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Make plans now to attend the Oklahoma Station of the Safari Club International's annual banquet
The Oklahoma Station of the Safari Club International is making final plans for their annual banquet. The event will start at 6:30 p.m., March 5, at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.
"We have a great time at the banquet - it's something I look forward to every year," said Mike Munhollon, with the Oklahoma Station of the Safari Club International. "We hope everyone will come out and join us. It is a nice opportunity to meet like-minded individuals in the community and find out what the Safari Club is all about."
The Oklahoma Station of the Safari Club International has long been supportive of the Wildlife Department's efforts. Recently, the Club donated a 24-foot gooseneck trailer to the Department. The trailer is now used in the Department's Shotgun Training Education Program, which introduces both youth and adults to shotgun shooting techniques and the proper handling of firearms.
The Oklahoma Station of the Safari Club International also sponsors the Department's annual youth essay contest. The contest gives youngsters the opportunity to share their feelings about the Oklahoma outdoors and gives them the opportunity to win great prizes including a guided pronghorn antelope hunt in New Mexico.
Additionally, the organization purchased eight elk for introduction into an existing herd in southeast Oklahoma. The Chapter has also donated funds to the Hunter's Against Hunger program and recently donated funds that will go toward the purchase of an airboat that will be used on waterfowl surveys.
According to Munhollon, the auction will be one of the highlights of the evening.
"We will have a wide range of items available for auction from African safaris, to shotguns, to art. There is really something for everyone whether you want to spend a little or a lot. It is even fun just to watch live auction," he said.
Munhollon added that the banquet and auction are an essential part of the Chapter's fundraising efforts.
"This is our primary mode of fundraising. This one event allows us to sponsor and be a part of many other important projects throughout the year," Munhollon said.
For more information or to purchase tickets call (405) 721-7229
Be a Winter Bird Survey Participant - Help Track New Doves
If you feed and watch your feathered neighbors, the Wildlife Department has a winter activity idea for you. Be a part of the 17th annual Winter Bird Survey and help state biologists follow Oklahoma's winter bird populations.
Join more then 400 other households across the state by downloading a survey form at www.wildlifedepartment.com. Choose two days between Thursday, Jan. 13, and Sunday, Jan. 16, to count and record birds visiting your feeders.
Survey results help state biologists track annual changes in bird populations. Biologists then assess if fluctuations are normal, point to range expansions or contractions, or warn of potential conservation problems.
Citizen reports on the Winter Bird Survey are helping the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife track three new dove species, according to Information Specialist Jenny Thom.
"Over the past few years, we've been receiving scattered reports of Eurasian-collared doves, Inca doves and white-winged doves," Thom said. "None of these historically occurred in Oklahoma."
Gene Potts lives in Albany near the Red River and the Texas border. He noticed "unusual" doves feeding in his yard that were much smaller than the mourning or Eurasian collared doves he was accustomed to seeing.
After calling the Wildlife Department, he learned he was seeing Inca doves.
"I noticed these little doves with red wing spots making soft cooo-coooing sounds. I only see them around people - that must be their ace in the hole," he said.
David Arbour, a naturalist at Red Slough Wildlife Management Area, says Potts is right.
"Inca doves are adapted to urban areas. They eat seeds and fruits. Bird feeders help them survive and yard plantings are attractive to them," he said.
Like the Eurasian collared and Inca, the white-winged dove also inhabits manmade niches and also feeds on grain and wild seeds, as well as cactus fruits and blossoms. Similar in size to a mourning dove - although slightly larger and stockier with a shorter tail - it is recognized by bold, white wing patches and a drawn-out, variable, who-cooks-for-you call.
"White-winged doves are showing up where collared doves are and mixing with them. Actually, the white-winged, Eurasian and Inca doves are filling similar areas, but they don't appear to be in major competition with one another," Arbour said.
Help biologists track Oklahoma's doves and other winter birds. Download a Winter Bird Survey form, relax in a seat by the window, and contribute to science while enjoying the birds.
Fur auctions coming soon
Hunters and trappers will have a chance to sell their bounty at a pair of fur auctions hosted by the First Oklahoma Trappers and Predator Callers Association.
The auctions will be held Saturday, Feb. 5 and Saturday, March 5 at the Okmulgee Fairgrounds.
Both events will begin at 8 a.m., and the auction will start at 9 a.m. The buildings will also be open the day before each sale from 2 - 5 p.m. for dealer set-ups and for harvesters to store furs.
"Not only are the auctions the best places to come and get a good, fair price for your furs, they are also a great places to come and see what trapping is all about and learn from experienced trappers," said Bill Jackson with the First Oklahoma Trappers and Predator Callers Association.
To participate in the auction, sellers must have a current Oklahoma trapping and hunting license. Sellers must also be members of the First Oklahoma Trappers and Predator Callers Assoc. Furs may be stretched and dried or "green." All bobcat pelts must be affixed with an export tag before they can be sold or shipped. Personnel from the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation will be present to provide tags, if necessary. Individuals selling furs at the March 5 auction should consult the "2004-05 Oklahoma Hunting Guide" regarding possessing pelts after the close of the furbearer season.
In addition, sellers who bring furs that belong to another person must possess that person's hunting and trapping license, as well as a letter signed by that person authorizing them to sell his or her fur.
Likewise, fur buyers are required to possess an Oklahoma fur buyer's permit in order to purchase unprocessed fur. For more information, contact Bill Jackson or Dee Jackson at (918) 336-8154.
Wildlife Commission hears of innovative archery program
The Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission learned about an innovative archery education program at their January meeting.
Oklahoma is one of the first states to initiate the ambitious Archery in the Schools program. Offering a two-week long, Olympic-style archery curriculum, the program is designed to introduce junior high and high school students to archery.
"In the eight pilot schools around the state we have found that the program is a positive for everyone involved," said Lance Meek, hunter education coordinator for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. "Of course the kids love it. Educators have told us that the program allows them to fulfill several state and national curriculum guidelines. And it is good for sportsmen because it shares the sport of archery with many people who otherwise wouldn't be exposed to it."
According to Meek, training courses will be taking place this spring and more schools will come on board next fall.
In other business, the Commission recognized the Grand National Quail Foundation for its generous contributions to conservation and education programs.
Established in Enid in the mid 1980's the Foundation has raised funds to support a variety of projects, such as habitat improvements on public hunting areas, annual youth wildlife camps and a variety of research projects. The Foundation's most notable research project includes the longest and most comprehensive quail study in the nation. The influential, ten-year study was conducted at the Packsaddle Wildlife Management Area in northwest Oklahoma.
"We are humble and honored by this recognition," said Mike Ruby, Grand National Quail Foundation president. "It has been a wonderful partnership over the years and we pledge our continued support."
In other business, Commissioners received an update on the 2005 Wildlife Expo. The inaugural event is designed to introduce Oklahomans to outdoor activities and will be held August 27 and 28 at the Lazy E Arena near Guthrie.
The Commission voted to accept an offer of $4,100 from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation for 1.89 acres for expansion of the Highway 70 bridge at Lake Raymond Gary in Choctaw County.
Also at their January meeting, Commissioners recognized the following employees for their service to the Department:
Lewis Jennings, wildlife technician at Black Kettle and Ellis County wildlife management areas, for 20 years; and
Wayne Smith, wildlife technician at Ouachita Wildlife Management Area, for 20 years.
In accordance with rulemaking procedures, Commissioners voted to approve Title 800:1-13-11 which addresses the design and issuance of the Fishing and Hunting Legacy Permit. Commissioners also voted to amortize the unfunded liability of the Retirement Plan over 15 years and to increase the budget $1,009,000 to provide this year's additional funding.
The Wildlife Conservation Commission is the eight-member governing board of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. The Wildlife Commission establishes state hunting and fishing regulations, sets policy for the Wildlife Department, and indirectly oversees all state fish and wildlife conservation activities. Commission members are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate.
The next scheduled Commission meeting is Feb. 7 at the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation headquarters (auditorium), at the southwest corner of 18th and North Lincoln, Oklahoma City at 9:00 a.m.
Wildlife Expo to offer something for everyone
Imagine a warm summer day when you and your family decide to attend a very special event – the inaugural Oklahoma Wildlife Expo. As you pull into the Lazy E Arena you quickly learn that there are almost too many choices to make.
Where should you take your family first? Your son wants to go to the dog training seminar and watch the jumping dogs in action, your spouse wants to go fishing and your daughter wants to try her hand at shooting a bow and arrow. With more than 100 different booths and activities already confirmed, there will be plenty of decisions to be made during the free, two-day event, which will be held August 27 and 28.
"We are very excited about the Expo and are really looking forward to showcasing the wide range of outdoor opportunities available to Oklahomans," said Richard Hatcher, assistant director of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. "This is the first event of its kind in Oklahoma and we think it will be fun, inspiring and a huge hit. Be sure to mark your calendar now because this is going to be something you will not want to miss."
According to Hatcher, the monumental event is designed to promote and perpetuate Oklahoma's rich hunting, fishing and wildlife heritage.
"Our theme for the Expo is 'Tomorrow's memories today,' and I think that really sums up what we want to do. We hope to provide everyone who attends the knowledge and opportunities for them to be involved in a lifetime of outdoor-related activities," Hatcher said. "Whether you enjoy fishing, mountain biking or hiking, you will get the skills necessary to begin creating lasting memories."
