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"Easily turn a Google™ Spreadsheet into a Set of Online Flashcards and Other Cool Stuff"
15 different functions, each with a demo, instructions, and a templates -JL
Via Jim Lerman
Active Listening: Using Times Videos, Podcasts and Articles to Practice a Key Skill - The New York Times
In this lesson, we suggest processes and strategies for listening — a skill we're in danger of losing in a world of digital distraction.
Free resource of educational web tools, 21st century skills, tips and tutorials on how teachers and students integrate technology into education
I would like to start this post by saying that when I hear some people say that mobile phones are dangerous devices for humankind, I cannot help smiling while recalling that I had to hear something similar about the dangers of TV not so many years ago. In fact, TV was called "the idiot box" and you had to be very careful because spending some hours watching it could kill your creativity forever. Fortunately, it seems that did not happen to many of us who learnt how to benefit from watching TV.
Of all the classroom subjects technology is poised to change, perhaps none stoke the imagination quite like language learning. As wearable tech an
iFake Text Message is a great tool for creating authentic looking materials to engage students and shift materials design into a genre that's both relevant and familiar. The tool enables you to create a screen image of a text conversation.
Via Nik Peachey
Nik Peachey's curator insight, March 6, 2018 9:43 PM
Some tips and ideas for making text based learing activities.
Automatic Transcription by Vocalmatic. Convert your audio into text and edit to perfection with our online editor. Get started with 30 minutes for free!
Via Nik Peachey
Nik Peachey's curator insight, March 4, 2018 11:07 PM
Looks useful for anyone with lots of transcription work to do.
Over the years I have tried and written reviews of dozens of tools that teachers can use to create multimedia quizzes. But at the end o
Free resource of educational web tools, 21st century skills, tips and tutorials on how teachers and students integrate technology into education
I do which the question": Students' innovative use of technology resources in the language classroom
This article was written by Mike Groves, Diana Hopkins and Tom Reid Around 70 million people – including Bill Gates – have signed up for the language learning app Duolingo. The app has received plenty of media attention, and its creators claim that it can help anyone with a smart phone learn a new language. The app is free, and promises all kinds of cutting edge features, such as adaptive algorithms to suit users' learning speed, as well as gamification to boost motivation. They also claim that this app can provide members of poorer communities with access to language learning that would otherwise …
Free resource of educational web tools, 21st century skills, tips and tutorials on how teachers and students integrate technology into education
This is the sixth post in a weekly series I'm creating that will highlight the Best "Best" lists in a particular topic I have posted over the years. The previous posts in this series have been: "Be…
Timelinely lets you add highlights to interesting points in a video with pictures, links, maps, other videos, comments, questions and (polls/quizzes coming soon). Just paste a YouTube URL, and you're ready to create.
Via Nik Peachey
Nik Peachey's curator insight, March 8, 2018 11:11 PM
This is really great. One of the easiest tools I've seeen for building learning activities around YouTube video.
António Leça Domingues's curator insight, March 10, 2018 1:47 AM
Uma interessante ferramenta para timelines.
Janet Lanham's curator insight, March 20, 2018 6:34 AM
Your students can add layers of content to videos with this cool new tool! Add pictures, links, maps, etc. to make presentations interactive!
Below are links and downloads to the powerpoint, recording, and handouts from the March 7th webinar on Technology in Language Acquisition Research and Pedagogy (sponsored by the TESOL CALL and Applied Linguistics Interest Sections) featuring two talks by myself and Volker Hegelheimer of Iowa State University: Webinar Recording: To access the recording at the link,…
Listen and Write - Language Dictation
Check out the new Checkmark Chrome extension from the EdTechTeam. It allows teachers, or peer editors, to provide feedback to
Kaizena is a free tool that lets you add voice comments to Google Documents, PDFs, and Word documents. For Google Docs users Kaizena has a free Google Docs Add-on that makes it easy to add voice co…
Here are 10 of the lesser-known promising language learning apps that will tie your tongue in knots and make you pronounce sounds you never imagined existing.
If you want to browse international sites but cannot understand the text, a number of software interpreters will translate for you.
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Just got back from the game - MAF definately was the star.
Talked to Paul Bissonnette's dad for a few minutes after the game - nice guy.
My boys insisted on wearing their halloween costumes to the game - so if anyone saw batman and super mario on the jumbotron - those were my kids lol.

subset: commoncrawl


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somitomi wrote:Flumble wrote:Don't you have oil collection points nearby?
We save up our bottles of used oil (used for deep-frying and stuff) until someone takes the effort to bring them to a collection point (the nearest one seems to be the football club), whence they will be moved to a recycling station for biofuel or whatever.
Apparently running your car off filtered vegetable oil is something you could do at home. Except in Hungary that is illegal, because (get this) an excise tax is imposed on all fuels. Making the practice tax fraud of all things.
Similar thing here. The students who demonstrated that they could run a car on the waste cooking oil from the Chinese restaurants and chippies published their results and got a bill from HMRC for the road fuel tax due.


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Barack Obama doesn't have to worry about getting reelected, so conceivably he's poised to take on one of the most divisive issues of our time - immigration reform.
A whopping 71 percent of Hispanic voters said they voted for Obama, according to a Fox exit poll. Republicans might think twice about opposing immigration reform given their low standing with this group.
Indeed, Republicans have shown some signs they might be willing to compromise, Lucy Madison pointed out in CBS News. House Speaker John Boehner just called immigration "an important issue that ought to be dealt with."
But advocates for immigration reform shouldn't get too excited.
While Obama has pledged to reform immigration, we've all heard this song before, Ted Hesson notes on ABC News.
The president vowed he'd reform immigration his first year. Even with Democratic majorities in both chambers of Congress, the president couldn't push for that particular type of change.
During his next term, Obama will be working with Senate Democrats in red states who are up for re-election in 2014 and might not want to anger their right-leaning constituents, an analysis in The Week pointed out.
But the power to reform immigration really rests with the House, Hesson notes.
"Will Republicans, smarting from the presidential loss, be willing to address what many Latinos consider a core issue?" he wrote. "Or will it be an encore presentation of the so-called 'do nothing' Congress from the past two years?"


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Bathroom Floor Plan Options
Consider the possibilities take inspiration from these floor plans to design your dream bathroom.
This remodeled 15x12-foot bathroom combines the basics -- sink and toilet -- with the luxury of a separate tub and shower in a relatively compact space. The corner shower and freestanding tub occupy one wall, leaving space at the end of the tub for freestanding storage.
On the opposite wall (visible here in the mirror to the right of the shower), built-in cabinetry encompasses a sink, dressing table, and storage. The toilet fits into the corner beside the vanity.
Get free quotes from bathroom remodelers in your area.
This unusual layout in this 14x14-foot master bath uses space very creatively. Back-to-back vanities form the core of a T-shape arrangement of dressers and glass-front cabinetry. The dressers store clothing, and the glass-front cabinets hold bath linens.
The couple didn't need a bathtub, so they took that space to create a larger, more luxurious shower than the one they had.
Enlarged from its original 10x8-foot size, this 17x10-foot master bath accommodates a soaking tub and a shower as well as a double-sink vanity and a walk-in closet.
