text:
2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 Long-Term Update 3
8 Months and 13,788 Miles: A Cavernous Van, Some Furniture, and a Puppy
It all started a few months back when I promised my girlfriend's mom I'd help her move. While normally that'd be the beginning, and the end, of the story, my girlfriend's family just so happens to live more than 600 miles north of Los Angeles, meaning I'd need a vehicle that could both haul plenty and tackle 1200 miles or so in a weekend. Our long-term Ram 1500 was my first choice, but it was out on an assignment. That left the MT Garage's two vans: the Nissan NV200 and the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.
I'll spare you the details, but the Sprinter won, since it might be able to fit an NV200 in the cargo area.
To say I was apprehensive about taking the Sprinter on a sprint (ahem) up the coast would be an understatement, because despite the Tri-Star badge on the grille, our long-term Sprinter is as stripped-down as strippers get. Plus I was a concerned about poor ride quality without any weight over the rear axle. Plus 600 miles is a long way to go without any real amenities. Anyways, we'll loop back to how well the Sprinter tackles the long-haul in the next update; this one will focus on how well our van does its number-one job: hauling things.
After a 600-mile run to NorCal the night before, my girlfriend and I woke up early to start loading the van for the move, because we had an important errand to make first. We headed to a small farm nearby, parked the Sprinter among some heavy-duty pickup trucks, and picked up our new nine-week-old black lab puppy, Brooklyn. Nothing makes the Sprinter's cargo hold look more massive than a pint-sized pup. The pup would find the massive cargo hold, and the Sprinter's rear bench seat, a nice place to hang out while we loaded the van with furniture and boxes.
Though we debated removing the rear bench seat (a two-man job, but tools aren't necessary), we opted to leave it. We still found the Sprinter offered plenty of room. Loading big, bulky items did prove to be a bit of a chore, as the Sprinter sports a pretty high load height. I'm just more than 6 feet tall, and found the bumper to be about level with my knee, necessitating a big leap to get in; the lack of a grab-handle in back didn't help.
While the load height was a minor annoyance, our Sprinter's load floor helped make the job easier. The flooring material gives shoes enough traction to do heavy lifting, while still allowing couches, chairs, and boxes to slide around as we packed the van from floor to ceiling. The variety of tie-downs around the cargo area was also helpful.
Loaded with furniture, boxes, and a puppy, the Sprinter's 155-hp and 325 lb-ft turbodiesel V-6 hardly seemed to notice the loads it was hauling throughout the day. Torque was available on demand, and the five-speed automatic was well up to the challenge of helping the van get up hills and control its speed on the way down. Our long-term van proved to be a more than capable hauler.
Stay tuned for how it handled the long-haul.
|2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 Crew Van
|Service life:
|8 mo/13,788 mi
|Avg CO2:
|1.05 lb/mi
|Energy cons:
|183 kW-hr/100mi
|Unresolved problems:
|Maintenance cost:
|$460.59 (oil change, ad-blue top-off, inspection)
|Normal-wear cost:
|EPA City/Hwy/Comb Fuel Econ:
|Average Fuel Econ:
|18.4 mpg
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NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- The Internet contributes more to the American economy than the entire federal government, according to a new study by the Boston Consulting Group.
The Internet accounted for $684 billion, or 4.7% of all U.S. economic activity in 2010, Boston Consulting Group found. By way of comparison, the federal government, contributed $625 billion, or 4.3%, to the nation's output.
If it was considered its own separate industry, the Internet would also be larger than America's education, construction or agricultural sectors.
In the retail sphere alone, e-commerce accounted for 5% of U.S. sales in 2010.
"All businesses are increasingly digital and need to think about how to take advantage of these opportunities," said Dominic Field, a BCG partner and co-author of the report. "And for policymakers, we would hope they recognize the importance of Internet growth and making sure their countries are taking advantage of these opportunities."
As a share of gross domestic product, only three countries have larger Internet economies: the United Kingdom, South Korea and China. The U.S. is tied with Japan.
Boston Consulting Group predicts the Internet will grow about 10% a year through 2016 in the Group of 20 nations. It will grow nearly twice as fast in emerging markets as in developed economies, with Argentina and India accounting for the fastest growth, the study said.
"The U.S. is relatively mature as an Internet economy, whereas some of the developing economies are further behind -- so their growth rates are higher," Field said.
Granted, measuring the full impact of the Internet can be a fuzzy matter. In the Boston Consulting Group study, the researchers included the impact of e-commerce, what consumers pay to access the Internet and money spent by businesses and the government on building Internet infrastructure.
The study also looked at some other slightly silly metrics to measure how consumers value the Internet. It found for example, that 77% of Americans would be willing to give up chocolate for an entire year, rather than go without the Internet. Only 21% though would give up sex, and an even smaller 7% would go without a shower.
Americans perceive the Internet to be worth about $3,000 a year, even though on average, they spend only $472 each year on devices, applications, services and access.
|What we want Apple to unveil at WWDC
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|7 traits the rich have in common
|Big Data knows you're sick, tired and depressed
|Your car is a giant computer - and it can be hacked
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Today's featured rates:
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|Retail sales
|Sept 14

subset: commoncrawl


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1997 Critics' Choice Jazz Awards
The first Jazz Journalists Association-administered Critics' Choice Awards celebrate the accomplishments of jazz artists during calendar year 1996 (except for the lifetime achievement award). Nominees were chosen by a nationwide committee, and winners were elected by approximately 100 professional jazz journalists internationally, after ballots were sent to more than 400.
Plans are currently coming together to create an edition of original art works to be presented to winners of the Critics Choice Awards. A JJA committee is also reviewing the ballot's categories, the nominating and electoral process, with a view towards conducting a second Critics' Choice Awards covering artists in calendar year 1997, for presentation in the first quarter of 1998. For information, contact the editor.
Nominees for the Critics Choice Awards
More than 5 nominees occur in many categories due to ties in balloting.
musician of the year
James Carter
Ornette Coleman
Dave Douglas
Bill Frisell
Herbie Hancock
Joe Lovano
Wynton Marsalis
Sonny Rollins
Cassandra Wllson
lifetime achievement
Muhal Richard Abrams
Benny Carter
Ornette Coleman
Hank Jones
Lee Konitz
Oscar Peterson
Max Roach
Sonny Rollins
Horace Silver
Clark Terry
Cecil Taylor
McCoy Tyner
Tony Williams
best instrumentalist
James Carter
Bill Frisell
Herbie Hancock
Tom Harrell
Keith Jarrett
Joe Lovano
David Murray
Sonny Rollins
best new artist
Seamus Blake
James Carter
Kurt Elling
D.D. Jackson
Brad Mehldau
Nicholas Payton
Leon Parker
Chris Potter
David Sanchez
best vocalist
Betty Carter
Kurt Elling
Abbey Lincoln
Kevin Mahagony
Cassandra Wilson
best sideman
Joey Baron
Kenny Barron
Brian Blade
Jack DeJohnette
Craig Handy
John Hicks
Dave Holland
Christian McBride
Charnette Moffett
Cecil McBee
George Mraz
Lewis Nash
William Parker
Gary Peacock
Bill Stewart
Steve Wilson
Muhal Richard Abrams
Toshiko Akiyoshi
Carla Bley
Ornette Coleman
Maria Schneider
Henry Threadgill
best working band
Charlie Haden Quartet West
Keith Jarrett Trio
Joe Lovano Quartet
Mingus Big Band
Phil Woods Quartet
John Zorn's Masada
best venue of the year
Birdland (NYC)
The Jazz Bakery (LA, CA)
Knitting Factory (NYC)
Smalls (NYC)
Sweet Basil (NYC)
Village Vanguard (NYC)
Yoshi's (Oakland, CA)
album of the year
Don Byron, Bug Music (Knit Factory Works)
Ornette Coleman, Sound Museum (Verve/Harmolodic)
Dave Douglas, Five (hat Art)
Joe Lovano Quartet, Live At the Village Vanguard (BN)
Myra Melford, Same River Twice (Gramavision)
Danilo Perez, Panamonk (Impulse)
Sonny Rollins Plus 3 (Milestone)
John Scofield, Quiet
Cassandra Wilson, New Moon Daughter (Blue Note)
big band album of the year
The Carnegie Hall Jazz Band (Blue Note)
Dutch Jazz Symphony Orchestra, Portrait of A Silk Thread/Works of Billy Strayhorn (Kokopelli)
Either/Orchestra, Across the Omniverse (Accurate)
Joe Henderson's Big Band, Shade of Jade (Verve)
Kansas City Soundtrack (Verve)
Mingus Big Band, Live In Time (Dreyfus)
Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra, Coming About (Enja)
best reissue of the year
Miles Davis and Gil Evans, Complete Columbia Studio Sessions (Columbia)
Bill Evans Turn out the Stars (Warner Bros)
Dexter Gordon Complete Blue Note (Blue Note)
J.J. Johnson, Complete Columbia Small Group Sessions (Mosaic)
Roscoe Mitchell, Sound (Delmark)
Sonny Rollins Silver City (Milestone)
Sun Ra, The Singles (Evidence)
Sam Rivers, Complete Blue Note Sessions (Mosaic)
Nominating Committee:Chris Albertson
Karen Bennett, Musician Magazine
Bob Blumenthal, Boston Globe
Larry Blumenfeld, JazzIs
Jeff Bradley, Denver Post
Thomas Conrad, Down Beat, Jazz Times
Owen Cordle, Down Beat/North Carolina
Francis Davis, Atlantic Monthly, Village Voice
Ed Enright, Down Beat
John Ephland, Down Beat
Ken Franckling, UPI photographer
George Kanzler, Newark Star-Ledger
Fred Kaplan, Fi Magazine
Larry Katz, Boston Herald
James Hale, Ottawa, Down Beat, Pulse!
Robert Hicks, NYC, The Villager, Down Beat, RhythmMusic
Howard Mandel, Down Beat, JazzIs, Pulse!, Jazz Journalists Assoc.
Jim McNie, Biillboard, Down Beat, JazzIz
Lee Mergener, Jazz Times
Rick Mitchell, Houston Chronicle
Art Lange, Tower Pulse!
Tom Moon, Philadelphia Inquirer
Dan Oulette, Down Beat
Ted Panken, WBGO-FM
Thierry Peremarti, Jazzman (Paris)
Stephen Phillips, Cleveland Plain Dealer
Michael Point, Austin Chronicle
Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune
Derk Richardson, SF Bay Guardian, Fi Magazine
R. Dante Sawyer, JazzIs
Kirk Silsbee, LA
Jeff Simon, Buffalo News
Zan Stewart, Los Angeles
Neil Tesser, Playboy
George Varga, San Diego Union Tribune/Copley News Service
Calvin Wilson, Kansas City Star
Herb Wong, IAJE
Scott Yanow, All CD Guide to Jazz


