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WWII Tour: D-Day Landings
Thompson Travel Holidays
Day 1
This morning you will fly from Belfast to London. Your tour manager Stephen will meet you at the check in desk of Belfast International Airport. An official ww2 tour guide will meet you in London and escort the group to your coach. You will travel from London to Folkestone for your Eurotunnel crossing to Calais. On arrival in Calais, travel to the Best Western Royal Hotel Caen for a four-night stay on a bed and breakfast basis.
Day 2
Britain's D-Day: Pegasus Bridge. This Morning after breakfast we start at Pegasus Bridge, the scene of the first actions of D Day. Airborne forces storm the position from gliders and hold until relieved by forces arriving at Sword Beach. We see where the gliders landed, visit the Cafe Gondree the first house liberated on D Day. Visit the Pegasus Bridge Museum. From Pegasus Bridge we will attend Merville Battery, a formidable location able to fire on the troops landing at Sword. Airborne forces were tasked to attack this location. Gun positions are still in situ. We will then attend Ranville cemetery and see the graves of the Airborne Forces who died protecting the flank of the landing area.
Day 3
British Beaches and Mulberry Harbour. We start at Sword Beach, seen as the most important landing Beach, the gateway to Caen. We move onto Juno Beach the site of Canadian Landings then onto Gold and where heavy casualties were suffered by British Troops and also the location of the action resulting in the award of the only Victoria cross on D Day.
We then attend Arromanches Les Bains site of Mulberry and a lovely seaside town. With museum, restaurants and the amazing 360°cinema. Moving onto Longues Sur Mer the location of huge German guns, the guns still in situ and able to fire on both the British and American ships. We will then finish the day at Bayeux Cemetery, the largest Commonwealth Cemetery to those who fought in France. A really moving experience.
Day 4
America's D Day. We look at the story of Bloody Omaha and the terrible American Sacrifice on D Day. We will examine the events as portrayed in Saving Private Ryan and visit the American Cemetery.
From Omaha we move onto Pointe du Hoc where US Rangers scaled cliffs to attack the guns a feat of super human strength and courage.
We then attend Saint Mer Eglise and look at the story of the American Airborne forces, made famous by Dick Winters and the Band of Brothers of Easy Company. Here is an incredible museum and restaurants, shops and bars. We then move to Utah Beach and the link up of forces landing here and the Airborne troops.
Day 5
Leave your hotel after breakfast and travel to Calais for your return Eurotunnel crossing to Folkestone. Then continue to a London airport for your return flight to Belfast.
Single Supplement £120
Please note, all timings are approximate and subject to change
What's included
*Return flights from Belfast to London
* Coach travel in an Executive vehicle.
*Services of experienced drivers/coach assistants.
*Channel crossings as specified.
*Hotel accommodation as specified, 4 nights on a bed and breakfast basis.
*Included Itinerary as shown
*Services of a Specialist Battlefield Guide.
At extra cost
*Other meals i.e. Lunches & Dinners.
*Gratuities to your drivers/coach assistants/guide etc.
*Insurance - Holiday Insurance is an essential part of your booking process and you should ensure you are fully covered by your insurance policy. Many complimentary travel insurance policies will have exceptions and you should ensure the cover is suitable for your personal needs. If you need quote for insurance, please call Thompson Travel on 02838 394489 option 2.


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CertMark International (CMI) wishes to advise that CodeMark certificate CMA-CM40147 issued to MiiHome International Australia Pty Ltd have been voluntarily withdrawn.
The certificates are no longer valid and have been removed from our register.
CMI wishes to advise that the withdrawal relates only to MiiHome International Australia Pty Ltd. This withdrawal in no way affects other certificate holders certified under the CodeMark scheme.

subset: commoncrawl


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Welcome to Talented Tuesday No. 27!
Unfortunately this will be my last party! I just don't have the time at the moment to be consistent with the party anymore 😦 It's a shame because I have enjoyed being a hostess but I will still be linking up and coming over to look at the linked up posts.
From next week, there will be 3 new hostesses! Lindi from Love Create Celebrate , Staci from Crafty Staci & Aspen from Aspen Jay 🙂 Watch out for their posts & social media links on the party next week!
Continue reading ➞ Talented Tuesday Link Party – No. 27 & My last one 😦


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Girl Museum interviews Ask a Suffragist author April Young Bennett about young activists in the suffrage movement
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Join our mailing list and you'll receive social media shareables on suffragists' birthdays and on the anniversaries of important events in the suffrage movement. You'll also be the first to know when new Ask a Suffragist books are available!
The team at Girl Museum recently interviewed Ask a Suffragist author April Young Bennett as part of their series about scholars who study the suffrage movement. They asked, "What do you think is the most common misconception people have about young women and their place in the suffrage movement?"
April responded: "I think the most common misconception is that suffragists were all old ladies! We get that idea from the photos in our textbooks—mostly pictures of elderly women with grey hair. But most of these women were young when they became activists. We just don't have many photos of them when they were younger because photography wasn't widely available when the first generation of suffragists was young. Also, the older the photo, the more likely that it has been lost or destroyed before our time."
April talked about activists such as Lucy Stone; Marie Zakrewska; and Margaretta, Harriet, and Sarah Forten who became activists in their youth.
See the complete interview here:
Studying Suffrage: April Young Bennett, Girl Museum BlogThe first book in the Ask a Suffragist series, America's First Feminists, is available now. Get it today!
Buy Ask a Suffragist on Amazon.
Order Ask a Suffragist from your local independent bookstore.
Large Print Edition is available on Amazon or Indiebound.
Celebrate with us! Sign up for the Centennial Celebration Email List to get your FREE Illustrated Companion, social media shareables honoring women in history and to be the first to know when new Ask a Suffragist books are available.Learn more about the Centennial Celebration Email List. Book April as a motivational speaker for your event.


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Owners of old dogs know that their faithful friends can indeed learn new tricks. What about old monitor lizards? What about old monitor lizards in the wild that don't seem to learn not to eat poisonous cane toads even after watching other old monitor lizards die from them?
It turns out the answer is "yes." According to a report in the current edition of Biology Letters, scientists at the University of Sydney have successfully trained wild yellow-spotted monitor lizards (Varanus panoptes) – called goannas in Australia – to avoid eating deadly cane toads.
The cane toad story is well known. Introduced in 1935 to control beetles in Australian sugar cane fields, the poisonous amphibians (Rhinella marina) are responsible for decimating the populations of a number of native reptiles, snakes and crocodiles, including reducing the goanna population by 90 percent. Since there's 200 million cane toads on the island with no enemies, getting rid of them is not an option.
That's why researchers led by Georgia Ward-Fear decided to try the novel approach of training goannas to avoid the toads. Working in the Kimberley wilderness in northwestern Australia, they provided non-lethal but still foul-tasting young cane toads to wild yellow-spotted monitor lizards. Ward-Fear said it took an average of two tastes of toad to teach the goannas to avoid them. When exposed to adult poisonous toads, the trained goannas turned up their noses while untrained lizards dined and died.
Is this a long-term solution to the cane toad problem? Ward-Fear says goannas trained 18 months ago are still alive despite being tempted by toads. It remains to be seen if they can pass their life-saving aversion to their offspring or to other observant monitors. Training with tiny toads is tedious but there's no way to have them self-destruct before growing to toxic adulthood.
Toad aversion training in goannas is a localized, small-scale solution at best, but anything that helps save at least some of these magnificent lizards in the wild is worthwhile.
Previous article


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Learn how to apply bevel effects to shapes in PowerPoint 2016 for Windows. Bevel effects make shapes apart by making them look embossed, like a button, or even a pillow.
Author: Geetesh Bajaj
Product/Version: PowerPoint 2016 for Windows
OS: Microsoft Windows 7 and higher
By default, the PowerPoint shapes that you insert on your slide are flat and two-dimensional. And this indeed works well most of the time. Yet, there are situations that may benefit from a 3D graphic. It is times like these that you can apply a plethora of Shape Effects that PowerPoint provides, or just use the Bevel shape effect that makes it stand apart by making your shape look embossed, like a button, or even a pillow.
The different output variations occur since there are many Bevel presets available in PowerPoint. Some Bevel presets can make your shapes look as if they can pop out of the slide, as shown within the samples you see in Figure 1, below. Do note though that 3D does not always have to be loud and opulent. There are plenty of Bevel effect presets that are more restrained and understated!
Figure 1: 3D Bevel Presets
To see a sample presentation containing Bevel effects in PowerPoint, scroll down to the bottom of this page.
Follow these steps to apply a Bevel effect to a shape in PowerPoint 2016 for Windows:
Sample Presentation:
Click below to view on SlideShare
Click below to view on YouTube
See Also:
Shape Effects: Apply Bevel Effects to Shapes (Glossary Page)
Apply Bevel Effects to Shapes in PowerPoint 2013 for Windows
Apply Bevel Effects to Shapes in PowerPoint 2011 for Mac
Apply Bevel Effects to Shapes in PowerPoint 2010 for Windows
Apply Bevel Effects to Shapes in PowerPoint 2007 for Windows
You May Also Like: How to Use PowerPoint Differently: 3 Unique Use Cases | Flags and Maps - K PowerPoint Templates
The Feature List Layout comprises three sample PowerPoint presentations: one each to create a visual list for 4 features, 5 features, and 6 features. These work great when you have too much information to fit within one slide. This solution lets you use multiple slides, but the visual result is still that of one single slide!
Buy and Download Feature List 01 (Layout with Tabs) for $4.99+ (671 kb)
This is the original page. An AMP (Accelerated Mobile Page) version of this page is also available for those on mobile platforms, at Apply Bevel Effects to Shapes in PowerPoint 2016 for Windows.
Microsoft and the Office logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.


