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Homemade veggie stock powder {raw & vegan}
I am so excited by this recipe, because I am basically telling you how to cheat your way to make a tasty soup (or stew, or sauce), in the easiest way possible and without having to make broth or having to guard the stove for hours. This is perfect for anyone who is time pressured most of the days (I reckon this applies for just about anyone with a job), but eats or wants to eat healthy, cooks at home and goes for quick, easy and healthy dishes.
Throw away your store bought veggie stock powders and all the nasties that come with them and make this. It will save you in so many ways! It will add wonderful rich flavors to soups (hot or cold, cooked or raw), stews, pasta sauces or any other type of sauces or foods you want to add it to. It will help you save money and it will help you save your health.
It is a bit time involving because you need to wash, dry and chop/slice quite few veggies, but after that your dehydrator or oven will do the work for you. And the stock will help you save time every time you cook with it.
Two things you need to know about this stock. Thought it might look similar to regular store bought stock, it smells nothing like that. I find that store bought stock powder smells like a salty flour, with a very mild herb scent. Whenever I take a sniff of the store bought one, it makes me sneeze. I find it a bit too much and a bit too…fake. There I said it. That's the reason I haven't been using it to cook in years. Was never a fan of it. But this home made stock powder smells like freshly cut veggies! It's quite amazing and hard to believe it myself (and I made it!), but it's true. When I open the jar and take a big breath in, I just cannot get enough of the fresh vegetable smell.
Secondly, the taste when you use it is also quite different. The store bought stock indeed adds flavor to dishes, but I was never able to actually taste any veggie flavor in the meals seasoned with it. To me, it was just a salty seasoning, with no distinctive flavor. But with the home made stock, that's a totally different story. I can taste the carrots, the cabbage, the tomato – everything! I taste veggies even when I add it to boiling water.
Third, I was obviously kidding when I said it looks like its store bought counterpart. This one is way more dazzling!
Make this your next weekend project!
- 2 big carrots, thinly sliced
- 2 medium parsnips, thinly sliced
- 2 celery ribs, cut into fine strips
- 1 big potato, thinly sliced (I used a sweet white potato)
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced and pat dry (try to absorb as much moisture with a paper towel)
- 4 mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 2 cabbage leaves, cut into smaller pieces (I used red cabbage)
- handful or parsley (with stalks)
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- To season:
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp dry turmeric powder
- 1 tsp dry dill
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp chili flakes (optional, if you want it slightly spicy)
- 1/3 tsp ground nutmeg
- Wash, pat dry and slice all your veggies. Use a paper towel to absorb any extra moisture.
- Arrange your veggies on dehydrator sheets, in a single layer. You'll need about 6-7 sheets.
- Dehydrate at 135F (57C) for 1 hour, then continue to dehydrate at 115F (46C) for up to 6 hours. Please bear in mind that some veggies (like potato, carrot, parsnip, parsley) will be ready sooner than cabbage, tomato, celery or onion. Check them after 2-3 hours and take out those that are done (moisture free).
- Once all your veggies are done, allow them to cool.
- Add them to a blender or food processor and blitz until you get a fine, crumbled mix. You might need to do this in 2 batches.
- In a bowl, mix your ground veggies with the seasonings.
- Store in an airtight jar, in the pantry, away from light or moisture.
SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube channel here, for quick 60 seconds video recipes.
All plant based whole foods.


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Thrifted tunic, So fab tights, Old navy shorts, SM clutch, Parisian shoes
We ordered all of our food for our media noche
at Grand majestic which is a famous Chinese restaurant
here in Cebu. My mom got lazy because all of our housekeeperswent home and no one would assist her to cook, so she ordered.
It's our tradition here in the Philippines to play with firecrackers
almost every new year. I used to play with it so much when I was
still little and now I got scared to play with it even, I'm only allured
to watch it only. Sometimes without firecrackers new year can be so boring.
Time passes by so quick that I can't even imagine how we made it
through the end of 2010. Now it's officially 2011, another year, another
lifetime, and another chance. New year's resolution is something that I always
look forward to because sometimes I can promise to do it but sometimes I can't.
My new years resolution I think is to shop less and save more, I know it's
very hard to resist through the temptations but I'll try as much as I can,
as they say "There is no harm in trying so why not try."
So what's your New Year's resolution?
Happy New Year everyone! Let's all celebrate New Year
joyously and harmoniously and of corse eat as much as you can.
XOXO Miki

subset: commoncrawl


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The Tor network is in danger of being swamped by criminals abusing its anonymity to hide an underworld of parasitic botnets, malicious command and control and 'darknet' markets, according to research from Kaspersky Lab.
Tor has long had its dark side but the scale of its use by criminals appears to have expanded quite rapidly in the last year. Kaspersky Lab had uncovered evidence of 900 services using Tor, said senior researcher Sergey Lozhkin, equivalent to 5,500 nodes (server relays) and 1,000 exit nodes (servers from which traffic emerges) in total.
A particular niche was the rise of underground markets that use Tor to hide their activity. "It all started from the notorious Silk Road market and evolved to dozens of specialist markets: drugs, arms and, of course, malware," said Lozhkin.
It was here that a growing number of forums dealing in stolen card data were finding a home, he said. Predictably, trade on these markets was now based almost entirely on Bitcoins, which can't be traced to individuals.
The figures Kaspersky has come up with our alarmingly high, depending on which way you look at it. Tor's own estimate of its relays runs at around 7,000 at any one time including bridges, with around 1,000 exit nodes; on that basis the number being abused by criminals seems high.
Techworld confirmed that these figures represent a cumulative total over time rather than those in use at one time. The scale of what is going on here is still very small next to what happens on the Internet itself but is clearly an abuse of a system designed to anonymise traffic in countries where legitimate Internet activity can get someone locked up.
"Hosting C&C servers in Tor makes them harder to identify, blacklist or eliminate. Although, creating a Tor communication module within a malware sample means extra work for the malware developers. We expect there will be a rise in new Tor-based malware, as well as Tor support for existing malware," said Sergey Lozhkin
Examples of Tor abuse are legion and include a recent Android botnet, the first ever discovered to be using Tor from that platform. Conventional botnets have also experimented with Tor. Probably the most infamous Tor parasite yet was the Silk Road market used to trade drugs, weapons, indeed anything illegal.
As for users, Tor's traffic has been prone to dramatic surges, including one in September 2013 when traffic rose from under 1 million users per day to well over five million in the space of a week. It has since dropped to around 3 million.


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Take Another Look, and Another, Before It's Too Late…
"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter." – Isaiah 5:20
The Bible warns us to not do evil and call it good and yet it's been happening for all of mankind. There are probably many things that the above passage of the Bible can refer to but I want to talk about human sexuality, traditional procreative marriage, and the results of failing to adhere to God's plan for humankind.
Back in the 60s the sexual revolution began which changed the way many people view sex, marriage, and contraceptives. Was this the beginning of our problems? Not by any stretch of the imagination. Remember, Margaret Sanger began the Birth Control League about 100 years ago which later became Planned Parenthood. She was a eugenicist who wanted to control what she viewed as inferior races, mainly the Black Nation. She wanted to use sterilization and birth control pills as a means of accomplishing her eugenic philosophy.
The use of birth control fueled promiscuity because people could have sex without the consequences of pregnancy. Soon casual or recreational sex became accepted by our society.
Following the acceptance of "free love" which was actually casual sex, the natural progression was for men to have sex with other men and women to have sex with other women. And that too is now being accepted by many in our society.
This misplaced compassion to say that people should be able to love whoever they want is a stumbling block; not taking into account what God said about homosexual relations. And now many like the President of the United States and NAACP have come out in support of homosexual marriage. Same-sex marriage is anti-natural marriage and procreation. Homosexual couples cannot procreate. They cannot obey God's command to "be fruitful and multiply."
The next step will be for those who want to live in polygamist relationships to demand their rights to do so. Oh yeah, I forgot, that's beginning to happen already. Recently in Sao Paulo, Brazil a notary has accepted a civil union between three people. This has sparked a controversy for now. Soon it too will be accepted by our society and they will be fighting for their right to get married.
In a recent movie, Savages, the main actors, two men and a woman, were in a sexual relationship. In the trailer, after introducing the two men she proclaims, "and yes, I'm with both of them."
We are sliding down a slippery slope and there seems to be no end in sight. We need to find a way to stop the descent before there is no way to turn back, before we self-destruct. God is the answer. He, and only He, is able to help us to return to being a moral society. Yes there will always be some element of sin in our society as humans have a propensity towards sinning but as a whole people can make good moral decisions with the help from God.


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The victories of Propositions 30 (Gov. Jerry Brown's temporary tax on sales and income) and Prop 39 (investor Tom Steyer's change to the state's corporate tax formula) are being praised for bringing dollars into the budget in the short term.
But they also have costs -- and may make the budget harder to project accurately, and to balance in the long term.
So says the non-partisan Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) in its report looking at the upcoming 2013-14 budget. That update has produced headlines focusing on the shrinking of the budget deficit and the possibility of surpluses in future years. But in the finer print, the LAO raises questions about how the current budget handles revenues from Propositions 30 and 39.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
The LAO report says that the current budget act will retroactively accrue tax revenues, from, for example April 2013 back to the 2011-2012 year. This could have the political advantage of making prior year budgets look more balanced, but the LAO says that's a problem because of the uncertainty created.
One effect of the change is that we will no longer have a good idea of a fiscal year's revenues until one or two years after that fiscal year's conclusion.
Because the volatile capital gains-related revenues from Proposition 30 are the subject of the accrual changes, the late adjustments to revenues could total billions of dollars -- much more than in the past. As a result, the chances of large forecast errors by us and the administration will increase.
Bottom line: California's notoriously hard-to-predict-and-balance budget becomes harder to predict and balance. Indeed, Californians may not be able to know whether the budget was balanced in a particular budget year until two years after that budget year.
The LAO recommends that the legislature direct the Brown administration to develop a "simpler," more logical system for accruing and counting for revenue by 2015, and that the administration document what it's doing on this online.