text:
Our CONEXPO virtual sessions are currently available to share or watch on demand.Take me there
Flawless Quality, Every Time
Browse through Volvo Construction Equipment's extensive range of high-quality products.
We understand that the needs of your business vary. That's why there are two different Customer Support Agreements helping you stay profitable.All agreements
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With 24/7/365 active machine monitoring and monthly fleet reports, ActiveCare Direct allows you to spend more time making informed fleet management decisions and less time sorting through data and alarm codes.Find Out More


text:
The New Jersey Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee voted 4-1 in favor of Assembly Bill 2415. This legislation would legalize the licensed cultivation of industrial hemp. Members of NORML New Jersey were present to testify in favor of this legislation.
"We commend the Committee for taking a common sense approach to allow the growth of industrial hemp in New Jersey," stated NORML New Jersey Executive Director Evan Nison, "Our cannabis laws are nonsensical, and few issues embody this more obviously and plainly than the prohibition of industrial hemp. We hope the absurdity of these laws will encourage members of the legislature and the public to reevaluate marijuana laws across the board."
"The passage of this bill will help pressure the Federal Government to allow farmers to grow industrial hemp, much like nearly all other industrialize counties do, to help our environment and provide another crop for farmers." Nison continued, "Many members of Congress are already supportive of such reforms, and states showing an eagerness to allow this crop will encourage Congress to get it done. "
The United States is the only developed nation that fails to cultivate industrial hemp as an economic crop, according to a 2005 Congressional Resource Service (CRS) report. Hemp is a distinct variety of the plant species cannabis sativa that contains only minute (less than 1%) amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. Farmers worldwide grow hemp commercially for fiber, seed, and oil for use in a variety of industrial and consumer products, including food and clothing. Assembly Bill 2415 would allow New Jersey to authorize a licensed, statewide hemp industry. A2415 now awaits action on the floor of the New Jersey Assembly.
For more information contact Evan Nison, Executive Director of NORML New Jersey at email@example.com


text:
Forest Park Guide: The Best Bikes
Download a printable version of a map of Forest Park and a guide to all the hikes, runs, and bikes.
Moderate/see map Q5/bike #6
The one legal patch of singletrack in Forest Park is found deep in the park's ferny central interior. At just a third of a mile, it's a short ride. But it packs a wallop. From Saltzman Road, Firelane 5 careens down a wide pathway, funneling riders to a lively jumble of rock- and root-laden curves. Check your speed on the final switchback, which requires a vertigo-inducing hairpin turn before plummeting to Leif Erikson. Bonus: this summer, the city is scoping out plans to narrow the upper portion of Firelane 5, lengthening singletrack cruises.
SUGGESTED ROUTE: From NW Germantown Road, head south on Leif Erikson and turn right up Saltzman Road. At the top of Saltzman descend Firelane 5 back to Leif Erikson. (Round trip: 10 miles)
Moderate/see map G7/bike #7
Ferns and firs morph into a green whir on Firelane 3's near mile-long roller-coaster descent from Skyline Boulevard to Leif Erikson. The hair-raising plunge at the half-mile mark is worth the ride alone. And like Firelane 5, this trail is being considered for enhanced singletrack work this summer.
SUGGESTED ROUTE: From Leif Erikson's Thurman Street entrance, pedal to Saltzman Road and turn left. At Skyline Blvd turn left. Look for the top of Firelane 3 in the Thunder Crest neighborhood on the left, just past Skyline Memorial Gardens. Return via Leif Erikson. (Round trip: approximately 10 miles)


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Chernobyl symposium and commemoration April 26 at Evergreen
On April 26, 1986, an explosion destroyed one of four nuclear reactors at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Scores were killed quickly, untold thousands will sicken in the future, and more than 336,000 abandoned their homes and towns. Vast areas remain contaminated with radioactive debris to this day.
A 21st anniversary commemoration of the disaster through science, history, art, and music will take place Thursday, April 26, 2007 at The Evergreen State College.
The day includes expert lectures, a photographic exhibit in the college ' s Gallery IV located on the fourth floor of the Library Building and ends with a performance of " Requiem for the Victims of Chornobyl" by the Evergreen Singers at 7:05 p.m. at the college ' s Recital Hall in the Communications Building.
Lecturer David R. Marples is professor of history and director of the Stasiuk Program on Contemporary Ukraine at the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies, University of Alberta. He is author of twelve books, including three on Chernobyl, with others on Stalinism in Ukraine, contemporary Belarus and the collapse of the Soviet Union. His lecture " The Debate over the Consequences of the Chernobyl Disaster," will take place at 1:45 at Library 4300.
Lecturer Scott Davis is Professor and Chairman of the Department of Epidemiology at the School of Public Health and Community Medicine at the University of Washington and a full member in the program in epidemiology of the division of Public Health Sciences at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Davis ' s primary research focus is radiation epidemiology. He has directed a team since 1990 in conducting studies of persons in the Russian Federation exposed to radiation from the Chernobyl accident. His lecture, "Twenty Years after Chernobyl: Is There an Excess of Cancer?"will take place at 3:20 p.m., also in Library 4300.
The film "Chernobyl Heart" will show at 6 p.m. in the Recital Hall of the Communications Building. The film, by Maryann De Leo, won an Academy Award for short documentaries in 2003. The Evergreen Singers will follow with the "Requiem" at 7:05 PM, also in the Recital Hall.
All events are free and open to the public. For more information, call 867-6503. The campus cafeteria will feature Ukrainian foods for the evening's dinner menu.


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Nicknames: "LC" or "L-Boogie"
Height: 5-11
Weight: 160 lbs.
Coach: Juan Moreno
High School: Bishop Kenny H.S. (Jacksonville, Fla.)
College: University of Miami
Facebook: /lauren.c.hamon
Twitter: @thelchamon
Instagram: @thelchamon
WTF World Ranking as of 10/1/15: 20th (World +73kg); 17th (Olympic +67kg)
-2008 NCTA Female Athlete of the Year
Enjoys running, yoga, designing clothes and photography...favorite food is salad...participated in basketball, volleyball and cross country in high school...favorite movies are Pretty Woman, Breakfast at Tiffany's and The Devil Wears Prada...marketing major in college...wants to be a fashion designer.
Competition Record:
2015 WTF World Grand Prix Series 3 - Manchester (+67kg): Round of 32
-lost to Petra Matijasevic (MKD), 3-2, in Round of 32
2015 Argentina Open (+73kg): BRONZE
2015 Bolivia Open (-73kg): BRONZE
2015 WTF World Taekwondo Championships (+73kg): Round of 32
-lost to Shin-bi Kim (KOR), 2-1 (OT), in Round of 32
2015 Pan Am Games Team Trials (+67kg): 2nd
2014 USA Taekwondo National Team Trials (women's heavy): FIRST
2014 U.S. National Team member (Heavy)
2014 U.S. Open (Heavy): BRONZE
2014 Canadian Open (Heavy): SILVER
2013 U.S. Open (Middle): BRONZE
2013 U.S. National Team Member (Middle)
2013 U.S. National Team Trials (Middle): 1st
2013 WTF World Taekwondo Championships (Middle): Quarterfinal
-def. Aliya Mursalimova (UKR), 6-1, in Round of 32
-def. Guzel Kurbanova (RUS), 0-0 by decision, in Round of 16
-lost to In-Jong Lee (KOR), 7-0, in quarterfinal
2013 WTF Grand Prix Final (women's +67kg): Round of 16
2013 Pan American Open: SILVER
2012 U.S. Open (Middle): 2nd
-def. Raphaela Pereira (BRA), 0-0 (SUP), in round of 16
-def. Kiara Pena (PUR), 11-2, in quarterfinals
-def. Jacqueline Galloway Sanchez (MEX), 1-0, in semifinals
-lost to Maria Espinoza Espinoza (MEX), 7-0, in finals
2012 Olympic Trials - Phase 7 (-67kg): 1st
2012 Pan Am Championships: 1st
2012 German Open: 3rd
2011 Pan Am Games (Heavy +67kg): BRONZE
-def. Natalia Silva (BRA), by SUP (1-1), in Quarterfinals
-lost to Glenhis Hernandez (CUB), 4-1, in Semifinals
2011 World Taekwondo Championships (Heavy): Quarterfinals
-def. Mereke Zhunussova (KAZ), 1-0, in Round of 32
-def. Katharina Weiss (GER), 2-1, in Round of 16
-lost to Rosana Simon (ESP), 5-4 in overtime, in quarterfinals
2011 Pan Am Games Team Member (Middle/Heavy)
2011 Pan Am Games Qualifier (Middle/Heavy): Qualified
-def. Helloraine Zatta Oakes Paiva (BRA) 3-0
-def. Glehnis Hernandez Horta (CUB) by superiority
2011 U.S. National Team Member (Heavy)
2011 U.S. National Team Trials (Heavy): 1st
2010 Pan Am Games Team Trials (Middle/Heavy): 1st
2010 U.S. National Team Member (Heavy)
2009 World Taekwondo Championships (Heavy): Quarterfinals
2009 U.S. National Team Member (Heavy)
2009 U.S. National Team Trials (Heavy): 1st
2009 Kissimmee National Qualifier (Heavy): GOLD
2009 U.S. Open (Heavy): SILVER
2009 National Team Qualifier (Heavy): 1st
2008 Pan Am Championships Team Member (Heavy)
2008 Daytona National Qualifier (Heavy): GOLD
2008 Collegiate Nationals (Heavy): GOLD
2008 U.S. Open (Heavy): GOLD
2007 Toronto Open: BRONZE
2007 Sr. National Team Trials (Heavy): 2nd
2007 Pan Am Games Trials (Middle/Heavy): 1st
2006 U.S. National Team Member (Heavy)
2006 Pan Am Championships (Heavy): BRONZE
2006 Sr. National Team Trials (Heavy): 1st
2005 U.S. National Team Member (Heavy)
2005 U.S. Senior Nationals (Heavy): BRONZE
2005 World University Games (Heavy): Quarterfinals
2005 Collegiate Trials (Heavy): GOLD
2005 World Championships (Heavy): Quarterfinals
2004 Canadian Open: SILVER
2004 U.S. Senior Nationals: BRONZE
2004 Belgium Open: SILVER
2004 U.S. Open: BRONZE
2003 Collegiate Nationals: GOLD
2003 U.S. Senior Nationals: GOLD
2002 Junior Olympics: GOLD
2001 Junior Olympics: BRONZE
last updated 10/19/15
What To Watch For At This Week's Taekwondo Olympic Trials
Steve Yingling Feb. 01, 2016
Four Olympic medalists are among the eight athletes compete in three divisions.
Four Olympic Medalists Headline Olympic Trials in Reno
Jan. 28, 2016
Tickets for Feb. 2 Olympic Trials available at door day of event
Recent Successes Put Three U.S. Athletes In Top 10 Rankings
Aug. 13, 2015
Podium finishes at Pan Am Games and Korea Open propel Americans in WTF rankings.
McPherson Ends U.S. Medal Drought With Bronze
May 15, 2015
The six-year medal drought for Team USA came to an end Friday as Paige McPherson captured a bronze medal in the women's -67kg division at the WTF World Taekwondo Championships.
Paige McPherson Into Medal Round At World Championships
May 14, 2015
Paige McPherson will end the six-year medal drought for the U.S. on Friday.
VIDEO: Team USA Prepares For WTF World Championships
May 11, 2015
Find out what the athletes are most looking forward to and who helped them along the way to the world championships.
A Day In The Life
Abby Hill July 12, 2013
Two 11-year-old boys learn what it takes to be an Olympian


