text:
It took an entrepreneur with an engineering degree to bring healthy humanely-processed Halal chicken to America's dinner tables. In 1996, Ahmad Adam sold his first fresh, nutritious chicken. Today, Crescent Foods is the largest provider of premium Halal poultry across the United States.
We provide Poultry in a variety of forms and packaging to retail stores, restaurants and institutions.
It is not just our logo that you see evolve over the years, we strive very hard to make good better and to make better the best. Our corporate growth has been constant but controlled, maintained at a pace that assures our ability to provide first rate service to our customers. At Crescent Foods, we are not in the poultry business just for the dollars and cents. We are dedicated to our mission to provide healthy meals to families across the board. We might be pioneers in the industry, but our story has just begun.
We have great plans and several exciting new products up our sleeves. Enjoy our newly launched Angus Grass-Fed, Grass-Finished beef products. We are grateful for your trust and confidence in Crescent Foods.


text:
Mena's meatballs
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork (you can use one or the other if that's all you have)
3 eggs
4-5 cloves minced garlic
2 T chopped parsley
1/2 c grated parmesan
salt and pepper
1 c mashed potatoes (you can use instant, but use WAY less liquid, or the meatballs won't hold together)
Preheat the oven to 350. Mix together all the ingredients, and form into small balls (about the size of a quarter). Place in rows on a greased cookie sheet, and bake 10 minutes. Turn, and bake another 10-15 until no longer pink in the middle.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Mrs. Awry [Ora] Clay was born in Giles Co., Va., Jan. 30,
1812, and departed this life July 17, 1895, aged 83 years,
5 months and 19 days. She was the youngest child of a
family of 24 children and daughter of Ralph and Polly Stew-
art. She has only one brother surviving her, Hon. Chas.
Stewart, Sr., of Wyoming Co. She united with the Methodist
Episcopal Church in 1825 and lived not only a consistent,
but a warm, zealous, practical christian life for 70 years.
"Praise the Lord!" Christianity is no failure with Mother
Clay, it was a practical pay down system.
She was united in marriage with Charles L. Clay in 1828,
he passed away in full triumph of faith some six years ago.
She was the mother of 15 children, ten sons and five
daughters, nine of whom are still living, six have preceded
her to the great beyond.
Farewell, Mother Clay. She lived right and died well.
Let the bells toll, let the curtain fall. Aunt Awry has passed
away from Earth gone beyond the clouds and dwells in that far
away home of the soul. "That land of pure delight where saints
immortal reign." She's an angel now, a child of god, a daugh-
ter of resurrection.
Children and Grandchildren of Mother Clay, weep not and
sorrow no more. We can look through a glass (by faith) and
see dimly glimpses of Heavenly glory, and know in part. But
she is seeing face to face, and knowing even as she is also
known. Upon her grave I would drop a tear, and place emblems
of love, purity, and affection symbolizing the pure life she
lived. Awry Clay was a noble woman. Peace to her ashes.
William Turner
Matville, W.Va
Source: Typed transcript found in DAR files, with other notations about the Stewart family written on it.


text:
1 of 4
The Panama Collection
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text:
Grannies on Safari
In GRANNIES ON SAFARI, 60-something best friends Pat Johnson and Regina Fraser embark on expeditions to South Africa, Morocco, Japan, South Korea and Turkey in search of each destination's bizarre, exotic and sublime attractions. Throughout the series, the energetic and engaging duo follows winding roads, rides canoes, camels and elephants, and visits urban city centers and rural hamlets. There are surprises at every turn as the women determinedly track down local characters and cultural treasures.
Learn more about the Grannies on Safari


text:
Story said Obama played golf on August 4, retired for dinner
Paul Joseph Watson
February 4, 2013
A Reuters report concerning Barack Obama's activities on August 4th last year contradicts White House claims that the President was skeet shooting at Camp David, an indication that a photo released over the weekend showing Obama firing a rifle could be fraudulent.
On Saturday, White House Communications Director Daniel Pfeiffer tweeted out a photo showing Obama clay pigeon shooting with the caption stating the image was taken, "On the range at Camp David, Md., Saturday, Aug. 4, 2012."
Pfeiffer taunted that the photo was "for all the "skeeters," in reference to those who doubted Obama's claim that he "went shooting all the time." The image was a not-so-sophisticated attempt to portray Obama as sympathetic to gun owners even as his administration is in the midst of a legislative and executive effort to eviscerate the second amendment.
The White House even warned that, "the photograph may not be manipulated in any way," in a futile attempt to prevent people from creating humorous photoshopped alternatives.
However, much of the backlash has centered around speculation that the image was either doctored or that it was staged recently in a crude attempt to address the "skeeters," similar to how the administration released a dubious birth certificate as a response to the "birther" controversy.
The claims are not without foundation. An August 4th Reuters report stated that Obama spent his 51st birthday "on the golf course" and makes no mention of his supposed skeet shooting.
"Obama, an avid golfer, played with colleagues and friends at the Andrews Air Force Base in hot, muggy weather conditions before taking Marine One to Maryland's Catoctin Mountains in the afternoon," states the report, adding that the President, "helicoptered to the Camp David presidential retreat for a quiet evening off the campaign trail."
The story also notes that Obama's evening plans consisted of a "birthday meal he was expected to share with wife, Michelle."
The picture of Obama on the golf course shows him wearing different clothes to the skeet shooting photograph. Given that reporters obviously followed Obama's activities closely on this day, it's interesting that there's no mention whatsoever of his supposed clay pigeon shoot.
A photo showing Obama boarding Marine One on the same day also shows him wearing a completely different outfit to the 'skeet' photo.
Innumerable other questions about the photo – sardonically summarized yet not debunked by New York Magazine – have emerged, including the following;
– Why is Obama aiming straight when skeets are normally only shot at a high or low angle?
– Why is smoke coming out of the side of the barrel?
– Obama claims he goes shooting "all the time," yet as innumerable gun experts have pointed out, his stance is atrocious and it looks like Obama has never even held a firearm before.
– Obama appears to have grown a pot belly that isn't apparent in other photos from the same time period.
– The recoil of the gun immediately after being fired would result in camera blur, which isn't evident in the photo.
– Prior to the White House released its image, New Republic posted an obviously fake photoshop of Obama allegedly skeet shooting, before hastily deleting the tweet.
Labeling the issue a "conspiracy theory" fails to address genuine questions that have been raised about the photo, in addition to being incredibly naive given that the administration has admittedly staged photos of Obama in the past.
In August 2010, the White House released a photograph of Obama swimming with his daughter and claimed the image was shot in the Gulf of Mexico as a ploy to argue that the area was still open for business despite the BP oil spill. It quickly emerged that the photo was taken off Alligator Point in St Andrew Bay, north-west Florida – which isn't technically in the Gulf of Mexico.
Paul Joseph Watson is the editor and writer for Infowars.com and Prison Planet.com. He is the author of Order Out Of Chaos. Watson is also a host for Infowars Nightly News.
Our Christmas in July sale is now live! Get up to 60% off on our hottest products today!


text:
At Doves Funeral Directors Funeral Directors we offer a comprehensive repatriation service to our families, for both incoming and outgoing repatriation, to or from any part of the world.
The process of repatriating someone who has died can be a complicated task for anyone to deal with, yet our repatriation service is supported by our years of repatriation and funeral arrangement experience, taking the worry and unnecessary complications out of your hands.
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Let us lift the additional emotional strain from your shoulders and repatriate the person who has died, while you and your family and friends remember them as they would have wanted.


text:
Jetzt kostenlos testen
Beginners Yoga, Volume 2
The class starts with a short guided relaxation that focuses the mind and prepares the body; it then guides you through 14 basic yoga postures, including Spinal Twist, Tree, Warrior 2 and Cat before concluding with a longer guided relaxation.
The class instructions are mixed with a relaxing background music track that sets a mood perfect for yoga. A printable PDF guide book, which highlights the easy to follow instructions and gives a series of reference photos for each yoga posture, accompanies this class.
Yoga2hear classes are practical and effective; they give you the freedom to enjoy high-quality yoga instruction whenever and wherever you choose. Having your yoga class in an audio format encourages you to focus 100% on the easy-to-follow instructions.
Yoga2hear classes can be used again and again. In order to achieve maximum benefits from the classes, they should be practiced frequently. We highly recommend that you use this class in conjunction with the other classes in the Yoga2hear Beginners Yoga Series. Using the classes alternately will provide variety and allow exposure to a broader range of postures and techniques.


