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Those who came to the LAS Star Party a couple of years ago may recall the perils of finding this site set deep in the Lincolnshire Wolds. The main problem is the post code is actually centred on a village some distance away and so, so having got lost on all pervious visits to Badgers Farm, in spite of having a Sat Nav., I found the site for this visit by using 'dead reckoning' to 'star-hop' i.e. count junctions and re-set the car odometer at each waypoint, following printed instructions. The Sat Nav was just powered up as a 'get me home' back-up. There is an analogy here with what's to come.
Arrived at 19:30, and saw the place has changed a bit in last couple of years, for the better. The field we camped in then is now fenced off for sheep and a specific designated area set aside at the top of the hill, south facing. It is still sawdust toilets with no lights however. To be honest the weather did not look too promising at the start. Anyway, an interesting start to this field trip that evening was a talk by the chairman Paul on planetary imaging – given in a field - with live views of Venus on his laptop PC as the star turn (sorry), which was doing her best to be shy by hiding behind some clouds. All we needed was a camp fire in the middle and a rousing chorus of 'Ging Gang Goolie'.
After the talk and a lot of small talk on matters astronomical with the dozen or so members & visitors, I set up my Vixen 110 on its Go -To mount to look at Jupiter & Venus. Its been a week or so since I looked at Venus at Kelling Heath but the change in its phase was obvious. Now, I had planned to try star hopping tonight as frankly, I am rubbish at it, having got so used to Go -To or digital setting circles. I am very conscious of being left in the lurch when batteries fail when depending entirely on powered technology (the reason why Private Pilots and Gliders Pilots by air law MUST still carry a map and basic compass and know how to use it). To this end I had also brought with me a small elderly un-driven equatorial mount. However in the end I decided it better to see stuff tonight and leave the frustration to another time, another place. So, I set-up using two star alignment on Arcturus and Pollux having first used the spirit level and entered the lat long of 53 18 27 North and 0 06 06 06 West (the number of the beast !)
While waiting for darkness we had a brew, made on a camping stove in the back of Paul's van and biscuits, both included in the £3 visitor fee.
It is 22:31 and the sky is clear. Now, two nights ago I had star-hopped to M3 with the Vixen on the Vixen GP mount (a German Equatorial Mount, driven but not a 'go-to') from light polluted Skellingthorpe and felt mighty pleased with myself after an hour. Tonight I put in the selection and was there in seconds. This was followed quickly by M13 for both I used the 18mm (x60). I say quickly but in fact I shared the view of both with attendees to had either not found anything yet, of which I write more below or had brought no telescope that night.
23:02 – Saturn, first view this year for me because it is below my horizon at home. Used the 7mm (x150), about highest power suitable in a 4" 'scope. Not a brilliant view as still a bit 'in the clag' but I shared it with the others anyway.
My target script tonight was basically the Binocular Tour from March edition of 'Sky At Night' magazine. I figured if 10 X 50's should be able to see these then a 110mm will be fine.
23:14. You may recall reading of my frustration in my other scribblings regarding finding M51. Yes it should be 'easy', blah, blah. Anyway, tonight was the night. Yes I could see TWO faint round fuzzy objects close together (18mm, x60) and, as expected for a small scope view, no structure. No camera, I had not brought it because I now I know an Alt Az mount is not good for deep sky so I have just got it recorded in my log book in this blog and my memory.
By this time I was getting distracted by Dave next to me (what is it about the name 'Dave' and astronomy clubs? The guy who introduced me to this club is also called Dave and this was another one now set-up next to me). A relative newcomer to the hobby, he had earlier been showing me a SET of 'Televue' eyepieces that taken together alone would be the value of a small car. He, and assorted others were struggling with finding M13. I wandered over to see 'what was what'. I said at the start of this piece, I am pretty rubbish at star hopping but a quick review of the situation showed they were pointing his 10" Skywatcher Dob. at Corona Borealis. He had a Telrad fitted and some laminated Telrad charts so I took over, shoved the scope to the correct constellation of Hercules, lined up the Telrad to match the print-out, fine tuned with the 50mm finder and asked him to check the main view – M13 was there, dead centre. OK that sounded very, very smug, sorry – but a key thing in this hobby is to learn the basic constellations, no amount of kit (other than a go-to) will find you a fuzzy if you are in the wrong part of the sky. That's why I am torturing myself to improve this skill.
Back to observing with the Vixen. Next on my printout was M67 in Cancer. Seen as described, it is the poor relation of M44, not many stars resolved, just a faint misty patch in the 18mm (x60). Next, iota Cancer. I double star I have looked at many times with my C8 (a 200mm SCT). I wanted to 'measure' its separation with the illuminated reticule, it something I do with double stars, but ho-hum lack of prep hit me again, flat illuminator battery. Spares are in the C8 equipment box. Still, nice double listed at 30 arc seconds , of 4th and 6th magnitude with a colour contrast. Yes I could see a slight tinge of colour but of what I could not be sure.
It was now past midnight and pretty cold. It is a rough grass field so boots should be worn, but I had on trainers. I also had not brought my padded jacket – no, not a white one, but the full black suit you may have seen me in. There had been a minor incident earlier with one of the members or visitors falling over in the dark and having to be helped up by two others and then escorted back to his car. This was a good reminder of the perils of observing on your own in a remote location, or maybe not so remote, as Graham W and I discussed one night while standing alone in the LAS Observatory one Tuesday night. It's so easy to trip in the dark and bash your head or break a leg, no matter what your age or experience is.
Anyway, I finished off with M44. The lowest power I have for the Vixen is x25 and this object was best viewed on the night in the 9x50 finder 'scope, i.e. about the same as the10x50 binoculars this list was intended for. So, now cold but satisfied, I packed up for the night, quickly put the kit away in the Stanley tool box I had bought specifically for these field trips. I counted items out, counted items in, each in its own place in the darkness so nothing is lost, RAF training lasts a lifetime ;>). I must remember to take a flask next time as one brew, even a free one, is not enough on a cold night. I decided I will be joining this club as well as LAS, as a full member (£20 pa) as Saturday evenings are better for me while I am not retired from the daily grind, so expect more 'Rambles from the Wolds'. Home by 01:30 and a warm bed.


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subset: commoncrawl


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Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs said that he would "absolutely not" have an issue with a gay teammate ... but you may not have heard this or other recent pro-gay statements made by several Black athletes and celebrities. My latest for The Black AIDS Institute: "Black Male Celebs and Homophobia: One Stereotype, Yet Many Perspective"
The perception of pervasive homophobia within the Black community, especially among Black men, has evolved into a media narrative. Yet while Chris Culliver's remarks created a firestorm, other Black athletes and entertainers made pro-gay statements around the same time frame that received nowhere near the amount of attention as Culliver's comments. Those comments paint a more nuanced story about homophobia among prominent Black men, as well as within Black America.
Read it HERE.


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Jabba The Banks
Have you ever noticed how many banks we have to choose from in our little downtown area of Greenpoint, Brooklyn? South of Greenpoint Avenue, on Manhattan Avenue, our banking options seem limitless: HSBC, Citibank, Bank of America, Dime, Capital One, Chase, Apple, and now, TD Bank.
For the average non-homeowner with a steady paycheck the levels in service don't differ much from the green bank to the red bank. For homeowners, it's usually a matter of a quarter percentage savings on the interest of their mortgage. Options are good, but I don't think that they need to take up so much physical space from the downtown centers of New York City neighborhoods. It's not like my account is physically there; most banking is done online. And let's face it, banks are basically big empty spaces used as a public relation tool by an industry that can more easily afford centralized real estate than anyone else. And they are in need of public relations.
I know you hate the newest ugly condo building in the neighborhood, me too, they're ugly and already falling apart, but this outdoor mall of banks isn't any better. Continue reading


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There are more than 100 million searches each month on "how to" do something. Rust-Oleum, a nearly 100 year-old company, came to the realization that people aren't really passionate about products as much as they want to change and improve their living spaces, creating something beautiful that they can enjoy.
With the insight that people want to improve and/or change what they love, Rust-Oleum (along with its agencies) set out to create 1,000 compelling projects to serve as inspiration and demonstration to consumers. Leveraging paid media and using data driven marketing to share a transformation story through images and video, they empowered bloggers and every day influencers to share their own inspiration stories, in turn driving awareness and a new excitement—a re-introduction of sorts.
Lisa Bialecki, Senior Director, Integrated Communications at Rust-Oleum, shared their journey with attendees of PRSA St. Louis' recent Digital Communications Summit.
They conducted fast data analysis to identify exactly what people are searching for and where they're looking to find this information. Using this research data, they created a blueprint of projects that they needed to create and feature—for example, 14% of the project would be devoted to the garden tackling things like planters, fences and stones, while 5% would be devoted to garage revamping items such as cabinets, hardware, organizers and the garage floor.
Their strategy included media partners, consumers, professionals and brand projects. Rust-Oleum created "an army of project enthusiasts," Bialecki said, leveraging volumes of content–using print, blogs, web, video, Facebook and Pinterest. They also hyper-targeted banner ads to their audiences and created a new website for project inspirations with a user forum section—creating a community.
But it wasn't just all traditional print, social media and digital. Rust-Oleum hosted DIY conferences. They held multiple blogger innovation summits in an effort to generate excitement for these bloggers to write about new products. One such summit included 18 highly influential DIY bloggers (from 15 key blogs) over a three-day period. During the summit, they took them on a manufacturing plant tour, a corporate headquarters breakfast and tour which included a marketing studio "hands-on" session. Through these "in real life" events, they were able to build a stronger awareness of new products, strengthen existing and build new blogger relationships.
This integrated PR campaign not only supported Rust-Oleum's retail marketing but has resulted in 250 million project impressions to date and 3 million project engagements. Pinterest has become their number two driver to the website. Most importantly, unit sales are up 40% year-over-year. This is a great example of PR, marketing, advertising, digital and social successfully working together!
.This post by Tressa Robbins originally appeared on December 3, 2014, on the BurrellesLuce Fresh Ideas blog at http://www.burrellesluce.com/freshideas/2014/12/transformation-influencers-rust-oleums-1000-projects-campaign-2/ and is cross-posted here with permission.