text:
Title: The Innocent
Series: The Milayna Series, Book 3
Author: Michelle K. Pickett
Published: November 3rd, 2015
Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing
Genre: YAm Paranormal Romance
Content Warning: Violence and Language
Recommended Age: 16+
Synopsis: A year ago, eighteen year-old Milayna fought Azazel, Hell's angel, for her soul. She thought she'd seen the last of him, but he's back, and he's brought his friends with him. The Four Brothers want Milayna's life, and they have wicked powers to use to take it.
While Milayna struggles against the Four Brothers, she also has to fight Azazel for her younger brother's soul. Ben is at a crucial point in his life—a time when he is weakest to Azazel and his powers. Milayna has to shield her brother from Azazel until Ben reaches the age of accountability and enters a period of safety from Azazel and his soul-sucking demons.
As if having four demon brothers out to end her life and Hell's angel out to steal her brother's soul wasn't enough, Milayna is still reeling from the disappearance of Chay. Can she find him in time to save their relationship? Or will the constant struggle with Hell and all its evil send her seeking comfort in the arms of Xavier?
Grab your copy of book 1, Milayna, for FREE on Amazon!
About the Author:
Michelle is the bestselling author of the young adult novel "PODs." She was born and raised in Flint, Michigan, but now lives in a sleepy suburb outside Houston with her extremely supportive husband, three school-aged children, a 125 pound "lap dog," and a very snooty cat.
Red Bull or Monster Khaos are her coffee of choice, and she can't write without peanut butter M&Ms and a hoodie. A hopeful romantic; she loves a swoon-worthy ending that will give her butterflies for days. She writes across genres in the young adult and new adult age groups. She loves to hear from her readers.
Michelle signed her new young adult contemporary novel— Unspeakable, with Clean Teen Publishing in 2014.
Amazon Author Page | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Blog
Clean Teen Publishing Links:
Giveaway Details:
There is a tour wide giveaway. Prizes include the following:
- If US, the winner will receive a mystery box from Clean Teen Publishing
- If International, the winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card.
Ends November 22nd at Midnight (EST)
a Rafflecopter giveaway


text:
totally hosed
I just got done listening to a 30 minute long Canadian satellite radio program which dissected the new American bi partisan spending bill. Just try finding something like that in America–folks who have actually read the whole 1600 pages and who have digested it, let alone an audience of Americans who really want to know what's in it. But what I like about the way it was parsed was that they looked at who wins and who loses in a number of categories. What programs were funded. What were not. Who brought home the bacon? And why? And who made the decisions on these committees? Politicians facing elections in 2014 did rather well. So did New York and New Jersey, which both have potential presidential candidates lurking in their state houses, and a delegation with enough clout to make sure that both parties were represented in that distribution. What i though was curious, and what I wanted to mention, was the biggest loser in the entire thing–the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. totally hosed. Gone is Ted Kennedy and John Kerry. Gone also, is Scott Brown, who Congressional Republicans supported. In fact, the Canadians noted, Massachusetts' delegation was not only totally ineffective in this round, but totally absent in the decision-making. They noted specifically that in the past they looked at the Massachusetts giants to see how much was being sucked up for the Bay State, but this time the answer was zero. As they concluded, while most of New England was shafted, with some exception for New Hampshire, there was nothing at all in this package for Massachusetts except for proof that for the first time in nearly 140 years, Massachusetts power in the House, Senate and White House is totally in eclipse.


text:
A few days ago, I was looking for something in my attic and came across some seriously outdated computer parts. The discovery made me feel a bit nostalgic and made me realize that some IT relics hold a special place in my heart. Here are a few examples.
1: Computer magazines with source code
Out of everything on this list, what I miss more than anything else are the old computer magazines that were full of BASIC code. These types of magazines were a staple of the 80s, and as a kid I spent countless hours entering source code from magazines into my Radio Shack Color Computer. Of course, source code magazines were also available for other machines at the time, such as the Commodore 64, the Amiga, and the PC.
2: Computer stores
I'm assuming that computer stores probably still exist, but there aren't any where I live. Ten years ago, it was easy to walk into a computer store and purchase a high-end video card, a new system board, or a custom case. Today if I want anything beyond the basics, I have to order it off the Internet. While there is something to be said for shopping online, it doesn't give you the instant gratification you get from shopping in a store.
3: True desktop cases
Many years ago, most of the computers that were being sold used desktop cases, as opposed to the tower cases that seem to dominate the PC industry today. Tower cases are nice, and that they don't take up room on your desktop. But in some ways, I miss the old desktop cases. They made it easy to insert removable media and check to see whether your hard disk light was on. Sure, you can do these things with a tower case. But oftentimes, the tower is tucked away under a desk and isn't so easy to reach.
4: Durable keyboards and mice
Maybe it's just me, but most of the mice and keyboards I come across these days just seem flimsy. Whatever happened to quality? I used to like the old IBM keyboards because they weighed about as much as a brick, and the keys were being enough to actually type on. The keyboards felt solid and unlike today's keyboards, they were hard to wear out.
5: In-person help desk visits
Most of the help desk software on the market today allows for remote connectivity. This goes a long way toward making the help desk more productive because the technicians don't have to take the time to physically travel to the user who is having the problem.
Back in the early 90s, I worked as a help desk technician for a large company. At the time, the help desk techs had to make in-person visits to the users who were having problems. I got to know everyone at the company very well. And even though I haven't worked there for almost 18 years, I am still in close contact with a number of those users today. In fact, I met my wife when she made a call to the help desk.
6: Immersive gaming
I have to admit that I'm not a huge gamer, but most of the PC gamers I do know use high-end laptops. While you can't argue with the portability of a laptop, sometimes bigger is better. Back in the mid-90s, for example, my cousin and I used to spend a lot of time playing Wing Commander on a 90-inch projection screen. I also had some huge surround-sound speakers connected to my PC through a 400-watt amplifier. It made for an awesome immersive gaming experience. When you blew up an enemy spaceship, the entire room would shake. It's possible to build a similar setup today, but I don't know anyone who is actually doing it, and large speakers are becoming more and more difficult to find.
7: BBSes
Another relic of the 80s and 90s that I kind of miss are BBSes. For those who have never heard of a BBS, it was similar to a Web site. The difference was that you had to dial directly into the BBS. You couldn't get there by opening a Web browser and entering a URL.
The thing that made BBSes so cool was that there were relatively few people online back then. Most of the BBSes I used were made up of tight-knit communities where everyone online knew each other.
8: Shareware subscriptions
I also miss shareware subscriptions. The idea was that for about 10 dollars a year, you would get a disk or CD in the mail each month containing a variety of shareware programs. Some of the software on the disk was really useful, and some of it was garbage. Even so, the subscriptions were fun because when you did find something good, the software license allowed you to make copies for your friends.
9: Software that didn't have to be installed
Today, most software that is available for purchase is designed to be installed on a computer's hard disk, but that wasn't always the case. There was a time when most software ran from removable media. The nice thing about that type of software was that you never had to worry about running out of hard disk space or about the new software conflicting with something that was already on your system. There was also the portability factor. I can fondly remember taking disks containing my favorite games to friends' houses to play on their computers.
Of course, some software is still portable — and in some ways, portability seems to be making a comeback. Windows 8, for example, can be installed to a bootable USB flash drive.
10: Easily modifiable code
Finally, I miss applications that were based on easily modifiable code. In the 80s, most of the software that was available for the Radio Shack Color Computer and for the Commodore 64 was written in a way that made it possible for amateur programmers to make modifications. For example, when I was a kid, I once modified a flight simulator in a way that equipped a Cessna with missiles.
More nostalgia?
Are there any IT relics you remember fondly? Or are you happy to put all the archaic tech behind you? Share your memories with fellow TechRepublic members.


