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Wusthof: love it/hate it
A few years back I had to replace my beloved 10" Wusthof chef's knife. I HATE that full-length bolster they are so proud of! You can't sharpen the knife all the way down the blade, and after 25 years I had a lovely (NOT!) scalloped-at-the-handle-side knife.
The bolster impeded the cutting action to the point where I was having to hold the knife back from the middle of my cutting board, because otherwise the blade couldn't cut all the way from to back (think: like a pivot on a hinge, the bolster protruded below the knife edge).
Disgusted, I took Cook's Illustrated testing advice and bought a Lamson. Lighter weight, but with a nice handle that was rounded and much better non-slip surface.
But the blade just would not stay as sharp. Hmmm....maybe it's me? Maybe my Chef's Choice sharpener isn't as good as it used to be? So I had it professionally sharpened (very inconvenient). Nope, it wasn't any better.
Then I bought a 6" Wusthof Gourmet Santoku. Now I had a side-by-side comparison for how long a good edge would last. And yes, the Wusthof held its edge twice as long as the Lamson. Darn!
So I gave up, or in. Ordered the Wusthof Pro 8" Santoku (couldn't find a 10", and the 8" was on sale for a super price). Boy, this thing has heft! Feels like my old Chinese cleaver compared to the Lamson. It's supposedly some new stainless alloy that will hold an edge longer, but we'll see. I bought the manual Wusthof sharpener so I can compare it to my electric Chef's Choice sharpener; that will be the next test.
Feels good in the hand, but I regret losing the superior Lamson handle. And now I've got that $%#&% bolster again - grrrr!
But I guess if I have to replace it in 20 yrs, I'll be over 80 by then and maybe we'll have Star Trek-like food replicators, so no more chopping needed!
Since it's a "beloved" knife I'd take it to a professional who can grind down the bolster a bit as needed and reshape the edge to get rid of the scallop. Unless you've really done some damage over the years I can't imagine it not lasting you another 25.
I just looked at my Wusthoff, about 10-12 years old, and I think I can see the scallop that you're talking about but it's extremely minor so far despite my amateurish sharpening skills. I can't imagine it getting so bad that it can't get "rebuilt" even though I also use the fairly aggressive Chef's Choice.
DO NOT use the Chef's Choice on your new Santoku - different angles. And make sure the manual sharpener you bought is red. I've got one of these, too, and it works well for my purposes.
I see how that concavity at the bolster can develop. Yes, the bolster can be ground down to eliminate the problem, might take 5 min on a grinding wheel.
One thing you might do is to sharpen less often, by steeling the edge between sharpening.
"Sharpen" means actually grinding away metal from the edge. That can be done with a Chefs Choice, a whetstone, a ceramic rod, a grinding wheel, sandpaper, anything with some texture or roughness.. "Steeling" means realigning and straightening the edge without removing metal. This is done with a smooth round rod. Unfortunately most steels now have some texture which is actually counterproductive. But you can buy a smooth rod pretty cheaply from Victorinox Forschner.
When you use a blade, it becomes misaligned. The edge gets wavy and bent. You cannot see this as it is happening at a microscopic level. Thr result is that the blade becomes "functionally" dull. But this actually happens long before enough metal has worn away to make the edge actually dull at a microscopic level. There is a "microscopically" sharp edge there, but it is just too bent and wavy to cut well.
You can use a steel to re-align the microscopically sharp edge and restore the blade's functional sharpness, without removing metal. Or you can use a sharpener to grind away metal to make a new microscopic edge that, being freshly created, is in alignment and thus functionally sharp.
Doing the former whenever possible, and doing the latter as seldom as possible, will prolong the life of your blade.
I use mostly Victorinox Forschner Fibrox knives. They are made of fairly soft metal, as quality knives go. With daily use, if I don't steel them, I have to sharpen them every month or more. That would really shorten the lives of the knives, as well as consume a lot of time. Instead, I steel the knives before every use - takes 20 seconds - and I only sharpen twice a year.
Here is a simple explanation:
Here is a knife geek explanation:
The other thing is, don't use glass or stone cutting boards, or cut on plates. Only wood or plastic. Don't put knives in the sink or stuff them in the silverware basket or pile them up in a drawer. Clattering against other stuff will dull the edge in no time, and is also a safety hazard. Don't use a knife to whack bone. That is the job of a cleaver.
Basically, the sharp edge of a quality knife is a delicate thing. To keep doing its job, it has to be treated carefully and maintained with the steel. Otherwise it gets destroyed quickly, and it's back to the grindstone or whatever your sharpening device is, to create a new edge.
Knife talk is worst than talking about politics and religion, it can get really heated. There are so many factors and strong opinions.
John, I hope you don't mine my disagreeing with the Knife Geek you linked.
"you see a lot of wanna be experts, seasoned cooks, including celebrity chefs, and I don't know who else, rubbing their knives vigorously against the grooved butcher's steel telling you how this sharpens a knife. That is plain wrong and grooved steel is a crime against the edge anyway :)"
I am not a seasoned cook, or a celebrity chef, I am the wanna be expert he is refering to.
" What Steeling Is Not - It definitely is not sharpening. Sharpening, by definition is the process of removal of the metal from the knife edge to make it thinner, i.e. sharper. "
Disagree. Typically, for most knife users, the steel is mostly designed for sharpening. Most cooks use low quality knives with soft metal, and gets dull quickly, the steel is effective in sharpening.
"Why the edges dull - thanks to the human nature significant lateral loads too. It's very hard to keep perfectly straight angle during the cut, the knife wobbles a bit, thus those lateral loads. Vertical pressure is tolerated well, but lateral (i.e. side to side) pressure or loads deform or even break the metal a lot easier."
I cannot understand that at all. I don't think people wobble their knives when cutting, and I cannot see any meat or vegetable that can be hard enough to deform a hardened steel edge. Knives get dull from deformation when cut into hard bones, or hard cutting booards.
"To make the knife sharp again, you have to make the edge straight again, and in more extreme cases, thin it down again. "
To me, a deformed bent edge needs to be removed, not bent back (straighten, re-align) to it's original position. If you have worked with hardened steel you will know that steel cannot be bent too many times. It will lose all its strength or chip once it has been bent. The grinding action of the steel can remove, not restore the bent edge.
"Obviously, chipped edge can not be helped with steeling or stropping, it requires sharpening, which is done with sharpening stone or any abrasive material, but not with a butcher steel."
Not really, the chipping of the knife edge is generally microscopic and can be improved by the abrasive action of the steel.
"if the knife is harder than the steel used for the steeling, then the harder edge will not be affected much. In those cases the ceramic or borosilicate rods should be used. They both have Rockwell hardness above 80s. In fact, it is recommended for ultra hard knives"
Not completely true. While the steel cannot grind a knife that is harder than the steel, it can help remove the already bent edge.
"What is stropping - Well, it serves the same purpose (as steeling), aligning the edge. However, it's done by swiping the edge on the piece of the leather."
I believe he is so wrong I cannot even begin to comment. There is no similarity between steeling and stropping.
"Benefits of steeling and stropping - Steeling(or stropping) is the simplest and the quickest procedure that you can perform to maintain and extend the useful life of your edges, hence the knives themselves."
For general cooks, stropping is not necessary.
"The ideal sequence would be to steel your knives before and after every use. Yes, before and after, and yes, every use."
I would not do anything if your knife is already very sharp.
"For harder Japanese knives, the effects of post steeling aren't as simple compared to softer western knives."
Bad advice. You should never steel a good Japanese knife.
dcarch, a.k.a. knife expert wanna be.
dcarch, I agree with some of your points if we are talking about the usual "steel" sold in most shops, which is a rough grooved rod. Those so-called steels are in fact meant to "sharpen" meaning to remove metal. They do it terribly.
I used my kids' microscope once to examine a kitchen knife edge as I did different things to it. I found out that the grooved rods actually tear the blade's edge into a jagged shape, sort of like a saw. You cannot see this with the naked eye, but you can feel it. Take a knife you don't care much about. It is easier to do this if it is a fairly soft steel, like a Victorinox. Run your finger along the edge, not applying enough pressure to cut yourself, and note how smooth it feels. Then go at it vigorously with a grooved rod type of "steel". Now run your finger along the edge. You will feel a slight roughness. Those are the jaggies torn by the grooved rod.
