text:
There are certain core skills that you need in life in order to be a respectable human being.
I have very few of these.
I can't cook anything much more complicated than toast (at school, I made a sponge cake which, I'm not kidding, tasted of fish. It was a miracle of culinary physics. And cupcakes that bounced). I was not very successful with woodwork, either. I once made a bird-table that more closely resembled some kind of fiendish, spikey wooden venus flytrap (which birds, sensibly, avoided). Trying to add a new circuit board to a computer resulted in an actual fire.
One thing I did try to master was fly-fishing. My father is very skilled at it. He used to make his own flies too, which in angling circles is the equivalent of being an intergalactic space ninja. But fishing expeditions with me were very different, being mainly afternoons spent untangling the line from trees, fences and people. The only time I ever actually caught something was when I managed to land a sick fish in my net, which is the pretty unsporting equivalent of going big game hunting at the zoo. In a tank.
But I did learn something interesting about trout. And this is that trout lurk. They hover in the river, gobbling up anything that comes near them. Sometimes you can see them, and sometimes you can't. But they're there – lurking.
Something else that lurks, beneath the waters of the church, is a relatively forbidden subject – uncertainty about whether God is really there or not.
The Trout of Doubt
You rarely hear sermons about the Trout. Sermons about the existence of God tend to be evangelistic talks. Which is great, but by front-loading the church machine like this we hoover up new believers but don't necessarily retro-fit anything at the other end of the pipeline for when they start to wonder.
Our language about this issue is also weird. We seem to imply that all Christians are in a permanent state of rock-solid belief (or at least, they should be). We talk about 'being saved', or 'conversion', as if once someone has said the magic words 'I accept you into my life, Jesus,' then that's it. Instant. No more internal process, one more Christian, on to the next soul. We've even given uncertainty a label, 'doubt' – which is a term that's not just loaded, it's practically bursting. The wheels underneath it are buckling.
As soon as we use the word 'doubt', it's like we're diagnosing a spiritual disease. A sort of Christian mental illness. This is unhelpful in two ways – firstly, it marks it out as a condition with a start and a finish. As if it comes on suddenly, like flu or food poisoning, and hopefully another Christian will find a cure for you by saying the right thing 'for you', and you'll stop doubting and return to your healthy religious state. And secondly, it stigmatises it. It's undesirable. It's not in the Happy Box with words like 'worship' and 'joyful', it's not something that a Christian wants to admit to other Christians.
The effect is heightened for leaders, missionaries and long-term Christians. They often worry that if they express any hint of doubt, then the carpet will be pulled out from underneath them (revealing, presumably, a flume-tube going all the way to Hell with a demon attendant offering complimentary towels at the other end). Or perhaps that they will infect others with doubt, as if it's the Ebola virus and unless they quarrantine their thoughts they will become Patient Zero in an outbreak that will bring down all of Christendom.
The spectrum of doubt
Let's blow the lid on this, and suggest a startling idea – all Christians are sitting somewhere on a spectrum of doubt at any one time. At one end is the conviction that God does not exist and it's all a load of nonsense, and at the other is a wild-eyed, near-psychotic conviction that God is more real that Burger King.
And nobody is ever at either extreme. Even self-described atheists have a part of them that thinks "but what if…?" (and they wouldn't be very good scientists if they didn't). Instead, in response to the factors acting on us at any one time, we slide along this spectrum throughout our lives. We might move in either direction, by an inch or a mile, over several years or in the space of a day. In essence, all Christians are in a greater or lesser state of worry that they might be wrong, the whole time. All people are, whether they're religious or not.
Living life on the spectrum
In 2005, a behavioural economist called Dan Ariely carried out an amazing psychological experiment. He asked some students to predict what their opinions would be about several subjects if they were placed into a strong emotional state. He then placed them in such a state, and asked them again. He found massive differences between what the students thought their opinions were going to be, and what their opinions actually turned out to be.
What this suggests is that our world-view is heavily altered by the emotions we're experiencing at the time.
So if your view on the existence of God is based on cold logic (like a theological cyborg), that might not satisfy you when you're in an intense emotional place (such as a bereavement). But similarly, an answer which might be of some comfort when you feel emotional may not satisfy you when you return to your day-to-day neutral state. We go through different emotional states throughout our lives, such as the religious devotion we feel when worshipping in church, the neutral day-to-day state when we're just going about, doing our thing, and then finally the emotionally-heavy one when we're faced with something frightening, threatening or worrying.
What Dan's research might imply is that the assurance of God's existence we might have in any one of those states may not automatically carry through to the others.
Faith is like a womble
So part of living life on the spectrum is recognising that faith is a flexible and dynamic creature that has to adapt to the habitat in which it finds itself. Like a womble.
The fact that you doubt is healthy. Really healthy. It means you're not crazy. It means you don't fall for just anything. And so that makes the faith you do have more valuable.
And by the same token, the fact that you recognise a need to consider what might exist beyond our physical senses is equally healthy, especially given that modern studies show that we have too much confidence in our perception of them (some, for example, show that we only actually notice 0.045% of what our senses pick up – remember the gorilla Youtube video?).
If you find yourself moving along the spectrum, embrace it. To quote Isaiah 43:19 shamelessly out of context:
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
Your faith is finding itself having to adapt to a new habitat, a new time of life. It's normal. Don't be frightened, don't worry, and certainly don't give up.
Relax. This is part of the journey.


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text:
Notice Number: NOT-OD-08-085
Update: The following update relating to this announcement has been issued:
Key Dates
Release Date: July 2, 2008
Issued by
National Institutes of Health (NIH) (www.nih.gov)
Office of Extramural Programs, Division of Loan Repayment (www.lrp.nih.gov)
This Notice replaces PA-07-440, and provides program specific information for Extramural Pediatric Research Loan Repayment Program (LRP-PR). Applicants must refer to the general LRP Notice providing information on the application period, general eligibility, annual receipt and review schedule, application material, evaluation criteria, and program administration details: NIH Extramural Loan Repayment Programs (LRP), NOT-OD-08-083. Through this Notice, the NIH invites qualified health professionals to apply for participation in the LRP-PR.
The objective of the LRP-PR program is to recruit and retain highly qualified health professionals as pediatric investigators.
NIH defines pediatric research as "research that is directly related to diseases, disorders, and other conditions in children."
In addition to the eligibility criteria outlined in the general Notice (see:NIH Extramural Loan Repayment Programs, NOT-OD-08-083), applicants for LRP-CR must have an M.D., Ph.D., Pharm. D., Psy.D., D.O., D.D.S., D.M.D., D.P.M., D.V.M., D.C., N.D., or equivalent doctoral degree from an accredited institution, and must engage in qualified pediatric research as defined above.
The NIH intends to commit approximately $17 million annually to fund LRP-PR contracts.
Awards are made pursuant to the Children's Health Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-310), which added Section 487F of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act (42 U.S.C. 288-6). The Federal Debt Collection Procedures Act of 1990, contained in Public Law 101-647, requires that an individual who has a judgment lien against his/her property for a debt to the United States shall not be eligible to receive funds directly from the Federal government in any program, except funds to which the debtor is entitled as a beneficiary, until the judgment is paid in full or otherwise satisfied (28 USC 3201). The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number for the LRP-PR is 93.285.
Weekly TOC for this Announcement
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices
Office of Extramural
Research (OER)
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
9000 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, Maryland 20892
Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS)
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text:
How A Blue-Footed Boobie And A Mood Board Helped Create The Warby Parker Brand
When you open a case of Warby Parker glasses, there's a pop of bright blue. It's an allusion to a rare bird called the blue-footed boobie, explains co-CEO and cofounder Neil Blumenthal in his new Skillshare class.
It's not just a fun fact. Long before Warby Parker had sold 1 million pairs of glasses, the bird actually helped Blumenthal and his cofounders David Gilboa, Andrew Hunt, and Jeffrey Raider develop the startup's brand.
Blumenthal recommends entrepreneurs use mood boards to help them develop their brands. Finding images you think capture the idea of the company you'd like to create and seeing them next to each other on the board can help shape the brand around your mission, he says.
In the Skillshare class "Mission, Vision, and Brand Architecture," Blumenthal explains why the blue-footed boobie helped them develop new aspects of the fun but sophisticated Warby Parker brand they were just beginning to create:
It's a bird that's found in the Galapagos, so you have to be sort of knowledgeable and worldly to know that it exists. It has a quizzical look on its face, so it's curious — and for us, we wanted to create a curious brand that was all about learning. When you look at its body, it sort of looks like a penguin, so it's got a tuxedo, so it's sophisticated — it has these design elements to it. And then you pan down, and a blue-footed boobie has these webbed, bright blue feet, and we just thought that was awesome and funny and has a little bit of flair, and a little bit of surprise. And that was something that we wanted to bring to Warby Parker. And then, of course, the name "blue-footed boobie," you kind of laugh when you hear it, and we wanted to take our work seriously but not ourselves seriously.
These types of quirky, creative conversations that a mood board inspires can allow you to build a personality around your business's purpose.
In his Skillshare class, Blumenthal goes in-depth about how he and his cofounders started Warby Parker, focusing on the company's social mission — it donates a pair of glasses to poor parts of the world for every pair sold.
Here's a preview of his class, "Build a Social Mission-Driven Brand":
See Also:
- Student Leaders Ask Hillary To Return 'Outrageous' $225,000 School Speaking Fee
- Investigators Believe Passengers Of The Missing Malaysia Jet Suffocated As It Coasted On Auto-Pilot
- These Photoshopped Portraits Show How People Define Beauty In 19 Different Countries
- Former SpaceX Employee Explains What It's Like To Work For Elon Musk
- 12 Laws Of Building A Great Company From One Of America's Most Innovative Small-Business Owners
SEE ALSO: The One Statistic That Matters Most To Warby Parker's Founders


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SkinBeautyMall.com offers over 140 brand name skincare, cosmetic and hair care products.
We provide free and fast shipping on all products and have 100% positive customer feedback, including an A+ rating with BBB. If you are not sure which product is the best for your skin type, our skincare experts can provide you with a free online or phone consultation. We also offer a 14-day return period for all of our products, so in case you are not satisfied, you are welcome to receive a refund with no hassles at all.
Shop with confidence at SkinBeautyMall.com. All personal information, including credit card data, is encrypted and we never share it with anyone. In addition, all of our products are authorized for resell by their respective manufacturers, so you get fresh and authentic products with the every bit of ease expected from a premier online skincare retailer.