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Although Julian's Polish Catholic parents had emigrated to the United States before World War I, his mother had returned to Poland and Julian was born in a village not far from the large town of Tarnow in southern Poland. Julian was raised in Skrzynka by his mother on her four-acre farm while his father remained in the United States.
1933-39: At 16 I left home and worked as a dishwasher in an elegant Jewish club in downtown Tarnow. When the Germans invaded in September 1939, I returned to my village. There, 27 of Skrzynka's Jews--people I knew--were forced to dig their own graves and then shot. In some nearby woods I found and hid a rifle abandoned by a retreating Polish soldier. But I was betrayed, and deported to Austria to do farm labor for a rich landowner near Linz.
1940-44: I fell in love with Frieda, the landowner's daughter, and she loved me too. When her father objected, she moved to another farm. We continued to meet secretly even though Nazi law forbad romance between Poles and Germans. The Gestapo warned me, "If you see Frieda again, you're going to be hanged." I was reassigned to another farm, but we continued to see one another until I was arrested on September 19, 1941. I was imprisoned nearby, then transferred to Flossenbürg to do backbreaking work at a quarry.
Julian was liberated on April 23, 1945, while on a forced march out of Flossenbürg. Reunited after the war, Julian and Frieda married and emigrated to the United States.


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Happy Labor Day Weekend everyone. I don't know how many of you are celebrating by having a crafting marathon but that's what I'm doing this weekend. We have rain, rain, and more rain so while the boys are playing video games and we're all watching football later I'll be crafting away.
This morning I completed these adorable picture holders which are a variation of the original project I found over at My Creative Time. I knew it was going to take me a while to final try my hand at it but didn't realize it was going to be a year in the doing. Thank goodness I book marked the site so I could remember where to go. :)
For my take on this project I too used the jumbo clothespin. However, I had some stain and applied it to each of the pins before adhering my papers. Once the stain was dry and the pins where put back together I cut strips of paper the size of the clothespin. You can't really see the print on the paper but it's Playtime - Hide n Seek (#11512) from My Little Shoebox.
I then cut my "notebook" and "graph" paper from DCWV Highschool Mat Stack at 3 1/4" x 4 1/2" and rounded off the edges.
The pencils were cut using Locker Talk at 3".
The glasses are from the Cardz TV Stamps set You're the Man. Once dry I added some wiggle eyes and drew on the rest of the face using my fine tip sharpie.
The sentiment is from another Cardz TV Stamps set called Simply Said.
To finish it all off I added some glossy accents to the tip of the pencil and then adhere the page to the clothespin using foam tape so as to give it that little 'pop'.


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I had written before about trying to answer the evangelical statements of a recovering alcoholic Pentecostal friend. This had to rest some. But now it seems to be developing again.
In this area my real concern has always been to leave them NOTHING. I don't want to leave them anything which they can use to claim legitimacy for their movement.
So while some might want to approach this by making a positivistic claim of atheism, I've always felt that that amounts to running away with one's tail between one's legs. It lets them still claim that their movement and their collective language and idolatry are somehow legitimate.
So instead of that I want to attack the legitimacy of their claim to ownership of each of their things, without showing any sings of submission to any of it.
Any claims of non-belief just add legitimacy to their claims that there are some who are in and some who are out.
Consider for example the following:
So it is very tricky how to respond to this sort of an argument. Its a theocratic argument. Like all theocratic arguments its about power and a claim to legitimacy. If one denies the falling short or being sinners, or the existence of the savior, then one only fuels the evangelical position that they have their own privileged world.
So first of all I don't want to leave them a privileged claim to the Bible. Second, I don't really want to leave them with ownership of God. I don't want to leave them with a privileged claim to Salvation.
I don't want to leave them anything. I don't even want to leave them scorched earth, as that is still something, still a place to stand. So I don't want to retreat. I want to totally dissolve the legitimacy of the views they are trying to promote.
Now this Pentecostal Alcoholic is someone I think highly of and she holds a great deal of influence and has as also suffered greatly in family life. So I don't wish to antagonize her personally. Alcoholism, drugs, evangelical Christianity, they are all sort of the same as I see it.
Views: 107
So in response to her general line I responded,
The problem is that people use such things to promote subservience to them and to a social group. So it becomes necessary to put up defenses and keep one's spirituality a private matter.
So I am not seeding to her God, the Bible, or Salvation. I am not disagreeing with her, as that would fuel her evangelical claim that their are heathens and sinners who need to be saved. I don't want to leave her anything, nothing at all.
My argument is of a usual type, I don't want to disagree as that fuels them. But I don't want to in any way agree or in anyway make any statement of faith, as that amounts to appeasement. It makes it that much harder for the next person to refuse.
Most religious groups offer appeasement to the evangelicals. Marcus Borg writes of being Born Again, but as wee understand it. This is appeasement. He should know better, but as his wife is an Episcopalian Priest and they have their own version of the Born Again Movement, he needs to do it.
Mostly I am responding to this Pentecostal's making a claim of absolute objective reality, and of doing it publicly. This is standard for Evangelicals. But it is this aspect of it which I am objecting to. So I tell her how such statements are used for control.
This parallels the Foucault Chomsky debates. Chomsky kept going on about what is natural and expected Foucault to argue. Foucault instead focused on looking at how claims to what is natural are used to gain power.
If my friend goes on further with emotional expression, I am ready. Once a guy had said to me about my suggestion that such religious views should not be publicized, "I can't keep quite about it." Probably true he can't, as it does seem to work like alcoholism. But I am ready for such now. I can talk about the full range of emotional experience and how cults suppress this, and about how none of us need motivationalism.
If she goes to the Bible, I am ready. Once she said, "You can't argue with what is written." I am ready.
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Birmingham (city, England)
Birmingham (bûr´mĬngəm), city and metropolitan borough (1991 pop. 934,900), central England. The city is equidistant from Bristol, Liverpool, Manchester, and London, England's main ports, and near the Black Country iron and coal deposits; it was connected to the Staffordshire mines by the Birmingham Canal in the 18th cent. Birmingham is Britain's second largest city (in both area and population) and is the center of water, road, and rail transportation in the Midlands. The chief industries are the manufacture of automobiles and bicycles and their components and accessories. Other products include electrical equipment, paint, guns, and a wide variety of metal products.
By the 15th cent., Birmingham was a market town with a large leather and wool trade; by the 16th cent. it was also known for its many metalworks. In the English Civil War the town was captured by the royalists. Birmingham's industrial development and population growth accelerated in the 17th and 18th cent. In 1762, Matthew Boulton and James Watt founded the Soho metalworks, where they designed and built steam engines. Joseph Priestley, the discoverer of oxygen, lived for a time in Birmingham. In 1791 a mob, incensed at his radical religious and political views, burned his home.
The town was enfranchised by the Reform Bill of 1832 (see under Reform Acts) and was incorporated in 1838. John Bright represented it in Parliament from 1857 to 1889. During the 1870s, while Joseph Chamberlain was mayor, Birmingham underwent a large program of municipal improvements, including slum clearance and the development of gas and water works. Birmingham was among the first English localities to have a municipal bank, a comprehensive water-supply system, and development planning. The area of the city was enlarged in 1891 and again in 1911 under the Greater Birmingham scheme.
Birmingham was severely damaged in World War II. Subsequent rebuilding resulted in modernization, especially of the city center. Notable buildings include the town hall, built in 1834, modeled after the temple of Castor and Pollux in Rome; the 18th-century baroque-style Cathedral of St. Philip; and the 19th-century Cathedral of St. Chad, the first Roman Catholic cathedral to be built in England after the Reformation. Bull Ring, in the center of Birmingham, is the site of the city's oldest market. Also in the center of the city is the Univ. of Aston. The Univ. of Birmingham is in the suburb of Edgbaston, as is the Oratory of St. Philip Neri, a Roman Catholic shrine that was formerly the parish house of John Henry Cardinal Newman. There is a museum and art gallery (noted for its pre-Raphaelite collection) and a museum of science and industry. Annual music festivals date from 1768, and Birmingham has a noted symphony orchestra and ballet company. The city library includes an excellent Shakespeare collection.