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation is partnering with a wide range of other state agencies, private individuals and outdoor-related companies to host the event.
For more information about the Oklahoma Wildlife Expo or to learn more about sponsorship opportunities, call (405) 522-6279.
Chandler Fur Auction to take place Jan. 29
Hunters and trappers will have a chance to sell their bounty at a fur auction hosted by the Oklahoma Furharvester's Association.
The auction will be held Saturday, Jan. 29, at the Chandler Fairgrounds. The doors open at 7 a.m., and the auction will start at 9 a.m..
Fur buyers will be on hand from Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Trapper's supplies will also be sold at the event.
All bobcat pelts must be affixed with an export tag before they can be sold or shipped. Personnel from the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation will be present to provide tags, if necessary.
In addition, sellers who bring furs that belong to another person must possess that person's hunting and trapping license, as well as a letter signed by that person authorizing them to sell his or her fur. Likewise, fur buyers are required to possess an Oklahoma fur buyer's permit in order to purchase unprocessed fur.
For more information, contact Shannon Sheffert at (405) 742-7884.
Private Stewardship Grants available through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking proposals for private lands conservation funding through its Private Stewardship Grants Program. About $6.5 million is available nationwide in 2005 to support on-the-ground conservation efforts on private lands.
This program provides Federal grants on a competitive basis to non-government entities engaged in voluntary conservation efforts on private lands that benefit imperiled species including endangered or threatened species.
Landowners and their partners may submit proposals directly to the Service for funding those efforts. In August 2004, the Service awarded 97 grants totaling more than $7 million to individuals and groups for conservation projects benefiting endangered, threatened and other at-risk species on private lands in 39 states.
Groups in Oklahoma have received funds for prairie chicken conservation efforts and prescribed burning and salt cedar removal in western Oklahoma. Over the past two years, these three projects have received nearly $600,000 in the Private Stewardship Grants Program.
The following are examples of how these grants support private conservation efforts and foster the development of voluntary partnerships: Private lands habitat enhancement in Colorado and South Dakota ($114,675) will restore shortgrass prairie rangelands to benefit grassland and riparian species at risk, principally declining grassland birds. Six individual projects were awarded a total of $114,675 to support various management plans that include reseeding cropland to native prairie, removing invasive species, and altering livestock grazing management.
Several private landowners adjacent to the Rock River in southwest Minnesota will use $30,000 to restore Topeka shiner habitat by protecting and maintaining the river bank, off channel habitats, and adjacent upland fields to reduce erosion and sedimentation into the river.
For more information regarding this grant opportunity and how and where to submit proposals, please visit the Service's Private Stewardship Grants Website at http://endangered.fws.gov/grants/private_stewardship.html.
Oklahoma businesses featured in magazine
The latest issue of "Outdoor Oklahoma" magazine details how the state's outdoor related businesses positively impact the economy.
The special Jan./Feb. 2005 issue provides a comprehensive list of Oklahoma's outdoor related manufacturers along with fascinating profiles of some of the individuals who have made these companies so successful. These businesses have a far reaching effect across the state, from small fishing lure manufacturers to outdoor artisans, to international companies employing thousands of people.
According to recent surveys, the hunting and fishing industry supports 18,000 jobs in the state. Oklahoma is home to almost 775,000 anglers and 300,000 hunters who spend more than $1,057 million on their equipment, gas, meals and other expenses.
"The facts and figures are certainly impressive, but there is also a human side to all these numbers. Hard working men and women all across this state feed their families, send their kids to college and make their car payments – and they do all of it with wages from an outdoor industry supported by a healthy environment and a robust social culture of hunting, fishing and wildlife enjoyment," said Greg Duffy, director of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. "We shouldn't forget that hunting and fishing are also important to many Oklahomans because these pursuits provide an important avenue for people to spend quality time with their friends and loved ones."
The current issue also features a special section outlining the upcoming controlled hunts drawing. By carefully selecting their hunt choices, individuals can up their odds of being drawn on one of these highly coveted hunts.
Individual copies of the Jan./Feb. issue of "Outdoor Oklahoma" are available for $3 if picked up at any of the Wildlife Department's offices, or $4 by mail (mail to Outdoor Oklahoma, 1801 N. Lincoln, Oklahoma City, OK 73105). One-year subscriptions, for only $10, are available by calling 1-800-777-0019, or you can order over the Internet by logging on to the Department's web site at www.wildlifedepartment.com.
Oklahoma Game Warden Honored
Oklahoma Game Warden Jay Harvey was announced as the "2004 Oklahoma Game Warden of the Year" by the state chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) at their Jan. 8 banquet in Oklahoma City.
Each of the 38 chapters across the state can submit a game warden for the honor and the final choice is made through a rigorous selection process by the state NWTF board of directors.
Harvey, a 13-year veteran of the Wildlife Department, is currently stationed in Choctaw and Bryan counties. According to Chuck Townsend, state president of the NWTF, Harvey is a dedicated officer and is passionate about protecting the natural resources of the state.
"If you are obeying the law, there is nothing in the world Jay wouldn't do to help you, but if you are on the wrong side of the law Jay will catch up to you sooner or later," Townsend said.
Townsend added that Harvey was instrumental in coordinating an aerial law enforcement effort last spring to deter poaching prior to turkey season. In three days of flying over southeast Oklahoma, wardens visited with 22 individuals as a result of the effort.
Harvey is also very active in conservation education programs including hunter education, kid's fishing clinics and the Department's Shotgun Training Education Program.
"It's obvious that Jay loves kids and he is sincere about passing on our outdoor heritage to the next generation," Townsend said.
Harvey will be the guest of the NWTF at their national banquet in Nashville this February and will represent Oklahoma in the national NWTF Game Warden of the Year competition.
Cutline: Oklahoma Game Warden Jay Harvey was announced as the "2004 Oklahoma Game Warden of the Year" by the state chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) at their Jan. 8 banquet in Oklahoma City.
Hunting and fishing regulation changes discussed at statewide meetings
Biologists with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation were encouraged by the turnout of more than 100 sportsmen at recent statewide meetings held to discuss a number of proposed hunting and fishing regulation changes.
"It's always good to hear from the sportsmen and women of Oklahoma. These meetings were designed to get their input on issues important to them and from that standpoint the meetings were a great success," said Kim Erickson, chief of fisheries for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife.
According to Erickson, many of the proposals will be brought before the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission at their next meeting at 9 a.m. on Feb. 7 at the Wildlife Department headquarters in Oklahoma City. The proposals are aimed at providing additional opportunities for the sportsmen of the state. Also included in the list of proposals are a wide variety of changes designed to clarify the language of the law, better manage Oklahoma wildlife resources and respond to sportsmen's desires.
Due to comments received, three proposals discussed at the public meetings will not be brought to the Wildlife Conservation Commission for consideration. They include modifying the existing bobcat season, modification in the intoxicating beverage restriction on wildlife management areas and implementing restrictions on filleting fish when in the field.
Bowhunting Council of Oklahoma's annual expo and banquet coming Feb. 4-5
The Bowhunting Council of Oklahoma is making final plans for their annual bowhunting expo and banquet. The event will take place February 4 and 5, at the Best Western in Stillwater.
Bowhunters from across Oklahoma will gather for a weekend of seminars, clinics, animal displays, bowhunting related exhibitors as well as the annual awards banquet.
Guest speakers Larry Jones and Judy Kovar will entertain and inform members. Larry Jones has been a bowhunter since 1961 and is president of Wilderness Sound Productions where he has produced bowhunting videos and designed their outstanding line of game calls. Judy Kovar, a Northern Cheyenne bowhunter, will speak on the important heritage of bowhunting.
For more information or to purchase tickets call (405) 354-0602 or (918) 245-1786.
Hunters reminded to tag bobcats
The 2004-05 Oklahoma bobcat season closes Feb. 28, and anyone who has harvested a bobcat must have it tagged by March 14, 2005. With the season on other furbearers closing Jan. 31, all other pelts must be registered with the Wildlife Department by Feb. 10. All bobcats must be tagged within 10 working days of the close of the season by an authorized Wildlife Department employee or at a designated bobcat tagging station. A list of designated private bobcat tagging stations is available on the Department's Web site. Stations may charge a fee of 75 cents per tag. The tags need to be on the pelt to verify its legal harvest.
"The law requires states which allow the hunting or trapping of bobcats to monitor their harvest and document their origin of take. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service may use the tags to detect if bobcats or certain other furbearing species are being over-harvested and where problems with trade may occur," said Dennis Maxwell, law enforcement assistant chief for the Wildlife Department. "By meeting the law's requirements, our hunters and trappers are able to enjoy one of the most liberal bobcat seasons available and have the opportunity to export and sell the pelts they harvest."
Bobcats are common in Oklahoma, and pelts from cats harvested in the state may be sold on the worldwide market. However, bobcats are not as common in other parts of the nation. The CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) Act is an international law designed to keep track of where certain types of animals, like bobcats, are harvested.
To obtain a registration form for other pelts contact the Department's Wildlife Division at (405) 521-2739.


