text:
EDITORIAL: Congress shouldn't need manufactured crises to do its job
For anyone concerned with preserving the unique character of the Senate, the good news is that the chamber on Tuesday barely averted a potentially earth-shaking vote on how it operates. The bad news is that it took another manufactured crisis for the Senate to do one of its core jobs -- confirm qualified nominees to executive-branch positions.
Republicans had wantonly exploited Senate rules to delay or kill action on presidential appointments they didn't like. They stalled or prevented up-or-down confirmation votes on obviously qualified nominees because they objected to the organizations those nominees were tapped to lead. The reply that Democrats had abused the rules from time to time in the past decade doesn't pass the two-wrongs test, to say the least.
Exasperated, Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) threatened to rally his Democrats to change Senate rules, barring filibusters on nominees to the executive branch. What made this plan controversial -- the "nuclear option" -- is that the Democrats would have changed the rules with only 51 votes, not the typical 67. For the first time, a narrow, partisan majority would have forced big rules changes on the minority, a precedent that, if repeated, could have led to a fundamental reshaping of the Senate.
Instead, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) took the political risk of brokering a last-minute deal with the Democrats that helps President Obama. Enough Republicans will break ranks to quash filibusters on President Obama's nominees, beginning with Richard Cordray, whose nomination to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was finally confirmed Tuesday. In return, Mr. Reid will not seek rules changes. Something like this should have happened in the first place -- fair treatment of executive nominees -- without the threat of going nuclear.
Both sides emerge from this deal still brandishing the weapons they held going in. Republicans will still be able to filibuster pretty much anything. Democrats will still be able to threaten to change the rules by a simple-majority vote.
The need to stage grand confrontations with amped-up stakes to accomplish routine legislative business is, to put it mildly, not healthy for Congress or the country. Bringing the Senate back into order requires the minority -- currently the Republicans -- to refrain from abusing its many privileges. Filibusters, senatorial holds and other tactics of obstruction should be used rarely, not as a matter of routine, as the GOP has done. To promote that goal, both parties should continue to reform Senate rules by negotiation. This has so far produced small but durable changes to how the chamber functions.
Over the past month, the Senate has demonstrated that it can get some things done. It passed a bipartisan immigration reform bill with 68 votes. Mr. McCain and Mr. Reid showed Tuesday that compromise is still possible on politically difficult matters. But lawmakers can't take pride in a Senate that is just one notch above dysfunctional. The latest episode should encourage them to seek a Senate that works.
Editorial courtesy of the Washington Post, washingtonpost.com.


text:
... Aria is a chick
... Aria is a chick
Shocker! |:p
No i mean wtf is with the genitalia area? I get the feeling that the artist tried to over exagerate everything and failed.
yeh, I know... kinda scary now that I look for a while. :_
Regardless, IDK if King'll have a field day with this or not. :p
None of us get it right the first few times, you'll get used to it. :p
most times my simple design doens't pay attention to it, so i've barely done it. (Thats what she-) Shut up.
aria's been workin out
i kinda like it though!
You might want to go research some genitals. wait that didn't sound right... er go find some human anatomy references.
no esta tan mal, de todos modos...
i like the art style but it give me the chills T~T
JPespinoza: It's not that bad, anyways.
Silly color scheme, thats not how you're supposed to look
Meanwhile, 4 image posts later...
Oh dear gods

subset: commoncrawl


text:
A collection of scholarly works about individual liberty and free markets. A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.
? - —
Historical Period:
The 20th Century and Beyond
Henry Manne was one of the early proponents of the study of law and economics. He founded the Center for Law and Economics, now at George Mason University.


text: New technique for imaging myelin loss and repair shows potential for identifying compounds with future potential to treat MS October 3, 2013 Researchers in Cleveland and London, funded by the National MS Society have achieved a new way to visualize and monitor the loss and repair of nerve-insulating myelin over time, creating a non-invasive tool to identify compounds with future potential to treat MS. Their studies used PET (positron emission tomography) imaging in rats as a non-invasive way to detect myelin damage and its subsequent repair by an experimental compound. Yanming Wang, PhD, Chunying Wu, PhD, Robert Miller, PhD, and colleagues at Case Western Reserve University and Imperial College, London, recently reported results in the Annals of Neurology. Background: In multiple sclerosis, myelin, the fatty substance that surrounds and protects nerve fibers, is attacked and destroyed, leading to many possible neurological symptoms. Several therapies currently under development aim at promoting myelin repair, but there is no established means of observing myelin repair over time in a non-invasive manner. MRI scans are commonly used to image disease activity in the brain, but MRI is not sensitive enough to reveal specific information about myelin damage or repair. Thus, a new imaging technique is crucial for assessing how well new therapies aimed at myelin repair work. The study: With funding from the National MS Society, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Wang and colleagues have developed and tested a new molecular probe called MeDAS that, when injected into the bloodstream, enters the brain and spinal cord and binds specifically to myelin. After injecting rats with a trace amount of MeDAS that is tagged with a radioactive tracer, they then imaged the spinal cord using PET (positron emission tomography), which traced the radioactivity to create images that visualize where in the spinal cord the MeDAS went. They observed that MeDAS labeled only regions with intact myelin, and not regions where myelin is damaged or destroyed. Thus, MeDAS is a "myelin-specific label." Next, they used two models for MS in rats, including EAE, to validate this new technique. Subsequent imaging studies showed a strong correlation of MeDAS uptake with myelin content, enabling PET imaging to identify regions in which myelin had been lost compared to regions in which myelin remained intact. Finally, in rats treated with an experimental therapy previously shown to stimulate myelin repair in the laboratory, the team was able to use MeDAS-PET imaging technique to monitor the effectiveness of myelin repair in the spinal cord. Importantly, they also showed that MeDAS-PET imaging could detect and quantify the amount of myelin independent of inflammation present in the brain. This is important because inflammation is present in the brains of people with MS. Comment: This novel study was performed in rats, and much work, including safety studies, will be needed before imaging with MeDAS can be done in humans. In the meantime, this technique may be useful for screening the potential of various therapeutics currently under development for repairing myelin. Ultimately, it is possible this technique could be used to evaluate results of clinical trials focusing on repairing the brain and spinal cord in order to restore function in people with MS. Read more about research to repair tissue damage in MS.


text:
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska - Exercise Alaska Shield and Vigilant Guard-Alaska 2014 kicked off at 10:10 a.m. yesterday when a mock earthquake with a magnitude of 9.2 occurred in Jonah Bay in Prince William Sound.
Vigilant Guard-Alaska 2014 is a regional, tactically focused exercise that is focused on the response and recovery from a major earthquake and tsunami. The exercise is designed to test the response capabilities of local and state authorities and their ability to work together during a disaster.
Alaska National Guardsmen from the 208th Construction Management Team and the 207th Engineer Support Platoon were notified that as part of the simulation, Alaska's Governor Sean Parnell declared a state of emergency disaster, activated the National Guard and implemented the state emergency plan.
"We're tasked today with providing damage assessment throughout the Mat-Su Borough, in support of the Mat-Su Emergency Operation Center," said Maj. Mark Kelliher, commander of the 208th Construction Management Team. "This includes verifying that the critical infrastructure is operational and sending those initial reports through Orion™ software."
The engineers mobilized to meet with Mat-Su Borough representatives at three local cities: Palmer, Wasilla and Houston.
Casey Cook, Emergency Manager with the Mat-Su Borough Department of Emergency Services, briefed local responders and Alaska Guardsmen at the Central Mat-Su Fire Department, Station 6-5 in the Cottonwood Public Safety Building.
"Our mission is to get information and turn it into intelligence that we can use to plan for further operational periods," said Cook.
In the scenario, local infrastructures such as bridges, roads, homes and businesses were damaged.
The engineers responded to simulated damage sites and reported the findings back to an EOC using a mobile application.
"Using this software, we can send pictures and damage descriptions to our operations center in real time," said Cook. "We can also upload those to the state or FEMA operations center.
They can then use real-world knowledge to start planning for their response to the local communities."
Orion™, a mobile system by Futurity, allows first responders to collect critical damage assessment data necessary for emergency agencies to coordinate and deploy resources.
Cook said the data collected allows agencies to determine how they can provide local residents with items such as food, shelter and water.
"This training is beneficial to the Alaska National Guard because we are able to work with other state agencies in preparation for a disaster event in Alaska," Kelliher said.
Approximately 1,150 Air and Army National Guardsmen from Alaska, Hawaii, Ore., Wash., Neb., Wis., Ariz., Calif., Nev., Idaho, Minn., N.D. and Utah are set to participate in AS/VG- AK14 across the state, from March 27 through April 2.
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|03.28.2014 14:56
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This work, Alaska National Guard engineers provide damage assessment during disaster response exercise, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.


