be present:
- full freely available documentation
- OpenDocument type of file format (archive with multiple files inside)
- extensible, but private undocumented extensions should be excluded, any extension should be added to the spec and documentation of the file format
- applications aren't expected to support all features of the file format, but when manipulating the file they shouldn't lose any information they can't handle
- storage of metadata using {XMP - Dublin Core - IPTC} tags
- possibility to store metadata tags per layer
- storage of EXIF tags
- all text data in Unicode (UTF-8 or UTF-16)
- storage of multiple layers
- storage of each layer's coordinates
- storage of blending (compositing) options for each layer
- storage of adjustment layers
- storage of layer effects
- groups of layers
- color information - profile, colorspace
- storage of paths, clipping paths, text on path
- selections, masks
- embedding documents within OpenDocument framework
- support undo/history of commands/actions like PSD do
A major problem is that because all features aren't available in all the programs, image won't be displayed the same way in different applications, especially for adjustement/filters layers. And "viewer" apps like inkscape or scribus won't have any implementation at all of those features
A likely work-around is the optional storage of a redundant extra layer containing the fully rendered pixel data as seen after all image processing, or possibly a lower-resolution snapshot of it suitable for previewing and thumbnailing.
Different implementations levels might be defined, like, tiny, simple, small, normal, full and custom.


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"A joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society, this event is an opportunity for families, students, and people of all ages to discover the wonders of nature in backyards, schoolyards, and local parks, and, at the same time, make an important contribution to conservation. Participants count birds and report their sightings online at www.birdcount.org. ...
"Anyone can take part, from novice bird watchers to experts, by counting birds for as little as 15 minutes (or as long as they wish) on one or more days of the event and reporting their sightings online at www.birdcount.org. Participants can also explore what birds others are finding in their backyards—whether in their own neighborhood or thousands of miles away. Additional online resources include tips to help identify birds, a photo gallery, and special materials for educators.
"The data these "citizen scientists" collect helps researchers understand bird population trends, information that is critical for effective conservation. Their efforts enable everyone to see what would otherwise be impossible: a comprehensive picture of where birds are in late winter and how their numbers and distribution compare with previous years. In 2008, participants submitted more than 85,000 checklists."
Here's how to participate:
1. Plan to count birds for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the count, February 13–16, 2009. You can count for longer than that if you wish. Count birds in as many places and on as many days as you like—one day, two days, or all four days. Submit a separate checklist for each new day. You can also submit more than one checklist per day if you count in other locations on that day.
2. Count the greatest number of individuals of each species that you see together at any one time. You may find it helpful to print out your regional bird checklist to get an idea of the kinds of birds you're likely to see in your area in February. You could take note of the highest number or each species you see on this checklist.
3. When you're finished, enter your results online. You'll see a button marked "Enter Your Checklists!" on the GBBC home page beginning on the first day of the count (February 13, 2009). It will remain active until the deadline for data submission on March 1, 2009.
The GBBC site offers ample opportunitoes to explore previous years' results, such as a map room, state tallies, and detailed reports of birds spotted in previous counts, including historical results for Northfield. A Top Birds page with photos and sound clips for the 10 most frequently spotted birds in last year's count, as well as the most numerous birds. These two lists overlap by only two species (that's because the most frequently-seen birds don't, in most cases, travel in large flocks).
I certainly hope to participate (it will be my first time), and I encourage you to, too!


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So there's two big horse races happening tomorrow – one at Flemington racetrack and the other at polling stations across the USA as voters make their decision between Obama and Romney for president (and for whoever their congresscritters, senators, mayors, prosecutors, school boards and dogcatchers etc will be). Will Nate Silver win his bet with Joe Scarborough?
(edited to add this absolutely perfect xkcd cartoon)
There's also rumblings around Canberra and editorial offices about Budget projections.
According to some of the crankier relatives in my FB timeline, OMG Gillard is still such a liar liar liar and when will the nation wake up to the Truth!??!11! (not linking)
More elderly British entertainers are being investigated as possible co-predators with Jimmy Savile, and his estate has been frozen in anticipation of legal action from complainants.
Savile's relatives said they do not want a penny of his estate and called for the cash to be donated to an organisation to tackle sex crimes.
What's piqued your media interests lately?
As usual for media circus threads, please share your bouquets and brickbats for particular items in the mass media, or highlight cogent analysis elsewhere, on any current sociopolitical issue (the theme of each edition is merely for discussion-starter purposes – all current news items are on topic!).
Categories: media, parties and factions


