text:
Maple and Walnut Nanaimo Bars (Daring Bakers)
January 27, 2010 at 2:17 pm 139 comments
Lately, I've been in a writing rut.
I've been in food ruts where I made the same types of desserts over and over, and I've had weeks where inspiration simply escaped me. I've had photography ruts, too, where every post would somehow have the same style of photographs. I think every food blogger has those moments where you long to shoot images of vintage cars, textured bark or copper kettles, anything but another cookie.
These days, I haven't had any recent baking disasters and my photography can only improve. But I've never experienced a writing rut before, and even stringing those two words together makes my heart ache like a bruised peach. I can't describe how stifling and disheartening it feels to have nothing to say. I have never felt speechless before, and it makes me feel cloudless and empty.
I tried to pinpoint where it started, and I think I know. Last month the blog received more attention than usual and got some national exposure. I was out of town the week that it happened, and when I came home, I was startled by the sudden spike in subscriptions and Facebook friend requests. All my numbers had gone up, thirty times my usual number of hits, and more comments than I could read in an hour.
At first, I was exhilarated. I couldn't wait to post again, and I was so touched that 17 and Baking meant something to so many new people. But as I started sifting through the comments, I encountered something I'd never expected to read on my site – wisps of negativity that deflated any of my short-lived joy.
I've never received disparaging comments before. I mean, it's one thing when a recipe doesn't work out for somebody or when I've made a silly mistake on my post. But amongst the flood of new comments were little pebbles of cruelty, a silt of snide comments and offhand criticisms. I knew those people shouldn't matter. I knew nobody with a dream or a zest for life would write "Who cares?" on a 17 year old's blog.
But honestly? I'm not kidding anyone, especially not myself. Those comments did matter to me.
I remember for the first time, dreading my next post. Although only a tiny percentage of comments from the recent exposure had been discouraging, the damage was done. I considered writing about my hesitations and reservations, or about how I found the strength to move on. But nothing I wrote rang true, and ultimately, I didn't want to display my disappointment and tarnished confidence to the world. That isn't the kind of person I am.
I wrote a lighthearted post instead, and kept my feelings to myself for once. And somehow, inexplicably, I lost my voice for a few weeks. I was unsatisfied with everything I wrote, and I finally had the last straw when I rewrote last week's post four times before posting, and still was unhappy with the result. I wanted to find my passion again.
Passion, not flour or sugar, is the life of this blog. I refuse to let it wilt, because this blog has truly had a tangible impact on my life. I can feel it stirring in the back of my mind when I'm home alone, making hot chocolate and trying to find matching socks. I feel it pulsing through my veins when I walk to class, wet leaves still clinging to my boots. And I feel it most of all in my heart when I read your comments and emails, because nothing makes me as happy and enriches my life as much as your words.
Last week I discovered that I was nominated in the category of "Best Weblog By a Teen" in the 10th annual Weblog Awards, and it lifted my spirits in an unbelievable way. I felt like I was made out of thin air, or quite possibly liquid sunshine. I'm so honored and thrilled to be part of this year's nominations!
Browsing this year's nominees has also shown me plenty of great sites I wouldn't have found on my own. None of the other teen nominees are specifically food bloggers, but their interests range from current issues to fashion to daily ponderings. I definitely encourage you to check out this year's weblogs and maybe even vote for 17 and Baking! [2/28/10 Update: You might like to know that I won. :) ]
I finally feel like I have found my voice again with this post. The words came out easily once more, like the dusk I've been swept in has finally dissipated. When I finished writing this post and read it over in a final edit, I felt a deep satisfaction that I'd nearly forgotten.
I don't know if it's the nomination, the passing of time, or the fact that this month's Daring Bakers challenge was pleasantly easy. All I know is that I am bursting with metaphors and adjectives, I have so much that I want to say and so much I want to learn. I'm so lucky to know where my passions are and to have the means to pursue them with everything I have, and I can't help but look forward to February with a considerably lighter heart.
The January 2010 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Lauren of Celiac Teen. Lauren chose Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and Nanaimo Bars as the challenge for the month. The sources she based her recipe on are 101 Cookbooks and http://www.nanaimo.ca.
Here in Washington state we don't get nanaimo bars, or at least I've never seen one. I've seen them on Tastespotting and thought they looked good, so I was excited to see that they were this month's challenge. Unfortunately, I can't say that I liked them. I have a sweet tooth, but even without the maple flavoring, these were tooth achingly sweet. They were also much too rich in the way that an overly buttery buttercream is too rich.
Nanaimo bars have three layers – chocolate on top, a middle buttercream layer, and a cocoa-coconut bottom layer made with graham crackers. For the chocolate layer, I used some unsweetened chocolate to tWe were encouraged to make gluten-free graham crackers for the challenge, but I didn't have the ingredients on hand and made the original recipe instead. It just so happens I've made this exact graham cracker recipe before for my Autumn S'mores, so I'll give the gluten-free version below.
Gluten-Free Graham Wafers
Adapted from 101.cookbooks
Makes about 10 large graham crackers (more than that for me)
1 cup (138 g) (4.9 ounces) Sweet rice flour (also known as glutinous rice flour)
3/4 cup (100 g) (3.5 ounces) Tapioca Starch/Flour
1/2 cup (65 g) (2.3 ounces) Sorghum Flour
1 cup (200 g) (7.1 ounces) Dark Brown Sugar, Lightly packed
1 teaspoon (5 mL) Baking soda
3/4 teaspoon (4 mL) Kosher Salt
7 tablespoons (100 g) (3 ½ ounces) Cold Unsalted Butter (Cut into 1-inch cubes)
1/3 cup (80 mL) Honey, Mild-flavoured such as clover.
5 tablespoons (75 mL) Whole Milk
2 tablespoons (30 mL) Pure Vanilla Extract
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, combine the flours, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Pulse on low to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse on and off, until the mixture is the consistency of a coarse meal. If making by hand, combine aforementioned dry ingredients with a whisk, then cut in butter until you have a coarse meal. No chunks of butter should be visible.
In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the honey, milk and vanilla. Add to the flour mixture until the dough barely comes together. It will be very soft and sticky.
Turn the dough onto a surface well-floured with sweet rice flour and pat the dough into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, about 2 hours, or overnight.
Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator. Sift an even layer of sweet rice flour onto the work surface and roll the dough into a long rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick. The dough will be quite sticky, so flour as necessary. Cut into 4 by 4 inch squares. [To make things easier on myself, since the bars just need crumbs, I used a cookie cutter to quickly cut out stars.] Gather the scraps together and set aside. Place wafers on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets. Chill until firm, about 30 to 45 minutes. Repeat with the second batch of dough.
Adjust the rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). Gather the scraps together into a ball, chill until firm, and reroll. Dust the surface with more sweet rice flour and roll out the dough to get a couple more wafers. Prick the wafers with toothpick or fork, not all the way through, in two or more rows.
Bake for 25 minutes [more like 12], until browned and slightly firm to the touch, rotating sheets halfway through to ensure even baking. Might take less, and the starting location of each sheet may determine its required time. The ones that started on the bottom browned faster.
To make crumbs: When cooled completely, place enough wafers in food processor to make 1 ¼ cups (300 mL) of crumbs. Another way to do this is to place in a large ziplock bag, force all air out and smash with a rolling pin until wafers are crumbs.
Maple and Walnut Nanaimo Bars
Makes an 8×8 Pan
Bottom Layer
1/2 cup (115 g) (4 ounces) Unsalted Butter
1/4 cup (50 g) (1.8 ounces) Granulated Sugar
5 tablespoons (75 mL) Unsweetened Cocoa
1 Large Egg, Beaten
1 1/4 cups (300 mL) (160 g) (5.6 ounces) Gluten Free Graham Wafer Crumbs
1/2 cup (55 g) (1.9 ounces) Walnuts (Finely chopped)
1 cup (130 g) (4.5 ounces) Coconut (Shredded)
Melt unsalted butter, sugar and cocoa in top of a double boiler. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, nuts and coconut. Press firmly into an ungreased 8 by 8 inch pan.
Maple "Buttercream" Middle Layer
1/2 cup (115 g) (4 ounces) Unsalted Butter
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons (40 mL) Heavy Cream
2 tablespoons (30 mL) Vanilla Custard Powder (Such as Bird's, or Vanilla pudding mix)
2 cups (254 g) (8.9 ounces) Icing (Powdered) Sugar
2 teaspoons (10 mL) Maple Syrup
1/4 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Dash of cinnamon
Cream butter, cream, custard powder, icing sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and cinnamon together well. Beat until light in colour. Spread over bottom layer.
Chocolate Top Layer
3 ounces (87 g) Semi-sweet chocolate
1 ounce (29 g) Unsweetened (Baker's) chocolate
2 tablespoons (28 g) (1 ounce) Unsalted Butter
Melt chocolate and butter over low heat. Let cool to room temperature. When cooled, but still liquid, spread over the top of the bars.
Printer Friendly Version – Maple and Walnut Nanaimo Bars
Entry filed under: Bars/Brownies, Daring Bakers. Tags: bars, buttery, chocolate, coconut, Daring Bakers, nuts, walnuts.
139 Comments Add your own
My daughter and I have been watching every day to see your next post. I had a feeling something was going on. I want you to encourage you that you are working that stuff through in a very healthy way. We can't deny that hurtful comments hurt us, but what we do after we recognize that is key. Do we let those statements define us? Push us off track? Steal our passion? Or do we move on, doing what we love and encouraging others to do the same? No, you aren't perfect—(I know I'm not!), but you are sharing your passion with us and it has inspired my 11 year old to try and start her own blog. So keep your chin up and keep those great recipes and pics and words coming!
I think you're quite amazing. It's hard when the self-deprecating part of us is louder than the confident one. Despite the overflow of kudos and "well dones," it's always those few doubting remarks that make us crumble. If anything, look at it as a skin-thickening exercise because in this anonymous and cowardly day and age sitting vulnerably in the public eye sadly requires it. Keep doing what you're doing :)
Your posts continue to interest, to delight, to inspire many readers who, like me, lurk rather than comment. Today I felt my spirit lift as I read through the comments above, full of affirmation and support. Thank you for sharing this experience, and congratulations on moving through it with grace and maturity.
I wonder if you truly know how it is that you inspire people. It bothered me to learn that there are people who were hurtful towards you or your talents. I look forward to watching you grow as a person, as more and more of your life experiences will enhance your blog even more. Thank you for inspiring me. Your blog is sometimes the pick-me-up that I need to get through my hectic days. You are a true gem. :) Your mom and dad must be so proud. :) I don't even know you, yet you make ME proud. Keep up the good work–there are many people who love your talents and love that you share them with others.
Just found your blog via the weblog awards and I'm addicted. Opening your page is like entering a spa…so relaxing and inviting. Looking forward to what you do next.
p.s. how on Earth did you manage to slice those bars so perfectly?!
Elissa… you're blog is by far one of the most fun, visually beautiful, recipe tempting, and most importantly joyful blogs around. keep up the awesome work… i read your posts, see your pictures and it makes me want to roll my sleeves up, pull out my kitchenaid mixer and get started on something new. i even blogged about you on my blog this week (your tiny peanut butter chocolate chip buttons were the subject of conversation)… thanks for being fun and yourself. keep doing what you are doing and ignore the nay-sayers.
Hi E,
Thanks for the reply and for the "chef's secret" on slicing perfection. Not only am I lovin' your blog but now my daughters (13 &10) are hooked. Keep up the fantastic work, YOU ROCK (as my 10 yr old would say)!
Some people are not happy unless they're putting somebody else down. Sometimes there's some truth in a comment and you can take something from it, learn from and grow from it. Sometimes you just have to look past it and move on. This is my first time on this blog and I have to say it's very well put together. You also take pictures that make the food look worth trying. Keep working toward your goals. Remember that there will always be people there to discourage you, but you're strong enough to push past them and continue onward.
Great looking nanaimo bars! I like the use of the maple in them.
Remember this post, and how you felt when you wrote it. Not everyone will always love what you have to say, but you are a bright 17 year old with maturity beyond your years. You're great at what you do and humble enough to know you can be better, and that humility makes you honorable.
You go girl! you have definitely not lost ur way in writing! i am stunned at how great you are with your words! i just stumbled across your blog after clicking on ur pic and read this post and it literally made me angry that these people would say something like that to you! i dont even know you but i am proud that you are still a blogging genius! keep your head up ur so talented especially for how young u are :)
Unfortunately in this world the bad comes along with the good, but doesn't that just make the good (comments) that much sweeter? :)
Don't take the negativity personal because they don't even KNOW you!
BTW, I do have a sweet tooth, but this was even too sweet for me:) LOVED making/eating the graham crackers though!!!
i have sporadically followed your blog over the past few months and have greatly enjoyed your posts — you are clearly an incredibly creative person with a lot of talent.
your detractors…or anyone who would ask "who cares" about your blog.. are jaded and wish to pass on the lack of support end encouragement that they must have received in pursuing their passions and dreams. lots of people care.
it isnt just about delicious food and beautiful pictures, although you are well covered in both those departments. it is about taking a risk, sharing a piece of yourself and your creativity — your art — with the world. lots of people love to cook and bake and do it because they enjoy it, including myself, but you have true talent.
this is a good lesson to learn early: at every stage of your life there will be people there ready and willing to take you down a notch, to take the wind out of your sails and to rain on your parade. there will be people who tell you you cant succeed, shouldn't pursue your passions, that nobody cares, etc. they are wrong. prove it to them.
Do the Gram waffer crumbs need to be gluten free??
You are an amazingly talented young woman! Never doubt your abilities due to some random comment from left field. YOU ROCK!
Is this whole recipe gluten-free? If so I gotta make this sometime when I'm not feeling lazy hehe
I like your blog. Love your writing.." pebbles of cruelty and silt of snide"! perfectly phrased!
[…] Thanks to this post tweeted by Ready Made Magazine, I discovered 17 & Baking. These nanaimo bars look fantastic! I've only attempted nanaimos once and they were regular ones, but oh so heavenly! Can't wait to try her recipe for maple walnut ones here. […]
Livvie says for every negative comment you receive, it takes 10 compliments to undo it. Our bubbles are so easily bursted :(
Also, there are nanaimo bars in Washington. I think they're mostly in little cafes, the cute ones that aren't chains or anything. These look delicious and I will surely make them sometime soon, even though they're over the top in sugar :P Tania tries to convince me to half the sugar in recipes but I am a stubborn American and do not listen.
I hope you're enjoying college Elissa! =)
Just came across a link for your blog last night and fell in love with the flavour combinations for cupcakes, not to mention your deft icing skills & beautiful photography.
I'm Canadian, and I have never seen a blog post about Nanaimo bars, let alone those awesome Christmas treats being mentioned outside of a Canadian Living magazine. As I've been living in the US for some time now, I do get hankerings for some of the deserts I grew up on, these being one of them. Thank you for sharing!
Do you know about Butter Tarts? Another addictive Canadian delicacy;)
Actually, you know what would be cool? But this is a completely unsolicited suggestion: deserts that have cultural significance in other countries. I was noticing that you have followers from all corners of the world, it might be nice to represent some of those followers through food. Food = Culture.
Also, I see that you adapted the graham wafer biscuits from Heidi Swanson's 101cookbooks blog- love her two. You and Heidi are definitely my favourites. Keep up the great work, and enjoy college!
You always make me cry….Love the way you write and the love that you share with your family. I have a daughter living outside of Boston (Cambridge) and I love it when when she comes home and HATE it when she leaves. But you all need to grow on your own and make your own way. It seems that you are both doing just that, and in a very impressive way. Good Luck with all that you do.
I'm still working my way through your blog chronologically and I know I'm way behind this wave. However, I haven't been reading all of the comments – you get so many! But most have seemed encouraging that I have seen. I can't imagine what anyone would find to criticize here – you seem like a talented, curious, joyful person who is sharing a big part of herself with the world. I know I appreciate that as do many, many other readers. I'm sure you've found a way to work through the negative comments by now….I just want to cheer you on as well! :-)
You are so talented and anyone with a shred of sense can see that the minute they read a word of your writing or look at one of your photos (I still cant believe that you are only 19). I adore your blog and only wish you posted more often.
Hi Elissa! I'm a relatively new blogger with a very small blog… I can't believe that people actually had the gall to say cruel things – where do they get off? It's also the biggest fear that I happen to have….
But you know what – there are clearly more that love you than don't. Don't pet the sweaty things. Um – I mean don't sweat the petty things. ;o)
All the best,
Wow, these pictures look delicious! I have got to try these recipes this weekend. Thank you for posting this and making me hungry! =-)
Hi E,
I discovered your blog yesterday and I have to say yours is undoubtedly the most pleasant blog I have ever read. I know what you mean about losing your voice. Whenever I have something to say, something that's really bugging me, but choose not to, the result is verbal constipation. I end up not saying anything I truly mean, until I can no longer contain myself and I finally speak up about the thing-that-should-not-be-mentioned, and all is well again.
(Sorry is my writing style is nowhere near as poetic as yours. ;p, or if my comment is 3 years late! I just wanted to say, keep up the good work and keep your posts coming!)
I just want to say that I am an eleven year-old from New Zealand and I am TRULY OBSESSED with your blog.
Not something that your mom wore to her prom back in the dark ages.
Ladies will probably be girls and if they are presented with the chance of attending a particular
occasion, footwear, bags, and evening dresses are on prime of their priority list.
You are strongly recommended to look yourself in the mirror before going
out and make sure everything is okay on your body.
Not something that your mom wore to her prom back in the dark ages.
Ladies will probably be girls and if they are presented with the chance of attending a particular
occasion, footwear, bags, and evening dresses are on prime of their priority list.
You are strongly recommended to look yourself in the mirror before going
out and make sure everything is okay on your body.
Freddom Mentor reviews
Maple and Walnut Nanaimo Bars (Daring Bakers) | 17 and Baking
Saleh Stevens
Maple and Walnut Nanaimo Bars (Daring Bakers) | 17 and Baking
Daren Zenner
Maple and Walnut Nanaimo Bars (Daring Bakers) | 17 and Baking
Leave a Reply to amber Cancel reply
Trackback this post | Subscribe to the comments via RSS Feed


