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When we went to the prom, the idea of parents renting hotel rooms for us students or of even staying out all night was something that couldn't even be comprehended. Times have changed, I guess.
Today, memories of my high school prom seem almost laughable, but they were dead-serious then. A date to the prom was probably the most formally attired dinner and dance I'd ever ask a girl to share, and it needed to be special.
My steady girlfriend had just broken off our romance, so the list of women whom I thought might go out with me was a short one; the girl who sat in front of me in Social Studies did laugh at my jokes, though.
"Uh, Linda?" I asked one day when our teacher was distracted on the other side of the room. "Have you got a date to the prom yet?"
"No, not yet."
"Well, then," I continued, "could I have the honor of escorting you to the gala affair?" (While I thought I was being all suave and debonair, I look back at it now as prime nerd behavior.)
Once I had my date lined up, I'd need to rent a tux, order flowers, make restaurant reservations and trade my Mom a month's worth of Saturday labor for the use of her new car.
Making the right impression
When I walked into the local tuxedo rental shop, I was greeted by a balding, 50ish, little, ol' man. He might have been straight out of Hollywood casting.
"Hello, how can I help? Wanna rent a nice tux?" he asked.
"Ah, yeah," I finally blurted.
"Goin' ta da prom up at the high school?"
"Look around, that rack over there's got all the rentals on it. Take your time. We'll fix ya up real good."
While he fussed with a mannequin, I looked through the rental rack and tried to make a decision. I had already decided that I didn't want just another plain, ol' white-jacket/black-trouser combination. (Remember, this was the 1960s.)
They had some iridescent coats that caught my eye, and I picked out an electric-blue model that would have done any Motown singing group proud.
I look back today and wonder: What was going through my mind?
When the day itself finally arrived, I showered, needlessly shaved and doused myself with cologne 'til I reeked. I kept thinking of the ceremonial dressing of a matador before he met the horns of the bull.
My father looked at his 17-year-old kid dressed in an incandescent jacket and offered just two bits of advice: "Remember, that car's no play toy," and "Don't order Roquefort salad dressing."
I looked at him quizzically.
"Garlic breath," he explained. We shook hands, and I started off on my date.
Meeting the family
Linda looked great in her new formal. After I had presented her with her flowers, I heard her father tell her mother as she helped Linda pin them on, "Something's gotta hold that dress up.'"
After we'd gone through the mandatory round of snapshots for the relatives, I finally got Linda into the shiny, red Plymouth and headed toward one of the fancier restaurants in town.
I remembered the salad-dressing warning, but you can't just act as if nothing unusual is happening when you're wearing clothes that glow.
"Gary," Linda asked softly as I drove on toward the dance, "back at my house, when you were waiting for me to come down, did my father show you his gun?"
"Uh, no," I replied. Why did she ask me that?
"Good, he usually shows it to all my dates, and he did seem to be looking at you a little strangely."
GARY McDANIEL is a longtime Magnolia resident. To comment on this column, write to email@example.com.


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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/12/2012 (1709 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
As 2011 ended with the Jets dumping the Toronto Maple Leafs in an NHL game on New Year's Eve in Winnipeg, all seemed right with the world.
But 2012, despite beginning with such promise, would turn out to be a most difficult year in sports in this city.
To be sure, there were bright spots, such as the Winnipeg Goldeyes capturing this city's first professional sports championship since 1994, but mostly this year went from bad to worse.
The Jets missed the playoffs, the new football stadium hit snag after snag, the Bombers were awful and head coach Paul LaPolice wouldn't make it through the season.
Then came the cruellest blow of all as the NHL and its players decided to stare each other down over money rather than hold games.
Certainly, 2012 came in like a lion, with the Bombers losing in the Grey Cup and appearing to be heading for good days and the Jets back in Winnipeg where they belong.
But 2012 ended like a dud. To say it went out like a lamb would be to insult the woolly animals that provide our sweaters. Here's hoping 2013 has better stories to tell when we get around to this exercise next year. No doubt, some of you will disagree with the order or have issue with a story not being included. Send us an email -- we're always glad to get feedback.
Drum roll, please. Ladies and gentlemen the sports stories of 2012...
1. The lockout
WINNIPEG waited more than 15 years to get its NHL team back, and after spending the front half of 2012 basking in the glory of our Prairie hockey resurrection the city was bumped back to puck purgatory. St. Peter opened the doors to heaven and let Winnipeggers look around, but then had a change of heart and revoked the pass. Some might take solace in the fact it's likely only a break in the action with all of the NHL shut down, but the fact remains there is no big-league hockey in Winnipeg right now.
2. Stadium gaga
FIRST it was going to be done by July. Then it was August. Then it was just after Labour Day. Then it was see you next year. Winnipeg's state-of-the-art football facility, what Blue Bombers CEO Garth Buchko refers to as an NFL stadium sized for our market, was supposed to open in time for the club's home opener on July 26, but that date and several others came and went with nothing but excuses. Buchko inherited a bagful of foolishness and accepted the word of others on stadium issues early in his tenure as a rookie professional sports executive. On this issue, he never recovered. False promises topped with bad advice had Buchko reeling by mid-summer. Finally he pulled the plug on 2012 and turned his attention to getting the facility ready for 2013. The stadium saga wasn't of Buchko's making but he wore it all the same. When it finally does open, he'll deserve some credit for what he went through to finally deliver what should be a source of pride for this community.
3. All hail the Fish
GM Andrew Collier, field manager Rick Forney and play-by-play man Paul Edmonds along with countless others finally were able to revel in the good times of a title run. Collier structured a first-rate organization, Forney found the players and Edmonds painted a picture over the airwaves as the Goldeyes ran through the post-season to capture the American Association championship. Winnipeg knocked out the favoured Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks in the first round of the playoffs and then captured the pennant in a sweep of the Wichita Wingnuts. The Goldeyes went 6-0 in the post-season catching lightning in a bottle at just the right time.
4. Long gone Lapo
Paul LaPolice went from a berth in the Grey Cup and a coach-of-the-year nomination to the unemployment line in just eight short games. Bombers GM Joe Mack fired LaPolice prior to Labour Day with the club sitting at 2-6. LaPolice's team clearly regressed in 2012 after losing in the final game of the 2011 season to the Grey Cup champion B.C. Lions but he was the scapegoat for a host of organizational issues beyond his control. No viable plan at quarterback, four games on the road to open the season because of a major error at the board level on stadium scheduling and finally roster turnover that left his locker room without leadership. LaPolice was unable to rise above this adversity and there was a case for firing him. But he shouldn't have been alone. Mack and the board members responsible for the stadium debacle were just as culpable. Last I checked, they still have their positions.
5. Pav-electricity
On Feb. 21, in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec flashed his glove into the air and snared a sure-goal off the stick of Jakub Voracek. The play was selected as TSN's Play of the Year. Pavelec faced Ottawa Senators forward Jason Spezza in the final and collected 54 per cent of the votes. Flyers defenceman Kimmo Timonen took a slap shot towards Pavelec which he turned aside while leaving a juicy rebound. Voracek had a wide open net to score but Pavelec moved across the crease on his knees and swung his trapper into the air to snag the puck. Pavelec wasn't done making news, however, as he entered into protracted contract negotiations with the Jets. Agent Allan Walsh and Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff played cat and mouse before sitting down at the NHL draft in Pittsburgh for a conversation that eventually led to a deal. Shortly after signing a five-year deal worth $19.5 million, word broke that Pavelec had been charged and convicted of drunk driving during the negotiations but had not disclosed this to the Jets.
6. Everything Evander: Jets left wing Evander Kane asserted himself in 2012 as a player to follow on and off the ice. First and foremost, Kane scored 30 goals and began to live up to the vast potential that saw him drafted 4th overall in 2009. While Kane was making great things happen on the ice he was also dogged by off-ice rumours. Nothing nefarious but always something seemed to be brewing with Kane. Then came the summer and as contract negotiations stretched longer and longer, there was talk of trade demands and finally a last minute flurry to get a deal done. Kane signed a six-year deal worth $31.5 million and then made the trek to Minsk of the KHL when the NHL season didn't start. Jets fans watched closely to see how Kane would fare and were disappointed when he was released from his contract after putting up just one goal and no assists in 12 games.
7. Great Scott: Winnipeg's Desiree Scott turned in a tour de force performance at the 2012 London Olympics earning a bronze medal as part of Canada's women's soccer team. Scott raised her game and was lauded for her role as a stalwart midfield defender. Scott made one of the plays of the tournament in Canada's bronze medal game 1-0 victory as she cleared a ball off the goal line to prevent a France goal. Scott returned to Winnipeg after the Olympics to a large crowd at the airport where they chanted her name and sang Oh Canada.
"I'm a very emotional person. To come home and hear my name being screamed... I'm holding back tears right now," said Scott.
8. Mack back: The Bombers came close to firing their GM late in the season but had a change of heart over the last four games of the campaign and just prior to their finale held a press conference to announce Joe Mack would be back. Mack owns a 20-34 record as GM of the Bombers and has sandwiched one Grey Cup appearance with a pair of non-playoff seasons. Upper management has said this is the season Mack's plan must come into focus. A winning record and a playoff appearance are a must to keep his job secure according to CEO Garth Buchko and chairman of the board Bill Watchorn.
9. Tim at the top: The Bombers named Tim Burke interim head coach after they fired Paul LaPolice prior to Labour Day. Burke's first couple of weeks on the job were brutal as the club lost 52-0 in Regina, dropped a 25-24 game to the Riders at the Banjo Bowl and then were dreadful losing 44-3 to the Calgary Stampeders. Burke finally got his first win in his fourth try defeating the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 34-12. Burke finished 4-6 and if not for a rookie mistake in the Banjo Bowl could very well have finished 5-5 and potentially have gotten the Bombers into the post-season. Burke seemed to have the confidence of the organization and on the day he was announced head coach the entire team came up from the dressing room to sit in on the press conference.
10. Crosby's better: Winnipeg Jets fans became known around the NHL not only for their passion but their clever approach to treating star players from the opposition. Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin was serenaded with, "Crosby's better." Carolina Hurricane's centre Eric Staal had to listen to a night of, "Jordan's better," referring to his younger brother, then of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller was treated to a chorus of, "Silver medal," in honour of his second place finish at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics behind team Canada. The rink was full for every Jets game and on many nights the crowd was the first star.
Twitter: @garylawless