text:
All Orange Tree Trade staffs want to tell you how we collect and protect your information.
Certain features and services on the orangetreetrade.com require that you register and supply some information that allows us to identify you. we collect information you provide when you place an order, register with us, send us an e-mail.This information may include:


text:
Chopard Imperiale 18ct White Gold Cushion Cut Amethyst Ring
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text:
I realize this may be a subjective question, but I'd really like to know what the consensus is. I know that WotC changed the way they calculate monster damage from MM3 and onwards, but there's isn't much errata for the first books. So:
Do I use the old damage values?
Do I completely recalculate the numbers based on their tables?
Do I double the non-rolled damage?
Do I use some other method?


text:
MOD Trio from Syracuse will perform Feb. 2 in Hamilton
HAMILTON -- The MOD Trio from Syracuse will present a concert of contemporary improvisational music at the Hamilton Center for the Arts, upstairs at 10 Broad St. in Hamilton, on Saturday, Feb. 2 at 8 p.m.
The name "MOD" is an anagram of band members' names: bassist Max McKee, pianist Jim O'Mahoney, and drummer Josh Dekaney. Moreover, "MOD" stands for the trio's search for new ideas for improvised music by choosing more contemporary material.
Listening to a set of the trio's music, it would not be uncommon to find Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" juxtaposed with something off the current pop charts such as Ellie Goulding's "Lights." This flexibility of material, in conjunction with original compositions by the band members and clever takes on classic jazz compositions, makes for a memorable listening experience. All this is enhanced by the members' individual prowess on their instruments and their ability to improvise as a unit.
Admission is $10. Refreshments will be served.
For more information call the Hamilton Center for the Arts at 315-368-4453.


text:
Apple iLife 09 Enhancing your iLife
Apple iLife '09's fancy features promises to make working with images and videos a breeze.
Announced at this year's Macworld, iLife '09's new flashy features caught the attention of the Mac community.
Although it wasn't as groundbreaking as most Mac fans were hoping for, it still has a few impressive features such as face recognition for photos and image stabilisation for videos. For the purpose of the review, we will mainly focus on the new features of iPhoto '09 and iMovie '09.
Pros: Faces and Places helpful for managing photos; easy to create slideshows; iMovie's intuitive drag-and-drop interface.
Cons: Face recognition can be improved; Places interface a little clunky; audio editing in iMovie hasn't improved.
iLife '09
(Apple Computer)
Multimedia creation suite
System requirements: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Price: RM299 (bundled free with new Macs)
Apple iLife 09,Apple iLife 09 News, Apple iLife 09 World News, Apple iLife 09 Updates, Apple iLife 09 Latest, Apple iLife 09 Popular, Apple iLife 09 Biodata, Apple iLife 09 Biography, Apple iLife 09 Photo, Apple iLife 09 Video, Apple iLife 09 History, Apple iLife 09 Scandal, News, World news, World updates news, World today, International news, Local news, Asia news, Asia-Pacific news, Malaysia news, Europe news, U.S news, Americas news, Africa news, Middle East news, America Latin news, Asia, Asia Pacific, Malaysia, Europe, U.S, America, Africa, Middle East, America Latin, Latest news, Popular news, Breaking news, Headline news, Headline, Gallery news, News gallery, News hour, Top stories, News channel, Channel news, News web, Web news, News space, Sports news, Science news, Technology news, Science and technology news, Politics news, Political Scandal, Economy news, Health news, Business news, NASA News, Apollo 11 News, Sports, Science, Technology, Science and technology, Politics, Economy, Health, Business, NASA, APOLLO 11, Tragedy, Terrorism, Terrorist, Bf1,netbook, notebook, software


text:
Since 1997, We have been breeding AKC blocky English-style yellow and black Labradors Retrievers. Pet, show, and hunting companions.
All adults tested OFA (hips/elbows) CERF annually (eyes) references. Sweet, calm temperaments. AKC. Champion bloodlines. All of our dogs are raised inside our home and are a part of our family. Our puppies are born and raised in our home. They receive plenty of love and gentle handling. Our puppies are part of our family until they are ready to be placed with their new approved families.


text:
Ten years ago, through the generosity of Ash and Gloria Gerecht and the National Center to Encourage Judaism, HUC-JIR received a generous gift that has enabled the College-Institute to develop comprehensive outreach education for students at all three stateside centers of learning and to create opportunities for advanced study for alumni in the field. This website is a resource to all current students and alumni of HUC-JIR, designed to advance the cause of outreach in Reform Judaism.
To read more click here.
Generous Funding provided by Ash and Gloria Gerecht and the National Center to Encourage Judaism (NCEJ)


