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Welcome to the School Days, Reminiscences series in which my champion bloggers and authors share reminiscences of their school days. It's my small way of thanking them for their support and of letting you know about their services and publications.
This week, I am pleased to introduce Miriam Hurdle, poet, blogger, flash fiction writer, photographer, ex-teacher and educator. She blogs at the Showers of Blessings and recently published a book of poems entitled Songs of Heartstrings: Poems of Gratitude and Beatitude.
I first met Miriam at the Carrot Ranch when she rode up and joined in the flash fiction challenges. Since then, we've met up in many different places around the blogosphere. Considering she's been blogging even longer than I; I'm surprised we hadn't met earlier. We share our thoughts on education and grandchildren, and in fact on anything to do with making our journeys through life the best we can. It is always a pleasure to converse with Miriam.
Before we begin the interview, I invite Miriam to tell you a little of herself:
Miriam Hurdle is a multi-genre writer. She writes poetry, flash fiction, short stories and memoir.
Music has rooted in her life. Being a soloist as a teenager led her to taking voice lessons and to have ongoing singing engagements. She continues to sing soprano in choral groups. Lyrics have a major influence in the natural flow of her melodic writing. She writes memoir in the form of poetry.
She took photos when the films were black and white. Photography is still her enjoyable hobby. Drawing and painting were fun activities as a child. She resumed drawing and watercolor painting several years ago. In her poetry collection, she includes photos and paintings to illustrate the poems.
She earned a Doctor of Education from the University of La Verne in California. After two years of rehabilitation counseling, fifteen years of public-school teaching and ten years in school district administration, she retired and enjoys life with her husband in southern California. She makes frequent visits to her daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter in Oregon.
Welcome, Miriam.
Let's talk school. First, could you tell us where you attended school?
I went to school from elementary to college in Hong Kong.
Did you attend a government, private or independent school?
In Hong Kong, there are public schools, government subsidized schools, and private schools. I attended two elementary schools sponsored by organizations and they were tuition free schools. One was a Buddhist organization sponsored school, and we had to take a Buddhism class. I remember the nun chanting in class.
What is the highest level of education you achieved?
After I graduated from the college in Hong Kong, I worked for five years, then came to the United States for my graduate studies. I got three master's degrees – in Religious Education, Counseling, and Educational Administration and a Doctor in Education.
What work or profession did you choose after school and was there anything in school that influenced this choice?
I love music since I was a kid. I sang solos in churches as a teenager. As a result, I took voice lessons and had more singing engagement. It would be my first choice to become a professional musician or teach music, but I could only afford to do music as an enjoyment, not a profession.
When I was in college, I volunteered in Far East Broadcasting Company in several programs. I did singing and recorded children's stories. When I finished college, FEBC wanted to hire me full time, but the job didn't pay too much.
Many girls chose to be teachers or nurses back in those days. I accepted a teaching job. I taught Chinese as a Second Language for three years in the Baptist University of Hong Kong. I was also a Director of Children's Department for two years at Asian Outreach where I wrote four children's books.
In the U.S. I worked as a Rehabilitation Counselor for two years, taught preschool for two years, taught elementary school for fifteen years, and worked as a school district administration for ten years.
What is your earliest memory of school?
My earliest memory was when I won the Abacus Competition in first grade. The second-grade teacher taught abacus. He came to our classroom to present me the award. Another wonderful memory was that my first-grade teacher Mrs. Leung said I was bright. The thought of being bright influenced my whole life.
When I studied counseling and child development, I learned that positive reinforcement encourages desirable behavior. In fact, it is also true with adults. Instead of pointing fingers or saying, "don't do this, don't do that," we can praise and encourage desirable behavior or responses.
What memories do you have of learning to read?
We did a lot of memorization in reading. We had to recite the reading lessons in early elementary school. My dad helped with my homework and had me memorized the lessons every week. I learned everything in the current lesson before the teacher taught a new lesson. At the fourth grade, I read my dad's newspapers. My dad and I traded sections to read. I read the horrible news describing the details of crime scenes, read adult fantasy, comic strips and the Sunday children's section.
My favorite literature was Aesop's Fables. I also remember learning English grammar such as the regular tenses as walk, walking, walked, walked; and the irregular tenses as go, going, went, gone.
What memories do you have of learning to write?
There was not a lot of creative writing in the lower grades in elementary school. We did a lot of copying the reading lessons. I guess by copying; we remember writing in a proper sentence structure. In upper grade, I learned how to write a story with an opening, the middle, the climax and the conclusion. I remember how I paced my writing and made sure the climax was at the three fourth of the paper. We had a subject in Letter Writing and learned to write different letters.
I learned to write both Chinese and English calligraphy. For Chinese, we wrote in vertical and right to left progression. For English, we wrote alphabet and spellings. I like calligraphy and I still write in calligraphy style in my handwriting. I bought a calligraphic set to address my daughter's wedding invitations.
What do you remember about math classes?
We learned math the traditional way and learned the mental math. I did addition and subtraction well with an abacus. Doing multiplication and subtraction on the abacus is harder so I don't remember how to do them. I won the Abacus Competition in the first grade.
What was your favorite subject?
My favorite subject was reading. I didn't have books other than textbooks at home. There were bookstands on the streets where I could rent books to read. I remember using my allowance to buy tickets to rent books to read. I love to read comic books also.
What did you like best about school?
I like to be with my friends. My best friend Shirley at the fourth grade was my teacher Mrs. Cheung's daughter. Mrs. Cheung was also a music teacher for the upper grades. We had a singing contest. I entered the competition and got fourth place. Shirley got second place. Shirley played the piano. I went to her house on the weekends and listened to her play for hours.
I keep in touch with Shirley. When we traveled to London, she and her husband took us sightseeing for five days.
What did you like least about school?
I can't think of anything I didn't like. There were forty students in each class. We received two report cards a year; they showed our ranking among the class. I got second to ninth places from first to sixth grade. It broke my heart when I got the ninth place. I can't remember what happened, but it wasn't because of any subject.
How do you think schools have changed since your school days?
I think the elementary schools in Hong Kong still do a lot of memorization rather than creative learning. My sister and her husband sent their two children to Canadian system International School, and they eventually migrated to Canada. After they got the Canadian citizenship, because of my brother-in-law's health issue, they went back to Hong Kong and keep the dual citizenship.
What do you think schools (in general) do well?
Since I left Hong Kong forty years ago, I can't comment about the schools there anymore. But I taught in California thirty years ago, I can comment on the schools in California.
Class size–Kindergarten is 20 students, first to third grades is 25 or fewer students, and fourth to sixth grades is up to 35 students average.
Schools get special funding for English learners to get extra help to learn at their current English levels to catch up with the levels of their classes.
There is special funding to help students from the low-income family because statistic shows that these students have low academic levels.
Many families can afford to send their children to go to preschool. For low-income families, they can send their children to the Headstart program to prepare for the kindergarten.
There are breakfast and lunch served at schools. Low-income families receive free meals for their children. Other children have meals for reduced or full fees. Students can bring their lunches to school also.
How do you think schools could be improved?
At elementary school, there is not enough time of the day to teach all the subject to prepare the students for Junior High or High school. Schools end at 2:30 p.m. for lower grade and 2:45 p.m. for upper grade. For lower grades, teachers teach reading and math in the morning. After lunch, they may teach social studies and physical education. There is no time to teach science. Since the State test at the end of the year doesn't test science, the teachers give up on teaching that subject.
For upper grade, teachers teach reading and math in their homeroom. Some of them team teach social studies and science so the teacher could do the preparation and teach for more than one class. Students can benefit more learning if the school days are longer.
Thank you for sharing your reminiscences of school and thoughts about education in general, Miriam. It's been wonderful to have you here. I learned so much about you. I am impressed by your doctorate degree, curious about whether you learned English at school, fascinated by the thought of renting books and envious of your singing ability.
Find out more about Miriam Hurdle
Visit her website: https://theshowersofblessings.com
Or her Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Miriam-Hurdle/e/B07K2MCSVW?ref=dbs_p_ebk_r00_abau_000000
Connect with her on social media
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mhurdle112
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/miriam.hurdle.1
Purchase Songs of Heartstrings from
Amazon Universal Link: http://smarturl.it/SongsofHeartstrings
Amazon UK Link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07K1S47W9
Amazon.com Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K1S47W9
If you missed previous reminiscences, check them out here:
Look for future interviews in this series to be posted on Sunday evenings AEST.
Coming soon:
with more to follow.
Thank you for reading. I appreciate your comments. Please share your thoughts.