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Spring Break: Blizzards, Blossoms And A Belly-Busting Belch!
Sometimes, life has a way of throwing you a curve ball (or snow ball) when you least expect it.
I left a mini-blizzard behind in Buffalo, NY after visiting for a few days, right before heading out to meet my children in Washington, D.C. to see the blossoms for Spring Break last Monday. Yes, that would be April 18th and yes, I said blizzard, as in snow. A good friend of mine who lives in Buffalo text-ed me while I waited for my plane to be de-iced, and I quote:
"Even the locals are dumbfounded!"
It felt like winter was literally smacking me in the rear as I flew from it.
Luckily, I was sitting in the first row and had no checked baggage. We arrived in Boston 12-minutes before my connecting flight to D.C. was due to take off. I was the first one standing behind the stewardess when she lifted the plane door to the gateway. I was off!
Think O.J. Simpson, running through the airport years ago wearing a three-piece suit and carrying a brief case while hawking Hertz rental cars. That was me, strategically racing through the airport looking ahead, planning my next maneuver so as not to knock into or over, anyone. Only I'm a 5-foot tall, Caucasian female who was wearing 3-inch heeled boots and instead of a brief case, I had my computer in my backpack and a rolling carry-on to deal with. I sailed through just as they were shutting the cabin door. I was out of breath for the next 20-minutes, but I made it!
I've always wanted to see the Cherry Blossoms in Washington D.C. and I have a penchant for all things political. My kids are old enough to appreciate both. It seemed like a good fit and it was. Our country's capitol has much to offer, for free! Although if you plan on having lunch in any of the free museums, be prepared to spend nearly $20 per person. Air and Space, Native American and American History were our top three. I was particularly impressed with the African American exhibit and the First Lady exhibit in the American History Museum. An over-all favorite find, was stumbling upon Carmine's Restaurant in downtown D.C, which is related to the two Carmines in NYC that I love so dearly. Other than soft rigatoni, the food was delicious!
We drove back to New York but I'm not a night driver so when the lights begin to blare and I can't see the horizon, we need to pull over and get a hotel room.
"The restaurant closes at 9pm." the hotel clerk said upon check-in. It was 8:20. We dashed up to our room, dropped off our bags and arrived back down at the entrance to the eatery by 8:30. With no one there to greet us, the bar tender glanced our way and said, "Go ahead, sit anywhere, she'll be right with you." Only two other tables were occupied so we pretty much had the pick of the place. We hadn't eaten since 2pm and that was three states ago so I chose a far-enough-away-from-the-other-patrons table to make sure we gave them their space. My 10 and 12-year old kids were hungry and punchy. If you're a parent, you know how that can go. After realizing we'd been sitting at our table for nearly 15-minutes with no sign of service, I asked my daughter to go find us menus in an effort to be prepared for when the waitress finally did get to our table. Hannah came back with one menu.
"That's all there was, mom," she said.
Pork Chops and Penne alla Vodka were their dinner choices. But having worked as a waitress all through college, and knowing how fickle each kitchen's cook can be around closing-time, I knew enough to advise them to pick something from the sandwich menu too. Plan B. We were becoming impatient and just as I uttered the words, "Jeez, Sistah needs to put the move on it", under my breath, "Sistah" came out of the kitchen and it was clear why it was taking her so long in the first place. With no disrespect intended here, Sistah, was probably 75-years old and while she seemed surprised to see us, she was pleasant and not in any rush at all. After several minutes, she took our drink order and found us another menu to share. Then she vanished again. At five to nine, she took our food order and at 9:05 she came back to say, the cook wouldn't do it.
"You're too late." she informed us. "He stops making dinners at 8:30. Snack foods only."
(Um, okay, it would have been helpful to know that ten minutes ago.) We revised Plan B and ordered a few appetizers although when it came to Hannah's turn, before she could speak, the waitress said,
"You can have chicken fingers."
After writing, repeating and re-writing our order, she once again disappeared behind the swinging kitchen doors. There are two ways you can handle a situation like this. We chose to take the humorous route and laughed at our silly circumstances. Still no drinks. One calamity seemed to follow the other from that point on, interspersed by short, uncontrollable fits of laughter. Several times, Sistah came out of the kitchen looked around and went back in. A couple of times she walked over to the other two tables to check on them and finally at around 9:15 she brought us our drinks. From the moment Hannah got her diet-coke she kept complaining that it just didn't taste right. We all took a sip and agreed there was something off about it. We concluded a mix-up of sorts, possibly root-beer and coke combined. Another ten minutes passed before Sistah re-appeared with our food. The loaded nachos were loaded indeed, with processed Cheese Whiz and remained for the most part, un-eaten. Our mozzarella sticks never showed up. We all shared Hannah's chicken fingers.
For dessert our waitress said we could have ice-cream only — even though we saw a variety of cakes listed on the menu. We settled on one chocolate, the rest vanilla. Fifteen minutes later Sistah emerged with one very large bowl of chocolate ice-cream hidden under a mound of whipped cream and topped with a cherry for Noah. She turned to Hannah and said, "Sorry, no vanilla but we have cake," and proceeded to list the cake options we saw earlier on the menu. After that bizarre exchange and before Sistah came back with Hannah's carrot cake and the remaining ice-cream, Hannah took another sip from her soda. I watched her as she set her glass down and began to open her mouth, I thought to complain again, but this time something completely unexpected happened.
A small explosion seemed to occur within her little body.
Similar to that of a volcanic eruption, a loud, growling BELCH blasted from her throat filling the room, startling everyone in the restaurant, including herself.
Honestly, it was a monster burp of epic proportions.
Even the bartender and the three men who came in to watch the hockey game, all turned in our direction. The elderly couple in the booth looked affronted. The middle-aged man dining by himself simply gaped at us with his mouth hung open in disbelief at what came from my sweet little 10-year old daughter's body. Under ordinary circumstances, I would be mortified. I would admonish her for burping at the table but I can't even be certain that was a burp! Clearly it was not something she could control and neither was the laughter that ensued. There was no reprimand, instead we nearly fell to the floor doubled-over in bellyaching hysterics. Really the timing was impeccable. It was truly a price-less moment.
After dessert (and regaining our composure) came the bill.
"I took $4 off because you had to wait so long at the beginning," said Sistah.
Upon further scrutiny, I saw that she also gave us $4 in coupons for our next meal and we were not charged for the mozzarella sticks that never came.We were also not charged for our drinks. Nor were we charged for the ice-creams and carrot cake. Our bill came to $21 and change. It was 10pm.
I can't remember the last time we laughed so much together as a family. I left a $15 tip. Thank you, Sistah!
Tell me, what curve balls has life thrown you lately?
Photo Credit #1: Jet Photos
Photo Credit #2 & #3: Me
Photo Credit #4: Google Images
Photo Credit #5: Brian Gray -Monster Burp
April 24, 2011 at 6:04 am
I thought I heard something!!
April 24, 2011 at 5:45 pm
Ok, you did it again, I'm laughing and crying…
April 25, 2011 at 2:24 pm
A) You would've never caught that flight had you been with Larry…I'm proud of you!
B) I'm sitting at my work desk trying not to LOL because that was such a funny story.
October 4, 2014 at 11:29 pm