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Oklahomans tell Europe about states energyPublished: Friday, September 25, 2009 7:00 am By: Jay F. Marks
State government and business officials are half a world away this week in an effort to attract new business to Oklahoma.
The European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference is a prime opportunity to meet companies that might be interested in bringing their business to Oklahoma, officials said.
The five-day conference, which runs through today, boasts nearly 1,000 exhibitors and more than 4,000 delegates. It is expected to draw about 40,000 visitors.
"This is the largest gathering for the international solar industry," Oklahoma Commerce Secretary Natalie Shirley said.
The state Commerce Department is focused on developing Oklahoma's natural resources, from oil and gas to wind and solar power.
Shirley said Europe is a hub for alternative energy companies because the continent has less access to carbon-based fuels such as oil and gas.
She said state officials have been working for months to set up meetings with companies and potential investors at the annual conference in Hamburg, Germany. Commerce officials were joined at the conference by representatives of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, Tulsa Metro Chamber of Commerce, and Oklahoma Gas and Electric Co.
They arranged more than 60 meetings over the past two weeks. Some are follow-ups to contacts made at a recent wind energy conference.
"It's a huge investment, but you want to make the most of your time while you're there," Shirley said.
She said Oklahoma is a prime location for solar energy firms.
"The reality is we have as much solar energy in Oklahoma as Southern California does or Texas does or Florida does," Shirley said.
Oklahoma City Chamber President Roy Williams said the technology used to harness solar energy is evolving rapidly.
New advances include a paper-thin film that can be placed on windows, rather than relying on bulky solar panels to capture the sun's energy.
Williams said the state's central location is attractive to solar energy firms looking to establish a foothold in the United States, which many companies view as one market.
"Oftentimes it's cheaper to be in the middle," he said.
Williams said some solar manufacturers already have inquired about setting up shop in Oklahoma.
Sending representative to this week's conference and trade show is a way to meet some of the people who make such decisions in person and begin establishing relationships, Williams said.
He said it is not unusual for economic development trips overseas.
Chamber staff averages three to five such trips each year.
"Those are where our markets are," Williams said. "That's the world we live in."


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Give Kids a Smile 2020
If you have an emergency and we are closed, call 911. You may also call 1-866-366-5842 to reach our ON-CALL Provider.
KVHC offers translation services via Language Line Solutions. Please see the front desk for details.
KVHC ofrece servicios de traducción a través de Language Line Solutions. Por favor, consulte la recepción para más detalles.
KVHC offre des services de traduction via Language Line Solutions. Consultez la réception pour plus de détails.
For TTY services, please dial 711 to be connected to an operator.
This health center receives Health and Human Services funding and has Federal Public Health Service deemed status with respect to certain health or health-related claims, including medical malpractice claims for itself and its covered individuals.
Katahdin Valley Health Center is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
KVHC complies with Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, age, disability or genetics and where applicable, sex, marital status, parental status, religious creed, political beliefs, veteran status and sexual orientation.
If you wish to file a Civil Rights complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, or at any USDA office, or call (866)632-9992 to request the form. You may also write a letter containing all of the information requested in the form. Send your completed complaint form or letter to us by mail at U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, by fax (202) 690-7442 or email at firstname.lastname@example.com.
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White Plains, New York is about to get a little more Lin-tastic. The Daily News reports that the NBA's newest Asian sensation Jeremy Lin is kicking it up a notch after decamping to a posh new bachelor pad in White Plains.
The swanky bachelor pad, which Lin is subletting from former Knick David Lee, is sure a lot sweeter than crashing on his brother's couch (we can't imagine that was all that comfortable for the six-foot three-inch star). The Knicks phenom's upgraded digs is a two-bedroom apartment in the celeb-friendly Trump Tower, which features marble bathrooms, cherry wood floors, a built-in sound system and sweeping views of the New York City skyline in the distance. The pad sits on the 20th floor and Lin can look forward to building amenities that include an indoor and outdoor pool, a spa, gym, and outdoor basketball courts.
Lin is expected to shell out about $3,800 per month for his new pad, which is conveniently located just a ten-minute drive to the Knicks practice facility. The overnight superstar's new pad is the same unit that his teammate Amar'e Stoudemire reportedly rented before moving into his lavish Manhattan apartment. Oh, if walls could talk.


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|Our new sign!
Can I just say I have the best friend and partner in the whole world! (Okay the best two...I love you too honey!) I don't think I have written a blog post since last October!!! Thank you Kandi for keeping this part of our dream alive. I am hoping to never be away for so long again. It has been so long, I had forgotten how to log on! I am hoping as I write this it will all come back to me just like riding that bike right? :)
So let me catch you up on what is happening with our little Virginia extension of Woven Home....As many of you know I agreed to be a part of a two month long Winter Market here in Lynchburg. We had a blast, & we sold alot of furniture and pillows over those two months. However, had it not been for my mother's frequent visits to Virginia, my family would not have put up or taken down our Christmas tree this year! She was amazing.
I know this may come as a shock, but I have learned over the past few months that I really can't do it all, so although I loved sharing a store, I think I can cross that number off my bucket list! My hat goes off to all of those great hard working store owners! We are still passionate about getting our product into your home, so I have made the decision to continue to supply product in a whole sale/consignment manner to our favorite places and we add another location or perhaps locations to our list.
URBAN MERCHANT in downtown Lynchburg is one of my favorite local places to shop. We just dropped off our spring line of pillows and covers last week. For our North Carolina fans, we will be at the FINDER'S KEEPERS sale this spring and we can't wait to see you!
Today was a huge day for us at Woven Home, today we moved into a corner booth space at a "little store" in Roanoke called BLACK DOG SALVAGE....you may have heard of it because it has its own show on HGTV and the DIY network!!!! The staff at Black Dog is amazing and so helpful. If you are in Roanoke please stop by and see our new space.
Here are a few pictures of our new space. I decided bright and cheerful was for me. After all the reds and greens from Christmas, pastel was a nice change of pace. I also decide we would expand our inventory past pillows to include furniture, baskets, tool caddies, and vintage accessories.
Spring pillows $48 with down insert, pillow covers $28 & Slubby storage bags $48.
I love these candlestick chairs!
Pillow covers
I decided fabric swatches would be a great additions to our space. Many of our clients carry our pillow covers around with them when they shop for other "items" so I thought this might be a nice addition. It is also nice to be able to take the fabric home with you before a purchase to make sure the fabric works with your existing home decor...We also include fabric swatches with each of our covers.
Vintage farm table and distressed chairs.
Pink depression glass plates and candlesticks. Barn wood tool caddies, silver plate trays and lavender sachets....
I love my friend Carolyn's company Turtleworks so much I asked her if I could have a few soaps and lotions for my space!
I hope you like our spring line....more pictures coming soon.


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By Karen
The Tasty Awards released their last dribble of award nominees, and Anthony Bourdain's up for "Best Male Host of a Series" category, so be sure to vote. (No Reservations also got 2 nominations). His competitors are Tom Colicchio, Eric Ripert, Andrew Zimmern (whose Bizarre Foods is nominated for "Best Comedy Series" — go figure), and just about every other guy who shares a show with food.
Top Chef's Padma Laksmi is among the gazillion nominees for Best Female Host, so that should give you some clue as to what a distinguished honor this is.
Speaking of Top Chef, Bourdain didn't judge week 2, when Eric Ripert's employee, Jennifer Carroll, got sent home. I think I skipped Season 6, so I have no idea if Jen has always been so smug and arrogant, but my reaction to her elimination was, "Don't let the door hit you in the ass," thanks to the attitude she's shown this season.
But in fairness, here's her exit interview with the Chicago Tribune. I have no doubt the episode was cut to make her come off looking super-bitchy, but she did provide the footage.
With that elimination challenge, the show crossed the line into gratuitous torture. There was absolutely ZERO need to allow the cheftestants almost no sleep before they had to mass-produce breakfast at 7 a.m. for a mob of kids. It ain't Survivor.
What's still unclear to me is if Team T-Rex had access to any seasonings beyond salt and pepper. It was mentioned they couldn't use herbs. So sending Jen home for under-seasoned eggs could have been bullsh*t.
Bourdain blogged his opinion. According to the promo, he should be back at the Judges' Table this week.
Sifu Renka snapped a nice photo of Tony when he was in Toronto. (Scroll down to the bottom.)
In case you missed last week's No Reservations holiday special with Michael Ruhlman, Eater captured the best lines. And Gawker provides this clip of what's become the standard gratuitous raw meat scene that sent me into another room until it was over.
December 7, Tony and Ottavia attended a party in the Empire State Building to help Mario Batali launch the Culinary Council, which will help the Food Bank of New York City fight hunger there.
Eater also reports that Helen Cho is the new resident social networking guru for Zero Point Zero Production, and she actually works with the crew, which means the No Res tweets and Facebook page may actually have something other than impersonal 3rd-party hype like we bloggers are supplied from Room 214.
Huffington Post just got around to putting up some video of Bourdain and Ripert spouting opinions while they were taping their Turn and Burn Sirius radio show.
American Thinker bemoans the "Ramsayization of Society" and uses Bourdain's regular use of the word suck to appeal to a more youth demographic to make the tongue-in-cheek point that Jonathan Swift could have penned bestsellers if he'd done likewise, and illustrates with a ludicrously "Bourdainized" passage from A Modest Proposal.


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Student opportunities for IAC 2013
ESA's Education Office offers European students the opportunity to attend the International Astronautical Congress (IAC). This year's IAC will be held from 23 – 27 September in Beijing, China.
The theme of the 64th edition of IAC is "Promoting Space Development for the Benefit of Mankind".
The annual congress is the main annual meeting point for space professionals and provides participating students with a once in a lifetime opportunity to create many valuable contacts with both professionals and like-minded students from all over the world.
Throughout the congress students can interact with experts, listen to their views on the future of space and learn about the latest developments in the space industry. At the same time students are encouraged to actively contribute to the congress by presenting their own research to the space community. Some will have the opportunity to give presentations in the official technical sessions of the congress, alongside leading space experts who can often provide valuable feedback and guidance.
Students selected by ESA will be sponsored in order to cover their registration fees and a contribution towards travel and accommodation expenses will be given.
Eligibility criteria
The student participation programme mainly attracts science and engineering students, often specialising in space studies. However, space is a truly interdisciplinary field. The programme therefore admits a significant number of students who are studying related subjects, such as business, law or medicine. As such there are no requirements regarding the subject of the degree studied.
To check your eligibility, as well as the conditions of sponsorship, please refer to the terms and conditions of sponsorship link.
How to apply
In order to be considered for selection, students must have submitted an abstract to the IAC The deadline for ESA's sponsorship application is 30 April 2013.
For full application instructions please refer to the 'IAC - how to apply' link.
The IAC student participation programme is an initiative of the International Space Education Board (ISEB). Launched in 1999 by ESA, NASA, JAXA, CNES and CSA, the programme is now well established and it offers students interested in space a unique combination of special talks, discussions and networking opportunities in addition to the many technical sessions of the IAC itself.
To date, more than 2000 students have taken part in this programme, facilitating a generation handover of space expertise from experienced professionals to enthusiastic young people.