When you first use that knife, it will cut effectively, as the jagged edge works just like a saw. But the jaggies are soon torn off. Again, you can only see that in the microscope. I think I was using 100X. The blade then ceases to cut well. And you reach for the grooved rod again.
A smooth rod, which is what I consider an actual steel, does not tear jaggies into the edge, at least none visible at 100X, and not as far as my fingertip can feel. But an edge that feels like it to has recently dulled, can be restored to keen again, with the rather gentle use of the smooth rod. Much gentler than the pressure you exert to grind a new edge using a whetstone. If the smooth rod is not grinding away metal - as the microscope seems to show and as the gentleness of our steeling would suggest - how is it making a seemingly dull edge feel sharp again? That is, I believe, the edge re-alignment that I mentioned.
Note that all my experience is with Western knives. Victorinox, Wusthof, Henkels, etc. I have never owned a genuine Japanese knife with the much harder steel that they use. Though I sure hope to, someday. I know it is considered absolutely verboten to use a steel on a Japanese blade. I don't know why, not having personal experience, though I have theories (e.g. ruining the single-bevel geometry of some Japanese blades).
I have sharpened a genuine Japanese knife once, for a friend. She asked me to sharpen a whole bunch of knives. She has dozens of knives, all thrown together in a big drawer, the fine ones with the cheap ones, all as dull as can be. Really sad. I used my waterstone on that knife, got it very sharp though I'm sure not nearly as sharp as it could have been, and wrapped it up in paper before replacing it at the very back of the drawer. It took several hours to sharpen a couple dozen of her 40 or 50 knives. I gave her a Chef's Choice after that.
Stropping - I don't do it, and didn't study it under the microscope. I'd guess it is simply polishing the edge a bit. After you sharpen a blade on even a very fine whetstone, under the microscope you see a pattern of diagonal furrows on the bevel of the edge, that show how you ground the bevel on the stone. Those furrows continue all the way to the edge itself. So the V-shaped cutting edge has a very slight micro-level serration. If you want to polish out that serration, I would suspect stropping could help do that. But I don't mind the micro-serration.
Here is something fun. My son's science class will have an electron microscope for a few months. I have no idea how good it will be, or how a middle school classroom gets loaned such an instrument. The science teacher asked for parent volunteers to be trained on the electron microscope and to then supervise kids. Naturally, I have signed up. He said we could use it on our own too. If it is able to give a useful picture of a knife edge, I'm bringing a whole quiver of knives in different stages of sharpening, steeling, and even stropping.
Found one pic I took. This is after sharpening with a medium stone and then a fine stone (this was back before I got the water stone, my "fine" stone then was like an Arkansas stone).
Pic below is before the sharpening. This knife was a Henckels slicer, the one that SWMBO uses to cut on plates, throw in the sink, stuff in the silverware basket, etc - the sacrificial knife. It had been steeled a lot but by this point the edge was hopelessly dull, and all the re-alignment in the world didn't help. The thin band at the very edge of the edge, is where the (smooth) rid steel had been contacting.
Comparing the after to the before, you can see I re-sharpened it at a more acute angle. It was nice and sharp! That lasted about a week. SWMBO is not kind to knives. She recently used my Chinese "cleaver" to hack chicken bones, broke off big crescent shaped chunks of the edge. I have to completely regrind that blade now.
Good morning.
I usually post over on the Fruit and Orchards board but thought I'd drop in here and see what's what. Found this informative discussion on knives and wanted to chime in a bit.
I have a Wushof bread knife and we love it. When I bought it the salesman told me to use a steel if it ever lost its bite, but so far it hasn't needed any attention.
I also use two Japanese knives from Hida Tool in Berkeley, CA. They are both laminated blades; the cheaper "shark's tooth" appears hand forged and the pricier santoku is machine made. The santoku apparently has the harder steel. Both cut beautifully; the santoku holds an edge longer and is more time-consuming to sharpen. I never use anything except a smallish ceramic (alumina?) stone my brother gave me.
I used those cheaper 12" chef's knifes for years in bakeries, cutting cinnamon rolls and such on a maple bench. They took a lot of abuse but sooner or later they'd get dull and somebody would take a file to them- once in a while a steel.
John, Wusthof's Santoku isn't a real Japanese blade. Those are sharpened at a much different angle than traditional Western knives. Wusthof's version is the same steel as their other knives and sharpened at the same angle. It only has the gratons to distinguish it, but I find them useful, as they prevent certain foods from 'sticking' to the blade.
The old 10" Wusthof I had is long gone. No biggie, I like the feel of the new 8" Wusthof I bought. Just miss that great non-slip handle of the Lamson!
I long ago weeded out my not-often used knives. I use the Kapoosh Knife Block (okay, not great) which fits 6 knives (three large, three small). I'll confess to having a 4" ceramic utility knife which my spouse adores and is the only one babied with its own knife holder, living in the utensil drawer.
Anything else comes in, something has to go out. I have way too much kitchen stuff anyway, LOL!
jkom - the steel might be the same but the angle is not. Unless you ran it through the Chet's Choice, LOL. Or unless they've changed in the 8 years since I got mine. My Wusthoff came with bold warnings only to use sharpeners designed for Japanese blades. And that's why they make a red sharpener for santoku and a black one for western blades.
John I do use my microscope to examine blades once in a while. With a scanning electron microscope the object will be show completely in focus, there is no optical depth of field like in an optical microscope.
Here are two pictures of a new unused surgical scalpal blade. You can see the edge is not very polished.
Nice pictures.
Did you take those with a microscope or with a camera lens? I have somewhere an old bellows attachment for a 35mm camera. Looking at your photos made me realize that the bellows would be useful for these sorts of photos.
I'm interested to use the SEM.
Anyway, that looks like the razor blade edges I've looked at. You can figure out the bevel angle by measuring the edge. The razors I've looked at have a very acute angle, and are single sided, so they are very sharp. That scalpel looks similar. Do you use it for cooking prep?
John I do have a microscope. I am not sure what is the magnification. I have replaced the objective lens and eye piece lenses.
SEM is great, it show details in 3D. But SEM does not show pictures in color, only in B&W.
I use the scalpel blades for many things. Here is a tip, #11 Exacto blades are not cheap. scalpel blades are much cheaper on eBay.
dcarch - very cool pics!
jkom - Wusthof has some different lines. The Ikon series for example, does not have the full-length bolster.
Messermeister is another. I believe their Olivia line, in addition to being beautiful, is sharpened to a 15 degree angle.
And Wusthof also offers it's knives with the pEtec edge, which is ground to 14 degrees rather than 20.
Of course the Japanese have different kinds of angles for different knives, but if it matters, there you are.
Here is a link that might be useful: Wusthof Ikon


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Since we offer a well-equipped Business Center, it's easy to complete business while you're on the road. Our property boasts more than 6,000 sq ft of meeting space, so you can host any type of event, and as one of the leading hotels in Clarion, PA, we are in close proximity to local business, including Clarion Hospital, Clarion Boards, Clarion Laminates and Commodore Corp. Clarion University of Pennsylvania is nearby, too.
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B-Film is an interdisciplinary, international research centre at the University of Birmingham. It is steered by a multi-disciplinary committee of film scholars and collaborates with national and international universities and institutions. B-Filmis defined by its research expertise, major research projects and its contribution to scholarship and public facing film culture on a local and global scale.
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Measures to protect bats at Bowthorpe are set to be agreed tonight. Photo: Science/PA Wire
Dan Grimmer
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
The design of a huge housing development on the outskirts of Norwich is to be tinkered with – so the flight path of bats is not disrupted.
Norwich City Council is, through a partnership with the Homes and Communities Agency, looking to get 1,000 homes built at the Three Score site, in Bowthorpe.
The council lodged plans for the development with its own planning committee back in March.
But at a meeting tonight, councillors will be asked to make a couple of changes to the proposals, following comments received during public consultation.
One of the changes members of the city council cabinet will be asked to make is to "appropriate" a patch of land to the west of St Mildred's Road.
While the council already holds the land for housing purposes, the authority needs to use a government act to instead use it for planning purposes.