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Are we not sick of this subject already?
There have been some excellent articles and lots of "food for thought" on this topic recently.
Robb Dunn did a guest post at Scientific American about "The Hidden Truths About Calories," which—to summarize in a way that does no justice to the article at all—basically boils down to the fact that most of the hidden truths about calories are so hidden we simply don't know much about them at all. (I second this: Why Calories Count Fo' Shizzle.)
Go Kaleo has a great post on this topic called "Putting the (Calorie) Pieces Together."
And Regina Wilshire has a puzzle for us at Weight of the Evidence called "Working Through A Stall."
Sooooooo – do calories in general matter, or is only the "kinds" of calories (i.e. the "good" kind vs the "bad" kind) that matter?
I think Go Kaleo said it very well: "All that black and white thinking has got people believing a false dilemma: It's EITHER 'calories in vs. calories out' OR 'the kind of calories you eat' that matters!" She's right in saying that it is a false dichotomy.
Neither approach comes close to acknowledging the complex interplay of factors that is human metabolism. I'm down on the calories in/calories out paradigm because it is so limited in scope, but I am equally down on any paradigm that says they don't matter at all.
There are far too many unknowns about how the energy content of the food we eat interacts with the energy needs of our bodies to insist upon a singular health-maintenance paradigm based on "calories in, calories out." At the same time, there are far too many unknowns about insulin metabolism (we currently don't even have agreed-upon ways to measure and discuss insulin dysregulation) to create a new singular health-maintenance paradigm based on "fat in, carbohydrates out."
One thing that complicates the picture is that we equate the metabolic situation that causes fat gain with the metabolic situation that will induce fat loss. My understanding of the biochemistry is that there are two necessary aspects to weight gain: excess calories to store (although we seldom know how to measure or even estimate what we mean by "excess") and the insulin signal that provides the mechanism for storage to take place. Remove one of these factors—again with the caveat that we have a limited understanding of what "excess calories" means—and you won't have weight gain.
Weight loss may be a different matter entirely. For weight loss to take place, we have to figure out NOT ONLY how to not create a metabolic situation where these two factors are at play, we also have to figure out how to convince our body to reverse the fat-storage process. This may involve processes which go beyond just one eliminating insulin-stimulating carbohydrate foods because—unless someone has Type 1 diabetes—some basal levels of insulin (and we may or may not know what they are or if they are "normal" or how that matters) are always present. This may also involve processes which go beyond just eliminating "excess" calories because, as I hope I've made clear, we don't really even know what that means.
Some people can reduce overall calorie intake and lose weight (this usually also involves a lowering of carbohydrate foods that stimulate insulin release) ; some people can just reduce their carbohydrate food intake and lose weight (this usually also involves lowering calories available for storage); some people have to do both–deliberately and carefully—in order to lose weight. The trick is how to do this without
- inducing willpower-withering hunger pangs
- depriving the body of essential nutrition
- creating other metabolically-unfortunate side effects/consequences.
The answer will not be the same for everyone. Reducing the number of nutritionally-empty carbohydrates gets at both the calorie and the carbohydrate issue–so that's sort of a no-brainer, but carbs and calories are not all that matter.
Like what?
Metabolism matters. Nourishment matters. Information signaling—provided by your body's encounters with the environment, including food encounters–matters.
Do calories affect these things? YES!!! Do carbs affect these things? YES!!! Are there about a bazillion other things that affect these things? YES!!!
When the clinic doors at the Duke Lifestyle Medicine Clinic open, the first two patients through those doors were both very much alike and radically different.
Both were "obese" adult white males, but that's about where the resemblance ended. One gentleman, who was almost as big around as he was tall, was actually pretty healthy. Most, if not all, of what we think of as meaningful or predictive health biomarkers (blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, etc) were normal. His problems were primarily orthopedic; i.e. his weight was impacting his hip and knee joints.
The other gentleman was far less obese, but his weight (as you may guess) was concentrated in his abdomen, his predictive health biomarkers were in the toilet, and he had a bag of prescriptions meant to normalize those biomarkers to prove it.
I (now) think of the first gentleman as having "simple" obesity and the second gentleman as having "metabolic" obesity. Such fat patterning has also been referred to as gynoid obesity ("pear") and android ("apple") obesity, and the different health consequences of each have been recognized, but even these differences are over-simplified concepts.
Android obesity (Gentleman #2) has been associated with excess insulin and with more metabolic derangement than gynoid obesity. It has been fairly well explained at this point that, aside from its role as a fat storage mechanism, excess insulin causes other metabolic problems.*
Is gynoid obesity (Gentleman #1) primarily associated with "excess" calories or "excess" storage of calories, rather than insulin dysregulation? We don't know. Can "excess" calories cause other problems besides those leading to fat storage? We don't know that either. One of the problems with asking these questions is—again—how we define "excess."
Either way, the next step is to recognize that how we address different types of obesity may also need to be different. One type of obesity may be best addressed by a focus on reducing carbohydrate intake. The other type could be addressed by a focus on decreasing calories in and increasing calories out—however you want to do that. (As above, either approach involves some aspects of the other.)
But even differentiating dietary approaches based on fat-patterning must acknowledge that if there is a spectrum—with simple obesity on one end and metabolic obesity on the other—that any individual can be located anywhere along that spectrum and thus a combination of approaches would have to be used to address the needs of the individual, which may need to go beyond both carbs and calories.
It is crucial to remember that our bodies not really designed to either "gain"or "lose" weight, but to respond to our environment by small shifts in– up-regulating and down-regulating—the production of proteins, enzymes, and other biomolecules to meet the pressures of the environment. We are adapted to adapt. Food is one of the primary signals our bodies get about our environment. Food lets the body know what the conditions are like "out there" so that we can make appropriate adjustments "in here." These adjustments, we know now, can be passed on from one generation to the next, so that our offspring are also prepared for what is "out there."
What the body is looking for—all the time, without exception—is essential nourishment and adequate energy (and again our definition of "adequate" is as problematic as our definition of "excess"). Note to paleo-thinking readers: the origins of the paleo diet emphasize acquiring essential nutrition, rather than forbidding non-essential foods. This point may be the most important aspect of ancestral nutrition. (And thanks to Katherine Morrison for calling this to my attention.)
An eating pattern that conveys to our body that the environment is lacking in either of these things is going to result in metabolic adjustments to this information. What the adjustment looks like is going to depend on genetic factors (What food environment were your ancestors adapted to?), and epigenetic factors (Did you have an adequately-nourished mom?), and previous adaptive adjustments (Does your body regularly have to respond to caloric highs or lows? to regular bouts of intense energy expenditure? to reduced nutrition?), in addition to those other bazillion things we don't know about yet.
So what are we going to do about it? I am so glad you asked. I've been trying to work my way to a blog post about n of 1, or individualized nutrition, for weeks now. I think I'm about there.
*See the work of Gerald Reaven and Wenhong Cao, for example.


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ABC, NBC Fail to Lunge at Harry Reid's 'Explosive Accusation' that Romney Hasn't Paid Taxes
The Big Three networks largely yawned at Majority Leader Harry Reid's
wild charge on the Senate floor on Thursday that GOP presidential
candidate Mitt Romney hasn't paid taxes in 10 years. ABC, CBS, and NBC
failed to mention it on the evening newscasts on Thursday. On Friday
morning, CBS This Morning was the lone broadcast morning show to report on Reid's "explosive accusation," as correspondent Nancy Cordes put it.
By contrast, all three networks covered Rep. Joe Wilson's 2009 "you lie" shout at President Obama at the State of the Union within 24 hours and were unanimously scandalized at the "stunning moment" in the House chamber, as then-anchor Charles Gibson labeled it on ABC's World News. Both ABC and CBS trumpeted Wilson's outburst as the "shout heard 'round the world."
On Thursday evening, liberal anchor Anderson Cooper not only led his CNN program with a segment on Reid "doubling-down on unproven allegations about Mitt Romney and taxes,"
but also reproved Democratic pundit Paul Begala for trying to defend
the Senate majority leader: "For any sitting member of Congress...to be
making allegations – serious allegations about somebody without offering
any evidence whatsoever - I think - seems to be a troubling precedent, and it surprises me that more people aren't upset about it."
During her report on the CBS morning show, Cordes didn't even lead with Reid's barb at Romney. Instead, she devoted the first half of the segment to the latest campaign stops of the two presidential candidates. She also spotlighted how a "non-partisan tax policy group panned Romney's tax plan" - without mentioning that one of the authors of the report (from the liberal Tax Policy Center) previously worked for the Obama administration.
The correspondent then spotlighted that "the Obama campaign is not letting up on Romney's refusal to release more than two years of his personal taxes," and ran a clip from the Democratic campaign's latest ad. She followed this by finally turning to the Nevada senator's anti-Romney rant:
CORDES: And Democratic leader Harry Reid made this explosive accusation about Romney right on the Senate floor.
REID: The word's out that he hasn't paid any taxes for ten years. Let him prove that he has paid taxes, because he hasn't.
CORDES: But he didn't provide any evidence for that claim, and Romney laughed it off in an interview with conservative host Sean Hannity.
ROMNEY (from interview on "The Sean Hannity Show"): Well, it's time for Harry to put up or shut up. Harry's going to have to describe who it is he spoke with, because, of course, that's totally and completely wrong.
CORDES (on-camera): And Romney's campaign advisers aren't laughing. They likened Reid's charge to a McCarthy-style witch hunt.