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So who invented the hole? It's tempting to think that Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore, born within five years and five miles of one another, were subconsciously conditioned by the porous landscape of the Calder valley. We'll probably never know, as the first British sculpture generally acknowledged to have a hole through it, Hepworth's Pierced Form of 1931, was destroyed during the war. But the new gallery bearing her name shows her running neck-and-neck with her local rival to become the most significant British sculptor of the last century.
Neither Moore nor Hepworth remained in the area very long; and it would be false to suggest that Wakefield, rather than Hampstead or St Ives, became the cradle of the British avant garde. Yet Moore maintained that he experienced the Yorkshire landscape much as neolithic man saw it; while Hepworth was even more specific: "All my early memories are of forms and shapes and textures. Moving through and over the West Riding landscape with my father in his car, the hills were sculptures, the roads defined the form."
There's nothing parochial about the new gallery which makes an impressive show of placing Hepworth in her European context. Her characteristically smooth, lozenge-like creations, that seem to have been sucked as much as sculpted, are interspersed with works by modernist innovators such as Brancusi, Gaudier-Brzeska and Naum Gabo, whom she regarded as an intellectual soulmate, and whose Construction: Stone With a Collar looks like a mouse chasing its tail.
Yet the main purpose of David Chipperfield's eccentric cluster of trapezoidal boxes is to show off a bequest of working models, tools and bronze-age bric-a-brac from the Hepworth estate that gives unprecedented insight into the artist's working methods. At the grandest end of the scale is a soaring, six-metre-high model of the Winged Figure commissioned for the exterior of John Lewis in Oxford Street; at the most intimate, a cast of Hepworth's left hand, which she called "my thinking hand, my listening hand, that transmits thoughts through the fingers into the stone".
Central to the collection is a small piece made in 1934 entitled Mother and Child in which Hepworth, for the first time, created an object based on two separate forms that draws as much attention to the air within the sculpture as the space around it. Comfortingly embraced within a curve of the Calder, the new Hepworth provides a striking example of a womb with a view.


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i. AND - Shows results where both terms on either side of the 'AND' operator are present. 'AND' must be in upper case. For example search term - delhi AND metro result - It will return records in which 'delhi' as well as 'metro' both are present.
ii. OR - Shows results where either term (or both terms) is present. 'OR' must be in upper case. For example search term - delhi OR metro result - It will return records in which either 'delhi' or 'metro' or both are present
A proximity search looks for terms that are within a specific distance from one another. For example, search term - 'delhi metro'~10 result - It will search for records where 'delhi' and 'metro' are found within 10 words of each other
You can search phrases using double quotes. for e.g. 'delhi metro' result - It will return records where 'delhi metro' phrase is found.
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Laurie Elmquist
Silver Birch Express
Updated: Oct 31, 2018
To my great delight Where's Burgess? has been nominated as a Silver Birch Express recipient. What does it mean? From October to May, kids in Ontario will be reading books and voting on their favourites. In May 2019, Toronto hosts a big gathering of over 250,000 participants called Festival of Trees. All the readers, the authors, illustrators, parents, librarians and just anybody who loves books will be there. Workshops, signings and of course, the announcement of the big winners will all take place May 14-16.
What an exciting time for all the authors involved. My friend, Kari Jones has been nominated for her nonfiction book, A Fair Deal. I'll be crossing my fingers and cheering her on because she and I have been writing buddies for over twenty years. Her category is called Silver Birch. There are many categories of awards depending on the age of the readers and type of book (fiction or nonfiction). I like the idea that many books are being read over the next few months.
Congratulations to all the authors out there and thank you to the readers who are discussing our books in classrooms and libraries.


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Céu das Artes (formerly Ceu de A'dam) is the representative of an offspring of the Umbanda religion from Brazil.
Umbanda is an Afro-Brazilian religion that blends African religions with Catholicism, Spiritism/Kardecism and many indigenous practises.
Umbanda is also connecting to and honoring Nature, our inner nature and our direct and indirect ancestors.
And Umbanda is full of art, joy, music and the celebration of our existence.


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Authenticity. It is something that appeals to me in other people and something that I would like to think that I possess. So is humility. But, authenticity and humility, I don't think, are really character traits that I have as much as they are destinations that I hope I can arrive at sometime down the road. I can't remember who it was (perhaps Brennan Manning or C.S. Lewis) who basically said that humility doesn't necessarily mean being meek, mild, and passive, but, it is knowing who you are and living out of that knowledge. By this definition, I cannot be humble because of the the fact that I can't seem to keep a steady eye on just who it is that I really am.
Just as a photograph never captures the true essence of what a person actually looks like, I can't seem to hold an objective perspective on my own identity for more than a fleeting moment. When the real and unspun me does make an appearance he comes unannounced and leaves before I've been able to brew a pot of coffee to share during the conversation that I'd like to have with him.
My wife and anyone else who routinely spends time with me will tell you that I am fairly scatter-brained. I always misplace things. I often forget to do things that I was asked to do. And then when I do things that I was asked to do, I tend to forget exactly how I was supposed to do it and end up not doing it correctly.
This pattern seems to affect my sense of who I am, too. My self-diagnosed neurotic tendencies, my fascination with aesthetic aspects of life, my persistent desire for easy-access instant gratification, my introspective tilt, competitiveness, concern for what others think, and the slew of insecurities that I have all combine to form a bubbling brew of sludge that easily sways, tips, and sometimes spills.
Tact and propriety don't seem to come naturally for me while truly loving others and placing their needs and desires on an even keel with my own seems, most often, to be nothing more than a pipe dream that never materializes. And thats just what is often most frustrating to me. The fact that I can often spill my innermost thoughts through a blog or a poem without hesitancy would be quite convenient if there was something truly worth sharing with someone else, but, the lack of consistency in my personal and spiritual walk makes my words nothing more than a floating, unlit buoy off the coast in the thick of a foggy morning.
The truth is that I recognize the negative effects of so many of my tendencies, idolatries, and activities. My lack of discipline when it comes to prayer and focusing on that which is sound and true, as opposed to that which is shallow and fleeting, consistently keeps me at least at arms-length away from coming into contact with the real me that God intended whenever it was that He first thought of my life and His purpose for it. I recognize the trend of my own futility, but, I never end up moving on that recognition in order to adjust my course and learn from my mistakes. I'm inclined toward truth and authenticity, but, too lazy and distracted to grab it.
It is the struggle between physical comfort and spiritual wisdom. The tension between light and dark. It is the overriding presence of my imposter that is burying Abba's Beloved. Yet, its as if I am sitting here comfortably in my living room chair, engrossed in a movie playing on the television screen, while I'm also, somehow, simultaneously shoveling dirt on my own head.
I am authentic in the sense that I know that I'm screwed up and that I deserve nothing of good consequence. By God's unmerited favor alone will I be seen as humble, knowing my true self and living as a result of that knowledge.


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Inside Ransom Distillery's Tasting Room
Oregon is going through a major tasting room boom. From House Spirits' art-deco hanger bay to the relocated Smith Tea sipping lounge, there has never been a better time to be a curious tippler in the Beaver State. Last winter, while other distilleries were planning major tasting outposts (including House Spirit's PDX airport extension), 20-year-old Ransom Spirits quietly opened a counter inside McMinnville's beloved Peirano & Daughters Deli. Small but great, the Ransom Wine Co. & Distillery tasting room offers surprising cocktail flights with sandwich, charcuterie, and cheese pairings from next door.
If you want a taste of Prohibition-era drinking, when booze was meant to taste like booze, you're in luck. Purists can sample Ransom's full line, from the barrel-aged like Old Tom Gin, revitalized with help from historian and mixologist David Wondrich to the Emerald 1865, a traditional Irish whiskey formulated from a list of 19th century ingredients.
For $10 you can sample a flight of three cocktails meant to highlight Ransom's variety of spirits, courtesy of tasting room manager Art Tierce, a disciple of the venerable Teardrop Lounge. The always-changing flight recently included classics like the Boulevardier (a Negroni-like drink made with Ransom's malty rye and sweet vermouth) and the Rolls in Reverse, a soothing, herbal, vermouth-forward cocktail with a hint of fruit.
"We've been surprised by people's palates here," says Tierce. "They're experienced tasters, maybe thanks to the wine scene, and it means we can really push the boundaries with our cocktails."
As tasting room fare goes, Ransom has the distinct advantage of sharing a space with Peirano & Daughters, the lunch side of Willamette Valley legend Nick's Italian Café. (Plan your visit for the third Friday of every month, when the flights come with complimentary pairings). A chalkboard list of sandwiches runs from pork terrine pancetta to a roast chicken with cranberry brie and arugula. Grab a cheese board to accompany your wine tasting, fresh hand-stuffed ravioli for dinner, or a salami for the road (road salami is totally a thing.)
Ransom Spirits' McMinnville outpost may not offer views of shiny stills or tortured craft liquor makers toiling away, but it's a food-fueled, relaxed way to sample the greatest hits while exploring wine country.
Ransom Distillery Room
525 NE Third Street, McMinnville
Tuesday-Sunday from 11am-7pm