text:
TERT Students go through agent operations at the COBRA. During the exercise, students work with and identify biological materials Ricin and Anthrax and also nerve agents GB and VX. Photo courtesy of the Center for Domestic Preparedness.
Classrooms, textbooks, presentations and computers are possibly a student's most common expectation of a typical learning environment. Recently, 24 students, from Southwestern College in San Diego, traded in their pens and notebooks for breathing apparatuses, bulky gloves, rubber boots and protective suits. These students are enrolled in the college's paramedic program and attended training at FEMA's Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP), in Anniston, Ala.
"This training provides our students a well-rounded exposure to current threats and better prepares us," says Loretta Contreras, an instructor with the college and a paramedic for the past 30 years. "The [Technical Emergency Response Training for CBRNE Incidents] course explains what we should be alert to and topics we don't think about on a day-to-day basis."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
1 - 5 of 5 Results
Etat des lieux des inégalités et de la discrimination à l'encontre des femmes & des filles dans la législation tunisienne
Le Bureau du Haut-Commissariat des Nations Unies aux Droits de l'Homme en Tunisie, l'ONU Femmes Tunisie et le Centre de recherche, d'études, de Documentation et d'Information sur la Femme(CREDIF) ont conjointement réalisé une étude relative à l'état des lieux des inégalités et de la discrimination à l'encontre des femmes et des filles dans la législation tunisienne en en 2016 puis mise à jour en 2021.
This rapid assessment examines how the impacts of COVID-19 are threatening women's ability to access justice. The assessment reflects challenges faced by women and girls of diverse backgrounds and socio-economic groups, including those experiencing overlapping disadvantages and those facing amplified challenges in humanitarian settings. Cross-regional and local experiences are highlighted, and quantitative data is utilized where available.
This brief explores the implications for the provision of essential services for women and girls who have experienced violence during the COVID-19 pandemic. It provides recommendations for governments, civil society, and international organizations that are seeking to improve the quality of and access to coordinated health, police and justice, and social services for all women and girls during the crisis and provides examples of promising practices to date.
This week in Beirut, UN Women and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia launched a regional project to estimate the cost of violence against women as an instrument for policy reform and advocacy.
The Global Guidance, developed by UN Women and UNESCO, provides key information to governments, policy-makers, teachers, practitioners and civil society who wish to take concrete action against school-related gender-based violence. It introduces approaches, methodologies, tools and resources that have shown positive results in preventing and responding to gender-based violence in schools settings. It should contribute to further promote the generation of knowledge, evidence and standards of response against this pervasive problem.


