text:
" Brand: Tefal / Slow Cooker "
We bought the rice cooker a while ago when I was going through a bento phase and having real trouble getting my Japanese rice right. I can safely say that besides the kettle and toaster this is the most used piece of kit in the kitchen. Within a week it had replaced the microwave on our kitchen worktop and we must use it two or three times a week. It's a really versitile bit of kit - as the description states it has 4 functions which are:
Rice cooking
The obvious one. The rice cooker comes with a booklet that gives you advice on how to cook different types of rice. Because different rices have different absorbancy capacities (e.g basmati is very different to long grain which is different again to Jasmine rice) you need slightly different amounts of water for each type of rice. For my Japanese sticky rice, I find that 1:1.3 rice to water ratio works about right. You can cook up to 10 cups of rice at a time which is a hellishly large amount, so great if you're entertaining.
The rice cooker has a delayed start function which is absolutely brilliant for bento boxes. You can set your rice cooker up the night before and have warm, perfectly cooked rice in the morning. It's also great if you're going out somewhere and want the rice to be ready when you get back. It also has a keep warm function which means that if your rice is finished before whatever you're serving it with it keeps the rice nice and warm until you're ready to use it. I've found it's best to let the rice stay on keep warm for a little while after it's finished cooking as any residual stickiness/wateriness will be thoroughly worked out by that point.
I've also found it works really well if you throw some veg in to cook with your rice. If you do that, though, you might need to add a little extra water to cater for the veg. Otherwise your rice can finish cooking before it's quite finished.
Slow cooker
We've used this a couple of times and had fantastic results. It works like any slow cooker - you throw everything in, switch it on and leave it to cook for up to 9 hours. Another great function for if you want to go out for the day and fancy a nice warm stew or soup for when you get back in. Again, the keep warm function kicks in once it's finished cooking.
The unit comes with an inner steaming bowl for steaming veg or fish or whatever. As the steamer bowl sits over the main bowl, you can steam at the same time as you're cooking the rice, which means that you really can do an entire meal in the rice cooker.
I haven't used this function so can't really comment on how it works.
Other great aspects to this rice cooker:
- it comes with an instruction book and recipe book with lots of great ideas about how to get the best use out of it.
- it's very, very easy to clean. The rice lifts easily from the non-stick bowl and you don't get any of that messy residue that it left on a pan after cooking rice. I'd say it's easier to clean than a pan.
- it's really quick. A couple of cups of rice takes around 10 minutes.
- your rice is perfectly cooked and there's no need to rinse it after cooking.
- no need to use salt (unless you want to). If you do use salt, use less than you normally would as it would be very salty otherwise.
- it doesn't use excess water. Just put in the right amount of water for your rice (following the instructions) and any slight excess will be steamed off. We usually end up with about a tablespoon of water left if the water drainer at the end.
Only downside to this rice cooker I would say is that it's quite bulky, but as it takes up less space than our microwave did we haven't really had any complaints.
I know the idea of rice cookers in this country is a bit alien. I've mentioned it to a number of my friends and they all give me a bit of an odd look, after all how difficult is it to cook rice? I understand that viewpoint, but then again you could say that it's perfectly possible to toast a piece of bread under the grill but most of us have toasters. It's hard to explain how much better the rice is from the rice cooker. It's light and fluffy, there's no excess moisture used either in the cooking or left in the rice afterwards. You can set the machine and basically forget about it, and it'll just give you a little beep once it's finished to let you know. It's really great for more speciality grain rices which are more difficult to cook right like Japanese, Jasmine or Basmati rice and as well as rice it slow cooks and steams.
We bought our rice cooker from Tesco for around £40. You can also download the user manual (but not the recipe book) direct from the Tefal website in case you ever lose it.
People kept asking us what we wanted for our wedding and so we came up with a list of suggestions that were non brand specific. One of the things on our list was a slow cooker and my husbands relatives bought us this one from John Lewis.
I was very excited because I had always wanted a rice cooker but could never justify the extra space taken up in the kitchen. I never knew that you could get one that could be a steamer, rice cooker, porridge maker and slow cooker in one.
I absolutely love it. It is easily one of the wedding presents we use the most. I use mainly the slow cooker option but I have used all four functions successfully. To slow cook, I normally brown the meat and onions in a seperate saucepan and then decant all of it and all the vegetables and liquid into the slow cooker and switch it on. The buttons are very easy to use once you have read the manual and because I have used it so much it is second nature to me now. But I have noticed my friends using it and not understanding why it is flashing to begin with so I guess you really do need to read the manual the first time. I set it to cook overnight or sometimes I set it in the morning and it cooks while I am at work. It is nice and big so you can fit a whole chicken in it. It feels a lot safer leaving this cooking than leaving things in the oven while I'm not there.
The rice cooker I find a bit more fiddly. I have to follow the recipe for exactly the right amount of water and rice or some of the rice turns out crispy. You can't make it up like you can with the slow cooker. When I follow the recipe though it makes beautiful rice.
The porridge making function is good for more than just porridge. You can use it to raise the temperature in the cooker and although it only sets for about 10 minutes that is enough to boil or fry something quickly. Also you can use it for making rice pudding out of the rice you have just cooked. It also is a lot less washing up than making porridge or rice pudding in a pan because it is so non-stick.
The steamer function I have used the least but mainly because I don't tend to eat much boiled / steamed veg. The few times I have used it has worked very well.
I am always singing it's praises to people. If we have friends coming round in winter for a weekend I will put a stew with dumplings in it before we go out for the day and when we come back it is all ready for us. It has a keep warm setting that it automatically goes to which is really useful if you are out longer than you intended. I am not sure if you are supposed to do this but several times I have taken the metal dish out of the slow cooker and stuck it under our browning grill on the oven to brown off dumplings or potatoes. It has survived that treatment fine. And the non stick metal dish is very very easy to clean.
Other things I use it for:
* Making chicken / fish / vegetable stock - on the slow cooker setting
* Making mulled wine, first on porridge setting and then on the slow cooker setting - people can help themselves and you don't have to worry about a pan on the stove at a party.
* Keeping curry hot at a buffet, people could help themselves when they arrived.
I have even taken it on a self catering holiday (now I sound really sad) because it can do rice for so many people and can just be plugged in anywhere. All in all, I couldn't wish for a more useful gadget in my kitchen.
I bought this based on reviews on this website, as a great idea to save space and time during the cooking process.
The item is advertised as a rice cooker which also steams and makes porridge as well as being a slow cooker.
I bought the item on Amazon for 69.99 but it is now 48.99, I was immediately impressed with the size, it is big enough to make rice for 8 but small enough to take a small amount of space in the kitchen, being about 6 inches by 5 inches in width and depth.
The item is easy to use, you fill the bowl with the amount of rice you require, fill water to the level which is indicated in the bowl by the number of people you are feeding and then click rice cooking.
20 minutes or so later it is done, the process is similar in making porridge, and there is a special black plastic bowl for the steaming process.
I really used the item to cook rice so will concentrate on this area of the machine, for the first few times it cooked rice perfectly, and the cleaning utensils make it a quick and easy item to clean, however.......
After a few goes, the teflon inside the cooking bowl began to stain, we wondered if it was due to the cleaning process, but it wasn´t as it is so quick and easy you couldn´t damage it, it appears that while cooking rice it overheated.
Consequently everytime we cook rice we get a reasonable amount of nice rice and a lot which is gloopy, stuck together and inedible, the item has been in the house for 8 months and we now cook rice in a pan again as we can guarantee its quality, due to this we haven´t bothered making porridge and plan to return this to Amazon or Tefal to find out what the problem is.
As I say, when first bought it cooked perfectly and we followed the instructions for cooking at all times but this was one of those items where for me the reviews are better than the actual product, it is clearly working well for the majority of people but we are in the minority who found a glitch with it and don´t really want to use it again in the future.
Overall i´d say from my experience its not worth buying but please read other reviews as the vast majority of people seem to have found this a great product, and whilst it worked for us it really was convenient, easy and well worth the money.
We don't have much storage space in the kitchen, so we wanted a multi-purpose appliance and this one can do the following:
* Rice cooking
* Slow cooking
* Steaming
* Porridge cooking
The model I have got has a white metal housing, but it is also available with a brushed stainless steel housing with varnish.
There is an LED electronic control panel with a button for each cooking function, and plus and minus buttons to change the amount of cooking time (or set a delayed start to the Rice Cooking function). The control panel is easy to read and very easy to use, so you won't need to keep referring to the user guide every time you want to use it! There are also Cook & Keep Warm indicator lights.
The 3.2 litre cooking bowl is non-stick and removable so it's really easy to clean with hot soapy water and you also get a plastic inner steam basket, a measuring cup and a spoon.
Whilst most people just use this appliance as a Rice Cooker, I have tried out all the different functions and this is what I think:
Slow Cooker Function:
The Slow Cooker only has one setting, not low and high like some traditional slow cookers. I've never had a slow cooker before, but judging by the time it has taken to cook the following meals and from reading recipe books, I have made an educated guess that the Tefal cooks at a low setting:
Oxtail Stew = 9 hours
Beef Stew = 6 hours
Lamb Shanks = 9 hours
Lamb Curry = 6 hours
Spare ribs = 6 hours
Everything I have made has turned out brilliantly as the meat has been really soft and tender. I love that I can just throw everything in and walk away and leave it to work its magic. Also, because the cooking bowl can hold 3.2 litres, I can cook quite a large quantity of food and freeze any leftovers (not that there are usually any leftovers!).
I like to have rice with my curries; so I have to transfer the cooked curry to a pan so can use the Rice Cooker function. This might be a nuisance for some people, but I don't mind as this allows me to thicken the sauce as it simmers in the pan on the hob.
One thing that might put people off using the slow cooker function is that it doesn't have a delayed timer like some traditional slow cookers. Apparently using a timer plug won't work with this appliance because of the electronics. I personally don't think it's safe to leave food in a slow cooker for a few hours before you start cooking it, so no points deducted from me for this!
Rice Cooker Function:
