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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 6, 2013
National Interfaith Campaign Welcomes Announcement of Assessment of Solitary Confinement in U.S. Prisons
Washington, D.C. – On Tuesday, Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) announced that the Federal Bureau of Prisons has agreed to a first-ever comprehensive and independent assessment of its use of solitary confinement in U.S. federal prisons, to be conducted through the National Institute of Corrections.
"Assessment of the use of solitary confinement in U.S. federal prisons is a critical step in working to end torture in U.S. prisons," said NRCAT's director of U.S. prisons policy and program, Laura Markle Downton. "The United States is a world leader in holding prisoners in prolonged solitary confinement, with at least 80,000 people in the U.S. criminal justice system held in isolation on any given day. For people of all faith traditions, such violation of human dignity is of grave concern."
Tuesday's announcement comes following an unprecedented Congressional hearing on solitary confinement held on June 19, 2012, for which the National Religious Campaign Against Torture submitted written testimony. Before the hearing, NRCAT organized people of faith across the nation in a 23-hour fast, symbolizing the 23 hours prisoners spend in solitary confinement cells per day.
According to Durbin's statement this week, "The United States holds more prisoners in solitary confinement than any other democratic nation in the world, and the dramatic expansion of solitary confinement is a human rights issue we can't ignore."


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went Akihabara to buy computer parts. i have completely new computer since last Sunday :D
Posted 2 years ago
134 notes
CPU, HDD, akihabara, build, case, computer, fan, laptop, memory, mother board, parts, personal, akiba, costume, maid, japan, japon,
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April 13, 2005
Health Insurers' "Shark Bite" Ad Campaign Attacking
Medical Negligence System Takes a Bite Out of the Truth
Corporations Seeking to Limit Victims' Ability to Recover Damages
Dramatically Overstate the Costs of Medical Liability
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a new advertising campaign, a health insurance industry group, America's Health Insurance Plans, bemoans "lawsuit abuse" and claims the medical liability system costs each U.S. household up to $1,200 per year. But a Public Citizen examination shows this claim is a dozen times too high.
America's Health Insurance Plans, many of whose nearly 1,300 members stand to benefit significantly from limiting patients' legal rights, claims the medical liability system costs America's 111.3 million households up to $134.5 billion annually, or an average of about $1,200 per household. The group claims about 80 percent of the total – $108 billion – is attributable to unnecessary tests and procedures done as "defensive" medicine aimed not at better patient care but rather at heading off lawsuits, citing a July 2002 report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). "Another trial lawyer shark bite," the group says in ads featuring an ominous open jaw of a shark.
A more realistic gauge of cost can be seen in malpractice insurance premiums and losses paid to patients. For 2003, the latest year for which information is available, insurers collected $11.2 billion in premiums, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Those premiums, which cover such things as damages paid to patients, legal defense costs, administrative expenses and profits, total $101 per household. Losses paid to patients totaled less still – $6.1 billion, or $54 per household. This is $2 billion less than the amount Americans spend on dog food each year.
By contrast, the real medical malpractice crisis today – inadequate patient safety – costs the economy large sums. A 1999 Institute of Medicine report estimates that preventable medical errors in hospitals kill between 44,000 and 98,000 Americans each year, imposing costs between $17 billion and $29 billion annually. Those figures translate to between $153 and $261 per household – far more than medical liability costs alone.
"Just as health insurers routinely try to deny medical care to patients, they are now trying to deny the truth," said Joan Claybrook, president of Public Citizen. "It is outrageous that special interests that stand to gain enormously from taking away consumers' legal rights are so freely trying to mislead the public."
There is little support for the insurers' claim that defensive medicine practices exist at a significant level, or if they do, that the costs are attributable to the legal system. There have been no peer-reviewed studies documenting defensive medicine, and non-partisan congressional investigators have rejected the defensive medicine theory.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO), for example, reviews legislation to analyze its potential impact. Twice, in 2003 and 2004, the CBO was asked to quantify potential savings from reduced defensive medicine if Congress passed draconian legislation restricting patients' ability to recover damages. Both times, it declined. Most estimates of the cost of defensive medicine, the CBO said in a March 2003 report, "are speculative in nature, relying, for the most part, on surveys of physicians' responses to hypothetical clinical situations, and clinical studies of the effectiveness of certain intensive treatments."
The Government Accountability Office (GAO), the investigative arm of Congress, has likewise rejected the defensive medicine theory. Medical provider groups admitted to GAO investigators in an August 2003 report that "factors besides defensive medicine concerns also explain differing utilization rates of diagnostic or other procedures."
Moreover, as most medical consumers today know, the nation's strong trend toward managed care, with its emphasis on cost control, discourages additional tests and procedures. As a result, many patients have difficulty getting even necessary tests and procedures done.
The HHS report relied upon by America's Health Insurance Plans cites the "leading study" on defensive medicine as estimating that limiting "unreasonable" malpractice awards could reduce health care costs by 5 to 9 percent without hurting care. That 1996 study was co-authored by Mark McClellan, who is now the top Bush political appointee at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services at HHS. The GAO, however, said McClellan's study did not control for other factors, such as the extent of managed care penetration. More detailed follow-up research by the CBO in 2003 failed to find any effect of limiting damage awards on medical spending.
"When people go swimming at the beach, they always greatly exaggerate their chance of being the victim of a shark attack, because it's such a frightful possibility," said Frank Clemente, director of Public Citizen's Congress Watch division. "That's what these insurers are trying to do now with their ad campaign – scare people, based on bogus numbers. But just as virtually no one gets attacked by a shark, American households are not even close to paying $1,200 a year for medical liability. It might make for a good sound bite – or shark bite – but it's not true."
Copyright © 2014 Public Citizen. Some rights reserved. Non-commercial use of text and images in which Public Citizen holds the copyright is permitted, with attribution, under the terms and conditions of a Creative Commons License. This Web site is shared by Public Citizen Inc. and Public Citizen Foundation. Learn More about the distinction between these two components of Public Citizen.
Together, two separate corporate entities called Public Citizen, Inc. and Public Citizen Foundation, Inc., form Public Citizen. Both entities are part of the same overall organization, and this Web site refers to the two organizations collectively as Public Citizen.
Although the work of the two components overlaps, some activities are done by one component and not the other. The primary distinction is with respect to lobbying activity. Public Citizen, Inc., an IRS § 501(c)(4) entity, lobbies Congress to advance Public Citizen's mission of protecting public health and safety, advancing government transparency, and urging corporate accountability. Public Citizen Foundation, however, is an IRS § 501(c)(3) organization. Accordingly, its ability to engage in lobbying is limited by federal law, but it may receive donations that are tax-deductible by the contributor. Public Citizen Inc. does most of the lobbying activity discussed on the Public Citizen Web site. Public Citizen Foundation performs most of the litigation and education activities discussed on the Web site.
You may make a contribution to Public Citizen, Inc., Public Citizen Foundation, or both. Contributions to both organizations are used to support our public interest work. However, each Public Citizen component will use only the funds contributed directly to it to carry out the activities it conducts as part of Public Citizen's mission. Only gifts to the Foundation are tax-deductible. Individuals who want to join Public Citizen should make a contribution to Public Citizen, Inc., which will not be tax deductible.


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The 2010 MOTYC Thread
View Single Post
Learning to break kayfabe
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 164
Re: The 2010 MOTYC Thread
Great write up. ****1/2 for me too. Here's what I wrote on DVDVR.
Didn't know who won, didn't know how long it went. If I did, I would NOT have been excited about watching this. Thank God I didn't because, these two DREW ME IN. Particularly Kensuke who gave one of his greatest performances I've ever seen from him. He lead Go by the hand and was absolutely awesome when he was on offense and just as good when he had to eat Go's stuff. Kensuke was seriously amazing here. I loved the way it progressed - Go gets the early advantage, he's pleased with himself. A little too pleased with himself. Then the tables get turned and Kensuke makes him HIS BITCH. He totally dominates him and the question becomes "can Go come back from this?". I figured the big story of the match would be Go making his comeback and going on to win and that would be fine, a good match. But no, they took it to another level. Kensuke SURVIVED the big comeback and dragged Go into waters he's never been in. Then we got the chop battle and I loved every single chop they threw. And it was the right thing that Go couldn't withstand it! He's not Kobashi yet - he shouldn't be getting the better of Kensuke in this situation. The finish was PERFECT. Loved this. Will be high on my ballot.
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Posted by bailey02 on Aug. 24, 2007
Posted by bailey02 on Aug. 24, 2007
Who would want to see man boobs? eewwww thats a huge turn OFF.
 north american culture...
that dude is gay: just saying touching a guy's tits is gay
lol: funny shit
Dam...: thats multimillionaire material right there...
whoa: i'm impressed. totally forgot hes lower class trash.
thats gay: and that guy grabbin at his tits wtf i wouldnt even think about touching those hahahaha fuckin white ppl are stupid
hahahahah: so funny and cool^^
hahaha: awesome talent!!
FAKE!!!!!: he have nylon wires attached to his nipples!
yall are little bitches: yea that is funny that all these little bitches are talkin shit its funny simply because Big E will prolly beat the shit out of all of yall people and embarrass all of yall people in front of ur "healthy" friends and shit..... BIg E YOur Awesome.....Alan
wow: now that takes talent
FAKE.: no ons that young and fat
lol: it's funny to see how many of you freakin' losers say this is gross or this guy is a piece of shit... I know this guy and he could beat your freakin ass, it's not even funny... So all you "perfect" people can go do whatever it is perfect people do...
lol: thats one misserable piece of shit
whaaaaaa: suicide is always a good option....
im: speechless.
wtf is that? a gay party?: why in the hell are all of those dudes trying to touch his boobs? ewwwwwww
He thinks he's so cool......: But he's anything but! Fat, idiotic people like that really get on my nerves. Maybe if he spent more time on his health and fitness and less time on stupid crap like making his "woman boobs" jump, he'd be better off. Then again, just shoot him in the head, then we'll all be better off.
Lame!!!: Lame!!!
OMG!: Shouldn't those be blurred out?
i want to: kill him
FAT: People are funny, i bet they gave the fat kid a scooby snack for being the butt of their joke, hahahaha.
I LOVE: the headline on this!!!!
sad...: but true
At what point: do you think he'll start to lactate? I'm feeling hungry.
that is: disturbing.
His gay friend: kept trying to tap his man boobs
omg the rattling: clean up the bass nygga
boobs: this seems a bit pornographic...i thought we couldn't watch nudity on break.com? and i like CWR03's comment 2 spots down hahaha.
i think someone: says everythings gay because he always has gays on his mind
your a loser: anime is for japs and homos
did anybody notice: that nopody in the video was white?
and: for the record u look whiter then snow
lol: go sell some crack
yeah: if room temp is below freezing. and he looks black to me.
?: holy crap, dude
White ppl are stupid? What planet of the apes have you been living on?: The average african IQ is about room temprature.
shut up: .
hey: me too
i know for real: i wish fake bashers like that asshole would stfu
eeh...: are u veeeryy stupied or sum thn? that is called mucles mayeb u got noen but he sure do nub -.-
bigal: just shut up
Sounds: like you are Big E's buttbuddy.
BAHAHAHA Blastoff34..: Your friend is a fat turd!!
hmmm: sorry fatty, your mom still loves you.
i think you're insecure: you can't understand how people can have self-assurance, because you never had one
?: leave him a lone hes just having some fun jeeZ
i agree....: How is it that a woman, with the exact same boobs, would be porn?
I want to kill...: YOU... and the guy that insistently keeps reaching for the guys left boob...
Are you a retard?: Break has a NSFW Section. BTW, your joke isn't even funny.


