text:
- Oct 31:
- Northeast Plains Outreach Team reaching out to flood victims
- Oct 19:
- Disaster Recovery Center closing today
- Oct 10:
- Parks, Library and Recreation board hears update on flood damage
- Oct 8:
- Flood refunds announced for rifle seasons, property updates
- Oct 4:
- Non-profits, local governments invited to briefing
- Northeastern Junior College reflects on handling of flood situation
- Sep 30:
- FEMA: Disaster Recovery Center still open
- Museum accepting donations to help with recovery
- Sep 28:
- Flood-damaged county roads remain closed
- Center for FEMA, agencies offers 'one stop'
- Sep 27:
- Sterling Livestock helps raise funds for flood relief
- Sep 26:
- Living Center residents happy to return home
- Agencies fill courthouse with resources, personnel
- Sep 25:
- A call for Love
- Sep 24:
- Agencies providing aid, info for those affected by the flood
- Safety hazards remain even after water recedes
- Free legal assistance for flood victims
- RE-1 Valley Board of Education hears update on flood issues
- Sep 23:
- City of Sterling resumes normal operations
- A funeral in the time of the flood
- Sep 21:
- Flood upate: no flush order in effect through weekend
- INFORMATION EXTENSION: Food safety information after a flood
- Sep 20:
- Flood update: Highway 6 reopens as residents take stock
- Flood update: Temporary pipe helping relieve pressure on sewer system
- Flood update: no flush restriction still in effect
- Help available for residents, businesses
- Flood postpones Christ United Methodist Church anniversary celebration
- Gov. Hickenlooper: We will rebuild and come out stronger
- Sep 19:
- Merino Fire Department offering free showers from 6 to 10 p.m. today
- Care facilities coping with flood's impact
- Scam artists exploiting Colorado floods
- Sep 18:
- RE-1 Valley School District superintendent gives details about decision to cancel classes
- City of Sterling says wastewater pumps still not operating
- Northeast Colorado Health Department receiving TD vaccine
- Salvation Army providing canteen truck at Sterling Middle School
- Cancellations and closings due to the flooding
- Sandbags wanted downstream
- Sep 17:
- Northeast Colorado Health Department working to get more personal camp toilets, portable toilets
- Flood issues causing closings and postponements
- Damage to wastewater system forces closure of facilities
- Crook evacuated as river threatens
- RE-1 Valley School District, St. Anthony Catholic School, Northeastern Junior College cancel classes, close campus for rest of the week
- Sep 16:
- Lions Club helping with disaster relief for flood victims
- Community rises to help displaced pets
- Colorado flood map 2013 of rain totals
- Sep 15:
- South Platte river-bottom residents take shelter
- Updated: The river has not reached Sterling yet
- Sep 14:
- Southwestern Logan County under flash flood warning until 10:45 p.m.
- Flooding brings tales of rescues, improvisation
- Colorado floods: "Unaccounted for" fluid, now totals 584
- Colorado floods: Infrastructure repairs a steep climb
- Weather postpones many weekend contests
The group recently toured the Logan County area and identified debris removal and building farm fences as the two things they would like to help with here.
They have volunteers to help and right now they're just trying to identify who needs service first.
"They're a Christian group that is helping anyone affected by the flood," Samber said.
According to their website, www.fcfi.org, FCF was formed in August of 1985 in San Antonio, Texas, during the American Soybean Association EXPO when a group of farmers met together to discuss the need for an organized Christian fellowship of the farming industry.
Their objectives are:
• To promote Christian fellowship of the farming community in your local, state, national and international levels;
• To provide the organization for mission teams whereby farmers and persons in the agricultural industry can effectively utilize their resources for helping to meet the needs of the world;
• To publish the PROFIT newsletter as a means to communicate news of FCFI activities and articles that would encourage the reader to mature in their faith;
• To provide the structure for Christian leaders involved in agriculture to effectively work with farm or animations and businesses.
The group is currently asking for donations of materials and fences to build.
If you would like the group's assistance you can contact Samber at (970) 522-0888 or Pastor Sean Cole, of Emmanuel Baptist Church, at (970) 522-1440.
In other business, the commissioners began the process of repairing roads damaged by the flood, awarding Yost Construction the bid for construction of Logan County Bridge LOG 53-46.9-135, crossing the Iliff Platte Valley Ditch located on County Road 53 approximately 1.5 miles north of Highway 138, at Iliff.
The county also received bids from Concrete Specialties, of Sterling, for $168,988.01 and TLM Constructors, of Greeley, for $193,747.37.
An agreement between the county and Yost Construction was postponed definitely until next week's meeting, 9 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 22, at the Logan County Courthouse, so that the county attorney can approve it.
The commissioners approved a license/use agreement between the county and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to allow FEMA to use the Gary DeSoto Building, at 1120 Pawnee Ave., for the Disaster Recovery Center, to expire no later than Nov. 1.
Under the consent agenda, the commissioners approved the minutes of the Oct. 8 meeting and acknowledged receipt of the Tourist Information Center coordinator, clerk and recorder and treasurer's reports for September.
Callie Jones: (970) 526-9286; email@example.com. Follow cjones_JA on Twitter.


text: Specializing in print, interactive, and product design, Sterling Design has won over a thousand awards (that's 1000, in digits). We can see why -- the usual bells and whistles are combined with a clever kind of elegance. Jennefier Sterling's design pieces are collected by major museums; her posters, calendars, and invitations are in the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum, and the Library of Congress. Not too shabby, Jen. Keep it up, your doodles might just get you somehwere.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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20 visual steps to demonstrate some of the most important things to check before buying a used car.
Image Source: http://visual.ly/how-buy-used-car
About IBC Japan:
IBC Japan is a world leader in the vehicle export industry, specializing in the development and implementation of vehicle procurement, export management, and customer service technology.
Contact Information:
IBC Japan (Head Office)
Address: 64 Miyanomae-cho, Nakajima, Fushimi-ku,Kyoto Japan
Phone: +81 75 622 5091 (English)
+81 75 622 5090 (Japanese)
Fax: +81 75 622 2400
Email: email@example.com
Website: www.ibcjapan.co.jp


text:
WATCH: Harold Dieterle, Josh Capon, And Pat LaFrieda Share Elaborate Bro-Date On Munchies
The latest episode of Vice's Munchies documents a typical day at The Marrow, Harold Dieterle's newest Italian-German fusion restaurant. That day begins with Harold swearing about his wife's juice cleanse, and ends with Harold sloughing his painfully earnest exterior to go full-bro with his chef besties over brats.
You see, after service at The Marrow ends, Harold kicks it old-school with Dovetail's John Fraser, and goes out for sushi to recharge (remember that nice, clean protein buzz Anthony Bourdain talks about chefs needing after service?). Then, at Daddy-O's in the West Village, they run into none other than Josh Capon and Pat LaFrieda, and bro-hug that moment out.
Finally, they end the night back at The Marrow with brats and sauerkraut. Suddenly, owning a restaurant makes sense: free, guaranteed-delicious drunchies in the neighborhood with your bros after a long bar crawl? Genius. Also, apparently, you need to be stalking Daddy-O's more closely for chef sightings.
Check out Muchies: The Marrow below. For even more Munchies, watch Joe Beef's David MacMillan party Quebeqois-style, or Anthony Bourdain get ferried around in a creepy van.
Have a tip we should know? firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Monday, 4 February 2013
A question of perspective again?
I suspect that the reasons for this discrepancy are much more complex than it appears, though some in the US are already pointing to the ownership of firearms as one reason their "violent crime" statistics are falling while ours are rising. I don't think it is that simple, though I do believe that our lack of a clear-cut right of "self-defence" may be a contributory factor. When a pensioner defending himself from a robber with a walking stick can be charged and convicted of "assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm" because a jury of the robber's supporters felt his response to being relieved of his wallet was "disproportionate," it should be no surprise that people are afraid to retaliate. Frankly, the UK legal system is a mess, with only the criminal element and their lawyers standing to benefit from it.
For me the biggest question is, what are we doing about reducing the violent crime rate? Patently the 'softly, softly,' regime our courts are adopting doesn't work. Patently our laws are being bent and abused by criminals, yet our politicians are afraid to adopt a harder line. We know that juries are being intimidated by supporters of the accused - but we do nothing about it. We know that "suspended sentences" are seldom imposed - a recent report actually highlights the fact that many criminals convicted of violent crimes flout their paroles, flout the threat of suspended sentences and are "given another chance" by soft touch judges.
Perhaps the US arms lobby has a point. After all, a criminal who's been shot dead during his attempted crime, doesn't repeat the offence - ever. No, I'm not an advocate of everyone having free and easy access to a firearm, but it is certainly no coincidence that, since the Blair ban on the ownership of handguns, gun crime in the UK has shot through the roof and is, no doubt, a major factor in the violent crime statistics I've quoted above ...
The question remains, what is being done about it?
3 comments:
The NRA-ILA (National Rifle Association's Institute for Legislative Action) produces a publication called "The Armed Citizen".ReplyDelete
This has been kept continuously up to date for decades, detailing specific incidents in which armed, law abiding U.S. citizens have protected themselves, their homes and their families from violent criminals.
Unfortunately the mostly left wing, anti Second Amendment media never seems to "be aware of", or at least view these events as "newsworthy".
Statistically, despite "liberals'" penchant for somwhow blaming crime on legal gun ownership, those states with the least restrictions on gun ownership seem to also have the least problems with armed criminals.
That certainly is an interesting point, but, as I said in my post, there do seem to be some other quite complex factors in play as well - like the right to use whatever force is necessary in defending yourself, and not being bound by what a bunch of lawyers and a jury sympathetic to the criminal consider 'appropriate.'ReplyDelete
New York seems to possess a malady you mentioned in your post, that being the penchant for arresting people for so-called "disproportionate" force in the course of self defense.ReplyDelete
My husband, whose military career contained more than the average share of violence and who has (to my complete agreement) zero tolerance for predators who victimize those they assume to be weak or afraid, believes that once a predator commits himself to an act of violence (including the threat thereof, as in robbery, rape, even bullying), he is automatically authorizing the intended victim to define the rules of engagement and if they include a devastating, merciless response, so be it. The intended victim did not invite the predator to attack...
What really is ridiculous is those law suits that have been won against homeowners by burglars and others who have been injured or wounded in the course of breaking and entering.
As far as the insanity of the courts that excuse criminal behavior, this practice, at least in the U.S., began over 40 years ago when the liberals of the time injected into the "common wisdom" that minority types who committed street crimes were not to blame, instead "society" (the rest of us) was at fault for some reason and these innocent, misunderstood "victims" of society were only reacting to the injustice of their environment.
Judges began issuing wrist slaps instead of stiff penalties like real prison terms -- time served, probation, suspended sentences, a few short months behind bars, counselling, etc -- and this sent the criminals the message that they could pretty well do as they please without paying a price.
Shortly thereafter, minority neighborhoods began turning into combat zones wherein law abiding citizens, especially the elderly, were afraid to go out at night.
Despite the obvious disaster spawned by these policies, the tradition has remained in place among certain judges and most liberals, especially those who live in upper income, well patrolled neighborhoods and gated communities, far removed from the realities faced by "the unwashed masses".
There's a saying here: The definition of a liberal is a conservative who's never been mugged. :-)


text:
Latest Comic:
Making It Official
Welcome to Wasted Potential.
The life and not so hard times of Norm Burns, an aspiring cartoonist who works at a fast food restaurant while dreaming of being the next Charles Schulz, and his friends and family.
Making It Official
January 9th, 2011, 10:39 am
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Well, it's been a couple of weeks since I've posted a strip, and now I'm making it official: "Wasted Potential" is going on hiatus for the foreseeable future.
I'd like to thank everyone who's been reading this strip for the past four years. Hope you've enjoyed reading the strip as much as I've loved writing and drawing it.
Thank You and Good Night;
Ray Tomczak
July 11th, 2010, 9:21 am
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Not only have I provided you, my loyal readers, (at least I hope you're loyal--I haven't looked at my readership stats since I took a couple of weeks off a couple of months ago) with not only the usual amusing and insightful weekly installment of "Wasted Potential" but this week, there's the promise of prizes. I'm having a little contest associated with this week's strip. Details are in the "Author's Comment" under the strip itself.
A Holiday Reminder: WP Merch 4 Sale!
December 6th, 2009, 9:53 am
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I'm not really much of a salesman, although I did do pretty well at the Genghis Con in Cleveland last Saturday, but since the Holiday Season has settled upon us, I feel that it is my duty as a reluctant entrepreneur to remind you of the availability of Official Wasted Potential Merchandise! Two WP t-shirt designs are for sale atmy Skreened storeand, as the cliche goes, they make ideal Christmas gifts!
Hello, Cleveland!
November 29th, 2009, 7:47 am
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After I do a comics show and force my latest free flyer on unsuspecting passers by, I usually notice a small surge in the number of visitors here the next day as many of those people say to themselves, "What the hell? I might as well check it out." And a few of them even stick around and become regular readers.
So, after spending the day in Cleveland yesterday at the Genghis Con, I'm expecting such a rush. If you're one of those curious new readers visiting here for the first time, I say Welcome! I hope you enjoy this week's strip. Feel free to browse the archives and I hope you'll come back every Sunday for a new installment.
Genghis Con Invades Cleveland on Nov. 28
November 15th, 2009, 6:10 am
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There's a new small press con called the Genghis Con starting up in Cleveland on the 28th of this month, and I'm heading over there to set up a table where I'll be attempting once again to foist my strip on an unsuspecting public. Below is the official press release, and here's a little blurb about the show from the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Comic Show Features the Unknown Work of Local Graphic Storytellers
You wont find Superman, expensive back issues or fading Hollywood celebrities at Genghis Con, a comic book convention organized to showcase the work of independent artists and writers from the Midwest. The event will be held at the Beachland Ballroom on Saturday, November 28, 2009 from 12:00 noon to 6:00 pm. The convention will feature the talent of approximately 50 graphic storytellers from around the Midwest whose work does not fit into the normal perception of what a comic book should be.
For 70 years the part of the country known as the rust belt has provided the world with an incredible abundance of creative talent in the art of telling stories with pictures. This form of communication has reached its pinnacle of popularity in the form of the beloved comic book. Many of the biggest names in comics today hail from the Midwest.
Comic readers are familiar with such Ohio natives as Brian Bendis, Brian Vaughn, Fred Van Lente, Harvey Pekar and Jeff Smith. These and many others from around the Great Lakes are the modern personalities shaping graphic storytelling as we know it today. The common thread through each of these current and rising stars of the industry is they began their careers creating and publishing their own material.
Like their famous brethren, the participants of Genghis Con use skill, imagination and craftsmanship to create engaging, original graphic storytelling art. Their work, however, remains largely unpublished outside of the creators own trips to the local copy center. Genghis Con exists to bring this creative talent together in one place and to provide a venue for interaction with potential readers who may not have any other opportunity to see this work.
The organizers of Genghis Con are committed to creating an event which is unique in many ways. Early in the planning stages, the convention organizers decided to break most of the rules of a normal comic convention. These changes include eliminating the dealers room and the endless rows of fading TV celebrities. Perhaps the most radical difference is participants will not be charged for table space as they are at other comic conventions. The organizers feel this will free the artists from feeling the pressure to make up their costs and allow them to focus on promoting their work.
"We are not doing this to make money, says Scott Rudge, one of the Genghis Con organizers and owner of Astound Comics in Westlake, Ohio. We want the creators to use the money they save on renting space to offer inexpensive copies of their work. This benefits both the artist and the audience in a way not seen at a typical comic con. We want those attending the convention to feel comfortable interacting meaningfully with the creators and we hope to do that by making the communication of ideas as inexpensive as possible.
To further break down the barriers between the artists and readers, Genghis Con attendees will be able to build their own comic book containing the work of each artist at the show. This book will be included at no additional charge with normal admission of $5.00.
We are looking for creators who use a comic book style format to tell their stories, but we also have accepted some zine and poster artists, says Rudge. While we may have some of the next generation of mainstream stars displaying their work, we are also looking forward to offering the work of those who have no interest in promoting their material beyond the desire to simply tell a story.
The call is out for artists wishing to participate in Genghis Con. Artists are welcome to submit samples of their work for consideration. The organizers of Genghis Con will be accepting submissions until November 15th. For complete details and submission guidelines, creators should go to the event website, www.thegenghiscon.com.
Meet The New Blog
November 8th, 2009, 8:28 am
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So, I started a new blog last week, it's called Gutter Talk, and it's about--big freakin' surprise--comics,
I'll be writing about pretty much anything related to comics, including comic books, comic strips, books about comics, TV and movies based on comics and so on...
Click here to check it out.
Sorry If This Post Makes Little Sense, But I'm Really Tired
November 1st, 2009, 11:59 am
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Last week, if you remember back that far, I told you that I would be participating in the Sunday Comix 24 Hour Comics Challenge this weekend, and as I write this I have returned home from spending the night sitting in the Crimson Cup Coffee House, weary but triumphant, having completed my second 24 Hour Comic. (Which puts me one up on Scott McCloud, the guy who came up with the whole concept, whose only ever done one.)
As you may know, the idea of the 24 Hour Comic Challenge is to complete a 24 page comics story within the space of a 24 hour period. All writing, character designs, penciling, inking and lettering must be done during those 24 hours. Not to brag, but I completed my latest opus in 19 and a half hours. Truthfully, the art, at least, is nothing to brag about, although I'm actually rather proud of the writing. For something that's totally made up as I went along while fighting just to keep my eyes open, I think it reads pretty well, and those who've read it have enjoyed it.
The story is entitled "Memories of Jane," and as soon as I get to a scanner and convert my crude pen strokes into pixels, I plan to post it for posterity on my Comic Space site. Notification of said eventuality, with, it should go with saying, a link, will be posted here on a future Sunday.
24 Hour Comics Day
October 25th, 2009, 10:35 am
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Ok, so there's still time to check out the Sunday Comix art exhibit at Crimson Cup Coffee House in Columbus, Ohio's fabulous Clintonville neighborhood. I am one of the many cartoonists whose work is on display, and it is, in fact, the original art for this week's strip that hangs upon the Cup's wall. The exhibit runs through the end of the week.
This Saturday at the Cup will be the Sunday Comix 24-Hour Comic Day, where brave cartoonists will gather to test the limits of their creativity and endurance by attempting to create a complete 24 page comic book in a mere 24 hours.
The national 24 Hour Comics Day, sponsored by publisher Nat Gertler's About Comics, was back on the 3rd of this month, but most local cartoonists were too busy at Mid-Ohio Con to participate, so Sunday Comix founder Max Ink organized our own local version.
I'm going to make another attempt to create a 24 Hour Comic this weekend (if I get enough sleep this week, that is.) I succeeded my first attempt in 2004, at the very first 24 Hour Comics Day, but pooped out about 11 p.m. on my second attempt the next year. Will I make it this time?
Why don't you drop by Crimson Cup Coffee House this weekend and find out? You can also check out the art exhibit while you're there, and, of course, get a darn fine cup of coffee.
Crimson Cup is located at 4541 N. High St.
See you there.


text:
The Boy's Back
Adam Shaw spoke to Englishman Rob Mountford about playing his hero, Irishman Phil Lynott
The Irish are pretty influential around the world, least not because they're everywhere and, if you're ever in need of a drink, you can be sure to stumble across somewhere marketed as an Irish boozer.
That, of course, is to do the people of Ireland a disservice – there are hundreds of Irishmen and Irishwomen who have made very meaningful contributions to history. The Duke of Wellington, James Joyce, George Best, Sinead O'Connor, to name but a few; if you think about it, you can really establish an impressive list.
There's one name, however, which wouldn't necessarily score highly on Family Fortunes in a 'Famous Irish People' category but could prove useful on 'Pointless'.
Phil Lynott, the lead singer of 70s rockers Thin Lizzy, is hardly an unknown. But his story – one that is unusual, inspirational and, ultimately tragic – is rarely told. It was this which inspired actor and non-Irishman Rob Mountford to write his first ever one-man show; to tell the tale of a true Irish hero.
"I wanted to do something which was funny, something which was poignant and I realised that if I wanted it to be just how I imagined, I'd have to go ahead and pen something myself," he said. "I was watching Top of the Pops 2 one evening and Thin Lizzy were on. And I just thought 'I've got to do a show about Phil – that just hasn't been done before'."
Rob admitted that it was the fact that both he and Lynott were tall and mixed race which initially convinced him to pursue it but, as time went by, he realised that there was much more in terms of similarities.
"The more I looked into it and the more I read about him, I could see that there were a lot of areas of our lives which interlinked," he said.
We were both born in Birmingham and I was adopted by a white family while he of course went to live with the white side of his family back in Dublin." Another connection the two shared was, despite Rob describing himself as English, was the feeling of Irishness. Rob might not end up with a lifesize statue of himself erected just off Grafton Street – though you never know – but he has always felt a strong affinity to Ireland.
"Growing up, in a weird sort of way, I felt Irish," he explained. "I went to a Catholic school and I grew up in a Catholic suburb so everyone around me was Irish.
"And I'd look at my brother with his red hair, freckles and blue eyes and you could see where these feelings came from."
The actor explained how his love of Irish culture, and Irish humour, influenced the show, which he wrote alongside director Chris Larner.
"The play begins, for example, with Cu Chulainn explaining how this is a story about heroes and how he knows a thing or two about them," he said.
"And that is pretty much the central theme of the play; that we all have our heroes, be they rock stars, mythological or family members."
Lynott might not have always been one of Rob's heroes – even though he was raised on rock 'n' roll – but he certainly is now.
His position as an outsider, as a black guy in Crumlin determined to make it, has had a lasting impact. He's also provided him with some comfort every time he steps onto the stage – any feelings of fear and anxiety can be somewhat soothed when thinking 'what would Phil do?'
"I've never done anything like this before. I've played Macbeth and other lead roles which have required a certain bravery but you really are on your own with something like this," Rob explained.


text:
Apple to launch 1,000 new jobs in Ireland/
Apple plans to hire an additional 1,000 workers in Ireland, reports Reuters. Ireland's main foreign investment agency, the IDA, says the Cupertino, California-Based company will add 1,000 jobs to its office in Cork by mid-2017 from 5,000 at present.
Finance Minister Michael Noonan told Reuters that the company had also added 1,000 jobs in the past year. He said the deal showed that the controversy around Apple's tax deal "hasn't affected their enthusiasm for Ireland".
"I think they are bringing a lot of intellectual property onshore too, but that's less clear," he said.
The EU, Europe's anti-trust and consumer investigation agency, has claimed that Ireland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands have attracted investment and jobs by helping big companies avoid tax in other countries, including EU members. The commission suspects Ireland was too lenient in rulings it gave to Apple and which helped the company shield tens of billions of dollars in profit from taxation. At 12.5 percent, Ireland's corporate tax rate beats the U.S. rate of 35% percent. However, participating companies don't pay that 12.5 percentunder the double Irish structure.
Ireland's finance minister thinks European Union regulators will issue a decision on the country's tax deal with Apple before the end of 2015, which could force the Cupertino, California-based company to pay a hefty amount of back taxes, notes Reuters.
The European Commission (EU) has already ordered Dutch authorities to recover up to 30 million euros (about US$32.23 million) from U.S. coffee chain Starbucks and Luxembourg to do the same with Fiat Chrysler for their tax deals.


text:
#777 Natural Edge Wild Black Cherry Crotch Bowl $398.00 SOLD
This natural edge cherry crotch bowl has fantastic color and figure. The deep pink, orange and deep reddish browns in the crotch are complimented by the lighter pink in the walls. This bowl has repaired cracks that are superficial. This bowl would make a wonderful center piece or fruit bowl. This is a beautiful bowl. It is finished with Watco Danish Oil.
This bowl is 14 1/2″ wide at the widest point and 4 3/4″ tall at the tallest point.
Please click on the pictures below to enlarge.


text:
PERMA – an acronym that was devised by Martin Seligman (Wiki entry on Martin), a published psychologist who has spent much of his life determining the tools required for a 'good life' as he describes. During a lecture given to the Royal Society of Arts, he presented a positive psychology model based under the acronym of PERMA. This idea has since been adopted across many management teams as well as many other disciplines as a model for building positive, productive and people oriented teams. My three favourite Ps!
You may now be thinking to yourself: 'But Kirstie, I'm here to read about technology leadership; not to have a psychology lesson!'. My response to you, dear reader, is that they are one of the same. Understanding people is essential to how successful a leader you are / will become. As leaders, our relationships with teams, suppliers, peers etc and their part in the three Ps are a big part of what defines us.
So let's take a look at what PERMA means.
I believe that this is a tangible structure to build a positive leadership framework from and here's why.
Positive Emotion
This can be the hardest thing to cultivate as leaders, especially if you are tasked with an environment that has become accustomed to negativity and its effects.
I have often been accused of allowing emotion to creep into what I'm doing. When I was younger, this was particularly apparent to my peers and judges when frustration would creep in – nowadays this has often become a reaction to my dedication that people are not resources but your key to success. I have sometimes been negatively perceived due to not being quite so gung ho with the discipline and firing processes.
Emotion is a very powerful thing and it has many guises. A person may say to you 'Stop being emotional about this' to mean 'I feel you are taking this personally' when they actually are expressing a reaction to negative emotion. Emotion is an important factor of your life that will be behind your drive, your dedication and your motivation for your successes. What we must actually work on is the positive manifestation of these emotions.
As leaders, we have double the job! We must lead by example. Any emotion must be motivating and positive for your team and organisation. This means we also sometimes must coach our team and organisation into positivity and implement change where necessary to maintain a positive drive.
Positivity is key.
This may be a term you will mostly use during your UX and marketing meetings, however, it has just as much place in your leadership techniques as well. Just as to encourage our users to use our products, we must encourage our teams and partners as well!
In my experience, the greatest negative aspects which hinder engagement are a lack of insight into impact. Imagine spending all day sewing patches of brown material together for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week for some coins with 20 days off a year without ever knowing anything about what they became, what use they were and what use it was sewing them. Would you feel fulfilled and inspired to dedicate yourself to your goal? What is the goal?
Long gone are the days where you are told that your motivation was to do as your told and take home your paycheque. It is proven that people who are more engaged are more connected with your organisation, more supportive in a team and will strive to do the best they can to achieve the success for them and their team. Being able to see your impact on a success story I find is something most people in teams want to see.
Sometimes, you can't always show the bare bones of the success. You probably can't say to your entire company commercially sensitive information. Transparency is not all about hard solid numbers, it's about trends, metrics and displaying the success direction. This can be in the form of conversion rates, user engagement statistics, hitting deadlines, technical debt levels and many more. By making these transparent to your entire organisation, each and every member can directly attribute their effort to a metric that matches to a clearly defined objective and goal.
Transparency is key.
Our relationships in life are key to our success. This is true for every single walk of life and goal from a mother to a cashier to a CEO. Relationships are what you build in order to develop inspiration, understanding and trust. Without these elements in our teams, the rest of the PERMA model falls down.
Collaboration is of great importance to me; systems that collaborate are highly efficient and so are teams. By building a collaborative culture, we instil trust, sharing of knowledge, personal development, mentorship and a joint responsibility. It is in here that there is no room for 'that's not my job' or 'It's his/her fault'. Blame and isolation do not breed wealth of success, revenue or personal goals and they are damaging in teams as well. How can a team achieve a common goal if we are not empowered to do so by both our peers and judges?
How can we as leaders cultivate, monitor and implement this when relationships are so dependant on many people? It's not an easy job, to some it comes naturally and to others it is a goal for them to achieve. It is important that we as leaders show by example. He/She is the thrust, the suspension and the glue. He/She is the spokesperson with the team/org and for the team/org with clear visions that have come from joint learning, collaboration and common goals.
Collaboration is key.
'What is the point?' This question should always have a very clear answer for any member of a team or organisation that asks it. It is an age old question – 'What's the meaning of life?' and that often permeates our entire existence either on a conscious or subconscious level. Why should I exercise? Why should I go to work today? What is the point of swapping this tasty cake for this less tasty banana?
It is often when we see little point to something, that we can not be the positive, productive or healthy people we aspire to be when we can and the same goes for our place of work. The engagement part of this acronym is heavily entwined with this one. One comes with the other and rely on each other to help deliver and empower our teams and organisations to thrive.
How do we achieve meaning? It's all very well providing the metrics to engage, but how do we make them important? How do we make the relevant?
It's incredibly important during the recruitment process to not only hire for skills. You ideally want to hire people that show at least an interest in the type of organisation you have and/or what you are trying to achieve. If this is not apparent, the work won't have relevance to that team member and this may become destructive later on. Team and organisation fit is just as important as the ability to perform a task. It is also important to provide inspiration through engagement to establish meaning amongst the troops. What difference are we going to make? Would you expect a person to give their life for a cause they didn't believe in? Then would you expect a person to dedicate 1/3 of their life to excel with an organisation they didn't believe in? Inspiration through vision and team fit are essential.
Inspiration and Vision is key.
We're nearly there – promise! 🙂
Recognising peoples' accomplishments is a very well documented course for success. With clear insight into achievement and recognition of that fact, most team members will feel a sense of pride which is one of the most effective positive emotions to drive success.
It is also important that we realise the hard work behind accomplishments and look after our team. This is making sure they are being supported through their development processes. More on this can be found here: The importance of rest which is a blog I wrote some time ago about supporting our teams.
By keeping this balance of hard work, fun and rest in our own lives; we can instil it in our teams and organisations to always deliver without unnecessary sacrifice thereby setting a healthy positive culture.
Balance is key.
Concluding to…
Here we go – I promise I've nearly finished now!
With all this in mind, PERMA creates a fabulous framework to align yourself to leading your teams. Next post on PERMA will look at the different leadership tools we can use to promote this that you probably always thought a bit much or old school on their own such as SWOT and PEST analysis to use as a monitor for change.


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I have been making these Banana Muffins for 15 yrs now and I still make them almost once a week! No bananas ever go to waste in my house. Of course you can make it in a loaf pan for banana bread too. I believe this recipe came from my Mom who got the recipe from her Mom... it's a keeper!
3 very ripe bananas
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup shortening
2 eggs
pinch of salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp buttermilk- I have actually never used buttermilk because I rarely have it on hand. The perfect substitute is 3 tbsp of milk plus1 tsp of lemon juice OR apple cider vinegar. ( I've used both and either works great!)
extra sugar for sprinkling
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl or stand up mixer combine shortening & sugar and mix until crumbly. Add eggs, one at a time and mix. Add in ripe bananas (I always let the mixer do the mashing but you can mash them ahead of time) add vanilla. Combine dry ingredients; Add dry ingredients alternating with the buttermilk until all ingredients are combined. Line muffin tins with paper liners and fill about 2/3 full. I like to sprinkle each muffin before baking with some sugar. It gives them a wonderful crusty/flaky/sugary muffin top! And I mean that in the BEST way possible! Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. ENJOY!!


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US Senators: NATO's role in Baltics is more important than ever before
United States of America will continue providing military support to Baltic States by ensuring troop rotation and financial support. US Congress retains strong cooperation with Baltics, as confirmed by US Senators during their meeting with Saeima speaker Inara Murniece.
On Wednesday, 28 December, US Republican Party senators John McCain, Lindsey Graham and Democratic Party's senator Amy Klobuchar arrived in Latvia to meet with Saeima representatives and leading state officials to discuss important public matters and determine the future of US support in Baltics.
Latvian Foreign Affairs Minister Edgars Rinkevics also met with senators. During the discussion, both sides emphasized the importance of strategic partnership between Latvia and USA and expressed support to the current regional security policy and planned steps for the enhancement of cooperation between the EU and NATO.
Representatives of the US Senate welcomed Latvia's commitment to increase its defence budget and the country's contribution to the enhancement of international security and the allied operation in Afghanistan. Both sides emphasized that it is necessary to continue cooperation and search for new solutions for the region's security situation and Euro-Atlantic space.
Saeima speaker Inara Murniece thanked USA for its consequent support for Latvia – both on the road towards restoration of independence and efforts to overcome many different security challenges, including the ones coming from Kremlin and its hybrid war threats. Saeima's delegation and US senators expressed unanimous support in favour of cooperation to combat those threats. Senators mentioned that Latvia has already made steps to oppose cyber threats by creating Cert.lv cyber security centre.
Murniece emphasized that the visit of US senators took place in a time when the necessity to cooperate and exchange opinions increases. Latvian President Raimonds Vejonis reminded that NATO summit in Warsaw resulted in important decisions in regards to the presence of allied forces in Baltics and Poland. The American delegation affirmed their readiness to continue active exchange of opinions, as BNN was informed by the press-service of the State President's Chancellery.
Saeima's representatives emphasized Latvia's accomplishments in strengthening its defensive capabilities, including the commitment to increase defence budget to 2% of GDP in 2018. Senators said the role NATO plays in the region is more important than ever before.
«The visit of US senators to Latvia offers a great opportunity for the American side to view Latvia's commitment to its duties as NATO member state and its own security. On behalf of Latvia, I emphasize our country's commitment to secure all duties in relation to the presence of allied forces in the country,» – Vejonis said.
Vejonis also affirmed that Latvia intends to form close cooperation with the new US State Administration and Congress. He also reminded that the presence of American troops in Baltics is immensely important in a symbolic and practical sense: «USA is and remains our strategic partner for security, defence and NATO cooperation.»
Defence Minister Raimonds Bergmanis and National Armed Forces Commander Raimonds Graube met with US senators and expressed confidence that Latvia proved itself as a strong NATO member state and a strategic partner to USA in the approval of the 2017 budget.
The minister and US senators agreed on the matter of growing threats and military activity coming from Russia.
Senator McCain voiced confident support to Latvia on behalf of USA as a strategic partner to further enhance Latvia's defensive capabilities.
Ref: 22.214.171.12492


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Ken Leung has landed a recurring role on the upcoming drama Infamous, it has been reported.
Infamous, which is set to premiere this fall, stars Meaghan Good as a detective who goes undercover in order to solve the murder of a former friend.
According to TVLine, Leung will play another detective working on the case.
The former Lost actor has several other television roles in the pipeline, including a recurring role on Person of Interest.
He also recently signed on to play a priest on ABC's forthcoming show Zero Hour.
Infamous premieres later this year on NBC.
Watch a trailer for Infamous below:


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Slashbot received a makeover this past weekend. We trimmed down the base and gave it a sweet coat of black paint. We mounted the strum actuator as well as added one above the Select button that will be used to activate Star Power. Pictures below…
2 comments so far
WOW! This bot rocks maybe you can get it to become as good as Jeffnnn666 (check his username on youtube I'm not sure if that's it though)!
Keep up the good work guys!
P.S First Comment!
Posting your comment.


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Look to this day,
The severely existence of life,
In its to the point flight path lies allPost ads:
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The laurels of right.
For solar day is but a dream,
And mean solar day is single a delusion.
But today well lived,
Makes both yesterday
A daze of happiness
And all tomorrow
A nightmare of expectancy.
Look well, therefore,
To this day.
( Sanskrit Proverb)
Dreams are wishes your bosom makes, an American adage says. Ever since she was five eld old, Jessica had nurtured the yen to go an thespian and she longed for the day when her dreams would come faithful. And the day came...So she is-forever dreaming, wishing, desiring, daring, hoping...
Still, Jessica Alba has a completely useful nature. She requirements to see concrete, tangible results for her hard work and she is not one to mingle blustery dreams that are implausible to come into condition. Most of her "wild dreams" have to do next to worldly achievements, successfulness and security, for she has a super friendliness of the material planetary and she requirements to feel and savour it to the satiated. Though Jessica Alba will occupation long-range and persistently, she also has a concentrated animal and comfort-loving loin and she wishes to relish what she has worked for. Recently, Alba confessed she grew up beside the undercover work thrillers and was extremely intrigued by 007's important egg-producing conquests. Apparently, The Sin City thespian dreams to be the close Bond young woman. » I'm a infinite fan of Bond - of all time since I was little", Alba same. Moreover, Jessica would close to the Bond movie-makers to income her into consideration, when they trade name a finding on the subject of the issue of the agent's esteem involvement in the side by side pic. So she is-forever dreaming, wishing desiring, daring, hoping...
Finally, the actor discovered her new-coming daze. It seems that the 'Sin City' prima Jessica Alba wants to people thrown and set off her own household after portrayal individual brides onscreen. Jessica is impatient to change state a mother in indisputable natural life and she declares that she won't have any snag minor road into an trustworthy married woman beside tons of kids enclosed in her dreaming.
So she is-forever dreaming, wishing, desiring, daring, hoping...
P.S. Those who misplace imaginativeness are gone. (Australian Aboriginal Proverb)


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The Archive Bow Suede Women´s Backpack is the perfect piece that brings pure elegance to the streets. Turn a few heads with this enchanting bow edition of the PUMA new female Backpack silhouette. The PUMA No. 2 Logo and PUMA heritage zip pullers accent a stunning oversized bow detail on the front. The back deco stitch is inspired by the iconic PUMA Suede heel design for a dazzling touch that makes this piece truly unique.
Care Instructions


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In the Frig – Marinara Sauce (Recipe)
If you read my last recipe post, you will see that I have a slight obsession with tomatoes! This delicious fruit (yes, if you didn't know, tomatoes are a fruit!) is gorgeous, juicy and the color red I ache to duplicate on shoes and clothing. I eat them constantly in Caprese Salads, with my homegrown fresh basil and balsamic, in juices, on sandwiches and as late nite snacks. When I came across the following Cooking Light recipe, I had to try it! (I searched online for this recipe, but I cannot locate it on the Cooking Light website).
So, what does Marinara mean? Some say it means garlic, tomatoes and herbs. But that to me speaks more of the elements versus the meaning. Marinara actually means "of the sea." Marinara means "of the sea", not because it has seafood, but because it was made by sailors who had no meat or refrigeration. So there you go! No matter which definition you subscribe to, you must try this delicious recipe. It's a tomato-lovers dream and friendly for the vegetarian!
- Do your prep! Make sure you take the time to do all chopping and preparation before you begin cooking. This is a basic of cooking, right? However, because this recipe is so simple, it's easy to just chop as you go. Don't do it. I burned my garlic once by not taking a few extra minutes to chop my tomatoes. So take the time.
- Garlic! I love garlic! So I add a lot more than the recipe calls for – I add at least 3 cloves, sometimes 4 cloves!
- Some like it hot! I like a little heat, so I add some red pepper flake. Since my husband doesn't particularly care for meatless sauce, I don't measure the flake out, I just shake it in. It gives the sauce a little punch!
- For your Health: I am sure any Italian out there will scold me for this! I apologize up front, but I try to look for ways to eat a little healthier. I use 100% Whole Wheat Spaghetti by De Cecco! You will notice a bit of a difference in texture, but I don't think enough to be off-putting! Plus, you really don't notice it once you ladle on this bright tomatoe-y sauce! It's worth a try!
- Tomatoes! The recipe calls for 6 pounds of coarsely chopped peeled tomatoes. In the summer, you can find lovely tomatoes at your Farmer's Market that would be gorgeous in this sauce. However, the recipe also shares that you can substitute a 28 ounce can of whole tomatoes, chopped and undrained, a 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes, undrained, 3 tablespoons of tomato paste and a teaspoon of sugar. I have always made it this way and it's very good. But in the summer, try to use fresh tomatoes!
Bon Appetit!
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
6 pounds coarsely chopped peeled tomato (about 6 cups)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
8 cups hot cooked spaghetti (about 1 pound uncooked pasta)
Heat oil in a large suacepan over medium heat. Add garlic, cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add tomato, salt and pepper, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in basil and parsely, and cook 1 minute. Serve over pasta. Yields about 6 servings (serving size: 1 up sauce and 1 12/ cups pasta).
In the frig – Gazpacho (Recipe)
Linda's Refrigerator
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Gazpacho (Modified from original recipe by Alton Brown)
My first real experience with Gazpacho was on the lovely island of St. Barthelemy in the Caribbean. My husband and I were on vacation, having lunch at our hotel Le Guanahani. The sky was a beautiful blue, there was a slight breeze, but man, it was HOT! Just the idea of ordering a cheeseburger and fries made me feel bloated. I noticed Gazpacho on the menu. Hmmm…tomatoes, cucumber, served cold – sounded refreshing. It was on that vacation that I fell in love with gazpacho.
I adore tomatoes, eat them almost every day as snacks, as my side veggie for dinner and or add them into scrambled eggs, cottage cheese or sandwiches. Take juicy lycopene-rich tomatoes and toss them with crunchy cucumber and red pepper, jalapenos and it's my idea of a healthful, satisfying side or meal. When you make this gazpacho, make sure you chill overnight (so the flavors fuse together) use sharp knives and plenty of time.
Sharp knives because you will be chopping, dicing and slicing. Please folks, don't use a dull knife and use an appropriate knife. You wouldn't use a spoon to cut a steak, so don't use a butter knife to slice your tomatoes!
- This recipe takes time! It's by no means hard, but it's a lot of work – for me anyway, I am not a professional. Mise en place your veggies (French culinary term for put in place). This means do all the chopping first before you begin assembling. I find it very difficult to try to quick boil the tomatoes and chop while grabbing things from the frig. So get everything chopped and measured, then assemble. Trust me, you will need to be organized otherwise you will have gazpacho in places you would never imagine!
Now usually when I have gazpacho, I will either just take a big bowl for lunch or perhaps serve it as an appetizer before dinner. You can incorporate a little warm bite by serving the gazpacho with a prosciutto, cheese and arugula panini (grill if you do not have a panini press). When serving guests, spoon the gazpacho into a martini glass or small, short glass, garnish with lime wedge, or a small dice of jalapeno or cilantro or basil. I am no chef, but the photo above was something I did! So don't be afraid and be creative!
Garlic: I love garlic, so I double. And if I have a baby clove of garlic hanging around, sometimes I will add three.
No Basil: I also do not use basil. I love basil – it's a wonderful herb and you can use it in sweet and savory items. I do not add it because I prefer that cumin "latin" taste. Some people substitute cilantro for the basil.
Jalapenos: Now, I am not consistent when it comes to the addition of heat. It depends on my mood. Sometimes I want more heat – so I will add a Serrano chile. A Serrano will definitely add heat. If the gazpacho is just for me to enjoy, I add it. If you are having friends over, it's likely a better idea to use the jalapeno. Some people will tell you they like spicy food. If those people travel abroad a great deal or have a penchant for spicy foods (Thai, Indian, etc), you may get away with a Serrano. But by and large when someone says I like spicy, they mean American-style spicy. (If you notice, when you order at a Thai place you can get mild, medium, hot or Thai hot…yeah, Thai hot is SMOKIN' HOT).
Toasted cumin: I do not toast the cumin. Alton loves to toast and roast. I am lazy, so I do not. If you want to toast the cumin, I think it will really release even more of the cumin flavor.
SEED THE CUCUMBER: You must do this. If you take the lazy approach, your gazpacho will be watery.
While I do make some modifications, I follow the directions to the "T". I highly recommend doing the quick boil of the tomato
1 1/2 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
Tomato juice
1 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 small jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lime, juiced
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon toasted, ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
Fill a 6-quart pot halfway full of water, set over high heat and bring to a boil. Make an X with a paring knife on the bottom of the tomatoes. Drop the tomatoes into the boiling water for 15 seconds, remove and transfer to an ice bath and allow to cool until able to handle, approximately 1 minute. Remove and pat dry. Peel, core and seed the tomatoes. When seeding the tomatoes, place the seeds and pulp into a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl in order to catch the juice. Press as much of the juice through as possible and then add enough bottled tomato juice to bring the total to 1 cup. Place the tomatoes and juice into a large mixing bowl. Add the cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, jalapeno, garlic clove, olive oil, lime juice, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire, cumin, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Transfer 1 1/2 cups of the mixture to a blender and puree for 15 to 20 seconds on high speed. Return the pureed mixture to the bowl and stir to combine. Cover and chill for 2 hours and up to overnight. Serve with chiffonade of basil.
In the Frig – Awesome Slow Cooker Pot Roast (Recipe)
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(Modified from the original recipe found on allrecipes.com)
Whenever my husband says "I think we will have pot roast tonite" I get so excited. I love how the house smells all day. It starts out as just a fragrance, but by the end of the day, it's a full-on assault of the senses. The process starts with my hubby rolling out of the bed on Sunday morning announcing, "it's time to make the roast." On this particular morning, he had leftover bacon grease from breakfast from the day before (Nueske's bacon and homemade blueberry pancakes!), so he flours, salts and peppers the beef (5 1/2 lbs of pot roast) then sears the roast in the bacon fat in a skillet (don't use a non-stick skillet – if you do, you won't get a good sear).
Once the meat is seared, he puts the meat into the crock pot, then deglazes the skillet with beef broth to get that delicious meat fond and bacon fat. He adds this to the crock pot as well. A helpful hint: use a crock pot bag. Clean-up is much easier if you use a crock pot bag. Next he adds two cans of mushroom soup. Now, the recipe on allrecipes.com uses two cans of cream of mushroom. The hubby has modified the recipe and added a can of cream of mushroom and a can of golden mushroom. It's really good and has a gorgeous color and flavor. However, if you prefer cream of mushroom or cannot find golden mushroom, never fear. Two cans of cream of mushroom soup will still delicious.
The other ingredients include:
- a one ounce package of dry onion soup mix,
- 1 1/4 cup of beef broth,
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 medium-sized onion.
What's next? Cook on a low setting for about 10 hours. Yes, I know, sounds like a long time, right? It is, especially as the aroma starts really developing and permeating the house. You can cook on the high setting for about 3 to 5 hours, depending on your crock pot. If you go for the low and slow option, then make this recipe on a Sunday morning or a day where you can let it cook all day. Of course, if you cook it on a weekend or a day off, then you can go into and dip your spoon into the toffee-colored creamy goodness. My hubby ran off quickly to the store to pick up rolls to sop up the gravy. The roast had been cooking about 9 hours at this point. As soon as he left, I ran in, grabbed a tablespoon and slurped three healthy spoonfuls of gravy! It was so good! And I think the "sneaking in" part made it taste even better!
Serve this lovely goodness with mashed potatoes. If you are really into homemade mashed potatoes, then have at it. If not, I highly recommend Bob Evan's Mashed Potatoes. They taste really good, like your Mom's mashed potatoes (or not if your mom was not such a great cook), and they are quick. You can heat them up in a pan if you like or throw them in the microwave.
If you want to get your veggies in, serve with some green beans. My favorite way to eat green beans is to snap the ends of the beans, throw into a skillet and toss with olive oil, two cloves of garlic, salt and pepper. You don't have to cook them for long, just enough time for them to get a little soft. You want the crunch to still be in the bean. If you are not a bean person, perhaps some steamed broccoli or roasted carrots (a little garlic, a little olive oil, roast in a pan in the oven).
This Awesome Slow Cooker Pot Roast is so good and makes for great leftovers (depending on the number of folks you are feeding). The gravy is out-of-sight and you will find that you cannot help but take a few spoonfuls of gravy for yourself right before you toss out the crock pot liners! You can find the original recipe for Awesome Slow Cooker Pot Roast at http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Awesome-Slow-Cooker-Pot-Roast/Detail.aspx. Enjoy and Bon Appetit!
In the Frig – On Time Seafood
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Dinner at On Time Seafood
With so many Chinese restaurants in Indianapolis, it's hard to get excited about going out for Chinese. Most have the same dishes which are too greasy and the same large and intimidating menu. Not that there aren't many good ones, but there are so many that it's more like deciding on which McDonald's to go to (usually you settle on the one closest to you or with the quickest drive thru service). When my husband suggested we check out On Time Seafood, I was indifferent, but hungry enough to go. It was a great decision as it was awesome!
From the outside, the restaurant looks fairly unassuming. However, upon entering, it's a very large restaurant. It has that very "new tenant" look – everything polished and fresh. Flat screen TVs on the wall, contemporary lighting above the tables, but what stood out most was the fish tanks in the back of the restaurant by the kitchen. Should you so choose, your dinner will be plucked from the tank and prepared fresh! For those of you who feel slightly bad about the taking of a life of a fish, avert your eyes and focus on the menu. While you can find several of the Chinese dinner standards, there are some very interesting dishes, like whole cooked fish and sea squirts. I began to feel excited about dinner. As always, my husband and I – growing hungrier by the minute – over-ordered. The waitress seemed genuinely surprised at our order: Hot and Sour soup, crispy duck and Whole Fish in Black Bean Sauce. I wasn't sure why this sounded like a lot – until the first course arrived: Hot and Sour Soup.
First, let me say that this hot and sour soup is HUGE! Don't let the photo fool you, this is a big ole bowl! I think four people could easily share this bowl of hot and sour. No wonder the waitress looked at us like we were crazy. However, if there are only two of you are feeling stingy and want left-overs, this hot and sour will feed you and dim sum (Ha..and then some I mean!). The soup is amazing. The flavors of the mushroom, soy, broth – it's exquisite. Dip in your spoon and the soup will cling to the spoon. It has a gorgeous viscosity. And that wonderful hot bite at the end. It's not too spicy, it's just that right heat. This to me is a must have after a long cold day fighting holiday traffic. Drop in, throw off your coat and order some of this soup. It's the remedy for your soul!
Crispy Duck is Crazy Good!
I think the photo of the crispy duck above is absolutely gorgeous, but I will tell you, it doesn't do the crispy duck justice! OMG, it's crazy good. It is indeed crispy and it was cooked to absolute perfection. The duck was tender and sweet, the coating was awesome. If you have not had duck, there's no real way for me to explain the flavor. It doesn't taste like chicken, or turkey or lamb (someone told me once they thought duck tasted like lamb – quite odd). It's a dark meat with a rich flavor. It's phenomenal. If you go to On Time Seafood, order this dish! I did have a bit of a challenge eating the crispy duck with the chopsticks. I am used to just grabbing little knuckles of sushi or rolls – and the crispy duck, because it's in larger slices – really did confound me for a while. But don't let your chopstick skills, or lack thereof, stop you from ordering this dish. It's incredible!
I Can't Believe We Ate the Whole Thing
One moment our fish was swimming in the tank, the next moment it was swimming in black bean sauce! When the waitress brought out the fish, it was like "ooooooo…" I swear, I had to look around to see if there was a studio audience nearby. It was a beautiful thing to behold. The smell was absolutely divine. Now, I apologize to my readers up front – I don't remember what fish it was. Although it's only been a couple of weeks ago since we dined at On Time, I have forgotten the fish and cannot locate the paper where I wrote it down. Suffice it is to say though, the fish was excellent. Even though the fish was slathered in black bean sauce, the skin was still crispy. And the flesh was tender and moist. A fantastic flavor. Now, the challenge with eating whole fish is the bones. You will need to take your time when eating this fish. This is where you will need to have fairly decent chopstick skills or no shame in using a fork! The only critique I have regarding the fish is that there was a little too much black bean sauce. You could still taste the fish, don't get me wrong. But there was so much sauce that when you grabbed bites of the fish, sauce would slosh out onto the table. It was still quite delicious though and I am glad we ordered the whole fish. We had never had a whole fish before and it was quite tasty.
The Eyes Have It – and So Did We!
I apologize for not having a photo of this culinary adventure, but it was a last minute decision. I have seen Anthony Bourdain (Travel Channel, No Reservations) and Andrew Zimmern (Travel Channel, Bizarre Foods) eat eyeballs and I can honestly say I have been quite grossed out. Years ago I saw an episode of Lonely Planet where a traveller ate an eyeball and I thought I did that whole gagging thing you did as a kid when your mom tried to feed you that asparagus cooked in a Green Giant bag. AACCK!! But I decided that if I was really going to call myself a Foodie or a culinary adventurer, I had to eat the eye. I picked it out with my chopsticks – which was quite a task. They are a little wobbly and gelantinous so it was hard for me to keep it firmly between the chopsticks. My husband was watching me intently and did do a bit of that retch/gagging thing. Then I took a deep breath and popped it in my mouth. It melted away quite easy. It did have a bit of a squish, but you know what ? It was not bad…really. Now I don't plan to eat eyeballs on a daily basis, and I won't say they are absolutely delicious, but they are not bad. If you have an adventurous spirit, go ahead and try an eyeball. It's a great way to conquer food fears and makes for a great story to tell at parties! And on blogs!
We also tried the fish cheeks, something else the Zimmerns of the world have added to their digestive lists. Honestly, it is just fish meat- the cheek has a little more texture than the rest of the fish flesh, but it has a good fish flavor. So if you can't bring yourself to eat the eyeball, try the cheeks! Everyone likes a little cheek!
What was the Damage?
With the three dishes we selected – plus our non-alcoholic beverages – the bill was between $40-$50. Not bad for a whole fish and duck. The service was good. The waitresses were a little aloof, but once they saw our enthusiasm for our meals, they warmed up and encouraged us to return for dim sum.
How do you get there?
Well, there's a map feature at the top of this page that will give you easy directions. But to give you an idea, it's at the bottom of the ramp of 65 North when you take the 38th street exit, before you get to Lafayette Road. No matter where you live, be adventurous and get off your beaten path and get to On Time Seafood!
In the Frig – Saigon Restaurant
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Dinner at Saigon Restaurant
3103 Lafayette Rd
Indianapolis, IN 46222-1303
(317) 927-7270
Several years ago in my pre-foodie "I only like food that I grew up with" phase, a friend of mine took me to a little Vietnamese restaurant. I was so intimidated that I immediately drew the conclusion that I wouldn't like it. And to be honest, I held firm in that belief for a long time. Of course, after a meal at Saigon Restaurant, I realized how much I have missed.
Now, I readily admit that I was a little fearful – some memories die hard – when we firmly decided that Saigon Restaurant was the dinner destination. In fact, I considered opting out of Saigon Restaurant in preference of something more familiar. But I told myself, "Okay FoodieGal, watcher of Bizarre Foods, advocate for culinary adventure, take your own advice!" As soon as we walked into the restaurant, encountering the fragrance of broth and vegetables, I was so glad I listened to that voice in my head (as opposed to the other voices – shhh, don't tell Sybil – she can be so judgemental).
We were immediately seated and handed menus. Your first temptation is to open the massive menu, but I encourage you to stop and observe your fellow diners and environment. What I noticed is that Saigon Restaurant was not a well-kept secret. The diversity of diners was amazing: the young and the more mature (that means me and the hubby), Asian, Caucasian, families, college students (hey you can be a college student and not be as young), men and women. The restaurant was bustling, the staff running in-and-out of doors, scurrying to tables serving steaming soupy concoctions. It was not loud, but buzzing with low pleasant conversation, laughter, slurps and the clinks of chopsticks against bowls. It was warm, well-lit (like your home when you have friends over for beer and chili) and comforting – like your favorite neighborhood restaurant.
Ok, To the Menu
Alright, the romance came out in me for a moment. The menu was large. I wish I had good photos to share with you. But as I said, it was like home (see comment above) and I have an iPhone with no Flash (yoo-hoo, Apple, Flash please), so all of my photos of the menu are a little distorted. That said, I suggest that if you have some place to be, like a movie, build in extra time so you can give some love to the menu.
Being newbies, we were not sure what to order, and I was unwilling to give up that I was a rookie. So we just started perusing the menu. We settled on items that just looked tasty. In the absence of knowledge of Vietnamese, we didn't want to order something a gringo would order. My hubby and I decided upon Rocket Shrimp (ok, so a little gringo-ish, but come on, ROCKET shrimp, sound cool). For a beverage, I ordered a Soda Chanh, described on the menu as Lime and Soda Water – sounded refreshing. The hubs ordered a beer the waiter swore was Vietnamese, "33 Export." It's a lager, much better than Budweiser but not quite as hoppy as Stella Artois. The beer was good, the Soda Chanh was lip-puckeringly sweet. Well, for me anyway. I don't really enjoy sweet drinks – and it was apparent that there was much more going on here than just lime and soda water. SUGAR baby, the real deal.
The Rocket Shrimps (known as Tom Hoa Tien) were very good. You will not go "wow, what an amazingly different exotic taste" – but they are quite good. They are large shrimp wrapped in a spring roll coating. They are served on sticks – the skin is perfectly crispy – not greasy at all. The shrimp tasted like shrimp – not an overcooked seafood-like substance. And HOT! Very temperature hot. They were served with savory spicy dipping sauce – basically fish sauce and a little sriracha (peppery sauce). It's not too spicy, really, trust me. My hubby doesn't care for a lot of heat and he enjoyed the sauce. The rocket shrimp were quite good – the sauce is a must.
ALERT FOR VEGETARIANS AND VEGANS. This is a great spot if you are vegetarian or vegan. A section of their menu is designated for vegans and vegetarians. You will find lovely things to eat here. Not just dishes sans the meat, but real culinary creations meant to be enjoyed without meat and dairy.
The Mains
Yes as usual, the eyes are bigger than the stomach. We ordered the Vietnamese Pancake (Banh Xeo – no, I cannot do the pronunciation – look it up), Pho Dac Biet (I do know Pho – it is pronounced "fuh" – for the adult minds, subtract the "c" and the "k" and you got it), and the Ca Kho To (size small).
FoodieGal Educational Moment:
- Vietnamese pancake: a crispy rice pancake filled with pork, shrimp and bean sprouts. It's huge – and not at all like a pancake but more like an omelet. It's served with a cool dipping sauce which is fish sauce diluted with water. Quite tasty and healthful. Please note it's huge, so don't order as a side.
- Pho: a Vietnamese beef and noodle soup.
- Ca Kho To: catfish in a clay pot. Yes, it sounds like some quirky Talking Heads cover band that also covers songs from the White Stripes. Slow roasted catfish in sauce.
TRIPE! Did you say TRIPE FoodieGal?
I did say tripe.!And yes, it is from the cow's stomach. And yes, it's bumpy and chewy in texture. BUT, don't let that scare you…honestly. I grew up eating cubed steaks, chili with macaroni (come on midwesterns, you know what I am talking about), and fried green tomatoes. Textures are nothing new to us. The tripe actually picks up the flavor of the broth, veggies and meat, so try a bite. It is a bit of a textural experience, but take one bite. You will discover the flavor is not off-putting, only the texture. You might actually like it. Tell the tale, be adventurous!
BUT WATCH OUT FOR THE BONES! Growing up in the midwest, catfish was summertime fare. The bones are small. But I encountered some rather thick bones in my dish. I don't know what these catfish ate, but the bones I pulled out were good-sized. Just be careful if you order this dish. Use your chopsticks, if you can, and take care to identify the bones. Take your time and savor and you will be fine.
The Deep Fulfilled Sigh and the Bill
I was so pleasantly full. I went in with trepidation, I left as a convert. The key to me is to savor. Be hungry, but don't shovel it in like you would mac-n-cheese during a football game. Take bites, sit back and make sure to take deep breaths so you actually taste the food. BREATHE.
We were at Saigon Restaurant for almost 1.5 hours. We had a sugary lime soda, beer, an appetizer and three mains – and with tip, it was about $45. We will go back! We have a lot of food to enjoy, but seriously, this is a must return. Maybe on New Year's Day! 🙂
In the Frig – Caribbean Cravings
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Dinner at Caribbean Cravings
4632 N. Post Road
Indianapolis, IN 46226
(317) 897-4241
No Website Available
I was chatting with a friend the other day and she was lamenting November: bare trees, cloudy days and early dark evenings! By the end of the conversation, I was ready for an escape to a tropical destination. However, since I don't own a jet, I opted instead for a trip to the eastside of Indy to Caribbean Cravings!
Caribbean Cravings is a new Puerto Rican restaurant, only open for four weeks, on the eastside of town. If your Garmin or Tom-Tom is not programmed or you are not direction-savvy, you could drive right past it. It's quite unassuming, a small little place next to a barbershop. (Muy pequeno – meaning very small in Spanish – sorry I must demonstrate the little spanish I know!) Caribbean Cravings is in a small dimly lit strip mall across the street from another small strip mall.
Inside, the theme of "pequeno" continues – it has around 6-7 tables, a couple tables will seat 5 or 6. There's nothing fancy here – plastic tablecloths, silver napkin dispensers, salt, pepper and hot sauce. The main wall of the restaurant is adorned with a large mural of a tropical paradise – like an image you might see on those "Island" Calendars. There are no hostesses nor staff that seat you – and there are no big plastic menus with Margaritaville type views. When you walk into this place, you are walking right into the line and ordering from a white board or a paper sign on the wall. Not fancy enough for you? That's ok, because what it may lack in that cheesy ambience you see in most tropical-themed restaurants, it makes up for in FOOD LOVE!!!
At first I was a little intimidated to order because there were no explanations of the offerings. The white board announced "Lunch Special" and of course, it was not lunchtime. On the line, the chef was serving beans, rice and pork chops, but I saw nothing like this on the menu ( I assume it was the lunch special). A smaller menu/white board announced Mofongo – con carne or camarones (meat or shrimp) and Flan. And the paper menu (pasted on the smaller white board) listed Alcapurrias, Pastelillos, Tostones (8) and Amarillos (10) – no explanations. You can either be really adventurous and order blind or use this cheat sheet:
- alcapurrias – deep fried meat (fritter) shaped like a banana. I saw them deliver one to a table and I thought perhaps it was a plantain. Nope! Deep-fried meat
- pastelillos – like meat pockets – coin purses with yummy goodness. They may look like 'Hot Pockets' but I am bettin' they don't taste like 'em.
- tostones – plantains which are pressed into flat patties and baked
- amarillos – plantains fried to golden-brown – crispy on the outside, tender on the inside
I finally gave up and just ordered "what the other person had with the rice, beans and meat." My hubby ordered the Mofongo con carne (which was pork). We were warned it would take a little longer to cook the Mofongo. This is always encouraging because it means your food is cooked to order!
El Cuerdo Especial
After about 25 minutes, dinner was served. A young man first brought out my dinner, piping hot and …the smell was delightful. My dinner included two thinly sliced "pork chops," rice and beans. Wow, it was so delicious! Right now, even after a lovely dinner of homemade tortilla soup, my stomach still rumbles at the olfactory memory of that lovely ham-my smell. The chops were deliciously salty and perfectly tender and chewy at the same time. They were out of sight!
Now for the beans! Savory, saucy, spicy and incredibly good. I added a bit of Louisiana hot sauce and holy frijoles, these are holy! These had to be eaten at the last supper! I mean, good! I mixed a few forkfuls into the rice, then slid my fork into the pork. Crazy good. The only problem is you don't get a lot of beans. If you really love beans, get an extra side of beans OR invite a friend along who won't eat their's! You'll be glad you did.
Before we go any further, let me assure you Mofongo is not a Puerto Rican boy band (that was Menudo, which consequently is a Mexican dish made with tripe. More on some other culinary adventure). Mofongo is a dish made from fried plantains, garlic, olive oil and chicharrones (pork cracklings). Some restaurants serve it with chicken broth. It's served in a dough-like mound and, on this occasion, was served con carne (large chunks of pork in this case) and rice. The mashed plantains give the Mofongo a starchy texture – like potato mash with gelatin. It was not pliable enough to construct Devil's Tower (get it, as in Close Encounters?) and had some give. The chunks of pork were deep-fried and thus had more texture – more "chew." However, my hubby loved the intense pork flavor. A direct quote from my husband, "the Mofongo was good and I imagine if you grew up with it, it would be comfort food you would crave, but I liked your chops better!"
What about the Alcapurrias, FoodieGal?
We ordered the alcapurrias (deep fried meat fritters) for our appetizer, but the restaurant got a little busy, so we received them after dinner. I am not sure I care for the deep fried meat fritter. Likely because it was a little heavy after a big dinner. But definitely very savory and actually, after a few bites, my hubby grew to like the flavor.
We were just finishing dinner when a young lady brought us some flan to sample. Ok, if this wasn't served at the last supper, it was served at the one before. I readily admit that I am not a fan of the flan. I just don't like that wobbly texture. But this flan was – in the words of Ned Flanders (The Simpsons) – Flan-diddly-doodly! The texture was dense, like cheesecake, but very light and mild with that caramel coating on the top. It was so incredibly good. I cooed, oohed and ahhhhed. It was almost like a scene out of "When Harry Met Sally." Incredible – you must save room! Even now, I remember that creamy texture. Ooooooo, give me a moment!
Upon hearing my sighs of delight, the chef appeared at our table (it's a small place, you could hear everythng!) He explained how much he had doubled his cooking workload, the demands for rice and beans outlasting his supply! He shared some recipes and thanked us for stopping in. He was very warm and gave us his card "anytime, you can call to check our specials or order ahead!"
What You Crave
My husband and I really enjoyed our experience at Caribbean Cravings. It was food cooked with love. I loved the simplicity, the family atmosphere (everyone was talking together, it felt like a family dinner with distant cousins…that speak spanish!) and the pork! Vegetarians, I love ya, but seriously, how can you not crave pork. It's food of the Gods! The check came to about $25. Two dinners, three drinks (just soda) and alcapurrias. If you don't stop for cash, no worries, they accept credit cards! (Not sure about Amex though, so bring your VISA or MasterCard). Caribbean Cravings was worth the trip. If you can't make the trip to Puerto Rico, or if you are craving PORK, be adventurous and sample the cuisine of Caribbean Cravings! Work yourself out of your macaroni and cheese groove and get your Caribbean groove on!
Navigating to Caribbean Cravings
The restaurant is located just south of Pendleton Pike on Post Road. If you are driving south on Post, it will be on your right. It's a small place next to a Barber, and you might miss it. Plug the address into your Garmin and take a drive!
In the Frig – Ichiban's Noodles and Sushi Restaurant
Linda's Refrigerator
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Dinner from Ichiban's
8355 Bash St
Indianapolis, IN 46250
(317) 841-0484
It's a blustery fall day and we want noodles! Not chicken and noodles, but noodles in a lovely asian broth. So out we headed to Ichiban.
Several years ago, after an extended visit to the annual New Year's car show, hungry for sushi, we visited Ichiban. I remember it being small, but not as small as it was on this evening's visit. It's the size of 1/2 a house. It has a three-seat sushi bar when you walk in, and two very small dining areas. If you have more than 4 people in your party, you will likely run your waitress ragged.
We were seated quickly in the one of the dining areas. There were three waitresses working and all seemed to be bustling. I think there were 10 people in the place, maybe 12. But remember, it's a small place, so they were hustling about. For such a small place, the menu was fairly big. Ichiban offers several appetizers – most you have likely seen in other Japanese restaurants in Indy. They had several entrees, noodle dishes, sashimi dinner, nigiri sushi dinners, and bento boxes. It seemed they had something for almost every taste. If you like Japanese food.
Ichiban also had a selection of rolls and sushi. If you are a sushi enthusiast and have been to Sakura, Ocean World or Naked Tchopstix (NT's), you may be disappointed with their roll offerings. Ichiban offers a few rolls, spicy tuna, scallop, Bob's roll, a soft shell crab roll and a few others as well as the typical sushi. But they do not offer an equivalent to NT's playboy roll (to die for) or anything that resembled a rainbow roll (various fish wrapped around rice with avocado and Krab with a K). They keep it simple with a few rolls and sushi offerings.
For starters, we ordered the shumai, steamed dumplings filled with shrimp and served with ponzu sauce. We also ordered a spicy tuna roll and a Louis Roll. The spicy tuna roll was pretty good. It wasn't at all spicy, but it was smooth and cut into perfect bite-sized pieces. A rookie with chopsticks will have no problems managing the spicy sushi rolls. The Louis Roll is tuna and tempura chips in a spicy mayo sauce and was also good. If you have been to Ocean World or Sakura, it will almost remind you of the soft shell crab roll, sans the crab. The crunch of the tempura batter was nice, and you could taste tuna, but it was a little heavy on the spicy mayo sauce. By the way, this roll also was not spicy. I think 'spicy' refers to the preparation of the spices in mayo more than it means 'hot.'
Next on the list was the shumai. Now as dumplings go, I am a fan. Most times I have them fried and to be honest, you could probably dice up shoe leather, wrap it in dough and fry it and it would likely be tasty. However, these dumplings were steamed, which mean you actually taste something more than the "fry." They were quite good. These little pearlescent dumplings were very delicate and pretty. One might expect to see these lovely little packages at a lady's tea party. They were a little hard to pick up with chopsticks as they wanted to slink out of the grip of my chopsticks. I finally gave up trying to show off my skills at the sticks, so I just pierced the dumpling with my stick and dunked it into the sweet ponzu sauce. WOW! Very nice. Again, very delicate, sweet but cooked perfectly. They were not doughy or too dense. Just light, mild and sweet. Without the sauce they are still very good, the texture of the dumpling against the flavor of the shrimp is very lovely. We gobbled them up quickly!
Within about 10 minutes of our appetizers, our noodle entrees arrived. (Ramen Shoyu on left, Seafood Udon on right). I do not think these pictures do the size of these bowls justice! These are big steaming bowls of noodles. When my waitress put my Udon in front of me, I sighed and said "No way I can eat all of this!" After my hubby received his Ramen Shoyu, I knew we could have split an order. But oh well, we'll take one for the team, so we can share with you, the hungry inquisitive reader!
Noodle Knowledge for your Noggin'
Ok, short break to explain noodles. Ichiban serves three kinds of noodle dishes; ramen, udon and soba. The Ramen noodles are what most of us are used to seeing in packages, those thin stringy noodles. Udon noodles are thick white noodles made from wheat flour. They have much more of a bite than ramen noodles. Then there are soba noodles. Soba noodles are made from buckwheat flour and resemble spaghetti. The things you never knew about noodles! Now back to the food!
My seafood udon had a large scallop, shrimp, and fish in a very light, very slightly salty broth. It was not what I expected. I think when you order noodles and you see the big pieces of seafood and the vegetables, you expect something intense in seafood flavor. But it was not. It was very light on the palate. It was warm and brothy and I immediately thought "this is something one would have the morning after one to many martinis.' The scallop was large but mild and had poached nicely in the broth. The fish was also very good. They used tilapia which is a very mild fish. It had also cooked quite nicely in the steaming broth. The shrimp however were a disappointment. Shrimp are so hard to cook. It takes very little to overcook shrimp. You can almost just show shrimp to a fire, grill or burner and they will cook. I don't know if they put the shrimp in a little too early or if the broth just cooked them too quickly, but they were a rubbery. I am not sure if you can order uncooked shrimp, but if you can, perhaps you order a few cleaned raw shrimp and plop them in as you eat. I ate them because, well, they ARE shrimp, but I didn't enjoy the texture. To kick up the intensity of the broth, I added some light soy and some chili pepper which ultimately gave my noodles the "umph" I felt they were missing.
My husband had the Ramen Shoyu with crispy fried pork. Shoyu is a broth with soy sauce, chicken stock, dashi (a Japanese soup stock) and sake. It is a very mild broth. The pork, surprisingly enough, was actually crispy. The ramen was thin and stringy and my hubby struggled for a while with his chopsticks and ladle. But, he finally conquered and slurped the noodles while grabbing bites of pork with the chopsticks. It had a different flavor than my dish, although it was still very unassuming, given you had crispy pork floating in this brown broth. He also added soy and chili pepper to give it some kick. At the end of it, I got too full. My husband decided mine was better, pushed aside the remaining bites of ramen and slurped up my amber-tinged broth!
Not your Average Ice Cream
Unfortunately my husband and I never seem to save room for dessert. But this time, I pushed away my noodles early enough to have some ice cream. Most Japanese restaurants will offer fruit or ice cream for dessert. I have seen the odd offering of cheesecake, but that seems a strange dessert to offer in a Japanese restaurant, so I usually steer clear. Ichiban offered six flavors of ice cream: green tea, red bean, lychee, mango, black sesame and cappuccino. Green tea and red bean are usually typical dessert fare in the Japanese restaurants in Indy. Mango may or may not be standard, but it's a more common flavor these days. But the black sesame? I have never seen this on a menu, so it was on my list to try. SIDE NOTE: I am not sure where cappuccino fits in – I am guessing it was selected to provide a more palatable flavor for the skeptical diner. Well, we had to go with something different, so for our two scoops, we selected lychee and black sesame.
You know what? We ordered well. The lychee ice cream tasted like pear. For those of you unfamiliar with the lychee is a berry, reminiscent of a grape, only sweeter. At first, I wasn't quite sure what it was. I couldn't place the flavor. Don't let that stop you from enjoying it. I have had to learn to give the flavor a chance to develop on your palate before making a judgment. Sometimes an unfamiliar flavor can turn you off. But after my second bite, I thought, wow, it's mild, sweet and reminds me of a pear. I am not a huge pear fan (unless the pear is poached in a lovely wine, then oh yeah, it's on!), but I did enjoy the flavor.
Next, the black sesame ice cream. Sounds totally weird, right? First, I smelled it and yes, it smells like sesame. I was put off because sesame flavored ice cream sounds like an accident. I can tell you though, it is quite good. You get the taste of the sesame, but it's not as overwhelming as you think. It's there, oh yeah, but in the ice cream, it's almost like a coffee flavor. The texture reminded me of Lindner's chocolate chip ice cream. Lindner's was a local ice cream store, back in the day. If you are younger than oh, 35 or not from Indy, you won't remember Lindner's. But trust me, the black sesame scoop looks like chocolate chip ice cream. It was really interesting and I really enjoyed it. I highly recommend it.
The Damage
The bill was very reasonable, in fact, surprisingly reasonable, at $40. Most lunches for two at Ocean World or Naked Tchopstix will easily set you back $35-$40. Ichiban was very reasonable – their rolls were very cheap, running on average around $4-$5. My seafood udon was only $10.95. So for $40 we had shrimp shumai (5 pieces), spicy tuna roll, the Louis roll (both 6 pieces), two big bowls of noodles, two good-sized salads with ginger dressing(comes with entrees), and ice cream. Not bad for a Saturday night. The service was good, not overly intrusive and friendly enough to make you feel at ease.
My husband asked me for a grade, which I have never given in my reviews. I don't think in terms of grades. But he really wanted to know and suggested I rate from 1 – 10. Hmmm, I give Ichiban a 5 – 6. The rolls were fine. They were not "OH MY GOD" good, but they were good. I didn't talk about the salad, because, well, it's salad, but I did like the dressing a lot. And they were generous with the dressing and the salad. I thought the shumai were very good. The noodles were ok. They were not bad at all, and on a cold day (or after a 3-martini evening), they would be good for what ails you! But if you are looking for something really flavorful, I don't think the noodles will quite do it for you. The black sesame ice cream was most memorable to me. But you know what, it's a decent meal for a good price with good service. If you have a craving for sushi and noodles, but cannot afford the $60-$70 dinner at H2O Sushi or Naked Tchopstix, Ichiban will like scratch your …itch! But the only way you will know is if you leave the comforts of your neighborhood! Be adventurous and wander off your beaten path!
I ALWAYS say the same thing, google map it. Then I give you general directions. Well, this time, I am going to be REAL general. Ichiban is in the Castleton area on Bash Street. I'll give you a vicinity. Bash is just west of I-69 off 82nd street and east of Castleton Square. If you turn on Bash, left or right, you could still miss Ichiban because it's a small house. Do yourself a favor and google map it or put it in your Garmin.


text:
In southern Japan lies a Unesco World Heritage Listed island that fulfils all of your deepest island fantasies. You have the sea, the Kyushu mountains, and a dense subtropical rainforest with some of the oldest trees in the world. It's a place where wild deer and monkeys roam free (and in fact outnumber the inhabitants). Where you can see giant turtles, luxuriate in the hot springs, and pay your respects to Jōmon Sogi, a tree that's estimated to be between 2600 and 7200 years old. The only way to add to this picture is with a hotel and resort whose mission is 'sustainable luxury'.
Sankara Hotel & Spa lies on the coast of Yakushima and is made up of elegant Balinese style villas and cottages, equipped with spectacular views of the sea and forest, private decks and open-air baths. Indulge in a Thai heat treatment after a day of hiking and finish it off with a 3-course French meal prepared by chef Chiharu Takei, who trained at 3 Michelin star restaurants such as Joël Robuchon (joel-robuchon.com). All products are locally sourced, and many of the wild herbs and vegetables are gathered fresh from the mountains. Additionally, the hotel donates a percentage of its earnings towards protecting the natural environment, stating it aims for sustainability as 'exemplified by the ancient yakusugi (cedar trees)'.
Sankara Hotel & Spa Yakushima
553 Haginoue, Mugio, Yakushima-cho, Kumage-gun,
Kagoshima, Japan
Tel. +81-997-47-3488 Fax. +81-997-47-3489
Fifteen hundred metres above sea level in South Tyrol, you can breath deep. The air is fresh and the sky seems close enough to touch. In the distance, the Dolomite mountains rise up without interruption. This is the Vigilius Mountain Resort. Accessible only by cable car in car-free Vigiljoch, you can truly leave everything behind. Designed by architect Matteo Thun to embody a strong commitment to ecological principles, it is a synergistic blend of nature and architecture. The elegant wood structure uses natural renewable materials, ecologically sound heating, plumbing and efficient use of the precious spring water that Vigiljoch is famous for.
Bathe in the spring water pool with its panoramic windows that seamless merge with the outside. Enjoy the cuisine, which is natural, seasonal and fresh, and choose from the numerous services available, such as a personal trainer, and various massages and treatments. But the best part is everywhere you look you have a view of the valley and mountains, which allows you to experience first-hand the resort's philosophy of reflection, where 'Distant views enable an unobstructed view of oneself.'
Vigilius Mountain Resort
Vigiljoch Mountain, I-39011 Lana,
South Tyrol, Italy
Tel. +39 0473 556600
Arrive by raft on the Pacuare River. Travel through pristine wilderness, canyons and waterfalls to reach your final destination: Pacuare Lodge, Costa Rica. It's a hotel in the trees and if you've ever had fantasies from reading Calvino's Baron in the Trees, then this is probably as close as you'll get to the real thing. Its thatched roof bungalows are built with sustainable design and material, and come complete with plantation teak floors, solar heated showers, and views of the surrounding rainforest. Activities range from luxurious body wraps in volcanic mud to the more adventurous. White-water raft down the river or swing through the trees like your own personal version of Tarzan, except suspended by cables and a harness and hopefully minus the loincloth. You also have the opportunity to experience traditional culture, by meeting clans of the Cabécar Indians and walking the same trails they've used for centuries.
All food is organic and locally grown, cooked by young people from nearby communities. You can enjoy a candle-lit dinner on a platform 20 metres high, after gliding in from a 150m cable. Then afterwards fall asleep to the lull of the river and the howler monkey (or don't. They make one hell of a racket).
Pacuare Lodge
Limon, Costa Rica
Tel. (506) 2225-3939 / 2224-0505
Imagine this: a desert landscape stretching out as far as the eye can see, the sky lit by a thousand stars, and you at the centre of it all, on a rooftop terrace in the Feynan Ecolodge. This lodge is a sandstone oasis in the heart of the mountainous Dana Biosphere, Jordan's largest nature reserve. It's staffed by local Bedouins, lit almost entirely by candles at night, while solar power provides electricity for hot water. It seems at once both monastic and indulgent. The cuisine is all vegetarian and inspired by traditional Arab cuisine, while much of the produce is acquired from nearby farms. The bread is baked daily by a local Bedouin woman. During the day you can hike through the rocky canyons of the reserve, which, because it includes four different bio-geographical zones, offers the most diverse fauna and flora in the country. You'll find rare species of plants and animals, some of which have only been reported as seen in Dana. Otherwise, visit artisan leather and candle workshops and take a guided tour by a local Bedouin. Return to the lodge just in time to catch the sunset over the mountains.
Feynan Ecolodge
Al-Ba'ouniyah st. #8, Jabal Al-Weibdeh
Tel. +9626 464 5580
This place may not actually be that remote (it's located outside Skinnskatteberg, just two hours away from Stockholm) but it certainly feels like it. With no electricity and no showers this is as basic as you can get. And maybe that's part of the appeal. If you've ever felt the secret longing to go back to nature and strip away all that's unimportant, then this is your chance. Here, you live in a hut with no more than a couple of wooden beds, a fireplace, and a sheepskin rug to keep you warm. You chop your own wood, fetch water from the spring and cook over an open fire. All around you is only forest, rich with wildlife. Spend your days fishing, hiking, spotting moose, wolf tracking and picking berries. Take the plunge into the clear waters of Lake Skärsjön (note: outside of the summer months this is best done after a hot sauna, which conveniently is found floating on the lake).
Kolarbyn Ecolodge
Karmansbo 18b
S-73115 Kolsva
Tel. +46-70-6106150
Text by Stephanie Ong