The Tefal 4-in-1 produces absolutely perfect rice! In the past I have struggled to get consistently perfect rice using different methods (steamer, microwave rice cooker, in a pan of water), but using the Tefal I'm now confident that I can make fluffy rice with separated grains.
For plain rice, you simply measure out the appropriate number of cups of rice, rinse the rice and put it into the cooking bowl. Then you add water up to the correct line marking on the inside of the bowl (the line marking will match the number of cups), for example: 2 cups of rice = line 2.
You then press the Rice Cooker function button and it will automatically calculate the exact cooking time depending on the quantity of water and rice placed in the bowl, so there's no more guesswork involved. Once it has finished cooking it will automatically switch to the keep warm function. It is possible to delay the time the rice starts cooking, however this is the only cooking mode for which programming a delayed start is possible.
It would be nice if the control panel did show the cooking time for rice though, as it would greatly help in time management when preparing a whole meal. There are estimated cooking times in the user guide, however they're not very accurate and the copy I received was really confusing, so I contacted Tefal and they sent me a different copy, which confirmed that my guide had a printing error! 2 cups of rice takes about 20 minutes and the user guide estimates 14-17 minutes, so I totally ignore the user guide and go by my own experience.
One thing that isn't in the recipe book is if you want to cook rice and steam something at the same time, so I had to make an educated guess and experiment. As cooking the rice takes about 20 minutes, I guessed that steaming salmon would take about the same amount of time and luckily I was right and produced a lovely Chinese meal, which was incredibly quick and simple - I just love those one-pot meals!
Steamer Function:
The steaming basket rests within the cooking bowl, so this is why it's possible to cook rice and steam at the same time. This is also handy for storage, as everything fits inside the cooker nicely. However, the basket isn't very big, but you could fit about 4 portions of fish or chicken into it. Fitting a lot of vegetables into the basket is a bit trickier, especially leafy vegetables, so I'd recommend cutting them into smaller pieces. Even so, I only managed to fit half a bag of pre-cut curly kale into the basket, which is enough to feed two people, but this won't suit everyone's needs.
The steamer function is very good though and produces great results and I like that I can put a lot of water in the deep cooking bowl so it doesn't need constant topping up.
Porridge Cooker Function:
I really liked the porridge I made as it had a nice creamy consistency and it didn't involve standing at the hob constantly stirring it! You just put the porridge oats, milk and any other ingredients you like into the cooking bowl (I added dried cranberries), press the Porridge function button and then enter the cooking time. The recipe book recommends 9 minutes, however the user guide says 4 minutes, so it's something you will have to decide for yourself! 9 minutes was perhaps a bit too long as there was some porridge that had slightly stuck to the bottom of the bowl, but this was easy to wash off.
The main appliance should not be immersed in water, but it is simple to clean with a damp cloth. All the other parts (the bowl, the steam shield and the steaming basket) can be washed in hot soapy water or they can be washed in the bottom shelf of the dishwasher. The user guide states that special care should be taken not to scratch the non-stick coating on the bowl and the bowl should be wiped with oil to renew the surface after being washed in the dishwasher a few times.
I have had the Tefal 4-in-1 for a couple of months now and I have to say that I think it's brilliant and I've used it loads of times, so it's not one of those kitchen gadgets that gets abandoned after a couple of uses. I love its versatility, as it truly is a 4-in-1 machine and not just a glorified rice cooker.
Recipe book
User Guide
Other info:
Power 630 watts
I was lucky enough to get this for my birthday, but a quick look online and it's available from:
Lakeland for £53.82 (free P&P)
Asda Direct for £40 (£4.95 P&P)
John Lewis for £45 (free P&P)
I recently purchased the RK701115 to what can only be described as confusion by my friends and family. They were convinced it would be yet another kitchen appliance that sat dusty at the back of the cupboard never used. They could not have been more wrong.
Not only does this fabulous machine cook rice for you with absolutely no thinking involved (you just put the correct amount of rice and water in it and it works out how long it should cook it for) but it will have dinner ready for you when you get in from work. Unfortunately it doesn't do all the shopping and preparation for you but it does provide a really simple solution for busy people. I'm a vegetarian so i will generally use it to make soups or veggie casseroles either overnight or while i am out at work - just put all the ingredients in and switch it on - it's that simple. It also steams (useful for making little foil parcels of fish and veg which you just pop in when you get home and 20 minutes later - done!), and makes porridge - perfect for this time of year.
It's super easy to clean with a non stick bowl - just be careful not to use metal utensils in it. The machine itself is quite large in size but sits on my worktop and blends in fine as it's a lovely brushed chrome and black. It's not a heavy appliance so storing it in a cupboard and getting it out again wouldn't be an issue. When it's running it's almost silent -though it does beep to alert you that your cooking is finished!
I purchased mine from Littlewoods Direct for £49.99 and though it would have been worth every penny I also got an evoucher for money off so ended up paying about £39.99 for it.
If you're a busy person who still wants to be able to cook healthy meals from scratch but not have to stand stirring and worrying about them all day -this is the appliance for you. A truly useful kitchen gadget.
Who needs a rice cooker? Well, I used to be firmly in the camp that viewed it as a useless kitchen gadget - but how wrong could I have been! Let's face it: rice can be tricky to cook, and the usual method of just chucking some in a saucepan with some water and covering to boil can be a bit hit and miss, often leaving you with a somewhat mushy mess. A far cry from the lovely fluffy rice you get served in a good Chinese restaurant.
I was first introduced to rice cookers by my boyfriend, whose extended family lived in Hong Kong for years and wouldn't live without one. Our first rice cooker was something of a joke - cheap, small (could only cook 3 portions of rice), white, and covered in pictures of rainbows and koala bears - yes, the rice cooker couldn't have been more camp! But after about 10 months, this decided to give up the ghost and begin leaking water everywhere so we decided to opt for the Tefal RK700015.
Compared to our old rice cooker, the Tefal is a monster of a contraption, capable of cooking rice for 10 people. Fairly big, the size of a large saucepan, it looks pretty stylish in silver and black. It comes in 2 parts, the outer container which contains the heating device and has a smart click-shut lid, and the non-stick pan, which is where the rice goes into and just fits inside the cooker.
We bought ours from Amazon.co.uk for £39.99 and it comes with a free 12 month warranty.
*How to use*
The best thing about the rice cooker is the ease of use - it really is designed for those who struggle to boil an egg! It can cook every type of rice I've ever heard of - plain, brown, basmati, jasmine. Everything is done from the snazzy but simple control panel on the front of the cooker, and they even help you out when it comes to measuring the amount of rice you need by providing a measuring cup (1 cup = 1 portion, what could be easier!) and a chart instructing how much water to use depending on how many cups you've used or the different types of rice you're cooking with. Simply measure the amount of rice you need and put into the pan, add the required amount of water, click the lid shut, press the rice cooking mode button and a red light next to rice cooking comes on, then press the start button, and you're away! It automatically calculates the time required for the quantity of rice and once it's cooked it will click onto the Keep Warm setting so that you don't have to stand over it waiting for it to finish cooking. For my two person portion of rice it's normally ready in half an hour, so you can press start and just walk off and do something else - no stirring, no checking, nothing!
*Tips for Use*
Do let the rice stand on the Keep Warm setting for a few minutes so that the final steam can be properly absorbed into the rice and then when you open the lid there won't be a huge gush of water rolling down the side (though Tefal have thoughtfully attached a "dew collector" on the side to prevent this kind of spillage). Give the rice a stir with the black plastic rice spoon included (don't use your own as it will remove the non-stick coating from the pan) and serve! I have been genuinely delighted with the rice we have made using this: it's light, fluffy, slightly sticky, and such a huge improvement on the rather mushy rice I used to make in a saucepan, and so much easier! Occasionally you may find that the rice at the bottom of the pan is not as good as the top, but this is very occasionally and we always have more than enough rice anyway so it's not a big issue for me. Once you've got to grips with how it works (really shouldn't take too long!) you can start experimenting to get the rice exactly how you like it. More water gives you softer, more sticky rice and less will give you firmer - I'm a big softie with mine! We've perfected our rice cooking technique by allowing the rice to soak for about 10 minutes and then rinsing before starting the cooking as this seems to remove a lot of the starch. Another tip is not to open the lid while cooking to check on it - this will let all the steam out and your rice won't be as fluffy! Now our rice is even better than when we go out for Chinese and we now have rice with everything - fish, chilli, chicken - you name it, rice will go with it!
Another great feature is the delayed start function - if you're off out but want your rice to be cooked when you get back, simply program the amount of time until you want to eat and it will let the rice soak until it needs to start cooking and then automatically start cooking at the right time. Genius! Me being me, and not always being particularly technological or possessing a huge amount of common sense, thought this would be very complicated, but it couldn't be simpler. There is a TIME button on the control panel and after selecting the rice cooking function, simply press the TIME button until your required time is shown, then START and you're done. This function is particularly great as the extra soaking time means that the rice comes out even fluffier and with very minimal bits stuck together at the bottom of the pan.
The usual problem I have with kitchen gadgets is that they create so much more washing up than the traditional method of cooking, but the rice cooker is also so easy to clean - the non-stick pan is the only part of the cooker that requires real cleaning (though of course you will need to wipe over the rest of it occasionally!) and this is made easy by the fact that rice never burns or sticks to the bottom. It's also dishwasher safe.
*Other functions*
It's not just good for rice cooking, but can also be used as a slow cooker or a steamer. Slow cooking works much the same as rice, just select the Slow Cooking mode rather than rice, and for steaming, you are provided with a little black plastic bowl to put your veggies in which goes in and then just select the Steaming mode. Not being a huge fan of slow cooking or steaming veg myself, I can't say I'm all that impressed with either of these functions, but they work fine for what they are. The bowl for steaming the veg is on the small side, but if the veg is only a side dish it should contain enough for 4 people.
All in all, this is one of the best buys I've made and is a must-have for the kitchen - easy to use, easy to clean, and makes rice just absolutely perfectly!
The Electronic 4 in 1 Rice Cooker has 4 exclusive cooking settings that alllow you to cook rice, Steam, slow cook and rice pudding or porridge / There is no compromise on style with a renewed control panel design with blue LED and brushed stainless steel housing, this rice cooker will fit into any kitchen / The automatic keep warm function switches on at the end of cooking so the food is ready to eat when you are / Short name: Tefal RK701115


