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January 2010
Full-body scanners are the latest security gadgets at airports and millions of containers may soon need to be scanned before they are boarded on ships. But what is currently being done to secure transport on roads, rail and inland waterways? How will the responsibilities for securing inland transport be divided between the public and private sectors?
When it comes to security, inland transport is the weakest link in global supply chains and, compared to other modes of transport, inland transport security has not received adequate attention.
These issues were discussed during the "Inland Transport Security Discussion Forum" organised by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) on 28-29 January 2010, in partnership with the Service Public Fédéral Mobilité et Transports of Belgium, the International Road Transport Union (IRU), the International Union of Railways (UIC) and the Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA).
The security challenges facing inland transport range from terrorism, smuggling and trafficking to organized crime, petty theft and vandalism. To combat these problems, participants highlighted the need for freight security standards, driver training on security matters, government legislation and cooperation and the sharing of best practices across borders.
But this is, of course, easier said than done. With the global economic crisis, transport security has not been a priority. Furthermore, the issue of who will pay for increased security measure remains contentious: should it be the carrier, the producer, the consumer or governments? Some even suggest that inland transport crime is treated as "victimless" because it is assumed the companies who are hit the hardest can afford to foot the bill.
Not so, argued participants, who claim the costs of such crimes include loss of market share for those involved, loss of credibility for carriers as well as for countries, loss of customers and sales, insurance problems and poor health and safety conditions for staff members.
Furthermore, though increased security measures may be seen as obstacles to trade facilitation, they can in fact complement each other with a robust framework and proper implementation.
"The UNECE's objective is to improve the security of transport systems by reducing the likelihood of transport being a target or used as a vehicle for terrorism. The way we go about that is by modifying legal instruments administered here and by making the UNECE platform available to national authorities to exchange information and co-ordinate actions," said said Jan Kubis, Executive Secretary of UNECE in an opening address.
The two day meeting brought together around 100 representatives of governments, international organizations and the private sector to raise awareness for the issue, share experiences and discuss risk analysis and economic cost-benefit challenges.
UNECE legal instruments which contain security provisions include the carriage of dangerous goods, railways, vehicle regulations, infrastructure agreements and border crossings.
Topics which will be dealt with during the Discussion Forum included:
|Press Release and Interview
|UNECE calls for renewed efforts to increase inland transport security (same text as above in PDF format)
UN Radio interview:
Как защитить от терактов наземный транспорт? (short version - Russian only)
Наземный транспорт тоже нуждается в защите (long version - Russian only)


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I finally started reading The Happiness Project on the plane before seeing its author Gretchen Rubin speak at the Mom 2.0 Summit conference this past weekend.
I'm only on Chapter 3, and already I'm implementing some of Gretchen's simple tips for happier living.
Oh, and guess what? I feel happier! I really do.
In initiating my New Year's Resolution to find joy in a more balanced life, I have to report that the small stuff matters (who said we shouldn't sweat it?), especially in the life of a busy mom.
Who knew getting dressed in an actual "outside the house" outfit every morning and clearing off a pile-collecting kitchen countertop every week could make me feel so good? And almost accomplished. Yes, accomplished! — without even pulling out the vacuum or toilet brush or running a marathon or remodeling my kitchen!
So it turns out Gretchen Rubin's book The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun is right in line with my resolution too. Paying attention to small, even crazy obvious, solutions can make a lot of happiness. I swear!
At her keynote last week, Gretchen offered three take-away tips for happiness seekers, and they were as simple as they come:
- Get enough sleep (7-8 hours a night).
- Declutter (she said, "If you need to self medicate, clean a closet.").
- Learn something new.
Simple but at the same time genius! Think about how good you feel after getting a full night's sleep or decluttering a messy room or drawer. Think about the natural high you get from being engaged and excited and learning something new.
Heloise of the time-honored Hints From Heloise fame was there on the panel next to Gretchen too! Her take-away tips:
- Pick three things to clean and keep clean in your home (yes, just three!).
- Take five minutes of peace for yourself every day (even if you have to lock yourself in the bathroom to get it).
I don't know about you, but these are the kinds happiness tips I can actually apply in my life (well, still working on the sleep thing; have some work to do there since I currently believe sleep is a big waste of my precious time).
Check out my other post in which I apply Gretchen's closet-cleaning tips to our big closet (the morning after I returned home from hearing her speak!). It was awesome! And her chapter on Marriage also had me in tears and wanting to work harder in that regard.
Have you heard of The Happiness Project yet? Does the idea of seeking happiness scare you or thrill you (be honest)?

subset: commoncrawl


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Hello there. It's been some months that I wasn't here, but now I'm back.
As you can read in the title, I just made a fake cover for Marathon 2: Durandal for the Original Xbox.
There it is:
I made it with Photoshop CS6, and as a beginner in CS6, I would like to know what do you think of it.


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More Awards
You can redeem Flight Awards operated by Cathay Pacific, Cathay Dragon, Alaska Airlines, British Airways, Finnair, Iberia Airlines, Qantas Airways or Qatar Airways online.
Companion Ticket AwardsIf you have purchased a First or Business Class ticket, you could redeem a companion ticket for your friend or family.
Upgrade AwardsYou could use Asia Miles to upgrade your ticket to the next higher cabin class. Please note that the original ticket must be purchased in eligible fare classes.
Flight Awards RebookingTo change a confirmed flight date or flight number within the same itinerary, for the same airline, and same ticket expiry date, a service fee will apply per flight sector per passenger.


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When you think about SEO do you remember to think about how your website handles HTTP status codes? The odds are that you don't. Your "page not found" probably returns a 404 (everyone knows about that one) but what about programmatic error pages or login pages? Search engines index pretty much anything that has a 200 status code. This means if you don't pay attention you can end up with pages indexed & findable that shouldn't be.
For example, if you are logged out, Washington Post's newsletter page 302 redirects you to a login page that then serves a 200. This means a Google search for newsletters for washingtonpost.com gets indexed with the text from the login page. If they were to serve a 401 "Unauthorized" on the pages that require logins, these login pages would not be indexed. Use caution with that scenario though. It might be better to handle search engines differently than normal users so the content can be indexed.
Posted under Internet, SEO, Tips & Tricks, Web Development
This post was written by Michael Tougeron on June 11, 2009


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Research & Analysis by Alicia H. Munnell
How Do Trends in Women's Labor Force Activity and Marriage Patterns Affect Social Security Replacement Rates?
Changes in the role of women in the economy and in the family have affected both the amount and the type of Social Security benefits they receive in retirement. Women's labor force participation rate increased from less than 40 percent in 1950 to more than 70 percent in 2011. Over much of the same period, marriage rates fell and divorce rates rose. This article examines how women's higher earnings and lower marriage rates have affected Social Security replacement rates over time for individuals and for households.
What Determines 401(k) Participation and Contributions?
In addition to variables such as age, income, and job tenure, the length of an employee's planning horizon is a crucial factor affecting participation in and contribution to a 401(k) plan. On the plan side, the most important factors are the availability of matching contributions from the employer and the ability of employees to gain access to their funds before retirement through borrowing. Good information about the need for retirement savings and good plan design could significantly increase eligible employees' participation and contributions.


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You are currently browsing the tag archive for the 'Palestinians' tag.
Today President Donald Trump leaves on his first official foreign trip since being fraudulently elected by an archaic system and with the help of Russian hacking. He'll be visiting Vatican City, Saudi Arabia, and Israel and will be taking his teddy bear and night light since he doesn't like not sleeping in his own bed. Trump is no doubt hoping for a respite from unending witch hunts at home, even though everyone including his enemies agree that he's doing an amazing job and has all the best words, really.
What can we expect from the trip to the centres of Catholicism, Islam, and Judaism? Reports have surfaced of Trump's wishlist for activities, although the feasibility of some has already been questioned. Here, from unnamed sources <cough, Comey! cough> is the President's Holy Land(s) bucket list:
- Take the Popemobile out for a spin in St. Peter's Square; if possible, do some donuts
- Land a helicopter on Masada, proving that the US Army is better than Rome's
- Kiss the Black Stone at the Kaaba, to get the "gift of the grab"
- Solve the Arab-Israeli problem, if time allows also bring peace to entire Middle East
- Pick up one of those Pope hats at the Vatican gift shop
- Take that oil
- Make a deal to build a hotel on Palestinian land, probably
- Find out how Michelangelo painted all that stuff even though he's just a turtle
- Kiss Benjamin Netanyahu right on the lips
- Have some protestors beat up, like that Erdogan guy did in Washington
- Send postcards to Michael Flynn, a really great guy
- Cause at least one international incident every day
- Tweet out locations of Israel's nuclear weapons
- Make joke about how he hasn't seen a sand trap this big since golfing at the beautiful Trump Mar-a-Lago course
- Find out where the Vatican hides all its women; grab their pussies
- Put ketchup on hummus