text:
- Lessons
- After-School-Programs
- Camps
- Birthday Parties
- Events
- Skatepark
You have 0($0) item(s).
Full day and half day summer camps
At Society NEW Indoor Skatepark!
*** NEW *** Society Skatepark at 850 East San Carlos Rd, San Carlos
Celebrate your birthday with Society at skatepark of you choice
Design and build your own skateboard or longboard from raw plywood
Check out the team gallery photos…


text:
Humble Pie 9-27-2014 Thought + Playlist
Thought: Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. 09:01AM-09:04AM (3:20) Chet Atkins, c.g.p. with Tommy Em...
Tags: Untagged
Friday, October 31st
Last update03:01:36 PM
But if you really feel like it, go ahead and pledge still.
Follow this link to see a list of the thank-you gifts for this drive.


text:
faig ahmed's Embroidered Art
When you think of traditional carpets from Azerbaijan, the thought of contemporary art does not quickly spring to mind… but these beautiful, and modern works will change that. Faiq Ahmed, a native of the Eurasian nation, has taken his countries old-school art form and brought it beautifully into the current era, deconstructing the ancient process of weaving and adapting it to todays contemporary art forms.
(via blewmonday)
Hayley Williams shot (not literally) by Adam Elmakias
(Source: dunforhands, via elmakias)
the single greatest moment of the series
This is what my dog does when she gets the scoots!
(Source: madeupmonkeyshit, via trustyourguts)


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The Coming Expensing of Employee Stock Options
Hemos posted more than 9 years ago | from the big-changes-coming-down dept.222
An anonymous reader writes "This accounting change will reverberate loudly throughout geekdom. "Users of financial statements...expressed to the FASB their concerns that (the current handling of stock options) results in financial statements that do not faithfully represent the economic transactions affecting the issuer, namely, the receipt and consumption of employee services in exchange for equity instruments. Financial statements that do not faithfully represent those economic transactions can distort the issuer's reported financial condition and results of operations, which can lead to the inappropriate allocation of resources in the capital markets." Taken from FASB Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 123 (Dec 2004). A FAQ has been published as well." Yes; the data is from 12/16/04, but this will be a huge change in how tech companies work.


text:
Tale Of The Tape: San Francisco 49ers At St. Louis Rams
Colin Kaepernick is going to want to assert himself every week, and he is going to be at his best against a divisional opponent.
Was The Trent Richardson Trade Less Painful Than LeBron James' "The Decision"?
For those of you who haven't been paying attention…Trent Richardson, the #3 overall draft pick in the 2012 draft, just got traded to the Indianapolis Colts.
New England Patriots Vs. The Dark Knight Rises
2012's The Dark Knight Rises was met with extraordinary expectations. Similarly, the 2013 Patriots entered the season highly regarded – as they do every year that both T-Brads and Bill Belichick are on staff.
Tale Of The Tape: St. Louis Rams At Dallas Cowboys
Is there a more under-appreciated quarterback in the NFL than Sam Bradford?
Cleveland Browns In The Playoffs Vs. Chances Of Seeing A UFO
The Cleveland Browns have become the perennial laughingstock of the NFL. Without fail, each year they drag their loving, loyal fans to deeper and darker corners of despair.
Tale Of The Tape: St. Louis Rams At Atlanta Falcons
Sam Bradford is not a superstar, but he is a smart and gutsy leader who will take what the defense gives him and throw the ball accurately.


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Dakar - Mali rail option reopens
The Dakar - Mali rail situation has now improved.
The Dakar - Mali rail situation has now improved.
DELMAS, a brand of CMA CGM Group, continously reviews each corridor to ensure that each service is running smoothly and offers reliable transit time.
CMA CGM Group is pleased to announce 3 enhancements on your eBusiness website : Accurate management of Booking and B/L parties, New container management interface for shipping instructions, original B/L mass printing; and 4 New Local Websites (Senegal, Colombia, Bangladesh and South Africa).
Follow your shipment on line with our new eBusiness platform !
Do not wait, Register!!


text:
Authorities Hoping To Identify Woman Overcome By Heat In Mission Viejo
The woman is still having trouble communicating and reportedly does not know her name.
Authorities Try To Identify Pedestrian Who Has Severe Head Trauma Following Crash
The victim remains in critical condition.
Police ID Suspect In Connection With Northridge Kidnapping
Los Angeles police have released the identity of a man wanted in connection with the kidnapping of a Northridge girl on March 27.
Camp Pendleton Marine Who Died In Skydiving Accident In Perris ID'd
The Camp Pendleton Marine who died in a skydiving accident in Perris Tuesday has been identified as a 26-year-old man from Burlington, Colo.
Man Poses As OC Deputy To Buy Nearly $3K In Fishing Gear From Dana Point Shop
Authorities say a man used a fake name and a fake badge to buy nearly $3,000 in fishing gear from a Dana Point shop.
OC Deputy's Gun, Badge Stolen From Car In La Mirada
An off-duty Orange County sheriff's deputy's two Glock handguns, badge and identification were stolen when his personal vehicle was burglarized in a La Mirada parking lot, sheriff's officials said.
New California Drivers' Licenses, ID Card Unveiled
The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Wednesday unveiled a new driver license that includes added security features to protect against fraud, tampering and counterfeiting.


text:
Dream Defenders Just Picked a Fight with the Youth Private Prison Industry. Here's Why.
by Josh McConnell
Experts say the continued growth of for-profit prison operators like Youth Services International amounts to a cautionary tale about the perils of privatization: In a drive to cut costs, Florida has effectively abdicated its responsibility for some of…
(Source: youngist)
Anyone who supposedly loves you and punishes you emotionally, is not for you, but against you.
Savannah State fan getting thrown out of the NCAA baseball tournament game at Florida State. Caption the photo time.
SFB Special Formula Band
One of the ) videos we did for the up coming Special Formula Band. This Band is made up of 16 members, from varies backgrounds. They are performing in a number of&


text:
Free Shipping*
on your $75 order*
APO/FPO addresses now eligible on all free shipping offers!
*Use promotion code IPEB4C27 at checkout. Promotion/source
code box is located in step 4 of checkout. Order value must total
$75 or more before services, taxes, shipping and handling. Valid
online at eastbay.com. Offer is limited to standard ground delivery
within the 48 contiguous United States and APO/FPO addresses.
Excludes bulk orders and drop ships. Entire order must be shipped
to a single address. Does not apply to prior purchases or open
orders and cannot be combined with any other offer. Customer is
responsible for shipping costs on returned merchandise. May not be
used toward purchase of GiftCards or team orders. Promotion may be
modified or terminated at any time. Certain restrictions and
exclusions may apply. Offer expires 10/24/2014 (11:59 pm CT).
Be the First to Know! Get up-to-the-minute info on the latest product launches, special offers and sales events by signing up for Eastbay emails or by requesting our free catalog.
|The Mizuno 9-Spike Franchise has followed baseball players from the beginning of their careers, all the way to the peak of success. The Franchise 7 features a dynamic, lightweight synthetic upper that brings durability and comfort to competitive players. It stabilizes the foot over a baseball-specific performance last, and gets a boost of comfort from the padded tongue and full-length midsole. Underneath, rubber studs are configured in Mizuno's 9-Spike traction pattern. It gives durable grip and comfort on a variety of field conditions. Wt. 11.5 oz.