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The GOP Plot to Destroy Legal Aid
February 14, 2011 | Mother Jones | Link to article
Last month, when the House conservative caucus proposed scrapping a program that has provided the poor with free legal assistance for nearly four decades, it felt like déjà-vu. Indeed, this provision of the GOP's Spending Reduction Act of 2011 was simply the latest salvo against an entity that's been under siege by conservatives since the day it was conceived.
Legal Services Corporation (LSC) is a federally funded nonprofit that doles out money ($420 million this year) to 136 independent groups providing legal services in hundreds of communities around the nation. Debt collectors knocking down your door? Foreclosure mill trying to take your house? If you can't afford a lawyer and your family is hovering near the federal poverty line, then the LSC is your ticket to legal representation.
If you're lucky, that is. The corporation's budget has always been limited, and over the past few years, as more and more Americans grapple with civil cases involving employment, foreclosures, debt collection, and bankruptcy, soaring demand for legal help has overwhelmed the LSC's limited resources.
But this legal crisis isn't merely a product of the Great Recession. It's the natural consequence of a decades-long campaign by agricultural interests, Christian conservatives, and their congressional allies who would prefer to do away with the LSC altogether.
Publicly funded legal aid got its start under the Johnson administration, which recognized that lawyers for the poor were a key element of its war on poverty. In 1964, Congress passed the Economic Opportunity Act, and beginning the next year, with the government's help, nonprofits began providing free community legal services, assisting broke clients with life's mundane issues-eviction and custody battles and so forth. With their challenges to public housing programs and school districts, legal aid lawyers antagonized politicians, but they were enormously popular among their clients. When the Nixon administration began dismantling Johnson's Office of Economic Opportunity, legal services survived. In 1974, Congress passed legislation creating the Legal Services Corporation, which President Nixon signed into law days before his resignation.
Among the LSC's early opponents was the American Farm Bureau Federation, whose members were rankled by lawsuits filed on behalf of agricultural workers, many of them immigrants, in cases involving unpaid wages and poor working conditions. The bureau argued that these cases were often frivolous matters and that underpayment of wages was usually unintentional. In 1995, bureau lobbyist Bryan Little assailed the LSC as a "money-making machine" for the American Bar Association.
Legal aid faced another formidable foe in the Christian Coalition and Ralph Reed, then its executive director, who claimed the LSC "subsidizes divorce and illegitimacy." The coalition's 1994 Contract With the American Family sought the complete defunding of the LSC, alongside platform planks on "Restoring Respect for Human Life" and "Restoring Religious Equality."
The following year, with Newt Gingrich safely installed as speaker of the House, congressional Republicans heeded the call with a proposal to phase out the LSC's funding over three years. Among the program's most vocal critics were Sen. Phil Gramm of Texas (a.k.a. "Foreclosure Phil"), whose spokesman called it "less an instrument for the delivery of legal services than a machine with a Democratic political agenda as its primary purpose." Indiana Congressman Dan Burton was among a group of House Republicans putting out a weekly "LSC Hall of Shame" newsletter. "Legal services," his spokesman argued, "wastes taxpayer dollars by spending millions on outlandish test cases." GOP Congressman Robert Dornan called for abolishing the LSC entirely, adding that "it's time to defund the left."
In 1996, Congress struck a compromise. The LSC could continue to exist, but its budget would be slashed by one-third, and crippling restrictions would be imposed on its network of lawyers. By this time, the LSC had been under attack for more than two decades and had managed to stay afloat, barely, despite dwindling funding-adjusted for inflation, its budget peaked back in 1981 and has been shrinking ever since. "Congress didn't want to cut it entirely, but they didn't want to give them a blank check for all these controversial cases," says Ken Boehm, chair of the National Legal and Policy Center and a longtime LSC critic. "So they decided to cut the baby."
The new restrictions meant that LSC-funded lawyers could no longer represent prisoners or most immigrants-legal and undocumented alike. They also were barred from collecting court-awarded attorney's fees (a restriction rescinded in 2009), from engaging in any sort of policy advocacy, and from alerting elected officials to problems they'd encountered-unless invited in writing to do so. The restrictions "deprived low-income clients of some of the tools that every other litigant has available to them," says Rebekah Diller, an expert on the civil courts at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law. The restrictions included what legal aid advocates call a "poison pill": Any group taking even a single dollar from the LSC could not participate in any of the restricted activities, even if they planned to use state or private funding for those purposes.
Perhaps most significantly, the law included a ban on class-action lawsuits, which represented a tiny fraction of the cases but packed a big punch. Lawyers from South Brooklyn Legal Services, for instance, had won a class action securing disability benefits for women with HIV. Legal aid lawyers in Maryland had prevailed on behalf of state prisoners contesting overcrowded living conditions. And lawyers from around the country took part in a major national effort challenging the way Social Security reviews were handled.
But what really got under the skin of the Gramm crowd were the welfare-reform cases. On several occasions, publicly funded lawyers had come before the Supreme Court to challenge various welfare policies, including a regulation that required "a man in the house" and rules that denied benefits to people with green cards, people moving to new states, and children from large families. With three major cases, their litigation ended up boosting the nation's welfare tab by $400 million to $500 million annually.
With Congress gearing up for a welfare overhaul, some members may have wanted to preempt legal challenges to the changes they were poised to implement. Gramm, for one, called legal services "a major impediment to meaningful welfare reform." Legal services lawyers were "being advocates for the existing welfare bureaucracy, and while they may have a right to do it, they don't have a right to do it with taxpayers' money," he told the New York Times in 1995.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Posted 7 years ago
(1 item)
Happened to stop by a yard sale and spoke with the gentleman about the item. He said it had been in his family for quite a few years. It was just left in a relatives home after they had passed away. Nothing had been willed to anyone and no one really liked it, so he took it. He had it for some time and just didn't have any more room in his house. He has a lot of old trunks, end-tables, chairs, tools and things that he was gettin rid of. After having brought home this piece, he started collecting vintage and antiques. He has yard sales every now and then to get rid of some things when he comes across new things. I thot it was a neat piece of history. I've never been a sewer, but my mother always has and thought it might be a nice piece to add to her collection of antiques. She has an old cabinet style singer machine that she sewed on from the time I was born and that's been a while ago. I know its an antique now. I'd just like to know what type of an antique or piece of history that I came across and if I made a good choice or investment.
The Tetradrachm coin, on the other hand, has been in my family for many years. Its my mothers coin and was passed down to her over the years. I'm not sure of the complete story behind it, but its a really neat looking coin. I found out, that is from the 5th century. At least that's as far back as I can find them. Not sure about complete history line. When I get on the web, it gives ma a lot of places to go and bid on them and not much about the history of them. It looks Greek or like something from around there. Possibly native american. I don't know for sure. Maybe yous guys can give me a lil more info.
Thanks so much for taking the time to read this and hopefully I will hear back from u soon.