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Email: email@example.com
Help Desk: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/ras/portico/helpdesk
- Professor of Viral Immunology
- Div of Infection & Immunity
- Faculty of Medical Sciences
I am Professor of Viral Immunology in the Division of Infection and Immunity at University College London, also working as a Consultant Physician in a viral hepatitis clinic. My research has always been closely informed by the patients I see in my clinics and the samples they generously donate for our work.
I obtained my specialist medical accreditation in 1995 and
my PhD, funded by an MRC Clinical Training Fellowship, in the lab of
Peter Beverley (ICRF, London) in 1998. A unifying theme in my research
training has been the T cell immunology of persistent viral infections
in humans (from EBV to HIV and then HBV). Whilst funded by the Edward
Jenner Institute to work on HIV-2, I joined forces with Antonio Bertoletti and
became increasingly focused on HBV immunopathogenesis, starting my own
group in this field in 2002. After an MRC/Academy of Medical Sciences
Clinical Scientist Fellowship, I moved into a tenured position at UCL
and a personal chair in 2009. In 2013 I obtained a Wellcome Trust Senior Investigator Award.
Other positions I currently hold:
- Deputy Head of the Department of Immunology
- Chair of the Athena Swan team, Division of Infection and Immunity
- Deputy Post-graduate tutor, Division of Infection and Immunity
- UCLP Theme Leader for Immunity/Immunotherapy of Chronic Infection
- Our research programme is focused on dissecting the immune correlates of viral persistence and liver damage in order to allow the development of novel immunotherapeutic strategies for hepatitis B virus (HBV).
- As well as being of great medical importance in its own right, HBV provides a useful model to provide insights into liver immunology, which has relevance for other hepatotropic infections and malignancies, liver transplantation and autoimmunity.
- We have become fascinated by how the liver utilises multiple specialised cell types and pathways to maintain a uniquely tolerant immunological environment. Defining the mechanisms of hepatic tolerance is critical to understanding how three of the most prevalent and devastating human pathogens, HBV, hepatitis C virus and malaria, take advantage of this niche in which to replicate and/or persist.
- We are also interested in how hepatic immune responses mediate and regulate the liver damage that drives fibrosis, ultimately leading to the complications of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) that still kill an estimated 600,000 people a year with chronic HBV infection. This is of particular interest in patients co-infected with HBV and HIV who have ongoing high mortality from accelerated liver fibrosis.
- Existing therapies are rarely able to cure HBV or complications like
HCC so our goal is to develop tailored boosting of antiviral immunity.
The rationale for this approach is based on the fact that many adults
control HBV through their natural immune response without overwhelming
liver damage.
I have made substantial contributions to various teaching programmes over the years and have acquired extensive experience in teaching through seminars, interactive tutorials, and one on one in the lab or clinic. I have taught medical students and junior doctors, BSc and MSc students, nurses and physiotherapists, and post-graduates on an Advanced Immunology course.
Currently I teach on the Immunology BSc and Virology BSc courses and supervise undergraduate and postgraduate students in the laboratory.
|Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians
|Royal College of Physicians
|Doctor of Philosophy
|University of London
|Member of the Royal College of Physicians
|Royal College of Physicians
|London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
|Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery
|University of London


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The discussion this week about levelling in WoW – too fast? too easy? not enough challenge for experienced gamers? has inspired me to do some digging around for information about how adults learn. Sorry if this gets a bit technical.
There is a lot of interesting work done on this topic, and I think the notion of Andragogy (how adults learn) is actually pretty cool. I especially like the notion that as adults, when we learn something new we want to be able to use it as soon as possible. I always thought that was just me being really impatient 😉
There are two basic views on adult learning:
1. Learning should be about overcoming a series of challenges. From this point of view, a bit of anxiety is part of the learning process. It would be very common (maybe even necessary) for people who are learning something new to think, "Eek, I feel a bit lost and out of my depth here, how can I do this new thing?" You have to get to that stage before you can move on and actually learn, and deciding to ease the anxiety by mastering the new topic is one of the ways adults motivate themselves to learn things.
There's an interesting quote here in which one psychologist claims that learning isn't really fun for adults, and says that learning only happens when survival anxiety (omg I need to know how to do this OR ELSE) outweighs learning anxiety (erk, this is a new thing and I don't know how to do it.)
Schein dismisses the notion that learning is fun, especially for adults. He equates adult learning within organizations with that of the brainwashing techniques he observed while studying prisoners of the Korean War
Each of these anxieties could be managed, for example learning can be constructed in a "safe" environment where the consequences of failure are minimal. Survival anxiety can obviously be increased by threatening job loss, a lack of security, or recognizing competitive elements of the market.
So this is where games come in. The game should be a safe environment for learning where the consequences either way are pretty low. In a more competitive game, or where players are more invested (maybe your guild performance is important to your social life) then you get the other anxiety too.
I think anyone who has raided with a progression guild will probably know that feeling of being terrified of failing to learn quickly enough and letting the side down. But on the other hand, hobby gamers tend to enjoy the learning anxiety and being able to make it go away by mastering the game. We're good at learning. Hold onto that, it's a very useful life skill 🙂 People in this group would dispute the claim that learning isn't fun because for us, it's the entire basis of our hobby!
Just bear in mind that it actually might not be fun for a lot of other people.
2. Learning through play / experience. The idea here is that people will learn by doing things, and they might not realise how much they have learned until they get a chance to think about it and talk to other people afterwards. There is also an idea that all learners are equal; as long as they are actually doing something (ie. and not avoiding the experience altogether) then they are learning and will have something to bring to the discussion.
This is why the WoW blogosphere is so interesting. Some people want to talk about strategies for high end raiding, others about how they work gaming in around their family life, and others just want to share pictures of their in game pets. They are all sharing different but valid experiences of the same game.
So from this perspective, the goal is to create a friendly environment that should be easy to get into with lots of ways for people to go off and experience it in whichever way they want. In other words, the buffet approach to MMOs.
So there are some kinds of player who just don't want to deal with stress or anxiety. They aren't playing because they want to be challenged in that way. They might be challenged in different ways (I want to collect 100 pets! I want to explore the virtual world!) but it will all be very controllable and they probably appreciate having a well marked story path available.
I think that the more MMOs bring in gaming elements, the more they will tend towards the first category. Structured sets of challenges, underpinned by strong competition to motivate people. And the mystery of WoW at the moment is how they are trying to make the low levels offer an immersive learning environment at the same time as the high level raiding offers a very different sort of gaming experience. Clearly, if you are an experienced gamer coming into the game new, it's just going to be frustrating until you reach endgame (at which point it will be frustrating for different reasons 😉 ).


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I think I am one of the few people in the universe who has not read the Harry Potter series. Although I love to read, I have commitment issues when it comes to reading books, and a whole series is just more than my ADD attention span can handle.
My husband and son are big fans of the book series, so when we recently went to Universal Studios Islands of Adventure and were immersed into the Wizzarding World of Harry Potter, they were just a tad bit stoked. I knew enough from watching some of the movies to be enchanted as well. Walking through the streets you immediately felt transported to another land.
To be honest with you, even though I don't know much about Harry Potter, I was willing to hang out anywhere that had this delicious drink concoction called Butterbeer. Apparently, Butterbeer is the beverage of choice for the Wizards at Hogwarts Academy. One sip from the closest beverage cart and I was hooked. In fact, we had so many great things to eat and drink on our vacation, but of all of it, my craving for Butterbeer hasn't ceased.
Our friend Katie gets her first sip of Butterbeer!
What does a food blogger do when they are craving something? First beg Chef Steven Jayson, who created the recipe, to share his secret. When this results in no avail, scour the internet trying to find copycat recipes or create the recipe itself. The Butterbeer created by the chef at Islands of Adventure and approved by J.K. Rowlings herself is a buttery and creamy mixture made without ice cream. I found this recipe on Fox News and decided it seemed the closest in ingredients to what I tasted at Islands of Adventure in Orlando. Close, but not quite… but delicious nonetheless! To get the real thing, I think I'm just going to have to go back to Universal Studios in Orlando…sooner rather than later!
Almost Like Butterbeer from Harry Potter
1 cup light or dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
6 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar
3/4 cup heavy cream divided
1/2 teaspoon rum extract
Four 12-ounce bottles cream soda
In a small saucepan over medium, combine the brown sugar and water. Bring to a gentle boil and cook, stirring often, until the mixture reads 240 F on a candy thermometer.
Stir in the butter, salt, vinegar and 1/4 heavy cream. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Once the mixture has cooled, stir in the rum extract.
In a medium bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar mixture and the remaining 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Use an electric mixer to beat until just thickened, but not completely whipped, about 2 to 3 minutes.
To serve, divide the brown sugar mixture between 4 tall glasses (about 1/4 cup for each glass). Add 1/4 cup of cream soda to each glass, then stir to combine. Fill each glass nearly to the top with additional cream soda, then spoon the whipped topping over each.
I'm sharing this post as part of the I'm Lovin' It roundup on TidyMom!
Disclosure: This blog post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.


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Editor's Note: Dr. Melina Jampolis, CNN's diet and fitness expert, is a physician nutrition specialist and the author of "The Calendar Diet: A Month by Month Guide to Losing Weight While Living Your Life."
Story highlights
Sugar sweetened beverage consumption has increased significantly
Men consume on average 178 calories per day from sugar sweetened beverages
Soda often displaces more healthful items in the diet
Q: I've heard so much about the dangers of drinking soda. Is it really all that bad for you? Or is it just empty calories?
You may have heard about a new study published in the May issue of the American Journal of Nutrition that found an increased risk of stroke in people who consumed more than one soda per day.
These findings are not surprising in light of the growing body of evidence linking intake of sugar sweetened beverages – of which soda makes up the largest percentage – and diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity and high cholesterol.
Sugar sweetened beverage consumption has increased significantly over the past several decades. Recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data found that half of the U.S. population consumes at least one sugar sweetened beverage on any given day. Men consume on average 178 calories per day from sugar sweetened beverages and women consume 103 calories per day.
Of particular concern in light of the current childhood obesity epidemic is the increased use in children, especially teens and young adults. Soda often displaces more healthful items in the diet and is a warning sign of a poor quality diet.
The dangers of soda extend beyond the increase in calories, although this is likely an important contributor to weight gain and obesity. Calories consumed in liquid form do not satisfy hunger as effectively as calories consumed in solid food form, so people often consume more total calories, which can lead to weight gain.
In addition, consuming large amounts of rapidly digested sugar and high fructose corn syrup causes a spike in blood sugar and insulin, which can lead to inflammation and insulin resistance, both of which may increase your risk of stroke, heart disease, diabetes, obesity and cancer.
The large doses of fructose from both sucrose (table sugar) and high fructose corn syrup may be particularly detrimental to your health as they can cause the accumulation of metabolically toxic belly fat, cholesterol abnormalities – including high triglycerides and reduced levels of HDL (good cholesterol) – and nonalcoholic associated fatty liver disease.
Soda is also associated with symptoms of gastro-esophageal reflux disease, when the contents of the stomach leak back up and cause a burning sensation in the esophagus. While drinking soda is not known to cause ulcers, it can cause symptoms to flare up.
The American Heart Association recommends consuming no more than 450 calories from sugar sweetened beverages per week (the amount in three cans of cola).
If you are overweight or obese, or at risk for heart disease or diabetes, you should limit your intake of sugar sweetened beverages as much as possible, including soda, energy drinks, sports drinks, juice drinks and sweetened water and/or tea.


