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Despite the name, a coffee cake typically contains no coffee. They are sweet cakes often served with coffee or tea and eaten for breakfast or brunch. Some are yeasted and some are not. Since I am still a yeast virgin, this is of the latter persuasion.
This coffee cake is perfect any time of year since it's made with dried fruit and nuts. I used dried cherries and walnuts but feel free to experiment. Dried cranberries with pecans or maybe dried pineapple with macadamia nuts would be nice combinations too.
My favorite part of this coffee cake is the streusel topping. From the German for "something strewn together", this streusel is most definitely thrown together and very easily too I might add. Brown sugar and nuts bound by flour and butter form a cookie like topping for the coffee cake. And since I used a muffin pan to make miniature coffee cakes, each one has it's very own cookie top with lots of crispy edges.
Miniature Cherry Walnut Streusel Coffee Cakes
Streusel topping
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
2 1/2 ounces (5 tbsp) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup yogurt*
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups dried cherries
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350F. Line with paper liners or butter and flour 24 (4-ounce capacity) wells of a muffin pan.
To make streusel topping
Mix flour, sugar, and walnuts in a bowl. Add the butter and, using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut or rub in the butter until coarse crumbs form. Place streusel in freezer while making the batter.
To make batter
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk butter, sugar, eggs, yogurt, and vanilla until smooth. Add flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Gently fold in cherries and walnuts.
Divide batter evenly among the 24 wells. Sprinkle each generously with the streusel topping.
Bake until tops are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes then transfer to cooling rack.
*I used Greek style honey yogurt but plain yogurt is fine too. Also, you can use sour cream instead of yogurt.


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ICNA Commends Lifting of Ban on Prof. Tariq Ramadan
JAMAICA, New York (January 21, 2010) – In a statement issued today, Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) commended the U.S. Department of State's decision to lift a ban that prevented Professor Tariq Ramadan from entering the United States for the past six years.
Ever since this ban was imposed on Dr. Tariq Ramadan in 2004, preventing this prominent Muslim intellectual and scholar from taking a distinguished teaching position at Notre Dame University or visiting the United States, ICNA and other civil liberties organizations have been asking and campaigning for its withdrawal.
"We commend this move by our government to right the past wrong," said ICNA President Dr. Zahid Bukhari. "This is a very positive step and it will certainly help us pursue a new relationship with the Muslim world and Muslim communities around the globe based on mutual interest and mutual respect, highlighting points emphasized by our President in his historic speech in Cairo."
The Islamic Circle of North America is a leading American Muslim organization dedicated to the betterment of society through the application of Islamic values. Since 1968, ICNA has worked to build relations between communities by devoting itself to education, outreach, social services and relief efforts.
Islamic Circle of North America
Office: (718) 658-1199