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CHAMPUS coverage for Bone Marrow Transplants
Ultima Vez Modificado: 1 de noviembre de 2001
Dear OncoLink "Ask the Experts,"
CHAMPUS initially said they do cover bone marrow transplants for some conditions but not for metastatic breast cancer. Does anyone know of a way to "get around" the bureaucracy?
It is our understanding that CHAMPUS will usually cover NCI sponsored or based protocols. OncoLink currently lists several active protocols for breast cancer and bone marrow transplant. Please visit our Clinical Trials menu for more information.
We suggest that you review this information with your oncologist(s). They should assist you in determining your eligibility, and help you to find the nearest facility in which the protocol is active.


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Hellickson ready to start playing catch
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Jeremy Hellickson's absence has created a competition for the fifth spot in the rotation this spring.
The Rays right-hander had surgery in January to remove loose bodies from his right elbow. He is expected to be back in May.
Hellickson has been in camp all spring rehabilitating. Thursday will be a significant day for him, as he'll actually throw a baseball for the first time since his surgery.
Hellickson said he will play catch with Ron Porterfield, the Rays' head athletic trainer, for approximately five minutes from distances ranging from 45-60 feet.
"I feel good," said Hellickson, who noted that he expected all to go well.
Bill Chastain is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Find storage near you
- Reserve now, pay later.
- Cancel for free, anytime.
Cincinnati, OH Self Storage Facilities Near 45231
Simply - Forest Park - State Route 275
3.3 miles away
Life Storage - Springdale
3.7 miles away
Fairfield Storage
5 miles away
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5.3 miles away
Simply - Reading - Galbraith Rd
5.6 miles away
Simply - Norwood - Franklin Ave
6.7 miles away
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Stor-All - Alfred
8 miles away
Life Storage - Cincinnati - Marburg Avenue
8 miles away
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Simply - Cincinnati - Westwood Ave
8.3 miles away
Glenway Storage
8.4 miles away
Advantage Self Storage - Hamilton
8.6 miles away
Out of network facilities
Average Price of Storage in Cincinnati
The biggest factor when it comes to storage unit pricing in Cincinnati is size. Below are some montly price ranges you can expect to see in Cincinnati based on different storage unit sizes.
|Unit Size
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The overall average price of a storage unit in Cincinnati is $58.
Cincinnati Storage: At A Glance
Do I need a climate controlled storage unit in Cincinnati?
The forecast high for Cincinnati is 93 degrees today. The record high for today in Cincinnati is 93 degrees. High temperatures and humidity can cause mold and mildew to thrive. If you're considering storing items that are susceptible to mold and mildew during this period, consider renting a climate controlled storage unit.
Does Cincinnati student population affect self-storage prices?
Colleges and universities located in or nearby Cincinnati include College of Mount St Joseph. College students often need storage during summer and winter breaks and can drive prices up during these seasons.
How does seasonality affect Cincinnati storage prices?
Storage prices in Cincinnati tend to be somewhat volatile when compared to other cities. Prices can vary by about 112.00 monthly depending on the time of year. Cincinnati storage prices are highest in August, and lowest in September.
Browse Cincinnati Storage by Amenity
Browse Cincinnati Vehicle Storage
Browse Storage Close To Cincinnati Universities
Browse Storage in Other Ohio Cities
Cincinnati on the SpareFoot blog:
8 Best Big-City Oktoberfests in the U.S. [Infographic]
You can toast to this: If you're ready to strap on your lederhosen or dirndls and hoist a pint of beer to celebrate Oktoberfest, you don't have to hop a flight to the world's Oktoberfest...


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This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
It's not what you think that matters, it comes down to what TPTB think. It's not whether you are right as a pro-Rush fan or a anti-Rush fan is right, it really comes down to what TPTB feel is right. I'm not saying that's best or they are right, b/c I can point out what I feel is poor judgement on many of TPTB decisions.
Maybe TPTB just don't think Rush is strong enough. That he's just too soft for what plans Bird has for the future.


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Police search for suspects who tortured 4 for hours, raped womanPosted: Updated:
Police said home invasion suspects tortured four residents for more than three hours Sunday morning. A woman was raped during the ordeal, authorities say.
Officials said Sunday about 2 a.m. three to five armed suspects broke into a home in the 11800 block of Delmar and held the victims in the house for about 3 1/2 hours.
Police responded to a 911 call when one of the victims ran to a neighbor's house for help about 5:30 a.m.
One woman, 21 years of age, was raped. Her boyfriend and whose two uncles were tied up. Those three men, ages 24, 50 and 57, were scalded with hot grease. One of the men suffered injuries to his ankle when a suspect assaulted him with a drill, according to police.
"The suspects were dressed in dark clothing with masks over their heads," Detective Sgt. Dean Van Winkle said. "There's not much more description of them other than two were smaller and one was a larger male."
The masked men put pillow cases over the victims' heads and demanded money over and over.
Van Winkle said the female victim's daughter, who is almost 2 years old, was also in the home. She wasn't injured.
The four victims were taken to area hospitals for treatment. None of the injuries are believed to be critical, but the three burn victims remained in the hospital Tuesday.
Police said the suspects left the area in one of the victim's vehicles. The stolen vehicle was recently recovered in Kansas City, MO, unoccupied. The suspects are believed to be armed with guns.
All victims are expected to recover, although a family member said at least one will need surgery.
"There's so much blood in that house, it's a crime scene. It's a crime scene, they just ransacked it, the house is totally ransacked. This is crazy. I cannot believe that five young men, each of these men has mothers, and each one of these mothers has to know what I'm feeling," said family member Pamela Sims.
She said the suspects gained access through a bedroom window. She said the men were tied up and forced to listen to the terrifying sounds as the woman was raped in a downstairs bedroom.
"They wish they could protect her," Sims said. "They knew they were hurting her."
She said the injuries inflicted were extensive and especially cruel.
Family members of the victims beg anyone with information about the suspects to contact the Crime Stoppers Greater Kansas City TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477). Family members are working to help identify the suspects, who they knew.
The victims' families are also planning a vigil at the Grandview house. The vigil will be held Friday at 7 p.m. at 11826 Delmar.
Copyright 2013 KCTV (Meredith Corp.) All rights reserved.


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STAR Testimonials
See what people have to say about their experience at a STAR training!
See how Cristiana Baptista plans to use STAR after completing level one and two trainings.
"So glad I came…I leave here a brighter light. Adelante!" -Rhonda Miska, April 2011 participant
"STAR is a way of LIFE/lens for all of life- I have been and will continue to use STAR in my RJ and trauma healing work professionally, in my church and in my home life." -March 2010 participants
"STAR has been invaluable to me in my work as National Victim Outreach Coordinator for the Capital Resource Counsel Project. I've incorporated many of the concepts in our federal training programs and we teach attorneys about how trauma affects not only their clients, but also victims and communities. I also use STAR resources to encourage lawyers to reflect on how vicarious or secondary trauma impacts them and their adversaries." -(Mickell) Kelly Branham, National Victim Outreach Coordinator, Capital Resource Counsel Project, STAR Level II 2010 participant
"I found that STAR took time and thought to balance academia, real life experience, and emotional intellect. STAR integrates hands on exercises which serve experiential learning and demonstrate to the trainees examples of how to condct techniques in their own professions and personal lives. BRAVO! and thank you! –February 2009 participant
"It's easy to be daunted by the number of trouble spots and traumatized communities that have been represented around the table this week. At the same time, it is amazing… to see the strength and the dedication of the staff and the participants. This has been a life-altering week that opens so many possibilities to work more effectively – also to live more effectively." –January 2005 participant
"The fact that STAR exists gives me more hope in dark times than almost anything else. What happens here –even with all the imperfections of any program- is truly miraculous. The transformation is real. Thank you so much for making this possible in the world. I believe it is making and it will continue to make an incalculable difference." —April 2005 STAR intermediate training
"I am in a totally different place at the closure of this gathering. I have been living in a very small world. I feel stretched and better informed regarding the worldview of our conflicts everywhere. These five days have been a model for me to be reminded and re-energized around my priorities in life and my self-care. I am excited about the possibilities of my stories in various areas." –August 2005 participant


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Topic: Scans coming up!
Ahh...I have scans a week from today! It will be the first since my transplant.
Dr. Javle wants to do CT instead of PET this time.
I have been feeling good, but the fatigue sucks. Going to have the doctor check my iron and B levels. I feel like that might have something to do with the fatigue.
With that being said. If you have email me, and I haven't replied its because I'm the biggest procrastinator ever. In fact I just today booked our hotel and flights for next week. Please resend emails, and I will be trying to get back to everyone this week. I promise.
I will update on here when I get the results from my scan. I don't think I will be posting too much about it on social media...family drama. Need I say more?
Wife to Brian; Mommy to Carter (11) and Madison (8)
Liver transplant 7-9-2013


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Customer Comments on Hurricane Isabel Outages
Office of Public Affairs
12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 551
Fairfax, VA 22035-0065
Oct. 24, 2003
Public Meeting Scheduled in Fairfax County to
Customer Comments on Hurricane Isabel Outages
The public utilities staff of the State Corporation Commission will hold a public meeting in Fairfax County for residents affected by lengthy electric and telephone service outages resulting from Hurricane Isabel. Customer input is an important part of the SCC staff analysis of the service restoration efforts of Virginia's electric and telephone providers following the Sept. 18 storm. The meeting will be held on Thursday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m. at the Fairfax County Government Center, Conference Rooms 4 & 5, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax.
Members of the public who would like an opportunity to speak are encouraged to arrive early and sign up. Once all speakers have finished, there will be an opportunity to ask questions of SCC staff and electric and telephone company representatives.
Recognizing that not everyone is able to attend the public meeting, the SCC is accepting written comments. Comments can be submitted through the Web site at www.state.va.us/scc/isabeloutages.htm, by e-mail to email@example.com or in writing to Isabel Outages, State Corporation Commission, P.O. Box 1197, Richmond, VA 23218. Comments will be received through Nov.19.
The SCC staff analysis of utility company performance relative to hurricane-related outages is expected to take several months to complete. The SCC's Division of Energy Regulation and Division of Communications will weigh the severity of the storm and the resulting response by various electric and telephone utilities. SCC staff will attempt to identify company-initiated plans for improving response to future storms and, if necessary, suggest possible corrective actions to make Virginia's utility systems less vulnerable to storms.
Director of Energy Regulation William F. Stephens and Director of Communications William Irby both agree that the objective "is to learn what we can from the storm. The learning starts with hearing from those people who were without power for as long as two weeks and without phone service for nearly a month."
For more information call the State Corporation
Commission at 804-371-9141, TTY 804-371-9206.