Specifically, the land, which is an area of scrub and trees, which follows overhead electricity lines, will not be built on, but kept clear to retain a bat corridor.
Council officers said, in the report which will come for councillors: "The additional land will allow this to be retained alongside a footpath/cycle way along the eastern boundary of the development site.
"It will also allow for the possibility of a footpath/ cycleway connecting the Threescore development to St Mildred's Road in future."
A second strip of land north of Bowthorpe Hall Road/Earlham Green Lane is also to be "appropriated". That is, according to officers, to ensure "there is sufficient land to accommodate the bus access into the development".
Officers said: "The provision for public transport is a vital component of the development as a whole. The inclusion of the land will ensure that mitigation measures can be incorporated within the design of the bus access at this point to minimise problems of overlooking for residents in the vicinity."
The controlling Labour cabinet will tonight be asked to resolve that the patches of land are not needed for housing purposes and to authorise that the deputy chief executive is handed delegated powers to deal with the matters.
City Hall leaders recently agreed to allocate £4.7m to build the first council houses in Norwich for two decades at the Three Score site.
As part of the first phase of building at the site, the council would own 47 of the homes.
The Three Score site has been earmarked for development for decades.
Are you looking for a new home? Make sure you get the Norwich Evening News on Thursdays for our Homes 24 section and visit the website at www.homes24.co.uk
2 comments
No, the Council are not going to "tinker". They are under an absolute obligation to ensure that not one single bat is harmed. They are a protected species, all of them and their protection supersedes any rubbish the Council think they can come up with. One single bat gets harmed and people will be liable to stringent fines and prison sentences and I throughly agree with this. Councils in Norfolk may think they have the right to throw their weight around with their voters but really shouldn't try to take on the wildlife protection population of Britain. They'll have every single house in the development torn down and the City Council will be liable if it doesn't make absolutely certain that the bats are protected. In any event don't these dimwitted drongos know this land is floodplain?? Hope they issue the homeowners with galoshes.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Electra, you need to read the story properly - it says protection for bats is (rightly) increased by the changes, not reduced. Also, you need to look at a map - the site slopes up from the river and is actually a fairly steep hill.
Friday, December 14, 2012
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Obama's Proposal for Food Aid Reform is Worth a Close Look
The April 10th release of the Presidential Budget Proposal in the United States is guaranteed to generate political waves. It contains a complete list of recommendations for how Federal spending should be allocated alongside a number of key reforms to Federal programs. Tucked away in the President's proposal is an effort to reform international food aid. Advocates say the changes will improve food aid effectiveness, save more lives, and make federal expenditures more efficient. Congressional approval is needed, however, and some heavy-hitter special interest groups are actively opposing President Obama's reforms.
The fight over food aid isn't likely to generate the same kind of national attention as other proposals in President Obama's budget, like the possible switch to a chained Consumer Price Index (CPI), but it may arguably be a more life-and-death battle for aid recipients. Oxfam America issued a report last year that found that reforming international food aid along the lines proposed by the Obama Administration would enable US assistance to reach 17.1 million more people at 2010 levels of food aid spending. This is nearly equivalent to the total amount of people who received US food aid in Africa in 2010 alone.
In terms of spending, US food aid programs are the biggest in the world, with the government allocating roughly $1.4 billion a year to provide emergency food supplies to disaster-stricken regions of the globe. They are also among the most inefficient. Oxfam's report found that nearly half a billion of the $2.3 billion spent in 2010 was wasted. A 2011 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report puts the figure at $300 million a year.
The special interest groups opposing reform may not see this spending as having been wasted, but it isn't being used to feed the hungry. Since the first federal food aid program was instituted by President Eisenhower in 1954, the law has required that food for aid be purchased solely from agricultural producers and suppliers in the United States. This means that US aid organizations are currently not allowed to purchase food in Tanzania for distribution to drought-stricken populations in the Horn of Africa, for example.
President Obama's main recommendation, to allow LRP, or local and regional procurement of food in the locality of need, would change that. The United States is the only major industrialized country that does not allow LRP in its food aid program. According to Oxfam, the global average for non-domestic purchases as a total of food aid purchases is roughly 50 percent. The US is close to fifty percentage points below that, procuring most of its food for aid from US agricultural producers. US agribusiness supports this arrangement and is opposing reform.
There is some economic rationale for domestic procurement, as US grain is often sold at some of the lowest rates in the world, a reality largely due to US technological prowess and farm subsidies. The real cost-inefficiency for taxpayers comes from shipping the food halfway across the globe. Oxfam estimates that local or regional procurement would result in a 23 percent total program cost reduction. The GAO report lambasts these costs as "inherently inefficient," but also notes that Congress should consider the economic impact of reforms on the US maritime industry. That's because these extra shipping costs go to the US maritime industry. They support the current arrangement and are also opposing the reform.
Even though the GAO notes that shipping costs sometimes exceed the total cost of the food delivered, proponents support reform for other reasons. One of them is speed of delivery, as moving food supplies from the United States to a humanitarian crisis can sometimes take months, delays that human life often cannot afford.
An inefficient use of money
Aside from allowing non-US procurement of food for aid, the Obama administration is seeking to end a practice known as "monetization." The practice was instituted with the passage of the 1985 Food Security Act which authorizes development organizations to sell food purchased by the US government for aid purposes in order to finance development initiatives. Under monetization, also known as "in kind" distribution, US agricultural commodities are bought by the government and given to aid organizations that sell them in developing countries. Aid organizations then use the proceeds to finance development projects.
It often costs more to purchase food in the United States, ship it abroad, and sell it, than aid organizations gain from the process. According to the GAO, "Proceeds generated through monetization to fund development projects are less than what the US government expends to procure and ship the commodities that are monetized," by about $219 million every three years.
Obama is proposing that the money be given directly to aid organizations. His reform would also shift some funding from the Food for Peace initiative to the International Disaster Assistance [IDA] account and then allow non-US purchases of food for providing relief during a crisis, like the current famine in the Horn of Africa. According to the proposal, "With respect to emergencies, a majority ofIDA food aid funding would [still] be used to purchase and ship food from the United States [but] IDAfunding would also be used to purchase food from markets near crises." Organizations that currently receive food aid for resell, known as P.L. 480 (Food for Peace) Title II development resources would be funded directly for a "more cost-effective use of taxpayer resources."
All those opposed say "nay"
Allowing non-US procurement of food for aid and ending monetization are the two reforms that are the subject of an open letter to President Obama published by industry organizations on February 21st. The letter asks Obama to keep food aid the way it is. The signatories are mostly shipping and agribusiness interest groups, but some aid organizations are also on the list. A second letter was sent to the President by twenty-one US Senators from farm states asking Obama not to pursue the reforms. This followed "an intense lobbying campaign" according to Ron Nixon of The New York Times.
James Caponiti, executive director of the American Maritime Congress representing the US shipping industry, opposes reform because he says it could cost US jobs. "We are talking about hundreds of jobs lost. This is a very, very bad idea." Caponiti's remarks have been ridiculed since, with Jonathan Zasloff, an advocate of food aid reform from a faith-based humanitarian organization, the American Jewish World Service, simply writing, "Hundreds?"
The opposition to aid reform from aid organizations is due to political calculus. According to The New York Times, the president of Food for Hungry signed onto the opposition letter because he is unwilling to trust Congress to directly fund aid programs if part of the funding does not also support American shipping and agribusiness interest. But many humanitarian groups, including Oxfam andCARE, have supported and campaigned for these reforms.
In 2007, CARE – one of the largest US based aid organizations – went so far as to drop out of the monetization program. The move cost them $45 million dollars a year in monetization revenue but it allowed them to procure food locally and reach more people.
Digging deeper, the international context
Within the United States, food aid reform is a fight about the effective use of federal expenditures. If the goal is to provide food aid, then allowing distributors to cut out US agribusiness when it is cost-effective and therefore appropriate to do so makes sense. If the goal is to also support US agriculture and shipping industries, then the inefficiencies are a form of domestic US stimulus or subsidy. But some proponents of reform see a more international debate.
The practice of monetization has been criticized for its impact on the future food security of nations where food aid is sold to finance development initiatives. The GAO sums it up as: "Critics view the practice of converting cash to commodities and then back to cash as an inefficient use of resources that may also have adverse market impacts in recipient countries. These market impacts may include displacing commercial trade and discouraging local food production."