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text:
The Royal Family apparently started a YouTube channel about two months ago, but I don't think many people over here noticed it until it came time for the Queen's annual Christmas message. At least, I don't remember seeing anything about it two months ago, but I've seen it mentioned on three or four blogs this week.
I'm trying to figure out why I think this is such a good idea. If the Bush Administration suddenly started a YouTube channel, I wouldn't think anything good about it. And I don't think that's entirely partisan. I don't see myself watching 20 minutes of old Clinton home movies on the morning after Christmas either. But this morning, that's what I found myself doing with the Royal Channel. An old movie depicting events from the death of King George to Elizabeth's coronation, followed by a silent movie about the Queen Mother's wedding and all of a sudden it was 20 minutes later.
Interestingly, they've disabled embedding.
I think there's some aspect of admiration for whoever in the Royal Household had the idea of putting video proof of charitable acts and royal family events out "where the people are," to use that tired phrase — but I don't think that by itself explains why I'm taken with this idea. I think that combined with the kind of information the royal family has available to broadcast in this way — those old videos, the historical stuff — is what makes this seem right to me. Most of the time that's where I end up losing time on YouTube. Thirty minutes searching for Mario Savio talking about the machine, two hours of old Olympic coverage. This is where my actual time has actually gone in the last year.
So that leads me to the question – is this just the historian in me? Am I taken with the royal family channel because it's way to see historical artifacts I wouldn't otherwise easily see? Or is this a more objectively cool example of the right medium for the right message?


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Foodie Five: Questions with Tim Zagat
Fans of Zagat, the diner-guided restaurant review source, will be happy to know the 2110 issue of "Zagat America's Top Restaurants" was released last week.
And fans there are. As in millions who wouldn't think of making a dinner reservation without seeking guidance from Zagat on where and what to eat.
The Zagat Survey's Web site gets a million hits a week, says Tim Zagat, who founded the company in 1979 with his wife, Nina. The company's series of restaurant guides covers eateries around the globe.
"America's Top Restaurants" features more than 1,500 restaurants in 45 markets across the country. It is based on the opinions of 145,000 diners who voted on ZAGAT.com and shared their views on all aspects of dining out.
We spoke with Tim Zagat by phone this week from his office on the Upper West Side in Manhattan. And by the way, it's pronounced zuh-GAT; not ZAG-at and never Zagats.
Q. From your perspective, how is the restaurant industry doing in the present economy?
A. It's doing less well than in the heyday of 2005 to 2007, but it's doing better than most people may imagine. There are more openings of restaurants than closings this year. Of course, people are very price-sensitive. They are going to less-expensive restaurants, and the $100 bottle of wine is history, maybe the $70 bottle, too. People are more careful. But the fact is we still have stomachs and throats and need to eat. And some of the very best restaurants are still affordable.
Q. What do diners say they are most looking for?
A. Value above all else right now. Value is really an equation of cost divided into the quality of what you get. It depends on both factors.
Food-wise, more than any other type of cuisine, people want Italian. Italian gets 27 percent of the vote, American 16, French and Japanese 11, Mexican 10, Chinese is 6 and Thai is about the same. We're very eclectic, but Italian is the favorite food.
Q. What is a top trend you are seeing in American dining?
A. I call it "BATH." or "better alternative to home" restaurants. Diners are seeking little, inexpensive, homey, hearty restaurants. They are the casual places, whether Vietnamese or pizza, or hamburger places. There are all sorts of these and they are basically competing with your ability to shop, cook and clean for yourself. I think this is the largest segment in terms of growth in the U.S., other than fast food.
Q. What is the No. 1 dining-out grumble?
A. Service, service, service and service. As long as we have been surveying, the principal complaint has been service; 58 percent of comments relate to service. Cumulatively, all the other problems only amount to 32 percent — parking, noise, food quality, cleanliness, everything else. Service is the weak link of the industry. There are virtually no schools for front-of-the-house personnel. I think the area that needs to be put through professionalization, like chefs get, is the front of the house.
Q. Twenty Cleveland area eateries are listed in the guide. Do you have a favorite?
A. I never say what my personal favorites are. If you're conducting the election, you shouldn't have a candidate in the race. And we have never voted in any of our surveys.
The Repository (Canton, Ohio)


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April 22, 2008— -- U.S. gun stores and gun shows are the source of more than 90 percent of the weapons being used by Mexico's ruthless drug cartels, according to U.S. and Mexican law enforcement officials.
"It's a war going on in Mexico, and these types of firearms are the weapons of war for them," said Bill Newell, the special agent in charge of the Phoenix field division of the ATF, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which has primary law enforcement jurisdiction for investigating gun trafficking to Mexico.
"It's virtually impossible to buy a firearm in Mexico as a private citizen, so this country is where they come," said Newell.
But U.S. efforts to stop the smuggling of tens of thousands of guns to Mexico, including high-powered assault weapons, have been hampered by lenient American gun laws and the Bush administration's failure to give priority to anti-gun smuggling efforts, officials tell ABC News for a report Tuesday on ABC News' "World News With Charles Gibson."
President Bush said today at a press conference that Mexican President Felipe Calderon again raised the issue of guns at their meeting in New Orleans.
Mexico's strict gun laws are being subverted by the easy availability of weapons in the U.S., the Mexican attorney general, Eduardo Medina-Mora Icaza, told ABC News. "The Second Amendment," said the attorney general, "is certainly not designed to arm and give fire power to organized crime abroad."
More than 3,400 people have been killed by the drug cartels in the last 15 months, 2,000 of them law enforcement officials, according to the Mexican attorney general.
U.S. and Mexican officials say they have traced most of the thousands of high-powered weapons seized from the drug cartels to gun dealers in Texas, California and Arizona.
Assault weapons made in China and Eastern Europe, resembling the AK-47, have become widely and cheaply available in the U.S. since Congress and the Bush administration refused to extend a ban on such weapons in 2004.
Under federal gun laws, gun dealers are not required to report multiple purchases of such weapons because they are classified as rifles.
"If you were to go into a gun store and buy 20 of these, there is no requirement by the gun dealer to fill out a multiple sales form," said the ATF's Newell.
The drug cartels' weapons of choice include variants of the AK-47, .50-caliber sniper rifles and a Belgian-made pistol called the "cop killer" or "mata policia" because of its ability to pierce a bulletproof vest.
"It's in high demand by your violent drug cartels, their assassins in Mexico," said Newell of the ATF. The gun can fire a high-powered round used in a rifle.
An ABC News investigation found the "mata policia" and a wide range of assault weapons prominently displayed at gun stores along the border in Texas, the state providing the most weapons to the drug cartels, according to the ATF.
Under Texas and federal law, there is no waiting period for the purchase of such weapons and no restriction on how many can be bought at a time.
U.S. officials say there is little they can do to go after licensed gun dealers because large purchases, dozens or hundreds at a time, are legal for U.S. citizens and legal immigrants with an INS green card unless a gun dealer suspects the purchase is being made for someone else.
ATF agents say legitimate gun dealers will often report suspicious activities, but that a small but significant number looks the other way.
"I have personally worked cases where gun dealers have willfully allowed hundreds of guns to leave their gun store knowing that they were going into the wrong hands," said Newell.
While the Bush administration has asked for an additional $100 million to combat drug violence on the border, only $948,000, less than one percent, has been allocated to the ATF under the White House proposal.
"We need a lot more resources," said the ATF's Newell.
"It sure shows a lack of concern on our part for this piece of the problem," said Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., who has introduced legislation to give the ATF an additional $15 million to improve border efforts.


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While I really do love chocolate, lemon desserts are my absolute favorite. This lemon square recipe is my go-to at-home lemon dessert recipe. They are delicious and are always a crowd-pleaser. Bet you can't eat just one!
- 12 tablespoons, plus 1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter
- 1 3/4 cups, plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup icing sugar, plus more for garnish
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, plus a pinch
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice, strained
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- Lightly butter a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with 2 teaspoons of the butter and line with 1 sheet of waxed paper. Butter the top of this sheet of paper with 1 teaspoon of the remaining butter and then lay a second sheet of waxed paper crosswise over the first sheet. The paper should be cut large enough so that the sides are even with the top of the baking dish; this extra paper will function as handles to help you remove the lemon squares from the pan later. Set pan aside.
- In a large bowl combine 1 3/4 cups of the flour, 2/3 cup of the confectioners' sugar, the cornstarch, and 3/4 teaspoon of the salt and mix thoroughly. Cut the remaining 12 tablespoons of butter into small pieces and add to the flour mixture. Using your hands, 2 forks, or a pastry blender, work the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer the butter-flour mixture to the prepared baking dish and press into an even 1/4-inch layer along the bottom and partly up the sides of the pan. (Note: if you prefer a thinner crust use only about 3/4 of the mixture and discard the rest). Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- While the crust is chilling, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bake the crust until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.
- While the crust is baking, assemble the filling by combining the eggs, granulated sugar, flour, and lemon zest in a medium bowl and whisking until smooth. Stir in lemon juice, milk, and remaining pinch of salt and mix well.
- When the crust is golden brown, remove it from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Stir the lemon mixture again, then pour onto the warm crust. Bake until the filling is set, about 20 minutes.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Then grasp the waxed paper that lines the two longest sides of the baking dish and remove the bars from the pan by pulling up gently. The entire dessert should easily dislodge and come away from the pan. Transfer to a cutting board and, using a clean knife, cut into squares, wiping knife after each cut. Place a small amount of confectioners' sugar into a small sieve, and sprinkle the bars with the sugar. Serve immediately, or refrigerate, wrapped with plastic wrap, up to 2 days, until ready to serve.
Hope you like them as much as I do!


