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|Makkah al-Mukarramah مكة المكرمة
|Coordinates: 21°25′N 39°49′E
|- Mayor
|Usama Al-Barr
|- Total
|26 km² (10 sq mi)
|277 m (909 ft)
|Population (2010)
|- Total
Mecca (Makkah al-Mukarramah, Arabic: مكة المكرمة) is a holy Islamic city in Saudi Arabia's Makkah province, in the historic Hejaz region. It sits in a valley surrounded by low hills. The city is located 45 miles (73 kilometers) inland from Jeddah, in the narrow sandy Valley of Abraham, 277 metres (909 ft) above sea level. It is located 50 miles (80 kilometers) from the Red Sea.
The city is revered by Muslims for containing the holiest site of Islam, the Masjid al-Haram. A pilgrimage that involves an extended visit to the city is required of all able-bodied Muslims who can afford to go at least once in an individual's lifetime. People of other faiths are forbidden from entering the holy city.
The English word mecca, meaning "a place to which many people are attracted" is derived from Makkah.
Although Mecca is the religious capital of Saudi Arabia, the political capital of the nation is Riyadh.
Mecca is the original English transliteration of the Arabic name. In the 1980s, the Saudi Arabian government and others began promoting the transliteration Makkah (in full, Makkah al-Mukarramah), which more closely resembles the actual Arabic pronunciation.
The spelling Makkah or Meccah is not new and has always been a common alternative.[1] (In the works and letters of T. E. Lawrence, almost every conceivable variation of the spelling appears.)
The spelling Makkah is becoming more commonplace, taken up by many organizations, including the United Nations, U.S. Department of State and the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, but the spelling Mecca remains in common use.
The city of Mecca in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the Islamic religion's holiest city. Its position as center of the Islamic world is attributed to it being the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad and to the religion he founded.
Ancient Mecca was an oasis on the caravan route linking the Mediterranean world with South Arabia, East Africa, and South Asia. It had become an important trade and religious center, known as Macoraba, by Roman and Byzantine time.
Mecca and Medina (the second holiest city after Mecca) are located in an area known as the Hijaz, (meaning "barrier") in the western region of the Arabian peninsula. The Tropic of Cancer runs through the center of this region. Mecca is in the Sirat Mountains, about 50 miles from the port city of Jidda (Jeddah).
The holiness of Mecca was established before the days of Muhammad, traceable to Ka'bah and the Spring of Zamzam.
The Ka'bah is a large cubical building located inside Islam's holiest mosque Masjid al-Haram. The Ka'bah is also called al-Baytu'l-Ḥarām (البيت الحرام "The Sacred House"). For the Muslim community, the Ka'bah holds a place analogous to that of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem for Jews. According to the Qur'an, the Ka'bah was built by Ibrahim (Abraham) and his son Ismail (Ishmael), and has been a religious center ever since. The Ka'bah can be called the holiest place in Islam. Muslims throughout the world turn in the direction of the Ka'bah for their daily prayers, symbolizing unity in worshiping one God.
The Black Stone is an object of reverence, said by some to date back to the time of Adam and Eve, concealed during the great flood and later restored to Abraham for inclusion in the original Ka'bah. The Stone is the eastern cornerstone of the Ka'bah. According to legend, the stone, originally white, was given to Adam on his fall from paradise. It has turned black through absorbing the sins of the thousands of pilgrims who have kissed and touched it.
The Well of Zamzam (or Zamzam Well or simply Zamzam) is a well located within the Masjid al Haram near the Ka'abah.
Muslims believe that the Zamzam well was revealed to Hagar, wife of Abraham and mother of Ishmael. According to Islamic legend, Abraham had left Mecca on God's command, leaving Hagar and Ishmael with only some water and dates. When the water ran out, Hagar ran between the hills of Safa and Marwa in search of more. She made the journey seven times, until the angel Jibril appeared and struck the ground with his wing. A spring appeared, which Hagar then confined with sand and stones.
The Zamzam Spring, from which the well draws, is considered by Muslims to be a tributary of the Waters of Paradise. The water continues to flow to this day. It is considered divinely blessed, able to satisfy both hunger and thirst, as well as cure illness. Pilgrims make every effort to drink of this water during their pilgrimage to Mecca.
"The Sacred Mosque", sometimes called "The Noble Sanctuary" is not only the largest mosque in Mecca, but in the world. It surrounds the Ka'bah, to which Muslims turn while offering daily prayer. It is considered to be the holiest place on Earth by devotee Muslims. The mosque is also commonly known as the Haram or Haram Sharif.
Enclosed within the vast structure are not only the Ka'bah but the Zamzam Well, the Hijr and the hills of Safa and Marwa. The Haram is ringed by seven towering minarets and sixty-four gates. The structure covers an area of 356,800 square meters including the outdoor and indoor praying spaces and can accommodate nearly one million worshippers during the Hajj period. The current structure is the result of a large extension project begun in 1982 under the sponsorship of the late King Fahd. The importance of the mosque is twofold. It not only serves as the common direction towards which Muslims pray, but is also the main location for pilgrimages.
According to Islamic theology, the mosque was first built by the angels before the creation of mankind, when God ordained a place of worship on Earth to reflect the house in heaven called al-Baytu l-Maˤmur (Arabic: البيت المعمور), which translates to 'The Worship Place of Angels'. The Ka'abah is believed to be directly below the heavenly Al-Baytu l-Maˤmur.
The first Ka'bah was built by angels, and Adam was the first human to re-build it. From time to time the mosque was destroyed then built anew. According to popular belief it was famously built by Ibrahim with the help of his son Ismael. They were ordered by Allah to build the mosque and the Ka'bah. The Black Stone is situated near the eastern corner of the Ka'abah, and is believed to have 'fallen from heaven' and turned black due to man's misdeeds.
And when Abraham and Ishmael raised the foundations of the House (Kaaba): Our Lord! accept from us; surely Thou art the Hearing, the Knowing (Qu'ran 2:127).
After the Hijra, upon Muhammed's victorious return to Mecca, the people of Mecca themselves removed all the idols in and around the Ka'aba and cleansed it. This began the Islamic rule over the Ka'aba, and the construction of the mosque around it.
The Hajj is the annual pilgrimage to Mecca made by Muslim devotees. It is the fifth of the Five Pillars of Islam, an obligation that must be carried out by every able-bodied Muslim whose health and finances allow them to do so, at least once in their lifetime. A pilgrim is required, before he sets out, to redress all wrongs, pay all debts, and plan to have enough money for their journey and the support of their family while away.
The Haram is the focal point of the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages that occur in the month of Dhu al-Hijjah in the Islamic calendar and at any time of the year.
The Hajj was an ancient ritual, even in the time of Muhammad in the seventh century. Some elements of the Hajj trace back to the time of Abraham, around 2000 B.C.E. Muhammad was known to regularly perform both the Hajj and Umrah, even before he began receiving revelations.[2] Prior to the age of the European world explorations, the pilgrimage to Mecca was the single largest expression of human mobility. It is estimated that any where from 2 to 4 million pilgrims now make the journey each year.
Academic historians state with certainty only that Mecca was a shrine and trading center for a number of generations before the Prophet Muhammad. The extent of Meccan trade has been hotly debated. Some historians believe that Mecca was a waypoint on a land route from southern Arabia north to the Roman and Byzantine empires, and that Arabian and Indian Ocean spices were funneled through Mecca. Patricia Crone, in her book Meccan Trade and the Rise of Islam, argues that the Meccans were small merchants dealing in hides, camel butter, and the like.
According to the Qur'an and Muslim traditions, the city was attacked by an Ethiopian Aksumite army led by Abraha in 570, the year of Muhammad's birth. According to legend, the attack was said to have been repelled by stones dropped by thousands of birds, followed by a plague.
Before the time of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, Mecca was under the control of the tribe known as [Quraish]]. Muhammad, a member of Banu Quraish, (meaning Sons of Quraish) was exiled from the city for preaching against paganism, returned to the city in triumph in the year 630 C.E., and after removing the cult images from the Ka'aba, dedicated it as the center of Muslim pilgrimage. After the rise of the Islamic empire, Mecca attracted pilgrims from the extensive empire, as well as a year-round population of scholars, pious Muslims who wished to live near the Ka'aba, and local inhabitants who served the pilgrims. Due to the difficulty and expense of the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage was small compared to the millions that swell Mecca today. Pilgrims arrived by boat, at Jedda, and came overland, or joined the annual caravans from Syria or Iraq.
Mecca was never the capital of the Islamic empire; the first capital was Medina, some 250 miles (400 km) away. The capital of the caliphate was soon moved to Kufa by the fourth Caliph Ali and then to Damascus by the Ummayads and Baghdad by the Abbasids and then to Cairo after the Mongol invasion, and then at last to Constantinople by the Ottomans.
Mecca re-entered Islamic political history briefly when it was held by Abd-Allah ibn al-Zubayr, an early Muslim who opposed the Umayyad caliphs. The caliph Yazid I besieged Makkah in 683.
Thereafter the city figured little in politics; it was a city of devotion and scholarship. For centuries it was governed by the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca, descendants of Muhammad by his grandson Hassan ibn Ali. The Sharifs ruled on behalf of whatever caliph or Muslim ruler had declared himself the Guardian of the Two Shrines. Mecca was attacked and sacked by Ismaili Muslims in 930. In 1926, the Sharifs of Makkah were overthrown by the Saudis, and Mecca was incorporated into Saudi Arabia.
On November 20, 1979 two hundred armed Islamist dissidents seized the Grand Mosque. They claimed that the Saudi royal family no longer represented pure Islam and that the mosque, and the Ka'aba, must be held by those of the true faith. The rebels seized hundreds of pilgrims as hostages and barricaded themselves in the mosque. The mosque was eventually retaken, after some bloodshed, and the rebels were executed.
Mecca is at an elevation of 277 m (910 ft.) above sea level. The city is situated between mountains, which has defined the contemporary expansion of the city. The city centers around the Masjid al-Haram (holy place of worship). The area around the mosque comprises the old city. The main avenues are Al-Mudda'ah and Sūq al-Layl to the north of the mosque, and As-Sūg as Saghīr to the south. Houses near the mosque have been razed and replaced with open spaces and wide streets. Residential complexes are more compacted in the old city than in residential areas. Traditional homes are built of local rock and are two to three stories. The city has a few slums, where poor pilgrims who were unable to finance a trip home after the hajj settled.[3]
Transportation facilities related to the Hajj or Umrah (minor pilgrimage) are the main services available. Mecca has no airport or rail service. Paved roads and modern expressways link Mecca with other cities in Saudi Arabia. The city has good roads. Most pilgrims access the city through the hajj terminal of King Abdul Aziz International Airport (JED) or the Jeddah Islamic Port both of which are in Jeddah. [3]
Population density in Mecca is very high. Most of the people who live in Mecca live in the old city. The city has an average of four million visitors as "pilgrims" and that is only in hajj time each year. Pilgrims also visit all year round for Umrah. [3]
The mayor of Mecca is appointed by the king of Saudi Arabia. A municipal council of 14 locally elected members is responsible for the functioning of the municipality.
Mecca is also the capital of Makkah province,[3] which also includes neighboring Jeddah.
The governor was Prince Abdul-Majid bin Abdul-Aziz who ruled from 2000 until his death in 2007. [4] On May 16, 2007, Prince Khalid al-Faisal Al Saud was appointed as the new governor.[5]
The city has grown substantially in the last several decades, as the convenience and affordability of air travel has increased the number of pilgrims participating in the Hajj. Thousands of Saudis are employed year-round to oversee the Hajj and staff the hotels and shops that cater to pilgrims; these workers in turn have increased the demand for housing and services. The city is now ringed by freeways, and contains shopping malls and skyscrapers.
The Meccan economy is almost entirely dependent on money spent by people attending the hajj. The city takes in more than $100 million during the hajj. The Saudi government spends about $50 million on services for the hajj. There are some industries and factories in the city, but Mecca no longer plays a major role in Saudi Arabia's economy, which is mainly based on oil exports. [6] The few industries operating in Mecca include textiles, furniture, and utensils. The majority of the economy is service oriented. Water is scarce and food must be imported. [3]
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is closed to tourists and Mecca itself is off limits to all non-Muslims. Road blocks are stationed along roads leading to the city, with officials conducting occasional random checks to confirm that intending visitors are legitimate pilgrims and in possession of the required documentation. The main airport has a similar security policy.
As one might expect, the existence of cities closed to non-Muslims and the mystery of the Hajj aroused intense curiosity in European travelers. A number of them disguised themselves as Muslims and entered the city of Mecca and then the Kaaba to experience the Hajj for themselves. The most famous account of a foreigner's journey to Makkah is A Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Mecca and al-Madina, written by Sir Richard Francis Burton. Burton traveled as a Qadiri Sufi from Afghanistan; his name, as he signed it in Arabic below his front piece portrait for "The Jew, The Gypsy and al-Islam," was al-Hajj 'Abdullah.
Both Mecca and Medina are cities of great importance to the Islamic religion. Restricting access to them is done with the intention of preserving them as places of peace and refuge for devotees and to preserve their sanctity.
The ban on non-Muslim visitors is mentioned in the Qur'an as follows: Oh you who believe! Truly the idolaters are unclean; so let them not, after this year, approach the Sacred Mosque… (Qur'an 9:28).
Though this verse mentions the mosque specifically, Medina was later included. There continues to be conflicting opinion regarding the exact areas included in the restricted zone. However, the government of Saudi Arabia, which controls access to the holy sites, has decided upon a strict ban on both cities in their entirety. [7]
All links retrieved May 13, 2019.
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"A" pan installed & "E" being installed
- Item
- Apr. 27, 1949
"A" pan installed & "E" being installed
#1 flume and tailflume forms looking south from top of pulp warehouse
#3 flume excavated and graded, ready to receive flume bents
4th & 5th effect evaporators in place
Administration Building Site Looking West
Air view of factory site, looking northwest
Air view of factory site, looking south
Another section of Building 19
Applying 20 year bonded roof on cupola of Bulk Storage bins
Applying the roofing to the factory garage
Applying waterproofing to generator pit walls and backfilling foundation wall of main building
Area to south of pulp warehouse, showing completion of water & sewer lines
Assembling #3 flume, looking west towards tailflume
Assembling of pit dryer cyclones
Assembling of pulp dryer cyclones
BC Sugar directors and Alberta executive on steps of Taber factory
Backfilling and stripping the main flume
Backfilling boiler and power house foundations
Backfilling of power house completed
Beet end juice pumps in place on bases
Beet end showing No. 1 Oliver, Dorr tank, & #3 first carbs tank
Beet end showing addition of one truss and foam stacks to carbonation tank
Beet end showing addition of the first two carbonation tanks and one Oliver filter
Beet end showing addition of two trusses, second carbonation tank, one Oliver filter
Beet end steel erected to date
Beet pumphouse and #1 flume in foreground and tailflume extending south
Beet pumphouse foundation wall forms nearing completion
Beet pumphouse from top of pulp warehouse
Beet wheel and beet washer set on foundations in wash house
Beginning of erection of waste water pumphouse wall forms - looking south
Bin platform showing jacks, rods
Block walls of locomotive shed nearing completion and sewer line excavation from pulp warehouse scale pit
Body sections, and catchalls for Taber pans as fabricated in Vancouver Refinery shops
Boiler # 2 showing tack tubes in place
Boiler #1 & #2, showing baffle tile in #2
Boiler foundation being stripped and backfilled
Boiler foundation forms being completed
Boiler house structural steel complete
Boiler house structural steel with 1st forms in place
Boiler, dressing tube ends in foreground
Bottom core and charge ring for Taber pans fabricated in refinery plate shop, Vancouver
Bottom of Dorr tank on location and welded