subset: commoncrawl


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Teaser image inside...
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Tarot Card Meanings
Four of Coins
Study the responsibilities you have inherited rather than just looking at the advantages they represent.
Three of Coins
Five of Coins
Watch Now: Four of Coins Video
Learn the meaning of the Four of Coins Tarot card in under a minute!
General Meaning
This suit, most often named Coins or Pentacles, is a symbol for a magical talisman that represented wealth or potential. This suit represents something supportive that is available to you -- whether it be health, some kind of talent, a material or financial resource.
A Four in this suit has been used to express the paradoxical aspect of material security -- the two-edged sword of having been well supported and protected. It sounds completely idyllic until one investigates the real demands that prosperity places upon people -- the pressure of big decisions, responsibilities toward dependents or employees, and even tougher decisions in times of insecurity.
An immature person thrust into such a position would lack the perspective to sensibly assess risks and rewards, would be vulnerable to bad advice or surprise developments, and could even put the livelihoods of loyal assistants at risk. This card also can refer to the subtler dependencies that comfort encourages, allowing laxness and self-indulgence to quietly degrade one's reserve of will.
The character this card represents needs to move slowly and deliberately if change is required, as the consequences will affect more than just her or himself.
Note: In the English decks, like Rider-Waite, we see a person who is stuck in their misunderstanding of how the material plane works. He's afraid to let go of his four measly coins, because he doesn't know he has to give in order to get. When looked at this way, this is the card of poverty consciousness.
In the Reversed Position
The Four of Coins reversed suggests that instead of looking for ways you can help, you may be allowing resentment to get in your way. Are you are heading into a situation fraught with resentment, as if you feel you are owed something?
Instead of looking for how you can help, you may be worrying about how you are going to get paid back. Even if you have everything you need, you still feel impoverished. This attitude constricts the flow around you. This is not an insurmountable obstacle, but you have to work this out before you can make progress.
In the Advice Positon
The Four of Coins in this position signifies a young person, naive and pampered, who has been left an estate. Think conscientiously about all those people whom your activities impact, including those whose work and effort went into building what you inherited and those whose welfare depends upon your right management.
What you have been given is abundant; still, it is not without limits. If you are prudent and responsible, the endowment will grow. However, if you are frivolous or foolish, your behavior could undermine both your inheritance and the well being of others who are connected to it.
In many decks, we see the image of a person who is stuck in his or her misunderstanding of how the material plane works. He's afraid to let go of his four measly coins, because he doesn't know he has to give in order to get. When looked at this way, this is the card of "poverty consciousness."
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SOUTH PORTLAND — Officials from Southern Maine Community College and the University of Southern Maine hope a new agreement aligning the schools' hospitality and tourism programs will help build the workforce in Maine's largest industry.
"This is critical to the tourism industry, which is Maine's largest economic sector," SMCC President Ronald Cantor told members of the media Monday morning. "Maine's employers depend on us to work together, to understand their evolving needs and to respond in ways that produce the well-rounded, educated and highly skilled workforce required to succeed in today's global economy."
With the deal, students currently signed up for SMCC's two-year hospitality management program can transition into USM's newly launched four-year tourism and hospitality program when they complete their time at the community college.
"With this agreement, our graduates will be able to complete the USM program in (an additional) two years," Cantor said.
The pact comes after Gov. Paul LePage highlighted what he describes as a skills gap between what Maine employers say they need and what the state's workers have for training.
There are currently 68 students in SMCC's hospitality management program, the school's president said. Those students are given hands-on experience helping operate the community college's on-campus Peter A. McKernan Hospitality Center, a 1902 former Fort Preble officers' quarters building now converted into a small seaside hotel, or through other industry partnerships in the region.
University of Southern Maine President Theo Kalikow, who became the school's new top administrator in July, said USM's tourism and hospitality program is the first four-year degree of its kind in the state of Maine.
"I'm thrilled that we developed (the program) in record time in response to the tourism industry and at the Legislature's request," Kalikow said Monday. "We are very proud today that these two institutions are making it more possible to give more students opportunities to earn an affordable, high-quality education, and support a major industry important to the future of Maine."
Carolann Ouellette, director of the Maine Office of Tourism, said the SMCC-USM announcement is welcome news to leaders in her industry.
"I know our industry has been hoping that this type of thing would come along, and the timing is perfect," she said Monday.
The articulation agreement unveiled Monday is one of 50 such deals SMCC has arranged with public and private universities in New England, Cantor said. Earlier this month, the community college announced a collaborative program alongside the University of Maine at Farmington, in which students in SMCC's early childhood development program could take satellite UMF classes in South Portland to finish off a four-year degree.
That arrangement creates southern Maine's first four-year early childhood education program in several years, SMCC officials said.
Sidebar Elements
University of Southern Maine President Theo Kalikow, left, and Southern Maine Community College President Ronald Cantor sign an articulation agreement Monday, Sept. 17, which ensures that students taking part in SMCC's hospitality and tourism program can finish their four-year degree at USM.
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Editor's note: Fareed Zakaria is an author and foreign affairs analyst who hosts "Fareed Zakaria GPS" on CNN U.S. on Sundays at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. ET and CNN International at 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. Central European Time/ 5 p.m. Abu Dhabi/ 9 p.m. Hong Kong.
New York (CNN) -- Technology and globalization are putting the jobs of millions in America's middle class at risk, says analyst Fareed Zakaria.
In a cover story for Time called "How to Restore the American Dream," Zakaria writes, "We have just gone through the worst recession since the Great Depression. The light at the end of the tunnel is dim at best. Sixteen months into the recovery, the unemployment rate is higher than it was in the depths of all but one of the postwar recessions. ...
"Americans are far more apprehensive than usual, and their worries seem to go beyond the short-term debate over stimulus vs. deficit reduction," according to Zakaria. "They fear that we are in the midst of not a cyclical downturn but a structural shift, one that poses huge new challenges to the average American job, pressures the average American wage and endangers the average American Dream."
The author and host of CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS" spoke to CNN on Friday. Here is an edited transcript:
CNN: You wrote in your Time cover story that the American middle class is being "hollowed out." What does that mean?
Fareed Zakaria: Well, if you think about it, middle class to most Americans means somebody who has a good high school education, somebody who didn't go to fancy schools or grow up in a fancy suburb, but somebody who is working on a factory floor as a foreman, or a manager, or maybe in sales or administration.
