text:
|CFDA Number:
|Program Goal: Increase the percentage of low-income, first-generation college students who successfully pursue postsecondary education opportunities.
|Objective 8.1 of 1: Increase postsecondary enrollment rates of low-income, first-generation individuals in the academic pipeline.
|Indicator 8.1.1 of 1: Postsecondary enrollment: Percentage of EOC participants enrolling in college.
|Targets and Performance Data
|Assessment of Progress
|Sources and Data Quality
Explanation: The 2000 baseline from the EOC Annual Performance Reports are the only data currently available. Data for 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 are in house and are being analyzed.
Additional Source Information: Program Performance Report
Frequency: Annually.
Collection Period: 2002 - 2003
Data Available: December 2005
Validated By: No Formal Verification.
The annual performance report is self-reported data; a variety of data quality checks are used to assess the completeness and reasonableness of the data submitted.
Return to table of contents


text:
Cooking For Engineers
Analytical cooking discussed.
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
Recipe File: Barbecue Pork Ribs (Baby Back or Spare)
Goto page
Cooking For Engineers Forum Index
Comments Forum
View previous topic
View next topic
Posted: Tue May 24, 2011 7:01 pm
Post subject: Excelent post- a couple of questions/comments?
I see others asked you about temp 1-2yrs ago- have you gotten a thermometer you can trust for the grill yet? The Maverick 2-probe one is excellent- one sensor near the rack for grill temp, one insertion probe for the meat. Also, you mentioned a gas (ugh!) grill not a smoker, have you remedied that? I have both a Char Broil wagon style coal bbq (CB960) and a Bar B Chef offset smoker- no gas here., never have... never will.
Occasionally I still grill ribs over direct or indirect heat, but prefer to smoke cook them low and slow. Sometimes I'll pop them in the smoker for 30 mins and let the smoke "season them", then finish them up with direct heat on the grill. On the grill, I give the racks 15-20 mins. meat side down, then cook them the balance of the way 40-45 mins. bone side down.
I typically try to keep my smoker at 210-230 degrees and ribs take about 3.5-4.5 hours to cook to the point I prefer them at (170-180 internal). Not much difference in time for spareribs or baby back.
You mentioned rub and foil wrap- I prefer plastic cling wrap (the restaurant variety you can get at Smart and Final) then place them in a large plastic bag and refrigerate or place in a cooler with a bag of ice overnight. I've had trouble with the spices reacting with the foil and transferring a metallic taste.
Also noticed you don't add any liquid pre-rub... I use a mixture of tequila and Worcestershire sauce and brush a light coat on, then rub... and my rub is nearly salt free. I also have a sprayer and every 45mins to hour apply a light mist of apple cider to the ribs- and I don't sauce until the last 15-20mins, and only a light coat. If people want sauce, they can add it at the table- ribs are about the meat!
Generally, when I pull the ribs, I place them in a roasting pan and wrap it with foil, then let them sit for 20-30 minutes before cutting them apart. Nice thing about this is it gives me time to grill corn or par-boiled seasoned potato wedges to serve nice and hot... or even half-hearts of romaine for a grilled salad topped with bleu cheese and bacon.
Thanks for putting together an informative and entertaining site!
Back to top
Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2012 12:49 pm
Post subject: Pork Ribs
Food for thought I do St Lewis ribs with charcoal and apple wood chips and spray with apple cider every two hours and I cook at 175 to 225 for 12 to 13 hours falling off the bone good
Back to top
Joined: 20 May 2013
Posts: 1
Posted: Mon May 20, 2013 5:43 pm
Post subject: Oven Roasted BBQ Spareribs - Really the best with a twist.
I read the following tip from an old cookbook from the 1960's, but the recipes date back to the 1600's and earlier. Unfortunately, we are traveling so I don't have access to cookbook or the title, but I do remember the "key" to the most tender and moist "fall off the bone" ribs ever. No matter your preference for sauce - do your own thing.
The "key" to the baking and staying moist: Bake the ribs in slow 225 dg oven on broiler rack pan (that comes with every oven). In bottom of drip pan add an inch of hot water. Bake the ribs for about 4 hours depending on size of rack. Make sure the water remains in the base of the pan. Water should NOT touch the meat baking on the broiler rack pan. This moisture added of course keeps the ribs in a roasting yet moist environment, but never "boiling" it, which should never be done.
Remove ribs with pan from oven. Increase oven heat to 450 or 500 dg.
Pour off the water and dripping collected in bottom of broiler/roaster. This gets rid of most of the fat that's cooked off. Baste ribs well with favorite BBQ sauce - we like Stubbs of Cattelmans which are more natural, less sugars & no High Fructose Corn Syrup or wheat for gluten-free - and delicious. Also we make our own, but Stubbs is easier.
Roast on high (450-500 oven) for 30-40 minutes. Place membrane side up for first 15-20 minutes, meaty side up final 15-20 minutes. Baste when flipping to next side or more often if you prefer.
Remove from oven when crust is to your liking. Let ribs "rest" ten minutes to set the meat before cutting apart. You can add additional heated BBQ sauce to your ribs for serving, of course.
These are the most tender ribs you'll ever eat.
Back to top
Joined: 19 Oct 2007
Posts: 1242
Location: central PA
Posted: Mon May 20, 2013 6:46 pm
Post subject:
>>The "key" to the baking and staying moist:
ain't that the truth. and it applies to many many things - whole chicken, beef roasts, pork roasts, (ovened) pork chops - etc.
I am fortunately now to have "time in the kitchen" - so I've gone to the low & slow method for pretty much any of it. obviously if you get home at 5:30 PM and want to eat dinner, 2-3-4 hours of oven time is not a reality - you have to jack up the heat and cook faster.
but roasted chicken - 3 hrs at 245'F followed by a brief skin brown&crisp at 500'F - no comparison.
Back to top
Joined: 30 Jan 2015
Posts: 1
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2015 11:03 am
Post subject:
Lion Premium Grills L75623 32" Natural Gas Grill is latest natural gas grill brand known to me so far. It has premium solid stainless steel cooking grates. I bought this grill few months back and have been using it fairly regularly.. The grill works great and I am particulary fond of searing burner.
Back to top
Display posts from previous:
All Posts
1 Day
7 Days
2 Weeks
1 Month
3 Months
6 Months
1 Year
Oldest First
Newest First
Cooking For Engineers Forum Index
Comments Forum
All times are GMT
Goto page
Jump to:
Select a forum
Cooking For Engineers
Cooking For Engineers Website Discussion
Messages from Michael
Comments Forum
Travel Comments Forum
Useless Stuff Comments Forum
Food, Cooking, & Dining
Cooking Tips
Cooking for Two
Favorite Foods
Tools, Equipment, and Gadgets
General Food Discussion
General Discussion
Anything Goes
Engineer Speak
post new topics in this forum
reply to topics in this forum
edit your posts in this forum
delete your posts in this forum
vote in polls in this forum
Powered by
© 2001, 2005 phpBB Group

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Thanx for that, Paul. Have been given various dates for this one, one of which was 1961. Ronnie Dawson, the builder, thought it was later, but time plays tricks with memories!
Thanx for that, Paul. Have been given various dates for this one, one of which was 1961. Ronnie Dawson, the builder, thought it was later, but time plays tricks with memories!
I am the current owner of a Filey coble called Neptune 2 after a very long journey down the motorway! She is moored in Newquay, Cornwall and is a cracking fishing boat for myself and my family. Does anyone know anything about her? Where she was built, by who? Was she a salmon fishing boat? Were the huge, heavy oars used to row her out through the surf? Is there a Neptune 1 out there? Is the paint holding her together or shall I strip it all back... I am tempted! If anyone knows anything about Neptune 2 I would be really grateful. Thanks in advance.
Hi There Paul,
I am an ex Whitby fisherman and coble man and I have a Whitby built coble called Morning Star, here in Plymouth.
Have you any pics of your coble, I would like to see em as the one I am thinking of from Filey is not a coble but a two headed boat, or a double ender
as many people call them these days
If ever you are Plymouth way give me shout and I will take you down to have a dekko at my littlecoble.
Best Wishes
Hi there, just seen this post, thanks for replying. There is a photo on here somewhere, in 'salmon net fishing boats' section of the site. It's a Doble ended, about 18ft long. I've got it on the drive at the moment, am wanting to do done repairs and paint before mooring in Newquay harbour this year. I have the skills to repair but not the know how! On trips out, she'd let some water in, nothing major but enough. Is there a way to seal the bottom? Also. What paint should I use, 2pac? Any advice would be great. My e mail address is firstname.lastname@example.com. Would love to know done of the history of Neptune 2. I'd did read something about a sister boat called stardust but of sure.
Many thanks. Paul
Have look at Facebook page cobble and powerboat it very good
face book page coble and keelboat


text:
How painfully self–righteous are many! They can talk complacently about having "done their duty," and being "kind to everybody," and having always "kept to their church," and having "never been so very bad" as some, and therefore they seem to think they must go to heaven! And as to deep sense of sin and simple faith in Christ's blood and sacrifice, it seems to have no place in their religion. Their talk is all of doing and never of believing. And will such self–righteousness as this land anyone in heaven? Never! Without faith, without Christ!
J.C. Ryle, Holiness: Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, and Roots, pp. 305, 306
HT: J.C. Ryle Quotes


text:
In 1976, a short film called C'était un Rendez-vous was released in France. It ran for ten minutes. And if you've ever played a driving game you'll probably want to watch it.
There's no real plot or anything to it, at least not until the end. It's just a guy driving a Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9 around Paris with a camera strapped to the front of it. And it was very illegal.
With no permits or permission, you'll notice the driver eventually starts running red lights, heading down one-way streets and crossing traffic lines just for the hell of it.
Nobody knows who the man behind the wheel was, and there's even an urban legend that director Claude Lelouch was arrested after its first screening.
Whatever the truth, it's hard watching this and not reaching for a control pad...
[via Rockstar]