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Democrats closing ranks
I guess Mass. Democrats don't want a primary like the one that allegedly hurt Martha Coakley hindering their expected rematch with Scott Brown.
This just in from Sen. John Kerry:
"While I began last week to formally step out of politics and it's very important that I respect the apolitical nature of the post I hope to soon occupy, as Massachusetts' senior senator today and as a colleague of Ed Markey's for 28 years, I'm excited to learn of and support his decision to run for the United States Senate. Ed's one of the most experienced and capable legislators in the entire Congress and it would be an almost unprecedented occasion for such an accomplished legislator to join the Senate able to hit the ground running on every issue of importance to Massachusetts. Ed's someone who authored and passed a visionary energy bill to deal with climate change; he's one of Congress' foremost experts on the Internet, telecommunications and new energy economies; he was a leader on nuclear weapons issues; and he's the House's leading, ardent, and thoughtful protector of the environment. Ed's upbringing in Malden and his service as the Dean of our delegation means he knows in his heart and in his head just what is important to every corner of our state. He's passionate about the issues that Ted Kennedy and I worked on as a team for decades, whether it's health care or the environment and energy or education. He's gutsy and tough, smart and sharp, a workhorse in Congress who has never forgotten where he came from or who sent him to Washington."
- Sen. John Kerry

subset: commoncrawl


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Fear factor results in transfer of rape case; meantime, 6-year-old girl says politician is killer.
NEW DELHI, April 2 (CDN) — Due in part to intimidation of witnesses in Kandhamal district, a judge this week granted a change of venue for the trial of men accused of gang-raping a nun during anti-Christian attacks in Orissa in 2008.
The trial will be transferred from Baliguda, Kandhamal to Cuttack, near the Orissa state capital of Bhubaneswar. Justice Indrajit Mohanty of the Orissa High Court on Tuesday (March 30) ordered the inter-district transfer of the trial. The nun, Meena Lilita Barwa, had argued that witnesses would be intimidated into refraining from testifying if the trial were held in Kandhamal district.
She also argued that Kandhamal's intimidating atmosphere made it too dangerous for her appear in court there. Christians were hopeful that the transfer would lead the administration to review police and court processes in Kandhamal district.
Police have arrested 19 people for allegedly assaulting the nun on Aug. 25, 2008 and parading her half-naked through the streets.
Hindu Politician Identified as Killer
After a series of trials in which murder suspects in the 2008 Kandhamal district violence have gone free as Hindu extremist threats have kept witnesses from testifying, a 6-year-old girl has identified a powerful local politician as the man who killed her father.
In testimony at Fast Track Court No. 1 on March 14, Lipsa Nayak of Kandhamal identified Manoj Pradhan, a member of the Legislative Assembly of Orissa, as the man who cut and burned her father to death when Hindu extremists attacked Christians following the Aug. 23, 2008 death of a local Hindu leader.
Pradhan has been accused in nine cases of murder and in 14 cases of arson. So far he has been exonerated on the murder charges against him for "lack of witnesses." Christian leaders say that Pradhan has been intimidating witnesses because of his position as a member of Legislative Assembly. Lipsa's mother, 32-year-old Kanak Rekha Nayak, has said that Pradhan and his associates have threatened to harm her family if they identified him as the killer.
The Nayak family lived in Tiangia, Budedipada, in Raikia block of Kandhamal district. During the anti-Christian attacks that followed the death of Hindu leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, Lipsa's parents and her sister had taken refuge in the forest to escape the fury of the Hindu extremists, but the rampaging mob tracked them down.
Lipsa, then 4 years old, along with her mother and 2-year-old sister, watched in horror as the crowd allegedly beat her father, Parikhita Nayak, for two hours and then killed him by cutting him into pieces and burning him.
Prosecution and defense lawyers questioned Lipsa for more than 90 minutes, and she reportedly answered all questions without wavering. Asked by the judge if she could identify the killer of her father, she pointed to Pradhan, the MLA from the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from G. Udayagiri, Kandhamal.
Her mother later told media, "They played with him for a few hours before cutting him into pieces and dousing him with kerosene."
Accused as a primary suspect in the murder along with Pradhan is Kali Pradhan. The government of Orissa has set up two Fast Track courts to try cases related to the violence that spread to more than a dozen districts of Orissa. Maoists have taken responsibility for the killing, though Hindu extremists accused Christians in an effort to spark anti-Christian violence. The attacks killed more than 100 people and burned 4,640 houses, 252 churches and 13 educational institutions.
Christian leaders have denounced the legal process in the Kandhamal violence, saying not only that witnesses have been threatened and the intimidated but that police investigations have been negligent or corrupt.
"There has been no conviction in any case of murder," said Dr. John Dayal, a member of the National Integration Council. "More than 70 people were killed, and trial is being held only for 38 or so of those deaths. Eleven murder cases have been tried with no one being indicted or sentenced for murder so far – because of terrible investigation by the police, a poor show by the prosecuting lawyers and shoddy judicial process."
The 123 cases tried in the Fast track courts have resulted in 97 convictions and 323 acquittals, including several cases decided on Wednesday (March 31). Seven people in two separate cases were convicted of arson and rioting cases. Nata Pradhan, Jahala Pradhan, Ashok Mallick, Bapa Pradhan, and Udayanath Pradhan from Raikhala-Gadiapada village were sentenced for two years imprisonment for destroying the house of Birendra Nayak of the same village. They were also fined 2,500 rupees (US$55). In the other case, Ratnakar Pradhan and Parsuram Pradhan from village Tatamaha, Raikia block were convicted of riot and arson.
At the same time, Fast Track Court I Judge S.K. Das acquitted 20 people persons in three separate cases for lack of evidence.
"Witnesses are being coerced, threatened, cajoled and sought to be bribed by murderers and arsonists facing trial," said Archbishop of Orissa Raphael Cheenath in a statement. Previously he had demanded that the cases of politically powerful persons such as Manoj Pradhan be transferred out of Kandhamal to ensure proper justice.
"We are deeply concerned about the high rate of acquittals in the Fast Track Courts," Cheenath said. "Victims filed 3,232 complaints in the various police stations of Kandhamal. Of these, the police registered cases in only 832 instances."
Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik filed a written admission in the Orissa Assembly in November 2009 in which he said 85 members of the Hindu extremist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), 321 persons of Hindu nationalist umbrella group Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and 118 persons of Hindu extremist youth wing, the Bajrang Dal, had been arrested for their involvement in the Kandhamal riots.
While the government says that situation is normalizing in Kandhamal, Christian leader like Dr. John Dayal give a different story.
"While it is possible to visit one half of the district of Kandhamal and discover only peace, it is the other half of the district which speaks of the continuing tyranny," he said. "The bloodshed has stopped because of belated police action, but the miscarriage of justice and the lost peace continue to haunt thousands of people who have not been able to go back to their homes for fear of their lives. Thousands of children cannot go to school, especially the girls. What is worse is that many girls have been trafficked."
The district collector banned all Christian organizations from coming to the district to bring aid to victims after the 2008 violence, he added, "and it took an appeal to the Supreme Court of India by the archbishop of Bhubaneswar for much needed relief to be given to the people in the then refugee camps."
He expressed doubts about the government portrait of normalcy in Kandhamal.
"Even if the church does its best, only half of the 5,600 or so houses burned to the ground will ever be rebuilt," he said. "The district collector and other officers of the civil and police system who are guilty of gross dereliction of duty continue to be in control. Thousands of men continue to be without jobs. Is this normalcy?"
Firebrand Arrested
On March 20, a controversial leader of the VHP, Praveen Togadia, was arrested as he tried to defy orders prohibiting him from entering Kandhamal. Togadia had played a major role in whipping up passions among the Hindus of Kandhamal after the killing of Saraswati.
Togadia had led a procession with the body of Saraswati through different areas of the district for more than 100 kilometers, sparking off or intensifying violence against Christians.
The government of Orissa came under heavy fire from civil society for allowing the procession, and on the latest occasion the local administration was careful to detain Togadia under the Section 151 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which provides for authorities to make arrests to prevent potential offenses. Togadia was later released on bail.
Togadia termed the prohibition on his visit a "ban" that was "illegal and undemocratic." In response to the "ban" on Togadia, the Hindu extremist Sangh Parivar and the BJP protested with a 12-hour bandh (shut down) in Kandhamal on March 20, while the VHP held demonstrations in Bhubaneswar, Berhampur, Bolangir, Sambalpur and Cuttack. VHP also blocked National Highway 217 for one hour and burned an effigy of Chief Minister Patnaik.
"The state government didn't stop foreign missionaries from going to tribal areas of Kandhamal and other parts of Orissa," VHP leader Swadesh Pal Gupta said. "They were being provided with full support and freedom. But when a leader who is an International Secretary General of VHP tries to go to Kandhamal, the government stopped him. We are staging a nationwide protest against this."
Report from Compass Direct News