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The Australian Poetry Competition had come down to two finalists, a university graduate and an old aboriginal. They were given a word, then allowed two minutes to study the word and come up with a poem that contained the word.
The word they were given was TIMBUKTU.
First to recite his poem was the university graduate. He stepped to the microphone and said:
Slowly across the desert sand,
Trekked a lonely caravan,
Men on camels two by two,
Destination Timbuktu.
The crowd went crazy! No way could the old aborigin top that they thought.
The old aborigin calmly made his way to the microphone and recited;
Me and Tim a hunting went,
Met three whores in a pop up tent,
They were three and we were two,
The aborigin won!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Tuesday, October 18, 2011 Fun, Home, Humor No bubbles


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Tag Archives: Czar
The List of 2013 Year-End Lists
Hey folks — a very Happy (Belated) New Year to all of you! 2013 definitely turned out to be an interesting year for me, with lots of big changes, new projects, new responsibilities, etc., but an unfortunate side-effect of some of that was (as you've surely noticed) that the amount of time I'd been spending writing really tapered off as the year went on, to the point where I didn't post
anything here for the last few months! Well, as you may have seen, I've started writing reviews of some new 2014 releases — and as time allows I promise I will also be sharing plenty of older stuff I've missed writing about, because believe me there has been a TON worth sharing!
But more on that later. As I started doing last year, I've once again put together a collection of various people's "best of" lists from 2013. Admittedly I sort of got a late start on this (I didn't even put out the open invitation until after most websites had already finished with publishing all their year-end stuff), but several people have answered the call and contributed some really interesting lists that you'll want to check out…


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One of the unwritten rules in Hollywood is that if something is remotely successful, a sequel is inevitable. It turns out the same is also true in the blogosphere.
Last November, I wrote about a Cringely reader named Stephen G. who discovered Apple's iCloud was censoring the emails of his clients without telling anyone. Anything with the phrase "barely legal teens" in the email body or an attachment was automatically sent into the ether -- not shunted to a spam folder, just 86'd without notice.
[ Cringely reported on Apple's itchy trigger finger first -- and best -- in "Hollywood whodunit: What's eating emails in iCloud?" | For a humorous take on the tech industry's shenanigans, subscribe to Robert X. Cringely's Notes from the Underground newsletter. | Get the latest insight on the tech news that matters from InfoWorld's Tech Watch blog. ]
Stephen G. creates software used by screenwriters, one of whom couldn't figure out why emails containing PDFs of his 109-page opus kept disappearing on the way to his agent. They figured it out: Copies of the script containing the words "barely legal teen" were blocked, while those without the offending phrase went through without a hitch. I went back and forth with Steven on email, tried to contact Apple for comment (fat chance), wrote about it, then moved on to other topics.
Last week I was scrolling through my Twitter feed when I saw a tweet that read: "It appears that Apple has gone insane. They absolutely have to address this publicly" with a bit.ly link." Who could resist?
I clicked the link and was surprised to find my November blog post -- or rather, a rapidly summarized version of it -- on the Cult of Mac blog. The author, Buster Heine (that's his real name, I swear), had tried to send emails containing the offending phrase via iCloud and couldn't. Like me, he also tried and failed to get comment from Apple. That's about it.
Why, I wondered, was this suddenly "news"?
Two days after that, a longer but otherwise identical story appeared in Macworld UK, InfoWorld's IDG sister site across the pond. Displaying a ninja-like command of the passive voice, editor in chief Mark Hattersley wrote: "Apple's iCloud email service deletes all emails that contain the phrase 'barely legal teen' it was revealed today."
Hattersley did a scosh more testing than Heine, but otherwise it was the same story, based on something I wrote four months ago. A few hours later, Dan Moren and Lex Friedman of Macworld US did a follow-up with more rigorous testing and came to the same conclusion. However, they at least managed to get someone from Apple to comment, kinda sorta. Per Apple:
Occasionally, automated spam filters may incorrectly block legitimate email. If the customer feels that a legitimate message is blocked, we encourage customers to report it to AppleCare.
Macworld responds, quite rightly: "Of course, that introduces a sort of existential dilemma here: How do you report the nonarrival of an email that you never received?"
From there, the story blew up. It appeared on the websites of several U.K. and U.S. newspapers, Gizmodo, Gawker, VentureBeat, Huffington Post, Ars Technica, Boing Boing, and The Verge, among others. All of them credited one Macworld or the other as the source of the story. Only one of them linked here.
Of a dozen or so stories I scanned, only The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) and Read Write Web noted that the blog you are now reading was the original source of the story, as well as the fact it was four months old, in the lead. Thank you, Randy Nelson of TUAW and John Paul Titlow of RWW for actually clicking the link in the Macworld UK story and reading it. Shame on the rest of you.
Why did a post I wrote nearly four months ago suddenly become a hot topic on the InterWebs? I decided to find out. It turns out Cult of Mac's Heine blog saw my original post highlighted on the BuzzFeed FWD Twitter stream. Twenty-five minutes later, Buster had his version online.
I asked BuzzFeed Tech editor John Herrman where he found the story. He says he first saw it on on his Twitter stream, posted by a Mac/iOS developer in Oregon named Justin Miller. For his part, Miller says he heard about it on an IRC chat with some friends.


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Welcome to the Kumoricon Forums! Remember: Have fun! – Forum code of conduct.
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you know chris (negima) and chris (kendo boyfriend) look and awful lot alike (tall skinny sandy-blond hair nerdyness (no ofence nerdyness is cute) do i smell matching hikaru and kaoru cosplays?!?!?
No, Her birthday is next month. o_oAnd she never gave me her number.She doesnt have a cell phone, Only a home phone. I doubt its always dead and has been dead for weeks.Trust me, She has moved on from me.And i'm not going to do like i always do when that happens and try to keep our friendship going because i dont tolerate being forgotten by a best friend anymore.


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Julius Thomas keeps eye on Jimmy Graham situation
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — It's the $5 million question that's rumbling through NFL front offices and locker rooms alike: Is All-Pro Jimmy Graham of the New Orleans Saints a tight end or a really big wide receiver?
It matters to men like Pro Bowl tight end Julius Thomas of the Denver Broncos, who's up for a big pay raise and could be facing a franchise tag himself after the upcoming season.
The Saints gave Graham the franchise tag for about $7 million as a tight end, the position he's been listed at for his entire four-year career — and which he himself lists on his Twitter account.
Graham contends that because he more often is split out away from the tackle, he is really a wide receiver. And, after all, he did lead the league with 16 touchdown catches last season. That franchise tag is worth about $12.3 million.
The sides stated their cases in an arbitration hearing earlier this week in Louisiana and are awaiting a ruling from arbitrator Stephen Burbank.
Thomas is understandably interested in the outcome.
"I've kind of been keeping ... an eye on that situation, obviously, because it could probably come back to affect a lot of us tight ends," said Thomas, who is scheduled to make $645,000 this year. "But the way I feel about it is, 'Does two letters next to your name on the depth chart really determine your value to a team?'"
When it comes to franchise tags in the NFL, it certainly does.
The Saints note that Graham made the All-Pro team and the Pro Bowl as a tight end and was drafted as a tight end. Graham points to the 86 passes he caught for 1,215 yards last season — numbers any wide receiver would envy.
"Does it matter if he's a tight end, or if he calls himself a slot receiver or a running back?" Thomas said. "I mean, if you're going to have double-digit touchdowns and contribute a bunch of yards in the receiving game, I just say that you're a guy that makes great plays and are a value to your team. So I don't know why the argument necessarily comes down to either you're a tight end or a receiver. I think that if you're a guy that makes plays, that's how you should be valued."
It's because top-tier wide receivers make much more money than the game's best tight ends.
"That's true. So I guess that's why it's a topic," Thomas said. "But I'll say again: I think if you're a basketball player, they wouldn't say, 'Ah, you're a power forward. Really look out for those point guards.' So I don't think that the position matters. I think if you're a guy making plays for your team, then that should be your value."
Denver general manager John Elway has opened talks with representatives of both Thomas and wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, who are entering the final year of their respective rookie deals and would like any deal to get done by the start of training camp next month.
Demaryius Thomas, who has two dozen TD catches since Peyton Manning's arrival and was the lone bright spot for Denver in the Super Bowl, figures to command around $60 million over five years after putting up back-to-back stellar seasons that vaulted him to elite wide receiver status.
Yet, it was Julius Thomas who was the key to Denver's record-breaking offense last season. The 6-foot-5, 255-pound late-bloomer was a matchup nightmare for defenses and the bulls-eye for many of Manning's biggest moments last season when he earned his first Pro Bowl honor.
He caught the quarterback's 51st TD throw that broke Tom Brady's single-season record, one of his dozen TD receptions that broke Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe's team record for tight ends. And he came up huge in the Broncos' two wins that got them to their first Super Bowl in 15 years.
Broncos coach John Fox said the tight end position has evolved over the years to the point that "it's like another receiver" rather than "an offensive tackle lined up to block."
That's not to say Fox is going to dive into the debate over whether a tight end actually is a wide receiver.
"I'm not getting into that," Fox said with a chuckle. "I'll leave that for other people."
AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL
Follow AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter: http://twitter.com/arniestapleton