text:
14K Gold 925 Sterling Silver Opal JWS Jewelry Emuna Studio Hamsa Necklaces & Pendants
14K Gold 925 Sterling Silver Opal JWS Jewelry Emuna Studio Hamsa Necklaces & Pendants
A hamsa pendant or necklace has been one of the most popular Jewish jewelry forms for centuries. Judaica Webstore's collection has wonderful hamsas, noth traditional and contemporary, in sterling silver, gold, precious stones, Roman glass, and much more!
What does the Hamsa mean?
Originating in North Africa and the Middle East, the hand-shaped Hamsa symbol represents divine protection against the evil eye as well as blessings and power. Due to its association with protection against the evil eye, many Hamsas feature an eye symbol in its palm.
Can anyone wear the Hamsa hand?
Although viewed as a symbol of divine protection, the Hamsa is not a religious item and there is no issue with anyone, Jewish or non-Jewish, choosing to wear this amulet.


text:
University of Graz Responds to Parncutt's calls for death penalty for "deniers" ()2012-12-27). Yeah! Denialist outrage has led the University of Graz to censor their music professor's ill-advised ramblings about climate change! Freedom from speech is victorious! Nothing more satisfying than a bit of successful bullying, is there Anthony? Monckton, of course, also got his stick in there.
Also, Skeptical Science and DeSmogBlog haven't explicitly disavowed Professor Parncutt's essay suggesting the execution of denialists, so that clearly means they support it.
UPDATE2: 2:55:PM PST In an email received today from Skeptical Science contributor Dana Nuccitelli, he has flat out refused to distance himself or the SkS website publicly from the Parncutt essay. Readers may recall that Parncutt used SkS as a reference in his essay calling for the death penalty. No word yet on whether John Cook (owner of the website) agrees and no word yet from DeSmog blog. – Anthony
Funny, I happen to have Mr. Nuccitelli's actual response here, which was also posted as a comment that was blocked by Anthony's censors, which seems a bit more nuanced than Anthony's "reporting":
From: Dana Nuccitelli
To: Anthony <xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, December 27, 2012 2:47 PM
Subject: Re: still waiting…
We of course don't agree with giving denialists the death penalty, but we're also not going to waste our time commenting on what some German musicologist said just because he happens to (correctly) cite SkS as a factually accurate source on climate science.
Given than you frequently allow WUWT guest posts from people like Christopher Monckton, who aside from being a total nutjob (to put it as kindly as I can), says some pretty horrible things on a regular basis, I really don't think you're in a position to expect more than that.


text:
This feature is a benefit of Premium membership.
Registering as a Premium member will give you complete access to our award-winning content and tools on stock options, restricted stock/RSUs, SARs, and ESPPs.
Who becomes a Premium Member? See our long list of paid subscribers.
Are you a financial or wealth advisor? Learn more about MSO Pro Membership.


text:
About once a month, Renee Montgomery, LACMA's Assistant Director of Collections Information and Risk Management, sends the entire LACMA staff an interesting piece of trivia about the museum. We at Unframed love receiving these emails so much that we asked Renee if she would begin regularly sharing them, and she generously agreed.
Most Angelenos are familiar with the tragic story of the assassination of Christopher Wallace, aka Biggie Smalls, aka Notorious B.I.G., near the intersection of Fairfax and Wilshire. Fewer residents will remember a prior tragedy at this same location approximately seventy-five years earlier.
Before the May Company (now LACMA West) and Johnie's, there used to be two airfields at Fairfax and Wilshire, one owned by Cecil B. DeMille and another by Syd Chaplin and Emory Rogers. In 1920, DeMille's field was the scene of a movie, The Skywayman. Acting in this film were Ormer "Lock" Locklear and Milton "Skeets" Elliott—two pilot stuntmen specializing in aerial tricks following World War I.
For the finale of The Skywayman, Elliott was to dive the plane with Locklear in it toward some oil derricks, appearing to crash into them. The trick would be faked by Elliott pulling out of the dive at the last minute; the studio lighting technicians were to keep the floodlights on the spot long enough to capture the dive scene but then cut the lights off when Elliott pulled out to disguise the trick.
Unfortunately, the electricians failed to shut off the lights as Elliott approached, and he was blinded by the light; the plane crashed, and both men were killed. The gruesome footage was caught on film and actually used in The Skywayman.
Renee Montgomery, Assistant Director, Collections Information and Risk Management