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Swiss Olympic champion Fabian Cancellara rode into the history books Thursday by winning a record fourth time trial crown at the world road race cycling championships.
Cancellara clocked a winning time of 58 minutes, 9 seconds for the tough 45.8-kilometer course to beat Britain's David Millar by just over a minute.
More From Bicycling
Millar clocked 59:11 to take the silver medal with Germany's Tony Martin finishing third to take his second consecutive bronze in 59:21.
Cancellara, who had shared a record three victories in the discipline at the championships with Australian Michael Rogers, becomes the first ever rider to win the title four times.
"I'm really happy to have done this a fourth time. It's amazing. It's maybe the hardest of all my wins because leading up to this I wasn't sure of my condition," said Cancellara, who left the Tour of Spain early two weeks ago after expressing concerns over his form. "The other guys went really well but I just tried to do what I can. I think today I employed the perfect tactic. People always think Cancellara is always going to win, but that is not always true. I had to find another motivation, the motivation was to make history and that is what helped me stay focused. Even if a rider is always winning, he can still have bad days."
Rogers had been one of the early pacesetters but with most of the bigger favourites still to race he was eventually pushed down into fifth.
"I think that's one of the hardest time trials I've ever done," said Rogers, who won the title three years consecutively from 2003-2005.
It was Millar, a silver medal winner in 2001 and who won the 2003 title only to be stripped of it after admitting to doping, who emerged as Cancellara's biggest threat.
The big Scot was fastest out the blocks, leading the field over the first two time checks to boost his chances of a podium place. Once Cancellara got into his stride, however, he looked unbeatable.
At the third time check, three-quarters of the way into the race, Cancellara had reduced his slight deficit to 33-year-old Millar to take a 24-second advantage.
Millar, who since his ban from the sport has been an outspoken advocate of clean cycling, said: "I would like to think I am beyond vindication now. Congratulations to Fabian, there is no doubt that he is a phenomenon. I came here to get on the podium and I achieved it. I am very happy with my ride. My power was good, but I need to be faster and corner faster to beat Fabian."
Despite a scare when he almost crashed into the barriers on a tight S-bend, the 29-year-old Cancellara just kept hammering away at the pedals to increase his lead over the final half of the 22.9km circuit.
"I didn't touch the barriers, that's the last thing I wanted to do," he added. "But you know, you have to take those risks because every second counts."
Martin had started the race as Cancellara's biggest challenger. But the 25-year-old's victory bid suffered a blow when he punctured his front wheel and lost precious time waiting for a change and getting back into his rhythm.
"It is hard to keep your motivation when you have a flat tire because you know that it can be over. But, I saw Gustav (Larsson) still ahead of me and still continued to fight," said the German.
Australia was left without a medal, but the hosts will be buoyed by the performance of first-year professional Richie Porte. Porte, a former triathlete who has made a big impression during his first year in the European peloton with the Saxo Bank team, finished fourth at 1:19 behind Cancellara to miss out on the bronze by just seven seconds.


text:
As Days Go By
A rowboat rests in Richardson Bay, Sausalito.
In Darkness Still
Sunrise on a quiet mountain lake.
Warped Contortions
Geldersekade Reflections
The canals of Amsterdam.
Silver and Silent
L'Hemisfèric — an Imax Cinema, Planetarium and Laserium in Valencia.
Unraveling the Mysteries
In downtown San Francisco.
Future Reflections
'Future Reflections' | Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciènces | Valencia, Spain | Canon 5D 30mm f/8 1/40 sec ISO 100
Swaying In the Ripples
The San Francisco Bay Bridge
I'd Like Coffee For Two, and Toast With Marmalade
Hills Bros Coffee, San Francisco
The Crystal Ship
Yerba Buena Gardens, San Francisco
Beneath the Sheltering Sky
The SFMOMA and YBCA reflect in the pond in front of the CJM.
She Shoots Colors All Around
A Porsche 1600 reflecting San Francisco's Fairmont Hotel
One of the 16 sculptures of the Stravinsky Fountain next to the Centre Pompidou in Paris.
Not Forgotten
Vietnam Memorial
For Just a Minute There I Was Dreaming
Silver Lining
The Diney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, California.
The Sherman
The General Frank M. Coxe is a steam ferry which was built for the United States Army, converted to tour ferry, then converted to restaurant, and now closed.
14 Reasons Why
On the San Francisco waterfront.
Blending Harmony
The Gate of Blending Harmony from the Inner Golden River Bridges in the Forbidden City.
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. When using photos, please credit 'Shawn Clover' or 'shawnclover.com' and link to this site. See photo use for more information. Photo use & about


