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Today is Carwyn's last day as Wales's FM, as BBC News Wales Online is currently reminding us.
So here's a post to pay tribute to Carwyn, FM of Wales, 2009-18 and welcome his successor who takes office as FM tomorrow, Mark Drakeford.
Carwyn's time as FM saw many high points, but his finest hour was of course the suicide of Carl Sargeant, the Labour AM for Alyn and Deeside and Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children in Nov 2017. Carl hung himself after being suspended from the Welsh Labour Party and his job by Carwyn in the wake of allegations of sexual misconduct, the details of which Carl was never given.
The allegations were traced to some Welsh Labour wimmin spin doctors, at least one of whom has been responsible for concealing the barrel of shit that is the sex abuse gang who have run the NHS and social services in Wales for many years. Even after all these months, no-one is sure who alleged what against Carl and how much evidence there was for the allegations. Carl remains dead and his son Jack has succeeded Carl's seat in the Senedd.
Until Carl hung himself, no-one imagined that Carwyn's tenure could have been blighted with anything worse than the 2013 Tawel Fan Scandal, the biggest scandal involving the abuse of mental health patients that the UK has ever experienced. Tawel Fan was a truly dreadful EMI ward in the deeply troubled Ablett Unit at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd. Before Tawel Fan broke, the Ablett Unit had already distinguished itself by employing a healthcare assistant who sexually abused a female patient and in his defence stated that she was a 'time waster' who 'wasn't really ill', being someone with a 'personality disorder'. A female patient from the Ablett Unit was murdered by another Ablett patient whom she had met in the Ablett and begun a relationship with; no member of Ablett staff had told her that he had a history of extreme violence towards his female partners. Then a Bulgarian man who was completely psychotic was discharged from the Ablett Unit, homeless and with no aftercare, only to travel to Tenerife and chop the head off of an English tourist. While in the Ablett Unit the Angels had documented that their patient was 'talking gibberish' ie. Bulgarian and a Top Doctor had stated that he was feigning mental illness in order to use the hospital to secure accommodation, being homeless, so they kicked him out.
Throughout these events, serious complaints made by other patients about the appalling care and conditions at the Ablett were ignored; at least one of those complaints involved one of the Top Doctors responsible for the care of the Bulgarian decapitator. Top Doctors at the Ablett Unit were used as second opinions by their mates from the Hergest Unit at Ysbyty Gwynedd, when patients at the Hergest had been neglected and abused so badly that they asked to be transferred to another Top Doctor. The second opinions from the Ablett inevitably backed up their mates from the Hergest. Meanwhile, patients at the Hergest were violently assaulted and found dead, including on the ward.
Then came Tawel Fan. After numerous complaints from patients' relatives were ignored, an Angel raised concerns when she saw one of her male Angel colleagues kicking a patient. She was ignored. So this Angel made an undercover recording of patients crawling around on floors covered with urine and faeces, while her charming colleagues swore at them and chatted about their sex lives. One patient had an untreated broken arm. The Angel gave the undercover film to the relative of a patient who's complaints had been repeatedly ignored. They took it to the press and the scandal erupted. The Angel was sacked and later struck off by the NMC. Tawel Fan was shut down and the police were called in to investigate. A number of patients were in such poor condition that they died soon after the ward was closed. No Angels were charged or disciplined and a group of them gave an interview to 'The Daily Post' stating that the care in Tawel Fan was 'excellent' and that the relatives who complained were 'trouble makers'.
Relatives of the Tawel Fan patients spoke of being treated with rudeness and disrespect by both Carwyn and the Health Minister at the time, Mark Drakeford.
While patients continued to die in the Hergest Unit, there were deaths of patients in another other psych unit in north Wales, the Heddfan Unit at Wrexham Maelor Hospital, including that of one patient, a policeman, who managed to hang himself on the ward.
Some months after the Tawel Fan Scandal, the Bryn Hesketh Scandal hit the media after elderly patients were abused at the Bryn Hesketh Unit in Colwyn Bay. Some of the staff involved were those who had abused patients in Tawel Fan. Once more, no charges were brought and no staff faced disciplinary action.
Psych patients were not the only people in north Wales to suffer. The maternity service at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd was so dangerous and so many babies died that an outside 'hit squad' was called in and stated that the problems were so great that their first task would be 'establishing normality'. No staff were disciplined, despite an admission that one Top Doctor was such an abusive bully that he was a danger to patients.
Then there was the outbreak of C. difficile in the hospitals in north Wales; the bogs on the wards which were overflowing with turds, urine and blood and left in that state for weeks; the cases of food poisoning suffered by patients which were not even documented; the police investigation into fraud and embezzlement by the managers of Ysbty Glan Clwyd…
There was much more as well, but there is not the scope in this tribute to detail it all.
Some of these events took place when Professor Merfyn Jones was Chairman of the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. Merfyn's wiki entry currently states that he was appointed Chairman in 2013; that is wrong, he was appointed in 2011. Merfyn had previously served as a Board member and was horrified at the problems which were simply being ignored or concealed. So when Merfyn became Chairman of the Betsi, he tried to address those problems, which included mounting a prosecution against an Angel who impersonated a police officer and threw an old lady in her 80s across the ward, injuring her. This Angel had some years previously unlawfully refused to treat a patient and threatened her with physical violence, but no action was taken against him. The Top Docs, managers and Angels were so outraged at Merfyn responding to patient complaints and launching investigations into staff misconduct that they organised across the Health Board, conspired to withold information from the Board and allowed patients to die, to force Merfyn's resignation in 2013 under a huge cloud and ensure that he did not return to public life.
The person who wrote one of the critical 'independent' reports about Merfyn was Dr Peter Higson, who was then appointed as Chairman of the Betsi himself. During Higson's time as Chairman, the suicide and mortality rates rose even higher, litigation against the Health Board soared and a recruitment crisis occurred because staff simply wouldn't take jobs in the NHS in north Wales.
Meanwhile in other regions of Wales, NHS staff with criminal convictions were employed, patients died of neglect in hospitals and while waiting for ambulances to arrive, ambulances which sometimes didn't ever arrive even after the patient had died. A healthcare assistant was jailed for the rape of a disabled woman after complaints about him sexually abusing patients were ignored; one of his parents was a senior manager of the NHS Health Board which had employed him.
While Carwyn has been FM there has been scandal after scandal of residents in care homes being abused or neglected, sometimes resulting in their deaths. The case of one chain of care homes owned by a Top Doctor in south Wales was used as an example in a healthcare conference in England of extreme elder abuse which had been known about and ignored for years.
Disabled residents in receipt of community care in Wales often found that the carer who was given an hour in which to get them out of bed, washed, dressed and given breakfast simply didn't turn up, so they remained in bed until the lunch-time carer turned up or, because they sometimes didn't turn up either, the disabled person stayed in bed until the evening carer arrived to put them to bed.
The health and social care system is not the only part of Wales's infrastructure which has thrived under Carwyn. There has been a constant problem with endemic police corruption. It is bad in south Wales but even worse in north Wales. On Carwyn's watch, two police officers in north Wales were charged with assault and conspiring to pervert the course of justice. They were cleared. One of them had previously worked as a healthcare assistant on the psych wards in Ysbyty Gwynedd. The North Wales Police consistently refused to investigate complaints made by psych patients of staff abusing them.
Policing is not a devolved responsibility, so Carwyn does not have domain over the police. However, a few weeks ago, the former Chief Constable of North Wales was appointed as the new Chairman of the Betsi Board and the NHS is a devolved responsibility.
Throughout Carwyn's time as FM, there have been scandals involving local authority corruption across north Wales. Dear old Anglesey County Council leads the field in this regard, one of the Councillors went to prison while Carwyn was FM; I think it was the same Councillor who went to prison years ago, before Carwyn was FM.
Wales's universities have excelled under Carwyn's leadership too. As well as the rampant grade inflation and plagiarism which is de rigueur in HE post-Blair, Swansea University has been beset by scandal after scandal and in the last couple of weeks the VC has been suspended. There have also been public scandals at senior management level at Aberystwyth University, Glyndwr University and Cardiff Met University.
Wales's schools are not what they should be. Pupils from professional families often perform very well and achieve impressively in the state schools and it is pupils like this to which Wales always points as evidence of how excellent and equitable its schools are. Yet pupils in the same schools from more disadvantaged backgrounds often have dreadful experiences and outcomes, which are ignored. SEN pupils fare so badly that huge numbers of parents scrimp and save to pay for private provision. When I attended The Night With A Thousand Stars some eight years ago in Llandudno at which Carwyn was the keynote speaker, in his speech Carwyn expressed his deep concern at the standards in Welsh schools.
My mates always laugh at me because I do try to be fair to people, even those who have mistreated me or taken me for a ride. I continue to do my best to be even-handed because I have spent my whole life watching people lie, deceive and shoulder the blame for their own wrongdoing onto other less guilty or entirely innocent people and it is in those circumstances that serious endemic corruption thrives. So I'm going to be fair to Carwyn as well.
Carwyn knew just how bloody terrible things were in the troubled little nation of which he became FM in 2009, because he was Counsel General for Wales, 2007-09, when the most dreadful things were happening in the NHS, Social Services and elsewhere. Carwyn knew that he had a Senedd full of former social workers and County Councillors who had been complicit with the most appalling corruption and criminality and it was from that collection of deadbeats that he had to appoint his Cabinet.