text:
Search our website
Tools to help develop your writing skills.
Workshops and events.
Writers SA offers a year-round program of literary workshops, events, and courses, both in person and online.
Writers SA members receive a discount to all ticketed workshops, members log in here to access discount prices. Not a member yet? You can join us here.
For information about our cancellation and refund policy, please read our terms and conditions before you register for a workshop.
Date: [api4:start_date:%B %E, %Y]
Writers SA believes in fostering writers of all ages, and encouraging young writers to express their creativity and build their skills in a supportive, safe, fun and engaging environment.
We hold kids writing workshops and writing clubs for young people regularly throughout the year and in the school holidays.
If you are from a school or organisation we can also develop young people's writing workshops, one-off talks and events, and other programs with and for you, please contact us at [email protected] or call on 08 8223 7662 to find out more.
Looking for a writing workshop, community event, performance or literary showcase in regional South Australia?
Our No Limits: Young Regional Writers program offers a diverse range of online and in-person writing workshops and events in three regional SA locations: Riverland, Eyre Peninsula and Limestone Coast.
This project is supported by Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund – an Australian Government initiative, and Arts South Australia.
Professional resources for writers.
Membership information and resources.
Keep up to date with those around you.
Matilda Bookshop, in partnership with Writers SA, and association with Ultimo Press, are offering an annual residency fellowship to a South Australian writer. The fellowship provides support (time, writing space and mentoring) to work on a writing project of literary merit. As there are currently no SA residency fellowships offered to SA writers, the fellowship aims to remedy a gap in the literary community. Applications will be assessed by Writers SA staff, with the shortlist judged by Writers SA and Matilda Bookshop. Ultimo Press will provide consultation and manuscript assessment to the recipient.
The residency is for one week (seven nights) and includes the following:
Applications will open Wednesday February 1st 2023, and must be submitted to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/deepcreekres by 11:59pm Saturday 1 April 2023. The successful recipients will be notified by June 30 2023.
The week-long residency will take place October 16-23, 2023. There is no application fee, and no program fees apply. Regional writers may apply for a higher travel/living subsidy at the time of application and will depend on the location they are travelling from.
Selection Criteria:
Applications will be considered according to:
To apply:
Please follow this link where you can also upload your documents.
Terms and conditions
By entering this application process, you agree to the following terms and conditions:
1. You must be a writer with a work in progress (the submission can be in early stages of development, but we want to see that you have a viable and dynamic project in mind).
2. You must be a South Australian resident for at least 12 months.
3. You must be 18 years or older.
4. You must be able to take up the residency between October 16 and 23, 2023, and if circumstances beyond your control prevent you from attending during this time, you must notify Writers SA of this immediately so another applicant can be offered the fellowship.
5. The successful applicant will need to make their own way to and from the residency at Grass Tree Gully in Deep Creek, South Australia.
6. The final recipient will be chosen at the discretion of Writers SA and Matilda Bookshop. The decision will be final, and no discussion will be entered into with applicants. Previous applicants may reapply with the same or a different literary project. Previous winners can not reapply even if the project is new.
Additional Information
The house is reasonably accessible however the property is mostly rugged terrain. Please contact [email protected] if you need to discuss any accessibility queries or options in relation to the residency.
Undertaking the residency is not a guarantee of publication. Ultimo Press will consider the final manuscript at their discretion.
Writers SA's Writers in Schools Program embeds professional practising writers in outer suburban and regional public high schools in South Australia to teach writing skills, provide literary career pathways, and inspire a love of writing and reading in students. The program provides employment to the writers to undertake two or four-week residencies where they will work on personal creative projects. The writers will also work with teachers to provide writing workshops, author talks and other activities with students in alignment with the curriculum, and has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body.
Jude will be based at Penola High School for two weeks from the 20th February 2023.
Jude Aquilina is an award-winning poet and author whose work is published in literary journals, newspapers and anthologies across Australia and abroad. She has published and edited many books. Her Wakefield Press titles include Knifing the Ice, On a moon spiced night and Tadpoles in the Torrens: poems for young readers. Jude is a freelance writer, editor, mentor and educator. She has taught creative writing to a wide sector of the community, at schools, libraries, community centres, university, TAFE, and in a prison.
Jude was the 2018 recipient of the Barbara Hanrahan Fellowship. Her works in progress include a poetry collection about the outback, titled Big Backyard, a novel based on her opal-mining grandmother, and a book of South Australian ghost stories.
Jude believes that everyone can write and enjoys assisting people on their writing journeys as a mentor and editor. She conducts workshops on the topics of poetry, memoir, short stories and general creative writing.
Jude says: "Everyone should have a chance to try creative writing. I am thrilled to be working with the Penola High School students. It is so important to bridge the gap for under-served public high schools. Such students are of the age where imaginative and creative skills are heightened.
Many high school students don't have the opportunity to try creative writing, meet published authors or discuss writing careers and opportunities. I look forward to sharing my knowledge, offering my support and running some inspiring workshops."
Allayne will be based at Roma Mitchell Secondary College March 13-24, 2023.
Allayne writes Children's and Young Adult literature. She's a Premier's Reading Challenge Ambassador, multiple arts grants winner, she sings and plays guitar, and sometimes she illustrates.
Paper Planes (Scholastic) was a 2016 CBCA Notable, shortlisted for the Adelaide Festival Awards, and is included with the Australian Heritage Untapped Project. A Cardboard Palace (MidnightSun), a 2018 CBCA Notable, was published in Sweden. Our Little Secret (Scholastic) was listed for the Golden Inkys and has recently been republished (Ligature Press.) The Centre of My Everything (PenguinRandomHouse) was shortlisted in the 2019 Davitt Awards (crime) and the 2020 Adelaide Festival Awards. Sensitive (UQP) is published in Russia, was shortlisted in the 2020 Australian Speech Pathology Awards, and is an IBBY Outstanding Book for Young People with Disabilities. That Thing I Did (YA – Wakefield Press) was out March 2022 and Selfie (YA -Text Publishing) is out April 2023. Allayne continues to write for children and young adults.
Allayne says: "I've been a member of Writers SA for many years and during that time my membership has provided me with a myriad of wonderful opportunities – and now I can add a residency at Roma Mitchell Secondary College to the list! Writing for children and teenagers is my life's passion, so to get to work intensively with students and staff over a two week period is a dream come true. Normally I would be visiting a school for one or two days, but this residency means I have a greater timeframe in which to share knowledge, build skills, and deliver real community impact. I'm very excited!"
Jennifer will be based at Heathfield High School May 1-14, 2023.
Jennifer Mills is the author of the novels The Airways (Picador, 2021), Dyschronia (Picador, 2018), Gone (UQP, 2011) and The Diamond Anchor (UQP, 2009) and a collection of short stories, The Rest is Weight (UQP, 2012). In 2019 Dyschronia was shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award, Australia's most prestigious prize for literary fiction, the Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature, and the Aurealis Awards for science fiction. The Rest is Weight was shortlisted for the 2013 Queensland Literary Awards Steele Rudd Award for an Australian Short Story Collection and longlisted for the 2013 Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award.
If you are interested in including a writer in your school, please contact [email protected]
Subscribe to Writers SA for news about the latest updates of the Writers in Schools project.
As a freelancer, Karen writes trade book reviews for Books + Publishing and has op-eds published in NITV, Meanjin, Al Jazeera, Guardian Australia and Indigenous X. She has a piece in the Spring issue of Meanjin, which is a fictional telling of four girls in Western Australia, who were part of the Stolen Generations. Her debut novel, When Rosa Came Home, was shortlisted for a SA Readers & Writers People's Choice Award in 2015. Her draft manuscript, Where the Fruit Falls, was shortlisted for the Richell Prize in 2017. Karen was a participant of Hardcopy in 2018, after being awarded the inaugural ACT Writers & First Nations Australia Writers Network Indigenous Writers Scholarship.
Karen spent a month in Ceduna for her residency, where she edited her novel, Where the Fruit Falls, which she worked on during the Hardcopy professional development program for writers. She also commenced her next project, Bestiarium Terra Nullius: peculiar beings of uninhabited southern lands, which is a series of three novellas. Following the journeys of maritime explorers, such as Nicolas Baudin and Matthew Flinders, some of this work is based in the Great Australian Bight.
While in Ceduna Karen was hosted by the Ceduna School Community Library, and presented writing workshops with readers from the wider community, the Ceduna Area School, and met with community at Arts Ceduna and Far West Languages Centre.
Context Writers Festival is a free, three-day festival for writers to connect and share new conversations about story and truth.
Presented in partnership by Writers SA and City of Adelaide, the 2021 Context Festival features a diverse range of local and national authors to inspire new conversations, held on Kaurna Yarta (Adelaide), from 8–10 October. The program features Professor Aileen Moreton-Robinson, Natalie Harkin, Soul Lounge poets Stevie Zhao, Manal Younus and Prosper, journalists Anisha Pillarisetty and Royce Kurmelovs, musician Corey Theatre, zine-maker Ruby Allegra, novelist Karen Wyld, and many more.
Context Writers Festival October 8-10 Adelaide City Library Auslan interpretation will be available on all sessions. Please see library accessibility information here.
An initiative of the City of Adelaide delivered in partnership by Writers SA
Submission period: 1 September–1 October, 2021
We are thrilled to announce that Writers SA is collaborating with Liminal magazine!
We are welcoming fiction and non-fiction pitches from both emerging and established Asian-Australian writers who live in South Australia. Selected works responding to the theme of Haunt will be published online, in a collection of Asian-Australian excellence that sees Liminal's first South Australian series, to be published in 2022.
Alongside these commissions, Liminal will facilitate a mentorship for two emerging editors, who will work with editors Cher Tan and Elizabeth Flux for hands-on experience editing our South Australian series.
If your pitch is successful, the editorial mentorship and writing commissions will be remunerated.For more information, please see below.
Liminal x Writers SA Writing Commissions 2022
Call For Fiction & Non-Fiction Pitches
Led by Cher Tan & Elizabeth Flux, alongside two emerging editors.
What spectres linger? What superstitions appear in the day to day? Whether it be ghosts of people or ideas, experiences that cause ripples through lives and generations, places you return to again and again, we want to hear what 'haunt' means to you.
The Liminal writing commissions call for fiction and non-fiction writers to send through a pitch of their best ideas. We are looking for work that touches on the theme of Haunt, in the broadest ways possible; you are welcome to take the theme and split it apart, interrogate it, or turn it inside out. We welcome work from both emerging and established Asian-Australian writers.
Writers will be paid $600 each, for their piece in the Liminal x Writers SA series.
Liminal x Writers SA Editorial Mentorship
Call For Emerging Editors
Mentored by Cher Tan & Elizabeth Flux
The Liminal & Writers SA Editorial Mentorship invites emerging Asian-Australian editors based in South Australia to apply for an editorial mentorship. The mentorship will be conducted online, and involve working closely with Cher Tan (non-fiction) and Elizabeth Flux (fiction) to edit the Liminal x Writers SA series. Each selected mentee will learn how to edit and shape pieces for digital publication, as well as receive feedback and guidance throughout the entire editorial process.
Each emerging editor will be paid a stipend of $1600, which will support the upskilling and development of an emerging Asian-Australian editor based in South Australia.
Writers SA hosts a Teen Writers Club each term in-person. High school aged teens meet on Saturday mornings at City Library just off Rundle Mall for 8 weeks starting at the end of week 1.
Dan Thorsland is our 2021 group facilitator! Dan is an editor, writer, video and film producer, who contributed to Superwoman, Wonder Woman and Star Wars comic series when he worked for DC and Dark Horse. Dan has moved on from his position at video game producer Mighty Kingdom and now works for Flinders University.
Facilitators change term-to-term and provide structure and advice for the group with help on all forms and mediums related to creative writing. Sessions are casual and there are no hard outcomes, just a fun and inclusive atmosphere to build relationships with other writers and to learn to write or learn to write better.
The cost of participation for each term is $200 and while registrations are open, you can find the event link under the 'Program' tab. Places are limited to keep the group manageable and if Covid creates restrictions, we move to a Zoom or Groups online location.
If you'd like to find out more information or to be added to a mailing list when registrations are coming up, please email [email protected]
Writers SA does not currently have a program for primary school aged children but please ask your local council library if they have any workshops coming up.
About our organisation.
Home > Latest > PRE ANNOUNCEMENT > announcement
I Want To…
Join or Renew Our Membership
Group Membership
EventsView Our Program