text:
TLC has announced that they've renewed their successful Breaking Amish TV series for a second season. The new eight episodes will debut sometime in May.
This first season had a dozen installments and finished airing in November.
Here are some additional details:
New season set to premiere May 2013
(New York, NY) – In season one of BREAKING AMISH, TLC introduced viewers to five young men and women who chose to leave their sheltered Amish and Mennonite lives to experience New York City together for the first time. TLC has now picked up a second season and is currently in production shooting eight hour-long episodes. In season two, Abe, Rebecca, Kate, Sabrina and Jeremiah reunite expecting to make a fresh start in Florida, but instead find more culture shock, unexpected enemies, and surprises from family members with their own agendas. Season one of BREAKING AMISH rated as the network's best performing freshman series ever with an average of 3.2M P2+ viewers.
Season two, set to premiere in May 2013, includes more love triangles, dramatic moments between the roommates, a number of surprise visits, financial woes, and major career decisions as this group tries to acclimate to their new "English" lives in yet another unfamiliar city.
BREAKING AMISH is produced by Hot Snakes Media for TLC.
About TLC
TLC is a global brand that celebrates extraordinary people and relatable life moments through innovative nonfiction programming. A top 10 cable network in key female demos, TLC has built successful consumer brands around series including Cake Boss, and has transformed Fridays into "BrideDay" with a lineup of wedding-themed programming anchored by the Say Yes To The Dress franchise. In 2012, TLC had 28 series averaging 1 million P2+ viewers or more, including four series that averaged 2 million P2+ viewers or more: Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, Breaking Amish, Long Island Medium, and Sister Wives.
TLC is available in more than 99 million homes in the US and more than 227 millionhouseholds in nearly 150 markets internationally. A destination online, TLC.com offers in-depth fan sites, exclusive video content, and original editorial covering style, home, food, and more. Fans can also interact with TLC via On Demand services, on mobile platforms, and through social media such as Facebook or @TLC on Twitter. TLC is part of Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA,DISCB, DISCK), the world's number one nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in 209 countries and territories.
What do you think? Are you a fan of Breaking Amish? Will you be tuning in for season two?


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All News Releases By Date
EPA Celebrates National Volunteer Week
Release Date: 04/17/2007
Contact Information: Jessica Emond, (202) 564-4355 / email@example.com
(4/17/07) U. S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen L. Johnson marked National Volunteer Week by recognizing environmental leaders who have made contributions to their local communities.
National Volunteer Week, April 15-21, honors those Americans who serve others in their communities and encourages all citizens to get involved in volunteer service.
Today, Administrator Johnson presented Jay Olsen with the President's Volunteer Service Award in Salt Lake City, Utah. Olsen, who lives in Ephraim with his wife, Tawny and their nine children, has been an active volunteer and leader in watershed protection in Utah.
On Wednesday, April 18, the administrator will deliver remarks highlighting volunteerism and environmental responsibility at the City of Chicago Earth Day event at Daley Plaza in Chicago, Ill.
On Thursday, April 19, Administrator Johnson will present the President's Volunteer Service Award to the North Area Environmental Council of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.
On Friday, April 20 at the annual President's Environment Youth Awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., Administrator Johnson will discuss environmental stewardship and how Americans are building a culture of service, citizenship and responsibility.
In 2002, President Bush promoted volunteerism with the creation of the USA Freedom Corps (USAFC), calling on all Americans to make serving others a central part of their lives. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 65.4 million Americans volunteered in 2005 alone. The USAFC works to strengthen federally-supported service programs, break down barriers to service opportunities and help organizations better address the needs of communities.
For opportunities to meet the president's call to service: http://www.usafreedomcorps.gov and http://www.getinvolved.gov
For more information about the President's Volunteer Service Award: http://www.presidentialserviceawards.gov
Search this collection of releases | or search all news releases
View selected historical press releases from 1970 to 1998 in the EPA History website.