subset: commoncrawl


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Due to a fire on the 17 June 2015, the Waltzing Matilda Centre is currently closed. Please visit the new Visitor Information Centre at 71-73 Elderslie Street, Winton.
If there is one song that lives in the hearts of all Australians, it's "Waltzing Matilda".
The song written by A.B. Banjo Paterson in 1895, has played a significant part in defining the Australian character. "Waltzing Matilda" inspires the Australian spirit. It can be a feel-good song, a rousing chorus or simply impart a feeling of nostalgia. It's sung at sporting events, in schools and by expatriates all over the world.
The Waltzing Matilda Centre is inspired by the song penned by Banjo Paterson and embraced by the Australian people as their unofficial national anthem. The centre was built in 1998 after the centenary celebrations for the song, and is constantly evolving. The Waltzing Matilda uses today's technology and interactive displays to interpret the song, Australian history and what it is to be Australian.
Note: Information on listed products and services are provided by the operator and were correct at the time of publishing. Rates are indicative based on the minimum and maximum available prices of products and services. Please visit the operator's website for further information. All prices quoted are in Australian dollars (AUD).


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Brewer at the Legislature: Wind energy is testament to greed
Groene at the Legislature: Holding NRDs responsible
More opinion
NFU urges smooth, transparent transition to Fair Trade framework
New interim executive director named for state brand committee
More Ag News
Job seekers could not be denied employment based on their credit history under a bill in the Legislature sponsored by Sen. Annette Dubas of Fullerton.
Dubas said we need to ask what employers look for when they use a credit check.
There is little correlation between credit history and job performance or the likelihood of committing fraud, she said.
Dubas said the practice of reviewing an applicants credit report creates a potential Catch-22 for many job seekers. They need to find a job to get themselves out of debt, but their debt is preventing them from getting a job.
There are many occurrences in our lives that are out of our control but can have an impact on our credit score, Dubas said. She cited the loss of a loved one, divorce, medical expenses and job loss.
The use of a credit score in job applications has an especially negative impact on women, the disabled, and certain populations such as Hispanic and African Americans because their scores tend to be lower, Dubas said.
Thirty-four percent of employers reported using credit checks in the hiring process, according to a 2012 national survey conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management.
Most of those (87%) did so for positions with financial responsibility.
Under current law, employers have to get permission from applicants before obtaining their credit report. If employers choose to deny employment based on credit history, they are supposed to notify the applicant of the reason for the decision.
Its my understanding that that doesnt happen very often, Dubas said, referring to the notification requirement.
Robert Hallstrom, representing the National Federation of Independent Businesses, testified against the bill. He said the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the federal body that enforces workplace discrimination laws, already requires employers to have a justifiable policy for using credit reports in hiring decisions.
Ron Sedlacek, a lobbyist for the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce, also testified against the bill. He said that because credit checks cost employers time and money, they are only used in the final stages of the hiring process.
As a candidate, if you make it to the point where the employer wants to go back and check your credit report, you should celebrate because thats great news, Sedlacek said. It means youve made it to the next stage of the hiring process and theyre interested in considering you as a candidate.
He added that employers use credit reports to assess accountability and responsibility and to avoid potential conflicts of interest.
Tad Fraizer, representing the American Insurance Association, took issue with the bills exemption of certain positions for which a good credit history is an occupational requirement. He said the language of the bill is too vague and fails to lay out specifically what positions would be exempt.
Single Mom
Dubas closed her remarks to the committee by reading an email sent to her by a constituent. The woman, an Army veteran and single mother of three with two masters degrees, ran into difficult times and accumulated significant debt despite working two jobs. Dubas said if this woman were to apply for a job now, she could be denied employment because of her credit history.
I really feel like this makes the point that Im trying to make through LB 95, Dubas said, referring to the email.
Flatrock Publishing, Inc.
1300 E 4th St., Suite F
North Platte, NE 69101


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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 9/4/2013 (1595 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
DEAR MISS LONELYHEARTS: I'm angry because my brother-in-law -- the big fat louse -- gets drunk and decks my sister. She hits him quite freely too, and once nailed him with a frying pan. I told her, "Good thing it was light or he might have died." She said, "He's too tough to die. Anyways, I love him, so shut up!" Love him? What's to love? He's been giving her hell since she married him 18 years ago. I asked her to leave him before she really gets hurt permanently, and she said, "Why would I leave him? I love that idiot and he loves me." I just hate listening to their crap and she's always talking about it! It gives me a headache. But, I love my sister a lot, as she is my only sister. What can I do to make her see the light? -- Younger Sister, Downtown
Dear Sister: She is the drama queen, and he is the drama king. They thrive on this soap opera life. But it becomes your business every time she complains and you have to hear it. There's the line you must draw in the sand now. Tell her this: "Every time you complain to me about the abuse you get from your husband and every time I hear about how you abuse him, I am deeply disturbed for a long time afterwards thinking about it and worrying about you. From now on, please don't talk to me about him, unless you are ready to leave this situation or need my help in some way." You will hear less from her, and she will try "change back" ploys so that she can get her rewards back -- which are: complaining about what she puts up with and getting sympathy; reliving the drama like a stage play and seeing your shock; and being the star of the show -- every conversation centres around her life. It is much safer to call her on the phone after your talk and when she drifts onto her latest fight, make an excuse that you have to say goodbye. Say bye-bye and quickly hang up before she protests. Then leave her alone for a few days. You're training her. You may become less than her best friend as she quickly seeks out another person to play your role. That's OK. Be happy and invest in your own life. Look for new friends and a new partner if you don't have one already.
Dear Miss Lonelyhearts: I love my five cats and they love me. I also have one old dog who is almost ready to depart this world. By the way, I'm happily divorced. I quickly found out the guy I've been dating doesn't care for cats and dogs and he says he won't come to my place. That means I always go to his house, which is antiseptic. He shows no curiosity or interest in ever seeing my place and it doesn't make a difference if I keep my animals or not. I know he is having sex with me, but do you think he loves me? When I ask him, he says, "What do you think?" Please help. -- Cat Lady, Wolseley
Dear Cat Lady: The animals are mighty convenient. As long as you have them, he doesn't have to worry about your wanting to marry him. He gets a drop-in sex buddy who admires him and he doesn't have to move an inch. When sex is over, you drive home in the cold. He's calling the shots and you look pitiful when you ask him if he loves you. The only way casual sex works for any length of time is if the two people have the same detached attitude toward each other emotionally and it's kind of like going to the gym. In your case, you want him to say he loves you -- but how do you really feel? Are you mistaking love for relief of boredom and/or loneliness? He doesn't sound like the right guy for you. An unfussy animal lover who loves you dearly would be so much better.
Questions or comments? Please email email@example.com or send letters c/o Miss Lonelyhearts, 1355 Mountain Ave. Winnipeg R2X 3B6


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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 6/8/2014 (1109 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Andrew Baryluk, the man involved in a 17-hour standoff on Stella Avenue last week, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police revealed today.
In a news release, police said they found Baryluk and a gun in the home at 512 Stella Ave. around 3 a.m. on Thursday and confirmed he was dead.
Baryluk, 53, had barricaded himself inside his home the day before. Police said they received a call around 10:45 a.m. Wednesday about a distraught male in the house.
Police say they had made contact with Baryluk in the afternoon, but lost communication with him in the early evening. Shots were fired from the residence when tactical officers tried to deliver a communication device around 8:20 p.m. Officers fired back in response while retreating.
Police also say they never used any flash-bang device, despite reports in the media.
The Free Press previously reported that Baryluk had recently been ordered evicted following a legal dispute with relatives over his right to live there.
On July 10, Andrew Baryluk, 52, saw Manitoba's top court deny his appeal of a recent Residential Tenancies Board order granting possession of the home to another family member.
The house had been sold by relatives to a third-party but Baryluk maintained there had been an agreement he could live there indefinitely, according to court records.
After a full hearing in June, the RTB ordered him to vacate the house by no later than 11:59 p.m. on July 6, but that order was held in abeyance pending the outcome of his case in the Court of Appeal.
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Black and White Record Watch by Alessi
I can't keep my eyes of it. I love its classic style and large face. It is so easy to read and it comes with a gorgeous black leather strap. The dimensions are large, 36mm by 18mm. I'm the Alessi girl calling out for you to purchase my new fav watch. PS: Check the other Alessi styles!


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Trim a 16 in. Featherweight decorating bag to fit tip 789. Fill bag half full. Starting in center of cake top, hold bag at a 45° angle, lightly pressing the serrated edge of tip against cake. Squeeze a ribbon of icing in a continuous spiral motion to cover cake top, with last ribbon forcing icing over the edge of cake top.
To ice the sides, squeeze icing as you turn the cake slowly on the Trim 'N Turn turntable. Repeat the process until the entire cake side is covered.
Smooth the sides of the cake by leveling the icing with the edge of the Large Angled Spatula. For easier smoothing, it may help to dip the spatula into hot water, wipe dry and glide it across the entire surface. Smooth the top using the end of the spatula. Sweep the edge of the spatula from the rim of the cake to its center. Then lift it off and remove excess icing. Rotate the cake slightly and repeat the procedure, starting from a new point on the rim until you have smoothed the entire top surface.