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To kick off the massive transformation of the Tropicana Las Vegas the iconic band Chicago will be opening the newly transformed Tropicana Theater for three days on Valentine's Weekend, February 15-17. The Tropicana Las Vegas recently completed a $200 million makeover to the resort and casino.
The 1100-seat, state-of-the-art theater, rich with Las Vegas history, begins a new chapter at Tropicana Las Vegas with three performances by the Grammy-winning band, with so many hits it would be nearly impossible to name them all as according to Billboard they are the highest charting band of all-time and they have an amazing 21 Top 10 singles. After plus years performing, Chicago does know a thing or two about love songs, making this the perfect act to take that someone special to see on Valentines Day to enjoy such timeless love songs as "If You Leave Me Now," "Hard to Say I'm Sorry," "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love," "You're the Inspiration" and "Colour My World."
"We're thrilled to welcome Chicago as the first band to perform in our newly transformed theater," said Fred Harmon, chief marketing officer for Tropicana Las Vegas. "This concert will be an uplifting journey for our guests through music that has been, and continues to be, enjoyed by all generations."
Tickets go on sale Friday, Jan. 25 for each of the three days, February 15-17. Tickets are priced starting at $75 plus tax and applicable fees. VIP Experience tickets are available for $250 and include a meet-and-greet and photo with the band, a souvenir VIP credential, and a long-stemmed red rose for your loved one. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster by phone (800-745-3000) or online (www.ticketmaster.com). Tickets are also available through the Tropicana Las Vegas box office in person, by phone (702-739-2411) or online (www.troplv.com).
Chicago is a great way to celebrate the Valentine's Day weekend, but also getting a chance to experience the transformed Tropicana and all the amazing changes will make this an even more special weekend. The Tropicana redesigned every best-in-class room and suite, the 50,000-square-foot casino, added several new restaurants and bars, a new race and sports book, Glow®, a Mandara Spa and fitness center, and Bagatelle Supper Club & Beach Club. First-class entertainment includes Dancing with the Stars: Live in Las Vegas (seasonal), Laugh Factory and the Mob Attraction Las Vegas.
For more information about the New Tropicana Las Vegas, visit: http://www.troplv.com


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Available in 4 Grits; 60X, 80X, 120X and 220X.
Fits Standard 2" Sanding Drums.
Use these CRL Sanding Attachments with portable electric drills to polish rounded edges, inside circles, notches, and more.
The abrasive bands have aluminum oxide grit for use on wood, steel, metal and glass, and they easily slip over the rubber cushioned drums.
Diameter: 2 in (51 mm)
Length: 2 in (51 mm)
Grit: 80X
Additional Product Information:
10 Sanding Bands per box.


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May 21st has passed without the Rapture, much to the chagrin of Harold Camping and his followers. But Camping is not just a one-trick Horseman: he talks about all kinds of non-apocalyptic stuff on his Family Radio station. Play the above clip to hear what he has to say about how sports interfere with the Lord's Day. Here are his thoughts on why real Christians can't also be NFL advertisers:
Now there's a game on Sunday, and that happens to be one of the best viewing days...Now for the true believer, that is the place where he ought not to be at all in his mind or in his eyesight or in his thinking or in his planning if he happens to be in the business of sponsoring sporting events — how can you do that and not sponsor anything on Sunday? You won't make it...The name of the game is that Sunday is the big day.
Clearly not a monster truck or drag racing fan. But the sound of his voice suggests a different passion: masturbating in cold weather.
Is it sinful to play sports? [Family Radio]


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Laura made delicious Olympic cookie bars out of chocolate cookie dough and M&M's.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Friday, July 27, 2012
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Kids in the Kitchen--Painted Bread Art
Amy found this activity for Luke and Kim. Painted toast.
All you need is:
food coloring
small jars or cups
a toaster
new, cheap paintbrushes
We put about one inch of milk into each jar and then added 4 or 5 drops of food coloring.
Mix up your milk and food coloring...I love the pastel color of the milk.
Start painting a design or picture on a piece of bread...being careful not to "soak" the bread in any one spot.
Luke chose to write his name.
Put in the toaster on a medium setting.
Kimmy's masterpiece before toasting.
Kimmy's masterpiece after toasting....I love how the colors stand out on the toast.
The toast was still tasty slathered in butter!
Amy wanted to join the fun and since it was her idea, taadaa,
Amy's finished flower.
Our beans made it!!
We have never planted a garden, but every spring we learn about seeds and plants and I always dream of raised beds. But for this year, my littlest students planted 5 beans seeds and we have been watching them grow. They have watered them everyday...(we are in the middle of a drought)...we saw the blossoms and then the teeny tiny beans began to grow.
Today our bean plants blessed us with 2 handfulls of beans!!
I was impressed by the yeild...and there are many other little beans just starting top grow. I may let the new beans continue to grow and dry out and try and plant them next year. That will be a real, complete, life cycle of a bean
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
I was featured!
Friday, July 20, 2012
26 years of marraige and still having fun!
Pat and I were greatly blessed to have our children send us off to the Adirondack Mountains to enjoy some time together and to celebrate our 26th wedding anniversary.
We headed out to Old Forge.
One of the first things we did was to head up the McCauley Mountain chair lift to get a great view of the mountains.
The view was a little hazy, but still very impressive.
I loved these Adirondack chairs made out of old skiis.
Pointing our important landmarks...and the TowBar Inn.
heading down the mountain
We inquired in town as to where a nice, easy hike could be found, suitable for someone with rhuematoid arthritis....This is the spot immediately pointed out to us...the Moss Lake loop.
It started out beautifully...at the center of the lake is a little island, and on this island an osprey has nested.
The trail was flat for the most part, and the serenity of the woods was wonderful.
I loved this little fungus...I don't know what it is called, but it was beautiful. At this time in our walk were about 1.25 miles in....halfway....that seems to be my rhuematoid arthritis limit...but I marched on. I feel that I could now be one of those Olympic commercials....I overcame adversity...powered on...(although I was quite whiny) and made it (uphill) to the trailhead. Pat was proud of me....and very happy he didn't have to call 911!
The view from the balconey of our hotel room.
The amazing room. The stairs wind up to the bedroom. (The kids would have loved these stairs.)
When we arrived home preparations for a party had begun. I love the 26 balloons lining the wall.
Thank you, kids for making these past 26 years so wonderful for your father and me.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
A Prayer for my Husband--on our 26th Wedding Anniversary
Lord, bless and preserve my cherished husband, whom You have given me: let his life be long and blessed, comfortable and holy; let me ever be a blessing and comfort to him, a sharer in all his sorrows, a consolation in all the accidents and trials of life; make me forever lovable in his eyes and forever dear to him; unite his heart to mine in fondest love and holiness, and mine to him in all sweetness, charity and submission. Keep me from all ungentleness; make me humble and obedient, that we may delight in each other according to Your blessed word. May both of us rejoice in You, having our portion in love and service to God forever. AMEN
The author of this prayer is A. Francis Coomes, S.J. It can be found in the Mother's Manuel. There is also a Father's Manuel which can also be purchased.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
It's blueberry picking time in Central New York
The green heron we spotted on the way to pick blueberries.
There is a real bumper crop of berries this year.
Kim-6 Amy-18
A morning glory
Kim-6 Amy-18
Make sure you check out this blast from the past---berry picking in 2007!!
Make sure you check out this blast from the past---berry picking in 2007!!
Monday, July 16, 2012
Ice Tunnels--Fun for a hot, hot day
I found this fun activity over at Art and Creativity in Early Childhood Education and we thought we would give it a try, especially since the temp has been in the 90's for way too many days in a row.
All you need for this actvity is:
liquid watercolors
medicine droppers
block of ice
Add a heaping teaspoon of salt to some liquid watercolors.
I picked yellow--which didn't show up well, and red and blue. If I do this again I think we would stick to just one color, probably red would work the best. By the time the kids were done mixing the colors they had all turned to "mud" color.
The night before this experiment, I froze water in different plastic containers.
We popped them out into a big pan to catch all the melting water.
Carefully drop the salt colorwaterpaint onto the ice.
The salt begins to melt the ice in different patterns, and starts to make tunnels into the ice.
It was real hard to photograph the neat patterns that were tunneled into the ice.
We also used this as a science lesson and learned how salt is able to melt ice and we learned why salt is put on icy roads in the winter time.
Some of our ice had cracks in it. This made very neat patterns of color!
These channels of red in actually inside ice.
Science is fun...and it can keep you cool on a hot, hot day.
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Just a heads up to the DIY board builders, some surfboard builders have been having really good results using Cork (Corecork - http://www.corecork.amorim.com/) as deck skins and using it built up as rails.
You can use it similar to how you'd use Corecell.
It's good stuff, easy to work with and, especially for kiteboarding, has really good damping properties to take the chatter out of choppy conditions.
I've been riding a cork deck surfboard for about 6 months now and have been really happy with it.
The other cool thing is you can leave the top exposed for traction, since it's waterproof. Not as important with kiteboards, but will save you a good bit of money if used that way on a SUP, since you won't need deck traction.
Just thought I'd throw it out there as food for thought, seems to be a pretty progressive bunch here and I'm sure someone can find a good application for it in kiteboards.