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Twenty-five years ago on Nov. 3, 1992, William Jefferson Clinton was elected president of the United States — and Hillary Clinton is still trying to take his place.
As historians and pundits recall his third-way presidency, another slice of his legacy can't be ignored — the trickle-down effect of his womanizing, his DNA-proved extramarital involvement with Monica Lewinsky in the nation's most important workplace and the couple's treatment of women overall, from "bimbo eruptions" to Paula Jones to Juanita Broaddrick.
The behavior of adults at the top of the food chain seeps into the culture and can't be extracted from events of the future. Today's eruptions of sexual harassment claims can be explained as a volcanic reaction to simmering rage among women, who, as a group have been sexualized, victimized and silenced for too long. We have reached not so much a tipping point as a boiling point.
What goes up comes down, all right. But what goes underground — forced to steep in darkness and silence — comes back up with a vengeance.
A quarter-century is a long time to stew, and that's about the span between Anita Hill's testimony in 1991 against then-Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas for sexual comments he allegedly made at work — the first widely publicized case — and the recent deluge prompted by former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson's takedown of network founder Roger Ailes.
This in-between period also corresponded more or less to the lifespan of the Clinton political machine, once-essential to a Democrat's successful run for office, now knocking and hissing as Hillary winds up her revenge book tour. It is also, roughly, the span of a human generation. The last of the baby boomers, who squired sexual amorality to the White House and secular relativism to most other institutions, are moving toward retirement and taking their boys-will-be-boys attitude with them.
Bill Clinton wasn't the first president to misbehave in the White House, as we are frequently reminded. But he was part of the first "two-fer" presidency, as he put it, with a first lady who championed women's rights. Presumably, these rights would have included not being objectified or treated as human litter. And Clinton was the first, as far as we know, to have a sexual relationship with an intern.
It doesn't matter if Lewinsky, then 21, pursued the president and "knew" what she was doing. Obviously, given the long-term effects of this episode on her life, she didn't. In any case, it was Clinton's job as her superior not to abuse his power by taking advantage of her.
He knew the rules. He didn't care. Or he couldn't control himself. Which is worse is hard to say. Meanwhile, Hillary's dogged pursuit of women claiming to have been targets of her husband's unleashed libido and her ultimate metamorphosis into Tammy Wynette cumulatively displayed a contempt for women rather than for her husband.
It is little wonder, then, that other men of the era didn't feel compelled to curtail their proclivities, or that women felt their power to fight back minimized by the first lady.
Fast-forward to the present and each day seems to produce the name of another man accused of sexual harassment. Though they are being lumped together in round-up stories, it would be unfair to put them all in the same cell. There's a world of difference between what movie mogul Harvey Weinstein is alleged to have done and, say, what another recently named Mother Jones writer is alleged to have done. Apparently, among other offenses of minor note, he gave gratuitous shoulder rubs.
With all due sympathy to victims of abusive behavior, I confess to a certain reticence as #MeToo momentum continues to grow. This isn't because I know a few of the alleged harassers, who are disgusting if the accusations are true, but because we are becoming too comfortable with condemnation without due process. Life is unfair — and women inarguably have been on the receiving end of unfairness for long enough. But life shouldn't be a zero-sum game and men, even those one dislikes, deserve a fair hearing before their life and livelihood are taken away.
Karma will take care of the rest.
Had the Clintons played their cards differently, our country might have become less coarse, and our infantile impulsiveness less pronounced. It might not have taken 25 years for women to find their voices. More men might have treated their female colleagues with greater respect. Who knows? Hillary Clinton might have become president. And Donald Trump, whose disrespect toward women is epic, might not have.
Karma, baby: It's Bubba's fault.
Kathleen Parker is a columnist for The Washington Post. Her email address is firstname.lastname@example.com.
Follow BDN Editorial & Opinion on Facebook for the latest opinions on the issues of the day in Maine.


text:
Reviewed by Nikyta
Title: Badlands
Author: Morgan Brice
Heroes: Simon & Vic
Genre: M/M Paranormal
Length: 296 pages
Publisher: Darkwind Press
Release Date: June 26, 2018
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads
Blurb: Medium and clairvoyant Simon Kincaide owns a Myrtle Beach boardwalk shop where he runs ghost tours, holds séances, and offers private psychic readings, making a fresh start after his abilities cost him his lover and his job as a folklore professor. Jaded cop Vic D'Amato saw something supernatural he couldn't explain during a shootout several years ago in Pittsburgh and relocated to Myrtle Beach to leave the past behind, still skeptical about the paranormal. But when the search for a serial killer hits a dead end, Vic battles his skepticism to ask Simon for help. As the body count rises, Simon's involvement makes him a target, and a suspect. But Simon can't say no, even if it costs him his life and heart.
Continue reading


text:
Tragedy occurs at a house party. two people end up hospitalized.
Friday, August 9, 2013 in Connecticut. Imagine sitting at home and suddenly a small passenger plane crashes into your house. Two children who were inside the home did not survive. Bill Henningsgaard, the pilot, of the small propeller-driven plane and his son, Maxwell, were presumed to have died as well. To read more, click below.
Shavanna Jenkins, Aaron Hernandez' fiancé is said to have been seen on surveillance footage removing a lock box from the Hernandez home. The box is believed to have contained the gun that killed Odin Lloyd. To read more, click below.
iancée of Hernandez eyed in newly released court documents: http://www.wcvb.com/news/local/boston-south/fiance-of-aaron-hernandez-eyed-in-newly-released-court-documents/-/9848842/21414586/-/8uc760z/-/index.html?absolute=true
Despite all of this tragic news, there are good things going on in the world today. Here we three good, positive, happy stories. Click each story below


text:
Faculty Focus is a monthly
publication documenting the activities, accomplishments, and honors of the
April 2010
Editor, Dan Baker firstname.lastname@example.com
Previous editions of Faculty Focus can be accessed here.
Richard Alderman was sent by USAID to Vietnam where he consulted with the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Vietnam Consumer Agency regarding their proposed consumer protection statute. After four days of meetings with the drafters, he spoke to 40 members of the National Assembly and other local leaders about the merits of the proposed legislation. The bill should be voted on this fall. He also was elected to the American Law Institute and was asked to join the editorial advisory board of the International Journal of Law and Management.
Adam Gershowitz's article, "The State (Never) Rests: How Excessive Prosecutor Caseloads Harm Criminal Defendants" has been accepted for publication in the Northwestern University Law Review.
Patricia Gray gave a presentation on Texas' Children's Health Insurance Plan (CHIP) to medical students and faculty at UTMB's monthly Pizza and Policy session on March 17. Presenting with her was State Representative Garnet Coleman whose legislative district encompasses the UH campus. She also spoke to the Texas Bar Association International Law CLE conference in Houston on March 5 on Medicaid, CHIP and Immigrant Children in Texas.
Leslie Griffin testified before the Nebraska legislature, arguing that their proposed Abortion Pain Prevention Act is unconstitutional under current Supreme Court precedent, including Carhart II. Her book, Law and Religion: Cases in Context (Aspen 2010), is in print and available for purchase. The supporting website is available at http://www.aspenlawschool.com/books/griffin/default.asp. Her Maine Law Review article, "Fighting the New Wars of Religion: The Need for a Tolerant First Amendment," appeared in volume 62, starting at page 23. The second edition of her casebook, Law and Religion: Cases and Materials (Foundation Press 2010) will be available at the end of the month.
Julie A. Hill presented her work-in-progress, Ad Hoc Bank Capital Requirements, at Arizona State University's Junior Faculty Workshop on March 15th.
Geoffrey Hoffman spoke to a group of Fulbright scholars who visited the UHLC on March 26, 2010 from around the globe about the UH Immigration Clinic. He also introduced the film "In the Shadow of the Raid," which was shown at BLB240 on March 29th. The film presentation was co-sponsored by the UH Clinic. Prof. Hoffman also participated in the question and answer session regarding the Postville Raid with the film producers following the film.
Craig Joyce was reappointed to the Board of Editors of the Copyright Society of the U.S.A.
Raymond Nimmer gave a visiting lecture at the University of Calgary on "Digital Information and Copyright" on March 25, 2010.
Tom Oldham drafted a question pertaining to community property that was included in the February 2010 California Bar Exam. This was the second time a question drafted by Prof. Oldham had been selected.
Michael A. Olivas delivered the Distinguished Invitational Lecture at Baruch College, CUNY on March 19, speaking on the DREAM Act legislation and immigration reform. He was interviewed for the CUNY television network in Spanish. He and the AALS Executive Committee filed a brief for UC-Hastings in the pending US Supreme Court case, CLS v. Martinez, defending the right of public law schools to enforce anti-discrimination policies against student groups that do not comply with law school regulations. He was interviewed by reporters on issues of prepaid Section 529 college plans, the CLS litigation, state and local immigration ordinances, and academic freedom.
Jordan Paust's essay "The U.N. Is Bound By Human Rights: Understanding the Full Reach of Human Rights, Remedies, and Nonimmunity," is now published at 51 Harvard International Law Journal Online (2010), available thru http://www.harvardilj.org/online. The new Leiter Study of U.S. Law Professors whose articles have had the most scholarly impact from 2005-2009 lists Professor Paust as among the top ten in International Law.
Ronald Turner's recent publications include his co-authored book, The NLRB and Managerial Discretion (2d ed. 2010), and the following articles: "Pliable Precedents, Plausible Policies, and Lilly Ledbetter's Loss," 30 Berkeley Journal of Employment and Labor Law 336 (2009); "On the Authority of the Two-Member NLRB: Statutory Interpretation Choices and Judicial Approaches," 27 Hofstra Labor and Employment Law Journal 13 (2009); "Plessy 2.0," 13 Lewis & Clark Law Review 861 (2009); and "On Parents Involved and the Problematic Praise of Justice Clarence Thomas," 37 Hastings Constitutional Law Quarterly 225 (2010).
Greg Vetter presented Patent Law's Unpredictability Doctrine & the Software Arts on March 26th at the 2010 Intellectual Property Scholars Roundtable by the Intellectual Property Law Center at the Drake University Law School. On March 3rd, he presented to the Law Center's eHealth course on the topic of Intellectual Property and Electronic Medical Records. Also, on March 29th he presented to the 1L class on the issue of course selection. Finally, on April 9th, Prof. Vetter presented Open Source and Free Software: A Guide for the Skeptics and the Opportunists at the New Opportunities in a Changing Landscape conference during the North Carolina Bar Foundation 2010 Intellectual Property Law Section Annual Meeting.
Jacqueline Weaver gave two lectures in South Korea, sponsored by our sister law school there, Wonkwang University, and by the Forum for Advanced Society, a Korean think-tank that is associated with various assemblymen (i.e., nationally elected legislators) of the Korean government, including certain presidential contenders. The topic was "The Future of the Energy Industry under Global Warming." The lectureship included time for tours of Korean temples, the DMZ, the bullet trains, and the incredible new futuristic cities that are sprouting up around Seoul, specializing in robotics, IT, telecom and such. Wonkwang University adopts principles of Confucian and Buddhist thought in its learning environment and is very interesting to visit. The dean there is planning to host a symposium in late 2010 on a medical/health topic (TBA) and will bring in scholars from several countries for a dialogue. He (and Prof. Weaver) hope someone from UHLC will attend. From her personal experience, she believes it is worth it, even for only 4 days.