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The Research and Statistics Committee of the Reference Services Section of RUSA invites the submission of research projects for presentation at the 20th Reference Research Forum at the 2014 American Library Association Annual Conference in Las Vegas, NV.
The Reference Research Forum continues to be one of the most popular and valuable programs during the ALA Annual Conference, where attendees can learn about notable research projects conducted in the broad area of reference services such as user behavior, electronic services, reference effectiveness and assessment, and organizational structure and personnel. All researchers, including reference practitioners from all types of libraries, library school faculty and students, and other interested individuals, are encouraged to submit a proposal.
For examples of projects presented at past Forums, please see the Committee's website:
The Committee employs a blind review process to select three projects for 20-minute presentations, followed by open discussion. Selected submissions must be presented in person at the Forum in Las Vegas, NV.
Criteria for selection:
• Quality and creativity of the research design and methodologies;
• Significance of the study for improving the quality of reference service;
• Potential for research to fill a gap in reference knowledge or to build on previous studies;
• Research projects may be in-progress or completed;
• Previously published research or research accepted for publication will not be accepted.
Proposals are due by Monday, December 30, 2013. Notification of acceptance will be made by Monday, February 10, 2014.
The submission must not exceed two pages. Please include:
1. A cover sheet including your name(s), title(s), institutional affiliation(s), mailing address(es), fax number(s) and email address(es).
2. The second page should NOT show your name, any personal information, or the name of your institution. Instead, it must include:
a. Title of the project;
b. Explicit statement of the research problem;
c. Description of the research design and methodologies used, and preliminary findings if any;
d. Brief discussion of the unique contribution, potential impact, and significance of the research.
Please send submissions by email to:
Ava Iuliano
Chair, RUSA RSS Research and Statistics Committee
Florida International University
Green Library 236C
11200 SW 8th St.
Miami, FL 33199


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Vendor Service Management Reporting
|1. The act or process of providing structured and repeatable data and information (i.e. reporting) on Vendor Service Management or Vendor Service related topics, such as but not limited to: activities, status, performance, quality and/or cost.
2. The capability or ability that allows for providing Vendor Service Management related reports.
Read More
|1) The Semantic Root Noun for this term is: Vendor Service
2) Semantically Related Terms: The "Vendor Service Management Glossary"
3) The Vendor Service Management Home Page covers much more about other related terms and concepts associated with this term or phrase.


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Q: My husband and I have been trying to have a baby for over a year, unsuccessfully. Can you give us an idea of what our next steps should be?
A: Over 10 percent of reproductive-age couples are unable to conceive even after a year of trying. There are many possible reasons for this, including issues with the male's sperm, the woman's ovulation, hormonal issues (from being very underweight or very overweight, or from thyroid or other hormonal conditions), cervical or uterine problems, or other anatomical problems (such as adhesions in the woman's tubes).
The first step to identify possible issues contributing to a couple's inability to conceive is a history and physical exam of both the man and the woman. Depending on the risks identified, further testing is done to specifically identify the limiting condition(s). This may include testing to examine the male's sperm (amount, motility, etc.), evaluation of the female's anatomy (for example a hysterosalpingogram, ultrasound, and/or other tests) and evaluation of the women's ability to ovulate (possibly including hormonal testing and/or other tests).
Overall, about a third of the time infertility is due to an issue with the man's sperm. Tubal issues in the woman account for another third, ovulation issues for about 15 percent, and other issues or no explanation identified in the rest.
Once a cause is identified, a specific care plan can be developed. This may include treatment for the male partner (or even consideration of using sperm donation), medical treatment of the woman to help increase ovulation (including weight change if that is a contributing factor, as well as medications to stimulate ovulation), surgery to address anatomical issues, use of intra-uterine insemination (where sperm is injected into the woman's uterus), and possibly use of assisted reproductive technology (ART, which is taking eggs from the women, typically by a minimally invasive surgical procedure, and combining them with sperm in the laboratory).
In the United States the most common approach to ART is in vitro fertilization (IVF, where a sperm is directly injected into the egg) with subsequent transfer of the embryo (after the fertilized egg has been incubated in a special culture medium for several days to increase the chance that is will be viable). The first IVF was done in 1976, and since then it has led to over 5 million successful pregnancies worldwide.
Other ART techniques include gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) where sperm are mixed with eggs and then immediately implanted in the women's fallopian tube to allow fertilization (a sperm entering the egg) to occur inside the woman's body, and zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT) where sperm are mixed with eggs in the laboratory (as in GIFT) and natural fertilization is allowed to occur before the fertilized egg is introduced into the woman's fallopian tube.
Between 1 and 2 percent of all pregnancies in the U.S. are from ART. Overall about 22 percent of ART result in the birth of a baby. In the U.S. 60 percent of ART births are of one baby and 40 percent are multiple gestations (naturally conceived pregnancies have only a 1 to 3 percent incidence of multiple gestations); ART accounts for 20 percent of all twins born in the U.S.
However, ART is not without some potential drawbacks, although defining exactly what complications are due to ART as opposed to other factors (such as the medical issues that led to the use of ART to achieve the pregnancy) is challenging.
To increase the likelihood of achieving a viable pregnancy, multiple embryos are usually implanted for ART, leading to the increase in multiple gestations. Multiple gestations carry an increased risk of premature delivery and birth, spontaneous loss of the pregnancy, as well as other obstetrical complications (such as ectopic pregnancy, heterotopic pregnancy [where one embryo is in the uterus but the other implants ectopically], gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and others).
Even in single gestation pregnancies from ART there may be a slight increased risk of the types of complications noted above. There are also some concerns for the baby from ART, with several studies showing a slightly higher rate of neurodevelopmental, congenital and/or genetic malformation issues.
Couples having difficulty conceiving should see a fertility specialist so they can have the workup appropriate for them and then discuss their best options. Yet another wonderful option that should be considered is adoption; this has huge benefits both for the child being adopted (and not just an infant, but children of all ages) and also for the lucky parent(s) beginning (or adding to) their family.
Jeff Hersh, Ph.D., M.D., can be reached at email@example.com


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While the rest of us were ringing in the new year with parties and fireworks, poor old Prince William was hunting for lost dog walkers in his lumbering Sea King helicopter.
He spent New Year's Eve away from Kate taking part in a search for a man blown into the sea in a force eight gale.
According to the Daily Mirror, William was on duty as part of a search and rescue helicopter crew when the alarm was raised that a man had been swept into freezing waves in Blackpool.
William was scrambled from RAF Valley on Anglesey, north Wales, just a few hours in to the New Year, searching for the missing man, who had been walking his dog in Blackpool with a friend when both men ended up in the water shortly after midnight.


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ECB Sets Monday Deadline for Cyprus
Michael Casey reports on the European Central Bank's Monday deadline for Cyprus, jobless claims and a global markets preview. Photo: Getty Images.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... the the ... speaking of market still the European Central Bank sets a Monday deadline for a site for steel ... and to busy day for markets Michael Casey is here to break it down ... Michael could monies are coming and ... it was still ... alright let's start with Cyprus they were basically Cypriots have to work out a bank rescue deal were to keep getting liquidity from the Citibank's theaters in addition to many uses this program these he maintains ... when banks desperate need cash to its key ally in the trend is is ... is is being quietly working ... in the background ... and and now ... that that that the ECB isn't couple maintain that in this this up front with which the system is the recap was going through it ... took super deals all about the cause is unknown ... the plan it put in place a rather controversial one ... involving attacks on deposits was rejected by the Parliament ... and now the stupid government is desperately trying to arrange alternative ... fund including a line from Robin Russia which is in the forthcoming ... as a very difficult ... situation ... which could cost ... ultimately lead to ... Cypress's exit from from the euro zone we'll see what remarkable wanted to get this one is that in the markets really don't seem to beat in Friday's due to an end state in the market mainly a lot of other news today for instance jobless claims show up two thousand less there are thirty six dollars out of the comparable SOEs up a mock its efforts into three that that's that's better than expected is opted to instill in you ... quite loudly on but again will we be news to the sea is ... calm we look to him forty thousand ... ounces this is a better number than that ... it ... that that novices continue to look quite positive in terms of the US is that that's helping the dollar of course but it's also helping the stock market ... and cost yet ... been Anqi it's a ... make a very clear that the city is is really not hiring one back its stimulus program via the online ... is helping to underpin demand for stocks in for risk assets in general and if I never knew Europe which is why when not necessarily seeing ... the markets to fall would have seen the euro nonetheless declined this morning ... the reason for that is the time ... will people flash PMI day ... it then preliminary manufacturing numbers out of European countries was just ... very weak which still isn't will nominate is that the euro zone is in ... use in a severe recession or if I'm ... I'm ... China Olsen had dinner out tonight that was ... considered the better than going to the new rules but some other than expected such theme this bifurcated well when she thought the U S and China ... you know of a rolling along relatively well but that the euro zones and in the call ... we he will get our minds is the ... most closely watched ... pasta with scooter market ... it's produced by market data company ... and other flash PMI number so look for it had also three stocks you're looking at Gorsky's DEL yet dealt costly and disruptive to swirl what you call so that it is just this this ongoing saga ... the latest news team ... that that could stymie ... Michael Dell's efforts to to to buy back the company ... has applied the Blackstone group is mulling its options is to sell these next that's one of the ... the um ... kind of ... at the dissident ... shareholder large shareholders allege doses of the city very close to the tothe prevented deals will pull its own on ... that side bets in the way except of course will just continue to keep the stock ... down theory on this one is that the spirit is gaining back ... or callings are now deadlocked Anderson an analyst with the disease is the way to Wednesday I don't know ... if they didn't do that it's a good fit for sales numbers ... the last clue that this is the fiscal third quarter just ended ... and Dom ... Oracle's planted on ... the run and execution problems quick review the lack of an audio marker was on the colonies and really we have a problem right which is enormous the recession has brought right but it's also perhaps it's just easy to say cousin is that mission to find a broom in hand it's a story from to be something trend four thousand sales last year I enticed eighteen months and the thousands of low light is the presence of the better ... but the thing is is it a few analysts are picking up the effect on the line the numbers in maybe I'm a ... bit of a lack the entire community can cross off with demanded that tried to come in line to sell assets or you can say we've been on a much time but Lululemon ... LULU Eminem and and that it will come to the sheer probably ... see a problem as yoga pants of course this is this is a fantastic story ... recall that had become as a result of the Wii with this and will ... play tonight that they cannot today to tell us ... how to their earnings of any profits they ... undermined ... by this recall and that's in it so it ... appears ... likely Casey thank so much for joining us thank you