After Carwyn became FM, he was told that I had been threatened by a policeman with a gun and was living in terror after I had called in lawyers in an attempt to deal with the harassment and threats to which people in the NHS, Social Services and County Councils in north Wales were subjecting me. Soon after this, Carwyn appointed Theo Huckle QC as Counsel General for Wales, knowing that my lawyer would be making a claim against the NHS for damages. See post 'Theo Huckle QC'. Theo was given copies of the 10,000 documents that I now have in my possession detailing serious organised crime in every agency with which I had contact, going back as far as 1984. The NW Wales NHS Trust admitted 'serious failures' and 'complete failure to provide care'. Theo asked my lawyers if I would agree to see Dr Adrianne Reveley for an independent assessment. I have now found out that Reveley was yet another dishonest Top Doctor who knew the people that my lawyer was making representation against (see post 'Dr Adrianne Reveley – A Loving Tribute').
After seeing Reveley, I was violently attacked by the daughter of a local barrister in public and when I went to the police to report the assault – I had been injured and was bleeding – I was sectioned and detained in Wrexham Maelor Hospital. My injuries were not documented or treated. I had been in Wrexham Maelor for 24 hours or so when the ward manager told me that the documentation completed by the Top Doctor et al at Aberystwyth Police Station who sectioned me (see previous posts) had not been signed and I had therefore been detained unlawfully, so I was free to leave. So I did.
Wrexham Maelor then reported me missing to the the police, placed notices in the local papers, launched a man hunt and I was sectioned again on the basis of the lies of a social worker in Scotland, where I was on holiday. I ended up sectioned on various psych wards for the best part of a year, during which time I was assaulted by Angels and witnessed the law broken repeatedly. During that time, I received a letter telling me that the Welsh Gov't legal service denied all allegations of medical negligence. I then received a letter from my lawyers, Walker Smith Way of Chester and Wrexham, telling me that the lawyer who had been handling my case had left the practice and that if I wanted them to continue with my case, would I please pay the £10,000 which they claimed that I owed them that they had never mentioned to me before. If I chose to drop my case Walker Smith Way would forget about the money. Should I wish to take up my case with another lawyer and have the documentation transferred, Walker Smith Way would want their £10k. I sent Walker Smith Way an e mail telling them that I was now homeless and jobless, detained in a psych hospital, I did not have £10k to give them and obviously I could not continue with my case. Walker Smith Way e mailed me back thanking me for paying the £10k. I heard no more. Walker Smith Way have now been taken over by Slater Gordon. I have recently been told that Rachel Vasmer, the lawyer who walked away after guns were waved at me as well as at a man who made a witness statement, is now employed as a Tribunal judge in Shropshire.
It's called serious organised crime and it all stems from the Westminster Paedophile Ring, which had its basis in north Wales during the 1970s, 80s and 90s and was facilitated principally by the NHS, the Social Services, the North Wales Police and the legal profession. The people responsible are still running the public services in north Wales. One of those people was Peter Higson.
I don't blame Carwyn for all of this, he inherited a huge problem. He just completely failed to address any part of it, but that was probably because he didn't want to be found dead. Carwyn is actually far too young to be held substantially responsible for the atrocious mess, no matter how little he has done to resolve it.
There are two people however who entered Welsh politics so long ago that they can be held responsible for what happened and continues to happen, indeed they were friends with those who ran the Westminster Paedophile Ring:
Rhodri Morgan
The Lord Kinnock
Rhodri's wife Julie is the Labour AM for Cardiff North, a former social worker and County Councillor who is a good friend of the Windbags. See post 'The Paedophiles' Friends Of Cardiff North'.
The Windbag's wife's parents were Anglesey Councillors.
Rhodri and Julie are good friends with Jane Hutt, the Labour AM for the Vale of Glamorgan. Jane is a former social worker and County Councillor.
The Baroness of Ely, the Labour AM for Mid and West Wales, is a good friend of the Windbags.
The Baroness's dad was a social worker, clergyman and a County Councillor of the same generation as the Windbags. The Rev Bob entered local politics at the suggestion of one of his churchwardens, who was Chairman of the Cardiff West Constituency Labour Party. The constituency Labour MP was at the time George Thomas, the child molester. The Windbag, his wife his wife's parents and the churchwarden of the Rev Bob's church were among the many people who concealed the sex offending of George Thomas.
Wales's Health Ministers during Carwyn's time as FM were Edwina Hart, Labour AM for the Gower, Lesley Griffiths, Labour AM for Wrexham and Mark Drakeford, Labour AM for Cardiff West. Edwina was appointed as Health Minister by Rhodri, but remained in post for a while after Carwyn succeeded Rhodri as FM. Edwina received sufficient evidence from me to have had a number of senior managers and NHS staff in north Wales arrested and charged. Edwina did correspond with me and I believed that she was trying to deal with some very difficult matters. What I didn't realise was that when those we know and love failed to stop their criminal activities, Edwina then did a back room deal and colluded with them because she was running for FM herself and didn't want the barrel of crap exploding on her watch. Edwina and her husband had both previously served as Chairs of TUC Wales, in which capacity they had concealed criminality in the health and welfare services. Edwina was appointed Minister for Business after her stint as Minister for Health and Social Services and while in that role she gave out a business support grant to a man on Anglesey in return for him having sex with her. Edwina was a Director of Chwarae Teg, a Wimmin's 'economic development' charidee which was founded by Jane Hutt.
Lesley Griffiths is a former County Councillor who worked as a medical secretary in Wrexham Maelor for 20 years (see post 'History Repeats Itself, First As Tragedy, Second As Farce').
Mark Drakeford is a former social worker and County Councillor, who's adult son is currently serving an eight year prison sentence for rape. Mark Drakeford is a feminist and has already announced that he will have a 50:50 gender balanced Cabinet.
Jane Hutt, Labour AM for the Vale of Glamorgan, served as Health Minister while Rhodri was FM.
BBC News Wales Online reported the tributes paid to Carwyn by Wales's other esteemed AMs. Huw Irranca-Davies, the Labour AM for Ogmore, was reported as saying of Carwyn's legacy that it was "A more muscular government, a more outspoken government. If you look at the major reforms around curriculum development in Wales, so we not only have the highest standards of education attainment but well rounded individuals who come out of our education system, if you look at reforms in health and social care even in challenging times we are leading the UK in trying to develop a system that is seamless health and social care."
Huw Irranca-Davies also believes that he is Wales's 'sexiest man'. Or it might be 'sexiest politician'. Er, is there much competition Huw??
Huw Irranca-Davies
When Huw was a boy, he campaigned for his step-uncle, Ifor Davies, the Labour MP for the Gower. Uncle Ifor was Deputy to Cledwyn Hughes when Lord Cledwyn was Secretary of State for Wales in Harold Wilson's Gov't. Lord Cledwyn concealed the child molesting of George Thomas who was a Minister in the Welsh Office along with Uncle Ifor. Lord Cledwyn was the MP for Anglesey and a friend of the Windbags.
In her tribute to Carwyn's legacy, Jane Hutt stated that the referendum giving the Assembly more law making powers was a "major achievement", "because it led to us being able to take through pioneering legislation like the organ donation human transplantation act". In the way that Wales was proud of being the first country in the world to appoint a Children's Commissioner after the massive cover-up into the North Wales Child Abuse Scandal which was the Waterhouse Inquiry, Wales now cannot stop patting itself on the back for being the first nation in the UK to pass legislation stating that everyone is considered to have given permission for their organs to be donated unless they have specifically opted-out. So if you live in Wales, your body belongs to the state. There was no discussion of the citizenship implications of this legislation, just a lot of lies and made-up statistics regarding how many lives it would save. The legislation was forced through by Health Minister Edwina Hart, who was ignoring the deaths of patients as a result of neglect and abuse in the NHS, as well as the threats being made to me and the unlawful denial of NHS treatment for me.
A recent letter published in 'The Daily Post' by Michael Joyce from Gwynedd – Mr Joyce is a concerned citizen who has been on the ball with regard to the NHS in Wales for some years now – made the point that stroke care in Wales is so bad that more patients in Wales die from stroke than in many other countries. Mr Joyce also observed that most organs for transplant in Wales come from stroke patients.
Michael Joyce is not on the Grassy Knoll, he is an intelligent man who reads all reports, inspections, reviews etc relating to the NHS and regularly writes to 'The Daily Post' commenting on the living nightmare that is the NHS in Wales. His observations are never remarked upon by anyone in the Senedd.
So tomorrow Mark Drakeford will succeed Carwyn as FM. The Mark who worked as a social worker for Dyfed Social Services when a paedophile ring operated within Dyfed Social Services, the Mark who worked as a social worker in Ely when there was abuse of young people in Ely, the Mark who was a probation officer when the Probation Service colluded with the abuse of children and vulnerable people. The Mark who was a good friend of Rhodri Morgan, was Morgan's SPAD throughout Morgan's entire time as FM, the Mark who then succeeded Rhodri's seat – Cardiff West, the molester George Thomas's old stomping ground – and was Health Minister when the conspiracy against Merfyn to precipitate patient deaths and blame Merfyn was hatched.
