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Watch Erik Friedlander make the cello sound as if it's never been to the symphony. Those triplet runs he does at 1:10 are fantastic.
BEST OF 20118 Jan
Best-of lists have come and gone. I'll skip any reflection on the pros and cons of such things. It always feels a bit disingenuous for a critic to spend 300 words on his or her reservations about posting a best-of list as an intro to just that. This year, I'm embracing the idea.
As good as 2011 was for music—the debut record by NewVillager was enough for me—I'm already excited for 2012, unfortunately for reasons I can't disclose here. Not yet. But change is coming, and it should be quite the experiment. Safety goggles are recommended.
For now, without the further ado, my favorite new music of 2011, and what I actually listened to the most.
1. NewVillager, NewVillager
A guaranteed way to ensure a life of gravitating toward the weird of the world is to grow up a theater kid, a creative-writing kid in small-town Kansas. Things were always happening to make me feel just a little outside the group. Once, I was pantsed during a rehearsal for The Wizard of Oz. I was the Tin Man. The pantser was the Wicked Witch of the West. I prayed that night that a house really would flatten her.
NewVillager appeals to that odd but—I like to think—imaginative kid in me. The one who played dress up, fought with swords, and wrote lengthy stories at the family computer in the basement. NewVillager is a duo: Ben Bromley and Ross Simonini. The latter is an editor at The Believer. Their eponymous (self-titled) debut was the album I had the hardest time resisting this year. It's dancey but avoids the heavy, on-the-beat pulse that infects nearly every pop song on the radio (an odd residue of techno?). It's optimistic musically but enigmatic lyrically.
I keep saying that it has all the glory of classic rock, but I have no idea if that's the right way to put it. I do stand behind my assertion that they defy most cliches and dodge the tropes of genre. Certainly, their videos, which bring to life the complex mythologies behind the music, connect with my theatricality.
They also bring to mind the storytelling of Maurice Sendak. I imagine NewVillager to be as universally loved. In reality, though, I'm not so sure. I didn't see their debut on anyone else's Best of 2011 lists. Maybe they're just fantastic in my odd little corner of the world, that esoteric sphere of reality where weirdness is a virtue.
2. Bon Iver, Bon Iver
When I first heard "Skinny Love," I thought Justin Vernon was black. His falsetto was so smooth. I imagined some East Coast crooner, half hipster and half nostalgic Casanova. Turns out the black guy was white, the East Coast was Wisconsin, and this recording artist had not a drop of hipster or Casanova blood in him—to my delight.
In interviews, Justin Vernon, aka Bon Iver, comes across as one of the most down-to-Earth guys in the business. His hair is legitimately ruffled, he curses in unfashionable ways, he classifies recording with Kanye as both weird and not that weird. He's honest and true to his roots. When he and his band played his hometown of Eau Claire, Wisconsin—where he still lives—they made the tickets only available at a box office in town, to ensure that fans from the surrounding cities and states didn't flood the show and price out Eau Claire residents.
Bon Iver, the album, Vernon's second full-length, astounds me. Repeated listens only reveal more depth, especially compared to For Emma, Forever Ago. I feel certain he picked up a few production techniques from Kanye, with whom he collaborated on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. With horn parts and rich effects, utilized perfectly, the album serves to open up new worlds for Bon Iver and other bands that a few years ago were pigeonholed as "neue folk" or "folk rock" or whatever critics called it.
"Perth" is my favorite song but not, probably, the best on the record. Its opening lines and then its heavy—relatively speaking—salvo of electric guitar and drums were enough to hook me after one listen. There's a comfort in knowing that everyone else was hooked too. These days, it seems like people decide who to like based on the size of an artist's fan base (the smaller the better)—and I fall into that on occasion—so it feels good to acknowledge something collectively, even when it leads to Grammy nominations. Bon Iver's up for four, but I can happily report it hasn't gone to his head. In an interview after the announcement, the interviewer had to explain to Vernon that if you're nominated for a Grammy, you do, in fact, get to go.
3. Tom Waits, Bad As Me
Swordfishtrombones changed my life. It answered questions I didn't know I had and, later, connected musicians as disparate as Anais Mitchell and Kanye West. Its marimba line taught me that marimba could be cool. Not just cool, but haunting, mysterious, the perfect backdrop for a 20th-century bard. The instrument could somehow become the sound of Vietnam and psychopathy and storytelling.
Tom Waits has since become a more potent fascination for me than anyone, or anything else ever has. I read David Smay's book about him and spent too many hours browsing the online stacks of the Tom Waits Library. There's a reason to pay attention to this guy: I don't know anyone else who's inspired that level of historical archiving and independent cataloging. When news broke that Waits was releasing a studio album this year, a lot of people got excited. And yet, though it may have changed my life, Swordfishtrombones is not a very palatable record, and so I never expected to love Bad As Me as much as I do.
Its start is the opposite of slow, "Chicago" being a runaway tune led by banjo, piano, and saxophone and featuring a line I was destined to fall in love with: "Maybe things will be better in Chicago." The songs on Bad As Me oscillate, like they do on Swordfishtrombones, between manic and maudlin, flip-flopping throughout the entire album. Where a Depression-era blues tune ends, a ballad begins. It takes some getting used to, but Bad As Me is worth the effort. Don't go to the grave without hearing what Tom Waits has to say.
4. Feist, Metals
I've been a fan of Feist since our college newspaper reviewed Let It Die. I adored that album, "Mushaboom" summing up a certain mentality a lot of us had then. Then came The Reminder, and suddenly Feist was in Starbucks and on Sesame Street, but the music wasn't any worse. It was better. We shouldn't forget this. "The Water"—and the film it inspired—is beautiful. The remix album Open Season didn't disappoint either, despite the fact that such endeavors usually do.
Metals, four years after her last album, is charged with a very human energy. It's neither as smooth as Let It Die or as fun as The Reminder. Instead it feels more real. More lifelike. Though her music isn't overtly complex, Feist does write songs that challenge our intuition. First, she often writes, at least on Metals, in a three-based time signature, as opposed to the usual four, (the ratio of left-handed people to right-handed people is probably an accurate comparison for the two forms' relationship). She puts another twist on this though by playing a few of those three-songs in a way that feels like four. Instead of a languid, Waltz-like grace, "Graveyard" and "How Come You Never Go There" both appear to leave off a beat that should be there. In another words, if you're swaying to the music, you'll be out of sync every other bar.
This is just one reason Metals is an interesting album. "Caught a Long Wind" is another. Co-producer Valgeir Sigurðsson is yet another. If you listen to it openly, not hoping for another Reminder, I think you'll see that Feist is maturing beautifully. I once thought I could make a case for why she's the best musical artist to emerge in the past decade. I'm no longer quite so convinced, but my ambition tells you of the respect I have for her. And why I'll eagerly be awaiting her next project.
5. Erik Friedlander, Bonebridge
The pedal steel guitar has been unfairly relegated to country music. Granted, like any member of an outlaw gang, the instrument is guilty by association, and if we're honest, we can admit that it's committed its fair share of crimes. But in the right environment, the instrument can thrive. One such place is in the company of cellist Erik Friedlander and his jazz trio.
Bonebridge caught my attention with "Beaufain Street," a song that brought to mind river boats, wheeling their way up the Mississippi from New Orleans to Chicago, a hub for gamblers and the men who would rob them. It's music fit for carousing or for laying low above deck, watching the water turn to gold and then to nothing.
"Low Country Cupola," "Tabatha," "Hanky Panky." They're jazz-tune names. And Friedlander gets some good cello licks into each song. But the pedal steel steals the show and allows Bonebridge to inhabit a small space within Americana, a lonely corner I hope is more populated soon.
6. Bjork, Biophilia
There's a reason that Björk, the Reykjavík-born queen of avant-garde pop, is a household name and also remains respected as an artist. It's because she's adamant that music is an art and be seen as such. Art isn't always looking to be liked, and Björk's music — characterized by a vivid and stubborn imagination since the beginning of her solo career in 1992 — is hardly snuggly. There's always been a chill to it, an intensity we don't always know what to do with. Biophilia is no exception.
The much-hyped release is as ambitious as anything before it. For weeks before, geeked-out music critics were drawn like moths to a porch light thanks to Biophilia's extra-musical elements, which included an iPad app, featuring graphic explorations of each track; live shows that used custom-made instruments like the Gravity Harp or twin musical Tesla coils; and a laser-laden video by French director and longtime Björk collaborator Michel Gondry. But it would be a shame if people forgot that beneath the chatter is an album. Biophilia may be unique because of its multiplatform release, but that's not what makes it good.
Musically, it's expansive, dramatic, and remarkably accessible. "Crystalline" is a pulsing, glowing sleeper that erupts into a hammering drill-'n'-bass salvo. "Virus" uses the hang masterfully, its warm metallic tones being a suitably alien backdrop for Björk's iconic voice. These intrasong dynamics are great achievements, as is the subtle emphasis on melody. But the most important thing about Biophilia seems to be its subject matter. In the compositions, the lyrics, and—most noticeably—the album art and apps, the central theme is our physical universe. Björk embarks on a meditative musical exploration of nature, science, and technology, and we're fortunate to be invited. There's plenty to explore alongside her.
7. Other Lives, Tamer Animals
Maybe five years ago, my brother, my then-girlfriend (now-wife), and I went to see Spoon in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It was a memorable show because that rare thing happened: the opening band stole the show. They called themselves Kunek, and they understood music. They'd mastered a particularly beautiful realm of it, as well as the art of the performance. The frontman spent the set bent over his keyboard, hair in his face, giving every bit of himself to the show. I think all of us were in awe.
Later we would find out how to spell that name we'd only heard spoken, and learn they were from Stillwater, Oklahoma, and buy their debut, Flight of the Flynns. And then they disappeared. That odd name never resurfaced. I assumed the band had, somehow, been swallowed by the vastness of the country's center. Given itself to the soil, for nutrients. There was a part of me—the dramatic part—that mourned this loss. This year, however, I discovered that the band's death had been faked. It had changed its name and was living and making music happily as Other Lives. It was living an other life.
Tamer Animals, the band's 2011 release, is masterful, an evolution of the promise we'd seen in Fayetteville. It draws on folk music for its dreamy compositions but is hard to define in genre terminology. It's easy to love, and we need music like that. It doesn't necessarily push musical boundaries, doesn't open new doors or lob projectiles at the ceiling or attempt to tunnel out under the walls, but what it does do is make wondrous the room contemporary music currently inhabits. If I was ranking these records by what I fell in love with the fastest, this album would be at the top.
8. WU LYF, Go Tell Fire to the Mountain
Sometimes you learn something that forever affects the way you see something, or hear it, or think about it. Every time I listen to WU LYF (World Unite/Lucifer Youth Foundation) see an abandoned church in Ancoats, England. This is my imagination's version of the church in which they recorded their debut Go Tell Fire to the Mountain, a place that was vital to its big, echoing sound.
The band is actually a group of Manchester kids—can't find their ages, but they look somewhere between 16 and 20—who say they'll retire at 25. Chances are that statement will later be filed alongside the disenchantment they're already allegedly feeling about their choice of a name. Normally, when I learn a band is that young, I stop paying attention, figuring that if they're still around in five years, they'll a) be better musicians and b) have lost their impetuousness and sense of entitlement.
But WU LYF hooked me with Ellery Roberts' garbled howls, which, though he is saying words, sound like the muted yells one might hear walking down the hall of a mental hospital. And yet they don't convey pain, or anger, but more just a frustrated, almost animal attempt to communicate. This vocal styling lured me in and then set the hook; I couldn't ignore these guys, despite their youth (and their impetuousness). Go Tell Fire is just the beginning for these guys, though a part of me hopes they do retire at 25. The other part hopes they make music as long as I'm alive.
9. The Roots, Undun
I was a young drummer when I first puzzled at how to pronounce ?uestlove (answer: quest-love). His name was everywhere in the music magazines I read as a teenager. Yet it wasn't until this fall that I knowingly heard The Roots, via this year's Undun, a concept album that does for Philadelphia what The Wire did for Baltimore—portraying the dark and ruinous underworld of a drug trade that preys disproportionately on certain races and classes, especially their young.
Tracing the final hours of a fictional dealer named Redford Stephens, the story is unraveled backwards from the time of death. The music stands alone—the album doesn't need its narrative any more than Fucked Up's David Comes to Life needed its—but the words share an urgent message, and its the courage of these lyrics that earned Undun a spot on this list.
I'll be honest and say that without a year spent in one of Chicago's poorest neighborhoods, a place full of men like Redford Stephens, this record might not have packed the same punch. But then again, without that year, I wouldn't have been much of a hip-hop fan either.
10. Cults, Cults
I didn't know about Cults until this fall and didn't hear "Abducted" possibly until it was included by Bob Boilen and his gang on All Songs Considered's year-end review, but the band's debut quickly became one of my favorite albums of the year.
I don't have a lot to say about it; I don't know much about the group (it's a guy and gal from Brooklyn, I think) and don't know any interesting facts about the record (its sound is interesting but not revolutionary). I will say that if you're in the mood for some infectious lo-fi pop, you're in luck.
Also bonus points for some of the best album art of the year.
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Portions originally published by ALARM Press.
auxiliary15 Aug
a monthly music column
read previous posts here
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I don't know how to write about music. I'm tempted to say it can't be done. At least not in the way I think a lot of us want, treading that line between technical and experiential modes of listening. As well as taking into account that most people (myself included) don't know the politics of the New Orleans bounce scene or the difference between dubstep and 2-step garage. Because music writing that references these sorts of things without explaining them is bound to fail for the majority. Which is, I'm sure, the point for some, who in their self-importance or self-consciousness feel superior in their exclusivity. Or perhaps there are particular audiences who crave music criticism that's filled with nothing but adjectives and genre names, but in general, I think there's a better way to write about music. And that's what I'm trying to explore. It's just that as I try, I feel a bit like I have cerebral palsy—there's a million things rolling around in my head, but my mouth muscles won't cooperate. Continue reading