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2014 Annual Meeting - Michigan Conference UCC
Jacob is assured of God's abiding presence and then reflects,
"Surely God is in this place - and I did not know it!"
Genesis 28:15 - 16
Did you find God in UNEXPECTED Places at the 2014 Michigan Conference UCC Annual Meeting? Please take a moment to share your experience - your thoughts are greatly appreciated!
2014 Annual Meeting Online Evaluation
2014 Annual Meeting Paper Evaluation
Thank you very much for taking a few minutes to share your feelings about your Annual Meeting experience! We appreciate your comments and feedback as we strive to bring you a positive and uplifting Annual Meeting experience year after year!
Our Mission
For Christ's sake, equip the clergy and the churches of the Michigan Conference UCC for faithful leadership and effective ministries of spiritual discernment, prophetic integrity, compassionate generosity, and vital growth.
During Consideration of Wolverine Social Service's Negotiation to Provide Services to Refugee Childr [ ... ]
A call to the annual meeting from Reverend Doctor David Wheeler.
The Slide Show was prepared for the Spring meeting of the Covenant Association at Albion, MI on Ma [ ... ]
RE-MEMBER is a covenantal partner with the Michigan Conference of the United Church of Christ and ap [ ... ]


text:
Las Palmas Del Sol Healthcare is the leading healthcare provider for El Paso and the
surrounding region. Our physicians, nurses and staff are committed to keeping our
community healthy and delivering the highest quality patient care available.
As full-service hospitals, we offer comprehensive medical services in nearly
every specialty, so you are never far from the care you need.
Diana Kohnle
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a series of steps to help a person who is not responding and has stopped breathing. CPR helps deliver oxygen rich blood to the body tissue when the body is not able to do this on its own.
CPR is given to a child who is not breathing. Reasons for this may include:
The outcome will depend on the cause and how soon effective CPR was initiated. Many are unable to regain a normal heartbeat after it has stopped.
It is possible that
ribs will fracture
or break during chest compressions. Other complications, like a puncture of a lung, are also possible.
People with weakened bones have a higher risk of
from CPR. However, there is greater risk of death if CPR is delayed or not done correctly.
When you see a child suddenly collapse, or find a child unconscious on the ground, immediately check to see if they are responsive. Tap the child and ask: "Are you OK?" If the child is unresponsive, follow these steps:
The length of time for CPR depends on the underlying causes and response time of medical help.
The child is unconscious when CPR is given. The procedure does not hurt. Some children may complain of soreness in the chest after regaining consciousness.
The emergency team will take over care when they arrive.
Children will need to be taken to the hospital for evaluation following CPR.
If a child is unresponsive and someone is with you, have that person call for emergeny medical services right away. If you are alone, do CPR for about 2 minutes before calling for medical help.
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Copyright © EBSCO Publishing. All rights reserved.
Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions Remote Gateway Access Joint Commission
About Us Healthcare Services Locations and Facilities Patients and Visitors Connect, Learn, Interact Careers Contact Us
Eastside Del Sol Medical Center
Copyright© 2007 -