text:
30 comments:
The photo of that small boy is great, and the bokeh is gorgeous, and you discovered what I also saw: even with (µ) Four Thirds, I stop a bit down the closer I come. When using flash in a studio-like setup, it's mostly f=5.6 anyway, and more or less the whole head/shoulders part will be in focus.ReplyDelete
Nice portrait of you as well. The reflections from the table onto your hands/arms are superb, would probably work as well in B&W?Replies
Hey Wolfgang,Delete
Thanks for the compliments. I agree, I should have stopped down the aperture, but I got a little greedy there so I wanted to see what the F1.8 is truly capable of.
That is some razor thin DOF. Thanks for calling that to our attention. That's something to keep in mind when shooting up close.ReplyDelete
- Michal Baranski7/05/2012 09:21:00 PM
The photo of the boy should be shown to anybody complaining about too great DOF in µFT system!ReplyDelete
Great review anyway (as always)!Replies
Thanks Michal !!Delete
Thanks for the extra images and thoughts. Instead of using the 75mm as a portrait lens, I can see this becoming a good telephoto option along with the Panasonic 100-300mm. Even though the Oly 75mm is not cheap, it is certainly more affordable than the upcoming Panasonic 35-100mm f2.8 lens will probably be.ReplyDeleteReplies
Hey Wataru,Delete
Thanks for the kind compliments, and I agree, the 75mm seems like a good alternative for those who do not like to shoot with long lenses. Yet the 75mm is sharper, and has F1.8 !
WOW WOW,ReplyDelete
Seriously, thanks for these shots. I must say these test photos are better than "official" shots I've seen.
The Chinese Opera shots and the boy's portrait are stunning examples.
Normally, I shoot with a 90mm Elmarit on M4/3 and have always been pleased with the DOF,
I can't wait to finally shoot with an autofocus lens, with similar focal length and light qualities on the OMD.
Thanks again!Replies
Hey Derek,Delete
You were bring too kind !! Thanks for the kind words.
I am sure you will enjoy the 75mm on the OMD. It was as if the lens was made specifically for the OMD.
- Anonymous7/06/2012 05:01:00 AM
Hi RobinReplyDelete
The shot is as excellent as it can and I think I may have to switch to M43... lighter weight and more shooting.
Thanks for the wonderful pictures
Francis - TorontoReplies
Hey Francis,Delete
thanks for the kind words. I am sure switching to micro 4/3 system is a good move. The system has really matured now.
Robin, I though you said you couldn't get close with this lens ? Nice shot BTW!ReplyDelete
Is the child at minimum focus distance ? Or could you have gone closer ?
Hey c.d. embrey,Delete
I was not close enough, not because of the lens but my position. If only I was possibly 5-8 meters closer to the stage I would deliver better images.
For the baby boy photo, I was not aware if I was already at the minimum focusing distance, possible I could go in just that bit closer. Sorry that thought did not cross my mind, all I considered was to fit and fill his head in my frame.
- magonye7/06/2012 02:01:00 PM
Great again, Robin!!Delete
Love that depth of field on the child photo. This 1.8 looks terrific!!! I
Thanks Magonye !Delete
I had a Press pass to the Legendary Concert recently, and i was using the Olympus 45mm with my OM-D. I was about 10 meters away from the stage. If only i had the 75mm! Should have given you a call. But not being too close (or with a lens that is not too long) has it's advantages too, taking contextual shots is pretty nice too http://flic.kr/s/aHsjAkesjJReplyDelete
The Holy Trinity for the OM-D is the 12/2 45/1.8 and 75/1.8 With those three lenses, it covers nearly any scenario. You can conquer the world with them.Replies
Many thanks Robin. I was not at all interested in this lens, but as I evolve into more personal projects and less studio shooting, it intrigues me.ReplyDelete
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Scrappy Mug Rug swap on Flickr. I decided to go with Flea Market Fancy in a half Dresden plate. Don't go thinking I'm being too generous, these are very small pieces of fabric. The entire mini quilt is approx. 5x8 inches! :)
Cristin. September is her month in the Bee-autiful quilting bee. Aren't these blues and greens amazing??
Megan's month in the bee. I loved sewing with these out-of-print fabrics, and her quilt is going to be gorgeous.


text:
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text: Show Hide image Culture 14 February 2013 The many provocations of Norman Stone (1941-2019) A 2013 NS interview with the late military historian. Sign-up In the acknowledgements section to his latest book, World War Two: a Short History, Norman Stone refers to the "good collection of books on the Second World War" that he has built up over the years. One of his earliest purchases, he writes, was A J P Taylor's The Origins of the Second World War, the first 100 pages of which (devoted to demonstrating the weaknesses of the European order established after the Treaty of Versailles in 1919) remain, in his view, "hugely valuable". When I meet him at the London offices of his publisher, Stone needs no second invitation to talk about Taylor. "I'd say those first hundred pages [of The Origins of the Second World War] are the best hundred pages he ever wrote," he tells me. Stone, who is now 71, got to know Taylor in the late 1960s. They first met when Stone was a young research fellow at Cambridge, though the encounter didn't go especially well. "I sent him an article I'd done and he said, 'Come to lunch,'" he recalls. "The second Mrs Taylor was there and she was rather a difficult lady." He doesn't say exactly what went wrong but the relationship recovered from that inauspicious start. "We used to talk quite a lot," Stone says. And when, late in life, Taylor was stricken with Parkinson's disease, Stone would visit him with his old friend, the economic historian Robert Skidelsky. "Robert and I would go to see him when his mind had gone. A sad business . . ." Stone prefers to remember Taylor when his prodigious gifts were intact. And it is clear that he sees in the terse, epigrammatic brilliance of Taylor's prose a model to, if not emulate, then at least imitate. "People criticised him for popularising but you'd always find something in his books – even casual halfsentences would have quite a lot of learning behind them." He certainly shares some of his hero's flair for concentrated precis – in an otherwise ambivalent recent review of World War Two for the New Statesman, Richard J Evans praised Stone's "gift for saying a lot in a small space" – though some historians have been suspicious of his fluency, as they were of Taylor's. One such was the historian of the Soviet Union E H Carr, who in 1976 wrote an unsparing review of Stone's first book, which dealt with the Eastern Front during the First World War. Carr called the book a "muddle" and disparaged its author's tendency to indulge in "slapdash impressionism on major issues". Stone chose the posthumous publication, in 1982, of the 15th volume of Carr's history of the USSR as the occasion on which to get his revenge. In an extravagantly vituperative review of The Twilight of the Comintern in the London Review of Books, he assailed Carr for his tenderness towards Stalin. It destroyed, Stone argued, any claim that the History of Soviet Russia might have had to being the definitive treatment of the subject. Stone didn't bother to pretend he wasn't settling scores – he noted how many "good books had fallen under [Carr's] disapproval" – but his assessment of Carr's behaviour in the early part of the Second World War was surely just, even if it wasn't necessarily fair. While the Nazi-Soviet pact still held, Carr had been an enthusiastic appeaser. "The patriotic atmosphere of 1940," Stone wrote, "left him cold." The new book vividly evokes the atmosphere that Carr found so distasteful. Stone talks with feeling about the revolt of MPs in September 1939 when the prime minister Neville Chamberlain seemed to be suggesting that negotiation with Hitler was still possible, just as German tanks were rumbling over the Polish border. "It's an anticipation of 1940," he says. "The MPs just don't want to be pushed around any more. It's difficult to capture that mood. There's a bit of a parallel with the Falklands War. I can remember getting into a taxi and the driver saying, 'We've got to bash that man [Argentina's General Galtieri]. I got to Trinity College and said, 'We've got to bash that man!' Academic chins hit tables! But when this country's blood is up . . ." Stone was a great admirer of Margaret Thatcher, and a few years after her victory in the South Atlantic he became an adviser to her on foreign affairs. Today, he thinks Thatcher's foreign policy stands up pretty well, especially her stance on Europe. "In the end, she was right to think the Germans would always march in step and would back the wrong things in Europe. They went along with the common currency, which she said was a bad idea." Although he says he continues to keep a "weather eye on the German press", Stone is most exercised by the past, present and future of Turkey, where he has taught since leaving Oxford in 1997. He is worried by Turkish entanglement in the civil war in neighbouring Syria. "These Syrian refugees come over the border and they don't want to use the Turkish system. They make sure their little girls and little boys are doing their Quran lessons separately. But that's precisely the kind of thing that secular Turkey was set up to stop. This is fantastically dangerous, because it means that what ought to be a country on a European level is going to be clutched back into that dead world that Kemal Atatürk repudiated." The game for Kemalist secularism isn't up quite yet, of course, and one gets the sense that Stone relishes being where the historical action is. "It's been a good move, hasn't it?" "World War Two: a Short History" is published by Allen Lane (£16.99) Jonathan Derbyshire is executive opinion editor of the Financial Times. He was formerly managing editor of Prospect and culture editor of the New Statesman. Subscribe For more great writing from our award-winning journalists subscribe for just £1 per month! This article first appeared in the 11 February 2013 issue of the New Statesman, Assange Alone SUBSCRIBE More