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5 questions on the contraception rule
President Barack Obama's health care law is back in the legal spotlight just days after it went into full effect.
The Obama administration on Friday asked the Supreme Court not to block the Obamacare contraception coverage requirement for a Denver nursing facility, arguing that the home run by Catholic nuns is already protected from the requirement.
Justice Department lawyers said that employees at the Little Sisters for the Poor Home for the Aged might never have received the contraception coverage most health plans are now required to provide under the Affordable Care Act. That's because the nursing home uses a Christian health insurer that is recognized as a church under U.S. employment law and is already exempt from the contraception rule.
"Applicants have no legal basis to .. complain that it involves them in the process of providing contraceptive coverage," government lawyers wrote to the court. "This case involves a church plan that is exempt from regulation" under a 1974 labor law that predates the president's health care law.
On New Year's Eve, Justice Sonia Sotomayor granted the nursing home, a last-minute, temporary reprieve from the coverage requirement in the health care reform law. She gave the government until 10 a.m. Friday to respond.
( Also on POLITICO: W.H. stands by birth-control rule)
The contraceptive coverage issue is already heading to the Supreme Court in two cases brought by for-profit companies. But dozens of religious-affiliated groups, from universities to social welfare organizations, have also petitioned federal courts to eliminate the requirement as well.
In all, more than 90 legal challenges have been filed around the country. A Supreme Court decision against the contraceptive rule, whether in a case brought by a religious-affiliated group or for-profit company, would undercut but not cripple the ACA.
Here are five questions and answers on the latest developments.
What does this particular case involve?
The case brought by the Little Sisters of the Poor Home for the Aged falls into an unexpected loophole in the ACA's contraception coverage.
Earlier this year, the Obama administration tried through regulations to accommodate religious-affiliated nonprofits that took issue with the requirement that employers cover contraception. It allowed groups like the Little Sisters to tell their insurance company or third-party administrator that they objected on religious grounds. The insurer or administrator would then have to provide contraceptives to the employees at no charge.
The premise was that an insurer or administrator would not have the same objection to providing such products. But the catch here is that the Little Sisters' administrator — the Christian Brothers Employee Benefits Trust — is also run by a religious order.
The Christian Brothers, who joined the Little Sisters on the lawsuit, qualify as a church under employment law. And under that law, if they don't want to provide contraception, the federal government has no recourse to force them to do so.
The government is expected to tell the Supreme Court on Friday that if the Brothers have religious objections to the mandate, they can refuse to send contraceptives to the employees with no repercussions — and therefore, the Little Sisters have no reason to bring this lawsuit. That was the government's argument to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in the case.
"No one will ever get contraception coverage in that context, so it's hard to imagine they have standing, that there is a substantial burden on their religious beliefs or that there is sufficient harm to [block the policy]," said Brigitte Amiri, a senior staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union, which has filed briefs in support of the government's position in similar cases.
The Little Sisters say they object to even notifying their administrator to provide contraceptives, regardless of the fact that the Brothers would not comply on religious grounds.
"What the Little Sisters say is we can't sign a permission slip to give our employees something that we believe is wrong," said Daniel Blomberg of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which represents the nuns.
What has the Supreme Court done, and what could it do Friday?
On New Year's Eve, Sotomayor issued an order to prevent the Little Sisters from facing fines for violating the requirement. Now that the government has responded, Sotomayor could decide to keep her order in place, remove it or take the issue to the other justices. The Supreme Court could then decide to hear the full case in the next few months. Even if this specific case does not come before all the justices immediately, the core issue here could eventually work its way through the legal system and return to the high court through this case or a different case. The issue raised by the Little Sisters could apply to nearly 500 religious-affiliated organizations nationwide.
( PHOTOS: 25 unforgettable Obamacare quotes)
Isn't the Supreme Court already set to hear the issue of religious objections to the contraceptive mandate?
Sort of. The justices have accepted two related cases, brought by the national craft chain Hobby Lobby and the Pennsylvania-based Conestoga Wood Specialties. (In one case, a lower court ruled for the government; in the other, for the company.) But both are for-profit businesses that happen to be owned by people with strongly held religious beliefs that forbid them from providing certain contraceptives. The groups granted the temporary reprieve on New Year's Eve are religious-affiliated institutions and the law applies to them in a different way.
How does the law apply to businesses?
Religious organizations such as churches are completely exempt from providing contraception. For-profit businesses, such as a grocery store or accounting firm, have no exemptions and must provide the coverage or face steep fines.
Religious-affiliated groups that fall somewhere in the middle, such as the Little Sisters or a Catholic college, can use the Obama administration's regulatory accommodation and work through their insurer or third-party administrator.
The White House said the accommodation puts adequate distance between that entity and the requirement. The administration contends that it protects the group's religious rights while ensuring that female employees have access to contraceptives no matter where they work. The groups that have filed suit disagree and say their religious beliefs are still in conflict with the requirement. They argue that if they have a religious-based objection to contraception, they should neither have to pay for it nor provide access to it.
Where did this requirement come from and who objects?
The health law requires that employers provide basic essential health benefits, including preventive care, in their employee insurance plans. The Obama administration, acting on recommendations from the Institute of Medicine, said that all FDA-approved forms of contraception should be covered without a co-pay.
Some religious groups, most notably the Catholic Church, object to the use of contraception and say they should be exempt from the requirement. Some object to all forms of contraception, but most of the opposition is directed toward IUDs and the so-called morning after pill, known as Plan B or Ella (which is available over the counter or through a prescription). While the FDA calls those products contraception, many organizations say that they could prevent the implantation of a fertilized embryo, which they consider akin to abortion.
So far, 19 of the 20 cases brought by nonprofit organizations that have been considered by the courts have been granted at least temporary relief from the requirement.


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Zinkernagel, Rolf Martin
Zinkernagel, Rolf Martin, 1944–, Swiss immunologist, grad. Univ. of Basel (M.D., 1968), Australian National Univ. (Ph.D., 1975). He has been a professor at the Univ. of Zürich since 1979. Zinkernagel worked with Peter C. Doherty to uncover the mechanisms by which the immune system recognizes cells that have been infected by viruses. The two were awarded the 1996 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for their discovery that the body's infection-fighting capability requires simultaneous recognition of the
foreignviral molecules and a group of
selfmolecules known as histocompatibility antigens. Their work laid the foundation for a better understanding of both healthy immune systems and those compromised by autoimmune disorders such as rheumatic diseases and diabetes.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Medicine: Biographies


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Our 'brick and mortor' location is 748 E. Main Street, Ventura, CA 93001. We have been in business since 1996 on the Internet and have over 1 million books in our warehouses and bookstores. From History, Literature, Science and Math to Children's, Sports, Biography, Classics and more, we have a wide selection of books to choose from.
CHECKS, MONEY ORDERS, DISCOVER CARD AND PAYPAL accepted upon request. Visa and Mastercard are default methods for purchases. Shipping/ handling costs are: Media mail $3.99 for 1st book and $1.00 for each other book. PRIORITY MAIL for books up to 2 pounds;$6.75 for 1st book and $4.00 for each other book. We will contact you with a quote for the shipping costs if the book is over 2 pounds. We ship Internationally. We will give a price quote for shipping either FIRST-CLASS INTERNATIONAL or PRIORITY...[More Information]
Orders usually ship within 24 hours. Shipping costs are based on books weighing 2.2 LB, or 1 KG. If your book order is heavy or oversized, we may contact you to let you know extra shipping is required.