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I was talking with a friend one recent Monday who has 18-month-old twins. She told me that she and her husband had taken these twins over the weekend to a relative's home for a belated Father's Day celebration. "Oh, how fun!" I said, and then I came to my senses. "I mean, geez, I'm sorry. You must be exhausted!"
When my starter child Benjamin was an infant, holiday get-togethers were still something to look forward to. Sure, sure, there was the inevitable crying from being passed around too much, and the seemingly constant need to excuse myself to go somewhere private to feed him. (In fact, I did miss an entire Thanksgiving dinner, start to finish, when he was going through a growth spurt at 5 months old.) But none of that prepared me for the horror of following a curious toddler around our relatives' homes at holiday functions.
1) Naptime. Every holiday function begins right in the middle of naptime. If it doesn't, then the rule is that the food is served right when naptime would normally begin. Every parent knows that a naptime missed is the opening chapter of an epic tragedy. The novelty of the situation will briefly put the inevitable on hold—but eventually fatigue will win, and the child will stage a dramatic meltdown, the likes of which will leave an indelible impression upon all who bear witness. You'll feel like people are judging you, and it's true…they are.
2) The food. Your child won't eat any of the food served at the holiday, because none of the dishes are on the list of the four or maybe even six foods the toddler deems permissible. You'll make a plate for the child anyway, secretly hoping that maybe this time will be different. You'll present the plate to the child with enthusiasm. "Look what I brought you! Mmmmm!" The child will grimace, maybe poke at a scalloped potato, and then exclaim something along the lines of "YUCKY! YUCKY YUCKY NO NO NO!" The older relatives will look down their noses at you for raising such a picky eater. Someone might sigh and cluck their tongue and say, "My kids always ate their dinner…children these days are given too much freedom," or "My Jenny was always such a good eater that I could take her anywhere and leave feeling proud." It'll sting, but keep in mind that their memories have been rewritten by time and vodka.
3) Knickknacks and/or holiday decorations. Your sweet munchkin will hurl themselves at fragile, precious family heirlooms as they stumble unsteadily through the unfamiliar house. And who can blame them? It's fun. You'll lurch anxiously along behind them, crouched down in an approximation of their height and lunging radius, the unnatural posture causing debilitating and lingering back pain for at least a week. The other guests can't help because they're busy drinking and eating and judging you.
4) Diaper changes. There will be a ton, far more than in a similar time period at home. So, let's say that you normally change 3 diapers between 3:00 pm and 8:00 pm at home? Bring at least 6 diapers for the same time period at a holiday function. The other ironclad rule is that somehow, some way, you're going to end up getting poop on something important that belongs to someone else, like a white guest towel or a silk throw pillow or maybe even Aunt Betty's vintage mink coat. You could change that diaper out in your CAR, and I still guarantee someone else's valuable item will be contaminated.
5) Which brings me to potty training. Someone is going to see you changing one of those diapers, and they're going to start grilling you on potty training. No matter what stage you're at, you won't be far enough along for them and everyone they know. They'll recount at least 3 of their friends or family members who did it faster, better, and much, much earlier than you are doing it. You lazy, lazy, incompetent slacker.
6) And if anyone asks about your child's sleep habits, I'm begging you to LIE, even though it goes against your truthful nature. Unless the child goes to sleep promptly and independently at 7:00 pm, never wakes up in the night, never gets in bed with you, never gets up at 4:00 am for the day for no good reason, never demands water or another book or more snuggles. If you have one of those (fictional?) children who goes to bed, sleeps all night, and wakes up at 7:00 am rested, cheerful and refreshed, then go ahead and answer truthfully.
7) But then be prepared for them to say you're abusive for not co-sleeping. My advice is to excuse yourself from the conversation to go and clean up all that poop.
The good news is that all of those people will forget about how obnoxious your kid was (or they never really noticed or cared in the first place…a lot of those feelings of judgment come from the inside rather than the outside). Or they'll have toddlers of their own someday, and you can be the kind and generous one who tells them how great they're doing as their child hurls Great-Great-Grandma Daphne's one-of-a-kind Austrian crystal vase to the floor, the one that she smuggled out of the old country cleverly baked into a loaf of simple peasant bread.
The Daddy and I are now past this phase, and it is AWESOME. Our kids, now 4 and 7, arrive at holiday gatherings and disappear with friends or cousins, not to be seen again until dinner time. I'm not gonna lie—it is fun to again be able to participate in holidays again.
There is a part I miss, though. It's the part where I carried a tiny, warm, sleeping babychild into the house after the car ride home, carefully taking off their little shoes and ridiculously teensy-weensy socks before tucking them into bed. Awwwwww.
So cherish that part. All the rest of it is for the birds.


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South Korea: No information to corroborate US media report that Kim Jong Un gravely ill
South Korea's government said Tuesday it had no information to corroborate a media report suggesting that Washington is monitoring intelligence indicating North Korea's leader was gravely ill after he reportedly underwent heart surgery this month.
Seoul has not detected any unusual activity or signs coming from Pyongyang about Kim Jong Un's health, according to Kang Min-seok, a spokesman for the Blue House, the office and residence of South Korea President Moon Jae-in.
South Korea's statement comes after a CNN report, citing an unnamed U.S. official "with direct knowledge" of the matter, said the U.S. is keeping an eye on intelligence suggesting that the North Korean leader's health was in "grave danger." A second official cited by CNN said the intelligence about Kim's health was credible. The official acknowledged it was hard to assess how seriously ill he may be.
South Korea: North Korea fires barrage of missiles from ground and air
The North Korean leader's health has long been a focus of speculation. He's a heavy smoker and is obese. However, North Korea is one of the world's most secretive nations and information about its leader is extremely difficult to verify. Even his age is a matter of dispute, although most analysts think he's probably 36.
CNN's report late Monday followed a story in a Seoul-based website named Daily NK run by North Korean defectors. It reported that the North Korean leader had undergone heart surgery on April 12 and is recuperating at a villa outside the capital, Pyongyang. Daily NK's story is based on a single source inside North Korea.
Media reports about North Korea and its leadership have previously turned out to be inaccurate. Speculation about Kim Jong Un's health has increased in recent days partly because he skipped a recent commemoration connected to the nation's founding.
North Korean state media has not addressed Kim's health. The state-run Korean Central News Agency released a photo of him, dated April 11, which it said shows Kim attending a politburo meeting of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang. However, neither the content nor the date of the photo could be independently verified.
North Korea is one of only a handful of nations to refuse to report data about coronavirus infections. Negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang aimed at dismantling North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs have stalled amid the Trump administration's refusal to ease crippling sanctions on North Korea.
In March, Kim Jong Un's regime conducted nine missile tests, the most in a single month recorded in a database run by the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. This month, North Korea launched back-to-back missiles, fired from the ground and fighter jets that splashed down into waters off the coast of Japan. The missiles were fired on the eve of the state anniversary celebrations that Kim Jong Un did not attend in person.