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Mar 4th, 2012
SIT-A-LONG with Taigu: Fresh wisdom
Don't become a living clutter, a collection of piled up items.
Practice is meant to free you out.
When freedom is, wisdom blooms.
I don't get wisdom from quotes, books, or experiences.
from this moment,as is, it comes.
And often it doesn't.
And I could not care less.
Do you want to be like a pretty dead dry fish
of just alive, fish in the sea, sea in the fish, sea-fish boundlessly here?
We don't need insight.
We don't need whaou moments.
When they happen, let them happen. They will soon vanish.
In just being, no insight:
the seen and seing are one.

subset: commoncrawl


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The 65th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards was one of the most anticipated awards shows of the season, last night on Sunday, September 22, 2013 in Hollywood, CA. Celebrities graced the red carpet in glamorous haute couture gowns, classic hairstyles and beautiful make up stunning onlookers from all over the world.
As the LA Fashion Judge, my ruling for this year's Emmys Red Carpet Fashion favored celebrities wearing bordeaux gowns. It is the fresh new "IT" color trend for Fall/Winter 2013-2014 according to The Top 10 Pantone Fashionable Color Trend for Fall 2013. This year, it was undeniably the shades borrowed from dark cherries and rubies.
The best dressed celebrities in bordeaux gowns at the Emmys 2013 were, Heidi Klum of "Project Runway" in Atelier Versace, Linda Cardellini of "Mad Men's" in Donna Karan Atelier, Kaley Cuoco of "The Big Bang Theory" and Sofia Vergara of "Modern Family" in Vera Wang. The beautiful ladies in bordeaux were definitely some of the standout stars from the night!
The Bordeaux shade is widely regarded as sophistication, glamour, power and femininity complementing all skin types. Not only being a flattering color, wearing Bordeaux also indicates ready to take action and/or being passionate about attending a special event, in this case the excitement of being on the red carpet at the Emmy Awards. Besides, the deep red color never goes out of style during fall and winter season! So ladies, feel free to express your personal style this fall by incorporating this vivid and luxurious ruby color in your fall trends.
Watch The 65th Annual Emmy Awards 2013: Red Carpet Stars Arrival
Do you agree with LA Fashion Judge's Red Carpet Fashion ruling for year's Emmy Awards? Let us know in the comments section below.
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For some people, there's only one thing they need to make on Thanksgiving: reservations.
Here are some of our favorite places to dine out for Thanksgiving this year.
North Street Tavern & Wood Fired Pizza, White Plains. $39.95 per person, $19.95 children, for three-course meal available for two seatings at 3:30 and 6 p.m. First course is pumpkin cream soup with crab meat, followed by a choice of beet and goat cheese watercress salad or Fairway salad, with mixed greens, candied walnuts, cranberries, apples and gorgonzola. Main course selections include a traditional turkey dinner with sautéed asparagus, home style mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce or a rib eye bone-in steak, which is served with garlic potatoes and Portobello mushroom sauce. Classic desserts cap the meal: homemade apple pie and pecan pie. 1128 North St., 914-437-7111. Search Facebook for its page.
Stone Manor 101, Hawthorne. Three-course menu with prices ranging from $34 (for butternut squash ravioli) to $52 (22-ounce porterhouse steak) depending on your entree selection. Starters include vegetarian meatballs with roasted eggplant, parmesan, garlic and oregano, bruschetta with burrata, spinach, bacon and crispy shallots or French onion soup. For dessert, enjoy an assortment of holiday pastries. 101 Saw Mill River Road, 914-703-4112, www.TheStoneManor101.com
City Limits Diner, White Plains. Special a la carte menu available from 1 to 7 p.m. Highlights include seasonal dishes like butternut squash soup with shrimp and salted cod or a quinoa and kale salad with sweet potatoes, apples and cider vinaigrette. Slow-roasted turkey is served with cornbread-sausage stuffing and giblet gravy, or go nontraditional with entrees like pan-roasted salmon, spiced duck breast or Port-ginger braised beef short ribs. Breakfast will also be served from 7:30 a.m. to noon. 200 Central Ave., 914-686-9000, www.citylimitsdiner.com
Hudson at Haymount House, Briarcliff Manor. $65 per person, $32.50 for children. Three courses, starting with a choice between the Haymount House chopped salad or maple roasted butternut squash soup. Roasted, natural heritage turkey dinner with all the fixings, like stuffing with sausage, pine nuts and dried fruit, housemade cranberry-orange sauce and roasted Brussels sprouts with Applewood-smoked bacon. Other main course options include pan-roasted salmon or wild mushroom risotto. Desserts are homey and festive: pumpkin-maple bread pudding or warm apple tart with vanilla ice cream. 25 Studio Hill Rd., 914-502-0080, www.haymounthouseny.com
Moderne Barn, Armonk. Three-courses, $49 per person, $24.50 children under 12. Dinner will be served from 1 to 8 p.m. Appetizers include creamy butternut squash soup with maple syrup gastrique and fried sage, or for a lighter starter, try the local mixed greens with shaved baby turnips and roasted chestnuts. Entree options range from traditional (roasted turkey with cornbread stuffing and Brussels sprouts) to celebratory: lobster black truffle risotto. Desserts are American favorites, with chocolate mousse, apple pie and pumpkin cheesecake. 430 Bedford Road, 914-730-0001, www.modernebarn.com.
Half Moon, Dobbs Ferry. Three-courses, $53 per person, children $25. Reservations 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. The long menu includes a choice of eight appetizers like short rib ravioli, smoked salmon and jalapeño corn cakes and Blue Point oysters Rockefeller. Entrees include butter-roasted turkey, smoked country ham and prime rib. Can't decide? Order the carving platter, with all of the above plus pecan sweet potatoes, whipped potatoes, cornbread stuffing, toasted almond green beans and cranberry chutney. One High St., 914-693-4130, www.halfmoonhudson.com.
Le Chateau, South Salem. $63 per person, children $29. Serving dinner from noon to 6 p.m. Four courses, starting with options like warm duck confit over French beans salad, acorn souffles with vanilla-infused cranberries and crispy spinach leaves, and roasted pumpkin soup with roasted hazelnut cream. Beyond traditional roasted turkey, entrees include bouillabaisse with saffron rouille, stuffed veal chop with spinach and goat cheese or venison with butternut squash, chestnut puree and pomegranate. 1410 Route 35, 914-533-6631, www.lechateauny.com.
La Panetière, Rye. $72 per person, or $112 with wine pairing, children $35. Three-course dinner served from noon to 8 p.m. The elegant French take on Thanksgiving is full of harvest flavors, like Emmenthal cheese souffle with chestnut cracklings and butternut squash coulis. Traditional roasted turkey breast is served with cranberry marmalade, cipollini onions and sweet potato gratin, or try the venison saddle, made with poivrade sauce, rosemary-scented puree of Granny Smith apple and braised red cabbage. 530 Milton Road, Rye. 914-967-8140, www.lapanetiere.com.
Hudson House, Nyack. $42 per person with a la carte appetizers, $25 for children. Reservations 12:30 to 7 p.m.. This is your best bet for a classic Thanksgiving meal. Hudson House is serving a hearty dinner of herb-roasted turkey with chestnut, sausage and sage brioche stuffing, roasted autumn vegetables, haricot verts, cranberry-citrus compote and whipped garlic mashed potatoes. Turkey substitutes like salmon, short ribs and stuffed delicata squash are available. And for dessert, choose from: apple crisp, pear upside down cake, chocolate espresso brownie, sticky toffee pudding cake or pumpkin crème brûlée. 134 Main St., 845-353-1355, www.hudsonhousenyack.com.