The concern is that subsidized US food aid, sold at below market rates, might undercut demand for food grown by local farmers in developing countries. This pushes them out of business or causes them to produce less, ultimately reducing local or regional food security and making a bad problem worse.
In trade policy lingo, the practice of selling goods at below cost in order to displace competitors and gain market share is known as "dumping" and it is outlawed by the World Trade Organization (WTO). Although the goal of the WTO is to promote free trade between nations, its signatories are allowed to impose import restrictions when they are intended to prevent dumping.
Anti-dumping measures of this kind are allowed to protect essential domestic industries, like food production, from unfair foreign competition. Some onlookers like the Food First Institute for Food and Development Policy's Eric Holt-Gimenez and author and academic Raj Patel view the strict procurement policy of US food aid as a strategy to promote the competitiveness of US agribusiness at the expense of developing nations' food security. In simpler words, it's an aid strategy that produces and maintains dependence.
The law governing US procurement of food aid may violate the WTO's Agreement on Government Procurement, although it has never been taken to a WTO tribunal for interpretation. The Agreement on Procurement asks that no country favor its domestic enterprises over foreign ones in determining the award of government contracts, or to favor domestic over foreign goods in determining government purchases. The government purchase of food from domestic suppliers to be sold at below market rates in developing countries would legally be considered an export subsidy in violation of the WTO treaty except that a loophole was negotiated: food aid has been explicitly exempted from WTO prohibitions on export subsidies.
The last round of WTO negotiations, known as the Doha Round, collapsed because of disagreements between nations on agricultural policies. At the crux of the collapse was a battle over "hidden" agricultural subsidies to US farmers and the maintenance of barriers on US market access for developing country's agricultural exports. With the US unwilling to move on these issues, other countries refused to move on other issues and the talks collapsed in 2009, after eight years of negotiations.
In the middle of those discussions was food aid. After the Hong Kong Ministerial Meeting of the WTOin 2005, trade ministers declared their intention to create a mechanism for one country to sue another over hidden subsidies in food aid. They promised to, "agree to effective disciplines on in-kind food aid, monetization, and re-exports so that there can be no loop-hole for continuing export subsidization." A report from the Overseas Development Institute explained in 2006 that the fight over food aid, which was the United States versus the World, was blocking "progress" on "wider agricultural negotiations." The US refused to "untie" their aid by allowing LRP and the current US food aid policy became one of the reasons that WTO trade negotiations collapsed and have yet to resume.
President Obama's reform attempt has sweeping implications for the efficacy of US humanitarian assistance, global food security, and maybe even the resumption of global trade negotiations, but US agriculture and its allies are expected to continue petitioning Congress to oppose it. How Congress responds is worth following.


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The best way to learn about our high quality personal care and vibrant community for seniors with dementia, Alzheimer's disease, or other memory loss disorders is to visit our community. Schedule a tour today to meet our staff, see our wonderful amenities and observe our engaging, active community activities in person.
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On behalf of Dr. Colon, the staff at Govenor's Glen is proud to provide an excellent community for senior citizens that suffer from Alzheimer's, dementia, or other memory problems. Our goal is to improve the quality of life of our residents through socialization and stimulation of the body and mind. We take pride in not being some old folks home for senior citizens to sit and pass the time. Instead, we strive to create a vibrant, active community.
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When Atlanta podiatrist Dr. Paul A Colon received the news that his mother, Millie Michaels, had Alzheimer's disease, he set out to provide her with the best possible care. As Mrs. Michaels condition worsened, her level of care progressed from intermittent care to in-home twenty four hour care. Eventually, Mrs. Michaels needed such consistent high level care for her physical needs that she had to be moved into a rehabilitation hospital for a short period of time.
However, during her stay for physical rehabilitation, Mrs. Michaels began to show signs of recovering some of her cognitive skills as a result of socializing with a community of people all day and participating in activities such as recreation therapy. Therefore, when Dr. Colon began looking for post-rehabilitative care for his mother, he searched for facilities that would not only take care of his mother's physical needs but her social well-being as well. He realized that in-home care was not the best arrangement for his mother, regardless of how well intended.
As a result of his dedication to his mother's care, Dr. Colon decided to build an assisted living home that offered personal memory care in which his mother would be proud to live. What had begun as a journey to find the best care for his mother transitioned to a learning process and a mission. Dr. Colon visited almost 100 other assisted living facilities, studying which programs engaged Alzheimer's and dementia residents and what activities enriched their lives by creating community.
The result of Dr. Colon's mission opened in December 1999, built the way his mother would have wanted it. In fact, Mrs. Michael's picture hangs in the lobby w
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Located in the South Metro Atlanta Area, Governor's Glen Memory Impaired Community is a privately owned and operated assisted living community. Our full time staff provides care for people who have memory disorders such as dementia, Alzheimer's disease, or other memory problems that affect their daily lives. At Governor's Glen, our high energy, accommodating staff provides a variety of assisted living options including residential assisted living with long term care, short term respite care, or adult daycare.
With a licensed nurse on staff and a board certified psychiatrist on call, our residents have access to regular podiatrist visits, in house dentist visits, on site physical therapy, as well as daily medication management.
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These evaluations (screening, substance abuse assessment, and criminal record check) should be delivered in a timely manner (ideally pretrial but absolutely prior to sentencing) to
help ensure and expedite proper sentencing. Evaluations are particularly critical in dealing with hardcore drunk drivers because they provide information about their criminal record, propensity to re-offend, and about their drinking and driving habits. Whenever possible the evaluations should also screen for co-occurring mental health and drug issues (see CARS program in emerging practices section).
A major purpose of offender evaluation is to reduce recidivism by determining a defendant's criminal risk and the nature of his/her alcohol involvement so appropriate treatment options can be identified and assigned. The National Institute on Drug Abuse and the Institute of Behavioral Research at Texas Christian University provide several good examples of substance abuse assessments. Additionally, a confidential and simple alcohol screening is available through the Partnership for a Drug-Free America at http://www.alcoholscreening.org/Home.aspx


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ASMFC American Lobster Board Approves Addendum XXII and Releases Draft Addendum XXIII for Public CommentSt. Simons Island, GA – The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's American Lobster Management Board approved Addendum XXII to Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for American Lobster and Draft Addendum XXIII for public comment. Addendum XXII implements Single Ownership and Aggregate Ownership Caps in Lobster Conservation Management Area 3 (LCMA 3, federal waters). These measures are intended to enhance the ability of lobster business owners to plan for their future fishing operations as trap reductions are initiated. Draft Addendum XXIII contains information on habitat needs for American lobster and does not include any proposed management changes. |
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I ordered a new drawing tablet (Wacom Intuos5 Touch L) and I LOVE IT. ;__; Old one went nuts and it was anyways about a right time to get a new one.
This was my first drawing experience with it and... Uoh. My alter ego protecting his new treasure. You're welcome. Wait what?


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Start with the solution
From the February 25, 2013 issue of the Christian Science Sentinel
In the part of Australia where I lived when I first emigrated from England, the order of the road markings is reversed. "Ahead Lane Bus" and "Street Way One" had me scratching my head.
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ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV.com) -- A star of the hit tv series Glee will perform the National Anthem at Friday's fifth game of the NLCS.
Matt Morrison who plays Mr. Schuester on Glee will be at Busch Stadium Friday evening to open up Game 5 between the Cardinals and Gaints.
Morrison's character is a Spanish teacher who became the director of the school's Glee club.
Morrison has been nominated for multiple awards including an Emmy, a Golden Globe and a Tony Award.


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Man appears on assault charge; warrant issued in bat incident
WILLMAR -- A 22-year-old Willmar man made his first appearance Friday on a second-degree assault charge for his role in an incident that involved beating people and vehicles with baseball bats.
Nicholas William Dahl also faces misdemeanor assault and property damage charges. Unconditional bail was set at $75,000. His next appearance in Kandiyohi County District Court is June 14.