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321stBG,447thBS, S/Sgt Tony Abbondanza
1944 — Italy
321st Bomb Grpoup, 447th Bomb Squadron, N. Africa, Italy, Corsica and N Italy.
Abbondanza, Anthony J., S/Sgt, aerial gunner (31308822)(32 Arthur St, Beverly MA)NARA - 31308822 ABBONDANZA#ANTHONY#J# MA ESSEX BOSTON MA 43)
57th Bomb Wing Gallery/Album for Anthony J Abbondanza;
MIA shot down 20 Oct 44, (evaded) returned to our Troops.
#43-3403 Incendiary Blonde B-25 Lost on 20 Oct. 1944.
11 Dec. 2012 from Professor Agostini Alberti;
Dear Friends,
Have received the attached file by Mr. Bottacin from Pieve Albignola,
the small village where did crashed the B-25 "Incendiary Blonde" on Oct
20, 1944.
He was able to find Mr. Battista Fasce, the partisan (now he is 87 years
old) who hid and assisted Sgt Mabbutt after the "landing" in enemy held
It sounds an interesting story...
With Friendship, Ago
WAR-DIARY; 321st Bomb Group (Medium), 447th BS; 20 Oct. 1944
447th BS: Extracts from Missing Air Crew Report # 9442: Craft received flak in right wing near engine; left engine began throwing oil, and attempts to feather it failed. Loss of altitude was indicated and at 6,000' bail-out orders were given. Abbondanza, who believes he was first to bail, left craft at 3500' closely followed by Wentz; neither saw any other chutes while descending. Both members state none of the crew had been injured in the craft. Difficulty was encountered with flak-damaged escape hatches and only the rear hatch was successfully forced open. Abbondanza's last view of the plane was at its point of fall into a dive; then an explosion was felt. Wreckage was never seen by sources.
A/C No. 43-3403 "Incendiary Blonde" (MACR-9442 – hit by flak - crashed )P Willis, Richard L., 1Lt – remained in plane – KIA – buried 21 Oct 44, Cemetery Piave Albignola Field 2, Row 9, Grave 6
CP Wentz, James I., F/O – MIA – POW returned N None B Harvey, Edmund R., 2Lt – remained in plane – KIA – buried 21 Oct 44, Cemetery Piave Albignola Field 2, Row 9, Grave
Barbi Ennis Connolly firstname.lastname@example.com
57th Bomb Wing Historical Research Team; John T Fitzgerald, Patti Johnson and Barbi Ennis Connolly


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Rosary Prayer
Let us prayO God, whose only begotten Son, by His life, death, and resurrection, Has purchased for us the rewards of eternal salvation. Grant, we beseech Thee, that while meditating on these mysteries Of the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary,That we may both imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us. Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.
Return to Meditation and Prayer


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Library History
Two literary programs were offered: Daytime Book Discussion on Wednesdays at noon and the Readers RoundTable on Thursday evenings. The English Conversation Club, a series of weekly two hour sessions where adults from other nations could practice their English speaking skills, began under the direction of Outreach librarian, Susan Smith. Soon librarian Connie D'Acurzio assisted her in leading the group.
On January 1st the library building became smoke-free. Staff were asked to confine their smoking to an area in the parking garage where a custom made bench would be installed.
Sixteen story times were conducted for children ages one year through grade 2 from February through April. The 3/4 Club took place every other Tuesday for third and fourth graders. The program encouraged library use and reading for these elementary school children.
In March Patrick Lawler, David Lloyd, Steve Smith and others read their poetry at the Friday night Poetry reading programs.
Melora Macbeth, former director of the Salina Free Library, began as Head of the Computer Department on March 10. The library began to circulate IBM and Commodore software in addition to Apple.
The library continued to be a site for the AARP tax consultants who offered free assistance to senior citizens. Tax forms were also distributed by the library as part of the national program sponsored by the U.S. government.
April was Dinosaur Mania month for children and there were programs and displays on this popular theme.
Over four hundred voters turned out for the library budget vote in the middle of the month and gave their approval to the 9.9% increase. Dr. Thomas J. Wells was reelected to a five year term on the Board of Trustees.
In June, fines for overdue books, records, audiocassettes, compact discs, software, and periodicals were raised to twenty cents per day. Fines on videos, art prints, sculpture, and equipment were raised to $2 per day.
June also saw the introduction of Voice Mail and an Autoattendant for the telephone system.
June 21st marked the one hundredth anniversary of the granting of the library's charter. A belated birthday celebration took place in the Carman Community Room in September.
From July 12 to August 6 Summerbus returned and hundreds of children from the Liverpool area were transported to the library for a morning filled with fun things to do! The 22nd Art in the Park returned to Johnson Park on August 21-22.
Librarian Rita ben Simon, an American Red Cross certified instructor, taught a two part course ( four hours each) in Babysitting.
August found controversy surrounding the library's display of a nude painting as part of an exhibit sponsored by the Liverpool Central School District faculty. Some patrons complained and the media arrived with lights and cameras, but Director Fay Golden said the painting would stay.
Performance Awards were presented at a staff reception to Lana Rothrock, Anita Simmons and Shirley Titsworth.
In September a reception was held for those people who had been the subjects of a series of local history interviews videotaped by Rick Fensterer. The Liverpool Legends series provided a history of the area as seen through the eyes of local residents. Linda Loomis, co-editor of the Review and an adjunct professor at Onondaga Community College, served as the interviewer for the series. Sixteen tapes have been produced thus far (2000) and more are planned. Subjects include the following people: Betty Gurnett, William Hassett, Betty Henes, the Hurst Family, Robert Kinman, Luke LaPorta, the Maurer Family, Joe and Virginia Peta, Helen Heid Platner, Marjorie Stevens Sargent, Julia Scott, Frank Selinski, Russ Tarby, The Weekly Newspaper, and Lola Wilcox. All of the tapes were made available for loan.
Meanwhile the Children's Department sponsored a series of Friday evening "Pajama Parties" where preschoolers and their favorite ( stuffed) bedtime buddies were invited to enjoy Curious George, The Berenstain Bears and Madeline.
The first Mother Goose StoryTime Program was held in October.
On October 13 local author Diana Abu-Jaber discussed her novel "Arabian Jazz" at a reception, book sale and signing.
Library tee shirts were offered for sale by the Friends. The original design of a bar code preceded by the numbers 0101 was replaced with a new design. The phrase "There's power in knowledge" surrounded a drawing of a "clenched fist." The words "Liverpool Public Library" appeared underneath. Deb Suppes, member of the library's custodial staff, created the winning entry in a design contest held among the staff.
Towards the end of the month Alan Rowoth became Head of the Computer Department and Mickayla "Micky" Wheeler, Head of Circulation, resigned and moved to Florida.
In November the library became the site for EDCON, a computerized regional database of educational and training opportunities for adults in the Central New York area. It was sponsored by the Regional Learning Service.
November was also the month that the library belatedly celebrated its one hundredth birthday. June 21 was the official charter date and Director Fay Golden said in the Liverpool Salina Review, "We decided to keep it low-key. There's been so much going on here anyway it's been hard to get a meeting room."
Barbara Moul was hired as a page in the Computer Lab. Jeanne Biggins became the Head of Technical Services. Her first task was to initiate intensive training on O.C.L.C. (Online Computer Library Center), a national system used for cataloging materials.
In December Susan Mills, Head of the Audio Visual Department began the long process of disposing of the vinyl record collection. The project was expected to take six months.


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Credit and Debt
What's New
In addition to typical spring cleaning tasks, you may want to take this time to focus on your finances. In particular, now may be as good a time as ever to evaluate your debt situation and try to reduce and/or eliminate any debt obligations you may have. The following are some tips to get you started.
Popular Tools
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Q: I'm one of those college students who got a credit card, and charged way more than I could afford and now can't pay it back. I have $4300.00 on a credit card and work...Read Answer


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Did you know?
Soweto (short for 'South-Western Townships') is home to more than a million people.
Soweto, the famous South African township, feels like a universe unto itself. It is a place best experienced on the ground, rather than cruising through it in an air-conditioned bus with sealed windows.
It's much better to hear kwaito music and people shouting greetings; to see children running alongside; to smell the kota (favourite junk food in Soweto) and corn cobs over the fire and the strange things sold at herbalist shops; and to laugh at the good-natured comments from vendors selling everything from sunglasses to snuff.
Soweto Bicycle Tours offers a way to experience this excitement on two wheels, and makes for an unusual and memorable township tour.
You can opt for two-hour, four-hour or full-day guided bicycle tours. There is also a three-hour tour of Kliptown, a section of Soweto where the Freedom Charter, a historic document outlining South Africa after apartheid, was signed in 1955. That document became the foundation of South Africa's Constitution, one of the most progressive in the world.
If you're not into bikes at all but still want a ground-level experience of Soweto, why not try a tuk-tuk tour?
Depending on which tour you choose, you will see an old apartheid workers' hostel (now transformed), the place where the 1976 Soweto student uprisings started, the Hector Pieterson Memorial (he was a schoolboy killed by police during the uprisings), Nelson Mandela's Soweto home, and a shebeen (informal tavern), among many other attractions.
The owner of the tours, known simply as Lebo, first plunged into tourism in 1999, opening his home to visitors wanting to stay overnight. It's centrally located, within walking distance of the famous Vilakazi Street, where Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu once lived.
In 2003, Lebo's Soweto Backpackers was officially opened. He and his wife, Maria (originally from Sweden), live on site too.
Subsequently, Lebo began the bicycle and tuk-tuk tours (you can opt for a walking tour too, or be driven if you prefer).
In 2008, Soweto Bicycle Tours and Soweto Backpackers became responsible tourism operators when they were certified by Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa.
Soweto Backpackers is known for its commitment to the community. It is cleaning up a dump site and turning it into a green space with newly planted trees.
For Lebo, it's all about opening up people's eyes to his beloved Soweto.
Travel tips & Planning info
Who to contact
Soweto Backpackers
Tel: +27 (0)11 936 3444
Cell: +27 (0)84 851 8681
Email: email@example.com
How to get here
Depending on traffic, it takes roughly an hour to get from OR Tambo International Airport to Soweto. It's best to get detailed directions from the listed website, Soweto Backpackers.
Around the area
Lebo's can also organise tours of Johannesburg or put you in touch with other backpacker accommodation around the country.
What will it cost
If you're staying at Lebo's Soweto Backpackers, your rates are discounted. Tour prices range from R350 to R600.
What to pack
Bring a hat and sunscreen, comfortable clothing suitable for bike riding and a daypack for your camera and other goods.
Where to stay
Lebo's Soweto Backpackers would be the perfect choice. There are dormitories, double bedrooms and single bedrooms to choose from.
What to eat
When in Soweto, eat Soweto's favourite burger, called a 'kota'. It's a quarter loaf of bread stuffed with meat and cheese.
What's happening
You could go bungee jumping or abseiling off the iconic Soweto cooling towers (part of a now-disused power station); enjoy beers or ciders in an informal tavern; find out what your future holds with a traditional healer (sangoma); or sing rousing hymns at a church service.


