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Friday, 16 December 2011
My five favourite restaurants of 2011
I found it surprisingly hard to choose, I've eaten in so many fantastic places in the past year, but after much tortured soul searching, childish tantrums and hours spent blankly staring at the wall, I managed to finally cobble together a list of the five places I enjoyed eating at the most in the past year. Of course, it's a very personal thing, I doubt everyone would agree with my choices, feel free to call me a 'know nothing twat' in the comments – but nevertheless, these were my favourites of 2011
Roganic - London
Simon 'LeEnclume' Rogan's short lease, London outpost. Impossibly beautiful, elegant, delicious and interesting food full of unusual foraged ingredients. I had an amazing lunch here and loved it. Book and go sooner rather than later, in case it does actually vanish when the lease runs out!
José- London
José Pizarro's Bermondsey tapas and sherry bar is a gem. Authentic, always busy and full of atmosphere. Serving incredible, fresh, rustic and well priced simple food. Squeeze in, and order a glass of Manzanilla and a plate of Pluma Iberica before working through the rest of the menu. It's all good.
Pony & Trap – Chew Magna
A recent tasting menu at this Michelin starred pub just outside Bristol blew me away. Chef Josh Eggleton's small charming old boozer serves beautifully judged seasonal food with a British slant. Easily the best meal I've eaten in Bristol and ridiculously cheap. Get in quick before they put the prices up!
Hix Oyster & Fish House – Lyme Regis
Mark Hix's Lyme Regis restaurant is bloody fantastic. Perched on a hill overlooking the sea and serving elegant, simple, British food utilising locally caught seafood and foraged ingredients. I had an absolutely unforgettable meal here and can't wait to go back.
The Sportsman – Kent
I finally made pilgrimage to the holy grail of pub restaurants this year and holy-moly, was it worth it. The 'must have' tasting menu was without a doubt the best meal I've eaten all year, in actual fact, quite possibly the best meal I've ever had, anywhere. Astounding. If you haven't been yet, make it your No.1 resolution for 2012, you wont regret it.
To see what my fellow food bloggers picked - Head this way.
6 comments:
- PDH said...
Some lovely pics you've got going on there, what camera do you use?
- 16 December 2011 at 12:54
- Dan said...
Pavel - cheers mate. It's a Nikon D40x
- 16 December 2011 at 13:18
- Dan said...
Oh, and I should add - it's got a Nikon AF-S 35mm f1.8 G DX Lens (I broke the standard 18-55mm lens whilst drunk) The 35mm lens is superb for taking pics in low lighting conditions. So perfect for food blogging, means you dont need to use the flash.
- 16 December 2011 at 15:02
- PDH said...
Cool beans cheers, think I need to bite the bullet and get a decent SLR and stop using the compact.
- 16 December 2011 at 20:33
Happy New Year!
I look forward to your entries so much that I'm actually sitting here thinking "The lazy git's on holiday!"
Get back to it
- 5 January 2012 at 00:50
- Dan said...
David - Happy New Year Back! Really glad you look forward to my drivel. Mucho blog posts in the pipeline, hopefully a new one will be up tomorrow and my 3 year blog-birthday-bonanza-round-up will be appearing on the 12th January. So hold fast dude, it's a coming.
- 5 January 2012 at 17:56


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NOIRMOUTIER � Treading where history took place and immersing themselves in the life of their sister city hosts gave Crestview visitors a new way of viewing their world.
NOIRMOUTIER � Treading where history took place and immersing themselves in the life of their sister city counterparts gave Crestview visitors a new way of viewing their world.
Standing on Pointe du Hoc�s cratered bluff during an overnight excursion to Normandy, Montavius Diamond, 24, suddenly understood the relevance of World War II history lessons.
In June 1944, U.S. Army Rangers scaled the towering bluffs under withering German gunfire and inadvertent shelling from U.S. warships.
"Those guys were younger than me when they climbed up here," Diamond said softly as he gazed at the English Channel over rusted barbed wire crowning the bluff�s edge.
The nearby sword-shaped memorial to Col. James Rudder, namesake of the Rangers training camp at Eglin Air Force Base, gave the Crestview group another connection.
During their stay with host families, participants learned about oyster cultivation, beat the incoming tide as it flooded the causeway connecting the island to the mainland, observed sea salt harvesting, and relished cuisine for which the French are famous.
Pam Coffield watched as a Noirmoutain tailor demonstrated a hand-cranked sewing machine, and marveled at the artist's skill as she guided the fabric with one hand.
"I'd sew my fingers together if I tried that," Coffield said.
Crestview visitors who compared Noirmoutier's oysters with those from Florida found the oblong-shelled French variety more flavorful.
"But I still don't like oysters," Diamond said after forcing one down.
Viewing the Bayeux Tapestry � which depicts events preceding Normans' England conquest � and Mont Saint-Michel, an island monastery in Normandy, contrasted with the somber experience of the vast American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer.
"What a tragic waste of young lives," Richard Baker-Rian said, shaking his head as he walked between endless rows of crosses.
Under a medieval cathedral�s towering Gothic vaulted ceiling, Rip Coleman whipped out his flute and played a melody .
"It had tremendous acoustics," Coleman said. "It made the music come alive."
Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes at 850-682-6524 or email@example.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian.

subset: commoncrawl


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Mind of the Agent
I remember when I was desperate to find a girl but had no idea what they wanted. I knew what I wanted. I wanted them to take delivery of my package. But how to convince them? What did they want from me? Where could I find one with a good reputation, who didn't charge fees?
Wait, did I say girl? I meant literary agent. I couldn't find a literary agent.
Now there are tons of sites about literary agents. Some are by agents. My favorite is Nathan Bransford of Curtis Brown, but there are plenty to choose from. There's no longer any excuse for not knowing at least a little about how an agent's mind works: what they're looking for, how to approach them.
Still, the other day I received an email from a writer facing a quandary:
A Literary Agent has given me a favourable reply (ie: wants to see my entire manuscript from a lousy query letter), so I immediately panicked and sent it to a "professional editing" service (one listed on Australian Literary Agents Website) for a final Mr Sheening. Do Literary Agents have a time limit before they get miffed if you don't send manuscript by return email? The Editing Service assures me that I have two months (?) to submit, as they have not started it yet, but "it is on the top of their pile".
Help… please?
Yours in awe
Usually I can't respond to emails, but I make an exception for those that sign off, "Yours in awe." So I replied, and then I thought I might as well post my response here, because it was just that good. Or possibly not, but what the hell, it's not like I'm forcing you to keep reading.
Hi Elle!
This is why you don't query agents until your book is ready, of course. But I know it happens. I queried a few agents with my first novel then freaked out because what if they wanted to see it? I think I did lightning rewrites every time someone responded.
I see two issues. The first is: Are you damaging your chances if you don't respond to an agent immediately? If we were talking about American agents, I'd say, "Maybe." Most reputable American agents receive more queries than they can remember, and might not notice whether it's been two weeks or two months since they asked to see yours. But they might.
For an Australian agent I'd say, "Probably." They deal with far fewer writers and are more likely to wonder what's going on.
But either way, I'd send them that manuscript. Agents want reliable clients, and if the first thing you do is delay, they'll worry you are one of those writers who are forever six months away from finishing their next book. For this reason you should not reply with some pathetic story about how you thought your book was ready but now you think about it can you please have a few more months. Don't do that.
You are worried that your book could be better; well, it probably could. They all could. Do you think yours has little flaws or big ones? If they're minor, they're unlikely to dissuade an editor who otherwise loves your work, and if they're major, you're dead no matter what: dead if you send in that piece of crap, dead if you wait for two months only to discover from this editing service that you need to spend six more on rewrites.
Speaking of which. There are very fine freelance editors out there but I don't like the concept. In particular I think it's bad for amateur writers with no idea what's good and bad about their book to consult a freelance editor in the hope that this expert can explain it. It's bad because (a) to rewrite well you need to completely believe in what you're doing. Receiving advice you don't really understand or agree with but feel compelled to follow anyway because it's coming from an expert will crush everything unique and valuable about your book.
And (b) some freelance editors are delusional psychopaths.
By my reckoning, about one in four pieces of literary feedback are so wide of the mark they're not just unhelpful but destructive. They want your book to be more like a completely different type of book, or prostrate itself before the altar of Strunk & White, or not imply things about hot-button issues you never even thought of, or go into depth about things nobody cares about, or not do this mildly felonious thing that someone tore strips off them for at their last story workshop, or stop reminding them of their ex-wife.
I'm talking about feedback from other writers and readers, rather than editors; you would hope freelance editors are less delusional than writers. But I don't know. Why take the risk? This is why I advocate quantity: get your ms. read by at least eight or ten people before you show it to anyone in the industry. Enough to identify the outliers.
Obviously I haven't read your manuscript (that wasn't an invitation). I don't know which editing service you've selected, or how experienced you are, or whether you've workshopped it already. But based on what I know: send it. You're more likely to hurt yourself by not sending it than you are to help yourself by delaying for months in order to maybe improve it but maybe not.
Good luck!
If you blink really fast it kind of moves
Who do I have to hug to get a Jennifer Government movie made, that's what I want to know. It's been like seven years. Yeah, yeah, it's hard to make a story work in 100 minutes when you've got six major characters and nine interconnected plots. Boo hoo. You know what that sounds like? "I'm a crappy screenwriter."
In the meantime, here's something almost as good: a wallpaper! I stumbled across this a year ago but it took that long to track down the original artist: it started as a sketch by Patrick Shettlesworth that had nothing to do with Jennifer Government until lordkelvos of deviantART reworked it and added a barcode tattoo, which I stuck in front of a background designed by Michael J. Windsor. That's three different people who can now sue me for copyright infringement. But at least two of them said it was okay so here you go:
It may help you enjoy this image if you imagine you're a teenage boy. I don't need to do that. But you might. Here it is in different sizes: 1920x1200 (widescreen), 1280x800 (widescreen), 1440x900 (widescreen), 1600x1200, 1024x768.