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Dustin Handley AG Service Manager 650-988-9508 X 125 firstname.lastname@example.com
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Access Control
Control systems vary in style and functionality. From simple to complex they include standalone devices, telecomm equipment, radio frequency [RF] devices and the internet. Statcomm provides the right access control device to meet client's requirements of budget, security and management.
As an extension to residential and commercial security gates, and overhead and fire door, design, and periodic maintenance services provided through our Automatic Gates division, the same division is trained and certified to assist you with your entry systems and access control devices. A brief overview of what our team is able to assist you with is listed below:
Our gates and Access Control division looks forward to the next opportunity we have to provide our award winning service to you.
If you would like to receive a FREE Site Assessment of your property, please contact our Business Development Team at 650-988-9508 or email us at email@example.com and we will contact you to schedule a date and time for this valuable and essential FIRST STEP in working with our company.
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European Union
European Union
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In recent years, the European Union has come to recognize that it cannot prevent migration and that it needs a different approach to managing flows from its poorer neighbors. Jean-Pierre Cassarino of the European University Institute looks at the rationale for mobility partnerships and what they will need to be effective.
Ireland's economy and openness to labor migration from new EU Member States fueled immigration flows, including return migration, over the past few years. But the global recession has hit the country hard, and unemployment among both foreigners and Irish nationals is rising. Emma Quinn of the Economic and Social Research Institute in Dublin updates the Ireland country profile with a look at recent trends, policies, and data.
Recent immigration to the United Kingdom is larger and more diverse than at any point in its history. This updated profile examines how the global recession is affecting migration flows, the latest immigration and asylum data, and overviews of new immigration and integration policies.
Nearly 40 percent of Switzerland's 1.6 million foreign residents come from countries outside the European Union. Julie Schindall examines the latest data on this population, integration indicators and policies, and political rhetoric and public opinion.
Gloomy economic forecasts do not seem to have slowed the hunt for highly skilled migrants or foreign students — the best near-term solution to fill shortages and enhance competitiveness.
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Drawing on experiences from Asia, Europe, North America, and the Pacific region, this report presents eight strategies that represent best practices developed by immigrant-receiving countries to increase the economic contributions of immigration.
Information and technology are centerpieces of a new border architecture that seeks to respond to the competing demands of facilitating mobility and managing cross-border risks while remaining cost-efficient and respectful of rights and privacy. This report shows how governments must approach border management systems to ensure properly balanced development.
This report details the post-9/11 programs and agreements implemented by U.S. and European governments to identify terrorists and serious transnational criminals through the collection and processing of increasing quantities of traveler data.
The global economic downturn and rising debt levels in all European countries have put immigration at the forefront of many debates surrounding public spending. This report presents a diversity of findings with regard to European governments' responses to immigrant integration organization, financing, and programs.
This policy brief examines the legalization debate on both sides of the Atlantic and discusses policy parameters that characterize legalization programs, such as qualifications, requirements, benefits, and program design and implementation.
The enlargement of the European Union has fundamentally changed migration patterns to the United Kingdom. Since May 2004 an estimated 1.5 million workers have moved to the UK from new EU member states. This report looks at the challenges ahead as migration patterns shift across the UK.
Despite benefits of sharing commercial, government, or personal information for law enforcement and intelligence purposes, U.S. and EU officials have toiled to find a satisfactory legal framework to do so. This report describes and analyzes possible legal, privacy, and data-protection frameworks for information-sharing agreements relating to human mobility.
"Good integration" happens every day in different areas around the country, either as a unified response to a tragic event, in the private sphere, or in the successful performance of some ethnic minorities in education and employment.Yet, in some respects, communities are moving apart, pulled or sometimes pushed, by their own choices.


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Lets update what is going on with everyone.
Be good to have a kitchen table natter again.
I have the kettle on and the cakes are cooling just out of the oven.
How is everyone doing?
I am finding motherhood amazing.
Kind of don't want anyone else near my son. Including M!!!
He is in a growth spurt at the mo I think as he is eating sooo much... Yet not sleeping as long as I would hope.
2 hours and he wants more!! If he hasn't surpassed his birthweight tomorrow at weigh in I will eat my shoe!!!
Never knew that I would spend my day changing nappy after nappy and actually love it!!
Still in shock I have this little person. Took so long to get him... I am still waiting for the bubble to burst.
I have already lost all my pregnancy weight plus.
Just want my lower tummy to deflate more so I can get into the jeans I git for Christmas should fit me even better then then!!!
Life is good xxx
Trying not to stress too much whilst dealing the full effects of a blue moon (DS get a little bit, ok a lot more challenging, during a full moon.).
Started FSH I injections yesterday and I go back next Monday for my next scan.
But Liz I remember that time well.
Blue moon?
Good luck with the scan!!!
Make sure you keep us posted!!!!
Double post
Is it okay if I pop in? Just sticking my toes back in the water here at pg.org
Liz, I am so incredibly happy for you! I know I haven't actually been signed in much or talked to you hardly, but I've followed your journey and am so happy you have your gorgeous boy.
AFM- not much on the fertility front. I've got complex ovarian cysts that seem to be on a cycle- the first u/s showed one on each ovary (a much larger, complex one on the right), the next scan showed the right one was gone, but now the left one is large and complex. I should be going for another scan soon, but with the Canadian health system, it always takes a lot longer than it should.
My doctor is doing the "wait and see" approach. So, the past 6 months have been spent waiting to see if the cysts will disappear. I'm feeling like I will probably get no help in TTC. I'm a big girl, and in Canada some RE's won't see women who are overweight.
On a lighter note, it is nice and sunny, and school starts soon so I will be back to teaching. Looking forward to it.
Hey Ladies,
I'm around. Mostly on the IVF forum, pretty much lying low. I'm currently 6 days post transfer but feeling EXTREMELY nervous since I have all my typical AF symptoms, and technically AF is due Friday. So I'm trying to prepare myself for the worst right now.
I have 4 frozen embies, and one more chance of IVF and then that's it. We haven't discussed past this, since IVF is very expensive. I am going to buy tests tomorrow and havent completely decided if I'm going to test tomorrow or not. Right now it's still early, but I will buy enough to test for several days if AF doesn't show. I need all the prayers I can get right now, since these cramps are really really stressing me out bad!!!
I love this! Its been so quiet here that I've been hoping to read some updates. My "enter" key isn't working on here, so I apologize now for my big long paragraph post. >>> Liz, I am SO happy for you!!!! It does take some time to feel real. Heck my daughter is 16 and I have moments when I can't believe I have a daughter, let alone a daughter that age!! >>> Jodie, Wishing you all the best on your cycle!! >>> Elizabeth, I'm so sorry you are still dealing with those pesty cysts!! I hope you are back on the TTC wagon very soon! >>> Marisol, I am praying this is your cycle! Hang in there with those symptoms. They can mean so many different things and are so hard to read. >>> A lot has been going on at my end. I'm not TTC at all. However, I was in a car accident back in May and am very frustrated with the fact that 14 weeks later I am still suffering with pain. There has been improvement overall, thanks to my physical therapist and massage therapist, but I am hurting every single day at one point or another. And very tired by the end of my work day. Makes my job and life difficult. I have put on weight and lost muscle tone, as I can't return to my exercise routine I had prior to the accident. I was going to boot camp twice a week and running twice a week as well. I miss my life as it was before and struggle with how my life is now. I also suspect I have TMJ from the whiplash injury. I have most of the symptoms and have complained about those symptoms to my treating therapists on a regular basis, but nobody has said anything about whether that's what it is or not. I even have the ringing in my ears. Once my family dr returns from holidays I am going to make an appointment to see her. I haven't seen her since late May when she referred me to the physiotherapist and I feel like I need to follow-up with her and see if there is anything more I can be doing to get better. I feel like its taking way too long and my treating therapists seem to think that stress is causing flare-ups rather than physical strain. I am stressed, but I don't feel like its causing all my problems. They want me to find ways to relax more, which I know I need to do. I just think that I may need to explore other therapies to achieve full healing. I've also had some good things happening in my life too! Its not all pity party from the accident. I have been enjoying a beautiful summer with friends and family!
Goodness, I'm so bad in these ongoing threads so I usually avoid them. I forget to comment on everyone so I feel bad.