text: Bug Migrating Web.config with a browserCaps section to IIS7 August 7, '07 Comments [0] Posted in ASP.NET | Bugs Sponsored By When running the "appcmd.exe" tool to migrate an existing Web Application to IIS7, make sure you have a backup of your web.config. 99.999% of the time the changes made are additive, but there is an obscure issue that I bumped into. Here's some info on the long-ago-deprecated browserCaps section of the web.config: Using the browserCaps element in the Web.config file to define browsers is deprecated in the .NET Framework 2.0, but it is still supported. The data in this element is merged with the information from the browser definition files (.browser) that is located in the machine-level %SystemRoot%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\version\CONFIG\Browsers folder and any existing application-level App_Browser folders. For more information, see Browser Definition File Schema (browsers Element). This section was and is used to tell ASP.NET about the capabilities of various browsers, usually mobile ones. The original idea was that it'd be updated a lot by a company called Cyscape but Cyscape has hijacked their own URL and turned it into an upsell for their BrowserHawk product. The community tried to step up, but the workload is huge. There's some good browserCaps sections out there, one from SlingFive a few years back, a valiant attempt to energize the CodeProject community around this issue by Chris Maunder. As I said, this section is deprecated but supported. The preferred - and easier - way is to use BROWSER files, which are more portable and can be installed with ASPNET_REGBROWSERS. Back to the migration bug. The format of the old browerCaps section was funky from an XML perspective:<configuration> <browserCaps> <result type="System.Web.HttpBrowserCapabilities, System.Web"/> <use var="HTTP_USER_AGENT"/> browser=Unknown version=0.0 majorversion=0 minorversion=0 frames=false tables=false cookies=false backgroundsounds=false ...etc... It's totally valid XML, but it's very uncommon to see "mixed nodes" in XML, with an Element, then some text, then an element. In this example the browser=Unknown and all that is just 'tunnelled' in a text node that most folks writing XML processing code would ignore, or not see coming. It appears that the migration portion of this IIS7 tool...%systemroot%\system32\inetsrv\APPCMD.EXE migrate config "Default Web Site/DasBlog2" ...toasts these text nodes so that the resulting file is just flat out missing them. This is a common mistake when processing XML that I'm likely guilty of as well. The Moral and Workaround - Backup your web.config and add this section back after migrating. Of course, this only applies if you're using this kind of obscure section. In our case, DasBlog uses it for Mobile Support. « 32bitness and 64bitness and migrating Da... | Blog Home | Additional Automatic Printer Driver Inst... » About Scott Scott Hanselman is a former professor, former Chief Architect in finance, now speaker, consultant, father, diabetic, and Microsoft employee. He is a failed stand-up comic, a cornrower, and a book author. About Newsletter Sponsored By Hosting By Comments [0] Share on: Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or use the Permalink


text: Do you hear the beach calling your name? It sounds a lot like what you hear when these stamps are calling to you. Answer all the calls!This is a Two-Step Stampin' set. Combine individual stamps to create the final image you want in the colors you want.Photopolymer stamps* Are totally transparent for perfect image placement.* Have just enough give to create a perfectly stamped image every time. * Cling like crazy to our clear blocks so you don't have to worry about slipping.* Save space—you need only one set of blocks for all your photopolymer stamps (blocks sold separately). * Come packaged in cases with images on the spine for easy storage and quick reference.Quantity: 16 photopolymer stampsSuggested clear blocks (sold separately): a, b, c, h


text:
We are the leader in the fight against suicide. We fund research, create educational programs, advocate for public policy, and support survivors of suicide loss. Led by CEO Robert Gebbia and headquarted in New York, AFSP has chapters in all 50 states.
Thanks to Walkers and Donors like you, AFSP has been able to set a goal to reduce the annual suicide rate 20% by 2025.
Every year suicide claims more lives than war, murder, and natural disasters combined, and yet suicide prevention doesn't get anywhere near the funding given to other leading causes of death. It's up to Walkers like us to make a difference. Together we can change the conversation about mental health and put a stop to this tragic loss of life.
Click below to find an event near you.
The Out of the Darkness Campus Walks are the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention's (AFSP) signature student fundraising series, designed to engage youth and young adults in the fight to prevent suicide, the second leading cause of death among people ages 15-24.
Want to start a walk at your school? Email us at [email protected] with your name, school, and city, state!


text:
Apartment House
Move in on new business with this program designed to cover apartment buildings or complexes with five or more units, apartment hotels and boarding or rooming houses.
About Our Agency
Pacific Excess Insurance Marketing is a Wholesaler/General Agent with its primary focus on Standard, Excess and Surplus Lines and Workers' Compensation business.
We have been writing this type of business for over 25 years in the specialty business unit of UCA General Insurance Services. In January 2009, UCA announced the spin-off of this division. Pacific Excess Insurance Marketing will continue writing business with the same commitment to Excellence and Service as UCA General.
Our programs range from P&C Packages to Mono-Line GL & Property, from Workers' Compensation to Products Liability, Umbrella & Pizza Delivery. We have access to more than a Dozen "A" Rated Admitted and Non-Admitted Companies, to place your business with. You can rest assured that Pacific Excess Insurance Marketing is Consistently Supporting the Independent Broker.
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- Outside the Premises


text:
Hetepu (Peace to You All) Family, my name is Derric Moore and I along with several netizens around the USA created the Land of Kam website in 2001 because we were very interested in the Kamitic (Kemetic, Khamitic or simply the Ancient Africans of Egypt) spiritual tradition but lived in very remote areas away from actual spiritual communities. Several of us had dealings with several Kamitic spiritual study groups and had interacted with others in various Afro-Diaspora traditions, so we understood the importance of continuing our studies but found it extremely difficult to do so without any support. We also understood the importance of our ancestors, or at least we thought we did from an intellectual perspective, so we all had an ancestral altar. It was through my ancestors that I was given the name "Rau Khu" and this is how the Land of Kam was created. It was created basically as a platform to encourage and inspire each other (and others) to continue reading and studying these Kamitic concepts and principles.
Then several years later, my body became deathly ill, so naturally I being the main contributor of the site had to take a hiatus, while focusing all of my attention to attaining, regaining and maintaining my health. It was during this time, as I literally fought to survive, I had a chance to see Kamitic spirituality from a unique perspective because; I was functioning from a different state of consciousness sometimes referred to as the Death Awareness. Simply put, if you don't know what the afterlife holds or have no proof that heaven or hell exists, how can you live your life on this material plane? When you get a true glimpse of what happens to the soul after we physically die or what happens after death, you have a better understanding and appreciation for life. That's when you really come to understand that life is an adventure and that you have no time to deal with any drama or foolishness.
It was from this awareness as I literally applied the Kamitic concepts and principles to my life in order to overcome my illness and regain my health, that I made a very deep connection with my ancestors and guardian spirits. That's when I discovered that the core of Kamitic spirituality is an ancestral shamanistic tradition that focuses upon healing or maintaining Maa (balance, order, holism, etc.). This unique understanding made me realize what I had known all along that biologically and culturally speaking, the Kamitic people were black and brown skinned Africans. This meant that despite what some try to claim, true Kamitic spirituality (like most African derived religions and traditions) is not a "book religion or practice". In other words, all of the books you have read about the Kamitic mental science, Kamitic religion, Kamitic tradition, Kamitic philosophy, Kamitic Way of Life, etc. aren't going to teach you about true Kamitic Spirituality. The only way to learn true Kamitic Spirituality, which is essentially Ancient African Spirituality, is to live it by establishing a relationship with the Divine through your ancestors. This is alluded to in the Legend of Osar (Asar, Ausar, Osiris), which is how Hru (Hrw, Heru, Horus) by working with his ancestor was able to defeat his uncle Set with the power of God or Ra/Rau. A lot of times people get all caught up in the science that they forget that most of the grand edifices of Kamit were built and dedicated to the honorable dead – ancestors (aakhu).
Knowing that the Kamitic initiation or mystery systems are really about being reborn with a new state of awareness, inspired me to make drastic changes to the Land of Kam. Since, Kamitic Spirituality is essentially Ancient African Spirituality, it became more important than ever to make it known that while it is culturally important to know that the Kamitic people were black and brown skinned Africans. The Kamitic Way is basically an Ancestral Practice or Way – meaning it has nothing to do with the color of one's skin per se but rather one's African-derived and influenced culture. In other words, if an individual(s) is not biologically and/or culturally akin to the Kamitic people, they would have to heavily rely upon the writings of archeologists and other Western trained scholars just to get, as some would call it, "one leg" or one side of the picture. This is because they have no ancestral link (biologically or culturally), which would ultimately contribute to them having an identity crisis and inspire them to adopt various forms (customs, attire, etc.) without having a clear understanding of the concepts and principles.
Understanding this, the Land of Kam websites and blogs were created to encourage, empower and inspire people throughout the African Diaspora, to improve their life by investing in their ancient African ancestral legacy. It is not as difficult as some make it seem. Yes, the mental sciences are deep but they are nothing when you truly begin to explore the mysteries of the Spirit because it all part of our ancient African legacy. When you truly understand what Kamitic Spirituality is really about, it becomes clear why some have tried to make it so difficult for us to really understand, because it is not in the books but in the mind, heart and soul of every Kamitic descendant.
For a complete discourse and in-depth analysis see:
MAA AANKH: Finding God the Afro-American Way, by Honoring the Ancestors and Guardian Spirits.