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Free & Reduced-Price Meals
Apply for Meal Benefits Each School Year
We Participate in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Breakfast and lunch are available at no cost or at a reduced price for qualifying students.
Families must reapply each school year. Students who were on the program in the previous school year must submit an application within 30 days of the start of the new school year to avoid a gap in benefits.
Online Application
The online application through MealAppNow only takes a few minutes and is the fastest, easiest way to get approved.
Paper Application
Paper applications for 2019-2020 are available at school offices and from Nutrition Services at the Kent School District Administration Center.
- Kent School District 2019-2020 Household Application for Free and Reduced-Priced Meals
- Kent School District solicitud del hogar 2019-20 gratis y reducido
Find Out if You Qualify
Complete an application if any of the following apply:
- Your total household income is the same or less than the amount for your household size in the Household Income Guidelines table below.
- Your household receives Basic Food, takes part in the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)
- You are applying for a foster child that is under the legal responsibility of a foster care agency or court.
- You received free and reduced-price meals during the last school year.
Household Income Guidelines
Last Modified on November 15, 2019


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Home > Academics > Academic Resources > Office of Records and Advising > Office of Records
Office of Records
All official academic records are maintained in the Office of Records. Students have access to services during normal office hours. In compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, students may make appointments to inspect their academic records during regular office hours.
The Office of Records handles the following:
- assignment of academic space
- auditing classes
- change of major
- courses taken off campus
- course load
- credits
- degree audits
- drop/add courses
- enrollment verifications
- grade-point average
- grading
- incompletes
- intent to minor
- name/address change
- transcripts
- transfer credit
- veterans' tuition benefits


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Carey Mulligan is elegant as can be at the Tiffany & Co Great Gatsby dinner held at Rockpool on Thursday (May 23) in Sydney, Australia.
The 27-year-old actress was joined at the event by her co-stars Joel Edgerton with his girlfriend Alexis Blake, Elizabeth Debicki, director Baz Luhrmann, and singer Ricky Martin.
"I do sing a little bit but it's part of a trio – me and Justin Timberlake and an actor called Stark Sands. I have a tiny bit on my own, but it's just one line," Carey told an Aussie news source about her role in Inside Llewyn Davis.
10+ pictures inside of Carey Mulligan and others at the Great Gatsby dinner… More Here! »


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Celebrating illustration, design, cartoon and comic art of the mid-20th century.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Nat White and the Fine Art of Beans
Those who regard advertising as crass and devoid of artistic merit should take a good look at these ads. This is realism, and it is idealized, but its a distinctly stylized version of the perfect world. Unlike the more typical Madison Avenue eye candy of that era, White's interpretation of his subjects was as personal as a fingerprint.
Now I hope Nat's daughter and grandson (who may end up reading this at some point) don't take offense at where I'm going with this - because I really do love the artist's work - but over the years, as I've collected these ads, I've been intrigued by the unusual look of what I presume was White's efforts to portray cuteness in kids.
On occasion, as we see below, he pretty much hit the mark. This handsome little feller (though stylized in that very specific Nat White way) is the epitome of all-American boyish cuteness. Why I'll bet, after he finishes his burger, he's gonna go right out and throw a baseball or whittle a stick or something.
But then there's this kid, who is starting to look a little... odd...
And this guy... what's up with this guy? He looks like a 55 year old card shark who just swindled you out of your paycheque in Atlantic City.
And this kid - yikes! I call him "Nat White's Bean Eating Demon Child."
Just stare into those eyes for a minute and tell me you don't get the willies. And I didn't adjust the colours on this either - White actually painted Damien here with the glow of hellfire bottom-lighting his terrifying visage.
Again, I don't mean to disparage Nat White. I really do love his work. How he started out with the best of intentions and ended up painting pure evil will probably never be resolved. But the bigger mystery is...
... how the H-E-double-hockey-sticks did the art director, the ad agency and Stokely Van Camp all give their approval to print this scary artwork?!
* My Nat White Flickr set
21 comments:
Yes, Leif. I would agree that the first kid sure is 'cuter' than his siblings, but did you notice that he looks a little like ET?ReplyDelete
Hah... yeah, I noticed, Rich - but I'm going to chalk that up to the Nat White-ish stylization I so love in all his work. (Gotta watch myself here... I feel like I'm walking on eggshells with this post)ReplyDelete
Satan loves Van CampsReplyDelete
Found myself agreeing totally with the way that the kids look almost demonic and very scarey maybe wqith the effect beans can have on your digestive gasses and the release of them maybe this is why the kids look the way they do .... have they just let one go? ;)ReplyDelete
- Anonymous6:04 PM
These remind me a bit of Frank Kelly Freas's work, especially his MAD stuff. Maybe even a hint of similarity to some of Will Elder's painted material . . . or maybe my frame of reference is simply much to "cartoonist-centric"!ReplyDelete
The last kid is definitely an incipient serial killer but they all have such great character in the faces! I love it.
As always, thanks for all the effort you put into this blog, Leif.
Huw Evans
EYECATCHER Graphics
- Charlie Allen11:04 PM
You know, I wondered early on about those strange hands for Union Carbide....and even more so now after seeing these examples. Several things. I never noticed the guy or his illustrations back in my time. He almost defies description. Why would art directors or companies really go for this? In what medium did he work? Looks like tight oils. Tight fits....his work is tighter than a ducks ass, and they're waterproof! His interpretations don't seem satanic or diabolical to me. Just a bit primitive and quite strange. Hey, I guess illustration and art are in the eye of the beholder! Thanks, Leif, for an interesting blog.ReplyDelete
OK Lief, I agree the kid is creepy, but looking at the whole ad I begin to wonder if between the concept and the printing something was deleted. Let me explain. The kid is wearing a hat with fishing lures hooked to the band and eating his beans directly from the can. So, we can assume that this activity was probably not taking place at his Mom's kitchen table. What if the original concept was suppose to have been a camp fire in the picture as though this was situated at the campsite at the end of a day of fishing, then the reddish glow coming from below the kid's face would be prefectly acceptable. Without the image of the campfire, all we are left with is an amazingly weird looking kid. Supporting my interpretation, is the first line of the ad's text which reads, "The best luck of the day . . ." which would support this interpretation.ReplyDelete
Joyce; I think you may be on to something. That would make sense... its a leap that doesn't quite work, unfortunately, because I suppose the art director/client wanted to keep a consistent theme in their ads of a white background.ReplyDelete
And for the benefit of all ( and to clear my guilty concience ) - please all keep in mind that I was only poking fun ... I really am incredibly fond of Nat White's work.
* And Charlie, I think "tighter than a duck's ass" should be logged as an official term in the lexicon of artistic expressions! ;^)
- Chad Sterling1:50 PM
That last kid looks like he's wearing eyeliner-like Ozzy Osbourne or something.I think they are technically competent pictures, but on the evidence of these,I don't see that he had any particular talent for faces.ReplyDelete
There's not a single one I'd call 'good'.'Weird',yes.
- Charlie Allen2:20 PM
One more.....Let's face it! The guy couldn't draw. The hands and faces and compositions are lousy. He was not ready for prime time.ReplyDelete
Oh no, Chad and Charlie; please give poor Nat White a break! I think his work is charming in its oddness. And Van Camps and Union Carbide (and who knows how many others) must have agreed... not to mention their ad agencies. That's not to say advertisers haven't had poor judgement thoughout the ages, but still, just look at those top two ads with the ladies... I'm happy they didn't go for the Hollywood glamourized Cooper studio look -- White's stylized approach is so much more personal and charming.ReplyDelete
Jeez Louise, spring starts tomorrow - why so cranky, gents?
- Rich2:50 PM
I like those peaches, and the peas as well.ReplyDelete
"Charming in its oddness": like that phrase of Leif as well. How eloquent you are!
Charlie's remark on tightness is equally interesting: When is an illustration too tight? When is it bound to be too loose?
I agree with you Leif, it's an anti-Madison Ave look aimed at it's target demographic, middle Americans who eat Pork and Beans or spaghetti out of a can. Even the miners costume and fishing hat tell us who their audience is. Having said that, I think he made some poor choices in casting an executing those last three kid jobs.ReplyDelete
The interesting thing to me about Nat's paintings of children is that although they don't look much like the stereotypical Norman Rockwell kid they were meant to imitate, they DO succeed in looking like real children. Real children, like babies sometimes, do look like little old men. Try watching an old episode of "The Little Rascals" or "Our Gang," vintage 1936 or so, if you don't believe me. Kids do sometimes look evil while doing the most innocent things, a la Stokely's bean eating demon child. I saw a photo of a young second cousin just a few days ago, and, complete with straw hat and fishing pole, he had a look on his face that only a can of beans could complete. I don't know if any of this was done on purpose by Nat White or not, but to me there's a ring of truth to these unusual little kids.ReplyDelete
- Charlie Allen12:42 AM
Testy? You ain't heard testy yet! And, yep, our spring weather has been gorgeous lately. Here's the point, to me. People can't fairly judge history by today's knowledge and standards. Doesn't work. Today, Hiroshima, internment camps in the USA, mass atrocities in Europe and Asia, and much more, are judged by most who did not live and experience those times and those events. Perspective always changes....it's a constant, remember? Back to illustration. I think White would have been laughed out of town here in the 50's. I knew at least four young illustrators, far better than White, who had to leave for the midwest and east to get work. Three I know did well. 'Oddly charming' didn't cut it. I'll leave (I hear applause!) with a couple of quotes, maybe repeats. Edgar Whitney, well known watercolor teacher, said in effect, 'you get facts from photos....you should get art from artists!' White flunked on both counts. The second, in an interview with Edward R. Murrow, Louie Armstrong was asked what kind of modern music he thought the best. He answered, 'Daddy....there's just two kinds of music. There's good music, and there's bad music!' White's was bad. Is that cranky enough?ReplyDelete
- Rich5:15 AM
Yes, standards change. No one in 1950 would ever have foretold today's widespread crap produced by the music industry.ReplyDelete
I wonder if those bean illustrations did their job; may be they had some general appeal. But anyway; is the sales success of an illustration a measurable quantity?
Here we have a saying, that half the money spent on an advertisement is just tossed out of the window. The problem is - you don't know which half...
I don't know, I don't know... with respect, Charlie (and you know how much I respect your work and your opinion) there's another saying: "you can't see the forest for the trees."ReplyDelete
Not to devalue the anecdotal evidence of your first-hand experience, there is also value in being able to see a large body of work from a distance and assess it comparatively.
White's long-running success on multi-year campaigns for major national advertising accounts (at least two that we're aware of) suggests that his artwork played a role in sales and marketing success of their products, doesn't it? Something about his style appealed to the ad agency, the client(s) AND most importantly, the buying public - or he would have been shown the door in favour of other talents, no?
By contrast, look at the also long-running Pepsi "Sociables" campaign I showcased a couple of years ago. Many of those ads were done in that gorgeous glamorous Cooper studio style... but by many illustrators - not one specific artist. Because they were all such masters of that perfect Madison Avenue idealized reality, they were, to Pepsi and the ad agency running the campaign, essentially interchangeable. Not so for Union Carbide or Stokely Van Camp's. They stuck with Nat White. Seems he had "the right stuff".
- Chad Sterling11:38 AM
Maybe Leif and Charlie are both right.ReplyDelete
We could tell if White was any good if there is other work where he showed he could paint a 'nice-looking' person; something to show that he deliberately skewed his work in this odd direction intentionally ( I could believe this if it were Harry Anderson or Charlie Allen) or whether it was just technical deficiency.
If it were the former, I'd respect his original thinking, I dont believe in respecting incompetence.
Now it may be the AD saw something in this and harnessed it to the service of his product.Which would make HIM the genius/Don Draper figure.
I suspect it was more likely the latter.
Interesting conundrum.
- Chris White Jorgensen12:13 PM
from Nat White's daughter, Chris White Jorgensen (email@example.com):ReplyDelete
Thanks for your charitable comments, Leif!
Yet I have to agree that those boys' expressions are creepy, and can't figure out why, when they don't reflect Dad's personality at all. His facial illustrations of women and men are better. He used my gorgeous Mom's face and graceful hands for his decades of Crane Stationary ads, for instance.
It might also be good to research further as follows:
1. 30 yrs. of Gulf Oil posters;
2. Two Readers' Digest Covers: one of the Olympics in Japan, and one of the Zodiac;
3. The first Korean War poster of a man with hundreds of parachutes coming down behind him;
4. His volumnous later work for Reproducta Company in Manhattan including beautiful greeting cards, a booklet on the Stations of the Cross for Sacred Heart Monastery in Walls, MO, a booklet on national monuments for Book of the Month Club.
Dad simply loved painting, and was so meticulous that he often ran through one tiny camel hair paint brush per illustration. The lights on his Christmas trees had 5 layers of paint, and so had a luminescence that was beautiful.
As a little girl standing silently, slightly behind him as he worked nights in the studio at home, classical music in the background, my heart would fill with joy as I'd notice Dad was often smiling faintly, his eyebrows raised. At times he'd swish his brush in the glass of water on the table on his right. Then he'd flick it, and the point would be restored. We were all so proud of him.
Later, after becoming a Jesus-follower, I had a vision of a hand picking up a paintbrush which was totally dry and askew, a smooshed mess. The hand slowly dipped the brush into living water and flicked it. The brush shone with fresh life, pointed and focused for some work of art. The application was and is clear to me.
Have a blessed day and heavenly future.
- Anonymous10:01 AM
They're all creepy and crass. Maybe Nat pulled off a satiric/ironic coup on his employers? But the demonic bean child is now saved on my hard drive, it's first rate creepy.Creepy for the ages.ReplyDelete
The gestures and and body anatomy are good, but the expressions and facial anatomy descend into the uncanny valley.