text:
China's mounting crackdown on online news dissemination took an extra step today, when the country's Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, its de facto legislative body, announced new requirements on Internet service providers and mobile phone companies to identify their users. The new rules would potentially allow ISPs and the authorities to more closely tie real identities to posts and commentary on micro-blogging sites like Weibo, as well as connect text messaging and mobile phone conversations to individuals.
The announcement follows a series of new restrictions on Internet access in the country, including the blocking of virtual private network (VPN) connections used to evade the "Great Firewall;" the blocking of major foreign news sites' reporting on Chinese leaders; and censoring discussions on domestic social media. The timing of the new steps is particularly troubling to those who anticipated that restrictions would ease after the Communist Party's National Congress in November, where new leaders were appointed, The New York Times notes.
Demanding real names for mobile phone users and even websites is not unique to China, but it seems unlikely that the reasons that the Chinese authorities gave--to protect against cybercriminals--are the entirety of the thinking behind the ruling.
"Nowadays on the Internet there are very serious problems with citizens' personal electronic information being recklessly collected, used without approval, illegally disclosed, and even traded and sold," the Times quoted a member of the Standing Committee as saying.
But China's new rules will hardly improve matters. In fact, real identity systems exacerbate the problem, by requiring users to upload the identity information and documents that others can use to commit fraud.
South Korea passed a law in 2004 requiring all forums to collect the state resident registration numbers (the equivalent of a U.S. Social Security number) of their users. In August 2011, hackers broke into the system used to verify the numbers, and obtained the personal details, including the resident registration numbers, of 35 million people, around 70% of the entire population. The companies involved blamed Chinese hackers. The rule was later struck down by the Korean Supreme Court as an unconstitutional restraint on free speech. In 2010, Mexico retroactively required all of its mobile phone users to provide their personal details with the carrier. Shortly after the deadline for registration passed, copies of the official databases--including the names and home addresses of police officers--were found for sale at Mexico City's Tepito flea market.
China's state media attempted to head off critics of the new policy, while conceding that it would be used to target online conversations. "Reports state that the identity policy will clamp down on the freedom of speech in Chinese cyberspace," said China's English-language Xinhua News Agency, "But the accusers should know that freedom without limits or responsibility is chaotic and dangerous... The rule should only be feared by slanderers who wish to take advantage of online anonymity."


text:
LocationNanoose Bay, BC
1421 Island Hwy E.
Nanoose Bay, BC V9P 9A3
New 2018 Jayco Jay Flight SLX Western Edition 248RBSW
The perfect unit for your growing family can be found in this Jay Flight SLX Western Edition rear bath travel trailer. Model 248RBSW also offers an outdoor kitchen, a u-shaped dinette, and a semi-private bedroom up front, plus so much more!
As you enter notice the bedroom to your right. There is a curtain that can be pulled at night or when getting dressed for more privacy. You will sleep soundly on the queen bed provided, and find plenty of space to tuck away your clothing and other personal belongings. There are two bedside wardrobes, and an overhead shelf.
The sofa that you see straight in through the side entry door faces the rear of the unit, and there is a slide out u-shaped dinette adjacent along the roadside wall. An entertainment center faces the sofa making it easy to view from anywhere in the room.
When you are hungry you can whip up light meals and snacks with the amenities provided including a refrigerator, a three burner range with overhead microwave oven, and a double kitchen sink.
The rear bath features a tub/shower, toilet, corner sink, and large wardrobe.
On the outside you will also find storage space with a front pass-through compartment, and a rear kitchen beneath the bath wardrobe which includes a pull-out stove and single sink so that you can spend all of your time outdoors, plus so much more!
Awesome Parts DepartmentI recently met Jeremy in the parts department over a water heater issue I was trying to solve myself. He was very knowledgeable and helpful and despite there policy of not accepting returns on electrical components he allowed me to return a component that was very pricey without any hassle. I will say the part was in its original packaging and was clearly new and returned same day. I actually expected ... More » - Patrick
Stock# 4195
Interior Color: havana
|28 ft 8 in
|Ext Width
|8 ft
|Ext Height
|11 ft 1 in
|Int Height
|6 ft 9 in
|Interior Color
|Hitch Weight
|555 lbs
|Gross Weight
|7000 lbs
|Dry Weight
|5065 lbs
|Cargo Weight
|1935 lbs
|Fresh Water Capacity
|38 gals
|Grey Water Capacity
|43 gals
|Black Water Capacity
|43 gals
|Available Beds
|Refrigerator Type
|Refrigerator Size
|6 cu ft
|Cooktop Burners
|Number of Awnings
|LP Tank Capacity
|Water Heater Capacity
|6 gal
|Water Heater Type
|DSI Gas
|13500 btu
|Awning Info
|15' Powered with LED Light
|Axle Count
|Number of LP Tanks
|Shower Type
|Tub/Shower Combo
|Electrical Service
|30 amp
Jayco, Inc. was founded in 1968 by a man of strong faith and vision. The late Lloyd J. Bontrager, family man and inventor, felt he could build the world a better RV. He longed to create a company of his own, one that clearly reflected his ideals: a company where everyone would be treated as "family".
With encouragement from his wife Bertha, Lloyd started Jayco on their farm--in two chicken houses and a barn! He developed his own prototype camping trailer and a unique lifter system for fold-down campers, the basic design of which is patented and still in use today. By the end of 1968, his fledging company of 15 employees had sold 132 fold-down camping trailers.
Today, Jayco's "family" of employees has grown to nearly 1,500 people, while more than 25,000 people join our "extended family" of customers each year.
At Jayco, our mission statement is: Committed to being the most respected name in recreation vehicles. We will consistently build a high quality, high value, competitively priced product at acceptable margins, treat every situation with the highest level of integrity in a timely manner, and continually work to reduce total cost to achieve acceptable returns.


text:
Willy Moon, "Here's Willy Moon" (Cherry Tree/Island)
Willy Moon will soon be gyrating his way into your music collection. Fact.
His distinct features, tall frame, fancy footwork, dapper suits and infectious 1960s pop grooves make this New Zealander hard to miss. The 23-year-old's self-produced debut album, "Here's Willy Moon," is sharp and slick, much like Moon himself.
His album packs a punch, from his unique tone and string section on "Get Up" to surf guitars on "I Wanna Be Your Man." This is high energy rock 'n' roll with a modern twist.
The real star here is the pop friendly "Yeah Yeah," which was used in ads for the iPod last year. If you're still sitting down after hearing this one, you need to see a doctor.
There's also the hip-hop-inspired "She Loves Me," and the David Lynch-esque "Murder Ballad" closes the show.
At just under 30 minutes long, you'll want to savor each beat on this energetic debut.
Follow Reetu Rupal on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/R2Today


text:
back to thumbnails
Top Gallery
|Image 5/6
|« prev
|next »
Photo: 19544..Canadas polar bear country around Churchill, Manitoba, at Gordon Point and nearby at Cape Churchill in Wapusk National Park on the south edge of Hudson Bay. Photos of polar bears males, females, and cubs. Fauna includes polar bears, arctic hares, and arctic foxes. Landscapes of the tundra terrain and ice forming on Hudson Bay, plus sunrises and sunsets. Polar bear viewing in Tundra Buggies while staying at the Tundra Buggy Lodge, operated by Frontiers North. Photo copyright...19544.jpg
more »
more »
© Lee Foster


text:
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Our Family Shadow Box
Here's a beauty I just finished. I selected a few of my favorite photos from the past several years. I modified them all to be a variant of black and white with a slight chocolate tone. That really added to the vintage feel.
I love shadow boxes. I've collected several vintage boxes from flea markets and have turned them into wall art. This one, however is completely digital. Which makes it even more fun. I can include it in a scrapbook album, or photo book. And I can easily share it with family.
I love that I can now glance at this and be instantly taken back to so many wonderful memories!
Shared at:
Bling it On, Card and Scrap, Creatalicious Challenges, Cupcake Craftroom, I Brake for Challenges, Just Keep on Creating, Oozak, Crafts and Me, Crafting for All Seasons, Divas by Design, Flutterby Wednesday
Digital Kits:
Worn by One Little Bird and Sahlin Studio
Layerable Ephemera Paper Stacks by Sahlin Studio
Candy Flowers by Sahlin Studio
Shadow Box Frames by Miss Mint
|This is:
12 comments:
Beautifully done!ReplyDelete
Oh, wow .. it's lovely!!ReplyDelete
Thank you so much for joining us at Card and Scrap :)
It's gorgeous!ReplyDelete
Fabulous...Your project is just beautiful.ReplyDelete
What a gorgeous keepsake, just love it hun!ReplyDelete
Thank you for sharing with us at Divas this week, good luck!
Hugs Shell xx
This is fantastic! Love the layout, and the pictures are so nice as black&whites,ReplyDelete
What a gorgeous project. There's so many wonderful elements. Beautifully done!! Thanks for joining us this month at Cupcake Craftroom.ReplyDelete
Cathy, your photos and embellishments looks fantastic on this wonderful shadow box full of memories. So glad to see your entry at the Crafts and Me Stamps digi team's "Vintage" challenge. Hugz, ~ RoseReplyDelete
What a fabulous shadow box Cathy, love all the finishing touches. Thanks for joining us at CFAS this time. Carol DT xReplyDelete
this is a digital masterpiece, I didn't pick that it was digital when I first saw it. I love the sepia photos and all the lovely embellishments, what a great keepsake.ReplyDelete
Thanks so much for entering your project at Anything goes, Just keep on creating. I hope you will continue to play along :)
I think you have done a magnificent job creating this digital scrap page. I know it will be appreciated even more in the future as time passes. C.ReplyDelete
Beautiful layout, thanks for sharing with us over at Cupcake Craftroom hugs JO xxxReplyDelete
Thank you for taking the time to leave me a comment. I do read them all and appreciate each and every one!


text:
In the age of Google, is there really any other way to run a science fair than online?
That's exactly what the Mountain View-based search giant was thinking when it started its online science fair competition last year.
Now the time has come again for 13 to 18-year-olds across the globe to submit their science-based research projects online to compete in Google's challenge.
Google will accept digital submissions from Jan. 12, 2012 to March 30, 2012 in 13 different languages.
The company's aim is to encourage scientific exploration amongst the next generation of tech savvy brainiacs.
In 2011, Shree Bose of Fort Worth, Texas, won first place, amongst 7,500 submissions from 90 countries, for her research on ovarian cancer.
For more information, visit: www.google.com/sciencefair
Google Is Searching for Young Scientists
In the age of Google, is there really any other way to run a science fair than online?