Though the space was upgraded, the location of fixtures still had to correspond to existing plumbing lines. This meant that the space available for the soaking tub was unusually small. As a result, the tub came with a price tag to match its custom fit: It was $3,000 higher than normal-size models.
If possible, design your floor plan around standard-size fixtures. You can use the money you save to splurge on materials or hardware.
Get free quotes from bathroom remodelers in your area.
A typical arrangement of fixtures -- bathtub at one end, shower at the other, vanity and toilet in between -- can result in Zen-like tranquility if you allow some breathing space between functional zones.
In this 8x16-foot bath, the wood-slab counter with wall-hung basins is a few steps away from both the tub and an open shower. The vanity's exposed plumbing fits the utilitarian simplicity of the home's materials. Frosted glass partitions (visible in the mirror) define the toilet compartment.
In this compact bathroom addition, a dressing table and a built-in vanity fill one corner. The tub and shower line up on the end wall and the toilet is tucked into the corner behind a linen closet. The new construction required plumbing in three of the walls.
If you're planning a bathroom addition or remodel that involves multiple "wet" walls, it's a good idea to work with an architect to figure out the best way to arrange the fixtures in the available space, because the plumbing can be complicated.
Get free quotes from bathroom remodelers in your area.
A compact 5x13-foot bathroom serves as a guest bath as well as a convenience for swimmers using the pool outside. A space-saving pocket door separates the sink area from the toilet and shower, and a window in the shower lets in light from the patio, keeping this basement bath from feeling dark and enclosed.
Old barnwood bought at a salvage yard serves as the vanity countertop. Leaving the area under the vanity open helps the narrow space feel larger.
Remodeled in the 1990s, the master bath in this midcentury modern house went from 8x7 feet to 23x15 feet. A big glass wall is the centerpiece here.
A single sink housed in a 1950s-style console backs up to another glass-and-steel-beam wall that divides the bathroom from the master bedroom. A spa-quality steam shower has convenient access to the pool outside through a door on the opposite (vanity) wall.
Get free quotes from bathroom remodelers in your area.
Expanding this master bath into what was once a closet doubled its size, making room for twin pedestal sinks, a freestanding soaking tub, a larger shower, and a separate toilet compartment.
Behind and alongside the sinks are 8-inch-deep cabinets that provide more storage space than the typical 3-inch-deep medicine cabinets. Mirrored doors on the cabinetry enhance the sense of space.
The tub sits opposite the vanities in the new space, and the shower and toilet compartment occupy the old bathroom space.
Taking over a walk-in closet allowed this bathroom for two to expand from 10x6 feet to 16x6 feet. The long, narrow space accommodates a soaking tub at one end and a large shower and toilet at the other.
To keep the space from feeling cramped, fixtures and furnishings are clean-lined and contemporary. Smooth limestone walls and countertops and French bluestone floors add the warmth of natural textures. Strategically placed ceiling lights and vanity sconces eliminate dark corners and enhance the sense of space.
Finding the floor space for your dream bathroom may require adding on, in addition to rearranging existing spaces. In this 11x17-foot bathroom, a cantilevered bump-out created an alcove for the tub. On the opposite wall, space reclaimed from the old bedroom lends a spot for a walk-in, glass-enclosed steam shower and a wood-lined sauna.
The toilet is behind a door, to the left of the vanities. This type of layout needs more plumbing work than if all the fixtures were arranged along the same wall, but it provides more floor space and storage area around the sinks.
A layout that groups the plumbing lines along one wall is the most cost-effective kind of plan. In this renovated bathroom, the vanity, toilet, and shower are all new, but they occupy the same locations as the old fixtures.
The money saved on not rearranging the plumbing was spent instead on limestone floor and wainscot tiles, a new shower enclosure, and a handsome mahogany vanity with brushed-nickel hardware.
The most efficient floor plan for a small bath lines up the sink, toilet, and tub along one wall, but if you dispense with the tub in favor of a shower, you can gain some elbow room without sacrificing function.
Removing a privacy wall between the toilet and vanity visually opened up this 7-1/2x11-foot bathroom and made room for a larger vanity. Replacing the standard tub/shower unit with a new tiled shower enclosure also increased the sense of space.
Opposite the vanity, louvered bypass sliding doors hide spacious storage cabinets.
With careful planning, two separate baths can fit into the amount of space normally occupied by a single bath. "Her" bath has a tub alcove on one wall and the vanity and toilet on the other. The vanity in "his" bath shares the plumbing wall with her vanity. His shower and toilet are on the opposite wall.
A bathroom floor plan with three separate plumbing walls offers the most design flexibility but also involves the most complex plumbing work and planning.
This no-frills 6x12-foot bath fits a vanity, toilet, and shower into an L-shape configuration that works around an existing window and door. Standing in the corner opposite the entry, the vanity makes a natural focal point. Beside it, the toilet lies just outside the direct line of sight. The shower fills the corner beside the entry.
To make the small bath feel more open, solid shower walls were replaced with a glass wall on the entry side and a glass door on the toilet side.
This generous master bath groups a 4-1/2-square-foot shower, massive soaking tub, and commode in one marble-lined room. Twin vanities occupy a separate space that serves as a pass-through to the master bedroom.
Frameless showers show off tilework and increase the feeling of spaciousness in a bath. They can be expensive to install, however. The heavy, oversize glass walls extend from floor to ceiling and often must be custom-ordered.
Designed to look like an ordinary room that had been retrofitted to serve as a bathroom, this master bath has an unconventional floor plan. The clawfoot tub sits at an angle that offers a view of the two-sided fireplace. Behind the tub, mirrored doors conceal storage.
Twin vanities and a built-in dressing table are intended to look like tables. Pleated skirts hide storage. The corner opposite the tub accommodates a 6x7-foot steam shower.
There is a separate toilet compartment but the master bath also connects to a powder room that leads to the home's public spaces. This gives the owners the option of having two separate toilets in the master suite.
This 24x8-foot master bath felt cramped and dark, but neither the footprint nor the layout could change. Worn plumbing had to be replaced but existing drains determined the placement of a new jetted tub and glass-walled shower as well as the double sinks at one end of the long room.
To make the space feel larger, white statuary marble covers the floors and walls, frameless glass encloses the shower, and a mirror extends from wall to wall over the sinks. Dark walnut stain on trimwork and the tub apron matches the trimwork in the rest of the house.
This new master bath, designed to allow two people to get ready at the same time, places the bathtub on one wall and the shower on the opposite. A pair of windows on the wall in between fills the room with light.
Two pedestal sinks occupy the wall opposite the windows, as does the toilet, which has its own compartment. Freestanding fixtures instead of a built-in tub and vanities give the room an old-fashioned look, much like the original 1922 architecture.
Part of an entire second-story addition, the master bath has an angled ceiling that climbs from 7 feet to 10 feet, suggesting the feeling of an attic room.
A bay window provides a niche for the deep soaking tub in this master bathroom. Unlike most floor plans that include twin vanities, this plan positions one built-in vanity at the end of the room and another on the wall opposite the tub. A steam shower and separate toilet compartment complete the layout.
Remodeled according to a minimalist aesthetic, this 13x15-foot bath focuses on a freestanding, contemporary tub. The room's centerpiece, it's aligned with the window to take advantage of light and views.