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When I blogged about the many uses of chanclas, I mentioned that Carlos goes "mosca" hunting with the kids. He can't stand when flies get into the house and when he spots one, he demands that everyone work together to kill it immediately.
(From the original post): I hear it multiple times per week in the summertime: "There's a fly in the house! Get a chancla!" … Maybe my husband and kids are weird, but they go fly hunting. They wait until it goes into a bedroom and then the commotion starts, "She's in your room! Close the door! Quick!" (For some reason my husband always refers to flies as "she". I guess because the word for fly, "mosca", is feminine.) … Sometimes the hunt can go on for a good 20 minutes. I'll hear the chancla hit the wall with varying degrees of force. Sometimes the fly's escape will be blamed on one of the children, ("You were in my way! I almost got it that time! Move!) and finally, the much awaited killing occurs with much celebration.
Well, last night, while I cleaned up the dinner dishes, someone opened the door and let a mosca in. Predictably, the hunt began so I set up a hidden camera so you could see, I'm not exaggerating in the least. Here is a fairly normal evening with the López family. (Apologies in advance for the generous view of my cleavage. I had taken the boys to the pool earlier and hadn't changed my clothes.)


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Once again, it's the time of year when clients seek advice about making moves to reduce overall income tax liability. Deferring income and accelerating deductions become part of the playbook for a winning game plan. But for many clients, the ability to defer income is not a possibility, and any available deductions have already been maximized. What can these clients do? The answer: Give some wealth away.
Your clients still have time to make meaningful gifts that may not only benefit their tax bill but also a host of charitable organizations that have suffered due to the challenging economic climate. Yet with only a few weeks left to make a donation that will reduce 2011 income tax liability, you should consider simplicity when implementing a year-end gifting strategy.
Consider a DAF
The simplest way to make a gift would be to give cash or property to the charitable organizations your client may wish to support. That is certainly effective, but some clients may not feel comfortable making a significant gift if they haven't had enough time to perform adequate due diligence on the specific charities or causes. For such clients, a donor-advised fund (DAF) is worthy of consideration. With a DAF, clients can receive the income tax benefits associated with a direct gift to charity without the pressure of having to know exactly which charities will ultimately benefit from the gift.
In basic terms, a DAF is an account created at a charity to accept donations from a donor (i.e., your client) that may be managed by the donor's financial advisor (i.e., you) and eventually distributed to other charities sometime in the future. Donations to the DAF are generally tax-deductible in the year in which they are made.
Once the donor has contributed to the DAF, he or she assumes the role of "grant advisor." In this capacity, he or she can make recommendations to the sponsoring charity as to the timing, amount and recipients of future distributions from the fund. Although the grant advisor's recommendations are nonbinding, as long as the recommended distribution is to a qualified charity, the sponsoring charity (i.e., the DAF) will generally follow the suggestion.
An Excellent Tax and Giving Tool
For clients who itemize deductions, the DAF is a powerful means for reducing taxes. Contributions to it are deductible to the same extent as direct gifts to a public charity. The deduction is based on several factors, including the fair market value of the donated property, the type of property donated (long-term versus short-term capital gain), and the client's adjusted gross income (AGI).
For donations of cash, deductions are generally limited to 50% of a client's AGI; however, if a client contributes long-term capital gain property, the limitation is 30% of his or herAGI. If a client makes a contribution large enough that the deduction cannot be completely exhausted due toAGIlimitations, he or she can carry the remaining deduction forward for five years.
A DAF is also a great planning tool for receiving contributions of highly appreciated assets grown within a client's portfolio. Because the DAF is tax-exempt, a client can donate his or her highly appreciated positions, receive a tax deduction, and avoid the recognition of capital gains built into the contributed assets. So when planning to make a contribution to a DAF or directly to the sponsoring charity, clients should always consider highly appreciated assets.
IRA Distributions to Charity
In general, an IRA is viewed as an unattractive option to serve as a source for making charitable gifts. This is because the IRA owner would incur income tax liability upon distribution of the amount subsequently gifted to the charity. A tax deduction for the donation may be available, but the deduction may not fully offset the tax liability associated with the distribution due to AGI limitations on such charitable deductions. For some clients, however, now may be an ideal time to use their IRAs to meet charitable giving goals through a charitable rollover.
The charitable rollover allows certain individuals (at least age 70½) to make gifts totaling up to $100,000 directly from their IRAs to charities without recognizing the income associated with the distribution. For clients who don't need income from their IRAs but who take required minimum distributions, it represents a great opportunity. But these clients must act now. Legislation regarding charitable rollovers is set to expire at the end of 2011. After the legislation expires, it is unclear whether the charitable rollover will be made available in the future.
Commonwealth Financial Network does not provide legal or tax advice. You should consult a tax or legal professional regarding your individual situation.
Gavin Morrissey is the vice president of wealth management at Commonwealth Financial Network®, member FINRA/SIPC, a registered investment adviser, in San Diego, Calif. He is available at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Big Ten M5: 11.15.13 EditionPosted by Max Jakubowski on November 15th, 2013
- Friday at 4:00 PM ET marks a huge day for Illinois as five-star forward Cliff Alexander will announce his college decision — he is down to Illinois, Kansas, DePaul, and Memphis. The Chicago native has his decision in mind and most believe it will be either Illinois or Kansas. Kansas has long been the favorite for Alexander, with Jayhawks' assistant Jerrance Howard recruiting him since he was an eighth-grader. But Illinois and John Groce have made a late surge and have some momentum. If Alexander puts on the Illini hat Friday, it will not only represent Groce's growing recruiting presence in Chicago, but will also signal that Illinois is ready to get back to being a national power.
- Along with Alexander, elite Class of 2014 prospects Jahlil Okafor, Tyus Jones and Stanley Johnson will also announce Friday afternoon. Besides Illinois for Alexander, no other Big Ten team is in the running for these three recruits. But that doesn't mean the Big Ten is done recruiting top prospects this year. Indiana is heavily pursuing point guard JaQuan Lyle, a former Louisville commitment. Minnesota and Rashad Vaughn have mutual interest. Vaughn, a shooting guard from Golden Valley, Minnesota, would be Richard Pitino's first major recruit during his short tenure as a head coach. Also look out for Ohio State to continue to pursue consensus top five player Myles Turner, a center who has been compared favorably to former NPOY Anthony Davis. The Buckeyes already have one of the nation's best 2014 recruiting classes and all that is missing is a talented big man like Turner.
- Tom Izzo and his Michigan State Spartans are coming off a huge Tuesday night victory over Kentucky. Despite the monster win, Izzo is not pleased with his team's effort on the boards. Adreian Payne battled foul trouble in the second half and that limited his effectiveness. Izzo desperately needs either Matt Costello, Gavin Schilling or Alex Gauna to become a consistent rebounder who the Spartans can lean on to average at least seven boards a game beyond Payne's production. Gary Harris is another player who Izzo wants to see increase his rebounding activity. He only averaged 2.5 rebounds per game last season.
- Iowa has found a stud player via the transfer hub in Jarrod Uthoff. With two scholarships open for the class of 2014, head coach Fran McCaffery said he might turn to the transfer trail to fill them again. Transfers have become increasingly important to college programs, especially when they can get waivers to play right away. Don't be shocked to see Iowa possibly pick up two graduate students for next season who will be granted immediate eligibility.
- There are two major games involving Big Ten teams this weekend. First, #10 Ohio State goes to Milwaukee to take on #17 Marquette Saturday. Look out for the important match-up in the post between Amir Williams and Davante Gardner. Gardner was a first team all-Big East preseason selection and will be a handful for Williams, who has never lived up to his McDonald's All America hype. On Sunday, #7 Michigan travels to Ames to take on Iowa State. Both teams will each be without a key player, though — Iowa State's Melvin Ejim is out with a bad left knee and Michigan's Mitch McGary is not expected to play due to a nagging back injury. It's not a huge deal now, but each team clearly needs its respective injured player to get healthy by the time conference play starts.


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The best way to start is to do some preliminary research. Visit websites such as the Better Business Bureau (BBB) or any of the multitude of repair shop review websites to scout for prospects. Check with friends or colleagues to see if they would recommend a shop they've used in the past. Often, the best advice comes from someone in your social network who has seen the shops work first-hand.
Next, check with professional organizations. The Automotive Service Association (ASA) and America's Collision Repair Association (ACRA) are both useful resources to use when looking for a dependable shop. Shops typically have to maintain rigorous standards and uphold a code of ethics to gain membership. To go a step further, once you have narrowed down your search, you can check to see if their repair technicians are certified by Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). These technicians have undergone specialized training which sets them apart from the rest.
When you visit the shop, make sure that it is clean and has a professional appearance; this is a reflection on their work. Confirm the shop is licensed in your state and, if needed, ask to see a copy of their license. Make sure they can do work on your make and model of vehicle. Show them your appraisal and find out if they will have any problems ordering the necessary parts. If everything looks good, get a timeframe for when you can drop off your car and when the work should be completed. Ask to be kept updated on the repairs as they progress. Also, take this time to discuss any deductible you may be responsible for and make sure that everyone is on the same page as far as what will be owed upon completion.
When the time comes to pick up your car, give it a good once over. Closely check the area which was damaged. See if the body panels line up and the paintwork matches. Check that the hood, trunk, and doors all open and close properly if they were affected by the impact. Bring up any concerns you have before taking your vehicle. It will be much easier to get them addressed on the spot rather than days or weeks later.
If an issue does come up down the road, call the shop to report it. Most will address legitimate complaints and work to correct them. If they don't, report them to the professional organizations to which they belong. You can also contact your county or state consumer protection agency to report the situation and also file a complaint with the BBB.
If none of this gets the shop moving and the faulty workmanship issues persist, consider pursuing a claim against the repair shop's insurance company. If you followed the above steps and chose a licensed and reputable shop, they will have an insurance policy which should cover you if they did a shoddy job on your repairs.