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While it seems that Apple and Samsung are capturing most of the smartphone market, there are plenty of different models to choose from, representing several vendors and at least four popular platforms: Android, iOS, Symbian, and Windows Phone.
One regular reader recently wondered which current smartphone models are popular among the Ars cognoscenti, and we're curious, too. So we put together a mega poll, covering most of the popular models from the top manufacturers, as well as some catchall "other" and "none" categories.
So tell us: what is your current, primary smartphone? If you have more than one (for work or other such things), pick the one you use most often, or the one you personally chose for yourself. The list is long, so be sure you look over it carefully. While we tried to make sure we covered all the top models, feel free to tell us about a particular one you think deserves recognition in the comments.
NOTE: The JavaScript that loads the poll is tripping an error on PollDaddy. You can visit the poll directly at PollDaddy.com if it doesn't load for you.
Listing image by Master of Telxons


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Turkish Drama Wins Top Cannes Film Prize
CANNES, France | The richly ruminative Chekhovian drama "Winter Sleep" was awarded the Palme d'Or on Saturday, bestowing the Cannes Film Festival's top honor on an intimate, wintery epic set on Turkey's Anatolian steppe.
Director Nuri Bilge Ceylan accepted the award, handed out by Quentin Tarantino and Uma Thurman at the French Riviera festival. In his speech, Ceylan alluded to anti-government protests in Istanbul that began a year ago and have raged following a recent mining disaster that killed hundreds.
"I want to dedicate the prize to the young people in Turkey and those who lost their lives during the last year," said Ceylan.
For the second year in a row, Cannes awarded its top honor to a film running more than three hours. The French lesbian coming-of-age tale "Blue Is the Warmest Color" won the Palme in 2013; this year, the jury, headed by Jane Campion, opted for Ceylan's meditative character study about a retired actor running a hotel and lording over his village tenants.
"I was scared. I said, 'I'm going to need a toilet break,'" said Campion backstage about the three hour, 16 minute running time of "Winter Sleep." But she said the film "took me in," calling it "masterful" and "ruthless."
Accepting the award, Ceylan, who has twice won Cannes' second-highest honor, the Grand Prix, noted it was the 100th anniversary of Turkish cinema.
"It's a beautiful coincidence," he said. "Winter Sleep" is the second film by a Turkish director to win the Palme d'Or following Yilmaz Guney and Serif Goren's "The Way" in 1982.
Julianne Moore won best actress for her performance in David Cronenberg's dark Hollywood satire "Maps to the Stars." Screenwriter Bruce Wagner accepted the award for Moore and cheered the town he savagely parodies in the film: "Vive Los Angeles. Vive David Cronenberg. Vive Julianne Moore. And vive la France," he said.
Best actor went to Timothy Spall, who stars as British painter J.M.W. Turner in Mike Leigh's biopic "Mr. Turner." He spoke emotionally about a long, humble career that has often gone without such notice.
"I've spent a lot of time being a bridesmaid," said the veteran character actor, whose phone rang as he tried to read his speech from it. "This is the first time I've ever been a bride."
Bennett Miller ("Capote," ''Moneyball") won best director for his wresting drama "Foxcatcher," the American film that made the biggest impact at Cannes. Miller dedicated his award to his stars Channing Tatum, Steve Carell and Mark Ruffalo, as well as producer Megan Ellison.
The jury prize was shared by the oddest of couples: Xavier Dolan's "Mommy" and Jean-Luc Godard's "Goodbye to Language." The two were the oldest (Godard is 83) and youngest (Dolan is 25) directors at the festival.
"Goodbye to Language" is a 3-D art-house sensation from the ever-experimental French master (who sent a short film in his absence from Cannes). "Mommy" is a French-language mother-son drama shot in an Instagram-like 1:1 aspect ratio (a square).
Dolan, a Quebec filmmaker who has already made five features, told Campion that her films inspired him to write strong women characters. Campion's "The Piano" won the Palme in 1993, the sole female director win.
"There are no limits to our ambitions except those we build for ourselves," said Dolan.
Alice Rohrwatcher's "The Wonders," an Italian drama about a family of beekeepers, was the surprise winner of the Grand Prix. Rohrwatcher was one of two female directors among the 18 films in competition for the Palme d'Or.
"Leviathan," a tragic satire about small-town corruption in Russia by Andrey Zvyagintsev, took best screenplay. Though the film depicts corrupt local officials in Vladimir Putin's Russia, it was made with financial support from that country's Ministry of Culture.
The Camera d'Or, an award for first-time filmmakers, went to "Party Girl," a portrait of a 60-year-old nightclub hostess by a trio of directors: Marie Amachoukeli, Claire Burger and Samuel Theis.
Most surprisingly absent from Saturday's awards ceremony was "Two Days, One Night," the Dardenne brothers' working-class drama starring Marion Cotillard. The Dardennes have twice before won the Palme d'Or (no one has ever won three).
The ceremony marked the final festival for longtime Cannes President Gilles Jacob, who received a standing ovation. Following the awards, Tarantino introduced a 50th anniversary screening of Sergio Leone's "A Fistful of Dollars."


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List of Faculty Publications
Below is a list of Faculty publications imported from PubMed or manually added. By default, publications are sorted by year with titles displayed in ascending alphabetical order.
Shortcuts: Wühr, Martin | Wingreen, Ned | Wieschaus, Eric | Troyanskaya, Olga | Tilghman, Shirley | Storey, John | Singh, Mona | Shvartsman, Stanislav | Shaevitz, Joshua | Rabinowitz, Joshua | Murphy, Coleen | Levine, Michael {Levine, Michael S.} | Gregor, Thomas | Botstein, David | Bialek, William | Ayroles, Julien | Andolfatto, Peter | Akey, Joshua
"Diversity, topographic differentiation, and positional memory in human fibroblasts.", Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, vol. 99, no. 20, pp. 12877-82, 2002.,