subset: commoncrawl


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Morning Shift
Exoneree Diaries: Jacques Rivera
In the latest installment of the series, we sit down with exoneree Jacques Rivera about adjusting to life after prison. Rivera was spent more than two decades in prison after a wrongful conviction of murder. Rivera details the ups and downs of life on the outside.


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SeQuel expands staff, builds on year of award-winning growth
Fast-growing Twin Cities' direct marketing firm SeQuel Response announced the hiring of a new Account Manager, Carrie Dunn.
Dunn worked as a Marketing Manager for Cygnus Business Media since 2008. She was responsible for the execution of integrated marketing plans across print and digital media. At SeQuel Response, she will be responsible for building and maintaining client relationships, project management and overseeing creative & marketing development for a variety of direct mail and digital campaigns.
"Our account managers are the working hub of communication for our clients and the rest of our internal team," said Vicki Erickson, Vice President of Client Services at SeQuel Response. "With the addition of Carrie, we will now be better equipped to serve our client base."
The staff expansion comes as SeQuel Response is hailed by industry critics as one of the fastest growing advertising companies in the field. In August, SeQuel Response was recognized by the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal in its 2014 Top 25 Advertising Agencies list. It came in at 16th in revenue among advertising agencies in the state in just its fifth year of operation.
SeQuel Response was also named to the 2014 Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing 5000 businesses in the country. SeQuel Response came in at number 984, thanks to its three year growth of 476 percent and 2013 revenue of $11 million.
"The growth is exhilarating and it's also been very rewarding," Erickson said. "Everyone kind of marvels at the expansion in five years. We've worked really hard to get here – but five years ago we never would have thought we would attain this level of growth. We're humbled to have so many new clients, partners and employees coming on board because they've heard that we're consistently driving strong results for our customers."


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It's coming! It's almost here! Can you see it coming? Can you feel the anticipation? Are you as excited as I am? Have you got your fingers ready, and been gearing up your kids? I have.
I am ready. This is my favorite time of year. It's time to gear up for the annual Slice of Life Writing challenge hosted by the TWT blog. It is hands down my most favorite time to blog. And this year I'm inviting you along.
You don't have to do anything special. You don't have to buy anything, link anything, pin anything, or create anything. All you have to do is write. Write and connect with other writers, bloggers, and teachers. It is the best way to be a writer and to meet other writers. And who doesn't need that with the good ol' common core upon us??
I have been slicing for over five years now. It was my very first experience as a blogger. It brought me to the blogging world. It has made me a better writer, blogger and teacher. It has opened my mind and life to people, places and things I never dreamed were possible in my small world.
It's the family of slicers at TWT that has done this for me, and I want you to join in. I want you to have the chance to experience this amazing community of slicers that really care about your life, your writing.
This year I plan to let my kiddos in on this community. We may not get to slice every day, but my goal is that every child will slice.
If you want to learn about this amazing challenge and community of writers sashay on over there tonight and find out what it is all about…did I mention there are prizes? Hop over to see what it's all about. Tell them Tammy sent you and you're ready to slice away! You'll be glad that you did!