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I surprised myself with how much I liked doing this. It was strangely relaxing and therapeutic. I didn't even let the mess bother me (too much)! I'm not saying we have made anything particularly recognisable but we enjoyed ourselves and tried something new. Our creations are not finished yet, of course. If you have children, I highly recommend giving this a go with them. After all, entertainment doesn't get much cheaper than flour, salt and water (to make the glue) and some shredded up paper, does it?
There was a trip into the Old Smoke which just happened to take in Cath K, looking particularly pretty with all the new ranges.
Everywhere it seems, there are finally beautiful and seasonal flowers to buy relatively cheaply.
Back at home, things have been a-changin'!
We've decided to give over a guest room which rarely gets used to a playroom for the Munchkin. This has nothing to do with getting his Hornby off my quilting table, of course. As such, it was time for the ladder bed to go so that the beds from the guest room could move into Munchkin's room, making way in there for all his toys (junk).
Oh happy days. Now there are two beds in the Munchkin's room (did someone say "sleepover"? Aaarrrrgghhhh!), it became blindingly clear that one had a patchwork quilt and the other most definitely needed one. Well I'm just the girl!
The sun is miraculously shining today so out into the garden we go for the "Yee Ha, Friendship Star" quilt ta-dahhhhh! Someone else is enjoying the sunshine, he's escaped from the open window in my Den onto the roof. Bad kitty!
So here it is.
The blocks are made of a design called "friendship star" which is very easy to execute, basically made up of squares and half square triangles.
I decided to add sashing and posts and a blue dotty binding.
It looks delightfully vintagey and crumpled already as a bad accident with red wine whilst sitting on the sofa sewing the binding meant it had to go straight in the washer. Thankfully, it is relatively unmarked. The backing is cosy white flannel and the quilting is simple, quarter inch lines in the sashing.
It looks a treat on the Munchkin's "spare bed".
Now, it's time for a girly, pretty project! I'm thinking Liberty...


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Yellow & Brown CLAP vintage model
Soft Cowhide leather strap
Soft Cowhide leather upper sol
Anti slip outersole
Each pair of "ten's" will be delivered by post and the client will be notified of the despatch date and reference tracking number.
If you are not satisfied with your "tens" you may return them to our office address (within 10 days) and we will refund your purchase. The tongs must be in the original box and in perfect condition. No refund will be made if the "ten's" have been used.
Ten's will smile in water, mud and sun shine.
However we suggest using neutral coloured polish to make them even happier.
Apply the polish with a cotton rag, then wipe and brush.


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NEW YORK (AP) -- Barbra Streisand was full of Brooklyn pride as she belted out well-known tunes with passion during a concert at the newly built Barclays Center.
Thursday night's three-hour show was Streisand's return to her hometown, where she's also performing Saturday on her "Back to Brooklyn" tour.
The 70-year-old told the crowd of 18,000 that the last time she performed solo in the New York City borough was "on somebody's stoop on Pulaski Street" as an 8-year-old.
She entered the stage in a shimmery black blazer and long skirt, holding her hands close to the microphone as she hit the right notes on more than two dozen songs, including "People," "Evergreen" and "The Way We Were."
"Hello Brooklyn," she yelled. "Who said you can't come home again, right? Just Thomas Wolfe."
A video from "summer 1979" played on a large screen as people from Streisand's neighborhood talked about the singer, commenting on her talents, demeanor, family and even her nose.
"Purely a reflection of Brooklyn," one woman said. As the clip closed another woman said: "Come back to Brooklyn and give us a concert."
"It might have taken me 33 years, but I'm finally here," she said to the crowd.
"I left Brooklyn to pursue my dreams. Brooklyn quite never left me," she said at another time.
Streisand played with the audience, often telling jokes and taking in the many screams of "I love you, Barbra!"
The icon looked to the front row at a fan wearing one of her T-Shirts.
"You buy it in the shop? It's cheaper online," she said, as people laughed. She looked to another in the crowd: "You look like Dick Cheney. See this is what happens when I see the audience, it's not good."
The stage beamed with purple lights, as an orchestra of 30-plus played in a pit where small blue lights were strung around them.
Streisand performed sitting and standing, as a small table stood next to her where flowers and a mug with chicken soup were placed (she said she woke up with a cold).
Ahead of her performance fans submitted questions to Streisand, who answered several of them onstage. One asked if she was aware that contemporary singers lip sync.
"I've heard about that. I could never do it because I'm so bad at it. So I have to apologize because I have to sing live," she said as the audience roared.
That question was followed with: "I'd love to know what you think of Mitt Romney's promise to fire Big Bird."
"I love Big Bird and I hope no one tells Romney how to get to Sesame Street or Pennsylvania Avenue," she said as the crowd cheered even louder. "He's a good actor. He's a good actor. A chameleon.
That wasn't Streisand's only political moment. The Barack Obama supporter said she taped Thursday night's vice presidential debates and couldn't "wait to go home to watch."
"I'm not going to tell you who to vote for, but ... if you believe in affordable health care and women's rights ... if you want to move forward and not back, you know who to vote for," she said.
Streisand was joined onstage by trumpeter Chris Botti, Italian operatic trio Il Volo and her 45-year-old son Jason Gould, asking him before they sang a duet: "Do you need anything, like, a sweater? You need some chicken soup?"
He earned a standing ovation as his mother looked on, gasping "Oh my God."
She remembered late singer Donna Summer by performing their duet "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)." She also paid tribute to her late friend -- composer Marvin Hamlisch -- as she sang "The Way We Were," saying "this is for you" before giving a rousing rendition of the tune.
When she performed "You're the Top," Streisand changed the lyrics, namedropping fellow Brooklynite Jay-Z, who performed eight shows at the Barclays Center last week. She sang lyrics like: "You're a Brooklyn Net, on a private jet" and "it's an accent you can't drop."


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A new bill making the rounds on Capitol Hill will give the Department of Homeland Security some amount of regulatory control over private networks. HR 6423, "The Homeland Security Cyber and Physical Infrastructure Protection Act of 2010," will empower DHS to set cybersecurity standards for some private networks that are considered critical infrastructure.
Among other things, the bill's sponsors claim that HR 6423 is aimed at the following goals:
- Creating a new Cybersecurity Compliance Division to oversee the establishment of performance-based standards that reflect the risks particular to the .gov domain and critical infrastructure networks.
- Requiring DHS to work with network operators, to develop tailored security plans that meet risk-based, performance-based standards, similar to the current chemical security law.
- Requiring DHS to share threat intelligence and protect proprietary information.
That the federal government wants to at least look like it's making an effort to secure critical infrastructure is no surprise, given how deeply the Stuxnet worm has changed the security game. Allegedly intended for Iran's hidden nuclear program, the worm's existence has massive implications for the security of all manner of privately owned networks that we rely on for basic services. Utilities, telecom, and finance are three key areas that DHS considers vulnerable.
It's not surprising that the Obama administration's Democratic allies in the House are taking this approach to critical infrastructure, given all the talk about deeper public/private cybersecurity collaboration in the president's cybersecurity plan, unveiled earlier this year.
Utility companies, with their local monopolies, may feel that they can afford to skimp on security, and so they may benefit from greater oversight. But it's hard to imagine that many of the other private sector entities that would face new DHS oversight will be any more incentivized than they already are to keep bad actors from bringing down their systems. The idea that DHS will have something to teach a major national bank about keeping its networks from being taken out by a cyberattack seems tough to imagine..
Will the threat of fines from DHS really make them work harder than the threat of being put out of business by a cyberattack?