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19th Century Images of the American West
Denver Central Library | 10 W. 14th Avenue Parkway
5:30 – 7 p.m. | B2 Conference Center | FREE
Sept 13 | Early Printed Images of Denver
A look at images and maps of Denver as it grew from a rude, gold-mining settlement to one of the largest American cities west of the Mississippi.
Sept 27 | The Political Development of the United States in Period Maps
Learn about the transformation of the American West from three foreign territories to 19 states and four U.S. territories, as meticulously documented by nineteenth century mapmakers.
Oct 4 | Prints of Native Americans
Discover portraits and scenes of Native Americans' daily life, providing us with a window through which we can catch a glimpse of Native American cultures from over a century ago.
More information: (720) 865-1821 or email: email@example.com


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Try...Catch...Finally Statement (Visual Basic)
Provides a way to handle some or all possible errors that may occur in a given block of code, while still running code.
Try [ tryStatements ] [ Exit Try ] [ Catch [ exception [ As type ] ] [ When expression ] [ catchStatements ] [ Exit Try ] ] [ Catch ... ] [ Finally [ finallyStatements ] ] End Try
- tryStatements
Optional. Statement(s) where an error can occur. Can be a compound statement.
- Catch
Optional. Multiple Catch blocks permitted. If an exception occurs while processing the Try block, each Catch statement is examined in textual order to determine if it handles the exception, with exception representing the exception that has been thrown.
- exception
Optional. Any variable name. The initial value of exception is the value of the thrown error. Used with Catch to specify the error caught. If omitted, the Catch statement catches any exception.
- type
Optional. Specifies the type of class filter. If the value of exception is of the type specified by type or of a derived type, the identifier becomes bound to the exception object.
- When
Optional. A Catch statement with a When clause catches exceptions only when expression evaluates to True. A When clause is applied only after checking the type of the exception, and expression may refer to the identifier representing the exception.
- expression
Optional. Must be implicitly convertible to Boolean. Any expression that describes a generic filter. Typically used to filter by error number. Used with When keyword to specify circumstances under which the error is caught.
- catchStatements
Optional. Statement(s) to handle errors occurring in the associated Try block. Can be a compound statement.
- Exit Try
Optional. Keyword that breaks out of the Try...Catch...Finally structure. Execution resumes with the code immediately following the End Try statement. The Finally statement will still be executed. Not allowed in Finally blocks.
- Finally
Optional. A Finally block is always executed when execution leaves any part of the Try statement.
- finallyStatements
Optional. Statement(s) that are executed after all other error processing has occurred.
- End Try
Terminates the Try...Catch...Finally structure.
Local variables from a Try block are not available in a Catch block because they are separate blocks. If you want to use a variable in more than one block, declare the variable outside the Try...Catch...Finally structure.
The Try block contains code where an error can occur, while the Catch block contains code to handle any error that does occur. If an error occurs in the Try block, program control is passed to the appropriate Catch statement for disposition. The exception argument is an instance of the Exception class or a class that derives from the Exception class. The Exception class instance corresponds to the error that occurred in the Try block. The instance contains information about the error, including, among other things, its number and message.
If a Catch statement does not specify an exception argument, it catches any kind of system or application exception. You should always use this variation as the last Catch block in the Try...Catch...Finally structure, after catching all the specific exceptions you anticipate. Control flow can never reach a Catch block that follows a Catch without an exception argument.
In partial-trust situations, such as an application hosted on a network share, Try...Catch...Finally does not catch security exceptions that occur before the method containing the call is invoked. The following example, when placed on a server share and run from there, produces the error "System.Security.SecurityException: Request Failed." For more information on security exceptions, see the SecurityException class.
Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As _ System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click Try Process.Start("http://www.microsoft.com") Catch ex As Exception MsgBox("Can't load Web page" & vbCrLf & ex.Message) End Try End Sub
In such a partial-trust situation, you need to put the Process.Start statement in a separate Sub. The initial call to the Sub will fail, allowing Try...Catch to catch it before the Sub containing Process.Start is launched and the security exception produced.
If a Try statement does not contain at least one Catch block, it must contain a Finally block.
The following simplified example illustrates the structure of the Try...Catch...Finally statement.
Public Sub TryExample() Dim x As Integer = 5 ' Declare variables. Dim y As Integer = 0 Try ' Set up structured error handling. x = x \ y ' Cause a "Divide by Zero" error. Catch ex As Exception When y = 0 ' Catch the error. Beep() MsgBox("You tried to divide by 0.") ' Show an explanatory message. Finally Beep() ' This line is executed no matter what. End Try End Sub


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Modern Languages
Academic Year: 2009 – 2010
The University of Illinois at Springfield offers classes in Arabic, French, German, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish. Although UIS does not offer degrees in these disciplines, the study of language is a natural complement to many programs offered on campus.
The oral and written proficiency gained through completing the fourth course in a language sequence offered at UIS is necessary to fulfill one of the requirements of the Capital Scholars Honors Program. Third semester language classes may fulfill parts of the UIS General Education curriculum. Students should consult advisors for details.
Modern Languages area courses are taught by instructors with native speaking ability and emphasize verbal communication. Classes are kept small to ensure individual attention.
Course offerings in Modern Languages are listed in the current course schedule under the LNG course prefix. Permission of the instructor is required to enroll.
Third semester language classes at the level of Intermediate I, or the equivalent at other institutions, may count for credit for the ECCE Elective by Student Petition. Students should consult an academic advisor for more information.
Central Illinois Foreign Language and International Studies Consortium
UIS students may also apply to study (for UIS credit) the foreign languages offered at Lincoln Land Community College, Springfield College in Illinois, Illinois College, and MacMurray College through the Central Illinois Foreign Language and International Studies Consortium. Please contact the Modern Languages office for information.
LNG 111 Elementary French I 4 Hrs.
LNG 112 Elementary French II 4 Hrs.
LNG 211 ECCE: Intermediate French I 4 Hrs.
LNG 212 Intermediate French II 4 Hrs.
LNG 215 Francophone Culture and Language Immersion 3 Hrs.
LNG 121 Elementary Spanish I 4 Hrs.
LNG 122 Elementary Spanish II 4 Hrs.
LNG 125 Spanish for Cultural Literacy (online) 2 Hrs.
LNG 221 ECCE: Intermediate Spanish I 4 Hrs.
LNG 222 Intermediate Spanish II 4 Hrs.
LNG 225 ECCE: Spanish Language Immersion and Latinoamerican Cultures 4 Hrs.
LNG 131 Elementary German I 4 Hrs.
LNG 132 Elementary German II 4 Hrs.
LNG 231 ECCE: Intermediate German I 4 Hrs.
LNG 232 Intermediate German II 4 Hrs.
LNG 141 Elementary Chinese I 4 Hrs.
LNG 142 Elementary Chinese II 4 Hrs.
LNG 151 Elementary Japanese I 4 Hrs.
LNG 152 Elementary Japanese II 4 Hrs.
LNG 251 ECCE: Intermediate Japanese I 4 Hrs.
LNG 252 Intermediate Japanese II 4 Hrs.
LNG 161 Elementary Russian I 4 Hrs.
LNG 162 Elementary Russian II 4 Hrs.
LNG 261 ECCE: Intermediate Russian I 4 Hrs.
LNG 262 Intermediate Russian II 4 Hrs.
LNG 171 Elementary Arabic 4 Hrs.
Mayra Bonet
Phone: 217/206-8354
Email: email@example.com
Website: www.uis.edu/languages


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Slice It level 138 tips
Slice It
By: Com2uS
Genre: Puzzle
Video Tips
This video walkthrough demonstrates how to beat level 138 without any power ups. Uploaded on nowisgame official channel at August 9, 2012.
Still need help to finish Slice It level 138?
I will update this post with more tips and tricks, so please bookmark this page and keep on checking in!
If you have any questions, feel free to ask for extra help in the comments section.
Hit like if this helped you!
Visit Slice It walkthrough page for level videos, tutorials, cheats and more.
Level 138 Questions
Questions related to level 138 of Slice It iPhone game.