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Helen Raine
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74 Comments Add your own
Your posts make me miss Boston! I used to live in the South End and frequented Chinatown pretty regularly. Gourmet Dumpling House is really good (forget what street it's on…I'm terrible down there as well, I just tend to keep walking until I recognize something). These look delicious! Can't wait to make them!
do you mind sharing the name of the bubble tea cafe? i just moved to the greater boston area from houston, and haven't been impressed with the bubble tea i've tried in boston chinatown so far.
thanks, i appreciate it!
I love coconut so much. I feel like people who say they don't like coconut have just had bad experiences. I was looking for a good macaroon recipe a while ago, too bad this wasn't up yet, they look wonderful :)
Mmmm! These look awesome! I have always loved coconut macaroons! I haven't made them in ages. Thanks for the recipe! :)
What an amazing looking creation! I love coconut and of course chocolate as well. It's great that you don't find it too sweet as well.
Fabulous photos and description! Glad I found your site. Coconut & Chocolate. Yum!
Elissa, I'm glad you posted on 17 again! I have no idea what bubble tea is… And I have never tasted a coconut macaroon :( I don't think I've ever tried macaroons at all! (yes, I come from planet Earth). Well they look delicious, would go nicely with a sip of bubble tea? :)
I made this macaroons for my Book Club last night- so easy and delicious! I shaped them as balls, and drizzled the chocolate, but it's all the same. Thanks for sharing the recipe. =)
Your photos are amazing! I love macaroons – especially the Martha Stewart ones with sweetened condensed milk.
Hi, Elissa. I'm from Brazil and my mom and I have a small Baking School and looking for something new in the web I found and loved your art.
I saw that you made Brigadeiros, right? Did you make them with condensed milk (leite condensado) ?
[…] the internet and discovered the most amazing weddings…and chocolate dipped macaroons…and reminisced about this vacation […]
While I am not a fan of the powdery, stiff texture of maccaroons, I must say that yours look simply delicious. Also, I am not sure what is the "bubble tea" that you speak of but after your rave of it, I lok foward to trying it!
[…] dessert adapted from Bon Appetit via Orangette via 17 and Baking […]
I love coconut! Specially living in south of the border! "cocadas" were my favorite candy. Macarrones also are at the top of my list. Wether dipped in chocolate or not. These here I have to try!
Knocked my socks off with knwdgeole!
oh YUM and so easy! I am thinking we need that recipe for the white chocolate coconut cream pie !! It sounds divine.
Elissa, I was looking for the perfect cookie to bring in to work with the limited ingredients we had in the house (including three bags of coconut, strangely enough)…. and this was it! Instead of 12 large macaroons, I used my tablespoon to make smaller, 2-bite-sized macaroons. This recipe yielded approximately 24 of those (actually, 22, because I found myself eating so much of the coconut mix!). Can't wait to bring them in tomorrow!
P.S. My office loved your buttermilk poundcake :)
[…] on them after they're cooled, you can dip the bottoms in chocolate like my inspiration did on 17andbaking, or you can dip the tops in chocolate and call it an opposite […]
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New York City is not known for its music festivals. Sure, we have a lot of concerts here in the city year round, but festivals, not so much. Festivals usually occur outdoors over the span of two days and require large and open spaces from which to run. There's not many open spaces in NYC except for Central Park in Manhattan, Randalls Island tucked away between Queens and the Bronx, Governors Island in the middle of New York Harbor, and Prospect, Commodore Barry, and Wingate Parks in Brooklyn. While there are a few exceptions here and there, these spaces are pretty much it in the city that are readily (for the most part) accessible to the public.
The recent CBGB Festival in New York and Brooklyn utilized a different festival pattern: it wasn't contained at one space, but spread over many small venues. The Governor's Ball held its second annual two-day festival this past June on Randalls Island, the same day as a smaller and grittier one-day festival, Punk Island, occurred on Governor's Island (not Ball!). The Afro-Punk Festival occurs every year at Commodore Barry Park, although the 2011 festival was cancelled due to hurricane. (Afro-Punk this year occurs August 25-26.) Outdoor shows happen at the Waterfront at Williamsburg, Prospect Park (Celebrate Brooklyn!), and Wingate Park (Public Enemy with Salt-N-Pepa on July 30), but these latter concert spaces nor fledgling festivals can compare to Chicago's Lollapalooza or Indio, California's Coachella… yet.
This year marks a new entry into New York's up-and-coming festival scene: the First Annual Catalpa Festival that's being held this weekend (July 28-29) on Randalls Island. The headliners are The Black Keys and Snoop Dogg, with support from TV on the Radio, Matt and Kim, Umphrey's McGee, Girl Talk, and Matisyahu, among others. In addition to the two stages, there's also a Reggae Stage curated by High Times Magazine, headlined by the High Times Cannibus Cup Band featuring Ros Droppa with a full slate of other reggae bands performing as well.
The festival is put together by an Irish dude by the name of Dave Foran, who acknowledges that "NYC is a graveyard for musical festivals" and he's right. He was recently interviewed on Billboard.biz and his rationale makes sense:
Billboard.biz: What was your inspiration for Catalpa and why bring it to New York?
Dave Foran: Bringing Catalpa to New York was trying to fill what, in my eyes, is a void for a large, well-done, comprehensive destination festival in New York. It's one of the best cities in the world, and it doesn't really have a festival to call its own…But what I'm trying to put together, if it's done right, will have longevity. Essentially, it's trying to establish something substantial that isn't really here and is calling out to be done.
Time will only tell if his festival becomes a mainstay in a city that seems to be adamantly opposed to them. Festivals in surrounding areas of New York haven't been too successful, but maybe Foran's vision of not only bands, but "experience" may be a key in a city that likes things just a little weird. So if you get tired of music during the two-day festival, you can go and get yourself hitched to a stranger at the "Frisky's Church of Sham Marriages," or check out the Arcadia installation of military scrap art and other art installations, or the Silent Disco Tent. If you're a big spender (which, believe it or not, a lot of people in NYC aren't), there are VIP passes complete with food, or a cabana with a hot tub and bottle service, too. If you're not into that, the slate of music should be satisfying enough.


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Te'o speaks about girlfriend hoax
Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o insisted he had no role in the bizarre hoax involving his ''dead'' girlfriend and told ESPN on Friday night that he was duped by a person who has since apologized to him.
In an off-camera interview Friday with ESPN, Te'o said Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, a 22-year-old acquaintance who lives in California, contacted him two days ago and confessed to the prank. Deadspin.com first exposed the scheme on Wednesday and indicated Tuiasosopo was involved in it.
''I wasn't faking it,'' ESPN quoted Te'o as saying during the 2 1-2 hour interview. ''I wasn't part of this. When they hear the facts they'll know. They'll know there is no way I could be a part of this.''
Te'o said he first met Tuiasosopo in person after the Southern California game in November. According to the linebacker, Tuiasosopo told him he was the cousin of Lennay Kekua, the woman who Te'o believed he had fallen for through Internet chats and long phone conversations. But Kekua never existed.
''Two guys and a girl are responsible for the whole thing,'' Te'o told ESPN. ''According to Ronaiah, Ronaiah's one.''
The Tuiasosopo family has declined several interview requests from The Associated Press since Wednesday.
Te'o said he never met Kekua face-to-face and when he tried to speak with her via Skype and video phone calls, the picture was blocked. Still, he didn't figure out the ruse.
He also told ESPN that he lied to his father about having met Kekua. To cover that up, he apparently lied to everyone else.
After he was told Kekua had died of leukemia in early September, Te'o admitted he misled the public about the nature of the ''relationship'' because he was uncomfortable saying it was purely an electronic romance.
''That goes back to what I did with my dad. I knew that. I even knew that it was crazy that I was with somebody that I didn't meet,'' he said. ''So I kind of tailored my stories to have people think that, yeah, he met her before she passed away.''
Te'o's first interview since the story broke came at the end of a day that started with Notre Dame posting a podcast of athletic director Jack Swarbrick's radio show, during which he implored the Heisman Trophy runner-up to speak publicly about the episode. Already, it had turned the feel-good story line of the college football season into a dark and strange one.
Te'o took Notre Dame's advice, but this was no Lance Armstrong-with-Oprah Winfrey made for TV mea culpa.
ESPN conducted the interview with Te'o at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., where Te'o is preparing for the NFL draft and hopes to be among the first-round picks. The network produced only still photos of the interview, with reporter Jeremy Schaap sitting at large table with the linebacker. Schaap then provided details on ''Sports Center'' and a story was posted on ESPN.com.
Some wondered whether Te'o had been in on the fake girlfriend scheme to gain positive publicity and attention. Te'o quickly became the media focal point for Notre Dame as the Fighting Irish pulled off an unexpected 12-0 regular season, finally losing in the BCS championship to Alabama, 42-14.
Schaap said Te'o firmly denied he was out to get attention. The player also said the hoax also did not affect his performance in the title game blowout.
Te'o told ESPN that he wasn't entirely sure he was the victim of a hoax until earlier this week when Tuiasosopo apologized. As Notre Dame officials said earlier, he did get a call from the person posing as Kekua on Dec. 6 - but it was to tell him she had not died at all, and to carry on their courtship.
Te'o was confused. He finally confided in his parents over Christmas break in his home state of Hawaii and told Notre Dame coaches what was going on Dec. 26, according to Swarbrick.
''My relationship with Lennay wasn't a four-year relationship,'' Te'o said. ''There were blocks and times and periods in which we would talk and then it would end,'' but he offered her a ''shoulder to cry on'' when she told him her father had died.
Te'o said he was told Kekua was in a coma following an April 28 car accident, but she awoke the following month. He never made an attempt to visit her in the hospital.
''It never really crossed my mind. I don't know. I was in school,'' he told ESPN.
Then came the day in September when his grandmother died and the woman known as Kekua reached out to him.
''I was angry. I didn't want to be bothered,'' he told ESPN. ''We got in an argument. She was saying, you know, I'm trying to be here for you. I didn't want to be bothered. I wanted to be left alone. I just wanted to be by myself. Last thing she told me was `Just know I love you.'''
Te'o was told later that day Kekua had died.
ESPN did not play audio of the interview, relying instead on descriptions of Te'o and his statements from reporter Schaap. Audio clips were posted later. According to the reporter, Te'o was calm, and had no interest in going on camera.
''He was very relieved, he told me at the end of it, to have had a chance to tell his story,'' Schaap said.
Te'o told ESPN the relationship with Kekua dated to his freshman year at Notre Dame, the 2009-10 season, and they met via Facebook.
Te'o also provided details of just how devilish the hoax was - how Kekua spoke to his mother about Mormonism, how he could hear a supposed ventilator when she was in her coma, even how she sought his checking account number so she could send him some money (he declined).
At the Notre Dame student union early Saturday, many people didn't even seem to notice the story about Te'o playing out on television.
In the lounge section, six people watched ESPN as the report aired on TVs on opposite sides of the room and several said they weren't satisfied with what they saw and heard.
Tony Stedge, a freshman from Seattle, said he supports Te'o, but he'd still like to hear from the star player.
''I think he should be able to do it in his own time, whenever he is comfortable,'' he said.
Te'o's comments to ESPN though made it sound as if he is ready to put this all behind him - and Tuiasosopo.
''I hope he learns,'' Te'o said. ''I hope he understands what he's done. I don't wish an ill thing to somebody. I just hope he learns. I think embarrassment is big enough.''
He added: ''I'll be OK. As long as my family's OK, I'll be fine.''