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left to right: naked ground cherries, cinnamon raisin dried ground cherries, whole ground cherries with their husks, ground cherry plant
photo by vsimon
Last year we had 1, this year we 7 ground cherry plants. Some we paid for, some were grown from saved seeds. Some were volunteer plants from last year. This could get out of hand.
A purchase plant was labeled "pineapple ground cherry", most were simply "ground cherry." We taste tested each one and didn't notice any difference in flavor, size, or color. I think the pineapple name is just a marketing ploy.
Vince has already put up 26 jars of ground cherry jam. That is probably enough, even for gift giving. We have also had ground cherry and raspberry crisp. But what to do with this continuing embarrassment of riches? Dry them!!
We have a super duper commercial quality dehydrator, with a thermostat and a fan. We use it every year for sliced dried tomatoes. Dried until they are thin and crispy, they are easy to crumble by hand into recipes.
Reasoning, if we didn't dry them as long, dried ground cherries might be like raisins. They are a similar texture.
We tried drying them whole and halved. Whole took much too long, up to 24 hours. Halved, they are done overnight.
Since ground cherries are not as sweet as grapes, it follows dried ones are not as sweet as raisins.
So they could go either way, sweet or savory. We tried many seasonings. Sugar and cinnamon for sweet. Simple salt and pepper, garam masala, smoked and hot paprika for savory. You can probably think of many other combinations.
The sweets can be summery additions to your breakfast cereal or muffins this fall and winter. The savory ones make good bar snacks. Think of munching on chewy nutless seasoned nuts.
whole and halved ground cherries with sugar and cinnamon on drying racks photo by vsimon
Sugar and Cinnamon Ground Cherries
These are plenty sweet. As sweet, or sweeter than raisins.
2/3 cup sugar (we used white granulated)
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
8 cups husked ground cherries, halved (about 2.5 pounds)
In a large bowl, thoroughly mix sugar and cinnamon together.
Toss with halved ground cherries.
Place in a single layer on 5 drying racks.
Dry overnight at about 115 degrees. We put the dehydrator outside so it doesn't heat up the house.
Store in glass containers. Or plastic, if you must. I like to put them in the freezer, they don't take up much room. It isn't necessary, I just like to store lots of things in the freezer.
Savory Dried Ground Cherries
Simply halve and sprinkle your choice of seasoning on them. Be careful, a little goes a long way. Start with about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon for 8 cups of ground cherries. They shrink by more than half and the flavoring gets concentrated. You can always add more after they are dry.
What seasonings would you try?


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arizona state university knowledge drive Archives
College Students Help Send Books To Africa With Course Hero's Knowledge Drive
More than 150 student leaders across the nation are spreading the word at their respective college campuses. And Arizona's universities are no exception. The message is simple: If a college student uploads 10 documents of study materials to Course Hero, the company will then donate a book to students in Africa via its Knowledge Drive,… Read More →


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We're Talking About Books - Food
Topic: Food
February 15th at 7:00pm
If you love books, love to talk about them, but don't want to be tied in to a specific title to read, join us for We're Talking About Books!
Unlike traditional book clubs, there will be no assigned book. Rather, we will select a broad topic and readers will choose their own book to read. The only suggestion is that the book be related to the topic. For instance, our topic for our first meeting in February is Food.
Fiction, nonfiction, a book with food in the title, a novel that contains recipes, a main character who loves to eat, a food critic's memoir—it's up to you.
Simply read your book and come prepared to talk a bit about it. It's all informal and everyone will leave with plenty of reading suggestions.
With food as the topic, refreshments will be served of course!


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THURROCK'S leading community healthcare provider has been recognised for its work with new mums and their babies.
Staff at South West Essex Community Services, which is managed by North East London NHS Foundation Trust and provides services across Thurrock, recently achieved the internationally-recognised UNICEF stage one accreditation.
UNICEF UK's Baby Friendly Initiative aims to help clinics and healthcare providers improve breastfeeding rates.
Getting to stage three, the highest award, can take several years.
Jill Williamson, who is leading the scheme to encourage more mothers across south west Essex to breastfeed, said: "We are really committed to increasing our breastfeeding rates and want to ensue that our staff have the knowledge and skills to help mums get it right and stick with breastfeeding. This is why we joined the Baby Friendly scheme."
During the past two years, all staff in contact with new mums have received training so they can support breastfeeding mothers.
Breastfeeding cafes, parent's drop ins, and yummy mummy groups have also been set up to give new mums a place to get support and information about breastfeeding.
Caroline Ward, head of health and wellbeing,said: "This is fantastic news for us as it means we have the foundations in place to begin to build a first class service where we will be working to support women to breastfeed successfully."
For more information on breastfeeding support services offered by South West Essex Community Services, go to visit www.swessexcommunity.nhs.uk


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Fairfax County Streetlights Surveyed in 2003-2004
Office of Public Affairs
12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 551
Fairfax, VA 22035-0065
Nov. 5, 2003
Fairfax County Streetlights Surveyed in 2003-2004
Dominion Virginia Power is conducting a streetlight survey in Fairfax County through February 2004, as part of a statewide effort. This survey is designed to enable Dominion Virginia Power to identify and tag streetlights, making it easier to locate and repair lights that have been reported to be malfunctioning. Dominion Virginia Power is deploying Geographical Positioning System technology to electronically map their lights with pinpoint accuracy. Dominion will provide the survey data to the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services to update the county's Geographical Information System.
Osmose Utilities Services Inc. is under contract to conduct this survey for Dominion Virginia Power. There will be Osmose survey technicians in neighborhoods throughout the county, however, they can conduct the survey without disturbing residents. Information about the survey and photographs of the survey vehicles and personnel are available on the county's Web site.
It is anticipated that the updated survey information will allow Dominion to more quickly locate and repair streetlights that citizens report as malfunctioning. Malfunctions may include such problems as a light being out at night or a light being on during daylight hours. Citizens are encouraged to report malfunctioning streetlights on public roads to the electric utility company that serves that area, i.e., Dominion Virginia Power or the Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative. These two electric utility companies operate and maintain lights within their service district, but they do not monitor the county streetlight system to identify malfunctioning lights. It is important that citizens report malfunctioning lights in order to correct outages and malfunctions.
Malfunctioning lights can also be reported online on the Department of Public Works and Environmental Service Web pages. This Web page provides a map of the electric utility service districts along with additional information on the reporting of malfunctioning lights and the Fairfax County Streetlight Program. Please be sure you have adequate information regarding the location of the malfunctioning light, for instance, "in front of 12345 Leesburg Pike" or "the fourth and fifth streetlights on the south side of Monument Drive west of the intersection with West Ox Road." A pole number is also helpful. As part of the survey, Dominion Virginia Power will be placing new markers on all of the light poles to make it easier to read the pole number and other identifying information.
The county is entitled to a bill credit if
repairs by the electric utility company are not completed in a timely
fashion, typically 11 calendar days. If you have reported a
malfunctioning streetlight and the repair time exceeds 11 calendar days,
please contact the Planning and Design Division of the Fairfax County
Department of Public Works and Environmental Services at 703-324-5800,
TTY 711, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Questions should
also be directed to the same telephone number, 703-324-5800, TTY 711 or


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2010 Hot Wheels LOOSE New Models #24 Back Slider Mtlflk Green 5SPs
|Online Auction Description
BRAND: Hot Wheels
CONTAINER : New Models
MODEL: Backslider
COLOR: Mtlflk Green
WHEELS: 5SPs
General Auction Terms: PLEASE READ CAREFULLY AND BE SURE TO ASK ALL QUESTIONS PRIOR TO BIDDING!!!
LOOSE Hot Wheels pictured is the EXACT vehicle up for auction - PLEASE look at picture closely for overall condition
Condition : Loose Hot Wheels, Matchbox & Johnny Lightning = NO PLAY!!! - Meaning these cars came from either damaged cards or blisters, promos in baggies, play sets, 2Pks, 3Pks, 5Pks, 9Pks, 10Pks, 20Pks and even some very hard to find exclusive box sets
Shipping Charges for LOOSE Hot Wheels , Matchbox & Johnny Lightnings within the U.S. pay normal shipping charge for first LOOSE vehicle and .65 cents per each additional vehicle
International bidders are welcome BUT MUST CONTACT ME FIRST. Shipping Charges vary from Country to Country and I'm SORRY but I DO NOT SHIP TO EVERY COUNTRY so contact me first before bidding
IMPORTANT NOTE: All payments must be received within 7 days auction closing I will contact the bidder within 24 hours of close of auction
Acceptable Payment Options:
Walmart to Walmart Cash, Paypal and even small dollar amount of Cash (PLEASE NO Coins! Simply Round up to nearest dollar - I'll send change back in package if you want) - This is fastest shipping turn around time for your item - Shipped within 24-48 hrs of receiving payment
.......other acceptable payments
Personal Check, Cashiers Check, Money Order, eCheck - These payments REQUIRE that FUNDS are 100% CLEARED through my bank before item(s) are shipped. Items are shipped within 24-48 hours of payment clearing
.......Thank You for viewing my auctions AND have a GREAT DAY or NIGHT
|Item Attributes (provided by seller)
|Contact Seller
|Contact Seller
|Payment Methods Accepted by Seller:
|Shipping Terms
|Buyer pays for shipping expenses
|Seller ships to United States address only.
Please no International buyers.
|Ships From
|60178, Illinois, United States
|$3.99 via USPS First Class
|Insurance Fee
|Shipping & Payment Details
|See General Auction Terms for additional payment options as well.
All Loose cars are shipped via Fist Class in Bubble Mailer with Tracking unless vehicle is fragile and requires small box. Both will include Tracking. Contact me for Large Bulk purchases to take advantage of Priority Flat Rate options
|The seller , Jerrysizzler , assumes all responsibility for the contents of this listing
|Online Auctions from this seller