text: Moses Ludel Posted June 30, 2013 I've shared Sonnax upgrades for the Chrysler RE (Dodge Ram) and RH (Jeep Wrangler) automatic transmissions at the magazine. These are fundamental, in-chassis modifications designed to help any RWD Chrysler A727 or 904/999—and the RE/RH four-speed overdrive units—simply survive. These Sonnax upgrades are not "high performance" modifications intended for high horsepower pullers or those toting a 9-horse trailer day in and day out. I'm separating needs here. For building a "bulletproof" transmission, there is a whole industry targeting the "performance" buildups of the 47RE and 48RE automatics. We'll make that another topic, for sure! The basic survival needs are mostly valve body related plus an upgrade band accumulator/apply piston. Accessible in the chassis, you can read about the reasons for these improvements at my illustrated, in-depth article: http://www.4wdmechanix.com/Survival-Upgrades-for-Jeep-and-Dodge-Ram-Automatic-Transmissions.html. I could have replaced the band strut at the same time, which is also an in-chassis change. This is our 48RE with oil pan removed. I'm about to remove the valve body and accumulator piston for Sonnax upgrades. See the heavily illustrated article for details. (If you can't see these photos, join us as a member—for free—and get full viewing privileges!) I am curious about the 48RE transmission's cooling needs. Our Cummins diesel application has an OEM external cooler with a thermostat, and aftermarket coolers, at least the "universal" ones I've seen, do not have this provision. Is there a cooler system for these transmissions that incorporates a thermostat, or is the thermostat really necessary? The magazine's 2005 Ram 3500 operates from a four-season, high desert climate (4400 feet elevation). Winter can be sub-zero F at the extremes. (Summer is hot, it will be 104 degrees F this week.) Without the thermostat on the cooler, is there a problem? What capacity cooler will actually replace the OEM and improve the system? Who makes the best retrofit coolers for these truck automatic transmissions? Any "direct replacement" types, or do they all require custom fit and mounting brackets? We do plan to tow, and the truck weighs plenty empty: 9,100-plus pounds. Would like to keep the 48RE alive...We don't abuse it, but we do use it! Moses Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


text: What a great story, and thank you for taking Chelsea and her imminent family into your home and your life. You are a special person, and the kitties will repay you a thousand fold for your love and care. And Chelsea, enjoy your very special day today with your "boys"!!


text:
Heavy-duty, high-performance clamp formwork system with 2,025 psf load capacity for fast, high-efficient pours. Time and cost-saving assembly on all industrial and engineering jobs. Achieve very large forming areas with just a few panels. Sturdy for maximum stability. Designed for optimum worker safety on industrial and civil engineering construction sites (imperial).
Panel size 12'x 8' with a surface of 96 sq.ft. for floor heights of 12' or 8' with one panel used in vertical or horizontal position
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Large panels with bump notch
Practical MEVA multi-function profile with welded-in Dywidag nuts; additional multi-function profiles at tie hole level
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Panel connection with just one standard MEVA assembly lock for all panel connections: only 6.6 lb
All-plastic facing alkus, no swelling or shrinking
Easy repair of scratches or drill holes etc. on site with the same polypropylene material
Screwable and nailable without chipping off of top layer
The alkus facing lasts as long as the Frame


text:
We are in the post-PC era, and soon billions of consumers will be carrying around Internet-connected mobile devices for up to 16 hours a day. Mobile audiences have exploded as a result.
So, mobile advertising should be a bonanza, right? Not exactly. It has been a bit slow off the ground, and its growth trajectory is not clear cut. Part of the reason is that the mobile ad ecosystem is not as strictly delineated as the desktop ecosystem. In mobile advertising, the rules of the road change with different combinations of device, wireless operator, and operating system.
In a recent report from BI Intelligence on, we explain the complexities and fractures of the ecosystem. We specifically examine the central and dynamic roles played by mobile ad networks, demand side platforms, mobile ad exchanges, real-time bidding, agencies, brands, and new companies hoping to upend the traditional banner ad.
Access The Full Report And Data By Signing Up For A Free Trial Today >>
Take look at this infographic from our report:
Mobile lacks the technical consensus that enables ad targeting, delivery, and measurement to work fairly seamlessly across the desktop world. As the mobile ad industry matures it will likely become more streamlined and simple, but for now there are innumerable actors interacting with one another and attempting to find a niche.
Here's an overview of some of the major players in the ecosystem:
- Mobile ad networks: Mobile ad networks aggregate advertising inventory and match it with advertisers, much as online ad networks do. Networks soak up ad inventory, analyse its potential, and sell it by matching it to advertisers' needs. Where networks differentiate is in value-added services, such as aggregating buying power to strike better deals, or improve targeting.
- Mobile ad exchanges: Exchanges automate many parts of the mobile ad process, and can connect publishers with multiple ad networks. Ad exchanges are primarily supply-facing at the moment, and have relatively few interactions with mobile ad agencies (even less so with brands).
- Natives: Other companies are emerging that don't neatly fit the established categories. They resemble ad networks in that they connect advertisers with publishers' inventory, but they express disdain for the traditional mobile advertising model.These companies are trying to find a native approach to mobile advertising that will break through consumers' apparent disdain for mobile ads. We call them "the natives."
To access BI Intelligence's full report on The Mobile Advertising Ecosystem, sign up for a free trial subscription here.
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text:
Abandoned street and home, Rowley, Alberta: photo by Kappakapa, 2008
Disused grain elevators, Rowley, Alberta: photo by Kappakapa, 2008
"the long grass o'ertops the mould'ring wall" . . . .
light coming into sky above still black
plane of ridge, robin calling on branch
in foreground, wave sounding in channel
bright white of almost half
moon, planet below it
above cypress branch, Orion
on left, following it
silver of sunlight reflected in channel,
cloudless blue sky to the left of point
I'm so glad I stopped to read this (these, actually; Steve's poem reminds me that coming home last night I looked up and said "Hello, Orion"). I haven't forgotten the previous images of Alberta and seeing these joined with The Deserted Village really resonates. I read some background material on Goldsmith. Amazing. I'm surprised that no one has essayed a film biography of him, e.g., "Johnny Depp IS Oliver Goldsmith in ______." Tom: Could you please remind me of the origin of "aim low, aim true? Thank you.
"Far, far away, the children leave the land" -- yesterday afternoon Johnny's 6th birthday party, the children not yet having left the land (hello to Orion still up there last night, Venus rising now) . . . .
grey blackness of sky above still black
ridge, silver of planet beside branches
in foreground, wave sounding in channel
"way" which comes into view,
that related to still
that is what, maybe what is,
not that it was still
silver of sunlight reflected in channel,
white cloud in pale blue sky on horizon
Happy birthday, Johnny!
Curtis, I believe that was the saying of Dr. Ferdinand Destouches (aka Louis-Ferdinand Céline.)
(Though I would be surprised to hear he was either the first or the last to express such sentiments.)


text: Department of Applied Mathematics Illinois Institute of Technology(IIT) Chicago, IL The Department of Applied Mathematics at IIT invites applications for faculty positions at the rank of assistant professor and for a lecturer position beginning in August 2018. The search is open to applicants from all areas of applied mathematics but priority will be given to candidates in the area of statistics. The Department of Applied Mathematics has 15 tenured/tenure-track faculty with research interests in stochastics, computational mathematics, statistics, applied analysis and discrete applied mathematics. We offer BS through PhD degrees, and we teach mathematics to nearly all undergraduate students and many graduate students as well. Our research is funded by various government agencies and some commercial firms. More details about our department can be found at http://science.iit.edu/applied-mathematics. The successful candidate must have a PhD degree in mathematics, statistics, or have done extensive research in applied mathematics and/or statistics. Candidates must also have demonstrated the potential for outstanding, externally fundable research and be dedicated to excellent teaching. With a very diverse student body of 7,800, IIT is a private, research university with programs in engineering, science, psychology, architecture, business, design and law. IIT is located in a city-park like campus in the heart of the vibrant city of Chicago. To apply, please submit the following through www.MathJobs.org: i) a cover letter expressing your interest in the position(s) and highlighting how you can contribute to our departmental mission, ii) your curriculum vitae, iii) your publications list, iv) research statement, and v) teaching statement. At least four confidential reference letters (one addressing teaching effectiveness) should also be submitted through MathJobs. Questions regarding this position may be addressed to Xiaofan Li, Department of Applied Mathematics, email@example.com, (312) 567-5340. Applications will be reviewed starting early November, 2017, and on a continuing basis until the positions are filled. We especially encourage applications from women and under-represented groups. IIT is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer.


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With the recent announcement of Major League Soccer's Jersey Week, a lot has been raised regarding the club's plans for future kits as well as a potential third jersey. We at Always on the Inside caught up with the club's Chief Operating Officer Atul Khosla to shed some light on future jersey plans.
Always on the Inside: MLS announced that as part of a league initiative a number of clubs would be participating in a Jersey Week celebration kicking off on Monday, Feb. 25. What does that mean for Fire supporters?
Atul Khosla: The league is moving to a yearly jersey launch cycle, where every club will roll out a new jersey each year. It will rotate, primary/home one year, secondary/away the next year. Therefore, each jersey is in market for a total of two years. This new approach allows a fresh product in market every year. Since the Fire launched both new kits last year, we are on an off cycle this year, similar to a number of other teams. As of next year, we will be back on cycle, and we will launch a new home kit.
PERUSE: Chicago Fire Jersey History
AOTI: Can you talk about the merchandise progress the club has made in the past few years and how you see it developing further?
AK: We want to see Chicago Fire jerseys everywhere in Chicagoland. We want people to represent our club by wearing our colors in the community, at games and around town. It's been a key for us to grow our merchandise and we've seen success over the past three years because of a number of factors.
First was design. We have tried to refresh the product line, bring back some original Chicago touches, and at the same time push the envelope in being edgier with our brand. As part of these strides the club has built a Fan Shop at Toyota Park, grown its online presence and built a partnership with Fanatics, Inc.. It has also been key for us to integrate merch and our products throughout our marketing efforts, on television and at the stadium. These actions have resulted in solid growth and we now have to continue to build on it.
AOTI: It's a question that is raised from time to time from some Fire supporters, what's going on with the Chicago Fire flag third kit?
AK: We hear and understand the request from some of our supporter base for a third Fire kit, especially one that from a design standpoint has strong ties to the city of Chicago. This is precisely why over the past few years we have added key Chicago elements to our uniforms. Starting in 2010 the club worked closely with adidas to have the four, six-sided stars of the Chicago flag adorn the bottom left of the white secondary/away tops.
The current secondary/away kit includes a number of elements from the Chicago flag including horizontal lines that are created by using the stripes and four stars from the civic flag representing Fort Dearborn, the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 and the Century of Progress Exposition of 1933. These details were created to pay homage to the city and the club's origins. I believe it's the first time outside of a third kit that our jerseys have ever had the municipal flag woven into the design.There is tremendous and deep civic pride, and the Club will continue to build on the traditions of soccer, our supporters, our club and Chicago.
AOTI: With that said, are you saying that Fire doesn't need a third kit?
AK: No. What I am saying is that the primary reason for creating a third kit would be to engage our fans in a unique way. Also, we need to take into account the practical considerations of the true demand for this product so we can meet the minimum requirements from adidas before we place the order. Since we just released new kits last year, we wanted to focus on our new designs and pace things appropriately to avoid flooding the market.
The most successful way to create a third kit, is for us to collaborate with our supporters, get everyone energized, and create the demand. In order to initiate this movement, in the coming weeks we will be launching a social campaign asking supporters to help us design a potential third kit, vote for their favorites, and then rally each other to make a commitment by putting a deposit down.
Stay tuned to Chicago-Fire.com and our social channels. We need everyone's support to make this happen and are excited to collaborate with you and create something we can all be proud of.