text:
FINRA's proposed 25% increase in the fees that it collects from financial service firms may become a reality within the next few months, and it is important that all financial advisors stop and take note of the potential consequences.
Despite industry objections, FINRA has continued to argue that the fee hike is essential to its ability to effectively continue its regulatory mission in today's financial environment. Unfortunately, because this additional expense will significantly increase the cost of providing financial advice, these fee hikes might spell the end of widespread access to financial services for many of your middle-market clients.
Mechanics and Rationale Behind the Increased Fees
The 25% increase would raise the fees that FINRA collects for registration and membership applications, including continuing membership applications. New membership application fees would increase from a minimum of about $3,500 to a minimum of $7,500 for the smallest financial advisory firms. FINRA would also increase the fees it charges to review advertising and sales literature developed by financial services firms to $125, up from $100, for the first 10 pages of materials.
According to FINRA, the increased fees are needed to offset the decline in fee volume caused by lower trading levels in recent years. Further, FINRA claims that raising fees is necessary to continue operating what has become a much more complicated regulatory organization, also arguing that it has not increased fees in several years. The organization has also sought to justify the increased costs based on the higher number of organizations that it oversees.
Industry Objections
The Financial Services Institute (FSI) is one industry group that has filed a statement urging the SEC to put a stop to the increased fees (see news article on FSI's opposition from AdvisorOne, and see FSI President and CEO Dale Brown's AdvisorOne blog on the issue). The FSI submitted a comment letter to the SEC, arguing that raising FINRA fees will disproportionately impact smaller financial advisory firms and independent advisors who are operating on slim profit margins in the current fee structure.
Many smaller firms that currently provide more affordable financial advice to middle-class individuals and small businesses may have no choice but to raise the fees they charge for advisory services to make up for the higher FINRA costs.
According to the FSI, increasing fees in the past four years has caused many smaller advisory firms to fail, reducing the number of firms from 5,000 in 2008 to 4,400 today. Increasing fees now would not only cause this trend to continue, but higher new membership fees could deter small firms from opening in the first place. The Investment Company Institute (ICI) has argued that FINRA has failed to properly justify the increase in fees, rejecting as illogical the argument that FINRA's job has become more complex based on increasing membership numbers. Higher membership numbers would have automatically caused an increase in FINRA revenue because each organization must pay the relevant fees so, as the ICI noted, adding members logically means that FINRA collects more in fee revenue.
Despite industry objections, it is very likely that some form of increased FINRA fees are coming in the near future. Advisors should pay attention to the final rules to determine how these fee hikes will affect their businesses and clients.
For additional coverage of this issue and similar ones, we invite you to sign up with AdvisorOne's Summit Business Media partner, National Underwriter Advanced Markets, for a free trial.
You may also be interested in signing up for a free trial with another Summit Business Media partner, Tax Facts Online.


text:
This morning, the United States was one of 24 countries to compete in the Bocuse d'Or competition, commonly referred to as the culinary Olympics. Having never placed higher than sixth, the goal was to hit the podium for the first time.
That didn't happen, unfortunately, with a seventh place finish. Instead, Japan was the Cinderella story, taking third place in its first medal. After that, it was all about two traditional powers: Denmark took second and France took gold.
Held every two years in Lyon, France, this year's team of Richard Rosendale and commis Corey Siegel has been rigorously training for the competition for months, if not years, including spending some time at the French Laundry last fall. Thomas Keller and Daniel Boulud are the leaders and co-founders of the Bocuse d'Or USA movement, and the coaches are celebrated chefs as well: Gavin Kaysen, Gabriel Kreuther and Grant Achatz.
As noted earlier, Rosendale was a different sort of competitor as compared to prior American competitors, who were from top restaurants like Eleven Madison Park and the French Laundry (Timothy Hollingsworth, who placed sixth in 2009). Rosendale is a competition chef, a different breed. Add to the publicity and fundraising blitz that Team USA has been on in the past 12+ months, and this year's competition came with loud levels of buzz and new heights of expectations.
The competition has two components: a fish plate and a meat platter. Turbot and European Blue Lobster were the required primary ingredients for the former; Irish Beef was required for the latter.
Rosendale's dishes were as follows:
Slowly Cooked Turbot with Virginia Ham and Tennessee Black Truffles; Lobster Mousse with Butternut Squash Cooked in Cider; "Mushroom Explosion"; Twice Baked Potato & Leek Cigar; Vin Jaune Emulsion
Hickory Grilled Beef Filet with Asparagus and Horseradish; Fried Hollandaise; Beef Oxtail "Yankee Pot Roast" with Spiced Red Wine Sauce; Potato Dumplings, Bone Marrow and Thyme Infused Beef Broth with Crispy Beef Filet; Slowly Roasted Carrots
See Team USA's intricate meat platter here.
Other results: The UK won the meat prize, Norway won the fish prize and Hungary got the best poster prize. Here's looking ahead to 2015.
· Previously: French Laundry hosts Bocuse d'Or training [San Francisco Chronicle]
*Post updated to include Team USA's final placing.


text:
Fantasea Cruises
Ha Long bay covers an area of 1,553 square kms with over 3000 limestone islands that rise from the clear, emerald water of the Gulf of Tonkin near the Chinese border. Ha long Bay is one of the natural marvels of Vietnam. Due to its typical terrain of sea depression dotted with limestone islands, 300 square kms, it was recognized as the world natural heritage by UNESCO in 1994
Garden Bay & Royal Wings Cruises
Ha Long Bay, located in the Gulf of Tonkin, is formed of some 2000 or more incredible islands and islets rising from the emerald waters of the Gulf of Tonkin and freshwater swamp forests. Geographically, Halong Bay spread approximately 1,500 square kilometres in north Vietnam with a 120 kilometre of coastline in the Gulf of Tonkin, near the border with China, and 170 kilometres east of Hanoi..
Aclass Legend & Stellar Cruises
The Aclass Legend Cruise has 14 luxury guest rooms, suites and public areas that created from graceful wooden furnishings and beautiful amenities. Our cabins are full of well equipped and have the very large windows with the panoramic bay view, offering you a quiet and peaceful atmosphere.Our well-trained crews serve you at the first-class treatment throughout the length of your journey. That makes your vacation be a truly unique and unforgettable experience.
Legacy Cruises
Welcome to Halong Legacy Legend Cruise - The finest deluxe cruises with outstanding services in Halong bay. We cannot compare with other luxury boats for facilities, however focusing on customer services & unique itinerary: Passing Bai tu long bay, visiting Halong bay & Lan Ha bay. We make sure that our price we offer will be more than competitive....


text:
Nine months ago for the Callaway Junior World Championships in San Diego, officials had to make what seemed like a difficult call on whether to allow a 13-year-old boy from China to move up in class to play with the older kids at Torrey Pines.
Now, "big boys" has a whole new meaning for Tianlang Guan since he's keeping the company of Tiger Woods, Tom Watson and Ben Crenshaw at Augusta National Golf Club.
Guan was a little overmatched by the Torrey Pines South Course last July when he shot 14 over par for four rounds and tied for 22nd. He was in perfect company, however, in the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship four months later. As the youngest player in the field, he fired 66-64 and secured a place in the field of this week's 77th Masters.
At 14 years and five months, Guan is the youngest competitor ever in a professional major. At the Masters, the previous youngest was 16-year-old Italian Matteo Manassero in 2010.
For the first two official rounds at Augusta, how about this for a fanciful pairing? Guan will play with Crenshaw, the 61-year-old, two-time Masters champion who won his last green jacket three years before Guan was born. The third will be Manassero, who's now relatively grizzled at 19.
"I think all of us are asking ourselves what were we doing at 14," said Crenshaw after playing a practice round with Guan on Monday, adding that he likely was thinking more about girls than golf.
"You can tell he breathes golf," Crenshaw said. "It was fascinating to see him play."
On the international stage, Guan will always be able to point to San Diego for his true emergence. In the 2011 Junior World played at the Country Club of Rancho Bernardo, he was 12 years old and shot an astounding 18-under over 54 holes. He won the division by 11 shots, which is why the Junior World figured it'd do all the other kids a favor and let Guan leapfrog an entire division.
Guan, who has been practicing at Augusta for the past three weeks, had already played 18 holes with Crenshaw in the morning when, showing his youthful exuberance, he was able to arrange a second round with Woods on Monday afternoon. They joined Dustin Johnson, and though two of the heartiest PGA Tour players bombed it considerably by the 5-foot-9, 145-pound middle-schooler, Woods was impressed.
"He's so consistent," Woods said. "He was hitting a lot of hybrids into holes, hitting them spot on, right on the numbers. He knew what he was doing. He knew the spots he had to land the ball, and he pulled it off. Good scouting, good prep, but also even better execution.
"For a 14-year-old to be able to come out here and handle himself the way he's done is just unbelievable."
Take notice, Woods said, because there are far more like Guan to come from China, which is only beginning to emerge as a golfing power.
"It's just amazing to see the amount of talent they have at a young age," Woods said. "It's just about giving them enough starts and enough opportunities."
Guan shot 80 in one round at Torrey Pines in July, and Augusta figures to be a demanding test for him. On the longer par-4s he is hitting fairway woods into some of the toughest green complexes in the world.
"I would say I'm not long enough," said Guan, who was outdriven by the 63-year-old Watson numerous times on Tuesday. "But I think I'm still all right, not a really serious problem."
Not if he hits shots like he did at 18 on Tuesday. From well down the hill, Guan used a fairway metal and stopped the ball 6 feet left of the flag.
"Did you see that?" Watson marveled afterward.
When you're 14 and making legends gush, it's a beautiful thing.