text:
Power up your website with the might of APIs
2nd Aug 2009 | 07:00
Harness the best API tech to create richer sites and apps
Get creative with the most popular APIs
The popularity of application programming interfaces (APIs) is now such that they're considered just another part of a web developer's arsenal.
Reasons for API usage are many, but mostly relate to accessibility, in the sense that you gain access to masses of data and functionality that you wouldn't be able to afford or develop on your own.
Developer Tantek Çelik likens APIs to building blocks, enabling savvy developers to rapidly fashion richer applications, sites, tools and services. Web editor Patrick H Lauke concurs, adding that a key benefit of APIs is taking advantage of services that provide narrow functionality very well.
"There's Flickr for photo management, Amazon S3 for storage, Twitter for microblogging," he says. "In many cases, it's cost-effective to use these rather than building bespoke or separate equivalent functionality." In other words, as developer Shaun Inman says: "You offload your content management and related maintenance, but then aggregate said content on your own sites."
Old-fashioned means of embedding 'foreign' content, such as frames, become rarer when APIs are used and, short of APIs being amended, content arrives in a predictable and an often styleable manner, enabling you to repurpose content as you see fit.
Another benefit, says Yahoo developer evangelist Christian Heilmann, is in API usage potentially enabling your data to spread beyond the sites it's being aggregated on: "If I upload photos to Flickr to include on my site, all the conversion is done for me for free. Furthermore, I tap into a community of people interested in tagging and commenting on my data. This can be pulled back to add keywords and make my data more findable by search engines. And in the event of my server going down, the information will still be available."
IN THE CHARTS:Twitter plus the Google Chart API enabled Christian Heilmann to create 'Twitter type' charts
Get creative
Of course, with the current popularity of APIs and their relative ease of use, there's a danger of going 'API crazy' – using as many as possible. "You know you're not using APIs properly when, rather than thinking about something you want to achieve and searching for an API to assist, you instead find cool APIs and wonder where you can use them," warns developer David Dixon.
It's also arguable that although 'typical' API implementation is fine for some sites, better designers should go further. "Creativity versus 'lists of data' is my favourite thing to rant about," claims interface developer Amy Hoy. "Generic designers suffer from 'it just lies there' syndrome, because that's what the data does: lies there, limp, lifeless and unappetising."
Hoy notes that no one wastes time figuring out why they should care about your 'thing', and so you must engage them and hold on: API use must be relevant, offer visual interest and provide a reason for someone to care about your data.
"Information doesn't speak for itself," continues Hoy. "We must give it a voice. To do that we must understand the data but also human nature – data isn't information without a brain and personality to interpret it."
This doesn't mean API usage should veer towards art and away from the practical, merely that more thought needs to go into why APIs are used and relevant visual design. Lauke talks of sites that "integrate disparate sets of data to reveal emergent behaviours, unexpected correlations or serendipity, or provide an experience to the end user that's richer and more engaging", and cites Dopplr's display of a user's past trips.
This mixes Dopplr trip detail data with Flickr photographs the user took during a trip's timeframe, cross referencing calendar events and relevant city guides. Each component might resemble Hoy's 'lifeless' data, but the combination is compelling.
Of course, APIs aren't just about mash-ups and data visualisation. "They can be used in subtle ways that create better user experiences," explains Çelik.
By way of example Brendan Dawes recalls that a client of his previously had to log into Brightcove, upload a video, copy the URL, move to their CMS and add the content. "Using Brightcove's API, we integrated the video upload part of the workflow within the CMS. In using an API, the workflow was simplified and more user-friendly," he says.
Dawes also takes 'subtle' further, with coloured wires on brendandawes.com created from found palettes using the colorlovers.com API. "Why? Because the palettes are created by human beings, so I can be sure that using top palettes from a search for the word 'love' will return colours that will pretty much always work," he explains.
"Integrating the API added so much to the aesthetic, and the palettes grow over time, crafted by human hands, so I'm constantly surprised by colours that appear on my own site."
Exploring APIs Developer Andrew 'Spode' Miller says experience with APIs has taught him that they mostly have an underlying similarity: you request information, get XML back and process it. But even the most widely used APIs differ enormously in terms of functionality.
So popular as to be almost ubiquitous, working with Google Maps hardly feels like you're using an API. "But don't forget Google Maps was responsible for the popularity of web APIs," says Cameron Adams. "Before, we hardly knew how important it was to access geo information. Now we can't live without it."
Although tools exist that mean you rarely need to go near the API, it remains handy for dynamically adding data to a map: in Adams's workshops, he takes the latest CNN news stories, converted from RSS to JSON via Yahoo Pipes, geocodes their location (with Maps), and draws them onto a map.
Engage Interactive developer Neil Charlton thinks Google Maps is the perfect example of how users can benefit from the use of APIs: "It provides simple maps, complex route planning and a real-time geocoded data display, utilising satellites, countless cameras, and a massive index of places and names. If it didn't exist, few users would be able to write something similar."
SMART CMS:Engage Interactive CMS offers headline 'e-marketing' campaign stats and web stats on the dashboard page
Still, Google Maps isn't faultless, but the nature of APIs is that they're extensible. Irked by the lack of keyboard accessibility provided by default Google Maps controls, Lauke used API methods to craft his own set that hooks into the standard methods. "An API can deal with situations where a site or service doesn't by default provide an accessible interface," he adds.
Similarly, accessibility concerns inspired Heilmann to create Easy YouTube, a YouTube player for people with learning disabilities: "A conference speaker complained about the lack of a video player for people with learning disabilities. Since YouTube had released its 'chromeless' player API earlier that month, I considered that a perfect opportunity to have a go."
After signing up for a key, Heilmann worked with the demo page, which provided external controls for 'play', 'stop' and loading a movie. The API got around the Flash accessibility problem of only IE enabling getting into a movie with a keyboard. With feedback from mailing lists, the player went through several iterations, and the final version won funding for the Scripting Enabled conference.
Heilmann notes that despite initially merely wanting a YouTube player with bigger controls, he inadvertently created an accessible player that got him thanks from blind users – and it all started with an API.
ADDRESSING A NEED:Accessibility concerns inspired Christian Heilmann's Easy YouTube, a player for people with learning disabilities
The dark side of APIs
A tweet in time
Recently, Twitter has become a media darling and developer favourite, its simple concept providing basic building blocks ripe for repurposing. Pulling tweets into a blog maintains life signs, and Twitter is unparalleled as an early warning news source. "Twitter's also new to the layperson, so providing your latest tweets can show someone how Twitter can benefit them," says Miller.
"At a more advanced scale, enabling users to add tweets to an article that's also added to their Twitter feed is excellent advertising for your site and simple for the user, encouraging engagement." Twitter's relative simplicity enables radical reworking, too, such as accessibletwitter.com's alternative interface for users with specific access requirements, and 'visualisation', which Heilmann interprets as "using the power of APIs to make information more relevant by showing it in a different light".
By example, he mentions his script that displays your 'Twitter type' – a pie chart detailing whether you're a 'follower' or 'being followed' – which also uses the Google Chart API. Heilmann prefers the likes of Twitter to "massive Facebook-style catch-all APIs. I like seeing the web as a collection of data and helpers for me to make sense of it," he explains.
"A good API does one job and does it well, but developer programs like Facebook lock me in. When using them, I build for Facebook and not the web as a whole. This is when an API becomes a developer program or network. In a perfect set-up, you could use parts of a framework without having to subscribe fully to the network."
Heilmann says this is the case with Yahoo Pipes, which he uses to filter tweets: "Every tweet ending with § goes to my blog, ensuring I don't flood it with information nobody needs there." Adams also recommends Pipes, calling it "one of the most interesting web application interfaces and the most appropriate use of visual programming I've seen".
Although Pipes enables complex interaction between disparate data sources, Adams says he often uses it for relatively simple transformations, such as filtering items from RSS feeds, or accessing RSS via Ajax by transforming any RSS feed into a JSON-P object. "As with many useful APIs," he says, "Pipes fills a need you never knew you had, acting as the blender of the web."
The dark side of APIs
It's not all sunshine in the world of APIs, though. Newcomers must beware of many things before taking the plunge, not least that over-reliance on APIs can spell disaster if a service fails; and vendors can vanish or amend APIs on a whim, giving you no option but to rewrite custom code.
"Another issue is getting access to APIs," explains Heilmann, who recalls signing up for the TFL developer program to create a mashup of UK traffic cameras, only to discover a complex sign-up process asking for the range of IPs the hack would run on and requiring his email be part of the API URL: "That's needlessly hard for me to do and my email shouldn't have to be readable only to access data."
Worse is the proprietary nature of APIs and the variance in how they work. "Each and every one expects different parameters, returns data in different formats and has different terms and conditions," complains Heilmann. The first two issues can be overcome using YQL Open Data Tables, he says, but terms remain a thorny issue.
"My official Guardian hack violated their terms, due to me adding paragraph tags to the content to make it more readable – this meant I'd modified the content." You're also limited by what an API enables, unless you're willing to stretch what's officially allowed via hacks or workarounds.
Adams says most of his frustrations with APIs are summed up by one example: "I wanted to get a user's second level Flickr contacts. This is possible, but you must make a separate API call for each contact, and this quickly multiplies the calls you have to make, ultimately making it unfeasible to do such operations unless you're prepared to pre-crawl the data."
Adams notes that if you had access to the Flickr database, this operation would be trivial, but access via the API is subject to network latency restrictions, API rate limiting and various callbacks, and so not everything can be done with APIs.
Dixon suggests this is just as well, as he thinks APIs are overused: "Too many developers don't consider what a site really needs. This reflects badly on the developer and results in sites becoming interchangeable." He cites countless mashup sites that "do little more than aggregate information from other websites, and give a bad name to APIs".
Looking forward
Drawbacks aside, it's clear that APIs are now a cornerstone of web development, and even with the most popular of APIs, Dixon concedes there's hope: "When businesses think of innovative uses for the Twitter API to benefit them, that's when it will become successful long-term – not with these 10-a-day sites that tell me how often someone mentions my name on a tweet."
Undoubtedly, this consideration (once the 'new toys' mentality wears thin) mixed with existing and new technology should confirm rapid escalation of API use. In technology terms, it's OAuth that's currently getting many developers excited. Çelik describes it as "an essential authorisation building block for the continued growth and development of the web," adding that it "enables different websites to perform various functions for a user, while allowing that user to share private data across those websites with specific authorisation".
Miller thinks along similar lines, suggesting OAuth has the potential to eradicate the main barrier in encouraging online interaction: the hassle of signing up. Some developers remain negative, citing OAuth's awkwardness and difficulty, along with logistical concerns.
Inman, for example, comments: "There's redundant programming overhead, since you must implement traditional login for those without an OAuth provider; and as a developer and user, OAuth introduces a third-party whose reliability and longevity cannot be ascertained." But OAuth does hint at a near future where developers are relieved of figuring out how to handle sensitive information, yet can create increasingly elaborate mashups by pulling data from a mixture of different social networking applications.
Standardisation elsewhere should be of further help, enabling services to increasingly be 'glued together', while the likes of YQL Open Data Tables will become more popular, according to Heilmann, owing to them "providing an easy way to have an API without having to create your own back-end or document your output formats".
Organic evolution, with APIs increasingly worming their way into basic workflow, should also cement their purpose and popularity. Charlton notes that "APIs increasingly aid in more than adding functionality – they're used to provide the very infrastructure sites run on". He considers Amazon Web Services a great example. "You can store all your website assets (S3) and data (SimpleDB), and through an API add more computing power (Amazon EC2) to your application," he says.
Ultimately, what we're seeing at the moment is just the beginning. As Amy Hoy concludes: "I don't think we've gone near the limit of what can be done with Twitter or any other API. These things look simple, but they run deep."
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text:
Nutrafix™ Hair Reconstructor with Eco Chic Technology™*
The damaged is done... or is it? If you over process your hair' you need deep repair. This penetrating hair reconstructor goes right to the heart of the problem' addressing the damage caused by chemicals and excessive heat styling' both of which can leave ahir porous' raspy' weak. Dull. Nutrafix fixes these problems by infusing protein. Put this fix in your styling mix so the damage will really be undone.
Product Highlights:
1. Re-energizes tired' damaged hair.
2. Encourages thickness and volume.
3. Fills in porous hair with rich proteins.
*The elements of earth' wind' fire and water represent a unique combination of certified organic botanicals and incredible style.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These products are not meant to diagnose' treat or cure any disease or medical condition. Please consult your doctor before starting any exercise or nutritional supplement program or before using these or any product during pregnancy or if you have a serious medical condition.
Aqua (Purified Water)' Cetyl Alcohol' Stearolkonium Chloride' Tocopherol (Vitamin E)' Citric Acid' Phenoxyethanol' Natural Fragrance' *Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil' *Glycine Soja (Soybean) Seed Extract' *Betula Alba Extract' *Malva Sylvestris (Mallow) Extract' *Achillea Millefolium Extract' *Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract' Equisetum Arvense Extract' *Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Extract' *Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract' *Salvia Sclarea (Clary) Extract' *Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Extract' *Tussilago Farfara (Coltsfoot) Flower Extract *Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Extract.
*USDA Certified Organic
100% Vegetarian Ingredients / No animal testing.
NO phthalates / Artificial fragrance / dyes / sulfates / parabens / PEGs.
Massage into wet hair. Leave on for 10 minutes. Rinse thoroughly.
Consult your healthcare professional before use.
Allergy / Dietary Needs
- Made In The Usa
- Paraben Free
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- Organic Product
- Vegetarian Product
- No Animal Testing
- Artificial Fragrance Free
- Dye Free
- Sulfate Free
Ratings & ReviewsReview This Item
Overall Rating for Nutrafix Hair Reconstructor 6.8 fl. oz
Displaying reviews 1-1 of 1
By Anette
from Brooklyn, NY
Nutrafix Hair Reconstructor is an amazing deep conditioner. Left my hair nice and soft!
√ I would recommend this item to a friend.
Displaying reviews 1-1 of 1
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text:
The Swiss Army Romance Lyrics - Dashboard Confessional
Sleep with all the lights on.
You're not so happy.
You're not secure.
You're dying to look cute in your blue jeans,
but you're plastic just like everyone.
You're just like everyone.
And that face you paint is pressed
impressing most of us as permanent
and I'd like to see you undone.
College night will draw the crowds.
Dorms unload & you're heading out.
Here is your moment to shine.
Making up a history.
It's nothing from the life you lead
but man, will they buy all your lines.
Sleep with all the sheets off
sponsored linksbearing your mattress
bearing your soul.
And you're dying to look smooth with your tattoos
but you're searching just like everyone
could be anyone.
And the friends that you have are the best
impressing most of us as permanent
and I'd like to see you undone.
Youth's the most unfaithful mistress.
Still we forge ahead to miss her.
Rushing our moment to shine.
Making up a history,
It's nothing from the life you lead
but man will they buy all your lines.
We're not twenty-one,
but the sooner we are,
the sooner the fun will begin,
so get out your fake eyelashes,
and fake IDs,
& real disasters ensue,
it's cool to take these chances.
It's cool to fake romances
& grow up fast.
Click here to submit the Corrections of The Swiss Army Romance Lyrics
The following area is only for review, if you want to submit the lyrics or the corrections of the lyrics, please click the link at the end of The Swiss Army Romance Lyrics.