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Top Items:
Joe Holley / Houston Chronicle:
Cornyn: Congress will not allow default — Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, the Republican whip, said in Houston Thursday that Congress will not allow an impasse over raising the debt ceiling to result in the federal government defaulting on its spending obligations. — "We will raise the debt ceiling.
Reid Pillifant / Capital New York: Republican leaders emerged from their caucus retreat in Williamsburg …
Katie Glueck / Politico: John Cornyn: 'We will raise the debt ceiling'
Extreme Liberal / Angry Black Lady Chronicles: The Slow, Steady Demise of the Republican Party Continues
Brett LoGiurato / Business Insider: REPUBLICAN SENATOR: 'We Will Raise The Debt Ceiling'
Michael O'Brien / First Read: GOP to seek three-month extension of debt limit
Robert Schroeder / Political Watch: Most say not raising debt limit would mean crisis: poll
Jed Lewison / Daily Kos: Paul Ryan says House Republicans are considering a short-term debt limit hike
Ed Morrissey / Hot Air: Cornyn: We're going to raise the debt ceiling; Update: House to push debt limit to ... April 15?
Rachel Weiner / Post Politics: Sen. John Cornyn: 'We will raise the debt ceiling'
John Parkinson / ABCNEWS: Paul Ryan: GOP Mulling Short-Term Debt Limit Hike
Jennifer Rubin / Right Turn: The real story on the debt ceiling fight
Charles Krauthammer / Washington Post:
A new strategy for the GOP — It has become conventional wisdom that Republicans are suffering an internal split that President Obama is successfully exploiting to neuter the Republican House. It is not true, however, that the Republican split is philosophical and fundamental.
Discussion: Politico, The Plum Line, Talking Points Memo, Weekly Standard, PostPartisan, The Week, neo-neocon, Taylor Marsh, Prairie Weather, Wall Street Journal, Right Turn, Mediaite, New York Magazine, Betsy's Page, The Right Scoop, Business Insider, Vodkapundit, Post Politics, FreedomWorks blogs, Hot Air and New York Times
Jake Sherman / Politico: House Republicans plan debt ceiling vote
Greg Sargent / The Plum Line: GOP takes off the suicide bomb vest
John McCormack / Weekly Standard: House GOP: We'll Raise Debt Limit for 3 Months if Senate Agrees to Produce a Budget
Rachel Manteuffel / PostPartisan: PostScript: Krauthammer and picking GOP battles
Keith Hennessey / Wall Street Journal: How to Wage the Debt-Ceiling Fight
Jennifer Rubin / Right Turn: Political reality and GOP survival in Obama's second term
Meenal Vamburkar / Mediaite: Charles Krauthammer Advises GOP: 'Don't Force The Issue When You Don't Have The Power'
Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine: Republicans: Okay, Maybe We Can't Shoot the Hostage, But Maybe We Can Slap Him Around or Something
Betsy Newmark / Betsy's Page: Cruising the Web — Look for an important ruling from the D …
Joe Weisenthal / Business Insider: Finally, Conservatives Are Telling The GOP The Hard Truth About The Debt Ceiling
Stephen Green / Vodkapundit: Fore More Years... Krauthammer on the GOP's civil war:
JBorowski / FreedomWorks blogs: End the Debt Ceiling Shenanigans
Rosalind S. Helderman / Washington Post:
House Republicans agree to vote on bill to raise debt limit for 3 months
House Republicans agree to vote on bill to raise debt limit for 3 months
Discussion: PostPartisan, Booman Tribune, Right Turn, The National Memo, The Page and Post Politics
James Downie / PostPartisan: Conservatives try but can't quite let go of extremism
Jennifer Rubin / Right Turn: House Republicans play it smart on debt ceiling
Henry Decker / The National Memo: House Republicans Announce Vote On Three-Month Debt Limit Extension
Mark Halperin / The Page: The Leverage — Republicans are now talking about raising …
Natalie Jennings / Post Politics: White House 'encouraged' by GOP debt vote
Jonathan Weisman / New York Times:
House G.O.P. Agrees to Lift Debt Ceiling for 3 Months
House G.O.P. Agrees to Lift Debt Ceiling for 3 Months
Discussion: msnbc.com
Zachary Roth / msnbc.com: GOP caves on debt ceiling fight — for now
Brian Beutler / Talking Points Memo:
GOP De-Escalates Debt Limit Fight
GOP De-Escalates Debt Limit Fight
Discussion: Bloomberg, Taegan Goddard's … and The Caucus
Washington Post:
House Republicans using retreat as chance for self-reflection
House Republicans using retreat as chance for self-reflection
Discussion: msnbc.com, Right Turn and Taegan Goddard's …
Cathy Finkler / msnbc.com: Virginia governor to GOP: 'Stick to your principles'
Jennifer Rubin / Right Turn: Ten seminars for the GOP retreat
Russell Berman / The Hill: House GOP to vote next week on three-month increase to debt limit
Up next for Obama: A looming Democratic divide — As President Barack Obama approaches his second inaugural on Monday, he presides over a party that has largely papered over its divisions for the past four years thanks to the president's commanding popularity.
Discussion: New York Times, Capital New York, Washington Monthly, Firedoglake, The Week, msnbc.com, First Read and Lynn Sweet
Jennifer Steinhauer / New York Times: Democrats Are Split Over How to Shape Approach to Gun Bills
Azi Paybarah / Capital New York: Audio: Cuomo, on a call with Democratic officials, talks Democratic
The Hardball / msnbc.com: Let Me Start: Democratic Divide
First Read:
First Thoughts: Different attitude greeting Obama's upcoming inaugural
First Thoughts: Different attitude greeting Obama's upcoming inaugural
Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Taegan Goddard's …, Outside the Beltway and Business Insider
Joe Gandelman / The Moderate Voice: NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll: Obama Popular, GOP Plummetting, Congress Disdained
Doug Mataconis / Outside the Beltway: GOP, Tea Party Hit New Lows In New Poll
Hayes Brown / ThinkProgress:
New Study Highlights Threat From Far Right-Wing Groups In U.S. — A new study from a think tank connected to the West Point Military Academy highlights the threat of violent far-right movements in the United States, leading to the conclusion that, while diverse in in their causes …
Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Agonist, Booman Tribune, Mediaite and Alan Colmes'
Ed Kilgore / Washington Monthly: Can "Patriots" Be Terrorists?
Steve Hynd / The Agonist: Singing the song of angry men
Rowan Scarborough / Washington Times:
West Point center cites dangers of 'far right' in U.S.
West Point center cites dangers of 'far right' in U.S.
Discussion: protein wisdom, National Review, Infowars and Weasel Zippers
John Fund / National Review: A New Anti-Terror Front? Yes, the Government Thinks It's 'Right-Wing Extremists'
Kurt Nimmo / Infowars: DHS Says Gun Owners Are Terrorists
Jeff Plungis / Bloomberg:
Naked-Image Scanners to Be Removed From U.S. Airports — The U.S. Transportation Security Administration will remove airport body scanners that privacy advocates likened to strip searches after OSI Systems Inc. (OSIS) couldn't write software to make passenger images less revealing.
Discussion: TalkLeft, Techdirt, The Daily Caller, The Raw Story and Hot Air
Mike Masnick / Techdirt: TSA Dumps Rapiscan Naked Airport Scanners After Failure To Make Them 'Less Revealing'
Josh Peterson / The Daily Caller: TSA to remove naked-body scanners from airports
David Ferguson / The Raw Story: Naked-image full-body scanners to be taken out of U.S. airports
Mary Katharine Ham / Hot Air: TSA to remove nudie scanners from airports because they couldn't make them less nekkid
Hugo Martin / Los Angeles Times:
TSA ends contract with Rapiscan, maker of full-body scanner
TSA ends contract with Rapiscan, maker of full-body scanner
Discussion: The Atlantic Online and Eschaton
Megan Garber / The Atlantic Online: The TSA Has Ended Its Contract With Airport Scanner Maker Rapiscan
FishbowlDC sued for libel — Washington, D.C.-based publicist Wendy Gordon is suing FishbowlDC, the local media gossip site, for waging "an unprovoked, online smear campaign" against her. — Gordon filed a libel lawsuit on Thursday, the Legal Times reported, and it names FishbowlDC editor Betsy Rothstein …
Discussion: The Daily Caller
Taylor Bigler / The Daily Caller: The 10 best lines from the greatest lawsuit ever
Zoe Tillman / The BLT:
D.C. Media News Website Sued for Libel
D.C. Media News Website Sued for Libel
Discussion: Poynter, more at Mediagazer »
Andrew Beaujon / Poynter: Publicist sues FishbowlDC for libel
Obama unveils 'Organizing for Action' — President Barack Obama on Friday announced the relaunch of his remaining campaign apparatus as a new tax-exempt group called Organizing for Action that will "play an active role" in "mobilizing around and speaking out in support of important legislation" during his second term.