text:
Best Beauty Products of 2012
With the amount of beauty products available on the market, shopping for anything from mascara to manicure sets can involve some serious decision making. It seems like every product claims to go on flawlessly, last longer and give you salon-quality results at home, but do these innovations really work? Woman's Day editors put them to the test and picked the most effective ones at the best price.
Lipsticks and stains are known to have staying power, while gloss tends to fade faster. Until now. Thanks to special waxes and polymers formulated to lock in color and help it adhere better, lipgloss has gone from fleeting to fantastic.
Unlike other long-wear formulas that can feel clumpy, NYC New York Color City Proof 8HR Lip Gloss ($3.49, at drugstores) "went on smoothly" and never had to be reapplied.
The "vibrancy" and stain-like finish of Maybelline New York SuperStay 10HR Stain Gloss ($8.99, at drugstores) seriously impressed one tester. The formula lasted a solid 8 hours, "even after lunch and an afternoon snack."
At-home kits have evolved beyond foil and messy applicator bottles and brushes. These days, you can use your flat iron to create highlights in less than 10 minutes or wash them away after one night.
Spritz Marc Anthony Easy-Lites Instant Highlighting Spray ($8.99, at drugstores) onto the areas you want to highlight, then run your flat iron over them. "Be sure to do a few practice sprays to ensure the nozzle deposits the solution evenly," said one tester.
Alterna 1 Night Highlights ($29; Beauty.com) is "a fun change for a special occasion." Comb the mousse onto dry hair, wait 5 minutes and—voilà—lighter streaks. A note from the tester: "Have a friend help you apply to prevent any mistakes."
Superstar ingredients typically found only in salon keratin treatments—Moroccan and avocado oils—now appear in products at your local drugstore for a fraction of the cost. They claim to keep hair smooth and shiny for up to a week, but not all are as effective as they promise. Above, two that truly deliver.
Organix Ever Straight Brazilian Keratin Therapy 14 Day Smoothing Treatment ($7.99, at Target stores) is "simple to apply": Spray onto 80% dry hair and expect "smoothness for 10 days." One tester warns against oversaturation, since it weighed her hair down.
A drop of Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Moroccan Sleek Oil Treatment ($5.99, at drugstores) left our user's hair "feeling soft" and frizz-free "for more than three weeks." But if you have thin or fine hair, she warns, "A little goes a long way."
The strengthening peptides found in lash-boosting serums aim to give you longer, plumper lashes—and now you can find them in mascara too. Another enhancer: primer, which helps mascara adhere better so lashes look fuller. Woman's Day tested both and loved two.
Mary Kay Lash Primer ($15; MaryKay.com) "glides on easily" but left the tester wondering, Is this just an unnecessary step in my morning makeup routine? Once she put on her mascara, though, she was sold. "My eyelashes look lusher than they ever have with mascara alone."
Just one coat of Rimmel London Lash Accelerator Mascara ($9.99, at drugstores) noticeably enhanced the tester's lashes and the brush's shape "made lashes in the hard-to-reach inner corners easier to get to." But any real growth is "subtle at best."
Known for their durability (think two weeks or more without chipping), gel manicures are the newest nail craze. At the salon, a gel will run you $50 to $75, but now DIY kits and polishes are popping up for much less. Typically sold with an LED light (to "set" your manicure) or an adhesive base coat, at-home gels promise to last the standard 14 days and save you money in the long run. Here are two standouts to try:
Unlike most salon gel manis, Nutra Nail Gel Perfect ($11.99, at Rite Aid stores) uses an activator base coat instead of an LED light to help create a shiny, solid finish. Though this gel "dried within 5 minutes," one user reported that "it didn't last as long as a salon gel" (only eight days). But the "convenience of doing your nails at home is worth the slightly shortened life span."
The LED lamp included with the SensatioNail By Nailene Invincible Gel Polish Starter Kit ($60, at Walmart stores) explains the hefty price tag. While the starter polish is good for 10 manicures, you can buy larger bottles separately. The tester's verdict: "I've had gels done at the salon before and this one lasted just as long—13 days straight!"
The cost of in-office whitening ranges from $500 to $1,000—enough to give you a permanent frown in spite of your pearly whites. At-home counterparts are less expensive, but have been tricky to use and took a long time to work. Some brands now promise results in as little as 2 hours and offer strips that dissolve, rather than bunch up, in your mouth.
Extra-adhesive Crest 3D White Intensive Professional Effects Whitestrips ($59.99, at drugstores) never slipped, whitened better than other products the tester had used and caused no sensitivity. One drawback: having to wear them "2 hours a day for seven days straight."
Rembrandt Intense Stain Dissolving Strips ($24.99, at Walmart) melt after 10 minutes in your mouth—a huge plus for testers. "I loved that I didn't have to wait to remove them," one said. And after using them for two weeks, the tester reported a brighter, whiter smile.


text:
Hammer and Tickle
The Story of Communism, a Political System Almost Laughed Out of Existence
by Ben Lewis (Pegasus)
The Marxism Lewis writes about is sort of a combination of Karl and Groucho. And while he has chapters like "Laughter under Lenin" and "Stalin and the Grim Grin," he says "the 1960s was the golden age of Communist jokes." While some of the humor —satire, cartoons, jokes, anekdoty — are political, many deal with everyday life, such as: "What is colder than the cold water in Romania? The hot water."
Raising Jake
by Charlie Carillo (Kensington)
You can take the boy out of the city but you can't take the city out of the boy. That's the lesson we learn from author Carillo, a former New York Post reporter who grew up in Queens and now lives where they sing "God Save the Queen," but hasn't lost his New York voice. In his long-awaited second novel, divorced dad Sammy Sullivan is a veteran rewrite man on the desk of a New York tabloid. All at once, his son is expelled from his Upper West Side prep school and he is fired from the paper. Free from responsibility — and with the boy's mom out of town — the two try to reconnect, spending a weekend in Sammy's old Queens neighborhood.
We Saw Spain Die
Foreign Correspondents in the Spanish Civil War
by Paul Preston (Skyhorse)
Ernest Hemingway, John Dos Passos, Martha Gellhorn, W.H. Auden, George Orwell, The roster of writers who flooded Spain to report on its bloody civil war is impressive. More than 1,000 foreign journalists went and Preston, a British historian, lets us know the lesser-knowns as well. A highlight: Times of London correspondent George Steer's report from Guernica after the horrific fascist bombing of civilians there.
by Wallace Shawn (Haymarket)
Wallace Shawn is one of those New York Renaissance types — playwright, screenwriter, actor. He even has a recurring role on "Gossip Girl." Now, the son of longtime New Yorker editor William Shawn has added author to his resume. In his thoughtful, self-deprecating work, he ruminates on art, politics, privilege and such New Yorkish subjects as the relationships between diner and restaurant staff in expensive establishments vs. inexpensive ones.
Major Farran's Hat
by David Cesarani (Da Capo)
In May 1947, 16-year-old Jewish activist Alexander Rubowitz was abducted in broad daylight from the streets of Jerusalem. At the scene, a gray hat was found. The major of the title was a British WWII hero-turned-counterterrorism official and the discovery spawned an adventure worthy of James Bond. Cesarani dons his thriller cap to tell how Britain's use of violent and extralegal activities helped hasten losing its mandate in Palestine.


text:
Skills Boost: Boost your skills in reading and math with specifically selected curriculum that aligns with district standards yet is perfectly designed for learning during out-of-school time hours. Small group learning offers individualized attention and customization of lessons along with group work which helps students skills and knowledge grow. Skills Boost builds the confidence your child needs to succeed! Let our licensed district teachers work their magic with the positive relationships and academic, instructional strategies. Conveniently located at Oak View Elementary's Tutoring Center! Check your child in and run a few quick errands with stores and conveniences so close! Fees are more reasonable than private centers. Available throughout the year.
Click Here to register for Skills Boost sessions! (If classes have already started, online registration will be unavailable).
1:1 Tutoring: Do you want your child to thrive academically? Watch your child's confidence flourish through 1:1 academic support. Community Education has partnered with Academic All Star Tutoring to find the best teachers in the metro area to help your child achieve success. A caring and qualified teacher will guide your child through 60 minute lessons. We provide individualized lessons tailored to your child's needs. We offer the academic support your child needs all year long. Choose from 10, 15 or 20 session packages that cost much less than most tutoring centers. These are set dates and times conveniently located in the safety of our schools.
Please call 763.391.7223 for more information. We are happy to mail you a detailed information packet.


text:
Jeanette Wells' "The Glass Castle" tells the story of a family in abject poverty. The author's parents, one an artist and the other a would-be entrepreneur/engineer, move their four kids all over the country. Somehow, the children make a successful transition into adulthood.
Reading the well-written memoir—set to become a movie—over the Labor Day weekend, I couldn't help but think about my own upbringing and how our parents' concepts of money and wealth can be so helpful and, at the same time, so convoluted. (Naturally, I was also very grateful that I had not faced as tough a financial situation growing up as the Wells kids had.)
The poor Wells' kids had very inconsistent messaging from their folks about money. It appears there was no cash for food most of the time.
Yet when Jeanette literally finds a diamond ring on the ground, Mom keeps it to boost her self-esteem. Most days, the kids dream of hot meals as Dad throws back a bottle of booze and goes through four packs of cigarettes.
As the kids get older, though, they figure out that the beat-up house in Phoenix and drilling land in Texas owned by their Mom are assets that could be used to improve their lives. But despite the family's lack of food and plumbing, Mom says these assets are for keeping, not selling.
Often, their eccentric parents exhibit the "penny wise, pound foolish" mentality, ignoring the family's immediate need of nutrition or decent clothing in favor of art supplies, an odd piece of furniture or a broken vase.
In my case, I was fortunate enough to grow up with more than adequate food, clothing and shelter. My parents, a Ph.D. chemist and a Ph.D. language instructor raised during the Great Depression, taught me how to save, save, save and save (and to read, read, read and read).
But certain decisions haunted me.
My mother mistakenly thought we'd save money by using the Laundromat down the hill from our house in Texas, rather than getting a cheap washer and dryer for our home. When my sister and I were teens, we were constantly washing clothes in the sink, to be sure we had the item we needed to look our best at middle school and high school.
I don't think we ever complained much about the situation until we got older and realized what "penny wise, pound foolish" really meant. As my Mom neared age 80 and soon afterwards broke her leg, it became clear that she needed both regular home care and a washer and dryer on site. And that was what a few of her well-saved dollars were spent on, after she reluctantly agreed.
(Investment Advisor columnist Olivia Mellan addresses these issues in her writing and speaking; for example, see this column on mothers and daughters (and advisors).)
During the heyday of the recent financial crisis, I constantly debated what "penny wise, pound foolish" meant with my two sons. We watched our shopping and holiday budgets much more closely, and we also started dropping by the local food bank to see what items some community members were most in need of.
Reading "The Glass Castle" made me deeply appreciate how painful it is for a family to go through hard times and how each family member has his or her own deeply held notions of how to best survive these rough periods.
It wouldn't surprise me if many financial advisors had clients with unusual spending and saving habits or clients with family members facing very challenging circumstances. It's isn't always possible or useful, of course, to offer standard advice to such clients or their loved ones.
Health and wealth are concepts that each of us defines in our own special way. We have to do our best to respect these differences, while also staying true to our own needs and beliefs, as Wells so eloquently writes about in "The Glass Castle."
As the book poignantly shows, keeping our mouth shut can prove extremely difficult, especially when we see that clients or family members may be putting their health and wealth in jeopardy. As Wells writes, such is "our cross to bear."


