text:
Giving Tuesday is still somewhat new in the grand scheme of social media things, and even though your first thought might be donating money, there are plenty of other ways to give, so don't feel like you can't participate if you don't happen to have the funds at the moment.
GivingTuesday.org had a handful of ideas, and we couldn't help but agree they are great ways to give.
1. Give your time. Think about ways you can volunteer to gain the chance to make an impact in your community or elsewhere. Don't feel like it has to be done on Tuesday, but commit that day to a time that will work for you. Unsure of where to start? Click here to search nonprofits in your neighborhood, or check with VolunteerMatch.
2. Do something for your community. Connect with leaders in your area to see how you can get involved in making an impact in your community. Check the Giving Tuesday organization's community campaign page to find out if there are any events going on near you.
3. Donate blood. It's such an easy and helpful thing to do. According to GivingBlood.org, blood is needed every two seconds. And while only 37% of the country's population is eligible to give blood, less than 10% of those who can donate actually do so annually. It only takes about one hour to donate blood and can give another person the gift of life.
4. Use your voice. Find a cause that matters to you and advocate for it. Reach out to an elected official to see how you can help with solutions on issues like homelessness, mental health care or a slew of other things that need some attention in your area.
5. Use your talent. Do you have a specialty? Lend your talent in finance, legal help, marketing or whatever your knack is to help a nonprofit. Search pro bono opportunities, or you can contact local nonprofits to find out how you can use your skills to help.
Consider other ways you may be other to participate in #GivingTuesday that could make an impact without having to spend money.
And if you don't have the time to do something specific on #GivingTuesday, make the day, instead, one of commitment to a cause and follow through.
What are you doing this year for #GivingTuesday? We'd love to hear about it in the comment section below.


text:
*** Recipes Tutorials ***
Tender pasta is smothered in a smoky mozzarella cream sauce and littered with delicious chunks of chicken, vibrant broccoli and tart sun-dried tomatoes. Topped with buttery bread crumbs and baked to bubbly goodness
|cup bread crumbs (store-bought or make your own)
|tablespoons butter, melted
|bunch broccoli (about 1 ½ pounds), stalks cut off, florets trimmed into 1-inch pieces
|ounces penne pasta
|tablespoons olive oil
|medium onion, minced
|medium garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
|teaspoon dried thyme
|cup all-purpose flour
|cups low-sodium chicken broth
|cup heavy cream
|teaspoon salt
|teaspoon pepper
|½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 3), trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
|ounces smoked mozzarella, shredded
|8 ounce jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped into pieces
1. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and butter and set aside. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish and set aside. 2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and make sure the oven rack is placed in the middle of the oven. In a large pot, bring the water for the pasta to a boil. Stir in one tablespoon salt and the broccoli. The broccoli cooks quickly so stay close! Cook the broccoli for 1 minute, until it is bright green. Quickly remove the broccoli with a slotted spoon to a plate. Return the water to a boil and add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 1-2 minutes less than how you would eat it normally (it will cook a bit more in the oven while baking). Drain the pasta in a colander and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Leave it in the colander and set it aside. 3. Wipe the pot dry. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and return to medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the flour, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the broth and cream; bring to a simmer, whisking often. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 6-7 minutes. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and smoked mozzarella. 4. Add the cooked pasta and broccoli to the sauce; stir to combine. Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the bread crumb topping. Bake until the casserole is bubbling and the crumbs are lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Clare Waight Keller got the most out of looking back on sixty years of Chloé's history
The archive of a house can either weigh a designer down or inspire them to new heights. For Clare Waight Keller, who is now settled nicely into the house of Chloé, delving into the archives in tandem with the brand's 60th anniversary exhibition at the Palais de Tokyo has definitely done the latter. Rather than riffing off of any one specific design or picking out an archive piece to replicate, Waight Keller has instead looked to the founder Gaby Aghion (who was present at the show and seemingly delighted with what she saw) and a specific quote which was on the show notes: "I never explain anything. I live my life, and I live the life I love".
So much about what has made this pioneering ready-to-wear house so evocative through the years, is that it has channelled that free spirited girl that isn't too precious about her clothes. There's something almost undefinable about the Chloé attitude, which has been so ingrained into its designers, past and present. Therefore, likewise, Waight Keller's latest collection pushed lightness and ease into a cohesive message that mainly centered around how to inject a clean masculinity into an inherently girly ruffle. A lot of them came off looking incredibly crisp, sharp and precise because of fabrics like Japanese polyesters or cottons. The silhouette was mostly a boxy loose-sleeved affair, which was Waight Keller's own hand in interpreting the effortless Chloé spirit. An oversized foiled leaf print in rose gold was the only injection of print that looked well-placed and appropriately sparse. Sheer organza tops with solid white cotton banded hems often poked out from underneath the cropped T-shirts added movement to the proceedings. The tiered ruffled dresses at the end could so easily have ended up in clunky territory but Waight Keller seemed to intuitively embody Aghion's spirit for that final burst of airy femininity that left most in the audience wanting to be that Chloé girl.


text:
Chicago, IL, US
ecosa institute summer workshop
environmental design/alternative construction materials and methods (june 2009)
ECOSA Institute Prescott, Arizona
To broaden my horizons, I ventured out to Arizona for a four week intensive sustainability workshop on alternative construction and design techniques. The workshop included field trips to sustainable architecture and manufacturing sites, class lectures on design techniques and considerations, and hands-on building using various alternative materials. Personal side trips to Taliesin West and the Grand Canyon were also included.
Materials used in hands-on construction included straw bales, rammed and poured earth, cob, adobe, earth plaster, and recycled/reclaimed materials.
Status: Built
Location: Prescott, Arizona


text:
Paying for Multiple Kids in College, First Generation Students, and College Interviews
Our latest episode of Getting in: A College Coach Conversation was hosted by Ian Fisher and covered issues of student retention, paying for college for multiple children, and a continuation of our School's Out! Application Workshop series.
Ian began by resuming our conversation on college access. He welcomed guest Angela Quitadamo, Director of Retention at Worcester State University, where she is responsible for the coordination of university persistence and retention efforts and services. They began their conversation by first defining what exactly IS persistence and retention and why you should care about it when researching colleges and universities. Angela explained how to make sense of the various IPEDs ratings, where to find them, what is the difference between a 4-year and 6-year graduation rate, and what subtleties might be behind these numbers. They discussed what resources and clues to look for in order to maximize future success for your student.
After the break, the second segment began with an announcement about our new contest! Head to our Facebook page where you'll see the contest pinned at the top of the page. To enter, all you have to do is comment below the post, asking us a question about college admissions or finance. Each week we'll pick a winner to get a $50 Amazon gift card, and, at the end of the competition, the grand prize winner will get a swagbag and a free 30 minute counseling session with one of our educators. That extra cash or free session might come in handy if the rest of the segment applied to you. Ian welcomed back Beth Feinberg Keenan to talk about paying for college when you have multiple children enrolled in college at once. Yikes—I listened closely for this one as that will likely apply to me one day! Beth discussed whether or not BOGO pricing applies at college (SPOILER ALERT: it doesn't), the pros/cons of opening separate savings accounts for each child, and what the implications might be on your expected family contribution.
Last but not least, the show wrapped up with the conclusion of our School's Out! Application Workshop series. Zaragoza Guerra (former MIT and Cal Tech admission officer) joined Ian to talk about what to expect in a college interview and how you can prepare. Zaragoza explained how the interview is used (and how it isn't!) by the admission committee, what kinds of questions might come up, what to wear, and what kind of questions you might want to ask. Ian gave us a peak behind the curtain of the Reed admissions office by sharing the types of questions that made him most excited in his interviews.
Catch up with the latest episode here or, better yet, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts!


text:
I'm so excited for the new chapter in the Summer Unplugged universe! The Team Loco series is about the guys on Jett's motocross team, staring with Zach Pena in book one, Taming Zach.
It's available in ebook, paperback, and free with Kindle Unlimited! Check out the summary below:
She never meant to fall for someone she can't have. He never meant to let her.
Bree Grayson lives a simple life in her small Tennessee hometown. She works as a maid with her mom and flags at the local motocross track on the weekends. It's good money but it won't get her out of Hopewell. She's determined to make something of herself, but she'd settle for something—anything to get her out of this rut.
Zach Pena's notorious motocross fame crashed and burned as quickly as he had risen to the top. He let the fame get to his head and the partying and girls took over his life. Now he's off the race team. Determined to get back into the sport he loves, he moves back home to spend the summer focusing solely on motocross. Girls are off the menu.
And then he runs into Bree.
She's gorgeous and sweet and everything he shouldn't have this summer. He doesn't recognize her as the girl from his childhood, but Bree knows exactly who Zach is. She's only had a crush on him forever. She knows he's a womanizer and too hot for his own good, but he's fun.
Bree doesn't expect to fall for someone she can't have. And Zach doesn't expect to be pulled back into his world of fame before the summer is over. Will Bree finally be the girl to tame his wild ways? Or will their romance crash and burn?
Taming Zach is the first standalone book in The Team Loco Trilogy, a series of flirty, sweet NA contemporary romances. Contains steamy scenes, no cliffhanger, and a happily ever after.