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Christopher Nolan is highly overrated. Let's review:
Following: Caught some of it via VOD. Don't remember it well enough, but it started sucking quickly enough that I did not finish.
Memento: A stupid, implausible film.
Insomnia: An utter waste of the talents of Al Pacino and Robin Williams, and a tremendous missed opportunity given the powerful latent elements. Look at The Machinist for an example of how to use insomnia effectively.
Batman trilogy: Not great; I'll take Tim Burton over Christopher Nolan any day of the week.
Inception: I saw this before writing my blog, so I don't remember why I didn't like it. But I do remember it wasn't good.
Interstellar: OK; maybe his best film other than Batman Begins. But Nolan's best only reaches a marginal thumbs-up.
And Dunkirk. I liked the opening sequences, about the first 20-30 minutes, very much. Nolan very effectively demonstrates the utter futility of the situation. For that I give him credit. But then he enters into Balkanized, choppy storytelling that has no flow. The only thing more futile than the armies' dire circumstance is the hope that Nolan can convey the powerful story at hand in a way it deserves.
Ultimately, add Dunkirk to the long list of films that show what a hack filmmaker Christopher Nolan is. This is a great story that I wish Steven Spielberg had made. 5/10
Comparison Notes: Captain Phillips — for how dramatic, edge-of-your-seat true naval adventures should be told.
UPDATE: I just read about the Dunkirk evacuation on Wikipedia. It was a dire situation, and many lives were lost — but not near so many as Nolan would have you believe: most of the British troops were saved. Watching Dunkirk, you'd think that only a slim percentage of the army survived. This looseness with the facts is about enough to drop my rating down another peg. What a hack.


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Budget $25-50 AUD / hour
We are a first home buyer company that relies on Facebook for our lead generation. We are looking for a Facebook advertising configuration specialist. We need someone who can create multiple ads with landing pages that can drive traffic to our website for conversions.
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Adult Ticket
Cost: $35 per person
(12 years and older)
7km / 60+ obstacles
Child Ticket
Cost: $20 per child
(Under 12)
2km / 20+ obstacles
About the event?
Obstacle Racers Australia will be hosting an Xmas charity party – which we hope will be a day of fun for the whole family. Come down and make your way through the 7km Peninsula Obstacle Racing Course and tackle their 60+ challenging obstacles! All profits from the ticket sales will go to a variety of charities.
We'll also be cooking up some food through-out the day on the BBQ which will be FREE for all participants!
When is it?
Sunday 17th December, 2017 from 10am onward
How much does it cost?
$35 per adult
$20 per child (under 12)
Spectators: FREE to come down (excludes BBQ)
What does it include?
– Course access
– Insurance
– Hot showers
– Change rooms
– Parking
Need more information?
Visit us on Facebook and ask us!
Where is it?
This fun-filled event will be held at the Peninsula Obstacle Racing Course in Moorooduc, Victoria
View Google Map
Age restrictions
The main course is open to participants aged 12 years and older.
For participants under the age of 12, they will be able to join in on the forest course, but must be supervised. We are also planning to have some inflatables on the day which will be available for a gold coin donation.
Come down and have one last muddy run before Christmas and help us wrap up the year in style.


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|"McLovin'" and his fake ID
Did you see the movie "Super Bad" where one of the characters gets a fake ID made so that he can buy some alcohol for him and his friends? It's pretty funny. Worth the rental me thinks.
Anyways, I must admit...I'm jealous of "McLovin'".
Jealous right down to my core.
The reason?
It really is a slap in the face.
Because of this I've come to the realization that I must have an extremely warped view of myself.
I'm young!! I mean, would an older person enjoy a movie like "Super Bad"? Would they even know about it?
Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against old people. I like them. My mom's one of them. I'm interested in their life, their stories.
I'm going to be "old" one day....
It's just not today!
When did it happen that I no longer look too young to drink? I certainly don't feel that way...unless you count every morning when I'm awakened by a screaming three-year-old. Gotta admit, I feel pretty old before 6 in the morning.
But in general, I'm young...or young at heart...
I'm not immature...
Unless I choose to be. That's different.
No, no. I'm guessing it's a conspiracy thought up by all the liquor store employees out to make me feel like an old woman. They've even at times used the word...ahem..."Ma'am".
Cruel bastards.
To be honest, I'm a bit inconsistent in my opinion of aging. (No surprise there)
I think we only get better as we get older. If you don't, you're doing something wrong. But I still don't need to be reminded of it every time I go to get a bottle of wine.
In summary, I just have one thing to say to the liquor store employees of the world:


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On May 9 I raced the Los Angeles Triathlon Series race at Bonelli Park in San Dimas. I had a really good race as I was 1st out of 27 in the men's 50-54 age group; winning by 4:43. I placed 6th out of 326 overall finishers in a time of 2:21:22.
The race did not start until 8am and Bonelli Park is only 90 miles from my home so I could drive up on race morning. I car pooled with my friend Dan Redfern who happens to be one of the athletes I have been coaching.
The 1.5K (0.93 miles) swim is in a fresh water lake. I had a solid swim as my time was 24:40 (1:38/100 meters). I managed to come out of the water in 2nd place, 16 seconds behind the leader. Dan is 1 age group older than me and he swam 22:21 which is amazing since his wetsuit got an 8 inch rip just before the race started. I wish I could swim like that!
The 40K (24.8 miles) bike course is 3 laps on a hilly course through the park and surrounding neighborhoods. I had the 5th fastest bike split (1:14:56) and averaged only 19.4 mph, but the course is a grind so times are never very fast. My effort put me in 3rd place to start the run.
The 10K (6.2 miles) run course does have a few hills to make it a significant challenge. Some of the course is off road and that section has earned the nickname of the jungle. Somewhere prior to mile 2 I passed my friend Chris Dyrek to move into first place. Chris is an awesome guy that I met way back in 1992 and happened to coach back in 2010. It is great to see Chris is still actively living the triathlon lifestyle. I ran the entire run with Julie Ertel who was the women's overall champion and the only woman to "chick me". My run split was 38:22 (6:11/mile) and the best on the day for my age group by 6:05.
After the race I was chatting with Chris when my cousin, Trevor Goller, walked up. I had no idea Trevor was in the race. And low and behold Trevor and Chris are part of the same triathlon club in the Pasadena area called Volt Multisport. And they frequently train together. It really is a small world! It was so great to see both of those guys. That made my day!
To see my race photos, click on this link, then click on "Search" and enter bib #345. http://captivatingsportsphotos.shootproof.com/event/1430964/view#a_search-mason
Living the life…


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Have an event coming up?
We make custom masks too!
The perfect accessory for that quick siesta to re-energize you before the dancing begins again.
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Exhibit at Contemporary Museum of Art, Puerto Rico
January 18, 2014
I'm showing a project in an exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Puerto Rico. The opening is February 6th in San Juan, PR.
All of the work is from a residency with the National Forest Service in El Yunque National Park,PR. The exhibition includes a great selection of work from artists and scientists.
| More: Exhibitions
Upcoming Shows
August 25, 2013
It's the end of the summer when new students begin wandering around my neighborhood congregating around coffee shops, I'm busy working on class syllabus's and will be teaching at the Pratt Institute this fall.
I'm also in two shows in the next few weeks. The first is a small faculty show at Pratt opening on Monday, August 26th. The opening is from 6-8pm.
The second show is in Colorado called Systems + Subversions together with a couple of artists I greatly admire like Marina Zurkow, and Scott Johnson. The opening is Thursday, September 12th, at 6pm at the I.D.E.A. Space, and the following day I will be in discussion with Philosophy professor Marion Hourdequin at 4:30pm on Friday, September 13th at Colorado College.
| More: Exhibitions, News
NYSCA Individual Artist Grant
May 13, 2013
I was awarded a New York State Council on the Arts grant for 2013. I was notified around the holidays the grant actually arrived in the mail a week ago. I'm excited to be able to use the grant money to continue working a film about the New Jersey Meadowlands. We did two separate expeditions so far and we have one more coming up later this summer to finish off production. Post production will take place in the fall. More to come over the coming months. very excited.
| More: News
Radio Kaikukatu 92,2 fm Helsinki
November 28, 2012
We just launched Radio Kaikukukatu 92,2 FM in Helsinki. We're broadcasting from the top of KuvA / Finnish Acadamy of Fine Arts. Live radio is broadcasting now and MFA final projects broadcast tomorrow (11/29/12) at 2pm. Helsinki Tune In!
This is part of a class I'm teaching at KUVA called Wandering Methodologies that explores various forms of public engagement on the airwaves, online and in public.
| More: News, Presentations
RISD Presentation on Reframing the Real
November 06, 2012
I'm giving a presentation at The Rhode Island School of Design this Friday November 9th at 6:30pm, CIT 103, in Providence RI.
I'll be talk about some previous work and also talking about my on going film project called The Spice Trade Expedition. I'll be showing some of the new footage from the trip.
| More: Presentations
DW Television show on Urban Prospector
November 02, 2012
Here's a Deutsche Welle Television show about a project I did in 2009 called the Urban Prospector. The show also includes a great project by Andrea Polli, and Blast Theory. Urban Prospector starts at 1:57.
| More: Exhibitions, News
Foreign Bodies – World Beat Radio
July 01, 2012
Here's a new interview with Morgan Levy and myself on our project, Alviso's Medicinal All-Salt. Our interview is about 10 minutes long and goes into depth about some aspects of the project that we've never talked about before. We're about 30 minutes into the show, or you can listen to the whole episode which has three other great stories about hookworms, DDT, and the arctic.
| More: News
Surface Tension Exhibition
June 02, 2012
Two projects of mine, All-Salt and Spice Trade Expedition, are part of the Surface Tension exhibition at Eyebeam curated by Science Gallery at Trinity College, Dublin.
Its a great exhibition and will be running from May 30th until August 12th. Here's a nice write up that mentions All-Salt in the NY Times and on WNYC's Studio 360.
| More: Exhibitions
New Art/Science Affinities Book Release
October 25, 2011
New Art/Science Affinities by Andrea Grover, Régine Debatty, Claire Evans and Pablo Garcia, has a section about one of my projects, The Urban Prospector. The book focuses on artists working at the intersection of art, science and technology, was produced by a collaborative authoring process known as a "book sprint." Derived from "code sprinting," a method in which software developers gather in a single room to work intensely on an open source project for a certain period of time, the term book sprint describes the quick, collective writing of a topical book.
"New Art/Science Affinities" (2011, 8.5×11 inches, 190 pages, perfect-bound paperback, 232 full-color illustrations) is available for purchase ($45.75) through print-on-demand service Lulu, or for free download via the Miller Gallery website (http://www.cmu.edu/millergallery/nasabook).
| More: News, Presentations
Alviso's Medicinal All-Salt
October 01, 2011
By Morgan Levy + Jon Cohrs
Alviso's Medicinal All-Salt is a site-specific project created as part of the 01SJ Biennial.
Alviso's Medicinal All-Salt is a unique low-dosage cocktail of our most commonly used drugs, all brought together in one simple salty remedy.
Alviso's Medicinal All-Salt was a collaboration with Morgan Levy a water researcher from UC Berkeley. Most of the U.S. water supply contains various pharmaceuticals from both humans and livestock. We harvest and bottle them to create a perfect aggregate of what America is taking to heal itself.
All-Salt is hand-harvested from the salt waters of Artesian Slough, outside the small town of Alviso, California where the pharmaceutical-rich waters of the Silicon Valley's local wastewater treatment plant meet the San Francisco Bay and the old Cargill Company salt evaporation ponds.
Sewage piped from urban Bay Area communities to water treatment plants along the Bay's edges drain treated wastewater into Bay waters. Wastewater treatment plants filter out most toxic contaminants, but not the pharmaceuticals that many of us flush down our toilets – anything from antibiotics to antidepressants that are not completely absorbed by our bodies. Valuable drug compounds make it through treatment intact and collect in the Bay, where they are available to be re-harvested and re-used. We then turn around and sell it in cure-all salty solution that is for sale at festivals, online, and at organic street fairs.
There have a been several nice articles written on our recent project, Alviso's Medicinal All-Salt:
> TreeHugger
> BoingBoing
> Grist
> Good Magazine
> Make
> Miskeptics
and featured on Instructables with a lively debate;.)
| More: Featured Work, Projects
A Bright Idea
September 20, 2011
This is a prototype for an electric generator to provide light. It is designed to turn benzoylmethylecgonine (cocaine) into electrical power using humans as a conduit. Its is a mindless type machine where the input is a serotonin–norepinephrine–dopamine re-uptake inhibitor (SNDRI) which is then processed by a human body and converted into energy. This energy is then applied to a crankest which transfers the energy into rotations of an induction motor. This generates 12 volts of power that passes through and DC to AC inverter converting it to alternating current. This AC current powers a fluorescent work light that enables the process to be repeated.
"A Bright Idea" is a part of a series of projects called drug machines. This is was exhibitied at Ditch Projects together with Jen Delos Reyes and Sara Rabinowitz in September/October 2011.
| More: Projects
ReMarshing: Wasteland to Wetlands
August 08, 2011
ReMarshing is a project by Myriel Millicevic and Jon Cohrs. It was created at Timelab in Ghent Belgium.
Belgium and the Netherlands have a long history of slowly draining the wetlands on which it is founded. ReMarshing is a processes of bring the land back to its previous state while also cleaning the water of its toxins by planting remediation plants within the wetland to remove the metals and other toxins.
We created a wetland water wheel that is powered by the wind. The windwheel spins and powers a water wheel that dumps canal water back on to the land. The water floods the land attempting to recreate wetlands. In front of the wetland waterwheel we planted remediation plants such as poplar, rap seed, willow, and other grasses.