Things are now going to unravel in Wales at a rate of knots never seen before, but Mark and the Top Doctors will continue to tell the people of Wales that everything is excellent, that their own appalling experience of the NHS was just a matter of them 'slipping through the net' and that if there is a problem, it is the fault of Tory Cuts. People in Wales will obediently lobby for Increased Funding For The NHS and More Pay For Top Doctors. It is not the fault of the general public; they have no idea of how endemically corrupt the political and professional class in Wales is as well as in the wider UK and they have no idea that the en masse child abuse which is beginning to become very public was facilitated by Top Doctors and that virtually all of them were complicit. The Baroness of Ely is married to a Top Doctor. I know exactly what Mark and his mates did, because I lived through it and it was my friends who died.
The orchestra on the Titanic continued to play, even as the ship was sinking and they knew that most of the passengers were going to drown because there weren't enough lifeboats. The lifeboats that were on the ship were prioritised for first class passengers.
Mark and his friends celebrated when he won the Welsh Labour leadership. The knees -up was probably at the St David's Hotel in Cardiff Bay, the preferred hang out of politicians and celebs. It is very nice in the St David's Hotel but so expensive that most people in Wales can't afford to stay there, even for one night.
Lifeboat for Professor Drakeford please! And throw in an organic cucumber and mint tea followed by a kale and quinoa salad with an orange tahini dressing, before he has his lavender foot massage after his Mindfulness session please.
Meanwhile, back at HQ at Westminster, several prominent Welsh Labour politicians have urged Jezza to table a vote of no confidence in Theresa May's Gov't, follows the decision to defer a vote on Brexit on Monday. MPs Chris Bryant and Owen Smith are among the 40 signatories to the letter to Jezza, along with Lord Hain. However, the wider Labour Party rejected calls to table a vote of no confidence in Mrs May, with Labour officials arguing it had more chance of success when the Brexit deal came back before MPs.
The husband of the PM of Denmark has said that the UK Gov't has 'lost its authority'. Of which his father the Windbag showed so much while he led the Labour Party for all those years when Dafydd and the gang procured children for Thatcher's friend and Minister Sir Peter Morrison and others to use for sex while the Windbag, his wife and his wife's family and extended network all concealed what was going on. So worrying were the accounts of the abuse of children in one of the children's homes run by Gwynedd County Council on Anglesey in the 1980s, that Ioan Bowen Rees, the Chief Exec of Gwynedd County Council, called in a team from another County Council's Social Services to reassure everyone that all was well. Dyfed County Council's Social Services to be precise, the employers of Mark Drakeford. Ioan Bowen Rees had previously been the County Secretary and Solicitor of Dyfed County Council. Prior to taking up the appointment in Dyfed, Ioan had been employed as a local authority solicitor in Cardiff. Dr Tony Francis, one of the Top Docs facilitating the abuse ring, knew the Windbag from their days as students in Cardiff.
Windbag Minor. He's after your job Jezza. Because as any fule kno, He's Worth It.
Because You're Worth It
The Story Behind the Legendary Phrase
Because I'm Worth It. These four words are bound to the time of their creation and yet they have proven to be timeless. They have become what the brand stands for.
Written in 1973 when a social revolution and a new spirit of feminism was in full swing, it seems clear that the phrase could only have been written by a woman. Ilon Specht was a copywriter with McCann Erickson back in 1973. She was thought of as original, unconventional, creative and independent. Fortunately, she worked on the L'Oréal account! Specht was just 23 years old when she broke new ground with an ad that was strictly from a woman's point of view. It famously ended with the signature phrase: Because I'm Worth It!
Almost the minute the ad hit, it became clear that the last line – those four words – had struck a chord. For the first time, the message was all about what the woman thought. It was about her self-confidence, her decision, her style.
Over time, "Because I'm Worth It" has become part of our social fabric. So much so that it was the subject of a 1999 New Yorker article entitled True Colors by Malcolm Gladwell. In it, Gladwell acknowledged: "…"Because I'm Worth It®" has entered the language…and taken on a meaning well outside the stated intention."
Because I'm Worth It was on message in 1973, and today we know that an astonishing 80% of women recognize and respond to this positive phrase and powerful sentiment. And what makes it truly beautiful is that "Because I'm Worth It" is translated into action every day by L'Oréal Paris – in its philanthropy, its products, and its thoughtful celebration of women.


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Following the 105-day simulated mission that ended this summer, the European Space Agency is looking for volunteers to spend 520 days in isolation, simulating a Mars mission. So what could possibly go wrong when you never leave the ground?
The Mars-500 pseudomission will take place next year at the Russian Institute of Biomedical Problems in Moscow. The 520 days is meant to copy the length of an actual Mars mission, including the journey to and from the planet and a 30-day stay on the surface. The ESA is currently seeking six volunteers (English and Russian speakers ages 20-50 in good health with specific science backgrounds) to simulate the less fun parts of being an astronaut. Before you send in your application, New Scientist points out some possible downsides:
Boredom: The major complaint from participants in this year's 105-day mission of isolation was severe boredom. Maybe the ESA could let you take a Kindle on board, or you and your fellow fake astronauts could play a long-running RPG. But be prepared to go pretty stir-crazy.
Hating Your Podmates: In 1982 two Soyuz cosmonauts, Valentin Vitalyevich Lebedev and Anatoli Berezovoi, hated each other so much that they spent their 211-day mission in almost complete silence. 520 days is more than enough time to start hating the way someone else mouth breathes or chews their food.
Sexual Harassment: During a simulated space station mission in 2000, a Russian man tried to forcibly kiss one of the women on board. Eventually, the Russian "cosmonauts" had to be separated from the rest of the crew.
Not Actually Accomplishing Anything: Peter Suedfeld of the University of British Columbia wrote a study that suggests these faux missions aren't ideal for simulating actual mission conditions. He suggests that it would be better to study exploratory missions on Earth, such as research expeditions in Antarctica.
What's the point of a fake 500-day Mars mission? [New Scientist]

subset: commoncrawl


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RENO, Nev. – With a little more than a month to go before the vice presidential debate, Congressman Paul Ryan will endure his first full day of debate preparations Sunday, but advisers are trying to keep expectations low for the only VP debate of the cycle.
According to two campaign advisers who spoke on the condition of anonymity, Ryan will head to a remote part of Oregon Sunday -- the day before he holds two fundraisers in Portland -- with a small group of advisers and aides for the "first of many sessions" gearing up for the Oct. 11 debate with Vice President Joe Biden.
"I think what we will be doing is just working through some of the most likely topics, some likely questions and just working through answers, counterpoints to Vice President Biden's arguments and answers," one adviser said about the structure of Sunday, noting the VP nominee will get a short break to watch his beloved Green Bay Packers play in their season opener.
The campaign appears to be downplaying expectations of the upcoming debate for the House Budget chairman.
"Vice President Joe Biden served over 30 years in the United States Senate; he has run for president twice and has served as vice president for the past four years. He is one of the most experienced debaters in American political life and we definitely don't take the challenge lightly," an adviser said.
The advisers did point out, however, Ryan "knows a lot about a lot of things. It's not so much a crash course on how to get smarter in a particular policy area as it is how to think about debating someone who is extremely experienced."
'Running against Obama'
Debate strategy was not discussed with the press during the briefing in a Reno hotel or if there are any topics Ryan is spending more time studying than others. It was mentioned that they are focused on "running against the Obama record and we are running to advance the Romney-Ryan agenda."
The Biden stand in – the person who will "play" the current VP – has not yet been publically announced and will not be on hand in the Beaver State this week as no mock debate will take place. Ryan did say in an interview with Fox and Friends this week, this person will be announced "shortly."
Mitt Romney spent several days this week doing debate prep of his own in Woodstock, Vt. Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, who was once considered a frontrunner to be the Republican VP, will play President Barack Obama. Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) will play Ryan in debate preps with Biden.
Campaign aides told the Ryan traveling press corps late Friday that Ryan will "do something similar" to Romney's debate camp and this weekend's events lend clues to what may occur in the future now that they've moved into a new phase: "to focus quite intensely on debate prep."
"Look at what we are doing Sunday," an adviser said. "We are doing it somewhere remote, we are doing it somewhere where there aren't distractions and that obviously is the model. Where geographically the debate camp will be, I am working on that right now."
Debate prep day
Sunday will not mark Ryan's first day studying for the VP debate, which will take place in Danville, Ky. The seven-term Wisconsin congressman has been going thru large white binders – "organized by issue areas" -- of policy information, research, and news of the day since the Republican National Convention ended a week ago. Ryan himself has had a very hands-on roll thus far.
"By the time he had wrapped up the convention, he was able to start absorbing a lot of those briefing books and weighing in on them. Editing them, restructuring the format along the lines that works for him," an advisor said, shedding the first real insight into what Ryan has been doing on his campaign plane and during down time on the road.
The congressman's debate prep day comes amidst a fundraising swing out West which precludes him from doing his typical Sunday routine of flying to his hometown of Janesville, WI, to spend time with his wife and three children. Last Sunday, when Ryan was home, advisors said he watched the 2008 vice presidential debate between Biden and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.