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Current Selections
Developed in California, these origami-inspired pendants add eye-catching drama to your home. Beautiful material is laser-cut and then carefully folded and stitched together, creating functional works of art. Light glows through both the shade and the laser-cut folds, creating an interesting pattern on the ceiling and walls. You can only find these pendants at Room & Board.See the full Orikata collection
Founded by Michael Towey, an engineer and product designer, this studio creates unique, folded pendants using innovative technology and hands-on work. Artisans transform complex geometric forms into beautiful, functional lighting.
Details of Orikata 26 diam 31h Acorn Pendant
Product Details
- Dimensions: 26" diameter 31"h
- Ceiling Plate Dimensions: 5" diameter .5"h
- Bulb: not included
- Accommodates: 2 bulbs
- Recommended/Replacement: R&B dimmable LED (100w comparable) Shop this item
- Maximum Wattage: 60W
- Ceiling Plate Color: brass
- Cord Detail: 6'; grey fabric
- Dimmable: yes
- 3-way: no
- Installation: hardwire only; professional installation recommended
- Assembly: pendants PDF instructions
- UL/ETL Listed: no;
- Care: vacuum with brush attachment or dust with soft bristle brush; spot clean with white cloth and mild detergent
- Type: primary; accent
- Considerations: use only LED light bulbs with this fixture
- Warning: California residents Proposition 65
- Product Origin: made in California
- Material Origin: United States and imported
- Item Number: 088934
- See all photos
Material Details
- Shade: linen
- Color: ivory
- Base: brass
- Finish: polished
- Color: brass
- Shade: linen
- Color: ivory
- Base: brass
- Finish: polished
- Color: brass
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Pan Am star Christina Ricci has landed at The Good Wife as Lockhart/Gardner's latest client.
Ricci, 32, will guest-star in an upcoming episode as a controversial comedienne in need of the firm's help.
The Good Wife new Season 4 promo: Kalinda's not pulling any punches
Ricci joins an impressive roster of guest stars for the legal drama's upcoming fourth season, including Kristin Chenoweth, Nathan Lane, Amanda Peet, Maura Tierney, Marc Warren, Miriam Shor and Annabella Sciorra.
In addition to starring on ABC's Pan Am last season, Ricci is known for her film work, including Mermaids, The Addams Family, Now and Then and Sleepy Hollow. She also earned an Emmy nomination in 2006 for her guest-starring role in the post-Super Bowl episode of Grey's Anatomy.
The new season of The Good Wife premieres on Sunday, Sept. 30 at 9/8c on CBS.