What's happened to these people is that these jobs have a certain kind of routine nature to them. What technology has done over the last 10 or 15 years, it's become possible to do many of these tasks through computer programs. Now computer programs need to be monitored and supervised, but it takes far fewer people to do that ... and the people supervising computers need to be more high-end, more skilled people.
CNN: How does that work out in practice?
Zakaria: Take the example [former GE CEO] Jack Welch gave. He said information technology been around since the 1980s and 1990s, when it was mostly streamlining back offices. Now it's transformed every department from sales to marketing to administration. You used to just use computers to streamline, for example, the payroll system. Now it's completely ubiquitous, affecting every aspect of business.
Read Zakaria's "How to Restore the American Dream"
Welch gave the example of a company he's involved in buying. It had $12 billion in revenue in 2007 with 26,000 employees. With the greater efficiency that comes with technology, the same company, when it returns to that level of revenue in a few years, will have only 14,000 employees. That's roughly half the people generating the same revenue. That's the basic dilemma -- companies have gotten so efficient, and there's enormous pressure on these simple routine tasks that used to employ lots of people.
CNN: Is globalization of companies also a factor in hollowing out the middle class?
Zakaria: Clearly, the second big part of this is globalization. Most big American companies are now global companies. The world market has tripled or quadrupled over the last 20 years, as the number of potential consumers greatly increased once the Soviet system collapsed, and China and India liberalized their economies. It's added as many as a billion and half consumers to the world market. Companies have benefited enormously from it, but these new consumers are willing to work for much less. That's a huge factor, you can't deny it.
Technology may be a bigger driver than trade, but globalization is easier to understand -- when you have an autoworker in Mexico willing to work for $7 an hour versus $28 an hour in the U.S. The best way to think of it is that technology and globalization are working together to produce these results.
CNN: You give the example of a radically cheaper car that is being produced in India? Why is that important?
Zakaria: It's called the Nano. It costs a little more than $2,000 in India and when it's sold in the U.S., it will cost about $7,000 once it has safety features such as air bags and meets U.S. crash requirements. It's a good car. This is a perfectly nice car, looks a lot like Mercedes' Smart Car, except that the Smart Car costs $22,000.
The most important thing may be the parts -- every part in that car costs a fraction, as little as 1/16, of what it costs to manufacture in the United States. So where will the U.S. car companies get their parts made if they're trying to be competitive? They will be tempted to buy those parts manufactured in India.
You can't even call it outsourcing since these are global companies with global supply chains. They will invest more in their Chinese operation, or their Brazilian operation, and less in the U.S. operation. They will be doing what they need to do to survive in a competitive global market.
CNN: So what can be done?
Zakaria: We are going to have to move up the value chain. Ultimately you don't want to be making products that people can make somewhere else in the world at half or a quarter of the price.
You have to take on the more complex aspects of manufacturing. The car is becoming two things, it's a manufactured product, but it's also a very highly sophisticated computer. Think of your GPS system, audio system and so on. Each of these components has to be coordinated. Can we make the high-end aspects of the car? Can the U.S. be dominant in design, in the computer electronics part of it. It's very tough to be competitive on the pure manufacturing of the chassis.
CNN: What's the impact on people?
Zakaria: They have to hone their skills so they are really good at this stuff, at the skills of complex manufacturing and electronics. I don't mean to say everyone has to become a brain surgeon, but there's a difference between skilled labor and highly skilled labor. The Germans have maintained their manufacturing base because they've concentrated on complex manufacturing. They don't try to make Toyota cars; they make BMWs.
That means a lot of education and retraining. And the most important thing is education. You can only retrain somebody who knows how to read and write and do math. To the extent that U.S. schools are failing at this, there is a basic problem.
You can't retrain somebody who has a fourth-grade reading level, and when they don't have any basic math in the first place. We've gone from having the best test scores 25 years ago to having the worst in the industrialized world today. That's probably the single most important problem.


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I got that text today from my friend Emma who was killing time at a job that is killing her spirit.
I started to take a moment to text her back and then realized that it was too long to text plus - it wasn't a memory.
It's a story, in fact.
When I was very little my grandfather took me to get a Christmas tree.
We returned with our tree and everyone was horrified. It was a tiny short tree. His reason? He chose one that I could touch the top of.
That was my grandfather's last Christmas. And I have no memory of this event. It breaks my heart, but like all things in kid world - if it isn't IMPORTANT or if no one shakes you and says GRANDPA IS SICK REMEMBER EVERY SECOND OF THIS your little brain doesn't absorb the memories.
I remember the time he took me to work with him, when he was the county building inspector, and that we went to Just Rite for lunch and I had a chocolate shake with burger and fries. I remember the way his pipe smelled, and that he'd smoke cigarettes outside once in a while but not really that often in the house. I remember the smoked Dutch Masters because I'd use the boxes to hold crayons. I remember everything, sometimes it seems. But I do not remember that tree.
There are no pictures because it was the 70s and we didn't take pictures of every damn thing the way we do now. I wish we had. I would love to see such a short fat little tree.
You never know what holiday will be your last with someone who means everything to you. I suppose that IS why I take hundreds of pictures of everything carving them all into my mind - and recording them so that even when I am the one no longer here, someone can see them and know what they are.
My favorite Christmas memory is the one I've lost. I'm sorry Grandpa.


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Apple Grudgingly Posts Notice Saying Samsung Did Not Copy the iPad in the UK
As directed by a UK court, Apple has published a notice on its UK website, stating that the court has ruled that Samsung did not copy the iPad while designing its Galaxy tablet.
"On 9th July 2012 the High Court of Justice of England and Wales ruled that Samsung Electronic (UK) Limited's Galaxy Tablet Computer, namely the Galaxy Tab 10.1, Tab 8.9 and Tab 7.7 do not infringe Apple's registered design No. 0000181607-0001," writes Apple.
Besides stating that simple fact, Apple takes great care to quote the most embarrassing (for Samsung) parts of the court's decision, including the one that explicitly states that Samsung's Galaxy Tab is "not as cool" as the iPad.
In a final act of defiance, Apple also mentions the fact that the courts in Germany and the U.S. decided differently.
"However, in a case tried in Germany regarding the same patent, the court found that Samsung engaged in unfair competition by copying the iPad design. A U.S. jury also found Samsung guilty of infringing on Apple's design and utility patents, awarding over one billion U.S. dollars in damages to Apple Inc. So while the U.K. court did not find Samsung guilty of infringement, other courts have recognized that in the course of creating its Galaxy tablet, Samsung willfully copied Apple's far more popular iPad," concludes Apple.