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Holy Upanishads - Holy Upanishads are a sacred text of Hinduism.
This is the english translation in Mobipocket Reader PRC format.
Mobipocket Reader is available for free download at mobipocket.com.
Steps for installing:
» Download Mobipocket reader.
» Install Mobipocket reader on your device.
» Copy the PRC file of the sacred text to your device.
Steps for reading the text:
» Start Mobipocket reader on your device.
» Open the PRC file in Mobipocket reader on your device.
The Upanishads are part of the Hindu Shruti scriptures which primarily discuss meditation and philosophy and are seen as religious instructions by most schools of Hinduism.
They also contain transcripts of various spiritual debates or discussions, and of the 123 books considered to be part of the Upanishads, 12 are accepted by all Hindus as primary.
The term Upanishad derives from the Sanskrit words upa (near), ni (down) and s(h)ad (to sit) i.e., sitting down near; implying the act of listening to a spiritual teacher. The Upanishads are commentaries on the Vedas, their putative end and essence, and thus known as Vedanta ("End of the Veda").
Intro taken from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upanishads
Holy Upanishads - Holy Upanishads are a sacred text of Hinduism.

subset: commoncrawl


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The thing I remember most about the first time I tried asparagus is dipping it in mayonnaise. I was about seven and also vaguely recall grilled steak and a 1980's-era version of my dad, but the mayonnaise I remember clearly. (Best Foods. I grew up in Washington State and wouldn't hear of Hellman's for another 20 years.) Even as a child, I liked vegetables, but I really liked condiments. I still enjoy a good sauce, but these days I appreciate asparagus as most people do, for what it symbolizes: the beginning of the growing season.
A Brief History
Arguably the most iconic of the spring vegetables, asparagus is grown around the world and has been celebrated for millennia. Ancient Egyptians are said to have enjoyed it as many as 20,000 years ago, and Rome's first emperor, Augustus, employed a whole group of ships, the so-called "asparagus fleet," to transport huge shipments of it.
Any asparagus enthusiast will tell you that despite its year-round appearance in modern American grocery stores, it is far tastier grown locally and enjoyed in the spring. But our modern tendency to go to great lengths to eat it whenever we want isn't new. France's King Louis XIV had special greenhouses built to grow the delicacy year round, the Romans were known to freeze it in the Alps and both they and the Greeks reportedly dried it for off-season noshing.
Factual Nibbles
- The 2012 British Asparagus Festival was cancelled due to an especially light harvest, owing to a warm March and floods in April.
- In Washington State, there is no such shortage - in fact, farmers there are enjoying a bumper crop this year - but some have let their asparagus go unharvested due to a shortage of skilled farmworkers.
- Asparagus is known to have a certain effect after eating it, and a surprising amount of research has been conducted over the years to investigate whether it affects the urinary scent of everyone who eats it (it does seem to) and whether or not everyone can detect the odor (apparently, not everyone can, and some studies point to an "asparagus pee gene").
This flowering perennial, a cousin to garlic, unfurls into a fern-like plant when left unharvested, and comes in four varieties: green, white, purple and wild. It takes three years from the time that a grower sows a seed before its first real harvest. Purple asparagus is reported to be more tender, and sweeter, too. It tends to grow fatter stalks, with fewer per "crown" than its green and white counterparts. (Purple asparagus must be treated specially to maintain its color through the cooking process and white is only so because it is covered with dirt during the final stages of its growth, robbing it of chlorophyll. The jury is out on the result - some say it's more tender, others less so - but without doubt, it is highly prized in Europe.) Wild asparagus stalks are said to be thinner than a pencil.
China leads global production, followed by Peru and then the U.S. (especially in California, Washington and Michigan). Germany is also famous for asparagus, especially the white variety.
Environmental Impact
In terms of pesticide load, asparagus ranked #49 on the Environmental Working Group's Shoppers' Guide to Pesticides in Produce with no detectable pesticide residues on 90 percent of samples tested. (See our vegetable rule of thumb, below*) In terms of water, asparagus doesn't like much, so it stands to reason that compared to a lot of other vegetables, its water footprint is pretty small. And unless it's grown in a hothouse or imported from another coast or hemisphere, its energy requirements would seem to be pretty small, too.
Asparagus season generally runs from April to mid-June and sometimes into July in the northern U.S., and starts earlier in more southerly climes (around February in California).
The most common U.S. variety, green asparagus, ranges in shade from light to medium green, with dark or purple tips. It varies in width and length but tends to be sold at around 8-10 inches. Its flavor is mildly sulphuric, mostly sweet and slightly nutty.
Like most green vegetables, asparagus is good for you. Among its healthful properties are folate, Vitamin C, potassium, inulin (which is said to be "prebiotic" and is known to aid in digestion), anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and possibly anti-cancer effects. (Read much more at World's Healthiest Foods.) Asparagus has also been used medicinally as a laxative, and its cooking water has been used as a wash to treat acne.
What to look for
- The thinnest stalks possible - these are the most tender. Steer clear of the limp and the wilted.
- Closed tips - no offshoots.
- A fresh scent - give it a sniff and if it smells musty, give it a pass.
- If it's bunched, try to find a bunch that is uniform in width, so that the spears will cook uniformly.
What to Do with Asparagus
Things go downhill for asparagus pretty rapidly, so try to eat it as soon as possible, but if you must wait, you can preserve your spring-y bounty by trimming the ends of the stalks and standing the bunch (still bound together - if you bought them loose, then tie them up for balance) in a cup of water in the refrigerator.
Pro tip
Some people peel asparagus, but unless you're dealing with exceptionally woody stalks, it is generally unnecessary. However, you absolutely should trim the end of each spear. The question is, how much should you trim before preparing? If you grasp a stalk with one hand around the root end at its furthest point, and the other about mid-way down the stalk and gently bend, wherever it breaks is where it should be trimmed to - this tip takes the guesswork out of trimming. Also, the French invented special tall, narrow pots for steaming asparagus that allow for the woody stems to immerse in the boiling water, while allowing the tender tips to remain out. (If you have a tall enough pot, you can achieve the same effect by binding your bunch with string or foil.)
The most important thing - by far - about preparing asparagus is not to overcook it. It is delicious raw, shaved or sliced quite thin, steamed or roasted or grilled (which enhances its nutty flavor).
How to Preserve Asparagus
Asparagus isn't cheap. In general when it comes to farmers' market vegetables, buying more of whatever is in season and preserving some, and/or buying toward the end of the market day, or the end of the growing season, are good strategies for cutting back on cost. I think asparagus is best fresh, but if you choose to buy a bunch and preserve it, blanching it and then freezing it would work well. Drying for use in soups is another possibility, and of course, pickled asparagus is great in bloody marys and salads, so if you're a home canner, there's that too.
But because its flavor is so of the moment, this harbinger of spring is best enjoyed fresh. So grab a bunch if you can, throw it into a salad or cook it up and let us know how it works out for you!
Recipe: Simple Roasted Asparagus
Short of an actual grill, this is my favorite way to eat asparagus, but perhaps you like sauces too, in which case, break out some mayonnaise like my mom did - that and aioli are classic French accompaniments.
1 bunch asparagus
A few glugs of extra virgin olive oil
Half a lemon
Salt and pepper
- Preheat your oven to 400.
- Snap off the bottoms of the stalks.
- In a large bowl, toss asparagus in olive oil with salt and pepper.
- On a cookie sheet or rack, roast until tender and lightly browned, about 15-20 min (depending on the thickness of the stalks).
- Squeeze on lemon juice (or toss with lemon zest) and sprinkle with Parmesan.
(*Vegetable rule of thumb: We think that first and foremost, in terms of nutrition, people should eat lots of fruits and vegetables whether they are organic or not. The EWG's guide is a handy list, but we will point out here that the impacts of pesticides are not limited to your ingestion of them - agricultural chemicals also affect farmworkers and local waterways, both good reasons to buy organic, even those vegetables that carry a light pesticide load. Also, it has been demonstrated that produce grown by small-scale farmers, even those who are not certified organic, tends to have a lighter pesticide load than its industrially-produced counterpart, owing to industry's tendency toward large monocrops.)
This post was originally published in May 2012.