Discussion: The Plum Line, The National Memo, CNN, msnbc.com and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion
Jamelle Bouie / The Plum Line: Can the new, relaunched OFA help Dems in 2014?
Jason Sattler / The National Memo: Obama For America To Relaunch, Giving Democrats New Hope For 2014
Paul Steinhauser / CNN: 'Obama for America' to morph into 'Organizing for Action'
Morgan Whitaker / msnbc.com: OFA 2.0: Obama for America converts into nonprofit group
William A. Jacobson / Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion: Cult of Personality — Keith Koffler at White House Dossier …
Matea Gold / Los Angeles Times:
Seeking to harness Obama's campaign resources for a second term
Seeking to harness Obama's campaign resources for a second term
Discussion: Talking Points Memo, BuzzFeed, Mother Jones, The Hill, TechPresident, Politico, Daily Kos, Ballot Box, Prairie Weather and Mediaite
Zeke Miller / BuzzFeed: Democrats Explain "Organizing For Action"
Miranda Neubauer / TechPresident: First POST: OFA 4.0 … WEGOV — TIMELINE — ONLINE ORGANIZING
Cameron Joseph / Ballot Box: Bill Burton heads to Global Strategy Group
Tommy Christopher / Mediaite: Obama For America Activate! OFA Joins President To Fight For Gun Proposals
Michael Kunzelman / Associated Press:
Ray Nagin, Former New Orleans Mayor, Indicted On 21 Corruption Charges, Including Bribery, Fraud — FOLLOW: — Video, Mayor Ray Nagin, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, Ray Nagin, Ray Nagin Charges, Ray Nagin Corruption, Ray Nagin Indicted, Ray Nagin New Orleans, Ray Nagin New Orleans Mayor, Politics News
Gordon Russell / New Orleans Times-Picayune:
Ray Nagin, former New Orleans mayor, charged with taking bribes while in office
Ray Nagin, former New Orleans mayor, charged with taking bribes while in office
Discussion: Taegan Goddard's …, New Orleans Metro Real … and Washington Free Beacon
Ben Smith / BuzzFeed:
Sandy Hook Conspiracy Theories Edge Toward The Mainstream — "By far the hottest topic of the moment." Ignore it and it won't go away. — There are two kinds of conspiracy theories: The ones about the Illuminati and about mysterious "chemtrails," which lurk forever in the online twilight zone …
Discussion: snopes.com, The Week and Glenn Beck
Brent Schrotenboer / Associated Press:
Lance Armstrong to Oprah: Story was 'one big lie' … Saying his "mythic, perfect story" was "one big lie," Lance Armstrong admitted that he cheated during most of his famed cycling career and that he bullied people who dared to tell the truth about it. — After denying doping allegations …
Discussion: The Heritage Foundation, The New Republic, Infowars, msnbc.com, American Power and Taylor Marsh
Bill Gifford / The New Republic: Lance Armstrong: No More Mr. Nice Guy
Robert Gifford / msnbc.com: NOW Today: Belief to betrayal
Donald Douglas / American Power: How Fallen Stars Earn Forgiveness ... or Not ...
Glenn Kessler / Washington Post:
Is Lance Armstrong the world's biggest liar?
Is Lance Armstrong the world's biggest liar?
Ed Morrissey / Hot Air: 28 Pinocchios for Lance Armstrong?
Lydia Saad / Gallup:
Americans Call for Term Limits, End to Electoral College — Virtually no partisan disagreement on these long-discussed constitutional reforms — PRINCETON, NJ — Even after the 2012 election in which Americans re-elected most of the sitting members of the U.S. House and Senate …
Discussion: Firedoglake, The Daily Caller, Hot Air, CNN, Politico and The Hill
Caroline May / The Daily Caller: 3 out of 4 Americans favor congressional term limits
Ed Morrissey / Hot Air: Shocker: Americans want term limits and end to Electoral College after re-electing a bunch of incumbents
Ashley Killough / CNN: Poll: Three-quarters support term limits
Katie Glueck / Politico: Poll: 75 percent want Hill term limits
David Brooks / New York Times:
The Next Four Years — President Obama's second inaugural comes at an interesting moment, what you might call the end of the era of the Grand Bargain. Throughout his first term, Democrats and Republicans didn't achieve a Grand Bargain on spending and taxes, but there was a sense that history was moving in that direction.
Discussion: New York Magazine, Washington Monthly, Wonkblog, Mother Jones, No More Mister Nice Blog and msnbc.com
Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine: David Brooks Now Totally Pathological
Ezra Klein / Wonkblog: Is the Republican Party Obama's fault?
Kevin Drum / Mother Jones: Let's Get One Thing Straight: It's Republicans Who Are Picking Fights, Not President Obama
Steve M. / No More Mister Nice Blog: OBAMA FOLLOWS THE ADVICE OF DAVID BROOKS, GETS CRITICIZED FOR IT BY ... DAVID BROOKS
Mark Hemingway / Weekly Standard:
Whoops: PolitiFact's 'Lie of the Year' Turns Out to Be True — Last month, PolitiFact selected its "Lie of the Year." Given PolitiFact's dubious record of singling out Republicans for lying far more often than Democrats, you probably could have guessed the winner of this particular sweepstakes was a Mitt Romney campaign ad:
Discussion: Reuters
Mickey Kaus / The Daily Caller:
The Education of Ezra Klein (and Barack Obama) continues: In 2007, Young Ezra Klein was full of enthusiasm about the cost-saving potential of electronic record keeping in the health industry. The failure to rapidly adopt this new technology was nothing less than an indictment of the American way of Medicine:
Discussion: FishbowlDC, Washington Examiner and The Atlantic Online
Piranhamous / FishbowlDC: The (Mis)Education of WaPo's Ezra Klein
Lindsay Abrams / The Atlantic Online: The Future of Medical Records
Daniel W. Drezner:
How the current GOP thinks like revolutionaries — and why that's a bad thing — In an exit interview with the Wall Street Journal, outgoing U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said some provocative things about the state of America's political system and how that affects our standing in the world.
Discussion: The Agonist, The Hill, A plain blog about politics, Portland Press-Herald, Washington Wire, Right Turn and Politico
Steve Hynd / The Agonist: House GOP Blinks Once On Debt Ceiling
Molly K. Hooper / The Hill: Rank and file tell GOP leaders to keep sequester, shutdown 'on the table'
Jonathan Bernstein / A plain blog about politics: What Kind of Crazy Are the GOP?
Portland Press-Herald: Charles Krauthammer: Republicans could use debt ceiling to bargain for a budget
Maggie Haberman / Politico: Another group to hit Chuck Hagel from right
GOProud, Inc.:
GOProud Statement on Marriage and Relationship Recognition — Statement of the GOProud Board of Directors — (Washington, D.C.) - On Saturday January 12th, the GOProud Board of Directors met in Washington, D.C. and adopted the following resolution regarding the issue of marriage and relationship recognition:
Discussion: The New Civil Rights Movement
Chris Geidner / BuzzFeed:
GOProud Backs Civil Marriage For Gay Couples
GOProud Backs Civil Marriage For Gay Couples
Discussion: Joe. My. God.
Steve Contorno / Washington Examiner:
Virginia lawmaker's AK-47 sparks gun debate on House floor … A Richmond-area lawmaker brandished an AK-47 on the floor of the Virginia House of Delegates on Thursday in a wild stunt aimed at rallying support for tougher gun laws. — Del. Joe Morrissey, D-Highland Springs …
Discussion: Politico, Weasel Zippers and ABCNEWS
Katie Glueck / Politico: Pol wields AK-47 on Statehouse floor
Chris Good / ABCNEWS: Virginia Lawmaker Brandishes AK-47 on House Floor
Adam Peck / ThinkProgress:
NRA President Blames Obama For 'Hundreds' Of Death Threats … On a right-wing talk show on Thursday, David Keene, the president of the National Rifle Association, blamed President Obama and the left for what he says have been hundreds of death threats made against him and his family.
Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, Daily Kos and The Raw Story
Jim Hoft / The Gateway Pundit: NRA President Says He's Recieved Hundreds of Death Threats the Day After Obama Declares War on NRA
Barbara Morrill / Daily Kos: It's official: NRA president loses his ever-loving mind
John R. MacArthur / Harper's:
Google's Media Barons … I had to cheer when I read the news the other week about a French company that's selling an ad-blocking service on the Internet. Xavier Niel, the entrepreneurial owner of the web-service provider Free, is threatening to smash the advertiser-supported "free-content" model.
Discussion: The Verge, Boing Boing, Balloon Juice and Hit & Run, more at Mediagazer »
Adi Robertson / The Verge: Harper's publisher says Google's 'toddler gibberish' is driving us insane
Rob Beschizza / Boing Boing: Harper's publisher says Teletubby Bye-Bye
Mistermix / Balloon Juice: A Get Off My Lawn for the Ages
Brian Doherty / Hit & Run: Harper's Publisher Rages at Google for Not Understanding What He Means, Yells at Internet: "Hey!