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Luncheon Etiquette to Ensure You Leave Behind a Good Impression
When you'll be attending a business luncheon, it is always a good idea to brush up on the etiquette for such a meeting. You will probably find a thing or two you're doing that you shouldn't. At any rate, if you are usually stressed about such events, this should give you a new sense of confidence.
Luncheons have their own rules of order, just like any business meeting. Here are some tips to help you leave behind a professional memory in your business associates' minds.
When to Sit
When the host sits, you sit.
The Napkin
Again, keep your eye on your host. When all are seated and your host puts the napkin in the lap, you shall follow the lead.
Your Phone
This is the point at which you shut your phone off – not vibrate – shut it completely off.
Your conversation with the wait staff should be short and to the point. Order quickly, so that they can move on. Do avoid ordering the most expensive item or the messy items like crab legs.
Pass altogether on adult beverages or limit yourself to one.
The rule is to eat from the outside in. The outside fork is the salad fork, which is removed with the salad plate when you're finished eating it. The next fork in line is the dinner fork.
Water Glass
Your beverage glasses are on the right side of your plate.
Your bread plate is the one on the left side of your plate.
Never dip your food into the community sauce or salsa bowl. Put some on your plate. Then dip.
Put your fork prongs down onto your plate at a 4 o'clock position. This signals the waiter to remove it.
Luncheons can be stressful, but after you've attended many, the etiquette gets easier to remember and the stress goes away.


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•Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
•Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
This week's teaser comes from one of my own novels, Prophecy Revealed (The Soul of Arial #1):


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Tuesday, January 24, 2012
San Angelo Standard-Times
Crave: Living Light
* By Kathy Aycock
* Posted December 16, 2009 at midnight
Every year, about this time, we are all looking for ways to lose
those extra pounds that we put on during the holiday season. Try some
of these Twelve New Year's Lites:
#1 Learn the 3 and 1 Shuffle: Tune up your body to burn up more
calories. For each minute at the table, walk at least three.
#2 Scoop up Salsa instead of Fat: Dips are dietary disasters. Dunk
a dipper into spicy salsa and save 50 calories per scoop.
#3 Thrive on Five: Fill up on fiber - eat at least five servings
of fruits and vegetables daily. Fiber fills you up not out. Munch a
crunchy apple before the next buffet to help curb your appetite.
#4 Take the Punch out of your Drinks: Alcohol is a kissing cousin
to fat in the calories it keeps. Mix sparkling water with fruit
juices for bubbles without a bite.
#5 Let Fruit be your Just Dessert: Weigh your choices; apples at
80 calories versus pecan pie at 425 calories per slice.
#6 Party-goers Plan Ahead: Select creatively when facing a
bounteous, array of tempting treats. Take a casual stroll around the
table, filling your first plate with green crunchy crispy vegetables
and fruits.
#7 Live Lean: Lean towards lean meats. Use mustard instead of
mayonnaise for bread. Skip entrees swimming in sauce. Start
interesting conversation with the leanest person in the room.
#8 Shake the Salt: Taste food before you season. Try a new twist,
lemon or lime, on chicken or fish. Banish the salt shaker behind
closed doors and treat your taste buds to the natural to the natural
sodium in food. (It takes about a month to realize what you've been
#9 Watch for Signs: Get energized with healthy choices. Red alert
words on the menu that signal fat traps are: crispy, golden brown,
fried, saut?ed, creamy cheese, jumbo or supreme. Lights are hearty
broth-based soups, grilled chicken, stir fry, baked potato, side
salads with non-fat dressings.
#10 Sleeping Does Burn Calories: Everyday hassles may tempt you to
burn the midnight oil. Relax!! Sleep helps rejuvenate you, plus you
do burn calories while you sleep. The average person burns one
calorie each minute they sleep. Get your rest!!
#11 Eat well on the Run: Make an emergency energy survival kit. Tuck
an apple, dried apricot, box of raisins, or a banana within easy
reach. Natural nutrients supply you with a natural life.
#12 Eat Bright Colors: Red cherry tomatoes, carrots, red peppers,
radishes, apples, broccoli, lettuce, sweet potatoes, raspberries, artichokes, or
kiwi. The brighter the color is, usually the better for you.
Posted by Pallavi Salgaocar at 9:21 AM 1 comment:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


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Board Games, Club Fantasci, Deck-Building, Dice, iPad, Mobile Gaming, Neca, Quarriors, Wiz Kids
For you Quarriors lovers, your favorite dice building game is coming to the iPad® in December!
Read the quote from the press release below.
Are you ready for something completely different to feed your iPad® gaming addiction?
Get ready for Quarriors!, the dice-rolling "deck-building" game coming to the App Store this December.
In Quarriors!, you'll be collecting and rolling dice as your monstrous minions of battle! Each die represents a fantastical creature or hero, with their own attacks, defenses, special powers and an awesome avatar. Death Dealers, Quake Dragons, Warriors of the Quay and much more will round out your dice bag of magical and mighty battlers!