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The Changing of the Guard
In the 1969 movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Paul Newman as Butch and the Sundance Kid, played by Robert Redford, pause at the top of a mountain to consider the predicament they have found themselves in, being chased by a distant but persistent posse that doesn't seem to get closer but never seems to go away.
"They can't track us over the rocks," says Butch.
"Tell them that," says Sundance.
"They are beginning to get on my nerves," says Butch. "Who are those guys?"
So let's stretch our imaginations to the limit and suppose that Tiger Woods is Butch Cassidy and Phil Mickelson is the Sundance Kid, and they are actually on speaking terms. And in that scenario, at the end of the 2011 golf season, Woods might have well uttered those same words to Mickelson, except now a posse of players—some young veterans, some rookies—are no longer a cloud of dust in the distance. They are right on their heels, their thunderous hoof beats within pitching wedge range, and closing rapidly.
In every sport, aging greats must inevitably give way to the bright young prospects. These generational changes always seem particularly evident in golf. In golf's modern era since World War II, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead and Byron Nelson gave way to Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Lee Trevino and the greatest of them all, Jack Nicklaus. Those Hall of Famers gave way to Tom Watson, Johnny Miller and Seve Ballesteros, and in turn, they were followed by Nick Faldo, Greg Norman and Nick Price.
Tiger Woods then blasted onto the scene as golf's supernova, with Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh and Ernie Els shining brightly right next to him for more than a decade. During that period, Woods utterly dominated with his 14 major titles and 71 PGA Tour victories. Mickelson, Singh and Els all produced multiple major wins and Hall of Fame careers. Woods is now 36, but his left leg is much older. All the others have crossed the 40-something threshold. Those four all-time greats produced one victory in 2011, by Mickelson at the Houston Open.
The time for another generational change on the PGA Tour has arrived.
At the end of the 2011 season, these were the nominees for PGA Tour player of the year: Luke Donald, Keegan Bradley, Bill Haas, Nick Watney and Webb Simpson (yes, Webb Simpson). Donald ended the season as the No. 1–ranked player in the world.
"These sort of changes have been going on for a couple of years," says Ian Baker-Finch, the CBS television commentator and winner of the 1991 British Open. "This year it has been more evident with the younger guys showing up, like a rookie [Bradley] winning a major. You have players turning 40, Els, [Retief] Goosen, Mickelson, [Jim] Furyk. Players we've known for so many years are shifting into the twilight. There were always two or three young stars in every generation. Now there might be 12 to 15."
Want to know a certain indicator that this generational change is in full flight? EA Sports announced this fall that Tiger Woods will have to share the cover of the 2013 PGA Tour video game that bears his name with U.S. Open winner Rory McIlroy and mop-haired star-in-the-making Rickie Fowler.
For sure, if Woods' personal life and left knee had not crumbled, if Mickelson had not contracted an arthritic condition, if Singh's back hadn't been showing chronic signs of old age, if Els' putter hadn't fallen off like a rusty muffler, the new generation of players might not yet have emerged from the shadow of their distinguished predecessors. But combine the deterioration of the old with the acceleration, talent and polish of the new, and it's clear that the pursuers have made up significant ground.
That posse is led by the marvelously talented 22-year-old Northern Irishman McIlroy (see Cigar Aficionado, July/Aug. 2009), who showed resiliency by overcoming a dramatic and potentially traumatic fourth-round collapse at the Masters to win the U.S. Open at Congressional. It was a performance that would have befitted Woods at his dominating best.
Charl Schwartzel, the 27-year-old Masters winner, is poised to carry on the tradition of championship South African golf.
Martin Kaymer, also 27, seems destined to improve on the magnificent record of his German predecessor, Bernhard Langer.
Keegan Bradley, a 25-year-old American whose previous claim to fame was being the nephew of LPGA icon Pat Bradley, put on a stunning performance during his rookie year. He won the PGA Championship and the Byron Nelson, plus scored a bonus win in the PGA Grand Slam of golf against McIlroy, Schwartzel and Darren Clarke.
Bradley isn't the lone American. The new American players are overloaded with talent. Dustin Johnson, 27, has shown enough fortitude to overcome two major championship debacles in 2010—blowing up in the final round of the U.S. Open after leading and falling victim to a rules violation in the PGA Championship—to be a winner and constant contender, and this was only his fourth year as a professional. Bubba Watson, 33, is the game's most watchable shot maker and he has credited dealing with the illness and death of his father for taking the pressure off of playing the game. Watney, 30, has harnessed his power and improved his putting significantly, allowing him to win twice in 2011. Bill Haas, 29, son of veteran tour player Jay Haas, won the Tour Championship in style, hitting a Mickelson-like shot out of the water hazard on the 17th hole on the final day.
Fowler, 23, has yet to win on the PGA Tour but he has proven to be a constant presence near the top of the leaderboard. He scored his first pro win in the fall at the Korea Open, beating runner-up McIlroy by six shots.
Then there's that Webb Simpson guy, a 26-year-old in his third season on the PGA who suddenly parachuted himself right into the herd of top younger players with two victories and more than $6 million in earnings.
And now consider how deep the posse's roster is when you take into account young winners such as Jhonattan Vegas, 27, a charismatic Venezuelan; Gary Woodland, 27, a monster hitter; and Jason Day, 24, an Australian who has vaulted into the top 10 in the World Golf Rankings. Heard of Tom Lewis, Matteo Manassero, Bud Cauley, Patrick Cantlay and Harris English? You will.
Day, who won the Byron Nelson tournament last year and finished second in the Masters and U.S. Open this year, did a good job at the end of the season summing up the new generation of players.
"It's getting tough. You look at the fields these days, there are a lot of young guys coming straight out of college or not even straight out of college but turning professional very young and playing professional golf at a high level and succeeding," says Day. "There's a kid over here, Bud Cauley, he's played seven or eight events and he got his Tour card for next year. He's 21 or 22. Just goes to show how the game is evolving and changing."
Baker-Finch sees the younger players as having a particular trait in common—a healthy frame of mind unsullied by being hammered by Tiger Woods.
"These young guys don't have the same scar tissue as the older guys who have been beaten by Tiger," says Baker-Finch.
"They have been inspired by Tiger but not beaten by him. The more the young guys win, the more their confidence grows. Keegan Bradley winning a major as a rookie, that gives all the young guys so much more confidence. They all say, 'If he can do it, so can I.' When you had Tiger winning eight times a year, Phil winning four times, Vijay winning a lot, the young guys didn't have much of a chance. When Dustin Johnson won his first it was wow, this was an anomaly. But now they have become the winners."
No one has improved more and made up more ground on the world's top players than Luke Donald. He's no youngster at 34, but in a very real sense he is a newcomer to the thin air of golf's stratosphere. He hasn't won a major, but he's won big tournaments, been on the leaderboard in nearly every tournament he's played, and when challenged for the PGA Tour money title at the end of the season by Simpson, he entered the final tournament at Disney and won it, becoming the first player to simultaneously be the leading money winner on the PGA Tour and European Tour.
Back in May, he dramatically defeated Lee Westwood in a play-off to win the BMW PGA Championship, the second biggest event on the European Tour. In doing so he took over the World No. 1 ranking and has held onto it since.
"Growing up in the Tiger Woods era, you didn't even think it was possible [to take over No. 1]," says Donald. "But I've been able to get my game to where I have been able to play consistently well . . . and all the things have worked out mathematically for me to be able to do that."
But with Woods falling like a stone out of the world's top 50, it was time for Donald, and a raft of other players, to rise. None did so quite so dramatically this season as Simpson. Simpson was a Wake Forest All-American who gained his Tour card for the 2009 season. He was able to retain that card his first two seasons without doing anything extraordinary. Then he started to climb the ladder in 2011 with a passel of good results to start the season. He finished runner-up in Tampa and New Orleans, the latter after calling a penalty on himself after the ball moved when he soled his putter on the 15th hole; he was forced into a play-off with Bubba Watson which he lost. Two impressive wins late in the season at the Wyndham Championship and a FedExCup victory at the Deutsche Bank Championship pole-vaulted him into the Tour's elite with more than $6,300,000 in earnings.
"I think I'm slow to perform," says Simpson. "Not a slow learner, just a slow performer."
He says he turned quality results into winning results by taking slightly more time addressing his putts. "I knew we figured out something big," says Simpson. "I aimed the ball in a tournament round a little quicker than I do on the [practice] green." He estimated he was rushing himself by a half a second a putt. When he slowed down, a move imperceptible to anyone else, he made more putts, won tournaments, won loads of cash.
"Pretty amazing," he says. Yeah.
David Toms, the 44-year-old veteran who rejuvenated his game this season, sees Simpson as an example of how the current crop of young players approaches the game.
"The game has changed a little bit," says Toms. "Power is a big part of our game now, so most of these young guys you see that are successful can hit the ball a long way. But at the same time their short games are right there on par with the best in the game, so quite a lethal combination with power and touch. A lot of that, we didn't have when I first got on tour.
"I'd also say that they come out and are very confident, very seasoned, whether it was college golf or Nationwide Tour golf or just junior golf that they played at a high level. It seems that they are confident players that have been around the block, so to speak, and they are ready to play great. There seems to be a lot more young players that are playing great than say 10 or 15 years ago They aren't scared to play great golf. They're able to handle the media. To me, they are just ready."
Keegan Bradley has been carrying his famous aunt's name his whole life, though was never quite certain he would be able to match her accomplishments. But with constant support from Pat Bradley, a battleground mentality gained on the Nationwide Tour, and mentoring from Phil Mickelson, a member of the generation that he is now overtaking, Bradley won the PGA Championship in an impressive play-off with Jason Duffer. He then won the Byron Nelson Championship in a play-off against Ryan Palmer.
A breathless Bradley said just after his PGA win: "It seems like a dream and I'm afraid I'm going to wake up here in the next five minutes and it's not going to be real."
It was real, very real. And his aunt thinks she knows why.
"Keegs really gets joy out of his success," says Pat Bradley. "In that way, he is much different from me. I got mine from fear of failure."
There is no fear of failure in Rory McIlroy. He led the British Open at St Andrews in 2010 after the first round, then got caught up in bad weather conditions the second day and shot 80. Still, he made the cut and played well on the weekend. Then, leading the Masters by four shots last April, he shot 80 in the final round. He hit such a pulled hook off the 10th tee that his next shot was played from the lawn that separates a pair of member cabins. It was a disappointing loss, but in the end not disheartening. A little more than two months later, he stomped all over the field at the U.S. Open at Congressional, winning with a total of 16 under par, the lowest score in Open history. He won by eight shots over Jason Day.
"I don't know if it shows I have a very short memory," said McIlroy after he had taken the first round lead at the Open. "I took the experience at Augusta and learned from it. You can't be thinking about what happened before."
Looking ahead to the youngest tier of stars, there are rays of brilliance.
At 17, Matteo Manassero of Italy became the youngest player to win a European Tour event last year and he won again this year. He has played in all four majors by the age of 18, and presents himself as a mature professional well beyond his years.
Bud Cauley left the University of Alabama after his junior year this past May and turned pro. The 21-year-old qualified for the U.S. Open and got sponsor exemptions into PGA tournaments, and earned enough money to finish in the top 125 on the money list and go straight to the PGA Tour in 2012, bypassing qualifying school and the Nationwide Tour.
Tom Lewis, a 20-year-old English lad from Welwyn Garden City (home of Nick Faldo), made a statement at the British Open this summer, shooting a 65 to tie for the first round lead, the lowest score ever shot by an amateur. He played alongside Tom Watson, the five-time Open champ, who is his namesake. Three months later, after turning pro, Lewis won the Portugal Masters, only his third start as a professional.
Patrick Cantlay, a 19-year-old sophomore at UCLA, put on quite a performance this summer. He was low amateur in the U.S. Open, tying for 21st. Playing on a sponsor's exemption in the Travelers Championship, he shot a 60, the lowest round ever by an amateur in a tour event. He finished tied for 20th at the AT&T National, Tiger Woods' event. He finished tied for ninth in the Canadian Open. He was the world's top- ranked amateur at the end of 2011, and did not have plans to turn pro.
Harris English, a 22-year-old who played golf at the University of Georgia, won the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational as an amateur this summer, turned pro and is now playing the Nationwide Tour. He just earned his PGA Tour card for 2012 at the qualifying school.
But lest we get carried away with burying Tiger, Phil, Vijay and Els under a pile of young talent, let's bring in wily veteran Kenny Perry, who divides his time between the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour. In the Age of Tiger, Perry's seen it all, including playing practice rounds with many of the younger generation during the past two seasons.
"I still don't see anybody as mentally tough as Tiger Woods," says Perry. "They are all polished players and hit the ball a mile, but I don't see anyone right now that is separating themselves from the rest of the field the way Tiger did, and the way Phil did sometimes, Vijay. Luke Donald is No. 1. He doesn't have the wow factor of Tiger, for sure. But he's just become so darn consistent, has a great short game, great putter and he's able to finish in the top 10 all the time and win a couple.
"Bubba Watson has some wow factor because he hits it so long and he can curve the ball so far. The new balls don't curve much, but he can curve it 50 yards if he wants to, so that's pretty entertaining to see. You know, I like that wow factor, and Tiger had a huge amount of it. It was something to play with him, see him hit a shot. And he was such a great putter, clutch putter. He was just different from anybody else and that made him special to play with."
But Perry does see young talent bound for glory.
"College golf is so much more different than when I played," says Perry. "I think now it produces a lot of very talented, polished players and any one of them is capable of playing tour golf. I played with Bud Cauley at [Jackson]. I was in awe of this little kid. He can't be 5-8, but he was hitting it a mile, had a short game. He's a player."
This young posse of players, so filled with talent and confidence, still has a long way to go to match the record of Woods, or Mickelson for that matter. With so many bright prospects clawing their way to the top, Baker-Finch thinks it might be difficult for any one of them produce the extraordinary record of the generation before them.
"This group may not have a Tiger or a Phil, but someone like Rory McIlroy has so much promise and already has that major under his belt," says Baker-Finch. "There are so many young stars now."
Jeff Williams is a contributing editor for Cigar Aficionado.


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FACETIME- Don't fence her in: Russell defies categorization
Novelist Mary Doria Russell's literary universe bestrides centuries, galaxies, and genres, its settings ranging from an alien planet in her multi-award-winning science fiction novel The Sparrow to Doc Holliday's Dodge City in her upcoming western Eight to Five, Against.
She may pen SF and westerns, but the stuffy literati don't dare dismiss her as just another genre writer.
As fantasist (and former Book Fest guest) Kevin Brockmeier tells the Hook, "Mary Doria Russell is one of the first writers I turn to... when I'm trying to convince people who don't read science fiction that the field might have more to offer them than they imagine. What I admire about her books– and what I think other readers of literary fiction would admire– is the craftsmanship of her prose, the complexity of her characterization, and the daring with which she addresses the big questions of doubt, faith, and cultural misunderstanding."
Despite such latter-day praise, Russell's first novel, The Sparrow, was rejected by 31 agents.
"I'm a bit smug about that, actually," says the vindicated Russell, now 58.
The Sparrow, which follows a Jesuit expedition to a newly discovered alien civilization, won numerous awards, and spawned a sequel, A Thread of Grace (2005). Her background in anthropology heavily influences her science fiction work, as does her fascination with religion, which she considers a cousin to SF.
"What we now call science fiction is the oldest kind of human storytelling– stories that were told by firelight," she explains. "We have always speculated about alien beings, but in the past we called them centaurs and nymphs, elves and goblins, angels and demons. At heart, those stories are about what it means to be human in a vast and frightening and beautiful universe. At the heart of religion, there are similar concerns."
Russell's newest novel, Eight to Five, Against, due out in 2010, chronicles the oft-retold and misrepresented life of "Doc" Holliday. While meticulously researching its wild west milieu, she realized that the "technical demands" of SF and westerns aren't as different as they might seem.
"In either," Russell says, "I'm writing about a time and place that are not my own, and I have to construct a world I've never lived in."
All genres aside, the recurring theme in her multi-faceted work is probably "stories of people who've been unfairly and harshly judged," she says. "Not sure why. Maybe a shrink could tell you."
So what book's next in this vein? She's contemplating writing about perhaps the most harshly judged men in American history: Benedict Arnold, "Whose name is actually synonymous with treason," she says, "but I think he got a very raw deal.
"Random House keeps giving me contracts, God bless them, so I keep writing novels," Russell relates. "Sort of the same reason I got my PhD in anthropology: I kept getting scholarships and As, and it seemed like a harmless vice."
Mary Doria Russell headlines "The Art of Historial Fiction: A Conversation with Alan Cheuse and Mary Doria Russell" on Thursday, March 19, at 8pm at UVA's Culbreth Theatre.