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Reflections on Samhain and life as a gay witch
Dakota Shain Byrd
Contributing Writer
The leaves rattle in the trees as an ever-more- chilling wind makes its presence known. An explosion of sullen reds, crisp spark yellows, ember oranges and dry browns mark this time of year, while paper ghosts and inflatable goblins take up residence in yards and windows.
At least, that's what many people think of when they hear the words "autumn" and "Halloween."
Here in Texas the trees might not be — or get — as colorful as they do in Vermont or Maine. But we still celebrate this season and Halloween by decorating and carving pumpkins, finding a corn maze to navigate or testing our courage at a nearby haunted house.
And with Halloween just days away, children are screaming about what cartoon character they want to dress up as for trick-or-treating, while parents allow the children to drag them from one aisle at the store to another, looking at costumes. Teens who feel they are too old to trick-or-treat are planning parties where they might use a Ouija Board to attempt a conversation with the dead.
Also at this time of year, you may notice more people wearing pendants with pentacles and pentagrams, the stars upright and often simple in design. You may walk right on by, giving them only a fleeting glance without really thinking about what those icons might mean to them.
But what if the jewelry is a symbol of who that person really is, a statement of their beliefs?
What if by wearing a pentagram or pentacle, they were coming out, and wearing that symbol was as freeing to them as being at a gay Pride event is for the newly out gay person? What if proudly wearing that pentacle pendant is their way of coming out of the "broom closet," so to speak, as witches, practitioners of Wicca.
Let's clear something up before we go any further: real witches — true Wiccans — do not use magick (spelled with a k to differentiate between reality and fantastical magic found in books) for evil.
We do not worship the devil; and although we have a horned god, he is not Satan, he is the god of the hunt, said to have antlers like a stag.
We don't curse people, kill babies or drink blood. Heck, most of us are soccer moms and dads, college students or grandparents taking their grandkids to get ice cream.
Yes, we are normal, everyday people. And yes, men are called witches, too; the word warlock means "truth-twister," and nobody wants to be that, now do they?
The only way we differ from others is in our spiritual beliefs. And we practice actual tolerance and acceptance of all people and beliefs — with the exception of religious practices that are actually harmful to ourselves or others.
We practice magick, cast spells, make tonics and grow herbs. We do not use magick for evil. We believe in karma, and we follow the Law of Three: "Remember that what you cast returns the magic times three. Lest it harm none, so mote it be."
What that means is that whatever you put out there in life, you get back times three. If you put out negativity, you will get three times the negativity coming back at you.
Many people come out as witches, as practitioners of Wicca and believers in the goddess in October. And so in keeping with that tradition, so am I.
It's a tad bit ironic that I'm coming out as a witch this month, since the LGBT community celebrates National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11, and since October is also National Gay History Month. Still, many outside the pagan community don't realize the allure of coming out as a Wiccan in October.
In Celtic culture, Halloween — or Samhain, as we witches and pagans call it — was New Year's Day, marking the end of a year past and the beginning of the year yet to come.
To the Celts, Samhain was the day when the veil between life and death was at its thinnest. This wasn't a bad thing, though.
In fact, it was a day to remember those who had died earlier in the year and before, and to be close to them once again.
In some traditions of Wicca (think faiths or denominations when you read traditions) and lore, the dead family members would reveal the location of buried treasure or a secret bit of knowledge that would help the living.
Often, Samhain is a celebration of continued life, and since many witches believe in reincarnation, we know that our dearly beloved who are dead will be reincarnated in the future.
Samhain is also the third and final harvest celebration of the eight Wiccan holidays. It's the largest major feast of the Turning of The Wheel. Contrary to popular belief, on this night witches don't take anything from their gardens. They might decorate their altars with small pumpkins, hay, Indian corn or other tokens related to the season. Children might put candy on their own altars as a gift of to the god and goddess.
The cauldron is another item of great importance often used in some Wiccan traditions. The ceremony of Samhain may involve inviting the Crone (a wise grandmother-type figure; think a sharp-tongued, wise matriarch) to grant wisdom to the witch or witches who invoked her.
Grandparents or a high priestess or priest may retell the legend of the goddess Cerridwen or tell a mourning story for the dying god, which is similar to how a Good Friday service in the Christian religion focuses the death of Christ.
People may also make totems and raise totem energy by making and wearing ceremonial masks to depict personal or group magick and powers. There could be drum circles to praise the god and goddess and thank them for another year, to celebrate life and summon good energies to help with the coming year.
Those who have a gift of divination might try scrying or reflective meditation to see all that they were supposed to learn within the past year and find how to take that knowledge forward with
them into the next year.
Those looking for love might also try using a small mirror to catch the face of somebody they might have a relationship with, or bob for apples with another person with the hope that two people catch the same apple in their mouths. If this
happens, the people might try to pursue a relationship with each other, and even bury the apple, in the tradition of the Celts.
To the Celts, apples were sacred and they highly valued apple magick. They believed that when a witch caught an apple in his or her mouth, part of their soul trickled into the apple. The witch could then eat the apple to attain prosperity, or bury it whole on their property in hopes that it would bring continued bounty over the next few months of winter.
So as you can see, we witches aren't so bad. Sure, we do things a little differently, but we're not chopping up people or drinking blood.
We chop up plants for rituals, spells and tonics, and drink water and soda when we're thirsty — just like everybody else.
We're as normal as you are.
Oh, and we also don't consider being LGTBQ as sinful. To us, everybody just is who they are. Gay people, in most Wiccan traditions, are seen as having both masculine and feminine traits — being balanced and in touch with the god and goddess.
If you're interested in learning more about Wicca, you can always check out books from the library or buy them. If you see a book with the "Llewellyn" name and the icon of a crescent moon at the bottom of itss spine, it's almost a guarantee to be a good and informative book on what real magick and witchcraft are like.
You can also find lots of information online, and you can do an online search for a CUUPs group near you.
To all who read this, be you a fellow witch, a Christian or somebody in between religions and trying to find your way: I wish you a bountiful fall. And in closing: "Merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again," which means that when we encounter each other, may you be doing good, may you be doing good when we part ways, and when we run into each other again later on in life, may you be doing well still!
Blessed Be!
• Wicca: noun: (sometimes initial capital letter) witchcraft, especially benevolent, nature-oriented practices derived from pre-Christian religions.
Word Origin & History: An Old English masc. noun meaning "male witch, wizard, soothsayer, sorcerer, magician." Use of the word in modern contexts traces to English folklorist Gerald Gardner (1884-1964), who is said to have joined circa 1939 an occult group in New Forest, Hampshire, England, for which he claimed an unbroken tradition to medieval times. Gardner seems to have first used it in print in 1954, in his book "Witchcraft Today" (e.g.: "Witches were the Wica or wise people, with herbal knowledge and a working occult teaching usually used for good …."). In published and unpublished material, he apparently only ever used the word as a mass noun referring to adherents of the practice and not as the name of the practice itself. Some of his followers continue to use it in this sense.
In the late 1960s the term came into use as the title of a modern pagan movement associated with witchcraft. The first printed reference in this usage seems to be 1969, in "The Truth About Witchcraft" by freelance author Hans Holzer.
Alex Sanders was a highly visible representative of neo-pagan Witchcraft in the late 1960s and early 1970s. During this time he appears to have popularized use of the term in this sense. Later books c.1989 teaching modernized witchcraft using the same term account for its rise and popularity, especially in U.S.
• pagan: noun: 1. one of a people or community observing a polytheistic religion, as the ancient Romans and Greeks. 2. a person who is not a Christian, Jew or Muslim. 3. an irreligious or hedonistic person.
Adjective: 4. pertaining to the worship or worshipers of any religion that is neither Christian, Jewish nor Muslim. 5. of, pertaining to or characteristic of pagans. 6. irreligious or hedonistic.
Word Origin & History: late 14c., from L.L. paganus "pagan," in classical Latin. "villager, rustic, civilian," from pagus "rural district," originally "district limited by markers," thus related to pangere "to fix, fasten," from PIE base *pag- "to fix." Religious sense is often said to derive from conservative rural adherence to the old gods after the Christianization of Roman towns and cities; but the word in this sense predates that period in church history, and it is more likely derived from the use of paganus in Roman military jargon for "civilian, incompetent soldier," which Christians (Tertullian, c.202; Augustine) picked up with the military imagery of the early church (e.g. milites "soldier of Christ," etc.). Applied to modern pantheists and nature worshippers from 1908.
• pentagram: noun: a five-pointed, star-shaped figure made by extending the sides of a regular pentagon until they meet, used as an occult symbol by the Pythagoreans and later philosophers, by magicians, etc. Also called pentacle, pentangle, pentalpha.
Word Origin & History: pentagram: "five-pointed star," 1833, from Gk. pentagrammon, properly neut. of adj. pentagrammos "having five lines," from pente "five" + gramma "what is written."
• pentacle: noun: 1. The same figure as a pentagram, except in magical usage, where is has been extended to other symbols of power, including a six-point star. 2. a similar figure, as a hexagram.
Word Origin & History: 1594, from M.L. pentaculum, a hybrid coined from Gk. pente "five" + L. -culum, dim. suffix. But the exact origin is obscure. It. had pentacolo "anything with five points," and Fr. pentacle (16c.) was the name of something used in necromancy, perhaps a five-branched candlestick. Fr. pentacol "amulet worn around the neck" (14c.), however, is from pend- "to hang" + a "to" + col "neck."
— SOURCE: Dictionary.com
The Wheel of the Year is a neopagan term for the annual cycle of the Earth's seasons. It consists of eight festivals, spaced at approximately even intervals throughout the year. These festivals are referred to as Sabbats.
While the term Sabbat originated from Abrahamic faiths such as Judaism and Christianity and is of Hebrew origin, the festivals themselves have historical origins in Celtic and Germanic pre-Christian feasts, and the Wheel of the Year, as has developed in modern Paganism and Wicca, is really a combination of the two cultures' solstice and equinox celebrations.
When melded together, the two European Festival Cycles merge to form eight festivals in modern renderings. Together, these festivals are understood by some neopagans to be the Bronze Age religious festivals of Europe. As with all cultures' use of festivals and traditions, these festivals have been utilized by European cultures in both the pre- and post-Christian eras as traditional times for the community to celebrate the planting and harvest seasons.
The Wheel of the Year has been important to many people both ancient and modern, from various religious as well as cultural and secular viewpoints.
In many forms of Paganism, natural processes are seen as following a continuous cycle. The passing of time is also seen as cyclical, and is represented by a circle or wheel. The progression of birth, life, decline and death, as experienced in human lives, is echoed in the progression of the seasons.
This cycle is seen as an echo of life, death and rebirth of the God and the fertility of the Goddess. While most of these names derive from historical Celtic and Germanic festivals, the non-traditional names Litha and Mabon, which have become popular in North American Wicca, were introduced by Aidan Kelly in the 1970s. The word "sabbat" itself comes from the witches' sabbath or sabbat attested to in Early Modern witch trials.
• Samhain
Samhain is considered by most Wiccans to be the most important of the four "greater Sabbats." It is generally observed on Oct. 31 in the Northern Hemisphere, starting at sundown. Samhain is considered by some as a time to celebrate the lives of those who have passed on, and it often involves paying respect to ancestors, family members, elders of the faith, friends, pets and other loved ones who have died. In some rituals the spirits of the departed are invited to attend the festivities. It is seen as a festival of darkness, which is balanced at the opposite point of the wheel by the spring festival of Beltane, which is celebrated as a festival of light and fertility.
The Wiccan Samhain doesn't attempt to reconstruct a historical Celtic festival. In actuality it was also widely believed that on Oct. 31, the veil between this world and the afterlife is at its thinnest point of the whole year.
• Midwinter, or Yule:
In most traditions, Yule is celebrated as the rebirth of the Great God, who is viewed as the newborn solstice sun. The method of gathering for this sabbat varies by group or individual practitioner. Some have private ceremonies at home while others hold coven celebrations.
Christmas, celebrated on Dec. 25, continues a pre-Christian festival, and was adopted by the church to commemorate the birth of Jesus, although the information that is given from sacred texts points to spring, and astrological information points to late April/early May as the time of Christ's birth.
• Imbolc
Imbolc (or Candlemas) is one of four "fire festivals" of the Wheel of the Year. Among Dianic Wiccans, Imbolc is the traditional time for initiations. Imbolc is strongly associated with the goddess Brighid.
Among Reclaiming-style witches, Imbolc is considered a traditional time for rededication and pledges for the coming year.
• Vernal Equinox
The vernal equinox, often called Ostara, is celebrated in the Northern Hemisphere around March 21 and in the Southern Hemisphere around Sept. 23, depending upon the specific timing of the equinox. Among the Wiccan sabbats, it is preceded by Imbolc and followed by Beltane.
The name Ostara may be related to the word for "east." It has been connected to the Anglo-Saxon goddess Eostre by Jacob Grimm in his Deutsche Mythologie.
In terms of Wiccan ditheism, this festival is characterized by the rejoining of the Mother Goddess and her lover-consort-son, who spent the winter months in death. Other variations include the young god regaining strength in his youth after being born at Yule, and the goddess returning to her maiden aspect.
• Beltane
Beltane is one of the four "fire festivals" or "greater sabbats." Although the holiday may use features of the Gaelic Bealtaine, such as the bonfire, it bears more relation to the Germanic May Day festival, both in its significance (focusing on fertility) and its rituals (such as maypole dancing). Some Wiccans celebrate 'High Beltaine' by enacting a ritual union of the May Lord and Lady.
• Midsummer
Midsummer is one of the four solar holidays, and is considered the turning point at which summer reaches its height and the sun shines longest. Among the Wiccan sabbats, Midsummer is preceded by Beltane, and followed by Lammas or Lughnasadh.
Some traditions call the festival "Litha", a name occurring in Bede's Reckoning of Time (De Temporum Ratione, 7th century), which preserves a list of the (then-obsolete) Anglo-Saxon names for the twelve months. Ærra Liða ("first" or "preceding" Liða) roughly corresponds to June in our calendar, and Æfterra Liða ("following" Liða) to July. Bede writes that "Litha means 'gentle' or 'navigable', because in both these months the calm breezes are gentle and they were wont to sail upon the smooth sea."
• Lammas
Lammas or Lughnasadh is the first of the three pagan autumn harvest festivals, the other two being the autumn equinox (or Mabon) and Samhain. Wiccans mark the holiday by baking a figure of the god in bread, and then symbolically sacrificing and eating it. However, Lamas/ Lughnasadh celebrations vary, as not all pagans are Wiccans.
Wiccan celebrations are not based on Celtic culture, despite common use of a Celtic name Lughnasadh. This name seems to have been a late adoption among Wiccans, since in early versions of Wiccan literature the festival is merely referred to as "August Eve."
The name Lammas (contraction of Loaf-mass) implies it is an agrarian-based festival and feast of thanksgiving for grain and bread, which symbolizes the first fruits of the harvest. Pagan / Eclectic Neopagan rituals may incorporate elements from either festival.
• Autumnal Equinox
The holiday of Autumn Equinox, Harvest Home, Mabon, the Feast of the Ingathering, Meán Fómhair or Alban Elfed (in Neo-Druidic traditions), is a pagan ritual of thanksgiving for the fruits of the earth and a recognition of the need to share them to secure the blessings of the goddess and the god during the winter months. The name Mabon was coined by Aidan Kelly around 1970 as a reference to Mabon ap Modron, a character from Welsh mythology. In the Northern Hemisphere, this equinox occurs anywhere from Sept. 21 to Sept. 24. In the Southern Hemisphere, the autumn equinox occurs anywhere from March 20 to March 23. Among the sabbats, it is the second of the three pagan harvest festivals, preceded by Lammas / Lughnasadh and followed by Samhain.
Dates for the festivals vary widely. There are many forms of Wicca and Paganism, all of which may have somewhat different traditions associated with the festivals. Therefore there is no definitive or universal tradition observed by all the groups. Most Pagans are somewhat flexible about dates, tending to celebrate at the nearest weekend for convenience.
As the Wheel originates in the Northern Hemisphere, in the Southern Hemisphere many Pagans advance these dates six months so as to coincide with the natural seasons as they occur in their local climates, which oppose and complement those of the Northern Hemisphere. For instance, a Wiccan from southern Australia may celebrate Beltane on Nov. 1, when a Canadian Wiccan is celebrating Samhain. The appropriate set of festivals for an Equatorial Wiccan is problematic.
— SOURCE: Wikipedia
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition October 28, 2011.