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Corn and beans had a sharp setback today while wheat managed to remain higher. December corn finished 10 ¾ cents lower, November beans finished 14 cents lower, and December wheat finished 4 ¼ cents higher.
Today the U.S. Crops Baseline Report was out at the high end of estimates and was a large part of the intra-day selloff. They are projecting ethanol usage to slow in 2011 to 4.875 Bill Bu. Also bearish, is the increase in expected acreage to levels not seen since 2008. The 8 major crops are expected to jump to 255 million acres from 245 million acres in 2010. Again, these are preliminary projections, the main acreage report will still be of more significance in March.
Recent weather in Argentina has been favorable for soybean production according to the Agriculture Ministry. Rains are still needed in the Southern regions, but for the most part they have played a significant role in reviving expected production. Their corn crop production is still expected to remain below expectations.
The next WASDE report will be on March 10th. After that, we will have the March 31st planting intentions report. We want to be more aggressive on sales between now and then. In fact, we want to consider the idea of getting all the way sold on guaranteed bushels right now, and re-own with call spreads. I believe this recommendation would be best considered on an individual basis with your broker and with a close look at your breakevens/ROI's. Many times we make highs in February, and we want to secure these levels while we are up here. We would still want to keep upside in the market on these bushels with call strategies. Please call your broker to discuss a specific strategy for your operation.
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Oil and gas company Sovereign plans to sue Broomfield to bypass the city's controversial, voter-approved five-year ban on fracking.
Sovereign planned in 2013 to drill new wells in Broomfield but was not able to because voters in November narrowly approved a ban on fracking.
Sovereign argues that its drilling plans were illegally put on hold because the company previously entered into a legal agreement, known as a memorandum of understanding. That agreement would have enabled the company to drill in Broomfield under strict regulations.
The Broomfield City Council on Tuesday night approved an agreement with Sovereign that would allow a judge to determine whether Sovereign is subject to the fracking ban.
If the judge rules in Sovereign's favor, the company would be able to continue its drilling plans, according to Broomfield attorney Bill Tuthill.
Regardless of the council's action Tuesday, Sovereign plans to file its lawsuit within about a week, Tuthill said.
It is not clear how long the matter will be in court, he said.
Tom Metzger, chief operating officer of Sovereign, said he would not comment on the decision because the company wants the legal process to play out in court.
The agreement signed Tuesday suspends some of Sovereign's other complaints in order to focus solely on the issue of whether Sovereign can bypass the ban.
Sovereign also claims the fracking ban violates state law, that Broomfield does not have the authority to ban fracking, that the ban is a breach of contract and that the company is potentially entitled to damages in the tens of millions of dollars, Tuthill said.
"This agreement would freeze the other (complaints) in time in order to focus on the issue of" Sovereign's ban eligibility, he said.
Though Sovereign could bring back those complaints at a later date, "we're starting small," he said.
Tuthill told the council Tuesday night that the agreement would be a way to narrow the scope of litigation.
"We're going to get sued, but it's just a question of how broad the grounds are," he said.
Council members said the agreement is an appropriate way to address the pending litigation while working through the complicated issues that have arisen because of the fracking ban.
"This isn't the beginning, and it certainly isn't the end" of the process, said council member Liz Law-Evans.
According to documents filed in Broomfield District Court, Sovereign states it should not be subject to the ban because of the company's pre-existing contract with Broomfield. It would have allowed Sovereign to drill 21 new wells at 10 different sites in Broomfield, Tuthill said.
The measure that banned fracking in Broomfield, Question 300, was petitioned onto the ballot by Our Broomfield, a grass-roots group with concerns about the impacts of fracking on health and environment. It rallied to get the question on the ballot in response to Sovereign's plans to frack wells in the North Park area near Prospect Ridge Academy.
Our Broomfield did not immediately return calls seeking comment.
Broomfield has 97 active wells. The companies running those wells, such as Anadarko, Encana and Sovereign, have drilled in Broomfield in the past but haven't drilled on those sites since the summer of 2013, Tuthill said.


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While sitting at the empty table beyond the closest or largest "Alaska" sign in an unnamed bar at the SeaTac airport ...
...and after eating this early lunch with Pike IPA ... ... I had a fine phone forum with Dana Hunter of En Tequila Es Verdad fame (True Fame, really) — and we decided that we would definitely meet sometime in the future.
Here's to ya, Dana! :)
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Not Quite Blogger Meetup
Posted by Silver Fox at 12:39 PMLocation: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Seattle, WA, USA
Labels: beer, bloggery, geoblogging, holiday, travel, washington
3 comments:
- Dana Hunter said...
That made for an extremely fun morning! Now if only work hadn't expected me to, y'know, come in and work.
A meetup is definitely in our future. And I'll have a little somethin' up for ya tonight.
P.S. The captcha is geoven. Heh.
- Saturday, December 24, 2011 at 1:47:00 PM PST
- Nina F said...
Taking pictures of draft beers I'm enjoying in obscure bars is also a favorite "post"time of mine!
- Saturday, December 24, 2011 at 4:41:00 PM PST
- Silver Fox said...
@Dana - yeah, what's with work expecting you to work?
@Nina - I should have a beer blog! :)
- Monday, December 26, 2011 at 12:03:00 PM PST
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For many people, the older they get, the more complicated their lives become financially, and the more difficult it is to accurately prepare their own tax returns.
And when it comes to tax preparation, that might mean you need the help of a tax return specialist.
When shopping around for help, you should probably try to avoid choosing someone who promises that they can get you a larger refund. And stay away from someone who guarantees results, or bases their fees on a percentage of the refund given to you.
If you get audited, remember that only an enrolled agent, a tax law specialist or a certified public accountant or tax attorney can represent you before the IRS.
You can check with your local Better Business Bureau or the state bar association to see whether or not a tax professional has a bad track record.


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It wouldn't be the holiday season without a musical duet from Jimmy Fallon and Rashida Jones! This year, the NBC colleagues were joined by Carrie Underwood on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on Thanksgiving night to perform holiday-themed parodies of the year's biggest pop hits.
How well do you know Friends? Take our holiday quiz!
Check out the video below to watch the trio's festive takes on Miley Cyrus, Lorde, Daft Punk,The Lumineers and more.
We're guessing none of the songs will make an appearance in Underwood's upcoming live Sound of Music special, but you can see them all here:


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Thursday, July 8, 2010
Thursday TV/Media Notes
Needless to say, the vast majority of attention from the sports TV world will be on the rather amazing deal struck between LeBron James and ESPN.
This NBA player gets an hour of ESPN Thursday primetime on multiple television and online networks to simply indicate which team he will play for next season.
Sponsors are lining up to get ads in this program, the content of which cannot yet be explained or even imagined. Nike, Sprint, McDonalds, Bing and even the good old University of Phoenix will be seen running ads.
ESPN says they control the content and format, but the network spokesman continues to deny that ESPN knows LeBron's plans. All we know as the viewing public is that he has 44 minutes of primetime to say something that normally takes less than one. It should be interesting.
ESPN2's NASCAR Now has Thursday off as the network offers extended coverage of the US Women's Open golf tournament. That means SPEED is the only game in town and they are taking full advantage on the final Race Hub program of the week.
Tony Stewart will be John Roberts' guest as he hosts the program. Steve Byrnes will be doing a TV marathon for SPEED this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway and Krista Voda is handling the pre-race and pit reporting duties for the trucks in Iowa. Look for them to return to the Hub next week.
While Stewart is a good guest, it is Mark Martin that may be making some news for an interview he recorded for the Thursday Race Hub show. The network released some memorable quotes in advance.
"This time next year, if nothing suits my fancy, then I'll wait until something does," Martin said in the interview. "Some of that's driving and some of it's not. I'm gonna do what I wanna do, and how do I know what I want to do a year and a half from now?"
In terms of Kasey Kahne's ongoing media coverage, Martin offered this pointed remark.
"I had to quit following the sport because it kinda made me sick," Martin said. "The media didn't understand and didn't get it and couldn't seem to deliver the message correctly. They only delivered the message they wanted to deliver, which was sensationalized...it was disgusting."
Well, you don't usually get that type of reaction from Martin. Things should be even more interesting due to the fact that SPEED's Randy Pemberton told Sirius NASCAR radio Wednesday morning that he believes Martin may wind-up on the Red Bull team next season and Kahne would be driving the #5 for Hendrick in 2010. Pemberton will be on Thursday's Race Hub reporting from Chicagoland.
Rumors about Kenny Schrader returning to TV are true, but unfortunately it's only for one ARCA race Saturday night on SPEED at 9PM. Schrader is racing a truck at Iowa Speedway, so he happened to be in the neighborhood. Rick Allen may have his hands full with Michael Waltrip and Schrader together.
Speaking of Waltrips, this is Darrell's last appearance on SPEED for a while as Kyle Petty returns after this weekend now that his TNT duties are done. Friday, Waltrip calls Sprint Cup Series practice, qualifying and is a panelist on the Trackside show. Saturday, he joins NASCAR RaceDay with Kenny Wallace and John Roberts from the SPEED Stage.
TNT has reported a nice jump in TV ratings for Daytona. Here is some official information:
TNT had double-digit ratings, total viewers and household increases for its coverage of the Coke Zero 400. The network, airing the race in its signature Wide Open coverage which resulted in zero missed laps of green flag racing for the second the consecutive year, earned a 3.6 U.S. household rating, up 16% over last year.
The Coke Zero 400 was the number one program of the night on television with households, total viewers, and key adult and male demographics, as well as the number one program of the week across cable TV with households, total viewers and men 25-54.
We will update this post throughout the day with an new TV-related stories. In the meantime, please feel free to offer comments on these topics. Just click on the comments button below. Thanks for stopping by!
21 comments:
- Richard in N.C. said...
I do not know how to express the relief I anticipate when Lebron's announcement is made - the media has beat the subject past to death.
Word Veri = wheeze - how appropriate.
- July 7, 2010 at 11:28 PM
- jmnlman said...
As much as we as fans often complain about "Danica vision" I can't see any way that she would be able to pull off the James deal. I must be missing something here what was the message that the media refuse to transmit for Martin?
- July 8, 2010 at 1:26 AM
- Andrew S. said...
Actually Kenny is racing a truck owned by Delana Harvick. She's the smart one in the family because she wears the firesuit.
- July 8, 2010 at 1:32 AM
- Jonathan said...
So glad to hear the ratings are up thats great news! Looking foward to Racehub today that should be interesting! Then its off to Chicagoland Speedway for me Friday all day and night!!! A ray of sunshine is back for Nascar and Im soaking it in awsome to hear the great news
- July 8, 2010 at 5:53 AM
- 51 yr. fan said...
I'm glad to to hear Schrader is
on. I wish FOX/Speed would use
him in lieu of Waltrips/Wallaces/
Spencer. His insight and humor
would be a great replacement for
the vaudville clowns.
I hope the rivals look at TNT coverage and ratings increase and
make much-needed improvements.
- July 8, 2010 at 8:13 AM
- Anonymous said...
Lebron...I gues the media thinks there is money in this hype...I couldn't care less. No, I won't watch.
- July 8, 2010 at 8:29 AM
- Vicky D said...
I think MM sees the writing on the wall with KK coming over to Hendrick for next year. I guess it would have been nice for someone over there to discuss with Mark before the announcement though. Waiting to hear what he says on Hub tonight.
- July 8, 2010 at 8:54 AM
- GinaV24 said...
Well, happily for me, I don't watch much ESPN and don't follow professional basketball, so all the LeBron coverage falls into the category of "who cares" for me.
Sounds like Mark Martin is getting back to the grumpy old man routine -- how many times has he retired? I kind of lost a little respect for him when he did the whole "for the fans" tour and then continued to drive. Its OK, its his perogative, but after buying one of his retirement souvenirs that did it for me, I'm not buying any more.
Hooray for the end of DW's reign of terror on Speed! maybe I can start watching trackside again.
Well, I'm happy that Schrader will be in the booth for the trucks but that is tempered by the fact that I'll still have to listen to Mikey babble on, although Kenny usually deals with Mikey very very well and it could be fun, so I'll most likely tune in.
Nice to hear that the rating were up for TNT's coverage. They have done a far better job than Fox so should at least get some good news from it.
- July 8, 2010 at 8:58 AM
- GinaV24 said...
Have fun at the races, Jonathan.
- July 8, 2010 at 8:58 AM
- Anonymous said...
What will we do??? The Lebronathon is almost over! Who will get the next overhype spotlight? Maybe KK?? What will they do??? Sarcasm off. Thank heavens its almost over.
- July 8, 2010 at 9:02 AM
- OSBORNK said...
I think the jump in ratings is deceiving. The race being on the third rather than the fourth boosted the ratings because there were less distractions this year than last year. Fireworks and other July fourth activities were not as much a distraction this year as last. If you go back to 2008 with the comparision, the ratings are down from 3.8 to 3.6 with over a quarter million fewer viewers.
- July 8, 2010 at 9:08 AM
- Anonymous said...
Well, good for TNT to pull those ratings even with the rain delay.
To rain (ha!) on the parade a bit, an increase in ratings over last year had to be expected since last year's race was actually on the 4th so they would naturally lose a lot of viewers to other festivities.
The ratings are actually down a tick from 2008, but hey - any good NASCAR TV news does deserve some praise.
- July 8, 2010 at 10:21 AM
- Donna DeBoer said...
And that's a rise in ratings WITH a rain delay!! Hmmm!! I would LOVE to credit it to WideOpen coverage in an attempt to get more of it but I'm sure that's wishful thinking. Hail it as great news, but I still think it's an anomaly due to a broken ratings system, this time it happened to fall to the positive side. And, to just follow that thinking, can't help but wonder how many has fallen to negative because of badly collected numbers?
I'm finding the whole Mark Martin thing to be very weird. What's with all the back & forth? Why is Mark angry? It's not making anyone look good. And yes, when he retired I had expected him to stay retired. Hate to put him on my Farve list.
- July 8, 2010 at 10:50 AM
- Richard in N.C. said...
Being a grumpy old man, I think I can understand Mark's being upset since it appears to me more that few in the media are concerned about getting things right - just get it read and somewhat close. Don't let the facts interfere with a story that might sell.
For instance, I have not seen any of the commentators for well-known sites speculate that age might finally be catching up (even just a little bit) with Mark - no, his decreased performance for 2010 versus 2009 is all the fault of Dale, Jr. and Rick Hendrick.
- July 8, 2010 at 5:55 PM
- Dextermorgan said...
People thought that age had caught up with Mark Martin in 2001 when he had his worst career season up to that point. He nearly won the championship the next year.
This season is the fault of Rick Hendrick and the distractions and changes he has allowed to happen.
- July 8, 2010 at 7:23 PM
- Anonymous said...
Here's my prediction:
LeBron James goes to the 5 car next year. Kasey Kahne signs with the Knicks. Mark Martin gets a prime-time special to decide if he'll re-sign with DEI, RPM, or the LA Clippers.
- July 8, 2010 at 8:12 PM
- longtimeracefan said...
Dale take note, the next time you decide to change teams, do it via an ESPN special presentation. It's a great way to raise a few million dollars for your foundation.
- July 8, 2010 at 10:08 PM
- The Loose Wheel said...
Mark has EVERY reason to be upset! He answered the question already. He has a contract and fully expects to fullfill that. Kasey Kahne be damned. He is upset with the media because this is one sport where the media can make a change happen before an owner or a driver realizes it. Dale Jr was a perfect example. No one really figured Hendrick was a huge player until the media kept up with the idea that Mears should get fired to make room. Kyle Busch wound up getting the boot, but only a year later Mears was out. He was doomed before he got to the 5th race of the season in 2008.
Mark knows the media is fabricating some of this out of thin air and what do they expect Mark to say?
I personally feel like Hendrick or someone in that camp is trying to force Mark out in no uncertain terms by fueling these rumors. I just hope Mark has a good situation to compete in next season whether that is the 5 car or some other ride.
Oh boy what if he went back to Roush in the 6! KIDDING!!!
Glad to see the Daytona ratings were strong though, breath of fresh air.
- July 9, 2010 at 12:27 AM
- Anonymous said...
I agree with David at 12:27 a.m. For specifics, see the article on Jayski where Mark's business manager gives an unequivocal statement about the Red Bull "story". For fans, this sort of stuff may be entertainment. But for Martin, this is his life and his future. I doubt that any of us would appreciate baseless speculation in the media regarding our future.
I also agree that Hendrick is the cause of much of this, directly or indirectly. Some personnel were shifted from Mark's team to Junior's team to try to improve Junior's performance. Junior has improved somewhat, and Mark's team has suffered. Hendrick's continued silence allows Mark to twist in the wind while people speculate on his future.
As an old person, I prefer the ethics and standards of the traditional newspaper business. Opinion and speculation were easily identified because they appeared on the opinion/editorial page. Everything else was supposed to be objective and factual. Most of today's electronic and internet reporting have blurred those lines to the point of nonexistence.
Most of what passes for reporting in NASCAR today is little more than speculation and rumors. It's no wonder that Mark Martin decided to stop listening to it.
- July 9, 2010 at 11:32 AM
- Richard in N.C. said...
It appears to me that in today's world the primary objective of much of the media is to be read - not to be right. Commentary and speculation is often passed off as news - such as so-called reporters writing about races without making it clear that they watched the race on TV, and were not at the track.
Michael Schumacher is clearly one of the top 10 or 20 race car drivers of all time. The F1 press, especially in Europe, is constantly (gleefully) writing articles questioning whether or not he is over the hill at age 41.
I have a great deal of respect for Mark Martin, and am slightly older than him. Whether or not mother nature might be beginning to catch up with him at age 50, to at least some extent, seems to me to be a valid question. However, I have not seen anyone in the media even mention the possible impact of Mark's age on his performance this year. Maybe because the possible impact of Mark's age takes away from blaming Dale, Jr. and Rick Hendrick for the decline in his performance versus 2009?
- July 9, 2010 at 2:34 PM
- GinaV24 said...
50 year old Mark Martin -- how many times did we hear that phrase last year? I was seriously tired of it then and I sure agree with many of you who talk about the reporting these days -- most of it IS speculation without a lot of fact to back things up.
- July 9, 2010 at 3:01 PM