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The Philadelphia Flyers have built a great foundation, but it remains to be seen if their supporting cast is ready to help propel them into the playoffs.
Although it hasn't always been the case, at this point it seems reasonable to bet on Steve Mason providing the Flyers with a strong presence between the pipes. At the same time, the chemistry that Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek have developed should result in the Flyers once again having one of the most effective top lines in the league. Even defensively, which tends to be seen as their weakest point, they have a solid anchor in Mark Streit.
A solid starting goaltender, great top line, and an effective offensive defenseman are a good start, but that in and of itself isn't enough to make a serious contender, as the Flyers exemplified last season.
For example, a championship team typically has quite a bit of offensively depth, which Philadelphia didn't possess in 2014-15. That problem could be largely addressed though if 24-year-old Brayden Schenn and 22-year-old Sean Couturier are able to make bigger contributions this season. There's also a chance that newcomer Sam Gagner will prove to be an effective complimentary player or that Vincent Lecavalier or R.J. Umberger will bounce back.
Their defense is an even bigger question mark though. While it's true that Philadelphia has a very promising group of defensive prospects, it's entirely possible that none of them will be ready to make major contributions this season. That means that the Flyers might be relying in part on Michael Del Zotto, who has been inconsistent over the course of his career, to have a good season or that 32-year-old Yevgeni Medvedev will make a smooth transition from the KHL and at the very least prove to be a helpful stopgap measure.
There are certainly scenarios that can be painted in which this team bounces back and perhaps even enjoys a lengthy playoff run. However, with so many significant X-factors in play, Philadelphia will be interesting, but not necessarily successful in the short-term.


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Wow, huh?
Much like a movie being formatted for standard definition television, this page has been edited to fit the viewing area. For a look at the FULL page, click here.
I asked Gennifer to put together a splash page showing off most of the cast so far (and then some!) and boy did she deliver! Every arcana explorer we've featured so far is making an appearance except for Chrys's dad and Mandrake, who has to watch the Inn during the Telling.
Beyond that, Gennifer put in a number of cameos and unique characters. One of the characters on this page will be very, very important to the next chapter.
Can you name all the MotA characters? Have any guesses about the extras? Care to wager which character is giving you an advanced preview of next chapter?
Next week, the Telling begins in earnest.


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November 20th is National Adoption Day. To "celebrate", I spent the day in mourning for the family from which I was taken. It is a fact of life that for every adoptive family to be happy, there is a family that had to be broken in order for the adoptive family to get their precious baby. I lost my entire family because of adoption. For this, I am not happy. I am not grateful. I am not glad that I was not aborted. I almost died at my premature birth; many day go by with my wishing I had died so that perhaps my mother could have lived. I never blamed my father for my relinquishment for he was grief-stricken, faced with immediate decisions, and he made those decisions under duress. I was raised in a loving home as an only child, showered with love and affection. However, the lifetime of deceit, intentional lies and actual disdain and panic that I would one day meet the very siblings my adoptive parents fought to prohibit me from knowing — that is what is despicable about my adoption. That, and the fact that my name was changed, my identity was changed, for no good reason. A lifetime of pain and loss for me and my children.
Happy National Adoption Day. NOT.
These are the papers that I obtained from Surrogate's Court, Erie County, New York:
On Oct 24, 1956, my natural father and pre-adoptive parents met in Surrogate's Court. They signed a joint contract "Consent to Adopt and Agreement to Adopt".
Notice that the paper states that my natural father "will not interfere with the rights, duties and privileges of said child when adopted. He was not, as opponents to open records claim, granted any special confidentiality by the consent to adoption papers that he signed when he relinquished his parental rights to be my legal father. My father told me, when we discussed this a few years later, that the judge told him to stay away from the newly formed adoptive family. There was no verbal or written promise of confidentiality granted to my natural father.
Here is the agreement signed by my natural father and my pre-adoptive parents:
Here are the other papers released to me by the Surrogate Court Judge.
As you read these papers, keep in mind that while my adoption was treated as a closed adoption, both sets of parents knew of each other before I was conceived. My adoptive parents (before they became my parents) and their extended families were present at the funeral of my natural mother to pay their respects at her passing. As you read these papers, keep in mind that the five children involved had no say in what the adults did to permanently separate them as a sibling group. With so much information exchanging hands, with so much at stake, this adoption should never have taken place.
My Final Order of Adoption:
~ ~ ~ Joan M Wheeler, BA, BSW, born Doris M Sippel, author of Forbidden Family: A Half Orphan's Account of Her Adoption, Reunion and Social Activism, Trafford Publishing, Nov 2009.