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Crime Log case numbers do not run sequentially. The Tulane University Police Department assigns a case number for all reportable activities, both criminal and non-criminal. Only case numbers generated for criminal activity are listed in the crime log.
This Crime Log contains reportable activities for the Uptown and Elmwood Campuses of Tulane University.
Hard copies of the Crime Log is also available at the Collins C. Diboll Complex, Tulane University Police Department, during normal business hours.
Note: Incidents with a case number that starts with "NA" involve information received from other University Administrators, who are defined by federal law as "campus security authorities". These administrators share non-identifying information, with the University Police, that is provided by the victim. In these incidents, the victim did not file an official police report and therefore, it is not always possible to provide information regarding the five areas typically covered in the Crime Log, i.e. (Nature/Classification, date Reported, Date Occurred, Time, General Location, Off Campus (Y or N) Disposition). Because an official report was not filed, there will be no disposition. These incidents are reported to the University Police for statistical purposes and are posted to the Crime Log as the information is received by the University Police.
According to Federal Law, an institution may withhold any of the required fields of entry, i.e. the nature, date, time, location and/or disposition if any of the following conditions apply:
1. The disclosure is prohibited by law.
2. If disclosure would jeopardize the confidentiality of the victim.
3. If disclosure would jeopardize an ongoing criminal investigation or the safety of an individual.
4. If disclosure would cause a suspect to flee or evade detection.
5. If disclosure would result in the destruction of evidence.
Crime Log Disposition definitions:
The following is an explanation of terminology used to complete the Disposition section of the TUPD Crime Log:
Open Case: The case is currently being investigated by TUPD.
Unfounded: The case is determined through investigation to be false or baseless. No offense occurred nor was attempted.
Referred to department: The case is referred to the appropriate supervisory employee or to TU Human Resources Services Department. Those departments review the case and determine if disciplinary action will be initiated.
Referred to NOPD: This case is being investigated by the New Orleans Police Department.
Referred to Outside Agency: The case is being investigated by a law enforcement agency other than NOPD. The specific agency will be identified in the disposition.
Referred to SJS: The case has been forwarded to the Office of Student Affairs. Student Affairs is responsible for reviewing the case and for determining whether or not the student(s) involved will be charged with violation(s) of the Student Code Of Conduct
Closed. Public Space: Closed. Case occurred on public property within the campus boundaries. TUPD did not investigate the case.
Closed. Subject barred: The subject(s) has been issued a University restricted presence notice which restricts the subject from entering or accessing any University property. A violation of a restricted presence notice may result in that person's arrest for trespassing.
Closed. Subject arrested: The subject(s) has been arrested by TUPD or NOPD.
Closed. No witnesses or suspects: The case has no solvability.
Closed. No identifiable suspect: A description and/or video surveillance of the subject is available but positive identification of a subject has not been made.
Closed. Reclassified: The original incident report classification has been changed to accurately reflect the appropriate classification, based on the results of the investigation.
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Listings can be sorted by clicking on the column name. (OC = Off Campus*)
Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118 504-865-5000 firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Rogers, Ark. -- As part of its annual address to investors on Wednesday, Wal-Mart Stores said it expects global e-commerce sales to reach $9 billion next fiscal year.
The retailer said it has made walmart.com easier to shop with a new search engine, enabled cash payment functions, and is now testing same-day delivery in four markets and a scan-and-go service for smartphones.