text:
My nails are thin and weak. They split at the sides. Formula 2 Plus made my nails harder, but they continued to split at the sides. I then switched to alternating Formula 1, 3, and A and B (from the After Artificial kit), depending upon whether my nails need more or less conditioners and strengthening protein, based on how my nails look and feel.
This clear nail polish really does make nails grow faster, stronger, & more evenly. The only downside is, it starts to peel only after a day. I recommend using another polish over it. Its also pricey.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No
So I've been using this product for a week and a half and I've already grown white tips!! Something I've never been able to do on my own! I'm happy with this formula, and I think it even helped a little with my cuticles, not sure, but what I am sure about is that my nails look 90% better! ;)
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No
I just bought this product yesterday, so I cannot comment whether this works yet. I got this after reading the positive reviews. I was trying to decided between Formula 2 and 2 Plus. I had gotten an Axxium Gel manicure about 1.5 months ago and after removing it, my nails were horrible! They were thin and splitting apart. Even after 3 weeks after removing the gel and letting my nails grow without applying anything on them except nail oil to keep them moisturized they kept breaking and splitting. They were so weak that they would hurt when I used my nails/fingers for anything. I decided on Formula 2 Plus since I figured my nails were beyond just weak. I put on a coat last night before bed and applied a bit on cuticle oil around the edges to keep my nail beds from drying out. I was happy how fast it dried unlike regular polish. I washed my hair this morning and got dressed and by the time I got to work they were peeling pretty badly. But as others said I think washing hair or using your nails directly on things will make them peel regardless. I applied a coat right on top at work and the peels disappeared. There aren't any drastic improvements to the deep splits yet (I wasn't expected a miracle overnight but I figured atleast they should bond the splits a bit so they wouldn't snag that easily). I will use for a few weeks and see if there is any improvement.
MY PROBLEM - I always had nice nails but occasionally have an issue with reoccurring flaking and weaker nails on my right hand index and middle fingers. About a year ago the flaking became significantly worse and affected more nails. In addition, two of my nails were barely growing past the base. Finally, my right hand middle finger nail was constantly tearing about halfway down the nail bed, resulting in painful weeks of growing out and filing. After about 3 cycles of the middle finger nail breaking I finally bought this product (after a failed attempt with some Sally Hanson product and nail hardener).
Does this work? Absolutely! After about 7 weeks of use everyday my nails are almost perfect and growing beautifully. The worst nails still look like they could flake a little but have not and my nails are generally looking health, long and even. They're even getting the fake nail look! You have to use this product exactly as directed (there's a little insert in the box with directions) -
1) Everyday! For the first two weeks I was varying how often I used it and it did nothing. About 3-4 weeks after I started using it everyday I noticed a significant improvement. I usually keep the bottle by my bedside and put on a coat before bed. It dries very quickly.
2) You have to remove it every 3-4 days. I don't get peeling but it definitely starts looking crusty. Also, it makes your nail yellow but that is easily fixed by buffing the nail when you remove/reapply.
3) Try to not wear nail polish until your nails start looking healthy. The dual purposes of this are to give your nail breathing room and allow you to apply Formula 2 everyday (it has to go under nail polish). Now days I don't even want to wear nail polish because my bare nails look so nice!
Bottom line - It works and is worth the price if you use it everyday, as directed.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No
More reviews by VersaillesVixen
Usually my nails grow super fast and are quite tough, but sometimes the edges peel. I tried a couple Sally Hansen things, but after no luck, I decided to "upgrade" to the Nailtiques and give them a shot. I used the formula as directed for three weeks, and did see a VERY slight decrease in peeling on most of my fingers. My thumbs still peel a lot though, and since those are the ones I was most hoping to fix, I'm not too thrilled. It did strengthen most of them, but it also turned my nails yellow/orange! Today is my fourth day without any Nailtiques formula, and already they're brighter and whiter like before. Maybe good if your nails are on their last leg, but if you just are hoping for a little help, I'd stay away. Too expensive, and can turn beautiful but weak nails into a yellow mess!
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No
I must have the weakest nails on the planet. They break off and peel like crazy. No nail product has ever worked for me--until this one. I was very skeptical at first, but this stuff really works. My nails are so much stronger now and they're actually growing! Best of all, this product starts working immediately. Youll see results in only a week or so.
My hands look so pretty now, thanks to Nailtiques. This product is truly a miracle worker. It may be a little pricey, but it's definitely worth every penny. This is simply amazing!!!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No
I don't think there is much more i can say about this product that hasn't been covered. I'm no expert on nails so i can only tell you my experience. When I started using this product, about 6 monthd later my nails were strong and weren't breaking. Some people asked m e if I had fakes ones on. LOL! I also drink a lot of milk so maybe it was a combination but i think it was the polish. I'm not really sure what the formula one or three is for, but who cares? This formula 2 is doing great, One problem. what I tend to do is to keep putting one coat after another several times. I read that in past reviews you weren't suppose to do that. Can someone please tell me how many coats are enough till i finally let it dry with another nail color? thanks
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No
I've bought several bottles but go through them like water. I use Nail Magic as a back up when I run out but this stuff is great. Absolutely repairs the nails from death. So far the best in terms of growth/strength
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No
I am 46 and have been wearing nail polish for 33 years. I have tried every type of product out there. Nailtiques truly is a miracle product. This literally, in 2 weeks, made my peeling, dry, nails so strong that at one point I actually used one like a screwdriver when doing a home repair.
The downside: After about a month of using this product, my nails BROKE RIGHT OFF. Yep. All 10 of them. I was later told that you're not meant to keep using it for more than 2 weeks--you need to go to one of the other formulas to maintain....
This was about 5 years ago and at the time, this price seemed so expensive to me that I gave up on Nailtiques in disgust because I couldn't imagine buying TWO bottles!
Now older, more financially secure, but with even drier nails, I have since tried OPI and it does NOTHING, so I'm considering going back to the Nailtiques again.
3 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No


text:
The Bee One
Bees are so important right now… we are so very connected
Giada is an international artist now living in Singapore.
She graduated from the Venice Fine Arts Academy in 2008.
She has had several exhibitions worldwide, including US, Italy and Singapore.
Her work and style truly is a new breakthrough in contemporary art.
Paper Stacks, a collaboration by FiftyThree and ALLDAYEVERYDAY.


text:
just as much as a man can.
(Source: kazuos, via now-at-punkwarren)
"I enjoy writing and think what I do is worth reading" ≠ "I am the best writer in the whole universe!!"
I talk a lot about the writers who remind me that I'm worthwhile—that if THEY merit an audience, then so fucking well do I—because the internet's for yelling, and the shelves…
I'm standing outside the store smoking and some dudebro walks by, looks me up and down and says, "Baby girl how do you look so cool when you're so hot?"
And before I could even think the words just fell out of my mouth.
"I'll fucking kill you."
His jaw fell open, he muttered a tiny "sorry" then scurried off.
(Source: stupidswampwitch, via amai-kimochi)
(Source: yewrose)
(Source: avatarmerida, via vayonpoole)
Submitted by maetja:
(I am very new to Tumblr..please forgive me if I have submitted incorrectly)
I noticed that a while ago you had a post concerning hijab. The information you posted was not entirely correct. What is considered…


text:
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Not all clogged arteries
are created equal, with women and men facing different heart risks
even when they have the same amount of coronary plaque, a new study
Analyzing the results of coronary CT angiographies --
non-invasive tests that look for coronary artery blockages -- in
480 patients with acute chest pain, scientists from the Medical
University of South Carolina found that the risk of major cardiac
events was significantly higher in women when they had a large
amount of plaque buildup and extensive hardening of the
On the other hand, men faced greater risks of heart attack or
coronary bypass surgery when their arteries contained
"non-calcified plaque," fatty deposits that accumulate deep in
artery walls.
While the study didn't specifically quantify the risks of each
scenario for men and women, it may be valuable to physicians
ordering tests for heart patients in distress, said study author
Dr. John Nance Jr., a radiology resident at Johns Hopkins Hospital
in Baltimore.
"This is so intriguing because now we're really starting to figure out the gender differences in heart disease," said Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, director of women and heart disease at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. She was not involved in the study.
"We've known in the past that women tend to deposit plaque differently . . . this nuance is something that's relatively new in how we risk-stratify patients," she added. "What it tells us is when we risk-stratify patients, it becomes more important to actually visualize plaque through CTA [angiography] or catheterization."
The study was slated to be presented Wednesday at a meeting of
the Radiological Society of North America, in Chicago. Research
presented at scientific meetings is preliminary and has not yet
been peer-reviewed.
Study participants, two-thirds of whom were women, were an
average age of 55. Using the coronary CT angiographies, researchers
were able to determine the number of blood vessel segments with
plaque, the severity of the blockage and the composition of the
By comparing those results with data accumulated over a nearly
13-month follow-up period, the researchers were able to link these
factors with the incidence of major cardiac events. The analysis
tested all types of coronary plaques -- non-calcified, calcified
and mixed -- along with each individual type separately.
In the follow-up period, 70 patients suffered major cardiac
events, including death, heart attack, unstable angina or bypass
"We're not sure why the risk differences exist [between the sexes] but women have smaller blood vessels and men have larger," said Dr. Jennifer Mieres, a cardiologist with the North Shore-LIJ Health System in Manhasset, N.Y. "We also believe that atherosclerosis (artery hardening) differs in how it's deposited in men and women."
Using this information will help doctors tailor treatments to
each gender and customize their care, the health experts
"I think this is the sort of stuff we're going to start seeing more and more of," Nance said. "There are people out there who are anti-customized care and just don't think that's what we should really strive for, but this data kind of argues for that."
More information
The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more about
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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text:
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Toys for tickets!
by Wes Poe
posted Nov 30 2010 11:34AM
If you've already got your tickets to the Wolf Acoustic Christmas concert! Thanks for that, a part of the money you paid for your ticket will be going to the Salvation Army for their efforts to help those in need this holiday season. If you haven't bought your ticket yet, I have something else you can do that would be equally helpful and that is to buy new 10 dollar toy and bring it to one of our ticket stops,
Click Here
to find out where we'll be next. Or if it's more convenient for you you can drop it off at our studios, at 7000 Squibb Rd. in Mission, KS. Or
Click Here
for directions. We're open 8AM to 5:30PM Monday-Friday. I hope you can help us help some kids who might not get to have a Christmas without your help! Hope you and your family have a happy and safe holiday season! (WP)
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text:
For the most part, no. Unless I happen to find that a recent artist has made a fantastic representation of a historical figure that I absolutely must post, I'm going to stick with pieces that are closer to the time period which they depict.
A few tumblrs (like cavetocanvas) have awesome galleries of modern art, if that's what you're looking for.


