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Paul Takahashi is a multimedia journalist who strives to distill complex topics into compelling, easy-to-understand stories for audiences on a variety of media platforms.
He covers residential real estate for the Houston Business Journal, focusing on single- and multi-family housing. Previously, he was the K-12 and higher education reporter for the Pulitzer Prize-winning Las Vegas Sun newspaper (circulation 252,174).
The New Jersey native is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.
View his portfolio at www.paultkhshi.com
• Covers residential real estate for the Houston Business Journal.
• Covered the Clark County School District, the fifth largest school system in the country with a $2.2 billion general fund budget. Also covered higher education in Southern Nevada, primarily UNLV.
• Completed a yearlong project looking at "turnaround" efforts at three struggling high schools in Clark County. The series was named "Story of the Year" by the Nevada Press Association in 2012 and was one of three finalists for the Online News Association's award for best topical reporting among medium-sized websites in 2012. The series also won third place for multimedia storytelling in the Best of the West journalism contest in 2011.
• Before education, covered Henderson and North Las Vegas, the second and third largest cities in Nevada respectively, as well as general assignment and crime news.
• Appeared regularly on Vegas PBS' "Nevada Week in Review" TV show and on KNPR's "State of Nevada" radio show.
• Served on the advisory board for The Rebel Yell, the student newspaper of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
• Taught multimedia journalism to 84 rising high school seniors at Northwestern University's National High School Institute, a 5-week summer journalism program called "Cherubs."
• Worked closely with a group of 11 budding journalists to improve their writing, reporting and multimedia journalism skills.
• Covered housing issues and the foreclosure crisis in Chicago for a wire service operated by Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.
• Covered breaking news, crime and general assignment stories in New Jersey's second most-populous city for The Jersey Journal, a sister publication of The Star Ledger.
• Filed video stories for the leading multimedia website in South Africa.
• Covered the fourth democratic presidential election in South Africa, filing stories on election day and the inauguration in Johannesburg and Pretoria.
• Worked on the assignment desk, gathered Sound On Tape interviews and helped on-air reporters both in the studio and out in the field.
You know what the worst job in America is? It's newspaper reporter. I guess the pollsters forgot to ask the guy who cleans the toilets at Dodger Stadium how things are going for him.
It's been a while since I last posted. It seems fitting that I return to this blog with photos from a film camera I recently purchased.
Before anyone calls me a hipster, let me set the record straight: I've always had an affinity for film. After all, it's what I grew up with.
Millennials are perhaps the last generation in America who will fully experience straddling the big technological chasm between analog and digital. Most of us in Gen-Y still remember the era of the tape – quaint little antiquities such as the VHS, cassette and 35mm film.
My first camera was a Bialosky that took 110 film. This red and black toy camera came with a picture book, which had a teddy bear that would explain the basics of photography to kids. This was my first foray into photography.
I received an upgrade for Christmas a few years later. My second camera was a consumer-level Nikon that took Advantix film, which was a major development for film photography back in the mid-1990s.
I remember relishing the fact that I could just pop some Advantix film into my Nuvis A20 and begin shooting right away, instead of hassling with rolling out some 135 film and making sure the cogwheels caught the edges of the film. The Advantix format was quickly eclipsed by the rise of digital photography, however, and it flopped like my MiniDisc player.
During my teenage years – when the zenith of digital cameras was a whopping 3 megapixels – I experimented a bit with my dad's Voigtlander Bessa. I relished the smoothness of the all-metal rangefinder, the solid-sounding click of the shutter and the tension of film being rewound into its roll.
I realize that digital cameras will always trump film cameras in my profession, where breaking news events demand the quickest of turnarounds and the precision of auto-focus.
Yet even as I enjoy the instant gratification of seeing my photo magically materialize on the LCD screen of my Nikon digital camera, I still yearn for the excitement I felt when the mail carrier would ring the front door of my childhood home with a fresh roll of developed negatives from York.
Reclaiming a piece of that memory was the impetus behind my impulse purchase last week: a 1970s-era Canon AE-1 that I found on Craigslist. I'm happy to say it was worth every penny of the $50 I spent.
These are the fruits of my first roll of film. There will be more, I'm sure. More rolls, more photographs, more experimentation.
And just as I return to film, I plan to return to this blog. I won't promise much though – just that I haven't forgotten about this little space I have here on the big, wide Internet.
Photos: Henderson and Downtown Las Vegas | April 2013
Commencement address (2008) by Adrian Tan. #wordstoliveby
University of Chicago, a surprisingly beautiful school where fun goes to die. #northwesternforlyfe #missingchitown
Photos edited with CameraBag 2.
Chicago | March 2012 | © Paul Takahashi
Photos: Joel, the cat | © 2011 Paul Takahashi
So I met tennis star and Las Vegas native Andre Agassi last week. Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush were touring his charter school. Agassi looks a bit puzzled at the sight of a reporter crouching below the TV cameras to get this shot. My published photos at the link.
Photo: Andre Agassi | © 2011 Paul Takahashi
RIP Steve Jobs. From Jobs' 2005 Stanford commencement address:
"No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.
Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."
Photos: Linnea | Bryan, Texas | Sept. 2011
© 2011 Paul Takahashi
'Ellen DeGeneres Show' donates $100,000 to Whitney Elementary (1,000+ Facebook "Likes"!)
Principal hits streets in quest to bring students back to class
Top: Boston.com, free access.
Bottom: BostonGlobe.com's redesign. Pay-for-access, $4 a week.
I'm having a super tough time choosing here, guys.
Ten years later, it's still difficult to reflect on Sept. 11, 2001. The reams of journalism, the streams of social media updates and the photo galleries of people falling 100 stories to their deaths… it's just so overwhelming. My heart breaks for all the victims, the heroes and soldiers who died that day and since.
I was in 8th grade when it happened. I turned 14 only two days before. It was a clear, blue morning in Ridgewood, NJ, some 25 miles from Manhattan.
My class had just walked back from gym into Mrs. Ziemba's social studies class. The small TV perched at the top right corner of the classroom was on, and I could see the orange flames engulfing the top of the World Trade Center. Mrs. Ziemba quickly shut it off and explained to the class what little she knew about the terrorist attacks. I can't imagine what that must have been like, to break such tragic news to kids.
I remember being stunned. I thought immediately of my dad. A few years ago, my dad had quit his job at Ernst & Young in Midtown to start his own accounting firm in Teaneck, NJ. However, he would still go regularly into the city to meet his clients, many of them North American subsidiaries of Japanese companies. I tried to remember, did he mention that morning he was planning to go into the city?
Kids were starting to cry in the room. Living in a bedroom community, many of our parents worked on Wall Street, taking the NJ Transit train some 40 minutes from our suburb into the city. So many of us had moms and dads, friends and neighbors working in those Towers. We were told we could go to the guidance office if we needed to call home or wanted to talk to someone.
Class resumed. Benjamin Franklin Middle School tried to carry on, but nothing about that day was normal anymore. My mind was blank as I stared into that equally blank TV screen where moments ago we saw the world as we knew it suddenly change. I don't remember learning anything at school that day.
This was the age before most students had cell phones. We were all cut off – shielded for a moment perhaps – from all the chaos and hell going on outside. But the fear was palpable, it was everywhere. Hard as we tried, it was etched in our faces.
I dashed off to the pay phone after the period ended to call my mom at home. She had been running errands all morning, and didn't know what had happened. I remember telling her to turn on the TV and call my dad. Was he in New York that day?
The rest of school was all a blur. I was shocked and angry and sad as I ambled about from class to class. After school let out, my mom picked my brother and me up. My dad was all right, she said. He hadn't gone into the city that day.
When we got home, we sat glued to the TV, watching as the Twin Towers fell over and over and over again.
Those gleaming silver skyscrapers were more than just buildings. They were a symbol of American ingenuity and economic strength, the tallest in North America and an amazing feat of Japanese architectural design and American engineering and construction.
I remember going on a field trip there once in elementary school. We were making collages about New York City, and our teachers at Travell wanted to inspire us. I was so excited the day I visited the observation deck of the World Trade Center. The elevators went up so fast my ears hurt. But it was worth it. We were on top of the world and it was so magical and breathtaking.
Despite growing up in New Jersey, going to school in Chicago and currently living in Las Vegas; I will always be a New Yorker at heart. I was born in New York City, and to me, it will always be the greatest city in the world.
In the immediate aftermath of the attack, I remember our community and country coming together. As I attended the many vigils, ceremonies and dedications and saw the long lines at blood banks, all those brave firefighters and police officers working at Ground Zero, I never felt so so united, so patriotic, so proud to be an American.
I quickly found out my neighbor across and a few houses down the street from me died on September 11. I didn't know him personally, but I will always remember him.
His name was Steven Patterson, and he had a wife and two twin 5-year-old boys. I would later learn he had just started at Cantor Fitzgerald not one year ago when one of the hijacked planes hit the North Tower. Patterson was just one of 12 residents Ridgewood lost that day. Whenever I stop by Van Neste Park, I always try to remember to stop by the memorial and look at his name engraved in stone.
I will never forget.
Story: Elizondo's new principal empathizes with struggling students
Check out our ongoing series at The Turnaround: Inside Clark County Schools
A directory of news organizations on Tumblr.
Excuse if incomplete — drop a link or tell me what's what.
Update: Some new info right here. And please follow the blog to get corrections and additions! I'm not planning on building any notifications into that table.
Story: The Turnaround: Western High School's goals include more parent involvement
Check out our ongoing series at The Turnaround: Inside Clark County Schools
From an adapted version of Silva's speech at the Bronx Documentary Center Aug. 2, posted on the Times' Lens blog:
I heard the mechanic click. I knew: this is not good. And I found myself lying face-down on the ground, engulfed in a cloud of dust, with the very clear knowledge that this has just happened and this is not good. I could see my legs were gone, and everybody around me was dazed. I was like, "Guys, I need help here."
Just an incredible read.
Story: The Turnaround: Mojave High School's turnaround starts with pride
Check out our ongoing series at The Turnaround: Inside Clark County Schools
Today, the Las Vegas Sun launched a yearlong project examining how the nation's fifth largest school district is trying to improve five of its lowest-performing schools. Check it out here.
One year ago this week, I drove 2,500 miles out to Las Vegas to work for the best media company in the country. Nowhere else do you have the opportunity to do such great work with so many great colleagues for so many great people.
Photo by Meredith Jones | Dec. 2010
TED Talk of the Day: Magician Marco Tempest uses three borrowed iPods as props in his TED talk "on truth and lies, art and emotion."
At least that Marilyn Monroe statue is good for something…
"Flower" is dreamt up by designers Rhie Hyi Joong and Lee Sang Hwa and is a concept lens cap that blooms into a hood by simply turning a ring.
Neat design.
Over two years ago Muck Rack launched the definitive list of journalists on Twitter. Now we've assembled a list of journalists on Google+ by going through the 500 most followed journalists we've verified on Muck Rack. It so happened 140 (an omen?) of those 500 were on Google+. If you need link…
L.A. beaches: Redondo and Santa Monica | July 2011
© 2011 Paul Takahashi
The Bottom Line: Apple has followed the typical Apple sequence: (1) throw out something that's popular and comfortable but increasingly ancient, (2) replace it with something that's slick and modern and forward-looking and incomplete, (3) spend another year finishing it up, restoring missing pieces.
Professional editors should (1) learn to tell what's really missing from what's just been moved around, (2) recognize that there's no obligation to switch from the old program yet, (3) monitor the progress of FCP X and its ecosystem, and especially (4) be willing to consider that a radical new design may be unfamiliar, but may, in the long term, actually be better.
What a great speech. This year, I liked Conan O'Brien's address at Dartmouth better, but I appreciated and enjoyed Stephen Colbert's speech more. I love it when alumni return to give commencement speeches. All the jokes, references and advice just resonates with the graduates better because they seem somehow more genuine. I kind of wish I had graduated a year later. (No offense, Mike Wilbon.) Congrats NU 2011. Go 'Cats!
P.S. Best commencement address of all time still goes to Steve Jobs at Stanford 2005. Best last lecture belongs to Randy Pausch at Carnegie Mellon 2007.
P.S.2.: Photo gallery
Our dear friend Sam "Shorts" May passed away a few days ago. We each had the pleasure of befriending Shorts last summer at the National High School Institute Journalism program at Medill.
Not only was he a talented writer and journalist, but he was an incredible human being, a selfless person who cared deeply about each of us. He was truly an original, the only person we've ever met who insisted on wearing jeans during a hot Evanston summer.
We love you, Shorts. Thank you for making the summer of 2010 the best of our lives.
Also reblogged by the Daily Kos and conservative think tank NPRI.
Story: Amid uncertainty, Vegas teachers taking unlikely jobs
I now have a full-time staff position at the Las Vegas Sun, which basically means I am suddenly worth something in this world (monetarily at least): $20,000, to be exact. Yay, basic employer-funded life insurance.
I also have a new beat covering K-12 and higher education. It's a bit daunting, but I will try my damn best to serve my readers well. Here are a few links to some of my recent pieces:
Photos: Sahara Casino | May 15, 2011 | © 2011 Paul Takahashi
Video: San Gennaro Feast, Las Vegas | May 2011 | © Paul Takahashi
Photos: Fremont Street in BW photography | April 2011 | © Paul Takahashi
My latest DSLR video for the Las Vegas Sun profiles a 13-year-old juggler who recently set a new Guinness World Record for five-ball, back cross juggling. On April 14 in Milan, Italy, Ty Tojo made 248 catches, throwing five beanbag balls behind his back and catching them in front.
I didn't have very much time for this shoot like I did with my previous circus video. I had just two hours with Tyler and his stepfather before I had to run off to cover the North Las Vegas primary election card draw. Despite undershooting, I think I managed to pull together a short but sweet video highlighting some of Ty's tricks.
Had I more time and resources, I would have gotten more creative with some of these shots. I might have placed a GoPro HD camera on the floor looking up to capture what juggling looks like from below. The space was big enough to maybe even do a quick timelapse of the practice from higher above. I also need to remember to rack focus into interviews – I love that look, but I should be wary of overusing it. Also, I recently got my hands on a Steadicam Merlin, which might have been really cool to use for a shoot like this, probably for a 360 degree walkaround of Ty juggling.
Regardless, this was a really fun story to cover and shoot, and this kid is truly talented. More jaw-dropping videos of Ty Tojo juggling are on his website.
So Yahoo News linked to my Las Vegas Sun story…
Photo: Sen. John Ensign teaches an AP Government class | Oct. 18, 2010
Photo: The Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, spring exhibit
I am totally betraying my East Coast roots here: Although Five Guys is fantastic, I think In-N-Out is better.
Photos: Five Guys in Henderson, Nev. | © 2011 Paul Takahashi
This is the epitome of Las Vegas advertising.
Photo: Taken near UNLV in March 2011 | © Paul Takahashi
Story: Las Vegas Strip shrouded in darkness in observance of Earth Hour
Photo: Flamingo and Bill's Gamblin' Hall | © 2011 Paul Takahashi
I have no idea why this person would RT my story. #slightlydisturbed
This past weekend, a group of us rented a car and drove out to the Pilanesberg/Magaliesberg region to the northwest of Johannesburg. (We drove an automatic, but driving on the left side of the road was a bit tricky at times since we tended to drift toward the curb.) Parts of this country are so beautiful, and the game drive in Pilanesberg proved to be almost as fruitful as the one we did in Kruger National Park.
A highlight of the weekend trip was seeing a cheetah in the wild. We were told some people had spotted one about 500 meters from the Pilanesberg Centre in the middle of the park. We rushed over to catch a glimpse of it. It was quite a distance away, resting under a tree, but it was absolutely breath-taking.
We couldn't get enough of cheetahs, and so we visited the De Wildt Cheetah Reserve as well. The farm rehabilitates and breeds a number of different animals, many on the endangered species list. These animals – cheetahs, wild dogs, etc – are so magnificent, it's a real shame their mere existence is in jeopardy.
Environmentalism and conservation are a major concern in South Africa. In Kruger, poachers both on a small and large scale are a huge menace and nowadays, game rangers are armed with assault rifles not to protect themselves from wild animals but to combat poachers. At both Kruger and Pilanesberg, there were pictures posted at rest stops of poached animals maimed by snares, killed by gunshots and plundered for their horns, tusks and genitals. The horrific killing of animals for such small items like ivory and ingredients for muti is sad.
Yet, animals themselves contribute to conservation concerns as well. Herds of elephants across Africa have dynamically altered the landscape, changing the vast Serengeti plains from its once lush, verdant woodlands to grasslands, plains and desert. Even in the bushveld of Pilanesburg, we caught an elephant trampling trees down. I've got nothing against elephants, but many say their actions are partially to blame for the desertification of Africa. Because of this, some have proposed killing elephants again to bring their population down to a more manageable level.
Conservation in Africa as well as all over the world is a complicated issue. Many of these animals are unwanted – farmers and herders actively kill vultures, baboons, wild dogs (currently, the second most endangered species in the world) and other "vermin" by poisoning carasses of their kill, setting traps and shooting them. You sometimes hear of elephants trampling through rural African villages creating havoc, and there are many a story about leopards and lions killing humans, which exacerbates the tensions. As South Africa continues to expand economically, it'll be interesting to see what the tradeoff will be environmentally and whether sustainability and natural balance can be achieved amidst all the economic challenges facing the nation.
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This past week, I covered a church vigil in the Johannesburg township of Alexandra. The service, which was attended by about 50 Alex residents, commemorated the xenophobic attacks of May 2008.
One year ago, 62 foreigners were killed by angry mobs who felt threatened by Zimbabweans and other Africans who "were taking their jobs." Pictures of maimed and burning bodies shocked the world, just as the violence in Kenya earlier last year had. It goes to show you that democracy is a fragile thing and a flourishing state can just as quickly turn into an illiberal democracy.
The aftermath of the xenophobic violence is still apparent in South Africa. Right after the attacks, thousands of foreigners were displaced from their homes in townships like Alexandra and Ramaphosa into squatter camps. Zimbabwean refugees still squat at the Central Methodist Church in downtown Johannesburg. The rioters and murderers still roam the streets of Johannesburg freely and boast of their shameful exploits, according to a recent Times story by my colleague Benjamin Bradlow. Xenophobia is alive and well in parts of the Rainbow Nation, which holds the credo of tolerance and non-racialism to the utmost reverence.
Working on this story made me realize how reconciliation can be such an empty-handed gesture. Sure, people can pray, ask forgiveness and vow never again. Yet, the legacy of apartheid continues to exist in South Africa. The senseless nature of the violence in South Africa – the burning and the brutal beating of foreigners last year – mirror the violence that pervaded South Africa during the apartheid era. And was the church packed with South Africans and foreigners united against xenophobia? Organizers blamed the low turnout on a misunderstanding, but do they really suppose scores of Alexandra residents really want to relive this shameful period in their history? Community leaders can say one thing, but the ordinary South African would probably rather forget such atrocities ever occurred in their neighborhoods.
It's this conflicting duality in South Africa that continues to astonish me. You can cover some of the most extravagant events, like a 75-million Rand inauguration ceremony that celebrates the conclusion of a free, fair and democratic election, and the next week, cover the aftermath of horrific violence in poor townships. It's a constant culture shock, one I'm not sure I will ever get over.
Vodpod videos no longer available.
– 30 –
(That's according to the Sunday Times this past weekend.)
On Sunday, I got a chance to cover Jacob Zuma's inauguration in Pretoria, which was essentially one big lavish party reported to have cost 75 million Rand. It's incredible how there are so many South Africans without basic necessities such as housing, running water or electricity that to go to one of these events and hear of expensive champagne flowing just makes my blood simmer.
Still, it was an exciting event to report from, especially because it posed a several challenges.
Despite all the challenges covering the inauguration posed, it was an amazing experience. I got a glimpse of the beautiful Union Buildings and saw how many South Africans were feeling that day.
Sure, there are a lot of questions still hovering over Jacob Zuma. The aquitted rape charges and the dropped corruption charges don't help. His poor education and his ill-informed comment about how a shower could help prevent AIDS a while back cast a huge shadow on his ability to govern. However, the many South Africans I've talked with during the past few weeks are feeling hopeful. They want to give this man, a man of the people, a chance to serve for the people. Only time will tell if Zuma will keep all the campaign promises he's made. So far, he has not.
One of Zuma's first statements when he was chosen to become the third democratically-elected president of South Africa and its first Zulu head of state was to let the people know there will be no government plums to hand out. Yet, lo and behold, several key supporters have been appointed to senior leadership positions in his cabinet, including the South African Communist Party leader Blade Nzimande, and his ex-wife.
Surprisingly, Zuma didn't re-appoint Barbara Hogan to the position of Health Minister, but to another powerful position: the ministry of public enterprises. Hogan was such a breath of fresh air after the previous health minister touted beet roots as a cure for AIDS. Her initiative to roll out a record number of ARVs was lauded as inspired, and although heavily criticized within the ANC leadership, Hogan's criticism of denying the Dalai Llama a visa was internationally hailed. Some weeks ago, I had a chance to visit where Hogan was imprisoned during the apartheid years as a political dissident and I was amazed at all that she has accomplished since then. It's mind-boggling why she wasn't chosen to stay on as the Minister of Health.
Zuma has a lot on his plate and a lot of doubts surrounding him. Will he be the capable leader South Africa so desperately needs at this crucial time? I guess only time will tell.
Link to my video filed from the media centre in Pretoria during the inauguration:
– 30 –
I apologize for not posting sooner – the lack of Internet at Kruger plus wireless issues hampered my blogging the past few days.
Update: I ventured up to Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga province this past weekend with a group of Medill students. We stayed with David Bunn, a Wits University professor (and a NU alumnus!), at a research facility near Skukuza, which was great because it wasn't very touristy.
I'm planning to write up a longer blog post about Kruger, especially the environmental and human aspects of the park (poaching is a big problem). I'd also like to share my experiences riding around looking for these cool animals.
In the meantime, I've uploaded about 200 photos of my experience in Kruger. Interesting tidbit: This photo slideshow represents less than 10 percent of all the photos I've taken this past weekend. It was my first foray into wildlife photography – I like it a lot!
Anyway, our group spotted more than 90 species of animals, birds and reptiles. We also got to see all the Big Five (the five most dangerous animals to hunt – elephant, rhino, buffalo, leopard and lion). It was an amazing accomplishment, considering we only had two and a half days in the park. Well, maybe it had more to do with luck, but whatever.
Vodpod videos no longer available.
Here's an abbreviated account of my election day activities:
First, I tagged along with a print reporter for The Times to three polling stations in Johannesburg. We were working on a story comparing the polling environment in the affluent suburb of Illovo and the urban center of Hillbrow and Joubert Park. Suffice it to say, it was quite a comparison.
The polling station in Illovo was at a country club, so from the get-go, you already knew what kinds of people would flock there. However, there was quite a diversity among all the people voting there. Retirement-age people stood in line with university students. White people waited next to black people. Domestic workers queued up alongside business-owners. I think it was the first time I've seen such intermingling across class and ethnic lines on a large scale in South Africa.
After speaking with a couple of the people there, we quickly drove down to Hillbrow, a place where my professors told me never to venture to. Even our guide during orientation week refused to take us through Hillbrow, that's how dangerous it is. To drive this point home, the print reporter I was with was hesitant to go to Hillbrow using her own car and without another photographer. I wasn't too worried though, having walked through that area on the way back from the Siyanqoba Rally. The main road right by the park is actually quite beautiful, and I don't recall ever being that scared I would be mugged. Maybe I'm being too naive.
We only stayed in Hillbrow for a short period of time, since we were only stopping by the polling station. The voters were were very homogeneous: black, working class people from Johannesburg's most notorious urban neighborhood. After only a few interviews, we quickly made our way to Joubert Park, the largest polling station in South Africa with thousands of registered voters.
The lines at Joubert Park were long. Very long. They must have stretched for miles since it took nearly five hours for one guy to finish voting. He had been waiting since 5:30 in the morning. If that's not evidence of dedication to a democracy consolidated, I don't know what is.
Inside the polling station, I could see the entire voting process. Each South African must show his/her government-issued ID book with a unique code that gets scanned by a zip-zip machine (hand-held scanner). After his/her name gets crossed off a national voter's roll, one gets his/her finger marked with indelible ink. Apparently, it takes weeks to wear off. Although it's for verification purposes to make sure there are no repeat voters, the inked thumb is also a cool badge of honor for South Africans, acting as indisputable proof that they voted. I wish there was something similar in the States – a "I voted" sticker just doesn't have the same weight. After he/she gets two ballots, one each for the national and provincial elections, he/she then proceeds to the voting booth and finally to the ballot boxes to cast the ballots.
From what I could see visiting the three polling stations, the voting process went fairly smoothly. No voter intimidation or violence. No fights between those waiting in line. However, there were a few instances of voter irregularities. One presiding officer at a polling station in another district was caught with lots of marked ballots. In other parts of the country, there were some ballot shortages. I don't understand why people were allowed to vote whereever they wanted, because I'm sure that's the cause for voting stations running out of ballots. Overall, as electoral observers and the IEC announced on Saturday, it was a free and fair election.
You must be wondering, how in the world do South Africans have the time to wait hours in line to cast their ballots? Well, Election Day is a national holiday in South Africa. The day of the first democratic elections is also hailed as a public holiday (April 27, 1994). It's great to see such importance placed on this democratic right. It ensures that everyone is able to vote should they want to, and at a time of their choosing.
The rest of Election day and week, I spent a lot of time in Pretoria, at the IEC's Results Centre, watching the results come in. I also got a chance to see all the major politicians come through to oversee the proceedings, which was great. Photos will be up shortly! Here's a link to the video story I worked on: http://multimedia.thetimes.co.za/videos/2009/04/south-africans-cast-their-ballots/
– 30 –
It's been a while since I last posted. I took some much-needed rest over this past three-day weekend after pulling double-digit-hour days covering the election. And, oh, it was quite an election to cover. Although we all knew the ANC would win, we weren't quite sure how comfortably the ruling party would remain in power. The Western Cape was definitely the biggest battleground province, with the KZN and the Eastern Cape regions close behind. With the new breakaway party COPE in the mix among the 20 some odd opposition parties, this election had all the ingredients for a fascinating political study.
My prediction, as tweeted on my Twitter feed, was that ANC would win (duh), but wouldn't get the two-thirds majority necessary to be able to change South Africa's constitution with ease. At points during the initial days after the election when the results were still being tallied, it seemed possible the ANC would secure this power. However, it was wrested from them by a mere 0.7 percentage point. I could only imagine how tense the ANC and opposition parties DA and COPE must have been watching the votes coming in through the Independent Electoral Commission's Results Operation Centre in Pretoria. At a presser after the results were finalized on Saturday, Jacob Zuma said he wasn't disappointed with the results, saying that he still "smelled" getting his predicted 70 percent of the total vote. It would've been worse for Julius Malema, the ANC Youth League leader if he had to speak at that presser as well. Malema declared infamously days before the election that his party would get a three-thirds majority. Yes, there are public officials here who utter Bushisms.
I had also predicted that the DA would win the Western Cape, which it did convincingly enough that they will be able to govern that one-ninth of South Africa without the help of any other opposition party. It's a massive undertaking. While Helen Zille was able to make some substantial changes in Cape Town, expanding that success to the entire province will be a difficult task. Unlike the ANC, which can hide behind the mantra that it's the liberation party, the DA will really have to prove itself in the next four years for it to be a viable opposition party on the national scene by the 2014 election. I don't see Zille sleeping much until then, but then again, I never did see her sleep. She was seriously like an Energizer bunny hopping around the ROC even after months of tireless campaigning.
My other prediction was that COPE would disappoint. I never expected that a political party formed only months prior to the election would get a surprising 7 percent of the vote and become the official opposition party to the ANC in four of the nine provinces. With a bare-bones political organization and mobilization strategy, it seemed too difficult for COPE to do that well, especially when many of its members were defectors from the ruling party (problematic since they claimed they're not the ANC). Something like this could really only happen in a country where floor-crossing was de rigeur until recently and where political parties aren't absolutely entrenched in society like in the States.
The biggest story post-election is what the other smaller opposition parties are planning to do now. Many of them were decimated in the election, all but one losing members. One clear example of this occurred in the traditional IFP party "stronghold" in the KZN region, where Zuma's Zulu background helped the ANC to an extent. I'm certain these smaller parties will have to form coalitions with each other or become absorbed into the larger parties. Political parties are cementing themselves into South African society, and its people are becoming less likely to "throw away" their votes to opposition parties of the past that have tried and failed in the face of the ANC.
All in all, it was quite an experience to cover these elections. On April 22, South Africa held its fourth democratic election that once again consolidated democracy where it didn't exist a mere 15 years ago. But more than that, it was an election that made me realize the allure of elections as a journalist. As a colleague put it to me, it represents the one day every five years where the people have all the power. Despite all the problems, all the corruption, all the politicking that contributes to the overwhelming feeling of powerlessness that the marginalized feel in South Africa, they have their ballot and their say on this one day. It's a shame there aren't more election days.
– 30 –
It's not common nowadays to say it's a great time to be a journalist. After all, the industry is shrinking, newspapers are going bankrupt (especially in the States) and the profession is at a crossroads in terms of forming a sustainable business model since the advent of free content online. But I have to say, it ain't so bad being a journalist in South Africa.
Print reigns in South Africa because Internet penetration is so low. There is still a culture of reading physical newspapers in this country, and papers like the Sunday Times, Daily Sun, The Star and Beeld are generally doing better than American papers. Of course, this will change as South African broadband increases, but for now, the few media companies operating here are making good money.
Not only is the business model quite buoyant here, the stories are far more interesting than in the States. There are stories here that will make you cry. Others will make you shake your head. There are a bunch that will make you smile. I hope to be smiling a lot tomorrow.
Tomorrow is Election Day in South Africa. It was fewer than 15 years ago that racial and political intolerance pervaded South African society, so it's incredible to see a fledgling democracy largely consolidated if not ingrained into the South African psyche. Sure, there are problems here just as in any other country. Sure, voter turnout has declined and people are starting to turn away from the polls "in protest." But talking with ordinary South Africans during the past few weeks has instilled within me hope for a lasting democratic South Africa. Tomorrow, upwards of 20 million voters will wait in line at polling stations, cast their paper ballots and get their fingers inked. Considering the long history of oppression here, it's pretty amazing.
I would be remiss if I didn't write about seeing the South African president today. The Times had scheduled a behind-the-scenes tour of SABC, the public broadcaster that is playing an integral part in the elections, getting out the vote, informing voters, etc. I knew driving out to Pretoria at 7 this morning that President Motlanthe would be showing up at some point to tour the facilities, so his visit wasn't a surprise like it was with Mandela appearing at the Siyanqoba rally this past Sunday. Still, it's not every day you get to meet a head of state, even if it's at the very end of his term.
Motlanthe seemed very down-to-earth as he toured the Results Centre. He smiled at and shook hands with many of the Independent Electoral Commission workers there. His speech, which touched on the vibrancy of South African democracy, was humble. He did seem a bit aloof, however, when he had to be prompted to shake the hand of the former Nigerian president for a photo op with the media. I'm definitely not qualified to give an assessment of his brief presidency; however, on the whole, I was impressed with Motlanthe, a man whose ascension to the presidency was mired in controversy but still managed to change the course of HIV/AIDS in South Africa. Check out my video of the SABC tour and Motlanthe's visit: http://multimedia.thetimes.co.za/videos/2009/04/behind-the-scenes-at-sabc/
Let's see how tomorrow goes. I'll be working crazy hours from tomorrow to Saturday when most if not all of the election results will be announced, but I'll try my best to update my Twitter.
– 30 –
Today, the ANC hosted what many called South Africa's largest political rally. Over 100,000 people crammed into two stadiums in Ellis Park in Johannesburg: Coca-Cola Stadium and Johannesburg Stadium. I made it into the media centre at around 8:30 a.m., about half an hour before the official start of the rally. People from all over South Africa and beyond gathered in Coca-Cola Stadium mainly to see Jacob Zuma, the man who will most likely ascend to the presidency of South Africa by the end of next week.
It would be an understatement if I said this rally was massive. Just in the press area, I met people from Germany, Madagascar, Zambia and England in a span of a few hours. Right now, I'm watching Al Jazeera's coverage of the rally and I just finished reading the NYT's story about the rally. Indeed, this was truly an international event.
What some of us in the newsroom had surmised, but what I still found surprising, was Nelson Mandela's appearance at today's Siyanqoba "Victory" Rally. The 90-year-old Madiba, as Mandela is reverently called, was clearly frail, as he had to be helped up to the stage by Jacob Zuma and his ex-wife, Winnie. I had situated myself as close to the stage as possible, and so when the golf cart with Zuma and Mandela rolled into the stadium, I couldn't see what was going on except that everyone on the field was running. Running toward that golf cart making its way around the stadium toward the stage.
As soon as the cart reached the stage, the media section went crazy. Everyone had figured out by then that Madiba was in the house. I must've been elbowed more than few times as photographers and videographers like me jockeyed for a clear shot of the former South African president. There was this one photographer who kept coughing on me, saying "I have TB, you better move to the back." I sure hope she was kidding and only vying for my spot.
Boxed in and jostled around by competing journalists, I found it nearly impossible to shoot good footage until all the ANC leaders were seated. ANC secretary Gwede Mantashe, Winnie Mandela, Nelson Mandela, Jacob Zuma and other political leaders from COSATU and SACP were in attendance. They all began their rounds speaking and rallying the crowd with praise and liberation songs.
"Viva ANC, Viva!"
"Amandla!" (Power!)
Zuma's speech encapsulated the ANC's five key platform issues, most dealing with service delivery. There are still many houses to be built and many children to be taught. Some South Africans still do not have access to electricity or running water. There are campaign promises 15 years in the making that have yet to be fulfilled. After a speech chock full of the same promises, Zuma sang Umshini Wami (Bring me my machine gun), and danced, not quite toyi-toyi'ed, his way back into everyone's hearts. That man sure has charisma, if not motivational speaking skills.
Nelson Mandela was silent throughout the event. Occasionally, he nodded his head, smiled and shook hands with all the dignitaries present. His grandson carried an umbrella aloft above Mandela's head, and someone had given him a cap midway through the speeches. Mandela is South Africa's icon after all and a beacon for people power and democratization everywhere in the world. His only words were from a pre-recorded message played in the middle of the speeches, but his presence alone was more than enough to remind everyone there that the ANC is the party that liberated them from the oppressive Apartheid regime. It's a brillant political tactic, cast only three days before Election Day, and it's sure to pay off come Wednesday.
What troubled me with the media coverage was how Mandela's message was taken to be an all-out endorsement for Jacob Zuma. Mandela is an ANC man. He toiled away in prison for 27 years fighting for the ANC's mission – to bring about a rainbow nation where everyone is treated equally regardless of race, sex, creed, etc. Of course, he supports the ANC and will come out for the ANC's final campaign rally. However, this doesn't preclude the illogical conclusion that Mandela strongly endorses Zuma. Mandela may support Zuma, but it's more an association, and like the Ayers-Obama one, it's just that.
I'm extremely happy that I got a chance to see Nelson Mandela today. He doesn't do many public appearances anymore, and aside from Wednesday's election, it'll be difficult to say when I'd be able to see him next. He's such an incredible symbol of South Africa, and I couldn't help but get goosebumps and stand dumbly star-struck as I saw him only a mere stone's throw away. Still, I had a job to do: check out our Times video here: http://multimedia.thetimes.co.za/videos/2009/04/rock-stars-madiba-and-msholozi/
Check out more pictures in the following post!
– 30 –
My photos from today's ANC rally during which Nelson Mandela made a surprise appearance.
Vodpod videos no longer available.
Pictures from Johannesburg during orientation week.
Vodpod videos no longer available.