The frameless glass-walled shower keeps the rain-style showerhead from getting the rest of the room wet. Wall-mount vanities crafted from bloodwood appear to float above the slate floors. Positioning them at right angles to each other took advantage of existing plumbing lines for the previous shower and tub.
Tips for a Beautiful Bathroom from Designers
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GET IT! Instantly get our Bathroom Planning Guide. Inside you'll find more layout ideas, tips for choosing flooring, toilets and working with professionals.
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Astronomers Nab Runaway Star
This image of the 30 Doradus nebula, a rambunctious stellar nursery, and the enlarged inset photo show a heavyweight star that may have been kicked out of its home by a pair of heftier siblings.
In the inset image at right, an arrow points to the stellar runaway and a dashed arrow to its presumed direction of motion. The image was taken by the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) aboard NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The heavyweight star, called 30 Dor #016, is 90 times more massive than the Sun and is traveling at more than 250,000 miles an hour.
In the wider view of 30 Doradus, the homeless star, located on the outskirts of the nebula, is centered within a white box. The box shows Hubble's field of view. The image was taken by the European Southern Observatory's (ESO) Wide Field Imager at the 2.2-meter telescope on La Silla, Chile.
The young star, only 1 million to 2 million years old, may have traveled about 375 light-years from its suspected home in R136, the bright star cluster marked by a circle. Nestled in the core of 30 Doradus, R136 is one of the most massive young star clusters in nearby galaxies, containing several stars topping 100 solar masses each. 30 Doradus, also called the Tarantula Nebula, resides roughly 170,000 light-years from Earth, in the Large Magellanic Cloud.
Instruments at three observatories, including Hubble's WFPC2 and recently installed Cosmic Origins Spectrograph, have provided tantalizing clues that the star was ejected from R136.
In the ESO and WFPC2 images, hot stars are represented by the color blue. Hydrogen is in red and oxygen in green. Radiation from the runaway star is making the nebula glow.
The Hubble image was taken on June 30, 1995; the ESO image was released in December 2006.
The runaway star research team consists of C. Evans, V. Henault-Brunet, and W. Taylor (Royal Observatory Edinburgh); N. Walborn and D. Massa (Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore); D. Lennon (European Space Agency/Space Telescope Science Institute); P. Crowther (University of Sheffield, UK); I. Howarth (University College London); H. Sana (ESO/University of Amsterdam); and J. van Loon (Keele University, UK).
Hubble Image: NASA, ESA, J. Walsh (ST-ECF), and ESO;
Acknowledgment: Processing by Z. Levay (STScI);
ESO Image: ESO;
Acknowledgment: J. Alves (Calar Alto, Spain), and B. Vandame and Y. Beletski (ESO). Processing by B. Fosbury (ST-ECF).


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The following commentary does not necessarily reflect the views of AgWeb or Farm Journal Media. The opinions expressed below are the author's own.
A cartoonish look at life...
Dear Friends,
Please take a minute to read the following post from Joel Siegel at ABCnews.com.
Thank you,
Sept. 11 Anniversary: Funny Pages Turn Serious
See all the Rubes collections at:
2012 Rubes Zoo Year-In -A Box Calendar!!!
What's Aunt Gertrude cooking up now? See the latest silly Rubes video and find out!
...and speaking of cows, have some cow-tipping fun with the latest Rubes book: Rubes Cow Tipping: You Can't Keep a Good Cow Down!
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Deputy Commissioner for Operations Social Security Administration
Before the House Ways and Means Committee
On Status of The Economic Stimulus Payments
June 19, 2008
Chairmen and Members of the Subcommittees:
On behalf of Commissioner Astrue, I appreciate the opportunity to testify before the Subcommittees regarding the Social Security Administration's (SSA's) efforts to help implement the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008.
Due to our well-known role in administering Social Security programs, many Americans see SSA as the face of the Federal government. We take great pride in our administration of the nation's primary social insurance programs, but beyond our traditional core work, we are at times called upon to address unique challenges. Assisting the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to implement the payments authorized under the economic stimulus legislation presented just such a challenge.
In today's testimony, I would like to explain: first, what we have done to support the IRS in providing stimulus payments; second, the substantial outreach efforts we have undertaken to inform our beneficiaries about the stimulus legislation; and third, how we have used funding provided by Congress to facilitate the stimulus payment process.
SSA's Role in Economic Stimulus Program
The President and Congress took swift action to provide targeted, immediate assistance to businesses and families across the country. The resulting legislation, the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008, provided business tax incentives and stimulus payments for individuals, including Social Security beneficiaries.
With this same sense of urgency, we worked closely with the IRS and other Treasury Department divisions, and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to develop a process that would ensure that the IRS could deliver stimulus payments to eligible Social Security beneficiaries.
Structurally, Congress charged the IRS with the lead role in informing qualified recipients of the stimulus program. Our support mainly involved providing beneficiary data so that IRS could notify potentially eligible individuals of the stimulus and provide them with the necessary materials to apply for the payment.
Our initial challenge was to provide IRS with the information needed to let Social Security and VA beneficiaries know to file tax returns – even if under normal circumstances they would not be required to do so – because tax return filing is necessary in order to receive the stimulus payment. We worked with IRS to develop a simplified packet of information that would be understandable for our beneficiaries and would provide step-by-step instructions on how to file a return and qualify for the stimulus payment. IRS developed a very informative packet that included instructions, forms, and even a postage-paid return envelope for SSA beneficiaries to use to file for the payment.
Our decades of experience with outreach to beneficiaries has taught us that the cleanest and most streamlined approach is frequently the most effective, and we believe the packet mailed by IRS met these requirements. We commend IRS for the accuracy and simplicity of the mailing they sent to all Social Security beneficiaries, and for their spirit of cooperation and flexibility in working with us to develop a packet that would be understandable to our beneficiaries.
Regarding the data transfer process, SSA was already providing IRS with information to verify individual names and Social Security number matches, so we had systems in place to deliver data. But the VA lacked the systems capacity to match its beneficiaries against IRS records. To facilitate payments to VA beneficiaries, SSA incorporated 2.6 million VA records with those of Social Security beneficiaries, eliminated most duplicates, and then forwarded a single file of 55.5 million records to the IRS. Thus, we were able to provide names and addresses of both Social Security and VA beneficiaries.
Using this information, IRS mailed approximately 21 million packets to all Social Security and VA beneficiaries in the United States who did not file a tax return in 2006 and would need to file a tax return for 2007 to qualify for the payment. We understand that this streamlined process is leading to a significant response rate.
In a separate records match, we also provided IRS with data on approximately 800,000 Social Security beneficiaries living in U.S. possessions and territories. This allowed for the mailing of informational packets to these individuals, as well.
Outreach Efforts
The targeted mailing was a vital step in ensuring that Social Security beneficiaries received information about their eligibility for a stimulus payment, but it was only one of many steps our field offices, teleservice centers and communications divisions took to reach out to our beneficiaries.
We placed a prominent link to both our English and Spanish Internet homepages directing individuals to the IRS web site and the information on the stimulus payment ( www.socialsecurity.gov and www.segurosocial.gov , respectively). This link is now even more prominent as the result of a recent redesign of our website. In addition, we placed three "FAQs" or frequently asked questions on our site regarding stimulus payments. Through early June, these questions have been viewed more than 85,000 times.