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Series EE Savings Bonds
Use EE bonds to
- save in a reliable, low-risk, government-backed product
- supplement your retirement income
- give as a gift (See: Giving Savings Bonds as Gifts)
- pay for education (See: Using EE or I Bonds for Education)
|√ at a glance
|What is an EE bond?
(EE bonds issued from May 2005 on)
EE bonds we sell today earn the same rate of interest (a fixed rate) for up to 30 years. When you buy the bond, you know what rate it will earn for at least the first 20 years. Treasury announces the rate for new bonds each May 1 and November 1.
|Were older EE bonds different?
Yes. EE bonds bought from May 1997 through April 2005 earn a rate of interest that changes every six months (a variable rate). EE bonds bought before May 1997 earn interest at different rates depending on when they were bought.
Learn more on Interest Rates – Current and Past
|If I buy an EE bond now, what interest will it earn?
The interest rate for bonds bought from May 1 2020, through October 31, 2020, is an annual rate of 0.10%.
Learn more on Interest Rates – Current and Past
|Is it taxable?
Federal income tax: Yes
State and local income tax: No
See: Tax Considerations
Using the money for higher education may keep you from paying federal income tax on your interest. See: Education Planning
|Minimum purchase
$25 for a $25 EE bond.
|Maximum purchase
$10,000 each calendar year for each Social Security Number.
|Available bonds
Any amount from $25 to $10,000 to the penny. For example, you could buy an EE Bond for $50.23.
|How long must I keep an EE Bond?
EE bonds earn interest until they reach 30 years or until you cash them, whichever comes first.
You can cash them after 1 year. But if you cash them before 5 years, you lose the last 3 months' interest. (For example, if you cash an EE bond after 18 months, you get the first 15 months of interest.)
|How do I buy an EE Bond?
In electronic form in your TreasuryDirect account
You can arrange to buy through payroll direct deposit. See http://www.treasurydirect.gov/indiv/products/prod_tdpayrollinfo.htm.
|What about E bonds?
Before the EE Series, Treasury sold E bonds.
All E bonds have stopped earning interest; but if you own them, you can still cash them. Redeeming (Cashing) EE Bonds


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Year of publication
- 2003 (1) (remove)
Document Type
- Report (1) (remove)
- projection-type splitting (1) (remove)
A non-linear multigrid solver for incompressible Navier-Stokes equations, exploiting finite volume discretization of the equations, is extended by adaptive local refinement. The multigrid is the outer iterative cycle, while the SIMPLE algorithm is used as a smoothing procedure. Error indicators are used to define the refinement subdomain. A special implementation approach is used, which allows to perform unstructured local refinement in conjunction with the finite volume discretization. The multigrid - adaptive local refinement algorithm is tested on 2D Poisson equation and further is applied to a lid-driven flows in a cavity (2D and 3D case), comparing the results with bench-mark data. The software design principles of the solver are also discussed.


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days full of sunshine
can't help but love butterflies
beginning of spring
Word of the week –
applause – (noun) –
approval or praise expressed by clapping.
Synonyms – clapping, handclapping, cheering, acclamation, whistles, bravos, curtain calls, encores.
Applause is a receipt, not a bill – Dale Carnegie
is welcomed
and well deserved
based on performance.
You orate with honed tongue
should we tune into your words?
A derring-do speech is welcomed
to lift us and birth inspiration
but only true words deserve an encore.
You're at the BrewNSpew Cafe, where writers meet
Show your support for fellow bloggers
And there's more to come, friends! Here is what's happening at the BrewNSpew Cafe!
On Mondays, I publish a post titled BrewNSpew Cafe. One of the highlights is I select a "word/expression of the week". I create my composition with my interpretation.
You're welcome to join our talented community and challenge yourselves by composing your own creation using the week by week featured word. Please and thank you for limiting your post to 300 words or fewer.
Link your blog to mine with a Pingback. To do a Pingback: Copy the URL (the HTTPS:// address of my post) for the current week's Challenge and paste it into your post. You may also place a copy of the URL of your post in the comments of the current week's Challenge post.
The prompt will close 5 days from the date of my post. I will post a week after week wrap-up of posts shared by our kindred bloggers.
How about we be innovative and have fun!
featured image – Pexels
Categories: Archived BrewNSpew, Poetry


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A Fathers Love
April 25, 2013
For whom the Lord loves He corrects. Just as a father the son in whom he delights. - Proverbs 3:12
As you go along in life, you can know that God is going to correct you. If you are walking in a way that is unworthy of the Lord, the Holy Spirit will lovingly whisper to you and He will tell you not to do that which is wrong. It may be a habit; it may be your speech or how you use your time. In these moments the proper response if you are wise is to respond to His correction as a good thing.
Remember, God is not beating you down He beat Jesus down in your place. He disciplines you because He loves you. It is His protection of you and not His rejection of you. He rejected His Son on your behalf. Why not let your guidance come from Him who holds the future?
For more resources from Above & Beyond Fellowship, visit www.above.org.