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News: Business
Greed and ruthless pursuit of profits to blame for banking fiasco
This article gets Catholic social teaching right, and exposes the fallacy that 9/11 restored us to moral clarity: "'Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of Lehman Brothers' fall is that it comes almost seven years to the day after 9/11... For all the talk of pulling together in the wake of the terrorist attacks that shook America to the core and supposedly set our priorities straight, Wall Street rushed headlong back to its mindless pursuit of profits and speculation without consideration for the consequences of its actions... At some point, society has to figure out that the way an investor earns his money is even more important than the amount of money he makes. This is why human beings were vested with moral sentiments, so they could distinguish the quality of human conduct from the quality of its results... It is incumbent upon the gatekeepers of capital ... to bring discipline to the system. This will require a rethinking of their priorities and a willingness to add to their investment calculus, considerations that exceed their own narrow interests about short-term investment returns.'" READ MORE >
News: Business
The Fleecing of America
Yes, greed fueled the crisis, but Cohen pinpoints what's unique about our penchant for financial manias: "...the U.S. economy is being socialized to the tune of $700 billion ($2,000 for every man, woman and child in the country) as a result of a giant mortgage-related Ponzi scheme... Let's be clear: this is an American mess forged by the American genius for new-fangled financial instruments in an era where the mantra has been that government is dumb and the markets are smart and risk is non-existent." READ MORE >
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A recently completed trial reveals how P4P-supported smallholder farmers drastically reduced their post-harvest losses, losing less than two percent of their harvest over three months of storage. WFP is now planning to scale up the successful initiative with a project that aims to reach 41,000 farming households in Burkina Faso and Uganda. By receiving specialized training and investing in subsidised storage equipment, these farmers are expected to substantially reduce their post-harvest losses and thereby also increase their surplus and sales.
The results from WFP's action research evaluation trial on "Reducing food losses in sub-Saharan Africa" clearly show the benefits for smallholders investing in post-harvest handling techniques and storage technologies. In the trial, 400 smallholder farmers in Burkina Faso and Uganda compared their traditional storage facilities with methods and equipment which have proven effective in developed countries, such as metal and plastic silos as well as different kinds of inexpensive hermetic (airtight and water-proof) storage bags. During the 90-day trial period, sampling and data collection were conducted every month. The results show that participants in the trial retained at least 98 percent of their harvest when using the new storage equipment, regardless of the crop and duration of storage. The key to success was intensive training in proper use of the hermetic storage bags and metal and plastic silos, before using the improved technologies.
Seeing results
According to the project's manager, Simon Costa, many farmers initially expressed scepticism about changing farming techniques which had been used for generations, and many believed that significant post-harvest losses were inevitable. However, Costa said that at the end of the trial: "It was quite emotional to see the reaction of some of the farmers when they opened their new storage units to check on their grain after a month had passed. After watching the grain in the traditional storage units deteriorate quickly, they expected the same (or worse) to be occurring inside the new units. Their disbelief quickly turned to jubilation when they discovered their harvest was in perfect condition."
Results from the trial suggest that these improvements could potentially lead to a 64 percent gain in income for a single smallholder in Uganda. The improved storage systems also had a positive impact on women's lives by reducing their workloads, as the storage units eliminate the time-intensive process of separating spoiled grains and re-cleaning.
Photos showing maize quality after 100 days storage using traditional storage (top) and new technology storage (bottom).
Increasing food security, improving lives
Decreasing food waste by reducing the post-harvest losses of smallholder farmers is a vital step towards meeting the world's growing food needs, and is one of the pillars of the Zero Hunger Challenge. It also plays an important role in P4P's objective to improve the lives of smallholder farmers, by making food more affordable and consistently available for poor households, leading to an overall increase in food security. The increased preservation of their crops also reduces the need for smallholders to purchase grains to replace the quantities lost during post-harvest storage. This in turn should increase smallholders' disposable income, allowing them to make investments in better health, nutrition and education for themselves and their families.
Scaling up
Building on the successful results of the trial, WFP has launched a 14-month Special Operation targeting 41,000 P4P-supported farming households in Burkina Faso and Uganda. The operation aims to reduce post-harvest losses by 70% through the provision of specialized training and subsidized storage silos to protect harvested crops from pests, mould and moisture. However, without an assured market, smallholders may not have the confidence to invest their time, energy, and money in new post-harvest handling techniques and equipment. The presence of WFP as a buyer intend to give smallholders assurance that they will be able to sell their increased surplus. P4P will continue working to link smallholder farmers to quality markets beyond WFP in order to ensure sustainability.
Learn more about what @WFPlogistics and @WFP_P4P are doing to reduce #FoodWaste in order to achieve #ZeroHunger http://t.co/cm34kQbnn6
— Purchase 4 Progress (@WFP_P4P) May 29, 2014
- Final report: Reducing Food Losses in Sub-Saharan Africa
- Project Document: Logistics Capacity Development: Post-Harvest Food Loss Reduction in Sub-Saharan Africa through Improved Storage and Handling at the Start of the Supply Chain
- Previous article: Comparative research to reduce post-harvest losses


text:
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world was now in warfare.
Pope Clement had sent to get some troops from Giovanni de Medici, and when they came, they made such disturbances in Rome, that it was ill living in open shops.
On this account I retired to a good snug house behind the Banchi, where I worked for all the friends I had acquired. Since I produced few things of much importance at that period, I need not waste time in talking about them. I took much pleasure in music and amusements of the kind. On the death of Giovanni de Medici in Lombardy, the Pope, at the advice of Messer Jacopo Salviati, dismissed the five bands he had engaged; and when the Constable of Bourbon knew there were no troops in Rome, he pushed his army with the utmost energy up to the city. The whole of Rome upon this flew to arms. I happened to be intimate with Alessandro, the son of Piero del Bene, who, at the time when the Colonnesi entered Rome, had requested me to guard his palace.
On this more serious occasion, therefore, he prayed me to enlist fifty comrades for the protection of the said house, appointing me their captain, as I had been when the Colonnesi came. So I collected fifty young men of the highest courage, and we took up our quarters in his palace, with good pay and excellent appointments.
Bourbons army had now arrived before the walls of Rome, and Alessandro begged me to go with him to reconnoitre. So we went with one of the stoutest fellows in our Company; and on the way a youth called Cecchino della Casa joined himself to us. On reaching the walls by the Campo Santo, we could see that famous army, which was making every effort to enter the town. Upon the ramparts where we took our station several young men were lying killed by the besiegers; the battle raged there desperately, and there was the densest fog imaginable. I turned to Alessandro and said: Let us go home as soon as we can, for there is nothing to be done here; you see the enemies are mounting, and our men are in flight. Alessandro, in a panic, cried: Would God that we had never come here! and turned in maddest haste to fly. I took him up somewhat sharply with these words: Since you have brought me here, I must perform some action worthy of a man; and directing my arquebuse where I saw the thickest and most serried troop of fighting men, I aimed exactly at one whom I remarked to be higher than the rest; the fog prevented me from being certain whether he was on horseback or on foot. Then I turned to Alessandro and Cecchino, and bade them discharge their arquebuses, showing them how to avoid being hit by the besiegers. When we had fired two rounds apiece, I crept cautiously up to the wall, and observing among the enemy a most extraordinary confusion, I discovered afterwards that one of our shots had killed the Constable of Bourbon; and from what I subsequently learned, he was the man whom I had first noticed above the heads of the rest.
Quitting our position on the ramparts, we crossed the Campo Santo, and entered the city by St. Peters; then coming out exactly at the church of Santo Agnolo, we got with the greatest difficulty to the great gate of the castle; for the generals Renzo di Ceri and Orazio Baglioni were wounding and slaughtering everybody who abandoned the defence of the walls.
By the time we had reached the great gate, part of the foemen had already entered Rome, and we had them in our rear. The castellan had ordered the portcullis to be lowered, in order to do which they cleared a little space, and this enabled us four to get inside. On the instant that I entered, the captain Pallone de Medici claimed me as being of the Papal household, and forced me to abandon Alessandro, which I had to do, much against my will. I ascended to the keep, and at the same instant Pope Clement came in through the corridors into the castle; he had refused to leave the palace of St. Peter earlier, being unable to believe that his enemies would effect their entrance into Rome.
Having got into the castle in this way, I attached myself to certain pieces of artillery, which were under the command of a bombardier called Giuliano Fiorentino. Leaning there against the battlements, the unhappy man could see his poor house being sacked, and his wife and children outraged; fearing to strike his own folk, he dared not discharge the cannon, and flinging the burning fuse upon the ground, he wept as though his heart would break, and tore his cheeks with both his hands.
Some of the other bombardiers were behaving in like manner; seeing which, I took one of the matches, and got the assistance of a few men who were not overcome by their emotions. I aimed some swivels and falconets at points where I saw it would be useful, and killed with them a good number of the enemy. Had it not been for this, the troops who poured into Rome that morning, and were marching straight upon the castle, might possibly have entered it with ease, because the artillery was doing them no damage. I went on firing under the eyes of several cardinals and lords, who kept blessing me and giving me the heartiest encouragement. In my enthusiasm I strove to achieve the impossible; let it suffice that it was I who saved the castle that morning, and brought the other bombardiers back to their duty.
I worked hard the whole of that day; and when the evening came, while the army was marching into Rome through the Trastevere, Pope Clement appointed a great Roman nobleman named Antonio Santacroce to be captain of all the gunners. The first thing this man did was to come to me, and having greeted me with the utmost kindness, he stationed me with five fine pieces of artillery on the highest point of the castle, to which the name of the Angel specially belongs. This circular eminence goes round the castle, and surveys both Prati and the town of Rome. The captain put under my orders enough men to help in managing my guns, and having seen me paid in advance, he gave me rations of bread and a little wine, and begged me to go forward as I had begun. I was perhaps more inclined by nature to the profession of arms than to the one I had adopted, and I took such pleasure in its duties that I discharged them better than those of my own art. Night came, the enemy had entered Rome, and we who were in the castle (especially myself, who have always taken pleasure in extraordinary sights) stayed gazing on the indescribable scene of tumult and conflagration in the streets below. People who were anywhere else but where we were, could not have formed the least imagination of what it was. I will not, however, set myself to describe that tragedy, but will content myself with continuing the history of my own life and the circumstances which properly belong to it.
Note 1.
War had broken out in 1521 between Charles V and Francis I, which disturbed all Europe and involved the States of Italy in serious complications. At the moment when this chapter opens, the Imperialist army under the Constable of Bourbon was marching upon Rome in 1527. [
Note 2.
These troops entered Rome in October 1526. They were disbanded in March, 1527. [
Note 3.
Cellini here refers to the attack made upon Rome by the great Ghibelline house of Colonna, led by their chief captain, Pompeo, in September 1526. They took possession of the city and drove Clement into the Castle of S. Angelo, where they forced him to agree to terms favouring the Imperial cause. It was customary for Roman gentlemen to hire bravi for the defence of their palaces when any extraordinary disturbance was expected, as, for example, upon the vacation of the Papal Chair. [
Note 4.
All historians of the sack of Rome agree in saying that Bourbon was shot dead while placing ladders against the outworks near the shop Cellini mentions. But the honour of firing the arquebuse which brought him down cannot be assigned to any one in particular. Very different stories were current on the subject. See Gregorovius,
Stadt Rom.,
vol. viii. p. 522. [
Note 5.
For Renzo di Ceri see above. Orazio Baglioni, of the semi-princely Perugian family, was a distinguished Condottiere. He subsequently obtained the captaincy of the Bande Nere, and died fighting near Naples in 1528. Orazio murdered several of his cousins in order to acquire the lordship of Perugia. His brother Malatesta undertook to defend Florence in the siege of 1530, and sold the city by treason to Clement. [
Note 6.
Giovio, in his Life of the Cardinal Prospero Colonna, relates how he accompanied Clement in his flight from the Vatican to the castle. While passing some open portions of the gallery, he threw his violent mantle and cap of a Monsignore over the white stole of the Pontiff, for fear he might be shot at by the soldiers in the streets below. [
Note 7.
The short autobiography of Raffaello da Montelupo, a man in many respects resembling Cellini, confirms this part of our authors narrative. It is one of the most interesting pieces of evidence regarding what went on inside the castle during the sack of Rome. Montelupo was also a gunner, and commanded two pieces. [
Note 8.
This is an instance of Cellinis exaggeration. He did more than yeomans service, no doubt. But we cannot believe that, without him, the castle would have been taken. [
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text: Can anyone please explain how is it possible to have a file from a shared drive open at two different systems at the same time. One system is NTsp6 and the other one is win2k sp1. The file is on the shared drive S: Under the premissions of the file it seems that "Everyone" has full access to the file. I can even take "Ownership" of the file. Everyone can open the file and save at the same time which will create problems. It is an Excel sheet therefore you can set the sharing premissions on the file from "tools" - "share workbook". When you click on this menu selection. You can see that "allow more than one user to make changes at the same time" is check BUT it's faded and there's no way of unchecking it... CAN ANYONE HELP. Who can uncheck it. I everyone can take the "ownership" but noone can unchek it... It's very important file .. help