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text:
After all that turkey and dressing, I thought you might like some Quail In Aspic. The legendary Cecil Beaton was given rare access to Count Charles Korsetz. After much prodding, Count Korsetz allowed Beaton to tape record the story of his life. According to Beaton, the Count had never written anything, "beyond his signature on checks."
The Count discusses his life at university:
"My father sent one of his rare communications, a tophole piece of advice. I must admit. :"The big nobs won't pay you much attention at first, but it's no use throwing your money around too soon. Just wait until they come to you.""
The manly equestrian arts:
"An assiduous rider was count Larisch. His presence could not have been to display his powers of horsemanship for, unlike most Austrians, he was one of the worst damn exponents of the art I ever saw... The only time I saw him hunting with the Beaufort he fell off at the very first fence and appeared no more at day."
His later years:
"...many of our old friends had developed what they call 'a social conscience.'... Apart from addressing a few polite words to gardeners, trainers, jockeys, gamekeepers, stalkers, ghillies and peasants this was my first contact with the 'lower-orders'."The Count's honesty was unsettling to some. Some however, realized that they had never actually hobnobbed with Count Korsetz. And some thought he bore a striking resemblance to Cecil Beaton's friend, Elsa Maxwell.
Ah, that Cecil Beaton, what a cut-up! Enjoy.


text:
'Mexican Mitt,' a parody twitter account that has been railing against Mitt Romney since the primaries and pokes fun at Romney's on-again, off-again relationship with Mexican ancestry, was mysteriously suspended on the eve of Mitt Romney's speech at the Republican National Convention Thursday night.
One thing should be made clear — Mexican Mitt, who's most public supporter and friend is popular satirist and NBC Latino contributor Lalo Alcaraz, has been known to tweet controversial comments and makes his share of enemies on Twitter.
For his part, Alcaraz has a theory.
"There was some guy who got really upset with Mexican Mitt," Alcaraz says. "Mexican Mitt told him something like, 'don't be so butt hurt because your account sucks and mine doesnt.' I think the guy may have reported it as abuse."
Alcaraz says an automated message from Twitter said the account would be reinstated if Mexican Mitt responded by saying he agreed to the Twitter terms of service. He acquiesced.
But his supporters were quick go on the offensive, tweeting their disgust at the fact that Mexican Mitt, who routinely lampoons Romney, was taken off Twitter before Romney's big speech.
Shame on
@twitter for shutting down @mexicanmitt but not all the blatantly RACIST, SEXIST or PORNOGRAPGIC stuff on this platform #verguenza
— Sara Inés Calderón (@SaraChicaD) August 31, 2012
@latinorebels: ¡Free @mexicanmitt! is.gd/bg0F6I @twitter
— Lalo Alcaraz (@laloalcaraz) August 31, 2012
The move to suspend the parody account by Twitter came on the same day Romney's campaign made history by becoming the first presidential campaign to buy a trending topic on Twitter. The hashtag #RomneyRyan2012 was promoted by the campaign for a minimum of $120,000, according to Mashable.
As of 8:52 p.m. ET, the #RomneyRyan2012 hashtag had seen nearly 10,000 unique tweets (not retweets).
Undoubtedly, a huge source of publicity for the campaign, but of a decidedly different tone than Mexican Mitt would have provided.
Twitter has not responded as of yet to an inquiry about why the account was suspended.


text:
Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute is the Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium (CRC) featured member institution for the month of August. Visit www.BigTenCRC.org and click on "Featured Member" to read a Q&A with Cancer Institute Director Dr. Raymond Hohl, who explains more about Penn State Hershey's role in the Big Ten CRC and what the Cancer Institute brings to the consortium. Penn State Hershey is one of 12 member institutions of the Big Ten CRC.
The Big Ten CRC creates a unique team-research culture to drive science rapidly from ideas to treatment-changing paradigms. Within this environment, today's research leaders collaborate with and mentor the research leaders of tomorrow with the unified goal of improving the lives of all patients with cancer.
Discover what can happen when competitors on the field become partners in the fight against cancer by visiting www.BigTenCRC.org.


text: Main Content Document - 2020 SC 58 friendly link NOTE Some documents may be very large and may take some time to completely render and download. You may wish to scroll to the bottom of an Html document to verify that it has completely downloaded before printing. Pdf downloads will begin after clicking on the Pdf icon and unless there is an error message, the Pdf is downloading normally. Document Html Version Pdf Version 2020 SC 58 Senate Calendar Number 58, 6/25/2020 129 KB 136 KB Download Time for 56K Modem 25.2 seconds 26.6 seconds Download Time for Broadband 1.7 seconds 1.8 seconds


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[First published October 25, 2005] Some of you may have come across the term politicide. Barbara Harff (here) and I independently developed the concept. I used it to refer to the murder by government of people because of their politics, political activities, or their threat to the government. Politicide is not genocide, which is the attempt to eliminate in whole or in part people because of their race, nationality, ethnicity, or religion.
Harff, unfortunately, and those who have followed on her research have used the term to define any government murder other than genocide. This is a simple misunderstanding of the extent and variety of government murder. True, when a government kills "rightists," "counterrevolutionaries," or officials of the former defeated government, as Mao did in China, it was politicide. When Pol Pot tortured and murdered Khmer Rouge for supposedly plotting against him, it was politicide. When Lenin had Czar Nicolas II and his whole family assassinated in 1918, it was politicide. But then much, if not most, government murder is not politicide or genocide, but democide.
Now, democide is any murder by government, which is the intentional killing of unarmed people for whatever purpose. It is comparable to the concept of murder in domestic law. It includes genocide, politicide, massacres, atrocities, assassination, extermination, ethnic cleansing (if killing is involved), suicide bombing, and indiscriminate shelling, bombing, and strafing.
The problem with equating politicide with democide is the killing that is thereby omitted. For example, everyone knows about the so-called Rape of Nanking by the Japanese Army when it captured the city on December 13th, 1937. Its soldiers were given freedom to rape, loot, and kill for nearly two months. I calculate that about 200,000 civilians and POWs thus were massacred. But while some killing was politicide, most was not. The label cannot be applied, say, to women being raped and then murdered, or husbands and fathers shot while trying to prevent their wives or daughters from being raped. Nor, can it apply it to the binding of POWs together, pouring gasoline on them, and burning them alive, or using them for bayonet practice.
Similarly with the widespread rape and murder of helpless women and children as the Red Army pursued the defeated Germans across Eastern Europe and into Germany in 1945. None of this should be characterized as politicide, but as democide.
You may be surprised at the extent to which empirical research and solid research conclusions depend on the proper conceptualization of the subject. While the discussion of politics can tolerate confusion over such terms as liberal (as vs. 19th century liberal), scientific research begins with establishing and defining terms. And in research on the democratic peace, it is especially important to distinguish politicide from democide — that is, murder for political purposes from wanton murder.
Link of Note
"'Us' or 'Them'?" By Thomas Sowell
Compromise and tolerance are not the hallmarks of true believers. What they believe in goes to the heart of what they are. As far as true believers are concerned, you are either one of Us or one of Them. . . . [M]any issues that look on the surface like they are just about which alternative would best serve the general public are really about being one of Us or one of Them — and this woman was not about to become one of Them. Many crusades of the political left have been misunderstood by people who do not understand that these crusades are about establishing the identity and the superiority of the crusaders.
RJR: Exactly. And now I have the characterization of the 50-times-more-effective Gartzke (here) for which I was looking. He is a true believer.
Links I Must Share
"79% of Iraqi voters back constitution "
RJR: Much better than the American Constitution would have done if put to a referendum, and like the two Sunni provinces that voted in large numbers against it, so would have Maryland for sure, and perhaps Rhode Island, New York, and Massachusetts (only nine states needed for ratification).
"Rice Outlines Iraq Victory Strategy On Capitol Hill ":
. . . .The key to victory over the insurgency in Iraq, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told Senate Committee on Foreign Relations members, is to "clear areas from insurgent control, hold them securely, and build durable, national Iraqi institutions." American servicemen and women are fighting in Iraq "at a pivotal time in world history," Rice said. Efforts to defeat the insurgents "must succeed," she said, if the Iraqis are to be successful in establishing an inclusive, democratic government unique in the Middle East. "Let's work together on how we will win," Rice said, calling for increased collaboration between U.S., coalition, and Iraqi security forces, as well as help from the U.S. Congress.
"Leahy says president needs to find plan to bring troops home":
The president must develop a plan to bring the troops home from Iraq, U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy said Tuesday. "The American people need to know that the president has a plan that will bring our troops home," said Leahy in a speech delivered in the Senate.
"This war has been a costly disaster for our country," he said. "Far from making us safer from terrorists, in fact it has turned Iraq into a haven and recruiting ground for terrorists and deflected our attention and resources away from the fight against terrorism," he said. "If anything, it has emboldened our enemies, as it has become increasingly apparent that the most powerful army in the world cannot stop a determined insurgency."
RJR: Relevant follow-on to Rice's hope above. This was said after the above announcement of the Iraqi constitution's victory. He, and his liberal-left colleagues, are playing the Vietnam song all over again. We won every battle in Vietnam, the South was democratizing, but with the Democrats controlling Congress and the budget, they forced us to leave Vietnam to the communists and many Vietnamese to their deaths. Good thing the Republicans now control Congress, and we should make sure they continue to do so after the 2006 election.
" With a Whimper" Victor Davis Hanson:
How the violence in Iraq will end. . . . So when this is all over — and it will be more quickly than we imagine — there will be a viable constitutional government in Iraq. But the achievement will be considered either a natural organic process, or adopted as a success by former critics only at its safe, penultimate stage.
Most of us tragically will forget many of the American soldiers who courageously fought, died, and gave the Middle East its freedom and us our security. Purple fingers, not overloaded American helicopters taking off from the embassy roof, is the future of Iraq.
Yes, the terrorists' assault against the Iraqi democracy will end — as all failed insurrections do — not with a bang but with a whimper.
RJR: As history has mercifully forgotten all the no-sayers about the democratization of South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and Germany, and an American victory in the Cold War, so it will do so when Iraq is fully democratized and a stable contributor to peace and human security in the Middle East.
"Syria's dissidents unite to issue call for change "
RJR: Democratic change in Syria is inevitable, but given the small ethnic gang that rules with their guns, I fear that such change will come only through massive internal violence, and life-saving intervention.