text: I had months of complicated migraines 7 years ago but through meds, etc, the neurological symptoms resolved. Then last week, I had two complicated migraines a day apart with the neurological syptoms (loss of speech and complete paralysis on my left side) lasting up to 6 hours. The only thing that had recently changed were 1) I was taken off promethazine and had not started my new med yet and 2) I got botox injections the day before the first one. No more stress than usual and no other triggers I can identify. Was extensively checked for stroke and all results came out neg. They say brain is 'structually' okay. Can anyone tell me if this is usual since these kind of sypmtoms have not been present for so long? Very scared and perplexed.


text:
That's beautiful.
That's beautiful.
Nice map. I'm not crazy about the forests, but the mountains are great!
My Battlemaps Gallery http://www.cartographersguild.com/al...p?albumid=3407
Thanks! Means a lot.
And yeah, I'm not 100% on the forests but I'm going to stick with them for the moment.
A small aside - a short tutorial for mountains. A method for mountains on maps. - Imgur
Heavy inspiration taken from Torstan (Jon Roberts).


text:
Oakley Razrwire Soft Vault
0 reviews
5-star: 0
4-star: 0
3-star: 0
2-star: 0
1-star: 0
4-star: 0
3-star: 0
2-star: 0
1-star: 0
Manufacturer's Description
Visit Oakley's Razrwire Soft Vault page.
Retailers' Descriptions
Here's what other sites are saying:
Sealed with a zip closure, this semi-rigid shell of reinforced nylon holds the Razrwire frame in the lower half, and the Bluetooth module in soft high-density foam above it. Eyewear and Bluetooth sold separately.
- RockCreek
Oakley Razrwire Soft Vault
The Oakley Razrwire Soft Vault is not available from the stores we monitor. It was last seen April 6, 2010 at RockCreek.
If you're looking for a new sunglass case, check out the best reviewed current models.


text:
Registration For Boston Marathon Beginning Monday
September 12, 2011 11:00 AM
Get Breaking News First
Receive News, Politics, and Entertainment Headlines Each Morning.Sign Up
Sports Fan Insider
Keep up with your favorite teams and athletes with daily updates.Sign Up
BOSTON (CBS) – The Boston Marathon is still seven months away, but runners can start signing up on Monday.
Organizers are starting a new rolling admission system which allows faster runners to begin registering this week.
They're also lowering the qualifying start times by five minutes.
Register: For the 2012 Boston Marathon
Runners can check on the Boston Athletic Association's website to see if they're eligible to register early.


text:
talk talk box
I have to sell talk talk router wireless in very good condition
I have to sell talk talk router wireless in very good condition
Panasonic DMW-SDP1 1080i HDTV Photo Player with Remote BNIB Panasonic SDP1 player - Widescreen The Panasonic DMW-SDP1 also supports motion JPEG playback, irrespective of TV system. In addition to the normal VGA (640 x 480), wide aspect VGA (848 x
Bundles of dvds for sale if u are interested in certain dvds inbox me and I will give u a price Or the whole lot for £90 but will also sell separate
Black Samsung surround sound system ex con only ever been used twice.
Plasma with DVDs all working order with wall stand
Luxor 25inch led tv with built in DVD player good condition the pic is of the Internet but the tv is the same selling cheap £50 ONO
Samsung Dvd player very good condition needs a remote control. Ideal gift for Christmas
Both broke screens still sound ones lg smart 3d other ones toshiba LCD
Hdmi cable that you can connect to a tv with and it works like a apple tv! I want to sell this because i dont use it
Brand new in box idea strip light sticks on TV to create mood light choose to have one colour or multi colour has a turn dial can be fixed to anything TV, cabinets, walls on kitchen cupboards etc, bought for me but I already have them 3 available ret
Several years old but barely used. Free to anyone who wants it
Brand new speaker and hub in original unopened box. Unwanted as already have a surround sound system. Collection only. Will consider reasonable offers.
Apple TV box. Excellent condition. Comes with original box. Controller, wires and instructions.