Crabtree's Kittle House, Chappaqua. $65 per person. Reservations from noon to 7:30 p.m.. This is a place that knows how to do a special-occasion meal. Appetizers include J. Glebocki Farms pumpkin-pear soup, terrine of Hudson Valley duck confit and a house-smoked Wester Ross Island Scottish salmon with yukon gold blini and Meyer lemon crème fraïche. For an entree, select from roasted John Boy's Mountain View Farm heritage turkey, seared diver sea scallops, pan-roasted Chatham cod, Highland Farms venison osso bucco or filet mignon. Main course sides like whipped mashed potatoes and creamed pearl onions are served family-style. The dessert menu presents an equally challenging choice, but we like the Kittle House pecan pie, served with caramel sauce and chantilly cream. 11 Kittle Road, 914-666-8044, www.kittlehouse.com.
Maud's Tavern, Hastings-on-Hudson. Looking for a more casual Thanksgiving? Maud's is a kid-friendly, homey pub offering a special holiday menu a la carte. Appetizers are all about $8, like warm brie cheese with apples and almonds, baked crab stuffed mushrooms and butternut squash ravioli with Parmesan sauce. Entrees range from $15 to $25 and include traditional stuffed turkey dinner, roasted Cornish game hen with mashed sweet potatoes and sun-dried cranberry sauce, grilled salmon over roasted autumn vegetables and roasted Long Island duck with orange cranberry sauce. 149 Southside Ave., 914-478-2326, www.maudstavern.com.
Zuppa, Yonkers. Thanksgiving, Italian-style. Reservations from noon to 7 p.m. The a la carte menu features traditional dishes with a fun twist, like butternut squash soup with a hearty dollop of ricotta, pan-fried Brussels sprouts in prosciutto lardo, and pizza with squash spread, mascarpone, pancetta and rucola petals. Main course dishes are all about $25: braised turkey osso buco with pumpkin mashed potato and orange gremolata; crown maple syrup glazed wild salmon with kale, quinoa and sausage stuffing; and fresh ravioli filled with pumpkin and mascarpone, tossed with cranberry toasted breadcrumb and sage burroso. Zuppa is also taking pick-up orders for Tacchino Frito, or a Southern-style deep fried turkey. Orders must be placed by Nov. 26 and paid in full, $10 per pound. 59-61 Main St., 914-376-6500, www.zupparestaurant
X2O Xaviars on the Hudson, Yonkers. $65 per person for the three-course prix fixe menu, available from 1 to 7 p.m. True to Peter X. Kelly form, the menu is full of elegant details, like a crispy Parmesan cookie with green onion risotto and shaved black truffle, and house made whipped ricotta, pistachio oil and candied pecans on an heirloom beet salad. Turkeys are local, and roasted with apple-chestnut stuffing. Other dinner options include juniper- and ginger-crusted venison, braised beef short ribs and roasted Hudson Valley duck with olives. 71 Water Grant St., 914-965-1111, www.xaviars.com.
Restaurant X & Bully Boy Bar, Congers. $60 per person. Seatings at noon, 3 and 6 p.m.. Appetizers take advantage of fresh seasonal seafood, like Nantucket Bay scallops, served with creamed leeks and Meyer lemon beurre blanc, and King salmon sashimi with roasted pear and shiso coulis. A traditional turkey dinner will be served, as well as standouts like classic beef Wellington and chili- and yuzu-glazed salmon with baby bok choy and butter poached fingerling potatoes. 117 N. Route 303, 845-268-6555, www.xaviars.com.
Anna Maria's Italian Restaurant, Larchmont. An additional Thanksgiving menu is a la carte, entrees around $18 available from 1 to 8 p.m. Chef Anna Maria Santorelli prepares home-style Italian cooking and hearty portions will certainly yield leftovers to bring home. A celebratory cocktail, The Italian Kiss, is made with Italian wild strawberry liqueur and topped with chilled sparkling wine. Four courses start with antipasti like ricotta-filled mushroom caps and spaghetti squash pomodoro, followed by a round of pasta, including butternut squash ravioli with brown butter sage sauce. The "Gobble Gobble dinner" comes with all the usual fixings, but we also like the Autumn Chicken, which is free-range chicken breast sautéed with chopped apples, Brussels sprouts, walnuts and cranberries, served with farro. 18 Chatsworth Ave., 914-833-0555, www.annamariasrestaurant.
Farmhouse at Bedford Post Inn, Bedford. $90 per person for four courses, $45 for children, is served from 2 to 8 p.m. The restored farmhouse is lovely and refined, the perfect setting for a memorable Thanksgiving meal. And the menu promises to be just that, with wild mushroom minestra, wood-roasted vegetable antipasti served warm, and squash tortellini in pumpkin broth with amaretti crumbs. Main course dishes like smoked turkey and pan roasted Long Island fluke will be served with classic family-style sides: whipped potatoes, green bean casserole and chestnut stuffing. 954 Old Post Road. 914-234-7800, www.bedfordpostinn.com.
Thyme, Yorktown Heights. $48 per person, $24.95 for children. The four-course prix fixe menu is served 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and kicks off with a choice of appetizers like warming butternut squash soup with pumpkin seed oil and créme fraîche or oysters Rockefeller, served with spinach, Parmesan and cream. There will be a traditional roast turkey, as well as double-cut pork chops with sweet potato puree and sugar snap peas, scallop risotto and strip steak with mashed potatoes and spinach. Desserts are a classic New York cheesecake, apple pie a la mode, chocolate mousse or rice pudding du jour. 3605 Crompond Road, 914-788-8700, www.thymerestaurant.net.
Benjamin Steakhouse, Hartsdale. Benjamin Steakhouse. $54.95 per person for three courses is served from noon to 10 p.m. The 200-seat dining room with a massive stone fireplace is formal in a fun way, and the menu has all the Thanksgiving staples. Appetizer options include puree of pumpkin soup or organic mesclun greens with frisée, roasted beets, warm goat cheese and toasted walnuts. The main course is a homestyle Thanksgiving meal, with turkey stuffing, roasted yams, potatoes au gratin and cranberry relish. And dessert is a holiday staple: pumpkin pie. 610 Hartsdale Ave., 914-428-6868, www.benjaminsteakhouse.com.
Red Hat on the River, Irvington. $65 prix fixe, $30 children 12 and under. Reservations from 12:30 to 6:30 p.m. Enjoy breathtaking Hudson River views with starters like vegetable and chestnut veloute, warm wild mushroom salad, and house-made duck and heirloom pork rillettes. Entree options include a classic Thanksgiving meal with organic New England turkey, sautéed Block Island fluke, butternut squash ravioli or a New York strip steak with potato boulangere, creamed spinach and red wine Bordelaise sauce. After-dinner sweets feature fresh takes on the traditional, like pumpkin creme caramel with spiced pumpkin seeds and fresh whipped cream. Bonus? A holiday cocktail, Hudson Valley Apple Sangria, made with apple cider and applejack made in the Hudson Valley. 1 Bridge St. 914-591-5888, www.redhatbistro.com.
Xaviars at Piermont. $85 per person, three-courses. Reservations from 1 to 7 p.m. A lovely setting for a more formal sit-down Thanksgiving, a far cry from the kid's table. Appetizers include Hudson Valley foie gras, Coach Farm goat cheese risotto with black truffle and yellowfin tuna tartare with miso-cured avocado. Thanksgiving dinner is made with organic, free-range Hudson Valley turkey, but for a non-traditional, special occasion meal try the pan-roasted wild sea bass with celeriac puree, sautéed savoy cabbage, chanterelle mushrooms and beurre noisette or juniper crusted rack of American lamb. Desserts include a classic carrot cake, as well as a sophisticated Meyer lemon souffle with citrus crème anglaise and lemon sorbet. 506 Piermont Ave., Piermont, 845-359-7007, www.xaviars.com.
121 Restaurant, North Salem. $55 for adults, $25 for children. Two seatings: from noon to 3 p.m. and from 4 to 7 p.m. The menu at this comfortable country restaurant is served family-style, and includes roasted turkey breast and turkey confit leg and thigh, plus glazed ham and sides such as sweet potatoes, cornbread casserole, creamed winter greens and two kinds of stuffing: classic and jalapeño. There are after-dinner activities for kids and family-style communal tables are available. 2 Dingle Ridge Road, 914-669-0121, www.121restaurant.com.
Peter Pratt's Inn, Yorktown. Served from 1 to 7 p.m. The a la carte menu choices begin at $25 and include turkey and classic sides like apple-sausage stuffing, roasted Brussels sprouts and creamed pearl onions. Still have room for dessert? Choices include pumpkin, apple and pecan pie. (The pecan pie recipe is from owner Jonathan Pratt's mother.) Or try some fresh-made pumpkin ice cream. 673 Croton Heights Road, 914-962-4090, www.prattsinn.com.