text:
• All About Soap Nut Powder
About Soap Nut Powder: A metamorphosis in both personal and household cleaning has occurred over time. From ancient Ayurvedic shampoos and hair treatments to the best 100% organic modern scouring powder, soap nuts are making an indelible mark upon history. We are watching a worldwide paradigm shift towards effective, healthier and eco friendly natural soaps and cleaners in process. And it's one P&G is not going to be happy about.
Powdered soap nuts (soap berries) have been used for literally thousands of years, being referenced in numerous ancient Hindu texts and in folklore. It's simply dried soap nuts ground into powder. In Indian Hindi it is known as Ritha, (sometimes Aritha or Reetha). Specifically, it is the ground shells of the sapindus mukorossi fruit. Shikakai (literally "hair fruit") is used similarly. Both are Ayurvedic ingredients used in soap and hair care, yet Ritha and Shikaki powders are derived from different plants. Their differences in benefits are far from clear. Much online information is convoluted at best, hence be skeptical of seller's claims. Many will know less than you.
Put in a general historical context, these age-old powders are reasonable to be considered possibly the oldest lathering shampoos and soaps the world has ever known. Interestingly most folks today relate it to laundry products, but their origin and history is in most definitely personal hygiene – a long way from the laundry room.
As awareness of the benefits of saponin and soap berries have spread, interest in the powder form has likewise spread. Saponin alone will change much of what we do and how we think. For ages – long before 1837 when P&G was founded – man found in nature the means by which to resolve problems and improve our overall quality of life. The soap berry is a perfect example of this. Who knew that soap could be grown in your back yard?
As more people begin to see greater applications outside of laundry, saponin is poised to literally explode into numerous markets. We are merely getting a glimpse into what the future will bring. I predict that saponin will become a household word. Likely a new and catchier name will even pop up. Without doubt, soap nuts – in all their forms – will become part of our everyday life. It has for me. I use very few synthetically produced cleaners and soaps today. I don't need them anymore. You'll likely discover the same things as I did.
Back to soap nut powder: Ironically, I don't see huge growth for the raw forms of soap berries in hair care in Western cultures due to its lack of convenience in use. However, I see major growth other markets. Once consumers realize its enormous potential and effectiveness across such a wide array of uses, its hard to imagine a health-conscious American household without it. Being chemical free and eco friendly make it a no-brainer. There's few products with such broad applications. Consumer awareness is the key. And that's what this post – this entire web site – is all about. Every day the word spreads further.
Hair and scalp care: It's common to see powder used in esoteric circles of those making Ayurvedic treatments (often medicinal) – with emphasis on remedies for hair, scalp and skin problems. and hair restoration and regrowth. It's also popular as an anti-dandruff treatment, and for the relief of itchy scalps. There is definitely a market for soap nut powder in hair care, but I see it more as a periodic treatment rather than a routine shampoo. Ease and convenience of use are the drawbacks for powder. As put by one from "The Long Hair Community Blog", she referred to using Ritha and Shikakai in its traditional method as "a grainy mess." We are accustomed to and want the benefits of saponin – but with the convenience of a ready to use liquid. I concur.
I will personally testify to the traditional "paste method" (directions below) being a refreshing experience. My scalp felt deeply cleansed, and I was left with a tingly-clean feeling. My only negative criticism is that it's both time consuming – and very "messy". Much more rinsing was required. The "tea method" is quicker and easier, but it was too watery and lacked enough lather for me. I use NaturOli's EXTREME Hair liquid soap berry shampoo formulas which offer the benefits of saponin, plus other nourishing botanical extracts – and it lathers just fine. (i.e., It's quick and easy to use.)
NOTE: I have no hair or scalp problems anymore, and don't need to shampoo as nearly as often. I hear this comment from most users. My hair and scalp have been detoxed of all the old junk from traditional shampoos, and my hair is now healthier than ever. It took a few washes before my hair found its natural balance. I went from needing to shampoo almost daily to maybe twice a week now. That was remarkable.
If I did have scalp problems, I'd reconsider the hassle and time factors of the paste treatment for its exfoliating ability, plus experiment more with the tea as a periodic treatment. There are a few common methods and techniques depending upon your personal issue(s). If you have dandruff, flaky/itchy scalp, or even hair-loss problems the rub-in paste method is likely best (at least to initially help the problem). For this method, combine powder with water and to form a paste which is massaged into the scalp. It is deep cleansing and the most purifying method. In rubbing/working the paste a light lather will develop. The "tea" method uses the powder with hot water to brew the tea which is then poured through the hair and on the scalp when cooled. You simply have to evaluate your hair / scalp condition and experiment. There's no one use that's for everyone.
Scouring powder / surface scrub / multi-purpose household cleaner / dish wash: This is where I see use of powder excelling to tremendous heights. The benefits are undeniable, and frankly there are very few good "green" products currently in this product space. In India, a new company named Kyra Sustainable Goodies recently launched with two products: 1) a natural laundry detergent powder, and 2) a natural dishwasher powder. They are the first company I've found in India with entirely non hair-care related uses for soap nut powder. More will follow suit to be sure.
Can you imagine how much toxic chemical scouring powder is sold in the US? I don't have the numbers, but I'm sure it's staggering. Knowing that we have an effective, totally sustainable, and 100% chemical free alternative to Comet Cleanser is absolutely remarkable. Why isn't everyone using it? There's only one reason: People don't know about it. Granted, Comet and Ajax type cleaners are very cheap. But after a consumer realizes that the active ingredients are akin to commercial chlorine cleaners, one may think twice about cleaning the kitchen sink with it. The product labels devote more words to the "hazardous" characteristics and precautions than its benefits. That's pretty scary.
Given soap nut powder's slightly abrasive yet soapy nature, scouring powder is my most common use. I haven't used a traditional scrub (i.e. Comet or Ajax) ever since first using it. Rubber gloves aren't required anymore. Its gentle, non-toxic and chemical free. It doesn't eat your skin away like a pool cleaner! It's great for toilets, sinks, tubs, tile, porcelain, grout, etc. Use exactly like you'd use its chemical equivalents. You may need to use a bit more elbow grease at first for there are absolutely no toxic chemical foaming agents. This may vary depending upon the purity and quality of the powder. The more pure, the better – and this applies to all potential applications.
Laundry usage: Soap nut powder works very well for high efficiency washers. The saponin releases faster than using the berries. Powder also makes a good stain remover for heavier colored fabrics and stains. It's especially effective for spots and stains if moistened and gently rubbed into the affected area. For laundry, my personal favorite still remains EXTREME 18X and homemade liquid as they reign supreme for HE and front-loaders, and are so easy to use.
When using soap nut powder, do NOT use more than required. You don't need an ounce or big scoops to do a load. I typically use a level teaspoon for an average HE load. If very soiled, I'll use two. Using too much is wasteful (as discussed elsewhere here on SoapNuts.Pro). Used properly it's still very cost effective. If half ends up down the drain before releasing all saponin, well, your money goes down the drain, too. Rule of thumb: Use LESS than you think you need. Use more only if you're not happy with the results. Keep it simple.
Homemade detergent recipes: For you with DIY homemade laundry soap recipes, powder may just be your ideal missing link. It's the surfactant (what creates the soaping effect that loosens the soling from the fabric). Many DIY recipes don't utilize a good surfactant, and the difference can be major. It's better than common soap shavings BY FAR. Regular soap shavings leave a soap scum that you do NOT want in your washer – especial with HE machines. Soap residues are highly problematic for new high efficiency (HE) units – usually resulting in their top problems: nasty odors, fungal mildew and mold.
Pet grooming: Whether dogs, cats, horses, or your hairy critter friend of choice, powder has many benefits. Skipping the obvious (organic hair/fur and scalp/skin cleansing), the saponin has inherent insect and pest repellent properties. You can give your pets a chemical-free washing, while helping to minimize fees, flies, ticks and other nasty buggers, too. Plus, you'll enjoy your pet's beautiful new coat – without an annoying scent. That's a big win-win and win!!!
Camper's soap: Just as all forms are ideal from an ecological perspective, powder has extra benefits at times. The mild abrasiveness (exfoliation) aids in many types of cleaning – from dirty skillets to deep personal cleansing the ground-in dirt and grime from your outdoor adventures. Personally, I can't think of a more convenient eco-friendly way to scrub off the dirt (or smelly fish slime) than shaking a little powder into my wet hands and washing up – without concern about pollutants. That's fantastic! Once again, the mild pest repellent properties of the powder's saponin pays obvious extra benefits, too.
Brushing teeth: I had to add this because it's more common than you think. Many swear by it. Some mix it with baking soda and a little peppermint oil for taste! I'm going to reserve commenting for I don't use it for such. When I do, I'll let you know what I think. I see no reason to think it wouldn't work perfectly fine. I just haven't tried it.
– When buying powder, be aware that fillers can be used which will degrade its effectiveness. Low quality powder can be made using inferior species of soap berries (i.e., trifoliatus or saponaria) or whole soap nuts – including seeds, stems, leaves, etc. plus an array of cheap additives. All can be ground up to make a powder. Once ground there's no easy way to tell the quality difference without having both side-by-side and actually testing them. Without doubt in my mind, poor quality powder will end up on the market – exactly like we've seen happen with the berries and likely worse. There's few retailers of powder. The well established US companies are selling high-quality grades.
– Look for "ground from mukorossi shells", "no fillers", etc. in descriptions to help ensure getting high quality. Price is always a good barometer. You typically get what you pay for. Powder isn't cheap – and is certainly more costly per ounce than the raw berries. Just use common sense and good judgement before buying.
– Can you make your own soap nut powder? Yes, but it's trickier than you may think. The shells must be very dry, or you'll end up with lots of sticky chunks. A good, fine sifter is a must. A common internet myth is that soap berries should be moist to work best. This is totally wrong. The only difference is WATER content. The all-important saponin does NOT evaporate. I guarantee you that. And when buying by weight (as you should be), more water equals more weight. Frankly, it takes years using soap nuts to find those ideal balances. Sometimes there's just no simple answers to questions with many variables. Being moist aids in the quicker release of the saponin when used raw, but that is quickly remedied by a little pre-soaking. I don't use the raw berries much anymore (too much hassle), but when I do I keep them just slightly tacky. That's it. But even "tacky" is far too wet to make powder from. Allow them to become very dry first. You want them dry (think of them kinda' like coffee beans). Imagine the clumpy mess you'd have trying to grind wet coffee beans…
– Hence pure soap nut powder (with no fillers or additives) is VERY potent. When grinding you'll create a lot of airborne powder (especially if making a bunch) that's unpleasant if inhaled. A face mask of some kind is also a must. I recommend simply buying it pre-made. You can get sizes from a few ounces to many pounds. Even if using it for numerous applications, a pound or two of quality powder will last a VERY LONG time!
– Use powder with an extra degree of care. The very fine powders I'm accustomed to using will irritate eyes and sinuses if inhaled. It's far better than inhaling toxic, chemical scouring powders in this regard, but this is simply a notice. A user wrote me after dumping out two pounds to fill small jars. She took no precautions, and was sneezing all day. If handling large amounts, do wear a mask and some eyewear. Don't rub your eyes if your fingers are coated with it. A personal experience: Kinda' humorous now looking back, but I had such a situation first hand. The only difference was that I was bagging up 1200 pounds of pure bulk soap nut powder! I learned my little lesson the hard way!
CAUTION: Don't miss the updated post about China-grown soapberry seller(s) found in violation of U.S. Federal law, USDA regulations – and carrying a high risk of contamination. Many grandiose claims, and statements of being tested safe are made – however none (not a single one) has ever been substantiated. Online and third-party availability only. No address or phone is provided for the seller. The berries are characteristically soft, slimy and oily while having a dark reddish purple to black color (like old, dirty motor oil). Commonly noted is the scent of petroleum. Best to return (if possible) or discard in an environmentally friendly fashion.
(See full post in left-side column for the latest info.) – Just say "NO" to China-grown.