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Update: The "rumour that Google is buying Brightcove is in fact false," claims Web video analyst Dan Rayburn. He cites an employee "I trust" at one of the companies, who would not talk on the record.
Earlier: Google is in talks to buy Web video provider Brightcove for $500 million to $700 million, PBS MediaShift editor Mark Glaser says on Twitter, citing a source with knowledge of the deal.
The move would make Google's YouTube — by far the top consumer Web video site — also the most powerful player in the commercial Web video industry.
Brightcove has a long list of top clients including AOL, Conde Nast, The New York Times, etc.
In June, Brightcove CEO Jeremy Allaire told industry analyst Dan Rayburn that the company is profitable and cash flow positive. Rayburn estimates that Brightcove is on pace to do $80 million in sales this year, which would put this deal around 6-9X revenue. Brightcove has raised $91 million to date.
A Google rep says it is company policy to not comment on rumour or speculation.
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Monday, 20 October 2008
The Cake Slice ~ Capuccino Chiffon Cake
Friday, 17 October 2008
Ghoul-Graveyard Cake
Ghoul-Graveyard Cake
For the cake:
250ml milk
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
225g plain flour
50g cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
one-half teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
200g caster sugar
110g butter or soft margarine
2 eggs
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
For the buttercream frosting:
150g unsalted butter, softend
300g icing sugar, sifted
Splash of milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Black colour paste
Black sugar sprinkles
Hallowe'en-themed jelly lollies, at least 1 per child
Preheat the oven to gas mark 3/170C. Grease and line a 23cm springform tin. Mix the milk and vinegar together and set aside.Make sure all your remaining ingredients are at room temperature if you can, but since no one's going to be overly worried about the cake, you shouldn't be either. If the ingredients are cold, the worst that can happen is that the cake will be heavy. But you do need soft butter (or the cake won't mix), so substitute marge if that's not a goer. Put everything for the cake, except the vinegary milk, into a food processor and blitz to mix. Remove the lid, scrape down with a rubber spatula and then put the lid back on and with the motor running, add the vinegary milk.Scrape, spoon or pour the brown batter into the tin and spread to fill it evenly, baking it for 40-45 minutes until it is well risen and springy to the touch. Remove the cooked cake, in its tin, to a rack and leave to cool for about ten minutes, then spring open the tin and let the cake get completely cold.
To make the icing, beat the butter until fluffy, then beat in the icing sugar and vanilla extract. Add a splash of milk to soften the consistency slightly. Swirl the icing on top and sides of the cake once it has cooled. Sprinkle over the black sugar sprinkles to cover the top and trim the lolly sticks, so that you have a stem of about 3-4cm to stick into the cake, and then plunge the sticks of the foreshortened lollies into the cake so that the ghoulish faces leer out from their black-frosted graveyard.
Thursday, 16 October 2008
Banana Milk Chocolate & Peanut Butter Morsel Muffins
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
3 very ripe bananas
125ml vegetable oil
2 eggs
250g plain flour
100g caster sugar
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
150g dark/milk chocolate (white chocolate, butterscotch chips or peanut butter morsels)
Preheat the oven to 200ºC/180ºC fan oven/gas mark 6 and line a 12-bun muffin tin with muffin papers.
Mash the bananas and set aside for a moment.Pour the oil into a jug and beat in the eggs.
Put the flour, sugar, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder into a large bowl and mix in the beaten-egg-and-oil mixture, followed by the mashed bananas.
Fold in the chocolate morsels, then place equal quantities in the prepared muffin tin and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
Wednesday, 15 October 2008
Carrot Cake
Carrot Cake
Serves 12
2 eggs
140ml (5fl oz) vegetable oil
200g (7oz) soft light brown sugar
300g (11oz) grated carrot (weight when grated)
100g (3 ½ oz) raisins
75g (3oz) pecans or walnuts, chopped (optional)
180g (6 ½ oz) self-raising flour
Pinch of salt
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
½ tsp mixed spice
For the orange cream cheese icing
250g (9oz) cream cheese (straight from the fridge)
50g (2oz) butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
275g (10oz) icing sugar, sifted
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
Sugar flowers or sprinkles (optional)
13 x 23cm (5x9in) loaf tin
Preheat the oven to 150oC (300oF), Gas mark 2. Oil and line the loaf tin with greaseproof paper. Beat the eggs in a large bowl, then add the oil, brown sugar, grated carrot, raisins and chopped nuts. Sift in the dry ingredients and bring the mixture together using a wooden spoon or large metal spoon. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin, smooth the surface and bake in the oven for 1-1 ¼ hours or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for about 5 minutes before removing. Cool completely on a wire rack before serving.
To make the icing, beat the cream cheese and butter together in a bowl until combined. Add the vanilla extract, icing sugar and finely grated orange zest and mix to combine. The icing sugar should be smooth and quite thick. Using a palette knife, spread the icing evenly over the cooled cake, dipping the knife into a bowl of hot water if the icing is hard to spread out. Cut into slices to serve.
Edit: Just had to add this pic of Ollie, seems he also loves Rachel Allen's new book Bake! ;o)
Tuesday, 14 October 2008
White Chocolate & Cranberry Cookies
These supreme white chocolate and cranberry bejewelled cookies are the finest you'll ever taste and they don't last long once I place them in the cookie tin. I was thinking they would make a perfect gift at Christmas, packed in a lovely box and tied with a ribbon.
White Chocolate & Cranberry Cookies
75g (2¾ oz) butter, softened
50g (1¾ oz) soft brown sugar
50g (1¾ oz) caster sugar
1 egg
A few drops of vanilla extract
160g (5¾ oz) plain flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
110g (3¾ oz) white chocolate chips
50g (1¾ oz) dried cranberries
Preheat the oven 190oC/170oC fan/375oF/Gas 5 and line two baking trays with baking paper. Mash up the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon until well mixed, then whisk with electric beaters until smooth. Mix in the egg and vanilla. Sift in the flour and baking powder and add a small pinch of salt. Beat with the wooden spoon to make a soft sandy mixture. Stir in the chocolate and cranberries.
Lightly moisten your hands and roughly roll teaspoons of the mixture into balls. Arrange them on the trays, leaving a fair space between for flattening and spreading. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, or until the cookies are golden and darkening around the edges. Remove from the oven but leave them on the tray to cool and firm up. These will keep in a cookie tin for a couple of days.
Makes 30 cookies
Thursday, 9 October 2008
Glittery Marshmallow Cripsy Squares
Marshmallow Crispy Squares
45g butter
300g mini marshmallows
180g Rice Krispies
Edible glitter or sprinkles (optional)
Melt the butter in a large, heavy-based saucepan over a low heat.
Add the marshmallows and cook gently until they are completely melted and blended, stirring constantly.
Take the pan off the heat and immediately add the cereal, mixing lightly until well coated.
Press the mixture into a greased 32cm x 23cm tin; you may have to put on vinyl CSI gloves and press it down into the corners, as it will be very sticky. Flatten the top and then scatter over the edible glitter or sprinkles, if so inclined.
Let the marshmallow crispy squares cool completely in the tin and then cut them into 24 squares.
Wednesday, 8 October 2008
The Ultimate Autumn Cheesecake!
Pink Lady Cheesecake
Serves 8
12 digestive biscuits, crushed
85g (3oz) butter, melted
500g (1lb 2oz) cream cheese
100ml (3 ½ fl oz) double cream
2 large eggs, plus 2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons caster sugar (I would definitely suggest adding more sugar. It wasn't sweet enough with 3 tbsp of sugar.)
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 Pink Lady apples, cubed
3 Pink Lady apples, for garnish, sliced
1 tablespoon butter, melted
Preheat the oven to 150oC, 130oC fan, gas 2. Mix the biscuits and butter and press into a 20cm (8in) cake tin. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from the oven and cool. Put the cream cheese, cream, eggs, sugar and cinnamon into a bowl and beat until smooth. Pour a third of the mixture into the tin and add the cubed apple. Pour over remaining mixture and bake for 30-40 minutes (I had to bake mine for 60 mins) until set. Remove from the oven and cool. Brush apple slices with butter and grill for one minute each side. Place on top of the cake.
Tuesday, 7 October 2008
Rocky Road Crunch Bars
Rocky Road Crunch Bars
125g/4½oz soft unsalted butter
300g/10½oz best-quality dark chocolate, broken into pieces
3 tbsp golden syrup
200g/7¼oz rich tea biscuits
100g/3½oz mini marshmallows
2 tsp icing sugar, to dust
Heat the butter, chocolate and golden syrup in a heavy-based saucepan over a gentle heat. Remove from the heat, scoop out about 125ml/4½fl oz of the melted mixture and set aside in a bowl.
Place the biscuits into a plastic freezer bag and crush them with a rolling pin until some have turned to crumbs but there are still pieces of biscuit remaining.
Fold the biscuit pieces and crumbs into the melted chocolate mixture in the saucepan, then add the marshmallows.
Tip the mixture into a 24cm/9in square baking tin and smooth the top with a wet spatula.Pour over the reserved 125ml/4½fl oz of the melted chocolate mixture and smooth the top with a wet spatula.
Refrigerate for about two hours or overnight.
To serve, cut into 24 fingers and dust with icing sugar.
Monday, 6 October 2008
Banana and Chocolate Bread ~ Update on Ollie
Ollie is getting on great and is such a happy kitten, he has adjusted very quickly and we've had a lot of progress with at least one of our cats, Madison, his no longer hissing at him and they are friends!!! This morning I walked into our conservatory to find Madison and Ollie both together in a box they have which they love to play and sleep in and it made me teary but in a happy and good way as I knew this was the moment that told me that they are buddies now. Coco our other cat, she is not being easy on Ollie and is hissing and growling but at least she can be in the same room as him now and not hiding upstairs in my son's loft bedroom as she was in the first few days. So hopefully we will get there but I'm very proud of my Madison, I knew he wouldn't let me down and it's so great to see him with Ollie.
Banana and Chocolate Bread
Serves 10-12
250g (9oz) self-raising flour
Pinch of salt
1 tsp baking powder
150g (5oz) caster sugar
100g (3 ½ oz) butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
475g (17oz) whole bananas (about 4 small ones), peeled
75g (3oz) dark chocolate chips
13 x 23cm (5x9in) loaf tin
Preheat the oven to 170oC (325oF), Gas mark 3. Lightly butter and line the loaf tin with parchment paper.
Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a large bowl. Add the sugar and butter and, using your fingertips, rub it in until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Whisk the eggs, vanilla extract and orange zest in another bowl. Add the bananas and mash very well with a potato masher. Add the chocolate chips.
Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the banana mixture. Gently but thoroughly bring all the ingredients together with a wooden spoon, then pour into the prepared loaf tin. Smooth the top and bake in the oven for 1-1 ¼ hours or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing the cake from the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack.
The captured moment of Ollie in the box with Madison ;o)
Saturday, 4 October 2008
Sticky Pear and Caramel Cake
Sticky Pear and Caramel Cake
Serves 10
325g (11oz) caster sugar
4 pears, peeled, quartered, cored and sliced
175g (6oz) self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
125g (4½oz) butter, melted
2 free-range eggs
50ml (2fl oz) semi-skimmed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
20cm (8in) loose-bottomed round cake tin, lined with baking parchment to come slightly up the sides.
Preheat the oven to 180oC, 160oC fan, 350oF, gas 4. Put 150g (5oz) sugar in a heavy-based saucepan and add 3 tablespoons of water. Dissolve the sugar over a gentle heat, then turn up the heat and boil until the sugar turns a rich amber colour. Swirl the pan to redistribute the heat evenly, but do not stir. Pour the caramel into the base of the prepared tin, allow to cool, then arrange the pear slices in a circular pattern on top.
Sift the flour and baking powder together. Add the remaining sugar, and stir until well-blended. Add the melted butter, eggs, milk and vanilla, then mix at high speed for 1 minute to form a smooth batter. Pour over the pears and bake for 40 minutes to 1 hour, or until the cake springs back when pressed in the centre. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tin, then invert on a wire rack and serve still warm.
Thursday, 2 October 2008
Peanut Butter and White Chocolate Blondies ~ Ollie comes home!
My Ollie is finally home! Hubby and I picked him up yesterday and the ride home was the start of wonderful things to come with my new kitten. He rode in the car up front with me on my lap purring away and looking out the window and loved it! When we got home he was of course nervous and my other cats were not pleased to say the least, hissing and growling but that's to be expected. I am sure in time they will all be friends but it might take a few days or weeks. Ollie seems really happy and his so cuddly, wants to be with me all day, either on my lap or just around me (hence why I had to bake something quick today). I am so happy that his mine, his definitely a special cat!
Peanut Butter and White Chocolate Blondies
Makes 12 small squares
125g (4½oz) plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
100g (3½oz) butter, softened
150g (5oz) crunchy peanut butter
175g (6oz) soft light brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
75g (3oz) white chocolate, chopped
20 x 20cm (8 x 8in) square cake tin
Preheat the oven to 170oC (325oF), Gas mark 3. Butter the sides of the cake tin and line the base with greaseproof paper.
Sift the flour and baking powder into a small bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and peanut butter together until very soft. Add the sugar, egg and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Add the flour, baking powder and the chopped chocolate and mix to form a dough.
Place the dough in the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and almost firm in the centre.
Allow to cool in the tin, before removing and cutting into squares
Wednesday, 1 October 2008
Vanilla Apple Cake ~ Sweet and Simple Bake!
Sweet and Simple Bakes and this month I chose this rustic and delicious recipe for Vanilla Apple Cake. I thought this was the perfect cake to welcome in the lovely season of autumn when apples are in abundance! I am looking forward to seeing another great round up and reading everyone's entries.