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It is through the kindness and generosity of people like you that make the mission of Catholic Charities possible. There are many ways to give to support our outreach to individuals and families in need:
A cash gift is the most common form of giving. Payments can be made by check, credit card, and registered withdrawals from your bank account that you set up. You can deduct 100 percent of the gift amount from your federal income tax.
You can make an online cash donation using your Visa or Mastercard or print a donation form to use when mailing in your contribution. If you're interested in finding out about monthly giving, check out our Mission Maker campaign.
Sometimes when you want to show someone how much you care, it can be difficult to find the right gift to express your feelings. Consider giving a commemorative gift.
Your gift is a thoughtful way to remember or honor your family or friends while providing help and hope to those we serve.
Catholic Charities will send an acknowledgement to both you and the person or family of the person commemorated by the gift. The gift amount will remain confidential.
Commemorative gifts may be made online or mailed to:Catholic Charities Office of Advancement212 Ninth StreetPittsburgh, PA 15222
Catholic Charities is a United Way and Combined Federal Campaign agency. To donate directly to Catholic Charities, please use the following contributor codes.
Donating a car is easy! And so is donating other vehicles. We accept all types of vehicles nationwide — cars, trucks, SUVs, motorcycles, ATVs, and even boats.Learn more about vehicle donations.
Bequests Through a Will By remembering Catholic Charities in your will, you can make a donation without relinquishing any of your assets today. When you make a bequest to us, your taxable estate is reduced by a 100 percent deduction for the amount of a cash gift, or by fair-market value of appreciated assets.
You may make a bequest to Catholic Charities in your will itself or by adding a codicil to your present will. Bequests to Catholic Charities may be of cash, securities, or other property. Bequests of all sizes are welcome, whether they are outright, contingent, or residual.
If you wish to specify how your bequest should be used, please contact the Office of Advancement at 412-456-6912.
Charitable Gift Annuities This type of gift offers you a tax deduction and a partially tax-free fixed income for life. The dollar amount you will receive is determined by your age and the age of any other beneficiary you name at the time of the gift. Or, to defer payments for a certain number of years, consider a Deferred Payment Gift Annuity.
Charitable Trusts This type of gift can provide you (and your spouse, if appropriate) with lifetime income and cash flow, a current income tax deduction, as well as provide important endowment funds for the future. At the same time, you avoid all capital gains and future estate taxes.
Life Insurance Naming Catholic Charities as a beneficiary to your current paid life insurance policy or purchasing a new policy will give you a charitable income tax deduction.
For more information contact the Office of Advancement at 412-456-6912.
Note: Catholic Charities suggests that you consult with your own personal tax or financial advisor for advice concerning your own personal plan and how a gift would benefit both you and Catholic Charities.
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If it were a public company, the Mississippi band of Choctaw Indians would be the envy of corporate America. With a return on revenue of 41%, the tribe's Silver Star Resort & Casino would top the Fortune 500 profitability list, dwarfing even money spinners like Microsoft, whose 29% return last year seems modest by comparison. The Choctaw Tribe has proved even more productive by another crucial yardstick: influence peddling in Washington. How successful is it? In 1997 the tribe secured its very own special-interest provision hidden in a massive federal-spending bill. And it taps the government for tens of millions of...
Indian Casinos: Playing The Political Slots
PART TWO: How Indian casino interests have learned the art of buying influence in Washington
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Win a family holiday to Japan
Movie Comps and Eva Air are celebrating the movie release of Sonic the Hedgehog by giving away a 5-night family holiday to Japan. Not a lot of other details with this one, but it does include flights.
What do you win?
A 5 day family holiday to Japan courtesy of Eva Air, including
- A family room in a selected hotel
- Family ticket is for a return economy flight for 2 adults and 2 children from London Heathrow airport (must be taken before 31/12/20)
10 runners up will receive a Sonic merchandise bundle, consisting of
- 1 x Sonic LED hydration pack
- 1 x sonic light up shoe clip
- 1 x Sonic frisbee
- 1 x Sonic protein shaker
- 1 x Sonic pop-socket
How to enter
- Click the red button link to take you to the competition page
- Answer the question - the answer is B) Green Hills
- Enter your details on the website
- Check the terms & conditions
- Submit your entry
Competition closes
Midnight on 30th May 2020
Similar travel competitions
All available to enter right now
Full-board • Flights inc
Closing date: 13th August 2020
Closing date: 13th August 2020
Closing date: 14th August 2020
Closing date: 14th August 2020
Breakfast • Flights inc
Closing date: 16th August 2020
Full-board • Eurostar inc
Closing date: 20th August 2020
Breakfast • Flights inc
Closing date: 21st August 2020
Closing date: 21st August 2020
Blog posts
From the UK's most popular travel bloggers
8th August 2018 by StuartThink no-one ever wins travel competitions? Think again
If you follow our emails and social media posts you're probably aware that Travelscoop are usually running a travel competition of some description. This week the team are working in Paris, and we drew the lucky winner of our Eurostar Paris competition yesterday outside the Eiffel Tower. You can check out the video here.Our previous competitions have included a Barcelona Norwegian Air one, and one to Amsterdam on Eurostar. All of the videos of me picking the winners can be viewed on our...
15th July 2020 by EmmaAnnouncing the result of our Crazy Bear hotel competition
On Friday 2nd November we drew the winner of our recent Crazy Bear hotel competition. The prize was a £250 voucher to spend on a stay at one of the Crazy Bear hotels. From the thousands of valid entries received, twenty were chosen at random and placed in a "hat" (actually a pumpkin, left over from Halloween!) We filmed Stuart drawing the winner, which can be seen in the Facebook video above. A big congratulations to Katie Barber - let us know how your stay goes! As Stuart mentions in the...
3rd August 2018 by StuartOoh la la! Travelscoop is going French
Grab a beret and a baguette and dig out your Daft Punk CDs, we've gone all French here at Travelscoop!This weekend - 4th & 5th August - to celebrate our Eurostar Paris £200 voucher competition coming to an end and choosing our lucky winner, we're showcasing some très bon French travel deals on social media. And we'll also be sharing a fab free-to-enter Paris-related competition or two that we've found online and are currently featuring on our website.As if that's not all Gallic enough,...
20th December 2019 by PaulAnnouncing the winner of our No Man's Fort competition
Our competition to win a night's stay in the Lighthouse room on No Man's Fort closed on the 17th December. As always, a huge thank you to everyone who entered! We've collated all of the valid entries and can now reveal that the lucky winner is... Kay Norrington!We had a slight complication with this draw. Towards the final days of the competition, No Man's Fort closed to new bookings. Solent Forts sister hotel Spitbank Fort is continuing to operate as usual, but No Man's Fort is closed for...
1st May 2018 by JohnLove travel competitions? Join our Travel Competitions Facebook Group!
The Travelscoop mission is very clear: travel more, spend less. To that end, travel competitions are well and truly within our remit. We love them - I think Stuart must enter 10 per day, easily.We curate the best competitions right here on our website. But there are lots more - far too many for us to cover individually. The solution is our travel competitions Facebook Group - full intrepid competition hunters, ready to share their finds. As a valued Travelscooper, you are officially invited to...


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Read Techie by RSS Instead
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Techie Beginners was created for those who are just starting to get their feet wet. Whether you are just learning to use a computer or want to try your hand at blogging, there's something here for you!
If you know someone who hasn't worked with a computer at all before, open up Super Beginners for them and let them read on.
I try to update regularly with a variety of topics but if you don't see what you want, let me know and I'll try to cover it. And if you did find something great, be sure to share this site with a friend who could also benefit!
Here's to learning something new!
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Tag Archives: Windows 7
Windows 10 is Now Here – What's New and What's Different?
Normally, I am well "behind the times". Today, or let's say, yesterday, I'm actually right on-par, keeping up with the "in crowd". Going against my usual principles of letting someone else be the guinea pig, I went ahead and got … Continue reading
Posted in Beginner, General Techie, Intermediate, Reviews Tagged advanced, comparing, computer, customize, Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8 Leave a comment
Which To Use – The Administrator Account or a Guest Account?
It is a commonly recommended idea that no one should use their computer on their administrator account. Although many people still do, this is a popular suggestion for good reason.
Posted in Beginner, General Techie, Intermediate Tagged Administrator, antivirus, virus, Windows 7, XP 4 Comments


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Why America Can't Stomach Paula Deen
As I struggled last night to make sense of Paula Deen's imploding career, I kept thinking something seemed all too familiar about the story. A telegenic chef with lots of heart and soul. A fervent following that made that chef a national name. And a scandal that changed everything faster than the time it takes to cook a soft-boiled egg.
And then my wife chimed in. "That's easy. Remember Jeff Smith?"
Indeed, I do remember Smith (aka the Frugal Gourmet). I remember him with a reverence usually reserved for Nobel Laureates. But I also remember how he all but disappeared from the cultural landscape almost overnight.


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Music Stories
|Pumpin': Circulatory System run through the RoseThe Parlor Scouts, The Instruments, Pipes You See, Pipes You Don't, and Circulatory Systemat Tokyo RoseSaturday, April 26. I missed the indie-rock barrage that is Circulatory System when they...read more
|May 1st, 2003
|Crowe-ing: Big time rockers plant the seeds Hookah Brownat the Outback LodgeWednesday, April 16 Aaron Hawkins Exhibit / Snap! at the Starr Hill Music HallFriday, April 18 What exactly is "underground?" Some folks think the term means...read more
|Apr 24th, 2003
|Story time: Indie rock with a plotRobots Can't Fall In LoveSERP fraternity houseFriday, April 18 The rock opera, often decried as one of the foulest instruments of the prog-rock devil, has recently started to make a comeback- but...read more
|Apr 24th, 2003
|Close to home: Pointed melodies mirror talesGreasy BeansAt Prism CoffeehouseSaturday, April 12 I've always wondered about those mega-clubs on Ibiza, where tourists go to thump under suds and colored lights. Even the arena rock...read more
|Apr 17th, 2003
|Singular vision: Short set, long songsFountainheadAt JabberwockyFriday, April 11 Clothes appeared to be on the outs at Jabberwocky last Friday night: Awash in a sea of tight pants, midriff-bearing tops, and arched backs, I found...read more
|Apr 17th, 2003
|Soft, so soft: No help here for ho-hum tunesShape of Shade South Street BreweryWednesday, April 2, 2003 I first heard the name Shape of Shade while having coffee with a friend. He recently worked with the group to record a short album over at...read more
|Apr 10th, 2003
|Ups and downs: MACRoCk full of surprisesMACRoCk Harrisonburg's Court Square TheaterFriday, April 4 "I've got a Twizzler, that man's a tree!" one of my companions screamed, holding his candy delight high above his head like a fan with a...read more
|Apr 10th, 2003
|Still alive: Inches to Flood, inches from fame?Inches to Flood debuted on Tokyo Rose's subterranean stage several years ago. I remember them as being pretty good, with promise. But I wondered at the time if they would survive... or get trampled,...read more
|Apr 3rd, 2003
|The best: Local group shows how it's done Ted Stryker's Drinking Problem is, in my estimation, the best live group in Charlottesville. I say that without hesitation, or need for further qualification– and I have no problem providing...read more
|Apr 3rd, 2003
|Contradiction? Dark Little Rooms go outside in the lightLittle Dark Roomsat Plan 9Saturday, March 22 Most of my Saturdays and Sundays look about the same: get up, work on Hook, slowly, until it gets dark, and then– like a music-addicted vampire (...read more
|Mar 27th, 2003
|Cut a rug: Chasing the elusive two-stepKimystryDürty Nelly's and Tragic ThievesJaberwokeFriday, March 21, 2003 Dancing is dead. People don't dance no 'mo. Why is it that there is so much music, but so little dancing? I hear homophobes...read more
|Mar 27th, 2003
|Number 3, and counting $-- DMB hits the roadIt would be news if the Dave Matthews Band were not planning a summer tour. That story isn't going to happen and no one seems happier than Matthews himself. "I'm always fired up to go out with the...read more
|Mar 20th, 2003
|Fiddlin' around: Irish fans dance and jamRyegrass Rollersat Miller'sSunday, March 16 Sunday night was St. Patty's Eve, a night usually reserved for anti-pinch prep talks and little else. But despite the lack of green beer, the folks...read more
|Mar 20th, 2003
|Smartrock: Music to think byMarzaks with Stephen Barlingat the MudhouseFriday, March 14 "Smartrock," that genre defined by catchy songs with erudite lyrics, was alive and kicking Friday night at the Mudhouse on the...read more
|Mar 20th, 2003
|Color us happy: Jumpin' acts keep audience movingPalomar, 63 Crayons, and VHS and the Babiesat Tokyo RoseMarch 6 Spring Break! Yes, fellow residents of Charlottesville, last week signaled the yearly migration of many of this town's young and...read more
|Mar 13th, 2003
|Cough, cough: Solo act chokesMike Doughty at Starr Hill218 Water Street March MadnessSam Wilson Quartet at Orbit Billiards It's been a while since I made the scene, and even longer since I produced a string of words for...read more
|Mar 13th, 2003
|Transported: Choruses take us to HeavenBach Motet: Festival Chorus, the Virginia Consort, and the Youth Choraleat Cabell HallMarch 2 Pictures of Johannes Brahms tend to show him in his later years, disguised from the nose down by a dark...read more
|Mar 6th, 2003
|Trixie & Ian: Strange narratives set to musicScene Creamers with Trixie Deliciousat Tokyo RoseFriday, February 28 Ian Svenonius, singer with Scene Creamers, began his inter-song dialogues with a comment that set the tone for the rest of...read more
|Mar 6th, 2003
|Cheaper than Nikes: APC docks with ShippThe collaboration of Anti-Pop Consortium and Matthew Shipp has easily twin-peaked their respective careers. Hip-hop, modern classical, free jazz, and glitch (music centered on unpredictable,...read more
|Feb 27th, 2003
|Otherworldly: Holst's Planets soothe soulsCharlottesville and University Symphony Orchestraat Cabell HallSunday, February 23 I made it two minutes too late. By the time I reached Old Cabell, panting from my parking lot sprint, auditorium...read more
|Feb 27th, 2003