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FBI: Body found near Grand Teton National Park 'consistent with' Gabby Petito's description, family notified
NORTH PORT – A body found near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming is consistent with the description of missing North Port woman Gabby Petito, and her family has been notified, officials said in a news conference Sunday evening.
Charles Jones of the Denver FBI field office announced the finding and expressed "sincere and heartfelt condolences to Gabby's family." Forensic investigations have yet to confirm the body as Petito's, and a cause of death has not yet been determined.
"As every parent can imagine, this is an incredibly difficult time for the family and friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with them," Jones said, also asking that everyone respect the family's privacy as "they mourn the loss of their daughter."
Authorities have been conducting an investigation in the vicinity of the Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area in Wyoming, and they discovered human remains on Sunday that match Petito's description. Jones said the area's rugged terrain made the search much more difficult. Officials at the Wyoming press briefing took no questions Sunday, citing the active investigation.
More:Gabby Petito updates: What we know as FBI announces body found in Wyoming
North Port Police Department has also been part of the investigation into Petito's disappearance.
"Saddened and heartbroken to learn that Gabby has been found deceased," the police department tweeted. "Our focus from the start, along with the FBI, and national partners, has been to bring her home. We will continue to work with the FBI in the search for more answers."
Authorities also Sunday continued to search the Carlton Reserve in Sarasota County for Brian Laundrie, the fiancé of Petito but the North Port Police Department said in a tweet Sunday evening that the search has concluded for the day and that there is "nothing to report."
Law enforcement officers combed through the massive nature preserve northwest of North Port Saturday, but the search was called off in the evening due to darkness. A team of more than 50 people resumed the search Sunday morning, according to a North Port Police Department tweet.
Brian Laundrie:What we know about Gabby Petito's fiancé
Gabby Petito timeline:From road trip with Brian Laundrie to missing persons investigation
Petito, 22, was reported missing Sept. 11 after she had set out on a cross-country road trip with Laundrie. Her family said they were last in contact with her during the final week of August. Before that, they believe she was in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.
Laundrie, 23, returned home to North Port without Petito in early September.
His family notified police Friday that they had not seen him since Tuesday. He had left the house that day in his vehicle, believed by police to be a Ford Mustang. He also had his hiking backpack and was headed for the Carlton Reserve, according to Taylor.
At some point, Laundrie's family found his car at an entrance of the nature preserve and then drove it back to their North Port property.
Search for Petito in Wyoming
The FBI had said Saturday that it was conducting ground surveys at the Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area in Wyoming, in coordination with the National Park Service, the Teton County Sheriff's Office and other agencies. The camping area is in the Bridger-Teton National Forest on the east boundary of Grand Teton National Park.
"If you were in the area of Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area, as identified in the attached map, during the timeframe of August 27-30, 2021, and saw Gabby and/or her boyfriend or their vehicle, please provide that information to the FBI," FBI Denver said in a tweet.
Jones reiterated the appeal for information at Sunday evening's press conference.
Gabby Petito:What we know about missing Florida woman
More:Police footage of Gabby Petito offers new insight
Vigil:North Port community gathers for Gabby Petito as search continues
The vehicle is a white 2012 Ford Transit van with a variety of stickers on the back and with Florida license plate QFTG03.
Several people have claimed that they saw Petito, Laundrie or their vehicle in August.
Blogger Jenn Bethune said in a Facebook post that she believes she and her family drove by Laundrie and Petito's van in Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area on Aug. 27. The white van, which appears in a camera recording the Bethune family has, was parked near the road. Bethune said the car had a Florida license plate, but it looked like no one was in the van.
A woman named Miranda Baker is claiming that she and her boyfriend picked up a hitchhiking Laundrie on Aug. 29 at Colter Bay in the northern part of Grand Teton National Park and drove him to Jackson Lake Dam, which is a 12-minute drive away, according to Google Maps.
In a series of TikTok videos Baker posted on Friday and Saturday, she says that Laundrie had said he needed to go to "Jackson," which Baker and her boyfriend took to mean Jackson Hole. However, when Laundrie later found out that they were headed to Jackson Hole, he said he needed to get out of the car immediately so he could hitchhike with someone else. They then dropped him off at Jackson Lake Dam.
Anne Snabes covers city and county government for the Herald-Tribune. You can contact her at email@example.com or (941) 228-3321 and follow her on Twitter at @a_snabes.


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By Emily Thornton
People probably know that service with the Red Cross has positive impacts for both helpers and the helpees, but few may realize how it can aid the professional lives of volunteers.
Jessie Bremer, 25, began volunteering because she wanted to serve the military community. But later it spurred her career, when she was offered a paid position with the American Red Cross.
She found herself in a new place three years ago, after marrying her active-duty Army husband and moving from Iowa to Washington. The change from a farm in the central U.S. to Joint Base Lewis-McChord in western Washington left her feeling a bit lost.
"My husband's job requires him to be gone quite a bit, so I was often alone in a place that was not only brand new to me, but also completely different from where I grew up," Bremer said. "I joined the Red Cross because I wanted to contribute to the mission of the military in some way, even if it was in a small way, while my husband was away. Assisting service members and their families helped me feel connected to the military community."
Then her Red Cross activity increased. "I started volunteering just a few hours a week as a caseworker for the Hero Care network. Very gradually, I took on more responsibilities. I became an outreach volunteer to educate the military community about Red Cross services. I also took on a lead volunteer role for the Healing Arts and Cooking Challenge programs for service members at Madigan Army Medical Center," Bremer said.
"After several months as a lead volunteer, one of the staff, Sarah Jacob, took me under her wing as a Volunteer Partner and taught me even more about managing Red Cross programs. When Sarah left for a deployment, I applied for her position and was hired."
But volunteering doesn't have to turn into employment with the Red Cross to have professional benefits. Amanda Hakin, now a senior volunteer engagement specialist for the Red Cross, said she and others often discuss how to recruit more volunteers who want to develop their career. The strategy comes from recognizing her own missed opportunity while her husband was in the Navy. She believes a record of volunteering would would have helped her land a job much sooner.
"We moved a lot," Hakin said. "I wasn't always able to find work. When my spouse got out, I went back to work when my kids went back to school." But gaps in her resume discouraged employers even though she listed her husband was in the military and she stayed home "to be that stability" for her children. "It was really hard to get even interviews," she said.
When she did land a job in human resources, Hakin noticed the company's take on potential employees. "They didn't like to see a big hole in a resume," she said. Now that she is with the Red Cross, she helps steer other military spouses toward volunteering — in part because of its benefits to building a career.
"You can take your Red Cross position anywhere," she said. "You don't ever have to end with the Red Cross when transferring stations. I think it's really advantageous — you can show you were working (instead of having a gap)."
She also said many volunteer roles go unfilled because they require military installation access, which spouses have. Volunteers also can work remotely, she said, which is a plus for those wanting to stay home with their children. Virtually any career can be done as a Red Cross volunteer role, she said, including medical, such as optometry, nursing, and more. "It's a really neat opportunity."