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Former talk show host Ricki Lake's sense of relief quickly turned to disbelief.
After a fire destroyed the $20,000-a-month house she was renting in Malibu, California, Lake took solace in the fact that no one was hurt.
"Ricki is very grateful that her family was unharmed," a representative said in a statement following the incident. "The fire happened very quickly and it was indeed a frightening experience. Right now she feels gratitude and blessings."
U.S. & World
However, the landlord who owned the property has filed papers in a Los Angeles Superior Court alleging that Lake is to blame for the blaze. They are claiming that her failure to properly refill the oil in a portable space heater led to the fire.
The lawsuit states that Lake "caused the oil to spill which was ignited by the hot heating coils which [Lake] had not allowed to cool. The flaming oil quickly caught hold and began to burn items inside the property. [Lake] failed or did not attempt to extinguish the fire."
The landlord seeks unspecified damages.
Selected Reading: People, Hollywood Reporter, ABC News


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More Than Just "Occupy" Wall Street!
Protesting the fact that Banks are abusing the current social-economic system is absolutely necessary, and I'm glad it's happening. But the only thing that really scares the shit out of bank CEOs and managers is when their profits are under threat.
Of course, threatening banker profits is not an easy thing to do, but one thing every single one of us is capable of is to vote with our feet and take our savings to businesses with less of a cut-throat attitude. What I am talking about are Ethical Banks. While still being privately run businesses, these banks are above all distinguished by being transparent and selective about the projects they finance. They will happily invest in projects that have social and/or environmental aims, but shun companies who pollute or exploit. In essence, they sacrifice profit margins for a secure and fond clientele that doesn't hate them.
The arrival of Ethical Banks threatens to change the game. If they can become major players they might outstrip traditional banks – because just as people are willing to pay more for milk from happy cows, many are happy also accept marginally lower interest on their savings in exchange for the knowledge that those savings will not be used to steer global economy further into a huge ocean of shit.
So, here is what I suggest we do: Let's take our money out of the savings accounts, and move it to one of the ethical or green banks.
Granted, ethical banks are still banks. I do not kidd myself into believing that they are responsible because their CEOs are such good-hearted people – But responsibility has become a product, and the demand is growing rapidly. The laws of their own game will force them to stay transparent and responsible in order to stay in play. It is in our power is to change the market. If we succeed, we will simply force conventional, irresponsible take-no-hostages-bankers out of business.
Personally I do not think that this is the cure to our problems; but it sure is exchanging the disease for a more benign one, giving us some air to look for alternatives.
So, go to wikipedia and take a look at its small but growing List of Ethical Banks. Perhaps join the Bank Transfer Day on facebook. Take your money out of irresponsible and greedy hands, and trust your savings to (however slightly) more responsible people. If possible, do it on november 5th, because the more people do it on the same day, the bigger is the chance of wide-spread media reports.
Don't tell yourself that it won't make any difference. I can guarantee it won't do any harm. So, if nothing else, just humour us. There is a lot to gain, and nothing to lose by trying.