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Holiday Treats from Rudy Project
Rudy Project brings you its much anticipated Annual Holiday Sale! Right in time for your Christmas Shopping run, get your hands on the latest in Technically Cool gear with ridiculously low prices and jaw dropping deals! Mark your calendars for this huge sports blow out happening on November 16 to 21 at the Tektite Tower, Ortigas Center.
A few Holiday Treats you can look forward to are: Free Special Edition items; Additional 5% off for BDO Credit Card holders; Free Gift Wrapping; Buy 1 Take 1 deals on Rudy Project Rydon Eye Wear; Free Donuts from November 17 to 21; 40% off on all ORCA items; Special Promos on Rudy Projects Helmets and Bags; Buy 2 Get 1 offers on EFX bracelets; and a 20/20 Promo on Rudy Project Eyewear!
Enjoy Huge Discounts and get Big Savings in the best Holiday Sale in sports gear from a brand trusted by both athletes and sports enthusiasts. It'll be a very Merry Christmas, indeed!
Rudy Project Technically Cool, for more information check out their website www.rudyproject.com.ph


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|Add Entry
Total Energy
Services: Code for Sustainable Homes Assessors | SAP Assessors | Sound Insulation Testing | Air Tightness Testing | Daylight Calculation Services
WaySearch Hepton Court, York Road
LS9 6PW Leeds
West Yorkshire England
Contact Person: Stewart Petrou-Dunn
Phone: 07939 317 042
Total Energy provides a dynamic multi-disciplinary energy consultancy service delivering quality professional expertise to clients across all business sectors throughout the UK.
Our professional skills include BREEAM and Code for Sustainable Home Assessments, SAP Calculations, Commercial and Domestic Energy Certificates, Air Conditioning Inspections, Heat Loss and Daylighting Calculations, Air Tightness and Acoustic Testing and Statutory Load Analysis.
Committed to our client's individual needs, we provide targeted solutions that deliver excellent results. We utilise and output-driven, cost conscious yet personal approach, coupled with our recommendations on projects will be a valuable asset.
Our goal is to build a lasting working relationship with our clients. We strive to look at the long term approach and customer service is our highest priority.
|Date added: 2011-10-19 14:38:43 Hits: 1117
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Dinner Tonight: Kale and Mushrooms with Creamy Polenta Recipe
Your source for quick recipe every single week day.
I really need to have more polenta in my life. I'm not sure why I never think about making it, or why it hasn't found it's way into my my pasta and rice rotation. It's a perfect base for all kinds of flavors. The last time I had it, a very traditional ragu was sitting on top. Unfortunately, that dish takes hours and hours to make. I wanted something satisfying and rich without requiring too much time.
Luckily I found this relatively easy recipe from Epicurious. The mixture of kale, mushroom and bacon combine to create an earthy topping that tastes a lot heavier than it probably is. In fact, upon sampling it toward the end of the cooking, I became concerned it was a little too heavy. That's until I remembered the lemon zest, added at the last moment. It's a remarkable addition that elevates the dish, making it more aromatic and, somehow, feel more light.
What's New On Serious Eats
- 1/2 pound kale, stemmed, and roughly chopped
- 2 cups milk
- 1 3/4 cups water
- 1 cup polenta
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 ounces pancetta or bacon, chopped
- 2 ounces mushrooms (crimini, oyster, or shiitake), sliced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 1/2 tablespoon grated lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Add the milk, water, polenta, salt and pepper to a large pot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, whisking constantly, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick.
Meanwhile, bring a medium-sized pot of water to a boil. Add the kale and cook for about 6 minutes. Drain the kale in a colander.
Dump the bacon into a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until they are crisp, about 3 minutes. Remove the bacon. Add the sliced mushrooms to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they become tender, about 6 minutes.
Add the kale, cooked bacon, garlic, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and let reduce for about 5 minutes. Then turn off the heat and add the thyme and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add the butter and Parmesan to the pot with the polenta. Stir until combined. Then spoon some of the polenta onto a plate and then top with the mushroom and kale.
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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Truman just wants to sleep comfortably without a cat up his butt.
Lenny likes Bo.I think they talk about the other dogs.
iluvk9 wrote:LMM wrote:I love Bo
I can get a box with airholes to you in a day or two.
iluvk9 wrote:As much as I love Cheeky.
cheekymunkee wrote:And that's a LOT!!
I have a kitty that will match him perfectly! His name is Cheeto ( or demon spawn...depending), he is on his way to you at this very moment.
Return to Four Legged, Finned and Feathered Family Members
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General Web Content
Trollface is a meme that celebrates and disparages the Internet troll and the act of purposefully creating controversy and havoc in online communities. Trollface originated with a short comic posted to 4chan's /v/ boards around November of 2008, and soon the face was cut, pasted, and photoshopped into any situation that had been or needed to be trolled. Trollface captures the sadistic pleasure of trolling, but is also used as a justification for misinformation. It's a reminder that we are all taking this too seriously, and that we were just trolling you anyway.
This post was assembled in anticipation of the trollish behavior (and the trollfaces) which will be the focus of TROLL, a new group show at Envoy Enterprises in the Lower East Side, curated by gay digital media art collective CTRL+W33D. The exhibit opens tonight from 6-9 and will remain up until July 15th. TROLL includes original work by a whole roster of internet-based artists, many of whom we've posted to Rhizome before, here's the full list of participants: Jacob Meehan, Brad Troemel, Kari Altmann, Andrew Laumann, Michael Magnan, Patrick Dyer, Dylan Reece, Chris Udemezue, Scott Hug, Ben Schumacher, Cody Critcheloe, Chris Bogia, Matt Lifson, Jarrod Beck, Elijah Burgher, Daniel Leyva, Lazaro Rodriguez, Ben Aqua, Da Sul Kim, Travess Smalley, Mark Spalding, Kristin Smallwood, Ivan Lozano, Khalid Al Gharaballi, Shawn Maximo, Borna Sammak, Fatima Al Qadiri, Jason Villegas, Paul Cupo, Venus Jazmin Soto, Adam Radokovich and Anthony Thornton.
Trying the Hand of God (2009) - Knifeandfork
Knifeandfork explores the media-perpetuated nature of the chance moment in Trying the Hand of God, hosting a carefully choreographed continuous reenactment of the infamous illegal, but not penalized, "Hand of God" soccer goal from the 1986 FIFA World Cup. The performance is staged on a recreation of Mexico City's Azteca Stadium, constructed within the confines of the MOCA Sculpture Plaza. A limited number of audience members have the opportunity to play the role of Diego Maradona, the Argentine soccer legend who scored the controversial goal against England during the quarterfinals, eventually leading his team to win the match and the tournament.
Through live performance, Knifeandfork introduces the potential for variations on a familiar, media-repeated image. The issue of variation is particularly interesting in this case, as the controversy over the "Hand of God" goal raised complex questions of chance, skill, and fate. In their choreographed reenactments, Knifeandfork attempts to control for all possible variables, yet the possibility of a "perfect" performance inevitably remains elusive. Rather, the repetitions serve as a form of kinetic documentation, both of what was and what might have been, and they grant the audience agency over the representation of this iconic event which has been otherwise ossified by media reproduction.
Deep Play (2008) - Harun Farocki
A formal expansion of the artist's essay films, Deep Play brings together 12 different vantages on one of the biggest television events to emerge in the new millennium--the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The event, held in Germany, was reportedly seen by an estimated 1.5 billion viewers worldwide. Unfolding in simultaneous, real-time montage, Deep Play depicts the artist's own footage of the game, official FIFA footage, charts of player stats, real-time 2D and 3D animation sequences, and stadium surveillance, exposing the visual, informational, and technological design of these grand cultural spectacles. Though visually bombarding at points, the network of images and data stages a reprocessed disarticulation of spectacle, aptly pointing out the present conditions of visuality and its overwhelming influence on representation and subjectivity.
En Juego (1996) - Eugenio Ampudia
3 Minute Loop
Machines that Almost Fall Over (2008) - Michael Kontopoulos
A system of sculptures that is constantly on the brink of collapse. My intention was to capture and sustain the exact moment of impending catastrophe and endlessly repeat it.


text: indeed Ireland in good weather can compete with many tourist spots. on the reunion topic: I went to a 25 year School reunion a number of years ago and as a result a group of us meet up on a relatively regular basis – not all of us still live in Cork – the maddest part of this – the intervening 25 years are just a blip – like we all just picked up where we left off 25 years ago!!