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Does Google know you're the author of the content you publish online?
If you answered "I don't know," chances are you haven't heard of a very powerful piece of HTML markup code known as rel="author".
When implemented correctly on websites or blogs with authored content, this small addition to your articles can have a dramatic impact on how your content appears in Google's search results.
This article will explain exactly what rel="author" is, why you need to pay attention to it and most importantly, how to set it up on your website or blog.
What is rel="author"?
Most of us are familiar with the HTML anchor tag as a way to link out to content as seen in this image:
In that traditional format, the "href" part of the markup is called an attribute of the anchor tag that references the location of the content being linked to.


text:
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Wonderful product
These stones are again a waste of time - too small for most bodies
These stones are realy not sacral stones - they are huge and heavy --- beware DO NOT Purchase --- they should be in your back yard not on a client
This set is a fairly good set! You recieve a 4 inch stone that is great for leg, arem and back work. In additon you get a 2 inch stone that is great for Foot, Face, and Neck work. The last stone is about 1 inch and I really have no use for it but I am happy that I finally found a set that has a stone that will work for back and leg work
These stones are about the size of a womans palm - they are best used for foot, face and neck work - You would not use these stone all over the body - so I can not see how you would ever need a set


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Now I certainly don't expect the media or the brain dead leaders of the GOP and I better add the Obama haters to the list too…but I don't expect any of them to grasp how nuanced our position has been, walking a fine line between looking like we are dictating to Egypt what to do (just a little resentment if we did that), making sure we show that we support the people of Egypt, balancing our economic interests (our oil addiction, drill baby drill) and many other delicate issues involved like our relationship with Israel and other middle east countries. Do you suppose Sarah Palin took even one of those things into consideration before she opened her pie-hole the other day and spewed out another word salad? Not me!
In our political environment where the village idiots have been empowered and the media seems to play to them, I don't expect anyone to really get it. But we true progressives do and many honest Republicans actually do too. Thankfully the foreign policy experts in the GOP haven't drank the Kool-aid quite yet, but give them time.
Booman has a great post up with a quote from our awesome president's speech in Cairo. Go look at it. Here is Booman's wrap up which adds to what I typed above…
The brave Egyptian people deserve the credit for making this revolution happen, but it was crucial that our president signaled his support for the effort, did everything he could to protect them a violent crackdown, and finally put his finger on the scale at the crucial moment. We will learn more details in the years to come. There is no doubt that there has been division within the administration, with Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, and even envoy Frank Wisner showing support for a continuation of the Mubarak regime. But the president didn't waver and he kept the promises he made in Cairo nearly two years ago.
He has not disappointed me. His leadership validates my belief in his instincts.


text:
The following is a press release from LSU media relations:
BATON ROUGE – LSU would like to remind Tiger fans looking for memorabilia prior to and following the Allstate BCS National Championship game to look for the "Officially Licensed Collegiate Product" label when purchasing LSU merchandise. This label assures the consumer that the product has been approved and represents the goodwill of the university. Products that do not bear the label, but use the marks of LSU, may represent trademark infringement.
When purchasing LSU merchandise, consumers should always look for the following characteristics to ensure the merchandise they purchase is officially licensed:
• All officially licensed merchandise should display the "Officially Licensed Collegiate Product" hologram somewhere on the product or hang tag.
• The merchandise should depict LSU logos and marks in a tasteful manner, as the university does not approve distasteful designs.
• The tag on the garment should be intact. A torn or missing tag is evidence of a second- hand garment, one that probably would not meet the stringent quality standards in place at the university.
• All merchandise should bear the name of the manufacturer somewhere on the product, either in the form of a hang tag or neck label, or should be screen-printed directly on the garment.
• All merchandise should have the appropriate trademark designations (i.e. TM or ®) next to a specific name or design.
LSU will be working with The Collegiate Licensing Company, or CLC, and law enforcement throughout the state to ensure that merchandise being sold is officially licensed.
Licensed LSU merchandise is available on campus at the following locations:
• LSU Bookstore: http://lsu.bncollege.com
• LSU Tiger Gift Center: www.lsushop.net
• Shelton Alumni Gift Shop: http://shop.lsualumni.org/
For a complete list of Tiger 'Tailers in Baton Rouge and throughout the state, visit the LSU Trademark Licensing website at www.LSU.com.


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Clint White figures the best reason to plant a peanut crop is to make a profit from it and not just to see how many pounds he can coax out of an acre.
That's not to say he skimps on the necessities or that he's satisfied with low yields. Most years he'll push 5,000 pounds per acre on the Wilbarger County, Texas, peanut, cotton and grain farm he operates with his father Dan. He follows a sound rotation practice, irrigates as needed, and controls weeds and diseases as necessary. But he limits production costs to what the crop will give back.
That frugal philosophy earned White the Farm Press Peanut Profitability Award for 2007. He will accept the award at the annual Southern Peanut Farmers Federation annual meeting in Panama City, Florida.
"I don't try to make the highest yields," White says. "I want to be profitable. We have to watch costs, especially fertilizer and energy the last few years. The key is to cut costs without sacrificing yield."
He's cut back on tillage by using a disk bedder to prepare land in the fall, behind cotton. "That saves four trips across the fields," he says.
He fertilizes his wheat crop and relies on the residual for peanuts and cotton. "I fertilize the wheat before planting and then I top-dress it," he says. "I add very little fertilizer to peanuts."
Water is the key, Dan says. They rotate with cotton and wheat and plant half circles to maximize water efficiency.
They harvest the wheat crop and plant cotton behind it. In the fall they use the disk bedder to prepare land for peanuts the following year. "We don't get two full years between peanut crops," White says. "But we get two crops in. We'll have three crops within 13 months."
Disease pressure has been low with that rotation system.
They concentrate available water on peanuts. "Peanuts keep us going," White says. "We'll have about 760 acres of peanuts, mostly Virginias and some runners, this year."
He wants to get one-and-a-half inch of water on peanuts every weak during the growing season. "One year we put in a center pivot in April, turned it on and then didn't shut it down until September. We had 2,400 hours on it."
Having cotton under half the pivot helps. "I'll water peanuts two or three times more than I do cotton," he says. "If I tried to make two-and-a-half bales of cotton per acre, I'd apply more water. But we plant late (after wheat harvest) so we water to make from one to one-and-a-quarter bales. We try to be efficient. About every third time I water peanuts I'll run across the cotton. We have to be efficient with water."
They started out with hand-moved irrigation systems early on. They planted only about 10 acres of peanuts at first, back in 1986. As they added acreage, they switched to side row irrigation and then to pivots. They used Natural Resources Conservation Service funds through the environmental quality improvement program (EQIP) to upgrade to center pivots.
"We replaced the last side-row system with a 20-acre pivot," White says. "We can water that in two-and-a-half days. It took seven-and-a-half with the side row system. Water efficiency is also much better with pivots."
They didn't water as much as they wanted last year. "We had to cut back some because of a low water table. We didn't have to shut the wells off, but we did reduce the amount of water we used."
They've changed seeding rate slightly over the years. "We started at 100 pounds per acre," White says. "Now we're at 90 to 95 pounds per acre. We have planted as little as 72 pounds per acre and saw no yield difference. A lot depends on seed size."
They use chemigation for much of their weed control. "We'll bed up cotton stalks after harvest and then chemigate with Prowl. We'll try Prowl H2O this year."
They use Cadre when the peanuts are up, five weeks or so after planting. "That's worked well for us," he says. "We might need 2,4-DB or butyrac for escaped morningglories. We may use some Select."
Rotation with Roundup Ready cotton also helps control weeds and grasses. "We rarely have grass problems," White says. "And we'll use shallow sweeps in the peanuts, maybe twice a season."
They occasionally add guar to their rotation program and can have trouble with volunteer guar in a subsequent peanut crop. "We didn't use the moldboard plow one year where we had guar and we should have," White says. "Volunteer guar is hard to manage."
Disease pressure is rare. Clint says he sprayed 100 acres with Abound last year for pod rot but the season was so dry disease infection was not significant. "I sprayed once late for leaf spot," Dan says. "We only had to spray about one-third of the acreage."
They use Bravo and Tilt when necessary for leafspot.
Insect pressure heavy enough to require treatment is rare.
They divide acreage into Virginia type and runner type peanuts — 460 Virginias and 300 runners this year. "We spread harvest out that way," White says. "We want to be done before the first freeze even though freeze damage has been rare. Once we start harvest, we keep moving."
They usually finish in three weeks. Last year they stretched to five-and-a-half.
Dan does the digging with an eight-row digger. "We switched from four-row to eight last year," he says. "I can dig twice as many acres. I can start on a half-circle and be done by dark."
He says design of the new digger is also better.
They like to combine when peanuts dry to 14 percent to 18 percent moisture. "We may combine as high as 20 percent, depending on the weather forecast," White says.
Clint combines 60 to 80 acres in a day. "When we first started growing peanuts we were a bit leery of digging ahead of a rain," White says. "Now, we're more concerned about beating a freeze."
They add value to their crop by baling and selling peanut hay. "We bale almost all our peanuts and can get as much as two tons of hay per acre," White says. With hay stocks short the past two years they've gotten as much as $70 a ton for peanut hay. "It's good feed," Dan says. "Hay pays drying costs. We consider the hay as gravy."
They finished planting the 2007 crop around May 20, a little later than their usual goal of May 15. Rain delayed them a bit, but moisture conditions heading into this growing season were considerably better than last year.
"We haven't had too much rain this spring," White says. "We'd get three-tenths of an inch and seven-tenths, but no heavy rainfalls. We had an inch or more in January and about two inches in February. We're in good shape, much better than last year."
"We're about 75 percent better than in 2006," Dan says. "We're close to normal water table levels."
Clint and his father farm some acreage together and each has his own. But they work together on a regular basis.
The farm has been in the family for generations. "My great grandfather came in 1890," Dan says. "Ranchers settled back then where the grass was as high as a man on horseback. They were looking for grazing land."
"But peanuts do well in this sandy land," White says.
Clint and his wife Amy have four children, Colby, 16; Kaylee, 14; Kelsey, 7; and Carli, 3.
The family is active in the First Baptist Church of Vernon and Clint is president of the Northside School Board and chairman of the Wilbarger County Soil and Water Conservation district. He's also involved with the Wilbarger Farm Bureau and the Junior Livestock show.
"We have been blessed," he says.
email: [email protected]