text:
News and reviews from the world of DC Comics.
Wonder Woman…WTF!
Okay I, as much as the next person welcome new TV endeavors. It gives me much needed escape from mundane daily things I have going on. However, I can honestly say that I amRead More »
My Take On: The Demise Of Wizard & Toyfare
When I awoke for work today I was greeted by the sad news via Twitter and Facebook that Wizard and Toyfare will be no more. After confirming from multiple sites and various followers onRead More »
DC Universe Online Trailer
Over the last few days we have seen pictures and teasers for the upcoming DC Comics MMO for the PS3. Let me say that the this cinema that explains the story of the gameRead More »
Batman Beyond returns…..but in comic book form.
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Day Four my coffee trip in Bogota
Wednesday, August 13, 2014 - 10:15 AM - 2 months, 2 weeks ago - 1. TMC Members' Coffee Blogs - Steve Leighton's HasBean Weblog
today is less coffee farm more coffee, I'm cupping in the labs of the exporter and talking coffee. I talk about the interesting set up in Colombia and why theres been a sea change in the varietals seen here
More Colombian Ramblings pt3
Tuesday, August 12, 2014 - 12:43 PM - 2 months, 3 weeks ago - 1. TMC Members' Coffee Blogs - Steve Leighton's HasBean Weblog
Day three of my travel diary sees me in Tarqui in Huila Colombia and visiting one of the finest farmers we buy from any where. Alexis Trujillo owns just one hector of land, which means he produces around 10-12 bags a year in total. I wanted to see how a small producer can make a… Continue Reading
Distributing/Selling The World Atlas of Coffee
Tuesday, August 12, 2014 - 11:35 AM - 2 months, 3 weeks ago - 1. TMC Members' Coffee Blogs - WBC 2007 World Champion James Hoffmann's jimseven
After the last blog post I received a lot of emails and tweets from various people asking about selling the Atlas in their cafe, in their online shop etc, from around the world. So – if you're a coffee business of any kind then hopefully this will be of interest to you… I should be clear that I'm just the author, not the publisher – so I have limited control over somethings. However, it would mean a lot to me to have cafes supporting the book and I definitely want to do whatever I can to enable this and get distributors access to good pricing, to make this worthwhile. I want this to be useful to any coffee business in every way possible. Worldwide the English language edition will be out in October. Translations won't be out until June next year, though the English version will be available via distributors. There are currently translations planned (but not confirmed) for French, Spanish, Dutch, Czech, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean and Chinese. Hopefully more to follow! To help make all this easier I had a quick chat with the publisher and figured I would start with collecting the information of companies that would be interested. I can hopefully work with distributors and my publisher to sort out direct access to books. There will likely be a minimum order to get wholesale pricing, but I don't know what that is yet. There are a couple of boxes to check, relating to potential events. Nothing is confirmed yet, but I travel a lot and (while most authors tell you to avoid book signings) there may be a chance to do something creative if I am a town or city where people are stocking it. I am also working on an idea for a launch event that I'd like to try and coordinate nationally (and internationally if possible) that could be a more interesting way to do a book launch, and also get consumers a little more excited and curious about the possibilities of coffee. Nothing below is a commitment of any kind – just collecting contact info at this stage. Thanks again to those who've gotten in touch, the response has been lovely and I'm grateful that so many people want to support the book. Loading…
Colombian Ramblings Pt2
Monday, August 11, 2014 - 11:10 AM - 2 months, 3 weeks ago - 1. TMC Members' Coffee Blogs - Steve Leighton's HasBean Weblog
I managed to make it to day two. You hit the amount if listens I set in my head to the number, and a few of you emailed in to say how much you enjoyed them, so today you get an even longer one. I expect tomorrows to be a little shorter, but for now… Continue Reading
Colombian Ramblings
Sunday, August 10, 2014 - 12:31 PM - 2 months, 3 weeks ago - 1. TMC Members' Coffee Blogs - Steve Leighton's HasBean Weblog
I'm on the move again, this time traveling in Colombia, I've been here just of 24 hours so not lots to talk about apart from travel and meeting this top man Edier Peromo from Pitalito. Listen in
Flashback friday 4
Friday, August 08, 2014 - 09:16 PM - 2 months, 3 weeks ago - 1. TMC Members' Coffee Blogs - Steve Leighton's HasBean Weblog
You think i forgot about this right !! Well wrong, that just proves you don't follow my instagram account where last weeks flashback was a picture. This week we look at an article I wrote back in 2008, and I am as proud of it today as I was back then. Its an insight to who I… Continue Reading
Coming Soon: The World Atlas of Coffee
Wednesday, August 06, 2014 - 08:16 AM - 2 months, 3 weeks ago - 1. TMC Members' Coffee Blogs - WBC 2007 World Champion James Hoffmann's jimseven
In around two months time, on October 6th, my first book will be released. I'm very excited, and maybe just a tiny bit nervous too. The book is titled "The World Atlas of Coffee", and I want to talk a little bit about how this happened and what it is. I remember a moment, very early on in my time in coffee, when I had been cupping coffees and was trying to understand exactly where they were from. I remember the coffee that triggered the question, something from Kalossi. More than that, I remember the feeling of being both stunned and annoyed when I asked which book I should buy to look up where this coffee came from and being told there was nothing. This was astonishing to me, considering how rich the world of coffee was and is. While I always wanted to be the person to write that book, for a long time I never really felt it was my place to do so. (And I expect to hear that criticism in the future too.) What changed was very simple: I was approached by a major publisher, already well known and respected for books like "The World Atlas of Wine ", and have a reputation for producing beautiful, high quality titles. They asked if I would be interested in writing this book, and I thought I would be a fool to pass up such an opportunity. So I jumped at it. What followed was full of all the necessary clichés, best summarised by Douglas Adams, "I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." I don't mean to be dramatic but this book is undeniably one of the most difficult things I've ever done. (I know people say that, but there's a good reason they say that. Listening to Oliver Strand talk about how difficult it is on the portafilter podcast was hugely reassuring.) I had one unusual challenge in writing this – focusing on exactly who I was writing this for. I wanted to produce something valuable to those coming into the industry who want to learn, and also something that's a useful reference for those of us who've worked in coffee for some time. More than both of this, I wanted to write something for all our customers – the people who go out and buy, brew, drink and enjoy coffee every day. I believe that understanding something more can make it more enjoyable, and I wanted to make more of coffee accessible rather than make it more mysterious and exclusive. I want to help people to understand what they like, explore what they don't know yet, and feel more confident in the somewhat intimidating world of specialty coffee. The book isn't about me, or about Square Mile Coffee, but just about coffee. The book is divided into three sections: an introduction to coffee in general, a section on brewing techniques (aimed at making professional standards accessible and worthwhile to home users) and then the atlas section, with individual countries divided by continent. This third section was the killer. Finding accurate, credible information and facts that can be double checked felt nigh on impossible sometimes. I'm aware that the moment we publish the book some facts will be wrong, or be disputable. This is why I am hopeful this does well enough for a second edition (which will also be out of date the moment it is published!). What I have tried to do for each country, in writing a summary of its history of coffee production is to try to explain why its past makes it the way it is. The existence of smallholders and garden coffee in Ethiopia is the result of a very different history than that of Brazil – with single estate businesses that can produce more coffee than all of Bolivia put together. So along, with the history I've tried to explain where a customer's expectation of traceability should be. I've done my utmost to get harvest times, altitudes and typical varieties for each region within each country that I've covered. Inevitably a source of some contention – there are some very basic guidelines for how coffees from a producing country may taste. (I'm aware that this seems reductive and negative but please wait to judge me until after reading them.) I haven't covered every single country that produces coffee. I've covered those with a focus on arabica and the capacity for speciality. In some cases I've decided not to include a country because I don't feel the data available is accurate enough. (Haiti, for example, is a difficult place to write confidently about post earthquake.) Equally, this is not a project without constraints of size and word count. If it is successful then it will be expanded in future editions, and the work is already done on some additional countries. My greatest hope for this book is that it becomes a genuinely useful tool for us to communicate better with our customers, to help make coffee more engaging, and more valuable. I'm proud of the work I have done, I've given it my best, and I hope that you'll either enjoy it, support it – or both! I'm going to promote the book as widely as I can, and I will be working hard to do it in an interesting way – rather than just ramming it down people's throats until you unfollow me on twitter and block me on Facebook! I am going to post more about it in the next couple of months – about its availability around the world (Including various translations), about reselling (if people/cafes/roasteries/coffee businesses around the world are interested), to say thank you to those that have helped me, and about any events I may be doing to promote it (come and say hello!). It's actually available to preorder on amazon already (and has been for a month already, despite the fact that I've yet to hold a physical copy – such is the nature of modern publishing). While I'm deeply conflicted about amazon, I can't deny it is probably the cheapest place to buy it and if preorders are decent the price actually drops (which is why the US price is already lower than RRP)! The book will only be available as hardback (the digital version I dream of requires some physical sales first) and it is both fabric bound and without a dust jacket! (I just really, really hate dust jackets so this makes me very happy!). Here are some links: The World Atlas of Coffee - Amazon UK The World Atlas of Coffee – Amazon US
Assorted recent news, 5th August 2014
Tuesday, August 05, 2014 - 08:07 PM - 2 months, 3 weeks ago - 1. TMC Members' Coffee Blogs - Welsh Champion 2009 Trevor Hyam's The Bean Vagrant
Coffee is what I spend a huge majority of my time doing, and if I'm not actually doing something with coffee directly, it's never too far from my thoughts, for long. Continuously. To say it consumes me, more than I it (but in a way that's still healthy …just!), might not be too far from the truth. So, as it's been a while, there's lots I could mention. But, just a few of the highlights that have occupied or entertained by coffee brain enough to come into focus here, are unpacked as follows. Gifts: Not long ago, I received a lovely gift of samples from UK-based coffee subscription company Press Coffeehouse . They sent a couple of samples from their list of world roasters: USA's Madcap's Ardi Ethiopia natural, and Germany's Five Elephant's Los Guacharos washed Colombia. I'd heard good things about Madcap already, whilst Five Elephant was new to me, but both coffees came with a wealth of information, and it was clear this could be tasty. Initial inspection of the beans/roast in both cases was full of promise, and I was not disappointed. Both coffees were great! The Madcap was especially brilliant (but then I'm a sucker for great Ethiopian coffees!), ripe, sweet, and intoxicatingly floral. Five Elephant was lovely too though, a transparently light roast, and very clean and juicy. There's much that can be said against ordering coffee from overseas roasters, although there are of course many awesome ones, for various practical reasons (freshness, unsuitable transportation environments, costs, to name some key ones), when we have such brilliant roasters here in the UK. That said, it's very tempting to do so, and it's fun that a company like this takes the headache out of getting hold of them, for those that want to try. As far as freshness goes, the Madcap arrived at my doors 16 days post roast, and the Five Elephant at 11 days. There are those who might consign coffees to the bin at two weeks (or sooner!)