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To select the winner of the two pillows, I turned to the trusty Random Number Generator ...
And Mr. Random.org selected #2!
Comment #2 was left by Leslie, who said:
You are so talented!! These are so beautiful!!! And they would go great with our new couch that is on its way. Please enter me to get them!!!
Wow -- I love the thought of my pillows being used on a brand new couch! (And I especially love pulling #2 and not having to count through all of the comments to figure out who the winner is! : )
The only problem is that there is no email or blog address linked from Leslie's name, so I am not sure how to get a hold of her. Leslie, I hope you are reading this! If so, please leave me a comment or shoot me an email with a way to get in touch with you. If I don't hear from Leslie soon (or if more than one person claims to be Leslie! ... please don't do that), then I have already pulled a backup number.
Thanks again, and happy quilting!


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As the now diligently hyped Black Friday looms near – one store you might want to add to your list of places to hit is H&M to check out their latest collaboration project with the notoriously fashion forward brand Maison Martin [...]
Haunted Mansion @ The Belasco (10/27)
Saturday, October 27th, 2012
The Belasco
1050 S. Hill St.
Los Angeles, CA 90015
DJ JTrix – Keep Dancing (Let's Dance Pt. 2) *preview*
Supperclub 9.2.12 w. Apl.De.Ap of the Black Eyed Peas
International Pop Group, Blush, Receives Billboard-Topping Numbers for Highly-Anticipated "The Undivided" EP
Supperclub Labor Day Weekend (09/02)
Labor Day Weekend, September 2nd, 2012
6675 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028
Spot On: Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama Collaboration
PSY – Gangnam Style!
Supperclub 5.27.12 w/ Jay Park
Sunday, May 27th, 2012
Club Nokia
800 W Olympic Blvd # 335
Los Angeles, CA 90015


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Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the answers to some of the questions we get asked most often about our products, website and services. Still can't find the answer you're looking for? Contact one of our Customer Care Specialists here. We'll be more than happy to help.Product Quality
Shipping & Handling
Shopping Our Site
Product Quality
Is a line or cord in crystal a flaw?
No. A line or cord is not considered a flaw. This almost invisible difference in the density of the crystal occurs during the fusing of molten crystal. Although visible when it reflects light, the cord disappears when a goblet or vase is filled with water.
Does a seed or bubble in crystal constitute a flaw?
Tiny bubbles the size of a pin point sometimes form in the fusing or melting process and do not affect the quality of the piece. Such slight variations are natural results of handcrafting.
What does 18/10 mean?
18/10 stainless steel, the European standard of excellence, refers to the amount of nickel (provides luster and allows for great detail) and chromium (corrosion resistance).
What's the difference between the way products look online and offline?
How our crystal appears online has a lot to do with your monitor resolution. To aid in your visualization of the product, we strive to provide you with good quality images, large photographs and the ability to zoom in on photographs online. Rest assured that when our product arrives it will always measure up to our company's stringent quality standards.
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Yes, your information is secure at our website. We take extra steps to keep your financial information private and safe. All transactions occur in a secure area of our site so that you can buy online with confidence. We use industry-standard encryption technologies when transferring and receiving information to process your orders.
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Shop our website for patterns. If you are unable to locate what you need may we suggest you try the following site as they showcase all brands with various information. http://www.replacements.com
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Every lamp is UL listed and carries the UL stamp of approval, which means it meets the safety standards set by the Underwriters' Laboratories.
Where can I purchase replacement parts for my lamp?
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to recharge your batteries when energy is low, do what great bathing creatures of the world have done for centuries. take a hot-cold plunge. start with a warm shower, then switch to a burst of cold, then back to really warm. don't overdo it, however; a cycle of one to four rotations is enough. if you are pregnant or have high pressure, don't try this.
massage your scalp with your fingertips in small, circular motion to relax tension and your skin will glow
Low Energy Flow
Feeling Jumpy?
even lobsters relax when given a little massage -- their eye stalks go limp! when you can't reach the tight spots on your upper back and shoulders, lie on your back on the floor and roll on top of a rolling pin or a tennis ball until you've untangled the knots.
there's nothing like stress to bring on a pimple. if you feel one on the way...before you go to bed, apply a site-specific salicylic acid medication, and, if you're lucky, the pimple will be gone by bugle call.
Brain Drain
Stress Bites
If you have really dry cuticles, which makes them more tempting to bite -- don't! rub them with olive oil (olive contains squalene, which is a great moisturizer) or cuticle cream.
no cuticle cream? grab your lip balm and massage it to your cuticles to soften them and help keep the temptation to bite at bay...but don't use your candy-flavored lip balm, though! LOL
when your skin looks irritated and inflamed, and you see small red blood vessels and bumps that look like pimples, it may be rosacea. see your dermatologist, but in the meantime, drink green tea which helps calm inflammation. and look for skin creams with extracts of green or white tea, licorice (glycyrrhizinate), grapeseed, allantoin, resveratrol from red grapes, zinc, beta hydroxy acids, vitamin K and copper.
Cover Up
* tips from Fast Beauty Fixes


text: It is confirmed, per Richard Deitsch. ESPN's newest star, the lady who worked her way from being a ESPN Zone hostess to college football sideline reporter, is getting hitched to the Vikings' second-year quarterback. Will Ponder's quarterbacking over the last few weeks of the season be a distraction from his love life? Stay tuned!


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You are here
SBA Louisiana's HUBZone Training Event is Coming to Baton Rouge
Free Course Offered on HUBZone Certification & the Affordable Care Act
BATON ROUGE – The U.S. Small Business Administration will be teaching a free workshop in Baton Rouge on May 16. The class is designed for small business owners who are interested in learning more about SBA's certification program for firms located in a designated HUBZone. An information session on the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on small business owners will also be presented during the workshop.
SBA's Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) Initiative is designed to introduce your small business to the program, help determine whether your business is eligible, and support the efforts of your business to participate. The HUBZone program promotes economic development in geographic regions that have been historically underutilized as business zones. To find out if your business is located in a HUBZone, visit http://www.sba.gov/content/hubzone-maps.
The course will be held on Thursday, May 16 at the Southern University Ag Center, 181 B.A. Little Drive, Room 191, in Baton Rouge. Registration and networking will begin at 8 am, and the class will start at 9 am. For more information or to register, please visit the SBA Louisiana District Office event calendar at www.sba.gov/la or contact Melissa Daigrepont, Public Information Officer & Business Opportunity Specialist, at email@example.com.


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Jamaica On Banning Danchehall Music! (Saying Its To Sexual, Violent & They Dont Support That In Their Country) "I Would Be Embarrassed To Be Associated With That"
Worldfocus reports "about the class and cultural divide behind Jamaica's recent ban on Dancehall music from its radio airwaves.". Shout out to TheBurbsLife
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
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Ecological Methodology
Harper & Row, 1989 - Ecology - 654 pages
Ecological Methodology, Second Edition provides a balance of material on animal and plant populations, and teaches students of ecology how to design efficient tests in order to obtain maximum precision with minimal work.
From inside the book
42 pages matching line transect in this book
Where's the rest of this book?
Results 1-3 of 42
What people are saying - Write a review
We haven't found any reviews in the usual places.
Other editions - View all
Ecological Methodology
Charles J. Krebs,CHARLES L. KREBS,Professor of Zoology Charles J Krebs
No preview available - 1999
Common terms and phrases
abundance aerial analysis aphids Appendix assumptions bias calculations capture Caughley Chapter clumped coefficient of variation confidence interval confidence limits defined density estimate distance ecological ecologists END-OF-FILE equal catchability equation estimate of population estimate population example Figure finite population FORMAT 2X,'ENTER formula frequency distribution index of dispersion level of precision line transect mark-recapture marked animals Morisita nearest neighbor negative binomial distribution niche breadth niche overlap normal distribution null hypothesis Number of animals Number of individuals number of quadrats number of samples number of species observed obtained parameters Petersen plot Poisson distribution population density population estimate probability problem Program proportion quadrat counts random points random sampling ratio READ regression resource sample size sample sizes sampling unit Seber second sample sequential sampling simple random sampling spatial pattern standard error statistical statistical population stratum study area survival rate Table techniques Total number transformation unmarked variable variance voles