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#19 PIETER TEN HOOPEN, Stockholm (Sweden) Photographer
Leica Liker is honored to have PIETER TEN HOOPEN, a Stockholm (Sweden) Photographer as our #19 guest. He is also our very first WORLD PRESS PHOTO Prize Recipient!!!
When I first saw Pieter Ten Hoopen's photographs a year ago, I couldn't get them out of my mind. The haunting images drove me to seek out the man; the persona; the eye, behind them.
haunt·ing [hawn-ting, hahn-] adjective 1. remaining in the consciousness; not quickly forgotten
Pieter's images linger, like a drifting fog. But it's not a blinding experience, not at all. Instead, he pulls us into his subject's mysterious and private world, giving us an intimate view of a certain 'state of grace' in the human condition.
Pieter talks of the importance of stories. And is committed to telling them. It's what quantifies human existence in a way that validates who we are. When you look into his photographs, you can't help but feel the depth of a life lived in his subjects – old or young.
Pieter rarely shoots to capture a moment in time, like many street photographers do. He's not looking for the 'decisive' moment. Instead he works hard to give you a complex story of life. The characters he meets and photographs are introduced to us like old friends whether they are news photos or stories he worked on for months.
Through Pieter's images, we are afforded a rare look into the fragility of humanity. He's able to present vulnerabilities as a strength, rather than a weakness of the human spirit. And it takes a seasoned and caring eye to capture human dignity and hold it close to the subject's heart.
Here is my interview with PIETER TEN HOOPEN:
Nick Name: None that I am aware of. I am curious what it could be.
Currently living in: I split it between outside Stockholm- in the countryside and in the city of Stockholm.
Motto: I never really thought about a motto to be honest.
Photographer since: Since 2002- 11 years.
How did you get started in photojournalism? Did you start off in photojournalism first? First of all, I wouldn't call myself a photojournalist. However, I studied photojournalism in Stockholm. I would consider myself a photographer or storyteller. Those are better labels. I do all kinds of photography. It's a great challenge I enjoy. I shoot different assignments from commercial to news. I never say no to any photography job. For me, the goal is to finance my books and projects, which are about storytelling.
In the past, I worked for New York Times magazine, Time and some European media. Although, I like to work for Swedish clients as they pay better. Sadly, Swedish print media such as newspapers and magazines are quitting much of the struggle. It's a dying outlet for news and stories. Because of this, I had to find other ways to make money to supplement my goal. So I teach workshops, in all parts of the world and Sweden. I also shoot more commercial work for companies these days. As you see, all different forms of photography. I've also been providing visual solutions for clients in both film (moving) as well as stills. At the moment I've been filming a lot, which I really enjoy.
I am also a full member with Agence Vu in Paris. They represent me and resell my journalistic photo stories. They also sell my books but not my art prints. Those are sold through my homepage and some galleries in Sweden.
Profession/Job: Professional photographer
Websites: www.pietertenhoopen.com
Organizations or Group: Agence Vu
What was the first camera you started with? I started with a compact camera whch a friend gave as a gift.
Favorite Camera & Lens: Nikon D800E, DX3. I tried all their cameras and lens models and my favorite lens is 35mm these days. Although before it was 28mm. I always work with prime lenses – no zooms. I'm one of the photographers Nikon is sponsoring. I also often use Yashica box cameras as well as the Widelux- which is very sensitive.
Back-up Camera & Lens: Nikon D800E is also my back-up with the 35mm lens. I always work simple. I work with one set of cameras with back-up in hotel room.
Favorite photography gadget: I am the most boring photographer. I only use whatever is necessary to get the job done. No more and no less.
In general, I am not interested in cameras. Being a camera geek was always for the techno insane. But I am slowly appreciating the technology and camera equipment, thanks to Nikon's sponsoring.
I want to say, photography is about a feeling in my body. That's why I like to test shoot with many cameras to find that feeling.
Favorite street food: We don't have that much in Sweden. I avoid street food because I am picky. I prefer a good restaurant in the evening.
Favorite music when shooting and/or editing Photos: Never when shooting. When editing- I listen to quite a lot of radio in the background – like public radio, news programs, music as well. A lot of trance- like quiet trancey music playing continually in the background all the time to create the right atmosphere.
Favorite photo software: Photoshop C6. I work with RAW files. I generally don't do much post work – just dodge and burn and correction of colors. We're not allowed to do any post work when it comes to news and journalistic work. I work the same way on my own work. I am quite consequent that way.
3 Favorite Master Photographers: I am a big fan of Eugene Richards. He's my all time darling. His story telling is fantastic. Otherwise, I don't look that much to photographers anymore. I am more a movie guy. Movies are about effective storytelling. I watch a lot of slice-of-life movies. Not spectacular fantasy, just small little stories. I love to experience the feeling of small things.
Deliverance was the last movie I watched recently. I have seen it time and time again. I think it is a fantastic movie. The tension is insane and horrible. I love to dig through archives and DVDs and watch them many times. They are super inspiring for my photography.
3 Favorite Contemporary Photographers: I have no specific persons whom I follow or see as favorite. I think I'm more interested in film and there I have plenty of favorites, too many to mention I guess.
Which 3 photographers' prints do you own? I collect a few and exchange with fellow photographers. For instance, I have a print from Erika Larson, an American. I have a bad conscience, I still owe her a print of one of my images. She will get it. I also own a great print of the dead Swedish master of social photography, Christer Strömholm. Another print I have is by Erik Refner a Dane. I also have prints from a lot of Russian photographers. Russia has some exciting photographers. When I do my workshops there I swap with them.
Color or Black and White? Nowadays I work 99% in color. I enjoy color way more. Just gives me more inspiration, more options to visualize – I love the relationship to the story. Black and white doesn't inspire me anymore. If I do something nowadays in black and white then it is an emergency scenario because I can't fix it in color. Color is more complex and challenging.
Shoot Film or Digital ? I love to shoot both. When it comes to commercial clients it is digital. But my new book next year is all film. My Tokyo series was shot 50/50. I would like to have all the options open. I enjoy film a lot. It still gives such a beautiful warm, imperfect feeling while the sharpness in the digital files has its own qualities.
If Film, what type of negative? I always use Kodak Portra 400 or 120 iso Professional.
Is there a special time of the day you like to shoot or is any time good? If I have the possibility to choose, then late afternoon when the light is soft. Although, I can work in all kinds of light. You're not always able to choose.
How do you define photojournalism? It doesn't matter how it is defined. I think the term was born in the US. It is very American.
Why did you choose photojournalism and not another form of photography or stamp collecting? Storytelling. Simple as that. I chose this line of work because I enjoy communicating with my stories. It is like movies: there are so many ways of telling and making perfect stories. If you look at my "Tokyo stories" series you'll see I love to work closely and intimately with people. I like to tell the poetry of daily life.
How do you choose a journalistic subject? Depends on the story. For instance in Tokyo, Jay is a friend of mine. So it was a natural. In the story, the others are friends of his. In other stories you might use 'fixers': people who are on the ground who can help arrange the meeting of people for you. In Montana, I just did a lot of door knocking. So it all depends. You have to seek out any opportunity that works with the situation. You have to be flexible.
What motivates you to photograph in general? Pure storytelling and to pay my bills. I do my specific things, but I have to pay bills like anyone else. Sometimes it's poetry and sometimes it is just a job.
What motivates you to photograph difficult subjects? They may be difficult topics but they are important issues 'of our time' and important to communicate. We need to cover them because we need to make the atrocities against humanity or to nature official.
Is Photography an obsession? It is not. I think if it is an obsession it tires you out. It has a strange vibe that makes it difficult to deliver high quality images. You have to be sharp and strong to work the material. If you work in top form, you are really focused. I enjoy it a lot. I am good at it. You have to be so good in the field in the thing you are doing. It would be like a soccer player walking with a soccer ball all the time. I need to be able to focus and relax. So I never carry a camera around when I am not working.
Do you always develop a relationship with your subjects? By developing a relationship, are you trying to make yourself invisible to your subjects? In my line of work, you are very close to the subjects because you work in the same space. You photograph everything they do. It depends on the story you are working on but it's clear you are part of their life during the period of day, week, or month. I am not invisible, but the aim of my presence is to make myself non-intrusive and not distracting to the subject.
How do you approach a subject to develop such a relationship? You explain who you are. In Montana, I spent over 10 years documenting. You must be very straight forward as to who you are and what you want to do. You tell them you want to tag along. If they don't like it in the beginning then they won't like it in the end.
Favorite city to shoot in: I love Tokyo – it is one of my favorite places to be. I love the Japanese people. It may sound strange but I feel relaxed in that city. I love to walk there. I love Istanbul too.
What inspires your photography? I like paintings. It's very important for what I do. I studied other photographers but I find studying paintings gives me much more. I always look at the Dutch maters because of the light, even if you don't like the subject but the light is fantastic. I also love Egon Schiele's work.
Is there a philosophy, concept or aesthetic behind your compositions that you apply to your photos? The aesthetic changes based on the mood and atmosphere of the story. Every story has its own character, temperament and feeling that determines what it will be. It is not a philosophy but a fact.
When you shoot, do you come with preconceived ideas or a specific point of view of the subject, or do you let events unfold? When it comes to stories, I need a clear picture of what I am going to do there. It costs too much money to do these projects, so I can't afford to have it not pay out. You can pitch it to a newspaper and magazine; you contact people; you have to do a lot of research; and the most important part of the story – you have to research the ins and outs of the topic you are working with. Once you're on the ground you continue researching. This is where you have to let things unfold before you. You'll often find that your previous research might have given you a specific view. But when you get there it is not what you envisioned and it turns out to be nothing like you expect it. You have to be able to recognize that and go with the flow and not stick to your initial point of view. Positive or negative.
The magic thing about doing stories is you constantly have to adapt to a new situation. If you go into the story with a specific vision and force it, you will be bored. That's not saying it's not frustrating when it first happens when things don't go the way you envision it to go. But it's liberating when it happens because you have to adapt. It is part of the fun.
Can you elaborate how you develop a complete series for the media like New York Times? Is it any different when you develop a book? The two are distinctly different. The photographic material for news must fit to the text the reporter is writing. There are specific details you have to communicate. When it comes to a book, then it is a personal choice and very emotional.
What do you look for in a good photograph by others? I don't look that much for aesthetics. I look for emotions in other people's work, a good body of work. I want to be touched, either positive or negative. Most importantly, it must communicate it successfully.
What do you look for in a good photograph by you? I don't think that much in single images, I think in a series. A series is difficult when it comes to my feelings. It has to do something to me. It has to trigger me in some way. It has to create curiosity, awareness, beauty and poetry. It must be emotionally compelling. I see movies in the same way as my photos – you take the viewer into this little trip. The art is to keep people involved in the whole trip – otherwise they are not good enough.
How do you go about shooting a photograph? I tried for many years to blend in and it doesn't work. I have a big camera and I am quite tall. I gave up that game. Now I just work. I don't care about other things, I just focus on what I have to do.
Can you describe the entire process of photographing these photos, from preparation to when you pressed the shutter button?
From the series: Kitezh in Russia. This is a story about my search of the invisible city of Kitezh from an old Russian myth about sacred waters. I never found it so I decided to take pictures of the people I came upon in my search in Vladimirskoe. I used only the late afternoon and evening light during the work on this series. I love to continue working this way. The light becomes like silk helping to create a lovely atmosphere in which to shoot. The story won the First Prize in the 2007 World Press Photo Daily Life Stories.
From the series: Stockholm- Book. This picture was taken during the time I worked on my Stockholm book. A dear friend called me and told me his father had died of cancer and wondered if I could photograph them saying their farewell. I remember this moment clearly as it was very peaceful. The family was close as they gathered during this moment of grief. Before it was normal in our culture to photograph family members who had died. But I think this has changed in the modern society where we don't want to be reminded. For me personally, this was a very intimate situation and moment to be part of.
From the series for New York Times Magazine: ER Kabul This is a picture taken in a war hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan. I was doing a story for the New York Times Magazine about this hospital. I spent a long time in Afghansitan working on different stories but this one in particular was important to me. We worked most of the time in the emergency room and did follow-ups once the patients were doing there rehabilitation. Most of the men and women who come here are injured by mines or bullets. (see photos below) This young man was badly injured and he died some days after this image was taken because of complications. Before he came to the Emergency war hospital he was mistreated and wrongly diagnosed in other hospitals. So the damage was to very bad when he arrived.
ER Kabul: Man with pink gloves I shot this during the same assignment for the New York Times Magazine as mentioned above. The man works for the Italian war hospital emergency. One of the biggest suicide attacks in Kabul in years killed 80 and injured hundreds of people. The injured and the dead were all driven to this entrance at the hospital. There were literally lots of body parts coming in. The man in the gloves is gathering the body parts which were laying on the street.
I cannot remember really what I was thinking during this shoot. When you come upon a day like this you work and work harder just so you can cover (shoot) it all. This goes for mentally and physically too. The only thing I remember was a brain laying on the street, an image I shot after this one. It was a child's brain which was laying in perfect shape on the street. The moment I saw this, it hit me how horrible it was. I could not really let go of the image and thought of it for quite some time. Still today I think back to this moment often. Many children died this day after this big explosion resulting in many lost body parts. Most are injured for the rest of there lives.
Prostitutes in Damascus The story is about Iraki women being forced into prostitution in order to earn money to support their children. It was a longer reportage and all these women had lost their husbands during the war in Irak. And because of the fact they can't show a death certificate they are not entitled to get any financial support from the government.
The story was mostly shot in the area where Irakis were displaced during the war. Most of the women suffered from physical and mental problems because of the work they do. Most of them had been badly beaten up by their customers… I had problems to photograph the women but it was made more problematic because it was a big project to gather all the women to be able to make it work.
The story was published in Swedish media and was shot for a TV show which was assigned by the EU. After the publication I was called both from Damascus and from the Syrian Embassy in Stockholm. I was told that I'm not welcome in Syria anymore. The reason for this was not that I had shown a sensitive or forbidden topic but the fact that the newspaper which published the work was pro Israel – so they told me. This is not true. It was published in one of Sweden's most respected and best newspapers.
How do you choose your shots when you edit? What tells you that the shot is good? You have to ask what is the story about. You come home to 1000's of raw files. You reduce it to 200, 100. When you are done, you start over again to see if you made the right decision. Books take weeks or months for me.
Best 3 tips for shooting the streets: 1) Everything is about the light- choose your light. It is extremely important. 2) Feel the place, feel the topic. 3) You need a full stomach. It's hard to work with an empty stomach.
Best single advice on how to improve your work: Just shoot. Like any other sport, if you want to be good, you have to practice. It will come – you need to spend time with raw material- you need to know what you are shooting. Spend time with your images, in a meditative way. Go through your work in order to understand your work to see what you are doing right or wrong. I do a lot of workshops and teaching. So many students spend a half day with their work and think that's enough. You have to show respect to the week or month of photography.
Best single advice on how to edit your work: You have to spend time with your raw material to be able to undertand what is in front of you. Selection is about making large edits. It becomes smaller every time until you reach the storyline.
Best single advice for someone who wants to get into photojournalism: Well, you have to enjoy what you are doing. You don't have to be a professional. The joy of the work is extremely important. Don't go for the quick fix. It is a marathon. Breathe. Having a long breath is what counts.
What's the best moment in your photography career? I have no idea. Yet to come I hope!
What's the worst moment in your photography career? Shooting in misery about misery. It doesn't make you happy- it has its impact on you. It makes you grow old so you have to be aware.
Once, I had an assignment in Cairo after a man in California made a movie that was seen as against the Prophet Mohammed. I was shooting people on the streets protesting. Some guys took my iPhone which can happen. They were hooligans going crazy and attacking journalists. Religious demonstrations are normally peaceful, but it's stuff like hooligans that create the large headlines dominating the protests at Tahrir Square. I have to say, journalists are experiencing more and more problems there. It's not a good thing for freedom of press in Egypt. But a job is a job. I rarely do short news assignments anymore. I normally do long projects, so there is a balance between the stories.
What projects are you working on? A book on Hungry Horse, Montana titled "Hungry Horse"- next year. I have been working on it for 10 years with 1-2 trips a year.
What's your next assignment? Will be working in northern Kaukasus this autum but a short trip will include Stockholm. It's been a busy year. But I would love to work more at home.
Where do you want to be in 5 years with regard to photography? I am already where I want to be – I do my books and projects. I would love to produce more books. – you can't make a living on photo books, you need commercial assignments. They normally cost you money. It's a love.
Are there exhibitions planned in the future? I will show my Hungry Horse book in New York and also the multimedia work produced in cooperation with Mediastorm in NY.
You can view Pieter's WORLD PRESS PHOTO prize winning entries below:
Pieter teaches workshops. You can check them out here from time to time.
As of posting, Pieter's short film KITEZH – VLADIMIRSKOE, was accepted into competition at the Stockholm Film Festival. Congratulations Pieter!
Leica Liker thanks Pieter for sharing his experience and inspirational advice with us. We look forward to checking in with him in the future.
You can check out Pieter's gear in "Liker Bags'n Gear" here.
This is Pieter's self portrait.
Marius #
At the beginning I want to thank you for sharing the interesting & deeply interview with PIETER, it's a pure intellectual "joy".
My first impression from the interview and based on the most photos enclosed that it's about the essence of the photos "soul" & the motivation that lead PIETER to take those photos. PIETER prefer to call his style as a "story teller" instead photojournalist – in my eyes each one it's "complimentary" to each other…
Most of the photos in the post are characterized by sadness and tragic situations, that can affect any human being & i belive that it's not easy mental and physics to "take" such photos based allso on my experience in "street photography".
I observed that are not headlines or specific labels to the photos, perhaps because most of the photos are part from a story in the paper news?..
Again thank you for sharring this interview!
I wish you the best from ISRAEL.October 26, 2013
Kazi Riasat Alve #
I remeber his workshop at Dhaka, Bangladesh. He's such a great source of inspiration and an amazing person.September 3, 2014
When someone writes an piece of writing he/she keeps the image of a user in his/her mind that
how a user can understand it. So that's why this article is great.
Thanks!September 21, 2014
Good day! I could have sworn I've been to this blog before
but after checking through some of the post I realized it's new
to me. Nonetheless, I'm definitely happy I found it and I'll be bookmarking and checking back often!September 28, 2014