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This pizza might consume your senses
Not-so-simple pies, cooked at 700 degrees on white oak
Ian Anderson 11 a.m., May 22
Idiot Glee is 23-year-old Kentuckian James Friley, a one-man-band who surrounds himself with keyboards, effects, and a looping device. But it would be inaccurate to say that Friley is Idiot Glee, or even a gleeful idiot. Rather, idiot glee is something of a personal affliction as described by Brian Eno in his essay "Into the Abyss." Friley phones during the homebound commute from his part-time job cashiering at a Cajun restaurant; he says he first heard the term used during a YouTube interview from 1983.
"Somewhere towards the end, Eno just starts talking about, like, this sense of being overwhelmed with joy and excitement because you just had what you think is a significantly awesome idea. Maybe it's not, actually, but that feeling you get is idiot glee and I was, like, I get that feeling all the time."
At least one of Friley's ideas, significantly awesome or not, led to Paddywhack, his first full-length CD as Idiot Glee. It is an echoey collection of sad, pop-flavored songs. "I needed a contrast between what I was doing before I started Idiot Glee," he says, "which was loud-ass rock and roll." That would be his previous band, Bedtime, which he started when he was 16. "[Bedtime] totally devolved into more of a Doors/Sonic Youth hybrid as I got older."
What's after Paddywhack? "I've got a handful of new songs [that] I'm not sure what to do with." Friley worries that the new material sounds too different. "I think it all still has [my] sound. People [tell me] it sounds like Idiot Glee...the next step in Idiot Glee, just a little more upbeat this time."
IDIOT GLEE: Tin Can Ale House, Saturday, October 1, 1863 Fifth Avenue. 619-955-8525.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
David Allen, the consummate road warrior, will present a free one-hour webinar on how he stays productive while traveling.
GTD Newsletter
"Productive Living" is our free, educational newsletter. Each month you'll learn valuable GTD
tips, tricks, and strategies from David Allen to help you live a productive life—personally
and professionally. See some previous newsletters:
We may also occasionally send you updates about GTD events in your area. Be assured, your
email address will not be sold or rented to any third parties.