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Biker Boys - Blue Base Multi Color Checked Cotton Half Sleeve Shirts
This Product is directly manufactured by fashionequation and we guarantee the quality and genuiness of the product.
Return Policy: We will gladly accept returns for any reason within 15days of receipt of delivery.
No Questions Asked.
No Return Or Exchange On Products Under Summer Splash Sale.
Biker Boys shirts are long lasting and gives extra comfort for your kids. These are made up of Bio-Finish cotton fabric for softness.
The Brand which was established in 1975 has the Authentic funky style which gives out a great look.
One Front Pocket
Colour - Multicolor


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The Science Behind
Automatic Sound Management
Make Seamless Transitions Between
Listening Environments without Adjusting Settings
Other processors require users to make frequent program or setting changes in order to enjoy an optimal listening experience. Superior front-end processing featuring Automatic Sound Management detects changing listening situations on the go, adapting automatically so you don't have to.
How Automatic Sound Management Works
For cochlear implant sound processing to be effective, it is critical to compress the large (120 dB) acoustical dynamic range of normal hearing into an acceptable range for electrical stimulation (30 dB). To meet this challenge, all MED‑EL audio processors make use of the front-end processing strategy known as Automatic Sound Management (ASM). ASM consists a dual stage Automatic Gain Control (AGC) providing a wide Input Dynamic Range (IDR) and automatic volume control.
Input Dynamic Range is one of the most important features in audio processor technology. Studies show that only a wide IDR allows for adequate speech perception in noise.1,2 All MED-EL behind-the-ear (BTE) processors feature an Input Dynamic Range of 75 dB. Therefore, all signals within the range of 25 dB and 100 dB SPL are processed. This allows for detailed processing of a very wide range of sound inputs.
Automatic volume control deals with the wide range of input levels occurring in everyday life, including soft speech and loud speech. Automatic volume control assures that speech perception in background noise is largely immune to variations in speech level, meaning that users of MED‑EL audio processors can understand soft and loud speech equally well as normal speech. Varying-level speech can be understood equally well as constant-level speech.3
Click on the photos to start the animation.
Other processors require users to frequently remove the processor from the ear in order to make adjustments based on the environment and level of background noise. Users of processors featuring Automatic Sound Management can rest assured these changes are being made automatically. This is particularly important for infants or small children who may not be able to recognise changes in their surroundings. Parents would be required to make frequent setting changes to their child's processor in order to receive the best possible benefit.
With Automatic Sound Management featuring a wide Input Dynamic Range and automatic volume control, users can experience the optimal hearing experience whether in an airport, a concert hall, a business meeting, a restaurant or simply at home.
- Spahr, Dorman, Loiselle (2007): Per formance of Patients Using Different Cochlear Implant Systems: Effects of Input Dynamic Range
- Haumann et. al., 8th International Conference of the Eurepean Society of Paediatric Otorhinolaryngology, Budapest, 8-11 June 2008: Influence of the Front End Processing on Speech Perception with Cochlear Implants of Various Manufacturers
- Nopp P et al, Performance with the OPUS 2 processor in a roving-level speech test, Presented at the 9th European Symposium on Paediatric Cochlear Implantation, Warsaw, 2009
- Stöbich, Zierhofer, Hochmair (1999): Influence of Automatic Gain Control Parameter Settings on Speech Understanding of Cochlear Implant Users Employing the Continuous Interleaved Sampling Strategy