text:
Hewlett-Packard has been busy. On the heels of its Sept. 10 Z-Series desktop and mobile workstation overhaul, the company this week unveiled three new EliteBook models and a pair of new ProBooks, all with 4th-generation Intel Haswell processors, tools-free service, spill-resistant backlit keyboards and life on battery that's claimed to reach 12 hours. The company also introduced a new scanner, some new printers and a duo of new devices that give enterprise users something HP says they've universally craved: the ability to print to any printer from any mobile device.
Here's a look at what HP has in store for mobile business execs this fall.


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Teen Mom star Amber Portwood finally faced the music yesterday in an Indiana courtroom regarding the domestic violence case against her.
Amber, 21, was arrested back in December for hitting her baby daddy Gary Shirley, 24, in front of their daughter Leah and in front of MTV cameras. And yesterday, Amber pled guilty to two counts of felony domestic battery.
Though she had been facing up to three years in jail and a $10,000 fine, the judge decided to go easy on her. Madison Superior Court Judge David Happe suspended Amber's two-year sentence, and placed her on two years of probation.
Also as part of her plea deal, the judge ordered Amber to undergo 30 days of inpatient therapy, obtain her high school diploma and put $10,000 in a college fund for her 2-year-old daughter. The prosecutors also dropped the most serious of charges against her — the felony child neglect charge.
And finally, the no contact order that prevented Amber and Gary from being around each other in the presence of Leah was also dropped as a result of the plea deal. So it appears Amber and Gary are once again free to be a
disaster happy family. Meanwhile, you will be able to see more of Amber's drama on the upcoming season of Teen Mom, which premieres July 5 on MTV.
Photo credit – INF Daily.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President James Bullard said signs of more stability in U.S. fiscal policy, the housing market and the global economy will probably help fuel economic growth in 2013.
"This year seems to be characterized by less macroeconomic uncertainty compared to previous years," Bullard said today in a speech in Jonesboro, Arkansas. "This bodes well for U.S. macroeconomic prospects in 2013."
Bullard backed the Federal Open Market Committee decision last month to continue buying bonds at a rate of $85 billion a month after gross domestic product fell 0.1% in the fourth quarter. Policy makers have pushed the benchmark interest rate close to zero and expanded Fed assets to a record exceeding $3 trillion to fuel growth and reduce 7.9% unemployment.
U.S. economic weakness from last quarter persisted in January. Consumption slowed last month, with retail sales rising 0.1% after a 0.5% increase in December, hurt by higher payroll taxes, Commerce Department figures showed today.
Fed policy makers expect growth of 2.3% to 3% this year, according to forecasts made in December. Bullard, among the most optimistic on the Fed, has predicted that growth may accelerate to about 3% or more.
"Housing markets appear to be more robust" compared with a year ago, when a continued decline in housing prices seemed possible, Bullard said at Arkansas State University's agribusiness conference.
Upward Trend
"The trend is definitely upward in those prices" and a decline "has been taken off the table," Bullard said.
Responding to audience questions, the St. Louis Fed leader said low inflation has allowed the central bank to be more aggressive with stimulus. "Because inflation is running below our 2% target, the Fed has some room to maneuver."
Still, Bullard said he is concerned low interest rates may cause distortions in asset prices. He said he is monitoring the market for farmland for signs of a price bubble, noting the challenge of determining whether fundamental factors like increased demand have recently pushed up land prices.
"Low rates are one aspect of higher farmland prices," he said. "I have been concerned and continue to be concerned" about the potential for a bubble.
Bullard, 51, said he is worried by the long-term outlook for the federal budget, saying the U.S. is "flirting" with a debt level that may inhibit economic growth.
Copyright 2014 Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Copyright 2014 Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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Are Men With Older Brothers More Likely To Be Gay? New Research!
Today, Bogaert is looking to determine that prenatal origin.
"[The 2006 study] was an important study and it does suggest there is probably a biological basis to the older brother effect," he told The Huffington Post during a phone conversation from Canada Thursday afternoon. "It's an important study in the context of sex orientation development. We have additional research going on right now testing specifically the underlying biological effect of the older brother. ... There are no results yet. We are collecting samples of mothers of gay men and comparing them to mothers of heterosexual men and looking to see if there is evidence of a biological factor that differs between the two groups."
Bogaert explained that the 2006 study never determined a specific "mechanism" -- a biological factor or process -- behind the older brother effect. He suggested this mechanism could be a maternal immune response, a
"The 2006 study really strongly suggests that there is biological mechanism but it never really tested the specific mechanism itself in terms of determining what factor is in fact influencing a change in a mother's development during pregnancy," he explained to HuffPost. "What we're doing now is we're looking at the specific mechanism and seeing if we can find evidence for that. We have a study looking at ... mothers of gay and heterosexual men and seeing if there is a maternal immune response. So, that's something very unique and new."
Bogaert says that isolating the exact biological mechanism or process will support the "nature" side of the Nature v. Nurture debate. If successful, his new research could provide a biological backing for homosexuality.
"I think there's strong evidence that people who believe that there's a biological basis to sexual orientation tend to be more tolerant to sexual minorities, and that's one of the more positive [possible] social outcomes," he said. "And I am in that camp. I don't believe that homosexuality is a disorder or immoral."
What do you make of this proposed biological connection, Instincters? (And what could these findings mean for those of us without older male siblings??)
My partner is the oldest of 8, 5 boys and 3 girls (all the boys are younger). He is the only gay one of the brood. I'm the youngest of 3 boys and all 3 of us are gay! A friend of ours is the oldest of his family... 7 guys and 1 girl (youngest) and none of them are gay at all. He and his family are very gay friendly so none of them are stuck in the closet. I'm sure there are other similar families out there in the same boat. This is just another example of inaccurate research providing inadvertently skewed data.


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Gas tax bill sponsors take new approachBy BILL SMITH
New Hampshire Union Leader
February 21. 2013 8:22PM
CONCORD - Supporters of increases in fuel taxes to pay for repairs to state highways have jettisoned one element of their bill that was turning some potential supporters away.
Rep. David Campbell, D-Nashua, the primary sponsor of the bill, brought an amendment to the committee at a meeting Thursday which dumped the proposed increase of $15 in car registration fees.
Instead, Campbell proposed extending the bill from a three-year, 12 cents per gallon increase in the tax to a four-year, 15 cent boost.
"I'm comfortable with that. I was under the assumption that some people wanted a little 'reg fee' increase and I was wrong," Campbell said. "That's what I was told, by Republicans mostly."
Members of the House Public Works and Highway Committee voted unanimously to change the bill Thursday, and then voted unanimously to recommend that the House pass the measure.
Even with the revision to the proposal, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Morse said the bill will likely die when and if it reaches the Senate.
The Americans for Prosperity group also criticized the legislation in its newest form. "The House's insatiable need for more revenue trumps what is in the best interest of the hard working families in this state," the group said in a statement.
The original bill called for three annual increases of 4 cents per gallon in the gasoline tax beginning on July 1 of this year. But the new version tops that 12 cents per gallon hike with a 3 cents per gallon increase, to raise the gas tax from its current 18 cents per gallon to 33 cents by July, 2016.
House Bill 617 would earmark all of the revenue from the higher fuel taxes to a special fund for repairing state highways and bridges. Cities and towns would get 12.5 percent of the money in direct aid to fix locally-maintained bridges and roads.
The original bill, with the 12 cents per gallon tax increase and the higher registration fees, would have raised an estimated $1 billion over the next decade.
By lopping off the registration fee increase, the new proposal would raise $20 million less, or $980 million over the next 10 years, even with the additional 3 cents per gallon tax increase beginning in 2016.
Campbell said he doesn't see the change made in the bill this week as a sign of further compromise to come. "Beyond compromising for the sake of compromising, it makes no sense to, the money is so badly needed," Campbell said. "At that point you're just doing for somebody's ego or somebody's pride; the fact is we can use more money than this, the problems are bigger than that."
Travel and commuting Politics Concord Top Section Stories Transportation