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About 20,000 Mass. customers still without power
National Grid hopes to get everyone back up by midnight Thursday
Fewer than 20,000 Massachusetts electric customers are without power days after superstorm Sandy struck the state.
A National Grid spokeswoman said Thursday morning that about 11,500 of the utility's customers were still in the dark, down from a peak of 237,000 at the height of the storm Monday night.
Spokeswoman Jackie Barry says National Grid "is ahead of where we expected to be" and hopes to have everyone back online by midnight Thursday.
Once the company's New England customers are back, the utility will send crews to help restoration efforts in other areas hammered by Sandy.
NStar was reporting fewer than 8,000 customers still without electricity Thursday morning.
Western Massachusetts Electric Co. was reporting just a few dozen outages and Unitil was reporting full restoration.


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A long time ago (March 2009) I dyed this sock blank:
I immediately cast on the socks.
I loved the socks while I was knitting them, but it took me 28 months to finish them.
Fittingly, I cast off on Independence Day.
Milo was overcome with joy.
I put the socks on for their photo-shoot and (if I may be bold) I think they look fantastic.
Looks can be deceiving, though. The socks are so tight I can hardly get them over my heel. I fear that if I wear them I will blow a hole in the heel (as I've done with two other pairs of super tight hand knit socks in recent months).
That's right, I spent 28 months knitting these socks and they don't fit.
:: sigh ::
Luckily, my mother's feet are two sizes smaller than mine and she likes pink. When she's in town later this month I will give them to her.
Until then, Milo thinks they make a stylish pillow.
I have been bucked off the sock knitting horse but I'm going to get right back in the saddle. This yarn is going on the needles next:
The kitties enjoy sitting in front of the door and watching the birds play in the dogs' water bowl. The birds are about three feet in front of the cats in this picture and they were both cackling like crazy.
As always, full details for the socks can be seen on the Ravelry page .


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Faculty Senate
Faculty Grants
Faculty Research Fund (FRF)
Faculty Research Fund grants aim to stimulate research, scholarship and creative activity by the University of Denver Faculty with an emphasis on development of scholarly and creative products versus only dissemination. This program targets smaller projects than the PROF with grants of up to $3000 for costs incurred that extend beyond normal departmental support. Applicants from units in which external funding is rare have priority. Appointed faculty from all units are encouraged to apply. Applications are accepted twice per year during the fall and spring quarters. Full information can be found at http://www.law.du.edu/forms/frf-grant/. For more information, contact Sarah Pessin, Chair of the Academic Planning Committee: email@example.com.
2004 - 2005 FRF Awards
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2009 - 2010 FRF Awards
2010 - 2011 FRF Awards
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2013 - 2014 FRF Awards
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PROF Fund
The PROF fund is a collaborative enterprise between the Senate, the Faculty, and the Associate Provost's Office. The organization of the program is grounded in a commitment to peer review as the strongest mechanism for assessing the merit of proposals across the diverse academic areas of the University. The goals of the fund are to support an increase in scholarly/creative activity by the faculty in a manner that strategically enhances the reputation of the University. Applications from single investigators for up to $20,000 are welcomed. Interdisciplinary or collaborative applications from two or more investigators can request up to $30,000. When applicable proposals are evaluated on the strength of link between the PROF outcomes and subsequent external funding. Applications are accepted once a year during the winter quarter. Full information can be found at http://portfolio.du.edu/profcw.


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Fox Hollow, Woodbury: Whole lotta love
The Inn at Fox Hollow and Rare650 restaurant are a couple for Valentine's Day, for an overnight stay, a dinner credit and breakfast for two.
Their "romance packages" start at $239 per night, with overnight stay and breakfast. The Rare650 package starts at $379 and includes a night in a suite at Fox Hollow, a $150 dinner credit to be used for two at Rare650 and transportation to and from each place.
If you're feeling especially lavish, the add-ons range from $65 for a dozen long-stemmed roses in your room to $200 for the roses, Champagne and Belgian chocolates.
Call 800-291-8090 for additional details and reservations.
Fox Hollow is at 7755 Jericho Tpke., Woodbury, 516-496-8000.
Rare650, 650 Jericho Tpke. Syosset; 516-224-8100
Dining at Rare650.


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What's a Kugelhopf? Find out at Breads Bakery
Your daily dose of something sweet.
On a recent visit to Breads Bakery to reacquaint myself with their canele, I spotted a pastry that I didn't recognize. It looked like a miniature bundt cake. I was embarrassed to learn it was a Kugelhopf. Even though I'd heard the name Kugelhopf for years, and vaguely thought it to be some kind of Austrian (only partially true) coffee cake, I didn't know much else about it. It turns out to have an interesting and controversial history.
Though small, Breads Bakery's Kugelhopf ($3.50) is a dense affair and packs a lot of cake into a single pastry. True to tradition, raisins and sugar are used sparingly. A small amount of orange and lemon zest add some additional flavor complexity. The outside is lightly browned with a subtle crust and the entire cake is coated with granular sugar. Kugelhopfs are typically made with active yeast in the dough, which makes for a chewier, almost doughnut-like experience. This held true for Breads Bakery's version. The low sweetness and slightly yeasty flavor also give credibility to the claim that a kugelhopf can be eaten at any time of day and with any food.
What's New On Serious Eats
To learn more about kugelhopfs I reached out to Zurich-based food and travel blogger Kerrin Rousset, who runs the blog MyKugelhopf. She said that while there is definitely more than one way to spell it—kugelhopf, kougelhopf, kouglof, etc. (she prefers the English "kugelhopf")—it has to be baked in a terra cotta enamel mold with fluting on the sides and a hole through the center. She also claimed "it's best served at least a day after baking, when it has dried out a bit. It can be dipped in coffee for breakfast or eaten later with a glass of white wine." Her blog has two excellent features dedicated to the bread-like sweet.
If your interest hasn't been piqued yet I'll leave you with some final words from David Lebovitz, who once proclaimed on Serious Eats that a kugelhopf from one Paris bakery is a "life changing experience." And if Paris or Vienna (or Alsace) is too inconvenient, try Breads Bakery's near Union Square.
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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So How Did One Of The Greatest R&B Singing Groups "112" Fall Apart?: Slim From 112 Speaks To Dj Envy About Diddy & More
If you aint know. 112 was one of the biggest male R&B groups when they was down with Bad Boy! Dj Envy interviews Slim from 112, they talk about Diddy and Bad Boy, Def Jam, and the group.
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55 's
Green Bone, Antiqued Gold Roses and Feathers Long Dangle Earrings
Check out now. Fast, Easy, Secure Checkout.
Color: Green
Wonderful bracelet! I love it!
Lovely, elegant. Thanks
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Here is a picture recently mailed to me with four of the children of Austin Sharp.
Austin Sharp married Martha Hazel Howard (1886-1965) on 22 February 1907 in Brigham City, Box Elder, Utah.
In the photo are:
Opal Adeline Sharp (1909-1995), married Carl Rudolph Stolberg (1901-1968),
Nelda Sharp (1914-1985), married Charles Edward Miller (1901-1984),
Vera Hazel Sharp (1907-1997), married Raymond Alvin Seifert (1909-1993),
and Carma Lillian Sharp (1912-1981), married Milton Edward Mercer (1913-1998).


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Good afternoon lovelies! I'm here to show you some more fabulousness! This gorgeous pale skin called Fuyu made by Izzie's is the first thing I would like to show you today. This one is available at The Costume Ball. This skin is a special edition and comes with blush and 4 lip colors tattoo layers in gloss and lipstick versions. It also includes a shape (not worn here) and a nailbase and eyebrow shape. The skin includes 2 versions with include 2 different eyebrow options with and without cleavage. Definitely a skin to check out if you love Izzie's! If you've never tried Izzie's skins I would recommend it. They are gorgeous!
The next thing I would like to show you is another design from The Costume Ball. This Mesh dress from Paper.Doll is just amazingly beautiful! It comes in two pieces, the corset and the skirt and includes several sizes to choose from and a great fitting alpha layer. It also includes the gloves layer! So beautiful! Go get yours now before it's too late.
Truth put out some new Mesh hairs this past weekend and this very cute over the shoulder style was just perfect for this sleeveless dress. I picked up the fades pack this time with the awesome colors. Truth comes out with some awesome styles so I would recommend getting down there! You might end up with an empty wallet or maxed credit card but I'll tell you, you will walk away feeling fab!
Happy Shopping lovelies!
❤ Dani
Skin: Izzie's – Fuyu Skin – Costume Ball Ed. w/plum lipgloss layer **@ Costume Ball**
Shape: Dani & Co.
Hair: Truth – Cheyenne – Mesh – Fades **NEW**
Dress: Paper.Doll – Dark Magic V2 – Mesh Dress w/gloves **@ Costume Ball**
Eyes: Mayfly – Deep Sky Mesh Eyes – Twilight Sea Shadow
Lashes: Redgrave – ExtraLong