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Đorcevski Petar
Classical Ballet / Soloist
Petar Đorčevski was born in Serbia. He made his first ballet steps in the Lujo Davičo State Ballet School in Belgrade, where he was coached by the professor Mirjana Nesić. During his schooling years he was already engaged by the National Theatre in Belgrade. In 2007, he was a finalist at the International Ballet Competition in Vienna and the year before he had already became a member of the Slovenian National Theatre Opera and Ballet Ljubljana.
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- Slovenian National Ballet


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Sarah Serata doesn't have any movies playing in theaters.
If you feel like heading out, check out other movies in theaters.
The Sasquatch Gang
All Sarah Serata films
Movies.com, the ultimate source for everything movies, is your destination for new movie trailers, reviews, photos, times, tickets + more! Stay in the know with the latest movie news and cast interviews at Movies.com.
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The best part of American Idol is when someone overcomes their disadvantaged past and advances to Hollywood. This year, that person is Jackie Tohn, and her disadvantage is an acting
credit blame in Postal.
TMZ notes that Tohn played Faith, a pistol-packing barista and the female lead in Uwe Boll's specturdular film adaptation of Postal this past summer. In her Idol audition, Jackie started off by singing "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz and, gratefully, Simon shut her down, demanding to hear her natural singing voice. So Jackie opened up her boozy, weatherbeaten Waffle House waitress pipes - and the window behind the judges collapsed. OK, that was a correlative relationship, not causative, but all four said why not and she moved on.
Next up, Heather Fox (acting credits include, literally, "Toilet Paper Eating Patient") overcomes her role as Rose Largo in Need for Speed: Undercover to advance on America's Got Talent.
"American Idol" Wannabe Goes Postal [TMZ, thanks Jason B.]
New York: Jackie Tohn - Memorable Auditions [American Idol]


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We all know friends and family and famous couples we thought would be together forever, yet somehow these marriages were not all they were cracked up to be. They didn't last. Instead of growing closer over the years, they grew further apart.
Many husbands and wives find themselves living more like roommates than soul mates. And we worry, If it could happen to them…
What can we do to try and ensure that our marriages won't fall through the cracks? Where do you want your marriage to be five years from now?
Here are three tips for being soul mates forever.
1. Journey Together
The Torah gives us incredible wisdom and teaches us how to keep marriage alive.
Our father Abraham and his wife Sarah faced many pressures and difficulties. They were asked to leave all that was familiar to them, faced infertility, and stood for beliefs that were mocked and even dangerously unacceptable.
It was a most challenging journey. But they journeyed together. They continued to set goals and climb even at the age of 90 and 100.
Partners who share a larger sense of purpose create a legacy together. They sustain one another and live with a passion for life.
Study together. Pursue spiritual aspirations. Live with meaning to your days.
Yes, there will be tough times and challenging moments. There will be nights that you lay awake, heart pounding, wondering, "What will be?" But if you recognize that you are not on this journey alone, the road taken will not be as arduous.
The perfect marriage is not one without difficulties and stress. It is the one where we learn to extend our hands and walk this journey together. You will find that it is impossible to call it quits when you've invested your heart and soul in each other and nourished one another with hope and faith.
2. Communicate with Respect
I know couples who almost always communicate through texting. Husbands and wives can go two or three days without having a real conversation. And when they finally have a few minutes together, their thumbs are under the table, blackberrying. They are busy connecting with everyone but the person right in front of them.
Do you know what this communicates to a spouse?
You are not important enough for me to even look at you.
Now how do you think this spouse feels?
After a lecture on self esteem, a young woman came over to speak with me.
"It's exactly as you describe. My husband comes home from the office and his blackberry is attached to his fingers. Forget about seeing the kids or having dinner together. I've given up on that. I'm just fighting for us to have time together. He walks in and tells me that he has 37 emails to answer; no time to talk. I think he's forgotten what I look like."
Can a marriage endure when we cannot even take the time to look at each other?
How can I possibly feel loved if my spouse cannot bring him/her self to turn off the blackberry and turn on the relationship?
This goes way beyond today's relationship experts who urge couples to set up a weekly 'date night'. This is about the fundamental act of communicating with respect.
An elementary school principal told me that when there is a child who possesses 'attitude' and exhibits chutzpah, she calls the parents in for an office conference. Too often the minute the couple sits down she sees the root of the problem. Husband and wife roll their eyes at each other, talk over each other or jab each other with sarcastic remarks.
How can a child speak with respect if he is witness to his parents' disrespect?
Why would he not roll his eyes at authority or ignore his teachers if this is the normal mode of communication at home?
When we speak to our spouses respectfully, we are setting a tone for the whole family to treat each other with consideration. Parents only hurt themselves when children grow up watching their mother's and father's communicating through insolent words and rude gestures.
3. Don't Take Each Other for Granted
How often do I stand next to a husband or wife and hear the following exchange:
"Are you Mrs. S.?"
A nod is given.
"Oh my gosh, your husband is amazing! He's the nicest guy in the office."
"You're Mr. B.? Wow, your wife has the most patience of any woman I know. She always has a smile, no matter what!"
And as the person leaves, I hear the spouse muttering quietly, "She should only see what goes on at home."
We save our moodiness and discontent for those who mean the most to us. We put on bright faces and smiley voices for friends and co-workers but leave our spouses to bear our malaise. Sarcasm, miserable looks and lack of appreciation eat away at the bedrock of this haven we call home.
Related Article: 10 Things Never to Do in a Marriage
The following words may sound simple but they can change your life.
Don't allow a day to go by without saying "I love you."
Take a moment and give your spouse a 'thank you', a kind word or gesture, an encouraging smile.
You cannot begin to imagine how much this will mean to your relationship.
Little expressions of love will anchor and sustain you through the challenges of a lifetime. You will build an enduring bond that will allow you to live with blessing and joy as you journey this world together with your soul mate.


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Yesterday, it was announced the New York is getting a new MLS team, one partially owned by the Yankees. You'd think this is something a sports radio host would want to mention. That's why you're not the Sports Pope.
Via Cork Gaines, this video of Mike Francesa confused by a YES Network promo for an NYCFC press conference. What is this? Soccer? It's soccer? Mike don't care about soccer. Don't talk to Mike about soccer. He's the best.


text: All images and content on this site are under copyright protections and are the sole property of the photographer-Bonnie Mckenna. Any and all use and/or publication rights are reserved worldwide. To license or purchase images or written content for editorial or promotional use, please contact me with your requirements and intended usage.


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Black Bean Potato Chili
Although I was always interested in cooking, I never got a chance to do much of it until I got married. I used to only rely on cookbooks, but over time, I became more confident and started creating my own recipes. This is one I'm especially proud of. - Giovanna Garver, Paonia, Colorado
Total TimePrep: 5 min. Cook: 3 hours 20 min. + standing
Makes12 servings (3 quarts)
- 1 pound dried black beans
- 6 cups water
- 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained
- 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 1 can (16 ounces) enchilada sauce
- 1 envelope chili seasoning
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Place the beans in a soup kettle or Dutch oven; add water to cover by 2-in. Bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 1-4 hours or until beans are softened. Drain and discard liquid.
- Add 6 cups water to the beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 2 hours or until beans are almost tender. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer for 1 hour or until soup reaches desired consistency.
Recommended Video
Feb 2, 2017
If this chili had more heat we would have been completely satisfied. Next time I will add some jalapenos and diced green chilies for some heat.
Jan 24, 2011
I made this chili last night. It was delicious. I made it without the ground beef and with a can of mild green chiles. I gave it four stars because it calls for dried black beans, which are better if you're watching your sodium, but kind of a pain in the behind to soak, boil, soak again, etc. I would make this again, though. The potatoes are a nice addition.


text: Wow! We were totally blown away by the sheer volume of awesome fans who commented with kind words on our ultimate prize package post– you guys are the best! Sadly, there can only be one winner. And that lucky lady is– chosen by a random number generator– commenter #472, Lauren! We will be in touch with you shortly.