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e3 Software necesitaba un nuevo diseño de banner publicitario y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
2 ganadores han sido elegidos entre 46 diseños de 13 diseñadores freelance.
Direct Mail — http://directmailmac.com
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The ad is for Direct Mail, an email marketing application for the Mac. We sell primarily to small business owners (or members) who love using their Mac.
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<Title>THE SPORTS DOCTOR- Meddlesome: Snyder just can't help himself
When Redskins owner Dan Snyder fired Jim Zorn, I doubt anyone's jaw dropped in surprise. Not only did Zorn coach the Redskins to their second consecutive losing season (a really ugly one too, 4-12), Dan Snyder is an itchy-finger owner. If there were any surprises to be had, it's in the deal Snyder made with Washington's new coach, Mike Shanahan.
Think about it– if you owned a business, how much say would you expect to have in how that business was run? A little? Total? How about none at all?
If you owned a tire shop, chances are you'd make nearly all the business decisions, even the trite and mundane ones (like which color promotional pens to order). Big decisions, ones that really affected the success of your business, would most certainly be your responsibility.
Not so in the world of professional sports, if you're smart. When it comes to owning a professional sports team, the ideal level of involvement is practically nil– at least that's how most fans, coaches, and players see it. An interfering owner is like the worst type of parent– overbearing, know-it-all, nit-picking, but out of touch. Who wants that?
Not Mike Shanahan. When he signed on to be the Redskins' head coach, it was with the understanding that Dan Snyder would keep his fingers out of the cookie jar and his trigger finger firmly wedged in his pocket. Who can blame him? For the most part, owners who play like managers have turned notoriously bad judgment into notoriously bad reputations.
Ever heard of Larry Ellison? As of September 2009, Forbes listed him as the fourth richest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of $27 billion. Ellison's sport isn't football; it's sailing, and he's the second-largest financier of BMW Oracle Racing, an America's Cup racing yacht.
Back in 2003, infamous micromanager Ellison decided he didn't just want to own Oracle's racing yachts; he wanted to be the skipper. If you know anything about the America's Cup, you know that Oracle has never won it. Ever.
Even if you're not one of the 2 percent of Americans who are true soccer fans, you no doubt know Chelsea is a major force in the sport, even if you're unfamiliar with the team's owner, Roman Abramovich. If you happen to be a Chelsea fan, Abramovich's name is probably one of the dirtiest words in your vocabulary.
Abramovich is so overzealous that he makes Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones look shy and retiring. His interference with Chelsea's management is so debilitating that his own players are calling him on the carpet. Just this month, Chelsea mid-fielder Michael Ballack, who in his three and a half-years with the team has seen four managers hired and fired, blamed Abramovich for once-champion Chelsea's inability to keep their heads up against Liverpool.
"We have had too many coaches during my time at Chelsea," Ballack said, "and that's not a good idea if you want success."
Right-O, Mike. I think most people would agree.
Dan Snyder seems to. After all, when Mike Shanahan was introduced as the Redskins' new coach, Snyder was not on the podium, but rather seated in the audience. That, according to ESPN, is the first time in Snyder's tenure that he hasn't introduced a new coach (there have been several in the past) and is "a powerful symbol of how the balance of power has shifted within a proud franchise."
It's all a lie, of course. In theory, Shanahan's contract gives him final say over football decisions and managerial issues, but in practice there's no way that's going to be the case. Ever since he took ownership of the team, Snyder has made roster decisions, demanded the hiring of big-name (and over-the-hill) free agents, and fired anyone who suggested he didn't know enough about football to fill an envelope. For Snyder, interfering is like picking a scab– he just can't help himself.
Whatever else is in Shanahan's contract, I hope he insisted on a solid buyout clause. He's going to need it. It doesn't matter where Snyder sat during Shanahan's introduction, because from now on he's going to be lurking over Shanahan's shoulder, which is no surprise at all.
Juanita Giles lives in Keysville where she makes videos and updates her Sports Doctor site.


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I don't think there is one. It seems that the "exclusive" part is that it will only be sold through SSC.
Quote from: Oboewan on July 7, 2008, 12:12 PMYay! Now I can use Plo Koon's cloak for Ki-Adi!What makes you think he won't come with a cloak? Aalya Secura is coming with one and you never see her wear one in the movies.
Yay! Now I can use Plo Koon's cloak for Ki-Adi!
So? How does it look?
Page created in 0.055 seconds with 19 queries.


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Possible Duplicate:
Which Content Management System (CMS) should I use?
I need a very simple, secure CMS for single-page websites, with a single page backend, multilanguage, and preferably XML based, although that is not so important... I know there are other similar questions, but most of them are quite old.
Please don't suggest Wordpress, it is definitely overkill for something like this.


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Hackershelf Health
- 1 Project Name
- 2 Proposer
- 3 Summary
- 4 What Will Be Done
- 5 What Areas in the Space Will This Affect
- 6 Who Will Be Doing It
- 7 Why This Will Be Good
- 8 Why This Will Be Bad
- 9 How Long Will It Take
- 10 In A Fantastic World, What Extra Budget Would You Like
- 11 Are There Any Other RFPs This Would Work Well With
- 12 Are There Any Other RFPs This Would Contradict
Project Name[edit]
Hackershelf Health
Danny (perhaps others) via Wiki. Initial RFP documentation by Jarrod Hicks
Phase 1: Clear abandoned projects and materials from Hackershelves AKA Member Shelves Phase 2: Move Hackershelves to central location in space. Possibly replace shelves with lockers (pictured)
What Will Be Done[edit]
Please see the drawings for further clarification.
File:Noisebridge - Sheet - A504 - Hackershelf Health.pdf
Abandoned projects and materials will be discarded from, or donated to, Noisebridge. The details of this process are TBD. The discards will be physically removed from Noisebridge as E-waste or during the CLEAN MACHINE. During or Soon after, the shelves and their functions will be moved to a visible central location along the wall north of the existing library, cafe, and kitchen. They will be connected to the walls for additional safety. If the locker option is chosen, the lockers can be installed, and belongings moved. When the shelves are cleared the can be reused elsewhere or dismantled. This may be a long term option.
What Areas in the Space Will This Affect[edit]
Hackitorium wall north of the existing library, cafe, and kitchen.
Who Will Be Doing It[edit]
People using and, knowledgeable about, the contents of the Hackershelves. Anyone willing to help with moving and installing the shelves.
Why This Will Be Good[edit]
The shelves have become unusable to people with new projects and equipment to bring into the space for projects. The shelves are hidden from view making it difficult to notice when they are being stolen from. A lockable storage unit may be a good long term solution.
Why This Will Be Bad[edit]
The Hackershelves will get cluttered again and may contribute a significant visual clutter to the space, but this may be offset by neat in-progress projects sitting on them that everyone can see. Lockers are expensive. It may not be possible to achieve consensus on how lockers can be used and maintained in an excellent manner
How Long Will It Take[edit]
No idea how long the cleanup will take. The space wouldn't need to close but a large amount of rubbish may be generated. If this is combined with other cleanup proposals the amount of garbage in the space may make hacking difficult. Moving the shelves can be done over time but the location they are to be put in needs to be cleaned as well.
In A Fantastic World, What Extra Budget Would You Like[edit]
Possibly a rented dumpster for trash. Hardware and fasteners to attach the shelves to the walls would be useful. Money for lockers. Used options come up on Craigslist often, it seems.
Are There Any Other RFPs This Would Work Well With[edit]
Quiet Diet Needs the space.
Any RFP that will generate large volumes of waste, beyond what can be handled by the street cans.
Are There Any Other RFPs This Would Contradict[edit]


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Salaam and Greetings of Peace:
Merry Christmas, and in the spirit of true understanding, and to begin a hopefully fruitful and honest discussion without rancor or religious intolerance, I am reposting the following, with permission:
Jesus was a Palestinian and Why it Matters!
Because of modern alarmist reactions to the word "Palestine," many non-Arabs and non-Muslims take offense when it is argued that Jesus was a Palestinian (peace be upon him). Jesus' ethnicity, skin color, and culture often accompanies this conversation, but it is interesting how few people are willing to acknowledge the fact he was non-European. A simple stroll in the Christmas aisle of your local shopping store will show you the dominant representation of Jesus: a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, White man.
Islamophobia and anti-Arab propaganda have conditioned us to view Palestinians as nothing but heartless suicide bombers, terrorists, and enemies of freedom/democracy. Perpetual media vilification and demonization of Palestinians, in contrast to the glorification of Israel, blinds us from seeing issues such as the Palestinian refugee crisis, the victims of Israel's brutal attack on Gaza last winter, the tens of thousands of homeless Palestinians, and many other issues that are constantly addressed by human rights activists around the world. To speak from the perspective of the Palestinians, especially in casual non-Arab and non-Muslim settings, generates controversy because the minds of many already associate Palestinians with violent stereotypes. So, how could Jesus belong to a group of people that we're taught to dehumanize?