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Mountain-Prairie Region
|Missouri River News & Information
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Interior Least Tern Pallid Sturgeon Piping Plover More Information Links & Archives
2003 Water Management Plan for Missouri River Operations
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have come to an agreement on a water management plan for the Missouri River reservoirs for the late spring and summer of 2003. The plan complies with the requirements of the Endangered Species Act while reinforcing the reliability of the system of reservoirs to meet the multiple congressionally authorized project purposes.
Supplemental Biological Opinion of the Annual Operating Plan for the Missouri
Main Stem Reservoir System During the Period May 1- August 15, 2003
(not available on the Internet)
April 22, 2003 News Release: Agreement Reached on 2003 Missouri River Plan
Questions and Answers Regarding the Fish and Wildlife Services' Supplemental Biological Opinion for the 2003 Missouri River Operation
2000 Water Management Plan for Missouri River Operations
November 2000 Biological Opinion Regarding Missouri River Operations
Fact Sheets
Heartbeat of a River - A Healthy River Benefits People and Wildlife
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Benefit Them?
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|This is the article on the ninja village. For the sand used by Gaara and other shinobi, head to Sand.
Sunagakure (砂隠れの里, Sunagakure no Sato, Literally meaning: Village Hidden by Sand) is the hidden village of the Land of Wind. As one of the Five Great Shinobi Countries, Sunagakure has a Kage as its leader known as the Kazekage, who resides in a spherical structure in the centre of the village. There have been five Kazekage, the most recent being Gaara.
The Puppet Technique, and from their performance in the Fourth Shinobi World War, the Cloth Binding Technique also seem to be common techniques of theirs. Shinobi from this village believe that the accomplishment of a mission predominates the lives of the ninja trying to accomplish it. As such, they are known to be ruthless in battle meaning to them, failure is not an option. Should failure seem inevitable, a Suna shinobi would almost surely try to make a success of their mission in some way or another, as seen when Kankurō secretly retrieved from a piece of Sasori's clothing, as a means to track Akatsuki to their hideout.
The standard attire of this village consists of blue uniforms underneath green flak jackets (both of which are depicted as shades of beige in the anime). They also tend to wrap their heads with turbans and their legs with bandages.
The first passage to travel into the valley is in a cleft between two cliff faces which provides a natural defence for the village making the area very hard to attack. The buildings also seem to be made of clay or stucco which would help to keep the buildings cool and allow them to also withstand the raging sand storms which are common in the area.
Sunagakure was founded by the First Kazekage, who gathered the desert-dwelling shinobi under his control with his overwhelming power. At some point the village would come into possession of the One-Tailed Shukaku, and in the coming years the beast was sealed into three different hosts[1] so that its abilities could be studied. The Third Kazekage was able to emulate Shukaku's abilities, earning recognition as the strongest Kazekage in history.
Some time in Sunagakure's history they created the Puppet Brigade in an attempt to create a technique that would give life to their puppets in order to increase their combat effectiveness. Research for such a technique was started and Chiyo eventually developed One's Own Life Reincarnation, but use of the technique came at too high a price at needing the user's life to complete the technique, thus the research was called off and the village continued to use normal puppets. Sasori left the village after the emptiness of lacking parental love finally reached a breaking point, but later returned, kidnapped, and murdered the Third, likely sparking the Third Shinobi World War with Sunagakure's attempts to find him.[2]
Sunagakure frequently fought with Konohagakure; Chiyo's attempts to poison enemies during the Second Shinobi World War were often counteracted by Tsunade. To compound this fact, following the Third Shinobi War, the Wind Daimyō began outsourcing missions to Konoha, leading to a lack of funding for Sunagakure. To make up for the loss of military power this created, the Fourth Kazekage had Chiyo seal Shukaku into its third host, his own son: Gaara.[3] It was hoped that Gaara would become a weapon for the village, but the power of Shukaku was too unstable and overwhelming for Gaara and the idea was abandoned. The village then had to rely on the development of new techniques and trading of gold dust in order to keep its' standing within the Five Great Shinobi Countries.[4] As time passed, however, the Fourth came to appreciate Gaara's increasing control and returned to relying on him as a weapon.
Another village that this village has frequently fought with, unsurprisingly due to their close proximity, is Iwagakure. This has left the two villages age old enemies with each side holding a grudge against the other, a fact which makes them highly unwilling allies.
Invasion of Konoha
Main article: Invasion of Konoha At some point, Sunagakure was approached by Orochimaru with a proposition for a joint invasion of Konoha. The Fourth Kazekage was killed and impersonated by Orochimaru to give the impression of support, and Sunagakure was falsely led to a devastating loss against Konoha's forces. Once Orochimaru's deceit was discovered Sunagakure re-allied itself with Konoha, gaining much from the peace and leading to new prosperity for the village. By Part II, Gaara would be made Fifth Kazekage to replace his father.
Kazekage Rescue
When Akatsuki came to Suna to abduct Gaara, Sasori set several explosive tag traps and killed several guards, as well as reactivating two of his sleeper agents Yūra and Mukade, while Deidara in his bid to draw out the Kazekage, nearly devastated the entire village were it not for Gaara's Air Sand Protective Wall. Regardless, Gaara was captured, and the village was in dismay.
An urgent message was relayed to Konoha for assistance via messenger bird. After Gaara was rescued and revived by Chiyo, at the cost of her own life, he was safely returned to Suna and is currently still the Kazekage. He lost his tailed beast, but still retained the ability to manipulate sand.
Fourth Shinobi World War
When Sunagakure entered the Fourth Shinobi World War, its Cloth Binding Technique users were vital in dealing with Kabuto Yakushi's reincarnated shinobi. This technique caused them to make up the majority of the Sealing Teams in every division of the Allied Shinobi Forces. Shortly before the war, Kankurō was appointed commander of the Surprise Attack Division, and the village's Kazekage, Gaara, its Regimental Commander.
- The second fanbook gives Sunagakure a population size of two out of five stars, a military strength of two out of five stars, and an economic strength of two out of five stars. This gives it the lowest overall score of all the five main shinobi villages.
- Despite the element of sand being unique to the One-Tailed Shukaku and its jinchūriki, ninja from this village have been shown to be capable of utilising sand as a tool as well.
- Two very famous and powerful ninja from this village hold sand-related epithets: Gaara of the Sand Waterfall and Sasori of the Red Sand.
- Strangely enough, none of the characters from the Sunagakure have stated last name in the series, even though it's the second most frequent village in Naruto.
- During the Fourth Shinobi World War, several other Suna-nin were seen wielding similar fans alongside Temari.[5][6] This is an indication that the use of tessenjutsu is a skill generally taught in the village.
- Facial paint appears to be commonly worn by Shinobi of the village, and even more so during war.


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Religion Opinion of Ayatollah Saanei
Grand Ayatollah Saanei, a former member of the Council of Guardians (1980-1981), and Iran's Prosecutor General (1982-1985) states that in our time, i.e. during the absence of the 12th Imam, and according to jurisprudential views of some noted ulama such as Mirzay-e Qomi, the implementation of hodud punishments (such as stoning) are subject to doubt and may be suspended. They should be replaced by the ta'zir category of punishments." [In Persian; click here for English]
Saanei, Yousef


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SANTA CLARA, CA and DALLAS, TX -- (Marketwire) -- Aug 21, 2012 -- Magellan, a leader of innovative GPS devices for vehicles, fitness, outdoor and mobile navigation, today announced the Magellan® RoadMate® Commercial 9261T-LM GPS designed for commercial truck drivers who need an extra-large GPS display, customizable truck-specific routing and hands-free communication to help them plan their trips and drive more safely. Magellan will display its RoadMate Commercial 9261T-LM GPS at the Great American Trucking Show (Booth #12024) August 23-25 in Dallas.
Pre-programmed into the Magellan RoadMate Commercial 9261T-LM GPS navigator are all of the TravelCenters of America (TA) and Petro travel service locations in the U.S. with detailed information including truck service, restaurants, showers, Wi-Fi, ATMs and other services offered by TA and Petro.
"We are pleased to partner with TA and Petro to give professional drivers such a robust navigation solution to best fit their unique driving conditions on U.S. roadways," said Stig Pedersen, Associate Vice President of Product Management for Magellan. "The Magellan RoadMate Commercial series of GPS navigators is designed to make professional drivers' jobs safer and less stressful before and during their trips."
When preparing for their trips, truck drivers can set up profile data about their vehicle and use the Magellan RoadMate Commercial 9261T-LM GPS to customize their routes based on height, width, length, weight and hazmat restrictions. Multi-destination routing allows drivers to plan their stops and optimize routes to help them save time and fuel.
During their trip, the Magellan RoadMate Commercial 9261T-LM helps drivers navigate on its extra-large 7-inch high-definition touch display that adjusts color and contrast for easy night-viewing. The GPS navigator's "information dashboard" provides the driver with current information essential to the safety of his trip such as truck speed limit warnings and real-time traffic updates to help avoid delays or other road conditions. Highway Lane Assist shows realistic highway signs and guides truck drivers towards the correct lane when approaching complex highway interchanges and exits.
To help truck drivers keep their eyes on the road, the Magellan RoadMate Commercial 9261T-LM features Spoken Street Name guidance to announce street names and gives turn-by-turn directions, and integrated Bluetooth® wireless technology that, when paired with a compatible Bluetooth phone, enables drivers to safely talk hands-free.
The Magellan RoadMate Commercial 9261T-LM GPS includes free downloadable Lifetime Map Updates to keep the pre-loaded maps of the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico up-to-date, and free Lifetime Traffic Alerts are sent directly to the GPS to monitor real-time traffic conditions.
An A/V input makes it easy for truck drivers to connect to external devices such as the Magellan Wireless Back-up Camera ($149.99 MSRP) or a DVD player. The Magellan RoadMate Commercial 9261T-LM GPS ($379.99 MSRP) is exclusively available from TravelCenters of America and Petro travel service locations in the U.S.
About Magellan
Headquartered in Santa Clara, CA, MiTAC Digital Corporation, manufacturer of the Magellan ( www.magellangps.com) brand of portable GPS navigation consumer electronics devices, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of MiTAC International Corporation. Recognized as an industry pioneer, Magellan globally markets its award-winning portable navigation devices including the Magellan® RoadMate® series for autos, RVs, fleet and commercial vehicles, the eXplorist® PRO for mobile GIS applications and field data collection, the eXplorist outdoor series for hunting, fishing, hiking and geocaching enthusiasts, Magellan Fitness Switch™ series of crossover GPS watches, and mobile apps and accessories for smartphones. Follow Magellan on Facebook ( www.facebook.com/MagellanGPS), Twitter ( @MagellanGPS) and YouTube ( www.youtube.com/MagellanGPS).
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I have seen an assertion that Dresden was the only major German city no to put up a protracted resistance to the Soviet Army. The person who asserted this declined to provide references; I still do not know if his assertion is true.
The debate on the bombing that started post war is thoroughly documented, I'm not trying to restart it, I'm more interested in how was the bombing justified from a military perspective at the time.