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EXECUTIVE EDITOR--AUTOWEEK.COM BOB GRITZINGER: Other than that $30,000-plus sticker price, there's a ton to love about this 2011 Kia Optima SX. The turbo power is strong and steady, while the overall chassis is well sorted to keep the FWD car on track even when you're pushing it. I like the handy paddle shifters, and I always marvel at how Kia thought of cutting in the plastic on the turn-signal stalk so that it comfortably "fits" your finger.
The flowing exterior styling and sporty and well-buttoned interior also are strong points. This one is pricey for a Kia (wasn't it just a few years ago we were marveling at the first Kia or Hyundai to break the $30,000 barrier?), but I can't see a feature or option that's missing--backup camera, navigation, dual sunroofs, inside trunk and gas-lid releases, keyless entry and ignition, a powerful audio system with all the hookups, heated seats--it seems as if everything is here.
I've always liked the Optima and have always viewed it as a surprise value car. It seems much more upscale than it should be for the brand. Add in near 30 mpg that I got during my stint, and that's a win.
ASSOCIATE EDITOR JONATHAN WONG: After a positive outing with a naturally aspirated Optima EX model a couple of months ago, I was looking forward to driving one with the 2.0-liter, direct-injection turbocharged engine. The fact that we got a sportier SX version makes it all the better.
So let's break it down, shall we? Compared with the base 2.4-liter four-cylinder, the turbo engine provides an additional 74 hp and 83 lb-ft of torque. Exclusive to the SX are steering-wheel paddle shifters for the six-speed automatic gearbox for reasonable manual shift response. Turbo models (an EX turbo is also available) get larger front disc brakes, with the SX featuring black painted calipers, a stiffer sport-tuned suspension and 18-inch wheels.
Visually distinguishing the SX are unique fascia, side sills, a rear lip spoiler, xenon headlights and LED rear lamps in addition to the larger wheels. Inside the cabin, the SX has leather seats with woven trim, illuminated stainless-steel scuff plates, faux carbon-fiber trim, alloy pedals and an LCD meter cluster display for trip, outside temp, fuel economy, range and other readouts.
The entire package with the corsa blue paint job, tiger-nose grille, large wheels and slick interior design really make this car standout. There is still some doubt in the back of my mind regarding the longevity of this car, but the interior materials seem to be of good quality and it all looks bolted together tight. I'm thinking that this car has legs and won't turn into a rattle trap two years down the road. Time will tell.
The best part of this Optima SX has to be how well this thing wheels around. It's tight, responsive and entertaining for the most part. With peak torque of 269 lb-ft available from just 1,750 rpm, there's good jump off the line with hardly any turbo lag, and power delivery is satisfyingly linear.
I really like this turbo four-cylinder and it stacks up well against the V6 engines it competes with in this class. The Honda Accord's 3.5-liter V6 is rated at 271 hp, the Toyota Camry V6 churns out 268 hp, the Nissan Altima does 270 hp and the Mazda 6's 3.7-liter V6 packs 272 hp. All of those come up short to the Kia's force-induced four pushing 274 hp with the help of 17.4 pounds of boost.
Manually selecting gears with the automatic transmission isn't really worth your time. Shift response is rather slow, and leaving it in full auto mode was better in my opinion, with quick up and downshifts.
Steering is quick to respond and well weighted. Through corners the Optima holds a tight line but will, of course, understeer when pressed too much. The ride on the sport suspension is a little rough, but not to the point of being unbearable, and it was manageable over my four-night stint. Road and tire noise is noticeable riding on the 18-inch Nexen CP662 tires, but through heavy rain during one of my nights, these tires were champs, displaying good resistance to hydroplaning and surefooted grip.
Then there is the question about price. If it wasn't for the preconceived notions that many of us have about Kia, the near-$31,000 price tag wouldn't be such a surprise considering the amount of equipment included. If you step back for a second and think about it, this Optima SX can be considered good value with every option under the sun including a panoramic roof, navigation, premium sound, a backup camera and heated/cooled seats.
What can be improved on? For starters, if Kia really wants to cater to the enthusiast crowd, it would offer a good six-speed manual-transmission option on this car. Then it needs to do something about the front bucket seats and add more side support. And then if Kia can fine-tune the suspension to improve ride quality a smidge and add a little more sound insulation here and there to quiet the cabin some, this Optima SX would be killer.
As is, I still like this car a lot with its automatic gearbox and stiffer ride and all. It's a nice car and definitely deserving of consideration.
ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR CHERYL L. BLAHNIK: This 2011 Kia Optima SX, with its love-it-or-hate-it looks, served as my weekend ride. I liked it after I warmed up to the wheel designs. The car looks crisp and sporty with a low SX-specific front fascia and it's a different look compared with that of other cars in this class--which is another good thing.
However, Kia still has some work to do to shed its cheap car image. A couple of friends initially were interested in the blue sedan, but after finding out it was a Kia, they just said "oh" and lost interest. I tried to let them know that these new Optimas are not like the Kia vehicles of old and that it was actually a really fun, sporty and fresh-looking car. I happen to think the Soul is another fun vehicle in the Kia lineup.
The interior also offers a sporty feel with the leather seats with mesh trim. The curvy center stack with large buttons offers a basic yet contemporary look.
The best part about this car is the drive. It has enough power, but it would be even better if a manual transmission were offered. It corners well and steering is responsive. Make no mistake, the Kia Optima isn't a BMW, but it is a great alternative for drivers to the Toyota Camry and the Honda Accord.
2011 Kia Optima SX
Base Price: $26,690
As-Tested Price: $30,840
Drivetrain: 2.0-liter turbocharged I4; FWD, six-speed automatic
Output: 274 hp @ 6,000 rpm, 269 lb-ft @ 1,750-4,500 rpm
Curb Weight: 3,385 lb
Fuel Economy (EPA/AW): 26/23.5 mpg
Options: SX Premium package including panoramic sunroof, power front passenger seat, driver seat memory, heated and cooled front seats and heated outboard rear seats ($2,150); technology package including navigation system with backup camera, satellite radio and eight-speaker Infinity audio system ($2,000)


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Wednesday, February 15, 2012
My Cautionary Tale
We were in high spirits as we prepared to board the plane for the last leg of our trip. The flight attendants advised everyone to pull out their passports along with their boarding passes.
And that was when the unthinkable happened: they pulled us to the side and told us we couldn't get on the plane.
I was sure I had heard them wrong. Right up until the moment when the plane pulled away from the jetway I thought someone would admit that this had been a cruel joke, that they'd made a mistake, anything to keep this dream vacation from slipping away.
But, no. We were stranded in Atlanta, all because we had the wrong passports. (Note to future travelers: passport cards are only good for travel by boat or car, not by plane. This would have been good information to have when we APPLIED for the passports, not when we were trying to board the plane!)
Fortunately, my husband works in customer service and thinks quickly on his feet. (I was busy trying to comfort the kids and not have a meltdown myself.) The airline apologized profusely and said they shouldn't have let us board in Los Angeles when they saw our passports and our final destination. They told us to pick another spot and they'd fly us there, as well as give us vouchers to fly again within the year. My husband was able to transfer our resort reservation to a place that he figured would make the kids nearly as happy. And at that point, I was too frazzled to care where we landed. An hour later we were on our way to Orlando, Florida, where we wound up having a wonderful time.
It took a LONG time for the shock to wear off from that aborted vacation. (Side note to the lady at the post office who "helped" us get those stupid passport cards: I can finally say that I've forgiven you without gritting my teeth. Barely.) And now, just over a year later, we're ready to try it again.
We've packed our bags, cashed in our vouchers, and gotten the CORRECT passports. Although I can guarantee you that each of us will be holding our breath when we go to board the plane in Atlanta. Please let us on this time. Please don't break our hearts again.
I won't be posting next week. I plan to spend a lot of time going down waterslides that shoot me through shark tanks, snorkeling, eating, watching the sunset over the ocean. And reading and writing, of course. You know, assuming I actually get there this time.
Cross your fingers for me...
15 comments:
- Laura Pauling said...
That would be frustrating! Anyway, this time, have a blast! See you when you get back!
- February 15, 2012 at 4:07 AM
- TerryLynnJohnson said...
yikes! omg, I can't imagine! Hope you have a lovely time this year!
- February 15, 2012 at 5:05 AM
- Unknown said...
Where are you heading? I hope you have a wonderful trip!
- February 15, 2012 at 7:30 AM
- Caroline Starr Rose said...
- February 15, 2012 at 8:26 AM
- Anne Gallagher said...
Happy Anniversary!! Have a great time.
- February 15, 2012 at 10:45 AM
- Kristan Hoffman said...
A) HOLY COW I don't think I would EVER forgive that "helpful" lady. WTF.
B) I have never even heard of passport "cards." Wtf?
C) Glad y'all managed to salvage the trip, and even gladder that you're going on the real one now! :)
- February 15, 2012 at 12:04 PM
- Rebecca Gomez said...
What the heck is a passport card??
Oh, and have fun!
- February 15, 2012 at 12:23 PM
- Kelly Polark said...
I've never heard of a passport card. Last year I took my kids to the post office to get their passports. They were strict. And said the passports may not go through because a few of us were smiling in our photos. Seriously. Luckily they went through (and then we went to Atlantis! SeriouslY)
One of my favorite places to vacation. I hope you all have a super fabulous time. You AND your kids will LOVE it!
- February 15, 2012 at 2:53 PM
- Krispy said...
What the heck, passport cards??? I'm sorry that happened to you, but I'm glad the vacation was saved in the end. I'm sure things will be fine this time around. Have double the fun to make up for the last time! :D
- February 16, 2012 at 12:08 PM
- Dianne K. Salerni said...
What ARE passport cards? And where can you go with them?
You are right -- somebody should've explained what you were getting and what you could/couldn't do with them.
Another example of someone putting their whole 1% into their job ...
- February 16, 2012 at 3:30 PM
- Tiana Smith said...
Oh my goodness? I didn't even know there were different kinds of passports! Crazy! But I hope you have a blast!
- February 17, 2012 at 11:16 AM
- Tricia J. O'Brien said...
That's terrible! But I'm glad you were able to go somewhere fun and reschedule.
I've been offline and just saw this so don't worry about that email I sent. Enjoy your trip!
- February 18, 2012 at 6:51 AM
- Laurisa White Reyes said...
Have a good time. :)
- February 19, 2012 at 1:29 PM
I hope everything went fine this time and that you're having the time of your life. :)
- February 20, 2012 at 8:57 AM
- Sharon K. Mayhew said...
Wow, talk about stressful! I hope you have a marvelous redo trip. It's a beautiful place.
- February 21, 2012 at 7:16 PM