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- Article no.: 59151
- Manufacturer no.: 59151
- Weight: 0,755 kg
> 10 valmiina toimitettavaksi 1-3 päivän kuluessa
Hintoja sis. arvonlisävero plus toimituskulut
Masterkleer, a name that is well-established in the water cooling sector!
Highly flexible, intense colours, a true eye-catcher for your system: This is what Masterkleer brand-name tubing stands for. Made from highly flexible PVC this tubing can be used in all areas of you water cooling system.
It can be used to bridge larger distances to external coolers, in a micro-enclosure with very little space or even in a server for 24/7 operation: This tubing can be used for virtually any application one could imagine. The experience in the "computer water cooling" sector gained by Masterkleer's manufacturers over the years allows this tubing to be of unique quality. Most even thicknesses for maximum reliability, exceptional bending capabilities, a long lifespan, no discoloration of the coolant and unique colour brilliance make this tubing so special!
When a water cooling loop is installed in a computer system it should not only function well, but also look good. This is where the colour comes into play. Masterkleer has not only achieved intense colours, the UV-reactivity is also a great effect for your system!
The tubing is available in many different colours: From dark to bright green, red, orange, pink, purple, even transparent UV blue, standard blue, yellow, silver, black or white: These are only some of the available colours from Masterkleer!
Individually packaged units?
Masterkleer has taken a whole new approach! The classical 1m unit has been improved, the tubing is available e.g. in 3m length for tubing of the whole watercooling loop and up to 15m in length in one piece with individual packaging for large projects or resellers. The advantages are obvious: The product is more affordable for the customer and the tubing is always shipped in one piece and is easy to store neatly until the next project awaits!
Technical specifications:
Material: PVC
Tubing colour: orange, UV-reactive
Outer diameter: 19mm (5/8")
Inner diameter: 13mm (1/2")
Maximum operating pressure: 30psi (~2,07bar)
Operating temperature range: -42.8°C to 73.9°C
Compliant with RoHS
Extent of delivery:
3,3m (10') Masterkleer hose PVC 19/13mm (1/2"ID) UV-reactive orange3,3m (10ft) "Retail Package"
|Max. Operating pressure:
|4 Bar (at 20°C)
|Service temperature:
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|UV - color:
|Outer diameter:
|19mm (3/4")
|Inner diameter:
|13mm (1/2")


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25% off
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PillowCubes car seats convert into a stroller in seconds. Shop PillowCubes strollers and Liki Trikes make great presents for parents on the go.
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Audubon Bowen Octavo Pl. 103, Hoary Marmot - The Whistler
Hand-colored lithograph, 1849-1854
6 1/2" x 10 1/4" (approximate)
Audubon Bowen Octavo Pl. 103, Hoary Marmot - The Whistler
Original Antique Print
6 1/2" x 10 1/4" (approximate)
Hand-colored lithograph
The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America, Royal Octavo Edition
John James Audubon's last major accomplishment was the creation of The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America which was produced in collaboration with his friend, the Reverend John Bachman (1790—1874), a Lutheran minister and naturalist, who wrote the accompanying text. In the summer of 1843, John James Audubon embarked with his son, John Woodhouse, on a final drawing expedition up the Missouri River to document and depict the four-legged mammals of North America.
To make The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America more affordable and widely available, the octavo edition, a smaller version of the folio, was first published between 1849 and 1854. Printed by the distinguished Philadelphia print maker, John T. Bowen, the set of 150 black-and-white lithographs was completely hand-colored. Lithography proved an excellent medium for depicting the tactile realism of the mammals' fur. These miniatures exhibit a remarkable amount of attention to quality and detail, as well as a meticulous fidelity to the larger works. Some compositional changes were made in order to accommodate the smaller format. These prints also bear the plate number in the upper right-hand corner and the subscription number in the upper left. Many of the mammals were drawn by John Woodhouse Audubon with backgrounds contributed by Victor Gifford Audubon.
John James Audubon explored the American backwoods and wilderness to discover, record, and illustrate its avian life. America's most revered artist-naturalist, John James Audubon (1785—1851), is renowned for his extraordinary undertaking to record the birds of America. The images he created are icons of 19th-century art. The images he created are icons of 19th-century art. Fascinated by nature since childhood, it was not until 1819, when he was the father of two sons, that John James Audubon fully embraced the life of an artist-naturalist. In 1820, John James Audubon left his family in Cincinnati, embarking with a young apprentice, Joseph R. Mason. Mason worked with John James Audubon from 1820 until 1822, contributing mostly botanical elements to about 55 of John James Audubon's paintings. Later, the artists George Lehman, Maria Martin, and his sons Victor Gifford Audubon and John Woodhouse Audubon assisted John James Audubon with botanical and landscape backgrounds.
Though the first edition remains the most desirable, several octavo editions of both the The Birds of America and The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America were produced. In 1856, a second edition of the Birds was published by John James Audubon's son, Victor Gifford. The octavo edition of The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America was first published between 1849 and 1854.
Every antique work of art that you purchase at our gallery or on our website is guaranteed to be authentic and of the finest quality. All of our prints include any conservation work required to assure that your acquisition is archivally stable and will last for generations when cared for properly.


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Widespread in Washington is an assumption as implicit as it is unexamined that the possession of nuclear weapons by Israel, even though it hasn't signed the nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT), is acceptable because:
1. It's an ally.
2. It's "rational."
Bear in mind that Iran is a signatory to the NPT and International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors prowl Iran 24/7 365 days a year.*
But Israel, or to be more exact, Prime Minister Netanyahu, seems to be doing everything within his power to disabuse us of the notion that Israel is either an ally or rational. Netanyahu, constantly monitoring his personal tachometer of war, keeps watching for the needle to approach the red line. His latest impolitic outburst occurred on NBC's Meet the Press, Sunday, July 16. Among other things he said:
Some have even said that Iran with nuclear weapons would stabilize the Middle East, stabilize the Middle East. I think the people who say this have set a new standard for human stupidity.
Of course, proliferation is never a good idea. But Netanyahu's language became more and more un-prime-minister-like as the show proceeded. Speaking of Iran's leadership, he said:
They put their zealotry above their survival. They have suicide bombers all over the place. I wouldn't rely on their rationality, you know, you– since the advent of nuclear weapons, you had countries that had access to nuclear weapons who always made a careful calculation of cost and benefit. But Iran is guided by a leadership with an unbelievable fanaticism. It's the same fanaticism that you see storming your embassies today. You want these fanatics to have nuclear weapons?
Netanyahu is propagating two myths:
1. Netanyahu is implying that any belief in the return of the Mahdi on the part of Iran's leadership means that, like Christian millennialists, it courts the Apocalypse.
2. That those attacking American embassies — Sunni extremists at their worst, as in Benghazi — have much in common with Shiite Iran.
Meanwhile, Washington, too, seems incapable of putting itself in Tehran's shoes. How, Tehran no doubt wonders, does a state like Israel get away with not only not refusing to sign the NPT, but enlisting the help of the entire West in upholding the pretense that it's not in possession of a nuclear-weapons program?
The jury may still be out on whether disarmament initiatives by states with nuclear-weapons spurs states that aspire to a nuclear-weapons program to give up that dream. But, in a just world, Israel needs to give the world the opportunity to learn what the impact of signing the NPT and allowing IAEA inspectors into its own country would have on Iran before considering an attack. Of course, the evidence that Iran is developing nuclear-weapons or the capability to manufacture is little more — if that — than circumstantial thus far. But nuclear transparency on the part of Israel would likely induce concessions on enrichment from Iran. Of perforce, the temperature of Netanyahu's war fever would be lowered and the dial on his war tachometer would recede safely into the black.
*Which, incidentally, place them in harm's way in the event of an attack by Israel. Alternately, if pulled out, Iran knows an attack is forthcoming and Israel loses the element of surprise.