When I've spoken to people about this, I've noticed the following responses: "No, Jesus was a Jew," or "Jesus is not Muslim." The mistake isn't a surprise to me, but it certainly reveals how ignorant much of society still is. Being a Palestinian does not mean one is Muslim or vice versa. Prior to the creation of Israel, the word "Palestine" was a geographic term applied to Palestinian Muslims, Palestinian Christians, and Palestinian Jews. Although most Palestinians are Muslim today, there is a significant Palestinian Christian minority who are often overlooked, especially by the mainstream Western media because the agenda is to simplify the conflict as "Muslims versus Jews." To learn about many Palestinian Christians opposing Israeli military occupation, as well as Jews who oppose to the occupation, is to reveal more sides to an immensely one-sided story. Professor Jack D. Forbes writes about Jesus' multi-cultural and multi-ethnic environment:
"When the Romans came to dominate the area, they used the name Palestine. Thus, when Yehoshu'a [Jesus] was born, he was born a Palestinian as were all of the inhabitants of the region, Jews and non-Jews. He was also a Nazarene (being born in Nazareth) and a Galilean (born in the region of Galilee)… At the time of Yehoshu'a's birth, Palestine was inhabited by Jews—descendants of Hebrews, Canaanites, and many other Semitic peoples—and also by Phoenicians, Syrians, Greeks, and even Arabs."
Despite these facts, there are those who use the color-blind argument: "It does not matter what Jesus' ethnicity or skin color was. It does not matter what language he spoke. Jesus is for all people, whether you're Black, White, Brown, Yellow, etc." While this is a well-intentioned expression of inclusiveness and universalism, it misses the point.
When you see so many depictions of Jesus as a Western White man with Euro-American features, the ethnocentrism and race-bending needs to be called out. No person is superior to another based on skin color, but to ignore the way Jesus' Whiteness has been used to subjugate and discriminate against racial minorities in the West and many other countries is to overlook another important aspect of Jesus' teachings: Love thy neighbor as thyself.
Malcolm X wrote about White supremacists and slaveholders using Christianity to justify their "moral" and "racial superiority" over Blacks. In Malcolm's own words, "The Holy Bible in the White man's hands and its interpretations of it have been the greatest single ideological weapon for enslaving millions of non-white human beings." Throughout history, whether it was in Jerusalem, Spain, India, or Africa, so-called White "Christians" cultivated a twisted interpretation of religion that was compatible with their colonialist agenda. And racism was a key component of their atrocities.
And here we are in the 21st century where Islamophobia (also stemming from racism because Islam gets racialized) is on the rise; where people calling themselves "Christian" fear to have a Black president; where members of the KKK and anti-immigration movements behave as if Jesus was an intolerant White American racist who only spoke English despite being born in the Middle-East! It is astonishing how so-called "Christians" like Ann Coulter call Muslims "rag-heads" when in actuality, Jesus himself would fit the profile of a "rag-head," too. As would Moses, Joseph, Abraham, and the rest of the Prophets (peace be upon them all). As William Rivers Pitt writes:
"The ugly truth which never even occurs to most Americans is that Jesus looked a lot more like an Iraqi, like an Afghani, like a Palestinian, like an Arab, than any of the paintings which grace the walls of American churches from sea to shining sea. This was an uncomfortable fact before September 11. After the attack, it became almost a moral imperative to put as much distance between Americans and people from the Middle East as possible. Now, to suggest that Jesus shared a genealogical heritage and physical similarity to the people sitting in dog cages down in Guantanamo is to dance along the edge of treason."
Without acknowledging Jesus as a dark-skinned Middle-Eastern man — a Palestinian — who spoke Aramaic — a Semitic language that is ancestral to Arabic and Hebrew — the West will continue to view Islam as a "foreign religion." Hate crimes and discriminatory acts against Muslims, Arabs, and others who are perceived to be Muslim will persist and they will still be treated as "cultural outsiders." But what about Christianity and Judaism in America? Aren't these religions "cultural outsiders" according to the racist logic of xenophobes and Islamophobes?
Jesus would not prefer one race or group of people over another, and I believe he would not encourage today's demonization and dehumanization of the Palestinian people or the misrepresentations of him that only fuel ignorance and ethnocentrism. As a Muslim, I believe Jesus was a Prophet of God, and if I were to have any say about the Christmas spirit, it would be based on Jesus' character: humility, compassion, and Love. A Love in which all people, regardless of ethnicity, race, culture, religion, gender, and sexual orientation are respected and appreciated.
And in that spirit, I wish you all a merry Christmas. Alaha Natarak (Aramaic for: God be with you).
– From Jehanzeb's most excellent Muslim Reverie blog.
Ya Haqq!


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Monday, January 28, 2013
Honey Oat Granola Bars with Dried Blueberries . . .
|Reader reactions:
7 comments:
- Shauna said...
What? No comments?! How can that be with this delicious looking food? Consider me a loyal follower as of now because I keep trying to find more "good" food blogs to follow but I keep ending up at photography blogs. So since you fell right into my lap, you are here to stay. :)
But really, I looked back on some posts and I appreciate the healthful aspect to your food and the variety. Well done, talk soon,
- February 9, 2013 at 1:44 AM
Thanks for sharing.Here I would like to introduce Delights of India,who were the part of send sweets to India.
- February 25, 2013 at 6:39 AM
- maryandkevinaz said...
Hi. I'm enjoying looking through your blog. Reading about your adventures in culinary training has been very interesting. I'll stop back and read more. I was happy to find these bars. My oldest is headed off to college in the fall. I've been on the lookout for mail-able sweets to send him. He likes sweets and also healthy food. These will be perfect for him. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
- April 11, 2013 at 6:31 PM
- Daryl @ northern italian cuisine said...
This looks like a good summer solution for the "same old snacks" for the kids and healthy too! I'm a big blueberry fan and just started growing blueberries in my garden.
I'm curious to know if the cookbook author, Kim Boyce is the former Christian singer.
- June 26, 2013 at 2:10 PM
- Unknown said...
Hello Jane, I really love your blog! thanks for sharing your recipe and I must try this at home! I'll definitely looking forward for your more post.
cakes bakery in Brooklyn
- July 24, 2013 at 3:05 AM
- Unknown said...
I love the combination of honey and oat in this cookie recipes. Thanks for sharing.
- September 26, 2013 at 5:00 AM
- kittycatlane said...
I'm fond of dried cherries, so I think I'm gonna try this with cherries. Thanks!
- October 9, 2013 at 12:50 PM


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text:
19 comments:
- Unknown said...
Beans or baristas or both?
- chris said...
- sLucey said...
Dear Chris,
I'm hoping not to come across as flagrant in any means, but when I read or hear discussions such as this I can't help but ask about exactly how and what you're basing your statement on.
Perhaps you're not intending to do so, but when I read this I gather that you are generalizing the entire USA? The entire Specialty Industry?
I certainly wouldn't ask this question if you just came back from a trip around the US, and maybe you have.... but I can't help but ask that you explain more, otherwise a post like this seems to be more valuable for shock value rather than for creative criticisms.
I realize it could be a can of worms you'd rather not open, and if so I respect that - it should be a disclaimer to the post.
- chris said...
Hi Scott,
Fair comments. I'll respond quickly...
First - absolutely this is in no way based on complete and total understanding of all roasters and all espressos in the US "high end" market. I honestly don't know if such a claim would be realistic for anyone. As a result, there are absolutely gaps in my perception.
Second - that being said, I've been turning this whole idea over in my head for almost a year. So this isn't a "spur of the moment" post at all. I've been trying to disprove my perception for probably six months.
Third - I have the fortune (or perhaps the curse) of traveling a lot for work. This allows me to experience a ton of different espressos prepared in many different ways all across the US.
Fourth - as I have the (perhaps undeserved) reputation of having a strong palate for espresso, roasters also tend to send me coffees to taste quite frequently.
Fifth - I also happen to know a lot of coffee professionals, and they often send me samples to taste and consider.
As a result - I've been lucky enough to taste a lot of different espresso over the last year. A completely non-inclusive list of US roasters sampled would include (but not be limited to) (and in no particular order):
- Counter Culture
- Ecco
- Intelligentsia
- Klatch
- Zoka
- Terroir
- Vivace
- Caffe Fresco
- Stumptown
- Ritual
- Four Barrel
- Barefoot
- Verve
- Gimme
- Sightglass
- Vita
- Coava
- Heart
- Olympia
- Paradise
- Metropolis
- Grumpy
For correlation's sake - I've also been lucky enough to taste coffees from a bunch of non-US roasters (Wendelboe, Sq Mile, Coffee Collective, Mecca etc).
In looking at the coffees sampled and tracking the coffees over the last 7 years, I feel reasonably confident that my claim (US high end espresso *as a whole* has declined over the last year or two) is an accurate representation of my perception.
Sure... there are roasters who are exceptions.
But as a whole...
- The Ghost said...
Everyone I talk to says this years Pliny The Younger is not as good as last years Pliny the Younger. The same conversation goes for Hacienda Esmeralda.
At a certain point, you have to wonder if the quality is actually lacking, or are our tastes changing. Better yet... Are our expectations rising?
I actually believe the quality of coffee has gone up in the last couple of years. However, due to my critical nature, I can't say I've had that many great or memorable cups of coffee in the last 12 months.
This makes me think of Gwilym Davies "espresso is disappointing" line...
I'm not arguing against your point. We do need to keep focused on both espresso and brewed coffee equally. I just can't agree with the idea that espresso is not getting enough attention.
- The Ghost said...