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Reports of plans for a high-performance piloted replacement for the SR-71 date back more than a decade. In 1979 it was reported that a:<41>
"... Mach 4, 200,000-ft.-altitude aircraft that could be a follow-on to the Lockheed SR-71 strategic reconnaissance vehicle in the 1990s has been defined by the Air Force Aeronautical Systems Division and Lockheed."
As previously noted, reports of the existence of a successor to the SR-71 surfaced repeatedly during the debate over termination of the SR-71. Subsequent observations of mysterious aerial phenomena have been connected with the 1988 reports that Aurora was a Mach 6 stealthy reconnaissance aircraft that was being developed to replace the SR-71.<42>
Noted aerospace analyst Wolfgang Demisch, of First Boston Company, suggested that the $10 billion program would result in the production of about 30 aircraft.<43> More recently, Kemper Security analyst Lawrence Harris concluded that Lockheed was involved in a:<44>
"... hypersonic replacement for the Mach 3 plus SR-71 reconnaissance aircraft. Circumstantial evidence suggests that this project has been underway since 1987 and that a first flight occurred in 1989... Aurora could be operational in 1995, six years after the probable first flight."
This analysis suggested that the total development costs for Aurora might range from $4.4 billion to $8 billion, with the procurement of 24 aircraft costing an additional $10 billion to $24 billion.
According to another report, by mid-1992:<45>
"... Aurora was being flown from a base in the Nevada desert to an atoll in the Pacific, then on to Scotland to refuel before returning to the US at night. Specially modified tanker aircraft are being used to top up Aurora's tanks with liquid methane fuel in mid-air... The US Air Force is using the remote RAF airbase at Machrihanish, Strathclyde, as a staging point... The mystery aircraft has been dropping in at night before streaking back to America across the North Pole at more than six times the speed of sound... An F-111 fighter bomber is scrambling as the black-painted aircraft lands, flying in close formation to confuse prying civilian radars."
The rationale used most frequently by the Department of Defense for the SR-71's termination was financial. The Blackbird's operation and maintenance costs were very high. According to some reports, the SR-71's O&M costs were nearly $710- million in FY-90 and FY-91.<46> Furthermore, they argued, imaging satellites could now conduct worldwide surveillance more efficiently and less expensively than manned reconnaissance aircraft.
Independent aerospace analysts, however, deflated this argument somewhat by pointing to the unique advantages aircraft bring to the reconnaissance arena. Aircraft, for example, are inherently flexible and unpredictable. Though not as fast as satellites, they can fly lower and the interval between over the horizon arrival and time-over-target is just as short. Aircraft have a wide choice of routes, so tracking ships are unlikely to see it on the way in. Application of low observable technology could further reduce warning time.<47> Thus, it appears plausible that aircraft may still have a role in global reconnaissance.
Another analyst has considered the possibilities of "Aurora's" characteristics and capabilities. A long-range reconnaissance follow-on to the SR-71 would be a blended delta with 75 degree leading-edge sweep and retractable low-speed foreplanes. It would be powered by two regenerative air-turboramjet (RATR) engines of 180 kN sea-level static thrust. It would carry a crew of two and use a synthetic aperture radar with real-time datalink for reconnaissance (Figure 4). It is suggested that this type of platform could be very responsive, much more easily maintainable than the SR-71 and could deliver imagery of most points of interest within six hours of the decision to go. A speed between Mach 5 and Mach 6 and a cruising altitude of 40 kilometers would make the aircraft invulnerable to any current missile system.<48>
The Public Record
Beginning in the mid-1980s, the Air Force and NASA have supported a number of studies of aircraft that are consistent with accounts of the Aurora project. Although these studies have not been linked to actual development efforts, they provide some insight into the potential configuration and capabilities of Aurora.
In 1985 McDonnell Douglas conducted studies of a Mach 5, 12,000 km range 305 passenger HSCT (hypersonic commercial transport) powered by regenerative ATR (air turboramjet) engines. Initial research led to claims that this type of aircraft was not only feasible, but remarkably efficient. According to these studies, a ramjet was the best option at Mach 5, and that methane was the preferred fuel. Hydrogen was also considered, but it takes up to five times as much space. If the large HSCT was scaled down to the dimensions of an SR-71, the aircraft could have a range of approximately 10,000 miles with a crew of two and a 1 ton sensor suite.<49>
Lockheed's renowned Skunk Works has been the incubator of several programs that could evolve, or could already have evolved, into an SR-71 replacement. Presently, Lockheed engineers are reportedly studying the development of a liquid methane- fueled aircraft that could penetrate enemy airspace in order to perform reconnaissance missions.<50>
"The sleek aircraft would cruise at Mach 5 (3,350 mph) speed at a maximum altitude of about 100,000 feet. The aircraft would be made primarily of titanium with its outer edges constructed of Inconel, a heat-resistant stainless steel. At Mach 5 speed the leading edges of the air-frame would glow red above 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Power for this futuristic airplane would come from four turbo-ramjets. The engines would operate as turbojets at low speeds, but at higher speeds the compressor and turbine would be overridden so the engines would operate as ramjets."
Other aircraft designs that would fly between Mach 4 and Mach 8, fueled by hydrocarbon or liquid hydrogen are also being considered.<51> And in the mid-1980s, Lockheed proposed a Mach 7-8 "transatmospheric vehicle" or TAV as an SR-71 replacement. Intriguingly enough, the name "Aurora" was also used in conjunction with this proposal.<52>
>Aurora Advanced Aircraft Characteristics
Source Lockheed Sweetman Lockheed Boeing Boeing Date 1985 1990 1990 1990 1990 Figure 1 2 3 4 5 Dimensions: Length - meters ? 35 30.6 26.0 42.7 Span - meters ? 20 13.6 / 25 14.7 13.5 wing area - m2 - 300 - - 95 Weights: tons Empty ? 32.5 - 19.3 - Fuel ? 44.0 - 19.5 12.6 Payload ? 2.0 - 1.5 - Max T/O ? 78.5 - 40.3 34.5 Propulsion: Thrust - kN ? ? ? 267 ? Fuel Methane MCH MCH LH2 Performance: Cruise - Mach 5 5-6 5 5.5 6 Ceiling - km 30 40 27 32 33 Range - km ? 17,000 1,900 5,000 27,750 ------------------------------ MCH = methylcyclohexane LH2 = liquid hydrogen
In 1986, the Directorate for R&D Contracting, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, issued an RFP for aircraft propulsion integration technology. The<61>
"... purpose of the proposed investigation is to develop an improved foundation for manned aircraft air-breathing propulsion integration technology in the Mach 4 to 6 regime."
Under an Air Force contract, Boeing Military Airplane Co. designed an interceptor capable of sustaining supersonic speeds. It was reported that wind tunnel tests would be conducted under a 26 month $572,000 follow-on contract.<62> This effort also included detailed studies of aircraft subsystems.<63> Similar studies were conducted by Lockheed<64> and General Dynamics.<65>
Keeping an aircraft sufficiently cool during extreme speeds is a primary challenge of hypersonic flight. According to studies done by General Dynamics and Boeing, an aircraft travelling at between Mach 5.5 and Mach 6 would have an average skin temperature of approximately 1100-1300 degrees Fahrenheit.<66> One potential solution incorporated in the Air Force studies, also being explored by researchers at NASA's Langley Research Center and Wright-Patterson Air Force base,<67> is the use of Methylcyclohexane (MCH) as both the fuel and the thermal management medium of the vehicle.
MCH has several advantages over other possible hydrocarbon or cryogenic fuels. Unlike standard hydrocarbon fuels, MCH has a very high capacity to absorb heat prior to combustion, up to 1800 Btu per pound of fuel, which is ten times the capacity of most hydrocarbon fuels.<68> Cryogenic Methane and Hydrogen have high heat absorbtion capacities as well, but their use as an aviation fuel is limited by the logistical difficulties of handling, storage and fuel boil off.<69>
The principle behind MCH thermal management is based on a catalytic reaction transforming MCH into Toluene and Hydrogen, which are then used to fuel the aircraft:<70>
A fuel pump pressurizes the fuel to... avoid boiling. The preheater heats the fuel to the proper reaction temperature while removing heat from a secondary coolant...After preheating, the fuel passes through the catalytic heat exchanger/ reactor...
The secondary coolant, Syltherm, circulates to the hot spots to maintain skin temperatures to within specified tolerances.<71>
One aerospace journal says that an aircraft travelling at Mach 6 would be inside the combustion envelope of a subsonic-combustion ramjet. It suggests that the aircraft would thus need an accelerator to get it moving. One type of accelerator would be a ducted-rocket cycle into the engine. A fuel-rich, liquid rocket exhaust would be injected into a ramjet duct, pumping air through it even at rest. A second combustion then takes place, using atmospheric oxygen.<72> (This second combustion could produce the loud rumbling noises heard recently in California, discussed below).
Budget and Financial Data
The first suggestion that these studies might be translated into operational hardware appeared in the Fiscal Year 1986 procurement program document, colloquially known as the P-1, dated 4 February 1985. A line item in this document, labeled "Aurora," was slated to receive $80 million in 1986, and over $2.2 billion in 1987.<73> Since this line item appeared next to the line funding the TR-1 reconnaissance aircraft, it stirred up a hornet's nest of conjecture that a secret aircraft was being developed to replace the aging SR-71.
The Air Force quickly denied the existence of a secret program, and said the "Aurora" budget line was simply one site for B-2 bomber funds when that program was highly classified.<74> One Air Force official commented, "I wish I could say it is (an SR-71 follow-on), because we'd love to have it. But it's just accounting, I'm afraid."<75>
Others disagreed. One journal reported that "the general consensus now is that the item did not refer to the B-2 bomber but to another effort."<76> Other analysts placed the SR-71 follow-on at both Edwards Air Force Base and Nellis Air Range.<77>
Other publications saw a more complicated, more expansive black world. These periodicals posited that Aurora was one of several code names "nested within other code names, all referring to a class of aircraft designed for multiple missions."<78>
However, the discussions of the Aurora budget line item overlook one very crucial fact:
No money was ever appropriated for Aurora!
In the February 1985 submission of the FY 1986 budget, the Aurora line item projected a request of over $2 billion in the FY 1987 budget. But one year later, when the FY 1987 budget was submitted, the Aurora line item had vanished as mysteriously as it had first appeared. Indeed, FY 1987 request for the overall Air Force aircraft procurement account was several billion dollars less than had be projected in 1985, and there were no line items in the FY 1987 request that could have been used to conceal a request for funding for Aurora.
Much of the subsequent speculation on Aurora has implicitly assumed that there was an identifiable source of funding for the program. Although this is not obviously the case, there nonetheless remains one tantalizing, and previously unremarked, hint that the Aurora program was in fact funded, though at a significantly reduced scale.
As previously noted, the case for the existence of all mystery aircraft, including Aurora, must be predicated on identifiable sources of funding. Thus the proper identification of the programmatic content of the major elements of the black budget is essential to assessing the status of mystery aircraft, such as Aurora. A not-implausible accounting has already been given that suggests an identifiable source of funding that may be attributed to the TR-3A stealth aircraft program. But where in the budget might other aircraft programs be funded?
Some have assumed that the funding for the CIA and NRO is entirely hidden from view -- completely off-budget, or widely dispersed among a large number of accounts in many government agencies, or disguised in some obscure accounting transaction of the Federal Financing Bank, or perhaps secreted somewhere among the subsidy programs of the Agriculture Department. Under such assumptions, the billions of dollars appropriated each year for such programs as "Selected Activities" or "Special Programs" would provide more than enough money to finance a vast fleet of exotic aircraft.
But a more detailed consideration of the classified budget provides little basis for believing that these line items might provide funding for such purposes.
While the structure of the classified budget is obscure, it is not perverse. Line items in the budget may be given opaque names, like Selected Activities, which obscure their programmatic content, but there are no activities that are not included in some budget item, however obscurely. There are no off-budget programs. Other line items, such as "Special Programs" (the nomenclature used for the National Reconnaissance Office) may omit the value of the budget. But in such cases, a fair approximation of the omitted value may be obtained by subtracting the sum of those lines for which values are given from the total provided for the budget category which includes the omitted values. It may also be fairly assumed that the multitudinous Navy classified budget items, such as Chalk Coral and Retract Amber, are funding only Navy projects, rather than Air Force programs. And it may also be assumed that Aircraft Procurement accounts fund only aircraft, and that Missile Procurement accounts fund only missiles or space vehicles, though the more generic Other Procurement accounts clearly fund a wide range of programs.
The Other Procurement Air Force account includes a line item opaquely labeled "Selected Activities," which typically accounts for about half of the total budget of this account. Analysis of the outlay rates for this and other budget accounts reveals an interesting anomaly. Procurement accounts, which fund the purchase of hardware, typically spend about 5% to 15% of their appropriation in the first year, with outlays rising to 20% to 40% in the second and third years, and declining thereafter. This reflects the contracting process, in which several years are required to complete manufacture of hardware. In contrast, personnel and operations and maintenance accounts, which are largely for payroll and supplies, typically have first year outlay rates of 50% to 80%.
Uniquely, the Other Procurement Air Force account has a first year outlay rate that has ranged from over 40% to nearly 60%. The only possible explanation for this anomaly is that the "Selected Activities" half of the Other Procurement Air Force account is in fact not a procurement activity, with a low first-year outlay rate, but rather funds personnel and operating expenses, with their characteristic high first-year outlay rate.
Table 2
Classified Aircraft Budget
AIRCRAFT OTHER PROCUREMENT PROCUREMENT Aurora Special Update Program FY86 FY86 1980 50 1981 123 1982 554 1983 217 1984 656 1985 -- 928 1986 80 84 1987 (2,272) 851 ( 139 ) 1988 -- 121 1989 126 1990 122 1991 105 1992 162 1993 176 Millions of Dollars Numbers in parentheses are FY86 projections All others are actual appropriations
In recent years, the budget for the "Selected Activities" line item has been somewhat in excess of $5 billion annually. This value is consistent with the roughly $3 billion that is the reported budget of the Central Intelligence Agency, as well as the personnel and operations and maintenance budget of the National Reconnaissance Office. There is no reason to doubt this conclusion.
However, the next line down from "Selected Activities" in the Other Procurement Air Force account is an item dubbed, "Special Update Program." This proximity in the budget is suggestive of some relationship in mission as well. It is plausible that this line item includes procurement of intelligence collection systems of interest to the CIA or Air Force, other than satellites, which are funded elsewhere in the budget. Funding for this line item peaked at over $900 million in 1985, then dropped to $84 million in 1986. This suggests that whatever activity was funded under this account in the early 1980s had been concluded. The same FY 1986 procurement program document, that included the $2.2 billion funding projection for Aurora in FY 1987 also projected that the FY 1987 funding for Special Update Program would be $139 million.<79>
But when the actual FY 1987 budget was submitted a year later, not only had Aurora disappeared, but the Special Update Program budget request was $851 million, over $700 million more than had been projected a year earlier.
It is not implausible that this reflected a decision not to proceed with production of an operational system which would have been funded under the Aurora line item, but instead to conduct some sort of prototype propulsion test program, funded under the Special Update Program line. The $1.5 billion appropriated for this account since 1987 would be consistent with such a prototype effort.
Although this analysis is necessarily speculative, the coincidental behavior of these two budget line items is certainly highly suggestive. This also identifies a not- implausible source of funding for an experimental high-speed, high-altitude aircraft with primarily intelligence applications.
Observer Reports
A wide range of reports of observations of mysterious aerial phenomena have been associated with the Aurora aircraft. These observations are also in many regards consistent with the suggested Exotic Propulsion Aircraft. Those reports relating to both possibilities are discussed here, while those reports unique to the Exotic Propulsion Aircraft are discussed subsequently. These unexplained phenomena have led some to conclude that:<80>
"...the US Government has secretly developed and deployed a hypersonic reconnaissance aircraft, probably as a replacement for the SR-71."
There are two classes of reports relating to Aurora: those that are consistent with a limited experimental test program; and those that are suggestive of the existence of an operational capability.
Edwards Air Force Base in southern California is the primary facility used by the American military for the flight testing of experimental aircraft. In addition, the Groom Lake facility at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada was used for developmental testing of the F-117A, and has been associated with reports of other advanced aircraft. Given this geographical concentration, it would not be surprising if secret aircraft undergoing flight tests were to be observed in the Southwestern United States.
In October 1990 Aviation Week & Space Technology published reports of:<81>
"A high altitude aircraft that crosses the night sky at extremely high speed.... The vehicle typically is observed as a single, bright light -- sometimes pulsating -- flying at speeds far exceeding other aircraft in the area, and at altitudes estimated to be above 50,000 ft.... Normally, no engine noise or sonic boom is heard."
More recently, a sighting by two British Airways pilots and other witnesses at Manchester Airport on January 6 1995 has been attributed to the Aurora aircraft.
Probably the most compelling evidence for such flight tests are the series of unusual sonic booms chronicled above Southern California, beginning in mid to late 1991. On at least five occasions, these sonic booms were recorded by at least 25 of the 220 US Geological Survey sensors across Southern California used to pinpoint earthquake epicenters. The incidents were recorded in June, October, November, and late January 1991.<82> Seismologists estimate that the aircraft were flying at speeds between Mach 3 and 4 and at altitudes of 8 to 10 kilometers. The aircraft's flight path was in a North North-East direction, consistent with flight paths to secret test ranges in Nevada. Seismologists say that the sonic booms were characteristic of a smaller vehicle than the 37 meter long shuttle orbiter. Furthermore, neither the shuttle nor NASA's single SR-71B were operating on the days the booms were registered.<83>
One of the seismologists, Jim Mori, noted:<84>
These "skyquake" are a continuing phenomenon, with the most recent report over Orange County, CA coming on 20 July 1996. It is reported that the "quake" occurred around 3pm PST, fitting the "skyquake" pattern in the following respects:
"We can't tell anything about the vehicle. They seem stronger than other sonic booms that we record once in a while. They've all come on Thursday mornings about the same time, between 6 and 7 in the morning."
- It occurred in a coastal area.
- Described as similar to an earthquake in some respects (rattling of loose objects, etc) but also like a boom (but no distinct double bang as far as is known).
- Severe enough to light up government and media switchboards, but no known damage.
- Not an earthquake (CalTech sensors saw nothing)
- Local military bases deny any knowledge.
- No known other source (eg explosion)
Intercepted radio transmissions are equally intriguing:<85>
"On Apr. 5 (a Sunday) and Apr. 22, radio hobbyists in Southern California monitored transmissions between Edwards AFB's radar control facility (Joshua Control) and a high-altitude aircraft using the call sign "Gaspipe." The series of radio calls occurred at approximately 6 a.m. local time on both dates.
"Controllers were directing the unknown Gaspipe aircraft to a runway at Edwards, using advisories similar to those given space shuttle crews during a landing approach. The monitors recorded two advisories, both transmitted by Joshua Control to Gaspipe: "You're at 67,000, 81 mi. out," and "Seventy mi. out, 36,000. Above glide slope."
Reported sightings of unusual high performance aircraft are not confined to the Southwestern United States. More recently, such observations have also been reported in other parts of the United States, as well as in Europe. These reports are particularly intriguing because they are difficult to reconcile with an experimental test program, since there would be no reason for test flights to be conducted in Europe. Rather, these reports would have to be understood in the context of the deployment of an operational aircraft.
One unexplained set of observations was reported at Beale Air Force Base, the California facility that was long home to the SR-71. On two consecutive nights in late February 1992, observers reported sighting a triangular aircraft displaying a distinctive diamond-shaped lighting pattern, comprised of a red light near the nose -- similar to the F-117 configuration -- two 'whitish' lights near what would be conventional wingtips and an amber light near the tail.<86> While the wing lights are reportedly much brighter than normal navigation lamps, they do not illuminate the aircraft's planform. Observers claim the vehicle's wing lights are approximately twice as far apart as those on the F-117, and nose-to-tail light spacing is about 50 percent longer than that on the stealth fighter.<87>
Reports of "unusually loud, rumbling sonic booms" near Pensacola, Florida in November 1991 have also been associated with the Aurora program.<88> At least 30 unexplained sonic booms have been reported in Southern California in late 1991 and early 1992.<89> By mid-1992 noted aviation observer Bill Sweetman concluded that, "The frequency of the sonic booms indicates that whatever is making them is now an operational aircraft."<90>
In early 1992 it was reported that:<91>
"... RAF radars have acquired the hypersonic target travelling at speeds ranging from about Mach 6 to Mach 3 over a NATO-RAF base at Machrihanish, Scotland, near the tip of the Kintyre peninsula, last November and again this past January."
It was recently reported than on 27 September 1995 David Morris of Walsall, Cornwall UK took a picture of a triangular shaped plane being refueled by a KC-135, and flanked by a pair of F-111s. The unknown aircraft appeared to be about three-quarters the size of the KC-135. This picture has been widely distributed. However, the "refuelling" picture is a hoax -- it was montaged by Bill Rose for the October 1995 issue of Astronomy Now (UK) magazine. There, it is captioned "A simulation of the refuelling of the top secret 'Aurora'. Photo composition by Bill Rose."<92a>
In 1990, it was suggested that the Aurora (also reportedly designated "Senior Citizen") had been intended to be the SR-71's successor, but it had been canceled along with the "Blackbird" in 1989.<92> One report suggested that:<93>
"Congress, in addition to killing the SR-71 late last year [1989], voted to terminate a $100 million "related classified activity" that may have been the follow-on effort."
According to the Senate Armed Services Committee, in 1989:<94>
"... the Congress directed the Department [of Defense] to develop a viable long-term roadmap for airborne reconnaissance. The Department has not done that and will not have that roadmap available until next year. Even then, the Department has proposed to initiate an extraordinarily expensive effort to reproduce the capabilities inherent in the SR-71. The committee cannot endorse that request..."
Representative Robert Livingston (R-LA) noted during a January 1990 House Appropriations Committee hearing that:<95>
"The possible follow-ons (to the SR-71), which again we can't even talk about, even if we were going ahead with them, wouldn't be available for many years, six or seven years, and we are not going ahead with them."
Addressing the prospects for an SR-71 follow-on, Air Force Chief of Staff Lawrence Welch noted that:<96>
"There are a couple of programs... Frankly, we have not found them too promising."
These official pronouncements are difficult to reconcile with other forms of evidence suggesting the existence of an SR-71 follow-on.
Byron Salisbury has built an aircraft model of a conceptual design based on eye witness sightings and information from highly reputable sources. He believes the model to be 95%+ accurate of the "aurora" plane sighted in the North Sea and South Eastern and South Western United States. The model kit is made entirely of white plastic resin and is easy to assemble. The measurements are 12" long x 9" wing span x 2" high. The cost per model is $75.00 plus $15.00 shipping and handling. If you would like to place an order or have any questions he can be reached at [email protected] or by snail mail at B.M. Salisbury, 4620 E. Michigan Street #103, Orlando, Fl. 32812.
<41> "Mach 4, 200,000-Ft.-altitude Aircraft Defined," Aviation Week & Space Technology, 29 January 1979, page 141.
<42> Sweetman, Bill, "Mystery contact may be Aurora," Jane's Defense Weekly, 29 February 1992, page 333.
<43> "Evidence Points to Stealth Spy Plane," High Technology Business, April 1988, pages 8-9.
<44> "Skunk Works Revenues Point to Active Aurora Program, Kemper Says," Aerospace Daily, 17 July 1992, page 102.
<45> Campbell, Christy, "Secret US Spy Plane is Kintyre's Dark Visitor," Sunday Telegraph, 26 July 1992, page 1.
<46> "Air Force Battle Brews over using unmanned vehicles for coveted spy mission," Inside The Pentagon, 9 June 1989, page 8.
<47> Sweetman, Bill, "Aurora - is Mach 5 a reality?" Interavia Aerospace Review, 11 1990, page 1009.
<48> ibid.
<49> Sweetman, Bill, "Aurora - is Mach 5 a reality?" Interavia Aerospace Review, 11 1990, p.1010.
<50> Artists Rendering, US Air Force, Washington, DC, 12 November 1985.
<51> ibid.
<52> "Secret Advanced Vehicles Demonstrate Technologies For Future Military Use," Aviation Week & Space Technology, 1 October 1990, page 21.
<53> Sweetman, Bill, "Aurora - is Mach 5 a reality?" Interavia Aerospace Review, 11 1990, page 1009.
<54> Petley, Dennis, "Thermal Management for a Mach 5 Cruise Aircraft Using Endothermic Fuel," Journal of Aircraft, vol. 29, no. 3, May-June 1992, pages 384-38
<55> Woods, E.J. et al, "Advanced Aircraft Secondary Power System Design," Proceedings of the 25th Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, Reno, Nevada, 12-17 August 1990, volume 1, pages 505-510.
<56> Kaufmann, H.G., et al, "Control Strategy for Maximizing Reconnaissance Range of Hypersonic Cruise Vehicles," Journal of Aircraft, vol. 29, no. 3, May- June 1992, pages 360-365.
<57> Sweetman, Bill, "Aurora - is Mach 5 a reality?" Interavia Aerospace Review, 11 1990, page 1009.
<58> Petley, Dennis, "Thermal Management for a Mach 5 Cruise Aircraft Using Endothermic Fuel," Journal of Aircraft, vol. 29, no. 3, May-June 1992, pages 384-389.
<59> Woods, E.J. et al, "Advanced Aircraft Secondary Power System Design," Proceedings of the 25th Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, Reno, Nevada, 12-17 August 1990, volume 1, pages 505-510.
<60> Kaufmann, H.G., et al, "Control Strategy for Maximizing Reconnaissance Range of Hypersonic Cruise Vehicles," Journal of Aircraft, vol. 29, no. 3, May- June 1992, pages 360-365.
<61> "Air Force Issues RFP for Mach 4-6 Aircraft Propulsion Development," Star Wars Intelligence Report, 21 January 1986, page 10.
<62> "Boeing Designs Interceptor Aircraft Capable of Sustained Supersonic Speeds," Aviation Week & Space Technology, 11 February 1985, page 61.
<63> Woods, E.J. et al, "Advanced Aircraft Secondary Power System Design," Proceedings of the 25th Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, Reno, Nevada, 12-17 August 1990, volume 1, pages 505-510.
<64> Petley, Dennis, "Thermal Management for a Mach 5 Cruise Aircraft Using Endothermic Fuel," Journal of Aircraft, vol. 29, no. 3, May-June 1992, pages 384-389.
<65> Gasner, James, et al, "Evaluation of Thermal Management for a Mach 5.5 Hypersonic Vehicle," AIAA/SAE/ASME/ASEE 28th Joint Propulsion Conference, 6-8 July 1992, Nashville, TN, AIAA paper 92-3721.
<66> Gasner, James et al. "Evaluation of a Thermal Management System for a Mach 5.5 Hypersonic Vehicle." AIAA/SAE/ASME/ASEE 28th joint conference and exhibit, July 6-8, 1992. page 2.
Woods, E.J. et al. "Advanced Aircraft Secondary Power System Design." Proceedings of the 25th Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, August 12-17, 1990. volume 1, pages 506-507.
<67> "Endothermic-Fueled Jet could Break Mach 5," Popular Mechanics, August 1991, page 15.
<68> Gasner. ibid. page 3.
<69> ibid.
<70> Petley, Dennis H. and Stuart C. Jones. "Thermal Management for a Mach 5 Cruise Aircraft Using Endothermic Fuel." Journal of Aircraft. May-June 1992, page 385.
<71> ibid.
<72> "Update on Aurora," Aerospace World Weekly, 9 March 1990, page 5.
<73> Department of Defense, Procurement Programs (P-1), 4 February 1985, page F-6, line 28.
<74> "Secret Advanced Vehicles Demonstrate Technologies For Future Military Use," Aviation Week & Space Technology, 1 October 1990, page 20.
<75> "Aurora Myth," Aerospace Daily, 9 October 1990, page 34.
<76> "Update on Aurora," Aerospace World Weekly, 9 March 1990, page 5.
<77> Pope, Gregory, "America's New Secret Aircraft," Popular Mechanics, December 1991, page 35.
<78> "Secret Advanced Vehicles Demonstrate Technologies For Future Military Use," Aviation Week & Space Technology, 1 October 1990, page 20.
<79> Department of Defense, Procurement Programs (P-1), 4 February 1985, page F-31, line 308.
<80> Sweetman, Bill, "Mystery contact may be Aurora," Jane's Defense Weekly, 29 February 1992, page 33
<81> "Secret Advanced Vehicles Demonstrate Technologies For Future Military Use," Aviation Week & Space Technology, 1 October 1990, page 20.
<82> ibid.
<83> ibid.
<84> Marshal, Jonathan, "In Plane Sight? Washington City Paper, 3 July 1992, page 12-13.
<85> Scott, William, "New Evidence Bolsters Reports of Secret, High-Speed Aircraft," Aviation Week & Space Technology, 11 May 1992, pages 62-63.
<86> "Possible Black Aircraft Seen Flying In Formation With F-117s, KC-13s," Aviation Week & Space Technology, 9 March 1992, page 66.
<87> ibid, page 67.
<88> "Blast From The Past," Aviation Week & Space Technology, 25 November 1991, page 23.
<89> Scott, William, "New Evidence Bolsters Reports of Secret, High-Speed Aircraft," Aviation Week & Space Technology, 11 May 1992, pages 62-63.
<90> Campbell, Christy, "Secret US Spy Plane is Kintyre's Dark Visitor," Sunday Telegraph, 26 July 1992, page 1.
<91> Rogers, Jim, "RAF Radar Tracked 'Aurora' Over Scotland at Speeds From Mach 3 to Mach 6," Inside the Air Force, 24 April 1992, pages 1, 10-11.
<92> "Successor Relies on Stealth Not Speed," Defense Daily, 30 May 1990, page 503.
<92a> From: [email protected] (Mike Dembinski), Newsgroups: rec.aviation.military,alt.war,sci.space.policy,alt.conspiracy.area51
Subject: Re: Mary Shafer: What about "Aurora"?, Date: Mon, 05 Feb 1996 21:37:05 +0000, Message-ID:
<93> "Classified System Seen Providing Timely Intelligence Data," Aerospace Daily, 17 January 1990, pages 92-93.
<94> United States Senate Armed Services Committee, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1991, 101st Congress, 2nd Session, 20 July 1990, page 138.
<95> "Classified System Seen Providing Timely Intelligence Data," Aerospace Daily, 17 January 1990, pages 92-9
<96> ibid.
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All You Need to Know About Steaming Milk
Enjoying great coffee is a team experience for all five senses. The sound of beans whirring in a grinder, the espresso machine's signature song, they're like coaches, telling our other senses, Get ready to play. Aroma takes the field, teasing the nose, followed by that perfect, warm feel of porcelain in hand, its contents a visual delight. Touch and sight work together, veteran teammates. Finally, flavor is that expert midfielder, passing off to the striker—taste—for that ultimate shot on goal. (Okay, so I'm a little World Cup-obsessed!)
It all gives steamed milk art an entirely new dimension, marrying form and function. A beautiful design dancing on top of a coffee sets up the wonderful experience to come, adding elegant visual whimsy to an already artful espresso.
Enhancing an expertly prepared cappuccino with steamed milk art, like what you see at the top of this page, is a great example. (Purists will say this is no longer authentic cappuccino, but that's another story.) It's a fun challenge for newer baristas. I'll talk technique in a bit, but first, some background on the relationship between milk and coffee.
Milk is coffee's ideal partner for many reasons. Its signature but nearly neutral taste complements instead of overwhelms, and it is essentially composed of water, proteins, fats, sugar, and minerals, nourishing as it pleases. (Every now and then I'm reminded that humans are the only animals still nourished by milk as adults. We challenge nature, and sometimes we win.)
Choosing the right milk for coffee can be daunting. From a cow, goat, or sheep? Organic or conventional? Whole, reduced fat, or skim? Pasteurized or sterilized (UHT, shelf-stable, more common in Europe than the United States)? Goat's milk and sheep's milk share a stronger taste that easily masks a great espresso's aroma, so I don't recommend experimenting with them.
Fat content is critical. Whole milk with 3.5 to 4 percent fat blends ideally with coffee. The fats carry espresso's aromas nicely, and when the milk is steamed, they help produce a lasting, creamy foam with more flavor. As logic suggests, less fat means less creaminess, a lesser-bodied taste, and less richness.
I prefer whole, organic milk, making for a wonderfully creamy, full, pure taste. Whatever you prefer, be sure to use pasteurized milk. When heated, sterilized (UHT) milk produces a "cooked" taste that covers an espresso's good aroma. Homogenized milk, by contrast, distributes fats well throughout the heated liquid.
Okay, let's steam things up. (Advanced baristas: much of the following will be very familiar to you.)
First, make sure you have the right equipment, starting with a steel steaming pitcher. You needn't spend a lot to get a good pitcher; just make sure it has a pronounced spout. Twelve-ounce pitchers are good for one cup, 20-ounce for two cups. Critical: be sure to fill the pitcher between 40 and 60 percent of capacity, leaving room for the resulting foam. Cup size is also critical. Authentic Italian cappuccino uses a six- or seven-ounce cup, one shot of espresso (one ounce), and five or six ounces of steamed milk (resulting in of three to four ounces of milk after steaming). Increase the formula in proportion for larger drinks.
It's critical to use fresh, chilled milk every time, never milk that's already been heated. Steam is water, so too much water makes milk less creamy. Keep your milk cold, from 35 to 40 F, to ensure enough steaming time; overheating denatures proteins, ruining milk's taste and smell. Optimal, final temperature is 140 to 150 F. Carefully monitor the milk by using a kitchen thermometer or, like the pros, by resting your hand on the side of the pitcher. When it's too hot to touch, steaming is complete.
To optimize the amount of air introduced, keep the nozzle about a half-centimeter below the milk's surface, near the pitcher's side but not against it. Don't move the pitcher. The steam's power will move the milk in a circular motion, creating air bubbles (emulsion), and reducing them to microbubbles (stabilization). The resulting, smaller bubbles make for more stable, longer-lasting foam.
Using that steel pitcher with a pronounced spout, and with a little good training and practice, you'll create patterns like the popular heart, apple, leaf, or tulip, just by pouring the milk into the cup over the espresso and "drawing" each picture as you go. Start slow, and increase speed while pouring, using a side-to-side "sketching" motion. Barista's secret: sprinkling a little cocoa powder on the foam makes the patterns appear with more definition. (The authentic cappuccino recipe does not include cocoa powder.)
Words alone can't tell the whole story, so here is a video showing basic latte art technique, shot at Mammarella's, a fantastic café in Napa I visited last year. (Scroll down the left side to "Video" after the page loads.) Watch, try, practice, repeat ... have fun!
Having traveled around, I think American cafes, independent ones, have the edge over Italy when it comes to beautifully decorated cappuccino. In Chicago and on the West Coast, especially, I was overwhelmed. It's a delight to see—and hear, smell, touch, and, of course, taste.