… But I'm not one of them (coffee freshness is very important to me, and is something I take seriously, but for me, the quality of the bean, the roast, and the brewing/preparation, are all more critical than the freshness, within reasonable limits). I found both coffees had travelled well, and brewed wonderfully at home, as various types of pourover filter. Particle sizing: A while back, results came in for my latest round of laser particle sizing tests, after submitting grind samples from several top ranking coarse filter grinders (see previous post). A very brief summing up is as follows: My modded Tanzania was predictably awesome again, at all settings tested (medium to coarse), and was the benchmark from which to compare the other grinders, giving (narrowly) the very best result. I had suspected the Hausgrind hand grinder might well equal or possibly even surpass the Tanzania (from having read about it, and seen and tasted grounds from it). It might seem hard to believe that a humble hand grinder could rival a legendary electric commercial filter grinder, but some of the new generation of specially crafted hand grinders are purpose-built to be excellent for coarse grinding, and I see no reason why some cannot do so, potentially. And, at coarse FP settings, at almost identical peak micron sizes, the Hausgrind was indeed very impressive. Without going into specifics, one could place these graphs from the Tanzania and the Hausgrind over each other… and essentially see only one, single, identical line (!). I believe the Hausgrind had benefited from a few tweaks and optimisations, so this is not necessarily representative of every single one, but I would imagine they would be pretty close. The Tanzania's still a bit more convenient though (but at a price)! Perhaps more surprisingly, the plan cafe's Bunn G3 performed very well too. I had hoped it might indeed be better than is generally assumed (due to various factors I'm aware of). But I was still surprised by just how impressive it's results were. Pretty much identical to the other two grinders, when compared at matching peak micron sizes. The Hario Skerton was then also added to the list of grinders tested (just to compare, by the lovely @mathewsmith1 who makes the analysis available, as this is his own grinder). This is a nice enough hand burr grinder, but not meant to be in the same league as the others tested. Predictably, here we saw the biggest difference. In comparison to all the other 3 grinders, this had a very shallow and wide peak (although still essentially a single peak), and with a lot more fine particles in the 0-100um/microns range. Completely different to the other three. Cold Brew Coffee: This summer, I've introduced a new drink for the plan cafe: Cold Brew coffee. Cold Brew has already been popular for a long time in (warmer!) countries like the USA and Australia, but has rarely been seen here in the UK until more recently, but this summer it's been flourishing at a few artisan coffee shops, particularly in London (Thanks to @CaffeineMag for some inspiration on this initially!). This method involves steeping (or drip brewing) grounds with cold or room temperature water for many hours to extract the flavour, rather than relying on hot water to do the job in minutes. Brewing slowly with cold water gives a completely different kind of flavour, and allows for a concentrate to be brewed that can be served over ice without becoming diluted. I spent a few weeks experimenting with recipes (with some unpleasant results initially), before reaching something I was reasonably satisfied with (thus adding to the already long list of brew methods for which I have brewing notes written up in extensive detail, and continuously updated, in separate, method specific files!). It's slow going, changing one factor at a time, when you have to wait 7-24 hours (and this range can be even wider) to sample the results! And, as with any brew method, there are so many variables at play (the coffee, the grind, the time, the temps at different stages, agitation, technique, filtration, water, roast profile, flash hot bloom, or cold only, room temp, fridge, iced water, etc), that the variation in the results can of course infinite. I've experimented with the alternative Japanese iced coffee method at home before, and that certainly appeals to me, like many others in specialty coffee, because it can better preserve the brightness, acidity, florals, aromatics, nuance, complexity and character that we love in light roast, high quality coffees (although it does have its own issues; really good pourover is very technique dependent under normal circumstances as it is, but when you remove half the brew water, extracting successfully and correctly becomes a real knife-edge). As such, I was a little sceptical, but intrigued, about the slow Cold Brew method, as it is often described as the opposite: all mellow mid tones, and no acidity or individual character. But, I've been very pleasantly surprised. Whilst all the above is true to an extent, Cold Brew can be delicious in its own particular way, and, with some tweaks to the method, I've found it's possible to balance the best of both worlds, retaining a good degree of acidity, aroma, and the character of the individual coffee, together with a creamy mouthfeel, and an overall flavour that is delicate, smooth, and very refreshing and approachable. In fact, I was shocked how identical the aromas of the finished product can be to the aromas of the specific beans. Perhaps even more so, albeit in a very different way to hot brewed coffee. And the colour, well filtered, is WOW! Beautiful, deep reds, orange, and amber, with wonderful clarity. I've been enchanted by the beauty of the clarity and colours of hot pourover coffee for a long time, but pure Cold Brew, over ice, is something else – super stunning visually! And what's more, I've found it can be a great way to successfully encourage people to try, and enjoy, coffee black, without milk (which is always a positive thing!), precisely because the drink's intrinsic flavour profile is so soft and delicate. People often describe using darker roasts for Cold Brew, and it then being a good vehicle for adding cream and sugar. But if you think about it, that's just like hot brewed coffee, and it doesn't have to be like that. From the outset, just like any hot brewed method I would use, my aim was to use lighter roasts, and create something that would be nice on its own, black, and representative of the coffee. And if you make this your desired endpoint when experimenting, you can work towards achieving this aim, even though Cold Brew might always lack much of the range, complexity, and intensity of hot brew. I did try some (relatively light) espresso profiles, but was not at all keen on these, finding them just way too much, although I could have experimented more to make them work. One or two people who prefer a real punch, or who definitely only like coffee with milk, preferred these though. So, I've settled on using light filter profile single origins exclusively, and have found these can make clean, juicy-yet-smooth-and-creamy, delicate, refreshing, and interesting Cold Brew. And the filter profiles are actually best black, as the brew is nice and delicate, whereas adding milk to these drowns it a bit. Some might use something middle of the road for Cold Brew, believing anything else to be a waste of good coffee, or because they're just going to add milk or cream to it… But I've gone in the other direction, as I wanted to give the brew method the best possible chance, and have mostly experimented, and launched, with a really premium coffee: Colombian washed Finca El Faldon filter profile from James' Gourmet, grown by Arnulfo Leguizamo (the same farm and farmer that produced the 2011 WBC winning coffee). This has notes of jellied plum, and toffee as Cold Brew. We're serving our double filtered, bottled concentrate at the side of a chilled glass of ice, with a little cold water to dilute to taste, if you want. If you want milk, or some homemade simple sugar syrup, no problem, just ask, but maybe give it a try without, as it's surprisingly delicate and mellow! The availability of the Cold Brew will be limited each day when it's being served, and it won't be on every day. Check the Twitter, or feel free to @message if you want to know. It's essentially a very easy brew method, which is all about experimenting a lot, carefully, with the detail of the recipe and variables, until it works well for a certain coffee, rather than needing any skilled technique as such. It's therefore great fun to try at home – you don't even need any expensive equipment whatsoever, just some good beans! Despite a lot of work getting to a recipe for the El Faldon that I'm pretty happy with, I've really only scratched the surface with Cold Brew and there are so many further variations I could try. Sieving would be just one interesting option to try (I even read about someone talking about brewing whole beans as Cold Brew, which is something I've toyed with the idea of before, as a way of getting past the issues caused by grinding!). If I continued to dedicate just a fraction of the time and research I do for hot brewing for this, I think the method could potentially be improved further. Certainly worth playing with. There's lots of info around online about slow Cold Brew if you want to have a play at home, whilst the sun's still shining and hot! Espresso brew ratios: For several years now, I've been using low brew ratios, and doses, for espresso, for pretty much all the (relatively light roast) espresso profile coffees I use (both single origins and seasonal blends), and I've been watching with interest over the last couple of years as indications have emerged that a few others in the speciality industry, in the UK at least, have been gradually beginning to move in the same direction, here and there. Using low brew ratios did not come easily, and was something that confused me, and even seemed 'wrong'. Why? Almost all the brew ratios and recipes you saw within modern, speciality, 'Third Wave' coffee, until more recently, recommended high dose, high brew ratios. So for a long time, I fought against it, and tried (jumped through hoops) to do what was apparently 'correct' for this type of coffee. In the end though, I stopped resisting, and navigated by taste, instinct, and experimentation, towards consistently lower brew ratios, for pretty much any coffee, even coffees designed and recommended for higher doses and ratios (although with slight variations depending on the specific coffee and scenario, etc, as presented when dialling). It then felt as if I had previously just been trying to 'force' the coffee into a little box, where it, and I, were often not happy, and where the results rarely seemed to be the best expression of what the coffee should, or could, be. Whereas at lower brew ratios, I consistently found a more balanced, rounded, articulate flavour, a more true sweetness, a lighter, more delicate, but more appealing crema (visually and texturally), and I generally felt it simply gave me a better representation of the coffee's flavour. If I just ignored the weights until after dialling to where the espresso simply looked and tasted best, this is where I'd end up. It just seemed more 'right' (and not simply personal preference either). So, I stopped trying to follow the fashionable recipes, and just did what worked for me. I didn't understand quite why I found this to work better, when everything I saw elsewhere recommend otherwise (although I had theories). I thought maybe it was just some quirk of our particular equipment set up. And to some extent, this is still true; our equipment does certainly seem to prefer, even require, lower doses, and lend itself towards lower brew ratios too. But this alone didn't completely explain the situation, and didn't help to alleviate the nagging feeling that the recipes I was using were somehow 'wrong' (at best, 'traditional' or low end 'normale'), and not 'proper', modern, speciality – because everything you read would recommend different (higher) doses and ratios. But it worked best, for me, and I gradually just stopped worrying about it (as much). Several years ago (but not that long ago), at that time, most of the speciality or Third Wave recipes you would read about were in the 65-100%+ region. Triple baskets were the thing, and ristretto was king (and this is often all still true). Often the few recommendations you might find for lower doses still came hand in hand with a relatively high overall brew ratio, at or towards ristretto. Then, a few years ago, a slight shift downwards got a lot of airspace on the top blogs and forums, with people talking about recipes more down at the 65% end, quite specifically. I still felt like something of an anomaly… Then, just a year or two ago, I noticed a few (leading) figures talking about recipes in the region of 55%, as something of a norm, for the light roast espresso they worked with as standard. This gave me a little hope that maybe what I was doing wasn't so very odd after all, although even this still did not quite reflect what I was generally using. Now, even more recently still, a few key sources have broken the 50% seal though, and have been talking about 55-40% brew ratios, and even beyond (and non of this is even with regard to something altogether different like lungo EK coffee shots – just 'normal' espresso making). And some of these sources are the same ones that were at about 65% a few years ago. It feels strange to contemplate that finally, almost comically, the recipes I've been using for a long time might actually be becoming somewhat fashionable and on trend, after for so long feeling at odds with this one aspect of the very movement I'm part of, and wholeheartedly promote. Why's this happening? Has speciality UK roasting undergone a such a significant shift over the last few years that it suddenly requires these lower espresso brew ratios? I don't think so – the top handful of microroasters have been pretty (even very) light for some time already. Who knows, there's a lot at play, and any possible reasons for it are really another story. I just wanted to point out these observations, and put them out there. I'm not saying this is how all espresso should be brewed, by any means. And I'm not saying I'm always happy with the espresso I achieve now. I'm not even saying that I only like espresso brewed like this (I've had hugely enjoyable shots made in other places, brewed in the high dose, high ratio way). Different brew ratios and practices can all make delicious shots when successfully executed. And some will simply not like espresso made with a low brew ratio, out of personal preference. And I'm not suggesting that those using 65% or more a few years ago, and now using 55% or below didn't already know (far more than I) what they were talking about back then. I don't think they've suddenly 'figured out' that lower is better. And, what works best in a certain situation for one person can be highly specific to the individual site and equipment (coffee, machine, baskets, pumps, grinders, water, technique, etc, etc), and not necessarily transferable, as any kind of wider 'truth' that will work for others. And, it's certain that particular equipment set ups will lend themselves more towards making high brew ratio shots very nicely, and people using such set ups might rightly navigate towards higher ratios, perhaps even as an ideal for that set up. I'm not really trying to say anything specific at all! It's just been interesting, and refreshing, to observe these murmurs of a possible gradual shift in perspective for some highly regarded figures in the industry in recent times, and a loosening of the previously accepted 'rules', towards something I've long found to work, for me. Silly Article: A month or two ago there was a depressing and surprisingly negative article in the Observer Magazine about modern speciality coffee in the UK by someone I would really have expected to have a more positive and enlightened attitude towards something exactly like this movement. The bile that followed in the comments attached to it online lowered the tone even further. There were a few possibly pertinent points made that might have been interesting and productive to explore, but the overall tone of blinkered reactionary negativity eclipsed these. A real shame. But with each juicy, sweet, clean, and characterful cup, I smile, and the memory fades! Current Coffees: In right now for French Press service at the cafe, or filter beans to take home, are delicious new Kenyan Kiri (summer fruits, blackcurrant, brown sugar, floral), and Guatemala Finca El Pelicano (biscuity and ripe white grape), and the smallest amount of El Salvador Guachoca natural, if you're very quick. Naturelle (yes!) is on for espresso, currently composed of Brasil Santa Maria natural and Suke Quto washed Guji. And, El Faldon Colombia is on as Cold Brew of course, when available, whilst this particular coffee lasts..!
Flash Back Friday 2 back to 2007
Friday, July 25, 2014 - 10:10 PM - 3 months, 1 week ago - 1. TMC Members' Coffee Blogs - Steve Leighton's HasBean Weblog
Part two of flashback friday, looking back at amazing things that have happened in the world of Has Bean. This week we take a look 2007 and the time my new roaster arrived (my probat L25) it was an exciting time then and its exciting to me now. so please enjoy. It's arrived. Yesterday… Continue Reading
Audio musings in a "podcast"
Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - 10:26 AM - 3 months, 1 week ago - 1. TMC Members' Coffee Blogs - Steve Leighton's HasBean Weblog
I really think I don't produce enough content, and I feel its important to have you listen to my voice at least once a day. This is untrue in both statements, but I do sometimes have thoughts that pop into my head that I would like to share with you. I have used this audio boo… Continue Reading