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Sinkhole opens at Austin Peay stadium in Tennessee
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. | Construction crews in Tennessee are working to fill a sinkhole that opened at Austin Peay State University's Governors Stadium.
The Leaf-Chronicle reports the sinkhole started out small, about 3 feet by 5 feet, but workers have had to dig a much larger hole - about 40 feet deep and 40 feet wide - to find stable bedrock.
The hole was discovered about a month ago where the football field meets the track during a project to replace the main stadium building.
Mike Jenkins, superintendent for Nashville-based Bell & Associates Construction, told the newspaper sinkholes are common in the area and the budget included sinkhole remediation funding.
Jenkins said workers continued to excavate Monday while officials met with a geotechnical engineer. He said the hole will be filled with rock and concrete.


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The Kumano area (�F��) is located around the southern tip of the Kii Peninsula, about 100 kilometers south of Osaka and Kyoto. It spans Wakayama and Mie prefectures, although most of the attractions and religious sites are in Wakayama.
Kumano is centered around three shrines, Hongu Taisha, Nachi Taisha and Hayatama Taisha, collectively known as the Kumano Sanzan. Pilgrims have traveled to and between the Kumano Sanzan via a network of walking trails, called Kumano Kodo, for over 1000 years. The shrines are even older, with mention in Japan's founding mythology.
The region is infused with religious and historical value that emanates from the three shrines. The Sun Goddess' great grandson, Jimmu, came to Kumano to unify the country as Japan's first emperor. To further add to the area's sanctity, Kumano is also called "The Land of the Dead" in reference to the belief that spirits and family ancestors dwell here after they die.
Towns and cities dot the Kii coastline, combining Kumano's ancient history with day to day living. Some offer hot springs, such as Shirahama and Katsuura, while others feature coastal scenery, such as Kumano City and Kushimoto.
In 2004, Kumano's religious treasures and pilgrimage routes were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Named "The Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range", the designation also includes neighboring Koyasan, Yoshino and Ominesan.
Top attractions in Kumano
Getting there and around
Questions? Ask in our forum.


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Kentucky firefighters were hurt while trying to perform the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge for charity.
Daniel Ken Holtzclaw, a 27-year-old police officer in Oklahoma City, has been arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting six women.
A Tallahassee federal judge ruled Florida's same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional.
According to a new New York Times poll, most white people "reserve judgment" in regards to whether the Michael Brown shooting was justified. Blacks, on the other hand, stand firm that it was not.
Surprise, surprise: College students are wondering whether getting a degree is worth the cost and debt they'll undertake from acquiring it.
Today the APS board will interview four interim superintendents to take over for Winston Brooks, who resigned last Friday.
Alex Gallegos, an Albuquerque murder suspect, has been apprehended after a shootout on Wednesday afternoon that left several schools on lockdown and shut down Taylor Ranch Road.
A woman who was admitted to UNM Hospital and tested for Ebola is not infected with the virus. So don't be all paranoid.
According to police data: Despite recent acts of violence, Albuquerque is on course to have "far fewer" homicides this year than in past years. So … good news?
NSFW: In case you were curious, here are some photos of the dual lives of everyday people who practice BDSM. It beats 50 Shades, no?


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Click here to get your copy for only $17.95
This DVD version was created to enjoy the book of Enoch either alone , with friends, or with family gather around the TV or PC, to hear & follow along on-screen. Accompany with many visual graphic illustrations!
This DVD is available as a downloadable ISO image file ready to burn into any blank DVD using your favorite CD/DVD burning software. However, if you don't have a CD/DVD burning software, one will already be included with your purchase should you chose to use it to burn your file.
( All Instructions are included with your order)
If you previously bought the Audiobook version from us, please contact us with your order # or the email used to buy the Audiobook, to receive a $5.00 off discount coupon of the DVD version of the Book of Enoch.
About the Book of Enoch:
We first learn of Enoch in Genesis 5 but it leaves us with questions. Hebrews 11 has the answers and Jude quotes Enoch! How did Jude come to know the words of Enoch? They are not in the Bible. The answer of course, is The Book of Enoch. A book which is actually quoted not only by Jude, but also James the natural brother of Jesus. The quote in (Jude 14-15) & (1 Enoch 1:9) is as follows: "In the seventh (generation) from Adam Enoch also prophesied these things, saying: 'Behold, the Lord came with his holy myriads, to execute judgment on all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners spoke against him'." What is the Book of Enoch and where did it come from?
Enoch was the grandfather of Noah. This makes it possible for the Book to have survived the flood as its not too hard to accept that Noah would have taken his Great Grandfathers writings with him onto the ark.
The Book of Enoch was extant centuries before the birth of Christ and yet is considered by many to be more Christian in its theology than Jewish. It was considered scripture by many early Christians. The earliest literature of the so-called "Church Fathers" is filled with references to this mysterious book. The early second century "Epistle of Barnabus" makes much use of the Book of Enoch. Second and Third Century "Church Fathers" like Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Origin and Clement of Alexandria all make use of the Book of Enoch. Tertullian (160-230 C.E) even called the Book of Enoch "Holy Scripture". The Ethiopic Church even added the Book of Enoch to its official canon. It was widely known and read the first three centuries after Christ. This and many other books became discredited after the Council of Laodicea. And being under ban of the authorities, afterwards it gradually passed out of circulation.
This album version is the work of our Ministries & it's based on the authentic Ethiopian writings of the Old Testament (The Book of Enoch), which was translated into English by R.H Charles in 1912. This writings are brought back to life, as is narrated & dramatized by voice talent Charles Glaize.
This book explains the origins of demons, UFOs, fallen angels, & other mysteries, which is the reason for it been banned by previous generations. Having said that, this book was not meant for previous generations, but for our generation of today. Find out why, as you now get to hear across centuries what Enoch had to say.
Screenshots of The Virtual Book of Enoch DVD: (Click on image to enlarge)
[Watch video Trailer to hear voice sample used in both audiobook & DVD narration]
Click here to visit our new video resources page