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It really cannot get any better than it is.
I love where I am at and I love who I am today. … I just can't say enough about them and what they've done for me."
- CrystalListen to Crystal's Story
Dedicated to your safety and comfort, our team offers the best face and body plastic surgery, alongside nonsurgical options, to help you achieve your desired outcome.
Put your face in only the best hands. Ross A. Clevens, MD, FACS, a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon; Renata Khelemsky, MD; and Ricky Sayal, DO, specialize in the face, neck, eyes, and nose. They use the latest techniques for facial plastic and reconstructive surgery to maximize natural-looking results and minimize recovery time.
Facelift | Rhinoplasty | Eyelid Surgery | Laser Assisted Weekend Neck Lift
A board-certified, double fellowship-trained plastic surgeon, Amy Simon, MD, FACS, specializes in cosmetic breast and body procedures. She's consistently recognized as one of the country's most compassionate doctors and will help you determine the treatment that is best for your body and goals.
Tummy Tuck | Breast Lift | Liposuction Body Contouring (Liponique) | Breast Implant Exchange
Our team, including licensed medical aestheticians and board-certified nurse practitioners, work with you to restore your skin in ways even the best over-the-counter products can't. Our facial plastic surgeons also specialize in MOHS surgery to fully remove cancerous cells on the face and neck while preserving your appearance.
Get your natural hair—and confidence—back. Our minimally invasive hair treatments are designed to restore your hair without surgery and with easy recovery.
All of our providers are specialists, only performing procedures and treatments in their area of expertise. That means you'll always have the surgeon and care team who will achieve the best results for your specific procedure.
A double board-certified, award-winning facial plastic surgeon, Dr. Clevens specializes in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery of the face, neck, eyes, and nose. He was trained at Yale, Harvard, and the University of Michigan, and has practiced in Brevard County for more than 20 years.Read More
Dr. Simon is a board-certified, double fellowship-trained plastic surgeon who specializes in cosmetic breast and body contouring procedures.Read More
A facial plastic surgeon, Dr. Khelemsky also specializes in skin cancer care and nonsurgical anti-aging solutions, such as laser skin rejuvenation, Botox, and fillers.Read More
Dr. Sayal is completing a yearlong fellowship under the mentorship of Dr. Clevens. He specializes in cosmetic facial plastic surgery, as well as nonsurgical facial rejuvenation treatments.Read More
- CrystalListen to Crystal's Story
- KamenListen to Kamen's Story
- LewisListen to Lewis' Story
As leaders in cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery, our team brings you the latest procedures that maximize your comfort and results, while minimizing your recovery time. This includes nonsurgical procedures, such as dermal fillers, that consistently demonstrate predictable results and use only FDA-approved products.
In addition to supporting local community nonprofits, Dr. Clevens regularly provides pro bono reconstructive facial plastic surgery to survivors of domestic violence. The Clevens family also founded Face of Change to provide medical, educational, and hunger relief services to those most in need within the U.S. and beyond.


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Not going anywhere today. It's been a record-breaking heat week — heat combined with humidity. Last night when I walked out of the critique group at 9:30 p.m., it was 93, and the air felt like a hot, wet blanket. This morning at 6:30, the heat and humidity are already moving in for a stay. Today is supposed to be the worst day of the week heat-wise.
So I'm doing online research for a potential story, and it's got me thinking about the research and accuracy of it in regards to fiction. I've generally not enjoyed research, and some of that is because it often gets treated as if we were all still in school and worried about getting a bad grade. Writers will research every single detail, right down to the precise size of a grate to avoid having a reader pick up on the obscure fact and say, "YOU GOT IT WRONG!"
I've heard some say that having inaccuracies instantly ruins the credibility of the story. I've certainly run into those, but they've usually been bigger. I read a romantic thriller about a woman who was Vice President of the United States. That was probably the selling point to the publisher, but the character needed to be in her 20s. I had a lot of trouble with that because anyone who's been to school in U.S. knows the minimum age is 35 (from the DC perspective, the women who get that high up are in their 50s; not a popular age for romance novels).
Yet, the TV series NCIS also gets DC wrong a lot and that doesn't bother me, other than a laugh at some of the stuff. You cannot drive to Norfolk from the Washington Naval Yard in 30 minutes. I went there last year for a conference, and it was 4 hours. But the show also does something that other shows set in DC like Covert Affairs, Criminal Minds, and Bones don't even bother to do: They get the big picture details right. We get the names of the cities and places here: Arlington, Arlington Cemetery, Annandale, Norfolk. If I was still living in California, I would think this feels like Washington, DC and have no idea that they got the distances wrong.
And the truth is that if they tried to accurate for accuracy's sake, it would not make a good story. There's nothing interesting about saying that the character's got stuck in traffic (or at least more than once), even though that's a daily part of DC life. It's not interesting saying it took 4 hours to get to Norfolk. It's about the story.
So what's your take on research for fiction? Does it have to be 100% accurate? Or are some kinds of details better to be accurate on others?


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YMCA works with and for young people, offering them help and support in times of need. By fundraising on our behalf, in whatever way you can, you can help ensure our work continues.
1. Do it yourself: organise your own event and have fun!
Fancy organising a bake sale, a karaoke party or a face painting competition?
Find great ideas in our Free YMCA Fundraising Pack (6,947KB, PDF). Have fun with your friends and families and raise money for YMCA.
2. Take on a challenge: Run, swim, cycle … for YMCA
Fancy taking on a new challenge? Join TEAM YMCA and book your place on one of our exciting challenge events and raise money for the YMCA Trinity Group.
3. Do it with us: Help us during one of our fundraising events and give back to the community!
We have a number of exciting fundraising events organised by YMCA, which you could be a part of. Joining our fundraising team as a fundraising volunteer and finding yourself shaking a bucket at a busy football match or helping guest at a wine tasting event. Contact us today to receive our fundraising calendar.
What your can expect from us:
- Free YMCA Fundraising Packs – Jam packed with exciting ideas to successfully organise your own fun event. Includes marketing tips, sponsorship ideas and information on how to set up your own Virgin Money Giving page.
- E marketing materials – If you would like marketing materials to promote your event please email our Fundraising Team, or alternatively take a look at our useful download packs below.
- Collection buckets, T-shirts + promotional items (depending on availability).
Contact us
Contact us today at firstname.lastname@example.com for details on how you can get involved.


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New Servers Added
We have recently upgraded our existing servers, as well as adding new ones.
Our servers are state of the art Intel Quad Core Harpertown Xeon Processors
- 12MB cache
- 3 x 1TB SATA II (3Gb/s) Hard Drives with Hardware Raid 5 for hard drive speed and redundancy
The combination of these Rock Solid servers and Premium bandwidth makes for an extremely reliable hosting platform. Each server also contains an additional hard drive for continuous backups, and provides protection for your crucial data on multiple levels.
New Site Launched
New Found Web Solutions is proud to announce the launch of our new Web Site! It represents a significant improvement over our (10 year) old Web Site in both speed and technology. We have also upgraded and expanded upon the article content so that those of you that don't know us yet should be able to get a better idea as to what we do around here.


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2L, 5L and 10L sizes available.
Can be used to serve or age your favourite liquor or wine. The custom corporate logo service will encounter a $25.00 upgrade fee and should advice a 24 hour processing period. Please upload your desired logo below. On receipt of your logo we will provide you with an engraving template for you to approve prior to laser engraving/etching of your item.


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Jules Jules was formed in 2005 by Jules Miller.
After a career in graphics she found a new way to express her creativity and began making and designing jewellery.
These jewellery collections have now grown to include our ever popular glass gift items.
Our focus is to supply the small independent retailer with new and fresh collections with prices at an affordable level.
Retail prices are between £17.50 and £45.00
Many of our ranges are enhanced with our own in house designed gift packaging.
We are proud to say that many of our lovely customers have been with us from the start over 10 years ago.
Take a look at our collections
Hand made in beautiful Northumberland.


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I've just noted that Oracle had released new versions of MySQL on
February 5, 2016 formally, so while these days I am mostly
thinking about the ways to do support properly, remembering my
colleagues and trying to understand some of RocksDB internals,
it's time to postpone all these and write about bugs again. This
time about some of the public bug reports from MySQL Community
and Oracle engineers that were fixed by Oracle in MySQL 5.7.11.
As usual, I'll try to mention who had reported a bug and who verified it, as I think that names matter in MySQL world. I'll concentrate mostly on InnoDB, replication and optimizer bug reports, trying to highlight regressions clearly.
As usual, I prefer to start with InnoDB bugs:
- Bug #75112 - …


text: The Lost Art of Listening The Lost Art of Listening is a major research, development and composition project in which I am investigating how people experience and value music in an age of 24-hour connectedness and distraction. The research forms a starting point of a new 60min work for prepared piano and audience-played smartphone choir, partly inspired by an article by Anna Goldsworthy of the same name in which she questions 'Has classical music become irrelevant?' I have also been questioning how humanity's increasing reliance on connected technology has affected the relationship between performer and audience, our distraction and attention, our passive and/or active involvement and our sense of occupation/dislocation. As a part of this project I am developing a new app called U N i T E. U N i T E is a new smartphone choir app bringing together artists and audiences by inviting audiences to meaningfully contribute via their smartphone to the sonic whole in performance and installations. About U N i T E – U N i T E is an app that allows artists to upload sound files to an online platform, which can then be accessed by an audience at a later stage. Artists can make various choices about how their tracks are played back (a synchronized or an audience-initiated/random start) or about what will be displayed on the audience's smartphone screen (text/colours etc.) during the playback of the track. Once downloaded onto the audience's phone, the app can then be used by the audience to play the audio tracks associated to that particular project, thus forming a 'choir' to accompany the live performance or installation. The app is in development and due for release in October 2017. As a musician, composer and creator I have found a need for this app such as this in my work. It is my hope that U N i T E will be embraced by artists from various artforms and will be used in a wide variety of performance experiences to expand on the ways that performers and audiences can communicate.


text: Mike Perry has been collecting films and film memorabilia since he was a 12 years old. He currently has amassed over 8500 titles and his collection of films, film books and memorabilia continues to expand. Thinking it was time to join the on line community Mike's purpose isn't to pick apart movies but help others find titles from the past worth either watching or re-visiting by trying to keep it fun and simple with personal memories of old discoveries as well as finding new ones. For a quick movie room tour click here.