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Obama: Nation stronger, GOP should back his plans
WASHINGTON — Uncompromising and politically emboldened, President Barack Obama urged a deeply divided Congress Tuesday night to embrace his plans to use government money to create jobs and strengthen the nation's middle class. He declared Republican ideas for reducing the deficit "even worse" than the unpalatable deals Washington had to stomach during his first term.
In his first State of the Union address since winning re-election, Obama conceded economic revival is an "unfinished task," but he claimed clear progress and said he was seeking to build on it as he embarks on four more years in office.
"We have cleared away the rubble of crisis, and we can say with renewed confidence that the state of our union is strong," Obama said, speaking before a joint session of Congress and a television audience of millions.
In specific proposals for his second term, an assertive Obama called for increased federal spending to fix the nation's roads and bridges, the first increase in the minimum wage in six years and expansion of early education to every American 4-year-old. Seeking to appeal for support from Republicans, he promised that none of his proposals would increase the deficit "by a single dime."
In the Republican response to Obama's address, rising GOP star Marco Rubio of Florida came right back at the president, saying his solution "to virtually every problem we face is for Washington to tax more, borrow more and spend more."
Sen. Rubio, in prepared remarks, said presidents of both parties have recognized that the free enterprise system brings middle-class prosperity.
"But President Obama?" Rubio said. "He believes it's the cause of our problems."
Obama also announced new steps to reduce the U.S. military footprint abroad, with 34,000 American troops withdrawing from Afghanistan within a year. And he had a sharp rebuke for North Korea, which launched a nuclear test just hours before his remarks, saying, "Provocations of the sort we saw last night will only isolate them further."
Despite the pressing foreign policy concerns, jobs and growth dominated Obama's prime-time address, underscoring the degree to which the economy remains a vulnerability for the president and could disrupt his plans for pursuing a broader agenda, including immigration overhaul, stricter gun laws and climate change legislation.
Standing in Obama's way is a Congress that remains nearly as divided as it was during the final years of his first term, when Washington lurched from one crisis to another.
The president implored lawmakers to break through partisan logjams, asserting that "the greatest nation on Earth cannot keep conducting its business by drifting from one manufactured crisis to the next."
"Americans don't expect government to solve every problem," he said. "They do expect us to forge reasonable compromise where we can."
Yet Obama offered few signs of being willing to compromise himself, instead doubling down on his calls to create jobs by spending more government money and insisting that lawmakers pay down the deficit through a combination of targeted spending cuts and tax increases. But he offered few specifics on what he wanted to see cut, focusing instead on the need to protect programs that help the middle class, elderly and poor.
He did reiterate his willingness to tackle entitlement changes, particularly on Medicare, though he has ruled out increasing the eligibility age for the popular benefit program for seniors.
Republicans are ardently opposed to Obama's calls for legislating more tax revenue to reduce the deficit and offset broad the automatic spending cuts — known as the sequester — that are to take effect March 1.
Obama broke little new ground on two agenda items he has pushed vigorously since winning re-election: overhauling the nation's fractured immigration laws and enacting tougher gun control measures in the wake of the horrific massacre of school children in Newtown, Conn. Yet he pressed for urgency on both, calling on Congress to send him an immigration bill "in the next few months" and insisting lawmakers hold votes on his gun proposals.
"Each of these proposals deserves a vote in Congress," he said. "If you want to vote no, that's your choice."
Numerous lawmakers wore green lapel ribbons in memory of those killed in the December shootings in Connecticut. Among those watching in the House gallery: the parents of 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton, shot and killed recently in a park just a mile from the president's home in Chicago, as well as other victims of gun violence.
On the economy, Obama called for raising the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $9 by 2015. The minimum wage has been stagnant since 2007, and administration officials said the increase would strengthen purchasing power. The president also wants Congress to approve automatic increases in the wage to keep pace with inflation.
Looking for common ground anywhere he could find it, Obama framed his proposal to boost the minimum wage by pointing out that even his GOP presidential rival liked the idea. He said, "Here's an idea that Gov. Romney and I actually agreed on last year: Let's tie the minimum wage to the cost of living, so that it finally becomes a wage you can live on."
Obama also renewed his calls for infrastructure spending, investments he sought repeatedly during his first term with little support from Republicans. He pressed lawmakers to approve a $50 billion "fix it first" program that would address the most urgent infrastructure needs.
Education also figures in Obama's plans to boost American competitiveness in the global economy. Under his proposal, the federal government would help states provide pre-school for all 4-year-olds. Officials did not provide a cost for the pre-school programs but said the government would provide financial incentives to help states.
Among the other initiatives Obama is proposing:
— A $1 billion plan to create 15 "manufacturing institutes" that would bring together businesses, universities and the government. If Congress opposes the initiative, Obama plans to use his presidential powers to create three institutes on his own.
— Creation of an "energy security trust" that would use revenue from federal oil and gas leases to support development of clean energy technologies such as biofuels and natural gas
— Doubling of renewable energy in the U.S. from wind, solar and geothermal sources by 2020.
7/8Tuesday night's address marked Obama's most expansive remarks on the economy since the November election. Since securing a second term, the president has focused more heavily on new domestic policy proposals, including immigration changes and preventing gun violence following the horrific shooting of schoolchildren in Newtown, Conn.
Obama also called on Congress to tackle the threat of climate change, another issue that eluded him in his first term. The president pledged to work with lawmakers to seek bipartisan solutions but said if Capitol Hill doesn't act, he'll order his Cabinet to seek steps he can take using his presidential powers.
Taking a swipe at those who question the threat of global warming, Obama said, "We can choose to believe that Superstorm Sandy, and the most severe drought in decades, and the worst wildfires some states have ever seen were all just a freak coincidence. Or we can choose to believe in the overwhelming judgment of science - and act before it's too late."


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Part of our mission at ACE is to provide you with the latest cutting-edge fitness solutions. Over the past few years I've watched as David Weck, the creator of the BOSU® Balance Trainer, developed his WeckMethod training program. CoreFIST is just one component of this program and I was excited to have the opportunity to learn more about it. As I spoke with David, he demonstrated the CoreFiST principles and the importance of optimal bone alignment. Here, David explains how the CoreFIST and WeckMethod can help elevate your training programs.
Pete: What exactly is CoreFIST and why is it important?
David: CoreFIST™ is an essential component of WeckMethod™ training that helps optimize integration of the entire myfascial network. "Core" refers to both your body's core musculature and your body's skeletal core, which provides the underlying structural architecture for movement. F.I.S.T. stands for "Fascially Integrated Strength Training." Fascia is your body's fundamental "organ of form" that surrounds, envelops and connects everything—your bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, internal organs and skin. It is only fully integrated in conjunction with correct bone alignment, so if the bones are not aligned, the myofascia must compensate for structural inefficiency, which compromises the body's capacity to express productive force and movement.
Pete: What makes CoreFIST unique?
David: Your hands, which have more than 25 percent of your body's bones, are critical for harnessing your body's full potential to move most efficiently. WeckMethod is the first and only exercise program that teaches you to align the bones in your hands into a very specific arrangement, which enables you to create more complete fascial integration. This better connects the distal extremities (hands) to the proximal body (center/core) and results in significant positive downstream effects throughout the entire body.
Pete: Interesting. So the program focuses on optimal alignment starting with the hands?
David: While the hands are certainly critical, WeckMethod is a global approach that addresses the whole body. The hands are simply put into their proper perspective, both in terms of how important they are to efficient movement, and how they can be harnessed to enhance the way the entire body moves.
Pete: You've been sharing some of your ideas with me over the past few years and it's cool to see WeckMethod come together—can you briefly explain what it involves?
David: This has been a fascinating journey and, as you know, I've devoted many years to the study of human movement. I define gait (walking and running) as the most fundamental functional movement besides survival functions such as breathing, digestion, elimination, etc. Enhance gait efficiency and you have a key that opens the door for improving many, if not most, functional movements. Everything boils down to posture and balance to perform at the highest level. WeckMethod is the culmination of my life's work and dedication to athletic training and the pursuit of health and wellbeing.
There are four principle components to WeckMethod Training: 1) Bone Alignment, which includes the hands as we just discussed; 2) Fascial Integration, to improve tensegrity, which in layman's terms is the body's internal balance and suspension of the bones within the soft tissues (Note: Tensegrity is from the combination of the words tension and integrity.); 3) Spiraling, taking advantage of the inherent spiraling patterns throughout the body and the fascial network and connective tissue; and 4) Symmetry, improving the body's balance between both right and left halves. The CoreFIST Challenge I demonstrated with you in this video enables a person to experience the immediate increase in strength when the hands are aligned. This is only the tip of the iceberg for the great improvements that can occur with WeckMethod training.
Pete: This is cool stuff, where can ACE-certified professionals learn more about the Weckmethod and CoreFIST?
David: The WeckMethod educational program is in the final stages of development and training and certifications will be available soon. You can check out www.weckmethod.com for more information.
Pete: It's been fun to watch you put this program together and see the outcome. Thanks for your time and have a great day.
David: Thank you, it's always a pleasure to work with ACE!