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Conventional video management with wall-mounted OR workstation
The central interface of this flexible EIZO Viewing Station is the Surgical Panel – our powerful OR wall-mounted panel. It is optimally visible to all members of the OR team, regardless of their location. Various image and video signals as well as clinic-specific applications and software can be displayed on a large monitor. Simple source switching and flexible configuration options enable optimal video management in the OR and intuitive, ergonomic work.Find out more about the OR workstation


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WASHINGTON - The outlook for the U.S. economy appeared dimmer Monday after a report that Americans spent less at retail businesses for a third straight month in June.
The report led some economists to downgrade their estimates for economic growth in the April-June quarter. Many now think the economy grew even less than in the first quarter of the year, when it expanded at a sluggish 1.9 per cent annual rate.
Spending in June fell in nearly every major category — from autos, furniture and appliances to building, garden supplies and department stores. Overall, retail sales slid 0.5 per cent from May to June, the Commerce Department said.
Retail sales hadn't fallen for three straight months since the fall of 2008, at the height of the financial crisis.
The weak U.S. spending figures were announced on the same day that the International Monetary Fund slightly lowered its outlook for global growth over the next two years.
Stocks fell after the Commerce report was released. The Dow Jones industrial average sank 74 points in early trading. Broader indexes also declined. Later in the morning, stocks regained some of their losses.
"However hard you look, there's just no good news in this report at all," said Paul Ashworth, chief U.S. economist at Capital Economics.
Weakening retail spending could make the Federal Reserve more likely to take further steps to try to lower long-term interest rates to encourage more borrowing and spending. The Fed's policy committee will meet at the end of this month.
Most economists don't expect the Fed to announce new action after that meeting. But some said Monday's Commerce report, coming after three straight months of tepid hiring, makes Fed action more likely before year's end.
Retail sales were still 4.7 per cent higher in the April-June period than in the second quarter of 2011. And retail sales don't include spending on services, which represents a larger portion of the economy.
Still, Ashworth said overall economic growth likely slowed to an annual rate of just 1.5 per cent in the second quarter. That's isn't enough to lower high unemployment. The U.S. unemployment rate is 8.2 per cent.
In Monday's report, the Commerce Department also said Americans spent less in April than previously thought. In part because of that, Michael Feroli, an economist at JPMorgan Chase, lowered his estimate of growth in the April-June quarter from a 1.7 per cent annual rate to a 1.4 per cent rate.
Chris G. Christopher Jr., senior economist at IHS Global Insight, said IHS thinks the economy grew at an annual rate of just 1.3 per cent in the April-June quarter. And it isn't expecting much of a pickup in the second half of 2012: The annual growth rate will likely stay below 2 per cent in both the third and fourth quarters, he said.
Christopher said the biggest problem is meagre job growth. Consumers have also been rattled by gyrating stock prices stemming from Europe's debt crisis.
"Consumers are getting hit from all sides at the moment," Christopher said, despite the benefit of sharply lower gas prices since April.
Lewis Tipograph, owner of Kids' Closet, a mid-priced children's clothing store in Washington, D.C. said his business has suffered since April. Customers are growing uneasy, he said.
"Earlier in the year, people were feeling more optimistic," Tipograph said. "There was a convergence of a lot of good things. But now, people are feeling nervous."
Some of the sting of Monday's retail sales report was eased by a separate Commerce report that U.S. companies added to their stockpiles in May. When businesses step up restocking, they tend to order more goods, leading to more factory production and economic growth.
The decline in retail sales reflects, in part, falling gas prices. But even excluding sales at gas stations, retail spending fell 0.3 per cent from May to June.
As hiring has slumped, pay has barely kept pace with inflation. As a result, consumers have pulled back on their spending, which drives 70 per cent of economic activity.
"Recent weak jobs data have certainly done nothing to alter our view that consumer spending growth will be very modest at best in the quarters ahead," said Joshua Shapiro, chief U.S. economist at MFR Inc. "A silver lining in the economic clouds is that lower gasoline prices are helping to cushion the consumer."
The IMF lowered its outlook for global growth over the next two years in part because of Europe's financial crisis and slower expansion in China and India.
The international lending organization predicts global growth of 3.5 per cent this year, down from its forecast of 3.6 per cent in April. It cut its forecast for 2013 to 3.9 per cent growth, from 4.1 per cent three months ago.
The IMF also shaved its forecast for U.S. growth to 2 per cent this year and 2.3 per cent next year, both slightly below its previous estimates.
Still, factory activity in the New York region is growing at a slightly faster pace , according to a survey issued Monday. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York said its Empire State manufacturing index increased to 7.4 in July from a reading of 2.3 in June. Any number above zero indicates growth.
The retail spending report showed that sales at auto dealers — one of the economy's strongest areas this year — fell 0.6 per cent from May to June. That's a gloomier assessment of the industry than earlier reports from automakers had suggested.
The automakers said sales rose 22 per cent in June from the same month in 2011. But the automakers don't adjust their sales data for seasonal changes. And their figures reflect changes from the same month in the previous year, not from month to month.
The weakness in June extended well beyond auto sales. The Commerce report showed sales fell 0.7 per cent at department stores and 1.6 per cent at building supply stores. Sales at furniture stores and electronics and appliance stores both fell 0.8 per cent.
Sales at gas stations dropped 1.8 per cent after a 2 per cent drop in May. The declines reflected cheaper gas, which has dropped more than 50 cents since early April.
The economy is expanding too slowly to lower the unemployment rate. Employers have created an average of just 75,000 jobs a month in the April-June quarter — only about a third of the monthly job growth during the previous three months.
AP Business Writer Anne D'Innocenzio in New York contributed to this report.


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In the United States, today is election day. In the last presidential election, the candidates were clearly divided on accounting issues. But what about 2012?
In 2008, Barak Obama was solidly behind moving the U.S. to IFRS. During his first term he was unsuccessful, and earlier this year the SEC waved the white flag on moving the country to IFRS. So far in this campaign, Obama has not signaled his intentions with respect to future actions on the issue.
In 2008, John McCain emphatically endorsed American control of its own accounting standards. However, this appeared to be a personal stance as opposed to a Republican political position.
I have not been able to uncover any statement by Mitt Romney revealing his position on global accounting standards.
Most Washington observers expect SEC Chair Mary Schapiro to step down shortly after today's election. The appointment of her successor (and we have had no clues) would say a lot about future U.S. government intentions on who is to set American accounting standards.
With respect to auditor rotation, both candidates are mum. Although it is true that several Democrats threatened legislation banning a PCAOB rule requiring auditor rotation, President Obama has not commented on the issue. Mitt Romney is a client of PriceWaterhouseCoopers. In 2008, the large auditing firms heavily favored Obama with political contributions.
There appears to be no desire from either candidate about changing the status quo on the position of audit firms in the American capital markets. Sigh.
Both candidates have been active in discussing tax policy, but that is not the focus of The Summa.
Debit and credit – – David Albrecht


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I need to read more. I feel well-informed of current affairs from reading various news media, but I don't read enough books. I used to love thumbing through books, especially historical fiction novels that had something to do with China and Mao's Cultural Revolution. Now I spend the majority of my day at work staring at a computer screen, only to come home to stare at a computer screen perusing through different food-related websites, my blog, and anything else of interest. And then there's the television. I'm addicted to my television. How pathetic, right? I love my Bravo station. Real Housewives of Atlanta, Beverly Hills, New Jersey, New York, and Orange County? Yes, please!
The sad thing is that I can't even remember the last time I picked up a book for leisure. I even bought myself and my partner a Kindle in hopes that it would encourage me to buy books on-the-fly to read, but instead, it sits on my nightstand collecting dust. At least my partner uses her Kindle and puts it to good use. She has finished three books in a matter of three days, and working on a new book as we speak, while I sit here lazily on the couch, blogging, watching a recorded show of The Voice, and perusing through Food Gawker and Tastespotting.
Maybe I should finish this blog post and pick up my Kindle 🙂
Any good book suggestions? What about Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto?
Grilled Shrimp Salad with Grilled Corn and Avocado (adapted from Epicurious)
1 pound large shrimp
1 large ear of corn, husked
2 lemons, halved
1/2 cup canned black beans, drained
6 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
1 avocado, sliced
Salt and pepper
5 tablespoons orange juice
3 tablespoons lemon juice from grilled lemon
2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon truffle oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
Butterfly the shrimps by slicing almost through lengthwise, while leaving the shell on shrimp. Devein the shrimp, if necessary. Toss with olive oil, juice of one lemon, and season with salt and pepper.
Place the lemons, corn, and shrimp on the grill. Grill the shrimp two minutes on each side, until the shells are pink and the shrimp opaque; the lemons for about one minute, or until there are charred grill marks to caramelize the sugars of the lemon; and the corn has also developed charred grill marks around the diameter of the corn.
Combine all of the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
When cool to handle, cut the kernels off the corn cob in a shallow bowl, and peel the shrimp. Arrange the lettuce on two plates or bowls [however, you like to serve your salad], layered with corn, black beans, avocado, and shrimp. Divide dressing between two plates. [You could toss the salad with the dressing instead. I think the salad looks "prettier" when arranged this way.]
Makes 2 servings.


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For Sale£480,000
5 Bed
2 Bath
2 Recep
For Sale£299,950
4 Bed
3 Bath
2 Recep
For Sale£995,000
8 Bed
6 Bath
3 Recep
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