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After all the hard work of writing, editing, proofreading, and navigating the process of self-publishing, finally, finally, your book hits the virtual bookstand. Congratulations from Self-Publishing Relief! But don't sit back and relax just yet. Whether you're traditionally published or self-published, now starts the task of getting your book in the hands of readers. How do you effectively connect with readers who love books, target those who will want to buy your book, and boost your sales numbers? Here are smart, budget-friendly ways to connect with the right readers for your book.
Connect With Readers Who Will Buy Your Book
Goodreads: Goodreads is nirvana for readers who love books! Create an author page and connect with readers and other authors. Not only is it a good way to establish a fan base, but it's also a great platform to give and receive book reviews. The members of targeted readers groups on Goodreads are usually very active and engaged. Focus on groups in your genre, and be sure you come across as an expert in this style of writing—this is about networking and building interest and trust, not about blatant sales pitches.
Unlike Amazon, a reader does not have to verify a book purchase to leave a review for it, and the more great reviews you receive, the better. Goodreads is also a valuable marketing tool: You can offer giveaways to readers and run contests with your book as the prize.
Local Bookstores: While getting your book on the shelves of a big-name brick-and-mortar bookstore is not easy, you may have better luck getting local bookstores to place your book on consignment. Talk with the bookstore manager or owner and ask to have a book signing event in the store. You might also consider offering the bookstore a portion of the profit from any books you sell at the event. It's basically free money for them, so few would turn down the opportunity. Here's how to hand-sell your book.
Facebook: You may already be on Facebook (along with millions of book lovers!), but do you have an author page? An author page lets you market your book without ever leaving your house. You'll also have access to analytics, be able to schedule posts, and establish or build your author brand. You can build a book community, engage readers, promote your book, and announce any events or promotions. The idea is to get people talking about your book.
Twitter: People are talking about books on Twitter; there's even a whole community known as Book Twitter! Many readers and writers are active on Twitter, making it one of the easiest ways to connect online. Since tweets are usually brief, engagement is often higher than with lengthier posts on other platforms. Make sure you use relevant hashtags, and don't be afraid to follow new people too!
HINT: Don't just spout out promotional tweets, bludgeoning your audience with constant sales ads—make sure you actually interact with your fans and the people you follow. You want to come across as a real person and author, not a bot. This is good advice on any social media platform, not just Twitter.
Remember, successfully selling books is about building a relationship with the right readers in a genuine way. When your followers feel a real connection with you, they're more likely to be receptive to any sales messages. If you find your audience, you've already done most of the work needed to generate book sales.
QUESTION: Where else might a self-published author find and connect with readers for their book?