text:
Hash based disk imaging using AFF4
Schatz, Bradley & Cohen, Michael (2010) Hash based disk imaging using AFF4. In Digital Investigation : The Proceedings of the Tenth Annual Digital Forensic Research Workshop Conference, Elseveir, Portland, Oregon, S121-S128.
Forensic imaging has been facing scalability challenges for some time. As disk capacity growth continues to outpace storage IO bandwidth, the demands placed on storage and time are ever increasing. Data reduction and de-duplication technologies are now commonplace in the Enterprise space, and are potentially applicable to forensic acquisition. Using the new AFF4 forensic file format we employ a hash based compression scheme to leverage an existing corpus of images, reducing both acquisition time and storage requirements. This paper additionally describes some of the recent evolution in the AFF4 file format making the efficient implementation of hash based imaging a reality.
Impact and interest:
Citation counts are sourced monthly from Scopus and Web of Science® citation databases.
These databases contain citations from different subsets of available publications and different time periods and thus the citation count from each is usually different. Some works are not in either database and no count is displayed. Scopus includes citations from articles published in 1996 onwards, and Web of Science® generally from 1980 onwards.
Citations counts from the Google Scholar™ indexing service can be viewed at the linked Google Scholar™ search.
|ID Code:
|Item Type:
|Conference Paper
|Additional Information:
|Presentation and published version of paper are available via the Official URl.
|Digital forensics, Representation, Evidence containers
|Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification > INFORMATION AND COMPUTING SCIENCES (080000) > COMPUTER SOFTWARE (080300) > Computer System Security (080303)
Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification > INFORMATION AND COMPUTING SCIENCES (080000) > DATA FORMAT (080400) > Data Structures (080403)
Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification > INFORMATION AND COMPUTING SCIENCES (080000) > INFORMATION SYSTEMS (080600) > Conceptual Modelling (080603)
|Past > QUT Faculties & Divisions > Faculty of Science and Technology
Past > Institutes > Information Security Institute
|Deposited On:
|24 Sep 2010 03:57
|Last Modified:
|29 Feb 2012 14:19
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text:
Givenchy Amarige Eau de Toilette
Amarige expresses the emotion of love at first sight. A romantic scent of grace, warmth, and fantasy for a spirited, confident, spontaneous woman. The Amarige bottle was inspired by a blouse once created by Hubert de Givenchy for his muse and style model, Bettina Graziella. A wide collar of gold - part-frosted, part-clear, part-opaline, part-flame - unveils the enchantment of the fragrance. A floral Woody Amber, Amarige has a rich, multiple fragrance like feelings straight from the heart.
See products below. Scroll down to view
Shipping & Returns
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Lalit Modi back in IPL, virtually!
The founder of the IPL tweets about every update since the IPL-4 has kicked off.
New Delhi: Former Chief Commissioner of IPL, or in his words "Founder and architect of the Indian Premier League and Champions League T20" may have been forced out of the IPL governance and on-field action. But the enthusiasm and involvement in his virtual world is evidently pretty much the same as previous years. From the opening ceremony till date Modi has been tweeting about almost every detail that goes on during the match. From toss to the presentation ceremony every detail is present in the founder of the cricket blockbuster - IPL, Lalit Modi's Twitter timeline.
His tweets have been more than just making up for his absence from the cricketing gala. After the opening ceremony on Friday he tweeted, "Sad to see the way the opening ceremony was conducted. Well I am sure the Games will be better. So let's hope they will overcome the start."
And it's not only him who is missing the IPL on-field action, even the fans from all across Twitter have been writing to him and expressing their support. Just as the opening ceremony started many wrote to him as to how they missed him, he replied, "Thank you all for all your messages. The show must go on. After all we created it for all the fans. It will always be part of me".
On-field or not Modi knows how to stay in limelight or so it seems in the Twitterverse.
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text:
Click on a thumbnail to go to Google Books.
Hello Peter--Bonjour, Remy (Little Celebration)
by Ann Morris
No current Talk conversations about this book.
RL 3.0 Pts 0.5
This was an ok book. it was about two cats, one named Remy, and the other named Peter. Remy lived in Paris, and Peter lived in New York. It was about their normal activities, and they were both very similar even though the cats lived in two totally different cities. This would be a cute book to read in front of a class because there are good pictures and I could do an activity on New York City and Paris.
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ANGEL MATERNITY 'The Tummy Tight' Capri Postpartum Leggings
Comfortable, convenient and stylish, these capri-length shapewear leggings are a perfect addition to your postpartum wardrobe. The tummy-control support band slims the waist using built-in shaping that helps flatten the stomach and smooth "muffin top" while offering an amazing fit and support with no feeling of restriction. Color(s): black. Brand: ... Learn More