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It's been six weeks since the Camping World Truck Series' drivers have strapped in for competition. For the veterans, the time off is appreciated, but for the growing group of "Young Guns" it is has been painful.
As the Series heads to Martinsville this weekend, several of the young drivers couldn't wait any longer and showed up a day early to get back at it.
Kyle Busch Motorsports drivers Erik Jones, Darrell Wallace Jr., and Joey Coulter have 50 combined starts on the NCWTS, with Coulter counting for 48 of those. Still the trio is anxious to get back into action this weekend.
"I definitely use the newest NASCAR video game," said Darrell Wallace Jr. on how he has tried to stay sharp during the break. "There are a lot of good drivers out there playing so it's good practice. The best thing about the game is that you can hit restart if you need to."
Wallace, who is 19 year old, is driving his first full truck season finished 12th at Daytona and looks to improve this weekend in Martinsville.
Jones is the youngest of the bunch at age 16, and earned a shot at the Martinsville start after he battle team owner Kyle Busch in the final laps of this year's Snowball Derby to capture one of the most prestigious titles in short track racing. However, he sees Martinsville as his toughest test so far as a driver.
"It's a little bit nerve-wracking because there is so many other things that come into play," said Jones. "You've got 35 other trucks out there that can wreck you at any time. They play a big part in your fate at Martinsville."
Coulter is the veteran of the group at the ripe old age of 23. He made 48 starts for Richard Childress Racing last season but, looks forward to improving his performance at KBM with his new teammates.
"It is really important to have a good team and all be working toward the same goal," said Coulter on the direction of his new team. "Going racing with these guys, you can really make both teams excel. That's what we want for ourselves and for each other."
Regardless of what happens this weekend, this trio of "Young Guns" are looking forward to getting back into action and possibly taking one of those famous Grand Father Clock trophies home.
Copyright 2013 Raycom News Network. All rights reserved.


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Girls just want to have fun ... and wrestle.
Princeton's Shaylynn Hartmann, 11, was one of 100 girls from around the state competing in the very first IKWF Illinois Girls State Tournament in Yorkville, ranging from kindergarten to seniors in high school. She placed third in the middle school 75- to 77-pound division.
The Logan Junior High School sixth-grader said it was a fun experience because it was her very first year wrestling.
Shaylynn comes by wrestling naturally. Her father, Skee, is a coach for the Tiger Town Tanglers and was a three-year varsity grappler for Princeton High School, graduating in 1996. He was a state qualifier his junior year.
When asked what kind of things she's heard about her dad's wrestling days, she's quick to say, "He doesn't listen to his coaches ... He was good, though."
It is nice to have her dad as a coach because "he shows me my stance and stuff, how to shoot and throw, do most of the moves you would use in a match."
She needed all the advice she could get wrestling for the Tiger Town Tanglers against boys who have about six years of experience on her. While she's taken her lumps on the mats, she know it will pay off.
"They've been wrestling for six years; it's hard. If I don't wrestle at all, it's not going to make me better," said Shaylynn, who practices twice a week with the Tanglers.
"Tiger Town has been good for her. Coach AC welcomed her with open arms," Skee said. "Yes, she does have some natural ability, which helps, but it wasn't easy for her. At one point of the year, she was 0-8 or 0-9 or something like that.
"Like any other sport, you're not a great softball player at 5 years old. You've got to work with it."
Skee described "a lot harder than it is cooler," having his daughter get into the sport he loves so much.
"I'm a very emotional person, and I'm very loud, too. The more emotional I get, the louder I get," he said.
Shaylynn found out how emotional her dad can be when she won her first match this season, a double-overtime, sudden death thriller in Chillicothe over a girl she would later face at state.
"He got so emotional he couldn't stop crying," she said.
"It's matches like that that cause me a heart attack," he said, also noting a championship match at L-P in which she lost by one point.
Hartmann finished with a 3-2 record wrestling girls this season, in addition to the matches with the boys wrestling with the Tanglers throughout the year. They plan to compete in some of the girls-only tournaments next year. There were four events statewide leading up to state, Hartmann said, but none nearby.
Shaylynn is quite the active 11-year-old, participating in soccer, band, choir, along with wrestling. Basically, she says, "All the sports I can pretty much think of."
That's my kinda kid.
• Mouth of the South: My old pal Brent Kopp, former Princeton elementary teacher, has his NCAA dancing shoes on. He's the PA voice of the Florida Gulf Coast University Eagles, who won the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament and are making their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Area sports followers will remember Kopp for getting a little excited on the radio here. The Eagles will play No. 2 seed Georgetown in the South Regional.
• Parting shots: Congrats to Princeton native Kelly Schaill for winning her first IESA State volleyball championship down in Edwardsville. She was quite the volleyball and basketball player at PHS ... I'd also like to offer my condolences to the families of Paul Scoma (a former PHS Tiger track dad) and Al Anderson (a Tiger basketball grandpa) for their recent losses.
Kevin Hieronymus is the BCR Sports Editor. Contact him at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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We get lots of job offers in our collective inbox. Obviously we can't take advantage of all of them, and most contain an invitation to pass the opportunity around, so that's what this page is for. Feel free to do the same. If you or somebody you know manage to land one of these, tell us about it!
Sorry, this isn't Monster.com! If you want to keep an eye on new opportunities, subscribe to the appropriate RSS feed. If you're looking for something in particular within the archive, type it into the site's search box and let Google work its magic.
This is a volunteer-run site! If you'd like to post your jobs here, you're going to have to help out. Register for an account on the site, send us your user name, and we'll set you up so you can post them yourself. Think we need a new category? Let us know, and we'll add it.
Current Articles
Our client is stable and growing at a steady pace. They are a group of people dedicated to good work. It's a good time to join because the are going public and all offers will come with a generous pre-IPO package.
Technical Project Manager Position, Near North Chicago Suburbs, to 75K.
A Global Financial Firm located in NYC has an immediate Full Time opening for a Software Developer.


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Thanks for the suggestion. I'll try other sites to see whether I can gather more information sufficient for a 15-page paper.
Ray...my deepest sympathies. Would a highly astute 8-pager not suffice? Would a 20-page piece of rubbish get you an A+?
I sometimes despair of schools.
Might I suggest focusing on parataxis, discussing its common use in English in the peculiar form of a tag question (It's a pretty cool topic, isn't it?), why this formation might be more common in certain English dialects than in others, and how similar semantic structures are handled quite differently in other closely related Germanic languages*? You could also discuss the oft-ignored semicolon as it relates to parallel structures. If you're short a page or two, you could finish up with an aside on the popularity of the sentence fragment and whether or not it qualifies as a parataxis. Or not.
That should do it for 15 pages, as long as you double-space.
* I'm thinking of Swedish 'eller hur?' or the German 'nicht wahr?' but there are surely lots of other comparisons.


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The Bank of England meets on Thursday with expectations running high that the MPC will announce a further large dose of quantitative easing. Even if they pass this month, which seems possible, this is likely to be only a temporary postponement. Whenever it comes, the next move will be another bout of "plain vanilla" QE, involving the purchase of £50-75bn of government bonds, and taking the overall Bank of England holdings to over one third of the total stock of gilts in issue.
Meanwhile, the Fed is still debating whether to increase its holdings of long dated securities, and if so whether to focus once again on government debt, or to re-open its purchases of mortgages. Any further QE would be contentious on the FOMC, but there is probably still a majority in favour.
Central bankers, unlike many others, have not lost faith in the efficacy of QE. The vast majority of them not only believe that additional asset purchases can further reduce long term bond yields at a time of zero short term interest rates, but also that this can increase real GDP growth, compared with what otherwise would have occurred. Are they right? Read more