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Shaggy (Feat. Sean Paul, Elephant Man, Gramps, & More) - Save A Life
A music video featuring Shaggy, Sean Paul, Elephant Man, Gramps, Chris Martin, Tessanne Chin, Etana, Daville, Luciano, Marcia Griffiths, D Major, Freddy Mcgregor, & DLYNX. Shaggy and Friends are having a benefit concert on January 3rd 2009. All proceeds will go towards getting new equipment and technology For Aid the Bustamante Hospital for Children. Please support this cause, the children needs our help. For more info log on to: http://www.shaggyfoundation.org
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There's No Heaven: The Death of John Lennon
The murder of John Lennon was more than just the end of the Beatles. It was the end of a specific segment of pop culture.
Even decades after the fact, music fans still wince about the saddest, most tragic part of John Lennon's life -- his murder on 8 December 1980. As he was reporting a story on celebrations honoring Lennon on his birthday this year, anchor Brian Williams on the NBC Nightly News felt obliged to immediately bring it up. A few months after the killing, normally snarky Creem magazine angrily denounced an announcement about a band called the Dead Lennons that were performing on April Fool's Day. When we talk about Lennon's death, it's always with sadness but we quickly run away from the subject because it's still so painful to think of. But if we really want to consider everything about him, we have to find the courage to dive into this touchy subject.
Death haunted the Beatles for a long time before that though. Original bassist Stu Sutcliffe died of a brain hemorrhage at age 21, shortly after quitting the band in 1961. On Revolver's "She Said, She Said", Lennon sings "I know what it's like to be dead" (referring to an acid trip). Manager Brian Epstein died in 1967 at age 32 of an accidental overdose. On The Beatles (aka The White Album), McCartney's "Helter Skelter" and Harrison's "Piggies" would have the unfortunate distinction of helping to fuel Charles Manson's cult on a murderous rampage. In 1969, "Paul Is Dead" rumors would flourish, with fans scouring lyrics and album covers for 'clues' about what happened to him. And while Lennon sang sweetly of his late mother on The While Album ("Julia"), he more blatantly proclaimed "My Mummy's Dead" on 1970's Plastic Ono Band, reliving an old psychic wound.
And then came that fateful, awful day. Mark David Chapman came to New York with one purpose in mind. He previously stalked Lennon outside the Dakota building along with other Beatles fans waiting for a glimpse of him. When he returned, they finally came face to face on December 8th in the late afternoon. Lennon autographed Chapman's copy of Double Fantasy (as seen in the photo to the right), even asking Chapman afterwards "Is that all you want?" It was, at least for the moment. Lennon and Ono then went to a studio session, mixing Ono's single "Walking on Thin Ice". Deciding against a late dinner, Lennon wanted to return home to say goodnight to Sean. They were driven back to the Dakota but instead of asking for the car to enter the safety of the courtyard, they pulled up to the curb in front of the building where Chapman was there again, waiting for him.
It was about 10:50 PM. Lennon walked past and Chapman pulled out a .38 Special and fired five shots; the first shot missed Lennon but the other four went into his shoulder and back, hitting an aorta and causing him to heavily bleed. The concierge covered Lennon's body with his coat while the doorman demanded to know if Chapman realized what he'd done. "Yes, I just shot John Lennon," he replied. Chapman then retrieved his talismanic copy of The Catcher in the Rye and calmly read it until the police arrived to arrest him, with his murder weapon and his autographed copy of Double Fantasy nearby (that copy of the album gruesomely went up for auction in 2003 for $500,000). Meanwhile, Lennon was rushed to nearby Roosevelt Hospital where doctors opened up his chest, desperately trying to manually revive his heart. Since Chapman used hollow-point bullets, which expand when they hit their target, the wounds were too severe, making Lennon lose most of his blood after the shooting. He was pronounced dead at 11:15 PM that evening (his death certificate can be seen here).
Because Lennon's killing happened in New York, a major media hub where the TV networks have their headquarters, the scene and reaction of fans was easily to report on and transmit to the rest of the world. And while the term 'assassination' is usually used for political figures, Lennon's death sometimes falls under this semantic category, in a nod to the enormity of the event.
* * *
The murder carved itself out as a huge psychic wound in the collective conscious because of all of the enormity of the circumstances around it taken together. First off, there was Lennon as still-beloved pop icon. Even though it had been over 15 years since the Fabs landed on the JFK airport tarmac, the legend of the band still engulfed the '70s. Two greatest hits compilations (the Red and Blue albums) tore up the charts in 1973 while four years later, the pre-jukebox musical "Beatlemania" would have a hugely successful three-year run of over 1000 performances. That's not even mentioning the hundreds of cover versions that were done after the group dissolved or the tours that McCartney and Harrison did where they dug through their back catalog of Fab tunes. Even though the Clash sang about 'phony Beatlemania' in late '79, the whole phenomenon was still in full swing by the end of the decade.
On top of that, the timing of Lennon's death was terrible, even though any time it came would have obviously still been devastating. In 1975, Lennon embarked on a self-imposed musical exile which continued for half a decade as he became a house hubby disappearing into his fancy digs in his new adopted city of Gotham while his old band mates stayed active in the pop world. And then in the summer of 1980, inspiration hit him and he started writing songs again: in August and September, he and Yoko recorded what would be his last album, Double Fantasy. As such, he seemed to come out of nowhere with this brand new album and the prospect of public appearances- he had already done a number of interviews at the time of Double Fantasy.
Even anyone put off by his new found love of domestic life still had to admit that there was a mastery to his work that seemed to disappear since the early '70s, not only blowing away all of his post-Imagine albums but also putting to shame the mid- and late '70s work of his former band mates. It was rumored around this time that not only was Lennon considering going on tour but he was also contemplating some kind of reunion with his old mates (which author Richie Unterberger casts some doubts on). So there he was, the only hold-out of the Beatles, finally back again and ready to take on the pop world again. And then, just as soon as he arrived, he was gone. He was at age 40 no less (hardly a geezer), with the drive to do more but robbed of the chance to do it.
And then there was the whole dramatic circumstance of his death -- a public execution in New York City. As Greil Marcus wrote in Rock Deathes in the 70's: A Sweepstakes (predating Lennon's own death), there were different measures for figuring on the impact and tragedy of each one. With the big ones from the late '60s and early '70s, many of them seemed like sad little episodes outside of the public eye- Brian Jones, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix. But Lennon's death was premeditated murder on a major city's public street with by-standers there, akin to a mob slaying. Similarly, Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shukar were also gunned down on the streets of a major city (L.A. and Vegas respectively) at an untimely age and in the middle of their careers. Like Lennon, their dramatic deaths also became an important part of their story, made worse by the fact that to this day, no one has been charged with either rapper's murder.
As if all of this wasn't bad enough, there was also a terrible irony to Lennon's death: he was a peace crusader killed by gunfire, though he joins the company of Martin Luther King Jr. and Mohandas Gandhi in this regard.
On top of that, and probably the worst thing to mull over, is that Lennon's death itself (as opposed to his enormous legacy) was utterly meaningless and senseless. You can peel through court testimony and reports about Chapman looking for clues into his psyche, including his obsession with Salinger's book and the Beatles themselves, but ultimately, it leads nowhere because insane logic is still insane. Essentially, here was a 25-year-old loser who made it into the history books for the worst reasons, just as John Wilkes Booth, James Earl Ray and Lee Harvey Oswald, except that there were no conspiracy theories to blunt the impact of what happened this time.
Because he's so hated for obvious reasons, no pop fan likes to think of Chapman for more than the fleeting second it takes to curse him but he did in fact become a significant part of Lennon's life, by ending it. Watching the 1997 movie Chapter 27, starring Jared Leto as Chapman, we only see glimpses of the inner demons that drove the killer up to the event. Instead of any sympathy or insight though, Chapman still appears as he did to us before -- a slug who committed a horrific act. The film isn't painful to watch just because we know how it'll turn out and how we're forced to watch this grosteque figure for 80 minutes but also because we ultimately don't care about him in the end except that we still hate him, probably more now.
Chapman himself went through a turbulent trail for second degree murder ("a non-premeditated killing, resulting from an assault in which death of the victim was a distinct possibility"), arguing with his attorney about submitting a guilty plea and having a slew of psychiatrics testify about his psychosis and delusions before he read through a passage of The Catcher in the Rye when asked by the judge if he had anything to say before sentencing. Again, it was totally senseless.
Ultimately, Chapman was ordered to have psychiatric treatment, with a 20 years to life prison sentence in 1981. He's remained at Attica since then, denied parole six times now (Ono had fought against it each time), including one recent request. Even though he didn't exhibit bad behavior in prison and expressed regret for his crime, the prison board still saw his release as a threat to Chapman himself (some fans have allegedly swore revenge) and the community. Also, as with Charles Manson, it's doubtful that any parole board wants to be known as the ones who set free such a despicable public figure.
So if you add everything up about the terrible circumstances of Lennon's death -- beloved pop icon just coming back into music after years out of it, murdered by a manic for no good reason -- you can see why it's all so damn painful to even think about it.