Things are going well on my end. 18wks tomorrow and I'm finally starting to feel actually really pregnant. I almost felt like before that I wasn't...almost like it was surreal. But the belly is getting bigger and I'm starting to feel some movement. Big U/S is next Tuesday so I will post after that. We are NOT finding out the sex though! It's team green all the way and a surprise at the end!!
Liz Blue moon is the second full moon in less than a month, meaning a lot of extra chaos and mayhem for 48-72 hours as DS is very much effected by the cycles of the moon (he has done since in utero).
Dreamchaser - I can so understand your frustration. I had a bad car accident in 2005 and it took so long and so much physio, hydro and massage therapy to recover. ((((hugs))))
Rachael - good luck for your scan next week and yay for being on team green.
Marisol. Sending lots of sticky vibes for you.
Elizabeth - I hope the cysts calm down for you very soon.
I second what Jodie said and add...
Marisol... Keep us updated on what's going on... Saw your thread at dysal!!!
We ended up at a and e yesterday.
I took Ed to the doctors as he had been waking up from his Moses basket really congested. The health visitor had said to raise the head end with some books to help with drainage and if that didn't work to take him up the doctors.. So I did.
And I mentioned about his erratic breathing too and that was that she called the hospital let them know I was coming.
M was off on a bike ride and if course I still can't drive after my c section so I called a work mate who is on maternity .. She's due in oct.
And she came and got me.
Shows a good friend... Bless her.
Turns out its just periodic breathing.. Just Eds is a little more extreme.
He'll grow out if it,
Bloody scary!!
I washed his Moses basket cover too and he didn't have congestion today...
So.. Looks like he's waking do I can see if he's grown into some clothes and feed him!!!!


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WelcomeThe mission of Children's Leukemia Foundation of Michigan is to provide and promote compassionate, personalized support to people in Michigan affected by leukemia and other related disorders. Children's Leukemia Foundation of Michigan |
Thank you for your Support!Thank you so much to Cascade Die Casting Group, Inc. and all of the other generous supporters that sponsored or participated in the Basic Rubber Memorial Golf Outing! We are humbed by your extrodinary kindness and dedication to Children's Leukemia Foundation of Michigan, its mission, patients and families! |
Patient Profile - Madelyn M.Meet Madelyn M. (or as we all know her, Maddie). Maddie is a very vibrant, caring and brave two-and-a-half year old girl who was diagnosed with a severe form of aplastic anemia at the precious age of 15 months... |
We're Making News!It's great to be back! |
Jackson National Life 2 to 1 Employee MatchCLF would like to thank Jackson National Life for their continued support through their Employee Match program. Jackson National Life offers a 2 to 1 company match for their employee's donations to area non-profits. With their support, CLF is able to provide and promote compassionate, personalized support to Michigan families affected by leukemia and other related disorders. |
Make a Difference When You ShopChildren's Leukemia Foundation of Michigan has partnered with Kroger stores through its Kroger Community Rewards Program. Every time you swipe your Kroger Plus Shopper's Card a portion of your purchase can benefit CLF. You must have a Kroger Plus Card to participate and register your card online to benefit CLF. |
CLF At A Glance |
A Legendary ChampionBagger Dave's is a strong supporter of CLF and their efforts. We're very proud of what they give to so many families. And in the spirit of giving, we'd like to share something good with your family. |
To host a Hearts for Hope or Hoops for Hope campaign or to learn more about this program, contact Marty Watson


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Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump Wants You to Stop Hating Nickelback (and He Isn't Wrong)
Blasts online culture of ignorant, insecure dismissal
Fall Out Boy's upcoming album, Save Rock and Roll, might have its work cut out to achieve its title, but frontman Patrick Stump is at least trying to save how we talk about pop culture.
In a 1,300-word blog post on Sunday morning, Stump compellingly argues that our online pop-culture discourse revolves around what we all ignorantly dismiss rather than what we love. And that this conversation based on loudly ripping on bands, singers, and actors without really knowing about them reveals our crippling insecurity about being caught liking the wrong bands, singers, or actors.
He's not saying only professional critics should be allowed to have opinions. He's just suggesting maybe we all as consumers of pop culture could spend our time more wisely than by trashing Nickelback again. Especially when the only Nickelback song we know is, like, "This Is How You Remind Me."
"All of the agreed upon pariahs throughout pop-culture history put their identities into the thing we decry," Stump wrote. "And yet we derive our own identities from the act of hating. We connect on the things we are disappointed in. Some may argue that nothing in history gathers a crowd like complaining about Lady Gaga's meat dress. Near-masturbatory complaining has brought together more people than cheap liquor."
It's worth reading the whole thing in full below. Everyone will have their own reactions to Stump's critique, but it's praiseworthy that he started the conversation.
Some parts are hard to argue. "We're so busy broadcasting our latest cultural disdain that we scantly notice anything we enjoy," Stump wrote. "'Oh man, this Rebecca Black kid is terrible! Let's laugh at her!' has become more culturally relevant than 'I really love this new Bilal record.'" In fact, the same Billboard chart rule changes that boosted Baauer's "Harlem Shake" to the No. 1 spot would also have helped Black's much-derided "Friday"; at some point, what we collectively pass around in scorn could out-chart what any of us individually, earnestly enjoy.
At the same time, as well-intentioned as Stump's complaints are, it's hard to see the discourse changing now that pop culture is so fragmented. People really do (or did) want to talk about Gaga's meat dress, more than want to talk about whichever underrated artist any of us would prefer to champion.
And Fall Out Boy are indeed underrated in certain circles, but as the lead singer of a multiplatinum band, Stump is in an awkward position to be suggesting an end to kneejerk rejections; Nickelback might have less cultural capital than Neutral Milk Hotel, but they presumably have more capital capital.
What's more, pop music isn't classical; you might write a more useful review if you have relevant expertise, but you shouldn't need elite credentials to have an opinion about "Gangnam Style."
Still, what Stump is basically saying is maybe there's not much more cultural mileage we can get out of "ignorantly dismissing things as loudly as we can." He makes a comparison to the grocery store, where you might not like barbecue sauce, but you certainly don't hang out in the barbecue sauce aisle "going 'Haaaa! Fuck this thing!'"
Let's not ignorantly dismiss Stump's well-stated arguments here, either. Even though barbecue sauce totally rules.
Hey! Don't You Just Hate That (every)Thing?
How many people reading this are fans of Nickelback? How about Dane Cook? Now, I can safely assume that, unless this blog gets reposted on a site dedicated to those respective artists, those questions would be met with tumbleweeds and the distant sound of crickets. Like Creed or Limp Bizkit or the "Dude! You're getting a Dell!" kid, they've become ubiquitously hate-able. I would not be exaggerating to state I've simply never heard someone admit to liking them.
Why is that? Now, I'm not saying I like them. Like you (fellow pop culture spectator) I am honor-bound by the unspoken law that, no matter what, I am not allowed to say anything positive about these artists. What have they really done wrong? Have they offended me? Not really. I've been more offended by Michael Richards famous rant or Sean Connery's statements about hitting women. I still watch Seinfeld and James Bond movies. Hell, the misogynistic subtext of James Bond movies offend more of my sensibilities than anything Nickelback ever did and yet I don't have any problem escaping to a world of fast cars and women with offensively suggestive names (Pussy Galore? Like…are we not even trying?) Somewhere in the world at this moment, some snooty contrarian is probably defending the paintings of Adolph Hitler. Yet for some reason, here I am crippled by a vague and probably unwarranted desire not to appear to be a fan of Nickelback and Dane Cook.
That's sad. In this generation of blazing wi-fi and scathing tweets, I think it's very easy to lose sight of anyone else's opinion. We're so busy broadcasting our latest cultural disdain that we scantly notice anything we enjoy. "Oh man, this Rebecca Black kid is terrible! Let's laugh at her!" has become more culturally relevant than "I really love this new Bilal record." I read an entire article examining why we as a society don't like Anne Hathaway's (in my un-necessary opinion, lovely) face. Well, criticizing art and the artists that make it is a lazier pass time than creating or appreciating it.