text:
Since the Washington Nationals racing presidents burst onto the scene 3 years ago, they have been host to a range of mascots from other teams, but the Nationals Park grounds have never been visited by the original racing mascots — Milwaukee's Racing Sausages.
With the Milwaukee Brewers in town for a weekend series, it appeared that two of the famed racing sausages made an appearance at the beginning of the 4th inning presidents race. #3 Guido (the Italian sausage) and #4 Frankie Furter (the hot dog) appeared out of the gate early and dashed ahead to stake a huge early lead before the racing presidents even entered the field.
Or did they? Turns out the "sausages" were cardboard replicas. Teddy emerged from the centerfield gate and raced ahead to catch the "sausages" from behind. After tackling them to the ground, he recovered to his feet to continue the race. Teddy lost steam in the straightaway, ceding his lead to George, who crossed the finish line then held up a sign reading "Welcome to NatsTown Stephen," to celebrate the signing of Stephen Strasburg.
Video courtesy of You Tube member lfahome.


text:
Chocolate Lab Face Watercolor - Adult Unisex Hoodie Sweatshirt
In Stock
Ships next business day!
This Chocolate Lab is patiently waiting for pets!
- Midweight Hoodie Sweatshirt (8.5 oz./sq yd)
- 80/20 Ringspun Cotton/Polyester Fleece
- Front Pouch Pockets
- Eco-Friendly Inks
- Printed in the USA
- Designed by Jo Scott
Shoppers Also Bought
Popular Categories
What is Animal Pride™?
Animal Pride™ is a rapidly growing online retailer of animal inspired apparel for people! Shop a huge selection of high-quality pet & animal graphics at AnimalPride.com. We offer the best selection of pet & animal inspired clothing with amazing graphics at fair prices, including t-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, long sleeve shirts, baby onesies, and more! Browse clothes for men, women, kids, infants, and all animal lovers. All orders ship FREE! Not only that, but a percentage of the sales from AnimalPride.com are donated to support animal causes. To learn more, please sign up for our newsletter or read about our charitable efforts.
Customer Testimonials:
...when I reached out to customer support I got a friendly email back within 15 minutes. Great experience shopping here and will definitely buy more of their products!
I ordered two sweatshirts. They both were perfect and arrived very, very quickly. Best online shopping experience I've had in quite a while.
I bought this as a gift for someone and they loved the graphic.
Back to Top


text:
Front Runners List: Click to see list completion progress by climbers that log their climbs using Peakbagger.com.
Compare Climbers: Click to compare ascents of up to 5 climbers working on this list.
The term "North America" has several meanings. It can mean just the United States and Canada, or just the U.S., canada, and Mexico, or even broader extents. Here, North America has a very generous definition, and includes Central America, the Caribbean Islands, and Greenland.
= Peak with Rank #1 on List;   = Other Peaks
This page has been served 991758 times since 2004-11-01.


text:
ESPN's E:60 will will be profiling the Let Teddy Win movement this Tuesday night at 7:00pm on ESPN and WatchESPN.com. I haven't seen the final piece by Michael Johns, but he set out to produce the definitive documentary on the presidents race and Teddy Roosevelt's travails, visiting Nationals Park and the area monuments with the presidents earlier this season.
ESPN got a lot of cooperation from the Nats, so it's good to see this airing before the postseason. It seemed doubtful the Nats would let Teddy win before before it aired.
UPDATE: Here it is, narrated by Ken Burns and featuring Senator John McCain.