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At the Longboat Key Town Commission's Monday, Oct. 5 regular meeting, the commission:
• A 2009-10 holiday schedule for town employees that includes 10 holidays, a half-day for Good Friday and a birthday holiday.
Forwarded to its Monday, Nov. 2 regular meeting for second reading and approval:
• An ordinance that provides for a budget transfer of $450,000 from the road and bridge fund to the general fund for wages and other expenses for transportation expenditures in fiscal year 2009-10.
• A resolution that allows the mayor to execute all future amendments to the Florida Department of Transpiration agreements related to the Gulf of Mexico Drive landscape project.
• An amended resolution that complies with the Department of Environmental Protection requirements regarding revenues pledged to repay the debt involved with a state revolving fund loan for water-and-wastewater, capital-improvement projects.
• A resolution that opposes oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico off the west coast of Florida.
Directed the town manager:
• To partner with Sarasota Bay Watch, a non-profit corporation, in its support of the organization's efforts to acquire a grant for environmental restoration in the vicinity of Sister Keys.
• Longboat Key resident Ronald Vale to Seat 2 of the Firefighters' Retirement System Board of Trustees.
At the Longboat Key Town Commission's Monday, Oct. 5 regular meeting, the commission:


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Herne Hill Harriers is a community amateur sports club. We pride ourselves on being a family club and cater for all standards. We offer coaching, training and competitions in all track and field events, road running, cross-country, indoor athletics and sports hall and welcome athletes of all ages from 11 upwards interested in track and field, road running or cross country races.
For more information about us, our events, how to get involved or anything else about Herne Hill Harriers, please get in touch at firstname.lastname@example.com
Although we have well established teams contesting the major local leagues and championships, we very much welcome new members and would encourage you to come along to our main club night at Tooting Bec track, London SW17 on Tuesdays at 7pm to meet coaches, coaching squads and athletes (who are of all age groups, athletic disciplines and competitive standards).


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Consider discrete physics with a minimal time step taken to be
tau. A time series of positions q,q',q'', ... has two classical
observables: position (q) and velocity (q'-q)/tau. They do not commute,
for observing position does not force the clock to tick, but observing
velocity does force the clock to tick. Thus if VQ denotes first observe
position, then observe velocity and QV denotes first observe velocity,
then observe position, we have
VQ: (q'-q)q/tau
QV: q'(q'-q)/tau
(since after one tick the position has moved from q to q').
Thus [Q,V]= QV - VQ = (q'-q)^2/tau. If we consider the equation
[Q,V] = k (a constant), then k = (q'-q))^2/tau and this is recognizably
the diffusion constant that arises in a process of Brownian motion.
Thus, starting with the simplest assumptions for discrete physics, we are
lead to recognizable physics. We take this point of view and follow it
in both physical and mathematical directions. A first mathematical
direction is to see how i, the square root of negative unity, is related
to the simplest time series: ..., -1,+1,-1,+1,... and making the
above analysis of time series more algebraic leads to the following
interpetation for i. Let e=[-1,+1] and e'=[+1,-1] denote, as ordered
pairs, two phase-shifted versions of the alternating series above.
Define an operator b such that eb = be' and b^2 = 1. Regard b as a time
shifting operator. The operator b shifts the alternating series by one
half its period. Regard e' = -e and ee' = [-1.-1] = -1 (combining term by
term). Then let i = eb. We have ii = (eb)(eb) = ebeb = ee'bb = -1. Thus ii = -1
through the definition of i as eb, a temporally sensitive entity that
shifts it phase in the course of interacting with (a copy of) itself.
By going to i as a discrete dynamical system, we can come back to the
general features of discrete dynamical systems and look in a new way at
the role of i in quantum mechanics. Note that the i we have constructed is
already part of a simple Clifford algebra generated by e and b with
ee = bb = 1 and eb + be = 0. We will discuss other mathematical physical
structures such as the Schrodinger equation, the Dirac equation and the
relationship of a simple logical operator (generalizing negation) with
Majorana Fermions.