I'm not saying professional critics aren't good at what they do. On the contrary; Some of my favorite writers are and have been. The problem is that now everyone has a blog. Everyone's a critic. Hell, I have a blog. That I'm writing on right now. I have movie reviews posted on here somewhere. What gives me the right? The late Lester Bangs knew what he was talking about. Roger Ebert has written enough scripts to know when somebody sucked at writing one. They earned their stripes as have countless current critics (too many to list here and I think to name names would be a conflict of interest). These people are artists in their own right.
I'm an artist. Not necessarily a good one (and certainly not as a critic), but I consider myself one nonetheless. I look at the music I create as art. I work hard to craft it. When I perform, I make as many sacrifices as I find reasonable in order to perform to the best of my abilities. It affects the way I eat, the way I sleep, the frequency with which I can drink, the medications I take, the nightclubs I can go to (namely: None); I have to take my entire life a little more seriously if I'm going to not sound like the Cave of Wonders from Alladin. I study other musicians. I'm always working to improve my abilities as a songwriter or a guitarist or a producer or a programmer or a lyricist, etc. I'm sure Nickelback, at least somewhere in they're career, are or were no different. They worked (and potentially still are working) to be the best damned Nickelback they can be. All of the agreed upon pariahs throughout pop-culture history put their identities into the thing we decry.
And yet we derive our own identities from the act of hating. We connect on the things we are disappointed in. Some may argue that nothing in history gathers a crowd like complaining about Lady Gaga's meat dress. Near-masturbatory complaining has brought together more people than cheap liquor. "Who hates the government?" "Cheeer!!!!" "Don't you just hate Justin Bieber?" "Huzaaaaah!"
What is it about pop culture though? We don't have the same reactions to, arguably, more personal tastes/decisions such as food. We actually physically put food into our bodies. We are literally made of the things we eat. We don't go into a grocery store and go "Ew! Hey, look at barbecue sauce! Don't you just friggin' hate barbecue sauce?" No. Because clearly tons of people love barbecue sauce and if we don't like it, we will quietly opt out of eating it. There's not instant value judgement in removing yourself from the crowd of barbecue sauce lovers. There's also not a decided alternative to barbecue sauce because, hell, the whole damn grocery store is an alternative to barbecue sauce. If anything, in regards to pop culture, we don't just go out of our way to avoid the things we don't like; If it's the grocery store we more or less put on our coats, brush the snow off our cars, drive across town, find a parking space, run into the aisle, and stand in front of the product going "Haaaa! Fuck this thing!" All I can guess is this must simply be more entertaining than wasting time actually ENJOYING something.
You see it all the time in the music community. We partition ourselves off into little sub-groups. From those sub-groups, even littler still. When I was a kid I loved a Chicago hardcore band called Los Crudos. They're reuniting and I'm excited about that. However, I would be (based on my career path) designated as either a pop-punk, emo, or outright pop-singer and therefor I feel a slight tinge of worry at my admission that I love Crudos. Part of me thinks "Wow, anyone who's heard of that band almost certainly hates mine and will almost certainly hate me and want to disassociate themselves from me,". I can't watch the HBO show Girls (which I love) without thinking to myself "Oh man, these characters and maybe even some of these actors would probably be too ashamed to be caught dead even knowing someone who still owns a Fall Out Boy shirt."
Because we define ourselves by hate. It's an obvious insecurity we can't see in ourselves. I can't tell you how many times I (either as part of Fall Out Boy or as a solo artist) have asked another artist to tour together or work together on a song and been shot down on the grounds of "Oh you guys are lame." I can't tell you how many times I (either as part of Fall Out Boy or as a solo artist) have probably unwittingly done the same exact thing to another artist. That's strange. A simple "No," would have sufficed. But for some reason, we as human beings have to stamp it into the ground and shout it from the rooftops; "Let it be known that I wouldn't be caught DEAD in a St. Anger t-shirt…just in case you were wondering. And Twilight SUCKS!…probably."
Now, I'm not saying everyone needs to go around playing nice and never admitting that they dislike things. That'd be ridiculous. But perhaps we as a culture have exhausted (at least for a little while) whatever can positively be gained by ignorantly dismissing things as loudly as we can. I started off talking about Nickelback. I really couldn't tell you one of their songs. What qualifies me to say I dislike them? Dane Cook? He was actually pretty rad on that Louis C.K. show. Maybe next time I'm at the proverbial pop culture grocery store and someone offers me the proverbial barbecue sauce, I'll politely decline and head to another aisle to purchase something I enjoy.


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The Global FlyFisher - The Largest and Best Place to go for Online Fly Fishing and Fly TyingPatternsFirst published before January 1st 2001 - More than 14 years ago
More about: Sea Trout Flies | Patterns | Comment The ShankNo materials at all - but still good for sea troutAn oldie pattern from GFF
The Shank is a fly that will be both small and large at once. It's actually just a tuft of hair on a hook shank, but the hair cosen is fairly stiff
squirrel, and will give the fly some volume. Still when there's current or you retrieve it a bit faster it collapses to a narrow strip.
The squirrel can be tricky. I usually catch the material in a loop of thread over the hook before passing the thread under the hook. In this manner the hair is kept together in a neat bundle and will sit on top of the hook shank. Also I varnish the hair when I have trimmed the butts - before adding the finishing wraps and making the head. After finishing the fly I varnish it as I usually would.


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Doug Boyd Ph.D. serves as the Director of the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History at the University of Kentucky Libraries and is a recognized national leader regarding oral history, archives and digital technologies. Most recently, Boyd led the team that envisioned, designed and implemented the open source OHMS system that synchronizes text with audio and video online, and he is currently completing the design and implementation on an open source, online oral history collection management database system.
Boyd is the author of numerous articles about oral history, archives and digital technologies, and he is the author of the new book Crawfish Bottom: Recovering a Lost Kentucky Community which was published in August 2011 by the University Press of Kentucky and is Co-Editor with Mary Larson of Oral History and Digital Humanities: Voice, Access, Engagement, being published by Palgrave-Macmillan in late 2014. Boyd serves as the co-general editor for the Kentucky Remembered series for the University Press of Kentucky.
Doug Boyd is the author of the blog Digital Omnium, co-hosts the Saving Stories radio program and podcast on Lexington's NPR station WUKY featuring Kentucky oral history and various Nunn Center initiatives. Boyd also regularly writes, lectures, and consults on oral history and digital technologies, archives, and digital preservation having recently consulted for the University of Colorado, the University ofAlabama, and the Navajo Nation. He regularly teaches archives and oral history courses for the University of Kentucky's School of Library and Information Science. He is currently managing the IMLS grant project Oral History in the Digital Age establishing current best practices for collecting, curating and disseminating oral histories. The grant is directed by MATRIX at Michigan State University and partners the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian, the Oral History Association, and the American Folklore Society. Previously, Doug Boyd established and administered Digital Programs for the University of Alabama Libraries, served as the Director of the KentuckyOral History Commission and prior to that worked as the Senior Archivist for the oral history collection at the Kentucky Historical Society. Boyd was elected in 2008 to the Oral History Steering Committee for the Society of American Archivists and to the Executive Council of the Oral History Associati on in 2010. Doug Boyd received his Ph.D. and M.A. degrees in Folklore from Indiana Universityand his B.A. degree in History from Denison University in Granville, Ohio.


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PRESS RELEASE From the Office of State Senator Leticia Van de Putte
For Immediate Release January 31, 2013 Contact: Lee Nichols, 512-463-0126
(AUSTIN) — A Gold Star might be the most poignant yet significant recognition the family of a service member can receive. It signals to the world that someone in your family has died in the service of our country.
When Texans approved the property tax exemption for 100% Disabled Veterans and their surviving spouses, we did nothing to help Gold Star Spouses. "It is time to make sure we properly honor the sacrifice of the whole family," said state Senator Leticia Van de Putte, Chair of the Senate Veteran Affairs and Military Installations Committee.
These surviving spouses never had the opportunity for their service members to receive 100% disability - because they died in combat. Senator Leticia Van de Putte supports our Gold Star Spouses saying, "If you are killed in combat you never have the chance to receive a disability rating - and surviving families don't get the property tax exemption afforded to other veteran families. To help correct this omission, I filed SJR 16, with its enabling legislation SB 163. I hope that my colleagues in the Legislature and all Texans will approve this important tax change."