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Hi John,
Good to hear you got your project going. 100 Hz loop rate is not too demanding and it's probably a good fit with existing Tier 1 boards. For our application we will have a loop running at 1 kHz and another running at 200 Hz, so we are going to have a much harder time. Preliminary testing indicates that the current tier 1 boards will not be enough, but a MCBTMS570 would be OK. I'm trying to convince NI to introduce a new Tier 1 board, but who knows what they are thinking.
As you state, a new more capable Tier 1 board will make life a lot easier. Not sure why NI has not increased the number of Tier 1 boards. I suspect that the number of active users of LabVIEW Embedded for ARM would be only a few dozen and perhaps NI don't see value in investing time and effort in a new Tier 1 board.
It looks like it's Catch 22. Their aren't enough user's to warrant a new more capable Tier 1 board and their aren't enough Tier 1 boards to entice new users!
I think if a new Tier 1 board was introduced every 2 years not only would LabVIEW Embedded sales vastly increase, but so would NI's flagship product LabVIEW. This is because more users will invest the time to learn LabVIEW if it has more universal application - even if they think they probably will never use the new capability. It's the just-in-case syndrome.
We currently have four engineering groups in our company and our group is the only one using LabVIEW. The others use C/C++. We are seriously considering joining the other groups. Still happy will LabVIEW on a PC where it's a viable programming environment. However for other environments NI don't appear to provide the support we need.
Hi vito,
I'm Nico , and reading the forum I saw you tried to use Labview with ARM micorcontroller.
I'm struggling with a problem : I want to start to use this evaluation module since I like to program microcontroller (ANSI C) for hobby and I use Labview for working purposes. I would like to use Labview also in embedded system to speed up the code implementation using data flow.
My question is: I saw these 2 board cheaper than those NI advices for starting with ARM
- ARM Cortex-M3 MINI Development Board STM32F103RBT6
Doy you think I can use them to download labview code on them? If yes, Do I have to port RTX kernel before to use
the NI embedded toolkit? and wich kind of connection should I have to use (JTAG,USB,serial) ?
Reading on the web , I saw that with cortex M3 there is no need of porting the RTX.
Sorry If a waste your time, hope you can help
Thanks in advance
Hi Nico,
From my experience, it should be possible to program any hardware that uses the LM3S8962 processor, because it is a tier 1 device and all the features should be supported. Provided of course that the required interfaces are on the board, and any pins you want to connect to are exposed.
Another tier 1 device is the LPC2378 from NXP, which I have used successfully in my own unique board layout.
As far as I know, the code generated by LabVIEW relies on the RTX kernel, so you must build that into your application, and the JTAG interface worked fine for my LPC project.
Hope my info is correct and useful.
Hi Nico,
I noticed you can get a LM3S8962 development board for $54.74. However, at least to start with, you would be better getting http://www.ti.com/tool/ekk-lm3s8962 for $89.00. This is exactly the same board as used in the NI evaluation kit. You could also get a Keil ULINK2, but this is not essential (it's covered elsewhere on these forums). You would then download the software from NI which gives you a 60 day evaluation period.
The STM32F103RBT6 development board is much cheaper ($21.05), but it would require work to make it happen - so I would skip this option.
If what you want to do is not too performance demanding (say 100 Hz loop rates) then the LabVIEW Embedded for ARM product is not too bad (but about $10,000 to buy). Once you get to multiple loops at 1 kHz or faster you are better sticking with C.
I hope this helps.
Hi vito,
first of all thanks for your quick answer.
I supposed youre Italian (your name is a typical name in my city ,Bari in the south of Italy,such a beatiful place).
However, everythings started when I decided to switch from "ANSI C" to Labview for my embedded projects.
This because I've been working with labview for several years but at the same time , for hobby purposes, I'm involved in ANSI C programming : I'm just trying to design a wireless alarm station for my home (so I need ANSI C ). So why dont use Labview to program custom embedded Hardware?
After this brief description I saw the EKK-LM3S8962 Ethernet+CAN Evaluation Kit with Keil ($89), you mentioned, and it will be the right way to start.
Programming with Labview should increase the designing time in these kind of applications.
About "ULINK 2 debug adapter" you think is not useful since the board has a USB port on it?
The last question is ! If a succesfully program this board you adviced, I will be able one day to download the firmware (Labview VIs) on a custom HW board (not the evaluation kit) using the same processor (LM3S8962) on board ?
If yes I supposed I should configure the Hardware with custom template files as mentioned in the porting guide for ARM, to get it recognized in the Labview development system when I create the project.
Thanks again for you time , hope you can help
05-29-2012 10:46 PM - edited 05-29-2012 10:49 PM
Boungiorno Nico,
I'm actually an Australian born and living in Sydney. However, both my parents are from Bari, or Putignano to be more specific. Yes, it's a beautiful place and I look forward to visiting it again one day.
Like you, I've done LabVIEW programming on the desktop and C programming on microcontrollers. The microcontrollers was a long time ago and involved Z80 and 8051 micros. Back in December last year I started to evaluate LabVIEW Embedded for ARM. You will see numerous posts in this forum about my experiences. The initial reaction was pleasurable, however with time I realised that NI have chosen to keep the performance down, which is inadequate for all but the least demanding of tasks. NI will then steer you to sbRIO or the LabVIEW C Generator, both of which are unsuitable. I instead decided to steer myself to C, but this time using one of the wide variety of powerful 32 bit ARM microcontrollers. I will be using the TI LM3S9B96 and the free Code Composer Studio and C to develop my embedded application. And this is for a work application that could easily justify a few thousand dollars of expenditure!
NI could do wonderful things with LabVIEW embedded for ARM, but chose not to. Their greed will be their undoing.
If your wireless alarm station can be developed in under 60 days, you can use the evaluation version and not have to spend a cent. Maybe an Arduino would serve you better.
You do not need the ULINK 2 debug adapter at all. Everything can be done without it.
You can download the firmware to a custom board, but only while the license is active.
Good luck with your endeavours. I'm also planning to programme a Home Automation system that will include passive climate control, security, lighting, mode setting, etc. The current plan is to use LabVIEW desktop with three wall embedded iPads as the user interface. LabVIEW desktop is a great product (unlike any of NI's embedded offerings). However, use of LabVIEW is diminishing in our company, so maybe I should take a peek at .NET and C#.
Ciao Vito o come dicono a bari "MBAVIT",
thanks so much for your time, and your advices.
I hope you can return in Putignano one day. You know, I often was in Putignano for my football matches when I was young but then my destiny was to became an electronic engineer ( )
I'm already using Arduino Board for my home project and it is not bad at all, since theare a lot of library they already made for a lot of projects.
However, I'm trying to use Ni ARM tool because i have not too much experience in C/C++ Real time since I used to programmed PICs (pic16,pic18) without RealTime Kernel on them. Just yesterday I saw the Keil uvision IDE and that the on line help is not bad for starting with it (RTx operating system).
So I will try both programming Real time applications on ARM (Ni ARM and ansiC from Keil) with that board you adviced.
Surely I agree with you they steer you to SBRIO,CRIO (I used them for I couple of projects) but i think they are not suitable for Building Automation, dont you think?
I agree also with the fact they could improve this powerful tool increasing the performances (e.g loop rate ) since is more friendly for a medium User dataflow proramming than procedural one.
Hope if i'll have some problem with that board, you could help me (even if I know to be experienced with micro, a man never stop to learn)
I'm currently in Rome for work but next week I'll fly for Bari (my friend's wedding) to enjoy some sea and sun.
My skype contact is "bebadusamba", feel free to contact me when you want.
Have a nice day and
"Forza Bari"
Hi Nico,
I guess if you can't become a football player then an electrical engineer isn't a bad second choice
If you like Arduino then maybe the Arduino Due (32 bit ARM processor running at 96 MHz) will interest you. The first 100 went out to beta testers a couple of weeks ago and it's due for release in about a month.
You're strategy of trialling ARM using both LabVIEW and C is good. Once you've played with both you will be in a good position to make an informed decision. Let us know what you think.
sbRIO is nice, but you need to buy in lots of 100, it's a bit too expensive and the form factor does not suit OEM applications. Something like http://forums.ni.com/t5/LabVIEW-FPGA-Idea-Exchange/Smaller-and-cheaper-sbRIO-based-on-Xilinx-Zynq/id... would be a move in the right direction.
I'm happy to help in any way that I can.
Unfortunately, I'm not on skype, but I should do that.
If you'd like NI to expand it's embedded offerings, you should vote for http://forums.ni.com/t5/LabVIEW-Idea-Exchange/Make-labview-everywhere-a-reality/idi-p/1994483
Forza Bari,
Hi Nico, sent you a Private Message. Please read. Ciao Vito.
I have a plate and a programmer seeger mcb2400 for arm7 / 9, can be programmed using LabVIEW smoothly? ie there will be no problems with the soft ukeil3


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Genealogy & History
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