We also utilized email, sending a message about the stimulus payments to nearly 800,000 individuals who are signed up to receive Social Security-related news.
In addition, we worked with IRS to create a stimulus payment flyer that specifically targeted Social Security beneficiaries. We then printed and distributed more than 1.6 million of these flyers to our field offices, including more than 1.1 million in English and more than 500,000 in Spanish. Copies of the flyers were also distributed electronically to thousands of Social Security advocates.
We continue outreach with advocacy groups at the national level and in local communities. Across the country, in hundreds of speeches and other Social Security-related events, our Public Affairs Specialists and Field Office managers have provided information and answered questions about the stimulus payments. In addition, our Regional Communications staffs have joined IRS professionals in outreach events to inform Social Security beneficiaries about the steps needed to file for the stimulus payments.
Also, every caller to our national toll-free 800 number receives an upfront message about the stimulus payment, explaining eligibility and filing opportunities. Our toll-free number receives more than one million calls a week, and every one of those calls presents another opportunity to spread the message about eligibility for the stimulus payment. Our records show that nearly 27 million callers have heard the economic stimulus message, and 2.6 million callers have hung up the phone after the upfront message, meaning that those individuals were specifically calling us for stimulus payment information.
In other outreach, Commissioner Astrue discussed the stimulus payments during an on-camera interview for a new AARP show called "Inside E Street," which aired in March. While explaining that most people had to do nothing except file their 2007 tax return, the Commissioner also explained that Social Security and VA beneficiaries who normally do not file a tax return would need to do so this year to receive the stimulus payment.
All of the efforts described were made to assist IRS in reaching the maximum number of Social Security beneficiaries eligible for a stimulus payment. Our efforts were designed to be effective, but also to minimize the effects on the core work of the Agency.
As a result, the stimulus payment outreach has not affected individuals applying for benefits or awaiting a disability hearing. Our field offices have not been inundated with stimulus payment questions. Because the information provided by IRS was clear, concise, and complete, individuals did not have to turn to us for assistance in filing for the payments. We appreciate IRS' work in designing a mailer that minimized follow-up inquiries.
Stimulus Budget
As a part of the Economic Stimulus Act, Congress provided SSA with an appropriation of $31 million for activities required to facilitate stimulus payments.
So far, we have obligated nearly $18 million of those funds. Around $6.4 million was spent on printing and postage – primarily the postage for the mailers sent by IRS. In addition, we have spent approximately $10 million answering beneficiary inquiries.
We were able to reduce some anticipated costs by working with IRS on a simplified method of processing stimulus payment tax returns. For example, IRS ruled that individuals need not report the precise amount on the 1099 form but could estimate the level of Social Security benefits from the amount of the current month benefit. We believe this dramatically reduced the number of requests for replacement 1099 forms from SSA. Although many individuals have requested such replacement 1099 forms, many more are using the simplified method and avoiding this additional administrative cost.
Additional Outreach
While many Social Security beneficiaries have already filed the necessary forms, ensuring that they will receive a stimulus payment, we understand through IRS that there are still some individuals who have not responded to the first mailing. We are currently working with IRS to determine additional steps needed to reach these individuals.
Support of FY 2009 budget
In recent appearances before the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Special Committee on Aging, the GAO described SSA's current situation as "extremely fragile," due to "the stress of expanding workloads and staffing constraints." For this reason, your timely support of the President's FY 2009 budget is also essential.
We appreciate the support Congress provided us to assist IRS in implementing the stimulus payments. Your trust in SSA is an acknowledgement of our ability to get the job done.
Regarding our core work, your support of the President's FY 2009 budget is as crucial as ever. We appreciate your unfailing support for SSA funding in FY 2008 and know that you understand our current environment of disability hearings backlogs, increasing workloads, and limited resources. As you also know, continuing resolutions make our job that much harder, since we must restrict our activities at the beginning of fiscal years because of uncertain funding. Your continued support of our budget ensures that we can carry out our important work and provide the service the public and Congress expects.
In conclusion, I thank the Subcommittees for the opportunity to share what we have done in collaboration with other Agencies, under the leadership of the IRS, to facilitate the economic stimulus payments. We appreciate the work of our colleagues at VA, Treasury, and the IRS, as we continue to move forward. Together we have made great strides, and I am especially pleased that so far we have been able to make this progress in a manner that has not affected our ability to provide service to the American people who rely on Social Security. Thank you for the opportunity to discuss our role in this very important process.


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I recently returned from a two-week trip to England, which coincided with the last two weeks of the British general election campaign. The British election presented some very interesting comparisons to an observer of American politics.
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|Antique Fireplace Screen
Jack and Flo were married in England and shortly afterwards, left for Canada where they began their married life. A son Godfrey William was born in Toronto one year later.
Godfrey was an only child and after his parents' death, the fireplace screen was one of the few items he kept.
|Photo taken in Guelph ca 1917
Godfrey is the little boy standing in this photo of my grandparents with their two daughters. My mother is the baby in my grandmother's arms.
Godfrey went on to marry a woman who became a lab assistant to Sir Frederick Banting, the inventor of insulin.
My mother went on to marry my father. The two lost touch with each other.
Many years later, long after my father's death, Godfrey and my mother happened to spot each other in a trailer park in Florida. It was a purely co-incidental meeting and they had not been in touch for over 50 years.
Godfrey's wife died shortly after this meeting. Can you guess what happened next? Godfrey became my step-father. Yes the little boy in this photo with my mother circa 1917 married my mother over 60 years later.
A touching aside to this story is that Godfrey lived with my grandparents as a teenager. My mother developed a bit of a crush on him but he left for Toronto to find a job and didn't keep in touch with her. He came back two years later, intent on asking my mother to marry him, only to find out she was engaged to my father. He left without ever telling her how he felt.
Godfrey died in 1995. My 79 year old mother sold most of their furniture and belongings, then packed her car with what was left. With her car packed to the brim, she made the trip over the mountains and across the prairies from British Columbia back to Ontario.
Each of us four children of my mom received one item that had belonged to Godfrey. The fireplace screen went to my brother. He enjoyed it until for almost 14 years and then he passed it on to me.
And so the screen has had a long journey since it was first given as a wedding present 98 years ago. It sits in my living room in front of our fireplace and I enjoy looking at it every day. I plan to pass it on to one of my children, along with the story (or as we antique buffs call it, "the provenance") in hopes the story and the screen will always be passed on and treasured together.


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Kay Fiedler
Director of Admissions, Unity College
1) What kind of students major in Environmental Studies?
Students that want to make a difference in the world, who understand we reside on a fragile planet and seek to be the future stewards of our natural resources.
2) Is the broad and interdisciplinary nature of an Environmental Studies degree too generalized to have useful applications in jobs out in the field? Why or why not?
Not at all! Environmental Studies will provide maximum flexibility that prepares graduates for multiple careers. Since most people change careers more than once during their lifetimes, this degree provides a way to integrate a broad liberal arts and sciences education with independent choices.
3) What kinds of jobs are available to ES graduates? What kinds of companies are specifically looking for ES graduates?
World Wildlife Fund, Environmental Law Institute, New England Congressional Caucus, Sierra Club, Environmental Defense Fund, Society of American Foresters, The Wilderness Society, American Rivers Conservation Council, Friends of the Earth, Clean Air Coalition, National Park Service – to name a few!