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Wed., April 10, 2013, 10:15 a.m.
Nonini says he'll be back next year with private school tax credits bill
Coeur d'Alene Sen. Bob Nonini says he'll be back next year with his legislation to grant $10 million a year in tax credits for donations to scholarships to private schools, which Nonini pitched unsuccessfully this year as a way to save the state millions by getting thousands of Idaho students to switch from public to private schools. Kevin Richert of Idaho Education News reports that Nonini made that announcement in a discussion with the Heritage Foundation; you can read Richert's full post here.
"I plan to continue the push for tax credits for donations to organizations that grant scholarships to qualifying families," Nonini the foundation, in a Heritage Foundation article published by the Chicago-based Heartland Institute. "The legislation made substantial progress this year. I will in the interim now be visiting with senators from the tax committee that did not support the legislation to attempt to address their concerns."
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Our big announcement on the Trump-Russia scandal.
Who needs to watch "Conan the Barbarian" when there's the California Board of Chiropractic Examiners? The board, which includes two friends from Schwarzenegger's bodybuilding days, one of whom played a part in the film, has launched a coup. They've ousted the board's executive director and ejected their own lawyer, a deputy attorney general, from a meeting. The board is so mired in controversy, reports the Sacramento Bee, that five California Highway Patrol officers were called into a meeting last week to keep the peace.
The fracas centers around the regulation of California's chiropractics industry, which, second only to Hollywood and bodybuilding, is to Schwarzenegger as oil is to Bush. The Governator holds an honorary degree from Cleveland Chiropractic College. In 1999, the Bee reports, he granted an interview to a magazine called Dynamic Chiropractic, in which he said, "People who don't believe in chiropractic always ask me about it. I have now become like a spokesperson for chiropractic."
Schwarzenegger's chiropractic crusaders include Franco Columbu, a two-time Mr. Olympia and occasional actor, and Richard Tyler, the editor of a bodybuilding magazine who picked up Schwarzenegger from the airport when he first arrived in California in 1968, the Bee reported. Both men are also chiropractors, and have bristled at what they see as too many restrictions on the industry. They approved a resolution last week supporting a controversial chiropractic practice known as "manipulation under anesthesia," which was shot down in 2005 by the state's Office of Administrative Law and is the subject of lawsuits filed against chiropractors in the state for unlicensed practice of medicine.
At a meeting of the board in December, shortly before director Catherine Hayes was ousted and Tyler took over as "interim director" of the board, the Bee recounted that she clashed with Tyler over what chiropractors were capable of curing:
Tyler insisted that he had cured earaches in children by adjusting the atlas, the vertebra closest to the head, and using homeopathic remedies.
He then took Hayes to task for signing a pending review of a case stating that "no forensic or scientific evidence" supports claims that chiropractic and homeopathic remedies are helpful in curing earaches, adding that there is more than 100 years of proof.
The debate, though imbued with Californian flapdoodle, ultimately sounds reminiscent of the creationist textbook wars in Kansas. And the Lord said, be gone, earache! (and that'll be $19.95, in four easy installments!) Political Muscle, the Arnold-centric LA Times political blog, seems to agree that this whole scandal defies credulity. "There is nothing left to blog after that," they write. "Schwarzenegger has exceeded all expectations."
UPDATE: In a follow-up piece in the Bee yesterday afternoon, Schwarzenegger threw fuel on the flames. Though the board's website says it's supposed to "protect Californians from fraudulent or incompetent" practices, Schwarzenegger told the Bee that the board "represents the chiropractors." Ouch, my ears are hurting. I guess I need my atlas adjusted.