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LAS VEGAS – Alistair Overeem (36-11 MMA, 1-0 UFC) will fight UFC heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez (11-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) if he wins at UFC 156.
During a media day in support of Saturday's event, UFC President Dana White confirmed the widely anticipated title scenario, which puts Overeem's opponent, Antonio Silva (17-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC), in the role of spoiler.
UFC 146 takes place at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. Overeem vs. Silva meet on the event's pay-per-view main card, which follows prelims on FX and Facebook.
Silva, who was supposed to meet Overeem more than a year ago in the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix tournament, isn't fighting for the same prize just yet. He fell to Velasquez on the all-heavyweight main card of UFC 146, which was supposed to feature Overeem against then-champ Junior Dos Santos.
Overeem lost the title shot when a pre-fight drug test came back with elevated testosterone-to-epitestosterone levels, and Frank Mir was slotted to face Dos Santos, who went on to win by second-round TKO. The Nevada State Athletic Commission later denied Overeem a license to fight in the state, which effectively benched him for nine months. They relicensed him this past month.
Overeem made his long-awaited UFC debut more than a year ago when he sent former champ Brock Lesnar into retirement with a first-round TKO at UFC 141.
"The Reem" has held belts in the now-defunct Strikeforce and DREAM organizations, as well as in kickboxing, where he won the 2010 K-1 World Grand Prix.
Overeem has been vocal about getting a title shot during his layoff and welcomed fights with both Velasquez and Dos Santos, who recently requested an immediate rematch with the champ.
Strikeforce and UFC parent Zuffa cut Overeem after he declined to fight Silva in the semifinals of the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix due to an injury. He was then signed to the UFC two months later.
For more on UFC 156, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.


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Suspect in New Britain fatal shooting caught in Massachusetts
Photo: Getty Images/Comstock Images
LAWRENCE, Mass. -- A suspect in a slaying in Connecticut has been captured in Massachusetts.
Authorities say 26-year-old Doel Francisco Candelario was arrested by U.S. marshals and local police at a Lawrence apartment on Thursday morning and charged on a fugitive warrant for murder.
Police say Candelario, of Hartford, Conn., was wanted in connection with the fatal shooting last June of Jimmy Narvaez-Gonzalez of New Britain, Conn.
Police tells The Eagle-Tribune that a .22 caliber firearm used in the murder has still not been recovered.
When Candelario was at large, Hartford police issued a warning about him saying he may be under the influence of the drug PCP.


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Central Park is the most amazing feat of landscaping I've ever seen.
It is the largest green spot in all of Manhattan but it is not the only green spot. There is also Riverside Park, Inwood Hill Park and Bryant Park to name a few. But as with any park you never know what or who will be lurking in the trees and bushes. Keep your wits about you and prepare yourself for encounters.
So keep your eyes peeled. You never know what you will find in your travels.


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Categories: International and Comparative Law
Instructor(s) Irish, Charles
As its name implies, the Seminar on Legal Issues Affecting
North America and East Asia will focus on contemporary
topics involving Russian or East Asia economic,
political, social or legal relations with the US.
The first formal session of the seminar will be on Wednesday, March 23, 2011,
at 6:30 PM at which we will discuss the current state of economic and legal
relations between the US and East Asia. I expect to explore such topics as Sino-American
economic relations, including the issue of the undervalued Rmb and the US
policy of QE2, China's
relations with its neighbors as a result of the maritime disputes in the East
and South China
Seas, and the tense environment on
the Korean Peninsula,
but events between now and then may make these topics obsolete. As in past years, the heart of the seminar will be five
videoconferences with students and faculty of Far Eastern National University
in Vladivostok, in the Russian Far
East. The format of the five sessions, March 30, April 6, 13, 20 and 27 in Madison,
will involve a live link-up with FENU beginning at 7:00 PM (10:00 AM,
Thursday morning in Vladivostok).
Each of the five sessions consists of an initial presentation originating in
either Madison or Vladivostok
and followed by questions and discussions from both sides. The seminar is
conducted in English. The course will be taught in Madison
by Professor Charles Irish and in Vladivostok
by Professor Natalia Prisekina. The course will be offered for 2 credits. The course
requirements are attendance and active participation in the five
videoconferences and a 20 page research paper on a topic related to North
America and/or East Asia. Although the
first formal session of the seminar will be on March 23, work on the paper
should begin at the beginning of the spring semester and proceed according to
the following schedule:
Friday, February 4: selection of
paper topic. Friday, February18: 1 ??" 2 page
outline with a listing of the major sources. Wednesday, March 30: First draft
of the paper. Wednesday, April 27: Final draft
of the paper.
Irish by email at firstname.lastname@example.com and
explain briefly why you are interested in the course. Because of the
videoconference format, admission to the course will be limited to 12 students.


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These guys rock. Recently I started my car (while parked in the garage) and it was leaking fuel. Then, died on me. After calling these guys, within two hours they arranged to have the car towed and by that afternoon provided me with an update. The next morning they called with an estimate for the repairs. Ironically, this happened the DAY BEFORE I left for vacation. Not only did they provide amazing service from the very beginning, but they took care of the repairs and the car was ready for pickup upon my return. This gave me peace of mind while I was away. They even came to my house to pick me up to get my car when I returned! Reasonable prices for work performed (replaced fuel filter, PCV valve, etc.) and the car's been running smoothly ever since. So happy with Superior and highly recommend them.Nicole R.
I just want to say that Superior Auto Services are awesome! They have a great professional team. They always greet you with a smile and work around your schedule. Usually it is the same day service. One time I was there I was having a problem with my Subaru acting like it wanted to shut off but not all the time. They drove the car 13 miles before it would act up. How many auto services would do that.? Probably zero to one. I highly recommend them to anyone!! I will never take my car anywhere else. Also they were highly recommended to me. Thanks for keeping my Subaru running greatly appreciate everything you have done for me!!!!Margaret H.
After living in the Frederick area for several years I was happy to find Superior! I was coming off an experience where getting my oil changed at a high volume oil change business didn't tell me I needed an alignment and had to purchase a new set of tires prematurely. Superior has great customer service. I really appreciate the time they spend explaining repairs and repair options. I appreciate and use their shuttle service. I appreciate that they are a full service shop and can take care of any repairs my cars need. The only small nit I have is that their price on parts can be a bit high. I also appreciate that their price for an oil change/tire rotation is reasonable- that's big for me!Ben L.
If I can take my car there..... you can to, because I'm picky.Travis P.
Outstanding in every way, couldn't be more pleased, they live up to their name. Will be a loyal customer from now on; highly recommended.Diane D.
Dealer service can be frustrating. So when that happens try Superior Auto Service just off of English Muffin Way. They're friendly, courteous and thorough. Reasonable pricing too. Got that at your dealer? Just a thought!Mike M.
Excellent shop, highly recommend. I went into the shop on MLK day around 10:30am to inquire about having an aftermarket exhaust I had purchased installed. They said as long as everything lines up and no issues, 1 hour labor, they scheduled me for the next day. Next day I dropped it off in the morning and picked it up at the end of the day, same price I was told 1 hour of labor. These guys did a great job and were able to fit in my exhaust without needing to wait a long time for an appointment. They also have a shuttle service that dropped me off at work and picked me up when the car was ready. I know where I will go when I have other automotive needs, go there with confidence.Adam D.