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Up to [cvs.NetBSD.org] / src / external / bsd / tre / dist / python
Request diff between arbitrary revisions
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Current tag: netbsd-9-2-RELEASE
Revision 220.127.116.11 / (download) - annotate - [select for diffs] (vendor branch), Fri Nov 17 16:11:12 2017 UTC (5 years, 4 months ago) by rin
Branch: MAIN, LAURIKARI
CVS Tags: tre-20171117, phil-wifi-base, phil-wifi-20200421, phil-wifi-20200411, phil-wifi-20200406, phil-wifi-20191119, phil-wifi-20190609, phil-wifi, pgoyette-compat-merge-20190127, pgoyette-compat-base, pgoyette-compat-20190127, pgoyette-compat-20190118, pgoyette-compat-1226, pgoyette-compat-1126, pgoyette-compat-1020, pgoyette-compat-0930, pgoyette-compat-0906, pgoyette-compat-0728, pgoyette-compat-0625, pgoyette-compat-0521, pgoyette-compat-0502, pgoyette-compat-0422, pgoyette-compat-0415, pgoyette-compat-0407, pgoyette-compat-0330, pgoyette-compat-0322, pgoyette-compat-0315, pgoyette-compat, netbsd-9-base, netbsd-9-3-RELEASE, netbsd-9-2-RELEASE, netbsd-9-1-RELEASE, netbsd-9-0-RELEASE, netbsd-9-0-RC2, netbsd-9-0-RC1, netbsd-9, netbsd-10-base, netbsd-10, is-mlppp-base, is-mlppp, cjep_sun2x-base1, cjep_sun2x-base, cjep_sun2x, cjep_staticlib_x-base1, cjep_staticlib_x-base, cjep_staticlib_x, HEAD
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The North Stars hired Wren Blair as their first coach and general manager partially because he was an entertainer.
And Blair delivered.
"He was a character, he really was," former North Stars defenseman Tom Reid said. "The things he used to do on the bench and in the dressing room were crazy. He couldn't skate very well. He was the type of guy who could scream and holler, and be your best friend two minutes later."
Blair -- who died Wednesday at his home in Whitby, Ontario, at age 87 -- was remembered by his former players for his eccentricities.
"Wren was really flamboyant, he was outgoing, he was gregarious, he was demonstrative," said Lou Nanne, who played for Blair and later became the North Stars coach and general manager, too. "He really enjoyed life, and he was wild. He was very unpredictable, and he loved hockey, and his players, and working with the game."
Blair's first claim to fame was finding and signing Bobby Orr, then a 14-year-old phenom, for a Boston Bruins-sponsored team in 1962. Orr is considered one of the greatest defensemen in hockey history and led the Bruins to two Stanley Cup championships.
Blair was general manager of the Minneapolis Bruins, a Central League team that played for two seasons (1963-65), before his jump to the NHL. Walter Bush, a partner in the Bruins and the first North Stars president, hired Blair as GM/coach to put together the expansion North Stars for the 1967-68 season.
Blair had two tenures as coach and remained as GM until 1974, when he was fired and replaced by his coach, Jack Gordon.
"The Bird" was known as a wild man on bench, often climbing on boards to profanely berate officials and his players. He once described a Stars crowd as bunch of "phlegmatic Swedes."
"I had to do something to get some attention," Blair told the Star Tribune in 1991. "The Twins, the Vikings and the Gophers football team owned the town.
"One night, a reporter asked me about the crowd. I said, 'Ah, they are nothing but a bunch of phlegmatic Swedes, sitting up there on their hands like pieces of stone.' [Jim] Klobuchar wrote a column in the Minneapolis Star, saying he was offended because I had ignored all of the phlegmatic Norwegians, Italians, Germans and Irishmen.
"By Christmas time, that building was full."
The North Stars' first season was marred by the only death in NHL history from an on-ice injury, when forward Bill Masterton fell and struck his head on the ice. The Stars were in a division with the five other expansion teams and came within a goal of reaching the Stanley Cup Finals by losing, in overtime, in Game 7 to St. Louis in the conference finals.
In 2009, Blair was quoted in the Star Tribune as saying he wanted his players to think he was unpredictable so they would band together.
"It was part of the plan," Blair said. "They responded pretty good. They played hard that year."
His former players remembered him Friday, as usual, with familiar stories.
"In the early '70s, he got locked in the Pittsburgh dressing room and couldn't get out," Reid said. "None of us knew where he was. He never came in for the pregame speech, but the linesman told us to go to the ice or we'd get a delay-of-game penalty.
"[Goalie] Cesare Maniago wasn't playing, so we told him to coach. Wren was banging on the door until a security guy finally heard him. Seven or eight minutes in, we hear noise behind us and Wren is jumping over seats and over the glass to get to the bench."
Said Nanne: "You never knew what he was going to do. One time he was standing up on the boards yelling at the other team during a game. He slipped and he fell spread eagle right on the boards and hurt himself right where he shouldn't have and lost his breath for like five minutes.
"He was very instrumental in selling the product because he was so colorful and so outrageous that people were captivated by his actions."
Following his North Stars days, Blair served as president of the Pittsburgh Penguins from 1975 to '77, then spent six years as player personnel director for the Los Angeles Kings before staying involved in junior and minor league hockey.
Funeral services will be Friday in Whitby.


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Sunday, August 17, 2008
Ella McKinnon to Annie Carlisle Sept 16, 1908
Mapleton, Minn
Sept. 16th 1908
My dear Cousin,
I am going to try and write some tonight: I was going to answer right away but thought I would wait until Belle got home. I got a letter from her a week ago to day and she said she was not coming until Monday on the 6 O'clock but John had sent word to a friend that he would leave here on the 9 in the morning so she so she was not going to see him so I wrote to her and she got here on the 6 O'clock Sat. night so I had them all at home over Sun.
John was going to Colorado to be gone no one knows how long if he likes it out there they intend
to go up in to Idaho in a few weeks.
Every one tells Belle she is fat so I think you must have fed her good while she was there. She had a fine visit in Ill. and Wis. too she would have liked to stay down there longer but she would have been out of a school.
I shall have to send you all many thanks for those birthday remembrances as I had no thought of you sending me anything. Tell Joe that I remember him if it is a god many years since I saw him it will be 41 years in the winter (I think it was winter when he was at our place) since I last saw him. I was just a little past twelve years old and it was 34 years
this month since I saw you & your mother. It does not seem so long until one begins to count up the years. I remember when I was at work at that time and what a time we had one afternoon when you & Deette came over to see me.
Belle think she had the time of her life ____ while she was down there and I thank you for your kindness to her and wish you & Tamerson could come out and see us so we could return some of it.
I did not do so well this year as last year. I got 14 cards & 8 letters then and now I only got 9 cards & 1 letter but I must not expect so much each time.
Are you getting a collection of Post Cards? How many have you. I have 73. Ray sent me 14 for a Christmas
present 2 years ago all scenes of Poynette Wis. he was there then and I was acquainted with most of the places he sent me.
We had a very wet Summer until a few weeks ago and now it is so dry it is hard plowing being so wet when it did dry out makes it hard. But the weeds grow just the same.
Well I can not think of any more the children are studying and talking and it is hard work to keep any thoughts together very long.
So good-night with love to All. tell Auntie I will write to her soon.
Ever your Cousin,
Belle would have been 20 during the summer of 1908, her 21st birthday being just a couple of weeks after this letter on September 29th. It sounds like she had a wonderful time traveling on her summer break. In Illinois she would have visited with her Hall and Wisner relatives. Belle called on ] her aunt, Elizabeth Hall Belden, in Wisconsin, and her visit there is mentioned in the next letter. Perhaps her brother, Ray, was still there in 1908 but Ella says "he was there then" referring to 1906 making me think he was back in Minnestota in 1908. When Belle visited Annie & Tamerson Carlisle in Michigan she would have stayed at the house on Main St in Buchanan.
John was Ella's third child. I wonder if we'll hear more of his adventures?
Joe Camfield is Annie's brother and Tamerson her daughter.
My favorite line from this letter is "But the weeds grow just the same." Some things never change.
For more see:
Carlisle - Wisner Letters
Family of William Wisner
Descendants of Maryetta Wisner
Descendants of Sarah Ann Wisner
McKinnon, Ella Hall (Mapleton, Minnesota) to "My dear Cousin" [Sarah Ann Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 16 September 1908. Digital Images 1-4. Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Snowville, New York. 2008. [Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, 1908, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]
2 comments:
- Jasia said...
I was struck by how many birthday cards Ella got! 14 cards one year, 9 the next. Wow! She was well remembered! I'm lucky if I get 3-4 cards/letters/emails for my birthday. LOL!
And what about that postcard collection? I don't suppose you have inherited or photographed that, did you Apple?
- Charley "Apple" Grabowski said...
I never get many cards either but then again I don't have 8 kids and lots of nieces, nephews & cousins.
I wish I had the post cards! I have inherited some of Annie's pictures and cards but Ella's would have been passed through her line.
I have tracked down another of Ella's descendants and hope to hear back from them soon. They have a picture of Ella in what I believe is the checkered waist that her daughter, Ella, Jr, referred to in her letter! So I'm hoping they may have other goodies as well that they will share or at least let me link to.
So far no response from the other descendants I've tried to contact :(


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Pace clocks are an important part of any competitive swimmer's equipment. When swimmers swim sets, it is important to know the progress that is made, which is only available through the use of a quality pace clock. Whether you are swimming with a coach who is watching the clock for you or you are watching it yourself, understanding your times will help you become a better swimmer by attempting to beat your own times. Swim teams also use the pace clock to choose intervals for their laps. Watching the clock or having the coach watch the clock will allow you to stay on pace with the rest of your team. The Accusplit swim pace clock is affordably priced and the perfect addition to any swim team.
Large Face
The Accupsplit swim pace clock has a large, easy-to-read clock face, making it easy for swimmers to see while they are swimming. The minute hand and sweep second hand are also large enough to see from anywhere in the pool, making it easy for swimmers to keep track of their own time or for the coach to inform the swimmers of their times and intervals. Because you can see the hands from the pool, you can wait until the second hand is on the 60 or at the top of the clock to effectively measure your time. If you leave when the second hand is on any other number, you will have to do a little math in your head to figure out your exact time.
The Accusplit swim pace clock is water-resistant and housed in a heavy duty clock stand. The clock movements are heavy duty, making it a durable pace clock to have for your swim team without having to worry about it breaking down or becoming burdensome to use. It can also be mounted on the wall for even easier viewing for all swimmers.
The swim pace clock is an economical way to increase your swimming abilities. Understanding your times will help you learn to better yourself and become as competitive as you want to be without expensive equipment. All you need is the pace clock to tell you your times and your own motivation to push yourself harder every day. When you can do so in a more affordable manner, you will benefit in more ways than one.


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The announcement may be scheduled for IFA 2012 tomorrow but there's still time for a few last-minute Samsung Galaxy Note 2 rumours, including news of its colour variants.
It may not be the most technologically exciting development in the history of Note 2 rumours, but we're hearing that the phone-sized tablet will come in both Ceramic White and a mystery second colour.
Yes, gird your loins, lock up your daughters, crack out the bubbly; you'll be able to get the Note 2 in the thrilling shades of white or TBC, according to one retailer's inventory list. Our money's on black. Supersonic Night Fury Black.
In other exciting phone colour news, the leak also suggests that the Samsung Galaxy S3 will also be getting a new shade: Titan Grey.
Not quite 50 shades
As well as the colour-chat, the leaked inventory also suggests that the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 release date will fall in the week October 1 - 7.
Colouring aside, we're pretty excited about the Note 2; a Korean newspaper just 'confirmed' that it will come with Jelly Bean (Android 4.1) and an excellently large 5.5-inch screen.
That's even bigger than the original Note, which came with a 5.3-inch display – we're sure those 0.2-inches will make all the difference.
TechRadar will be front and centre at the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 launch event at IFA 2012 – it all kicks off tomorrow so stay tuned.
In the meantime, you've got a big decision to make: white or not-white?