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Acoustic Demos
Produced, Engineered, Mixed, and Mastered by Jeff Aulich. All guitars and loops tracked by Jeff Aulich. Vocals by Mason Grace.
Time Pass - Available for TV and Film
Electric and Acoustic Guitars, Banjo. Written by Jeff Aulich and David Das. Guitars and Banjo recorded at my home studio.
Bad Decisions - Available for TV and Film
Electric guitar and bass. Written by Jeff Aulich and Jonathan Logan. Recorded at South Music and Production Studios in Santa Monica.
Midnight Train - Available for TV and Film
Written by Jeff Aulich. All instrumentation by Jeff Aulich. All producing, mixing, and mastering by Jeff Aulich.
November Road - The Wedding EP
Acoustic and Electric guitar, vocals. Written by Jeff Aulich and Melanie Aulich.
Masters of the Alphabet - Theme Song
Electric Guitar. Written by Aaron DeWitt.
Forever the Day - Under the Twilight EP
Acoustic and Electric guitars, vocals. Written by Jonny Pacar and Forever the Day
Live Last - Scream and Shout (Single)
Electric and Acoustic guitar, background vocals, and lead vocals on the bridge. Written by Michael Whiting and Live Last.


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Bundle home and auto to save
Bundle home and auto and save.
homeowners insurance info
does homeowners insurance cover dry rot?
Don't let your home succumb to decay. Start your quick, free home insurance quote.
Or speak with our licensed agents at 1-866-439-5633.
Looking for another insurance product?
Need more info about your coverage? Just
email us or post on our
Facebook Wall. Our experts will respond promptly.
Whether you've known about decay in your basement for a while now or you just discovered damage in your attic, many of us know the destruction dry rot can cause. Read more about whether your home insurance policy can help cover dry rot repairs — plus find out what causes it and how to help prevent it.
Dry rot is essentially the slow decay of timber caused by certain fungi that eat away at the overall strength and stiffness of the wood.
Formally named brown rot, the fungal growth can cause damage to pretty much anyone's home given the right conditions. Dry rot generally flourishes in poorly ventilated, humid places in your house — like basements, attics, laundry rooms, and even behind refrigerators. It might seem like damage from dry rot comes out of nowhere since there's often no obvious moisture source, like a leak. But all these particular fungi need to thrive are wood, paper, or any similar material.
Timber affected by dry rot generally appears darker than usual and almost crumbly in appearance, with cube-like cracks that cut deep into the wood. It eventually becomes very brittle and can even disintegrate to dust.
Depending on the severity of the decay, dry rot can lead to anything from localized damage to structural collapse.
If your house experiences dry rot damage as the direct result of a covered loss, your homeowners insurance could step in to help pay for repairs.
Examples of covered losses include a burst pipe flooding your basement or your roof developing a leak after a storm. In these scenarios, an Esurance policy could help pay up to $5,000 to treat, remove, and dispose of any dry rot (as well as wet rot, mold, and fungus) that results.
Your policy could even help pay for any investigation or testing required to detect, measure, and evaluate dry rot after a covered event (which is why you should always notify your insurer after an incident to help avoid bigger issues — and even denied claims — further down the road).
Is your timber insured against dry rot? Get a free homeowners quote.
But since dry rot doesn't just appear overnight, the onus is usually on you, the homeowner, to ensure that measures are taken to prevent dry mold from developing in the first place. As with mold or water damage, any dry rot that results from long-term neglect or general home maintenance issues is typically your responsibility to repair.
The best way to prevent dry rot is to ensure all areas of your house receive proper ventilation, since dry rot fungi thrive in a stagnant, humid environment. If you notice any leaks, repair them as quickly as possible in order to prevent excess moisture from permeating your home's structure. It can even help to run dehumidifiers in high humidity, or after cleaning up a leak or spill.
If you already detect some dry rot, you can help avoid further growth (and kill existing fungi) with a number of available treatments, like fungicides and borate wood preservatives. But, to ensure you don't have a full-scale dry rot infestation on your hands, it's always best to call a pro to come out and inspect your place.
On top of financial protection against various perils, we offer myriad discounts to help you save cash, a wide array of customizable coverage options, and so much more. Get a quick, free quote online or give us a call at 1-866-439-5633, where our agents are here at these times to answer any questions you have.
Protecting your home from mold
Read even more tips on how to safeguard your beloved abode against mold.
Does homeowners insurance cover roof leaks?
A leak in your roof can lead to all sorts of mishaps, including water damage, mold, rot, and more. Learn more about how your home policy could help pay for repairs.
Get your free quote online
or call
Homeowners insurance policies underwritten by Esurance are available only in certain states. Coverage and discount availability may vary by state and/or individual risk situation.
Homeowners insurance quotes, in states where Esurance homeowners insurance is not available, are provided by Answer Financial, Inc or Security First Insurance Company for FL residents. Homeowners insurance claims are processed and paid by the underwriting company. Esurance does not underwrite, provide customer service, or pay claims for any homeowners policies sold by Answer Financial or Security First Insurance Company.
This page provides a summary of typical coverages and is not meant to describe actual coverage under any individual homeowners insurance policy. Coverage for certain categories of property, like jewelry and electronics, may require that such items be specifically scheduled and subject to additional premium. Coverages, discounts, and billing options are subject to state availability, individual qualification, and/or the insuring company's underwriting guidelines. Terms, conditions, limits, and exclusions will apply. Rates are subject to change.


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Degree Online programs
Beware of Frauds
Unfortunately the web may be a buffet for crooks, and scattered among the legitimate on-line teaching programs, there also are fallacious colleges. These ar usually called "diploma mills". These ar on-line colleges that claim to be licenced, however truly, have fully no recognition from the education system some, that makes the 'diploma' totally useless. You may in addition attend a replica store and find them to print you up your own customized degree. That means you will only lose some greenbacks to seek out out it will not get you employment. the most effective thanks to defend yourself from on-line education fraud is to analysis degree on-line programs Associate in Nursingd notice a legitimate faculty that suits your wants for an degree on-line program.
Hey buddy, got any spare time?
The most appealing facet of obtaining your masters degree with an internet program is that you simply get to decide on what time category starts and ends. For the foremost half, on-line students prefer to take these programs as a result of they will keep their jobs and conduct their studies in their spare time. whereas others opt for on-line programs so that they will "fast track" their education. They have the choice of doing four or five or six hours or a lot of of lessons per day in any subject, instead of being restricted to ninety minute lectures. whereas others still, relish the liberty of selecting the situation of their studies. With a portable computer and wireless association, an internet student will study within the park, at their favorite eating place, anyplace they opt for, that appeals to anyone WHO has felt restricted by the schoolroom atmosphere. For of these reasons, a degree on-line program ar terribly convenient and quickly turning into a well-liked selection for college students seeking their degree.
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Wireless (Anranny)


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Just 2 in 5 Connecticut high school grads finish college
HARTFORD -- As the state strives to improve student performance, high school graduation rates and eventual success in college, a new report suggests just how far public schools have to go.
For the 35,671 high school students who graduated from Connecticut public high schools in 2004, just two in five had earned a degree or certificate from college six years out. Another one-third started college during this time, but did not finish. One-quarter skipped post-secondary education altogether.
Locally, the percentage of students successfully completing a college program six years out of high school ranged from 6 percent at Henry Abbott Technical High School in Danbury to 73 percent at Ridgefield High School.
Suburban high school graduates find more success at college than urban students, the report shows.
The data comes from the National Student Clearinghouse, a central repository of enrollment and graduation data, and was requested by the state's Board of Regents for Higher Education, the state Department of Education and P-20 Council, a collaboration between the state's early childhood, K-12, higher education and workforce training sectors.
The council, which held a series of college readiness workshops across the state this fall, is releasing the data to give policymakers and educators a better idea of what high school graduates in the state do with their diplomas. The report provides degree completion rates by high schools in the state, information which has previously not been available in Connecticut.
Michael Meotti, vice president of the state's Board of Regents, said the report signals a need to identify ways to help students prepare to enter the workforce.
"We need to ensure that we're preparing our students for success from the very moment they set foot in our schools," Meotti said in a prepared statement. "That means identifying ways in which we can help them learn and be better able to adapt to the 21st century workforce."
The report calls for a focus on students who enter college but fail to graduate within six years.
Of the 41 percent of the class of 2004 who completed at least one degree or certificate program, half -- representing 20 percent of the class -- went to Connecticut colleges and universities and half attended colleges or universities out of state.
In Connecticut, according to the U.S. Census, 46 percent of 25- to 34-year-olds have an associate degree or higher. That puts the state seventh in the nation. The state's level of education attainment is slipping.
Braden Hosch, director of policy and research for the Board of Regents, said the results are about what was expected.
The data also shows the college-going rate between 2004 and 2009 has increased. According to the state Department of Education, 77.8 percent of the class of 2004 indicated they planned to attend college. In actuality, 57.4 attended college, according to clearinghouse statistics that officials say are accurate within 5 percent.
In 2009, 80.5 percent said they were college-bound. The clearinghouse reports 66.9 percent enrolled the following fall.
"What we are trying to focus attention on is: What matters for Connecticut's economic competitiveness is not simply that students go to college, but when they go, they finish," Hosch said. "We know that in the economy we have today, having some sort of credential after high school makes you much more competitive in the job market."
The report doesn't get into the reasons why students don't finish. While some point to the cost of college as for why some students start but don't finish college, many say not enough students enter college prepared to do the work or have the motivation to stick with it.
State Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor said there is a need for better preparation. The higher education report comes out the same day the Department of Education released a report that shows graduation rates from public high schools in 2010 showed only a slight improvement. Nearly one in five students still fail to graduate within four years. For minority students, one in three fail to graduate with the class they entered with as freshmen.
Ten districts in the state, including Monroe, had greater than a 95 percent graduation rate in 2010. Six districts, including Bridgeport, had rates lower than 65 percent.
Contact Linda Lambeck at 203-330-6218 or email@example.com. Follow her at twitter.com/lclambeck.