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The Role of Acids in Wine |
Recommended Acidity Levels
Measuring Acid Using Titration | Measuring
Acid Using a pH meter
Adjusting Acid Levels in Wine |
The Role of Acids in Wine
Before we jump into our discussion of how to measure acidity in
wine, it's paramount to first understand why acid levels are important
to the winemaker.
Acidity provides the crisp, slightly tart taste of wine on your
palate. Too little acid, and your wine tastes flabby and non-committal.
Too much acid, and your taste buds scream for relief. When acids
are properly countered by the other ingredients in wine (such as
alcohol, sugars, trace minerals, etc.), the wine is said to be "in
balance", which is the desired end result of all winemakers.
Now that you know how acids impact a wine's taste, which acids
are found in wine? Acids are present in wine in many forms, but
the largest percentage of acidity (at least in wine made from grapes)
comes from three primary types of acid:
You may have seen or heard of a product called acid blend*,
which is nothing more than a powdered mixture of the three acids
listed above. If after conducting an acidity test of your wine,
you discover that your wine lacks the correct amount of acid, the
simplest solution would be to add an appropriate amount of acid
blend to your must prior to fermentation. But we can't do that unless
we know our desired acid levels.
Recommended Acidity Levels
Since each style of wine (red vs. white; sweet vs. dry) is made
to taste different, it makes sense that each wine style would have
its own range of recommended acid levels.
The chart below provides guidelines for acidity based on the type
of wine you are making. Individual tastes vary, of course, so the
information shown are recommendations only:
Wine Style
Recommended Acidity Range
Dry White Wine
0.65 % - 0.75 %
Sweet White Wine
0.70 % - 0.85 %
Dry Red Wine
0.60 % - 0.70 %
Sweet Red Wine
0.65 % - 0.80 %
Sherry Grape Wines
0.50 % - 0.60 %
Non-grape White Wines
0.55 % - 0.65 %
Non-grape Red Wines
*The chart above was provided by Jack
Keller's terrific winemaking web site
The numbers in the chart represent total acidity as a percentage
by volume; winemakers refer to this as the titratable acidity,
or T.A. for short.
If you're making wine from a grape concentrate kit like the ones
sold on this site, you won't have to fiddle with measuring and adjusting
acidity and pH. This has already been done for you by the kit manufacturer
- the grape juice is already chemically balanced. On the other hand,
if you make wine from scratch, read on to learn more...
There are two basic ways to measure acidity: measure it with a
titration kit or a pH meter. Next, we'll explain how to perform
each test.
How to Measure Acidity Using
a Titration Kit
One of the simplest and most effective ways to measure T.A. in wine
is by the titration method, which uses an inexpensive titration
or acid test kit. These test kits can be purchased for as little
as $10.00 or so (see our Item #2716) and can be used over and over again.
If you took chemistry in high school, you'll probably remember
that titration is a process where you determine the concentration
of an unknown substance in a liquid (in our case, we are looking
for the amount of acid in must or wine) by slowly adding a small
amount of reagent (a base called sodium hydroxide - NaOH - whose
chemical concentration is known) until a change in color occurs
due to the presence of an indicator (phenolphthalein).
To begin the test, you will draw a 3 cc sample (one cc equals
one ml) of must into a test tube. Most test tubes that come with
the acid test kits are marked with a line indicating this volume.
If not, no sweat. Just use a small plastic syringe (provided) to
precisely measure the desired amount into the test tube, and be
sure to rinse the syringe afterwards.
Next, put about 3 drops of phenolphthalein indicating solution
into the test tube. Swirl or shake the test tube so the indicator
is mixed in with the must.
Using the syringe, draw out 10 cc of reagent (0.10 Normal sodium hydroxide),
making sure there are no bubbles in the liquid. Be careful to avoid
contact with your skin or eyes. This NaOH stuff burns something
Very carefully (and slowly), add the sodium hydroxide to the test tube a small bit (0.5 cc)
at a time. After each addition, swirl or shake the test tube to
mix the contents together. You'll notice that the color of the liquid
will momentarily change upon the addition of reagent. If you are
testing white wines, the color change will be pink; if testing reds,
the color change will be gray. Just swirl and swirl after each addition until the color
subsides. The longer it takes for the color to dissipate between additions, you should slow down your addition of the reagent to one drop at a time. So long as the color of the must goes back to the original
color, repeat this drop-by-drop step until the color change is permanent.
When the color (either pink or gray) DOESN'T go away, stop and
determine the amount of reagent used. From here, it is very simple
to determine the acidity of your must with an easy mathematical formula. Take a close look at your syringe and determine the amount of NaOH used (NOT the amount left in the syringe). For each ml of reagent used,
multiply it by .25 to find the acid content in percentage tartaric.
For example, if you used 2.4 ml of sodium hydroxide to react with
the must, the titratable acidity of your must is 2.4 X 0.25 = 0.6 %.
Pretty simple, eh? Just remember to throw away your sample, since
this stuff is toxic. DO NOT add it back into your must or wine. Any leftover sodium hydroxide reagent that is still in the syringe can be put back in the jar to save for another test.
Lastly, wash and dry your test equipment before storing it away.
If you ever run out of sodium hydroxide or phenolphthalein, just
ask for Item #2717 or #2716P, respectively.
How to Measure Acidity Using a pH
Measuring acidity in wine using a pH meter is very similar to the
titration method explained above, but with a twist: Instead of looking
for a color change (which can be very difficult to determine depending
upon the color of your wine) to indicate the titration is complete,
you simply add the reagent a drop or two at a time until your pH
meter reads 8.2.
Why 8.2? This is the same pH at which phenolphthalein changes color.
If you can afford a pH meter (they can be bought for as little
as $50 or so), this method is a much more accurate way to measure
acidity than the straight titration explanation above. But pH meters
are finicky things, so handle them with care:
If you take good care of your pH meter, it should last a long time.
Adjusting Acidity Levels in Wine
Once testing is complete, you will know what your acid levels are.
Compare this value with the suggested T.A. ranges in the chart shown
If you need to increase acidity:
As a helpful hint for those who do not have scales, 1/4 teaspoon
of acid blend weighs approximately 1.2 grams; a teaspoon weighs
about 5.1 grams.
If you need to decrease acidity:
One-fourth of a teaspoon of calcium carbonate weighs about 0.5
grams; one teaspoon of calcium carbonate weighs about 2.6 grams.
General tips:
*Many wine recipes call for the addition of
acid blend during the workup of the must. The worst
thing you can do is to blindly add acid blend (or any other chemical,
for that matter) simply because a recipe calls for it. You should
always test your must for acid and pH levels before you make any
Clicking on any of the reference links below will open a new browser
| Catalog
| Winemaking
Information | Specials
Customer's Corner |
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About Us | Links |
Location | Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2018 grapestompers inc. All rights reserved.


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10:00 pm
Summer Hill From the late 19th century until the civil rights movement, the black people of Cartersville, Georgia (near Atlanta) lived exclusively in the Summer Hill section of town. The documentary SUMMER HILL is a compelling look at the influence of one small, tightly knit community - its school, churches and civic leaders - on its residents. Despite poverty, racism and limited opportunity, Summer Hill - and its segregated school - flourished for four generations. D
10:30 pm
After The Harvest: Fighting Hunger in the Coffeelands Coffee farmers in Chiapas, Mexico greet the rainy months between May and September with a mix of hope and trepidation. Consistent rainfall is vital to their crops, but too much water makes their rural dirt roads impassable. The price of beans and corn goes up, just when income from the coffee harvest is depleted. D
11:00 pm
Global Voices "Milking The Rhino" Everyone has seen a nature documentary with a ferocious kill on the Serengeti Plain. Well, here's a different story about villagers navigating the dangers and costs of living with wildlife. After a century of "white man's conservation," the Maasai of Kenya and Namibia's Himba people are vying to share a piece of the eco-tourism pie. D


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text:
HAWK23 wrote:Bird_33 wrote:HAWK23 wrote:Bird_33 wrote:rayhoops1 wrote:
@Bird- sure thing bro, just let me know man I would love to get a project going with you dude
awesome man, I'll get at you on pm over the next few days once you sort out any issues that may come up on this mod
Hey Bird - did you have any of those courts you should share with me so we could add them to the UBR Mod Pack?
Yeah, I had problems with my computer so had to back everything up on a hard drive so I gotta go through it to pick out what I've/and Suirad have done so I'll get everything ready the weekend to send to you. Do you want the dorna art too?
No problem man - Suirad already sent me his stuff... he was looking for you (I think he thought you disappeared). Go ahead and send me everything you've got including dornas... I saw some of the ones you did and they were excellent... they do, however, make me nervous because I don't want to have any never-ending loading screen issues... have you tested them? Have things worked with them? Shoot me a PM once you get everything together!
I had no loading issues, my only issues were when I used an existing dorna file (i.e dorna001) to change the file number of it to a new one and add new art i found when I imported the new art it would for some reason change dorna001's art file too which was frustrating but when I sent Suirad the art n he did the same thing he said it doesnt change on his computer so I will send him the art n he can do the importing n we can test them then
i would like to try everything u made fam so even if u dont send to hawk everything please send to me in pm zip [/quote]
Yeah man I'll get things moving again asap like we were doin originally, my bad I been busy plus my computer had some issues but we'll finish what we started


text:
Is McLaren Trying To Keep Imported 12Cs Out Of The US?
In yet another case study in how cars are imported into the United States, a strange letter from McLaren makes it appear that the company could by trying to keep imported 12Cs out of the country in an effort to control supply. That, or American auto import regulations are even more absurd than you think.