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Because it locks quite easily easily, the braking power is outstanding, and the controllability is also quite good. However, it feels quite gorillies at Fe Ring which is close to Pad for competition.
- Подходит для:
отправил Jul 5, 2020It serves to prevent mud splashes around...Inner fender requires a 6cm cut, all mounting holes are long holes, but it is difficult to install, so Leutor The material is Polypropylene (PP), which is different from the standard. The clearance be...Прочитайте больше
- отправил Jul 4, 2020Good with a half-hell jet helmet!You can wear commercial disposable masks for better hygiene.It is easy to adjust the size and put on and off with Magic Tape.I wanted a color that didn't show up as a stain, but I can get it right awa...Прочитайте больше
- отправил Jul 4, 2020Long-awaited J-TRIPWhat made you decide to buy?I have been using a certain Rear stand, but it is a little too large for Grom. This time, when I changed to the G-CraftSwing Arm This time, when I changed to G-CraftSwing A...Прочитайте больше
- отправил Jul 4, 2020Durable VPlate for GROMWhat made you decide to buy?When I changed to G-CraftSwing Arm, the OP's Racing Stand HookSpec. and the purchase of the J-TRIPNarrowRoller stand. The key to purchasing the G-CraftSwing Arm was the cha...Прочитайте больше
- отправил Jul 4, 2020Just sizeWallet and smart phone, glasses, hats, mask, plastic bottle, Others colors The main part is waterproof and opening and closing is easy once you get used to it. The sub-pocket is non-Waterproof, but th...Прочитайте больше


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Oh, to be four years old again when the only thing I had to worry about was the injustice of being sent to bed when it was still light outside.
Those were the days when I truly believed the tooth fairy replaced the tooth under my pillow with a quarter, I thought that my doll's hair would grow back after I cut it, my little brother existed for my own dressing up and hair-playing-with amusement, and there was no one I'd rather spend every waking minute with than my mom.
When my sister left me to start kindergarten, I was devastated, but that wasn't nearly as heartbreaking as when I had to leave my mom to head off the kindergarten myself! I was a child who loved being home, and my imagination blossomed with the lack of technology and television to be entertained with. Complaints of I'm bored were usually met with go outside and play!
And so we did play, in the woods across the street, riding our bikes around the neighborhood, collecting leaves in the backyard. One of our favorite games was turning my dad's rickety wooden trailer he used for occasionally hauling something into our "fort", with piles of leaves for a bed and a bucket with a plastic cup and string for our water well.
For a friend's daughter's 4th birthday, I was asked if I could make a "fairy" cake. The idea for this cake evolved in my mind over the course of a few weeks, starting with the little confetti fairies you see in the photos. I knew I would be gluing those to lollipop sticks for cake pops, and maybe with a few in the cake itself. And when I saw the birthday invitation, a flowery field with fairies and a pink mushroom, I knew this cake would need to have a little mushroom house on top. The stairs were probably my favorite feature, and really made the cake extra special.
As Jamie and I drove up the street to their house for the party, cake carefully stowed in its carrier at my feet, we spied Tinkerbell walking down the street! She flew down from Never Never Land just to pay a special visit to the birthday girl, Brynn.
Fairy Cake
printable recipe
(Lemon Cake with Strawberry Jam Filling, and Strawberry and Vanilla Buttercream)
- 3 round 8-inch cake layers
- 2 round 6-inch cake layers
- 1 cup seedless strawberry jam or filling
- 4 cups strawberry buttercream, pink
- 1 - 1 1/2 cups vanilla buttercream, white
- 1 - 1 1/2 cups vanilla buttercream, green
- Pretzel sticks
- Various tips: Grass Tip, Small Round Tip, and a Drop Flower Tip (Wilton 1M)
- Bake and cool the cakes completely.
- Prepare and tint the buttercream.
- Place one 8-inch cake on a cake board. Top with half the jam. Add the 2nd 8-inch cake. Top with the rest of the jam. Place the 3rd 8-inch cake on top.
- Take a very sharp knife, and carefully carve the stairs into the side of the cake, starting at the top and working your way down.
- Frost the sides only with the pink strawberry buttercream.
- Frost the top of the cake and the stairs with the green buttercream. (To frost the stairs, I carefully piped frosting onto each stair and then smoothed it out with a knife, shaping the stairs with the frosting. Piping the frosting onto the stairs is crucial - if you try to spread it directly on with a knife, you risk tearing the cake and filling the frosting with crumbs.
- Take one of the 6-inch layers of cake, and using a 4-inch biscuit cutter (or sharp knife) cut it into a 4-inch round. Frost the sides and top of the 4-inch cake with white buttercream (I did this on a plate first, then transferred it to the cake).
- Fill a piping bag fitted with a small round tip with green buttercream. Pipe a door and windows on the side of the 4-inch cake. Switch to the grass tip and pipe grass all around the base of the 4-inch cake.
- Take the other 6-inch cake and holding it upside down (with the domed top against your palm), spread pink buttercream onto the base of the cake. Turn the cake over with the unfrosted, domed side up, on top of the white base. At this point, secure the whole cake with a wooden skewer straight down the center. Carefully frost the sides and top of the cake with pink buttercream - it should look like a mushroom on top of the cake.
- Take the pretzel sticks, and insert them around the edges of the cake, angled back and forth, to look like a rustic fence. Insert a pretzel stick at the edge of each step into the cake.
- Using the grass tip, pipe grass around the bottom and top edge of the 8-inch cake, and along the steps.
- Using the drop flower tip, pipe white drop flowers randomly around the cake.
- With a small round tip, fill the centers of each flower with a green dot. Pipe a few windows randomly around the cake.
- With a small round tip, pipe white dots onto the mushroom.
- Decorate with confetti fairies and stars glued to lollipop sticks or toothpicks.
- If transporting via car, refrigerate for several hours to stabilize the cake for transportation.
Design by Curly Girl Kitchen


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I was enamored with this necklace the moment I saw it at LeThrift the boutique I work at. This necklace resembles an American flag and it's in the shape of a gun. What represents Americana more than that? It's a culmination of our over inflated pride of the U.S. and our violent history. It is the perfect necklace to wear along with a smirk on the 4th of July.
Americans love their guns. I love Michael Moore.


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Problem Solvers
The most serious concern facing many sewage lift station owners is dealing with the constant accumulation of fat, oil and grease (FOG) within their facilities. FOG's low specific gravity keeps it floating on top of the water. These materials are hydrophobic and sticky, and will cling to any solid object in the flow. This reduces the capacity of pipes and tanks, fouls sensors, and plugs pumps.
Until recently, the only method of treatment for such a large containment facility was to physically remove the FOGs - a costly, dangerous and temporary solution at best.
After experiencing years of serious problems with FOG in their sewage lift station, the city of Jersey City, N.J., decided to investigate a more economically sound and environmentally safe method of rectifying the situation.
Their research led them to Environmental Biotech, Inc. (EBI) - an international environmental solutions company based in Sarasota, Fla. EBI developed an innovative, proprietary plan for establishing a cost-effective, on-going system of biological treatment to clean up the existing FOG accumulation and control the future development of FOGs within the lift station wet well.
Local EBI technicians, in conjunction with the research team at EBI World Headquarters, were required to continually modify existing application techniques to meet the unique demand of this large scale project.
Upon completion of this project, a review of data from the State of New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection showed EBI's treatment process to be an unqualified success. When the biodegradation phase of the contract expired, there were little or no FOG blanket accumulations in the wet well. The Jersey City Sewerage Authority is currently seeking approval of funding for a continuation of this project.
Environmental Biotech, Inc. · Sarasota, FL
Phone 941-358-9112


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"Hi Ima, what's for dinner?" my kids greet me as they climb into the car at the end of the day. I've almost trained them to say "Hi Ima, how was your day?" first. Almost. In fact, now they've learned to circumvent the process by asking in the morning before they leave.
Why does such a simple question inspire such dread? What is it such a torment? I run a cooking website for heaven's sake! (www.gourmetkoshercooking.com, in case you don't know) I come up with new dinner recipes on a weekly basis. I think about creativity and colors, nutrition and variety. So why, at the end of the day, do I only want to think about the number of the pizza place?
Maybe it has something to do with routine, the need to make a meal every night – same time, same place. Maybe it's the responsibility – everyone's relying on me to stave off their ravaging hunger (I won't let my kids use the expression "I'm starving" because it so does not apply to our lives!) at the end of the day, to provide a meal that will be both delicious and satisfying.
Usually I succeed. But not always. And it's a constant pressure.
Perhaps I've raised their expectations too high. My daughter still remembers fondly the great dinner of Cream of Wheat she had a friend's house when she went there to study. But when I try to have IHOP night – you know, pancakes, vegetarian sausages, eggs – they turn down their noses. And no one falls for grilled cheese even when I call it Croque Monsieur.
Sometimes I just feel burdened by the responsibility. Sometimes I jus want someone else to make dinner. (My husband will do Sunday nights in a pinch or if it's on the barbecue!) Sometimes I just can't think of what to make – "Noodles, sauce and cheese again?" Sometimes I'm too hot or too tired or too grouchy. But, having got all that off my chest, most of the time I take pleasure in it.
We enjoy having dinner as a family, discussing the news of the day, both international and personal (although my husband never seems to remember the right names of the right child's friend leading to some moments of frustration – and humor!) and spending a little down time together (blackberries, cell phones and landlines are off limits!).
And most of the time I get it right – the food is good, the customer satisfied. I still haven't figured out the amounts (slow learner) and I either make too little when it's popular or too much when it isn't. And there is frequently a fussy child (not always the same one) who chooses the cereal and milk option.
But in general I guess it works. In general, there is really nothing to dread. In general I take pleasure both in feeding my family and in their enjoyment of the food. So I'll stop griping, put on my apron and start chopping some vegetables – minestrone soup, anyone? I'm grateful to have an appreciative family to cook for. And it's someone else's turn to clear the table tonight.