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SNUGGLE: Dudes! Are you two going to the big New Years Eve bash?
FUZZYWIG: I dunno… it's a little past my 4:20 bedtime.
CHIP: I'm not much of a party critter, you know.
SNUGGLE: Your loss then. I volunteered to be the designated driver!
CHIP: You willingly decided to be the designated driver!?!? I can't imagine you wouldn't be boozing it up at a big party.
SNUGGLE: Dafuq you talking about? I'm gonna get smashed out of my gourd!
FUZZYWIG: A loaded designated driver. I don't think it works that way…
SNUGGLE: All I gotta do is take everyone home! What does that have to do with not getting plastered?
CHIP: Sigh…. here goes another shitty episode.
SHADOW: Greetings critters!
SNUGGLE: You need a ride home from the shindig too, rabbit ears?
SHADOW: No… I've come…
CHIP, FUZZYWIG AND SNUGGLE: (imitating Shadow's boring monotone) …with an important announcement.
SHADOW: That's odd… how did you ever guess? Anyway, my important announcement is….
FUZZYWIG: It's too early in the day for me to be having flashbacks.
SNUGGLE: Dude! You need a new swimsuit calendar! it's 2019 coming up!
SHADOW: I don't know what you're talking about.
CHIP: The year 2000 was eighteen years ago!
SHADOW: (Looking down at his important announcement) This has nothing to do with your planet's outdated methods of tracking time. Let me show you…
SHADOW: As of this moment, the Evil Squirrel's Nest blog has published precisely 1,999 posts. When this episode of Shelf Critter Theatre goes live, it will be our milestone 2,000th post! That, my friends, is a very important announcement indeed!
FUZZYWIG: It's important that we've wasted 2,000 posts worth of server space?
SNUGGLE: Dude! Are you really looking at the Stats page of a blog? Are you some nutjob, or don't you know how to find porn on the internet?
SHADOW: Belittle the occasion all you want, but I maintain that this is a joyous moment in our host site's history…
TROLL: Holy shit! Is it really 2000 again? Damn, I was actually employed at the turn of the millennium! Even if I was only the hand inside that Pets.com sock puppet…
SHADOW: Do you not realize what is happening today? We're all participating in a landmark post on…
BUSTER: Oh boy! Is this a countdown to New Years party? Will there be noisemakers and fireworks?
SNUGGLE: I'm sure Zeeba will bring some hand grenades.
SHADOW: Silly possum! This is…
BUSTER: That's really swell! I'll grab my party hat and…
SNUGGLE: Dafuq?
CHIP: I don't even want to know what's going on…
FUZZYWIG: So what killed Buster this week?
TROLL: Y2K bug! Our computers didn't melt down in 2000, but apparently possums were vulnerable to the millennium rollover!
SHADOW: It is NOT 2000!!! Stop this madness!!!
SCRATCHY: Wow, how totally retro! It's too bad I donated all my old Ricky Martin albums to Goodwill.
SHADOW: What is wrong with you critters? Are you really that oblivious to the significance of the number 2,000 today?
SCRATCHY: Didja know we're farther away from 2000-zero-zero now than it was when Prince wrote the song 1999? #TimeGhost
CHIP: Thanks for making me feel really old there, Scratchy…
ZAC: Whoa! Wowza! Holy Bajeebers! 2000! 2K! The big Two-Oh-Oh-Oh! Two thousand and one dalmatians! (The sounds of The Hamster Dance can be heard coming from Zac's pocket) Ooh!Ooh!Ooh! Gotta take this call!!!
SNUGGLE: Dude!!! That's the same phone I used to download stuff from Napster on!
CHIP: Sorry Shadow, but you seem to have brought the spirit of the year 2000 with your important announcement today.
SHADOW: I do not find this amusing at all…
MITZI: Like, AOL! Two hund… ummm… Two mill… uhhh… that year is like, so totally ancient!!! Mitzi, like, had a pager she couldn't even text from then!
FUZZYWIG: Welcome to a rerun of the millennium New Years party, dear.
MITZI: Like, a New Years par-tay!?!? I totally need some new year smoochies then!!!
SNUGGLE: Hey!!! The designated driver always gets the first smoochie!
MITZI: Snuggie Wuggie Teddy Bear! Like, close your eyes and puckle up!
SNUGGLE: You got it babe!!! And I promise this time only a little bit of tongue!
Snuggle Bear closes his eyes and gets his big, wet kiss….
BIG SCRAT: Surprise, buddy ol' pal!
SNUGGLE: ACK!!!! I thought I tasted a hairball! Go away you creep!!!
BIG SCRAT: I'm the designated chaperone for the designated driver! I won't be leaving your side the rest of the night!
MITZI: You two are, like, so totally made for each other!
CHIP: I have to admit, you two make a cute couple.
FUZZYWIG: Yep. They go together like cannabis and brownies.
SNUGGLE: Some friends I have! Let your pal get molested by some queer!
CHIP: Snuggle!!! You can't use derogatory terms like that these days!
SNUGGLE: It's 2000! I can say whatever the fuck I want! (Yelps loudly after getting slapped in the ass by his chaperone)
TROLL: I brought some old CD's from back in the day that were too unpopular to hock!
SCRATCHY: Fucking awesome! Lou Bega's Greatest Hits! 18 tracks, and they're all "Mambo #5."
SNUGGLE: A little bit of Mitzi's what I need!
BIG SCRAT: A little bit of Snuggle makes me your man!
SCRATCHY: Let's get this Y2K party started!!!
TROLL: (To Chip) May I have this dance?
CHIP: Fuck off.
FUZZYWIG: I actually feel guilty again smoking this in a time before legalization!
SHADOW: I have no idea how such a hyper-intelligent creature such as myself got stuck meddling in the idiocy that abounds on this stupid Shelf. I think I'll just quietly teleport out of here and leave these morons in the dark about this blog's significant achievem…
MITZI: Like, you're such a studly wuddly widdow Pokeyman for hosting this par-tay for us! Let Mitzi, like, totally show how much she depreciates these good times by showing you a fun time!
SHADOW: Get off of me at once you sex crazed heifer! You are giving me a very strange feeling inside of my Pokeballs, and that hoof is getting entirely too close to my……….. eep!
SNUGGLE: Dude! Wanna trade partners? The designated driver's supposed to be giving rides, not getting them!!!
MITZI: This one's, like, totally MINE! MINE!MINE!MINE!MINE!!!!!
SHADOW: Help!!!!!!!! I'm being abused against my will!!!!
TROLL: Sorry buddy, but the #MeToo movement is still 18 years away.
CHIP: Looks like our 2,000th post is going to be just as pathetic as the first 1,999.
FUZZYWIG: Why should this millennium be any different from the last one?
TROLL: Happy Old Year!!!!!!!!!!