text:
Bronze VIP Member
* Unlimited Access 1500+ Exams
1 Month Access (One-Time Fee)
- Only PDF : $159
Now you have access to 1800+ real PDF tests with 100% correct answers verified by IT Certified Professionals. Pass your next exam guaranteed:Access to ALL our list certification
Control your IT training process by customizing your practice certification questions and answers. The fastest and best way to train.Truly interactive practice
Practice Question & Answers
Practice Testing Software
Practice Online Testing Account
NI CLAD Introduction
There are many online resources for preparing the CLAD test . Read below to discover why prep4s.com is your premier source for practice tests, and true testing environment.
Your reasons for selecting the leader in online certification preparation - prep4s.com.
CLAD Practice Exam Downloadable, Printable :
We are all well aware that a major problem in the IT industry is that there is a lack of quality study materials. Our CLAD braindumps provides you everything you will need to take a certification examination. Details are researched and produced by CLAD Answers Experts who are constantly using industry experience to produce precise, logical verify for the test. You may get CLAD exam dumps from different web sites or books, but logic is the key.
CLAD Preparation from prep4s include:
Comprehensive Q&A with complete details
Questions accompanied by exhibits
Verified Q&A Researched by Industry Experts
Drag and Drop Q&A as experienced in the Actual Exams
Q&A updated on regular basis
These Q&A are backed by our GUARANTEE
Like actual exam, our product is in multiple-choice questions (MCQs)
Competition in the IT field is growing, you do need to constantly update your certification. If you are interested pass the exam then you are at right place. Discover the secrets to pass and become certified. Getting the certification is not a once and for all. It is necessary to upgrade the knowledge and technology to maintain its competitive advantages. Only in this way the IT certification in your hands can maximize its value.
However, in the work but have learned the knowledge necessary Certificates, to quickly through the CLAD certification exam, how should I do? This is the problem many people encounter. Now prep4s NI CLAD study guide to help you solve this problem. CLAD exam guide covers all test range. Can help you in a very short time pass the examination .
Our braindump will provide you CLAD practice test with the verified answers that reflect the actual test. These Q&A provide you with the experience of taking the actual test. NI CLAD exam questions provided by prep4s.com will make you feel like you are taking an actual test at a Prometric or VUE center.
Like actual exam, our CLAD materials is in multiple-choice questions (MCQs). After purchasing our products you are just a step away from NI CLAD dumps pdf for certification. Still not convinced? Try our free CLAD PDF samples or choose to buy your braindumps now!


text:
Madigan sues AmerenIP, AmerenCIPS over all-electric discounts
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed suit Tuesday against two Illinois electric companies, saying the companies continued offers of all-electric discount programs to consumers even after the companies were planning to eliminate the program.
The lawsuit, filed in Jackson County, names AmerenIP and AmerenCIPS, alleging violations of the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act.
The suit was announced Wednesday in a news release from Madigan's office.
Madigan began the investigation in March based on complaints from consumers in 31 counties who said they were enticed into signing up for the discount program only to find out that the companies planned to eliminate it on Jan. 2 – the same time the companies raised overall electric rates. After January, all-electric customers experienced huge increases in monthly electricity bills, from 55 percent to 350 percent, the release said.
In December 2006, less than a month before the end of the discount program, these two companies were still offering the plan, signing up about 444 in that month alone, Madigan's office said.
In an e-mail response, Ameren spokesman Leigh Morris said Wednesday afternoon the utilities had not yet been formally served with the lawsuit.
"We understand the nature of the allegations ... and take them very seriously," Morris said. "The Ameren Illinois utilities expect to prevail in this lawsuit because the companies have not improperly promoted all-electric rates.
"The rates that are in effect are lawful and have been approved by the Illinois Commerce Commission. The power prices associated with these rates were not known until the September 2006 auction, and the delivery service components of the rates were not known until November 2006.
"Ameren Illinois utilities' rates now are approximately at the national average," Morris wrote. "The change in rates comes after a 10-year rate freeze and a legislatively mandated rate reduction."


text:
Custom for Kenneth Martinez
- Free Gift for Order Over $500
This is a handmade fine gemstone ring.
The main stone is a 6.5mm round natural moss agate.
The accent stones are moissanites and emerald.
The default material is solid 14k gold(white,yellow,rose gold is also available)
Ring size can be choose from the selection box.
Thanks for your visiting!
Lifetime Warranty
We will be responsible for every ring we make,Lifetime Warranty plus 1 year free tiny stone sending service. 30 Days Free Return
All our stones and materials are sourced responsibly and eco-friendly
Free Insured Shipping
We ship to all over the world and buy insurance for each order to ensure the safe delivery of your parcel.
If you want to see the existing jewelries please visit All.
Basic custom making:
Advanced custom design/making1, Tell us what you had in mind for your custom pieces.
2, We will make a 3D design(CAD) to get your confirmation, the CAD fee is about $80 USD.
3, We will put the ring in production.
4, The finished ring photo will be sent to you to get final confirmation before sending.
5, Ring is ready to be shipped out.
The total process takes approximately 3-5 weeks.
You can contact us any time if you need updated information when the custom ring is being made.
Other:We can also sell you loose gemstones or ring settings if you have this request.
Made for you is better than made for masses.
Quality takes time but it is worth to wait!
Shipping:Free shipping in Local USA and we ship to all over the world.
Beautiful free gift box included.
Signature is required for all the solid gold jewelries. Phone number is needed when shipping worldwide.
Delivery Time= Processing Time + Shipping TimeAll our items are made to order:
Local USA Customer,
Normal Order: About 1- 1.5 month for delivery. (2-4 weeks to process and 5-7 business days for arrival.)
Rush Order: About 2- 2.5 weeks for delivery. (7-10 business days to process and 2-3 business days for arrival.)
Custom Order: About 1.5- 2 month for delivery. (3-5 weeks to process and 5-7 business days for arrival.)
International Customer,
Normal Order: About 1.5- 2 month for delivery. (2-4 weeks to process and 5-7 business days for arrival.)
Rush Order: About 3 weeks for delivery. (7-10 business days to process and 3-5 business days for arrival.)
Custom Order: About 1.5- 2 month for delivery. (3-5 weeks to process and 5-7 business days for arrival.)
Rush Order:
Rush order is applicable to solid GOLD rings, the process time is 7-10 business days. The total delivery time is 2-3 weeks. You can purchase it by this link. Please contact us first if your deadline is less than 18 days. All rush orders are subject to a rush order fee + fastest shipping method. Rush Orders are NON REFUNDABLE.
International Customs and import taxesBuyers are responsible for any customs and import taxes that may apply. We're not responsible for delays due to customs.
Returns:30 Days No-hassle Return: You have 30 days to request a return after receiving your item. Please contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com with your order number first.
The following items can't be returned or exchangedBecause of the nature of these items, unless they arrive damaged or defective, We can't accept returns for:
Conditions of returnBuyers are responsible for return shipping costs. If the item is not returned in its original condition, the buyer is responsible for any loss in value.
Refundable Fee
Every jewelry in our store is handmade. It cannot be recycled after finishing. There will be handcrafted fee (20%-30% of item price) and shipping fee deducted, others will be refunded in 5 business days after the returned item is received.
There is a Lifetime Warranty, plus 1 year FREE tiny stone sending service if there is a manufacturing defect. After that,$100/year for Minor repair(such as resizing, replacing 1 or 2 small stones).However if the damage is not caused by a manufacturing defect, then we will notify you and let you know if repair services are available at cost or otherwise.
How to Care for Normal Gemstone:
1,When cleaning the house, lifting heavy items, or participating in strenuous activities, remove your jewelry as it may be exposed to housecleaning products and high heat that may cause scratches and breaks.
2,Simply use warm (not hot) water with a mild soap to cleanse. You can even use a soft bristled brush if necessary. Then, dry with a soft cloth.
3, It is highly recommended that PROFESSIONAL cleaning of your pieces as often as once a year or depending on the frequency of jewelry wear. Examine your jewelry regularly as to make sure the settings are securely holding gemstones in place. Prong settings are especially delicate. If hit or snagged on clothing they may loosen. Damaged prongs can result in the loss of a stone or an entire piece of jewelry.
Special Care for Emerald:
The 1st step is the same as above.
2, The safest way to clean them is to soak loose stones (not all gems can be soaked) or jewelry in warm, soapy water and then gently clean with a soft brush. Dry with a soft cloth or air dry (not under strong or direct sunlight). Use only a mild soap if needed and avoid harsh cleaners, such as bleach or ammonia.
3, It may damage if it crash with some hard stuff. Even more it will be broken. So get avoid crashing the Emerald and keep it carefully. In addition, please be gently when you clean your gemstone.
4, Take off your Emerald ring before you take a shower, wash dishes,etc. Because if the Emerald get in touch with the acid-base, it will cause a chemical process and the color of the gemstone will be damaged.
Special Care for Moonstone:
Moonstone is a soft stone and when it's not taken care of, it won't be as gleaming as the first time you set eyes on it.
The 1st and 2nd care method is the same as normal gemstones.
3, After your moonstones are freshly cleaned, the best way to recharge their energy is by the light of the moon. Simply leave the gem outside under the moonlight and let the moon do its work. (a full moon is best). If you're worried about removing negative energy that the moonstone may have absorbed, you can always use burning sage or incense to smoke away any negative energies.
How to Care for Opals:
The amount of water in opals will fluctuate over time based on factors like humidity, heat, sweat and contact with water. When an opal gains or loses water, its color will change. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, and sometimes this subtle color change can make the opal look even more beautiful (and certainly lends to the stone's mystique). But you do want to take care not to change your opal's water composition too much.
Here are the tips:
1, Never fully submerge your opal in water. Minor fluctuations in the water composition of your opal are fine, but you never want to fully submerge your gem in water. Take your opal jewelry off while showering, washing your hands, swimming, cleaning, etc.
2, Avoid exposing opals to either extreme darkness or excessively bright light. Think of the stone as a houseplant requiring the utmost balance of elements to retain its natural beauty.
3, Store your opals in a sealed container. This will help regulate humidity and reduce changes in color due to fluctuation of humidity in the air.
4, Never use chemical cleaners. Opals should only be cleaned with warm water (and never exposed to harsh chemicals, even cleaners). Our favorite method is to dampen a soft cloth and gently rub the stones.
How to Care for Pearls:
The pearls are attached to the setting with glues. The smallest, the easier the pearls fall out. Pearls are organic, they will expand and come loose when they are immersed in water or in high temperature. Especially from rings, since they are often getting hit, bumped, knocked around by accident.
120 1. Last on, first off - This is the golden rule of pearls care. Always put your pearls on last, after getting dressed, applying perfume, make-up, lotions, and hairspray or hair products. Also, always remove your pearls first before getting undressed.
2. Before putting your pearls away, wipe them with a soft chamois cloth to remove oils and perspiration.
3. Do not wear your pearls if the string is wet. A wet string can stretch and detract from the beauty of the necklace. A wet string can easily absorb dirt or grime, which will be nearly impossible to remove, so be sure to wait until the string is completely dry before wearing your pearls.
4. Avoid wearing pearls with clothes made of rough fabrics or threads that can become entwined with the string. They may cause scratches and create difficulty removing fabric fibers enmeshed with your pearl necklace.
5. Do not wear your pearls in the pool, bath, sauna, or shower. Pearl jewelry should never be submerged in water. Keep in mind that pearls mounted on rings are normally glued to a post. Even though water won't destroy the pearls, it will dissolve the glue, ultimately causing risk of loss.
6. You should remove your pearls before engaging in sports or exercise to avoid exposing your pearls to perspiration or risking the chance they will break.
7. You should remove your pearls before going to bed. Do not sleep in your pearls. The string can become weakened and strained increasing the risk of breaking.