text:
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Diner-Style Patty Melt
1 comment:
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)
Artisan Cast Iron Dutch Oven Bread
This recipe is a typical one with two rising periods. Most of this time it's the yeast working and not you! 2 cups water 1...
This is one of those traditional Polish meals that has to be made in certain pots or pans. You know what I mean don't you? Certain thi...
This is a traditional Polish stew called Bigos or Hunter's Stew. There are so many variations of this pork dish. You can go to Hog Hea...


text:
I have been on and off this site for a few months now. I have read some unsettling stories. I myself have answered to some of these people experiences. Let me tell you a little about myself so I can explain what I am about. To hide my identity I won't use full names. I am a a 34 year old male from from NorthWestern Ontario Canada I am half native and I do believe in my ancestors. I am next in line as being a empathy , healer and protector. When I was born I was the last one to get a native name meaning baby owl. Usually a elder or someone will be the one to give you a name. But when I was born my great uncle that had the same abilities felt that I needed to be brought in to the council of our elders. As I was brought in they realized that I was the first in 15 generations to have the power to sense and heal with out being in the proximity of the person that needs the help. So after this visit I guess my great uncle was to stay with me and train me to use my so called gift. For many years they tried to pressure my mother ( which has some of the gifts) to take me and have me basically turned into a shawman she refused. As I grew oldr I noticed some things that I could sense people feel there pain and sickness. I have always been a sensitive person to all that is sick or Ill no matter what there sickness is if it was alcoholism or drugs abuse or old age or decease. I feel that when I come in contact with people that are sick that I can kind of surpress it or make it go away all together. With out me getting the training that I was suppose to I am not at my full ability. But I can cure minute illness from afar. When I was 16 was my first serious test of what I was capable of my mom never asked me of anything but at this time she came to me and pleaded me to try to help her to help my little cousin. When my cousin turned ten he was diagnosed with leukemia and he was given six months. I wanted to help him so bad but didn't know what I can do. My mother said I am going to do something to you she said she was goin to give me the ability to use my abilities. I was confused what she ment. So I said what you mean. She say that she had put a protection field on when i was born so I didn't feel the sadness and pain that this world offers. So she said she need me to feel and listen and see what inwas ment to she took this field off of me. I can honestly say I felt like I grew ten feet tall and became so much powerful then I have ever felt. She then said now do what you were ment to do I told her with tears in my eyes I don't know how. I could feel my baby cousins pain and sickness I can see a red hue kind of floating around his little body. I looked at my mother crying I said I don't know what to do she said you will baby owl. When she said that to me I felt like it was my mother and my deceased grandmother that told me this. When this was going on I was in the country where I grew up and my little cousin lived with his parents the land that my family owned for many generations. And where my ancestor practiced there gifts. I told my mom if I can I will help az much as I can. That night I was sleeping in the bedroom that I grew up in my grandmothers house I was asleep with eyes wide open. What I mean I am a sleep but I am awake walking a journey threw the land of my forefathers I can see my great uncles and my grandparents. And my ancestors this is the first that this has ever happened. I can feel a power joining me with them. My great uncle told me that night in my dream it's time for me to do what I was ment to do. The following day I walked across the field to my cousins house where my little cousin lay sick. It was sunrise about 5:30 am when I arrived my mom was there and my other cousins and my younger cousin open his eyes for the first time in like two days he said he's coming he could feel me feeling him I was walking into the house. His mom and dad met me at the door. Crying I felt like I was myself but old and wise . My mom said she prepared him for me. The next thing I knew what I had to do as if I did this for like ever. To make a long story short I helped my little cousin I was able to give him another six years. I had to continue doing this ceremony four times and everytime it took more and more of him. He finally told me at the age of sixteen that he was done that he didnt want to do it any more he saw that it was taking it's toll on me. That I was wasting my gift on just him. He pushed me away He said thank you and when he hugged me I felt my body absorb all that I gave him. 4 days later he passed his cancer hooked around behind his good cell only one doctor in Japan has seen this. It just about destroyed me loosing him but I knew why he had to go. But since then I have learned and had a lot of extreme experiences it took him for me to get what I was suppose to do. Since then I have been dealing with entities and abit of demonic. I know people are going to read this and think I'm full of BAD_WORD but I don't care what people think. I know and the people that I help know what I can do. I have learnt a lot and I want to let people know what I know. There are cases on here I feel that really are genuine and that people here do need help. Don't think that people on here that are asking for help are all crazy. Give them the benefit of the doubt hear there stories and help if u can. I will be writing some of my experiences on this sight in the future my friend believe that I should write a book. They like what I say and done so I will see if there are others out there that think the same. Thanks for reading this and if you have any questions I will be seeing if anyone has replied to this.
I've seen and heard some scary evil stuff
Started by Jynx , Dec 20 2012 05:12 AM
1 reply to this topic
Posted 20 December 2012 - 05:12 AM
Posted 20 December 2012 - 10:14 PM
Welcome to GV, Jynx! Thank you for posting your story. Looking forward to reading more of your contributions.
Don't take life too seriously, no one ever gets out alive.
0 user(s) are reading this topic
0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users


text:
The Hidden Reach is the name given to a secret entrance to Dire Maul East which bypasses the usual hazards of getting into the keep from its usual entrance. It is accessed by the Lariss Pavillion located in the forest area north of Camp Mojache. Along the western rim of the pavillion is a downward spiral ramp whose northern area has the door to The Hidden Reach. This door can only be accessed by use of the [Crescent Key]. Once open, there is a winding tunnel that goes down to an instance portal. Once crossed, the adventurer(s) will be in a corridor that leads to the easternmost portion of Dire Maul East. The area is guarded by Lashers and Satyrs.
If one goes through the standard instance portal in the Broken Commons in order to kill Pusillin and obtain the Crescent Key, one has to pass through Warpwood Quarter to get to the Hidden Reach. A tunnel leads off near the entrance through a large unnamed area containing Lethtendris, Hydrospawn and Zevrim Thornhoof and eventually down into the Conservatory.


text:
Search the Rhubosphere!
Buy me coffee!I do this for the love, but if you like something I've written you can now:
Tag Archives: Sebastian Stan
Captain America: The First Avenger
I know I owe you guys another Read Along with Rhube, but I can't keep it inside any longer: this film was so good. All the squee I had for X-Men: First Class, plus some more, with none of the … Continue reading
Posted in Captain America, Review, superheroes Tagged Bucky Barnes, Captain America, Captain America: The First Avenger, Chris Evans, Colonel Chester Phillips, film, Hayley Atwell, Hugo Weaving, Johann Schmidt, Peggy Carter, review, science fiction, Sebastian Stan, Stanley Tucci, Steve Rogers, superheroes, Tommy Lee Jones, tp superhero film 6 Comments


text:
Article content
Red Scorpion gangster Kevin LeClair once told police investigating the Surrey Six murders that victim Corey Lal was "begging for his life" before he was shot.
LeClair, who was gunned down himself in February 2009, had been talking to police about the Oct. 19, 2007 slaughter of Lal and five others in Surrey's Balmoral Tower, B.C. Supreme Court heard Tuesday.
Part of LeClair's statement to police was read by defence lawyer Simon Buck at the murder trial of his client Cody Haevischer and co-accused Matt Johnston.
"I was told they rushed in, got everybody on the ground. I was told two different stories. But that Corey was like really upset and crying like begging for his life, saying he'll do anything," LeClair said.
Lal's mother broke down in court when she learned what might have happened in her son's final minutes.
LeClair also said he heard that victim Eddie Narong challenged his killers saying `fuck you, you're fucking dead' before a man who can only be identified as Person X, "shot him in the head."
Two members of the rival United Nations gang have been charged in LeClair's murder.
But details of his cooperation with police investigating his own Red Scorpion gang were revealed for the first time publicly Tuesday.
Buck was cross-examining Haevischer's former girlfriend for a third day, suggesting her statements to police about the murders were influenced by information shown to her like the LeClair statement.
But the woman, who can only be identified as KM due to a publication ban, disagreed, saying she told the police the truth based on what she knew about the day of the murders.
Buck also asked her about a statement she gave to police on April 16, 2009 with details from a "white board" conversation she had with slain gangster Jon Bacon a few days before.
In it, KM described to police how gas fireplace repairman Ed Schellenberg and neighbour Chris Mohan got caught in the slaughter.
She said she learned the killers "were going there to jack these guys up" and that they saw only four people in Balmoral suite 1505 at first.
"And then somebody saw Ed Schellenberg was hiding…somewhere and like scared for his life. So they brought him out and put him with the other guys all facing one way and so they weren't looking at the guys," KM said in the statement.
She said the killers heard Mohan in the hallway outside the apartment.
"And Matt grabbed him and threw him in and he's like `I'm not a part of it. I don't know these guys. I'm not their friend.' It wasn't supposed to happen like this," KM said.
Buck said KM made up her evidence to police to "save her own skin" and to get back at Haevischer because he had a new girlfriend.
He read a transcript of an April 2009 call KM made to the girlfriend, in which KM said: "I'm his f–king girlfriend bitch and you're the reason he's going to jail."
KM said she was angry after police played a call between Haevischer and the new woman, but that she wasn't testifying for revenge.
"I am here today because I am doing the right thing and telling the truth," KM said.
The trial is adjourned until Thursday when Johnston's lawyer Michael Tammen will cross-examine KM.
Haevischer and Johnston are charged with conspiracy to kill rival trafficker Corey Lal, as well as first degree murder in the deaths of Lal, his brother Michael and associates Narong and Ryan Bartolomeo, as well as bystanders Schellenberg and Mohan.