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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 26/4/2013 (1579 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Los ANGELES -- Make no mistake: Iron Man 3 is a sequel to the preceding two movies featuring heavy-metal techno-industrialist Tony Stark.
But just one minute into the film, as you listen to Robert Downey Jr.'s dipsy-doodling narration as he recalls the apocalyptic events of the movie, you might swear you're about to watch a sequel to the 2005 cult noir-comedy Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.
The movies couldn't be more different, of course. KKBB was the story of a small-time thief (Downey) forced to play private eye to get to the bottom of a Hollywood murder. It cost about US$15 million to make and it barely earned its budget back in worldwide release.
Iron Man 3, which sees Stark/Iron Man face off against a ruthless terrorist known as The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley), is a massively expensive movie in the Marvel franchise in which Downey's salary alone is likely more than three times the entire budget of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.
But it should be no surprise if one movie makes you think of the other. Like KKBB, Iron Man 3 was written (with co-writer Drew Pearce) and directed by Shane Black, a longtime Hollywood player who got on the Hollywood map at the age of 23, selling a spec script for the franchise-starter Lethal Weapon.
Black made his directorial debut with Kiss Kiss Bang Bang at a time when producers weren't exactly falling over each other to hire Downey after the actor slogged through highly publicized substance-abuse issues.
Even if the movie wasn't a box office blockbuster, it did prove Downey maintained not only his acting chops, but a lot of star power in reserve.
It's not a stretch to suggest that the glib, sardonic Tony Stark carries some of the same cinematic DNA as glib, sardonic, down-at-heels criminal Harry Lockhart in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Black, 51, allows his place at the helm of both movies is no coincidence.
"I can only imagine that having worked previously with Robert contributed to him calling me and asking me aboard this somewhat more ambitious production," Black said at a press conference for the film.
"I had worked briefly with him and sat with him and (director Jon) Favreau during the inception of the first Iron Man in those early phases. And I was impressed with the project and I was impressed with both of them and the chance to have a green-lit picture where I got to work again with Robert Downey, and also spend some time with Jon Favreau, who gave me endless tips and advice on this thing, it was too attractive to pass.
"Our ambitions were to make a movie that felt like a worthy successor to the two previous Favreau films," Black says. "To Marvel's credit, they said they'd done The Avengers, they made a lot of money, but let's not do that again right now. Let's do something different.
"And they allowed for a different, stand-alone film where we got to be more character-centric and look at what Tony Stark would do next. And that was very appealing to me."
Black says he only had to make a small adjustment to his usual style of screenwriting for the Marvel universe. He had to tone down his usual penchant for profanity.
"It was pretty easy," he says. "I had done a film for kids previously called Monster Squad."
Black says he tapped into his own youth "when I went to the matinee to stand in line for The Empire Strikes Back or Star Wars or those types of films and get excited all over again for that type of adventure, where you can appeal to a family but it's still edgy.
"We didn't want to pander. We didn't want to make a kiddie film," he says. "But we couldn't go beyond the boundaries of PG-13."
Iron Man 3 opens in theatres Friday, May 3.


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VAI Siping System (Visual Alignment Indicator)
The Visual Alignment Indicator siping system offers you an easy way to check tire alignment by comparing tire wear on both the inside and outside of the tire's contact patch.
Cooling system/Drainage groove
Improves the dispersion of heat generated during use and helps to evacuate water from the tire's contact patch.
Aqua jet
Provides efficient water evacuation from the center of the tire's contact patch for improved wet condition performance.
Stealth technology/Noise
Unique wing tip design reduces noise by incorporating beveled tread block edges to lower unwanted surface impact sound. Road noise is reduced by the use of a 5-pitch tread block design and optimized middle block pitch array.
Aero-dynamic sidewall
An aero-dynamic design, which incorporates rectangular dimples in the tire's sidewall, helps to minimize noise and vibration by reducing airflow turbulence while driving.
Your web site is very user friendly. Your prices are great and delivery time is excellent. Robert W.


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Shop the Trend: Studs
A banner red-carpet season continues for Jessica Chastain, who picked a cherry red Alexander McQueen dress and a dazzling Harry Winston necklace.
A silvery gray metallic Marchesa and Fabergé jewelry adorned the Aussie beauty while walking the red carpet.
A to Zee: "Elle If I Know"


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Different Strokes Art Gallery is committed to broadening the confines of what individuals think of when they hear the term "Gallery". We believe that art is not necessarily meant to be quiet and passive - a gallery should have the same passion for its exhibited artworks that the artists have for their own work. Different Strokes exhibits all forms of art by artists and artisans, mainly from Alberta, focusing on the artist and not just the art work. We welcome all art lovers to come in, be our guest, and appreciate the many different shapes, forms and sizes that art can take.
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Doctor Who U.N.I.T. dishcloth by Lotta Groeger
Welcome! You are browsing as a guestWould you like to see projects made from this pattern and much more? create a free account What am I missing?
Doctor Who U.N.I.T. dishcloth
This pattern is available as a free Ravelry download
This is a fairly easy pattern to do.
Fighting Alieninvasions and the dishes with U.N.I.T.
Enjoy and spread the love of Doctor Who.


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IT departments often provision all users identically, across many different roles. That consistency makes things so much easier -- for IT. For the users themselves, not so much. It's no wonder, then, that users who want to be efficient and do their jobs well often find ways to supplement the tools IT gives them with apps and devices of their own choosing.
It makes sense. Consider a different kind of workplace. A mechanic who regularly works on Fords will have some tools in common with one who works primarily on Mercedes, but much of what is in their toolboxes will be different. Each make of car requires special tools, and without them, a mechanic will either not be able to complete the work properly or will have to waste hours improvising with a workaround. Repair shops invest in specialized tools because they know that time is money in their business and that shoddy work leads to unhappy customers.
And yet enterprises still hand every employee a corporate PC, or a thin client with a server-hosted virtual desktop (also commonly known as VDI), with the same set of tools for everyone. It's not surprising then that only 15% of employees say that they are completely satisfied with their technology management department's understanding of what they need to be successful. For the remaining 85%, there is a gap -- a big one that they will increasingly close with their own devices and apps.
To continue reading, register here to become an Insider . You'll get free access to premium content from CIO, Computerworld, CSO, InfoWorld, and Network World. See more Insider content or sign in.
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Snag Michelle Obama's Election Night Outfit for Less
We've found lookalike ensembles for Michelle, Malia, and Sasha. Prepare to make style history!
-Diana Denza
No matter which candidate earned your vote on November 6, you have to admit that Michelle Obama and her two young daughters were dressed to win. The FLOTUS and First Daughters Malia and Sasha took the stage in classy yet modern ensembles. And the good news: You don't need a personal stylist or the Secret Service to snag their looks. With these lookalike Election Night outfits, you'll be fit for the White House (even if you're headed for the house party next door).
Read Celeb Style: Zoe Saldana, Megan Fox + More Love Henry & Belle Denim!
Michelle Obama:
Whether it's a sack of cans or a sophisticated Michael Kors sheath dress, it's clear that the First Lady believes in recycling. Mrs. Obama rocked her Election Night dress on two other occasions. Paired with a sensible black shrug and pumps, her frock exuded understated glamour. You can copy this festive look for your next big holiday party.
Lace fit-and-flare dress ($88, victoriassecret.com), Donna Ricco dolman sleeve shrug ($58, nordstrom.com), Ellen Tracy Cody pump ($69.95, dsw.com).
Malia's and Sasha's outfits up next!


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Kevin Allen wrote this column for USA Today about restricted free agents and offer sheets.
He talks about the few offer sheets in recent history, and why they've succeeded, why (mostly) they've failed, and why nobody does it. Interesting read.
This will (probably) be my last plea for youse to "like" the LoHud and Rangers Report Facebook pages.
If you can, thank you. If you have, thank you. If not, thank you anyway.


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Life Membership
Life Membership is available to any new or current member at 15 times the current Regular dues rate - $2295.
Senior Life Membership is available to those members qualifying for Senior membership at 15 times the current Senior dues rate - $1155.
Life Member Unit Benefits
Life members also have the option of the following. Please mark your requests directly on your invoice or application.
- Free life membership in one Division or Topical Group
- Additional life memberships in such units at a rate 15 times the unit dues rate in effect at the time of payment, currently $150.


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A Red Panda (also known as a Lesser Panda) relaxes in its enclosure at the Beijing zoo on Monday. The zoo grounds were originally a Ming Dynasty imperial palace but were opened to the public in 1908.
© The Financial Times Ltd 2016 FT and 'Financial Times' are trademarks of The Financial Times Ltd.