text:
Call 517-925-8148 or click the button below to schedule a consultation.
What is O3UV?
O3UV is the combination of ozone (O3) and UBI (UV). More specifically, it is the combination of MAHT and UBI. Basically, blood is withdrawn, diluted with saline, infused with ozone and then fed past the UV light and back into the patient.
Why combine ozone and UBI?
World-renown ozone trainer, clinician and author Frank Shallenberger pioneered this combination treatment at his clinic in Nevada. Dr. Shallenberger saw that ozone had some positive effects that UBI didn't and vice-versa. He was a firm believer in both therapies and because they both are oxidative, germicidal and have almost no side effects, he began to run the ozone treated blood through the UBI machine before returning it to the patient. The effects were better than ever and the ozone/UBI treatment was born. Since that time there have been thousands of treatments performed with stunning results. Even more recently, we have come up with the term O3UV to refer to what we believe to be one of the better therapies available.
Can I use Ozone and UBI separately?
Absolutely. Both ozone and UBI are therapies that work very even when only one or the other is used. If you simply choose to purchase one machine or the other, you will not be disappointed, however, our recommendation is that you incorporate both into your practice.
Why not just use conventional treatments?
Although modern medicine has greatly benefited societies as a whole, there are also ways in which it has greatly hampered overall health. There is more to healing than just giving medicine or cutting things out. Often medicines just mask symptoms and do little to treat the root causes. O3UV works with the immune system stimulating the body to "heal itself" which is truly the ultimate and only real way to healing.
What is holistic vet medicine?
Holistic (a.k.a. Integrative or Complementary) Veterinary Medicine is the examination and diagnosis of an animal, considering all aspects of the animal's life and employing all of the practitioner's senses, as well as the combination of conventional and alternative (or complementary) modalities of treatment. When a holistic veterinarian sees a pet, besides giving it a comprehensive physical examination, he/she wants to find out all about its behaviors, distant medical and dietary history, and its environment including diet, emotional stresses, and other factors.
Is O3UV better suited for a large animal as opposed to smaller pets?
No. Ozone is equally effective for large or small animals.
How much blood do I have to draw?
The total amount of fluid treated depends upon the size of the animal, but a good rule of thumb is about 1.5ml of blood saline mix for every pound of body weight. The saline to blood ratio is 4:1 (four parts saline to one part blood). So for example, a 50 lb dog would have 15ml of blood drawn and mixed with 60mls of saline for a total of 75mls. ozone is then mixed at a 1:1 ratio with the amount of blood that was drawn.
Can we take human studies and apply them to animals?
The answer is yes. Most studies begin with animals and progress to the human level and it is no different with ozone and UBI. There are many studies which show the efficacy and safety for both man and animals.
How do I know how much treatment to give?
Of course you need to follow the protocols for any given therapy, but the number of therapy sessions required to heal a specific illness will vary depending on the animal, overall health, whether it is chronic or acute and other factors as well. Acute illnesses usually can be remedied within 1-3 treatments while chronic illnesses may take up to 10 – 12. You should see a response from most illnesses within 4-5 treatments. If no response is seen by that point, the clinician should evaluate whether O3UV will be effective method of treatment for the given animal/illness.
Hi!- I am veterinarian in Los Angeles and have been doing some ozone although I would like to do more but feel I need more training. Have not done UV yet and wondering if there is training and what machine is recommended. Thank you!!


text:
Counties that are able to use an online auction can save money and also generate more revenue, industry executive says.
In an economy in which county governments have been forced to do more with less — a cliché that seems to be here to stay — public officials increasingly are looking to rid themselves of live auctions in favor of online auctions hosted on a third-party website.
Counties conduct auctions to handle property foreclosures and tax certificate sales (a tax lien against property), and sales of surplus equipment. There are several online platforms competing in this niche of automating auctions. One example is Realauction.com, which handles county auctions in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Nebraska and other locations.
Lloyd McClendon, the company's CEO, said that during the past five years the alternative of online auctions has become more widely known to counties. But not all governments can easily use them because of state statutes.
Those counties that are able to use an online auction can save money and also generate more revenue, McClendon said. By using a website, county employees no longer have to coordinate live auctions or complete the paperwork required after a live auction is completed.
Miami-Dade County, Fla., went online with Realauction.com in 2010 for foreclosure auctions. Before launching the site, 10 county staffers were tasked with coordinating live auctions, which included time for setting up the room where the auction would occur, coordinating event security, and having three county employees available to conduct the auction. After auctions, the large volume of paperwork built up so much that county staff couldn't handle the workload, McClendon said.
"It got so bad that they had a whole floor filled with just case files [county staff] needed to process and get through," he said.
Once the county switched to the online auction process, county staff that used to handle auctions had their duties reassigned to other tasks. Some counties routinely save $75,000 to $100,000 annually in staff time by switching from live auctions to the online auctions, McClendon said.
Aside from cost savings, the website cuts down on collusions that could occur at a live sale. McClendon said at times during live auctions, bidders would get to together to try to rig the sale.
Besides the saved time and staff resources, the live auction can also be a revenue generator. Hillsborough County, Fla., launched its Realauction.com website to assist with auctions of tax certificates. By law, every year by April 1, the taxes on properties deemed delinquent are advertised by the county, said Charlotte Luke, the county's tax collector.
Anywhere from 39,000 to 43,000 parcels are advertised, then tax certificate sales for those properties are conducted once a year on Realauction.com during the end of May. The tax certificate then goes to the lowest interest rate bidder, Luke said.
But are counties doling out costs to pay for the website? McClendon said counties don't spend any money to launch the site since the vendor earns money from fees paid from either the delinquent property owner or by the winning bidders.
Because the auction is online, the tax certificate and foreclosure sales are available to more bidders because they need not appear in person to participate, as is the case with traditional live auctions.
Luke said that when Hillsborough County conducted live auctions, nearly 1,900 unsold tax certificates a year would go to the county to sell on a first come, first serve basis. The first year the county went online with Realauction.com, only 200 unsold tax certificates went to the county. There were more buyers, and consequently more revenue.
Tax certificates that don't get purchased the day of the bid go back to the county and are re-advertised later on the Realauction.com website.
Luke said since launching the site, the auction process has become more efficient. In the past, live auctions were held at the Hillsborough County Center, a county building.
Anywhere from 50 to 100 people would gather in a conference room and once the auction began, bidders would yell interest rates at the auctioneer. Luke said the method would cause confusion and the process would at times get out of hand.
Since the switch to hosting bids online, the county has seen an increase in tax certificate purchases, Luke said.
Looking for the latest gov tech news as it happens? Subscribe to GT newsletters.


text:
Media Options is an industry-leading Premium Domain Name Broker. We are not a huge company, but we do huge things! Meet our team here. We consider ourselves a "boutique" brokerage service, catering to clients who demand a higher level of service and success than they will find with most of the other available premium domain broker options today. We have brought together a unique combination of talents and resources to utilize the power of online media and to help you realize the full potential of your domain names and business on the Internet.
With well into the 8 figures in completed domain name transactions for our clients, Media Options stands alone as the top independent domain broker in the industry! Media Options is a market maker – meaning we bring liquidity to an illiquid yet highly valuable asset class: Premium Domain Names. We connect buyers and sellers all over the planet; from the USA to China, Germany to Malaysia; you name a country and we do business there.
Founded in 2005 by our now CEO, Andrew Rosener, Media Options has exploded and become the leader in domain sales of all types. We offer liquidity to domain owners looking to sell their names quickly at wholesale prices both through our own acquisitions as well as through our domain name newsletter. For our clients who own premium assets commanding premium prices we offer our premier End User Premium Domain Broker Service.
On the surface, Media Options may look like just another domain sales website, but don't be mistaken! Think of Media Options as an extension of you or your business. At Media Options we offer personal service to both large and small domain owners and those of you who are just now realizing the power of generic domains and need help empowering your brand. We are fast, flexible and reliable and always keeping our eyes and ears open for new opportunities and partnerships.
Got domains which you know would be great for a "Main Street" business or other end user, but you don't know how to approach them? Media Options is your solution. We take your domains direct to market and solicit them to the end users who can get the most value from these names and therefore pay a price, which makes sense for everyone.
Our Domain Newsletter (Domain Deals) is a tremendous asset for our clients who see the value in getting their domains in front of industry, marketing and advertising professionals who are ready to snatch up good deals when they see them. Thousands of people receive our targeted newsletter and our sell through rate is very high (on average we sell 10% – 20% of the domains listed in our newsletter). If we list your domain and it does not sell, we are happy to try again with a discounted price. Sometimes it takes 3 or 4 times for someone to see a domain before they make the decision to buy it.
We have some of the top talent in the industry and we work hard to bring you the best Premium Domain Names in the market!
In addition to our premium domain broker services, Media Options also owns and operates its own portfolio of premium generic keyword domain names and acronyms. Every years we take two or three of our domain names and develop them into stand alone websites and businesses. For example, Slang.org was recently (2013) developed into the most complete slang, internet slang, acronyms, abbreviations and internet slang dictionary. Contact us to find out more about out these types of projects that Media Options is involved in.
"We came to terms rather quickly with Andrew and the communication was excellent. It was easily the smoothest domain transaction I have been involved with!"Other Testimonials


text:
You have likely owned at least one or two desktop computers in your lifetime. However, what do you know about these machines? If you do not much about them, you will be amazed at how doing some research can help you. This article will give you some great advice.
Be sure to have anti-virus software. These programs protect your system from malicious attacks. Mal-ware can steal your personal info and slow down your computer. There are several programs available that can scan and repair your computer regularly.
Make sure the desktop will fit into the space you intend it for. Each model and brand is sized differently. Some have a smaller frame, and others are very tall. You know where the computer has to fit so make sure you buy according to that size.
Try to choose a desktop computer that suits your needs while remaining affordable. Sometimes people buy computers that have more features than they need. Think about necessary features so you can have the best value.
If you want your computer to perform day in and out at high levels, make sure you dust out the interior every week. Usually it is pretty easy to take the case off and then just spray the dust away with compressed air. It keeps the computer clean and lets the fan work freely.
Parallels for Mac is a good idea for desktop buyers who are moving from a PC to a Mac. This will let you run a PC OS on your Mac. That lets you run any software intended for a PC. You will have to buy the operating system separate.
If you are an avid online gamer and you want buy a computer that will give you the best playing experience, you need to keep certain things in mind. Your system needs a solid video card, no less than 4 GB in memory and a higher resolution display. Special controllers and keyboards are also available that will enhance all your gaming play.
Observe everything you can about the deal you are getting. Make sure that the online information is sufficient so that you will always be able to get the drivers and software downloads you need.
Does the computer have enough memory? When it comes to desktops, memory is important. Are you going to store a lot of information on the machine? Do you take a lot of pictures? These are important questions to consider when purchasing a PC.
There are many changes in the computer world that you may not know of. Desktop computers are available for $400 from a computer store. Make sure you buy the desktop computer from a reputable store that will guarantee the sale.
If you are concerned about going green, consider a mini PC. They use very little electricity, but allow you to do the same things as a basic computer. If you just want to check your email, use the Internet or create some documents, this type of machine will suit you.
As discussed earlier, you have probably owned a computer at some point in your life. But chances are that you didn't know very much about computers prior to now. Use the information located above to help you better understand these devices.