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Joining Randy Couture as the only other UFC fighter to win championships in two different weight classes, B.J. Penn (12-4-1 MMA, 8-3-1 UFC) staked claim to the UFC's vacant lightweight title with a second-round submission of Joe Stevenson (28-8 MMA, 5-2 UFC) on Saturday.
The title fight capped off UFC 80, which took place at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle, England. The event aired live and via tape delay on pay-per-view.
While the undercard was full of stunning knockouts, Penn relied on a submission — the night's only one — to defeat top contender Stevenson in front of a reported sold-out crowd.
The fact that the fight made it out of the first round was the only surprise in a fight predicted to go Penn's way. After dropping "The Ultimate Fighter 2" winner with a right uppercut in the fight's opening seconds, Penn glanced Stevenson with a right elbow that tore open a deep gash in the middle of his forehead.
Like a water balloon had hit pavement, both fighters were instantly soaked in blood. After a quick conference with the ringside doctor, Stevenson was allowed to continue and even connected on a few shots while holding Penn in his guard.
Stevenson finished the first round and opened the second frame with a sense of urgency. However, Penn's onslaught and the constant stream of blood proved too much for the youngster. As the second round came to a close, Stevenson rolled out of the mount position, giving up his back. Penn sunk in the rear-naked choke. Blinded and choking on blood, Stevenson was forced to tap out.
The lightweight belt, which was recently stripped from former champ Sean Sherk after his UFC 73 drug suspension (due to steroids) was upheld, was then wrapped around Penn's waist. It's been nearly four years since the former welterweight champ has owned any of the UFC's hardware.
Penn then called out Sherk, who was sitting ringside as a guest commentator for the fight.
"Sherk, you're dead," Penn warned.
Sherk has already been promised the first shot at Penn's title.
On the undercard, Fabricio Werdum (10-3-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) was apparently determined to shake the "boring" tag that's plagued him since an April 2007 loss to Andrei Arlovski. It just took him a round to find his stride.
Facing a fellow Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt in Gabriel Gonzaga (8-3 MMA, 4-2 UFC), Werdum initially looked tentative, and in the process, took a series of leg kicks that forced him to the canvas multiple times. Gonzaga, content to keep the fight standing, continually allowed Werdum to stand for more.
However, in the second round, Werdum went on the offensive just as Gonzaga began to look flat and tired. Werdum forced his way through Gonzaga's clinch and continually tagged him with knees to the body and head. After popping him with an uppercut, Werdum then threw Gonzaga to the mat, forcing his head against the fence. Werdum then uncorked a series of punches, and with his opponent unable to defend himself after a dozen such blows, the bout was stopped.
Werdum earned the TKO victory at 4:34 of the second round to deliver Werdum the first back-to-back losses of his career.
In other action, we can make it 11 straight for Marcus Davis (14-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC).
The UFC welterweight contender kept his winning streak alive — which now includes six straight victories in the UFC — with a quick and decisive knockout of Frenchman Jess Liaudin (12-9 MMA, 2-1 UFC).
After getting tagged with a few leg kicks, Davis had enough and threw a left hook that hit Liaudin below his right ear. And bam — down went Liaudin.
Davis, a former professional boxer who's transformed himself into a well-rounded mixed martial artist, continues his ascent in the UFC's 170-lb. division. Although he's complemented his striking with a solid ground game, he didn't need it tonight.
Davis admittedly went into the fight with a chip on his shoulder, ticked that Liaudin questioned his legitimacy as a true Irishman.
"Literally, I said I was going to punch a hole in his face," Davis said. "I was pissed. I gotta say I was really pissed."
In a night of knockouts, none was more shocking than Wilson Gouveia's (10-4 MMA, 4-1 UFC) one-punch KO of Jason Lambert (23-7 MMA, 4-2 UFC).
Lambert dominated the light-heavyweight bout from the first bell, stalking his opponent, forcing him to the mat, and delivering a brutal barrage of ground and pound. If Gouveia broke free, Lambert was there to pounce right back on him.
Early in the second round, though, Lambert forgot a key part of the plan: defending himself. Shoved into the fence for the final time, Gouveia waited for Lambert to drop his hands and then tagged him with left-hook haymaker. Lambert's legs disappeared, and he folded into a heap.
The bout was halted, and Gouveia scored the come-from-behind KO victory at 0:37 of the second round.
First came the stunning defeat to Patrick Cote in August, and "The Ultimate Fighter 3" winner Kendall Grove (8-5 MMA, 3-2 UFC) can now add another upset loss to his resume — this time to veteran Jorge Rivera (15-6 MMA, 4-4 UFC).
Grove, once considered one of the most improved fighters to come out of "The Ultimate Fighter" reality series, never stood a chance in Saturday's televised opening fight. Rivera immediately went on the offensive, scoring the early takedown and pinning Grove against the fence. Rivera unleashed a barrage of punches. Grove created some distance and got back to his feet, but Rivera continued throwing shots until his opponent hit the canvas.
Rivera never let up on the assault — and for good reason.
"I thought I hurt him with the very first punch because I saw his knees buckle," Rivera said.
In the end, it was an 80-second TKO victory for the "Conquistador." As for Grove, it's back to the drawing board as his stock in the UFC's middleweight division hits an all-time low.
- In the finale of the night's preliminary card, Antoni Hardonk (6-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC) made short work of fellow heavyweight Colin Robinson (8-4 MMA, 0-2 UFC), tagging the local favorite with a series of knees, leg kicks and punches that sent "Big C" staggering across the canvas. With his opponent dazed and unable to stand, Hardonk earned the TKO victory just 17 seconds into the fight.
- British fighters Paul Kelly (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) and Paul Taylor (8-3-1 MMA, 1-2 UFC) were determined to dazzle the local crowd, and a frantic early exchange set the tone for the rest of the bout. In the end, though, Kelly dominated the ground war and cruised to a unanimous-decision victory (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).
- After losing three of four fights in the UFC, Alessio Sakara (12-6 MMA, 3-3 UFC) has bounced back for two straight victories — his latest over James Lee (13-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC), who appeared to injure his back during a takedown attempt early in the fight. Sakara unloaded a flurry of punches that forced a TKO stoppage at 1:30 of the first round. It was the last fight at light heavyweight for Sakara, who will now compete as a middleweight in the UFC.
- The event got off to a slow start when Per Eklund (12-3-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) failed in his many takedown attempts of Sam Stout (13-3-1 MMA, 2-2 UFC). The Canadian kickboxer repeatedly stuffed Eklund's attempts and landed enough punches to earn a unanimous decision victory (30-27, 29-27, 30-27)
- B.J. Penn def. Joe Stevenson via submission (rear-naked choke) — Round 2. 4:02
- Fabricio Werdum def. Gabriel Gonzaga via TKO (strikes) — Round 2, 4:34
- Marcus Davis def. Jess Liaudin via KO (punch) — Round 1, 1:04
- Wilson Gouveia def. Jason Lambert via KO (punch) — Round 2, 0:37
- Jorge Rivera def. Kendall Grove via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 1:20
- Antoni Hardonk def. Colin Robinson via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 0:17
- Paul Kelly def. Paul Taylor via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Alessio Sakara def. James Lee via TKO (punches) — Round 1, 1:30
- Sam Stout def. Per Eklund via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-27, 30-27)