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First beach day of the season! Today after work, Gabe and I headed to Perdido Keys and set up camp, as it were. We have a public beach here, completely full of tourists and visiting grandkids, and probably a few gallons of pee in the water thanks to diapers, not little swimmers...but I live closer to a lovely private beach. The only drawback is that monstrous jellyfish are always washing up on shore, which is awesome, until you go skinny dipping in the dark. Even then, they are pretty cool, glowing and dancing around you. Just the horrific sting and welting are bad enough to make you wary of these mysterious wonders.
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text: Best choice for entry-level DDR3-based motherboards DDR3 Dual channel Memory100% All high quality conductive polymer capacitorsASUS EPU - System Level Energy SavingASUS Turbo Key - Overclocking easily,Boost performance simply Shop Modal header Intel® Core™2 Extreme / Core™2 Quad / Core™2 Duo CPU support This motherboard supports Intel® LGA775 Core™ 2 Extreme / Core2 Quad/ Core2 Duo processors, which are excellent for multitasking, multimedia, and enthusiastic gamers with 1333/ 1066/ 800 MHz FSB. This motherboard also supports Intel® CPUs in the 45nm manufacturing process. Intel® G41 Chipset The Intel® G41 Express Chipset is designed to support dual-channel DDR2 1066 (overclocking)/800/667 architecture, 1333/1066/800 Front Side Bus (FSB), PCIe 1.1, and mutli-core CPUs. It especially includes Intel® Fast memory bandwidth and reduces the latency of the memory accesses. 100% Solid Cap This motherboard uses all high-quality conductive polymer capacitors onboard for durability, improved lifespan, and enhanced thermal capacity. Dual channel DDR3 1333 (O.C.)/1066 support This motherboard supports DDR3 memory that features data transfer rates of 1333 (O.C.)/1066 MHz providing great performance for 3D graphics and other memory-demanding applications. ASUS EPU The ASUS EPU (Energy Processing Unit) provides total system power management by detecting current PC loadings and intelligently moderating power in real-time. It automatically provides the most appropriate power usage to save power and money! Turbo Key ASUS Turbo Key allows you to turn the PC power button into a physical overclocking button. After the easy setup, Turbo Key can boost performances without interrupting ongoing work or games, simply through pressing the button. C.P.R. (CPU Parameter Recall) The BIOS C.P.R. feature automatically restores the CPU default settings when the system hangs due to overclocking failure. C.P.R. eliminates the need to open the system chassis and clear the RTC data. Simply shut down and reboot the system, and the BIOS automatically restores the CPU parameters to their default settings.* If overclocking failed, press the power button to turn off the system, then reboot the system. ASUS Q-Fan ASUS Q-Fan technology intelligently and automatically adjusts CPU fan speeds according to system load and temperature, enabling users to work in a distraction-free environment with minimal noise. ASUS CrashFree BIOS3 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 is an auto-recovery tool that allows you to restore a corrupted BIOS file using the bundled support DVD or USB disk that contains the latest BIOS file. EZ Flash2 ASUS EZ Flash 2 is a utility that allows you to update the BIOS without using an OS-based utility. ErP ready The motherboard is European Union´s Energy-related Products (ErP) ready, and ErP requires products to meet certain energy efficiency requirements in regards to energy consumptions. This is in line with ASUS vision of creating environment-friendly and energy-efficient products through product design and innovation to reduce carbon footprint of the product and thus mitigate environmental impacts. ASUS MyLogo2 This feature allows you to convert your favorite photo into a 256-color boot logo for a more colorful and vivid image on your screen.


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i'm too heartsick to excerpt from it... but guys, read this. please.
scroll down to orlando c's comment about his wife, where he says that he and his wife wanted to have kids, she got cancer, and he has been caretaking. and now they cannot have children, are looking into adopting, and are scared that if anyone discovers their kink, they won't be able to do that.
then read the comments from people who... get this... do not offer sympathy and do the decent thing which is rethink their stance or even just say "i disagree strongly with what you do, but I hope things go better for you"
but instead accuse him of using her illness to win sympathy points and question how much he respects and cares for her.
i... i just... radical feminists claim they're all about "respect for women," right, which the rest of us have sadly forgotten. but this is how they treat people.
how, ladies, how how HOW could i ever trust you to build a more caring, compassionate, and just world in accordance with a purer vision of respect for women or anyone else if THIS is how you treat people?
i know, the theory doesn't tell them to be mean. but "by their fruits shall ye know them." seriously.


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SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Chris Wondolowski and the San Jose Earthquakes are not going away.
Wondolowski scored his 10th goal of the season to lead the San Jose Earthquakes to a 1-0 victory against the Colorado Rapids on Wednesday at Buck Shaw Stadium. It was a league-high seventh game-winning goal for Wondolowski, MLS' reigning MVP, and it moved the sixth-place Quakes (13-11-8) within one point of the Rapids (13-10-9) and LA Galaxy (14-11-6), who hold the West's last two playoff spots.
San Jose improved to 4-0-1 in their last five matches as the 2012 Supporters' Shield winners attempt to complete an improbable comeback to make postseason play. The Quakes extended their unbeaten streak at home to 15 straight matches.
Colorado kept Wondolowski off the scoreboard with multiple saves before the reigning league MVP broke through in the 69th minute, snapping a powerful header from a Shea Salinas corner kick that left Rapids goalkeeper Clint Irwin flat-footed.
Although he won't win another Golden Boot, Wondolowski has now struck for double digits in league scoring for four straight years.
Wondo slipped deftly through a pair of Rapids defenders to walk in alone in the 51st minute, but Irwin quickly came off his line to smother the shot.
Colorado center back Drew Moor delivered a pair of goal-line saves in the same 64th-minute sequence – the first on Wondolowski with a slide, the second against Alan Gordon while prone – to keep the Quakes temporarily at bay.
Irwin had to make a diving deflection with his left hand to prevent Wondolowski from scoring off Salinas' free kick in the 69th minute. But Irwin could do nothing with the ensuing corner kick, which was a fitting result from the Quakes' perspective; San Jose took eight corners to Colorado's two, keeping the Rapids defense under pressure for much of the evening.
Gordon almost scored on an early corner, crashing a ninth-minute header high off the post and away from Colorado's goal.
Vicente Sánchez missed a golden opportunity to put the Rapids ahead in the 19th minute, but his 9-yard header off a dissecting cross from Edson Buddle skidded a foot wide of the open far post.
Colorado, who finish with a home-and-home series against hard-charging Vancouver, still hold their playoff hopes in their own hands. They next host the 'Caps on Oct. 19 before closing at Vancouver on Oct. 27.
San Jose, meanwhile, still need help even if they close the season with victories against the Galaxy (Oct. 16) and FC Dallas (Oct. 26).


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I am looking for a cheap application disk for my Switched on Schoolhouse curriculum. I lost mine in a move, I need 2008 or newer. I am not looking for any curriculum just the app disk.
SOS Application disk
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After all the anticipation, all the news leaks, Gov. Jerry Brown's soft launch of his tax increase plan this week was certainly unconventional.
But what would you expect?
Instead of staging a Capitol news conference to unveil the plan, Brown chose to post his proposal on Twitter, via what he called an "Open Letter to the People of California."
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
It brings to mind last year, when Brown decided to launch his campaign for governor, not by barnstorming around the state and staging noisy media events, but by posting a video on YouTube.
That video, relatively stark in nature, allowed Brown to outline his desire to return to the governorship after a 28-year absence by focusing on his political experience.
It set the stage for the campaign to come.
In much the same way, Brown is using social media to establish the tone for the upcoming taxation campaign.
"The stark truth is that without new tax revenues, we will have no other choice but to make deeper and more damaging cuts to schools, universities, public safety and our courts." Brown said in his Twitter post.
Brown's decision to make an end-run around the legislature and seek petition signatures to put his measure on the ballot reflects the calculus that it makes no sense to attempt to win legislative approval. He tried that last summer, but failed to strike a deal with a handful of Republican lawmakers on a temporary tax measure.
It also reflects what appears to be a shift in his outlook. Last year, when Brown was running for governor, he told me he believed he could forge positive relationships and establish a more collegial atmosphere in order to reach bipartisan agreements.
Bipartisanship is an endangered concept these days.
In fact, one of the Republicans he negotiated with last year on taxes was quick to issue a blistering response to Brown's latest plan.
"If he really cared about protecting schools and ourmost vulnerable, he will stop whining and get back to the negotiating table," Sen. Sam Blakeslee (R-San Luis Obispo) said.
Brown's plan seeks to tax the wealthy and boost the sales tax, with the revenues to be spent on education and public safety. Voters consistently have opposed cuts to those programs.
But as the governor ramps up his campaign, he'll have to seek agreement with other groups that are pitching their own tax proposals. If he can't clear the field, voters will react with hostility to a ballot loaded with tax measures.
Let us know what you think. Comment below, send us your thoughts via Twitter @PropZero or add your comment to our Facebook page.


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Thursday, August 6, 2009
Kae's New Bear Form
5 comments:
- Kirei said...
YAY! lol I'm so jealous of the new druid forms. Not saying they certainly weren't needed for druids.. I'm just jealous XD
Can't level my druid yet.
Can't level my druid yet.
Can't level my druid yet.
BAH! lol :)
- August 6, 2009 at 4:19 PM
- Keeva said...
I'm now levelling Drucie because she is my herb/miner druid. Awesome stuff:
a) she gets a Tome from Keeva and can fly around in Northrend right now (she's 69)
b) normal flight form is now 150% speed and feels SO much faster than before.. but
c) since I'm not raiding, I'm earning 500g a day from just dailies (plus all my AH-dabbling), so in less than 10 days I can have an epic speed druid flying around Northrend farming for me.
I love farming.
I love my druids.
Drucie is black.. so she is a kickass black cat with red markings.. and a skunk bear! :P
- August 6, 2009 at 5:19 PM
- Kae said...
@Kirei: wha? Go level your druid! :D
@Keeva: Haha... I dunno, the tauren bears just have big butts; the elf black bear is slimmer and has a cuter face (no mustache), but has that silly white streak down the back :) I've been cracking up at it the couple times I've logged in to Kae-elf since the patch hit.
Yay for super-gold-farming druid alts, though; that'll be awesome for you to have swift flight form for herbing. I think it still shifts you out for mining, though, ne?
- August 6, 2009 at 5:41 PM
- Keeva said...
I don't like the Tauren bear-beard. What's that all about?
- August 8, 2009 at 2:33 AM
- Kae said...
I honestly don't know. It's been bugging me, too :( It's like they decided that the tauren ferals are all male, and the elven ferals are all female... manes on the lions, beards on the bears, and more feminine colors and a lack of beards on the night elf versions.
It's funny: when viewing the preview screenshots, I was disappointed at the sideburns on the night elf bear, and felt I could deal with the tauren bear's beard. Since playing them, the opposite is true! My skunk-bear is my favorite form now.
- August 8, 2009 at 8:48 AM


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I've been trying to post regularly, sometimes I fall short. Ever since my car accident in December, I've suffered neck and shoulder pain. Sitting in front of the computer can be very uncomfortable so I've been limiting my time online. I've been avoiding everything that seems to leave me more achy than usual. I find myself lying in bed most of the time. I've tried physical therapy, but it was little help. My insurance
Seven months to go... yippee! I'm beyond frustrated. I started exercising in February, but the pain was more than I wanted to bear so I stopped. After the MRI, I started again, I started with just completing a mile on the treadmill. Each day, I add a little more rather than going all gun-ho. It seems to be going ok, definitely a lot better than last month. But I still have bad days. It's not even clear what makes it a good day or bad day. I haven't found real rhyme or reason. I'm determined to press on and make it over this hurdle.
I don't think I ever mentioned that I bought a new car before the new year, it's a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. It is a great little car for the price. It has cloth seats that are heated. I don't like leather in the desert, but I do love me some heated seats so that sold me. I've had it almost three months and I have no complaints. I miss having no payment, but I don't miss my Impala. Even Frank is comfortable in the Elantra, we took it to San Diego and we both enjoyed the ride.
In addition to the warm perfect weather, I'm looking forward to the fun and adventures that lie ahead. Ecuador is around the corner, it's crazy how quickly that trip has sprung up. I've also booked trips in May to San Francisco for my brother-in-law's wedding and to Chicago for my sister's baby shower. Amy just found out that the baby is a girl. Her and Jeff are ectastic. Nicky really wanted a brother, but I'm certain he'll love having a little sister. I know he'll be such a great brother. I'm thrilled that I'll have a niece and nephew.