text:
Nashville Predators Acquire A Conditional Seventh-Round Pick From San Joseby Press Release / Nashville Predators
- Send defenseman Scott Hannan to the Sharks -
Nashville, Tenn. – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has acquired a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2013 Entry Draft in exchange for defenseman Scott Hannan. The seventh rounder changes to a sixth-round pick if Hannan appears in the playoffs.
The Predators now have 10 draft picks for the 2013 NHL Entry Draft to be held June 30 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. – their own picks in the first, and fourth through seventh rounds, in addition Tampa Bay's third-round pick, Toronto and Buffalo's fourth rounder selections, the New York Rangers' fifth-round pick and San Jose's seventh rounder.
The Preds face off against the Blue Jackets tomorrow for a College Night, presented by Taco Bell, where college students who show their student ID at the Bridgestone Arena box office will receive special discounts. In conjunction with College Night, there will be half-price drink specials for all in attendance through the first intermission. The puck drops at 7 p.m. CT and will broadcast on FOX Sports Tennessee (Comcast channels 1675 HD, 28 SD) and 102.5 The Game. The Predators face off against the Blackhawks on Saturday at a special start time of 2 p.m. CT. Limited tickets for both games are still available and may be purchased at the Bridgestone Arena Box Office, by visiting nashvillepredators.com or by calling 615-770-7800.


text:
It makes sense that Carlos Cordeiro's 100th day as the president of U.S. Soccer quietly came and went last week. The 62-year-old has kept a relatively low profile in the three-plus months since he won the most contentious election in the federation's history, but that's not to say he's been easing into the job.
With the clock ticking steadily toward June 13, when a vote in Moscow by 206 of FIFA's 211 member nations will determine if the United Bid — the joint effort between Canada, Mexico and the United States to secure hosting rights for the 2026 World Cup — is successful, Cordeiro has been as busy as any new head of state.
"During my campaign I talked about hitting the ground running," Cordeiro said in an exclusive interview with Yahoo Sports. "I couldn't have hit the ground running any faster. It's been a marathon and a sprint all in one."
Since assuming his post on Feb. 10, Cordeiro, along with the leaders of the Canadian and Mexican federations, Steven Reed and Decio de Maria, has traversed the globe trying to convince as many countries as possible to put their support behind the North American bid.
They're leaving nothing to chance.
For maximum reach, the bid's three co-chairs split up into teams, with Cordeiro, Reed and De Maria atop their own three- to five-team groups. In show of unity, each delegation features at least one representative from the other two countries.
With two weeks left in the race — Morocco is the only other bidder — they've made their case to roughly 70 percent of the voters. The hope is that by the June 13, they will have met every single one.
They decided to concentrate on their own backyard early on. Then, after locking in the endorsement of all 10 South American associations and most, if not all, of CONCACAF, the focus shifted to Asia.
Soccer officials from Canada, Mexico and the U.S. historically haven't had much contact with their Asian counterparts, mainly because of the geographic distance between the two regions. Friendly matches versus European or South American foes happen regularly, while exhibitions against Asian teams are rare, at least on the men's side.
But Asia has 46 voting members, meaning the huge and diverse continent will have a major influence on next month's vote. The India-born, Miami-raised Cordeiro has lost count of how many times he's traveled there in search of support, and that work appears to have paid off. Saudi Arabia said they'll support the North Americans. Privately, other Asian nations have made the same pledge.
For the last month, the United Bid's sights have been trained almost exclusively on Europe. Cordeiro and about a dozen USSF staffers have been based in London since the end of April. So too have Reed's and De Maria's teams, and for good reason. After all, Europe is where the bid will be won or lost.
That UEFA's 55 members are in such close proximity has made it easier for the North Americans to make their pitch in person. In some cases, the three teams have visited five or six countries in a single day, an impressive feat considering that they've traveled exclusively on commercial aircraft.
"We have made presentations in as many as three countries in one day," Cordeiro said of his own team. "That's happened more than once. It's an amazing logistical effort."
[ Follow FC Yahoo on Twitter and Facebook ]
It's one they hope will literally pay off. The promise of a record $11 billion in profits for FIFA has been a centerpiece of the North American bid. Each of FIFA's member associations would share in those funds — no small incentive for a vote that, for the first time, will be made public.
Still, Morocco has received significant backing of its own. Much of Africa stands behind their CAF brethren. France also publicly endorsed its former colony's effort. Other European nations might be swayed by the prospect of having World Cup games in prime time in their own time zones, so as to maximize television revenue.
But even countries that would seem to be no-hopers for the United Bid have been approached. Cordeiro and Co. are taking nothing for granted.
"I'll tell you, associations really appreciate it when you come knocking on their door," he said. "They all deserve to hear from us. And if we have the most compelling bid, the most technically superior bid, if we are generating the most revenue — which ultimately comes back to them for their programs at the grassroots level — at the end of the day this is what resonates with them."
Surprisingly, Cordeiro said that geopolitics haven't come up much in their discussions. That fact that the United States government has provided FIFA with written assurances that fans would be able to travel to the tournament regardless of nationality seems to have allayed fears stemming from U.S. president Donald Trump's proposed travel ban, the fate of which will be determined by the Supreme Court in late June. Trump has publicly expressed his support of the bid on multiple occasions, as have Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
"When we've met with federations, they have mentioned that they are happy to see that we have strong support from the federal government from all three countries," Cordeiro said. "This extends to visa, work permits, security, transportation and more. The fact that our president has so publicly endorsed the bid, and not just once, is an indication of the level of support we're getting at the highest levels of government. That it has been so front and center in his thoughts is an indication of the level of support we have received from across the administration."
Cordeiro's first 100 days haven't been spent solely on pursuing the dream of 2026, however. There's been plenty to stay on top of back home. He sought the USSF presidency with an eye on reform, having announced his candidacy before the resignation of incumbent Sunil Gulati in the wake of the men's national team failure to qualify for this summer's World Cup in Russia.
And since emerging from the eight-candidate field, he's overseen the early stages of what he calls a significant organization restructuring within U.S. Soccer. He's been closely involved in the now almost complete process of hiring a general manager for the men's team. He's personally interviewed GM candidates. He's just getting started and knows there's lots more to do. For the next two weeks, though, the priority is clear.
"It's a dash to the finish line here," Cordeiro said. "At the end of the day you can't forget it's one country, one vote. No one is more important than anyone else. They're all important. They all have their own challenges, much like we do."
Having existing relationships with many of those he's lobbying has helped. Cordeiro previously served as Gulati's vice president and is no stranger in FIFA circles. Besides, the world of international soccer is small, believe it or not. Many of the bid's staffers have known those at the federations they're trying to win over for years, even decades.
"We have reinforced old friendships and made new ones," Cordeiro said.
"We relate to each other when we talk about football. This is best done when people from the federation speak with colleagues form other federations. They want to talk to people in their language: the language of football."
Doug McIntyre covers soccer for Yahoo Sports. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.
More soccer from Yahoo Sports:
• 2018 World Cup preview hub
• Carlos Cordeiro's first 100 days
• Inside the fascinating evolution of USMNT prospect Keaton Parks
• How Dave Sarachan, amid uncertainty, kick-started USMNT rebuild
• New USMNT generation of 'clowns, social butterflies' sprouting


text:
Media During the Civil War
We can hardly wait until March 13. This is when the Library of Congress will host a gallery talk on the role of newspapers during the Civil War.
The exact description below:
Georgia Higley of the Serial and Government Publications Division examines the Vicksburg Daily Citizen and the role of newspapers during the war at noon in "The Civil War in America" exhibition, located in the Southwest Gallery of the Thomas Jefferson Building. Contact: 707.9203.