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The Southern African Development Community is still battling to stem the flight of highly skilled professionals forcing governments in this regional economic grouping to adopt a battery of preventive and recovery strategies to limit the emigrations which are threatening economic growth.
Debate about the shortage of skilled labor in this region has been raging for many years with some social commentators warning it has reached crisis proportions. And, according to reports from South Africa, the government in that country is moving to take practical steps to bring home about 25 000 of its health professionals working in western countries as a recovery strategy for its health care system. Skills migration is a global problem which has seen developing countries being the hardest hit while developed nations emerge the biggest beneficiaries. The Sadc region is reeling from a crippling exodus of their professional staff mainly to UK, Australia, the US, Canada and New Zealand. Commentators blame this to a nexus of problems which include low remuneration, low job satisfaction, inadequate employment opportunities, increasing unemployment and under-employment, increasing forms of vulnerable work, poverty, the mismatch of education and training with economic needs.
Pull factors are the attractive and dramatic difference in salaries, perks, allowances, research and study opportunities offered in these developed nations which most of the countries in the Sadc region cannot afford.
Experts say countries in the region need to address the root causes of the problems if the brain drain is to be minimized. To stem the tide, South African health officials say they have unveiled a plan to train more health professionals as well as improving the working conditions in that country. "One of the things, of course, is to look as salaries–we think it is not fair to have senior nurses earning comparable or lesser salaries than clerks,� Percy Mahlathi, a South African health official was quoted as saying. "Secondly, to make sure that conditions under which they work actually get improved -issues of work organization, places to stay and issues of professional development.�
South African health minister Dr. Manto Tshabalala-Msimang pointed to the need for a regional approach to the brain drain problem since the problem was not unique to that country alone. Zimbabwe, too, has been grappling with the problem and is intensifying efforts to retain qualified and experienced staff in its health care system. Health and Child Welfare minister Dr David Parirenyatwa said it was disheartening that 'billions of dollars in taxpayers' money continued to be used to train human resources for other countries.'
Zimbabwe has over the years become a training ground for other countries with a number of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and radiologists among other professionals leaving the country in big numbers crippling the country's health delivery system. "There is something you should know, there are two countries –very rich countries in the West that need at least five million nurses within the coming year and they do not have those nurses in their own countries,� he told a gathering at a graduating ceremony for 270 primary care nurses in Harare recently. "You can rest be assured that we will provide those nurses for them if we are not careful. That cannot be allowed to happen and we have to take steps to address it,� he said. Zimbabwe launched the primary care nurse program two years ago to close the gap created by an exodus of qualified nurses in the country.
The course takes only 18 months compared to the registered general nursing program which takes three years. Bonding has not helped much as the country kept on losing health professionals despite spirited attempts by the government to address their working conditions. Dr Parirenyatwa even warned that the government would have no choice but to withhold the certificates if western countries continue to bleed Zimbabwe of its health professionals dry.
UK, Australia and the US are the biggest poachers of doctors, nurses and other health practitioners from developing nations something which has forced African health ministers who are scheduled to meet in Maputo soon for the World Health Organization regional meeting to put brain drain high on the agenda. In 2003 alone, a total of 2 825 work permits were granted to doctors and nurses from Zimbabwe in the UK while 5 880 work permits were issued to health professionals from South Africa in that country.
Official statistics also indicate that about 12 500 doctors currently working in the UK are from African countries such as Zimbabwe, Zambia, Ghana, Malawi and Uganda that are facing serious staff shortages themselves.
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The strong algorithmic emphasis of "Discrete Mathematics" is independent of a specific programming language, allowing students to concentrate on foundational problem-solving and analytical skills. Instructors get the topical breadth and organizational flexibility to tailor the course to the level and interests of their students. Algorithms are presented in English, eliminating the need for knowledge of a particular programming language. Computational and algorithmic exercise sets follow each chapter section and supplementary exercises and computer projects are included in the end-of-chapter material. This Fifth Edition features a new Chapter 3 covering matrix codes, error correcting codes, congruence, Euclidean algorithm and Diophantine equations, and the RSA algorithm. MARKET: Intended for use in a one-semester introductory course in discrete mathematics.Dossey, John A. is the author of 'Discrete Mathematics' with ISBN 9780673462879 and ISBN 0673462870.[read more]
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In the wake of the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, most Americans — regardless of party — favor tightening restrictions on firearms, according to a new NPR/Ipsos poll.
But significant partisan divides remain — and perhaps relatedly, they exist alongside divides in knowledge about guns in America.
Eight-in-10 Americans told the pollsters they favor bans on assault weapons, high-capacity ammunition magazines and "bump stocks," an accessory used by the Las Vegas shooter that allows a semi-automatic rifle to fire like an automatic weapon.
Eight-in-10 likewise said they favor a federal database to track all gun sales. On each of these questions, majorities of Democrats, independents and Republicans all were in favor of the restrictions to some degree.
But the share who were in favor, as well as the intensity of their agreement, varied by party — sometimes widely. For example, 91 percent of Democrats, along with 76 percent of independents and 70 percent of Republicans, said they are for banning assault-style weapons.
However, 74 percent of Democrats "strongly favor" this kind of restriction, as opposed to "somewhat favoring" it, compared to only 48 percent of Republicans "strongly" in favor and 45 percent of independents who said so.
Similar divides existed on other restrictions — fully 88 percent of Democrats, 77 percent of Republicans, and 82 percent of independents favor banning bump stocks. But while three-quarters of Democrats "strongly favor" this kind of ban, only around half of Republicans and independents do.
This kind of discrepancy in intensity can be important to show the softness of support for a measure — and can be an indication of how the group less "strongly" in favor can be swayed as arguments become more hotly political on specific topics, like an assault-weapons or a high-capacity magazine ban.
This isn't the only indication post-Vegas that Americans have an appetite for more gun control. A recent Morning Consult/Politico poll likewise showed that a majority of Republicans, along with Democrats and independents, favoring several different types of gun-control laws, including banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, as well as creating a national gun-sale database.
But the new interest may be short-lived, Ipsos Public Affairs President Cliff Young said.
"What we know actually is that gun violence like this typically has a short-term effect on public opinion where there's a crystallizing event" that temporarily bumps support for gun control upward, he said. "We expect there should be some sort of half-life to it."
And importantly, while Republicans and Democrats alike support specific restrictions, the general idea of tighter gun control is much more firmly supported by Democrats than anyone else — 84 percent of Democrats said gun laws should be "a lot" or "somewhat" stricter than today, compared to 61 percent of independents and 55 percent of Republicans.
One-third of Republicans said gun laws right now are "about right," compared to 23 percent of independents and just 9 percent of Democrats.
Partisan differences also showed up in exposure to guns — significantly more Republicans than Democrats have fired guns, own guns and have friends who own them, the survey shows.
And that dovetails with some particularly wide partisan gaps on attitudes toward guns. Two-thirds of Republicans agreed with the statement "owning a gun would make me feel safer," compared to around just a third of Democrats.
Likewise, 72 percent of Republicans agreed with the statement, "The benefits of gun ownership outweigh the risks." Democrats were the near opposite of that, with 60 percent disagreeing.
And those different attitudes play into partisan gaps in Americans' knowledge about gun facts, Young said. "Democrats see the issue through the lens of the risks that gun ownership presents, and Republicans don't," he added.
Young points to a true-false question in which 59 percent of Democrats responded correctly that it's true that households with guns are more likely to experience a fatality from crime, accident or suicide than households without them. By comparison, 37 percent of Republicans and 39 percent of independents also responded "true."
Republicans are more likely to own guns — and believe that the benefits of gun ownership outweigh the costs. The poll also showed that they tend to have more proximity to guns but less proximity to violence than Democrats. Altogether, that may contribute to Republicans perceiving guns as less harmful.
There was also a partisan gap in Americans' knowledge of what Congress did (or didn't do) after the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting, which left 20 children and seven adults dead.
Just 42 percent of Americans responded correctly to the statement, "After the Sandy Hook massacre, Congress put tough new background check laws in place."
That's false. There was an effort to pass stricter background checks, but it never passed.
More Democrats (52 percent) knew that than Republicans (36 percent).
The NPR/Ipsos poll was conducted online, surveying 1,006 adults from October 10-11. For the full sample, there is a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. For Democrats in the sample, it's 6.1 percentage points; for Republicans-only, it's 5.8 percentage points and for independents, it's 8.2 percentage points.
The recent shooting in Las Vegas has sparked some soul searching, certainly more debate about guns in this country. And we have a new poll out this morning from NPR and Ipsos. And it reveals overwhelming support for various gun control measures across the political spectrum. NPR political reporter Danielle Kurtzleben is here to talk this through with us. Hi, Danielle.
DANIELLE KURTZLEBEN, BYLINE: Hey, David.
GREENE: So what stood out to you here when it comes to American attitudes about gun control right now?
KURTZLEBEN: Well, there are a couple big things. One is that we found that some gun control ideas really do get a lot of support. We found that 8 in 10 people are in favor of a variety of bans - for example, a ban on assault-style weapons, a ban on high-capacity magazines and a ban on bump stocks. Now, that we've heard about since Las Vegas. It increases the rate at which a semi-automatic gun fires.
GREENE: Right.
KURTZLEBEN: But perhaps surprisingly, this includes strong majorities of both Democrats and Republicans. Around 7 in 10 Republicans supported those bans, as well. But there is a bit of an enthusiasm gap here. While Dems tended to strongly favor those sorts of bans we talked about, Republicans - they're more somewhat in favor of them.
GREENE: Well, are there still larger disagreements, though, when it comes to gun control, I mean, if - even if there's some agreement forming around specific ideas like those?
KURTZLEBEN: Yes, absolutely. What we found is that both parties - they tend to look at guns through pretty different lenses. This is a pretty obvious question. But, you know, 7 in 10 Republicans told us that they believe that the benefits of guns outweigh the risks, compared to 3 in 10 Democrats. Once again, it's what you would expect to hear. But perhaps relatedly, Republicans were more likely to underestimate the levels of fatalities from crime, accidents and suicides that gun-owning homes face. What we seem to draw from this is that, you know, Democrats look at a gun - they're more likely to see risk. We're painting with a broad brush here, but they're more likely to see that, whereas Republicans are more likely to look at a gun and see protection and safety.
GREENE: Oh, interesting. So it really is different lenses.
KURTZLEBEN: Absolutely.
GREENE: So is public opinion turning in some significant way, if there a way to measure this broadly? I mean, I remember the mass shooting of children at Sandy Hook Elementary School - a lot of people thought, this is going to change the game, result in stricter gun measures, bring a lot of the country together. We didn't see a lot of new, stricter gun measures.
KURTZLEBEN: True.
GREENE: So are things changing?
KURTZLEBEN: I mean, you know, we shouldn't necessarily see this as a turning point in people's attitudes on guns. You know, it is not unusual to see a small spike or a moderate spike in gun control support after a high-profile mass shooting. We saw something like this after Sandy Hook, like you said. We saw it after Columbine. You know, one of the pollsters we worked with told me that he thinks that this poll represents a 15 to 20-point bump in support for some gun control legislation post-Las Vegas. I mean, really, the thing to think about is that, overall, the trend, when you take out the spikes, has been away from more gun control support. The share saying that they think laws should be stronger has really declined since the '90s.
GREENE: So these fundamental divisions are - I mean, are helpful in explaining why the debate over gun controls has remained so static.
KURTZLEBEN: Right. Absolutely. And I mean - you know, I think one great way to look at this is through the lens of identity. Yes, it's about policy. Yes, it's about, you know, specifically owning a firearm in your household. But people identify as gun owners. And some people identify as people who are opposed to gun control. Those identities are very hard to dislodge. You know, we likewise see a pretty strong urban-rural divide in gun ownership. We saw that in the election, as well. These sorts of identities - urban, rural, gun owner and not - they're hard to change. And, therefore, people really stay very mired in the positions they're in.
GREENE: All right? Talking through a new NPR/Ipsos poll on guns in America with NPR political reporter Danielle Kurtzleben. Danielle, thanks.
KURTZLEBEN: Yeah. Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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I'm making a total conversion of Marathon. I've never mapped anything but I love to draw so I assume it will be easy. I'm looking to try and make it over the course of a month or so, which should be no problem because I already have all the chapter screens!
lol just kidding. can you even imagine?
But now that I have your attention, I'm just fiddling with a little level in my spare time and I'm looking for feedback. It's not really part of any project, but I'm kind of approaching it as if it was an atmospheric/expository introduction to a mini-scenario or something. Mostly it's just an excuse to kill time and de-rust my mapmaking abilities, as I haven't made a map in probably 8 or 9 years or so. I have no explicit goal of making a scenario, but I might make more maps in the series if I feel inspired.
What I do have:
About 2/3 of a map.
Drafts of terminal texts (merged for your convenience).
A probably unhealthy obsession with Ne Cede Malis and Acme Station, and a desire to elaborate on Jjaro architecture (seriously, some spaces in here blur the lines between homage and copying).
What I don't have:
Terminal images (mostly).
A gameplay-focused perspective (I'm one of those dinks who's more into the atmosphere and exploration than the gunplay).
Any polish for the most part. Some textures may be missing/misaligned, and there's probably a decent amount of glitches.
Basically, I'm looking for feedback on the architecture, atmosphere, and feel of the level, as well as any map and aesthetic design tips y'all have for me. If you want to critique the writing that's cool too, although be warned there isn't much to speak of. Hope you enjoy! Screenshots below.


text:
After a seven-year separation, two leading downtown groups will renew their vows.
The Downtown Sarasota Merchants Association and the Downtown Partnership are in the final stages of merger talks to once again work under the combined name, the Downtown Association.
"It's going to happen," said Andrea Rankin, Merchants Association president. "So many groups have run parallel to each other. Combined, we can do more."
For 25 years, the two groups were part of the Downtown Association. Ernie Ritz, Merchants Association treasurer, said a coup formed among the board members, who took a telephone vote and ousted Paul Thorpe as the head of the Downtown Association in 2002.
The two groups then went their separate ways.
"They split their money in half and doubled their expenses," Ritz said.
Phil Chmieleski, chairman of the Downtown Partnership, said both organizations will now be branches of the Downtown Association.
"We have no plan to scale back any of our activities," Chmieleski said.
The Partnership will still be in charge of the Downtown Farmers Market, still hold educational luncheons and events and will still take policy positions.
The Merchants Association will still be in charge of downtown events. In fact, Rankin said the merger will help her create more events to draw shoppers and diners downtown.
The two groups started searching for joint office space May 12. They should be operating together within the next two or three months.
"It's to no avail to work separately," Rankin said.
Contact Robin Roy at [email protected].
After a seven-year separation, two leading downtown groups will renew their vows.