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May 02, 2013
By Chelsea Battle
LAWT Contributing Writer
Those who know and love Kellita Smith as "Wanda Mac", the hot wife who performed alongside the late Bernie Mac on Fox's The Bernie Mac Show, will be happy to learn that the star is maintaining her staying power—both on and behind the screen. For starters she is producing quality media, with a new movie and radio show in the works. On screen she can be seen starring as the First Lady in BET's newly acquired television series, The First Family. On the grassroots level, her advocacy against domestic violence is also noteworthy.
"I came from a single parent home and I definitely was exposed to violence," Smith reveals solemnly. "I just recently did a PSA [Public Service Announcement] for One Billion Women Rising. As women we are beautiful in so many different ways. Part of what I was able to do with this campaign was to really reveal a little bit about myself, because sometimes a lot of the roles I play allow me to be sophisticated or allow me to seem polished and refined. I'm playing roles where the marriages work. The truth of the matter is that I really come from the opposite."
Smith's work with One Billion Women Rising, a women's advocacy organization that focuses on domestic violence and rape, is of considerable importance to her for more reasons than one. The California native, who was raised in Oakland's inner city, openly reveals that she fell victim to domestic violence and molestation well beyond her adolescence, up until she was 24 years old.
"I grew up without a father around pimps and hoes, dope dealers and athletes, so my self-image was being destroyed," reveals Smith. "And if you never address the shame that is created from molestation, then as a woman it's hard for you to realize your true value."
Smith credits acting with saving her life. Given that actors are constantly required to delve deep into the emotional realm, running away from ones own emotions is virtually impossible. Thus Smith believes that her personal tragedies are essentially her gifts that help to create more depth within her craft.
Most recently her gift for acting has been put to use in the family-friendly television series, The First Family. Co-starring alongside Christopher Duncan [The Jamie Foxx Show], who plays President Johnson, Smith plays First Lady Katherine Johnson. Given the green light to develop 104 episodes, the show follows an African American first family through their day-to-day routines as they navigate life in the White House. Other cast members include Jackee Harry, Gladys Knight, and Marla Gibbs.
"It's a comedy but we also have to honor the fact that we do have a Black family in the White House, so it's not corny. It's representing them, but at the same time it's giving you a little bit of art and also giving you jokes," Smith shares.
The humble yet ever provocative Smith also has a slew of behind the scenes projects in the works. Her reserved, albeit outspoken, charm has enabled her to create her own radio talk show called "Let's Get Naked." Soon to be online, the streamed show will feature Smith and three others as they discuss sex, love, relationships, and everything in between. She is also producing what promises to be an exciting film, a work based on the story of a childhood friend she grew up with who was the youngest drug kingpin in Oakland.
"I think that where you're from is very essential to who you have an opportunity to become," Smith reflects. "Growing up in the inner city there were a lot of choices that did take me down a lot of different roads, which is actually a good thing because you're able to see that you can make better choices."
Smith's current offerings stand as evidence that she is indeed making good choices. In parting she leaves us with a quote from the 19th century theater director Constantin Stanislavski: "Love the art in yourself and not yourself in the art," which she interprets as, "Don't get caught up in rewards that art can give you; love the fact that you are a creator and that you are brilliant."


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AP Tries to Frame NSA Surveillance Issue as 'Far Left and Right' vs. Everyone Else — Part 1 of 2
In an early Wednesday morning story which seems to have been a strategic trial balloon, Charles Babington at the Associated Press, aka the Administration's Press, ran a story trying to portray the NSA surveillance revelations by Edward Snowden and subsequent developments as matters which have only riled up people on the "far left and far right." Otherwise, the American people are okey-dokey with NSA's data dragnet. Too bad for Babington and the administration that what appears to have been a belated attempt to intimidate prominent elected politicians has to a large extent not worked, and that polling data he cited near the end of his report (to be covered in Part 2) contradicts his claim that "Solid majorities of Americans and their elected representatives appear to support the chief elements of the government's secret data-gathering."
You can tell that Babington's effort was something out of the ordinary, because the self-described "Essential Global Network" actually used the term "far left" in the story's headline and content. In a U.S. story, that almost never happens unless a reporter is quoting a far-leftists' conservative or moderate opponent. Usually, the only time you see "far left" used in U.S. AP content is to identify a person's placement in a photo. Excerpts from the story follow the jump.
Babington's babbling appears to have a dual purpose: First, to portray Obama and the White House as reasonable people fighting off the nutjobs on the far left and far right; and second, to promote Hillary Clinton's widely expected 2016 presidential campaign by trying to place Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, who is believed to have 2016 ambitions, on the paranoid far right (bolds are mine throughout this post):
Revelations of massive government collections of Americans' phone and email records have reinvigorated an odd-couple political alliance of the far left and right.
A number of Democratic civil liberties activists, along with libertarian-leaning Republicans, say the government actions are too broad and don't adequately protect citizens' privacy.
But this unlikely coalition might have trouble doing anything more than spicing up the national debate. Solid majorities of Americans and their elected representatives appear to support the chief elements of the government's secret data-gathering, and even some of Congress' most outspoken, pro-limited-government tea partyers are wading cautiously into the discussions.
Among other things, the latest privacy-vs.-security struggle may test libertarianism's clout within the Republican Party. In political circles, it's a favorite topic since the tea party emerged, built largely on antipathy toward President Barack Obama's major health care expansion.
"This is a marginal national security group within our party," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said of those who call the government snooping unwarranted or unconstitutional. "I just don't see how anybody gets elected as a Republican" by running to the "left of Obama on national security," said Graham, one of the Senate's most hawkish members.
Leading the libertarian charge is Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who has clashed with Graham on other issues, including the use of unmanned aircraft to kill terrorism suspects.
… The furor over security and privacy came with the disclosure — in unauthorized leaks to news organizations — of two far-reaching programs run by the National Security Agency. One gathers hundreds of millions of U.S. phone records to — the administration says — search for possible links to known terrorist targets abroad. The other allows the government to tap into nine U.S. Internet companies and gather all communications to detect suspicious behavior that begins overseas.
A handful of congressional liberals have raised complaints similar to Paul's.
Babington then proceeded to identify only one "congressional liberal" — Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who is an independent socialist.
The AP reporter conveniently didn't name Oregon Senator Ron Wyden, who I am quite confident wire service has never characterized as being on the "far left." As I pointed out at my home blog on Thursday, thanks to Edward Snowden and Senator Wyden, we now know three things:
- That Wyden asked James Clapper, Director of National Intelligence, about whether NSA's activities have expanded far beyond what most Americans believe is permitted (and what is actually permitted) under the PATRIOT Act. Specifically, "Does the NSA collect any type of data at all on millions or hundreds of millions of Americans?"
- That Clapper was unwilling to admit that NSA's activities have expanded, because he knows that what NSA is doing goes far beyond what most Americans believe is permitted (and what is actually permitted) under the PATRIOT Act, and far beyond what they are willing to tolerate in the name of safety. Clapper's answer was "No, sir. Not wittingly. There are cases where they could inadvertently, perhaps, collect, but not wittingly." Clapper now claims it was the "least untruthful" answer he could give. I don't see how anyone call it anything but an outright lie.
- That NSA's activities, as confirmed by Snowden, really have expanded far beyond what most Americans believe is permitted (and what is actually permitted) under the PATRIOT Act.
Babington also didn't name Colorado Democratic Senator Mark Udall, another person I can virtually guarantee the AP has never characterized as "far left," who has also harshly criticized the NSA surveillance regime.
One of those on the right not named by Babington — not the "far right," the right — who has deep concerns about the NSA surveillance is Wisconsin Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner, who happens to know a little bit about the specific language of the PATRIOT Act:
We've gotten used to what "Big Government" looks like – Washington's unchecked deficit spending, the Obama administration's policing of the press and the IRS's targeting of conservative groups. But the problem is bigger than we thought. "Big Brother" is watching. And he is monitoring the phone calls and digital communications of every American, as well as of any foreigners who make or receive calls to or from the United States.
Last week, the Guardian reported that the Obama administration is collecting records of every call made to, from or within the US, as well as records of many digital communications. President Obama has tried to deflect criticism by claiming "every member of Congress has been briefed on this program." While some members of Congress were briefed – particularly those on the intelligence committees – most, including myself, were not.
The administration claims authority to sift through details of our private lives because the Patriot Act says that it can. I disagree. I authored the Patriot Act, and this is an abuse of that law.
Finally, a photo montage at the Politico has the reactions of 22 politicians and former politicians to the NSA revelations. Almost two-thirds had serious concerns, and I don't think Babington is ready to call every one of them "far left" or "far right" (I did not quote Wyden, Sensenbrenner, or Sanders, whose objections have already been noted):
- Al Gore — "In digital era, privacy must be a priority. Is it just me, or is secret blanket surveillance obscenely outrageous?"
- Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) — "This is yet another example of government overreach that forces the question, 'What sort of state are we living in?' There is clearly a glaring difference between what the government is doing and what the American people think they are doing."
- Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) — "Why they would need that much data puzzles me. It just seems strange that they would collect all of that only to, I'm sure, drill down on certain aspects later on. That was surprise and raises some questions that I think we ought to answer."
- Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) — "This type of secret bulk data collection is an outrageous breach of Americans' privacy. I have had significant concerns about the intelligence community over-collecting information about Americans' telephone calls, emails and other records."
- Sen. Roy Blount (R-Mo.) — "I've been a supporter of FISA and the FISA court process, but it does seem to me that on all fronts, the Obama administration is more expansive and aggressive — from drones to phone records — than the Bush administration."
- Rep. Lee Terry (R-Neb.) — "Never thought I would agree with Al Gore but in the case of the #NSA he's right. The secret blanket surveillance is obscenely outrageous."
- Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) — "Civil liberties are incredibly important in this country and to have a FISA court basically give a perpetual court order of telephone records … I think it goes against what this country is founded on."
- "We believe this type of program is far too broad and is inconsistent with our nation's founding principles. We cannot defeat terrorism by compromising our commitment to our civil rights and liberties," Prominent Democrats including Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.), on the House Judiciary committee said in a joint statement.
Sorry, Team Obama, Team Hillary 2016, and dual-purpose cheerleader Charles Babington. This "Obama's the reasonable moderate" trial balloon won't fly for two reasons: Mainstream politicians of both parties are speaking out against the NSA's dragnet, and, as will be seen in Part 2, the polls aren't telling us what Babington says they are.
Cross-posted at NewsBusters.org.