text: http://arstechnica.com/business/news/2011/09/30000-core-cluster-built-on-amazon-ec2-cloud.ars $1,279-per-hour, 30,000-core cluster built on Amazon EC2 cloud By Jon Brodkin | Published September 20, 2011 10:49 AM Amazon EC2 and other cloud services are expanding the market for high-performance computing. Without access to a national lab or a supercomputer in your own data center, cloud computing lets businesses spin up temporary clusters at will and stop paying for them as soon as the computing needs are met. A vendor called Cycle Computing is on a mission to demonstrate the potential of Amazon's cloud by building increasingly large clusters on the Elastic Compute Cloud. Even with Amazon, building a cluster takes some work, but Cycle combines several technologies to ease the process and recently used them to create a 30,000-core cluster running CentOS Linux. The cluster, announced publicly this week, was created for an unnamed "Top 5 Pharma" customer, and ran for about seven hours at the end of July at a peak cost of $1,279 per hour, including the fees to Amazon and Cycle Computing. The details are impressive: 3,809 compute instances, each with eight cores and 7GB of RAM, for a total of 30,472 cores, 26.7TB of RAM and 2PB (petabytes) of disk space. Security was ensured with HTTPS, SSH and 256-bit AES encryption, and the cluster ran across data centers in three Amazon regions in the United States and Europe. The cluster was dubbed "Nekomata." Spreading the cluster across multiple continents was done partly for disaster recovery purposes, and also to guarantee that 30,000 cores could be provisioned. "We thought it would improve our probability of success if we spread it out," Cycle Computing's Dave Powers, manager of product engineering, told Ars. "Nobody really knows how many instances you can get at any one time from any one [Amazon] region." Amazon offers its own special cluster compute instances, at a higher cost than regular-sized virtual machines. These cluster instances provide 10 Gigabit Ethernet networking along with greater CPU and memory, but they weren't necessary to build the Cycle Computing cluster. The pharmaceutical company's job, related to molecular modeling, was "embarrassingly parallel" so a fast interconnect wasn't crucial. To further reduce costs, Cycle took advantage of Amazon's low-price "spot instances." To manage the cluster, Cycle Computing used its own management software as well as the Condor High-Throughput Computing software and Chef, an open source systems integration framework. Cycle demonstrated the power of the Amazon cloud earlier this year with a 10,000-core cluster built for a smaller pharma firm called Genentech. Now, 10,000 cores is a relatively easy task, says Powers. "We think we've mastered the small-scale environments," he said. 30,000 cores isn't the end game, either. Going forward, Cycle plans bigger, more complicated clusters, perhaps ones that will require Amazon's special cluster compute instances. The 30,000-core cluster may or may not be the biggest one run on EC2. Amazon isn't saying. "I can't share specific customer details, but can tell you that we do have businesses of all sizes running large-scale, high-performance computing workloads on AWS [Amazon Web Services], including distributed clusters like the Cycle Computing 30,000 core cluster to tightly-coupled clusters often used for science and engineering applications such as computational fluid dynamics and molecular dynamics simulation," an Amazon spokesperson told Ars. Amazon itself actually built a supercomputer on its own cloud that made it onto the list of the world's Top 500 supercomputers. With 7,000 cores, the Amazon cluster ranked number 232 in the world last November with speeds of 41.82 teraflops, falling to number 451 in June of this year. So far, Cycle Computing hasn't run the Linpack benchmark to determine the speed of its clusters relative to Top 500 sites. But Cycle's work is impressive no matter how you measure it. The job performed for the unnamed pharma company "would take well over a week for them to run internally," Powers says. In the end, the cluster performed the equivalent of 10.9 "compute years of work." The task of managing such large cloud-based clusters forced Cycle to step up its own game, with a new plug-in for Chef the company calls Grill. "There is no way that any mere human could keep track of all of the moving parts on a cluster of this scale," Cycle wrote in a blog post. "At Cycle, we've always been fans of extreme IT automation, but we needed to take this to the next level in order to monitor and manage every instance, volume, daemon, job, and so on in order for Nekomata to be an efficient 30,000 core tool instead of a big shiny on-demand paperweight." But problems did arise during the 30,000-core run. "You can be sure that when you run at massive scale, you are bound to run into some unexpected gotchas," Cycle notes. "In our case, one of the gotchas included such things as running out of file descriptors on the license server. In hindsight, we should have anticipated this would be an issue, but we didn't find that in our prelaunch testing, because we didn't test at full scale. We were able to quickly recover from this bump and keep moving along with the workload with minimal impact. The license server was able to keep up very nicely with this workload once we increased the number of file descriptors." Cycle also hit a speed bump related to volume and byte limits on Amazon's Elastic Block Store volumes. But the company is already planning bigger and better things. "We already have our next use-case identified and will be turning up the scale a bit more with the next run," the company says. But ultimately, "it's not about core counts or terabytes of RAM or petabytes of data. Rather, it's about how we are helping to transform how science is done."