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Shi Xinning was born on 1969 in Liaoning Province, China. Trained in China, Shi Xinnings paintings are influenced by both social realism and European styles. Using the authoritative qualities of both, Shi embarks on history painting with a twist. Taking his imagery from iconic press photos, Shis canvases faithfully represent the world as we know it, the Yalta Conference in familiar 40s sepia tone, the Queen Mum in carriage emblazoned in newspaper black and white. Its only on second glance that Shis alterations become evident. Nestled between Churchill and FDR and conversing happily with royalty, Mao takes his place amongst the great leaders of the 20th century.
In China-fying history, Shi investigates dynamics of both the wests Eurocentric, and Chinas isolationist past world views. Humorously illustrating the Chairmans import and omnipresence in 20th c Chinese society Shis insertion of Mao into the fabric of western collective conscience seems entirely plausible. Infusing the totems of propaganda currency with a sense of normality and humility, Shi re-authors the most cherished moments of collective memory with a Forrest Gump effect, creating a specious mythology based in Hollywood schmaltz and unabashed optimism.
Selected Exhibitions:
The Road Map of Painting, Beijing, China
The Other Shore of This Shore, Pingyao, China
Mahjong, Kunstmuseum, Bern, Switzerland
China Contemporary Painting, Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio in Bologna, Bologna, Italy
Landscapes, Shanghai Gallery of Art, Shanghai, China
New Perspectives in Chinese Painting, Marella Art Gallery, Milan, Italy
Chinas Photographic Painting, China Art Seasons Gallery, Beijing, China
Moyemode, Moyemobude, 798 Art Zone, Beijing, China
China Art Now, Marella Art Gallery, Milan, Italy
Contemporary Art Exhibition, Deduct Fabricate Copy, Beijing, China
Fake Reality, Beijing, China
Contemporary Art Show "Out-of-control", Beijing, China
Contemporary Art Exhibition, "In the City- Individuality", Beijing, China
Shi Xinning had already established his own style and the impact of the work had won him a strong reputation in Chinese art circles.
What to Do Next…
If you want any information about Shi Xinning or looking for his paintings please visit us on


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As excited as your child may be about starting school, he or she may also be feeling a little bit anxious or worried. This is quite normal. After all, this is a pretty big life change for your child! The Estes Valley Library hopes to help increase your child's comfort level and decrease anxiety by presenting a storytime session just for children beginning school in the fall.
The "Kindergarten Here We Come!" storytime will be on Wednesday, August 13th 10:30 a.m. in the Hondius Room at the public library. Children will enjoy a variety of songs, rhymes, books, and puppet shows geared towards starting the adventure of Kindergarten. A special PowerPoint presentation will take the kindergartners on a tour of the Estes Park Elementary School.
While you're visiting the library, explore all the areas in the library's youth room and discover all kinds of fun things to help your child develop a love of reading. Your Estes Valley Library is a partner in helping you help your child become a successful reader with information, books and materials, programs and other resources designed for your Kindergartener to kick off this important upcoming school year.
Don't forget the most important school supply for your child…their own Estes Valley Library card! Getting a library card is easy. The parent or legal guardian must sign the application for a child under 18 and have proper identification such as a valid driver's license.
No registration is needed for the "Kindergarten Here We Come!" storytime. The event celebrates this special time of excitement and wonderment for kindergarteners of the Estes Valley. It's designed to help kids and their families transition into school and make this a memorable milestone.