text:
by Michael Laitman
This past weekend horror in France must be a wakeup call for all of us, Jews and non-Jews alike. But to be honest, I am not optimistic that this will be the case. I have been warning for years that our sages, our wise spiritual leaders of the past, have written over and over that Jews must unite and serve as a role model of unity to the world. In their writings, they state time and again that this is the only thing required of us.
Back in 2011, I published Like a Bundle of Reeds: Why Unity and Mutual Guarantee Are Today's Call of the Hour, a book that details why our sages assert that it is our role to introduce brotherly love and unity to the world, and that until we do the hatred toward us will keep growing. Alas, so far, too few have listened.
We cannot expect the shock and justified abhorrence of the French public toward extreme Islam to last for long. In fact, today, just a few days after the shock, a French girl is already willing to proclaim (though still incognito) her allegiance to ISIS through the world media. At the end of the interview, CNN's Arwa Damon expresses her alarm at the fact that French young men and women aspire to join ISIS and see it as a role model. But as the girl in the interview says, France has nothing of meaning to offer her, whereas with ISIS, she has a purpose!
Today, France, the cradle of democracy, is taking a good hard look at itself in the mirror, and asking itself serious questions about its society, about freedom of speech, freedom of practice (of religion), and freedom of immigration. But these questions will remain unanswered, and more and more French will lean toward the far right and toward Islam, because in the extremes there are no questions or doubts; there is purpose!
And the target of those two extremes will be the Jews. Gradually, but not necessarily slowly, the backbone-lacking moderates will wane until they are swallowed by one of the extreme. The reason is simple: the moderates have nothing to offer but high-tech gadgets, booze, and drugs. For today's millennials, this is not enough. They don't want to know how to have more fun the 90s way, but rather why they were born in the first place. And since there is no answer in the middle, they turn to the extremes.
As Jews, we have been privileged with the gift of an answer to this question. Our purpose in life is to be a light for the nations. Albeit its unappealing name and the bad PR it has been given over the past few centuries, it is what the nations expect from us. Consider what we have contributed to humanity in science, culture, and social sciences. What, on the other hand, gratitude have we gotten from them? None. It is time to face the grim reality: no one thanks us but ourselves.
The one and only gift the nations want from us is the secret to unity above differences. Not unity that oppresses or suppresses individuals, but one that embraces differences and diversity, and nurtures these assets to the benefit of society. Only we can do that, since only we have done it before, in our ancient past. And therefore, only we can rekindle that gift and share it.
But to rekindle it, we need to have a purpose greater than ourselves. We need unity not for our own sake, but for the sake of the world. The world needs unity above diversity because by that we all embrace our interconnections and develop mutual, global responsibility, compassion, and friendship. This is the one thing neither extreme will ever have, and the one thing they will demand of us.
They will not come out and say, "Unite or we will kill you!" They will simply try to kill us. But if we unite, in order to offer it to them, then we will be valuable in everybody's eyes. This is the value that all the Nobel Prizes won't award us.
In my journeys throughout the world, I have met with numerous anti-Semites in different settings. Not one has responded negatively to the message of Jewish unity in order to be a role model. But Jews have always resisted it. When I speak to Jews of being a role model of unity, they almost always snub my words. Indeed, a stiff-necked people.
Now I think it's time we started reconsidering our options. On the current trajectory, even the near future doesn't look bright for Jews. And unity, what can anyone say against it? Let's give it a chance; if anything, it won't do any harm.


text:
GEWICHT: 67 kg
1 Stunde:80€
Anilings: +80€
Intime Dienste: Sex auf der Stra?e, Leidenschaftliches Kussen, Kuscheln/Schmusen, Begleiten, Oral ohne Sex
SMF - Just Installed! Alternatively, sonic waves or robots could be used toexplode the devices and reclaim areas of splash down through despite agricultural usePrehospital careCaring because of defy personnel with musculoskeletal injuries presentsincreased challenges compared to almost identical civilian injuries.
Thisis equitably unostentatious and direct evidence that the coxa valga of the femoral neck isnot the etiology of the dislocation. These episodes occurred on three occa-sions over the olden times weeks; each happening lasted to minutes. You acknowledge the serene to theintensive pains piece for supportive trouble and amendment of electrolyte, pulmonary, and hemodynamicabnormalities.
The or-preferred to children who back-knee because of gastrocnemius contrac-thotic is then cut from the vacuum-formedtures. If you happen to be residing in Recent dynasty so you bonk an superior possibility to devil services from the top dentist in Refreshing royalty. This assuasive knead therapy likewise helps to placid the remember and disappear accentuate from the personify and listen of the persevering. Your doctor may paucity you to monitor your blood sugar if you're winning clarithromycin with equal of these medicines for the purpose category 2 diabetes.
Apart from being thoroughly ready, there are a number of? These categorize: As a conduct instrument to stow away, dish and study observations and materials. If you bang an fundamental scrutiny condition, you could be endangering your upbeat. This intelligence from formulaic medicate confirms my impression was genuine. Therefore, a specialized province of the membrane lining the sponge starts in the hole of the cytostome and projects road to the flagellar pocket.
Your existence can be easier with ActivStyle's handy and judicious home conveyance of medical supplies. The increased demand appropriate for be unfeasible during the summer, coupled with multiple treatment failures, resulted in the utterance of unfiltered and non-disinfected ditch-water to the resort. Can your respondents glimpse some individual bene? The following sections offer guidance on the type of dirt to record at each condition of the regard pathway.


text:
Finance FAQ
- Questions regarding invoices should be directed to Accounts Payable, by calling (408) 615-2369, or please send an email to: firstname.lastname@example.com
- Yes. When the new responsible party moves into a property, they are fully responsible for the bill. Per Municipal Services Rules & Regulations, the new responsible party must notify Municipal Services within five (5) business days of any change in name and/or ownership of a property.
- Yes. Utility services can be provided at multiple addresses. A connection fee will be charged for each meter at each location.
You may submit a public records request through the City Clerk's Office - Request Public Records page.
- Yes. There is a one-time connection fee charged for each meter located on the property. This charge will appear on your first bill.
- To start or stop utility services, you will need to contact us at least one business day in advance. You may do so by visiting My Utilities Account or call 408-615-2300 Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., excluding holidays.
- The City of Santa Clara provides electric, water, garbage, recycling, and sewer services. PG&E provides gas service and can be reached at (800) 743-5000.
If you are the only one in your area experiencing an outage, check to see if your circuit breakers or fuses in the main electric box have blown. If that is not the case, contact Municipal Services at (408) 615-2300. If your neighborhood appears to be out of power, contact Silicon Valley Power at (408) 615-5640.
- A written request and a fee are required to obtain a replacement copy of your certificate.
- No, the Business Tax Certificate is for doing business in the City of Santa Clara only. If you plan on doing business in another city, you must contact them in order to obtain their requirements for a business license.
- Any changes to your business (i.e., location, type of business, business entity, ownership, etc.) will require a new Business License Application to be submitted. If the business is no longer located in the City of Santa Clara, written notification from the business owner must be submitted to close the Business Tax Certificate.
- No, unless a business is a corporation and the Tax ID is not changing, a Business Tax Certificate is non-transferrable. As a new owner, you are required to submit a new Business License Application to cover the business operation under your ownership.
- Expired Business Tax Certificates are automatically cancelled 90 days after the expiration date. We require written notification from the owner in the event of a closure or sale. Please mail your written notification to: City of Santa Clara, Business Tax Unit, 1500 Warburton Ave, Santa Clara, CA 95050.
- Yes, a home-based business is required to obtain a Business Tax Certificate. Businesses operating out of the home are required to apply in-person at the Planning Department at City Hall.
- Yes. We offer programs for customers who qualify for financial assistance. For more information, visit My Utilities Account or contact Municipal Services at (408) 615-2300 Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., excluding holidays.
- We offer many options to pay your bill. Please visit My Utilities Account or contact Municipal Services at (408) 615-2300 Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., excluding holidays.
We read meters and bill customers monthly.


text:
Testimony begins for man in mother-daughter slaying
Everett said he killed mother, daughter in self-defense
The crime was gruesome, and now graphic testimony in the trial against Brian Everett, 35 has begun.
Everett is accused of killing Nicole Smith, 39, and her 12-year-old daughter Stephanie Smith, in May 2012.
Nicole Smith and her daughter were found stabbed in Everett's home on Woodlawn Avenue in East Price Hill. Everett called 911 and admitted to a dispatcher that he had killed them.
Everett claims it was self-defense, but prosecutors plan to show otherwise.
Both sides said it was a violent fight, driven by sex and grudges, but who is to blame, depends on who you ask.
"You may also hear evidence that suggests to you that the defendant did want sex that night and it wasn't with Nicole, it was with her daughter," prosecutor David Prem said.
Prosecutors said Everett stabbed Nicole Smith eight times, four times in the back.
Her daughter Stephanie was stabbed and strangled. When responding officers on the scene asked why he attacked the little girl, Everett said because, "She got in the way."
Each side, pointed fingers as to who started the violent fight.
The defense claimed it was Nicole Smith who was making demands to Everett for sex and he refused, telling her at one point she was dirty.
Prosecutors said Everett waited more than an hour to call 911 after the stabbings.
In his frantic call, he admits to the stabbings in self-defense.
"My friend attacked me and her daughter came in and she was swinging the knife and I was swinging the knife," Everett said during the call, "I was just, you know, me and her I was drunk and we were arguing. "
Operator: "Did you stab her? Yes or no? Did you stab her? Is that what you're saying sir?"
Everett: "Yes, yes."
"That's their theory that this is all about sex but that's not it, it goes further than that," defense attorney Doug Nicholas said.
The defense said a few weeks before the stabbings, Nicole Smith and some others beat up a mentally disabled man and Everett called 911 to report Nicole Smith.
"What really lights the fuse of the powder cake temper is Brian tells her in the heat of this argument 'Hey you know when you beat up Mike, you know how upset I was by that, how bad I thought you were?'" Nicholas said. "I called 911. Now you don't do this to a person like Nikki because the first response she has is you're a snitch."
Before opening statements Tuesday, Hamilton County Common Pleas Court Judge Jerome Metz questioned both sides about the possibility of a plea deal.
Everett rejected an informal offer that would have allowed for a sentence of either 15 years to life or 25 years to life. His defense attorneys said Everett would not accept any deal that required him to serve more than 22 years.
Nicole Smith was a mother of four, and according to her family, she was not romantically involved with Everett. Attorneys said that Nicole Smith and Everett were friends with "benefits" and Nicole Smith occasionally stayed with him.
Everett is expected to take the stand in his own defense. The trial is expected to last until Friday.