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Visitors to U.S. Forest Service campgrounds are unhappy to find a private concessionaire instead of a federal uniformed forester at the entrance to national forest campgrounds, a Western Slope No-Fee Coalition study says.
The unexpected finding turned up when the group analyzed 4,100 responses to a Forest Service request late last year for comment on a proposed reduction in camping discounts for senior citizens and people with disabilities, No-Fee President Kitty Benzar said last week. The responses were acquired through a Freedom of Information Act request, according to The Durango (Colo.) Herald.
(The Western Slope No-Fee Coalition was founded in 2001 by four renegades from western Colorado who refused to pay $5 to drive on a dirt road. It has evolved into a principal voice of the many Americans who believe in public ownership and public funding of public lands. It welcomes support from people of all recreational pursuits and political persuasions.)
While the Forest Service in March decided not to reduce campground discounts enjoyed by the elderly and people with disabilities from 50% to 10%, the number of unsolicited comments unfavorable to concessionaires was startling, Benzar said.
"I'd say nine of every 10 responses mentioned concessionaries when it wasn't even part of the survey," Benzar said. "There was overwhelming sentiment that federal land should be managed by a public agency — or at least volunteers — and not a private business."
The general tenor of the comments — from 50 states, the District of Columbia and three Canadian provinces — is that concessionaires are interested only in profit and don't have the same sense of stewardship of the land and natural resources as Forest Service employees, Benzar said.
A review of the responses by The Durango Herald found national park users upset about camping fee increases over the years. They saw the proposed reduction in the discount as a disguised effort by concessionaires to increase profits. The Herald review found an estimated 50% of respondents put concessionaires in an unfavorable light.
Asked to comment on the number of unsolicited references to concessionaires, a Forest Service spokesman in Washington said in a statement: "We appreciate that a significant number of people took the time to submit comments and expressed their heartfelt interest in national forest and grassland recreation. The Forest Service found their comments included some good ideas for improving the Forest Service recreation program. We value this feedback and will continue to utilize it as appropriate to ensure that these special places can be enjoyed today and by future generations."
A request to address the concessionaire issue specifically brought this response Monday from press officer Joe Walsh: "The statement speaks for itself," Walsh said. "We're not going any further."
The operation of the 47 campgrounds in the 1.9 million-acre San Juan National Forest — the closest to Durango are Junction Creek and Haviland Lake — are under contract to a new concessionaire this year: Rocky Mountain Recreation based in Valencia, Calif. Dave Baker, the Forest Service program leader for recreation and wilderness in Durango, said only one other bid was received, from Recreation Resource Management of America of Lakeside, Ariz.
Baker said that based on a three-year average, a concessionaire with the San Juan National Forest collects $500,000 in fees annually. He said 10% is reserved for deferred maintenance. Concessionaires then pay their business expenses, and the remainder is profit. Baker estimated that concessionaires earn 3%-5% profit.
Will Newman, vice president for operations at Rocky Mountain Recreation, has a different take on the role of concessionaires. Property management is a business and has to be managed as such, said Newman, who oversaw contracts for the National Park Service before moving to the private sector.
As a private business, Rocky Mountain must bid on jobs, has a payroll to meet, pays transient occupancy tax the same as hotels as well as local, state and federal taxes, and it returns 10% of its profit to the Forest Service, Newman said. Private companies also buy locally, a stimulus to the economy, he said.
Public agencies 20 years ago began turning to private contractors, which are more nimble in many aspects of business than governmental agencies, Newman said. He cited the use of scavenger companies to empty garbage cans and the ability of private industry to spend money on improvements when necessary without waiting for someone else's budget process.
"We don't set fees for campgrounds," Newman said. "When a prospectus comes out, we do a survey and put in a bid. We have to be aware of regional costs and of (bidding by) competitors."
Rocky Mountain's contract with the San Juan National Forest is for five years with an option for a second five years.
While the Forest Service backed away from reducing the discount for senior citizens and people with disabilities at overnight campgrounds, uncertainties remain, Benzar said. The new concessionaire could increase fees for overnight camping and apparently is under no obligation to honor day-use passes (she cited an internal Forest Service briefing paper). If the Forest Service itself operated campgrounds, it would be required by law to do so, Benzar said.
A pass good for one year costs able-bodied people $80. The pass is $10 for seniors and free for people with disabilities.
There are other nettlesome issues, Benzar said. The Forest Service hires concessionaires without public input, and concessionaire fee increases are decided administratively, again without public comment, she said.
"By turning a site over to private management, the Forest Service is bypassing federal requirements, not to mention oversight by Congress and the public."


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Paranormal Activity 3
Sisters Katie (Katie Featherstone) and Kristi (Sprague Grayden: 24) have terrible luck. In Paranormal Activity, elder sister Katie is terrorized by a glass-breaking, door-slamming demon that wants to possess her. In Paranormal Activity 2, it's little sister's turn to meet this property damage-obsessed dark entity. Now in the third things-that-go-bump-in-the-night installment, the filmmakers go back to the beginning to tell us exactly how these sisters had the misfortune to befriend Toby the Unfriendly Demon.
The film takes us back to a scarier time, the 1980s — the heyday of slasher cinema. Katie (Chloe Csengery: Parenthood) and Kristi (Jessica Tyler Brown: Hawthorne) are acid wash-wearing kids living with their mom Julie (Lauren Bittner: The Mighty Macs) and her new boyfriend Dennis (Christopher Nicholas Smith: The Office), a wedding videographer conveniently obsessed with cameras.
The fun starts when Dennis convinces Julie to make a sex tape. Interrupted by an earthquake, the couple flees the bedroom just as plaster from the ceiling falls, revealing the outline of a large figure standing at the foot of their bed.
Instead of being terrified, Dennis is intrigued by this ghostly voyeur and sets up cameras throughout the house. This is the 1980s, which means clunky video cameras rather than today's sleek and portable recording devices. Getting really creative, he mounts a camera to an oscillating fan, so that he can see a slow pan from the kitchen to the living room.
Our intrepid videographer discovers little Kristi conversing with imaginary friend Toby late at night while her sister is sleeping. Dennis thinks Toby is a ghost, while Julie thinks Dennis is nuts.
As the days wear on, Toby tires of talking to Kristi and moves to dismantling the house. It starts slow, a shuddering mirror here, a slamming door there, but soon Toby decides to make his presence known.
This is when the fun begins.
As Toby terrifies babysitters, slashes at family friends and generally beats the crap out of poor Katie — who didn't have Kristi's good sense to befriend the creepy creature — Dennis becomes obsessed with finding the origins of this invisible menace. Julie becomes obsessed with denying every event and forcing her family to behave normally.
Toby isn't happy with either of these plans.
Unlike the first and second films, this prequel tries to fully explain what's happening to the family. That's a huge mistake, because the threat you can't see is always scarier than the threat you understand. Putting a face and an origin to this poltergeist tale takes the teeth out of the scares.
Plus, why name the demon Toby? It makes him sound like an unruly puppy instead of a hell-raising creature of the night.
The other inherent problem of Paranormal Activity 3 is the existence of the first two films. This has to be the best-documented family in the history of time. Did the whole household budget go to buying videos? We know that Katie and Kristi will be okay, as we've seen them as adults in the other movies, which leaves only Dennis and Julie, who were not named in the other films, as ectoplasmic cannon fodder.
Most damningly, we know exactly the kind of tricks Toby has up its sleeve. So instead of being genuinely shocked when something falls, or a sheet moves on its own, we're just amused, because we knew it was coming.
Still, directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman (the duo behind last year's Catfish) add some great innovations. The oscillating camera is genius, as the audience is a prisoner of the camera's slow pan. It builds suspense while keeping the frame alive and interesting. There's also a great sequence that plays on the tradition of a ghost as sheet-covered Casper figure.
Genuine scares are few and far between, however, because the movie sticks so closely to the formula established by the first films. It's a shame, because Toby was pretty scary before they gave him that dorky name and a best pal named Kristi.