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Moroccan coal Single seater Sofa
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Clean lines, a compact profile and Handcrafted sustainably, our designs help our Moroccan coal Collection fit in anywhere. This versatile, sectional is crafted from sustainable mango wood with a white washed finish for a relaxed, cozy vibe. Our products are handcrafted by artisans with utmost care and love. Due to handcrafting and hand finishing, slight variations in finish is expected and celebrated.
(all dimensions in inches)
Primary Material: Mango Wood & Hand Woven Cotton Fabric
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"Our products are handcrafted by artisans with utmost care and love. Due to handcrafting and hand finishing, slight variations in finish is expected and celebrated."
Ships in 12-15 days
At "Fabuliv" we take great care in delivering your products to you and we partner only with reputed Courier Services.
Delivery Time -If you are in a hurry, then you are at the wrong place, because at Fabuliv we believe in slow and sustainable living. Our delivery timelines are far more than other market players and we proudly celebrate it, as each of our product comes with a story, uniqueness and a soul that runs while making that product. Our products are not a result of mass production done by machines, rather, they are individual accents curated with utmost love by nibble hands of skilled artisans who put in their souls while making these rare masterpieces. There is always a spirit of joy that runs in our products as we do not force deadlines on our Artisans and request you the same.
Generally the decor, kitchen and lighting products reach your doorsteps in 1-2 weeks and Furniture products reach you in 2-4 weeks.
Although we make sure that we deliver the products within the above mentioned timelines but a humble request to allow us some time in rare cases of exception.
Wipe off the dirt from the furniture with a soft cotton cloth. Also avoid using excess water for cleaning, take moistened cloth to wipe off the dirt.
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Avoid chemical contact with the furniture as it may harm the natural finish and further the durability.
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Scratches, burns, residue and any other surface damage can be taken off with a fine-grit sandpaper. Apply coconut oil or olive oil on the surface after sanding.
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Accessories shown in the photograph are meant for representation purposes only, and are not part of the actual product.
All of our products are handcrafted by skilled artisans with meticulous care. Given its handmade and hand-finished nature, variations in the wood, glass, teracotta, eco-mix or metal work are to be expected and celebrated. Each item is unique and no two are exactly alike
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Fabuliv delivery arrangements to your home have been designed to ensure a zero-damage and hassle-free experience. Please contact us immediately if: You received a damaged or defective product, bring it in the notice of delivery personnel immediately at the time of delivery and report a complaint at customer care at firstname.lastname@example.com. Damage & defect will be assessed in 72 hours', and a solution will be provided. If in the opinion of Fabuliv, the product is broken, it may be returned/replaced, or any other corrective measure may be taken, as deemed appropriate by Fabuliv, to address the issue.
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These special-order items are made to your individual specifications; therefore, we cannot accept returns or exchanges. We require a 50% deposit for all Additional Color, Additional Frame and Custom order merchandise. Once you place your order for Additional Color, Additional Frame or Custom merchandise, you have 72 hours to change or cancel. After 72 hours, your 50% deposit is nonrefundable. The 72-hour time frame begins as soon as you place your order and confirm your fabric selection in a store or online. For Personalization orders, the full amount is required at time of purchase; personalized items cannot be returned, exchanged or canceled at any time and are nonrefundable.
- This product comes with a 3-year warranty which covers manufacturing defects, inherent termite and borer issues.
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This forum is for topics not related to aviation. It can be anything really, reflections on why you think Microsoft is a cool company to why you'll never buy a Nissan. Please note that political comments are not allowed like in all the other forums.
Military Aircraft Every type from fighters to helicopters from air forces around the globe
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Cargo Aircraft Pictures of great freighter aircraft
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Helicopters Our large helicopter section. Both military and civil versions
Blimps / Airships Everything from the Goodyear blimp to the Zeppelin
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Accidents Accident, incident and crash related photos
Air to Air Photos taken by airborne photographers of airborne aircraft
Special Paint Schemes Aircraft painted in beautiful and original liveries
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two characters in one heart
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A Place to find peace, joy and care for yourself.
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George Will: Into uncharted territory
?When on March 26 the Supreme Court hears oral arguments about whether California's ban on same-sex marriages violates the constitutional right to "equal protection of the laws," these arguments will invoke the intersection of law and social science. The court should tread cautiously, if at all, on this dark and bloody ground.
The Obama administration says California's law expresses "prejudice" that is "impermissible." But same-sex marriage is a matter about which intelligent people reasonably disagree, partly because so little is known about its consequences.
When a federal judge asked the lawyer defending California's ban what harm same-sex marriage would do to the state's interests in "the procreation purpose" of heterosexual marriage, the lawyer said, "I don't know." This was mistakenly portrayed as a damaging admission. Both sides should acknowledge that, so far, no one can know.
A brief submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court concerning the California case by conservative professors Leon Kass and Harvey Mansfield and the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy warns that "the social and behavioral sciences have a long history of being shaped and driven by politics and ideology." And research about, for example, the stability of same-sex marriages or child rearing by same-sex couples is "radically inconclusive" because these are recent phenomena and they provide a small sample from which to conclude that these innovations will be benign.
Unlike the physical sciences, the social sciences can rarely settle questions using "controlled and replicable experiments." Today "there neither are nor could possibly be any scientifically valid studies from which to predict the effects of a family structure that is so new and so rare." Hence there can be no "scientific basis for constitutionalizing same-sex marriage."
The brief does not argue against same-sex marriage as social policy, other than by counseling caution about altering foundational social institutions when guidance from social science is as yet impossible. The brief is a pre-emptive refutation of inappropriate invocations of spurious social science by supporters of same-sex marriage.
For example, a district court cited Dr. Michael Lamb, a specialist in child development, asserting that the "gender of a child's parent is not a factor in a child's adjustment" and that "having both a male and female parent does not increase the likelihood that a child will be well-adjusted." The conservatives' brief notes that, testifying in the trial court, Lamb "had conceded that his own published research concluded that growing up without fathers had significant negative effects on boys" and that considerable research indicates "that traditional opposite-sex biological parents appear in general to produce better outcomes for their children than other family structures do."
The brief is replete with examples of misleading argumentation using data not drawn from studies satisfying "the scientific standard of comparing large random samples with appropriate control samples." The late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, a distinguished social scientist, said the "pronounced" liberal orientation of the social sciences is "well established" and explainable: "Social scientists are frequently caught up in the politics which their work necessarily involves" because social science "attracts persons whose interests are in shaping the future."
This helps explain why "Brandeis briefs" have shaped American law. Before joining the Supreme Court, Louis Brandeis defended constitutional challenges to progressive legislation by using briefs stressing social science data, or what purported to be such, rather than legal arguments. He advanced his political agenda by bald assertions inexcusable even given the limited scientific knowledge of the time. For example, in his 1908 defense of an Oregon law restricting the number of hours women could work, he said "there is more water" in women's than in men's blood and women's knees are constructed differently.
Since Moynihan wrote the above in 1979, the politicization of the social sciences has become even more pronounced, particularly in matters of "lifestyle liberalism." Hence the need for judicial wariness about social science that purports to prove propositions -- e.g., that same-sex marriage is, or is not, harmful to children or society -- for which there cannot yet be decisive evidence.
If California's law is judged by legal reasoning, rather than by social science ostensibly proving that the state has no compelling interest served by banning same-sex marriage, the law may still be overturned on equal protection grounds. But such a victory for gay rights, grounded on constitutional values, and hence cast in the vocabulary of natural rights philosophy, would at least be more stable than one resting uneasily on the shiftable sand of premature social science conclusions.
George Will's email address is email@example.com.
Washington Post Writers Group