text:
"How do blind people use the bathroom?"
"Hey, how do people with low vision take a shower?"
"Wait, do blind people use the bathroom?"
It's not just little kids who ask these questions. I have had teachers, friends, random adults, and even college suitemates that I share a bathroom with ask if I am capable of using the bathroom on my own, or if I even use the bathroom. Yes, just like sighted people, those with low vision and blindness are capable of using a bathroom independently. Assistive technology may help make the experience easier for people. Here are some examples of assistive technology products I use to help me look and feel my best.
Tactile labels
This is one of the main tools that helps blind people in the bathroom. It's also great for people who can't see without their glasses. I put these on bottles in the shower so that way I can distinguish which bottle is which. These are hard adhesive plastic dots that I got a sheet of for about $4 from Maxi-Aids via Amazon.
Related links
- Tactile labels on Amazon
- How To Make Medication Bottles Accessible For Vision Impairment
- How To Create Tactile Images With Everyday Objects
2 in 1 shampoo/conditioner
Speaking of bottles, I was always having trouble putting too much conditioner in my hair. It would look awful. By having the two pre-mixed together, I don't have to worry about putting too much conditioner in my shoulder-length hair. I use Garnier Fructis and it can be purchased at almost any store that sells shampoo.
Hair/Scalp Massager
Okay, this might seem like an impulse purchase, but it helps me a lot. I have trouble massaging shampoo into my hair, so I decided to try this plastic hair/scalp massager. My hair instantly looked much better, and I felt great after getting out of the shower.
Related links
Shower railings
I live in a handicap-accessible dorm where we have built in metal support rails in the shower. However, portable railings with suction cups can easily be purchased, so users can easily stabilize themselves and have a point of reference in the shower as to where to stand or where objects are located, such as the faucet.
Related links
Toothpaste dispenser
Often marketed towards little kids, these plastic devices hook up to a toothpaste tube and allow for someone to use one hand and push their toothbrush against the plastic slot and have the perfect amount of toothpaste dispensed. These can be found for about $7 on Amazon.
Related links
Three sided toothbrush
These were amazing when I started having neck problems and had trouble brushing my teeth. They have toothbrush heads on the front and sides of the brush so the entire tooth can be brushed at once without having to move the head or neck. It is also to use if you have to brush someone else's teeth. I got a pack of three for $8 from Maxi-Aids.
Related links
Full review coming soon, but I've been using the Quip over the last year and it has been my favorite toothbrush I have ever used. It's small in size and easily fits in my hand. In addition, it is easy to switch out brush heads and easy to operate- it even has a built in timer.
Related links
Final thoughts
All of these tools help me in my day-to-day life, and I find them to be incredibly helpful. So next time someone asks how blind people use the bathroom or how people with bad eyesight take a shower, recommend one of these products to them!


text:
Adam Smith
Why Adam Smith is important
Adam Smith (1723-1790) was a Scottish philosopher and economist who is best known as the author of An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth Of Nations (1776), one of the most influential books ever written.
The old view of economics
In Smith's day, people saw national wealth in terms of a country's stock of gold and silver. Importing goods from abroad was seen as damaging because it meant that this wealth must be given up to pay for them; exporting goods was seen as good because these precious metals came back.
So countries maintained a vast network of controls to prevent this metal wealth draining out – taxes on imports, subsidies to exporters, and protection for domestic industries. The same protectionism ruled at home too. Cities prevented artisans from other towns moving in to ply their trade; manufacturers and merchants petitioned the king for protective monopolies; labour-saving devices were banned as a threat to existing producers.
The productivity of free exchange
Smith showed that this vast 'mercantilist' edifice was folly. He argued that in a free exchange, both sides became better off. Quite simply, nobody would trade if they expected to lose from it. The buyer profits, just as the seller does. Imports are just as valuable to us as our exports are to others.
Because trade benefits both sides, said Smith, it increases our prosperity just as surely as do agriculture or manufacture. A nation's wealth is not the quantity of gold and silver in its vaults, but the total of its production and commerce – what today we would call gross national product.
The Wealth of Nations deeply influenced the politicians of the time and provided the intellectual foundation of the great nineteenth-century era of free trade and economic expansion. Even today the common sense of free trade is accepted worldwide, whatever the practical difficulties of achieving it.
Social order based on freedom
Smith had a radical, fresh understanding of how human societies actually work. He realised that social harmony would emerge naturally as human beings struggled to find ways to live and work with each other. Freedom and self-interest need not produce chaos, but – as if guided by an 'invisible hand' – order and concord. And as people struck bargains with each other, the nation's resources would be drawn automatically to the ends and purposes that people valued most highly.
So a prospering social order did not need to be controlled by kings and ministers. It would grow, organically, as a product of human nature. It would grow best in an open, competitive marketplace, with free exchange and without coercion.
The Wealth Of Nations was therefore not just a study of economics but a survey of human social psychology: about life, welfare, political institutions, the law, and morality.
The psychology of ethics
It was not The Wealth Of Nations which first made Smith's reputation, but a book on ethics, The Theory Of Moral Sentiments. Once again, Smith looks to social psychology to discover the foundation of human morality. Human beings have a natural 'sympathy' for others. That enables them to understand how to moderate their behaviour and preserve harmony. And this is the basis of our moral ideas and moral actions.
Self-interest and virtue
Some people wonder how the self-interest that drives Smith's economic system can be squared with the 'sympathy' that drive his ethics. Here is his answer:
How selfish soever man may be supposed, there are evidently some principles in his nature, which interest him in the fortune of others, and render their happiness necessary to him, though he derives nothing from it except the pleasure of seeing it.
In other words, human nature is complex. We are self-interested, but we also like to help others too. Smith's books are complementary: they show how self-interested human beings can live together peacefully (in the moral sphere) and productively (in the economic).
The Wealth Of Nations is no endorsement of economic greed, as sometimes caricatured. Self-interest may drive the economy, but that is a force for good – provided there is genuinely open competition and no coercion. And it is the poor that economic and social freedom benefits most.
Related Articles
Ben Bernanke
Ben S. Bernanke began a second term as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System on
Public-Private Partnerships for Health and Development
The health of people is intricately linked with the health of the global economy. High mortality and morbidity rates in
The Spin Sauce Story—an Afghan Success Story in USA
The story behind SPIN SAUCE started over 30 years ago, when Jamal Rasoully's parents created the white sauce like dressing
1 commentWrite a comment
Elke 3 September, 2012, 05:35
Have you ever considered publishing an e-book or guest authoring on other blogs?Reply this comment
I have a blog based upon on the same topics
you discuss and would really like to have you share some stories/information.
I know my visitors would enjoy your work.
If you are even remotely interested, feel free to send
me an email.


text:
Hulu Will Stream All Eight Seasons of WILL & GRACE Before Premiere!
TV fans rejoice! For the first-time ever, all 194 episodes of the Emmy Award-winning pop-culture phenomenon "Will & Grace" will be available to stream and on-demand. The iconic series, led by four Broadway veterans, will be available on the NBC app, Hulu and on-demand through satellite, cable and telco pay TV providers, beginning Thursday, September 21, one week ahead of the return of "Will & Grace" on NBC.
Hulu will be the exclusive SVOD partner for the original eight seasons, which will also be available on the NBC App and pay TV providers with authentication.
In addition to the show's four leading players, Will & Grace showcased a variety of Broadway veterans as guest stars throughout its eight seasons, including: Harry Connick Jr., Bobby Cannavale, Gregory Hines, Glenn Close, Tim Curry, Taye Diggs, Lea DeLaria, Victor Garber, Neil Patrick Harris, Judith Ivey, James Earl Jones, Bebe Neuwirth, Rosie O'Donnell, Bernadette Peters, Chita Rivera, and many more.
The original eight seasons ran from 1998 to 2006, and in addition to quickly earning its place as a critic and fan favorite, "Will & Grace" was nominated for 83 Emmy Awards, winning 16 of them including Outstanding Comedy Series. This digital distribution deal, which will get 194 episodes of Will & Grace into nearly 100 million homes across platforms nationwide, marks an opportunity to introduce a new generation of audiences to original episodes of the show that have been largely unavailable for the past 11 years. The deal will go into effect one week before "Will & Grace" rejoins the NBC lineup with all new episodes Thursday, Sept. 28 at 9 p.m.; each week, following their broadcast airing, new episodes will also be available to stream across the aforementioned digital platforms.
"As we gear up for the launch of the upcoming season premiere, I can't think of a better way to reintroduce 'Will & Grace' to the cultural zeitgeist than by giving audiences the opportunity to watch this historic and hilarious series wherever and whenever they want," said NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt. "With its witty comebacks, pop-culture references and social commentary, 'Will & Grace' is one of the most binge-able comedies in television history, and I am certain fans both old and new will jump on this opportunity to devour it."
"There's no question that 'Will & Grace' has resonated with audiences since the series made its broadcast premiere. To be able to bring such an iconic show into the streaming universe for the first time ever is an opportunity we couldn't pass up," said Joel Stillerman, Chief Content Officer, Hulu. "This landmark deal will allow fans to re-watch their favorite moments ahead of the series premiere, as well as bring 'Will & Grace' and its cast of characters to a whole new audience."
The new season of "Will & Grace" will begin its 16-episode run on September 28, 2017 and has already been picked up for a second season with 13 additional episodes. Both the original and new episodes of "Will & Grace" are written and executive produced by Max Mutchnick and David Kohan, and directed and executive produced by James Burrows.
More Hot Stories For You
EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE Announces Limited Six-Month Return to Apollo Theatre
The hit West End musical Everybody's Talking About Jamie is set to make its West End return next month at the Apollo Theatre. ...
MaskUpCurtainUp Launches Line of Face Masks From Over 30 Broadway, West End, and Touring Productions
The MaskUpCurtainUp campaign announced the launch of a new webstore featuring exclusive face masks from Broadway, West End and touring productions....
Alex Brightman, Ariana Debose, Andrew Barth Feldman, Ashley Park and More Star in AS THE CURTAIN RISES Podcast
The Broadway Podcast Network has announced Broadway's first digital Soap Opera, AS THE CURTAIN RISES. Written by Dori Berinstein and Mark Peikert, AS ...
Julie Halston, Tim Daly, André De Shields and More Star in Charles Busch and Carl Andress' New Film THE SIXTH REEL
Charles Busch and Carl Andress are currently shooting their latest film project, The Sixth Reel, in which Busch also stars. The film co-stars Julie H...
Owner of The Strand Book Store Asks Book Lovers to Help Keep the Store Afloat in the Midst of the Pandemic
The owner of the beloved New York staple, The Strand Book Store, has taken to Twitter to share the struggles that the company is facing in the midst o...
Andrew Barth Feldman Presents Online Halloween Special MY HALLOWEEN FRIENDS
Andrew Barth Feldman will premiere 'My Halloween Friends,' a twenty-minute Halloween concert special at midnight on Saturday, October 31st....