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Manneken, gorge!
In Brussels, potato fries are a delicacy, but then, it is the "Yellow Gold" capital of the world. Our reporter munched his way from kiosk to kiosk. How much grease can one man stomach?
Nine in the morning and I'm eating french fries in the rain. Only myself to blame! It was my idea to spend two days tracking down the best frites in Brussels. And I'm not even a big fan! Back home in Germany, I associate fries with snack bars, outdoor swimming pools, twin streaks of ketchup and mayonnaise. In Brussels, it's different; frites are both street snack and delicacy – fast food, slow enjoyment. Here at Frit'n Toast in the tourist slipstream, the frites are disappointing. Bad for me, good for my story. I wipe my chops and move on.
Fries are a Belgian cultural treasure. All Belgians swear by one particular potato variety, one sauce, one way to cook them – and if they don't, they are not truly Belgian. The fritkot (fries kiosk)rankings are the subject of passionate debate, not least at the fritkots themselves. How does my local kiosk rate? Which should I avoid? The Michelin Guide is a joke by comparison.
Finishing my first sample was a mistake. And it would have been sacrilege to throw away the second. Manneken Pis, Brussels' famous "Little Man Pee" statue, is not far off. I eat, sigh, float, bloated but still popping them in. Is it really too early for a beer? Fry after fry after fry – Little Man Gorge more like!
In Belgium, making fries borders on alchemy. The thickness of the potato batons, measured in millimeters, is ideally between 10 and 12. German fries are much thinner. Golden rules apply to the production of this yellow gold: There is consensus on two rounds in the deep fryer, but the battle lines are drawn on the subjects of fat and potatoes. Which make the best fries? Horse fat or suet (ox or beef)? Bintje, Agria or Désirée potatoes?
Outside Café Georgette, velvet ropes keep customers in line. The frites are not so fine – in fact, they are boring, without any hint of je ne sais quoi. Better than the first lot, worse than the last. Wiping a drip of dip off my coat, I head north for Friterie du Miroir, where Ken Knecht produces a hazelnutty flavor by frying with beef suet. Sure, the Belgians could save bags of money by using cheaper frying oil, but in the old English spirit of "not spoiling the ship for a ha'porth of tar," they prefer not to minimize costs, but to maximize on taste for fantastic fries.
Knecht always samples the first fry of the day. "So I know what I'm serving. Potatoes are moody." He stands here 365 days a year; even now, despite the sleet, his counter is crowded. Fries are an all-weather meal – his especially: hot, spicy, and with bite. When the photographer refuses sauce, Knecht looks horrified. Belgians are as proud of their sauces as they are of their fries – and the paper bags they serve them in. Paper keeps in the heat, absorbs fat, and lets air circulate. Apparently there's even an association for the preservation of the paper bag.
We move out to the commuter belt, the fleshpots of the city – and another frites paradise, though different from downtown. Friterie de Corte is right outside the Metro. As fryer Steve Peeters fills my sauce-coated fries into a paper cone, he describes the cooking process: First fry the potatoes at 120 degrees to cook them on the inside, let them rest, then fry them at 180 degrees for a crisp finish that seals in the flavor. Pinch out a piece between thumb and index finger to test. A woman comes in. Ça va? Ça va!
Nowhere do the Belgians seem more at home than at the friterie. It is to them what the pub is to the Brits, the coffee house to the Austrians and the boulangerie to the French: a forum where ordinary people air extraordinary cares. That's why the Friterie de la Chapelle is right outside a church. Fries are a common denominator on which even Walloons and Flemings can agree. The bag we get near the church is substantial, but I'm fed up with "substantial" and throw half of it away.
I always sample the first fry. Potatoes are moody
Who invented fries is a moot point for the Belgians and the French. A document said to date from 1781 states that the fisherfolk of the Meuse River in Belgium fried potatoes of the same size when the river froze over in winter. The French also claim the idea for their own. Academia has deliberated on the subject but so far has reached no definitive conclusion.
Various fritkots later, I take the easy road and decide that frites were invented by God. The proof: Frit Flagey, a shack with a chimney! I arrive with no appetite at all and place my umpteenth order, a mound of fries with pepper sauce – and end up wolfing them down. A joy, poetry in potato, a winner! Pigeons flock around me as though it were my Christian duty to share with them. Sorry, my feathered friends, but not today. Not even the legendary Maison Antoine is a patch on Flagey.
As I leave town, a whiff of fries clings to my clothes. I decide to leave off them for a while, not because I didn't enjoy them, but because now I know that Belgian frites are unbeatable.
Moritz Herrmann
Moritz Herrmann, travel reporter, is from the city of Hamburg, where he attended the Henri Nannen School of Journalism. He lived in India for a year without finding his center, so he moved on, traveling to Las Vegas, Cuba, Brussels and Portugal for Lufthansa Magazin. He likes to bring home beverages from each country he visits, but never shares them with anyone in the editorial office. Moritz writes long articles for other magazines, too, on society, washed-up characters and sports.


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White Lotus wrote: 2. in this Dzogchen formum there is a rejection of the first approach, in favour of the second approach held by Namkhai Norbu's school and the lineage of Hui Neng, the 6th Patriarch of Zen (''See your nature and become a buddha!''). the second approach insists that one must see the true nature of mind or emptiness or energy. this second approach emphasises non duality. the second approach is also held by Therevada... to see dhamma nature.
so... we have these two approaches and should be aware that they cannot be reconciled.
the great question will always remain... is it already naturally complete? Or do we have to see it?
being or seeing. this is an argument between natural being and prajna seeing/wisdom.
This is a fake dichotomy!
What does "being" or "seeing" mean?
What does he mean when he talks about "natural being" or "prajna seeing"?
I'd like some clarification from White Lotus.
Sorry, this is all nonsense to me!


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Researchers tout 24/7 solar power
Keywords:solar power? photovoltaic cell? liquid catalyst? solar energy?
A liquid catalyst was added to water before electrolysis to achieve what the researchers claim is almost 100-percent efficiency. When combined with photovoltaic cells to store energy chemically, the resulting solar energy systems could generate electricity around the clock, the MIT team said.
"The hard part of getting water to split is not the hydrogen—platinum as a catalyst works fine for the hydrogen. But platinum works very poorly for oxygen, making you use much more energy," said MIT chemistry professor Daniel Nocera. "What we have done is made a catalyst work for the oxygen part without any extra energy. In fact, with our catalyst almost 100 percent of the current used for electrolysis goes into making oxygen and hydrogen."
'Green' catalysts
Nickel oxide catalysts are currently used to boost the efficiency of electrolyzers, and they worked equally well in MIT's formulation, Nocera acknowledged. He added that the toxicity of nickel oxide forces the use of expensive, hermetically-sealed water containers. MIT's patented catalyst formulation is "green," Nocera said, and can be used in inexpensive open containers.
"Nickel oxide can't be used around anything else in the environment because of corrosion—even the carbon dioxide in the air will react with it to make carbonates," said Nocera. "But our catalyst uses abundant materials that don't react with environment."
MIT's patented formulation of cobalt phosphate was dissolved in water. When the electrical current is passed through it to initiate electrolysis, the catalyst attached itself to the oxygen electrode to increase its efficiency. When the electrical current was turned off, the cobalt phosphate dissolved back into water.
The simplicity of the process enables basic electrolyzers to be used, the researchers said.
"Because our catalyst is green, the machines that perform electrolysis can be much less expensive than they are today, since they don't need to be protected from environmental contaminants," said Nocera.
Currently, MIT is working with photovoltaic cell manufacturers to incorporate electrolysis using their catalyst into solar energy systems. By combining the two, excess capacity during the day could be stored as hydrogen and oxygen, then used in fuel cells at night when needed.
"Solar cell makers can add super-cheap electrolyzers to their system so that they work 24/7—during the day making hydrogen and oxygen, then at night recombining it in fuel cells to generate electricity," Nocera predicted.
Matthew Kanan, a MIT postdoctoral fellow, assisted in the research. Funding was provided by the MIT Energy Initiative, the Chesonis Family Foundation, the Solar Revolution Project and the National Science Foundation.
- R. Colin Johnson
EE Times
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|Digitalis seeds
Latin name: Digitalis purpurea
Family: Scrophulariaceae (Figwort Family)
The foxglove is a widely used herbal medicine with a recognised stimulatory effect upon the heart. It is also used in allopathic medicine in the treatment of heart complaints. It has a profound tonic effect upon a diseased heart, enabling the heart to beat more slowly, powerfully and regularly without requiring more oxygen. At the same time it stimulates the flow of urine which lowers the volume of the blood and lessens the load on the heart. The plant contains cardiac glycosides (including digoxin, digitoxin and lanatosides). Digitoxin rapidly strengthens the heartbeat but is excreted very slowly. Digoxin is therefore preferred as a long-term medication. The leaves are cardiac, diuretic, stimulant and tonic. The leaves should only be harvested from plants in their second year of growth, picked when the flowering spike has grown and about two thirds of the flowers have opened. Harvested at other times, there is less of the medically active alkaloid present. The seed has also been used in the past. The leaves also have a very beneficial effect on the kidneys, they are strongly diuretic and are used with benefit in the treatment of dropsy. Great care should be exercised in the use of this plant, the therapeutic dose is very close to the lethal dose. See also the notes above on toxicity. A homeopathic remedy is made from the leaves. It is used in the treatment of cardiac disorders.
Tags : Foxglove seed, Foxglove plant, Foxglove flower,Digitalis purpurea flower, Digitalis purpurea plant, Digitalis purpurea seeds, Digitalis purpurea, Digitalis ferruginea, Digitalis grandiflora, Digitalis laevigata, Digitalis lanata, Digitalis mertonensis, Digitalis obscura, Digitalis parviflora and Digitalis thapsi
Min. Seeds : 1 gram seeds per pacaket
Rare organic, No GMO's,Open-pollinated
The Jammu and Kashmir Medicinal Plants Introduction Centre
"Ginkgo House", Nambalbal, Pampore PPR J&K 192121
Ph: 01933-223705
e-mail: email@example.com
home: http://jkmpic.blogspot.in


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The Marketing department at the College of Business administration was inaugurated in the academic year 2013-2014. The department provides students with the information, skills and tools that are necessary to practice the marketing job in the public and private establishments. It also qualifies students for further studies so that they may proceed for Post Graduate studies in the field of their specialty.
SDG 15,000 (for Sudanese students)
$1,500 (for non-Sudanese students)


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The ASSIST website has statewide articulation information for California. It contains detailed information on how CCSF courses transfer to California public universities.
ASSIST (Articulation System Stimulating Interinstitutional Student Transfer) is the official repository of transfer information for California's public colleges and universities. ASSIST maintains detailed articulation agreements that identify which courses can be applied for elective, general education and major preparation credit when a student transfers from a California Community College to a CSU or UC campus. The ASSIST web site offers easy access to a single database.