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- Small order (1-11 bottles): 3 business days, then it ships.
- Bulk order (12+ bottles): 5-7 business days, then it ships.
Red Wine - Special Thank You - Corporate
Our personalized etched red wine is the perfect corporate gift. Call 866-944-3824 for special corporate pricing! Cap color varies depending on bottle.
About the Red Wine - Special Thank You - Corporate design
Our personalized etched red wine is the perfect corporate gift. Call 866-944-3824 for special corporate pricing! Cap color varies depending on bottle.
About your red wine choices
Each bottle is sold separately and is 750 ml.
Apothic Red Blend
A fruity, almost sweet blend of primarily Zinfandel, Syrah, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The palette is dominated by bold fruit flavors of black cherry, plum, and ripe raspberry, leading to a smooth finish accented with toasty oak and vanilla. This wine was originally inspired by the "Apotheca" a mysterious place where wine was blended and stored in 13th century Europe.
Ariel Cabernet Sauvignon (Non-Alcoholic)
This Cabernet leads with flavors of toasted oak, blueberries, blackberries, black pepper, and chocolate. Soft tannins offer a smooth finish.
This wine contains less than 0.5% alcohol by volume.
Charles Krug Napa Merlot
Full bodied and dark purple in color, this wine is rich with plum, black raspberry, and currant notes. Toasty oak and subtle spice compliment the high tannins in this wine, making it perfect for pairing with red meats and classic Italian meals.
Coppola Cabernet Sauvignon
One of our mid-range "Go-to" cabernets. From the distinctive ivory labeling to the sumptuous velvety finish, this wine from renown director Francis Ford Coppola will not disappoint. A sip of this wine will deliver a mouthful of flavors including luscious fruit (blackberries, cherries), moderate tannins, smoky oak, and spices.
Pairs well with just about anything, barbeque and steak in particular and chocolate.
Blend: 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Segalin, 7% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc
Alcohol by volume - 13.7%
Diseno Malbec
Grown in the Mendoza region in Argentina, Diseno Malbec is a rich, old world style wine which elegantly balances fruit, minerality, and spice. Stonefruit, blueberry, and black currant tones mix in this medium bodied red, finishing with soft tobacco spice and dark chocolate notes.
Estancia Merlot
A silky, smooth Merlot from the Central Coast. Soft Vanilla tones from the oak mix with vibrant plum and red berry tones. A perfect, easy drinking wine that is still full bodied.
Mouton Cadet Bordeaux
Mouton Cadet offers a traditional style Bordeaux blend, using 65% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 15% Cabernet Franc. It is a fruit filled wine, centered around blackberry and current tones, with well rounded tannin and subtle spice from the 6–10 months spent in French oak. The balance between fruit and spice makes this wine an instant crowd favorite!
Private Label Cabernet Sauvignon
Our best seller by far! Deep ruby in color; nose is subtle, slight fruit; palate is full bodied, smooth, low tannin; short-medium finish. Eminently drinkable for any occasion.
Alcohol by volume - 13%
Stag's Leap Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon
This Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon offers inviting aromas of blackcherry and plum with hints of vanilla. On the palate, the wine has a soft entry with ripe mixed berry and plum flavors. The wine has a medium-bodied mouthfeel with round, satin-like tannins.
Blend: 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 2% Malbec
Pair with beef, lamb, poultry and spicy foods.
Alcohol by volume - 14.5%
About the Etching Process
Each bottle is individually hand-crafted. First, we sand carve the design directly into the glass of the bottle for the deepest engraving possible. Afterwards, the bottle is then intricately hand-painted.
These handcrafted works of art are very high quality and will be treasured by the recipient for years to come.
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The Boeing 787 Dreamliner was supposed to be the company's bold entry into the future of air travel—an environmentally friendly, fuel-efficient world traveler. Using 20 percent less fuel than Boeing's similarly sized 767, it was the most heavily pre-ordered widebody aircraft ever.
But now, the entire fleet of 787s has been grounded because of a series of mishaps involving the plane's batteries. On January 7, a Japan Airlines 787 just in from Tokyo caught fire at Boston's Logan International Airport when the batteries in the aircraft's auxiliary power unit ignited; eight days later, a battery scare forced an All Nippon Airways 787 flying from Yamaguchi, Japan to make an emergency landing and evacuate.
The batteries at the heart of the problem, manufactured by the Japanese firm GS Yuasa Corporation, are essentially giant versions of the lithium-ion batteries used in cell phones and laptops. Like those batteries, the Dreamliner's use a lithium-cobalt oxide cathode, which is "an inherently unsafe cathode," said Mark Allen, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. And in the larger form used by Boeing, they pose an even larger risk. When overcharged or damaged, they can become essentially a firebomb inside the airplane—one that burns without air and can't be put out by usual aircraft fire suppression systems.
The batteries are an essential part of the Dreamliner's core innovation—using electricity in place of jet engine "bleed air" and hydraulic energy to power the aircraft's controls. They help start up the plane's onboard power plant, which generates 5 megawatts of electricity—five times more than any other aircraft.
But the electrical system's complexity has been a particular stumbling block for the plane model in the past. And with the whole plane being essentially a flying network (the plane's avionics are wired together with a derivative of 100 megabit Ethernet to reduce the amount of wiring and corresponding weight) and the controls entirely dependent on electrical power, any problem with electrical systems can become a disaster.
Where there's smoke
Six hours into a test flight in November of 2010, in the skies over Texas just after 2:30 in the afternoon Central Time, the pilot of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner Number 2 declared an emergency. There was smoke in the cabin, and the airplane's "glass cockpit"—its computerized displays and controls—had partially failed, its primary flight displays and automatic throttle controls gone.
As he touched down at Laredo International Airport and brought the plane to a halt, the crew and passengers—Boeing company execs and technicians monitoring flight data—evacuated the plane, jumping down the emergency slides. The cause of the emergency was an electrical fire that took out the aircraft's primary and auxiliary power units. The Dreamliner would have become a nightmare without the emergency power source—a Ram Air Turbine, which dropped down from the fuselage to convert airflow past the plane into power for essential controls. The incident led to further delays for the Dreamliner, as Boeing went back to redesign the entire electrical distribution system of the aircraft. But the redesign didn't eliminate the hazard of the batteries themselves.
Batteries using lithium-cobalt oxide of any size are prone to overheating when they're charging because of their small electrical resistance. But because the batteries in phones and computers are relatively small, they can usually shed the heat unless they're charged too quickly or past their designed capacity.
The Dreamliner's batteries, however are not your garden-variety laptop battery. Manufacturer GS Yuasa started in the business making motorcycle batteries and now makes large-scale specialty batteries for all sorts of power applications—including powering satellites. The batteries selected for the Dreamliner "were very large scale—65 amp-hour batteries which is very, very large," said Allen. "They are very high power batteries, and they charge them to 90 percent (of capacity) in about 70 minutes. That's a very fast charge for any lithium battery of this size. And that's a problem when there isn't a cooling system incorporated."
The problem escalates as the battery gets hotter. "When these batteries reach a certain temperature—about 140 degrees Celsius—they reach a thermal runaway where they basically go out of control," Allen said. And that can turn the battery—the one in a plane, or the one in your cell phone—into a firebomb.
"The cobalt in the cathode is in a plus-four oxidation state, which is very unstable," he explained, "and it's sitting in an electrolyte which is organic and very combustible. It's a highly oxidized system with a fuel, so it becomes a combustible system very quickly."
When a battery overheats, the electrolytes in it can start to leak. "As long as it's away from some sort of oxidant, (the chemicals) are very safe," said University of Michigan Chemical Engineering Professor Levi Thompson. But once they're exposed to an oxidant, they can catch fire quickly, as he explained in this video on the subject:
Normally, the only time when there's a risk of battery combustion is during charging. The batteries are discharged during the plane's startup, when the Auxiliary Power Unit—essentially a jet-powered generator for the aircraft's electrical systems—is first started. In the Boston incident, the batteries were likely being recharged when they caught fire; in the airborne incident, they may have entered thermal runaway while on the ground, or they may have been taking a charge from the APU itself after take-off and continued to overheat.
Safer alternatives
There are a number of fixes Boeing could make to reduce the risk from the batteries. One is to use batteries with a cooling system—either water or air cooling.
But there are also much safer choices for the cathode material in large lithium batteries that can reduce the risk of explosive combustion. Allen hopes that the Dreamliner issues will lead to wider adoption of safer battery technology.
"They are available and becoming more popular," Allen said. "Lithium nickel manganese oxide cathodes are safer, and iron phosphate ones are much safer because they don't actually release oxygen when you arc it or when it's damaged."
Dr. Ann Marie Sastry, President and CEO of battery technology company Sakti3, said her company is developing a solid-state lithium-ion battery that would address many of these issues. "To eliminate risk in energy storage systems, the best thing to do is to eliminate the liquid electrolyte in favor of solid materials that are not combustible," she said. Solid state lithium-ion batteries could improve both safety and performance of batteries, but she added that they'll "add substantial cost."
Whatever the solution, there are larger engineering concerns about the Dreamliner to be addressed as the aircraft experiences what some have called "teething pains." And Boeing isn't the only aircraft manufacturer that should be concerned—Airbus also uses lithium-ion batteries for its newest APUs.


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