text: Best In Minnesota 05/23/2019 Blog category: News There's a lot of choices when it comes to selecting a gym, workout class or fitness facility, but as our members know, there's no place like Farrell's when you want to see results and receive support. Click to read the full article! Back to Blog


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Inappropriate but hilarious. So as many of you know, this weekend I am running the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon. It's going to be a blast for all the events that lead up to it, including the blogger meet up, the girls I'm staying with, I just know it will be so fun and exciting. I'm already glad that I chose a "big" marathon for my first, so I'll always have people to run with and stalk.
I'm starting in corral 7, and my race number is 7376. I feel like it's a good number. There's a lot of lucky number 7's in there. Well my lucky number is 6, but 7 is the ultimate lucky number, so therefore that is what I've made myself believe.
My biggest goal for this race is to finish. I know everyone says that that really isn't a 'goal' because obviously I am going to finish the race, but at the same time, a lot of crazy things can happen over 26.2 miles. I also don't want to focus so much on my pace, time, and all the aspects that I didn't really work on that much during my training to not soak in my first marathon experience.
Every 'race' I've ever ran, I've always raced them. I think I learned that in high school when I ran competitively and was much faster than I am now. Even if I tell myself I'm not going too, I find my heart beating and my body tense at the starting line and I always give it my all. For this race though, I have to keep telling myself, it's not a race, it's a marathon. They don't call it a race for a reason. I know if I race the marathon I will be upset with myself and I'll miss a lot of the fun 'firsts', plus, I can always run more if I decide too.
I've decided to break down my goals with A, B and C goals, but first and foremost it is to finish, enjoy the race and soak up everything going around me, and what an accomplishment even running a marathon is.
My A Goal is to finish in between 4-4:30. This would be a decent pace for me, and I think it's possible if everything is going right for me. This includes no crying, no crazy bathroom breaks, no walking, not really any stopping at all. I can run 20 miles in 3:15, so we'll see how things go race day.
My B Goal is to finish in between 4:30-5:00. This is more than attainable for me, pending anything absurd happening to me, but I guess you can't rule out everything going perfectly
My C goal is to finish in between 5-5:30. This again shouldn't be a problem, but pending I break my leg or get trampled we could have some issues.
These goals are all easily within my reach, but I know I will have to pay attention to my body and listen to what is happening on those last miles. I definitely know I will have the mentality of, well I ran 20 miles, what's 6 more?! I also wanted to give myself goals that I know I can achieve because I would be really upset if I didn't make my goals.
So what's more important than goals? Outfits of course. So I didn't know what was wrong with me because usually I can spend money like it's my full time job, but I just couldn't find the perfect racing top for this race.
I narrowed it down to two shirts, and will make a game time decision as to what one I will wear.
No matter what I will be wearing my Nike Spandex Shorts and my Zensah pink sports bra but I cannot decide in between the purple top or the Nike blue top. I know the purple top is new but don't worry, I wore it around under a shirt for a day to see if I would chafe and I didn't. I'm a freak I know. I like the blue shirt a lot too. So many decision. I know it will depend on how I feel that morning and what I want to run in. You may actually recognize the shorts and tank though, they are the same ones I wrote when I shot some sweet pictures with Kymberli
So it's this weekend. On Monday, I will be able to say for the rest of my life, yes, I have run a marathon. Have run? That sounds pretty crazy. I am excited, nervous and I'm pretty sure I might cry tonight while packing my bag for San Diego tomorrow.
Perhaps I might post something tomorrow evening, before I go to bed, depending on what I am feeling, but I'm so thankful for all the encouragement, support and kind words over this whole training period. It's weird because after this race, I have this weird feeling that I don't even know what I'll blog about. Well I'm sure I can always find something somewhat random and interesting in my life to entertain you with, but it's just like it's all accumulated to these upcoming moments. I am so overwhelmed by so many crazy feelings but it's a huge adrenaline rush! I can't wait to write up a super long race report. I think I might have to do it in segments over the next week because I know I'll take a billion pictures and then we have 26.2 miles of coverage. I'll try to leave out any poopy details. :)
Have a great weekend, and I'll see you at the finish line!


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Lovelies! It's Summer, aren't you excited? I am, and this is coming from the girl who writes love letters to Winter. This week the anticipation for Summer hit me like a ton of bricks. I'm having a fun-filled Memorial weekend with Sex and the City 2 (despite the bad reviews), a screening of Purple Rain at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, BBQs, a birthday party, and I also plan on setting a bit of time aside to down a few of these cute little milkshakes.
Summer has got me so giddy that I thought it was time I roast some marshmallows (over my gas range) and throw them in a blender with vanilla ice cream–it's absolute craziness. I think you should be crazy, too. It's only fair.
Why is this milkshake so special? Well because it's comes from Gourmet, who was genius enough to figure out what's in Stand's famous Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake.
The recipe calls for roasted marshmallows blended with vanilla ice cream, a spoonful of yogurt and a tablespoon of milk; it's then topped with a dollop of whipped cream and a few perfectly golden marshmallows. What does this mean? It means that as your slurping this thing up, you'll be met along the way with little speckles of toasted marshmallow-awesomeness.
This is Summer happiness. Get on it!
Stand's Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake
Recipe from Gourmet via Cupcakes and Cashmere
I recommend getting all of the ingredients ready in the blender and then toasting the marshmallows. You want your marshmallows gooey and hot when you throw them in the blender so they incorporate nicely. Marshmallows tend to get sticky and harden upon cooling down.
3 scoops vanilla ice cream (use a high quality ice cream or make your own)
1 tablespoon whole milk
I large dollop of plain yogurt
5 Kraft Jumbo Jef-Puffed marshmallows (or homemade)
Whipped cream
Toast marshamllows under a broiler, or, if you're frisky, over a flame until they just start to blacken evenly (the trick is to make sure it's evenly toasted and dark, but not turned to charcoal).
Put the milk, yogurt, and then ice cream in the blender. Blend carefully, just until you get a "donut"—when you see the shake holding to the sides of the blender with a hollow core.
Add three of the toasted marshmallows to the blender, and whirl it just until they're all broken up and distributed evenly. Be careful not to overblend it, making it too melty.
Pour shake into a glass, top with a dollop of whipped cream, break the last two marshmallows on top, and serve with an extra-wide straw.
Repeat if necessary. And it will probably be necessary