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L.L.Bean and the Environment
For 100 years L.L.Bean has been committed to environmental stewardship. We sell products that enhance our customers' relationships with the outdoors, and continually seek to minimize the adverse impacts that producing, marketing and distributing these products may have on the environment. L.L.Bean conducts business in an environmentally responsible manner, using the best practices in our industry. We encourage wise stewardship of natural resources and respect for the environment among all of our stakeholders.
Paper and Sustainable Forest Management
We're committed to working with our suppliers on a continual improvement basis to ensure that our policies related to paper use promote sustainable management of natural resources. By taking an active role in how we procure paper, we can have a positive impact on resource use and forest management. We give preference to suppliers who share these commitments to environmental stewardship, and in particular those who source from the United States.
As a direct marketing company, using paper is critical to our business. We accept our responsibility for careful management of the related environmental impact. L.L.Bean's paper policy states that 90 percent of the fiber in our catalogs be sourced through a credible certification system and contain 10-20 percent recycled fiber.
In our home state, L.L.Bean promotes forest certification to help protect the long-term health of our Maine forests. We support the Maine Forest Certification Initiative, which is the nation's first state-led forest certification effort. Its goal is to increase the amount of certified fiber available within the state.
L.L.Bean has increased the amount of recycled content in our office paper and we now use 100 percent recycled content in company printers and photocopy machines. Our corporate stationery contains 100 percent post-consumer recycled content and our envelopes are made from 30 percent post-consumer recycled content and produced by a company that uses wind power.
Sustainable Forest Management
To verify that best practices are employed, we seek third-party certification. We recognize that there are multiple certification systems in place and not all certifications are right for all situations. We give preference to fiber certified under Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards when feasible, based on market conditions. More broadly, we look for forest management standards that are based on continuous improvement.
Our goal is to have 90 percent of the fiber in our catalogs either certified under one of the following certification systems or be recycled fiber.
Acceptable Fiber Certification Systems
- Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
- Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI)
- Canadian Standards Association (CSA)
- Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC)
- American Tree Farm System (ATFS)
- Master Logger Programs (MLP)
Requirements for Our Catalog Paper Suppliers
- Identify all sources of fiber that make up our paper
- Specify the percentages of fiber from each type of certification system
- Report on progress toward fiber goals during the year
- Report on broad environmental goals
Requirements for Fiber
All the fiber used in paper for L.L.Bean catalogs is sourced through a third-party certified, chain of custody system. This ensures that fiber will not come from:
- Forest areas where traditional or civil rights are violated
- Uncertified forests with threatened high conservation values
- Genetically modified (GM) trees
- Forest areas that have been illegally harvested
- Natural forests cleared for plantation or other use
We work collaboratively with others in the industry to ensure continuous improvement. We support research and development to continually improve sustainable forest management.
Responsible Paper Use
L.L.Bean is committed to minimizing the use of catalog paper.
Paper-Use Initiatives
- A commitment to the use of #5 groundwood paper stock that is over 30 percent more efficient in its fiber consumption than #3 free-sheet papers
- Ongoing testing of lower basis weight papers to determine their suitability in our catalogs
- The use of rotogravure printing, which generates less process paper waste and incorporates higher trim efficiency than other forms of printing
- Significant investment in catalog selection software that allows us to better target our mailings to customers
- The development and promotion of our Web site to increase migration to online shopping
- The effective management of the circulation of our catalogs, including an opt-in/opt-out capability
- Keeping our customer file exceptionally "clean" by industry standards through ongoing investments in software and regular file hygiene maintenance, thus reducing duplicate mailings and undeliverable catalogs
- Ongoing efforts to reduce the number of catalogs and catalog pages mailed to our customers
Recycled Content
L.L.Bean will include post-consumer waste (PCW) recycled fiber in catalogs, office papers and packaging when it is available at acceptable quality and cost.
We will continue to actively work with our suppliers to source environmentally preferable paper.
Post-Consumer Waste Content
- Catalogs: Content 10-20% PCW
- Order forms: 100% recycled with minimum of 40% PCW
- Office paper: Minimum 30% PCW; currently at 100%
- Packaging: Minimum 30% PCW; currently at 100%
Pollution Prevention
L.L.Bean encourages our suppliers to follow sound environmental practices in catalog paper production and printing, and to seek opportunities to reduce pollution.
Pollution Preventive Initiatives
- Contractually require our printers and catalog paper suppliers to report to us annually on regulatory compliance, significant environmental issues and continual improvement initiatives
- Encourage environmental best practice initiatives such as implementation of environmental management systems (i.e., ISO 14001, EPA's Performance Track Program)
In the spirit of continual improvement, we regularly communicate with our stakeholders. This includes publicly posting our Paper Procurement Policy on our Web site and annually reviewing our progress in meeting the policy with the L.L.Bean Environmental Stewardship Committee. We work collaboratively with stakeholder groups to find responsible solutions to environmental issues and incorporate them into our paper procurement policy, and we require our suppliers to confirm annually that they are in conformance with this policy.
Climate Change
L.L.Bean has always been committed to protecting and preserving our natural environment as demonstrated through our ongoing Environmental Charitable Giving efforts, and we strive to promote environmental stewardship throughout our business. It's important to us to minimize the impact our operations and the products we make have on the global climate. We also realize the need to address the issue of climate change.
In early 2007, L.L.Bean joined the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Climate Leaders program. Climate Leaders was a voluntary partnership between industry and government that encouraged companies to develop long-term strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We also partnered with groups like Clean Air-Cool Planet to provide expertise and resources related to the issue of climate change and greenhouse gas reduction. (In 2010, the EPA began phasing down services the agency provides under the program, including technical assistance. The agency will assist partners to find non-federal programs that will allow partners to go above and beyond mandatory reporting requirements. L.L.Bean will continue to work with the EPA through other programs such as Energy Star and the Green Power Partnership. Subsequently, L.L.Bean is currently using a third-party environmental engineering firm to verify company carbon emission measurements.)
Our annual greenhouse gas measurement includes an extensive inventory of emissions from all of our US facilities and vehicles. In the future, we plan to measure areas where we do not have direct control, such as employee commuting and the efforts of our vendors.
Greenhouse gas reduction projects for 2010 included adding solar hot water collectors to the Freeport flagship store to generate hot water to the store's showers, sinks and two cafés. The system is designed to produce enough hot water to reduce -- and on some days eliminate -- the need for back-up propane-fired water heaters. We upgraded lighting fixtures in over a dozen facilities, eliminating approximately 1,000 metric tons of carbon. We converted heating systems at all Freeport facilities to natural gas. Although it's a fossil fuel, switching to natural gas will allow us to eliminate 1,500 metric tons of carbon from our total emissions. We have planned additional projects for 2012 and 2013 to allow us to reach or exceed our goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2012.
Energy Conservation
L.L.Bean has always approached energy conservation as part of good business. Our successful program to improve energy efficiency includes:
- Energy sensors in offices and buildings throughout the company
- Energy management systems that measure and control temperature and humidity
- Ongoing replacement of lighting fixtures and bulbs with energy-efficient alternatives
Most of our corporate buildings use motion sensor light switches as another way to save energy. All newer equipment, appliances and computers are Energy Star rated. As we remodel restrooms throughout our facilities, we are using waterless urinals, ultra low-flow toilets and other low-flow fixtures to conserve water.
Since 1982, L.L.Bean has been using solar power to heat all the hot water for our corporate headquarter offices in Freeport, Maine. This solar hot water is supplied to corporate restrooms and employee showers.
Green Building
As we grow our business, it's important to build in harmony with the environment. In 2006, L.L.Bean committed to build all new structures according to the US Green Building Council's LEED – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – building rating system. This is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.
L.L.Bean now has 13 retail stores and two outlet stores built and registered to LEED standards. Two stores have received Gold LEED certification and eight have received Silver, including L.L.Bean's Hunting & Fishing Store in Freeport, Maine. The Hunting & Fishing Store was the first LEED-certified retail project in Maine and the first of our LEED-registered projects to receive certification. Learn more.
Retails stores aren't our only focus. Our Data Center in Freeport, Maine, completed in June 2008, is the first data center in New England to be designed and constructed to LEED standards. It received Silver certification in 2009.
Transportation and Alternative Fuel Use
In 2003, L.L.Bean converted its heavy-duty truck fleet to biodiesel fuel. Made from vegetable oil or animal fats, this alternative fuel is formulated exclusively for diesel engines. We use B20 biodiesel, a mixture of 20 percent nonpetroleum-based diesel fuel and 80 percent conventional petrodiesel. Biodiesel can also be used in our fleet of buses that supports our Outdoor Discovery Schools®.
In 2008, we began adding hybrid gas/electric vehicles to our fleet. We continue to review alternative fuel trends and monitor the market for commercial-grade alternative fuel vehicles. Because company vehicles must be replaced from time to time, we review criteria such as mileage performance, size and intended use as buying guidelines.
We are working with our suppliers and partners to develop strategies to limit emissions and the environmental impact associated with the freight and cargo business. Our support of Friends of Acadia (through a $3.25 million dollar donation) helps provide a fleet of 30 ecofriendly propane buses used in Acadia National Park and nearby communities. The fleet has reduced traffic, emissions and pollutants. In fact, since the program's creation, these ecofriendly buses have:
- Carried over 4 million passengers
- Reduced private vehicles by more than 1.3 million
- Eliminated over 20 tons of smog-causing pollutants
- Reduced almost 13,000 tons of greenhouse gases
In 2008, L.L.Bean created ECOBean, our Employee Commuting Options program, to help L.L.Bean employees address concerns such as our impact on the environment and the rising costs of fuel. We partnered with Go Maine, a Maine state database to help match those who wish to carpool. Employees who carpool also enjoy designated parking spaces at our office complexes in Maine.
Corporate Recycling Program
In the late 1980s, L.L.Bean established an aggressive corporate recycling program. It continues to be successful today because of the efforts of our employees. Environmentally responsible employees throughout the company have volunteered to be "Green Ambassadors" for their departments to help promote L.L.Bean's environmental and recycling efforts. We have recycling stations throughout every L.L.Bean facility, where our employees recycle office and computer paper, magazines, catalogs and newspapers, as well as bottles and cans.
We currently recycle over 83 percent of our waste. In addition, in Maine, company office supplies and equipment that are no longer needed are donated to Ruth's Reusable Resources, a Maine nonprofit group that distributes supplies to public schools in the state. In 2010, L.L.Bean partnered with Goodwill Industries Northern New England's ReConnect program to responsively recycle outdated computers and computer equipment, diverting e-waste from landfills. At L.L.Bean, we use recycled printer toner cartridges and recycle most of those cartridges through our vendor.
Our Order Fulfillment Center, which processes and ships all L.L.Bean customer orders, recycles over 5,000 tons of cardboard annually. In 2008, we began using a new machine that transforms plastic scraps from our automatic packing process into plastic pellets. Instead of winding up in a landfill, the pellets are returned to our vendor and made into plastic shipping bags for us.
Packaging Reduction
L.L.Bean is focused on reducing packaging and shipping materials, and we've made great strides in this area. All of our corrugated shipping boxes are 100 percent recycled Kraft paper, and contain at least 80 percent post-consumer waste.
All of our gift boxes and tissue paper are 100 percent recycled. Our plastic shipping bags are made from 35 percent recycled content and can be recycled in communities that accept #4 plastic recyclables. We switched from plastic to paper shopping bags at all retail stores and increased the recycled content to 100 percent. We are exploring ways to further reduce packaging, and working with our suppliers to make sustainable choices regarding package design.
Sustainable and Innovative Products
Under the direction of L.L.Bean's Green Task Force – a cross-functional work group – our product merchandisers and designers continue to create innovative products that are produced with environmental sustainability in mind.
In 2002, L.L.Bean joined other large retailers in a voluntary effort to ban substances from manufacturing that could pose health and environmental risks. We introduced a Restricted Substance List (RSL) to our suppliers that requires them to limit or find substitutes for potentially harmful chemicals such as PVC (polyvinyl chloride). L.L.Bean continues to work with other companies through the American Apparel and Footwear Association, a group of companies that shares best practices with regard to restricted chemicals.
We continue to seek collaborative efforts to reduce the impact of our products. In 2011 we joined the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, a group of leading apparel and footwear brands, retailers, manufacturers, non-governmental organizations, academic experts and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, with a goal of reducing the environmental and social impacts of apparel and footwear products around the world.
In 2008, we joined Textile Exchange, a nonprofit organization committed to expanding organic agriculture, with a specific focus on increasing the production and use of organically grown fibers, such as cotton. Textile Exchange brings together brands and retailers with their business partners, farmers and key stakeholders to learn about the social and environmental benefits of sustainable agriculture and to develop new business models and tools that support greater use of organic inputs. L.L.Bean's Wood Furniture Policy ensures all the wood furniture products we sell only contain wood from certified, sustainably harvested forests.
L.L.Bean is committed to selling products that are manufactured under legal, safe and fair working conditions. To this end, we have a well-established labor code of conduct that serves as a basis of our vendor relationships.
L.L.Bean Can Make a Difference
We believe we're making steady progress in minimizing our business impact on the environment. We also realize this is an ongoing challenge, and we're committed to continue to seek ways to improve our environmental stewardship. Please check back periodically for updates on our progress.