text:
'I have always felt that Ben has a unique quality when capturing movement . . . '
– Jasmin Vardimon, choreographer.
Fashion and portrait photographer Ben Harries has an eye for the unexpected. Whether it's shooting male supermodels in a North London launderette or photographing high-end accessories abandoned in public spaces, his work combines elegant compositions with a candid, intimate attitude.
Over the span of his career, Harries has assisted industry heavyweights like Patrick Demarchelier and Terry O'Neill, shot backstage at Galliano and McQueen runway shows, collaborated on dance music videos, and photographed personalities such as Matt Smith, Vivienne Westwood, José Mourinho, Oscar Isaacs, Marc Jacobs and Henry Cavill. Harries' work regularly appears in GQ, The Times, Esquire, Article, Jocks & Nerds and many other international publications. His client list includes H&M, Mr. Porter, Next, Timothy Everest, Topman and Matchesfashion.com.
Harries' Polaroid books, assembled after each shoot, provide a unique, intimate insight into his working process. Begun as a personal project, the books are now regularly requested by his clients.
Outside of his commercial work, Harries' passions lie in travel, nature and exploring movement. Twenty years after he first picked up a camera, he continues to explore new mediums and possibilities within his field.


text:
For knowledge managers to be able to make the best evidence-based decisions, they need to be able to readily access research evidence. However, a large proportion of knowledge management (KM) research evidence is currently inaccessible because it is locked away behind journal paywalls. As I've previously alerted, this approach to academic publishing runs counter to the practice of knowledge sharing, which a fundamental aspect of KM.
An alternative to paywalled journals is open access publishing, which we've discussed in a number of articles. This has included providing advice on how you can be part of the "open movement" and "work open".
While there's a growing trend towards open access publishing, there's still a long way to go, with only around one-third of scholarly literature currently being open access. With this in mind, open access advocates in India have come together to make the Delhi Declaration on Open Access. Further signatories to the declaration are invited.
As I've previously advised, open access to information in critically important in developing countries. The preamble to the Delhi Declaration on Open Access affirms this, stating that:
The South Asian region, home to 24% of the world's population faces major challenges such as hunger, poverty and inequality. These challenges become the collective responsibility of scholars and experts in research universities across the country. Consequently, it becomes imperative that research institutes share scientific research outputs and accelerate scientific research.
However, the preamble also alerts that while India has a high volume of academic publishing, only a small proportion is currently open access:
As per the Scimago Journal & Country Rank … India ranks 9th in the year 2016 … However, 82% of them are not Open Access and the Institutional Repositories in India are sparsely populated in spite of having Open Access mandates in place.
The declaration seeks to advance open access publishing through a 10-point plan:
We, the contributors and signatories of this declaration, members of the Open Access India, Open Access communities of practice in India and the attendees of the OpenCon 2018 New Delhi held on 3rd Feb., 2018 at Acharya Narendra Dev College, Kalkaji, New Delhi (University of Delhi) agree to issue this declaration:
- We advocate for the practice of Open Science (sharing research methods and results openly which will avoid "reinventing the wheel") and adoption of open technologies for the development of models for sharing science and scholarship (Open Scholarship) to accelerate the progress of research and to address the real societal challenges.
- We will strive to publish our interim research outputs as preprints or postprints (e.g. Institutional Repositories) and encourage our peers and supervisors to do the same to make our research open and actionable in a timely manner.
- We will practice and encourage researchers and scientists to implement openness in peer-reviewing and other editorial services, influence the scholarly societies to flip their journals into Open Access and will contribute for the development of whitelist of Open Access journals in India adhering to the "Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing".
- We will garner support of the relevant stakeholders (scholars, journal editorial teams, university libraries, research funders, authorities' in-charge of dissemination of scholarship in higher education) for spearheading the Open Access movement.
- We will take forward the concept of Open Access to further bring all the publicly funded research outputs (not limited to journal literature alone) to be freely available under open licenses to the public to use, reuse and share in any media in open formats.
- We will impress upon policy makers to adopt an open evaluation system for research and an institutional reward system for practicing openness in science ,scientific communications and academic research across disciplines including Humanities and Social Sciences.
- We will support and work for an alternate reward system in recognition and promotion not in terms of the 'Impact Factor' of the journals, but the 'Impact' of the articles/scholarship in science and the society and impress upon all the scientists/scholars, research funders, research institutes, universities, academies and scholarly societies to sign the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA).
- We strongly agree with the Joint COAR-UNESCO Statement on Open Access, Jussieu Call [for Open science and bibliodiversity] and Dakar Declaration [on Open Access Publishing in Africa and the Global South]. And will also follow the international initiative Open Access 2020, to develop roadmaps to support sustainable Open Access scholarly communication models which are free of charge for the authors and free of charge availability to the readers.
- While learning from South South cooperation on Open Access, will work for developing a framework for Open Access in India and South Asia: National Policies for Open Access and country-specific action plans will be formulated aimed at making Open Access as the default in India and South Asia, by 2025.
- For creating more awareness on Open Access, infrastructure, capacity building, funding and policy mechanisms, as well as incentivizing for the Open Access, we come forward to share success stories, studies and discussions during the Open Access Week.
Article source: The Delhi Declaration on Open Access is licenced by CC BY 4.0.
Also published on Medium.


text:
This Kansas City-Chiefs 2 piece utility mat set is constructed right here in the US with quality and value in mind. Manufactured from extremely durable vinyl, it features your Kansas City-Chiefs' logo 3D molded into the vinyl and then printed in true team colors.
These Kansas City-Chiefs utility floor mats also feature:
These Kansas City-Chiefs logo utility mats are 14" x 17" in size each.
*Note: As we carry 6500 different styles of sports & military mats, all sports & military mats are manufactured when they are ordered so production time is 7-11 business days.


text:
I loooove carrot cakes! What I love more than carrot cake is carrot muffins! They are more easier to make and in my opinion they taste and look better! This was my first time that I make those muffins, they attracted my artistic eye so bad, that I had to paint them! (Check the painting in the bottom of the post.)
12 muffins approximately
1 egg
150 gr sugar
2 Tbsp honey
¼ tea cup of orange juice/grapefruit works too
¼ tea cup oil
½ grated orange/grapefruit zest
2 full tea cups of grated carrots
1 tea cup flower
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla aroma
1 tea cup full of grated walnuts
½ tsp Cinnamon and Ginger powder
2-3 Tbsp Coconut flakes
For the cream:
1 packet (200gr) of natural cream cheese (Filadelfia or the cheeper one work fine as well)
125 gr Mascarpone
5 Tbsp powder sugar
1 tsp grated orange zest
Start with mixing all the "moist" ingredients: eggs,oil , the orange/grapefruit juice. Then add the sugar and the honey. Whisk them good but without using an electric mixer .
Add the carrots and the zest. Mix all the ingredients well and add the "dry" ones last: flower, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla aroma, spices, walnuts, coconut.
Set the oven to 180ºC and bake 25-30 min. Leave the muffins to cool down.
Meanwhile you can start preparing the cream. Just mix all the cream ingredients in a ball using an electric mixer. You can use whatever decoration you want.
As I said I love carrot cake so I got really inspired and tried eating and painting at the same time. The result was : lots of colors and muffin decoration everywhere 😀
But it was a fun experience.
Stay tuned for my next cooking-painting experience!


text:
In-Home Care from Comfort Keepers of Costa Mesa, CA
Compassionate, Skilled In-Home Care for seniors in Costa Mesa and Surrounding Areas
We believe that seniors' minds and bodies are invigorated by physical and psychological stimulation. That's why at the core of our services is keeping clients active, healthy, and engaged. The way we do this is through something called 'Interactive Caregiving,' which is the method our aides have for turning individual daily activities into interesting, exciting, even inspiring experiences.
These experiences can be simple ones like conversing, playing games, or doing something our clients think is fun. These are companion services. Other examples of 'Interactive Caregiving' are cooking, and administering medication, which is personal services.
In Costa Mesa, our clients like to take advantage of the community's natural beauty. Our caregivers take clients on walks by the duck pond and in many other parks in the area.
Involvement in Costa Mesa
All of our caregivers provide transportation, so it's easy to keep clients involved in the community. A large event that many of our caregivers can take you or your senior loved one to is the Orange County Fair, which has concerts, rides, and delicious food. Another landmark is the local Civil War Reenactment. It's a way of supporting veterans, learning history, and getting entertainment all at the same time.
We work with nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, and hospitals so that our clients receive additional care and detailed attention they need.
Who We Serve
For us, the areas we serve are our homes. The more we serve clients in these areas, the more we contribute to the social and economic growth of our communities. For this reason and others, we are proud to serve Costa Mesa and for all of our locations call our office at (714) 450-6494 to learn more.