text:
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John McCain: War = Bad
Posted on Jun 6, 2008
Presumptive Republican presidential nominee (still waiting for the handy acronym here, people) John McCain has a new advertisement that makes a play for the anti-war crowd with his bold pronouncement: "I hate war." All right, but how does his latest incarnation explain the liberties he once took with a certain Beach Boys surf classic?
Watch the ad below:
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By NOBAMA '08, November 3, 2008 at 3:54 pm Link to this comment
By Kozlowski, July 21, 2008 at 11:13 am Link to this comment
McCain is keeping on running ads like this. His latest ad called "Love" plays off the patriotism versus anti-war issue. I think that the McCain campaign was influenced by my letter to the editor in the New York Times. Now, they are calling John McCain a patriot and the generations that are anti-war unpatriotic!
By Kozlowski, June 19, 2008 at 5:17 am Link to this comment
I called Senator McCain on his bullshit in a national newspaper, The New York Times. You lose, McCain! The great Kozlowski is smarter than you.
By Linda, June 7, 2008 at 6:05 pm Link to this comment
How many candidates say they will not raise taxes, but the promises does not hold. Of course then it will be Congress's fault. How are we going to pay for the mess left behind by the Bush administration?
Former Senator, Phil Gramm, Texas (oil companies) McCain's primacy financial advisor was a major contributor to the current financial crisis.
Foreclosure Phil
Phil Gramm, Bill Clinton, and the Sub-Prime Financial Mess
How McCain's Top Economic Adviser Helped Create Subprime Meltdown
Bear Stearns, Housing Subprime, Enron, Gas Prices - Former Senator Phil Gramm
Read about Enron
HUGE: Phil Gramm Ties to High Gas Prices
McCain Defends Enron Loophole
his chief economic adviser Phil Gramm also wants to stop its proposed regulation of energy futures trading, a market that was famously abused when Enron Corp. manipulated Californias electricity prices in 2001.
Subprime Housing Foreclosures
Michael Greenberger is a professor at the University of Maryland School of Law and the director of the University's Center for Health and Homeland Security. Greenberger is a former Director of the Division of Trading and Markets at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. He has also testified before congress two or three times a year for several years.
In this highly educational interview, Mr. Greenberger discusses how Phil Gramm led repeal of Depression-era banking regulations:
Gasoline Prices
"In the long term, gasoline prices will soon continue their rapid rise, because those prices have little relationship to supply/demand factors (and) are being manipulated upward by energy traders," he said.
June 26, 2002 | Foxes guarding the chicken coop - President Bush's nominees to the agency that should have regulated Enron instead helped write the rules that let the company do whatever it wanted in the first place. By Damien Cave Judging by President Bush's two nominees to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), who appeared at Senate hearings on Tuesday, the answer is no. http://archive.salon.com/tech/feature/2002/06/26/cftc/index1.html
By Grousefeather, June 7, 2008 at 8:44 am Link to this comment
I don't fully understand how McCain deserves our respect. He's ALLEDGED to be a "war hero" for flying a jet over a third world country pushing buttons and pulling levers dropping bombs and shooting rockets into cities and towns primarily occupied by civilans? Given the plethora of lies and distortions spawned by our government about Jessica Lynch, Pat Tillman, John Kerry, and many others, why should we believe what's being said about John McCain's heroism?
By R. Shock, June 7, 2008 at 5:29 am Link to this comment
John may hate WAR, which I don't doubt. But, it may be his first instinct to go to war instead of weighing all the options. From the way he has pounced on other members in the Senate, when he feels slighted may be an indication on his decision making skills…with the President's ability to strike out militarily, it worries me in his hands.
Right Skyscraper, Site Wide
Right Internal Skyscraper, Site wide