text:
'Noah,' revival of Bible epics, finds rough seas
NEW YORK – In the beginning of their work together on "Noah," director Darren Aronofsky made Russell Crowe a promise: "I'll never shoot you on a houseboat in a robe and sandals with two giraffes popping up behind you."
Decades after Cecil B. DeMille's "The Ten Commandments" and "Ben-Hur," Aronofsky has renewed the tradition of the studio-made, mass-audience Bible epic, albeit as a distinctly darker parable about sin, justice and mercy. While much of his "Noah" is true to Scripture, it's nothing like the picture-book version many encounter as children.
"The first time I read it, I got scared," the director says. "I thought, 'What if I'm not good enough to get on the boat?'"
It's an altogether unlikely project: a $130 million Bible-based studio film made by a widely respected filmmaker ("Black Swan," "Requiem for a Dream") few would have pegged as a modern-day DeMille. In the lead-up to its Friday release, "Noah" has been flooded by controversy, with some religious conservatives claiming it isn't literal enough to the Old Testament and that Noah has been inaccurately made, as Aronofsky has called him, "the first environmentalist."
"Noah" is a culmination of the shift brought on by Mel Gibson's independently produced "The Passion of the Christ," which awakened Hollywood with its unforeseen $612 million box office haul in 2004. In the time since, Hollywood has carefully developed closer ties to faith-based communities (Sony and 20th Century Fox have set up faith-based studios targeting evangelicals).
Yet the debate about "Noah" proves that it can be tricky to satisfy both believers and non-believers, and that finding the right intersection of art, commerce and religion is a task loaded with as much risk as potential reward.
A lot is at stake, and not just for "Noah" and distributor Paramount Pictures. In December, Fox will release Ridley Scott's "Exodus," starring Christian Bale as Moses.
On the heels of the recently released "Son of God," the religious drama "God's Not Dead" opened Friday and Sony is releasing the less straightforwardly Biblical "Heaven Is for Real" ahead of Easter next month. The studio is also developing a vampire twist on Cain and Abel with Will Smith. In Lionsgate's pipeline is a Mary Magdalene film, hyped as a prequel to "The Passion of the Christ" and co-produced by mega-church pastor Joel Osteen.
When Jonathan Boch started his company Grace Hill Media in 2000 to consult Hollywood studios on reaching the faith community, the two "really didn't know each other," he says. Since then, films like "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" and "The Blind Side" have benefited from outreach to churchgoers.
"Over the course of those 15 years, you've seen the faith community go from almost pariah status or fly-over status to now being seen as an important market," says Boch, who consulted on "Noah." "In my mind, what we're seeing is another renaissance where the greatest artists are telling the greatest stories every told."
Though Hollywood largely swore off the Bible epic when films like 1965's "The Greatest Story Ever Told" flopped, the revival dovetails recent trends. Figures like Noah are globally recognizable, and thus easier to market. They come with no licensing fee, and, often, plenty opportunity for flashy special effects.
The story fascinated Aronofsky as a Jewish kid growing up in Brooklyn. He recalls a poem he wrote about the tale as a 13-year-old — and a teacher's subsequent encouragement — as his birth as a storyteller. Whereas "The Passion of the Christ" was largely made by Christians and for Christians, Aronofsky says his "Noah" (which was advertised during the Super Bowl) is "for everybody."
"It's wrong when you talk about the Noah story to talk about it in that type of believer-nonbeliever way because I think it's one of humanity's oldest stories," he says. "It belongs not just in the Judeo-Christian-Islamic tradition. Everyone on the planet knows the Noah story."
The Genesis story is only a few pages, with more details on the dimensions of the ark (which Aronofsky held to) than who Noah was. He's instructed by God — "grieved" in his heart by what mankind had become generations after creation — to build an ark and fill it with two of every animal. After the flood, Noah is referred to as drunk and then banishes his son, Ham — all clues for Aronofsky on the pain of Noah's burden.
Paramount sought the approval of religious leaders, consulting with Biblical scholars in pre-production and doing extensive test screenings (during which Aronofsky and Paramount feuded over the final cut before an apparent truce). But early criticism bubbled up online based on what Paramount vice chairman Rob Moore says is an old, unused version of the script (which Aronofsky penned with Ari Handel).
"It has been a very interesting journey," says Moore. "It's been highly chronicled along the way, much of which was based upon either speculation or hearsay or old information."
After seeing the film, Jerry A. Johnson, president and CEO of the National Religious Broadcasters, urged Paramount to advertise the film with a disclaimer. Moore acquiesced, adding a warning that "artistic license has been taken."
"Darren, as an artist, had some sensitivity about what that meant in terms of what we were saying the movie was or wasn't ahead of time, versus letting people experience it for themselves," says Moore. "But there was such a group of people who had concern about it."
"For the vast majority of people, the controversy will go away," he says.


text:
Today in the news: US military performs zombie apocalypse training
News to know
The U.S. military began training today for a zombie apocalypse. Seriously. The training is part of Navy special-operations forces and Marine exercises at an anti-terrorism summit. Brad Barker, president of the Halo Corp. security company, said the exercises are "whimsical," but they're good terrorist training, and they help highlight the importance of preparedness.
Quote of note
"If there's any good news, the water (has) receded, the roadways are accessible. But we still have downed power lines. We are not letting anybody in at that particular time." - Seaside Heights, N.J., Mayor Bill Akers, talking Wednesday about the devastation from Superstorm Sandy. His town was especially hit hard. About 6 million customers are still without power from the Monday storm, and at least 50 people have died as a result of Sandy.
Hot video: Caught on camera: Tree ripped from ground by Sandy
Watch the video at http://landing.newsinc.com/shared/video.html?vcid=23864540&freewheel=90108&sitesection=gatehouse.
GateHouse News Service


text:
Back and Neck Pain
What is low back pain?
Low back pain can range from mild, dull, annoying pain, to persistent, severe, disabling pain in the lower back. Pain in the lower back can restrict mobility and interfere with normal functioning and quality of life.
What is neck pain?
Neck pain is pain that occurs in the area of the cervical vertebrae in the neck. Because of its location and range of motion, the neck is often left unprotected and subject to injury.
Pain in the back or neck area can be acute, which comes on suddenly and intensely, or chronic, which can last for weeks, months, or even years. The pain can be continuous or intermittent.
What causes back and neck pain?
Even with today's technology, the exact cause of back and neck pain can be found in few cases. In most cases, back and neck pain may be a symptom of many different causes, including any of the following:
Overuse, strenuous activity, or improper use such as repetitive or heavy lifting
Trauma, injury, or fractures
Degeneration of vertebrae, often caused by stresses on the muscles and ligaments that support the spine, or the effects of aging
Abnormal growth such as a tumor or bone spur
Obesity due to increased weight on the spine and pressure on the discs
Poor muscle tone
Muscle tension or spasm
Sprain or strain
Ligament or muscle tears
Joint problems, such as arthritis
Protruding or herniated (slipped) disk and pinched nerve
Osteoporosis and compression fractures
Congenital (present at birth) abnormalities of the vertebrae and bones
Abdominal problems, such as an aortic aneurysm
How can back and neck pain be prevented?
The following may help to prevent back and neck pain:
Practice correct lifting techniques
Use telephones and workplace computers and other equipment properly
Maintain correct posture while sitting, standing, and sleeping
Participate in regular exercise (with proper stretching before participation)
Avoid smoking
Maintain a healthy weight
Reduce emotional stress that may cause muscle tension
Rehabilitation for back and neck pain
A back and neck pain rehabilitation program is designed to meet the needs of the individual patient, depending upon the type and severity of the pain, injury, or disease. Active involvement of the patient and family is vital to the success of the program.
The goal of back and neck rehabilitation is to help the individual to return to the highest level of function and independence possible, while improving the overall quality of life — physically, emotionally, and socially. The focus of rehabilitation is on relieving pain and improving mobility (movement).
In order to help reach these goals, back and neck rehabilitation programs may include the following:
Exercise programs to improve range of motion, increase muscle strength, improve flexibility and mobility, and increase endurance
Help with obtaining assistive devices that promote independence
Patient and family education and counseling
Pain management techniques
Smoking cessation counseling
Gait (walking) and movement retraining
Stress management
Nutritional counseling
Ergonomic assessments and work-related injury prevention programs
Vocational counseling
Generally, there are 3 phases to back and neck pain rehabilitation. These include the following:
Phase I:
During this initial phase, the physiatrist, orthopedist, and the rest of the treatment team focus on making a diagnosis, developing a treatment plan, and starting treatment to reduce the pain and inflammation. This may include some of the items listed above and possibly the utilization of ultrasound, electrical stimulation, or special injections.
Phase II:
Once the initial pain and inflammation are reduced, the rehabilitation team then focuses on helping the patient restore function. This includes returning the patient to normal daily activities, while starting an exercise program that is designed to help the patient regain flexibility and strength.
Phase III:
The goal of this phase is 2-fold: educating the patient on ways to prevent further injury and strain to the back and neck, and helping the patient to prevent further injury by improving strength and endurance.
The back and neck rehabilitation team
Back and neck rehabilitation programs can be conducted on an inpatient or outpatient basis. Many skilled professionals are part of the back and neck rehabilitation team, including any or all of the following:
Orthopedist/orthopedic surgeon
Rehabilitation nurse
Registered dietitian
Physical therapist
Occupational therapist
Social worker
Exercise physiologist
Recreational therapist
Case manager
Vocational counselor