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The holidays are around the corner, and that means it's time for lots of schmoozing—and not much sleep. To the rescue: these five fool-proof skin tricks that will undo (or at least disguise) the dark circles, puffy eyes, bloating, and other joyful party favors.
To get rid of dark circles, choose a creamy concealer that's slightly lighter than your skin. Apply it after foundation, so you don't use too much, and dot it only at the inner corners of the eyes and over the dark areas. (We love DuWop CircleBlock.)
To reduce morning bloat, apply a cold compress to your face for 10 to 15 minutes to bring down the swelling. (A bag of frozen peas wrapped in a paper towel will do.) Or, do a little subtle contouring: dust bronzer or tawny blush just below the cheekbones and blend outward. (Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Soft Duo Bronzer is one of our favorites.)
To deflate puffy eyes, the old tea-bag trick works every time. The caffeine constricts blood vessels, the tannins reduce inflammation, and the pressure tamps down the puffiness. Just brew a cup, then let the bags cool in the refrigerator before you set them over your lids.
To restore moisture in dry, dehydrated skin try using a moisturizer with a hint of self tanner. It will counteract sallowness and add a glow to the skin. We worship Olay Complete Touch of Sun Daily UV Moisturizer.
Add some sparkle to look instantly refreshed. Simply dab a tiny bit of shimmer cream right in that little hollow in the inner corners of the eyes. For those with a dark complexion, use a golden color. For pale skin, a silvery or pearlescent shade is best. Last, blend it well with a cotton swab. (We love to use Lorac Oil-Free Luminizer in Gold or Pearl.)
· Inside Allure: How to Look Fresh After a Flight
· Daily Beauty Reporter: Take Your Skin Regimen on the Road
· Daily Beauty Reporter: 14 Ways to Fake a Good Night's Sleep


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Raiders owner confirms talks with San Antonio
OAKLAND – Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis confirmed he has met with San Antonio officials but declined to disclose whether he has any interest in relocating the franchise to Texas.
"Former San Antonio mayor Henry Cisneros is a friend, and Henry suggested I take the opportunity to meet with some city officials while I was in town," Davis said in a statement Tuesday night. "I have nothing further to discuss on the topic."
The San Antonio Express-News reported that Davis met on July 18 with Cisneros, then-Mayor Julian Castro, City Manager Sheryl Sculley and the president of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce to discuss potentially moving the Raiders from Oakland to San Antonio.
The newspaper said Sculley issued a memo to the City Council on Tuesday elaborating on the meeting.
"I was asked to meet two weeks ago with the owner of the Oakland Raiders, Mark Davis, and members of his staff. Mr. Davis has expressed interest in a possible relocation of his NFL team to San Antonio and we are engaged in preliminary due diligence," she wrote, according to the Express-News. "The agenda for this visit included a tour of the Alamodome and meetings with local business leaders."
The newspaper reported that the Alamodome could serve as a temporary home until a new stadium is built for the Raiders.
The Raiders are in the final season of their lease in Oakland. Davis has said that his preference is to build a new stadium on the current Coliseum site, which has been further complicated by the recent 10-year lease agreement by the Athletics to remain in Oakland. But the A's agreement includes a provision to allow the Raiders to knock down the Coliseum for a new football stadium.
Davis told the Bay Area News Group by phone Tuesday night that he was in San Antonio with close friend and former Raiders wide receiver Cliff Branch, who was being inducted into a local hall of fame.
The Raiders played in Oakland from 1960 to 1981 before moving to Los Angeles in 1982. Late owner Al Davis moved the Raiders back to Oakland in 1995.
Any move now would require approval from 24 of the 32 NFL owners.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told reporters at the team's training camp in Oxnard that he "didn't make much" of the meeting. Dallas is about a 275-mile drive from San Antonio.
"What I will say," Jones said, "is San Antonio is very important to the Dallas Cowboys."


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In the wake of news that former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is expected to be one of nine people appointed to the College Football Playoff selection committee, the GameDay crew discussed the committee during Saturday's broadcast. In an exchange with host Chris Fowler, analyst David Pollack intimated that women are not qualified to be on the committee, though he has since clarified his stance on Twitter.
"Now I'm going to stick my foot in my mouth, probably," Pollack said. "I want people on this committee that can watch tape, that have played football, that are around football, that can tell you different teams on tape, not on paper." Host Chris Fowler asked Pollack if he was implying that no women should be allowed on the committee, and Pollack said "yeah," as the rest of the crew disagreed.
After the show, Pollack stated that he simply wanted dedicated committee members.
I want people on the committee that eat, sleep & breathe college football during the season. It has nothing to do with male or female
— David Pollack (@davidpollack47) October 5, 2013
Many people on Twitter, including Pollack's GameDay colleague Samantha Ponder, ripped Pollack for his comments.
Verbally destroying @davidpollack47 on the bus for his comments about Condi. Next, he makes me a sandwich.
— Sam Ponder (@samsteeleponder) October 5, 2013
For those asking, I'm glad @davidpollack47 gave his honest opinion. I respect his right to be wrong. :)
— Sam Ponder (@samsteeleponder) October 5, 2013
Check out photos from around college football.
(Thanks to The Big Lead for sharing the video.)


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Three very different videos on fractals, capitalism, and bottled water.
1) A TED talk by the inventor of fractal Benoit Mandelbrot.
2) An animation of the prominent economic geographer David Harvey presenting his view of the global financial crisis.
3) An environmentalist animated story of bottled water from the story of stuff.