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MUSIC REVIEW- Tonal shift: <I>You</I> bring new crowd to Corner
You (formerly Airmail) and Ted Stryker's Drinking Problem
at Jabberwocky
September 11, 2003
Thursday, September 11, marked the meeting of two worlds, two ideologies, and two vastly different takes on fashion, but rather than scoff in amusement, the two groups went about their business like ships in the night.
The Jabberwocky, that Greenskeeper-with-a-nicer-paint-job-and-more-seating, usually brings in a clientele that prefers button-ups and tight jeans, baseball caps and halter tops.
But Thursday saw a large influx of indie-rocked-out youngsters, marked separate from the Greek herd by their Dickies, Sauconys, thick-frame glasses, and tight t-shirts. The reason for this break from the norm in the Jabberwocky population? Performances by the ambient electronic band You, and the always fabulous neo-New Wave pop group Ted Stryker's Drinking Problem– two bands whom to my knowledge have never performed on the Corner before.
Chris Coello's solo electronic project You went on first, and because I've reviewed and generally talked up Ted Stryker's Drinking Problem on these pages (as well as just in general), I will focus this review mostly on the former group.
Coello began the evening with a short explanation of the need to change his project's name, due to a Japanese band copywriting "Airmail" some time in the last few months, and his announcement of his band's new name, You. Then, surrounded by three keyboards– including a vintage 1979 Korg, and backed by a sound setup bigger than yours truly– he began his first number, "Anomolus."
This song, track #3 on Coello's soon-to-be-released CD, I am you (an album recorded on eight track, without any computer controlled instruments), is slightly reminiscent of the Chemical Brothers in sonic texture– it mostly consists of a repeated three-note synth-bass-from-hell credo, with lightening fast techno drums and various ambient textures and sound effects thrown in.
Unless my ears and memory deceive me, next up was "Sound in Color," recognizable for its weaving bass line near the beginning and hard-hitting drums with a distinctively trash-can-lid like sound. The tune is exceedingly danceable, especially when, at about the minute mark, the drums switch into what might be called the standard techno drum beat- a constant bass drum, with a snare every other beat, and a high-hat sound laying down eighth notes in the background.
A short interlude during which a French commentator repeated the lines "It's not as big as the others," "make it as quick as possible," "make it as good as possible" (thanks to Emma, my translator) led into "Message Sent," a sparse tune on which Coello's distorted vocals made their first appearance for the evening.
A beating bass drum paired with a two-note bass line and a flanging background noise as Coello sang his simple vocal line. At about the two-minute mark, a break in the sound is filled in by a sampled "Play Music" and things start to get really interesting– nebulous tones play off the song's now eight-note bass line. Great music to either dance, or take a breather, to.
And Ted Stryker's? Brilliant as usual.


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Record of physical punishment legally administered to students as a corrective for misdeeds - Mount Isa State High School
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- This event has passed.
Free Preschool Play Groups- Various Times & Locations
May 31, 2019 @ 10:00 am - 11:30 pm
An event every week that begins at 10:00 am on Tuesday and Friday, repeating indefinitely
Who is it for?
For young children 0-5 years old and the grandparents, aunts, uncles, parents, neighbors, friends and others who take care of them. You may attend as many weekly sessions as you'd like!
What happens there?
We have fun together singing songs, reading stories, creating art, playing and learning, making new friends, and learning about child development. Parenting topics are discussed, please let your KPL facilitator know that you'd like a presentation by a Family Connection Parenting Educator.
At each Kaleidoscope Play & Learn group there is:
- Time for children and caregivers to participate together in open-ended, child-directed play at different play centers as well as in a planned, coordinated group activity
- Intentional caregiver learning, which is done through facilitator modeling, coaching and guidance, brief lessons, or written materials
- Time and opportunities for caregivers to interact and connect with each other
- Opportunities for children to interact with each other
- Opportunities for caregivers to develop leadership and to participate in the planning and running of the Kaleidoscope Play & Learn group
"Play allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive, and emotional strength," according to an American Academy of Pediatrics' report. "It allows children to explore the world, practice adult roles, and gain confidence. And it improves children's social skills as well, by helping them to "learn how to work in groups, to share, to negotiate, to resolve conflicts, and to learn self-advocacy skills."
There is a weekly theme that focuses on a specific area of child development. We also give out an informational parent handout and activities that can be done at home.
(please confirm dates/times/locations before travel)
Related Events
What to expect at a Family Connection events: learn more


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Signed as an amateur free agent in 1956 by the Indians out of Campbell University, the 6-foot-4 right-handed Jim Perry quickly worked his way to Cleveland as a 23-year-old in 1959. Working as mostly a reliever and a part-time spot starter, Perry finished his first year 12-10 with a 2.65 ERA in 153 innings of work, finishing behind the Washington Senators' Bob Allison in the Rookie of the Year voting. In his sophomore season, Perry would led the American League in wins (18), starts (36), shutouts (4) and home runs allowed (35) while tossing 261 1/3 innings for the Tribe. This performance would earn him a spattering of MVP votes as the Indians finished 76-78 in 1960.
Between 1961 and 1963, Perry's career would divest from its original tracks as he would go 22-29 in 417 1/3 innings of work, and watched his ERA bloat to 4.44 as his strikeout rate dipped to 3.5 per nine innings. When the Twins acquired Jim Perry from the Cleveland Indians, they traded for a 27-year-old swingman that had promise but was mired with a franchise that continued to miss the .500 mark in the early 1960s. Upon his arrival to Minnesota, two things differed and had an immediate impact on his results: offensive and defensive support.
While a member of the Indians, the Tribe scored 3.92 runs per game. After relocating to Minnesota, Perry's new team was scoring an average of 4.76 runs per game. The Twins also provided Perry with far superior defense -- one that was 70 fielding runs above average compared to the Indians that would be 17 fielding runs in debt. For a non-strikeout pitcher that is reliant on the eight other guys on the field, that was a huge advantage. Because of this, from 1964 to 1969, Perry would go 65-36 in 226 starts, post an ERA of 2.72 and increase his strikeout rate to 5.5 per nine innings of work.
In 1970 the Twins won their second AL West championship in as many years, going 98-64. In 40 games, Perry would go 24-12 with a 3.04 ERA, tied for the league led in both wins and games started and eventually being named the Cy Young Award winner that season. You could construct a strong argument that two Baltimore pitchers, Dave McNally and Mike Cuellar, were both as qualified for the award as Perry. Cuellar, the fourth-place vote getter and 1969 co-Cy Young award winner, led the league in winning percentage (.750) and complete games (21). Perry, however, topped Cuellar in several key categories:
Perry's WHIP (1.130 - 2nd in AL) was superior to Cuellar's (1.149 - 4th in AL).
Perry allowed fewer walks per nine innings (1.841 - 2nd in AL) than that of Cuellar (2.086 - 4th in AL)
In spite of having fewer overall strikeouts, Perry had a better strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.947 - 2nd in AL) than Cuellar (2.754 - 4th in AL).
Even though both McNally and Cueller managed to replicated Perry's win total and starts (24 and 40) there total appears to be a byproduct of a potent Baltimore offense. The Orioles scored the pair more than a run above league average (5.17 and 5.32, respectively) and, unlike McNally and Cuellar's 24 wins, Perry's two dozen appear far more genuine when you consider the Twins generated 4.47 runs per game when he was on the mound. Furthermore, McNally (.697) and Cuellar's (.667) had higher OPS against than Perry (.643). In this context, Perry's 24 victories is a much better total.
The one pitcher that had a legitimate complaint about the final voting is Cleveland's Sudden Sam McDowell. From 1965 to 1969, McDowell had led the league in strikeouts every season except 1967 when Boston's Jim Lonborg beat him by ten total (and with two additional starts). In 1970, the 27-year-old southpaw ended the year with a 20-12 record while playing for an Indians team that won 76 games. McDowell's 305 innings, 304 strikeouts and 8.9 K/9 led all American League pitchers. In addition to that, several other key statistics reveal that McDowell's overall season was better than Perry's:
His ERA (2.92 - 5th in AL) was better, albeit slightly, than Perry's (3.03 - 8th in AL).
McDowell gave up far fewer hits per nine innings (6.694 - 2nd in AL) than Perry (8.3).
He struck out (8.9 - 1st in AL) three more batters per nine innings than Perry (5.4).
McDowell averaged Game Scores of 63 while Perry averaged 56.
McDowell had a lower OPS against (.619) than Perry (.643).
McDowell would have the disadvantage of not only playing for an Indians team that not only gave him pitiful run support (4.05 runs of support per game below the league average of 4.17) but his team was 32 games behind in the division. The Sporting News would agree with McDowell's case and name him the AL Pitcher of the Year in 1970. But regardless of the method, voters rewarded Perry for his gaudy wins total to narrowly beat out Baltimore's Dave McNally and Mike Cuellar and Cleveland's Sam McDowell to give the Minnesota Twins their first Cy Young award winner.
Also found at BaseballDigest.com.