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Anyway, I want to list a few of the books we've read so far, plus a few I've read on my own. Here goes: (Book club ones get *)
"Bleak House" by Charles Dickens: While still living in Japan, my sister J-Bird sent me The BBC mini-series version of "Bleak House" on DVD. Doug and I both got really into it and it made me want to read the book. Which I loved. I was glad, however, that I watched the mini-series first because it made it much easier to keep track of all the characters.
"The Woman in White" by Wilkie Collins
I love mysteries, I love nineteenth century British literature. Loved it.
*"East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
Steinbeck became one of my favorite authors in High School. (Loved "Winter of Our Discontent".) But I hadn't read anything of his for a long time. Super glad Lisa picked "East of Eden". I loved everything about it. I don't know why, but Steinbeck is about the only author who can wax poetic and philosophical about landscapes and cityscapes and not bore me. Although under critical observation the book isn't perfect, I still loved it!
(P.S. I've never read "Grapes of Wrath" and I did NOT like "Of Mice and Men".)
*"The Importance of Being Earnest" and "An Ideal Husband" by Oscar Wilde
These are both plays, both short, and both hilarious. Plus they have great BBC movies to go with them. Highly recommend.
(Read "The Picture of Dorian Gray" a few years back. It's also pretty good if you're into exploring the moral implications of Hedonism. )
*"Les Miserables" by Victor Hugo
Here's the deal. Doug and I saw the play years ago while still living in SLC and liked it. When the movie came out, we saw it and loved it. After seeing the movie, I read the book and...mostly liked it. But I didn't LOVE it!
Here's why: Holy crap Hugo, can we just stick to the plot and forget the super-boring historical asides that go on for pages and pages and pages and don't advance the storyline at all?!?!?!?!?
Honestly, the details about the Paris sewer systems and how sewage should be pumped back into the city to fertilize the crops---were just way too much for me. Same with the description of the Battle of Waterloo. And many other long-winded descriptions of Parisian social ills. TOO MUCH DIGRESSION! (And coming from me, that's saying something.)
My un-researched theory is that the point of the book was to advance those theories and philosophies to the Parisians--with the story of Jean Valjean being secondary to make the boring stuff go down easier. Any thoughts from those who've read it? Am I way off? Why else would he muck up a perfectly good story line with sewage details?!?
Here was my one other disappointment. Marius has got to be the most lame, over-rated, self-indulgent wuss in the whole history of literature. Seriously dude! Get a job! Grow up! Talk to your Grandpa! Sorry. I know that's not a popular opinion, but he really bugged me. If you've ever seen the movie, just stick with that version of him--he's a little more manly. Oh, and if you haven't read the book and are planning to? Find a good abridged version!!!
"Vanity Fair" by William Makepeace Thackeray. I really liked this one. It isn't the best book ever written but the plot definitely kept me turning pages and I read it pretty fast. It had sort of an annoying character, but she (finally!) pulled it together in the end. Looking forward to watching the mini-series.
"A Room with a View" by E.M. Forster. I watched the 80's film version of this (with Helena Bonham Carter) in high school and loved it but just got around to reading the book. Turns out, they're very similar. The dialog in the movie is taken from the book almost word for word. (And it's a short book so they fit most of it in!) So actually, reading the book didn't add too much like it usually does when you read the book second.
But I still really liked it and I just forced Doug to watch the movie with me so I could see it again. He did NOT approve of the nudie skinny-dipping pond scene though I tried my hardest to make him see it in a humorous light. He also thought the movie was very boring and started checking sport scores on the Internet about 20 minutes in. I thought the movie did have some rather awkward 80's moments, but still feel it holds up for the most part after all these years. (The movie is unrated so I can't be blamed for watching the (BRIEF) r-rated content. Or at least, I couldn't be blamed the FIRST time I watched it. Book is G-rated, btw.)
(P.S. I read "A Passage to India" by Forster a few years ago and found it pretty darn boring. Like Les Mis, I think it was meant to be a commentary on a current social problem. In this case; Anglo-Indian relations. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but the story line just didn't do it for me.)
So, any thoughts for me? Agree? Disagree? Have you read any classics lately that you highly recommend?!?


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Rosie O'Donnell is one proud mama! Since welcoming her fifth child on Jan. 5, O'Donnell has shared many photos of the adorable newborn on Twitter and Instagram.
The actress is happily posting everything baby Dakota does, from yawning, flashing a peace sign to sleeping.
Check out other celebs who are out and proudO'Donnell calls Dakota "perfection" and shares that she and wife Michelle Rounds are "loving life" with the new addition to the family.So if you like squee-worthy baby photos, we recommend you start following O'Donnell right now. You won't regret it.


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http://mmajunkie.com The semifinal round of Bellator Fighting Championships' season-four welterweight tournament has already taken shape.
Following the conclusion of the quarterfinal round, Bellator CEO announced that former champ Lyman Good will meet Rick Hawn at Bellator 39, and Jay Hieron vs. Brent Weedman will clash at a date yet to be determined.
The Hieron-Weedman fight will be scheduled when Weedman receives clearance for a facial laceration suffered in his Bellator 35 victory over Dan Hornbuckle.
The promotion had originally anticipated hosting both welterweight tournament semifinals at Bellator 39.
Good (11-1 MMA, 4-1 BFC) and Hawn (10-0 MMA, 2-0 BFC) scored the most decisive victories of this past Saturday night's quarterfinal matchups, conducted at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino. The former champ and the Olympic judoka each relied heavily on staunch striking games en route to clear-cut unanimous-decision wins.
Hawn brings an unblemished mark to the table, but Good has revenge on his mind as he tries to earn a rematch with current champ Ben Askren, who took the title from Good during the promotion's third season.
Good and Hawn meet at Bellator 39, which takes place April 2 at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn.
Meanwhile, Hieron (20-4 MMA, 1-0 BFC) and Weedman (18-5-1 MMA, 4-0 BFC) each made rather dubious advances into the semifinals.
Hieron was in complete control of his quarterfinal matchup with Anthony Lapsley, but the performance was marred but what appeared to be an early stoppage. Hieron applied a rear-naked choke, and referee Josh Rosenthal ruled "The Recipe" unconscious and ended the fight. However, Lapsley quickly jumped to his feet to protest, causing many MMA observers to believe he was fine to continue.
Weedman fought the distance against Dan Hornbuckle in an entertaining, grappling-heavy affair. While Weedman's performance was commendable, his decision win was greeted with a chorus of boos from the Tachi Palace crowd who believes "The Handler" should have been awarded the victory.
For the latest on Bellator 39, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of the site.
(Pictured: Rick Hawn)