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There are so many barriers and roadblocks to successful breastfeeding that make it so hard for so many women who want and do try. Medical professionals often get in the way of breastfeeding -- sometimes even lactation consultants can give bad advice.
No wonder our country's breastfeeding rates are so low, eh?
The number one weapon we have against bad information and advice is to SQUASH IT LIKE A BUG! By perpetuating myths, we only continue to make things harder for women in the future. That's why it's so important to really listen when someone tries to explain to you where someone misled you if you're discussing reasons why breastfeeding didn't work out for you -- even if it's too late for you, any time you discuss your baby's feedings, you can help quell the myths that were your downfall so maybe where you failed, someone else can succeed!
So, here we go -- reasons people didn't breastfeed and why they're not true. Some of these I'm surprised anyone could even say with a straight face.
#1. A well-meaning but sorely misled writer at Parenting.com says, "... [Since] he was a preemie I had to supplement with special formula for six weeks so he could get the phosphates he missed in utero."
While it's true that preemies require special formula if you're not breastfeeding, it is not accurate to claim that preemies need to be formula fed instead of being breastfed. In fact, it's quite the opposite. Not only does breastmilk tailor itself to even premature babies (including making lots of extra phosphorus), but studies show that while special-formula-fed preemies may gain weight more quickly, that breastfed preemies do better in physical, cognitive and motor skills and are released from the NICU an average of two weeks sooner than formula fed counterparts, and escape the risk of deadly necrotizing enterocolitis as preemies, whereas that risk continues for formula-fed infants.
Of course, babies who are only getting IV sustenance are totally another story, and preemie moms have their own issues with making enough milk, but as long as mom is making enough -- either feeding from the breast or pumping, there is absolutely no reason to not give the breastmilk -- formula is unnecessary. For moms who are struggling with supply, breastmilk banks and milkshare programs give special priority to NICU babies, who have the most to gain from breastmilk. Call up or attend meetings of the Le Leche League as well to get the best help with upping your supply, such as an Supplemental Nursing System (SNS).
#2. "No matter how long I waited until feeding, my breasts didn't fill up."
Somewhere, people got the idea that your breasts have to feel engorged or there's no milk, and that they need time to fill before you can feed again. Thank god this one isn't true, because feeling really full can be very uncomfortable! Fortunately you only feel engorged when your milk first comes in because you body is overproducing initially (what if you had triplets to feed?) and then will begin to level off to a comfortable amount once it sees how much your baby needs. If you wait until your breasts feel full, you've waited too long and they're over-full and will signal to your body to make less milk, therefore damaging your breastmilk supply -- and resulting in a really hungry baby. After breastfeeding is established and your supply is as well (done by nursing ON DEMAND!), the only time you're likely to ever feel full is if you've missed a feeding.
An analogy from Kellymom.com: Imagine you are using a straw to drink from a glass of water. As you drink, a friend is very slowly pouring water into your glass. The emptier the glass, the faster your friend pours the water. Would you be able to drink all the water in your glass?
#3. "Unless you want to eat really healthy, your breastmilk is no better than formula."
Also extremely untrue. In fact, just like in pregnancy, malnourishment actually does more harm to you than the baby because you're designed to reproduce and continue the species, therefore your body is made to care more about the baby than you! If you don't eat properly, your milk is still fabulous -- but it's sucking nutrients away from you that you need to be healthy instead.
The only risk to a breastfed baby from a poor diet is that the mother will not be able to produce enough milk, and that's often more linked to hydration than nutrition.
#4. "My baby was allergic to my breastmilk."
Now, before I outright say this isn't true, it can be -- but the chances of a baby having the only true allergy to human breastmilk or lactose in any form, called galactosemia, affects only 47 babies in the US per year... however, 150 people die annually from a falling coconut hitting them on the head. It's safe to say that this condition is insanely rare. Also, this allergy is discovered within the first couple days or at the most, the first week of life with specific testing and the diet is changed immediately or the baby dies. In fact, 75% of babies with galactosemia die if it's not discovered and treated promptly.
So while this allergy really, honestly does exist and the newborn has no choice but to go immediately onto a soy or meat-based formula, the myth I'm addressing is people saying their baby was allergic to their breastmilk so they had to wean at 2 weeks, 5 weeks, etc. While it may present itself like an allergy to your milk, it's actually an allergy to a protein you are passing through your milk (almost always milk and/or soy) and you do not have to wean your baby -- you just have to take a break from eating or drinking things containing milk or soy for a bit. It's certainly not a reason to wean -- it just takes the tiniest bit of effort from the mother.
#5. "I had to supplement until my milk came in since it took five days."
Your breasts already produce colostrum before your baby is even born, and it is all you need! Here's a little lesson in the newborn's stomach, via the Le Leche League:
When mothers hear that colostrum is measurable in teaspoons rather than ounces, they often wonder if that can really be enough for their babies. The short answer is that colostrum is the only food healthy, full-term babies need. The following is an explanation:
A 1 day old baby's stomach capacity is about 5-7 ml, or about the size of a marble. Interestingly, researchers have found that the day-old newborn's stomach does not stretch to hold more. Since the walls of the newborn's stomach stays firm, extra milk is most often expelled (spit up). Your colostrum is just the right amount for your baby's first feedings!
By day 3, the newborn's stomach capacity has grown to about 0.75-1 oz, or about the size of a "shooter" marble. Small, frequent feedings assure that your baby takes in all the milk he needs.
Around day 7, the newborn's stomach capacity is now about 1.5-2 oz, or about the size of a ping-pong ball. Continued frequent feeding will assure that your baby takes in all the milk he needs, and your milk production meets his demands.
So you see, newborn babies barely need to eat anything at all and giving them more than their tiny tummies can handle only makes them vomit. As everyone knows, breastfeeding is supply and demand -- if you supplement in the first days of life, you're already telling your breasts to make less milk so when your milk DOES come in (which takes an average of 3-5 days!), you will have less because you supplemented. Trust that your body can make enough milk in the first week of life, and plan on keeping your baby on you pretty much all day and the majority of the night -- it's perfectly normal for a newborn to nurse for 12 times in one day, sometimes 40-50 minutes apart -- that is not a sign of a lack of milk.
If you received an epidural, there's some evidence that it can make initial breastfeeding a little more difficult as well, though no differences were noted even at 6 weeks... as long as the mom didn't give up or supplement.
So there we go. If any of these affected your nursing relationship, I hope you take some of the information you've now learned, do a lot more of your own research, and discuss the true facts any time you talk about how you fed your baby so that no one else falls into the trap you did. Maybe even consider presenting some of your new-found knowledge and information to whoever misled you in the first place.
After all, one of the best things about learning from your mistakes is the ability to be proactive in helping prevent others from making the same ones!
Images via © iStock.com/najin ; Le Leche League International


text:
Smolov at the double as Russia end Czech run
Friday 12 October 2012
Article summary
Czech Republic 0-2 Russia
The hosts missed a penalty as their 18-match unbeaten qualifying run was brought to an end by a Fedor Smolov-inspired Russia.
Article top media content
Article body
Russia ended the Czech Republic's four-year unbeaten run in UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifying with a 2-0 win in the first leg of their play-off tie.
A goal in each half from Fedor Smolov condemned the hosts to their first qualifying defeat since September 2008. The FC Anji Makhachkala player's second of the match – and sixth of the qualifying campaign – came ten minutes after Václav Kadlec had squandered the chance to level, the forward's penalty just after the hour being kept out by the legs of Nikolai Zabolotni.
Cautious defensive play dominated the opening stages, but Russia reaped the rewards of their patience after 33 minutes. Oleg Shatov got possession in midfield and precisely played through Smolov, who fired a low shot into the bottom-right corner beyond Tomáš Koubek.
The Czechs attacked a little more after the break, but received no change from an organised Russia defence. The visitors had more luck, however, Denis Cheryshev and Smolov both threatening down the flanks, the latter forcing Koubek into a 57th-minute save with a low effort from close range.
Seven minutes later the Czech Republic gained the opportunity to level when Stanislav Tecl was fouled in the penalty area by Ibragim Tsallagov, but Kadlec's central effort was blocked by the legs of Zabolotni. Undeterred, the hosts pressed forward, carving out opportunities for Ondřej Vaněk and Tomáš Wágner.
Neither could convert, though, and in the 74th minute Smolov punished them with his second, from the spot, after Milan Nitrianský had fouled Pavel Yakovlev. Substitute Shota Bibilov could have put the tie beyond the Czechs, but was denied by a post and the crossbar in the closing stages. The second leg takes place in Yekaterinburg on Tuesday.