Everyone I talk to says this years Pliny The Younger is not as good as last years Pliny the Younger. The same conversation goes for Hacienda Esmeralda.
At a certain point, you have to wonder if the quality is actually lacking, or are our tastes changing. Better yet... Are our expectations rising?
I actually believe the quality of coffee has gone up in the last couple of years. However, due to my critical nature, I can't say I've had that many great or memorable cups of coffee in the last 12 months.
This makes me think of Gwilym Davies "espresso is disappointing" line...
I'm not arguing against your point. We do need to keep focused on both espresso and brewed coffee equally. I just can't agree with the idea that espresso is not getting enough attention.
- chris said...
I'm not saying that *coffee* is declining in quality or even that coffee in the US is declining.
Rather, that *espresso* has become an increasingly marginalized part of the coffee professionals' in the US focus. And the quality of that espresso has, as a result. declined.
- Unknown said...
Over the year's Chris has had access to a diverse selection of espressos from many of the world's most renowned roasters. Many of our most respected pros and home baristas seek his take, especially when it comes to taste evaluation. Chris offers a unique perspective on flavor and quality. He's an advocate for both the pro and the consumer. Most of all, uncompromised quality. For all of the amazing advances of the last 64 years, our espresso movement is still in its infancy, In order to press forward with greater flavor, it's imperative that we remain open. Chris's criticism is most welcome.
- Unknown said...
Over the year's Chris has had access to a diverse selection of espressos from many of the world's most renowned roasters. Many of our most respected pros and home baristas seek his take, especially when it comes to taste evaluation. Chris offers a unique perspective on flavor and quality. He's an advocate for both the pro and the consumer. Most of all, uncompromised quality. For all of the amazing advances of the last 64 years, our espresso movement is still in its infancy, In order to press forward with greater flavor, it's imperative that we remain open. Chris's criticism is most welcome.
- onocoffee said...
Isn't this the same argument people had when the baristas were rising in 2002-2005 and the focus was heavily on espresso? Back then, people were bemoaning the focus on espresso and the lack of focus on coffee. Remember?
I'd be interested to read about the places you think have declined in quality over the past year or so. Considering that you're in SF, with access to a variety of shops, would those be at the top of your list in declining espresso quality?
As for myself, I don't know if I would categorize the espresso market "declining" but perhaps becoming more chaotic.
Back in the day, we used to see roasters crafting blends of coffee to meet a specific profile. Zoka Paladino, Hines Spro, Intelli Black Cat and Stumptown's Hairbender were formulated for profile - considering the yearly/monthly change in coffees, the blending of a particular blend was as challenging and craftworthy as the blending of champagnes.
Today, we seem to have forgone the challenge of blending in favor of something that, seems to me, to be an easy way out: The Single Origin Espresso and the Seasonal Espresso Blend.
Intelligentsia's Black Cat has historically been wildly varying, same with Counter Culture's Toscano. Both companies seem to have given up the craft of blending in favor of "seasonal blends" that change frequently in their Black Cat Project and Apollo lines, respectively.
From there, we see many roasters utilizing "Seasonal Single Origin Espresso" where it's very simple to take one bean, roast it and then extoll the virtues of that bean as an espresso. Don't like the profile? Well, that's the "beauty" of the seasonal espresso. It will change (as soon as we deplete our inventory).
Quite honestly, I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with SO Espresso. It can (and has) been a fascinating journey through potential flavors in espresso, but much of it also falls flat. The dark side of the SO Espresso is that it relieves the roaster from the craft of blending coffees for a particular experience.
I'm glad that Origins still produces the Hines Spro, Stumptown the Hairbender, but I'm also glad that Intelli produces that strange beast known as Honey Badger too.
Personally speaking, I'd like to see roasters return to core blending for a particular profile. Seems that they've lost focus on this with the rush to SO Espresso and "seasonality."
- sLucey said...
Thanks for explaining a bit more where you're coming from.
It's an interesting discussion rolling out. I need to ponder more, but might also ask about your statement "don't be selfish."
Would this relate to a single-minded, narrow vision that might be the shift in balance from a given coffee company only excelling with their brewed coffee?
- chris said...
Andrew -- you're far too kind.
Jay -- interesting and valid points that deserve more thought.
Scott -- in this case, by selfish I mean "it's not about what YOU want, but rather what the customers want"
- Mike White said...
what are the exceptions?
- CoffeePedaler said...
Solution:If you have consistently bad espresso, tell a shop owner/operator, not the internet. As an operator, I rely on my customer's ability to tell me when they aren't satisfied. Consumers hold half of the responsibility.
Direct communication is still the most effective way to effect change. This industry needs to grow up.
- chris said...
Absolutely you should tell the coffee bar or the roaster if you have bad coffee. And believe me (grin) I've shared all these thoughts as well as direct feedback and opinions with all sorts of roasters, coffee bar people, etc. I'm not exactly known for keeping things to myself...
Now... that being said... I tend to get listened to by the pros a little more than the average joe. It is sad to see how little interest some pros have in hearing input.
And... I cannot stress the following enough... I am NOT saying that consumers should badger people working in coffee bars with their opinions on coffee, coffee prep, etc. Be polite, be understanding, be respectful of peoples' time.
- onocoffee said...
As a barista and operator myself, I would prefer the guest come to me or my staff with their drink/quality/service concerns. It gives us direct feedback and the opportunity to make an immediate correction to their situation.
That said, I also believe that the Internet is absolutely the place to rant or rave about a place - whether you have spoken to the staff prior to posting, or not.
The bottom line is that we must be on top of our game. We must always hold the line and offer our best experience possible. Fail in that, then we deserve whatever Internet lashings we receive. At least on most review sites you can comment and attempt to handle the situation, creating another opportunity to demonstrate to the public that your place goes beyond the norm.
Of course, how many operators/baristas think this way? I don't know.
- coffeehorse said...
I've been wondering about this lately - a lot.
One of my newer theories, borne out by the comments of a couple of specialty roasters to me, is that the best coffees are now being 'reserved' for filter use only, while previously the roaster and buyer would've just had them as 'expensive espresso'.
Now they're being found 'wasted' as espresso when compared to the brew method where it's 'easy' to get clarity and complexity hand-in-hand.
Customers don't hold half the responsibility when confounded by operators who sometimes only respect the palates of people they already know and trust - I'm happy to have a palate which a few people respect, but I've seen people get cold-shouldered telling the barista the same thing I would've opened my mouth to say. They also don't hold responsibility when their palates aren't trained to pick up the deficiencies in their drinks - as the barista or the roaster you hold responsibility for ensuring the quality of your product, not the grower, not the consumer - no-one else.
While US international postage rates mean that quality roasters rarely even bother to offer their coffees to the Australian market except for tasting by industry illuminati, US coffee's here have gone from being 'desirable at all costs' to 'pleasant if you can get them' in perception.
I hope roasters drive this perception to change back.
- Psyd said...
I travel a fair bit myself, and have people sending me a few bags o beans, too, and I do have to agree with Chris' assertions. there is a tendency toward slack. Just a bit, but it's more noticeable when things should be moving forward. And I agree with Jay as well. SO's are an interesting foray into the ingredient of coffee, but the pinnacle of espresso (leastwise for me) is the blend. The Art is in the blend. Roasting and SO is a skill, and it's as Jay said, but still.
SO's are the radicchio, the arugula, the butter leaf of the espresso world. I'm fond of a mixed green salad myself.
- Aaron Meza said...
The reality is (unless they are completely ignoring their business data) most companies are listening to their customers. I focus on espresso because it's the majority of our business (even though we only offer 4-5 espresso at a time out of 25-30 coffees). I know there are other roasters out there where the opposite is true and they are probably investing most of their time in drip coffees. I don't think this excuses ignoring one or the other as I wouldn't want to sell something I'm not proud of. But it's a factor that probably ends up showing in the resulting product offerings. I don't think anyone is intentionally ignoring espresso.
There are also factors that are out of a roaster's control - such as the coffee supply. I think last year's coffees were - overall - less spectacular than usual. This is partially due to increased demand for better coffees but also an artifact of the high c market prices as (some) growers see less benefit in putting work into a better coffee when they can already get high prices for their crop.
I do have to agree with coffeehorse somewhat... yes some coffee are reserved for filter use. This isn't done intentionally per se, there is simply more price resistance from espresso consumers that there is from drip consumers which limits what coffees can be put in espresso blends. There is a huge drop off in sales when espressos are more than $18/lb. For drip coffees, that resistance doesn't start until about $23/lb and it's less pronounced. On the extreme end this resistance is even more apparent. I can go through a greater volume of drip coffee at $100/lb than I can with espresso at $25/lb. That's the market (i.e. consumer) speaking. I would love to put top auction lots in my espresso (and sometimes do as it does show in the cup) but sales simply don't support this endeavor.
While one could produce a great espresso and make reasonable margins at $18/lb 2 years ago that is increasingly harder today. And because of the price resistance espresso has, one has to make a choice between maintaining quality and losing margins or maintaining margins and losing on quality. I've opted for the former but no doubt there are some roasters out there who wouldn't even have the power to make that choice because of other strategic planning objectives.
These numbers will probably vary from roaster to roaster, but from speaking with others the trends still exist.