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this spice boosts fat loss
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=> Ginger
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Pa. AG taps ex-prosecutor to lead Sandusky probe
Keeping a campaign promise, Pennsylvania's new attorney general appointed a special deputy Monday to investigate Gov. Tom Corbett's handling of the Penn State child sexual abuse case and why it took so long to bring charges against former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky.
The appointee, H. Geoffrey Moulton Jr., is "a highly respected former federal prosecutor who will assist us in providing a comprehensive and independent examination of the facts," Attorney General Kathleen Kane said in a news release announcing the move.
Kane, who was sworn in last month as the first woman and first Democrat to be elected attorney general, said she would make the findings public "once the facts have been uncovered," but she did not set a timeline for completing the probe nor comment further.
She had pledged during her campaign last year to investigate why it took the attorney general's office nearly three years to charge Sandusky.
Corbett, a Republican, was the attorney general for most of that time, which included his 2010 campaign for governor. He cites the successful prosecution as proof that the state investigation was effective and denied playing politics with the probe to ensure that it didn't become public while he was running for governor.
Sandusky was arrested in November 2011, nearly a year after Corbett was sworn in as governor. Sandusky was convicted of 45 of 48 child sexual abuse counts and is serving a prison term of 30 to 60 years.
Moulton, 54, a part-time associate professor at the Widener University School of Law, spent eight years as a prosecutor in the Philadelphia-based federal courts. That included four years as first assistant U.S. attorney, supervising 130 lawyers and all major cases.
He also served in senior positions in the federal government in Washington from 2009 to 2011.
Moulton will be paid an hourly rate of $72.24 an hour and will have access to experts in the attorney general's office as needed, said Ellen Mellody, Kane's spokeswoman.
The Sandusky case exploded into a nationally prominent scandal that marred the reputations of Penn State and revered football coach Joe Paterno, who died in January 2012. It also resulted in criminal cover-up charges against former university President Graham Spanier and two of his former lieutenants, and led the NCAA to impose sanctions on Penn State that included a four-year ban on bowl play and $60 million in fines.
A statewide poll conducted by Quinnipiac University last month showed the scandal has hurt the governor politically. Fifty percent of the 1,221 voters polled said they disapproved of Corbett's handling of the Penn State situation over the last few years. Twenty-six percent approved and 24 percent did not have an opinion.
However, Corbett scored some points for filing an antitrust challenge to the NCAA sanctions. The poll showed 43 percent of the respondents approved of the filing, while 37 percent disapproved.


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Learn more about our programs:
During our Sunday morning worship service we offer loving care for infants and toddlers as well as engaging programming for pre-school and school-age children.
Our team of carefully chosen volunteer teachers use story, discussion, plays, arts and crafts, cooperative games, activities and music to create a fun, interactive experience for young people.
Our programs for children strive to:
- Honour our children's natural curiosity and sense of wonder
- Familiarize our children with our Unitarian Universalist heritage and values and with the beliefs and practices of the world's religions
- Encourage children's appreciation for our shared humanity and respect for the diversity of opinion, ability, affectional orientation and ethnicity among us
- Foster children's sense of connectedness to the extended spiritual family in our congregation and support parents in a community of like-minded individuals
- Inspire children and youth to act for justice, equity and compassion
Family Winter Retreat 2017
Registration is now open for all First families who want to attend this year's Winter Family Retreat at beautiful Cedar Glen YMCA in Schomberg.
Join us January 20 to 22, 2017 for a weekend of fun, snowy outdoor activities, and connecting with other First families.
Download the registration form, which includes instructions on where to mail your cheque.


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Arc'teryx Bora 40
The Bora 40 has been discontinued. It was replaced by the Arc'teryx Bora AR 50.
The original Arc'teryx Bora pack series was discontinued in 2014. The newly redesigned Bora AR pack series currently only goes down to a 50-liter size.
Historic Range: $52.00-$199.00
Reviewers Paid: $40.00-$300.00
4-star: 2
3-star: 0
2-star: 1
1-star: 0
I've had this backpack for as long as I can remember, and it's been my most useful item. It's been to Thailand for month long excursions twice, and to about every backpacking weekend trip in Washington state. This pack is bulletproof. For my Thailand trips, it wasn't quite the capacity I needed, but, I was willing to sacrifice storage capacity for weight and space, and it really made my journey a pleasant experience.
If you are going to be hiking in backcountry with lots of gear, I'd suggest a bigger pack. But, for a weekend mountaineering excursion, this pack is perfect. I typically load it with the following:
Change of clothes
first aid kit
2 liters of water (in nalgene bottles)
nesting cook pots/pans
ultralight campstove with fuel (nests inside pots)
miscellaneous camp gear, flashlights, matches, etc
On the outside, I strap down:
lightweight tent
sleeping bag
I feel this configuration is 'slightly' overloaded for this pack, but it works out.
I am 6'2" tall, and really appreciate how well the pack forms to my body and holds the weight near my hips. Very stable. What impresses me most, is the bombproof construction of this unit... it amazes me the weather and force this bag has withstood, barely showing any wear at all.
Design: top loading internal
Size: 40L
Number of Pockets: 2
Max. Load Carried: 35lb
Height of Owner: 6'2
Price Paid: $300
This bag is great for a hike-in, hike-out overnighter, but this thing gets bad after that.
I've traveled all over the place with this bag: 20-mile hikes in the woods, in and out of airports, and I use it as a book bag for school. Although the bag is diverse, it lacks in a few areas of what I like to call "technical performance."
First of all, I've hiked several trails through the West Virginia wilderness, and I'm unpleased with the shape and contour of the internal frame of the pack.
Second, I lug this bag on the jetliners as my cary-on. Well, the straps are in a constant up-right position, that makes the pack hard to stuff into negotiable places.
And finally the bag has lots of room, but the dimensions of the bag make parts of the bag hard to reach, and impractical.
Design: top-loading
Height of Owner: 6'3"
Used this pack for the southern 1,000 miles of the Appalachian Trail (2005). Aside from occasional overnights it sat in my closet for a few years before that. Held up well, except for a blow-out along the seam on the shoulder strap where I pick the pack up from (and holy crap does it smell!). In the hot southern summer, it was fine for carrying what little gear I needed. Only strapped gear on the outside when I had five days of food inside. Lasted longer than most small packs I saw, but definately weighed more. Now that it's been trashed, I am considering a Bora 50.
Design: top-loading internal
Number of Pockets: 3
Max. Load Carried: 35 -> 40 lbs.
Height of Owner: 6' 2"
This is my go to pack for just about every day hike I do. I manage to stuff it with the "ten essentials" of hiking and then some. So far it has stood up well having been to the summits of many mountans in the Cabinet Mountain Wilderness area of northern Montana. The only drawback as far as I am concerned are the worthless sidepockets. I lost a few Nalgene bottles before I got wise and stopped carrying them in that location.
Size: 40 liters
Number of Pockets: 3
Max. Load Carried: 25 pounds
Height of Owner: 5' 11"
Price Paid: $40 (Ebay)
Great pack for the first eight times I used it, then the hip belt pulled out of the squash pods, didn't have it for two months. MEC wouldn't warranty it, didn't have replacement belts. Talking to two reps from MEC, two different stories on warranty. Don't buy this pack until they reinforce the squash pod to the nylon belt. The pack won't even hold a down jacket, nylon shell, headlamp and binoculars without breaking down. I was worried about the attachment point when I bought it MEC said they've never had that problem, yeah I'm the sucker.
Design: top loading
Size: 40 litre
Max. Load Carried: 15 lbs
Height of Owner: 5'11''
Price Paid: $200 cdn
This bag is my dream goddess. I've carried it everywhere, for school and mountaineering in Washington state. It was well worth getting the long version for a tall person, and two side clutter-sacks to attach to side straps usually get it as full as i need it. You know the saying about filling up every little bit of space you have...this is just the right size for anything, really, and nice daisy chains on the outside allow you to pretty much strap on anything you can think of. I love this backpack. if I had the next size bigger i would just carry more useless stuff.
Only complaints are that the under-top and top pocket cinch straps are a little bit too wussy. It would have worked better as a floating lid pack, but we can't have everything in life, can we?
The point of life.....is to be totally aware of it
Design: internal alpine
Size: 40 litres, i think
Number of Pockets: 1 big 1 med 2 top
Max. Load Carried: lots and lots
Height of Owner: 6'1
Price Paid: $210 CND
I've had this pack for about eight months and have used it several times. It's made out of 1000den cordura nylon packcloth and has a suspension system that's fit for kings. The hipbelt is nicely padded and makes sure that the weight is not only concentrated on your hips, but your lumbar area as well. I bought a long, when I should have bought a medium but my back is still well supported when the load is big. Arc'Teryx packs are Super Strong and are worth every single penny, eventhough they're a tiny bit expensive. Primo packs for real bush wackers and I've been told many times that they are prefered to The North Face packs any day.
Design: Internal
Size: 40 litres (around 2900)
Number of Pockets: 2 large, 2 with minimal capacity
Max. Load Carried: 30lbs tops
Height of Owner: 5,8
Price Paid: $189 (cdn)
Arc'Teryx have really got it sorted out with this pack. It's got an internal closed cell frame backed with a PVC sheetplus single aluminium stay. Really contoured molded hipbelt (they are good for this ) and the back stays away for ventilation too. A great fit and enuff straps for technical alpine assault sack (OK, mebbe a bit small ). After reading a good review on its 60 litre brother in Rock and Ice, this little pack does the job well. May get the 60-litre version when I retire my existing alpine sack.
Design: internal
Size: 40 litres/2500cu?
Number of Pockets: top lid
Max. Load Carried: 15kg/35lbs
Height of Owner: 5'8"
Price Paid: $80 on a sale