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Orders received from early March onwards will be delivered within 28 working days.
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Porirua Social Sector Trial: Tumai Hauora ki Porirua
originally posted by WM Admin on 20 September 2013 and updated 29 September 2014
The vision for the Porirua Social Sector Trial is that, through interagency collaboration, the health of the Porirua community can be improved, by keeping people well and by providing prompt local treatment when people are unwell. This will achieve the trial objectives: to reduce ambulatory sensitive hospitalisations (ASH) and emergency department attendances among Porirua residents aged 0 - 74 years.
The trial is funded by an interagency group and governed by a group of senior Cabinet Ministers including Minister Ryall, Minister English, Minister Bennet, Minister Parata, Minister Collins, Minister Tolley and Minister Kaye.
Questions the trial needs to answer:
- Why are so many people from Porirua going to ED?
- What are the main pathways people take to get to ED?
- What can be done to reduce the number of Ambulatory Sensitive Hospitalisations?
- How can we ensure people are cared for appropriately closer to home? Properly linked in to their primary health care home?
- Are the right services available to meet the health needs of people in Porirua?
- How can we collectively look after our infants better?
How is the trial going to address these questions?
- Set up a local Steering group and Clinical Group with expertise and authority to make recommendations and support change.
- Talk with the health sector, government agencies and the community about the questions above.
- Draft an action plan with recommendations for addressing the identified issues.
- Implement the action plan from 1 October 2013.
- This action plan will be constantly monitored, reviewed and updated.
For further information, go to: http://www.compasshealth.org.nz/HealthServices/PoriruaSocialSectorTrial.aspx
A news item on the Porirua Social Sector Trial is also available on the Ministry of Health website at: http://www.health.govt.nz/news-media/news-items/community-led-trial-improve-porirua-health-and-social-outcomes (5 December, 2103).
The report back to the community on Year One of the Porirua Social Sector Trial can be read in full text at: http://www.compasshealth.org.nz/Portals/0/Publications/Porirua%20SST/PSST_Annual_Update_2014.pdf
Start Date
Jul 1, 2013
Capital & Coast
Community, Hospital, Primary Care
Areas of Focus
Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease, Emergency Department, Immunisations
Compass Health


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Full Speed Ahead
This story appears in the October 1998 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe »
It doesn't have to be this difficult," you've told yourself a thousand times this year. "There has to be an easier way."
In most cases, there probably is. But rushing through the days and weeks trying to keep a business afloat robs most of us of the time we need to find that better way. Sometimes it feels faster and, strangely, even more efficient to bump along in a familiar rut than to stop and find a smoother route.
Hiring is always a headache, you think, but what the heck; you do it so rarely, it's not worth your time to try to find a better way.
Sure, it would be great to set up a teleconference instead of sending a trusted employee out on the road at the last minute--again--but who has the time to research new technology?
And you don't even want to think about those stacks of paper threatening to take over your desk. A little clutter never killed anybody, you rationalize.
Not directly, no. But clutter--whether it's physical, such as stacks of unanswered phone messages, or mental, like the thousands of small anxieties that distract you from thinking strategically about your business--can be hazardous to your company's health.
Like the secret shortcut that lets you breeze past a clog on the expressway and gets you where you're going, business shortcuts can provide an invaluable boost to the mileage you squeeze out of your days. Here, then, is a guide to some of the most effective shortcuts every entrepreneur should know about. These 15 tips represent the best advice of organization and efficiency experts, small-business management professors and entrepreneurs themselves.
Dennis Rodkin is a freelance writer who lives in Highland Park, Illinois.
Can You Manage?
1. Categorize your days. Ann Dugan, director of the Small Business Development Center at the University of Pittsburgh's Katz Graduate School of Business, understands how days seem to just slip away. She also knows how small obstacles can obscure the path of a successful, thriving business. So she advises that you set them all aside.
"Name some days `strategy days' and others `detail days,' and don't let one get mixed in with the other," Dugan says. "You can't put off doing detail work forever, but you can at least say this is not the day for details but for `big picture' items, things that move the business forward." Color-code your calendar or daily planner accordingly.
2. Go sideways. Rather than letting incoming correspondence, files and other to-do items pile up, devise a system for laying them out side-by-side. "When you pile papers up horizontally, you've created a paper graveyard," says Elaine Bloom, a professional organizer and owner of Maplewood, New Jersey-based A Place For Everything. "You can never find anything, and the one thing you want is inevitably at the bottom. You thumb through the pile looking for it, and the whole stack falls over."
Bloom recommends a change of direction. Get a wire rack, a cardboard accordion file or a wooden box with slots--anything that makes it possible to line up the papers. That way, you can see everything and pick out what you need when you need it, she explains. An additional advantage: no more forgetting about the items that are perpetually trapped in the middle of the pile. With everything visible, nothing can be forgotten for long.
3. Write a book. Remember that phone number you wrote down six weeks ago? Now you need it. Any chance you'll find it within the hour? If not, try keeping all your random notes in one place. Bloom's recommendation: Get a spiral notebook to use as a scrapbook. Put those phone numbers, dimensions and preferred typefaces in there for safekeeping. Novelists and other creative writers often use this method for storing observations, descriptions and other spontaneous material they want to retrieve later.
And if your work keeps you near the computer all day, don't plaster it with Post-it notes. Start an on-screen junk file where you can keep track of all those loose ends. "When everything is in one place, you know where to start looking," Bloom says.
4. The one-person meeting. If there are things you have to do but aren't finding time for, move them from the perpetual to-do list into their own reserved block of time on the calendar. "Somehow, putting those things on the calendar makes you think you have to do them at those times," Bloom says. And don't ignore the importance of these one-person meetings. Just because you're not meeting with anyone else, that's no reason to ignore or postpone these scheduled tasks.
5. Take on multiple identities. It took just a few years for e-mail, that great time-saving innovation, to create a whole new list of irritations for entrepreneurs. "Just scrolling through all the unwanted messages that come in [can consume so much time]," Bloom notes. She advises setting up several screen names--for example, one for queries from clients, another for messages from employees and a third for e-mail to and from outside contractors or suppliers.
Hire Power
6. Three points for showing up on time. Dugan says most entrepreneurs dread interviewing job candidates. Here are her tips for smoothing the process, from writing a classified ad to interviewing candidates:
- Write an ad that explicitly states what qualities or skills the successful candidate must have. List five or six key points--fewer, and you're casting your net too broadly; more, and you're being too restrictive.
"Ask yourself whether people who read the ad will really see what you're looking for," Dugan says. Vague terms such as "management experience required" may not say as much as particulars like "position requires five years or more of experience supervising a staff of at least 10 people."
It's likely you'll find at least a handful of candidates who took the time to read your ad before dropping their resumes in the mail. Among those, don't even bother to read names, addresses and other irrelevant information. "Just score them for how many of your top five skills they have," Dugan says. If too many people survive this round, trim your list of traits to the top three and see how many candidates are still in the running.
"If the resumes you get [aren't from] the kind of people you want, look back at your ad and decide whether you need to rewrite it," Dugan says.
- Before you start interviewing, make a list of 10 or so questions that will help you evaluate candidates. Be specific, and applicants' answers are likely to be specific, too. Ask everyone the same questions, and score their responses as your gut feelings dictate.
- Above all, Dugan says, remember that the interview is about finding out about the candidate, not publicizing your business. "What often happens when small-business owners interview is they get nervous about asking questions, so they spend 45 minutes talking about themselves," she says. They pay for it later when they discover they didn't hear much about the candidates and have little to go on when making a decision.
Staff Savvy
7. Magic mirror. Want to improve your customer service skills? The quickest way to train yourself and your employees to adopt a friendly demeanor during calls is to put a mirror next to the phone, says Richard Chase, professor of operations management at the University of Southern California's (USC) Marshall School of Business in Los Angeles. "[If you're] looking at yourself in the mirror," he says, "you're not going to frown or scowl."
8. No joke, it's poka-yoke. Chase is a proponent of the Japanese method of designing work sets and kits to reduce the potential for error. For example, if assembly of a certain component requires four screws, compiling sets of four screws in advance saves time and reduces the likelihood of one component getting only three screws.
Can you find a poka-yoke solution to rid your business of mistakes? Maybe it's creating sales kits so salespeople don't have to collect the items they need each time they want to send information to potential customers. Or in a packing/shipping company, Chase notes, it might mean putting a box, tape and packing material together in a kit. "Anything you can do to keep employees from having to root around in one bin and then another is going to save time," he says.
For situations where kits don't apply--such as asking someone to clean up a stockroom--Chase suggests offering a photograph that shows the person the solution as it was reached before. "This is an old trick for getting your kids to clean up their rooms the right way," Chase says.
9. Get the message. When Shel Lustig and his two partners moved their Chicago radio-production company, MediaTracks, into a new suite of offices last year, one of the most important decisions they faced was what kind of phone system to purchase. "We had to have something where, if a message came in to me but it ought to have gone to one of my partners, I could forward it directly to that person," Lustig says.
It's a simple feature called message forwarding, a service that's available from your local phone company. Lustig says his firm relies on it. "The information conveyed is 100 percent accurate, so you save all the time you used to lose on confusion and mistakes," he says.
10. Start a commune. You have a file on XYZ vendor, and so do three other people on your staff. Eliminate duplication and the risk of errors, and make all the information available to everybody at once by starting a communal filing system. There should be a main file on each vendor, major order or other ongoing issue, so anyone who needs to check on it can do so whenever necessary. Each file should be kept in the appropriate person's office--the person who refers to the file most often; other employees should have access to it as needed.
11. Keep it brief. "Any time there's something people ought to know, I'll pull everybody together for a three- to five-minute meeting," says Jeannie Miller, president of Canton, Ohio-based mail order retailer Kids Stuff Inc. "That way, we know everybody's on the same page right from the start. There's no `Gee, I thought Bill would tell you.' We save a lot of time [by not having to] write and pass out memos."
Hit The Road, Jack
12. Tools that float. When any of the 70-plus Kids Stuff employees have to go out on the road, they first dip into the office pool of cell phones and laptop computers. Portable office equipment that's available for any traveler saves time for both the road warrior and the home office, Miller says. "They can make the calls they need to while on the run or log in from a hotel room--whatever they need to do," she says. "Those of us back here who need to reach them or get something to them can get it done without a lot of crossed wires."
13. Stay home. A client in Cleveland calls with some new worries, and you instantly dispatch a trusted employee to get out to Ohio and put out that fire. But could you have done it sitting in your office? "There's a knee-jerk reaction to put people on a plane and send them here or there without asking yourself if the trip was necessary," Dugan says. "There's so much technology available now, you can probably do just as much for the client with a teleconference, and you keep from wearing out your staff by not putting them on planes all the time."
Personal meetings may be important, but many businesses seem to be cutting back on them, using sophisticated communications equipment instead. A recent survey of businesses by the National Business Travel Association found that 54 percent of respondents reduced the number of trips their employees make, while 52 percent now rely on videoconferencing, and 35 percent use teleconferencing.
14. Smooth flying. Everybody knows the worst part of business travel is spending time in airports, the great black holes where productivity is concerned. USC's Chase urges anyone who travels for business to become "a self-contained unit, as decoupled from the airline and the airport as possible." This goes beyond traveling with only carry-on luggage, he says, to bringing along a snack or a bottle of water and knowing your gate number before you enter the airport.
The National Business Travel Association takes it one step further by recommending you keep a log of flight numbers, airline customer-service phone numbers and car-rental confirmation numbers. This helps if reservations get lost or computers go down.
15. Finally, take a vacation seriously. There's nothing worse for peace of mind than scheduling family time, a special trip or simply a day of nothing and having phone calls from, to or about work periodically intrude. Vacation time isn't for lazy people; it's one of the best shortcuts to success. Just as athletes know their muscles need a break between workouts, you also need time to rest and rebuild. "We all need time to recharge our batteries," says the University of Pittsburgh's Dugan. "When you go back to work refreshed [from a vacation], your creative juices are flowing again, and you're more effective."
Dugan warns that free time has to be treated as sacrosanct. "Pick up the phone to answer one call, and it's no longer free time. There's a second call you have to make because of that one, and on and on it goes." Think of time off as the best time you spend on your business, Dugan says: "Downtime makes it possible to develop [new ideas] and start thinking strategically and creatively about your business again."
Contact Sources
A Place For Everything, (973) 378-9002, http://www.organizeit.com
Kids Stuff Inc., (330) 492-8090, fax: (330) 492-8290
MediaTracks, (847) 299-9500, fax: (847) 299-9501
National Business Travel Association, (703) 684-0836, http://www.nbta.org