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In last 100+ years we moved from no electricity to wireless waves everywhere. It improved our lives tremendously, but we have to be smart about it.
Smart meters, WiFi modems, cell phones even blue tooth toothbrushes. The list just keeps growing. We are exposed to more and more wireless radiation than ever before. There is simply no way around it. Even if someone does not have it, it is still around us. Everywhere.
Why is it a problem? The problem is that much like with most things around us first we start using them, and decades later we find out it was harmful for our health. Asbestos, medication that were later withdrawn, aspartame, Teflon…. the list just keeps growing. The truth is that we are exposed to a large amount of artificial electromagnetic field radiating from TV set, cell phones, wire lines, cell phone towers and the technology is so new that there are no studies with regards to the long term health effects, simply because they are so new!
So what can we do about it? There are some people who shield their homes or even wear protective clothing.
There are certain benefits to it, but there is another very interesting way to actually reverse the effects of such radiation. A single 8-10 minutes of treatment with a PEMF (Pulsed Electro Magnetic Field) mat seems to be able to eliminate the effects it has on our blood.
The best of all, you can get that treatment in our office for a very low fee.
Attila Gruber


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- Sarah Emmons
- Assistant Director of Student Financial Services
- email@example.com
Counselor for students with a last name starting with A-Di
What makes Emmanuel different from other colleges?
Emmanuel's setting in the heart of Boston is ideal for students pursuing internship and career opportunities. I think that the small, close-knit setting is unique in that it truly seems to foster a supportive, collaborative community.
What is one Boston activity you recommend for students?
Whether you've lived here your whole life or are new to the area, Boston is an amazing city with lots of great options for students to explore! It's tough to pick just one activity. I love going to the SoWa Open Market on weekends in the summer and fall. It's a large open air market, full of different fresh produce, food trucks, beautiful crafts and more. Each week is something new and it's a great walk from Fenway to the South End to get there. Also, any time you can get outdoors, go explore the beautiful natural surroundings of the Greater Boston area! Blue Hills and the Middlesex Fells are two state parks that are fairly close.
What tips do you have for students when it comes to financial aid and/or payment options?
Speak up and be proactive in understanding your financial aid award and all of the responsibilities that come with it. If you have a question or a concern, reach out to us - it's our job to help support you in accessing your education at Emmanuel. Definitely do your research and figure out the terms of your loans, scholarships, payment plans and make sure to keep up with important deadlines. Again, we're here to help you with all of that so don't hesitate to stop by our office or pick up the phone!
What do you like most about working in the OSFS?
I love working with college students during this unique time in their lives. I'm thrilled to be able to support them by offering tangible guidance and resources. Finances shouldn't be a barrier to anyone's education and I'm happy that we're part of a department that seeks to help students access the resources and information they need in order to attend their school of choice.


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Massages are usually scheduled in blocks of time. A 90 minute massage has its own benefits, which are discussed in the following post.
The Benefits of a 90 minute massage
90 minutes out of your day can make a big difference in your life. It can give you pain relief and lower your stress so you can be more productive and better able to deal with what life brings to you next.
Barry is a licensed Massage Therapist at Main Street Massage in Hudson, Ohio. Find out more about him, his business, and massage at www.HudsonMassageTherapy.com


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Kick back with these 10 soccer films
Even the most die-hard American soccer fans would be hard-pressed to name 10 soccer films, never mind ones they actually liked. There's not a lot of overlap between cinema and soccer — which is weird, considering that it's the world's most popular sport.
But if the FIFA World Cup 2014 has you wanting more soccer in your life, these 10 films are a good place to start.
10. "Shaolin Soccer" (2001): To say this is a silly film is an understatement. Martial artist Stephen Chow wrote, directed and stars in this Hong Kong soccer comedy about a former Shaolin monk who marries his kung fu prowess with soccer to bring his message to the masses. The end result is aggressively silly — watch only if you have the goofiest possible sense of humor, and preferably under the influence.
9. "Ladybugs" (1992): This one is for children of the '90s, anyone who once had a crush on child star Jonathan Brandis, and for Rodney Dangerfield devotees. The film imagines a world that would allow Dangerfield to coach a girls' soccer team called the Ladybugs, and then dress his girlfriend's son (Brandis) up as a girl so he can play on the team and pursue a player on whom he has a crush. For children of the aughts, there also is the 2006 gender-bending soccer film "She's the Man," very loosely inspired by Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night," starring Amanda Bynes and Channing Tatum.
8. "Goal!" trilogy
(2005-09): These three inspiring football films kick off with "Goal! The Dream Begins." Santiago Munez (Kuno Becker) is a Mexico-born immigrant, a landscaper and busboy with an irrepressible dream of playing professional ball. He makes his way from LA to England in pursuit of that dream, leaving behind his struggling family to risk it all for the glory. Full of sports-movies cliches? Sure. But sometimes that's what you're in the mood for.
7. "Looking for Eric" (2009): British filmmaker Ken Loach went light and heartwarming with this character-driven comedy about a soccer-obsessed postman named Eric (Steve Evets) whose personal life is in free fall. That is, until he receives some much-needed life coaching from his idol — philosophical Manchester United footballer Eric Cantona. It's weirdly sweet.
6. "Green Street Hooligans" (2005): Every good thing has a dark side, and when it comes to British soccer, that dark side is hooliganism. American expat Matt (Elijah Wood) gets expelled from Harvard and receives a different sort of education overseas from brother-in-law Pete (Charlie Hunnam), a Cockney thug who runs the local football-hooligan firm Green Street Elite. It turns out Matt is quite the brawler — good thing, too, when his new friends decide to teach him a lesson in loyalty.
5. "Fever Pitch" (1997): No, not the Farrelly brothers movie where Jimmy Fallon plays a Boston Red Sox super fan. That would be the American remake of the adaptation of the Nick Hornby novel. The original British version was all about soccer. Actually, it's about two teachers (Colin Firth and Ruth Gemmell) trying to navigate a romance when one of them is already in a committed relationship — with Arsenal Football Club. It gets to the heart of sports obsession, regardless of the sport. And if that's still not your cup of tea, remember, it has Colin Firth playing an English teacher.
4. "Escape to Victory" (1981): It takes a few heroic leaps of logic to fully get behind this John Huston film in which World War II is resolved on the football pitch — Allied POWs face off against a German team in a morale-building exhibition match in Nazi-occupied Paris — but any movie where Sylvester Stallone and Michael Caine team up to defeat Nazis is worth the effort. Also in the mix is Max von Sydow (playing cinema's most polite Nazi) and Brazilian soccer legend Pelé, who gets to show off some sweet moves during a soccer match while the French Resistance plots the team's escape.
3. "Gregory's Girl" (1981): A charmingly awkward Scottish coming-of-age film about gawky teenager Gregory (John Gordon Sinclair) who quickly falls head over heels for Dorothy (Dee Hepburn), the sporty girl who takes his place on his school's boy's soccer team. Although the film's appearance may have aged (it's quite the clunky time capsule to bad fashion and workmanlike filmmaking), the emotions haven't — director Bill Forsyth sweetly captured the almost unbearable vulnerability of being a teenager and in love.
2. "Bend It Like Beckham" (2002): This girl-power film was a major sleeper hit of the early aughts, pitting soccer-obsessed teenager Jess (Parminder Nagra), a Punjabi Sikh, against her orthodox parents. They want a traditional life for Jess: university, a career as a doctor or lawyer, an approved marriage. Her friend Jules (Keira Knightley, in her breakout role) helps her secretly join a local women's team (coached by Jonathan Rhys Meyers). It's a rare sports film with a female director (Gurinder Chadha), and one that deftly navigates the trials and tribulations of adolescence, defying cultural expectations and the world of competitive sports.
1. "The Damned United" (2009): You probably know Tom Hooper as the Oscar-winning director of "The King's Speech," but he brought the same panache for intimate period drama that won that film a best-picture Oscar to this earlier film about football manager Brian Clough and his ill-fated tenure as manager of Leeds United in 1974. It's heavily steeped in soccer history and specifics of the sport, but here's the thing — you don't need to know (or care about) any of it to get swept up in the drama of a flawed man grappling with his pride, played by the excellent Michael Sheen.
Reach the writer at email@example.com or 602-444-8371.