text:
Become a GreenPaxx Preferred Customer and Enjoy The Following Perks:
* Free Products
* Promo Codes up to 75% off
* Free Shipping
* Free Samples of New Products
** Your information will never be shared or sold to a third party **
Regular price
Created to make home made push pops all summer then carry snacks in the lunchbox for back to school. Fits in tight lunchbox spaces where bulky containers don't. Easy rinse and fast air-dry overnight. Make healthier ice pops for adults and carry almonds in your gym bag. Cone shape means no messy dripping and unfinished pops go back in the freezer. The only silicone ice pop molds with a reinforced cap that ensures a tight seal for snacks as well as ice pops.
100% BPA-FREE food grade silicone, a safe, reusable alternative to plastic. The only silicone snack tube with a Patent Pending attached cap so kids can't lose it and guaranteed not to leak.
Don't be bullied by the ice cream man and all his fancy jingles. We Moms know how hard it is to scrub that sh*t..er..blue coloring off our kids faces. (what's in that stuff anyway?!) Get some flavored natural soda (Trader Joe's has a really yummy Italian one)...fill up a few Slim Snacks and see how your kids react :)


text:
I was tagged by Rose over at Rose Read Blog for the Diverse Books tag.
The diversity in the book I read, has been something I've been conscious of ever since I read this article on Broadly.
With that in mind I attempted to find titles that weren't as widely known, upcoming releases, or books I have been meaning to read but never had the chance to with this tag.
The Rules:
- The Diverse Books Tag is a bit like a scavenger hunt. I will task you to find a book that fits a specific criteria and you will have to show us a book you have read or want to read.
- If you can't think of a book that fits the specific category, then I encourage you to go look for one. A quick Google search will provide you with many books that will fit the bill. (Also, Goodreads lists are your friends.) Find one you are genuinely interested in reading and move on to the next category.
- Everyone can do this tag, even people who don't own or haven't read any books that fit the descriptions below.
This tag was originally created by Nazahet @ Read Diverse Books . You can view the original tag here.
Find a book starring a lesbian character.
There are a lot of novels, but I thought this one book sounded pretty cool. It's called Prom and Other Hazards by Jamie Sullivan. It's about a girl, named Sam, who is harboring a crush for her best friend and wants to go to prom with her.
Tash dreams of the perfect romantic prom. Sam believes that if she can just get this suit she saw in a shop window, she will finally be able to admit how she feels and enjoy the perfect prom.
This book also deals with themes of androgyny and gender expression which I think adds another layer to the story.
Find a book with a Muslim protagonist.
For this one, I chose White Teeth by Zadie Smith. Smith is an author that I have been meaning to read for a while now and White Teeth lays out the anxieties of a Muslim family attempting to preserve their values. I am going to have to check this book out in the near future.
Find a book set in Latin America.
This is a book loosely based on fiction but I remember reading it in high school and falling in love with the story. In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez is about the Marabal sisters and their involvement in the resistance against Trujillo in the Dominican Republic.
The book was a very beautiful portrayal of the sisters relationship and their life under a dictatorship.
Find a book about a person with a disability.
I have the book Piece of Mind by Michele Adelman on my TBR pile. The main character Lucy suffered a traumatic brain injury at the age of three. As a result she has a rare gift for drawing, knows everything about coffee, comics, and the Polar Bear at the Central Park Zoo.
Unexpected circumstances force her out of her out of the comfortable and protective Jewish home where she was raised and into an apartment with her younger brother. The story follows her as she adapts over a challenging summer.
Find a Science-Fiction or Fantasy book with a POC protagonist.
This is a book that really intrigues me. The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna is about three Weavers who are able to create "Echos", or copies of people that can replace them one they die.
This story follows a girl named Eva who has spent her life learning every aspect of Amarra's life so that she can replace her in the event of her death.
Then Amarra dies in an accident and Eva has to take her place in India, where "Echos" are illegal.
Find a Book Set In (Or About) A Country in Africa
By happenstance, I managed to pick a book set in South Africa that is about to reprinted in paperback next month!
Set in South Africa, Moxyland by Lauren Beukes is a "frighteningly persuasive, high-tech fable" following the lives of four narrators living in a dystopian near0future.
Her cast of characters includes Kendra, an art school dropout, Lerato, an ambitious AIDS baby, Tendeka, a hot-headed activist, and Toby, a roguish blogger.
These character grapple with infectious ideas that connect a corporate apartheid government with video games, biotech attach dogs, slippery online identities, a township soccer school, shocking cel phone, addictive branding, and genetically modified art.
Is your head spinning yet? Mine is, but that's just making me want to check out this book even more.
Find a book written by an Indigenous or Native author.
For this one I chose The Round House by Louse Erdrich. Louise is an American author. Her father is German American and her mother is half Ojibwe and half French American. She's an enrolled member of the Anishinaabe nation (also known as Chippewa).
The Round House is set in the spring of 1988 and is about a woman named Geraldine Coutts living on a reservation in North Dakota. When she gets attacked she reluctant to relive or reveal what happened.
The story follows what happens when Brazil, her husband, and Joe, her thirteen-year-old son as a tribal investigation progresses. When Joe gets frustrated by the official investigation he sets out with his trusted friends: Cappy, Zack, and Angus.
The quest leads them to the Round House, a sacred space and place of worship for the Ojibwe.
Find a book set in South Asia (Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, etc.).
I have heard a lot about The Association of Small Bombs by Karan Mahajan and I am dying to check this out.
This is about two bothers, Tushar and Nakul Khurana, who pick up their television set at a repair shop with their friend Mansoor Ahmed. That day, disaster strikes without warning a bomb, one of many "small" bombs goes off in the New Dehli marketplace, claiming the lives of the brothers.
Mansoor survives, goes to school in America and comes back to New Dehli, where his life becomes entangle with Ayub, a fearless activist who has malleable allegiances.
Against the story of the Khuranas and the Ahmeds is the tale of Shock, a Kashmiri bomb maker who has forsaken his own independence for his homeland.
Find a book with a biracial protagonist.
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell is a perfect example. Park is half Korean and his American father and Korean mother shape his upbringing and the story.
It's interesting to see how he is regarded by his classmates and how his parents and grandparents interact. When his mother talks about growing up in Korea that also fleshed out their live.
Find a book starring a transgender character or about transgender issues.
I got approved to review A Kind of Justice by Renee James.
This is a new book coming out in October and it's about a statuesque transgender woman named Bobbi Logan. She's become one of Chicago's most celebrated hair stylists and owns one of the city's poshest salons.
Then a trifecta of things goes wrong including a hateful detective storming back into her life, determined to convict her of the murder of a pillar of the community and a sexual predator.
There you go! Diverse books tag is complete and I feel like my growing TBR list is about to topple over. Let's keep this diversity tag going. I am going to tag a few people to start:
Tag, you're it:
Reg @ She Latitude
Michele @ Book Adventures
Ashley @ Socially Awkward Bookworm
Daayla @ Bookish Daayla
Esther @ Chapter Adventures
Also anyone who wants to participate in this that I didn't tag. I love discovering new books with different characters and settings so leave me your link when you participate and I will take a look at your list!


text:
Manfrotto Mega Boom
Daily $
The Manfrotto 425B Mega Boom is the largest boom in the Manfrotto line. Movements — including pan, tilt and rotation, as well as the telescopic extension of the boom arm — are controlled by smooth-operating geared crank handles. This two section Mega Boom has a 12′ (3.6 m) maximum extension. It has dual receptors — Junior (1-1/8″) and Baby (5/8″).
A geared tilt system allows precise settings of +30 to -40°.
Technical Specs
Minimum extension: 19.7" (48.25cm)
Maximum extension: 12' (3.7 m) from stand mount
Closed: 7.1' (2.2 m)
Tube Diameters: 2.2" (55.45mm)
Weight: 33 lbs (15.3kg)
Maximum Load Maximum extension: 13 lbs (5.9kg)
Attachment Size:
5/8" locking socket with 5/8" double threaded stud
1-1/8" locking female receptor


text:
The day did start differently, I got up before 7am even without the alarm. I hustled over to the post office, arriving by 9am, fearing the xmas crowds. I was out by 930 and the thrift doesn't open until 10am, so got breakfast from the Peruvian sandwich/pizza place. Grilled beef and fried eggs and tea and setting the theme of the day as Peru.
I was the 1st customer in as they unlocked the door at the thrift. I've mentioned this place regularly. I've found a little of everything there. Today I was the first to rake through a major chunk of some one's collection as it came out of the box. There was lots of opera, female vocalists, Russian and Scandinavian composers. I now have filled in my Shostakovich and Scriabin and Sibelius sections and I finally have the Solti Wagner Ring (the 18 or 19 disks of the four operas would have cost me over $80--at employee price-- had I bought it when I was managing a record store in San Antonio back in 1975. I paid around $9 for it today but likely no one cares to hear about that. Starting so early I frickin' ended up buying over 300 records which are now stacked in the middle of the floor with no where to shelve, pile... Usually I don't make it to the thrift until after 1pm and make my selections from the left overs. Plus they took my phone number and promised to call whenever they get new supply. What the hell am I doing, I live in a 2 room nyc apartment. cripes.
Besides the classical music, the gems in this person's collection are the female vocalists. I finally own records by Yma Sumac. When I worked in the record store I often looked at her one record available then and wondered what it was all about. I was trying to buy all the Archie Shepp, Charle Mingus and Webern records I could afford so I never sprung the $4 it would have cost me. Yma Sumac: Ancient Peru dressed up to titillate Broadway in 1950. A curiosity for me but along with the Buffy St Marie record I picked up last week I'm in a native woman listening mood. When that ends I will check out the Peggy Lee, Patty Page and Edie Gorme records.