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June 12, 2002 - NPCA: Zoo Fest at the National Zoo on June 22
Peace Corps Online
Peace Corps News
Peace Corps Headlines - 2002
06 June 2002 Peace Corps Headlines
: June 12, 2002 - NPCA: Zoo Fest at the National Zoo on June 22
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Wednesday, June 12, 2002 - 7:55 pm
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Zoo Fest at the National Zoo on June 22
Read and comment on this Press Release from the NPCA on the Zoo Fest on June 22 as part of the Peace Corps 40th plus one at:
Zoo Fest at the National Zoo
This link was active on the date it was posted. PCOL is not responsible for broken links which may have changed.
Zoo Fest at the National Zoo
Zoo Fest Saturday, June 22, 9AM - 5PM at the National Zoo
Zoo Fest will celebrate 40+1 years of the Peace Corps through world music, dance and film, as well raise public awareness of environmental conservation issues by highlighting what Peace Corps Alumni are doing to help the environment.
Zoo Fest will begin at 9am with a Film Fest at the Zoo Auditorium featuring films made by former Peace Corps volunteers. The films, which focus on various Peace Corps countries, will run from opening till close offering some respite from DC's summer heat and humidity. Also presented at this venue is a special workshop on global warming entitled "Peace Corps and Global Warming: The 21st Century Challenge." Click on Film Fest for full details.
The Zoo Fest Stage 11AM - 3PM located at the bottom of the hill After you've passed the lions and tigers and bears, head to the bottom of the hill for world music and dance. Performing arts from our countries of service will be presented from 11am until 3pm. RPCVs and their families and friends will gather on a large grassy knoll to enjoy a visual and auditory journey around the globe. Information exhibits will present materials and displays on environmental issues. Pre-purchased lunches will be served at noon beside the stage.
Senior producer of "The World" on PRI, MARCO WERMAN (Togo) will host the Zoo Stage. He has worked as a correspondent in Burkina Faso, Italy and the UK. With his expertise in world music, Marco is bound to engage our international cast in some lively chats. An exciting line-up is scheduled featuring Cheres Ukrainian Folk Ensemble, Patrick De Santos and Richard Miller, singer-songwriter Tony Doggett, the Silk Road Dance Company, Bharata Natyam dancer Asha Bala, and Persian percussion masters of the Chakavak Ensemble.
From the Carpathian Mountains comes CHERES, a rousing ensemble of masters on clarinet, violin, tsymbaly (hammered dulcimer), bass, and other wind instruments including the ancient trembita (a 12-foot-long shepherd's pipe). While their repertoire includes folk music from throughout the Balkan region, Musical director Andriy Milavsky and his ensemble are considered the best purveyors of authentic Ukrainian folk music in the U.S. today.
Cape Verde vocalist PATRICK DE SANTOS and Brazilian guitarist RICHARD MILLER blend cultural influences and styles from the sources of Bossa Nova, Samba, Choro, Jazz, R&B, Salsa and African music with an eclectic repertoire that exploits an endless variety of timbre and nuance. Fans of Afro-Cuban and Brazilian music will not want to miss this intoxicating performance!
Foreign Service Officer by day, singer-songwriter by night, TONY DOGGETT's witty renditions are inspired by life in the Third World. He will perform songs from his album "Please Don't Send Me To Zaire" which includes ballads written during his career in Africa.
THE SILK ROAD DANCE COMPANY features vibrant performers presenting sumptuous dance forms from countries along the Silk Road, including Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. The company is led by Artistic Director Laurel Victoria Gray who is an internationally acclaimed dancer, scholar and choreographer.
Among India's most accomplished dancers of Bharata Natyam, ASHA BALA will captivate the audience with this ancient art form once used as offerings to the deities of Hindu temples. This is a stunning visual display of intricate gesture and facial expression.
Dating back to the 5th Century B.C, Persian classical music has been used in prayer, royal festivities, ceremonies and war. With Ali Analouei as conductor, the masters of percussion from THE CHAKAVAK ENSEMBLE will present the rich structure and colorful rhythms of Iranian classical music.
A special guest will roll into Zoo Fest around lunchtime after completing a cross-country bike ride all the way across the United States. STEPHANI PALAU (St. Lucia '97-'99 & Ecuador '99 - '01) will tell us about her 114-day journey. Stephanie began her Third Goal Bicycle Tour of over 5,000 miles on March 1 (Peace Corps Day) in San Diego's Balboa Park and will finally cross the finish line at Zoo Fest.
In the event of rain, we will gather in the Zoo Auditorium located near the entrance for films and world music.
Co-sponsoring organizations of Zoo Fest include the World Resources Institute (WRI), Returned Peace Corps Volunteers for the Environment and Development (RPCVED), Green Star, Washington Parks & People, Girl Scouts of America, and the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA). Information booths and displays will highlight efforts being made to save the environment.
To Volunteer for Zoo Fest, contact Lisa Martin, Events Chair, by email or at 202.944.8459.
How to get to the Zoo
The National Zoo is in northwest Washington, D.C., in the midst of quiet residential neighborhoods. There are several way to get to the National Zoo. The Zoo's mailing address is 3001 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C., and there are pedestrian and vehicle entrances here, at the west side of the Zoo.
There are two entrances for pedestrians and vehicles at the east side of the Zoo, near Rock Creek. One is off of Rock Creek Parkway, the other is at Harvard Street and Adams Mill Road.
The Zoo is just a few minutes by public transportation or car from the Capitol, the White House, and the Smithsonian museums on the Mall.
To get to the Zoo by public transportation:
* By Metrorail (Click for more information.):
Take the Red Line to the Woodley Park/Zoo/Adams-Morgan stop or the Cleveland Park stop; the Zoo entrance lies half-way between these stops, and both are a short walk from the Zoo.
Tip: It's an uphill walk from Woodley Park to the Zoo, and level one from Cleveland Park. We suggest you arrive at Cleveland Park and leave at either stop.
* Metrobus:
Lines L1 and L2 stop at the Zoo's Connecticut Avenue entrance.
H2, H3 and H4 stop at the Zoo's Harvard Street entrance.
(See the bus routes and schedules.)
Mount Pleasant - Adams Morgan Line, Routes H5, H7
These routes were extended in order to improve access between Mount Pleasant and Adams Morgan and the Cleveland Park Metro Station and a portion of Connecticut Avenue.
Route H5 operates in a clockwise loop starting at the Columbia Heights Metro Station on Irving Street N.W. and operate via 14th Street, Columbia Road, Calvert Street, 24th Street, Connecticut Avenue, Porter Street, Klingle Road, Park Road, Mount Pleasant Street, and Irving Street back to the Columbia Heights Station.
Route H7 operates in a counterclockwise direction starting at the Columbia Heights Station on Irving Street and operate via 14th Street, Columbia Road, Harvard Street (around the park at 16th Street and Columbia Road), Mount Pleasant Street, Park Road, Klingle Road, Porter Street, Connecticut Avenue, Calvert Street, Columbia Road, Harvard Street (around the same park), Mount Pleasant Street, and Irving Street back to the Columbia Heights Station.
To get to the Zoo by car:
Enter the Zoo from Connecticut Avenue, Harvard Street, or Rock Creek Parkway. Remember, parking in the Zoo and nearby is limited, so we encourage you to use public transportation if possible.
By Car from Virginia via:
* Route I-66
* Route 50
By Car from Maryland via:
* Route 50
* Route 5
* Route 4
* Route I-81 & I-270
* From BWI Airport via BW Parkway
Zoo parking costs $5 for the first 3 hours, plus $2 each additional hour up to a total of $11 per day, but is free for FONZ members. Lots fill early in the day during the summer, so plan to arrive by 9:30 (animals are more active early in the day anyway), or take the Metro.
Tour bus parking is extremely limited, and can be guaranteed only to groups that book one of our Group Safari Packages. Tour buses may not drop off passengers on Connecticut Avenue. This is both unsafe and illegal.
Go to the National Zoo Page for more detailed information.
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The research of Quincy High School seniors Peter Giunta and Eoin Moriarty snagged them a Team Honorable Mention at the 63rd Massachusetts High School Science & Engineering Fair at MIT in May. More importantly, the pair's project shed light on an interesting question: Is the consumption of probiotics through yogurt or pills really beneficial to digestive health? Read all about their project and the hands-on work that they did in order to reach their conclusion.
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NEW YORK, N.Y. - American International Group Inc. says its board of directors will weigh whether to take part or try to block a shareholder lawsuit against the U.S. over the government's $182 billion bailout of the insurer.
AIG said that its directors will take up the matter on Wednesday and expects they will have a decision by the end of the month.
Starr International Co. Inc., the investment firm of ex-AIG CEO Maurice Greenberg, filed the lawsuit on behalf of the firm and AIG shareholders.
The complaint asserts that the government didn't provide shareholders just compensation when it took a nearly 80 per cent stake in the insurer as part of its 2008 bailout.
AIG's board must consider whether to take over the lawsuit or allow Starr to continue to pursue the complaint.