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Nearest Town: Rhyl
Marsh Tracks mountain bike pump track is a 2km track in Rhyl, North Wales. It has beautifully sculpted jumps that are cleverly built to suit all abilities.
It has been called the biggest pumptrack in the world and opened in early 2014. there is only 1 trail but it can be looped many times. Trail features include berms, rollers and tabletops all of which can be ridden by any rider on any bike.
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Emmanuel Adebayor must learn from Didier Drogba if Manchester City are ever to hit the heights
He's been signed as the hitman that will lead Manchester City to the sort of success their wealthy backers expect. But Emmanuel Adebayor should take a leaf out of another African striker's book if he is to ever truly make the maximum of the potential he undoubtedly has…
As far as starts go, perhaps few can have too many complaints about Emmanuel Adebayor's early career at Manchester City.
In the nine Premier League games in which Adebayor has featured this season, the striker has scored five goals, and laid on a further three assists for his teammates.
On paper, then, it is a solid return from the 25-year-old after joining the Eastlands outfit from Arsenal for £25 million during the summer.
As has often been the case with Adebayor in England, however, the positives have been offset by a number of negatives. In no game was that better encapsulated than when he faced his former club earlier in the season.
Throughout the game against his old team-mates, the Togolese international was often at his blistering best.
He tormented the Arsenal players — taking advantage of their seemingly reckless desire to clatter him — but then proceeded to torment their fans after his well-taken goal.
That celebration, running a full 90 yards to gloat in front of those who had spent much of the game abusing him, earned him a three-game suspension after a review by the Football Association.
City, without their leading scorer, subsequently lost their next league game against arch-rivals Manchester United, in a cruel 4-3 thriller.
"I had a bad afternoon against Manchester United because I am sure that if I had played that day then I would have scored a goal," Adebayor said.
"It was a shame that we lost in added time. United did not deserve to win—a fair result would have been a draw."
Rather than bemoaning missing out on a chance to add to his goal tally, however, Adebayor should perhaps have been reflecting on his own conduct. His performance against Arsenal helped the team, but his subsequent conduct certainly didn't.
That just isn't good enough for a top striker.
Take Didier Drogba, for example.
Chelsea's last game, against FC Porto, was yet another example of Drogba's all-round contribution. Despite being kept relatively quiet in attack, the Ivorian did not let frustration get the better of him and continued to contribute in any way he could.
In the first half, there was Drogba, deep in his own box determined to get up and clear the ball for his team. For his troubles, he caught a blow to the head from an equally determined John Terry.
The 31-year-old seems to make such contributions every game. He perceives defending set-pieces as a crucial part of his duty to the team, despite providing nine goals and five assists in his 12 league games this season.
Drogba has had his outbursts in the past — for example in the 2008 Champions League final, or after elimination in the semi-finals of the same competition last season — but now he seems to have matured and those around him at the west London club are only too aware of his value:
"We have seen what Didier brings to this team in the first games of our season and this is why I said he was irreplaceable when I came to Chelsea," said manager Carlo Ancelotti, who has admitted he wouldn't swap Drogba for any other striker.
"His love for this club and the passion he shows is unbelievable," club captain John Terry agreed.
"When we lose a game there is no one more disappointed than him. He shows his frustration, because he cares.
"You see him in the dressing room, in training motivating the players. He really cares."
Adebayor has still to show that he cares that deeply. Last weekend, he was clearly at fault as Martin Skrtel nipped in ahead of him to open the scoring in the game against Liverpool. The Togolese forward had switched off, allowing the Liverpool defender in and letting his own side down.
In fairness, he made amends minutes later by scoring the equalizer for his side — his first goal for the club since that strike against Arsenal in September.
Drogba, however, is happy not to score if can make a telling defensive contribution.
"I often sacrifice myself for the good of the team," said the former Olympique Marseille hitman.
"I don't look at my scoring statistics. Have you ever seen any other great striker do as much defending as I do?"
That is the difference between the truly world-class strikers and the rest. Jermain Defoe, Darren Bent, and Adebayor can all score goals for fun, but the likes of Drogba, Torres, and Rooney elevate their contribution into a different dimension by tracking back and contributing to their side's defensive play.
Adebayor still needs to make that step, to take on that mantel. He has done it infrequently, when the occasion (e.g. playing against your former team) suits him, but never week-in and week-out.
Arsene Wenger, a formidable judge of player, clearly got tired of waiting for that to happen at the Emirates.
But on arriving at City, the former Monaco man seemed to suggest everything would now be different.
"This is a team, maybe in one year or two years, that will be one of the best in the world," he said.
"I had a good discussion with the coach, Mark Hughes, and he told me that here he wants to be in the top four.
"We know it's not going to be easy at all. But we are going to fight for it. I think the players are here for that."
"As you can see, the fans believe in us that we can bring them something. That's what we're going to fight for now."
So far, evidence of such commitment has been fleeting. Manchester City has failed to take advantage of Liverpool's early troubles to bolster their claim for Champions League football, a situation they might regret come May and one Adebayor must partly take the blame for.
History has been littered with expensive signings failing to cope with the pressure suddenly put on them — it took a while for Drogba to embrace such responsibilities, too.
But, Adebayor cannot hide behind that excuse.
After all, he has chosen to be constantly reminded of the price tag that weighs heavily around his neck — he wears it on his back.
Perhaps City's No. 25 now sees the number he has long worn as a badge of honour, a status symbol.
But if he is to lead his team to all the places he seems to believe they can go, he needs to start viewing it as a responsibility to be lived up to instead.
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May 31, 2009
summer food
I kind of forget about "beans n sausage" (as we called it) these days, because my tastes have changed and most varieties of canned baked beans make me queasy, with all their sugar/corn syrup and frightening ingredients. Also, the kielbasa from the supermarket is filled with preservatives and, oh my God, salt galore.
But still, last week I found myself with a nostalgic craving for the stuff. I picked up some jalapeno-pork sausage at Central Market and, of course, had to have my beans on the side. The sausage, I was happy to see, is all natural -- which is my way of saying that every ingredient on the label is something recognizable. Pork. Jalapeno. Salt. Sugar. Garlic. Spices. That's it -- no nitrites or nitrates. (Obvs I am one of those people who stops her cart in the middle of the aisle to scrutinize every ingredient on the label.)
The beans were a little trickier, so I picked up a couple of cans of plain pinto beans to jazz up. Today I found this NY Times article by Melissa Clark and was so pleased with the results. You simply add a few cans of plain boiled beans, in their liquid, to a saucepan. Then you combine ketchup, molasses, dry mustard, Tabasco sauce, and vinegar in a bowl, stir, and add to the beans. This simmers for 30-40 minutes, while the sauce thickens and the beans soak up some of the flavor. The end result is tangy, a little sweet, a little spicy, and just as satisfying as the beans of my youth. The beans still have some sugary ingredients (ketchup is obviously quite sweet, and hello molasses) but you can control the sugar content yourself, which I appreciate.
And about the sausage: super delicious. The skin gets crispy and burnished (the snap of the skin as you bite into grilled sausage is so great, isn't it?), while the inside is juicy and spicy. We also grilled asparagus --my favorite way to cook asparagus these days-- and had a cucumber salad on the side. A pretty perfect, low key summer lunch.
P.S. The regional baseball tournament has been such a nail biter! Rice v. Kansas State tonight was an amazingly fun game to watch but was a heartbreaker in the end. We gave up 3 runs in the top of the 9th innning, giving Kansas State a big lead with 7-3. In the bottom of the 9th, we scored 3 runs to make it 7-6 and had 2 men left on base -- only to strike out. Argh.
Melissa Clark's Fake Baked Beans
This recipe calls for bacon, which I omitted due to lack of bacon. I am sure that bacon would add a delicious smokiness here, though.
2 cans of beans (I used pinto, but navy would be great here)
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup molasses
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 slices thick cut bacon (optional in my opinion)
Chopped red onion, for garnish
1. Add canned beans, with their cooking liquid, to a saucepan and turn heat to medium low.
2. In a small bowl, combine ketchup, molasses, apple cider vinegar, dry mustard powder, Tabasco, and black pepper. Stir and add to beans.
3. If using bacon, add one slice of uncooked bacon to the beans and fry the remaining bacon slices in a separate skillet.
4. Bring the beans to a simmer. Turn heat to low and let simmer 30-45 minutes, until slightly thickened. Remove bacon slice, if using, and add salt to taste.
5. Transfer beans to heated serving dish and top with fried bacon slices, if desired, and chopped red onion.
4 comments:
- robin said...
nice knife! :)
and also, the beans sound delicious. it's annoying because so many cans of baked beans have pork or some non-kosher ingredient in them, i think there is one kind that doesn't, but it's hard to find.
- June 1, 2009 at 6:02 AM
- Kim said...
Best knife ever! Sometimes I call it my Hattori Hanso and whistle the theme from Kill Bill as I slice up onions :)
Also, you are right, salt pork is ubiquitous in canned baked beans for some reason. All it really brings to the table is a little smokiness, which you can totally simulate with smoked paprika.
- June 1, 2009 at 7:40 AM
- Unknown said...
my cousin and his wife love a version of this (that i also enjoyed) that they call "beanie weenie," which scared me at first haha. they use some type of fresh sausage from the grocery store or farmer's market that they grill[they used hot italian or perhaps cilantro jalapeno] plus cannelini beans with some olive oil and rosemary (maybe a bay leaf? some garlic?). it was tasty and easy, so something i could even make (and did).
- June 3, 2009 at 9:17 AM
- Kim said...
Mmm... cannelini beans with herbs and olive oil sounds great too. A little more refined than my meal, though you wouldn't think so from the name "beanie weenie." :D I think sausage and beans is pretty much a perfect combination.
- June 3, 2009 at 9:54 AM


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One thing you'll notice about any animated piece of work is how expressive character's eyes can be. They break all the rules of real eyes, by changing shape, getting bigger, and moving in unnatural ways. Mimicking that in a real-world model of such a character has been difficult if not impossible to achieve, but Disney Research looks to have cracked it by employing 3D printing and some clever optics tech.
The video you see below is of Papillon, a technology that allows very expressive animated eyes to be added to pretty much any interactive character.
It works using Disney's printed optics technology, which it first showed off at the end of last year. Optical fibers are 3d printed in slices using transparent photopolymers. Those fibers are then bundled together. One end of the bundle forms the eye users see, the other end is used to project images which appear on the eyes.
Although the eye output looks to be quite low resolution, this is sure to improve as Disney Research perfects the technology and 3D printers are created that can produce smaller structures. But even in it's current state, it's going to make interactive toys and characters in general much more expressive and capable of better reacting to what a user does and says.
Disney is currently showing off the technology at SIGGRAPH 2013 using the 3 characters you see above named Beep, Bop, and Iggy the dog. Anyone walking up to the softball-sized characters will see the eyes react to certain gestures they make.
It's unclear what Disney has planned for the tech, but it seems likely these eyes will be worked into future toy releases and maybe even licensed for other companies to use.


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Hillary Clinton körde e-postserver på Power Mac G4
Perhaps Clinton's troubles began when she switched from a Blackberry-hosted e-mail account to an account on her Clintonemail.com domain—a domain hosted on an Apple Power Mac "G4 or G5" tower running in the Clintons' Chappaqua, New York residence. The switch to the Power Mac as a server occurred the same month she exchanged messages with Powell.
Hon har god smak när det gäller datorer, åtminstone.