4) How can Environmental Studies students gain an edge in the post-graduation job market? What's the best way to land a job with an ES degree?
Doing an internship is a key step in students becoming marketable. Also becoming active in professional organizations while still in college is a key step to getting to know professionals in the Environmental field before graduation. Volunteering with career related organizations whenever possible.
5) Do you have any advice for prospective students entering an Environmental Studies program?
With Environmental Studies, as with any degree program – follow your passions! Figure out what you love and make it your career. I think too often young people think for Environmental projects as only volunteer work, when in fact, it is a wide open and exciting career field."


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3D modelling / character - rooms - gym machines / 2D graphics / buttons - menus - etc /
Presupuesto $800-1000 USD
2 Character ( Male / Female ) to unity 3d / rigged - textured
Scalable parts (blend shapes):
- chin (width)
- mouth (width)
- nose (width, lenght)
- eyes
- biceps
- triceps
- forearm
- schoulder
- chest
- abdominlas
- neck / trapesius
- thigh
- calf
- back
- ass ( important for female character, but male character too)
- hip (female character)
Changable colors:
- skin tone
- eye color
- eyebrow
- hair
- facial hair
changabe styles:
- hair ( 5 - 10 style / 1 - 2 crazy)
- facial hair ( 5 - 10 style )
- eyebrow
I think the best way, if not too realistic the character.
- Male character like superheroes. short legs, big upper body ( like a triangle ), long arms. I attached a picture. I like this image, this is a good way!
- Femlale character with long legs, wide hip ... :)
Clothing...is this possible? just because the body parts are scaleble. :/
A little gym, with few sections / rooms:
- running machines
- bicycle
- ab bench
- frame
- leg press machine
- bench to train calfs
- one handed dumbbells ( with scalable weights )
- two handed barbels
- scott bench
- simple bench (adjustable)
- chest bench
- chest bench 45'
- simple bench (adjustable)
- pull up machine
few 2d graphics
Adjudicado a:
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The Mirfield Sunday School League, which later became the Mirfield District Church Football League, started in the 1920s and ran for over 80 years before being wound up in 2003.
At its peak, ten to 12 teams played as part of the league but there were only three at the end.
One of the teams that used to play in it was the Verona Fathers whose home ground was the seminary at Roe Head, which is now Holly Bank House.
Gerry McLaughlin, who was there from 1964 to 67, said: "I remember when I first arrived at Roe Head, accompanied by my mother, being surprised, after the parents left, being told that we weren't allowed to leave the grounds of the school. It felt a little claustrophobic and hadn't been mentioned when we were recruited. We were allowed out once every fortnight to visit the swimming baths in Heckmondwike and once every two weeks for a walk around the neighbourhood. Both were supervised.
"However, those that got on the football team got out for away games too, along with some fans. So we looked forward to those trips every second Saturday. I remember teams like Ravensthorpe, St Peter's, Zion Baptists, Mirfield Parish, Hopton Congregationalists amongst others".
In their very first year in the league in 1964-65, the Verona Fathers won the league and they took part every year until they closed in 1984 with a dwindling number of boys volunteering for the priesthood. They won the league multiple times and had the advantage of a steady stream of boys arriving from football hotbeds like the Glasgow and Liverpool areas.
Gerry said: "I remember that game when the picture was taken. I was eleven at the time. It was at half time in our second last match of the season. We were well ahead against one of the weaker teams and we would wrap up the league that day. Our biggest rivals then were Zion Baptists who always gave us a tough game. They finished 2nd to us in the league but knocked us out in the semi finals of the Cup which they won.
"Is it really almost 50 years ago? I have great memories of playing football in Mirfield. It was pretty strict in my first two years at the seminary there but I enjoyed playing football for the school team and have many happy memories of that. It was an Italian order and the school strip that we wore was gifted to us by Inter Milan. It was very nice of them but myself and the other Scots boys were still delighted when Celtic beat them 2-1 in the final of the European Cup in 1967.
"If anyone has any old match reports of the games I'd love to see them."
If you played in the league and want to share you memories, get in touch with Gerry via the Reporter at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Ireland 13-13 France, Six Nations
O'Driscoll determined to leave on his terms
Graham Jenkins
March 9, 2013
Ireland's Brian O'Driscoll could have played his last game for Ireland on home soil © PA Photos
Brian O'Driscoll may have refused to confirm that this Six Nations will be his last but a typically warrior-like performance, a refusal to bow to pain and an overwhelming show of emotion hinted that the great man is unlikely to grace the international stage in Dublin again.
One of many bone-crunching tackles floored the veteran centre in the closing moments of the game and after a prolonged assessment, O'Driscoll reluctantly left the field, supported by Irish medics and a grateful nation, the crowd rose to its feet and his wife Amy Huberman, clutching their recently-born daughter Sadie, appeared to fight back the tears as she looked on from the stands. She wasn't the only one desperate for it not to end this way - arguably Irish rugby's greatest ever player deserved to finish what many believe will be his last international appearance on home soil on the pitch.
Given O'Driscoll's Lazarus-like qualities, it was no surprise to see him re-enter the fray, in discomfort from what we were told was a dead-leg and a cut ear although shots of O'Driscoll staggering around and frantically filling his lungs in an attempt to clear his head suggested something a little more serious. His determination to return to the thick of the action should not be surprising. O'Driscoll has spent the last decade or so thrilling crowds around the world but also putting his country's needs ahead of his own wellbeing - and how his side needed him on this occasion.
Last month Ireland struggled in similarly wet and windy conditions but adapted much better this time around with a simple but effective kicking game frustrating a France side short of ideas. Scrum-half Conor Murray dictated proceedings and fly-half Paddy Jackson looked assured while a resurgent Jamie Heaslip provided much of the grunt from No.8 in a performance that will go a long way to silencing his critics. But for the third successive match Ireland let victory slowly slip from their grasp having held a relatively comfortable 10-point lead at the break. They failed to trouble the scoreboard after the re-start and come the closing stages they were running out of steam. Bodies littered the field as France continued to hammer away in the hope of notching an unlikely victory but they would be denied.
Ireland could have snatched the victory and perhaps should have at least been given a chance to win the game in the dying moments. France replacement Vincent Debaty appeared to check the run of Ireland wing Keith Earls as he closed in on a kick through that was eventually touched down in-goal by the visitors' Louis Picamoles. Referee Steve Walsh, whose handling of the game in quite testing circumstances deserves praise, chose not to award a penalty or a penalty try having consulted with the Television Match Official - although input on foul play is not allowed in the Six Nations, unlike the Super Rugby competition where Walsh is a regular.
France may have ended a three-game losing streak with this brutally compelling draw but they are sadly mistaken if they think they have stopped the rot. If they were not playing in their famous blue jerseys then you would never have believed that this was France. Staring at what would be their first wooden spoon since 1999, first win-less campaign since 1969 and a first whitewash since 1957, they raised their game - but not by much. Errors continued to plague their best efforts and while an absence of flair was understandable on a wet and windy day in Dublin, too many of their supposedly talent-laden players lacked the energy and the urgency the occasion demanded - yet somehow they escaped with a share of the spoils.
Fly-half Frederic Michalak remains a cause for concern - unless, it appears, you are coach Philippe Saint-Andre whose faith in his first-choice playmaker shows no sign of waning but another high-profile failure to deliver is sure to increase the pressure on both. Luckily in captain Thierry Dusautoir and Picamoles France had two warriors of their own who were unfazed by the atrocious playing conditions and determined to inspire a turnaround in their side's recent fortunes while scrum-half Morgan Parra exuded confidence and class at every opportunity.
As with Kidney, this result is unlikely to do much to improve Saint-Andre's long-term prospects with his side still languishing in terms of standard of performance. They have one final chance to lift themselves off the foot of the table and avoid the ignominy of a last-place finish against Scotland in Paris next weekend but such is the depth of France's current slump it will now take more than one win to convince even die-hard fans that they have rediscovered both their bite and appetite.
O'Driscoll is clearly not short of either and that unrivalled hunger for the game should ensure a final Six Nations hurrah in Rome next weekend and another tour with the British & Irish Lions later this year - but unfortunately for the Irish faithful that could be the last time they see him in the emerald green.
France's Louis Picamoles secures the ball as Ireland's Keith Earls is bundled into touch © PA Photos
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Graham Jenkins is the Senior Editor of ESPNscrum and you can also follow him on Twitter.
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- Penn Athletic Club, based in the Pittsburgh area, has changed its name to Copper Mountain Health and Fitness. It is also relocating to a new 9,000-square-foot facility. The full-fitness facility will offer group fitness classes, karate, saunas, childcare, boxing area, juice bar, expanded strength and cardio equipment, as well as various health-related services. The new facility will be completed in February.
- Imagine Survivor in a health club instead of on an island, and you'll have an idea of what's currently going on at the Las Vegas Athletic Clubs.
Viewers of NBC's Las Vegas affiliate, News 3, were invited to plead their case as to why their fellow viewers should pick them to work out at Las Vegas Athletic Clubs for an entire year. Six hundred viewers entered, 7,000 votes were tallied, and five people made the cut.
Over the next 12 months, News 3 will chronicle the progress of the five "surviving" finalists during its evening broadcasts. Although it's doubtful any of the contestants will walk around the gym naked, it's almost guaranteed that they will all look better than Richard Hatch when the year-long program concludes.


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I am certain that I would not have learned to use koshi (whole body mechanics) if I had not met Shinzato Sensei. OK, I might have been able to learn from one of his senior students if I was lucky enough to meet one of them, but there were none in Hawaii (we are 3,000 miles from just about anything).
But I am absolutely certain that I would not have discovered it myself or learned to use koshi from reading books and articles on the subject. I've even written articles on the subject and I am sure that they would not have helped me at all. If you learn something about koshi, it is easy to write about it. If you have not learned something about koshi, reading and writing about it are not very helpful (except to make you want to learn it).
I would even say that the videos I had watched about koshi would not have been helpful. Before I learned to use koshi, I just dismissed videos I was lucky enough to watch as "magic". This was true of the videos I watched, first of Oshiro Sensei, and then of Shinzato Sensei. They looked great and I could "see/understand" none of it. Now I can appreciate what they are doing and how they are doing it (to the extent of my understanding).
Basically, nothing except learning from a real teacher of koshi would have helped. It takes hands on training and someone to observe and copy (or at least try to copy).
I first watched a video of Shinzato Sensei about 15 years ago. He was doing Pinan Shodan on some grainy video. I kept watching the first movement over and over. It was impossible to anyone to move like that! More correctly, it would have been impossible for me to move like that the way I was moving. No amount of extra effort or extra power would have helped. I already had reached the point were "more" was producing less.
Then, about 10 years ago, I was fortunate to meet Shinzato Sensei. The "wow" factor was multiplied by 100 in person. How could he move like that? And how could he perform kata over and over and not seem to get tired (he's 19 years older than me)? And how could he keep smiling and laughing? How? How? How?
After about a day of training, I told him that if I could only learn to perform shuto I would be happy (I realize that is still arrogant). I thought that if I could learn to do just one movement correctly, that would be more than enough for me to work on for a long time. How lucky I was! By accident I had discovered the right approach. Trying to learn to do everything he did would have been impossible. Even learning three things would have been impossible for me. But a single movement might be possible.
I actually only learned part of shuto because I had recently undergone shoulder surgery. Shuto hurt. But I did learn gedan barai (downward block). I could do that (sort of) with my shoulder.
So when I returned to Hawaii after training in Okinawa, I worked on gedan barai. Over and over and over. Again and again and again, for about a year and a half, until I could "throw" the block with my koshi (whole body using koshi, lats, torque, recoil, etc.). Then I applied that mechanic to all other movements. I am serious. I tried doing a chudan uke with the same mechanic. I tried doing a shuto with that mechanic. Punch, kick, any block, any strike... I eventually applied my gedan barai mechanic to everything. If you watch me and understand koshi, you might see the gedan barai flavor in my movement. (My second son, in contrast, has a shuto flavor.)
And guess what? There is only one koshi motion. There are not different koshi motions of each technique. If you can apply koshi correctly to one movement, you can learn to apply that same mechanic to all movements... even movements you do not currently know.
Koshi teaches you how to move. Whatever movement or technique that you know or might learn, koshi will apply to it.
I would never had expected this, and I certainly would not have begun to learn koshi mechanics were it not for Shinzato Sensei, who I only admired in grainy videos 15 years ago. I think I wore that tape out!
I give credit to Shinzato Sensei. He gives credit to Kishaba Sensei and Nakamura Sensei, among others. I am sure that they also gave credit to the seniors from whom they learned and the fellow students with whom they trained -- probably many Karate experts no one has heard of.
It was an unlikely chain of events that led me to Shinzato Sensei and it was my misfortune and good luck that my recent shoulder surgery made me lower my sights to learning a single movement (rather than the whole curriculum!).
Who would have imagined?
Charles C. Goodin
Koshi -- Who Would Have Imagined?
I am certain that I would not have learned to use koshi (whole body mechanics) if I had not met Shinzato Sensei. OK, I might have been able to learn from one of his senior students if I was lucky enough to meet one of them, but there were none in Hawaii (we are 3,000 miles from just about anything).
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Tuesday, June 28, 2011


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A V8 in a Volvo? That's just crazy talk!
Volvos have been changing over time, but it's a slow change. John Davis says they take their 'Swede' time, which is enough to make everyone in a 12 mile radius audibly cringe.
Let me just say, that the Yamaha V8 in the XC90 seems like a 'Swede' engine, and the XC90 looks really 'Swede' as well.
And if you've ever wanted to see an XC90 take on a slalom, well, this video is the right thing to watch. I mean, just look at that 'Swede' body roll!
MotorWeek Theater is our showcase of some of our favorite classic reviews from public television's finest motoring program. How does this video only have 12,001 views? It's Swede!


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Cancer causing machines are formally banned throughout Europe
Steve Watson
November 16, 2011
In a move we predicted the moment the words left his mouth, TSA head John Pistole has reneged on a promise to the Senate to instigate further studies into the safety of radiation firing body scanners.
A fortnight ago, Pistole told a Senate homeland security committee hearing that the agency will commission further independent research into the safety risks associated with full body scanners currently in use in almost all major airports in the U.S.
"I am concerned that there's a perception that they're not as safe as they could be," Pistole said after claiming that independent studies have already proven the technology safe.
Now Pistole has changed his mind, however, suggesting that a forthcoming inspector general's report validates earlier conclusions that the machines are not harmful and negates the need for further study.
In a new Senate hearing held earlier this week, Pistole stated:
"My strong belief is those types of machines are still completely safe… If the determination is that this IG study is not sufficient, then I will look at still yet another additional study."
Pistole repeated the claim to CNN, stating:
"…there are those who continue to express concerns, and so I want to do everything that I can to reassure those people that these machines are as safe as possible."
"That being said, I just learned about an inspector general report that is in draft form that validates those prior studies, so that may suffice," Pistole said. "We'll work with Congress to see whether that addresses their concerns."
Of course, it is hardly surprising that the TSA is backtracking. Pistole has previously made promises in testimony before the Senate, regarding TSA policy, that have simply been later ignored, forgotten about and flouted.
As the CNN article highlights, the IG report, still weeks away from release, only focuses on how the TSA monitors and maintains the backscatter machines, rather than the safety aspects associated with them.
"What I asked for — and what the administrator committed to — was an independent study on the health effects of AIT (advanced imaging technology) machines, not just a study on whether TSA is doing an adequate job of inspecting, maintaining and operating AIT machines, which I understand is the approach of the inspector general's report" said Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) in a written statement.
"I hope the Obama administration is not backing away from an independent study,"Collins said, noting, "Travelers are concerned that the radiation emitted from these machines may be damaging to passengers' health."
The issue of body scanner safety was once again thrust into the spot light recently with the publication of a report by ProPublica, in conjunction with PBS NewsHour, detailing how the "U.S. Government Glossed Over Cancer Concerns" as it rolled out the scanners into airports.
The other major finding to come from the report indicated that the Food and Drug Administration went against the advice of a 1998 expert panel, which recommended the agency set a mandatory federal safety standard for the machines. Several members of that panel said they were concerned about widespread use of X-ray scanners, including in airports.
At the beginning of this week, the European Commission formally adopted guidelines prohibiting the use of X-ray body scanners utilizing ionizing radiation in European airports.
"In order not to risk jeopardizing citizens' health and safety, only security scanners which do not use X-ray technology are added to the list of authorized methods for passenger screening at EU airports." a press release reads.
With this in mind, Americans now have little excuse for tolerating what they are currently being subjected to at the hands of the TSA.
The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) is currently locked in a battle to force the Department Of Homeland Security to disclose documents containing radiation testing results, agency fact sheets on body scanner radiation risks, and images produced by the machines.
EPIC has filed a motion for summary judgment in its ongoing Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the DHS.
EPIC previously obtained hundreds of pages of documents detailing the radiation risks presented by the machines.
The documents revealed that the TSA, and specifically the head of the Department of Homeland Security, "publicly mischaracterized" the findings of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, in stating that NIST had positively confirmed the safety of full body scanners in tests.
The documents, including internal TSA emails, also revealed that TSA employees are greatly concerned by a surge in cancer cases among their number. Agents stationed at Boston Logan airport directly voiced their concerns to a TSA representative who promised to relay them to TSA headquarters.
The TSA has thus far refused to address the scores of real independent scientists who have continued to speak out over the health hazards associated with the x-ray technology, noting that the body scanners are far from safe.
Numerous highly respected universities and health bodies, including Johns Hopkins, Columbia University, the University of California, and the Inter-Agency Committee on Radiation Safety, have all warned that the health threat posed by the scanners has not been properly studied and could lead to increased cancer rates.
John Sedat, a University of California at San Francisco professor of biochemistry and biophysics and member of the National Academy of Sciences told CNet that the machines have "mutagenic effects" and will increase the risk of cancer. Sedat previously sent a letter to the White House science Czar John P. Holdren, identifying the specific risk the machines pose to children and the elderly.
The letter stated:
"it appears that real independent safety data do not exist… There has not been sufficient review of the intermediate and long-term effects of radiation exposure associated with airport scanners. There is good reason to believe that these scanners will increase the risk of cancer to children and other vulnerable populations."
The TSA has repeatedly stated that going through the machines is equal to the radiation encountered during just two minutes of a flight. However, this does not take into account that the scanning machines specifically target only the skin and the muscle tissue immediately beneath.
The scanners are similar to C-Scans and fire ionizing radiation at those inside which penetrates a few centimeters into the flesh and reflects off the skin to form a naked body image.
The firing of ionizing radiation at the body effectively "unzips" DNA, according to scientific research by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The research shows that even very low doses of X-ray can delay or prevent cellular repair of damaged DNA, yet pregnant women and children will be subjected to the process as new guidelines including scanners are adopted.
The Inter-Agency Committee on Radiation Safety concluded in their report on the matter that governments must justify the use of the scanners and that a more accurate assessment of the health risks is needed.
Pregnant women and children should not be subject to scanning, according to the report, adding that governments should consider "other techniques to achieve the same end without the use of ionizing radiation."
"The Committee cited the IAEA's 1996 Basic Safety Standards agreement, drafted over three decades, that protects people from radiation. Frequent exposure to low doses of radiation can lead to cancer and birth defects, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,"reported Bloomberg.
Scientists at Columbia University have also entered the debate, warning that the dose emitted by the naked x-ray devices could be up to 20 times higher than originally estimated, likely contributing to an increase in a common type of skin cancer called basal cell carcinoma which affects the head and neck.
"If all 800 million people who use airports every year were screened with X-rays then the very small individual risk multiplied by the large number of screened people might imply a potential public health or societal risk. The population risk has the potential to be significant," said Dr David Brenner, head of Columbia University's centre for radiological research.
In related news, a Congressional report released this week to mark the tenth anniversary of the TSA, has labeled the agency an "ineffective" "bloated bureaucracy", concluding that it has done nothing to improve aviation security.
Drawing on the deployment of failed technology that has wasted millions of dollars, the report also declared that 500 Advanced Imaging Technology devices have been deployed throughout the nation in a "haphazard and easily thwarted manner".
Steve Watson is the London based writer and editor for Alex Jones' Infowars.net, and Prisonplanet.com. He has a Masters Degree in International Relations from the School of Politics at The University of Nottingham in England.
This article was posted: Thursday, November 17, 2011 at 9:49 am


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As the weather cools down here in my corner of the world, my belly starts craving some hearty comfort food. Like this steaming pot of stew.
I wanted to make a mushroom stew and came across this recipe which sounded perfect because it included beans. I started and then the devil in me started to veer off-track, throwing in a little bit of this and a little bit of that, until I got a little a little too far from where I had begun. No worries, though, because we — this Mushroom Bean Stew stew and I — ended up in a good place.
This Mushroom Bean Stew is one of those your-body-is-your-temple foods, meaning it is super good for you. It is also gluten-free, if you are so inclined. Besides the mushrooms there is an armful of gorgeous, fresh, lifegiving veggies here like carrots and celeries and tomatoes and onions. Combine that with the fiber-rich, protein-loaded goodness of beans and the warmth of rosemary. At just 169 calories a serving, eight grams of protein and nearly seven grams of fiber (check out the nutrition label at the end of the recipe), you will have a dish that sings a joyful ditty to your heart and your tummy.
I am off to enjoy my Sunday now– ah, why can't we have three of them each week– but not before I share the recipe for my Mushroom Bean Stew with rosemary and garlic. Enjoy all, and enjoy the rest of the weekend!
Mushroom Bean Stew with Rosemary
- 1 cup Great Northern Beans, soaked overnight and then pressure-cooked or boiled with enough water to cover by an inch, until tender. If using canned, substitute two cups of canned, drained beans.
- 1 1/2 pounds cremini mushrooms, quartered if large, halved if small
- 2 carrots, finely diced
- 2 sticks of celery, finely diced
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 5 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 medium tomatoes, pureed
- 1 cup olives
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup white wine (optional)
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs of rosemary. Strip the leaves from the woody stems, discard the stems, and mince the leaves
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and carrots and season with some salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables soften and the onions turn translucent, about eight minutes.
- Add the garlic and the bay leaves and continue to saute for two more minutes.
- Increase heat to medium-high, add the mushrooms and saute another five minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the white wine if using and scrape up any browned bits of vegetables sticking to the bottom of the pan. Let the wine reduce so the alcohol is cooked out, about five minutes.
- Add the tomato puree, cooked beans, rosemary, and half a cup of water. If you'd like a thinner stew, add more water.
- Bring the stew to a boil then lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until the stew has thickened and all the vegetables are cooked. Add the olives.
- Add more salt and pepper if needed.
- Stir and turn off heat. Serve hot with some crusty bread or over rice.


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STATE COLLEGE — A year ago, as Jerry Sandusky was awaiting trial, Joe Paterno was telling a reporter he had "no inkling" before 2001 that Sandusky may have been a pedophile and Penn State's recently departed president Graham Spanier faced no criminal charges.
STATE COLLEGE — A year ago, as Jerry Sandusky was awaiting trial, Joe Paterno was telling a reporter he had "no inkling" before 2001 that Sandusky may have been a pedophile and Penn State's recently departed president Graham Spanier faced no criminal charges.
The Sandusky child molestation scandal brought developments on a daily basis in 2012, including the former assistant football coach's conviction and sentencing, Paterno's death from cancer two months after he was fired, new doubts about Paterno's Sandusky-related statements, and charges against Spanier for an alleged cover-up.
The story forced people to grapple with the horrors of pedophilia, said Temple University journalism professor Chris Harper, but it was the roles played by Paterno, Spanier and other high officials at Penn State that have made it so distinctive.
"I think the issue that garnered so much attention is that this had been going on for so long," Harper said. "A variety of people knew about it and did nothing about it. So it sat there smoldering like a fire in the forest, and all of a sudden the forest became inflamed."
The pivotal event this year was Sandusky's three-week trial in June, during which eight young men testified they had been abused as children in various ways, from grooming and manipulation to fondling, oral sex and anal rape. Sandusky, who did not testify, was sentenced to 30 to 60 years in state prison, which means the 68-year-old who helped coach the Nittany Lions to two national championships is likely to die in prison.
"We're not talking about a Division III backwater program," said Karl Rominger, one of Sandusky's defense attorneys. "We're talking about one of the premier athletic programs in the nation."
In Paterno, who won more games than any major college football coach, the university had cultivated an image of "winning with honor." He built the football program into a juggernaut and helped raise more than $1 billion in donations that transformed the campus. He was not charged with any crime related to the Sandusky matter, and although he professed ignorance, he also acknowledged he wished he had done more.
Paterno was summarily fired by the board of trustees a few days after Sandusky's arrest — an event that triggered a small riot on campus, and Spanier was forced out as president — although he remains a faculty member.
The school also removed a glorifying statute of Paterno from its prime spot outside the football stadium, but his name still adorns the campus library that his donations helped build.
Not long before he died in January, Paterno told The Washington Post that he had been completely unaware of a 1998 investigation by campus police of a complaint made by a woman after Sandusky had showered with her son.
"You know it wasn't like it was something everybody in the building knew about," Paterno told the paper. "Nobody knew about it."
That claim was refuted in July, when Penn State released the results of its internal investigation into how Spanier, Paterno and two other administrators — Gary Schultz and Tim Curley — had handled that matter and a second complaint, made by a graduate assistant coach to Paterno about Sandusky showering with a boy in 2001.
A trail of emails and other records showed how the administrators dealt with the two complaints. The report, written by a team led by former FBI director Louis Freeh, reached a damning conclusion.
"The most powerful leaders at the university — Spanier, Schultz, Paterno and Curley — repeatedly concealed critical facts relating to Sandusky's child abuse from the authorities, the university's board of trustees, the Penn State community and the public at large," the report concluded, attributing their actions to a desire to avoid negative publicity for the university.
Schultz and Curley had been charged at the same time as Sandusky with perjury, for allegedly lying to a grand jury about the matter, and failing to report the 2001 complaint by Mike McQueary to proper authorities. They, along with Spanier and Paterno's supporters, hotly disputed the report's conclusions.
Some alumni groups painted Freeh's investigation, commissioned by the Penn State board of trustees, as biased from the outset. But the school accepted Freeh's findings, vowing to become a leader in child abuse prevention and to restore the trust it had lost.
The case against Curley and Schultz was moving slowly through the court system when prosecutors dropped another bombshell in October, releasing a follow-up grand jury report and adding new charges against both men. For the first time, Spanier was charged.
Attorney General Linda Kelly spoke of "a conspiracy of silence by top officials to actively conceal the truth."
Curley is on leave with pay as athletic director until the final year of his contract expires, Schultz has retired and Spanier remains a tenured faculty member since he was pushed out as president shortly after Sandusky's arrest.
All three men deny the allegations. There are pending legal disputes about whether they will be tried separately and regarding the legal advice they received from former university chief counsel Cynthia Baldwin.
Curley and Schultz had been scheduled for a January trial on the first set of charges, but judges have delayed that proceeding, as well as the preliminary hearing for the newer charges for all three men.
The scandal has had repercussions outside the courtroom as well, most notably in the form of a July consent agreement by the university with the NCAA and the Big Ten Conference. Penn State avoided having the football program suspended from play but agreed to a four-year ban on postseason play, a reduction in scholarships, a NCAA-record $60 million fine and forfeiture of more than 100 wins.
Despite the loss of several star players, whose permission to transfer without penalty was part of the NCAA deal, Penn State finished the season under new coach Bill O'Brien with an 8-4 record.
At least five victims or accusers formally began civil lawsuits against Penn State this year, as did McQueary. The school has initiated settlement talks in an effort to avoid protracted litigation and trials, but so far that process has not produced concrete results.
In State College, the university has trained thousands of employees regarding child abuse and adopted many of the reforms suggested in the Freeh group's report.
The Sandusky scandal reached into many aspects of life in Pennsylvania this year. It became a matter of debate in the Legislature, where a study recommended improvements to state child abuse laws, and lawmakers appear poised to take action in the coming months.
On the political front, Kathleen Kane became the first Democrat elected attorney general after a campaign in which she made an issue of how the Sandusky investigation was handled under Tom Corbett, then the attorney general and now the state's Republican governor.
Sandusky, now confined in southwestern Pennsylvania in one of the state's most secure prisons, recently appealed a decision by the State Employees' Retirement Board to revoke his $59,000-a-year pension. He maintains his innocence and is pursuing appeals.