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When and where did you discover pizza? I found it in a rectangular box on the grocery store shelf when I was about 10 years old … a long, long time ago. It was a do-it-yourself kit, by Kraft, if I remember correctly – a pouch of flour mixture for the dough, a can of tomato sauce and a packet of Parmesan cheese.
I recall watching my teenage brothers make it for a snack, mixing the flour with water, letting it sit for a few minutes, then pressing it into a square on a greased cookie sheet. Swirling the tomato sauce onto the dough's fingerprinted surface, and then sprinkling the cheese like the dusting of a first snowfall. Then, twenty minutes in the oven with that strange and lovely smell floating through the kitchen, our mouths watering. I can taste it now – flowery, somehow; the tomato sauce, tinny, the Parmesan, chalky, the dough a bit sweet. I am sure if I tasted it today it would be perfectly awful. But, back then we had discovered a whole new world.
I didn't spend much time in the kitchen when I was a kid. My mom was a lone cook, just like my grandmother was … just like I am. But I took on pizza making with gusto. And the toppings didn't stop at the Parmesan cheese. I added canned mushrooms (we didn't do fresh ones in those days), olives and lots of cheddar cheese. My best friend Sylvia and I would cook one up almost every Saturday night as part of our sleepover ritual.
I loved pizza so much I chose "pizza making" as my demonstrative speech for the eighth grade Toastmasters Club. I think it was generally agreed by my classmates that I had the "neatest" speech that day.
By the time I was a teen, pizza parlors had found their way to our farm town. Sylvia and I would get all dressed up in our Pea Jackets and Beatle boots, and take the bus downtown to Gondola Pizza for an exciting evening of sharing a small cheese pizza, drinking Root Beer, and talking about the monster crushes we had on certain boys. A Gondola Pizza restaurant is hard to find now, but they still put out the best, cheesy-greasy thin-crust pizza I know – side bacon, mushrooms, onions and green olives – pure heaven.
A few years later we moved on to the Pizza Place, more topping, more cheese, more boys and often several glasses of beer. Ground beef, mushrooms and extra cheese – my favorite. And, the boys, well that's another story. Ah … those were the days.
After I was married with children, pizza was our "eat out" treat when my sons were little, the go-to food for birthday parties, and the first "I'm too tired to cook anything" dinner I thought of as a working mom. These days it's just my husband Michael and me, as our sons are off making their way in the world, but Friday night is the designated "pizza night" at our house. Often we pick up a thin-crust pepperoni, mushroom and onion from Barrow's, down the street. But I like to make my own, too. Here are the basics:
Crust: I like easy so, sorry, but I don't make crust from scratch – I use Ezekiel 4:9 sprouted grain tortillas to hold our favorite toppings. My sister-in-law uses flatbread for hers. Naan is good, too. Flour tortillas can work, but you need to fry them in a pan to crisp them up a bit and go light on any sauce or they get soggy. Also, many grocery stores sell fresh dough now, so there are lots of options.
Sauce: I use jarred marinara sauce, Alfredo sauce, or just olive oil – often, of course, it is whatever I happen to have open and available in the fridge.
Vegetables: Onions (red or spring, both yummy), mushrooms, peppers, artichokes, sautéed garlic, olives of any sort, veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, etc. should be partially cooked before adding to the pizza. Often, I check my fridge to see what needs to be used. Pizzas are a great way to use up a bit of this and a little of that.
Meats: If you have luncheon meats, like ham, turkey or chicken, slice thinly and scatter on the pizza, or use pepperoni or sausage, of course. Bacon is terrific on a pizza (fry and drain before you put it on); and you don't need much to get that lovely smoky flavor.
Cheese: If I have mozzarella, I use it. But many times I combine cheeses – nubs of whatever … cheddar, smoked Gouda and Swiss. Goat cheese or feta works really well with chicken or veggies.
Quick Homemade Pizza
Note: I only make one pizza at a time. It means that each one is fresh and hot, and it is fun to chat about the topping choices for next one. With a nice glass or two of red wine, we make it an all-evening affair at our house.
Ezekiel Sprouted Grain Tortillas
Garlic and onion powders
Italian seasoning (optional)
Toppings, from the endless list … or what's in your fridge
Cheese … how much and how many is up to you!
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
On an ungreased baking sheet, lightly brush tortilla with olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic and onion powders. Put the tortilla in the oven for approximately 3 minutes to slightly crisp it.
Remove from oven, coat tortilla with about 2 tablespoons of sauce, sprinkle on some Italian seasoning, and add a light layer of cheese.
Add toppings evenly. (If you use more than 2 -3 toppings, add 2, then sprinkle with a little cheese, add the rest and top with cheese.)
Always finish the pizza building with a layer of cheese.
Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 10 minutes. Change oven setting to broil and cook 2 to 3 minutes longer (on center rack), watching to make sure the cheese doesn't over-brown.
Cut into slices and serve. (I always serve a platter of fresh veggies with pizza, homemade or brought in. Good, fresh, finger food to balance out the rich cheesiness of pizza.)
Second Note: "Vongole" pizza made with clams is one of my favorites (and could easily be served as a scrumptious appetizer for dinner guests). Use Alfredo sauce, sautéed sliced garlic, a can of chopped clams (very well drained), thinly sliced spring onions (optional) and lots of mozzarella cheese.
Enough notes – go make some great pizza. Please share your favorite topping combinations with me!
Eat well. Be happy.