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National Teacher of the Year Addresses NEA Representative Assembly
Oregon science teacher inspires fellow educators to collaborate on solutions
WASHINGTON - July 06, 2008 -Before a crowd of nearly 10,000 fellow educators, NEA member Michael Geisen, the 2008 National Teacher of the Year, urged educators to not only teach the nation's students, but to also educate policymakers, parents, and the public about what takes place every day in public schools and classrooms.
Geisen, a seventh-grade science teacher at Crook County Middle School in Prineville, Ore., is known for his creativity and innovative teaching techniques in getting his students motivated about science. Recognizing that a student is more than a test score, Geisen was met with roaring applause when discussing the need for individual teaching and assessment techniques, and not a one-size-fits-all approach to learning.
"Education is not something that you can legislate from the top down. It has to come from the roots," said Geisen. "We all need to work together to make students feel welcome. We need to throw open the doors of our classrooms and be transparent."
Geisen, a Seattle native and graduate of the University of Washington, was honored earlier this year by President George W. Bush in a Rose Garden ceremony at the White House. Known for making science fun for his students, Geisen incorporates songs, games, art and humor into his teaching repertoire. Geisen will serve for one year as a full-time national and international spokesperson for education.
"As schools are struggling to attract and retain science teachers, the National Education Association is proud to have one of its over 3.2 million members acknowledged for the commitment and dedication that the challenging profession demands," said NEA President Reg Weaver. "Michael's techniques are great examples of the teachable moments that are critical to a student's educational experience—practices that can't be measured by just filling in a bubble on a high-stakes standardized test."
The National Teacher of the Year program is a project of the Council of Chief State School Officers and is sponsored by the ING Foundation. The program focuses public attention on teaching excellence and is the oldest and most prestigious award program for teachers. Each year during the NEA's Annual Meeting and Representative Assembly, the National Teacher of the Year is invited to address the delegation.
"We need to build bridges of communication to policymakers and the public, not burn them," said Geisen. "We need to be bold, but not brash. We need to be constructive, not critical. We need to be teachers."
High resolution photos are available by contacting NEA Public Relations at (202) 822-7823 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
# # #
The National Education Association is the nation's largest professional organization, representing 3.2 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators and students preparing to become teachers.
Contact: Staci Maiers (202) 822-7823


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For the nearly 20 years since the inception of the Jensen Quality Growth Fund (JENSX), Robert Zagunis has managed this U.S. equity fund by being choosy about selecting companies that have generated returns on equity of at least 15% for each of the previous 10 years.
As a result, Zagunis' (left) large-growth, long-only domestic equity fund has earned Morningstar's Gold analyst rating and a solid 9.56% return year to date as of Aug. 31 (though not as high as its category peers' return of 13.34% and the S&P 500's return of 13.51%).
"Although the fund's character has changed a bit lately, it's still a sturdy, very attractive long-term holding," wrote Morningstar analyst Greg Carlson about JENSX in a May 30 comment. "In 2012, the fund has held up well as the market has retreated in the second quarter. Its long-term record is still impressive: It's outpaced more than 80% of its peers over the trailing 15 years and suffered much less volatility than average."
Yet money is leaving JENSX: $224 million has poured out of the fund, which had a total of $3.9 billion in total assets under management as of Aug. 31, said Michelle Swartzentruber, Morningstar research analyst, in a phone interview on Tuesday.
"That's really what's been happening with good equity funds. The money has been leaving," Swartzentruber said. "Over all, even equity funds that are performing well are seeing outflows."
And there, in a nutshell, is the problem: many sectors of the U.S. stock market have seen handsome returns since the crash of 2008, but wary U.S. investors don't want to trust their money to long-only, actively managed domestic stock funds. Instead, they're putting their money in bond funds—even though yields are at historic lows.
Trend-Chasing Yields Frustration
No one is more frustrated about this state of affairs than the stock fund managers.
"Investments tend to evolve into what's newer and shinier, but we do one thing well, quality growth investments, rather than trying to chase the next big trend," said David Mertens, a principal at Jensen Investment Management of Lake Oswego, Ore., in an interview in mid-September.
The Investment Company Institute (ICI) in its most recent report on trends in mutual fund investing showed that stock funds that invest primarily in the United States had an outflow of $9.59 billion in July versus an outflow of $8.96 billion in June. Bond funds saw an inflow of $24.62 billion in July, compared with an inflow of $16.29 billion in June, ICI said.
Just as significantly, more people are investing in alternatives. According to a Natixis Global Asset Management survey released on Tuesday, most institutional investors, or 76%, said they now consider the use of alternative investments including commodities, real estate and private equity.
"Three in four (73%) say it is necessary to invest in alternatives in order to outperform the broad market," Natixis reported. "One in three (29%) report that increasing their allocation to alternative/noncorrelated assets is one of their organization's three highest investment priorities in the next 12 months."
Alternatives Complicate Fund Outflow Story
To be sure, the chase after alternatives has complicated advisors' lives—and much education is required. Mertens predicted that the talk at Schwab Impact 2012 this November will be largely about alternatives rather than traditional long-only stock funds.
"It's a burden for advisors," Zagunis said. "It's complicated, and it's getting more complicated."
American Beacon Advisors President and CEO Gene Needles, whose company works with a wide range of fund subadvisors, agreed that the exodus of money out of domestic equity funds is troubling.
"There is an erosion of investor confidence in the market due to investors who believe that the game is rigged," Needles said at an American Beacon media day in New York on Sept. 19.
Pointing to the 2008 financial crisis as well as the 2010 flash crash, Needles said: "As an industry, we want to support the SEC to ensure that the U.S. markets are the best in the world."
Meanwhile, U.S. stock fund managers muddle along.
Bob Auer of the Auer Growth Fund (AUERX), for example, believes that he has found a sound strategy by buying stock in fast-growing small-cap companies at what Auer calls "ridiculously low" prices, meaning companies that are up 25% in profits, up 20% in sales and with a P/E ratio of 12 or under. His top holdings include Western Digital Corp., C&J Energy Services and Titan International.
Yet Auer's nearly four-year-old fund has struggled to find its footing, with a 145.4% turnover and choppy returns since its December 2007 launch.
"For the last four years, [the markets have] left us like an orphan with our nose pressed against the window," Auer said.
Read Fiscal Cliff, Poor Returns Push Wealthy Into Alternatives: Spectrem at AdvisorOne.


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Buffett's Berkshire buys stake in tractor maker DeereNovember 14, 2012: 5:46 PM ET
Warren Buffett is getting back to basics. Berkshire Hathaway's three new third quarter investments are in companies that create the building blocks for manufacturing and agriculture.
Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (BRKA) (BRKB) purchased new stakes in Deere & Company (DE), Precision Castparts (PCP), and Wabco (WBC), according to SEC filings released Wednesday afternoon. Deere is the well-known maker of tractors and other farm equipment. Precision Castparts makes the nuts and bolts used in aircrafts, trucks, and heavy machinery. Wabco builds brakes and internal systems for cars and trucks.
After a bit of dabbling in the tech sector recently -- Berkshire briefly owned Intel (INTC) and still owns IBM (IBM) -- these new stakes appear to be a return to Buffett's roots.
Related: Buffett not worried about fiscal cliff
He continued to place bets on "old media. In May 2012, Buffett, who owns the Omaha World-Herald and stakes in the Washington Post (WPO), also purchased 63 newspapers from Media General. Berkshire also boosted its stake in cable TV and movie powerhouse Viacom (VIAB).
Buffett continued to slash his stake in Kraft (KFT) and Procter & Gamble (PG). He also decreased his holdings in Visa (V), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) and regional bank US Bancorp (USB).
Berkshire Hathaway is still looking for more companies to buy outright though. Buffett said he's still on the lookout for a big acquisition in an interview with CNN's Poppy Harlow Wednesday at his fund's Berkshire Hathaway headquarters in Omaha.>