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Tuesday, September 03, 2013
Sports News
Jets sign Brady Quinn to add depth to QB spot
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[September 03, 2013]
(AP) -- Brady Quinn is the newest member of the New York Jets' quarterback carousel.
The Jets signed the veteran Monday to give them an experienced backup behind rookie Geno Smith, who appears likely to start the season opener against Tampa Bay on Sunday.
Quinn, a first-round draft pick of Cleveland in 2007, was cut by Seattle on Saturday. His signing also clouds the future of Mark Sanchez, who is sidelined with a shoulder injury and could miss at least the first few weeks of the season.
Quinn was on the field at practice with the other quarterbacks, while Sanchez was off to the side on a stationary bike during the 30-minute window the media were allowed to watch.
"It's a great opportunity," Quinn said. "The Jets are a historic organization. I think just to be able to work with a guy like (QBs coach) David Lee and coach (Marty) Mornhinweg, is a great opportunity for me."
Sanchez appeared in good shape to win the starting job over Smith, the team's second-round pick, until he took a hard hit to his right shoulder from the Giants' Marvin Austin late in the fourth quarter of the third preseason game. The Jets have said only that Sanchez is "day to day," but Quinn's arrival could indicate that there are concerns about Sanchez's short-term availability.
The move could also be insurance for Smith, who had an up-and-down preseason and showed he was still quite raw.
"It was just an opportunity for us to get a good football player," coach Rex Ryan said.
Quinn said he wasn't sure what his role with the Jets will be, but added that he wasn't told anything definitively about the status of Sanchez or who would be starting the season opener.
[to top of second column]
The Jets also cut recently signed quarterback Graham Harrell, and released quarterback Greg McElroy with an injury settlement. McElroy, dealing with a knee injury, had cleared waivers and reverted to the team's injured reserve list. The only other quarterback on the team is the inexperienced Matt Simms, who had a terrific preseason but has never thrown a pass in a regular-season NFL game.
Quinn was once considered the quarterback of the future for the Browns, but has bounced around the league while never living up to those expectations. He has 12 touchdowns and 17 interceptions in six seasons with the Browns, Broncos and Chiefs.
He was expected to be a top-10 pick in 2007, but slid to No. 22 and dealt with injuries and inconsistency during his time with the Browns. Quinn was traded to Denver in 2010, but never played in any games for the Broncos. He signed with Kansas City as a free agent before last season and appeared in 10 games, including a two-touchdown performance in a win against Carolina on Dec. 3.
"I think it's like anything else in life," Quinn said. "I'm extremely blessed to have the opportunities I've had. For anyone who feels that it hasn't gone the way it's supposed to, I just feel blessed to have the opportunity. ... It hasn't gone the dream way that you envision, but I'm still playing and still doing what I love to do."
AP NFL website:
Press; By DENNIS WASZAK Jr.]
Copyright 2013 The Associated
Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
< Sports index
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Watch CBSN Live
A portrait of actor Alec Guinness (1914-2000), from his 1951 comedy,
"The Man in the White Suit."
On Friday, June 13, to celebrate the centenary of Guinness' birth, New York City's Film Forum will launch a retrospective of 30 films (several recently
restored) from the actor's remarkable career. The retrospective, "Alec Guinness 100," will later play in Chicago, Silver Spring, Md., and Bryn Mawr, Pa.
Among the films featured are his collaborations with
David Lean (including "Oliver Twist," "The Bridge on the River
Kwai" and "Lawrence of Arabia"), comic gems from Ealing
Studios, and the movie that defined him for a new generation, "Star
By CBSNews.com senior producer David Morgan
Credit: Ealing Studios
Born in London on April 2, 1914, Alec Guinness de Cuffe never knew his
father, a bank manager, who was not married to his mother. After her marriage to another man, Alec was sent off at a young age to boarding school.
"I think I always was an actor from the age of five or six,"
Guinness told the BBC in 1973. "I was always in dormitories at school
telling stories [and] acting them out."
He studied briefly at the Royal Academy (making his first stage appearance at age
20), and later joined John Gielgud's theatre company.
After appearing in a stage production of Charles Dickens' "Great
Expectations," Guinness was contacted by director David Lean and producer Ronald Neame to
appear in their 1946 film version, as Herbert Pocket (left).
Credit: Universal Pictures
Alec Guinness as Fagin, with John Howard Davies as Oliver, in David Lean's
"Oliver Twist" (1948). Guinness said it was the only role he actively
went after, winning it after being given a screen test by Lean.
Credit: Rank Organization
In the Ealing Studios comedy "Kind Hearts and Coronets" (1949),
Alec Guinness played the Duke of D'Ascoyne and seven other members of the family
- all of whom are targeted for murder by a poor relation eager to claim the
family title for himself.
Guinness said he was originally offered four parts in the movie, and told Roger Ebert in 1982 that he couldn't see the sense in playing only half the D'Ascoyne
family: "I cabled them offering to play all eight. To my surprise, they
Alec Guinness as seven surviving members of the D'Ascoyne family.
Though "Kind Hearts and Coronets" is today considered a comedy
classic, it had at least one detractor. The real-life Bishop of Matabeleland,
The Rt. Rev William James Hughes, was "very aggrieved and indignant"
and sought to have the film banned, according to a letter from his attorney
sent to the film's producer in 1957. The letter stated that the murderous
central character's claim to be the Bishop of Matabeleland had caused Rev.
Hughes "extreme embarrassment."
Alec Guinness, with rugby ball, starred in the Ealing comedy
"A Run for Your Money" (1949), playing a London columnist caught in
the misadventures of two Welshmen visiting the city to collect a newspaper contest's
prize money.
Credit: Rialto
In the 1950 comedy "Last Holiday,"
written by J.B. Priestley, Alec Guinness plays a man who decides to live it up at
a fancy hotel after receiving a doctor's prognosis that he's only a few weeks
to live.
Credit: Rialto Pictures
Alec Guinness played Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli opposite Irene Dunn's Queen Victoria in the historical drama, "The Mudlark" (1950).
Credit: 20th Century Fox
"The world is ours!"
One of Ealing's most successful comedies, "The
Lavender Hill Mob" (1951) starred Alec Guinness as a bank clerk who
hatches a plot to steal gold bullion and smuggle it out of the country disguised
as Eiffel Tower paperweights.
Alec Guinness (who received his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor) and Stanley Holloway - before the complications ensue in their gold
heist plot - in "The Lavender Hill Mob" (1951).
Another winning Ealing comedy was "The Man in the White Suit" (1951), in which Alec Guinness played a scientist who invents an indestructible fabric that resists dirt. His purported boon to mankind is less than welcomed by business interests,
trade unions and washerwomen.
The film earned an Oscar nomination for its screenplay.
In 1938 Alec Guinness married actress Merula Sylvia Salaman (with whom he appeared at the Old Vic). They had one son, Matthew.
Left: The Guinness family poses at an airport in London, December 27, 1951.
Credit: AFP/Getty Images
In the 1952 comedy "The Promoter" (a.k.a. "The Card"), Alec Guinness played a social climber whose misadventures include romance with Glynis Johns.
Alec Guinness cavorted with Yvonne de Carlo in the 1953 comedy, "Captain's Paradise."
In this 1953 photo, actor Alec Guinness poses in flying kit at Pinewood Studios near London, for his starring part as an RAF pilot in "Malta Story."
During World War II Guinness served in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, commanding a landing craft as part of the invasion of Sicily.
"Looking for a black cat in a coal hole during an eclipse of the sun would be a child's task compared with mine."
The 1954 comedy "The Detective" (a.k.a
"Father Brown"), based on a G.K. Chesterton character, starred Alec
Guinness as a Catholic priest who matches wits with a nimble thief.
Credit: Columbia PIctures
A Soviet block interrogator (Jack Hawkins) tries to get a jailed cleric (Alec Guinness) to admit to treason in the 1955 drama, "The Prisoner."
Credit: Columbia Pictures
Alexander Mackendrick's "The Ladykillers" (1955) starred Alec
Guinness as Professor Marcus, leader of a band of thieves disguised as a band
of classical musicians, who find themselves having to dispose of their aged
landlady when she discovers their true identity.
The delightfully dark comedy co-starred Cecil Parker and Herbert Lom (left), Danny Green
and Peter Sellers; it won BAFTAs for its script and for Katie Johnson as the
widow whose life hangs in the balance.
Grace Kelly and Alec Guinness are a possible royal match in the 1956 film "The Swan."
Kelly, who had met Prince Rainier of Monaco just prior to filming, would marry into Monaco royalty by the time "The Swan" was released.
Credit: MGM
"What have I done?"
Alec Guinness as Col. Nicholson, the by-the-book commander of British troops held in a Japanese POW camp in Southeast Asia, who oversees the construction of a railway bridge for the enemy in David Lean's incomparable war film, "The Bridge on the River Kwai" (1957).
David Lean (left), with Alec Guinness and Sessue Hayakawa on the set of "The Bridge on the River Kwai."
The film won seven Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor (Guinness).
"Of course you want to be an artist. Everybody does, once. But they get over it, like measles and chicken pox."
Alec Guinness received an Oscar nomination, not for acting,
but for his screenplay of the 1959 film, "The Horse's Mouth," based on
Joyce Cary's novel. Guinness' performance as the artist Gully Jimson was masterful.