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May Faith Community Events Highlight Interfaith Dialogue, Older Adults and Youth
April 30, 2010
News Highlights
This May, Fairfax County faith community events will highlight interfaith dialogue, how to better serve older adults and best practices for youth prevention and services. Register for these free events online orcontact the Fairfax County Community Interfaith Liaison Office at 703-324-3453, TTY 711, or by e-mail.
"How will the Health Care Reform Act Affect Older Adults?" - Faith Communities in Action Network Meeting for Older Adult Ministries
- By 2015, more than 22 percent of Fairfax County residents will be 55 years or older. How does your faith community reach out to its aging members? Come learn about new and ongoing programs for older adults in Fairfax County and hear guest speaker Jennifer Dexter, assistant vice president of government affairs for Easter Seals National Office, talk about the ramifications of the new national health care policies on older adults. The event takes place on Wednesday, May 12, at the Fairfax County Government Center, Conference Rooms 2/3, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax. Sign in will start at 1:45 p.m.; the meeting will be from 2 to 4 p.m.
"What Hate Brings to Our Community" - McLean Community Connections Community Dialogue
- This interactive and multicultural interfaith dialogue provides a forum for discussion on what hate brings to the community. The event takes place on Thursday, May 13, at the McLean Community Center, 1234 Ingleside Avenue, McLean. Sign in will start at 7 p.m.; program will be from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
"A Seminar for Adult Leaders of Youth in Faith Communities" - Faith and Communities Together Symposium (FACTS)
- The newest Fairfax County Youth Survey offers information that will help protect our youth. Topics covered will include what youth are saying, what protects our youth and how to meet the challenges. The event takes place on Tuesday, May 25, noon to 3 p.m., at St. Barnabas' Episcopal Church, 4801 Ravensworth Road, Annandale. For more information, contact Sarah White at 703-324-5648, TTY 711, or by e-mail.
"Inside Islam: What 100 Billion Muslims Think" - Interfaith Community Dialogue
This dialogue focuses on the new documentary "Inside Islam: What 100 Billion Muslims Think," which highlights a recent global poll of Muslim public opinion conducted by the Gallup organization. The film, which runs approximately 50 minutes, will be shown and participants will then break into groups of 8 to 10 to discuss. The event takes place on Wednesday, May 26, at the Ravensworth Baptist Church, 5100 Ravensworth Road, Annandale. Sign in begins at 6:15 p.m.; program is from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
Contact: Merni Fitzgerald, Director, Office of Public Affairs
703-324-3189, TTY 711, Media Pager: 703-324-NEWS (6397)
To request this information in an alternate format, call 703-324-3187, TTY 711


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From a full English to a fruit smoothie, there are plenty of tasty ways to start your day, yet many of us are still skipping breakfast. It's time to rise and shine, says Diana Pilkington.
By Diana Pilkington
Time and again we're told it's the most important meal of the day, but many of us are still failing to tuck into breakfast in the morning.
According to a new study, nearly half of us skip brekkie at least once a week, while 15% of those surveyed never eat that vital early meal.
The top reason given was not feeling hungry first thing, while 21% of respondents would rather spend longer in bed.
And one in 10 people miss out in a belief it will help them lose weight - despite breakfast-skippers being twice as likely to munch on crisps later in the morning.
The research was conducted for Farmhouse Breakfast Week, which aims to put a stop to these bad habits and encourage people to start the day with a meal.
Dietician Nigel Denby said: "People who eat a healthy breakfast have better concentration, more energy, tend to be less stressed and are less likely to be overweight.
"Despite the wealth of evidence about the benefits of eating breakfast, it's shocking to see so many people missing out and that a large number of people are unclear about the benefits.
"For those who don't feel hungry in the morning there are plenty of light breakfast options, such as smoothies or a bowl of cereal.
"If you start your day with a healthy balanced meal you are also more likely to make healthier food choices for the rest of the day."
Nadia Sawalha, who is supporting the campaign, used to avoid breakfast in a bid to slim down, but found she only ended up snacking on less virtuous foods when hunger got the better of her.
"Every meal is important but the angel wings pop out at breakfast time," says the presenter, now a convert to the breakfast cause.
"I have different breakfasts for different situations. If I'm on the run I'll peel open an avocado in the car and have it with a handful of pumpkin seeds. On a lazy Sunday I'll have blueberry pancakes or a low-fat fry up.
"It's pandemonium in my house in the morning, but the one thing we do make time for is breakfast, even if it means sending out the kids with something to eat on the bus."
Here are a variety of breakfast options for you to try at home...
The breakfast stack (Serves 4) 4 large Portobello mushrooms 2 beef tomatoes 4 medium eggs 4 slices unsmoked back bacon 2 wholemeal English-style muffins, halved 1tbsp chopped chives Remove the stalks from the mushrooms and place in a grill pan. Slice the ends off the tomatoes and cut in half to create 2 circle shapes and place in the grill pan with the mushrooms. Place under a preheated grill for 5 minutes each side. Set aside and keep warm.
Meanwhile, poach the eggs for 2-3 minutes (one at a time if easier).
Place the bacon in the grill pan and grill for 5-6 minutes, turning once until golden and towards the end of cooking, toast the muffins.
Stack the bacon on top of the muffins then top with the mushrooms, tomatoes and then egg. Scatter with the chives and season with black pepper.
Tip: To poach eggs, bring a wide, shallow pan of water to just simmering. Using the handle of a slotted spoon, swirl the simmering water to create a whirlpool or vortex then crack the eggs, one or two at a time, directly into the centre of the whirlpool.
As the eggs cook, use the spoon to keep the water moving and ensure the egg whites wrap around the yolks (do this carefully so as not to break the eggs).
After 1-2 minutes, or when the egg white is cooked, remove them from the pan using the slotted spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen paper. For a firm yolk cook for a further minute or so.
Chocolate granola (Serves 4) 200g jumbo oats 75g walnut pieces, roughly chopped (or other nuts, such as macadamia) 1tsp cocoa powder 100g raisins 25g plain chocolate chips Preheat the oven to 180ºC, gas mark 4.
Place the oats, walnuts and cocoa in a large baking tray and spread out evenly. Bake for 5 minutes. Allow to cool. Stir in the raisins and chocolate chips.
Serve with milk, topped with sliced banana.
Tip: You could swap the cocoa with drinking chocolate and try either milk or white chocolate chips. For added indulgence, add extra chocolate chips or nuts.
Vanilla honey yogurt smoothie (Serves 1) 100ml semi skimmed milk 150g low fat natural yogurt 25g bran flakes ¼tsp vanilla essence 1tbsp honey Place all the ingredients in a liquidiser or food processor and blend until smooth. Pour into a glass and drizzle over some extra honey to serve (optional).
Tips: For a smoother texture, soak the bran flakes in the milk for 5-10 minutes in advance.
Oaty yogurt with nuts (Serves 1) 25g jumbo oats 1tbsp flaked almonds 1tbsp hazelnuts, roughly chopped 2tsp clear honey 3 dried apricots, chopped 1tbsp dried cranberries 150g low fat natural yogurt Dry fry the oats and nuts for about 3 minutes over a medium heat until toasted.
Stir in the honey and dried fruit and allow to cool slightly.
Reserve 1 tablespoon of the mixture and stir the rest into the yogurt.
Spoon into a glass and top with the reserved oat mixture before serving.
Tip: Try using a flavoured yogurt like strawberry or add fresh fruit for a different taste.
Nadia Sawalha's breakfast scones (Makes 10) 1tbsp rapeseed oil 125g unsmoked back bacon 100g mushrooms, chopped 125g self raising flour 100g wholemeal plain flour 1tsp baking powder 50g butter 30g cheese, such as Cheddar or Cheshire, grated 100ml semi skimmed milk Preheat the oven to 220ºC, gas mark 7. Grease a baking tray.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the mushrooms for 4-5 minutes until golden. Grill the bacon whole and chop the bacon into small pieces, roughly 1cm.
Mix the flours and baking powder in a large bowl and rub in the butter until it resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the bacon mixture and half the cheese. Mix in the milk to form a soft dough.
On a floured surface, roll out the dough to 2cm thick and using a 6cm round cutter, cut out 10 scones and place on the tray. Sprinkle over the remaining cheese.
Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden. Perfect for eating on the go, wrapped in a napkin. The scones will keep for 2-3 days in an airtight container. The scones can also be frozen (best to freeze once cooled, on the day they have been baked) so you have a ready supply for busy weeks.
Tips: Serve spread with low fat cream cheese, sliced tomatoes or ham for a more substantial breakfast on the go.
For a vegetarian option replace the bacon with finely chopped spring onion or chives.
:: Farmhouse Breakfast Week runs from January 20-26. For more information, visit www.shakeupyourwakeup.com