text:
Academic Probation
Students may be dropped from the university at any time when excessive class absences or academic performance indicates inability or unwillingness to achieve normal progress toward a degree. Typically, however, students not in good academic standing are placed on academic probation for a maximum of two consecutive semesters.
To be in good academic standing, students must maintain the following standards:
|Hours Earned
|60 or more
In general students on academic probation may not participate in any extracurricular activities. The provost has the final authority over the conditions placed upon students on academic probation.
All students on academic probation are expected to develop and sign an academic support contract with the director of educational support services before attending classes. The academic support contract may include, but is not limited to, such items as study assistance, limits on work commitments, housing, course load, and class attendance.
Students not achieving acceptable standards are barred from returning to Anderson University for a period of at least one semester. Students who are readmitted, after having been barred once, are expected to attain a 2.00 current GPA in their next 12 hours and must continue to achieve or make substantial progress toward the stated minimal standards in order to continue. If they are barred again, it will be for at least two years. Any subsequent readmission will be regarded as a final opportunity to continue studies at Anderson University.
The provost may request the barring appeals committee to review and make recommendations regarding cases when necessary. Extenuating circumstances may justify the continuation of students whose cumulative grade point average falls below the stated standards.


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CherryvaleJoin Now Free!
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Try our Cherryvale dating service today. Matchmaker.com is one of the oldest Cherryvale online dating services on the Internet and has brought thousands of couples together from the area. Test drive our Cherryvale Chat room with one of the best online communities for the Cherryvale single person. Also, keep in mind that we have a huge member base of Cherryvale singles and that we also cater to members of the many backgrounds.
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Grae's Rating:
Hits a Raw nerve.
It would be different if Eddie Murphy had never been funny. But as it stands, seeing him spiral so far down from the golden comedic god he once was into the depths of Pluto Nash despair makes sitting through his movies that much more painful. We're not just losing money and time enduring this junk--we're mourning the loss of what once was. To make matters worse, we keep seeing glimmers of his greatness in roles like Dreamgirls and even Tower Heist that build us up just to tear us down again.
A Thousand Words is a movie only fit for consumption by any one of the seven people who saw Meet Dave and spent two months smugly satisfied that Norbit received an Academy Award nomination, as well as those who saw the deplorable Jack and Jill and thought, "this screenwriter deserves more work and piles of money to roll around in." With no surprises, very little charm, and subtlety of a train wreck, it is probably one of the worst films of the year so far. And it breaks my heart to say that.
We all want Eddie Murphy to recapture his magic, right? He's not going to do it being in films about horrible, soullessly stereotypical Hollywood agents whose life force gets inexplicably linked to a Bodhi tree. As the glib words fall from Jack's mouth, so do the leaves of the tree. The mystical Deepak Chopra-type guru Dr. Sinja (Cliff Curtis) claims that once all the leaves fall off the tree Jack will die, but that just proves that no one in Los Angeles understands the concept of "autumn." So the one-joke movie commences, where everyone wants Jack to speak but he refuses, or else he can't continue wearing shiny suits or torturing his assistant (Clark Duke) anymore.
There are plenty of simple comedies like this that require the larger-than-life star to carry it solely on their own shoulders. Take Liar Liar, for instance. The difference is, that movie was directed by Tom Shadyac, whose synergy with mid-'90s juggernaut Jim Carrey created countless memorable moments (in both that film and Ace Ventura Pet Detective). It also played to Carrey's strengths, which included giving his body parts funny voices and yelling at Carey Elwes. Although Eddie Murphy gives good face, we pay to hear him talk, not take a slapstick vow of silence.
Not even the presence of legendary Ruby Dee as Jack's mother or Allison Janney as a fellow agent can drag this movie across the finish line. The only thing I found enjoyable about the film was imagining someone forcing Eddie Murphy to read the Gettysburg Address to put his character out of his misery, and let us all go back to our memories of what he once was.
Movies.com Critic
Let Eddie Murphy talk!
Read full review |
Comments ()
26 out of 100 Metascore®
Read other critic reviews
Nothing mediocre about this medium.
Can't say "expendable" without "duh"
Valley of the Dolls with Firepower?
Just shy of a landslide.
All Grae Drake's Movie Reviews
Movies.com, the ultimate source for everything movies, is your destination for new movie trailers, reviews, photos, times, tickets + more! Stay in the know with the latest movie news and cast interviews at Movies.com.
Copyright © 2018 FANDANGO MOVIES.


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New on DVD/Blu-ray: 'The Amazing Spider-Man' Arrives Alongside Several New Discs of Classic Films
New Releases
The Kind of, Sort of, Pretty OK Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man - Sony - Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, DVD
Release Date: Jul 03, 2012
Director: Marc Webb
Cast: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary,Martin Sheen. Full cast + crew
Earlier this year there was a lot of fan frenzy over what superhero ended up having the best movie of the summer, and as much as I enjoy a good, nerdy argument, what's wrong with agreeing they all had their own worthy merits? In the case of The Amazing Spider-Man, it's got a good cast, a good look, and a refreshing change of mood for the wall crawler. Sure, it suffers a bit from covering a lot of the same origin ground as the first Sam Raimi film, and there's some odd editing problems that make it seem like the movie is missing story, but neither problem is large enough to kill the movie entirely.
Special Features: Commentary, Second Screen Experience, a feature-length making-of documentary, deleted scenes, pre-visualization materials and more.
Everything Else
It's an odd week for new releases filled with a small handful of titles that are worth noting, but none that are particularly worth getting ecstatic for. 360 is the latest drama from City of God director Fernando Meirelles, and while it didn't get the best reviews during its small release earlier this year, its ensemble cast will certainly draw some eyes. Arthur Christmas is the latest from Aardman Animation, and it's arriving nearly a year after the film first hit theaters. And then there's Red Dog, an Australian film that seems to have warmed quite a few hearts down under, and Your Sister's Sister, an indie comedy featuring Emily Blunt, Mark Duplass and Mike Birbiglia.
If you like your movies with a bit more blood and adrenaline in them, however, you'll want to turn your attention to any of the following: Rescue 3D (an IMAX documentary about the men and women who save the rest of us during natural disasters); [REC 3], which is a fun, tradition-breaking entry into Spain's influential found-footage franchise; The Pact, which earned quite the reaction at Sundance (and it wasn't all positive); Outpost: Black Sun, the sequel to the cool and underseen Nazi zombie movie Outpost; and the two straight-to-video actioner Maximum Conviction and Fire with Fire.
Catalog Titles
Need to take your mind off of American politics, but still want to show your love for the country? Patton's got you covered. Sure, there's a giant American flag on the cover, but this is the kind of masterful film that cuts right to the core of American patriotism, and the mind-set that fuels it. It features one of the best performances ever captured on film, and is one of the best war movies ever made.
For a complete 180, there's the always, always great Planes, Trains and Automobiles. It's one of the finest, eminently rewatchable comedies ever made. Just thinking about it makes me want to stop writing and pop it in. But if perfect comedies aren't your thing, we can head back to drama territory for both Sunset Boulevard and Rashomon, two very different movies that had very big impacts on several generations of film fans and filmmakers alike. And lastly for this row, we've got The Muppet Christmas Carol, a truly delightful version of the classic Charles Dickens novel.
And to end out the week we've got something for everyone from a variety of great filmmakers. There's the John Carpenter sci-fi flick They Live, Joel Schumacher's courtroom thriller The Client, and Brian DePalma's Bonfire of the Vanities. On the rom-com side we've got Beaches and Sweet Home Alabama, two films that have probably killed off thousands of boxes of tissues over the years.
Movies.com, the ultimate source for everything movies, is your destination for new movie trailers, reviews, photos, times, tickets + more! Stay in the know with the latest movie news and cast interviews at Movies.com.
Copyright © 2018 FANDANGO MOVIES.


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Indian Head Resort Cioppino
Adam Parker/Indian Head Resort
Indian Head Resort Cioppino
Adam Parker/Indian Head Resort
18 Mussels
5 Scallops
3 Shrimp
1 Scallions, sliced thin
1 Tbsp Garlic, minced
1/4 Cup White wine
3 Tbsps Olive Oil
1/2 Avocado, Diced
3 Slices Ciabatta Bread
2 Cups Penne Pasta, Cooked
1 1/2 Cups Red Pepper Sauce (recipe below)
Sauté garlic in wine and olive oil.
Add shrimp, then scallops and then mussels.
Toss in Red Pepper Sauce and scallions, then place over hot Penne.
Finish with ciabatta and avocado.
Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Sauce
2 Roasted Red Peppers, Peeled and Seeded
1 Vine Ripe Tomato
1 Tbsp Garlic
1/4 Cup Onion, diced
3 Tbsps Chef Adam's Hot Sauce
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Chicken Stock/Broth
2 Tbsps Corn Starch Slurry
Sauté onions and garlic.
Add all ingredients, boil, and then puree.