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Actor and gay activist Doug Spearman, the handsome openly gay co-star of Noah's Arc and the newish film Noah's Arc Jumping the Broom, writes an excellent essay for the Human Rights Campaign's HRC Backstory blog. Spearman argues that despite the rainbow flag of the gay community, racism in the community is "worse now than it was when I came out in l980."
People tend to believe that racism, on all sides of the color lines, is something that stops at the gates of the LGBT community. As though at the entrance to the various Boys Towns around the country you were required to check your ideas about Blacks, Asians, Jews, Arabs, etc. the way cowboys were required to turn over their guns when they walked into a salon in the Old West. It just doesn't happen that way. In fact, I think it's worse now than it was when I came out in l980. Back then the bars felt a lot more friendly, prejudice was a dirty word, and the kids of the l960's and early 70's—those that had created the gay movement—were still on the dance floors of America elbow to elbow with the people who'd marched in Vietnam protests and Black Power parades, and had been active participants in the original Civil Rights Movement. Those were the grownups who were standing at the bar when I got there. They welcomed me. But they're gone. That spirit seems to have evaporated.
Race and race relations are a thick thread in the fabric of our country. It was a factor in the last presidential election, and for a while it was the cause of a lot of finger pointing after the Proposition 8 decision here in California. In the early days after the election, a lot of gay activists blamed black voters for not showing support for their plight for marriage equality. First they got the numbers wrong. Black voters, especially in Los Angeles, were not the tipping point. Second, they failed to understand what the issues of civil rights and equality mean to black people in this country. They— meaning well-intentioned gay activists—assumed that since theirs was an issue of equality and civil rights, that they'd have natural allies among a people who'd spent centuries being discriminated against. It's a valid hope. But then again, when did a group of gay activist ever show up to make sure that black and Latino/a neighborhoods had decent schools or safe streets, or march for union job protection?
Spearman adds: "It's a different world for white Americans than it is for black, brown, and yellow Americans. Especially if you have education, income, and available resources. And we're finally beginning to openly talk about the differences."
Spearman, who is on the board of Equality California and played a married gay man on Noah's Arc, was one of the most prominent black gay activists fighting Proposition 8 last fall. He taped a PSA against the ballot initiative and headlined a news conference featuring several pro-gay and pro-marriage equality black pastors. Props to Doug Spearman for pushing back against the "blame the blacks" meme that resulted after Prop 8, when national black leaders such as the NAACP's Benjamin Jealous have ... well, what are they saying about it?
Spearman's essay for the Human Rights Campaign is latest installment of Equality Forward, the group's new national and virtual dialogue on race, sexuality and gender.
Did You Read? ...
"Noah's Arc" Doug Spearman's PSA Against Prop 8 [R20]
Doug Spearman in "The Advocate"[R20]
"Noah's Arc" Cast Urges "No" on Proposition 8 [R20]
"Noah's Arc" Actor Doug Spearman, Black Ministers Urge "NO" on Prop 8 [R20]
SCLC Leader Criticizes Anti-Gay, Black Pastors [R20]
Darryl Stephens Talks Coming Out to "Instinct" [R20]
Rodney Chester of "Noah's Arc": I'm Still Not Gay! [R20]
Behind the Scenes Video from Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom [R20]
Noah's Arc Has Sailed [R20]
Deal or No Deal? [R20]
Rodney Chester: I'm STILL NOT Gay!" [R20]
Beyond the Sassy Sidekicks? [After Elton]
What Does the Future Hold for Noah's Arc? [After Elton]


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Armed Madison High School student arrested following lockdown
SAN ANTONIO — A Madison High School student was arrested Monday after weapons were found in his backpack, which caused the campus to be locked down, police said.
Brendan Tarwater, 17, was charged with one count of possessing a weapon in a prohibited place and one count of making a terroristic threat. His bond was set at $300,000, or $150,000 for each charge.
A woman who answered the phone at a home believed to be that of his family declined comment.
The school was placed on lockdown around 10:15 a.m. Officials lifted the lockdown by 11:28 a.m. and released the students back to their classes.
The male student, 17, had three loaded guns and a 12-inch knife, said Aubrey Chancellor, a spokeswoman for North East Independent School District. One was an AK-47, the others were handguns, a .45 caliber and .22 caliber, with additional magazines in his backpack, she added.
It is unknown whether he was planning a mass shooting, but Chancellor said he told district police that he intended to make some demands over the intercom system, although she did not know what those were. He told authorities that "if the demands were not met, he had planned on committing violence," Chancellor said. She did not know whether he had a history of violence or mental health issues.
"Everyone is safe," Chancellor said.
The student's parents had reported him as a runaway that morning and arrived at the school after it was determined that he was there, Chancellor said. During a meeting with school officials and their son, the student's parents asked that his backpack be checked, Chancellor said. After finding two loaded guns and the knife, his parents asked him where the third gun was, Chancellor said.
"So it seems at this point that the guns came from the student's home," the district spokeswoman added.
The third gun was found in a trash can in the bathroom.
Police and K-9 officers were at the school, which is in the 5000 block of Stahl Road.
"Obviously, we'll continue talking with him to determine what his full intentions were," Chancellor said. "Right now, we're just thankful that whatever he had planned was averted."
Classes continued after the lockdown was lifted about 11:30 am, but a crowd of parents lined up to pick up their teenagers.
Parents said they were worried after hearing that between four and seven students had brought the loaded guns -- a rumor that Chancellor said was false.
Daisy Aleman, whose daughter Brittany Arizola is a sophomore, received an automated call just before 11 a.m. notifying her that the school was on lockdown. The call did not specify the reason for the lockdown, but Aleman found out about the loaded guns through social media.
"I was shaking," said Aleman, who had kept Brittany home from school Thursday, after someone sent an email to Northside Independent School District officials threatening that a mass shooting would occur that day at an unnamed school.
When an announcement was made over loudspeakers Monday that the school was on lockdown, Brittany thought it was a drill. She, like many other students, sent text messages to her mother, and learned from text messages and social media that someone had brought loaded guns.
Freshman Katie Hunt, 15, said she and her entire class spent 50 minutes in a supply closet during the lockdown. The entire class was on their phones and Katie was also constantly in text message communication with her mother, Kim Hunt.
Kim Hunt said the threat from last Thursday jumped immediately to her mind.
"Sure they're going to say they're going to do it one day, but they're really not going to do it, and I feel that today was the day," Kim Hunt said.
Kim Hunt went to collect her daughter as soon as she heard she could do so.
"It was just crazy," said Katie through tears as her mother walked her out of school. "You couldn't believe it happened."
Despite the rumor mill, students said they did not know who was arrested. Some students said they hoped the school would ramp up security and maybe install metal detectors.
"I just hope it's not a friend, because you would think your friends are good, safe people," said Natalee Northcutt, 16, a sophomore.
Chancellor said that while she understands parents instinctually want to pick up their children when they're notified of a lockdown, that school officials recommend they not swarm the campus.
"It's certainly upsetting to receive one of those messages and parents instincts, of course, is to go get their child," she said. "But police are there and they need to be able to do their job as efficiently as possible with as few distractions, which is why we ask parents to remain calm and know their children are safe but to not go to the school."
Chancellor said that students have brought weapons to the high school in the past but noted that high schools in other school districts have also had to contend with similar safety concerns.
The incident comes days after an anonymous person threatened via email to carry out a mass shooting at a school. The email, sent to several employees of Northside Independent District elementary schools, said the shooting would take place last Thursday. Schools were placed on heightened alert, but no such incident took place.
Although the San Antonio Police Department determined that the threat was not credible, hundreds of parents kept their students home. School districts, which are partly funded by the state through average daily attendance numbers, lost millions in attendance revenue.
Staff writer Drew Joseph contributed to this article.
Twitter: @AliaAtSAEN


text:
Nicki Minaj takes aim at Remy Ma on Two Chainz' Realize...
In a snippet floating around online Nicki raps,
"Papoose wrote the Ether record, but I broke Aretha's record / see this is chess, not checkers/ You cannot check the checkers/ Did Nas clear that Ether record? Nah but I broke Aretha's record."
Nicki is responding to Remy Ma's ShEther diss from back in February [click here if you missed that].


text:
THIS is an important film. It's a warning. Don't follow the US down the path of food self-regulation. It leads to a nightmarish dystopia where children are killed by burgers, where the raising of animals under appalling conditions happens behind closed doors and where illegal immigrants are poorly paid to mistreat animals under conditions almost as inhumane to them.
It's a nation where if you try to tell the world about the dirty, dirty ways of the big food companies that control US food production, they will silence you with a phalanx of lawyers. In one state you can be jailed.
This 94-minute film, at its core, is a visualisation of two groundbreaking books: Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation and Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma. Both appear in the film along with farmers including Joel Salatin with Schlosser as co-executive producer.
This polished shockumentary graphically and disturbingly reveals the unintended consequences of the concentration of food production to just a handful of massive companies, with processed genetically modified corn and soy as the basis of the national diet.
Shame, rage and sadness are evoked by Food, Inc.'s telling of unseen costs of the US government's corn subsidy. Cheap subsidised corn is fed to cattle – animals evolved to eat grass. Their stomachs' react, producing too much acid – the perfect environment for a new deadly strain of E. coli to develop. This pathogen is carried in manure, which covers the animals' hides in feedlots and then infects meat in mechanised disassembly lines. The infected meat sickens and kills Americans, including children. As a result American beef companies are making ''safe'' hamburger meat filler by treating the beef — with ammonia hydroxide. Seventy per cent of US hamburgers contain beef treated with ammonia.
The film covers the devastating impact of genetically modified patent laws in traditional farming that sees some crops now 90 per cent dominated by GM seeds owned by chemical companies. Seventy per cent of food on US supermarket shelves contains an ingredient made from a GM plant.
The result of cheap un-nutritious food is a fat nation where one in three people born after 2000 will develop type 2 diabetes. One in two Hispanics. The film follows one Hispanic family who dine on burgers in the car because they have no time to cook — and a burger is cheaper than two pears or a head of broccoli.
Flashy computer graphics give mind-numbingly sad statistics of an unhealthy national diet an acceptable ''look'' while the soundtrack, like any Hollywood product, gives us emotional cues. The ominous low-frequency drone under the mechanised abattoir scene gives way to country birdcall soundscape under the footage of killing free-range chickens at Joel Salatin's farm.
The footage of animal cruelty and gross mass production of industrial food is gut-turning.
''The industry doesn't want you to know the truth about what you are eating,'' says Schlosser in the film.
''Because if you did, you might not want to eat it.''
Food, inc. has been described as The Inconvenient Truth of food. Let's hope this has more effect on our politicians.
Food, Inc. opens nationally on May 20.