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The investment was announced at Perimeter by Peter Braid, Member of Parliament for Kitchener-Waterloo, on behalf of the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario). "By introducing students to the STEM fields at this critical point in their education, we are encouraging the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs and problem solvers, and helping to drive innovation in southern Ontario for years to come," said MP Braid. "This is how we will establish competitive businesses, and create the high-value jobs of the future and long-term prosperity for the region."Perimeter Institute will use the investment to enhance its educational outreach program with the BrainSTEM Initiative, which involves a suite of activities including an in-class multimedia module for grade 10 youth, teacher training on the content, online resources that merge digital media content creators with experts on STEM, and a public launch event in October of 2013. "The delivery of this outreach program will debunk misconceptions about STEM careers, and provide opportunities for students to make connections between crucial life skills - like creativity, problem solving and collaboration – and the STEM subjects available to them in Canadian schools," said Greg Dick, Perimeter Director of Educational Outreach. "The enhanced outreach activities will help show young people that there are emerging and valuable careers available in the STEM subjects, and will help to build a future talent pool in these fields in southern Ontario."
Further Explortation
About FedDeV ONTARIO
Created in 2009, FedDev Ontario supports the southern Ontario economy by building on the region's strengths and creating opportunities for jobs and economic growth. The Agency has launched a number of initiatives to create a Southern Ontario Advantage and place the region in a strong position to compete in the global economy. These initiatives are designed to encourage partnerships and support projects that help the region's businesses and communities become more competitive, innovative and diversified. To learn more, please visit www.FedDevOntario.gc.ca or call 1-866-593-5505.


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Shortly after making this bikini number for the cover of Hommes Vogue Japan, designer Franc Fernandez was called up by the Gaga gang to whip together an entire look – dress, hat, shoes and matching clutch in Argentinian 'matambre' beef.
Yes. its made of real meat.
Looking at these pictures make me squirm at the thought of it's smelly, sticky, bloody slickness. *shudders*
Can you imagine the dangling slabs of meat slapping against your leg as you walk? *eeewwwww…
Although both Franc Fernandez and Lady Gaga claim that it was comfortable, didn't smell and wasn't bloody (yeah right!)
Plans are for this dress to live out the rest of its, albeit short, life in 'The Gaga Archives' where it'll slowly dry out and "jerky-fy".
I just hope it doesn't attract flies…
Picture credits: Mtv.com and AmyGrindhouse.com


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Army Lt. Col. Kellie McCoy adopts the just-doin'-my-job poker face when asked about her combat time, but she stands out in history along with many other of the 280,000 military women who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
McCoy has served three tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. She knows what it feels like to kill on the battlefield. She earned a Bronze Star with Combat "V" in the process. Maybe most importantly, McCoy knows how to cram 11 paratroopers and their combat gear into a Humvee under fire.
All of that would set her apart from other uniformed women had so many other women not experienced similar situations the past 10 years of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. McCoy is part of the generation of women that convinced U.S. military leaders to make women eligible for combat roles for the first time in U.S. military history.
A West Point graduate who completed airborne school as a cadet, McCoy led 11 male paratroopers with the 82nd Airborne Division into combat in Iraq in 2003. The St. Louis native was a captain at the time.
Soon after a firefight off Highway 10 near Fallujah, she spoke to a reporter and gave full credit to her men for overcoming the ambush. McCoy explained how she led her men to concentrate fire in specific directions.
Ten years later sitting in the Pentagon, she thought about how she described the group as "my men." Since Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced that women would serve in combat, she realized how dated the term "my men" could soon be -- if it's not already.
McCoy, 37, seemed surprised when it was pointed out that her example could serve as a rebuttal to critics who argue that women can't lead men in combat, and men won't follow. In 2013, she used the term "my soldiers" more so than "my men" when describing the firefight in 2003.
"Really, did I say that? Never thought about it," McCoy said of the "my men" and "my soldiers" phrasing. "My soldiers didn't think it was a big deal" of her leading them in battle. "I didn't think it was a big deal."
On Sept. 18, 2003, the third day in Iraq for McCoy, she commanded120 soldiers in the Headquarters Co. of the 307th Engineers Battalion in the 82nd Airborne Division. There may have been two or three women serving among the 120, but McCoy couldn't recall any of them.
McCoy led 11 men, two Humvees, and two light trucks on a mission to visit her troops in other outposts when the convoy was hit by a well-coordinated attack of daisy chain roadside bombs and direct fire.
"The first IED went off right in front of my vehicle," McCoy said. She ran her Humvee up and down the road to direct the fire of her troops, leaping out several times to fire her M4 carbine and M9 sidearm to repel the attackers firing automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades.
"I believe I hit two (of the enemy), but I don't know how many we killed," she said.
"The situation kept getting worse and worse," she said. "That is where training kicks in. You don't have time to consider everything that is going on. You're just acting. I really do credit a lot of our training for that and making us prepared to just react in an appropriate way."
Three of the four vehicles were disabled by the ambush. McCoy piled all 11 of her paratroopers into her Humvee and returned to base. Several of the troops had injuries, including concussions and ruptured eardrums, but none were life-threatening.
"We were probably quite a sight coming back through Ramadi," McCoy said about her overloaded Humvee.
The citation for her Bronze Star with Combat "V" states that "Capt. McCoy willingly and repeatedly took action to gather up her soldiers under enemy fire and direct fire at the enemy. Her actions inspired her men to accomplish the mission and saved the lives of her fellow soldiers."
If there were problems with her having command over men in her first tour in Iraq, McCoy said she couldn't remember what they were. She had heard third-hand stories of men in her unit getting in fights with those in other outfits who said anything derogatory about her leadership.
A Gallup poll conducted over the weekend showed overwhelming support for the announcement Jan. 24 by Panetta and Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to end the ground combat exclusion rule banning women from the infantry, armor and Special Forces jobs.
Nearly three-quarters of Americans approved of the change, including 83 percent of Democrats and 70 percent of Republicans, the poll showed.
McCoy echoed Panetta and Dempsey in saying that the move simply acknowledged the evolution in the society and the military on the roles and status of women. The change would now allow her and other military women to compete for positions, if they can meet the requirements – physical and otherwise -- to qualify, McCoy said.
"When you think about it, the military's always at the forefront of change in our society," McCoy said of the military's part in ending segregation and in scrapping the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy that barred gays in uniform from serving openly.
The new policy for women "recognizes what is reality. I think the policy just reflects what has happened in a decade of war. It's a reflection of where we are in our society," McCoy said.
"Perhaps, I've contributed," McCoy said of her own experiences. "What I did, what I've done, is not significant but maybe it's a piece of what led to the policy change."
"If you are capable and you can lead soldiers, it doesn't matter whether you're male or female, black or white, gay or straight -- you're qualified," McCoy said.
But the policy change won't change her own view of leadership in the military, McCoy said.
"My job as your commander is to be a leader and to be fair. That's what soldiers want -- they want to be treated fairly. It all boils down to leadership," McCoy said.
The rule change was not subject to approval by Congress, but there was criticism on Capitol Hill, including disapproval from Reps. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), both veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.
"What needs to be explained is how this decision, when all is said and done, increases combat effectiveness overall," said Hunter, who served two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan as a Marine officer.
"There's a difference between incidental combat, directly related to attacks against convoys or bases, and the direct combat duties of our advanced and most elite ground operators," Hunter, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said in a statement. "And in that respect, the idea that every combat mission and future conflict will mirror Iraq and Afghanistan is extremely shortsighted."
Hunter is not the only Congressman to have served in Iraq or Afghanistan. Reps. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) made history when they won their campaigns last November.
Gabbard and Duckworth are now the first women combat veterans to serve in Congress, and they were among a total of 12 Iraq and Afghanistan vets elected to Congress in November, nine of them Republicans.
Gabbard was a company commander with the 29th Brigade of the Hawaii Army National Guard and served as a medical operations specialist in Iraq in 2004. In 2009, she deployed again to Kuwait, where she helped train the Kuwaiti National Guard. She remains a military police captain in the Hawaii Guard.
Duckworth was an Army captain and lost her right leg near the hip and her left leg below the knee]when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter she was piloting was shot down in Iraq on Nov. 12, 2004. Duckworth, now a lieutenant colonel, remains in the Illinois National Guard.
"The decision to allow women to serve in combat will allow the best man or woman on the front line to keep America safe," Duckworth said in a statement Wednesday. "As a combat veteran, I know the inclusion of women in combat roles will make America safer and provide inspiration to women throughout our country."