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China levies anti-dumping tax on US, EU chemicals
Trade disputes are common between China and its major trading partners.
Beijing: China says it will impose anti-dumping duties on two chemicals from the United States and European Union for five years. The Ministry of Commerce said it ruled that US and EU companies have been selling the chemicals at unfairly low prices, hurting China's domestic industry.
The two chemicals, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether and diethylene glycol monobutyl ether, are widely used in applications such as metal cleansing, paint stripping, dry cleaning and printing.
The ministry said in a statement on January 25 that it will impose a 10.6 per cent duty on those chemicals manufactured by American companies Equistar Chemicals LP and Eastman Chemical Co., and a 14.1 per cent duty on those made by Dow Chemical Co. and all other US companies. It said it will levy duties of 9.3 per cent to 18.8 per cent on the products from EU companies.
Trade disputes are common between China and its major trading partners, which often accuse Beijing of illegally subsidizing Chinese companies. Beijing has blamed the weak global economy and protectionism for the disputes. It also has become more assertive in appealing anti-dumping measures against it and in bringing similar charges against its trading partners.
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text:
When you think of Hallowe'en, you likely envision ghosts, goblins, orange pumpkins and mounds of candy, right? Well, I've found that if you look hard enough there is real beauty to be found in this typically ghastly holiday.
The trick is to differentiate your festive fall wedding from just any old Hallowe'en party. Don't overdo the cheesy black and orange color scheme and keep the themed decor minimal yet fun.
So, whether you've always dreamt of a Hallowe'eny October 31st wedding or are just stuck with the date, have a little fun with this potentially pretty theme and make it all your own. Continue reading


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Lee's manual is a good starting point.
Trying to figure out what the best manuals out there are without purchasing all of them. looking to reload pistol and rifle. I've seen Speer #13 that has some good info. but and older manual. Any ideas on newer or full of good info.would be a help. Thanks for some good imput ahead of time.
Lee's manual is a good starting point.
Lyman's is a good one, as are the Hodgdon and Alliant websites. I use quite a few Hornady bullets and thus their manual is a good reference for me. Whenever starting to load a for a new caliber or set of components I like to have three or more sources of reference to give me a good place to start. Never do I use only one source unless I am already quite familiar with the caliber and/or components. Lee does no loading and testing of components as their manuals are a compilation of other manuals.
I use Lyman as a main source,but always cross reference because there can be a printing mistake.The manuals aren't going to give you your exact load as far as component makeup,so referencing the bullet and powder manufacturer verifies info.Adhere to notes also.As an example,Lyman notes use of Federal cases for a reason,they are thick like Starline and can hold pressure a little better in autos than Remington brass will.Primers are also a concern,just changing from a std to a magnum primer can increase pressure with one powder in a case where it really won't affect another much.
That's the reason you always start at the bottom and work up,what I can run for max in my gun may be over pressure in your same gun.The powder you use,different lots of the same powder,variations in crimp and OAL,and chamber specs can take a known good load and push it to have pressure signs.If you aren't near max there's some fudge room,but always back off when changing any component or lot when playing at max.Even 2 bullets the same weight with different profiles can vary the max charge to be safe.A 200gr LSW in 45acp is that way in one of my Lyman books.
Modern reloading, 2nd Edition (Lee). It's a compilation of a variety of sources. As one of the less expensive ones it's a decent choice. However, it lacks detail found in other places.
Lyman's 49th Edition Reloading handbook. Very good manual. Covers most things pretty well.
Another source of data compiled from various sources: Store
Web sites:
Load Data « Accurate Powders
Alliant Powder - Reloader's Guide
Cartridge Loads - Hodgdon Reloading Data Center - data.hodgdon.com
There are a number of other places on the web with load data as well.
If you intend to shoot much cast, I recommend the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook 4th edition.
Whenever possible I prefer to have more than one source of data for any given load.
I have used Hornady Manuals for as long as I can remember and they pretty much gone by the powder and bullet recommendations they load.


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"I hope you have not been leading a double life, pretending to be wicked and being good all the time. That would be hypocrisy."
Related quotes
"Have you ever heard people say "you are what you eat" I completely disagree. You are what you think!"
"when you give love don't expect it back , when you give hugs don't expect to get one when you need one, when you give peace expect war"
"Hope without life;The last hope of man is death,but death is a bizarre kind of hope & hope without life unto the unknown."
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."


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With such an array of skin care products to choose from, how do you know which one is best for your skin? Which one is safe…? Getting rid of one skin problem just to create another is no-one's idea of fun. If you're looking to fade brown spots, dark scars and uneven skin tone, there are several products on the market to consider:
Hydroquinone (HQ):
Hydroquinone can be very effective in fading dark scars and hyperpigmented skin blemishes. However, hydroquinone can lead to a condition called Ochronosis, even at its over-the-counter strength of 2%. Ochronosis is permanent hyperpigmentation with sooty darkening of the skin. Ochronosis may also cause loss of skin elasticity and impaired wound healing. Other side effects of hydroquinone include contact dermatitis (rash, redness, itching and flaking) and nail discoloration. The skin-lightening effects of hydroquinone also decrease with prolonged use and with sun exposure. Hydroquinone does not improve any other aspect of the scar other than the dark pigment. Some researchers have questioned whether hydroquinone may even cause cancer. As a result of these dangers, hydroquinone is only available by prescription in Europe and it is highly regulated in Asia and banned for sale altogether in some countries and US states.
Kojic Acid:
Like hydroquinone, kojic acid is effective in fading dark scars, brown spots and even melasma. Unfotunately, some studies suggest that skin exposed to kojic acid on a regular basis becomes more sensitive. Skin sensitization is bad because it can lead to allergic contact dermatitis. Like hydroquinone, kojic acid does not improve any other aspect of scarring other than the dark pigment. 3) Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) and vitamin C derivatives decrease melanin production by inhibiting tyrosinase and lighten skin hyperpigmentation. Vitamin C also improves scar healing through its action on collagen. Scar healing is typically associated with breakdown of the skin's normal collagen and replacement with unorganized, haphazard collagen fibers. Vitamin C helps normalize new collagen production. Unfortunately, many vitamin C skin care products are unstable and become ineffective over time. L-ascorbic acid oxidizes on repeat exposure to air or moisture and turns dark yellow or brown. Many products containing vitamin C are colored dark yellow or brown to begin with to disguise this vitamin C degradation. Products containing STABLE vitamin C are usually white.
Licorice Extract:
Like vitamin C, licorice extract decreases tyrosinase function and helps fade dark pigment. There are reports that licorice also boosts the pigment-fading properties of vitamin C, so the two could be used together for the best possible results. Licorice extract also has strong anti-inflammatory and skin renewal properties, and it is successful in treating and preventing acne.
Guest post by:
InviCible is an advanced treatment for scars and hyperpigmentation. Developed by a leading plastic surgeon, InviCible contains only scientifically proven ingredients including two forms of vitamin C and licorice extract. InviCible contains NO hydroquinone or known skin irritants, is hypoallergenic and cruelty-free. You can find them on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.