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Bobcats To Start Re-Brand Immediately
Posted 19 July 2013 - 08:59 AM
Nothing really changes, but it will look fresh with the different color focus
Posted 19 July 2013 - 09:19 AM
This is tremendously exciting. I remember going to the Hive as a kid to watch those guys who were in attendance yesterday (Tripuca, Bogues, Curry) and that place was always rocking. A lot of great memories there. My credit card is going to take a beating once the official merch is released. Oh well...it'll be worth it.
Also, FWIW, this is an awesome Hornets forum. I usually just hang out in the Panthers section, but this place is tight. Love the pinstriped background.
- Proudiddy PIE'd this
Posted 19 July 2013 - 09:23 AM
Well done video by our friends at bring back the buzz.
Congrats guys, it's been a long time coming but they're finally home. Even though I'm a Lakers fan first and foremost I remember going to the Hive with my dad in the 90's, and how kick ass that place was. There was an energy and excitement in the building that I haven't experienced at many arenas. Exciting time to be a Charlotte NBA fan. Will definitely be going to the first game back as the Hornets, and many others in the future....
Posted 19 July 2013 - 09:30 AM
I remember my first ever Hornets game, we just moved to Charlotte-- 1995 Hornets vs. Warriors. I've been a fan ever since!
Posted 19 July 2013 - 03:04 PM
Posted 19 July 2013 - 03:13 PM
I still think they'll end up using the colors from the Buzz city logo and a bunch of people will be pissed off about it. They've shown the colors in the splash page and website for Buzz City. A darker blue, the a shade light of teal blue "Buzz city logo" and the really dark purple from the Buzz city splash. Add in silver accents just like the Jacket they are giving with the season ticket purchases and it's a mix of the Bobcats colors and the old hornets colors.
Posted 19 July 2013 - 03:21 PM
I think it's stupid to go away from the the teal. It will piss off a lot of people, especially if they go with anything close to Carolina blue,
Posted 19 July 2013 - 05:43 PM
I remember my first ever Hornets game, we just moved to Charlotte-- 1995 Hornets vs. Warriors. I've been a fan ever since!
Was that the Chris Webber just got traded for Tom Gugliotta game?
Bc that was my first Hornet game!
Hornets Won..I went bc I loved Golden State and the Hornets and Tim Hardaway was posting Mugsey all game.
LJ had a massive put back dunk in that one. Chris Mullin injured I think.
- Ship PIE'd this
Posted 19 July 2013 - 05:44 PM
Posted 19 July 2013 - 07:04 PM
As far as the colors go, while I would prefer the purple and teal, I like the purple and blue that they've been using in the Buzz City logo. If you look at it compared to the UNC logo you can see that the blue is not the same color. And this is coming from a State fan.
Posted 19 July 2013 - 07:12 PM
Was that the Chris Webber just got traded for Tom Gugliotta game?
Bc that was my first Hornet game!
Hornets Won..I went bc I loved Golden State and the Hornets and Tim Hardaway was posting Mugsey all game.
LJ had a massive put back dunk in that one. Chris Mullin injured I think.
Hell yeah!
- TANTRIC-NINJA PIE'd this
Posted 19 July 2013 - 07:36 PM
Posted 19 July 2013 - 07:38 PM
Posted 19 July 2013 - 08:15 PM
I don't see how they would put so much effort into market research on the name and not do it for a host of other things like the color scheme. And I can't see that research saying the same thing about the original purple and teal color scheme as it did about people love of the name.
I love the Hornets and I kept trying to love the Bobcats but it just never worked. I'd keep up with them some but not like I do college sports and the Panthers. People always talk about being a fan being a generational thing. Of growing up with it. Your dad taking you to games and you taking your sons to games. That's what builds lasting fans and that's what the Hornets name is all about. People want a history. They want to feel like they belong and were/are a part of something.
You can up update and tweak all you like but if want to make the fans happy IMHO you have to make sure you do a few things.
You already got the name back.
You brought in past great players and showcased them for the fans.
You brought out vintage apparel and jerseys.
You are already marketing the Hornets brand and not waiting for next year.
Now, keep the damn original colors. Teal and Purple. It worked and still works. It's unique, marketable and people love it. Why change for the sake of change? If it ain't broke, don't fix it. We're not the old creme and orange Bucs that have ugly ass uniforms. And Jordan needs to keep his UNC love our of the equation. No tar heal blue.
The arena must be called the Hive.
The logo can be tweaked and updated but should be basically the same.
Create a Hall of honor or history space in the arena. You don't have to retire jerseys or anything but give a nod to the great history of the old team.
Hire Bogus in some capacity. He's probably the most well known, most loved player from the old team. I'd love him on color commentary.
And of course you have to put a winning team on the floor but that goes without saying. (Or at least a competitive one.)
- ZackAttack23 PIE'd this
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Who What Why: Why are there so many seagulls in cities?
Love them or loathe them, seagulls are as much a part of the seaside as a bucket and spade and ice cream. But why are so many seagulls increasingly found in inland towns and cities?
Traditionally, the birds have lived around water, some inland by rivers and reservoirs. But their high-pitched call is now increasingly being heard in towns and cities far from the coast and many have given up living near water entirely.
Experts say the number of urban seagulls is increasing because nesting on the roofs of office blocks and houses means they can avoid predators such as foxes and, as a result, more chicks survive.
It is also argued food waste in landfill sites and discarded on urban streets provides a ready supply of meals for them.
The answer
- Urban gulls nest on rooftops to avoid predators such as foxes
- As a result more chicks survive
- Waste in landfill sites and discarded food on urban streets provide a supply of meals
"Seagulls are extremely adaptable, quick thinking and bold," says Grahame Madge, a spokesman for the RSPB. "From a gull's perspective cities provide myriad opportunities.
"As traditional food sources are declining they have learned to forage in landfill sites further inland and on urban streets. They are taking advantage of our wastefulness.
"Seagulls are breaking their connection with the sea. They have previously nested in towns and cities that are on a corridor to the sea, but now we are seeing them in inland counties that are far from the coast."
Rural and urban gulls are now two distinct populations and don't often mix, says urban gull expert Peter Rock. Rural gulls will rarely start nesting in urban areas and vice versa. Most remain in the environment they were born in, although a small number do return to the coast to breed.
"There is a raft of differences between the two groups," he says. "Most significantly, rural gulls are in massive decline while the number of urban gulls is rapidly increasing and expected to continue going up."
About gulls
- Gulls evolved more than 15 million years ago in the northern Atlantic
- Herring gulls have suffered a 50% decline over the past 30 years
- The great black-backed gull is the largest gull in the world
- Its powerful beak can smash, stab and tear with ease
Source: BBC Nature
He estimates there are 100,000 pairs of breeding urban gulls on rooftops around town and cities across the nation. In contrast, the number of rural gulls in the UK have declined significantly in recent decades, according to the RSPB.
According to bird experts, there is technically no such thing as a seagull. There are, in fact, several different species of gull, mainly herring gulls and black-backed gulls in the UK.
Since the 1970s, the number of herring gulls has more than halved. A seabird survey in 1969/70 found 343,586 nesting pairs, by the last survey in 2000 it had fallen to 149,177.
In 2009 the herring gull was added to the Red List of Birds of Conservation Concern, which is drawn up by a group of charities and conservation organisations. Red is the highest conservation priority, with urgent action deemed to be needed to protect the species.
One of the main reasons for the falling numbers is that changes to fishing practices in the UK have resulted in food shortages for rural gulls, says Rock. Disease is another factor, according to the RSPB. But Rock argues that these two things do not fully explain the rise in urban gulls and says more research needs to be done.
Millions of pounds a year are wasted trying to control them, he says, and only proper research will be able to come up with good management strategies.
Gulls have a reputation for being aggressive, particularly in spring and summer when they breed and raise their young. But experts say they are fascinating birds.
"I admit they do not make particularly good neighbours," says Madge. "But they are such interesting, beautiful birds."
They are very intelligent, especially urban gulls, which is a problem for local authorities trying to control their numbers by making food waste more difficult to get at - for example, by using wheelie-bins.
"They are very crafty and very clever in bird terms," says Rock. "They just adapt to everything that is thrown at them. We have invited them into towns with our throwaway society and it is going to cost a lot of money to take them away again."