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Dan M necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 56 diseños de 19 diseñadores freelance.
Exact Option Picks
We are a group of investment specialists that help investors find fast moving trading opportunities in the stock market. Other sites we run are:
Our target audience is a wide spectrum and literally spans the globe. Our audience has one goal and that is to make large returns on explosive market trading opportunities.
The website will be blue and we are open in regards to logo colors. The logo must fit in a landscape format and be able to work in 1 color as well as 4 colors.
The design has to be high impact, simple and professional. We want to convey that we are young, innovative and dynamic.
We don't have a specific style or design in mind. We'll recognize the right one when its impact hits us.
Feel free to be creative and innovative.
Font and logo will be used on all branding so must be usable on Business cards, Stationary, Web site, email signatures, powerpoints, etc.
We're here for your questions and we will provide plenty of feedback and guidance if necessary.
Contact Dan with any questions at firstname.lastname@example.com
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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Bearing interfaces
Bearing seats on shafts and in housings, as well as components which locate a bearing axially, have a significant impact on bearing performance. To fully exploit the load carrying ability of a bearing, its rings or washers should be fully supported around their complete circumference and across the entire width of the raceway. Bearing seats should be manufactured to adequate geometrical and dimensional tolerances and be uninterrupted by grooves, holes or other features.
In this section you can find recommendations and requirements for designing bearing interfaces, including:
- criteria when selecting bearing fits
- recommended fits for standard conditions
- tables to help determine minimum, maximum and probable values of clearance or interference between the bearing and its seat
- recommendations for specifying geometrical tolerances of bearing seats
- recommendations for the axial support of bearing rings
- further design considerations for bearing interfaces
The ISO tolerance system
Tolerances), the selection of the tolerance class for the bearing seat determines the fit. Fig. 1 illustrates the position and width of the tolerance intervals of commonly used tolerance classes relative to the bearing bore and outside diameter tolerances. Fig. 1 is valid for bearings with Normal tolerances and of medium size. It is important to note that the ISO tolerance classes for rolling bearings and for holes and shafts are different. The tolerances for each size vary over the full range of actual sizes. You should therefore select the respective tolerance classes for bearing seats based on the actual bearing size for your application.


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Pure DWTS – Randall Christensen Designs DWTS Dress For Rachael Ray / Dances On Show With Tony Dovolani
I don't know how he did it, but, I think Randall Christensen has silenced Rachael Ray's criticism of his dresses forever more. lol This is cute video from ET On-Line. Tony Dovolani shows up to surprise her too. Hmmmm, makes me wonder if Rachael may not be a DWTS contestant in the making for Season 12 with Tony?? Hey, you never know? 🙂 Read more..


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Breakthrough Tools for Epigenetics Studies
Structural Genomics Consortium and Life Technologies Collaborate on First Antibody Master Set
(See a list of products discussed in this article.)
Gene regulation during both normal development and disease states is impacted by epigenetic features such as DNA methylation, chromatin structure, and noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs). The fields of epigenetics and ncRNA research have seen explosive growth and are poised for major advances in the coming years. To fully realize the potential of this research, however, scientists must first overcome a number of biological and technical challenges.
Life Technologies has developed advanced technologies that provide researchers with tools for sample preparation, sequencing, quantitative PCR (qPCR), and functional analysis assays. Through this diverse portfolio, we are focused on delivering improved solutions for epigenetics and ncRNA research.
Solutions Through Collaboration
Here we describe our collaborative partnership with the Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC), a network of more than 200 scientists from the Universities of Chicago, Toronto, and Oxford, as well as partners from the pharmaceutical companies Abbott, Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, Pfizer, and Takeda. These leading scientists in antibody technology have joined forces to design and generate the first-ever master set of recombinant epigenetics antibodies for use in disease-related research. The first 58 of 200 highly specific monoclonal antibodies are now available (Table 1).
Table 1. Targets for the Life Technologies/SGC antibody master set and for the ChIP-validated antibodies.
|Targets for Life Technologies/SGC epigenetics antibodies released to date*
|Targets for ChIP-validated antibodies
*Antibodies not listed in the ChIP-validated set have been validated for target-protein immunoprecipitation (IP) but not yet for ChIP. Updated application information on individual antibodies can be found on our website.
Recombinant Antibodies for Epigenetics Research
Because they play a critical role in a variety of chronic diseases including cancer, epigenetic regulatory proteins are key targets of drug discovery. These proteins function in a complex regulatory circuit that determines which genes are turned on and off on both a temporal and spatial scale. A lack of industry-wide standards for quality antibodies, however, has plagued the study of these proteins, leading to an influx of products on the market that do not perform consistently or with the promised specificity. The recombinant monoclonal antibodies produced from the Life Technologies/SGC partnership (Table 1) address this important issue.
"The [Life Technologies/SGC] partnership is prepared to produce a set of 200 highly specific, highly sensitive antibodies that are validated for specific applications," says Dr. Aled Edwards, Director and CEO of SGC. "These 58 now being launched are the first step toward developing the de facto standard set of quality epigenetics antibodies that researchers can use for generations to come."
Each of the recombinant monoclonal antibodies in this master set are derived by isolating the clones of antibody heavy and light chains that have been carefully tested for their sensitivity and selectivity, and then expressing these clones in mammalian cells. Because recombinant antibodies are produced from renewable and stable clones, they provide peak specificity and performance with every lot. Furthermore, these recombinant antibodies are selected and validated for specific applications, including immunoprecipitation and western blotting, representing a significant improvement over existing antibodies on the market today.
Antibodies Qualified for Chromatin Immunoprecipitation
Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) experiments examine histone and nonhistone proteins such as transcription factors, as well as the DNA sequences bound to specific regulatory proteins. In ChIP, protein–DNA complexes are crosslinked in vivo, immunoprecipitated with specific antibodies, and purified. The precipitated DNA is then ready for locus-specific analyses using quantitative PCR (qPCR) or for genome-wide analyses using promoter-tiling arrays or massively parallel sequencing.
In addition to optimized reagents and workflows, a successful ChIP experiment must employ the right ChIP antibody. We have therefore qualified several important epigenetics antibodies for use in this application (Table 1). It is crucial to choose an antibody carefully, as different antibody preparations have distinct properties that can critically affect ChIP results. Our ChIP-validated antibodies overcome this limitation, delivering target specificity and performance with every lot. Furthermore, antibodies that are validated for western blot applications, where proteins are also typically in a fixed state, are not necessarily suitable for ChIP, and even fully characterized antibodies may not be useful in some cases, as the crosslinking step can alter protein epitopes.
Complete Workflow Kits for Chromatin Analysis
Life Technologies' chromatin analysis solutions range from modular ChIP-qualified antibodies and kits to more integrated workflows for biochemical and cell-based assays as well as next-generation sequencing. The MAGnify™ Chromatin Immunoprecipitation System, which includes all reagents needed to perform ChIP except the antibody of interest, can reduce your overall ChIP protocol time by one full day. In addition, the MAGnify™ ChIP system is designed to improve reproducibility and decrease background levels caused by nonspecific binding through the use of Dynabeads® reagents, the DynaMag™-PCR magnetic separator, and an optimized magnetic DNA purification method.
The MAGnify™ ChIP system is also compatible with ChIP-sequencing library preparations. Direct sequencing of enriched fragments has proven more effective than microarrays for determining protein-binding sites in an unbiased manner. The throughput, accuracy, and flexibility of the Ion Personal Genome Machine® (PGM™) Sequencer and the 5500 Series Genetic Analysis Systems make them well suited for massively parallel sequencing in ChIP applications.
|Article Download
Get a copy of this article as it appears in the print version of BioProbes 68.
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I wish there was such a thing as "smell-a-vision" because I would love for you to smell the lechon asado roasting in the oven. The smell of citrus, garlic, onion, and pork is permeating through the house. It's intoxicating.
We just got back from a week vacation to NYC visiting my brother and sister-in-law. A restaurant that we were excited to cross off our NYC foodie bucket list was Cafe Habana in the Nolita (North of Little Italy) District. The restaurant was featured specifically for their grilled corn (read the restaurant review) on Food Networks' "The Best Thing I Ever Ate." We went there for dinner and it ended up being one of the best meals we ate in NYC, and trust me, we ate a lot of great meals. I had the cuban sandwich was to die for.
The sandwich inspired me to recreate this dish at home. So I starting marinating the pork butt yesterday afternoon, and it is now slowly roasting in our oven.
Lechon Asado (from 3 Guys from Miami)
3 pounds pork butt/shoulder
20 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups sour orange juice (or use two parts orange juice to one part lemon juice to one part lime juice)
1 cup onion, minced
1 teaspoon oregano
1 cup Spanish olive oil
Mash the garlic and salt together with a mortar and pestle.
Add dried oregano, onion, and the sour orange juice to the mash and mix thoroughly.
Pierce pork as many times as you can with a sharp knife or fork.
Heat oil in a small sauce pan, add the mash to the oil and whisk.
Pour garlic mixture (save a little for roasting) over pork, cover and let sit in refrigerator for 2-3 hours or preferably overnight.
To roast in the oven, preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Place the pork, fattest side up, in an open roasting pan. Place pan in oven and reduce temperature to 225 degrees F. Spoon extra marinade over the roast occasionally as it cooks. Using a meat thermometer, roast should be removed from the oven when the internal temperature reaches 195 degrees F. — for fork tender, "pulled-pork" quality. (If you want a roast you can slice, remove when the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees F.)
Immediately cover with foil and let rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing or shredding.
Serve with rice, Cuban black beans, and sweet plantains… or better yet, make a Cuban sandwich!
What's your favorite way of enjoying lechon asado?