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The Pilot's Wife
€ 28,49
Lieferbar innert 2 Wochen
Mai 1998
BeschreibungUntil now, Kathryn Lyons's life has been peaceful if unextraordinary: a satisfying job teaching high school in the New England mill town of her childhood; a picture-perfect home by the ocean; a precocious, independent-minded fifteen-year-old daughter; and a happy marriage whose occasional dull passages she attributes to the unavoidable deadening of time. As a pilot's wife, Kathryn has learned to expect both intense exhilaration and long periods alone - but nothing has prepared her for the late-night knock that lets her know her husband has died in a crash. As Kathryn struggles with her grief, she descends into a maelstrom of publicity stirred up by the modern hunger for the details of tragedy. Even before the plane is located in waters off the Irish coast, the relentless scrutiny of her husband's life begins to bring a bizarre personal mystery into focus. Could there be any truth to the increasingly disturbing rumors that he had a secret life?
Untertitel: Sprache: Englisch.
Verlag: LITTLE BROWN & CO INC
Erscheinungsdatum: Mai 1998
Seitenanzahl: 304 Seiten
Format: gebunden


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Rock Report: Former Fleetwood Mac Guitarist Jeremy Spencer Discusses Band's Evolution + Finding God
The history of Fleetwood Mac is far more interesting than most may be aware. The roots of the band began deep in the blues, and the role call of band members is a story in itself. Jeremy Spencer was one of the group's guitarists from their formation in 1967 through 1971, playing on such albums as 'Mr. Wonderful,' 'Kiln House' and the classic 'Then Play On.'


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KVR News
YummyBeats updates Massive Evolutions II & Free for Kontakt - New Vowel Filters and Presets
25th April 2014
YummyBeats have updated Massive Evolutions II and Massive Evolutions II Free to version 2.0, free updates for current owners.
New Features & Recent Changes:
The Vowel Filters
The new filters are all designed by YummyBeats and suited to each preset. No onboard Vowel or Formant Filters have been used. All filters are controllable via MIDI CC 01 (Mod Wheel) and via After-Touch which also allows you to use them easily during live performances. Simply load one of the new [VOW] presets and you are good to go. More presets to come. You can also edit the presets e.g. to modify the vowel sound. Read the accompanying User Guide or watch the videos (below) for more information.
New Slots / File Browsing
When loading a preset into one of the slots, the system's default file browser is now used instead of a large dropdown list, which is more comfortable. Furthermore the new system allows you to create your own file structure or even change the preset names or add ratings to the preset name.
Vowel Filter & Live Performing - Short Teaser
KVR Audio, Inc.


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Free sports physicals at MedWest
The school year is winding down, so that means it's time for our annual free sports physicals at MedWest Haywood. These physicals are being held on Thursday, May 29, at the MedWest Haywood Health and Fitness Center, and are open to all middle and high school aged athletes of all sports (and also ROTC) in Haywood County.
The assigned times for each school: 5:45 p.m. for Canton Middle and Bethel Middle, 6:30 p.m. for Pisgah High, 7:15 p.m. for Waynesville Middle School and Haywood Christian Academy and 8 p.m. for Tuscola High School. And along with physicals, we will have a fitness assessment competition in the racquetball courts all evening, with a prize being given to the top male and female athletes.
Pre-participation physicals are a part of sports. Every athlete needs to have a valid physical on-file with their school. The convenient aspect of our physicals (besides the fact that they're free) is that when an athlete gets one at the end of May, they're covered for the entire next school year. There is no stress of trying to get an appointment before the first practice; or having their current physical lapse during the middle of the season.
Some insurance companies require their members to get an annual physical exam with their primary care doctor, in order to receive a discount on their premiums. Parents can choose to bring their child to our free sports physicals as well. This sports physical will be the one that is filed at their school. There is also less hassle for the parents because we deliver the physicals to each school.
Over the years, many parents have commented on how comprehensive our physicals are. We follow the state mandated exam forms, but we have a wide variety of specialists on hand for any red flags that need following up. We have doctors specializing in cardiology, general surgery, ear/nose/throat, and orthopedics, to name a few. We have female physicians for the female athletes who feel more comfortable being examined by a woman.
In addition to looking for any current conditions, these sports physicals offer an opportunity to catch any potential risks before they become problems. Muscle imbalances, joint laxity, and previous orthopedic injuries can be assessed, and preventative programs can be advised and implemented by our physical therapists and athletic trainers.
Physical form packets have been distributed to the schools and can be found in the main office. It is helpful to have these forms completed prior to showing up at the Health and Fitness Center. Not only will it save time, but we must have a permission form signed by a parent before we can start.
And speaking of parents, we've added some activities for them this year. To help pass the time, from 6:00-8:30, there will be a Parent Lounge with refreshments and a chance to meet our CEO, Janie Jaberg, in the second floor office area. In the cardio rehab room we are offering a free Healthy Cooking Demo with Smoothies. And on the second floor landing, parents can let their cares melt away with the help of free mini-massages by licensed massage therapists.
We hope to see all of Haywood County's athletes and parents on Thursday, May 29, for sports physicals.
Until then, stay healthy.


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Another Inconvenient PR Truth – tell us what you think
Back in January I blogged about a new campaign to encourage PRs to stop spamming the press with unwanted and unfocused communications. After a fantastic initial response, the team behind this campaign have put together a survey looking at the issue in more depth.
You can find the survey here, if you are a journalist please take a few moments to complete it and tell us exactly what you think about the state of irrelevant press release emails (otherwise known as "PR Spam").


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Edit Article
wikiHow to Make a Beef Meatloaf With Bacon
This recipe has been handed down for 2 generations in my family. I have added a few new ingredients to is to give it a little more modern flare.
- 3 Pounds of 80/20 Ground Beef
- 6 to 8 strips of Bacon
- 1 Sweet onion
- 2 Eggs
- 1 cup of bread crumbs
- 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbs soy sauce
- 1/4 cup beef broth
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbs salt
- 1/2 tbs thyme
- 1 tsp pepper
1Preheat oven to 350°.
2Place the ground beef in a large bowl and set aside to come to room temperature.
3Cook the bacon in a sauté pan and reduce until crispy then chop into chunks and set aside.
4Dice the onion into small bits and sauté in the pan of bacon grease until translucent.
5Add the onion, bacon and other wet ingredients into the bowl and mix until incorporated.
6Add the bread crumbs and herbs and spices till the meat mixture is a tacky consistency.
7Do not over mix the meat it will make a tough loaf when it's cooked.
8Using a bread pan or a casserole dish place the meatloaf mixture in and pat loosely to create a loaf.
9Cook for 45 to 50 minutes at 350° until the loaf is at an internal temperature of 165° to 175°.
10Let stand for about ten minutes.
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- This recipe should feed 4 people comfortably, suggested sides dishes are mashed or baked potatoes, corn or green beans and dinner rolls.
Article Info
Categories: Beef and Lamb
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We need to break down the walls
You read the same news everyday...
Humanity's consciousness is rising.
OurPangea believes life is fun and exciting when we make things change!
Staying current and always coming up with new ideas is the challenging part.
Today we broadcast more photos and conversations online than ever before.
We start conversations, spark interest, discover new opportunities, and express ourselves freely~
So how do we manage all of it? What does it look like when it's all brought together?
Do you want to see how your voice fits in?
Imagine how easy it would be to meet exactly the right person...
What would you do in that situation? Would you meet the moment?
(beta testing is now open)
Today, I'm going to share with you a glimpse into the global community.
Here's how,
We're going to make it easy for you to know what's happening around you.
We start with championing the call to UniteAustin and work together!
What we need is a broadcast platform!
We want more LOCAL INTERNET NEWS WE CREATE!
How does a local internet news broadcast platform help me see what's happening around me?
All OurPangea starts with a map.
How do we know what's happening around us in our cities?
How can you shout out to your immediate area and get attention on what you're doing or starting up?
What good is it for all of us to have an eagle eye view on our city and beyond?
When something is happening, how am I alerted?
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Sign up right now to access our free map and find out today!
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Join the @Who's @Who.
Find your #American City Today!
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OurPangea will show you the way to #whatever adventure you're cooking up!
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Are you a visionary?