text:
I haven't seen it in a few years, but esrogim used to come wrapped in flax. Or, at least, a yellowish, brownish, hairy substance people called "flax", which leads us to my first question:
- Was it really flax?
This stuff would get everywhere. In particular, it would get on one's clothes, which leads us to my main question:
- If it was really flax, and it got on one's woolen clothes, was that a problem of shaatnez?


text:
My Account
Shopping Cart
Shipping Charges, Secure Online Payment System
and Our Guarantee - please click Ordering page.
What do Marathon thread clients say?-
"I have dealt with Shin Woo for many years. They have always had a very comprehensive range of colours at very
competitive prices to meet all our needs. Their service and ...
more testimonials..
TIPS and suggestions -
to help give you some good pointers on how to produce a great design....
Tips - from Marathon Threads Canada
Tips - BEST embroidery information ever
Guidelines for using Stabilizers
Choosing the right needles
Guidelines for using Metallic Threads
Patchwork piecing in the hoop
Making free standing lace
Creating beautiful cutwork
Creating applique blocks in the hoop
What products are best to use to applique stretch cut-out designs onto stretch lycra?
Storing and caring for your threads
Conversion charts available on request.
- Marathon Viscose Rayon to Marathon Polyester
- Madeira to Marathon
- RA to Marathon
- Sulky to Marathon
- Isacord to Marathon
- Kingstar to Marathon
- Brother to Marathon
- Janome to Marathon
Helmar fray stopper is a solvent based anti-fray adhesive. It is specifically designed for use in the binding of fibres to prevent fraying of fabric hems and seams.
50ml - $8.00 (GST inc.)
Export this product info to :


text:
If Florida hadn't have won the NCAA Title again last year, it would be safe to say that it would be difficult to remember who was the 2006 NCAA Champion. That's because 2006 was the year of George Mason, and the Final Four itself — which, you may recall, was lousy that year — was just a sidebar to their story. Right now, barring something amazing from Western Kentucky, only one team has a chance to seize the tournament and make it theirs: Davidson, of course.
There are considerable similarities to 2006 in the bracket too; Kansas is that similar kind of somewhat overrated "favorite" the way that Connecticut was that year. (Also, Bill Self, again, has never made the Final Four.) And even though we consider Wisconsin our sleeper, few would argue that they're this terrifying force in the Sweet 16. Davidson fans — and there are some, swear, more than you'd think — have been waiting for years to finally break through with that one tournament win. Now they're seeming like gluttons.
By the way, how awesome is it that Davidson was Larry Brown's first job ... until he changed his mind and left. So unlike him!
(Getty Images Photo)


text:
Cobra IRadar S-Series
Description: The Cobra iRadar S-Series is the world's first under-the-hood radar/laser/camera detector to utilize a Bluetooth® connection to a smart phone. It is easily installed under the hood of the vehicle so it is completely invisible to those who do not know it is there. The Cobra iRadar S-Series connects to the free iRadar companion app and allows users to access the iRadar Community – the largest and most active crowd-sourcing community of smart detection users – and share valuable information with nearby users regarding live police, camera enforcement locations, dangerous intersections, and other caution areas.
Price: $299.00 to $300.00 Visit the Website
Parrot ASTEROID Infotainment System
Description: The Parrot ASTEROID lineup of connected car solutions provide a more enjoyable, safe, and informed driving experience for drivers. Parrot initially introduced the Android operating system into the vehicle with the launch of the Parrot ASTEROID Classic and the new ASTEROID Smart, Tablet and Mini provide in-car connected solutions for all needs, vehicles and budgets, including navigation, multitouch screens, a range of sizes and a variety of technology offerings. All of the new ASTEROID models have access to the Parrot ASTEROID Market, the first platform dedicated to providing apps optimized for use in vehicles. Users are able to download a variety of free and paid apps, including Spotify, through the ASTEROID Market directly through the device or through a computer. Apps can be created for, or adapted, to the Android-based ASTEROID platform, taking full advantage of the ASTEROID screen sizes, voice recognition, Text-to-Speech, geolocalisation and internet capabilities. The ASTEROID's Android platform enables the use of apps independent from smartphones while providing an upgradable platform to ensure your device stays current as new technology and software is developed.
Price: $299.00 to $599.00 Visit the Website
Cobra IRadar ATOM
Description: The iRadar ATOM is the most innovative, user-friendly and technologically advanced radar/laser/camera detection system on the market that employs smaller components while packing in its highest performance platform, making it the radar detector with the smallest footprint in the industry and 35% smaller than the iRadar 200. It allows users to share alerts in real time when connected with the iRadar app and the iRadar Community. The iRadar Community lets users report and warn other users of live police, caution areas, and photo enforcement areas. Its companion smartphone app vividly displays a host of valuable information including speed, compass direction, location-based mapping, maximum speed setting, and an array of warnings from the iRadar ATOM itself, and from other iRadar users nearby. Available in May.
Price: $199.00 to $200.00 Visit the Website
Cobra Electronics IRadar 200 Detection System
Description: The latest model of Cobra's multi-award-winning detection system, Cobra iRadar 200 consists of a sleek dash-mounted smart detector unit paired via Bluetooth® to a powerful yet intuitive smartphone app. Together the system detects police radar/laser signals and notifies users in real-time of upcoming caution areas, excessive vehicle speed, live police and photo enforcement areas, and then automatically shares caution information with other iRadar users nearby. The new system offers universal support for Android™ and iOS smartphone.
Price: $129.94 to $129.95 Visit the Website
Wear Your Heart On Your Grille: Artisan-Designed Auto Grille Ornaments Make The Perfect, Personal Gift For Any Occasion
Description: Grillie is the trend-setting maker of beautiful auto grille ornaments that put a contemporary twist on the personal imprint most car owners want on their vehicles. Each Grillie has its own distinctive character, making them the perfect, personal gift that will let your loved ones show off the things the passions that drive them. Unlike typically pricey car accessories like satellite radio subscriptions or GPS, Grillie makes finding a unique, high quality auto gift affordable and accessible. And in categories ranging from hobbies, fashion, seashore, sports, fishing, religious, occupations, sportsman/wildlife, dogs and others, there's likely a Grillie that highlights whatever interests the recipient devotes their free time to. To learn more about Grillies and see the wide range of styles available, please visit www.grillie.com.
Price: $49.99 to $50.00 Visit the Website
SYLVANIA Headlight Restoration Kit
Description: Looking for a great gift for Mother's Day? Consider the gift of safety. The Headlight Restoration Kit from SYLVANIA was designed to remove thousands of miles of damage and restore headlight lenses to provide durable and like-new performance in light output. This do-it-yourself kit helps reduce headlight glare by up to 70 percent and removes the hazy yellow appearance on lenses that is caused by UV rays. With mothers transporting their precious cargo – many in older vehicles, headlight safety is extremely important. When driving at night getting the most visibility possible can make a big difference. The recipient of the 2010 Popular Mechanics Editor's Choice Award, the product is available at major auto parts retailers.
Price: $19.99 Visit the Website
FRAM Fresh Breeze Cabin Air Filter - Help Keep Mom's Summer Allergies Away!
Description: Millions of drivers suffer from allergies - did you know that the air inside your car can be up to six times dirtier than the air outside? Replacing your air filters and cabin air filters regularly can have a huge impact on keeping dust and dirt from blowing through your A/C. The FRAM Fresh Breeze cabin air filter filters 98 percent of dust, dirt and allergens from the inside of your car. Many people don't realize their vehicles have cabin air filters, but this is an important - and easy - maintenance procedure that you should change annually or every 12,000 miles. The FRAM Fresh Breeze cabin air filter is the only cabin air filter that uses the natural deodorizing qualities of ARM & HAMMER baking soda, keeping mom's car smelling clean year-round. Help keep allergies at bay by finding the cabin air filter you need today at www.framfreshbreeze.com.
Price: $13.99 to $18.99 Visit the Website
Safely Go
Description: Safely Go is a free app that helps smartphone users stay focused on what's important, whether it's the road, while they're behind the wheel, or the people they're with in real life (as opposed to all their "virtual friends"). Most people find it difficult to stay focused on the road, while their phone beckons from the cupholder or passenger seat. With one tap, Safely Go puts your phone in "drive mode," eliminating distracting rings, vibrates, and push notifications. Safely Go will reply automatically to all your text messages with a custom SMS—let contacts know you're currently focused on driving safely, or just that you're focused on your family or friends at a dinner party. The app will allow calls through if you're in hands-free mode, but if you're not, only your select 3 VIPs' calls will ring. Same goes for apps—Safely Go blocks access to and notifications from all but the top 3 apps you really need, like maps or navigation.
Price: $0.00 Visit the Website


text:
Action-Portraits necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 35 diseños de 9 diseñadores freelance.
An Australian sports portrait photographer is in need of your help for a logo, for a website, business card and letterhead. It needs to be simple, but eye-catching!
Action Packed Portraits is in need of your help, the designers to create a logo.
- I am an Australian based sports photographic portait company that is slowly setting up business.
- A website is in the making and needs a logo. The website will be selling images online, so I intended on using the logo as a watermark for my images.
- The logo needs to be simple, to the point and eye-catching.
- Item 1... I would like to incorporate the barrel of a telephoto lens. Much like the big white lens that you see at the many major sporting events, ie Olympics.- Something that incoporates an image of a person holding the lens, like a sillowette? But thats optional, if you think you can do something better then thats fantastic!! - I want about two or three colours used in the design, and not just black.- The name of the font used (and cost of font if commercial)- Can also be used as a watermark.- Scalable vector based logo
- Item 1... What I don't want is crazy colours, like rainbows, it does not suit my business image and would look out of place.
- A text based logo, be creative!
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


text:
9601 Collins Ave
$215,000, 1 Bath 170 Sqft
About This Property
Beautifull decorated cabana in most sought after area of the pool deck. YOU MUST OWN A UNIT AT THE MAJESTIC TOWERS CONDOMINIUM IN ORDER TO PURCHASE THIS CABANA UNIT. Call listing agent for more details, very easy to show.
Essential Information
Community Information
Additional Information
Listing Details
The data relating to real estate on this web site comes in part from the Internet Data Exchange program of the MLS of the Miami Association of REALTORS®, and is updated as of May 31st, 2020 at 3:30pm EDT (date/time).
All information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed by the MLS and should be independently verified. All properties are subject to prior sale, change, or withdrawal. Neither listing broker(s) nor Agency 305 Real Estate shall be responsible for any typographical errors, misinformation, or misprints, and shall be held totally harmless from any damages arising from reliance upon these data. © 2020 MLS of MAR.
The information being provided is for consumers' personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing


text:
Laptops only ship with one power brick, but what happens if that dies or you don't want to carry yours but need to charge at the office?
The Antec NP-100-GB features seven detachable heads with various connections to support most of the leading brands. It's worth checking the website for compatibility before buying, but major brands, such as Acer, Dell, HP, Sony and Toshiba, are covered.
You can use it to charge your laptop either at home or leave it at the office. It's not the smallest of power bricks, so we wouldn't recommend taking it on the commute with you, but the mountings for the various heads sits well, so it won't fall out at the most inopportune time.
It may not be the most glamorous of laptop peripherals, but in an emergency you'll be glad you've invested in one.