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EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — On 16 June, US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin met for just under four hours in Geneva. This was Mr. Biden's first meeting with Mr. Putin during his presidency and Biden is the fifth US President with whom Putin has held a summit.
Expectations for the summit were characterized as low by both sides in advance and assessed a bit more positively after the conclusion of the meeting. The meeting presented an opportunity for both leaders to present grievances and warnings to the other (and show toughness to their domestic constituencies). Other than presenting the opportunity to blow off steam, the results of the meeting appear modest: the agreement to return ambassadors to their posts, to resume bilateral arms control discussions, to conduct discussions on "strategic stability" and to hold unspecified consultations on cyber. In typical fashion, Mr. Putin rejected all of Mr. Biden's assertions about Russian actions and made counter accusations referencing hostile US actions.
Of the deliverables from the summit, cyber will no doubt turn out to be the most problematic area for follow up. Mr. Biden apparently delivered to Mr. Putin a list of 16 US critical infrastructure sectors that should be considered "off limits" for cyberattacks, e.g., "red lines" not to be crossed without the risk of significant retaliation. For his part, Mr. Putin asserted that it is Russia that is the victim of cyberattacks originating from the territory of the US and it's NATO partners and also is the victim of attempts to interfere with Russian elections. The challenge in cyber discussions going forward will center around three areas: differing interpretations of the relevance of deterrence theory in today's cyber environment, attribution, and control.
Mr. Biden's firm comments to Mr. Putin on recent cyberattacks against the US such as the ransomware attack on Colonial Pipelines (Mr. Biden is said to have asked Mr. Putin how he would react if Russia's pipelines were hit?) and his provision of a list of "off limits" US infrastructure entities suggests a deep belief in this administration that Russia can be deterred from engaging in future conduct of cyber operations against US targets or "sanctioning" attacks originating from the territory of the Russian Federation by criminal groups.
Unfortunately, it is highly likely that either Mr. Putin nor those who control the levers of Russian cyber operations agree that deterrence theory applies. Deterrence only works when both sides know the other is capable of – and willing to – cause significant harm to the other.
The Russian side likely believes (and may have amply demonstrated) that the US is disproportionately vulnerable to cyber risk at every level of its economic, societal, and political infrastructure whereas Russia is not. There is a reason the use of cyber tools has become a central feature of Russian strategic doctrine. They work and seem a legitimate tool that falls short of conventional war. Hybrid warfare using cyber tools, the Russian side would argue, is no different than the economic warfare Russia is experiencing from sanctions imposed by the US its allies.
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The post After Geneva: US – Russia Strategy Moving Forward appeared first on The Cipher Brief.


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San Francisco fire burns down apartment building
March 12, 2014
A five-alarm fire burnt down an apartment building construction site on Tuesday, sending up black smoke that could be seen for miles around the San Francisco Bay.
The fire began around 5 p.m. Tuesday in San Francisco's Mission Bay neighborhood and caused an evacuation of nearby buildings. The fire also affected a nearby University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) research building, where an ember was quickly put out after spreading onto the roof.
The scorched building is part of an emerging Mission Bay neighborhood, just south of AT&T Park, where several developments are in the works as part of city revitalization efforts.
Sophomore Thomas Chin said, "I think the firefighters did a good job of keeping the fire on one building. Even when the fire went onto the research building, the firefighters reacted quickly and put it out."
Several dozen residents were evacuated from the Strata apartment building across Fourth Street from the construction site, and about 25 were gathered late Tuesday at an American Red Cross evacuation center at Pier 54.
Hundreds of residents of homes in nearby buildings remained evacuated because the fire's intense heat blew out windows, set off sprinkler systems, and caused other damage.
San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee said, "I think we're lucky that the fire didn't jump anymore."
The burning building was part of a residential development project with 172 units, according to BRE Properties, the building's owner. Fire-suppression systems had not yet been installed in the building, making it harder to extinguish the fire, fire officials said.
"The open construction of the building allowed for rapid fire spread," said Fire Captain Matthew McNaughton.
The fire was one of the biggest fires in San Francisco in years. The main cause of the inferno was said to be from welding work during the construction.
On Wednesday, demolition crews arrived to begin tearing down the burned building. About 30 firefighters remained on scene, dousing the building with water to make sure the fire was completely out.
Sophomore Brent Jang said, "The workers definitely need to be more careful. The fire could have spread to other resident buildings and injured more people, but the firefighters did a good job so that wouldn't happen."


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NetHat Features
Download it from the download section to your desired directory.
It enables the users to connect to more than 50 sites from the desktop directly.
No need to open the Internet explorer again and again.
It also provides link to those important sites whose addresses are not generally available to the cyber cafe users.
It will increase the cyber cafe use per customer, because with more than 50 sites in his front the customer will browse from one to another.
The user-defined buttons allow you to fill your own sites; the ones that you think your local users visit regularly.
Very easy to install.
Other Products and Softwares
TEA2025 Audio Amplifier Board |
TDA7297 Audio Amplifier Board |
Bluetooth Audio Dongle |
Knolbar LED Display |
Display Programming |
LED Remote Info |
Call Flasher |
Cyber Logger |
Multi Clock |
Broadband Usage Meter |
is a registered trademark of RACKEYS, C-193, Industrial Focal Point, Patiala, Punjab, India. 147004. ( © 2016 RACKEYS )


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Amy Speace
- Americana
- Folk
- Singer/Songwriter
A modern folksinger whose music nods to the genre's 1970s glory days, Amy Speace has spent two decades chronicling the high marks, heartbreaks, and hard roads of a life logged on the road. She's been a tireless traveler, chasing the dream from the coffeehouses of New York City to larger stages across the globe.
Me And The Ghost Of Charlemagne finds Speace focusing on the other side of that so-called dream. The real side, filled with an ever-shifting balance of struggle and joy. Produced by longtime collaborator Neilson Hubbard and recorded during the final weeks of Speace's pregnancy with her first son, Me And The Ghost Of Charlemagne captures Amy Speace at her most nakedly honest, with sparsely-decorated songs that double down on her larger-than-life voice and detail-rich songwriting. It's an album about the colliding of dreams and reality, full of characters making sense of their lives when something is lost and then found.
Discovered and mentored by folk-pop icon Judy Collins during the early 2000s, Speace left her career as a classically-trained Shakespearean actress and, instead, kicked off a string of acclaimed albums, including Songs for Bright Street, The Killer in Me, and How to Sleep in a Stormy Boat.
Years before Americana music received its own category at the Grammy Awards, Speace was one of the genre's earliest champions, mixing the best parts of American roots music — gospel, alt-country, folk, classic pop — into her own songs. Me And The Ghost Of Charlemagne follows in that diverse tradition, but it also shines its light on a new Amy Speace: a clear-eyed, reenergized songwriter who's done with chasing things that don't matter…but isn't anywhere close to being done with her art.