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There can't be many things more exhilarating than flying with a Blue Angel or any other acrobatic aviation team. This awesome image shows why. You can get the 4,914 x 3,399 pixel version for your desktop here.
Click this image to enlarge.
This beautiful photo was taken on July 7, 2011 by US Navy Mass Communication Specialist Andrew Johnson, during a practice session over Pensacola Beach. [Flickr]
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It's Saturday and I'm taking off for the island of Corsica, or Corse, as it's known in French. Where better to chase away winter's chill than this ruggedly beautiful chunk of land basking in the Mediterranean between Italy and France? If you're dreaming of warmer weather while the snow piles up outside, please join me and the other French Winophiles at 11 am eastern time, for a live discussion of Corsican food, wine, and culture. You can follow the chat on Twitter, using #Winophiles.
Our group meets the third Saturday of each month to compare notes on a particular French wine region. We share our discoveries, from special bottles to local recipes, via our blog posts and social media. It's an entertaining way to learn about France and her history, not to mention her wine and culinary traditions. Here's a sampling of what's on our agenda this week:
- Lynn from Savor the Harvest has us curious with her post: The Intrigue of Corsican Wines
- Jane from Always Ravenous brings together the best of both worlds with Corsica Food and Wine – French and Italian Influences
- Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla is working her magic in the kitchen with Corsican Fasgioli Incu Funghi + Domaine Petroni Corse Rouge
- Michelle from Rockin Red Blog is taking us on an adventure in Corsican Wine: A Metamorphosis of Island Culture
- Jeff from FoodWineClick! is bringing Corsica alive with Aromatic Fish and a Corsican
- Jill from L'occasion teaches us about Making Wine on an Island
- And here at The Swirling Dervish, we're letting our imaginations run wild in The Mysteries of Corsica.
When I set out to research this article, I realized immediately that there was so much more to talk about than wine. For instance, why, if Corsica is part of France, do so many towns and grapes have Italian names? And why, since Corsica lies in the Mediterranean Sea, is traditional cuisine based more on meat and game than on seafood? Well, over the years, this little island has been through a lot!
Corsica has a fascinating history, one that dates back to the seafaring traders of Phocaea, the northernmost Ionian outpost located in what is now Turkey. Their influence spread throughout the lands of the Mediterranean, but was most profound in the coastal areas of the west, where they have been credited with founding cities we'd recognize by their modern names such as Marseille (France), Empúries (near Barcelona, Spain), and Velia (Campania, Italy.) One of the largest Phocaean settlements was Aléria, on the eastern shore of Corsica. Upon its founding in 570 BC, Aléria was where formal viticulture was first practiced on the island.
As with most places in Europe, the Romans made their way to Corsica too, taking charge of the island during the First Punic War in 259 BC. They furthered existing grape-growing efforts, bringing with them native Italian vines, which took better to some soils than others. (Soil types on the island differ greatly from one area to another.) Later in their reign, the Romans would go on to build a large naval base in Aléria, using it as a beach head for their exploits to the west. After the fall of Rome, there was nothing to prevent outsiders from attacking Corsican settlements along the coast, and Saracen and Moorish pirates took turns invading the island. In fact, pirate raids became such a common occurrence that most of the Corsican population pulled up stakes and moved inland, to the less accessible mountain villages. A subsequent outbreak of malaria in the coastal towns wiped out the few residents who remained, and most agricultural ventures – including vineyards – were abandoned.
Daily life on the island remained unpredictable and hard-scrabble for centuries. It was only later (the year 1092) after Pope Urban II granted the city-state of Pisa authority over Corsica, that fortunes began to improve for the residents: the island was a valuable source of timber for the Pisan naval fleet, and became a major transit point for the slave trade. Pisan rule also revived interest in grape growing and wine production, especially using Nielluccio which is a clone of the better-known Sangiovese. Things were actually pretty good for a while!
But then the Genoese officially challenged the Pisans' authority over the island and, in 1195, attacked and captured the southern city of Bonifacio. Despite multiple attempts by Pisa to take back the city, Genoa prevailed and ultimately ruled all of Corsica. With Genoese oversight, Corsican citizens were afforded a basic code of civil rights and limited self-government. And the Genoese also implemented strict guidelines for grape growing and winemaking. Subsequent battles left Corsica in the hands of: a French-controlled Genoa; Aragon; a newly-independent Genoa; then again to Aragon; and finally to a hostile sharing of the island by Pisa and Genoa. At one point the island was actually ruled by a Genoese bank, the Company of San Giorgio.
Corsica became French under the first Treaty of Versailles in 1768, when Genoa agreed to relinquish the island to King Louis XV. While this decision suited the needs of an impoverished Genoese authority, it riled up the locals who had been governing themselves for nearly 20 years. Unsurprisingly, the French army swooped in and took the island by force in 1769, and Corsica was once again subject to rule by a harsh, colonial regime. The island's fortunes took a turn for the better under Napoleon, a Corsican native and son of wealthy vineyard owners in the western town of Ajaccio. He championed free trade between Corsica and France, waiving the onerous duties and taxes that had weighed heavily on local merchants.
And so it continues today. Corsica is officially French but, throughout her history, she has been seasoned liberally with Italian and Spanish influences. And don't forget about the pirates! It's always more fun if you've got pirates in the mix.
Wine in Corsica
World War II and then a phylloxera epidemic decimated 19th century efforts to resuscitate viticulture on the island. It wasn't until the 1960s, when French colonists expelled from Algeria relocated to Corsica's east coast, that grape-growing became a real agricultural concern once again. Unfortunately, these early projects promoted high-yielding varieties and mass-production rather than high quality output. But during the 1980s, the French government turned its attention to improving viticulture nationwide, offering subsidies for investment in new, more efficient winemaking equipment and technology. It also implemented quality standards such as maximum yields, and limited total acreage under vine. Not long afterward, individual winemakers renewed their interest in farming indigenous Corsican varieties, a trend that continues today.
If you look at a map of Corsica's wine appellations, you'll notice that they lie in the coastal areas, encircling the island. That's because the interior portion is extremely mountainous; Monte Cinto, the highest point on the island reaches 9,000 feet. Even the vineyard areas, considerably flatter than the interior, clock in at an average of 1,000 feet above sea level.
The Appellations
Corsica has nine AOCs and two IGPs. About one-third of production is dedicated to white wines which, in the AOC areas, are usually made from Vermentino. Other AOC-approved white grapes are Ugni Blanc, Codivarta, and Muscat à Petits Grains Blanc. For red wines, Nielluccio (a Sangiovese clone) and Sciaccarello (aka Mammolo) are the dominant varieties, with Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Carignan, Mourvèdre, and Barbarossa showing up now and again. It's quite a different story in the two IGPs, where international grapes lead the charge: Chardonnay is the leading white grape, and Merlot is the most-planted red.
Vin de Corse AOC: Covering the entire island, this is the largest appellation, responsible for 45% of all AOC production. White wines must be at least 70% Vermentino, with no more than 25% Ugni Blanc. Blended reds and rosés must be at least 50% Nielluccio, Sciaccarello, and Grenache. This appellation includes five sub-regions that are labeled as "Vin de Corse" with the village name appended. Production standards are somewhat stricter in these sub-regions, especially when it comes to yields. Red blends are subject to the same requirements as the larger appellation; white wines, however, must be at least 75% Vermentino, with the balance a blend of Ugni Blanc and Codivarta.
The sub-regions of Vin de Corse AOC are as follows:
- Coteaux du Cap Corse
- Calvi
- Sartène
- Figari
- Porto Vecchio
Ajaccio AOC: In the homeland of Napoleon, red, white, and rosé wines are made. Reds and pinks require a minimum of 60% Sciaccarello, with Nielluccio, Barbarosa, and Vermentino permitted in the blend. White wines must be at least 80% Vermentino.
Patrimonio AOC: Corsica's first AOC was awarded to Patrimonio in 1968. Blending rules are more stringent here, especially for white wines, which must be 100% Vermentino. Reds must be 90% Nielluccio, rounded out by any mix of Sciaccarello, Grenache, or Vermentino. Rosé must draw upon 75% Nielluccio, with the balance coming from the same three grapes.
Muscat du Cap Corse AOC: This is an appellation dedicated to sweet wine made from 100% Muscat à Petits Grains Blanc. It is made as a Vin Doux Naturel, meaning that fermentation has been interrupted by the addition of grape spirits, which kills the yeasts, leaving a sweet wine of high alcohol.
Both of Corsica's IGPs, Île de Beauté and Méditerranée, extend to the entire island. However, the IGP Méditerranée may include not just grapes from Corsica, but also those from the Rhône and Provence as well.
Corsican Cuisine
As counter-intuitive as it sounds, many traditional island dishes feature meat. This dates back to the time when pirates regularly raided the coastal towns, eventually causing seaside inhabitants to flee inland, to the mountains. Not surprising then that classic dishes such as Civet de Sanglier, based on wild boar, or savory starches made from chestnut flour, became staples of daily living. Nowadays, seafood plays an important role at the table, with chefs and home cooks alike taking advantage of the abundance of local fish and oysters.
The Wines?
With approximately two-thirds of total production leaving the island, one would think it would be easy to source a bottle here in the U.S. But most of the wine that is exported goes to mainland France, with just over 15% sent to external markets. That might explain why I had absolutely no luck! After researching and writing about these wines, I'm so looking forward to tasting them one day. In the meantime, I'll content myself with images of pirate incursions and city-states at war with one another, all to lay claim to a ruggedly beautiful island in the Mediterranean Sea.
For this article I consulted the following sources:
French Wine Scholar Study Manual; Wine Scholar Guild.
The Oxford Companion to Wine; Jancis Robinson.


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