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Lyric Opera San Diego
Sept. 23-25 and Sept. 29-Oct. 2. Birch North Park Theatre, 2891 University Ave., North Park. $32-$52. (619) 239-8836 or
Maybe you can't wait for December to hear "We Need a Little Christmas." Fortunately, the Lyric Opera of San Diego opens its season this weekend with "Mame," for which Jerry Herman wrote the soon-to-be holiday classic in 1966 (even Daffy Duck has sung a version). The Lyric's production features Andrea Huber in the title role and Leigh Scarritt as her "Bosom Buddy," Vera.
Also on the Lyric's season: Johann Strauss Jr.'s "Die Fledermaus" (Feb. 10, 12, 16, 18, 19); Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Mikado" (March 30, April 1, 5, 7, 8, 13-15); and "Good Bye, Good Luck, … And Get Out" (Nov. 4, 6), a celebration of artistic director J. Sherwood Montgomery's 25 years with the company and his "retirement" to "Artistic Director Emeritus." (He may be retired, but Montgomery will still play Frosch in "Die Fledermaus.")


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What is happening to Naughty dog and other Sony studios?
Last of us, veteran director leaves, now Uncharted 4 director leaves,
then Sony lay's off at 3 different studios
What is going on? Im hoping this is not going to affect the quality of the next Uncharted and or Last of us game
Re: What is happening to Naughty dog and other Sony studios?
Re: What is happening to Naughty dog and other Sony studios?
I would disagree and here's why:
Since ND has been divided into 2 teams, it's safe to assume that the Uncharted 4 team has been working on the game since shortly after the release of Uncharted 3 (released Nov. 2011). Being a first party studio, and arguably the best studio Sony has, they definitely knew about the PS4 hardware by then. So assuming that they needed some time to explore the new hardware, make changes to their graphics engine, etc. I think we can say ND has easily been working on Uncharted 4 since Summer of 2012. With their previous track record, they have been making great quality Uncharted games in 2 year development cycles. which means that their 2 year mark would be sometime this summer. BUT being better hardware, it's possibly more time is needed to polish more details. So by this holiday it will be almost 3 years of development which is probably about the right time to release a new game, since the longer you wait the more it costs to make and the more reliant you become on sales.
I understand that many employees are leaving, but some of those were under contract for The Last of Us, some could have been done with their roles on the new Uncharted game, and some could just be leaving because it's the right time to move on. People try to find explanations for things and tend to always assume the worst, when I'm sure the developement cycle is not reliant on those people at the studio.


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Made a quick stop at JoAnn's last night and did not take the time to ask, but where in your store do they keep these wide fabrics? THX
Welcome to the Quilting Board!
Made a quick stop at JoAnn's last night and did not take the time to ask, but where in your store do they keep these wide fabrics? THX
In my local Joann's, the wide fabrics are located with the muslin fabrics.
Does your Jo Ann's have a section for quilter's quality fabrics? We have just a small Jo Ann's here but I often go up to the one in the closest big city to us, a Jo Ann's Etc., and both keep their backing fabrics by the quilter's cottons. They are usually more expensive, like $16 a yard, and kept in a separate area from the calico wall.
Valerie Smith - pumpkinpatchquilter
Obsessed Quilter and APQS Long Arm Machine Quilter
same here. With the broad cloths and muslins.
I have chosen to be happy because it is good for my health - Voltaire
In my Joanns they are with the muslins and are on the very top shelf and they only have 3 or 4 bolts, none of it very pretty. When I bought the piece I bought, It was cut so badly that I lost over a foot of fabric. They wouldn't take it back since I had washed it.
In my Joanns they are tucked away among other fabrics...you have to ask. And by the way they only have 3 choices all the same pattern just different colors. You would do better getting on line and finding other vendors.
Wow Karen - Consider writing their home office and raise a major stink. A foot off is horrible to not get some compensation out of it. I am very careful when i buy from JoAnn's anymore because they are more concerned about not giving up one single extra inch of fabric instead of making sure it's straight. I always buy an extra 1/8 to 1/4 yd to make sure, but that would not have even been enough.
my name is becca and i'm a quilt-a-holic :-)
Look online...there are some reasonable prices too...I can't remember who I was just looking at..Connecting Threads maybe or....someone on here will know.
This just supports my aggrivation at cutting wide backing. You can't just cut it off as the double/double fold does not keep it straight. So when you buy wide backing rom any store make sure they refold and cut it so you have a minimum loss. I agrue with my local store all the time as I usually loose 6" on one end and another 6 on the other. they usually say "we add extra for this" but it never happens. So be sure it is cut corectly. I usualy as that they tare the fabric to make sure I get ehat I pay for.
My JoAnns has very very few wide backings( 3 or 4 that are colored prints)... and it seems they are always changing the location.. I have to ask every time. The only exception is the wide muslin.. its usually with the other muslin... notice I said usually.


text: Situated at a distance of 1,641 feet from the Dreamland Spices Park, Gokulam Home Stay operates a 24-hour front desk to welcome and assist guests. It features a well-manicured, lush green garden. The simple fan-cooled accommodation will provide you with a flat-screen satellite TV. The private bathrooms come with free toiletries and shower. At Gokulam Home Stay you will find services like currency exchange and laundry. Other facilities offered at the property include a tour desk, luggage storage and dry cleaning. The property offers free parking. The Chenkulam Dam is 1.9 miles away while the popular Tea Museum is 9.3 miles away. The Munnar Bus Station is 12 km, the Aluva Railway Station is 62.1 miles and the Cochin International Airport is 68.4 miles.


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All information and assessment documents related to Introductory and Advanced Pharmacy Practice Rotations are maintained on the SIUE "Rx Preceptor" website. Rx Preceptor also has numerous "Help" files.
Log in to Rx Preceptor > Go to "Communications/Support" > Select "Document Library" > Select the folder with the file you are seeking.


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Press releases
You can filter the press releases by subject and/or by date.
Valletta migration summit must not be hijacked by EU border agenda
EU and African leaders neet to use the Valletta summit to address the causes forcing people to flee their homes if the meeting is to benefit the populations of the African countries taking part. The EU must let human rights be the focus at Valletta and not prioritize the EU's own agenda of tightened borders and increased state security.
G20 among biggest losers in large-scale tax abuse – but poor countries relatively hardest hit
G20 countries are the biggest losers when US multinationals avoid paying taxes where they do business.
International community must provide a "New Deal" for Syria's refugees
Oxfam and other agencies say that the international community must agree a bold new deal for Syria's refugees if it is serious about tackling the largest humanitarian crisis since World War II. The new deal must provide more investment in Syria's neighbours, which host more than 4 million refugees, and an end to restrictions that prevent refugees from working and in some cases living legally in these countries.
Celebrities join #eyesonParis climate campaign for Oxfam
Oxfam Global Ambassadors Angélique Kidjo, Baaba Maal and Miguel Bosé, alongside many other celebrities, have shared an eyes-only selfie on social media to tell world leaders they have their #eyesonParis for action on climate change.
Six months on from Nepal earthquake, delays in policy and fuel crisis holding up recovery efforts
Relief for the 8 million people affected by the huge Nepal earthquake six months ago is still being disrupted by delays in reinstating the government's National Reconstruction Agency, says Oxfam. An on-going fuel crisis is adding to the problems, putting at risk the health and safety of thousands of people as winter approaches. More than 8,600 people were killed and half a million houses destroyed by the quake.
UN Security Council should seize opportunity to restart Yemen peace process
In an open letter sent today, Oxfam, Norwegian Refugee Council, Save the Children, Action Contre La Faim and seven other agencies urge the UN Security Council to press parties in the Yemen conflict to implement an immediate ceasefire and kick-start the peace process.
Paris climate summit showing green shoots of international cooperation
The 150 countries that have now publicly committed to carbon reduction pledges show that December's UN climate summit in Paris could, at last, be built on international cooperation rather than competition.
Typhoon Koppu hits the Philippines: We are ready to respond
We are ready to dispatch rapid assessment teams to survey the damage left in the path of Typhoon Koppu, and assess and respond to the greatest needs if the Philippines Government requests international assistance.
Oxfam welcomes European Parliament position towards COP21 Climate Summit
Yesterday's vote on the European Parliament's position vis-à-vis the COP21 was welcomed by Oxfam for highlighting the importance of climate finance for developing countries.
"Male-dominated" governments paying lip service to landmark UN resolution on women's role in peace processes
A landmark United Nations resolution that 15 years ago promised to bolster the rights of women in peace efforts has brought some welcome progress – but far too little to be judged a success overall.


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| July 20, 2011 | Food & Drink The Latest
Although it's rumored that the recipe for the famous pisco punch died with its creator, Duncan Nicol, Pisco Portón has uncovered the centuries-old secret. Created by Nicol in 1893 at a bar called Bank Exchange in San Francisco, the popular punch recipe, and its bar of origin, disappeared during Prohibition. Nicol is said to have used a pisco made with Torontel grapes and gum syrup to give the punch its silky texture. Fittingly, Pisco Portón is one of the only piscos available in the United States today that is made in part with Torontel grapes. Here, the recently debuted spirit brand shares its recipe for Nicol's mysterious pisco punch.
Pisco Punch
1/2 pint of gum syrup
1 pint of distilled water
3/4 pint of lemon juice
1 750 ml bottle of Pisco Portón
1 fresh pineapple
Cut a fresh pineapple into half-inch by one and half-inch squares. Add pineapple to a punch bowl with simple syrup and soak overnight. Once done, add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and mix well. Serve cold in three to four ounce portions.