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Home > News & Events > Speeches & Testimony
Speeches & Testimony
Statement of Martin J. Gruenberg, Acting Chairman, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation on "Examining Bank Supervision and Risk Management In Light of JPMorgan Chase's Trading Loss" Before the Committee on Financial Services, United States House of Representatives; 2128 Rayburn House Office Building
June 19, 2012
Chairman Bachus, Representative Frank and members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify this morning on behalf of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation on bank supervision and risk management as it concerns recent trading losses at JPMorgan Chase.
The recent losses at JPMorgan Chase revealed certain risks that reside within large, complex financial institutions. They also highlighted the significance of effective risk controls and governance at these institutions.
The four FDIC-insured subsidiaries of JPMorgan Chase firm have nearly $2 trillion in assets and $842 billion in domestic deposits. As the deposit insurer and backup supervisor of JPMorgan Chase, the FDIC staff works through the primary federal regulators, the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Reserve System, to obtain information necessary to monitor the risk within the institution.
The FDIC maintains an onsite presence at the firm, which currently consists of a permanent staff of four professionals. The FDIC staff engages in risk monitoring of the firm through cooperation with the primary federal regulators. Following the disclosure of JPMorgan Chase's losses, the FDIC has added temporary staff to assist in our current review. The team is working with the institution's primary federal regulators to investigate both the circumstances that led to the losses and the institution's ongoing efforts to manage the risks at the firm. The agencies are conducting an in-depth review of both the risk measurement tools used by the firm and the governance and limit structures in place within the Chief Investment Office (CIO) unit where the losses occurred. Following this review, we will work with the primary regulators to address any inadequate risk management practices that are identified.
Following the announcement of these losses in May, the FDIC joined the OCC and the New York Federal Reserve Bank in daily meetings with the firm. Initially, these meetings focused on gaining an understanding of the events leading up to the escalating losses in the CIO synthetic credit portfolio. The FDIC has continued to participate in these daily meetings between the firm and its primary regulators. We are looking at the strength of CIO's risk management, governance and control frameworks, including the setting and monitoring of risk limits. The FDIC is also reviewing the quality of CIO risk reporting that has historically been made available to firm management and the regulators. Our discussions have also focused on the quality and consistency of the models used in the CIO as well as the approval and validation processes surrounding them. Although the focus of this review is on the circumstances that led to the losses, the FDIC is also working with JPMorgan Chase's primary federal regulators to assess any other potential gaps within the firm's overall risk management practices.
As a general matter, and apart from the specifics of this situation, evaluating the quality of financial institutions' risk management practices, internal controls and governance is an important focus of safety-and-soundness examinations conducted by the federal banking agencies. Onsite examinations provide an opportunity for supervisors to evaluate the quality of the loan and securities portfolios, underwriting practices, credit review and administration, establishment of and adherence to risk limits, and other matters pertinent to the risk profile of an institution. One important element of risk management is that senior management and the board receives accurate and timely information about the risks to which a firm is exposed. Timely risk-related information is needed by institution management to support decision making and to satisfy disclosure requirements -- and it is an important element of supervisory review.
Without speaking to the specifics of the case for which a review is underway, the recent losses attest to the speed with which risks can materialize in a large, complex derivatives portfolio. The recent losses also highlight that it is important for financial regulatory agencies to have access to timely risk-related information about derivatives and other market-sensitive exposures, to analyze the data effectively, and to regularly share findings and observations.
|Last Updated 6/19/2012


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Let's talk about my striped drapes shall we?
First the fabric.
I first bought this fabric at Mary Jo's Cloth Store in Gastonia, NC in March or April of 2010. The next time I went to Mary Jo's I couldn't find it. I was there again few months ago I found it in a special part of Mary Jo's Cloth store. I think it was either discontinued or no longer being ordered.
It says Lacefield Nantucket Sand/White and was $9.99 a yard. And did you notice that the stripes run vertical?
I fell in love with the fabric immediately last year when I found it. So I bought 3 yards and clipped it up to my window to see how I liked it. See how the stripes run?
A week later I had my slipcover party and the Good Lord was merciful on me and somehow prompted me to take a photo the very second that Lily walked up to my window and said, you should hang them this way. It was a moment. She was completely right and we all gasped at the magical beauty that we witnessed as she turned the fabric 90 degrees. It was a decorating miracle. Horizontal, not vertical.
The only problem was that I would have to cut the panel in half and turn each piece 90 degrees and sew it. I knew sewing would be the fastest way to connect the two pieces. So I, the girl who avoids sewing at all costs, went to Mary Jo's the next day, bought 9 more yards of my fabric. I brought that home and cut it into 3 yard pieces. Then I cut each three yard piece down the middle across and rotated each half 90 degrees so the stripes ran across and quickly sewed them back together. I think I spent 45 seconds on each panel.
Look closely and you can see I'm experimenting with fringe at the bottom, so far I've yet to find something I love so they just hang an inch and a half above the floor. I could lower my rods but, eh, too much work.
So yes, I sewed!
I knew I could probably find different fabric with stripes that ran the way I wanted but, since I already had 3 yards of the fabric, it was the perfect color and it was a good price, I figured I'd just deal with it and whip out my sewing machine.
If you look at the drape right under the mantle there, you can see one of my not perfect edges at the seam. I didn't hem, line, weight or otherwise mess with anything other than this one seam. And, I made the amateur mistake of hanging my rods before I made my mistreatments. Normally, I can buy whatever length of fabric I want and make mistreatments that way so I just measure the length. But this time the longest I could have these was about 107 inches which is double the width minus my seam.
So that's how I made my striped drapes. Many of you have been even more creative. Here's another example of DIY striped drapes created with paint, and here are some made with premade drapes, extra fabric and stitch witchery.
A few days ago a friend of mine called Mary Jo's and apparently, they still have 20 yards of the fabric left over~you can order it over the phone and they'll ship it to you. Hurry and order it if you want it~if you call in and have more information, feel free to leave it in the comments. (704) 861-9100 or 1 (888) 780-7345
As of June 29th rumor has it that Mary Jo's has less than 3 yards. But, a fellow blogger is selling some of her exact striped fabric on ebay in a 7 day auction.


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By Jenny E. Kim, Sierra Leone
My taxi driver Sharif is a 001– he eats 0 breakfast, 0 lunch, and 1 dinner. First started by university students in Freetown, classmates used the labeling system to identify those who were able to share meals and those who could not. The system is a reminder that in Sierra Leone access to basics necessities are limited. Food, clean water, roads, and electricity are all challenges. As the local currency continues its downward trajectory, in no other way does the average Sierra Leonean feel the economic pressures more than he does with food.
Above is a picture of a billboard located in one of Freetown's busiest intersections, Congo Cross Junction. Sierra Leoneans call their country affectionately by the name "Salone"
One meal a day is common. Each meal here represents a weighty financial decision. For Sharif, the charcoal used to cook the staple, rice, is as much of a financial consideration as the food itself. He cooks on charcoal because he cannot afford to buy the single gas burner. The needed gas refills are a luxury beyond his imagining. So the forests here are stripped in part to supply the charcoal that Sharif and those like him need to feed themselves. As for rice, the price has almost doubled within a year. In January, a 50 kg bag of rice that fed a family of four for a month cost Le 70,000 or roughly $25. That same bag of rice today is twice that amount in local currency (between Le 130,000 to Le 150,000). The steep 33% devaluation of the currency from Le 3,000 to Le 4,000 against the U.S. dollar contributed to and exacerbated an already tenuous situation. With no commensurate adjustment in income, the most desperate have resorted to purchasing scrappage—spoiled rice.
"A Sierra Leonean doesn't consider it a meal unless there is rice, and lots of it," my colleagues tell me. Chances are if you order local food, whatever appears will be served with a small bucket-sized mound of rice. Eat in Sierra Leone and it's a challenge to avoid it. Before WWII Sierra Leone had plenty of rice. The country which is wet and humid with nutrient rich soil, has always been considered ideal for rice growing. Rice abounded. But today, although the landscape remains the same, Sierra Leone has become a rice dependent nation importing over 30% of its annual consumption from countries like China and India. Some blame the shift on the diamond trade, claiming that farmers abandoned the rice fields in a rush to the diamond mines. Others claim that rice farmers have yet to recover from the cataclysmic destruction of rice fields wrought by the rebels during the war. Food experts speak of essential equipment, higher yielding rice seed variants, and other factors needed to produce the staple. Whatever the root causes or long term solutions, the fact remains that today Sierra Leone cannot feed itself.
When I arrived in Freetown, I was confused about meal times. That first week I sat around watching for signs of a mass office exodus to lunch. I waited until 3 pm before making a move. It wasn't until the second week that I caught on that food issues in Sierra Leone were complicated. Perhaps lunch time was a notion I had stubbornly brought with me from the U.S. Here, the notion seemed vague. When I temporarily stopped taking lunch, a colleague noticed and commented that I was now a 101.
Lend to entrepreneurs in Sierra Leone here: http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&partner_id=148&status=All&sortBy=New+to+Old/>