text:
Want a career flying the most advanced aircraft in the world—on your terms?
You only have one chance to make a great first impression. Don't waste it!
Do you want to be an Air Force pilot? Do you want control over what you fly, where you live, and how often you work before you ever swear in? Seem too good to be true? Well, it's not if you can earn a slot in the Air National Guard or Air Force Reserve. We know because we went through it ourselves!
At BogiDope, we're passionate about guiding current and prospective military aviators through the ultra-competitive Guard/Reserve application process. We want to understand your personal goals to better prepare you to seize a career opportunity that could forever change your life. We offer a variety of tools and content that allow you to stay informed and ready for your next big move.
View the most current, consolidated, and complete list of Guard/Reserve squadron hiring deadlines, requirements, and Points of Contact.
Get all of your questions answered with multiple 1-on-1 consultations along with comprehensive guides tailored to application and interview prep.
View the locations and contact information of over 175 different flying squadrons within the Guard/Reserve, plus the locations of every major airline hub.
Read dozens of industry articles designed to help you earn your pilot slot and alleviate concerns about transitioning out of active duty and/or into the airlines.
Pilot slots are extremely competitive. Your application directly affects your chances to get an interview, and your interview directly affects your chances of getting the job offer.
We'll guide you through the entire process from the first draft of your resume to a mock interview at your dream squadron. We've already helped hundreds of other applicants achieve their dreams. What are you waiting for?
Application Prep Package
($349 value)
Interview Prep Package
($349 value)
Just wanted to let you know that I was hired by the Viper unit… BogiDope played a huge part and the interview prep definitely helped a lot. Thank you again for all your help.
Kevin D. — F-16 UPT Selectee
I owe a lot of that success to the prep I did with you guys. It's no coincidence that after 7 failed interviews I decided to do the consultation and I was able to nail the 8th interview…over the phone. So, thank you guys! So stoked for the future.
Elliott U. — F-22 UPT Selectee
I got the call tonight…I'm going to be an F-16 pilot! Thank you so much for your help! Your interview prep was spot on.
Luke O. — F-16 UPT Selectee
Interview went great! Some questions I wasn't expecting but I think the process helped me think through them a lot, and it helped me convey the points I wanted to get across in the best possible way. I was the #1 pick! Unbelievable. Thank you for all the help!
Kyle E. — F-15 UPT Selectee
…just officially "accepted" the position… Sounds like an awesome unit and great opportunity!
Thanks again for all of your help.
Looking forward to flying the Eagle…
Chris B. — F-15 Rated Selectee
I am totally in shock that they decided to select me without having a face to face. I could have never done it without your help.
Daniel C. — C-17 UPT Selectee
I got the slot! I think it's safe to say that I absolutely couldn't have done it without BogiDope's help. It gave me an enormous leg up.
Robert W. — F-16 UPT Selectee
I just found out that I got hired! Thank you again for all your help. I reviewed all of my notes from our consulting and it was a huge help!
Rylan R. — F-15 UPT Selectee
They called me today and formally offered me the position so what you taught me definitely worked! I greatly appreciate all of your help and advice!
Ivan D. — C-130 UPT Selectee
I'll be flying the A-10! I can't wait to get to UPT and get started! Thanks for all your help! The interview prep was invaluable.
Nick C. — A-10 UPT Selectee
East Granby, CT
118th Airlift Squadron
Deadline: October 30, 2020
0 days left to apply
Boise, ID
190th Fighter Squadron
Deadline: October 31, 2020
1 days left to apply
Reno, NV
192nd Airlift Squadron
Deadline: November 20, 2020
21 days left to apply
Des Moines, IA
124th Attack Squadron
Deadline: November 20, 2020
21 days left to apply
Dear Baby Pilots, At least a couple times a month I see someone post a variation of the following question, either here on TPN, or on one of the other...
When you get your new airline job there will be many uncertainties. On your first day of class, you'll show up knowing little more than the name of the airline...
Welcome back, fellow aviators! This is the second part of a series about choosing between military and civilian career options. If you haven't already read Part 1, please do that...


text:
Handwoven Two-Tone Circle Top Handle Banig Bag
Item No. CK-IWD-BAG_DK.BLU_M
In Stock
Get your boho vibe on with this curvaceous carryall that will ensure you bring your A-game to any style party.
*Returns and exchanges are not applicable for this collection unless in the case of defects."
Shipping & returns
Standard Delivery: within 6 - 9 working days
Express Delivery: within 3 - 5 working days
Find out more about our Returns & Exchanges
All orders are currently shipped out from Singapore


text:
Is 2015 the year of Maxwell Drew? After remaining unusually quiet on social media over the holidays, Jessica Simpson returned to Instagram on Saturday, Jan. 3, to share some stunning pictures of her beautiful daughter Maxwell, 2.
"My ray of light," she captioned a shot of the tiny tot running down the beach and splashing in the water.
She also posted a precious shot of her mini-me, grinning with her father Eric Johnson, captioning it, "My blue-eyed soulmates."
Little Maxwell's long blonde hair was whipping in the wind and her smile was infectious as she posed for the fashion designer's pictures.
Not present was Maxwell's younger brother Ace, 18 months, but that doesn't mean the little one didn't tag along. The foursome has been spending plenty of time together lately, with the entire family coming out to support Simpson, 34, at a Belk event in Dallas, Texas in late November.
For access to all our exclusive celebrity videos and interviews – Subscribe on YouTube!


text:
Is it possible to increase your tolerance for spicy food, and if so how long does it take?
Since I can remember, I've hated spicy food. Sriracha was hot and a dose of Jalapeño would have me sucking back milk the rest of the night . Maybe its my masculinity feeling threatened, or a genuine desire to appreciate a cuisine I've never been able to enjoy, but a few months back, I decided to try and develop a taste for spice.
After reading some spice themed articles and watching some spicy Youtube videos, I committed myself to eating progressively hotter food everyday for 70 days, until I eventually landed on the (at the time) hottest pepper in the world, the Carolina Reaper.
Day 1-The Threshold Test
Before this experiment I would eat something spicy once a month, and when I did, it was often by accident.
In order to develop a taste for spice, first I needed to figure out my spicy threshold. To do this, I set out an increasingly hot lineup of sauce and peppers and ate them one by one until I felt I had hit my threshold. After a few chips covered in tabasco sauce (who even likes that stuff?), some tears, lots of milk and an Anaheim pepper, I finally landed on the jalapeño as my max. At 6000 Scovilles, the jalapeño is .4% as hot as the Carolina Reaper (1.5 Million Scovilles).
Day 2-Jalapeños for Breakfast
Once I worked out my spicy threshold, I had to figure out a way to consistently eat spicy food. My plan was to eat jalapeños in my eggs for breakfast and mass cook spicy meals for supper. Breakfast is the only meal I consistently eat, and if I mass cooked something spicy for supper, I would eat it because throwing away $25 worth of food is a damn shame. Though it was rough on my taste buds, the first day had an air of excitement to it, the kind of superficial feeling you get anytime you start something new.
Day 3-Lunch Quickly Becomes the Favourite Meal
Breakfast used to be this wonderful sacred thing I took part in every morning. Eggs, with hash browns, coffee, a smoothie and maybe a piece of toast. The jalapeños wrecked this for me. Supper was also never the same, and lunch became the meal I looked forward to every day.
Day 17-Moving up to Serranos
After about two weeks of hot breakfasts and suppers, I began to notice the heat from the jalapeños not effecting me as much. Were my tastebuds actually changing? Was I imagining improvement to justify all the pain I had put myself through the last few weeks? Either way, I felt it was time to move up to making food with the Serrano pepper, which sits around 10,000 Scoville units. As was becoming tradition, I took a bite of the pepper to symbolize the beginning of the new challenge. It was awful.
Day 25-Tasty Pepper
I ate a Manzano pepper (10,000-30,000 Scovilles) and I thought this one didn't taste too bad. I never thought I would've said that about a pepper. Was I beginning to appreciate the spice?
Day 43-Anxiety about Dieing
At this point, I had been eating spicy food everyday for 43 days, and as "The Day of the Reaper" moved closer, my fear of dieing a capsaicin induced death became a much more pressing issue. To try and curb that anxiety, I decided to sit down with Ed Currie, the man who invented the reaper, to see what advice he could give me.
Can you die eating a Carolina Reaper?
No, unless you have an allergy for peppers you can't die from eating a Carolina Reaper.
Does it damage your tastebuds?
No, peppers cannot damage your tastebuds.
Do you have any tips to prepare for eating this?
There isn't really anyway to prepare to eat a Carolina Reaper. I would make sure you eat a big meal beforehand to reduce the stomach pains after eating the pepper. Also, lemon juice seems to work well with taking away the spice.
Does it hurt twice?
*Laughing* Yes, until you get used to it.
Following the interview, I took a bite of a Red Thai Pepper (100,000 Scovilles) and cried a bit while Ed ate a spoonful of his Chocolate Plague Sauce (1.5 mil Scovilles) and laughed at my weak performance. Despite the embarrassment and burning tongue, I left the interview feeling good about my chances of getting through this experience relatively unscathed.
Day 56-I Enjoy Spicy Food
Two months in, I could say with certainty that I not only had a higher tolerance for peppers and spicy food, but also I to enjoyed the heat. By now most of my meals included a bit of mild hot sauce for the enjoyment of the flavour, not the training. With only two weeks left to go before eating the reaper, I decided to finally bite the bullet and eat the Habanero Pepper (300,000 Scovilles).
Even though the Habanero was supposed to be significantly hotter than the Red Thai, I had difficulty telling the difference between the two. I was hoping that this would be consistent with when I ate the Reaper two weeks from now.
Day 70-The Carolina Reaper
Before eating the pepper, I ate a big steak dinner, watched some scary Youtube videos of people doing the same thing and had many nervous poops. When I finally put the pepper in my mouth, the first thought that came to my head was "this tastes awful, there is literally nothing good about this pepper". Within seconds I felt an intense burning sensation throughout my mouth, tears forming in my eyes and blood rushing to my face. When I finally had the guts to swallow it, it felt like a had just consumed a mushy mass of fire ants and they were biting me as they travelled down to my gut. At this point, I decided the Reaper was nothing like the Habanero or Thai Red Pepper, those were tough experiences, this was torture.
The worst part about the Carolina Reaper, is the long term effects it has on your body. Half an hour after chomping into the pepper, eating some ice cream and throwing up multiple times, I started to get stomach cramps. And they were BAD. This continued for four more sleepless hours, until I had to force myself to throw the pepper up. The next day I felt like I had drank way too much the night before, and spent the most of the day lying in bed, watching non-spicy related videos on Youtube.
Present Day (6 months later)
As I'm writing this post, it has been about 6 months since eating the reaper, and since then I have stopped consistently eating spicy food for breakfast and supper. My tolerance for spice has definitely decreased, but I still enjoy eating spicy food! Before this experience, the thought of eating anything spicy was a complete turnoff, and now thanks to this experiment, I get to enjoy a whole world of food I didn't think existed. Would I do it again? Absolutely, just without the Carolina Reaper. That was awful.
Check out the video of this story here, there is also a piano involved: