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text: December 06, 2012 - 12:48 GMT hellomagazine.com Christmas present ideasL Gifts for Grandad Only a few months before turning 70 and Mick Jagger is still every bit the rock and roll star. The charismatic lead singer of the Rolling Stones is in the midst of a tour to celebrate the legendary band's 50th anniversary. Along with bandmates Ronnie Wood, Keith Richards and Charlie Watts, the rockers, who have a collective age of 273, have wowed die-hard fans with energetic renditions of old classics. Despite his phenomenal fortune and string of luxurious properties dotted around the world, Mick is seemingly not content to live the lifestyle of the idle rich and continues to perform with as much gusto as ever. His career spans five decades and has seen him linked to a host of beautiful women, amongst them Marianne Faithfull, Bianca Rose, Marsha Hunt, Jerry Hall, Carla Bruni and Luciana Morad. He has been with 6'4" fashion designer L'Wren Scott for ten years but recently admitted he had no plans to tie the knot for a third time. VIEW GALLERY CLICK ON PHOTO FOR FULL GALLERY Some of his seven children have gone on to rival their dad in the fame stakes. Having inherited his striking features and impressive pout, daughters Jade, Elizabeth and Georgia have all graced the catwalk and forged successful careers in the industry. He has plenty of stories to tell his three grandchildren, having performed with some of the biggest names in the world of pop including B.B. King, Michael Jackson, Tina Turner, U2 and David Bowie. Offstage, Mick has turned his hand to acting, solo performances and film production. In 2003 his immense contribution to music was recognised when he was made a Knight Bachelor for his services to music. Some fans were disappointed that the now Sir Mick had ditched his anti-establishment stance and conformed to the mainstream. There is no doubt that the Stones frontman will not be enjoying some quality time with his family and friends this Christmas, enjoying the festivities and exchanging gifts. Guarantee your Grandpa some Satisfaction this Christmas with one of our gift suggestions: A snappy dresser, Mick is not afraid of a quirky splash of colour in his wardrobe. Make it a festive and cosy lambswool Gant reindeer jumper. £135 from www.gant.co.ukA Robert's DAB digital radio keeps Grandpa in touch with technology, allowing him to tune in at the tap of a button, but its retro appearance will take him back to his heyday. Gloss Red £200 from www.roberts-radio.co.uk Slippers need not be untrendy. These quality leather ones from boat shoe company Chatham will keep his feet toasty this winter. £79 from www.chatham-marine.co.ukFlat caps have made a comeback in recent years with old and young alike. Le Chameau's offering is perfect for a festive country stroll. £54.99 from www.outofthecity.co.uk Grandpa is unlikely to approve of modern umbrellas that last little more than five minutes during the blustery British winter. This smart brolly from London Undercover with a fun flash of tartan will do the trick. £65 from www.londonundercover.co.uk

subset: commoncrawl


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PHOENIX — Lawyers for Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne asked a judge Wednesday to dismiss a misdemeanor hit-and-run case against him, arguing he's being singled out for prosecution and FBI agents who witnessed the incident while tailing him are refusing to answer questions.
A court filing obtained by The Associated Press accused the FBI's top agent in Arizona of personally calling Phoenix Police Chief Daniel V. Garcia and asking him to investigate after FBI agents tailing Horne saw him back into another vehicle and leave. Horne's lawyer, Michael D. Kimerer, wrote in his court filing that police did so even though it violated their own written policy of not investigating cases involving less than $5,000 in private property damage.
Kimerer wrote that singling out Horne for prosecution violates the U.S. Constitution's Equal Protection clause. The only logical explanation for doing so when others are not investigated or prosecuted for similar crimes is that Horne is an elected official.
Horne is accused in Phoenix city court of not stopping or leaving a note after he backed a borrowed car he was driving into another vehicle. FBI reports released by Phoenix police in October say he left the scene because he was having an affair with a female employee who was in the car and he didn't want their relationship to be reported.
Horne has declined comment on allegations of an affair and repeatedly said he didn't know he had caused any damage. He declined comment Wednesday, referring instead to the court filing.
The agents who were following Horne in March 2012 had apparently been doing so during the course of a campaign finance investigation, although agents interviewed by Kimerer refused to say that was the case.
The FBI waited seven months before notifying Phoenix police, until after the Maricopa County attorney's office filed civil charges in the campaign finance case.
"It just shows animus the way they pursued this," Kimerer said in an interview. "They were just rabid to get him."
In the campaign finance case, Horne and employee Kathleen Winn are accused of illegally coordinating with an independent expenditure committee during the 2010 election. Horne is appealing Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery's findings that Horne illegally coordinated his 2010 campaign with a group that was supposed to be operating independently. The group aired television advertising critical of Horne's general election opponent.
Montgomery is demanding that Horne's 2010 campaign and the other group, Business Leaders for Arizona, return up to $513,000 of contributions. There also could be large civil fines.
Because of the alleged coordination, the contributions made to a group headed by a Horne ally who now works in his office actually were contributions that exceeded campaign finance limits on money given to candidates, Montgomery said. Candidates aren't allowed to discuss strategy or other matters with so-called independent expenditure committees, but there's evidence that Horne was involved in both raising money and deciding how to spend it on advertising by Business Leaders for Arizona, Montgomery said in October.
Horne, a lawyer who is the top-elected law enforcement official for the state, denied any coordination. He had been considering running for governor but now says he'll seek re-election in 2014.


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I love New Year's Day. There's just something fresh and exciting about the clean slate of 365 days that await us. Yes, this time of the year is filled with more football than the most avid fan can digest, but that's OK. And the year ahead offers so much more than football.
I love New Year's Day. There's just something fresh and exciting about the clean slate of 365 days that await us.
Yes, this time of the year is filled with more football than the most avid fan can digest, but that's OK.
And the year ahead offers so much more than football.
Since I ranked the area's top sports stories of 2013 in Saturday's edition, it seems only natural that I look ahead on this, the first day of 2014. I have no idea what the new year holds, here are some guesses:
�The Seminoles will win 42-31 in the National Championship football game between Auburn and Florida State.
This is a tough one because it involves my two favorite teams not located in Knoxville, Tenn. That said, I like Auburn's running game, but I think FSU has too many offensive weapons for the Tiger defense to contain.
�Laurel Hill will bring home a title in the District 1-1A championship. Although Laurel Hill boys lost their recent game at Paxton, I see many good things happening in basketball.
�The Bulldog basketball teams will make the playoffs.
I think Crestview's boys have a chance to be mighty good as well. Bulldog guard Ronnie Baylark might just be the best player across Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties. With Baylark leading the charge, and strong play all the way around, look for the Bulldogs to make the playoffs.
Crestview's girls basketball team is an interesting mix of youth and a few veterans. The Bulldogs have lost some close games and should improve enough to make some noise in the district tournament.
�In track, Crestview freshman KK McTear will be one of the area's top female sprinters.
I base my prediction, in part, on McTear's quickness on the basketball court. I'm also considering her family history of great sprinters; that legacy includes an uncle, Houston McTear, co-world record holder in the 100-yard dash.
�Laurel Hill's baseball team will struggle this year. I don't think the Hoboes have enough pitching to survive the district schedule.
�Laurel Hill will improve in softball, but the Hoboes will finish out of the running for the playoffs.
A new District 1-7A has Crestview up against Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Navarre and Tate.
The Bulldog baseball team lost many players to graduation, but coach Tim Gillis should have Crestview in the thick of the district race.
Corey McSween takes over Crestview's softball program, becoming the fourth coach in four years. McSween inherits some strong returning talent, but I think the Bulldogs will fall short of a playoff spot.
And finally we reach the fall sports.
�The Baker volleyball team's string of 11 consecutive district championships will come to an end. The Gators, the past few years, have lost too many irreplaceable players to graduation.
�Laurel Hill's volleyball team will win the District 1-1A title again and Crestview's volleyball team will return to the playoffs.
As far as my football predictions go, anything can happen between Jan. 1 and the start of the season.
I expect big things from Crestview's football team in the fall. The Bulldogs got the Niceville monkey off their back last fall by beating the Eagles for the first time in more than three decades. I see Crestview returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2010 this fall.
Bulldog Emmanuel Reed might be the best returning running back in the county. Crestview has experience at quarterback in Cory Armstrong. And, all of the Bulldogs have been in Tim Hatten's system.
Up the road at Baker, I don't see a let-down from the Gators as they come off their first district title since 2001. Baker and Northview will again be the teams to beat in a competitive District 1-1A.
Junior quarterback Jon Beck will lead a Baker offense that just might feature the pass a little more than it has in the past. Don't expect to see a drop in the Gator running game, as Montae Barto could have a breakout junior year.
So let the games begin, and let's see how my prediction stacks up in 12 months.
Randy Dickson is the Crestview News Bulletin�s sports editor. Email him at email@example.com, tweet him @BigRandle, or call 682-6524.


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The cyber attack on the Atlanta-based subsidiary of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) began Nov. 4, 2008, even as Americans went to polls to elect a new president. While Mr. Obama's supporters were savoring political victory, Sergei Tsurikov and alleged members of his hacker gang in Eastern Europe were nearing their own celebration: Having cracked the encryption protecting prepaid payroll cards of the bank's WorldPay, the cyber criminals were allegedly orchestrating a lightning-strike theft.
After providing 44 fake payroll debit cards and stolen PIN numbers to a platoon of "cashers," Mr. Tsurikov and his partners watched on computer screens as the cashers withdrew $9.4 million from 2,100 ATMs in at least 280 cities around the world – all in less than four days, according to a federal indictment.
Until recently, cyber thieves behind sophisticated thefts like the one at RBS had little to fear. Often operating from distant nations and across jurisdictional boundaries, law enforcement authorities in the US and elsewhere found it difficult to catch the suspects, much less get them to court.
Now come small yet substantial signs that the good guys may be gaining a bit of ground in the cyber fight. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), US Secret Service, and others cheered last week as Tsurikov was extradited from Estonia to Atlanta, where he now sits in a federal cell awaiting trial. On Friday he pleaded "not guilty" to federal charges concerning his alleged role in the RBS WorldPay cyber heist.
After years of struggle, US law enforcement officials and private cyber security firms say they have made some strides despite a massive and growing cyber theft problem.
"In just one day, an American credit-card processor was hacked in perhaps the most sophisticated and organized computer fraud attack ever conducted," United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said in a statement about the RBS WorldPay case. "With cooperation from law enforcement partners around the world, and most particularly in Estonia, we have now extradited to Atlanta one of the leaders of this ring."
That victory comes on the heels of another major FBI victory. In partnership with Spanish and Slovenian police, the FBI last month hailed the arrest in Spain of three suspected operators of the Mariposa botnet, a collection of infected computers used to steal passwords, credit-card data, and bank account information worldwide.
"We've had some recent successes, and those have been achieved as a direct result of our association with our foreign partners," says David Wallace, acting section chief of the cyber crime section of the FBI's cyber division in a phone interview. "The last several years have seen more arrests, convictions, and dismantling of these operations. Our success is growing. Obviously, the problem is growing as well."
One sign of success, he says, is the capture of the suspected creators of the software involved in the Mariposa botnet case. Authorities nailed the botnet's purported creator, a 23-year-old Slovenian known as "Iserdo." [Editor's note: The original version of this paragraph mistakenly cited the RBS case as a significant example in which software creators were captured. The FBI official referred only to the Mariposa case.]
In most cases, the suspects go to trial overseas – in Spain and Slovenia in the Mariposa botnet case, for instance. That's fine with the FBI's Mr. Wallace.
"We are very much in agreement with our partners that it's more important to hold them accountable for their actions no matter where it is," he says. "It's not always necessary to extradite them to the US."
That new flexibility comes after some early failures trying to extradite suspects by using complex multilateral partnerships to lasso cyber criminals, security experts say. Now, however, the FBI's pursuit of close bilateral ties is starting to pay off. The FBI now has embassy operations in 61 nations, up from about 40 a decade ago. In four cases – the Netherlands, Slovenia, Romania, and Estonia – the bureau has specially trained agents working closely with local authorities.
"I sat down four years ago with authorities on this side of the world, but it was impossible to get much done," says Chris Roberts, a Briton who is now managing partner of OneWorld Labs in Golden, Colo., a cyber security firm. "Our hands were tied."
That's changed, he says. US authorities are now more zealous about following up on initial investigative work by private firms like his – as well as sharing information about cyber threats with investigators abroad.
"You've got to give credit to the FBI and Secret Service, because those guys are helping educate people about the threat," Mr. Roberts says. "When someone gets hit over here, and we find the signs pointing back to this or that group overseas, they follow up."
Shifts in tactics have helped government investigators, too, says Don Jackson, a forensic cyber expert with SecureWorks, an Atlanta-based computer security firm. The FBI, he says, has begun "carefully privatizing some aspects of the investigation." It has also moved to mirror its cyber adversaries.
"They used to collect cyber cases and assign them to a field office," he says. "Now they seem to be moving toward assigning them to a virtual field office. That's the way cyber crime is moving. It's not Russian or Estonian, it's an international conference of cyber hackers."
Numbers are tough to come by to corroborate US authorities' assertion that they are making gains. Arrests in cases of cyber intrusion are up 300 percent in the past decade, an FBI spokesman says. However, criminal attacks soared from 231,493 complaints and $183 million reported stolen then to 335,655 complaints and $560 million lost now.
In the RBS WorldPay scam, the indictment alleges that Oleg Covelin, residing in Moldova, discovered a vulnerability, or "bug," in the RBS WorldPay network. He then disclosed it to Tsurikov in Estonia, who reverse-engineered the encryption to discover the PIN numbers for the cards. Viktor Pleshchuk, a Russian national who is alleged to be a key player in the plot, entered the bank's network and manipulated data – including raising the limits on the prepaid payroll cards. Mr. Pleschuk and Mr. Covelin are in the custody of Russia's FSB security police, according to the Baltic Times. The disposition of a fourth conspirator dubbed "Hacker 3" is not publicly known.
Tsurikov and any others who get extradited to the US each face 16 counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and computer fraud, and aggravated identity theft. They are looking at fines of up to $3.5 million plus recovery of the $9.4 million. Each wire fraud count could result in as many as 20 years in prison.
To security experts, however, such victories only hint at the greater problem.
"My optimistic side says it's great that they've got more cooperation going, and that they managed to get some of these people who stole $9 million is really nice," says Roberts, the Colorado security expert. "My pessimistic side says, 'Yeah, but what about the other $5 billion that was stolen?' "


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I have a large document, and I'm looking for each line that contains a non-letter character. Trust that my method of getting each line's string is correct:
Code :
while (hasNextLine()) { String line = nextLine(); linesearch: for (int i = 0; i < line.length(); i++) { if(!Character.isLetter(line.charAt(i))) { System.out.println(line); break linesearch; } } }
This code doesn't work. It prints out every line in the document. I thought that the if statement would only print out the lines that contain a non-letter character, and then escape that line. What am I missing?


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When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. But what to do with all those lemon peels? Don't toss them, put them to work. Lemons juice is about 5 to 6 percent citric acid and has a pH level of between 2 and 3. This low pH acidity makes lemon juice a great ally in breaking down rust and mineral stains, but gentle enough to not dull finishes. There is generally sufficient juice left in used lemon halves to tackle small tasks, and it all comes with its own applicator (the rind itself).Plus, the oil in the peel is perfect for clever culinary applications, and not bad in the beauty department either. Here's what you can do:
1. Clean greasy messes
Greasy pans? Splattered stove tops? Messy counters? If your kitchen has been the victim of some sloppy sauteing, try using lemon halves before bringing out possibly toxic chemical cleaners. Sprinkle some salt (for abrasion) on a juiced lemon half and rub on the greasy areas, wipe up with a towel. (Be careful using lemon on marble counter tops, or any other surface sensitive to acid).
2. Clean your tea kettle or coffee pot
For mineral deposit build up in your tea kettle, fill the kettle with water, add a handful of thin slices of lemon peel and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and let sit for an hour, drain, and rinse well. For coffee pots, add ice, salt and lemon rinds to the empty pot; swish and swirl for a minute or two, dump, and rinse. Hello, sparkly.
3. Clean your microwave
All it takes is one exploding bowl of food to render the interior of your microwave officially gunked, sometimes gunked with cement-like properties. Rather than using strong chemical cleaners, try this: Add lemon rinds to a microwave-safe bowl filled halfway with water. Cook on high for 5 minutes, allowing the water to boil and the steam to condense on the walls and tops of the oven. Carefully remove the hot bowl and wipe away the mess with a towel.
4. Deodorize the garbage disposal
Use lemon peels to deodorize the garbage disposal (and make your kitchen smell awesome at the same time). It is a great way to finally dispose of spent lemon peels after you have used them for any of these applications.
5. Polish chrome
Mineral deposits on chrome faucets and other tarnished chrome make haste in the presence of lemon-rub with a squeezed lemon half, rinse, and lightly buff with a soft cloth.
6. Polish copper
A halved lemon dipped in salt or baking powder can also be used to brighten copper cookware, as well as brass, chrome, or stainless steel. Dip a juiced lemon half in salt (you also use baking soda or cream of tartar for the salt) and rub on the affected area. Let it stay on for 5 minutes. Then rinse in warm water and polish dry.
7. Clean a stainless sink
Use the same method described to polish chrome, applied to any stainless sink.
8. Keep insects out
Many pests abhor the acid in lemon. You can chop of the peels and place them along thresholds, windowsills, and near any cracks or holes where ants or pests may be entering. For other ways to combat pests naturally, see 7 Steps to Chemical-Free Pest Control.
9. Make a scented humidifier
If your home suffers from dry heat in the winter, you can put lemon peels in a pot of water and simmer on the lowest stove-top setting to humidify and scent the air.
10. Refresh cutting boards
Because of lemon's low pH, it has antibacterial properties that make is a good choice for refreshing cutting boards. After proper disinfecting (see: How to Clean Your Cutting Board) give the surface a rub with a halved lemon, let sit for a few minutes, and rinse.
11. Keep brown sugar soft
If your brown sugar most often turns into brick sugar, try adding some lemon peel (with traces of pulp and pith removed) to help keep it moist and easy to use. (For all recipes using lemon peel, try to use organic lemons-and scrub the peel well to remove any residues and wax.)
12. Make zest
Zest is the best! Zest is simply grated peel, and is the epitome of lemon essence-it can be used fresh, dried, or frozen. If you don't have an official zester, which looks like a very fine cheese grater, you can use the smallest size of a box grater. To dry zest, spread it on a towel and leave out until dried, then store in a jar. To freeze, use a freezer-safe container. Use zest in salads, marinades, baked goods, grain dishes, etc.
13. Make Vegan Lemon Biscotti
Once you've made some zest, make these Vegan Lemon Biscotti cookies. Delicious.
14. Make twists
Strips of peel, aka twists, are good in cocktails, sparkling water, and tap water. Use a vegetable peeler to make long strips, or use a knife and cut the peel into long strips, cutting away the white pith which is bitter. These can be frozen in a freezer-safe container or bag.
15. Make lemon extract powder
Make zest or twists (above) and dry the strips skin-side down on a plate until they are shriveled and dried up, about 3 or 4 days. Put in a blender (or spice grinder) and pulverize into a powder. Use the powdered peel in place of extract or zest in recipes.
16. Make Lemon Sugar
You can make lemon extract powder (see above) and add it to sugar, or you can use fresh twists, put them in a jar with sugar and let the peel's oil infuse the sugar.
17. Make Lemon Pepper
Mix lemon extract powder (see above) with freshly cracked pepper.
18. Make candied lemon peel
Orange or grapefruit peel can be candied too. Yum. Candied peels are pretty easy to make, and can be eaten plain, or dipped in melted chocolate, used in cake, cookie, candy, or bread recipes. These recipes for candied citrus and ginger use Sucanat, the most wholesome sugar you can buy.
19. Lighten age spots
Many folk remedies suggest using lemon peel to help lighten age spots-apply a small piece to the affected area and leave on for an hour. You can also try one of these 5 natural ways to lighten age spots.
20. Soften dry elbows
Use a half lemon sprinkled with baking soda on elbows, just place your elbow in the lemon and twist the lemon (like you are juicing it) for several minutes. Rinse and dry.
21. Use on your skin
Lemon peels can be very lightly rubbed on your face for a nice skin tonic, then rinse. (And be careful around your eyes.)
22. Make a sugar scrub
Mix 1/2 a cup of sugar with finely chopped lemon peel and enough olive oil to make a paste. Wet your body in the shower, turn off the water and massage sugar mix all over your skin, rinse, be soft! You can also try any of these 5 simple homemade sugar scrubs as well.
Do you have any new ways to use lemon peels that you can share?
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I'm definitely excited!So, are these all SA or somewhat SA?
The 1st (my revised ship date) has come and gone with no word. But since they're starting to hit TRU, they have to be getting ready to ship.
This pack would have been better if they substituted one of the blue ARCs for a ARC Pilot. Passing on this, saving my $20 for the CW Mace JSF.
No, it doesn't ...they just need to FAI:slothus:
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Doug, as per the formal objection to WCAG2 I wish to make it clear that as far as I am aware ARIA, WCAG, SVG and HTML, in common with other W3CWGs, continue to fail to involve end users in their process. The results are web technologies that suit guilds of web designers and their corporations, but do little to enable the general person on the Clapham Omnibus who wishes to publish independently. I have repeatedly asked the SVGWG to consider creating a microformat. One that could be more easily implemented allowing the creation of an authoring tool that produced accessible files. Inkscape after a decade of development still has no check on whether a primary title is included, though the spec. suggests every file should have one. There are amazingly few files with titles in the wild, early this year, a grep check on openclipart, suggests there may be 0.08% or about 6 out of 7000. The W3C validator performs no check on whether a title is present. It remains the case that easy to use authoring software is hard to find. A request to the Oatsoft open source assistive technology software archive produced no results. ARIA does nothing to address this imbalance, it is merely another layer of complexity, requiring implementation. Whilst it may be true that the original html specifications led to a vicious cycle of bloating user agents, poor code and many ugly sites, the fact remains that end-users were engaged. I have also repeatedly asked the W3C management team to consider the need to include end-users in the specification process. It remains to be seen whether the SVGIG is an attempt to meet this request. regards the formal objection to WCAG2 http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-comments-wcag20/2006Jun/0118.html "Putting the User at the Heart of the W3C Process" a talk given at the CETIS Accessibility SIG Meeting 24th July 2007 http://wiki.cetis.ac.uk/Putting_the_User_at_the_Heart_of_the_W3C_Process Full Potential: Who's counting? 10 October 2007 firstname.lastname@example.com members only?? attached easy to use authoring software http://lists.becta.org.uk/pipermail/oats-sig/2008-February/001279.html Oatsoft open source assistive technology software archive http://www.oatsoft.org/ Authors should always provide a 'title' child element to the outermost 'svg' element within a stand-alone SVG document. http://www.w3.org/TR/SVG11/struct.html#DescriptionAndTitleElements W3C Validator: SVG: title & accessibility http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/www-validator/2008Apr/0000.html Jonathan Chetwynd email@example.com http://www.openicon.org/ +44 (0) 20 7978 1764 Full Potential: Who's counting? Ian, Who is tasked with measuring and reporting on how or indeed whether W3C is fulfilling it's stated objective? Is this an external and independent body? Where are their reports published? regards Jonathan Chetwynd Accessibility Consultant on Media Literacy and the Internet http://www.w3.org/1998/02/Potential.html The first phase of the Web is human communication though shared knowledge. The Consortium exists as a place for those companies for whom the Web is essential to meet and agree on the common underpinnings that will allow everyone to go forward. http://www.w3.org/ The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) develops interoperable technologies (specifications, guidelines, software, and tools) to lead the Web to its full potential. http://www.w3.org/Consortium/org.html#public W3C Members include vendors of technology products and services, content providers, corporate users, research laboratories, standards bodies, and governments, all of whom work to reach consensus on a direction for the Web. http://www.w3.org/Consortium/Points/ W3C's mission is to lead the Web to its full potential, which it does by developing technologies (specifications, guidelines, software, and tools) that will create a forum for information, commerce, inspiration, independent thought, and collective understanding. Today this universe benefits society by enabling new forms of human communication and opportunities to share knowledge. One of W3C's primary goals is to make these benefits available to all people, whatever their hardware, software, network infrastructure, native language, culture, geographical location, or physical or mental ability.Received on Saturday, 21 June 2008 08:07:03 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Friday, 17 January 2020 22:33:31 UTC


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Canada at 150: Youth travel programs needed to 'build Canadians,' Michael Bliss says
OTTAWA — Forty-five years ago, a young graduate student named Michael Bliss arrived in Victoria, taking in the West Coast landscape and the Pacific Ocean for the first time.
Canada's centennial was what brought the then-26-year-old out west. The government commission set up to celebrate Canada's 100th birthday paid for his travels to attend a seminar on Canadian history.
That was 1967.
In 2017, Bliss will be 74, a retired University of Toronto professor, historian, award-winning author and a member of the Order of Canada.
The legacy of Canada's 100th anniversary lays in the brick-and-mortar projects that dot the landscape of Canadian cities — the centennial arenas and Confederation parks. When 150 rolls around in five years, Canada should focus less on building edifices, Bliss said, and more on building Canadians.
"I would hope that there would be a lot of programs in 2017 to move young Canadians back and forth across the country. Both the glory and the curse of this country is geography, and it's vitally important to . . . travel the country," Bliss said in an interview from his Toronto home.
"Maybe we have enough Confederation parks, although you can imagine a few Canada 150 showcase projects might be nice. Canada 150 programs should move people around, to build Canadians."
Building Canadians, he said, should go beyond funding for travel. Social media campaigns to raise awareness about our past and travelling museum exhibitions – which the newly renamed Museum of History in Ottawa is planning – should all be considered to help celebrate the country turning 150 years old.
"The sense of patriotism in 1967 was fairly unsophisticated as patriotism often is. There wasn't a lot of talk of who had been left out in the last 100 years. We're 50 years older and wiser as a country. We've experienced enormous social change," Bliss said.
Thinking back to 100, Bliss said the key ingredient was Expo 67, the world fair in Montreal that was a rallying point for the country. There was a commemorative song that also came out, along with funding for arts and culture groups that performed around the country.
It wouldn't be possible or make sense to redo what Canada did in 1967, Bliss said. Nor is it easy to commemorate 150. ("Sesquicentennial is a mouthful that doesn't come as easily as centennial," Bliss joked.) But in the life of a country, every 50 years is a big deal, he said, just as 16, 40 and 70 are milestones in the human lifespan.
Turning 150, he said, shouldn't mean a whitewashing of history to exclude some of Canada's more controversial or notorious moments, or the country's treatment of marginalized populations. We should ensure, Bliss said, that the country looks at the physical and sexual abuse suffered by aboriginals in residential schools, the internment of Japanese Canadians during the Second World War or Ukrainian Canadians during the First World War.
For that reason, not everyone will feel quite as celebratory about Canada's 150th birthday, Bliss said, which is more of a reason to involve every moment of Canadian history — the good and the bad — in any events to mark the sesquicentennial.
"These days, you don't uncritically celebrate history. You celebrate history, but you try to capture its complexities," Bliss said.
"We have an understanding of our diversity and so any kind of celebrations of Canada 150 are going to have take into account our more sophisticated understandings of ourselves as a multicultural, complex people."
Bliss is currently a trustee at the Museum of History, putting a guiding hand to the museum's plans for 2017. And the road to 2017 is filled with other commemorations: the sesquicentennial in 2014 of the Charlottetown Conference, which set the stage for Confederation; the year 2014 will also be the centennial of the start of the First World War and the years that follow it will carry commemorations of historic battles.
In 2015, the national flag turns 50.
Then there is 2017, the sesquicentennial of Confederation, the centennial of Vimy Ridge, the centennial of the Halifax explosion and the year that will mark 50 years since the creation of the Canada Games.
"You have a sense that the next decade is going to the decade of historical commemorations, which is going to make it a remarkable decade," Bliss said. "It is going to play out as great or badly as people's imagination and ingenuity allow it to be."
Michael Bliss at a glance
- Born in Leamington, Ont., Jan. 18, 1941
- Member of the Order of Canada
- Taught at the University of Toronto for 34 years; retired with elite rank of University Professor
- Recognized as Canada's pre-eminent medical historian
- Short-listed twice for the Governor General's Award (non-fiction)
- On Canada @ 150: Focus should include subsidy to young Canadians to travel the country
- On Canada @ 150: Don't whitewash history — ensure every bit of Canada's past is included


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The Climate Group, in partnership with NRG4SD and several state governments, has submitted language to the UNFCCC that would formally recognize the role of Subnational governments in the Long-Term Cooperative Action Agreement In Bonn this week. These amendments, along with the amendments of local governments, are being tabled by supporting national delegations as they make their way towards an international agreement in Copenhagen.
Recognizing that local and subnational governments are and will continue to be responsible for implementing up to 80% of mitigation and adaptation actions, the initiative in Bonn this week will go a long way to ensuring the road after Copenhagen will be a success.
The language is based on a previous submission tabled in April by the national delegations of Senegal and Uruguay, that was a collaborative effort with NRG4SD, California, Quebec, Catalonia and South Australia. This submission garnered the support of international networks from around the world - including FOGAR, the European Assembly of European Regions, Northern Forum and US State voices, amongst others - with a collective reach of hundreds of states and regions world-wide, as well as from subnational leaders who responded to a call for support from TCG's States & Regions Chair, Premier Mike Rann.
Premier Gary Doer of Manitoba: "The States and Regions Network has played a crucial leadership role in engaging sub-national governments in international efforts to address climate change. Recognition of the role Subnational governments have played and will play in meeting the challenges of climate change will create an important connection between the UNFCCC and real, on-the-ground actions that state and regional governments around the world are taking."
Rt. Hon. Alex Salmond MSP, First Minister of Scotland: "As you know, Scotland is also taking part in international collaboration through our active involvement in The Climate Group's States and Regions Alliance. Scottish Ministers are therefore delighted to support your calls for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to recognise the important commitment and work of state and regional governments on climate change."
Mr Jan Franssen, Queen's Commissioner, Province of South Holland: "We strongly support the States and Regions network's mission to obtain recognition of the role of states and regions in the UNFCCC Long-Term Cooperative Agreement on Climate Change."
Several members of The Climate Group's States & Regions Network joined a side-event in Bonn to profile this initiative and to emphasize the importance - and success - of sub-national action in tackling climate change.
Michele Fournier, representing Quebec, noted that concrete actions at the subnational level are critical to implementing a global deal post-Copenhagen. Between 2003 and 2006, Quebec has reduced its emissions by 5% . The province's climate action plan aims to reduce GHG emissions 6% under 1990 levels by 2012. Moreover, Quebec has joined 11 North American states and provinces aiming to implement a cap-and-trade system by 2012 at the subnational level and Quebec also seeks to expand markets for alternative technologies such as the electric vehicle.
California Secretary for Environmental Protection Linda Adams (by video) outlined California's pioneering policies on cleaner cars, alternative fuels and energy efficiency.
Rainer van Loon, of North-Rhine Westphalia described his region's innovative action on energy efficiency, biomass, alternative energy sources, co-generation plants, and carbon capture and storage.
Luc Bas, The Climate Group's European Director, stressed the importance of securing UNFCCC recognition of sub-national actions and noted that panellists provided concrete examples of what policies will be needed to implement a global deal coming out of Copenhagen later this year.


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Launch Reception: Manifest Journal
Friday, October 4, 2013, 6 - 8pm
Add to Calendar
Manifest: A Journal of American Architecture and Urbanism is an independent annual print publication edited by Anthony Acciavatti, Justin Fowler, and Dan Handel, which is supported in part by the Graham Foundation.
Founded as a means to initiate a critical conversation about the state of American architecture, its cities, and its hinterland, Manifest tackles head-on what others have abandoned. While Manifest intends to question the assumptions behind singular notions/constructions of America by tracing its origins and its global influence, the journal also strives to define the uniqueness of American forms of city-building and the distinct set of political parameters through which these forms are shaped.
Reception in the Arthur A. Houghton Jr. Gallery, 6pm-8pm
Located in the Arthur A. Houghton Jr. Gallery, 7 East 7th Street, 2nd Floor, between Third and Fourth Avenues


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Safescan offers companies and shopkeepers a wide range of time registration systems, counterfeit money detectors, banknote and coin counting systems, currency counting scales, cash drawers and safes.
Active worldwide
Safescan, which was established in 2004, is a globally-operating company that supplies clever and secure tools for processing cash. Safescan also offers unique time registration systems for the optimum recording of staff attendance.
Security and precision
Safescan's clients set great store by security, precision, user-convenience and efficiency. Safescan's counterfeit money detectors protect entrepreneurs from fraud involving counterfeit banknotes and its counting machines and point-of-sale solutions ensure the efficient and effective processing of cash money. Safescan's time registration systems stand out due to their intelligence and user-convenience.
International prizes
Safescan has already won a number of international prizes with its innovative product range – a range Safescan is continuously evolving on the basis of the latest developments in the fields of technology and design.


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Stevens SSE Faculty & SERC Researchers Participate in CSER 2012
The Missouri University of Science and Technology recently hosted the CSER, or Conference on Systems Engineering Research, in St. Louis, Missouri. The conference theme for 2012 was "New Challenges in Systems Engineering and Architecting."
With researchers from twelve different countries, the conference spanned four days from March 19th to the 22nd. Dr. Cihan Dagli, the General Conference Chairman, set the tone for the conference by stating that his goal was "to push the boundaries of technology and research". There was also a focus on the future, and an emphasis on the need for mega-engineering systems.
Stevens Institute of Technology, one of the original co-founders of the CSER, was well represented during the conference, as were collaborators from the Systems Engineering Research Center (SERC). Debra Facktor Lepore gave a keynote speech that focused on how to expedite the rate of effective engineer solutions. Faculty and PhD students from Stevens also contributed papers on systems engineering for the conference. The following is a list of authors from Stevens: Brian Moriarty, Zak Moy, Richard Turner, Alice Squires, Jon Wade, Richard Reilly, Peter Dominick, Jeff Bayuk, Rob Pitsko, Dinesh Verma, Matin Sarfaraz, Brian J. Sauser, and Larry Levine. Jon Wade also chaired a session on Product Line Architecture.
At CSER 2012, SERC universities contributed 38% (26/68) of the accepted papers, 50% (11/22) of the session chairs, 29% (2/7) of the plenary speakers, and 25% (4/16) of the panelists. No single university outside the SERC contributed more than 2 accepted papers. CSER 2013 will be held at Georgia Tech.


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Search ends for climbers feared dead in Alaskan avalanche
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The National Park Service says it has permanently suspended efforts to recover the bodies of four Japanese climbers killed in an avalanche on Alaska's Mount McKinley.
A Denali National Park spokeswoman said in a news release Sunday that a team of 10 searchers reached the likely location of the climbers on Saturday, and that a mountaineering ranger lowered himself into the same crevasse that the party's one survivor fell into.
The ranger probed through avalanche debris 100 feet beneath the glacier's surface and found a broken rope that matched that of the Japanese team. The risk of ice falling made it too dangerous to keep digging.
Rangers also now say that the avalanche occurred early Wednesday morning, not Thursday. The lone survivor, 69-year-old Hitoshi Ogi, reached a base camp to report the avalanche Thursday afternoon.


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The government in Beijing has done more than almost anywhere else in the world to encourage people to buy electric cars and still almost nobody is buying them.
A report from the South China Morning Post popped up on China Car Times explaining that in the entire megacity of Beijing, just 1,701 people applied to register an electric car. That's despite strong cost incentives and possibly the biggest incentive for EV ownership offered by any government in the world.
The huge incentive offered by Beijing is a virtual exemption from the city's extremely punitive restrictions on who can register a car. Basically, you don't just buy a car and get to register it at the DMV. People buying conventional cars (the current tally is 1,841,213 applicants, South China Morning Post reports) get stuck into a lottery with a 0.8% chance of winning a license plate for their car.
Beijing offers 20,000 license plates to potential buyers and since there are only 1,701 EV applicants, they're all guaranteed to get their license plates. EV buyers are effectively exempt from Beijing's license plate lottery, possibly the toughest test against car ownership in the world.
So why aren't Beijing residents flocking to EVs? The South China Morning Post reports that it's the infrastructure. First they note compainst from current EV users in the city.
Drivers of the city's more than 1,000 electric taxis have complained about the limited distance the cars can travel, and the long waiting lines and charging times at the city's 500 charging stations.
And then they go on to explain the problems for prospective buyers.
The key problem for electric vehicles in China is the lack of supporting infrastructure such as charging stations, said Janet Lewis, a Hong Kong-based industry analyst with Macquarie Capital Securities. "The big fear is to get stuck in Beijing traffic and not have enough charge," she said.
Take a look right here to see what electric car buyers have to go through in Beijing, the city of the traffic jam. This guy has to charge his EV with an extension cord out of his 20th floor window.
Other areas looking to get more EVs on the road should learn from Beijing's mistake — you can do all you want to encourage people to buy EVs, but if you don't support the infrastructure you can forget about sales.
Photo Credits: Getty Images


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An ongoing dispute, police said possibly over a woman, ended the life of one Southeast Volusia resident and may put another in state prison for the rest of his life.
An ongoing dispute, police said possibly over a woman, ended the life of one Southeast Volusia resident and may put another in state prison for the rest of his life.
Clifford Dallas Baker, 26, of Oak Hill died from multiple gunshot wounds on the night of Sept. 25, 2010.
Police identified Tony Owens, 23, of New Smyrna Beach as the gunman. He's scheduled for trial in the DeLand courtroom of Circuit Judge Margaret Hudson starting Monday. Owens is charged with first-degree murder.
According to the complaint affidavit, New Smyrna Beach police said Baker and Derek Martin drove to the Greenlawn Street apartment of Charlene Green in the early morning hours of Sept. 25, 2010.
Martin told police Baker was sitting on the hood of his car when he got up and began walking toward the back of the vehicle. A gunshot came from the direction Baker was heading and when Martin looked through the back window of the car, he saw Owens firing a handgun at the victim, the report said.
Martin heard more gunshots and saw Baker trying to crawl away from Owens, who continued to shoot him, the affidavit states. Martin grabbed Baker by the arms and dragged him to the car, then drove him to the Bert Fish Medical Center, where Baker died.
Green, who was sitting between the cars, told investigators she saw Owens walk up behind her car and he and Baker exchanged words.
Believing the two men were going to fight, Green put her hands over her face, heard what she thought was someone being hit and looked up, the report states.
The affidavit indicates she then saw Owens lift up his shirt, remove a pistol from his waistband and shoot Baker.
Police said the bullets first hit Baker in the chest, then Owens fired several more times into his back.
Owens was arrested in the parking lot of the Ormond Beach Walmart on West Granada Boulevard about 20 hours later on a warrant charging him with premeditated murder, reports said.
Both Baker and Owens had previously served time in prison on drug charges. Baker's criminal record also included convictions for burglary and aggravated assault with a weapon.
Jury selection is expected to begin at 1:30 p.m. Monday.
Owens remains in custody at the Volusia County Branch Jail.


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Ann Davis Vaughan necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 170 diseños de 24 diseñadores freelance.
Reservoir Research Partners
I have just left a 14-year career as a senior business reporter for The Wall Street Journal to open my own independent research firm. I now specialize in applying investigative research and interviewing skills to unearth deep, exclusive intelligence for sophisticated investors about companies, managers and trends. I want to develop a highly professional firm logo that conveys savvy and sophistication and that will match the elegance of much larger financial services and investment firms.
The logo, like the name Reservoir Research, should ideally connote two key qualities: First and foremost, deep exploration and discovery of information. I can help clients plumb the deepest reservoirs of data or records, extract key insights from interviews and use my trademark resourcefulness to help get to the bottom of a question. Secondly, I have specialized -- and will specialize in-- energy and natural resources research. The name already evokes this and the logo could do so as well, though I will not work exclusively in energy by any means.
I have two target audiences. The first are potential clients in the investment and financial services sector who will look at my website and materials to learn about me and my firm as a potential service provider. The second are people in the business world whom I contact for information and interviews, and this is going to be a much more eclectic mix of people, from former CEOs and senior executives to mid-level managers in an array of industries, regulators, even personal acquaintances of someone I need to reach.
I'd like the logo help reinforce someone's impression of me as an experienced and highly ethical professional -- not some fly by night private eye. I am trying to avoid any kitschy journalist or reporter images like typewriters and notepads and trenchcoats; I'd prefer the logo to be similar in style to my clients, many of whom are hedge funds.
I'd like a graphical image next to the words Reservoir Research Partners. I would ideally like the logo on the left. Still not sure of the font but want to experiment with all lower case. Font ideas: perhaps a rounded style -- a polished version of Microsoft Word fonts Calibri or Segoe, or see financial website links below.
Very abstractly conveying a well or water or depth of some sort would be great; I am tentatively interested in two color combos: 1) bright sky blue and soft gray or 2) blue and a sunny orange. The business name most likely needs to be dark/black, but I'm open to ideas. The website for Barclays, a large international banking firm, has more or less the shade of blue I'm looking for (bright sky blue) and is an example of a dignified, professional logo to use as a reference:
* Here is a hedge fund logo that is in the right genre:
* Here is a website/logo of a similar business to mine that I like:
I've attached low-res thumbnail files of some photographs I might purchase and post on a web page for a sense of what could be adjacent to my logo.
Format: As you advise, vector format like Adobe Photoshop/Adobe Illustrator. But I don't own that program. So it would be great to also be able to view it on a file readable on most off the shelf Windows-based PCs.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


text:
Tuesday, 27 March 2007
Where can I buy real absinthe?
A Master List for the USA. (includes retailers who ship nationwide)
A Master List for the Rest of the World (Canada, Europe, Asia Pacific)
There are now many real absinthes available in all major cities and most, if not all of the USA. Some European companies not yet selling their products in the USA may falsely claim that absinthe sold in the USA is a watered-down version of absinthe sold in Europe: writing, however, as someone who sells his absinthe across Europe, North America and Asia, I can categorically refute that point. The only significant differences are different labelling and bottle sizes!
For those wanting to buy in the USA and who have problems finding quality absinthes in their town, Drink Up New York and Catskill Cellars provide the best options, both for those in New York City and Upstate NY, and for those shipping to those other States where there are fewer choices. They both allow prospective purchasers to browse by country or by continent of origin, and Drink Up New York also has customer reviews for each of the brands available. General absinthe forum concensus is that Drink Up New York and Catskill offer the highest quality ranges in the USA, with only one artificially coloured absinthe and no pre-sweetened absinthe in these two stores.
Astor Wine and Spirits (photo immediately above) in Manhattan probably has the best range available to downtown Manhattan shoppers.
On the West Coast, BEVMO offers a wider selection in more stores than anyone else, as well as on-line through several Western States, including California and Arizona. In the past some may have commented that their selection is weaker on quality than on quantity, but now that they have exhausted stocks of some of the more notorious lower quality absinthes (e.g. Le Tourment Vert), there are clear signs that they are upgrading their selection.
In New England, Julio's Liquors, Westborough and Yankee Spirits, Sturbridge both have a big selection, while closer in to Boston several branches of Kappy's as well as Menotomy Wine have a good, more focused selection.
In Kentucky, Party Source is definitely the go-to resource for absinthes.
Probably the best US bar for absinthe is Brooklyn's Maison Premiere with more than 25 high quality absinthes served the classic way and a great absinthe cocktail list. Other top bars for absinthe in New York include the famous PDT and the much less well-known William Barnacle, both in St. Marks's Place, Manhattan, the Swiss-owned Trestle on Tenth, while further uptown L'Absinthe Restaurant and Pigalle are well worth a visit.
In California, Los Angeles and San Francisco both have some great absinthe bars. In the former the Edison Downtown, the Onyx Lounge and Seventy7 Culver City all have a very good selection. In San Francisco, visit Dixie.
In Boston, the ArtBar at the Royal Sonesta leads the way, while the Seaport Hotel, Craigie on Main, and Blue Inc are among the best in their respective areas.
Elsewhere, we love the Chinatown Coffee Company in Washington DC (wouldn't it be great if Starbucks offered absinthe in every outlet!), the Bitter Bar and Absinthe House in Boulder, Colorado, 4 Olives in Kansas, Peché in Austin, Texas, and Cure in New Orleans. On the subject of New Orleans, the Old Absinthe House is a must-try, although there have been reports that they try to burn absinthe. Tell them not to!
There is a more up-to-date list of US stores and bars stocking La Clandestine and other good absinthes here.
Premier in Halifax, Nova Scotia offer the best selection in the Eastern seaboard provinces. And now, the SAQ offers Quebec consumers a choice of La Clandestine, Kübler and Taboo absinthes: the first time Canadians have had such a wide quality choice. And, as of February 2013, the LCBO offers Lucid, Vieux Pontarlier and La Clandestine!
Dieu du Ciel, Sarah B at the Inter-continental, Le Lab and L'Assommoir are among the best in Montreal. Clive's Classic Lounge is one of the best in BC.
There are many shops and bars across Europe selling just one or two absinthes. Knowing that my readers might want the opportunity to talk to well-informed shop staff, the opportunity in some cases to sample some absinthe, and a broader selection of absinthes, then I have listed shops which satisfy those criteria.
Soho Wine.
Vintage House.
Bar Nightjar, London: probably the biggest and best range in the UK. Served the classic way and in several amazing cocktails!
Purl, London.
Brompton Bar and Grill, London
Montgomery Place, London
Worship Street Whistling Shop
Dach and Sons
Zetter Town House
Outside London:
The Larderhouse, Bournemouth
Haus Bar, Bristol
12a Cambridge
Bond No. 9, Edinburgh.
The Moorings Bar, Aberdeen.
Vert D'Absinthe.
Caves du Roy.
Cantada 11.
Absinthe Bar, L'Entreacte
Maison du Pastis.
Antibes Absinthe Bar
Absinthe Bar, Fleurier.
Chapeau de Napoléon, Saint-Sulpice.
Neuchâtel: Au Fin Palais. A good selection of beers too!
Die Grune Fee, Solothurn.
Heidelberg: Grüner Engel.
Berlin: Absinth Depot.
Leipzig: Sixtina and La Petite Absintherie.
Tunes at the Conservatorium, Amsterdam
Barcelona: Spirits Corner (shop as well as internet supplier).
Lisbon: Garrafeira Nacional
Absintherie, Prague.
Black Angels Bar, Prague.
Hemingway, Prague
Red Rabbit Bar, Prague
Bliss, Copenhagen.
Floris Bar, Brussels
Cimiteria Horror Pub
In some of the European shops and bars (notably those outside France and Switerland), there are also a number of novelty items stocked. However all these retailers are well-informed: tell them you want to buy real absinthe, and they will know what you mean.
There are good vendor guides on both the Wormwood Society and on Fée Verte, which are the two pre-eminent absinthe resources on the internet.
Both these sites recommend absinthe-suisse.com, as well as Liqueurs de France.
Spirits Corner is also listed on both sites, although the Wormwood Society adds a comment to "Avoid the novelty products, such as mandrake liquor and cannabis absinthe." In fact, there are signs that Spirits Corner is adapting to the market and is increasingly focusing on higher quality, real absinthe brands. When I re-checked this on April 19th, 2007, I couldn't find any Czech "absinth" on Spirits Corner.
Fée Verte also lists Absinthe Classics (a good source which focuses on higher quality real absinthe).
Neither of the main absinthe information sites list the many selling sites that are heavily focused on Czech products. Generally if a site is focused on thujone content, it's a warning sign!
There are several newer online shops in Europe, notably Absinthes.com. Read about Absinthes.com's revolutionary Absinthexplore offerings here.
Skybar, KL
Bar Tram and Bar Trench.
The Blck Brd.
L'Absinthe Bar, Phnom Penh.
Absinthe Artisan
Absinthe Salon, Sydney
Guatemala: Bistrot Cinq!
Estonia: Lai V Bar.
I'm also asked about where to buy Absinthe Accessories and Absinthe Devil offers Americans a very wide selection available in the USA, and thus without high postage bills.
28 comments:
- Tracey said...
Thankyou for your comment, and yeah, absinthe gives you one HELL of a headache in the morning. Gah, the horrible memories that associated that experience will haunt me for years to come. LOL. As for the type of absinthe, I don't really recall. One of the side affects of being well and truly off your face. I'm from a very rural part of Victoria, and within walking distance of five winery's actually. I'm glad you enjoyed your experiences here. Keep in touch, I very much enjoyed reading your blog. X
- 24 April 2007 at 12:28
- Chuck said...
Thanks for the comment.I enjoyed your blog it was very informative.
- 16 May 2007 at 18:10
- salsa said...
Excellent list, Alan, thanks! I added (most of) these places to the Google map I'm putting together.
- 13 June 2007 at 23:01
hey there.... i wanted to ask. on the absinthe suisse website they have an option to send absinthe into singapore. would the bottle be allowed past singapore customs?
- 10 January 2008 at 16:09
- Alan said...
Hi firdaus,
Singapore can be a bit tricky and you might be asked to pay big duties when it arrives. Send me an email to email@example.com and I'll send you a more detailed reply with alternative options ...
- 10 January 2008 at 16:20
- Rene said...
I was wondering, but how come, nowhere on this, nonetheless fantastic blog, it was possible for me to find any subject concerning Dutch distilled absinthe. Let me be clear about one thing I'm not acting as a shill, I'm just an absinthe enthusiast, enjoying PF 1901, Kübler, Libertine, Duplais and Guy as wel as fine Dutch products, viz. Absinthe Helfrich and Rijneveen's van Waters en Kroeze.
Guess I'm the first who noticed, so therefore this comment.
I just couldn't leave this unmentioned
- 15 January 2008 at 01:35
- Rene said...
I was wondering, but how come, nowhere on this, nonetheless fantastic blog, it was possible for me to find any subject concerning Dutch distilled absinthe. Let me be clear about one thing I'm not acting as a shill, I'm just an absinthe enthusiast, enjoying PF 1901, Kübler, Libertine, Duplais and Guy as wel as fine Dutch products, viz. Absinthe Helfrich and Rijneveen's van Waters en Kroeze.
Guess I'm the first who noticed, so therefore this comment.
I just couldn't leave this unmentioned
- 15 January 2008 at 01:37
- Alan said...
Hi Rene,
Interesting. I tend to write about absinthes I see and in all my travels I haven't seen these. I haven't been to Netherlands since early 2007 so maybe that's a factor.
However: search the blog for "Helfrich" and you will find two references to the man behind the absinthe.
Not much, I admit. I'll see what I can do in future.
Thanks for your comment!
- 15 January 2008 at 06:55
- Rene said...
Hi Alan,
Well next time you visit the Netherlands, make sure you don't miss out on it, they're worth a try.
In parenthesis, Absinthe Helfrich is also available at Verte d'Absinthe in Paris, France,
Van Water en Kroeze, just in Dordrecht.
- and sorry for the double posts earlier -
- 16 January 2008 at 21:03
Another great place in the US to find absinthe accessories is Absinthe On The Net. They have great prices on fountain sets and will build a custom set for you if you ask.
- 14 May 2009 at 17:13
- Jens said...
Hi there,
I would like to drop a short note on the absinthe society especially in the usa.
As an absinthe vendor with some years of experience I would like to state that the forums are not indepedent and that there is a major business interest behind it. I had some special offers in the past with some high value absinthes at prices that were about 10€/bottle lower than in general.
I have all satisfied customers and you won't find anyone who has confessed to be impatient, but people have in mind to never-ever buy anywhere else than the vendors recommended in the big boards.
I want to encourage to see the whole internet absinthe community with some critical distance and have in mind that it is not independent and not without own business purposes. For buyers, it can be gainful to do own investigations and watch out for foreign discussions in a less commercial environment..
- 24 September 2009 at 12:07
- Alan said...
You write "I would like to drop a short note on the absinthe society especially in the usa. As an absinthe vendor with some years of experience I would like to state that the forums are not indepedent and that there is a major business interest behind it."
Are you suggesting that the US forums are not to be trusted because of business interests that they may have? If so, I don't really agree with your comment.
Let's consider the 3 US forums one-by-one (I exclude Fee Verte because you specifically refer to the USA and Fée Verte is run out of the UK).
1. The Absinthe Review Network Forums: no business interest behind it.
2. Wormwood Society: yes, Gwydion owns the Marteau brand as well as the Society/Forum. But I don't believe that this has any impact at all on the internet shops recommended by the Wormwood Society (most of which do not sell Marteau).
3. Louched Lounge: no business interest behind it!
So what's the problem?
- 24 September 2009 at 12:41
- Jens said...
Hi Alan,
it is no problem, just what I think to have noticed.
I had my experiences and don't want to go deeper into details, just want to keep Bens forum out of it, I know Ben as a person with no jaundices who tries out for himself. That is what many other don't do because of some influences and kind of dogmata they learned to follow.
I tried to register in a major forum some years ago, and did several tries. They did not allow me to register with my real identity, and I found some relations to other vendors.
I tried to contact via email, but got no answer. That is obvious, it's run by competitors.
- 24 September 2009 at 14:03
- Alan said...
You write "I tried to register in a major forum some years ago, and did several tries. They did not allow me to register with my real identity, and I found some relations to other vendors.
I tried to contact via email, but got no answer. That is obvious, it's run by competitors."
Which forum is this? If you are sure of yourself and your position, you should be open. If you make a comment like this, then no-one knows what you are talking about and they might think that all forums are bad. Let's have a proper discussion about this, without making subtle hints and innuendoes!
- 24 September 2009 at 14:13
- Jens said...
I don't want to accuse anyone here or drop names.
It is a general appeal to use as many different sources as possible for your information.
I wantes to share my individual point of view, don't try to find out which forums are meant by this or that statement, I did not do research about UK or US location of the boards, so the statement is inaccurate and leads to wrong conclusions.
Take it as a general appeal only please.
- 25 September 2009 at 11:41
- Brian Robinson said...
I don't mean to be confrontational, but I take exception to your accusations about the absinthe forums not being unbiased, and being commercially interested.
If we look at the WS, you can find plenty of people who use vendors other than the recommended vendors on our main site. So that accusation is false.
Also, if we look at the specific vendors that are recommended on the page:
1 is based in the US
1 is based in Canada
5 are based in Europe
1 is based in Australia
Can you really make the argument that our forum is solely interested in getting business for certain members, since all of the ones you've complained about are US based?
Also, your accusation that the Society has financial interest in only supporting brands made in the US or by Advisory Board members doesn't hold up to the facts. SIX of the top ten rated absinthes in the review section can only be bought through online vendors in Europe.
Any other unfounded accusations you'd like to level against the US online forums (which obviously is singling out the WS since you say you have no problem with Ben's forum)?
The reason you were treated harshly at the WS was due to your adherence to pushing product based on thujone. It totally goes against the principals of the WS, ergo, you'll find some push back against that tactic.
- 25 September 2009 at 14:10
"against the principals of the WS"
Principal? There is only one principal (as Alan confirms above) and that is Mr Stone. Do you mean against the financial interests of the principal? or was your skool in a trailer park, Malaprop?
- 28 September 2009 at 13:01
- Alan said...
Thanks, anonymous, for your incisive contribution to the debate.
Long time, no see. How goes it?
- 28 September 2009 at 13:05
- Brian Robinson said...
Anon, you make no sense. All of my points above show how little knowledge you have in the subject.
Tell us who you are, and maybe we'll talk. If you don't have the confidence to show your name, go away.
- 28 September 2009 at 23:19
- Brian Robinson said...
Alan, might as well nickname him Tim. ;)
- 28 September 2009 at 23:25
- absinthe fairy said...
Thanks for the review, it is quite in depth compared to other sites that seem to recommend one type of absinthe (like www.BuyAbsintheUSA.com)
- 30 November 2009 at 21:21
- Marijke said...
Concerning Absinthe bars in Europe, you can add The Sixtina Bar in Leibzig/Germany to the list. I visited this bar on a previous holiday. It's the ultimate absinthe bar :-)!
- 10 January 2010 at 13:47
- Alan said...
Thank you, Marijke.
I can't see details of the range stocked at Sixtina. There's another amazing absinthe bar in Leipzig:
which lists 84 absinthes/absinths!
- 10 January 2010 at 15:12
- Marijke said...
Thanks! I'll check that one out next time when I'm in Leipzig :-).
As for the range of Absinthes they have in the Sixtina, someone took a picture of the list but it's hard to read because it's so small :-(.
- 10 January 2010 at 15:50
- Alan said...
Thanks for the picture, Marijke.
Sixtina's list is bigger, but much more focused on German and Czech absinths. There was a clue to this on their home page with the burning absinthe photo.
The other bar (La Petite Absintherie) is much more focused on what I would call "real absinthe." They even have some good absinthes from the USA.
- 10 January 2010 at 16:21
- Penumbra said...
I live in Atlanta and there is a fantastic place in Toco Hills called Toco Giant Package store. I've bought some great absinthes there, most recently a nice bottle of Vieux Carre. Also, Green's has a good selection, and there is usually good absinthe at Apres Diem in Midtown.
- 27 January 2012 at 07:08
- Alan said...
Thanks, Penumbra. I need to update this page again. I have a couple of trips to the USA planned for later this year and will update after that.
- 27 January 2012 at 08:05
- Niall said...
Bond No 9 seems to be shut these days, an update in Edinburgh stores, Drinkmonger in Bruntsfield Place has a range of French absinthe, Royal Mile Whiskies have some of the French commercial brands. The Fine Wine Company stocks some commercial French stuff too and finally Harvey Nicholl's have a few absinthe bottles, Versinthe and Loch Ness Blanche Absinthe (But you have to buy this one online).
- 19 January 2019 at 23:03


text:
2011 Taiwan Cup Self Challenge
November 5, 2011
At 6 am, approximately 1,000 bicyclists gathered at the starting location of the 2011 Taiwan Cup International Cycling Road Race to see how well they could ride on the same course the professional racers would use the next day. Most of them would be happy to finish the Self Challenge in 7 to 10 hours. The pros were expected to complete the 200 kilometer (125 miles) road course in about 5 hours.
Our media group was invited by the Taiwan Tourism Bureau to participate in the 2011 Taiwan Cup Self Challenge, and after being outfitted with bikes provided by Giant, we headed for the starting line. Our group consisted of Judy Tsuei, Bin Chen, Doug Bardwell, Ryley Hart, Jason Heflin and myself, all very determined to do as much of the 200k route as possible. We were accompanied everywhere in this beautiful country by our Taiwan Tourism Bureau guide extraordinaire, Lily Chuang. Lily is a wonderfully warm, helpful and knowledgeable person whose obvious pride in her work and country shined through in every little detail of information and assistance she provided. She was going to ride with us, too.
We were supported by a van, also from Giant Bicycles, complete with all the water, food, fruit and bike supplies we would need, and a very able bike man, named A-Nan. He is a quiet, competent young man whose friendly nature was apparent in everything he did. He assembled and set up our bikes to properly fit each of us for this very long ride. I had brought my own special pedals so I could "clip" in for better stability, and A-Nan installed them on my bike. A-Nan also outfitted us with radios to stay in touch as we spread out over the 125 mile course.
The Self Challenge had three distance categories depending on how far you thought you might be able to ride, 60k, 100k or 200k. We opted to start with the 200k challengers and split into 3 groups, based on earlier established riding abilities. The lead group consisted of Jason, Ryley, and me. Judy and Bin joined up and Doug and Lily started out together. Things did not end this way, of course, but in theory, no one would be alone out there, without a partner. Each group would be outfitted with a radio to stay in touch with A-Nan in the sag-wagon.
Before they let us start off, all the riders had to do stretching exercises for about ten minutes, while holding our bikes. That was a first for me. The route started in the City of Hualien, which is on the eastern side of Taiwan. We were accompanied for the short prelude ride by a police escort, but after a left turn over a bridge, the mileage started for real and we began climbing on our own in the verdant foothills of the coastal mountains. This provided a nice shade canopy, as it was warming up very quickly.
Everything was going great at the beginning and we pretty much rode according to plan, or so I thought. Our lead group was the first to stop at the initial water/food zone. The sponsors provided water, bananas, watermelon and small cakes which were handed out by smiling volunteers. The plan was to try to regroup at each stop and see how everyone was doing. When Bin arrived without Judy, we knew things had already gone awry. And we had only gone about 15 miles!
Apparently, Judy had left Bin early on and decided to pass up the initial food zone. We never saw her go by. Judy became the mystery rider. Determined to ride 75 miles, she never looked back and it wasn't until about 50 miles later that the van caught up with her and she stopped to refuel. That's one gritty girl!
Lily eventually ran out of steam and moved into her guide guise, riding sag with A-Nan, who was keeping track of the rest of us. Doug joined our group and held on to the 50k mark, when frustrating bike problems ended his ride. Jason, Ryley and I rode on, each of us feeling pretty good, despite the high temperatures and direct sun.
We made a point of regrouping at each food zone and asking, "Did anybody see number 193?" This was the ride number given to Judy at the start which would be visible on the top of her helmet and the side of her bike. English not being the preferred local language, none of the other riders had a clue what we were asking, except to point to the route sign, which was also, coincidentally, 193! This was the route we would be on for almost half the ride.
Some of us were under the impression that we were doing the same route as the racers, since we were given race-route maps and told all about the beautiful seaside views we would be experiencing. However, somewhere along the way it became apparent that we were not even close to the ocean. We traveled south along an interior scenic country road; then, at about 100k turned west and north to ride the wide designated bicycle lane of Highway 9, back to the start. The racers would ride Highway 9 south for about half their 200k, including 2 sprint sections and a KOM climb. They would then cut east over the mountains to the coastal route going north until reaching the finish in Hualien.
Just a comment on Taiwan's bicycle readiness: Compared to the USA,Taiwan is way ahead in providing bicyclists a safer and more enjoyable riding environment. In many places around Taiwan, I found bike lanes physically separated from the active roadway. Normal bike lanes were usually wider than the 3' maximum typically found in the United States. However, there was one feature of bike lane development that really stood out for its obvious bicyclist safety primacy.
While riding along Highway 9 which is a fast 2 lane road, I noticed there was older infrastructure unable to accommodate both car and bike lanes. Incredibly, when approaching such a narrowing of the road, the bike lane morphed into the right hand car lane. Cars in that right lane are required to merge into the left, now single lane. In other words, car convenience was sacrificed for cyclist safety. That consideration would be unheard of in the United States, where "king car" rules over its roads; bicyclists are at best tolerated, usually as an afterthought.
There are thousands of miles of bike lanes, bike paths and trails all over this beautiful island country. Coupled with slower speed limits and drivers seemingly more respectful of cyclists, King Liu's Taiwan Cycling Paradise is not so far fetched.
Ryley, Jason and I were staying reasonably close together. As our strongest rider, Jason would wait for us to regroup when he got ahead. After 100k, I was still humming along like a car on cruise control when, suddenly, the engine stopped like it had run out of gas. Shortly after the 110k mark, as we headed up the longest climb, I started having real problems. The heat had been intense and I was feeling signs of heat stroke, including dizziness and weakness.
I can ride with that and continued on, with Jason looking at me like I was totally crazed because I wouldn't answer his questions about how I felt. Luckily for me, Jason was indefatigable. I had nicknamed him the "Horse" because of the strong, steady, plodding way he pulled me along and also because of the design on the back of his cycling jersey. The Taiwan Tourism Bureau had generously provided these jerseys to all of us.
Jason's pulling so far ahead of me on the long climb up the hill was a clear message my body was sending me that my ride was physically over. I could barely pedal and was "bonked" (a seriously weakened condition). Desperately, I continued on, hoping for a second wind. Unfortunately, before that could happen, I started cramping. Riding for several miles in a way to not induce the cramps, I hoped I could ward them off for the rest of the ride. I had been successful at doing this in the past.
Regrettably, not this time; at about 140k I cramped so badly that I fell over and crawled to the side of the road. In less than a minute a young man I had passed earlier showed up offering help. Even though he had been on the road for nearly seven hours himself, he gave me some of his food and actually started massaging my painfully cramping legs. Not in all my years of bike riding has anyone done something like that! Occasionally riders will yell out, "Are you ok?" as they pass you by without stopping. This good Samaritan was very kind and friendly, as I have found almost all Taiwanese to be. He spoke a little English, so I was able to properly thank him.
Eventually, the support van appeared with A-Nan and Lily and they took care of me. I was not happy getting into the sag wagon, ending my ride. Cramping out and being forced to quit was depressing. I radioed ahead to Jason to tell him to keep going without me, and then sadly watched as we passed them along the road.
Jason had told me that his original goal was to complete his first-ever 100 mile ride, called a Century. Realizing they could finish the entire challenge and truly be "winners," Ryley and Jason trudged on for an additional 25 miles and successfully completed the entire 2011 Taiwan Cup Self Challenge. Congratulations to Jason and Ryley for having the determination and strength to complete 125 miles in spite of the heat and pain they had to endure.
To put things in perspective, Jason and Ryley are serious amateur cyclists who rode their hearts out for approximately 10.5 hours, averaging about 12 mph. They received a medal and finish-line photos. The next day the winning racer, Aoyangi Kazuki of the Shimano Team from Japan, completed his 200k circuit in 4 hours, 47 minutes for an average over 26 miles per hour and collected $100,000 ntd ($3,300 US)! I guess that's why they are called, "Professionals."
Regardless, nothing can diminish the sense of accomplishment that we all felt from riding as far as we could go. Judy made her 75 mile goal and was elated. Jason surpassed his expectations and rode 125 miles. Ryley rode the ride of his life on an ill fitting bike. I was disappointed not being able to complete all 125 miles, but I did all that my body would allow me to do on this day. I simply couldn't go any farther.
The 2011 Taiwan Cup Self Challenge was a life lesson for all of us. Anyone can quit; it's a hell of a lot harder to keep going beyond what you think you can do. We did that and are all better for it. That is why the event is called a Self Challenge. We have the Taiwan Tourism Bureau and Giant Bicycles to thank for it.


text:
A-FAB representatives deployed themselves today in the halls of Moon Palace in Cancun, Mexico, the venue of climate change negotiations to approach and urge the delegates of the 10 member-governments of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to speak up in the negotiations on behalf of the millions of people from the region who are amongst the most affected and least prepared to deal with the vagaries of climate change."After one week of slow progress and many disagreements on key issues in the climate change conference, it is clear that delegates of ASEAN governments must take strong positions and push for quick resolution on issues of mitigation and adaptation given the particular vulnerability of our region," said Zelda Soriano, political advisor of Greenpeace Southeast Asia."In negotiations on reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD), for example, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and other forest countries of ASEAN who will gain from a good REDD deal must speak up. Thesub-national accounting of reduced deforestation in the new text for discussion this week must define sub-national carefully to prevent deforestation from one part of the country to the other, while developed countries can use the reduced deforestation to increase their fossil fuel emissions." Zelda addedGia Ibay, climate and energy officer of WWF Philippines points out that this is the opportunity to maximize the advantage of number in a negotiation considering that ASEAN is a group of 10 governments. She said: "A commonASEAN voice that demands for a new Climate Fund under the UNFCCC with defined key elements, process and details that are needed to operationalize the Fund is definitely stronger than one government calling for the same.""Agreeing on the need for developed countries to allocate new and additional, public and grant based finance of at least US 100 billion by 2020 to finance mitigation and adaptation. Moreover, there should be provisions for replenishing the global climate funds from the assessed contributions of Annex 1 countries equivalent to 0.5 percentof GDP, to be raised to 1.5 per cent of GDP also by 2020, " said Shalimar Vitan, regional policy coordinator of Oxfam international. "Hence, we expect ASEAN to be a strong advocate for adaptation in the negotiations," she added.
For more information:In Cancun:
In Bangkok:
In Philippines:
Feature story