text:
Translate This Page:
Gift-wrapping is not available for this product.
Product Information:
Set of dATP, dCTP, dGTP, dTTP - Nucleotides and Primers, Promega - Model PAU1420 - Each : PCR Nucleotide Mix: A premixed solution containing the sodium salts of dATP, dCTP, dGTP, and dTTP. The solution is optimized for standard PCR, as well as specialty approaches such as hot-start and RT-PCR. One microliter is sufficient for amplication in a
This item will be shipped from the manufacturer and is not one we carry in stock. Please contact us for availability, as we cannot always guarantee order fulfillment.
Medical Equipment & Supplies
Stethoscopes • Diagnostic Sets Blood Pressure Instruments & Disposables • EMS • Lab Equipment
Medical Education & Training
Anatomical Charts • Human Skeletal Models
Medical Apparel
Mens Apparel • Womens Apparel • Protective Apparel
Alternative Therapy
Natural Remedies
• Manual
Healing & Complementary Therapy •
Mind & Body Control
Fitness & Personal Wellness
Heart Rate Monitors • Pedometers • Yoga & Pilates • Bicycle Storage
Home Health Care
Diabetic Equipment • Massagers • First Aid Kits • Heating Pads • Blood Pressure Monitors
Housewares & Furnishings
Air Purifiers • Cleaners & Disinfectants • Sound & White Noise Machines • Water Filters
Scales & Measurements
Body Fat Monitors •
Kitchen Scales •
Bathroom Scales •
Diet & Pocket Scales
Vitamins & Supplements
Allergy & Immune System • Medical Foods • Cardiovascular Support • Weight Loss Supplements


text:
This week is dedicated to audio books and the valuable place they have in our children's education. I mentioned last week that I'm committed to incorporating more audio books in our studies, and I'll be sharing resources for them over the next few days.
But I want to kick off this week with a giveaway. I have two sets of four CDs featuring the stories of author Alma Flor Ada. This set includes four books in Spanish, and one in both English and Spanish.
The first CD is collection of 29 songs for each letter in the alphabet and one original alphabet song. All of them are in Spanish and are from the book, Abecedario de los animales, written by Alma Flor Ada and Suni Paz.
The second CD is a series of stories read by the authors, F. Isabel Campoy and Alma Flor Ada. It is their own versions of the 12 traditional tales that they wrote for their book, Cuentos que contaban nuestras abuelas. Some of the stories included are Blancaflor, Juan Bobo, Martina Martínez y el Ratoncito Pérez, El caballito de siete colores, and many others.
The third CD is actually in both English and Spanish. Once again read by the author. The Gold Coin or La moneda de oro is a beautiful book about generosity and transformation. You can read the moving and inspirational story behind this tale on Del Sol Books' website.
And our last CD is actually another collection of 27 songs based on the book, Gathering the Sun: An ABc in Spanish and English, written by Ada and Paz. These songs originate from simple poems written about the lives of Latin Americans; one for each letter of the Spanish alphabet. You can read a review here on the Latin Baby Book Club site.
I am so happy to be able to giveaway one of these CD sets to two readers. And I am especially grateful to Alma Flor Ada, for generously offering these as giveaways.
Dear Mommy Maestra readers:
I'm delighted to know that you will be able to share with your children some of the CDs that Isabel Campoy, Suni Paz and myself have created with great love. It would be nice to hear their reaction to the stories and songs. You can contact us at: http://www.almaflorada.com/, http://www.isabelcampoy.com/, http://www.sunipaz.com/. Do not miss visiting Isabel's new website! And let us know if you want a free subscription to the monthly enewsletter Smiles and Butterflies, with ideas on sharing books with children. All best wishes. ~Alma Flor Ada


text:
Career Interests
Choosing a career direction that takes into account the sort of things you are interested in makes good sense. This ensures that you will be motivated as you have a natural inclination already in a particular area.
In addition to the online interest tests mentioned below, you can take the Careers Portal Interest-Profiler (CPIP) to measure the relative strengths of your interests.
This instrument also provides you with a free printable report containing a summary of your career interests, along with some occupations that match your interest profile.
You will need to login to take this test as your results will be kept for you in your Career File.


text:
Van Cliburn, famed pianist, dies at 78
Pianist Van Cliburn, the tall, gangly Texan whose 1958 victory at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow brought Cold War politics into the world of classical music and launched his own starry, though brief, career on the concert stage, died Wednesday morning at his home in Fort Worth. He was 78.
The cause of death was bone cancer, according to his longtime publicist, Mary Lou Falcone.
Mr. Cliburn's Moscow success, which came a mere six months after the anxiety-inducing launch of the Sputnik satellite, was seen as a cultural triumph for the West in a sphere that had been dominated by the Soviets. Mr. Cliburn's final performances in the competition were of concertos by Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff.
The 23-year-old pianist came home to a ticker-tape parade in New York City and adulatory press coverage, including an appearance on the cover of Time magazine hailing him as "The Texan Who Conquered Russia."
Recording contracts and touring engagements soon followed, including a million-selling recording of Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto for RCA Victor.
In 1959, he appeared with the San Francisco Symphony in a special concert at the War Memorial Opera House, performing concertos by Prokofiev and Mozart.
Writing in The Chronicle, critic Alfred Frankenstein was lukewarm about the Mozart, which he called "skillful but dull," but hailed Mr. Cliburn's account of the Prokofiev Third Concerto as "remarkable and in some ways unique."
The performance, he wrote, "had all the crackle, speed, splash, display and dynamism the music requires, so that at the end the huge audience rose and brought him back over and over again."
At his best, Mr. Cliburn's performances blended formidable keyboard technique with a lyrical touch and a degree of emotional sensitivity that were well suited to the Romantic showpieces that formed the heart of his repertoire.
But as his career progressed through the 1960s and '70s, his artistic limitations, including a restricted tonal palette and a narrow range of repertoire, came more sharply to the fore. He withdrew from concert life in 1978, and although he made occasional returns to the spotlight, he never fully achieved the success that his early career seemed to promise.
Harvey Lavan Cliburn Jr. was born July 12, 1934, in Shreveport, La., and moved to Texas with his family soon afterward. Throughout his childhood - until he enrolled at the Juilliard School at 17 to study with the famed educator Rosina Lhévinne - his only teacher was his mother, Rildia Bee O'Bryan.
He won scattered recognition in his early years, including an engagement with the Houston Symphony Orchestra at 13, but was still largely unknown when he went to Moscow.
One of the outcomes of that early success was the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, a quadrennial event established in 1962 in Fort Worth. Among its winners have been Radu Lupu, Olga Kern and Jon Nakamatsu, who was a Sunnyvale high school teacher when he won in 1997.
"Meeting him was one of the highlights for all the competitors," Nakamatsu recalled on Wednesday. "We knew him as a legend, but what we discovered was what a gracious and courtly person he was - never without a coat and tie, never an unkind word for anyone. He had a manner of making you feel special even when you didn't really matter."
After Mr. Cliburn's temporary retirement, he remained out of sight for 16 years before returning for a 1994 concert tour that included a performance of Tchaikovsky's First Concerto to open the San Francisco Symphony season with Music Director Herbert Blomstedt. His last Bay Area appearance came a year later, when he performed for the AIDS benefit Classical Action as a last-minute substitute for an ailing Evgeny Kissin.
Mr. Cliburn was a devout churchgoer and notably private person, but his life became tabloid fodder in 1998 when a longtime partner, Thomas Zaremba, filed a palimony suit against him.
In his latter years, Mr. Cliburn was regaled with honors, including the Kennedy Center Honors in 2001 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2003. He is survived by Thomas L. Smith, described by his publicist as "a friend of long standing."
Joshua Kosman is The San Francisco Chronicle's music critic. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com


text: National Aquarium Experts With close to 20,000 animals from more than 700 species, National Aquarium is an amazing and informative journey through the wonders of our aquatic world. It isn't just animals, though, that make us who we are. Our on-staff experts are key to not only our day-to-day operations, but also to our successes outside our aquarium walls as we work to inspire conservation of the world's aquatic treasures.


text:
Public Comment
New: Why I'm Marching to Chevron This Saturday
On Saturday, August 3rd, my family will be at Totland in Berkeley celebrating our grand daughter Amiela's second birthday. Amiela and I are particularly close, so my absence will be noticed.
I will be marching along with thousands of others concerned about climate change and horrified by the fossil fuel industry's willingness to continue to place profits over worker and community safety, and over the very future health of the planet.
I will be wearing my white doctor's coat and marching with the Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) contingent. PSR's international affiliate, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1985 for proclaiming that there was no medical response to nuclear war. The only option was prevention. We can now say the same for climate change. Extreme weather events, food and drinking water shortages and all of the known and unknown consequences of destabilizing the earth's climate system are all best prevented.
The mantra is clear and catchy. Adapt to that which you can't prevent and prevent that to which you can't adapt. Climate science now tells us that we can only burn 1/5 of the known fossil fuel reserves. Anything more will exceed the two degree centigrade red line everyone agrees we can't go beyond without huge catastrophes. Even at two degrees we will lose half of the Sierra snowpack and therefore half of our drinking water.
But Chevron, like the rest of the fossil fuel industry, is focused on short-term profits. They're betting that no one will stop them from refining every last bit and then some, despite the cost to the planet and to my dear grand children.
We need to wake up and do what is right for the future. There is no meaningful medical response to climate chaos. Help prevent it by marching to the Chevron Refinery on August 3rd. Meet at Richmond BART at 10AM sharp.