Credit: Criterion Collection
Alec Guinness played a dual role - a British university
professor and a French nobleman who cross paths, and switch lives - in the 1959
film of Daphne du Maurier's "The Scapegoat."
In "Our Man in Havana" (1959), from the Graham Greene novel, Alec Guinness is a vacuum cleaner salesman who plays British intelligence after being recruited to spy in pre-revolutionary Cuba.
"We're on a first-name basis in this regiment. Your first name is Derek; my first name is Major."
In "Tunes of Glory" (1960), Alec Guinness played a larger-than-life British officer who is to pass on the command of his Scottish regiment to John Mills.
The producers originally wanted Guinness and Mills to play the opposing roles, but Guinness lobbied for the characters that ran counter to expectations.
Credit: United Artists
In the love story "A Majority of One" (1961), based on the stage production by Leonard Spigelgass, Alec Guinness played a Japanese businessman courting Rosalind Russell.
Credit: Warner Brothers
In 1962's "Damn the Defiant" (a.k.a. "HMS Defiant"), Alec Guinness played a ship commander facing mutiny and a clash of wills with his lieutenant (Dirk Bogarde) during the Napoleonic Wars.
"I think you are another of these desert-loving English."
In David Lean's "Lawrence of Arabia" (1962), Alec Guinness played the Arab Prince Faisal, who works in league with the British officer T.E. Lawrence (Peter O'Toole) in combating Turkish forces during the First World War. Omar Sharif (center) co-starred.
Alec Guinness as Prince Faisal in "Lawrence of Arabia." Surprisingly, Guinness was not director David Lean's first choice for the role (Laurence Olivier was).
"Please don't bring me his head. I wouldn't know what to do with it."
The Samuel Bronston spectacle "The Fall of the Roman Empire"
(1964), directed by Anthony Mann, was a more-intelligent-than-usual epic featuring a cast that included Alec Guinness
(as the emperor Marcus Aurelius), James Mason, Mel Ferrer and Rafael Luis
Calvo, in addition to Sophia Loren, Stephen Boyd, Christopher Plummer and Omar
Credit: Paramount PIctures
After two Broadway appearances in the 1940s and '50s - in Terence Rattigan's "Flare Path," and T.S. Eliot's "The Cocktail Party" - Alec Guinness starred with Kate Reid in "Dylan" (1964), about the poet Dylan Thomas.
Guinness won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play.
Credit: Friedman-Abeles
In David Lean's epic "Doctor Zhivago"
(1965), from the Boris Pasternack novel, Alec Guinness (pictured with Rita
Tushingham) played a Soviet KGB officer.
Alec Guinness and Gina Lollobrigida starred in the 1966
bedroom farce, "Hotel Paradiso."
In "The Comedians" (1967), based on the Graham Greene novel, Alec Guinness played a businessman dealing in arms with the
Haitian regime of "Papa Doc" Duvalier. Richard Burton co-starred.
Guinness starred as the British monarch Charles I, who has a date with the executioner, in the historical drama "Cromwell" (1970).
Alec Guinness appeared as Marley's Ghost in the 1971 musical, "Scrooge," opposite Albert Finney's miserly Ebenezer Scrooge.
Credit: National General Pictures
Alec Guinness portrayed Adolf Hitler in the final hours of the war, in "Hitler: The Last Ten Days" (1973).
So, did the butler do it? Alec Guinness played a blind butler in the Neil Simon spoof "Murder By Death" (1976), in which some of the biggest names in crime-solving (including Elsa Lancaster as Miss Marbles, Peter Sellers as Sidney Wang, and James Coco as Milo Perrier) try to unravel a murder mystery.
In 1977 Guinness told the BBC's Michael Parkinson that the script for
"Star Wars" was delivered by George Lucas, "an up-and-coming,
very respected young director. And then when I opened it and found it was science
fiction, I thought, 'Oh, simply not for me.'
"Then I started reading it and it seemed the dialogue was pretty ropey,
but I had to go on turning the page. That's an essential in any script.
"And I met him, and we got along very well, and I found myself doing it."
Credit: 20th Century Fox/Lucasfilm
"You can't win, Darth. If you strike me down I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine."
Alec Guinness added gravitas and a sly wink to "Star Wars" as the Jedi
knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, seen here in a light-saber duel to the death with Darth Vader. He earned
his third acting Oscar nomination.
Despite appearing in the sequels "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi," Guinness grew less enamored with the "Star Wars" series as time went on. In his memoir, "A Positively Final Appearance," Guinness reflected on the saga at
the time of the 1997 release of the Special Editions:
I have no intention of revisiting any galaxy. I shrivel inside each time
it's mentioned. Twenty years ago when the film was first shown, it had a
freshness, also a sense of moral good and fun. Then I began to be uneasy at the
influence it might be having. The bad penny first dropped in San Francisco when
a sweet-faced boy of 12 told me proudly that he had seen 'Star Wars' over a
hundred times. His elegant mother nodded with approval.
Looking into the boy's eyes I thought I detected little star-shells of
madness beginning to form, and I guessed that one day they would explode.
"I'd love you to do something for me," I said.
"Oh, anything! Anything!" the boy said rapturously.
"You won't like what I'll ask you to do."
"Anything, sir, anything."
"Well, do you think you can promise never to see 'Star Wars'
In the 1979 BBC miniseries "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy," Alec Guinness starred as John le Carre's George Smiley, a retired spymaster who is called upon to help finger a Soviet mole in the highest echelons of British intelligence.
Guinness returned to the role in 1982 for "Smiley's People."
Credit: BBC
In the comedy "Lovesick" (1983), Guinness appeared as the ghostly figure of Sigmund Freud a psychiatrist in need of a romantic intervention.
Alec Guinness as Godbole, with Victor Banner and Judy Davis, in "A Passage to India" (1984), form the book by E.M. Forster. It was Guinness' sixth collaboration with director David Lean.
Guinness had at first resisted playing the Hindu Brahmin, Professor Godbole. He and David
Lean quarreled during shooting, and much of Guinness' performance ended up on
the cutting-room floor.
In a letter to Lean at the time of its release, Guinness described the
film as "marvelously good and [I] do congratulate you most heartily. It is
expansive, handsome, gripping and yet somehow intimate. . . . Also I think it
is beautifully acted - with one excruciating exception. …
"For my own part I'm afraid I thought I was sickeningly awful. I
thought it was poor at the time we were doing it but I hadn't realized how wide
of the mark I was. …
"John Brabourne [the producer] was right in his original objection.
Well, there it is and some of the press have rightly pointed it out. One thing
I am now grateful for is the disappearance of the song and dance - at least the
agony isn't protracted."
Among his final film appearances, Alec Guinness' performance as William
Dorrit in the 1998 adaptation of Charles Dickens' "Little Dorrit"
(released as a two-part film) earned him his fourth Oscar nomination for acting.
Guinness also appeared in "A Handful of Dust" and Steven
Soderbergh's "Kafka," as well as the TV productions "A Foreign
Field" and "Interview Day."
Guinness died on August 5, 2000 at Midhurst Hospital in Sussex, England, at age 86.
Credit: Cannon Films
After running at New York's Film Forum, the retrospective "Alec Guinness 100" will
be presented later this summer at the Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago, the AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Springs, Md., and the
Bryn Mawr Film Institute in Bryn Mawr, Pa.
For more info:
"Alec Guinness 100" at Film Forum, New York (June 13-July 3, 2014)
"Alec Guinness 100" at the Gene Siskel Film Center, Chicago (July
"Alec Guinness 100" at the AFI Silver Theatre, Silver Springs, Md.
(July 11-Aug. 13)
"Alec Guinness 100" at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute, Bryn Mawr,
Pa. (July 30-Aug.19).


text:
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OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – The Thunder say Lil Wayne is welcome to attend a playoff game in Oklahoma City, but needs to buy a ticket just like everyone else.
The rapper created a stir Thursday night by posting on Twitter that he was "going to go to the Thunder game tonight but was denied by the team to be in their arena."
Thunder spokesman Dan Mahoney says Lil Wayne's representatives did contact the team requesting tickets but insisted that he sit on the front row, and none of those seats was available. Oklahoma City sold out every home game during the regular season and playoffs this season.
Mahoney says: "We'd love to have him at a game, but like anyone else, he needs a ticket."
Lil Wayne finished his tweet with "Go Spurs!"
(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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This weekend I'll be part of the second annual Walk and Play L.A. I hope you'll support my fundraising efforts with a donation to Children's Hospital Los Angeles.
More children receive care from CHLA than any other hospital in the region—and often CHLA comes to the rescue for children when other hospitals run out of medical options for their care.
Walk and Play L.A. supports the only hospital solely dedicated to the health of children in Los Angeles.
Here are a few ways you can get involved:
- Donate to my Page to help me reach my fundraising goal.
- Join the Walk and create your own fundraising page for Walk and Play L.A.!
I hope you'll join me at the walk and help support my fundraising efforts with a donation to Children's Hospital Los Angeles.
Your charitable gift will make a difference in the lives of many young patients and their families. Any amount, big or small, will be greatly appreciated and will help us create hope and build healthier futures for the families of Southern California and beyond.
Thank you!
– Leen