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FedEx Ship Manager at fedex.com
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Not sure which eShipping solution is right for you?
Try the eShipping Advisor as an alternative to contacting your FedEx sales representative or Customer Automation help desk.
FedEx Ship Manager at fedex.com uses the SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) security standard, which is supported by Netscape Navigator® 3.0 or higher, and Microsoft® Internet Explorer 3.0 or higher.
FedEx Ship Manager at fedex.com validates the account numbers used. Other back-end checks and security measures are taken to help protect against improper usage of your account number or credit card information.
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Carriage of shipments tendered to FedEx via FedEx Ship Manager at fedex.com is subject to the terms and conditions of FedEx Ship Manager at fedex.com, the FedEx Service Guide, applicable tariffs, or standard conditions of carriage, copies of which are available upon request.


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Tools required: Winrfa, notepad and Audacity (link provided)
Difficulty level: intermediate
Estimated time: ~10 minutes
*This tutorial assumes you do not currently have custom objects in your map. just skip these parts of the tutorial if you have already got a custom object.
Download and install this: audacity-win-1.2.6.exe
It's a good, free, tiny wav/mp3 file editor and will spit out bf ready files with a few clicks.
Part 1
Extract you map rfa to a folder on your desktop
First up, if you haven't already; remember to add the 'run objects/objects' line to the bottom of your init.con
Next, in the same directory as your init.con, make a new folder called objects and another called sounds.
In the objects folder make a new txt file called objects.txt but rename the file extension to .con (objects.con)
Open run.con with notepad and add the following text to the first line:
- Code: Select all
run mycustomsound/run
Save and close the file
Stay in the objects folder and make a new folder called mycustomsound.
Within this new mycustomsound folder you need to make a few more new con files (like with the run.con above).
Make a new con file called objects.con then open it with notepad and paste in the following:
- Code: Select all
ObjectTemplate.create simpleobject mycustomsound
ObjectTemplate.geometry nothing
ObjectTemplate.setHasCollisionPhysics 0
objectTemplate.loadSoundScript Sounds/mycustomsound.ssc
Save and close the file
Make a new con file called geometries.con and then open it with notepad and paste in the following:
- Code: Select all
GeometryTemplate.create StandardMesh nothing
GeometryTemplate.file nothing
Save and close the file
Make a new con file called run.con and then open it with notepad and paste in the following:
- Code: Select all
run objects
run geometries
Save and close the file
now make a new folder within the mycustomsoundfolder called sounds.
Open this folder and make a new txt file called mycustomsound.txt but rename the file extension to ssc (mycustomsound.ssc)
Open this ssc file with note pad and paste in the following:
- Code: Select all
### Near ###
load sound/myaudio.wav
minDistance 350
randomStartPitch 0 / 0
Volume 1
priority 1
*** Distance Volume ***
controlDestination Volume
controlSource Distance
envelope Ramp
param 0
param 300
param 1
param -1
Save and close the file.
Part 2
Now we have setup everything within battlefield to use the custom sound and its time to make our sound with Audacity.
Open Audacity and then either file/open the mp3 you want or just drag an mp3 into audacity
We need to make a couple of changes to the file format so it will be ready for bf1942
First we need to change the sample format to 16bit. So click on the myaudio drop down and change to 16bit as shown below:
Next we need to change the project rate to 22050khz. So click on the project rate box at the bottom and change this as shown below:
Now we need to convert the track from stereo to mono. So firstly split the stereo track as shown below:
you will see that it splits the file into two separate left and right channels:
Now click the myaudio dropdown for both channels and change them BOTH to mono as shown below:
Now your file is ready to be exported so just click File/Export as WAV.
You should see the following Warning.
Just click ok and then you should save the file in your sounds folder that we made at the beginning. (The sounds folder that is in the same main maps directory as your init.con)
Make sure you call the file myaudio.wav
Part 3
Now you just need to place the sound into your map.
The easiest way to do this is to place something else in the map (like a bush.. or something recognisable.)
Then you can either maually edit your staticobjects.con or edit it from within Battlecraft (by pressing F11 when you have the map open)
Find the bush you placed (should be the last thing in the file..) and rename it to 'mycustomsound'
Now when you load your map you should have some audio.
The audio will be located near to where you placed your object. You can then make adjustments to volume and the distance the sound wil be heard from its location in the mycustomsound.scc file.


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Tuesday was a bad night for Mitt Romney.
He downplayed expectations going into the night, and the little polling that had been done suggested that he was likely to lose to Rick Santorum in the Minnesota caucuses and the Missouri primary (which, since it won't be used to select delegates, had only symbolic value).
But his loss in Colorado was a shocker.
Polls from Public Policy Polling showed him ahead by a comfortable 10 points in the state, and he won Colorado with 60 percent of the vote in 2008. Colorado even has a significant Mormon population – though far less than in Nevada, a state Mr. Romney won comfortably just a few days earlier – but it failed to help him much. Romney lost to Mr. Santorum by 5 points in Colorado, and was trounced in Missouri and Minnesota.
"Nobody saw this coming," says Kyle Saunders, a political scientist at Colorado State University, noting that the political betting market Intrade gave Romney a 97 percent chance of winning Colorado just before the caucuses. "I think there were some signs ... but everybody assumed that Romney's organization and advantages and money were going to carry the day for him."
So what went wrong for Romney in Colorado? Or, what did Rick Santorum do right? And what does it mean for the rest of the nomination battle?
First off, some caveats. Caucuses are not only notoriously hard to predict with polls, but they also represent a small fraction of the voters, typically the most energized and polarized wings of a party. Colorado's caucuses are closed – open only to registered Republicans – and so don't represent the views of the state's many independent voters.
In fact, in 2008, when Romney did so well in Colorado, it was in part because he appealed to those same voters who likely supported Santorum this year. Romney had positioned himself as the conservative alternative to John McCain; this time around, Romney was the mainstream candidate and the conservative faction of his party went for Santorum.
Turnout this year was low even for a caucus. On Tuesday night in Colorado, about 65,000 people voted – down from 2008, when more than 70,000 voted in the GOP caucuses, and only a small fraction of the state's Republican voters.
"In a caucus where something like 8 percent turnout is considered a huge number, pretty small differences can have an enormous influence on the results," says Seth Masket, a political scientist at the University of Denver. The fact that, on the eve of the caucuses, Santorum suddenly seemed to have a shot may have influenced some Coloradans to get out and vote for him, says Professor Masket.
And, in what now seems to be a mistake on Romney's part, Romney spent relatively little time or money in any of the three states that held contests on Tuesday. Santorum, on the other hand, focused heavily on all three – betting correctly that he would have a better shot there than in Florida or Nevada – and in the week before the caucuses spent a lot of time in Colorado's most conservative and evangelical counties. Clearly, his message connected with some of those voters.
Still, more than anything, the results Tuesday night speak to an enthusiasm gap for Romney that the candidate needs to take seriously. Santorum's supporters – who tend to be the voters, in places like Colorado Springs and the surrounding area, who identify most closely with his socially conservative values and message – were energized to get out to vote. Romney's were not.
In looking at the precinct data as it came in Tuesday night, New York Times pollster Nate Silver noted that turnout was much lower in Denver suburbs – where Romney likely has more support – than in other areas of the state where Santorum was beating him.
"We have repeatedly noted the pattern in which Mr. Romney's stronger states and counties have been associated with lower Republican turnout," Mr. Silver wrote Tuesday night. "In Colorado, where the demographics were reasonably favorable to Mr. Romney – he won 60 percent of the vote there in 2008 – it may have made the difference. Mr. Romney's stronger areas in the state were associated with turnout declines of about 20 percent. But turnout was steady or slightly up in places where Rick Santorum did well.
"Among other problems for Mr. Romney, this suggests that ... the caucus states could be problematic rather than advantageous to Mr. Romney, with his superior organization being outmatched by very conservative voters who have low levels of enthusiasm for him."
Romney may be relatively well positioned for the next contests – primaries, not caucuses, in Arizona and Michigan – and for Super Tuesday, where his big money and organization advantages will be especially useful. But caucus states will continue to be a factor (and some political analysts believe Hillary Clinton lost to President Obama in part because she underestimated their importance and his ability to perform well in them).
Most analysts believe the nomination will still likely go to Romney, but his loss in Colorado points to big weaknesses his campaign will have to address. One thing observers probably shouldn't do, however, is expect state voters in the general election to perform similarly. Colorado is likely to be a pivotal swing state in the general election, but voters then will be looking for something different than the caucus voters Tuesday night.
In Colorado, "Santorum isn't going to be able to appeal to the one-third of the Colorado electorate who are unaffiliated as well as Romney is," says Professor Saunders at Colorado State University. "It puts Republicans in a bit of a situation. Did the Republican party shoot itself in the foot [Tuesday night] because of the results? I think Republicans will turn out even if Romney is the nominee, but there is definitely an enthusiasm gap for him."
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