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ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2004 Quantitative Analysis Worksheet
This worksheet aggregates the results of building energy simulations used in support of the U.S. Department of Energy's determination regarding whether ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2004 will improve energy efficiency in commercial buildings. This determination is required by Section 304 of the Energy Conservation and Production Act.
Publication Date:
Wednesday, March 17, 2010


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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Supporters of licensing illegal immigrants to drive say it would make Illinois roads safer with trained motorists required to carry insurance.
The Senate Executive Committee voted 12-2 Thursday to advance the plan for some of the 250,000 people living in Illinois illegally.
Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran told the committee unlicensed and uninsured illegal immigrants cause $64 million in damage claims each year, a cost covered by insured motorists' premiums.
Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno of Lemont says the plan is a good example of state law filling in where the federal government has failed to act.
The legislation's sponsor is Senate President John Cullerton. The Chicago Democrat says the licenses would be good for three years.
(TM and © Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


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Original Trinity Hymnal, #178
O sacred Head, now wounded,
With grief and shame weighed down;
Now scornfully surrounded
With thorns, thine only crown;
O sacred Head, what glory,
What bliss till now was thine!
Yet, though despised and gory,
I joy to call thee mine.
What thou, my Lord, hast suffered
Was all for sinners' gain:
Mine, mine was the transgression,
But thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Saviour!
'Tis I deserve thy place;
Look on me with thy favor,
Vouchsafe to me thy grace.
What language shall I borrow
To thank thee, dearest Friend,
For this thy dying sorrow,
Thy pity without end?
O make me thine for ever;
And should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never
Outlive my love to thee.
Be near when I am dying,
O show thy cross to me;
And for my succor flying,
Come, Lord, to set me free:
These eyes, new faith receiving,
From Jesus shall not move;
For he who dies believing,
Dies safely, through thy love.
Page number: Blue 178, Right-Click Here to Download MIDI File
|© 2020 The Orthodox Presbyterian Church
Chaplains and Military Personnel


text: Some methods of protecting your system while surfing the web. By Dick Hillenbrand Most of us use PCs with Microsoft operating systems and this discussion shall target this group only. I know practically nothing about Apple Macintosh nor Linux nor UNIX operating systems. If you surf the Internet and use email you are very aware of the huge amounts of SPAM that show up in your inbox. Some of the things discussed below will probably help lower the amounts of SPAM that you receive but better than that these things will eliminate many of the behind the scenes things that are going on within your system that you may not be aware of. If your system has been online for a while I will guarantee that you have many SPYWARE programs operating on your machine. Some of these are small utilities that just monitor your surfing habits to target advertisers' assaults; however some of these little programs are much more vicious and can monitor all of your actual keystrokes which would give people access to your passwords, credit card numbers, and actual messages. If you were caught up in the free music craze or file swapping from NAPSTER, or LIMEWIRE, or KAZAA, or any one of several Peer to Peer (P2P) online systems you will absolutely be loaded with adware, spyware, and possibly some really really bad little deamons. It seemed like a great idea at the time. The idea that there was no way that you could be caught (hah) was very attractive to many and I will admit that I did try it for a while and totally stopped when the good little devil on my right shoulder beat out the bad little one on the left. Many people that were big time users of this feature are now being arrested, fined or perhaps even prison terms are in the offing for some. It is not worth it and you automatically opened up your computer for the whole world to use if they knew how. I will describe below some of the ways that you can clean your system up after using any of these networks. There are some general rules that I follow and would urge everyone else to do so also, such as NEVER open any attachments unless you ABSOLUTELY know what it is and who it is from and that you are expecting it. Even then you should save the file to a folder and then scan it with your anti-virus program before opening it. NEVER click on a popup ad! It will perhaps fulfill your curiosity or provide you with a (good?) deal on a specific item, however it very likely will plant a cookie on your system that might be benign or it might be very malicious. If the item interests you enough you would be better off to search Google or some other search engine for a similar item than to click on a popup ad. If you have been online for several months or even years without attempting to clean out your system then probably your machine is running noticeably slower and strange things happen at odd times. Sometimes your machine may take an unusually long time to open a file or program, sometimes even the characters on the screen will seem to appear slowly, sometimes the machine will just hang and sometimes it will just turn off for no apparent reason. Here are some of the things that you might try to help get your ship in order. First; get an anti-virus program that is currently up to date and run it often. Mine is set to run automatically every day. I have had some vicious bugs over the years. One of them actually stopped me from accessing any part of the Internet. The anti virus program I was using could not be updated and I actually ended up getting a new computer and starting all over. Funny thing I tried that machine again recently and it was able to access the web, so I downloaded the updates and I did get it cleaned up. Perhaps the virus or worm that was causing the original problem had a time out feature built in but in any case I was able to salvage it and now it is one of my networked machines again. You can purchase many excellent anti-virus programs such as NORTON, McAFEE and many others, however you may also go on-line and download some very good free programs that will do the job and can be updated. You might have to put up with some banner ads but the program use is free. You might want to try AVG from http://www.grisoft.com or HOUSECALL from http://housecall.trendmicro.com which is a free service where their computer will hook up to yours and scan your machine for you. This is a way to be sure that you have the very latest data base of known varmints. Second: Use a FIREWALL. A FIREWALL is a utility that you can download and install which will help to monitor and reject randomly automated or direct attacks on your system. While you are online many ports are normally open to hackers. A FIREWALL closes these ports and may be able to be configured to notify you when there are attacks. The one that I use is called ZONE ALARM PRO, however a free version may be obtained from http://www.zonelabs.com , and another very good free one is available from http://www.sygate.com . There are others but either one of these should help you immensely. Third: Use a program that monitors and blocks and removes bad cookies and registry code that allows others the information from your web surfing habits. I loaded and ran a program called PEST PATROL and it found several hundred known or suspected adware, spyware utilities and cookies that most likely were troublesome or malicious. There is a way to sort through them and keep the ones you want but you would have to know a lot more about computers than I do to decide which is which, so I just deleted them all to no apparent deleterious effect, and lo and behold I got my old high speed system back! These cookies are planted on your machine to legitimately enable the website provider to gain statistical data for their own business use and calculations and to allow you to access the site quicker the next time you visit. They also can be used nefariously by hackers and certain advertisers that might want to send you a lot of SPAM or annoying pop-up or pop-under ads. You can set your own Internet Security Options to not accept cookies but then you will not be able to view some website content. I prefer to set my options to Medium and use PEST PATROL often to clean out the suspected culprits. Fourth: (and optional,) you might be so disgusted with SPAM that you are ready for the brute force method of using a full blown SPAM eliminator program. For what it is worth I tried a couple and they were more trouble than they were worth, but I will explain some parts here for your own edification. www.spamarrest.com is a good program and actually receives your spam for you, however I found that I was missing mail that I wanted to receive as well as many of the subscription services that I receive on a daily basis. Another is Coffee Cup Spam Blocker available at http://www.tucows.com/ . This is one that I have not tried but is the highest rated one at my favorite shareware download site www.tucows.com . I have been using many utilities and programs from this site and find that they have all been tested and there are usually review comments. I also have never received any viruses from anything that I have downloaded here, or not that I know of that is. \grin./ The latest method that I now use is to almost NEVER use Internet Explorer. I have installed three other free browsers that I use almost excluively. One is called OPERA, a free download available at http://www.opera.com , another is NETSCAPE available at http://browser.netscape.com/ns8/ , and my favorite is Mozilla's FIREFOX downloadable at http://www.mozilla.org . I am not one of theses know-it-alls that bashes MICROSOFT, as a matter of fact I love MICROSOFT, this is still a marvelous world that they have helped create and where would we be without the Internet? It is just that the bastards that write all of the malicious code target MS just because they can. So far there are very few attacks against the browsers I mentioned above. You may find some webpages that you might not be able to read ALL of the information on or use all of the bells and whistles that particular site might offer, but you have to ask yourself, "Is it really worth it, punk" \g/ to use IE? The end result is that if you want to use this magical thing called the Internet, you will have to put up with the nuisances involved but you can fight back and protect yourself "somewhat" by using these methods. Good luck and happy surfing.


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FYJC admissions 2019 Admission process Starts 19 June
FYJC admissions 2019 Admission process Starts 19 June
The online admission process for the first year junior colleges will begin Wednesday. The admission process will be concluded on August 3 with the special round.
The zero Round for admission to Arts, Commerce, Science streams, Bifocal subject and HSVC streams begins on June 19, 2019 and ends on June 23, 2019. In this round, candidates who have not filled Part I and Part II of the admission forms will fill both Part I and Part II and those who have filled Part I will fill Part II.
For Arts, Commerce and Science streams, candidates can apply between June 19 to June 29, up to 5 pm. The merit list for quota admissions will be declared at college level and colleges will upload the quota admission from time to time. The merit list for bifocal subject will be displayed on June 25, 2019 at 6 pm. Online admissions for Bifocal merit list are open from 11 am to 5 pm on June 26,2019 and June 27, 2019. If there are any corrections in the general merit list, they will be displayed at 11 am on July 1,2019. Corrections can be submitted to Deputy Director of Education between 10 am and 5 pm on July 2, 2019 and July 3, 2019.
The first general merit list will be displayed at 6 pm on July 6, 2019. General admissions for online merit list will be done between 11 am and 5 pm on July 8 and July 9, and from 11 am to 3 pm on July 10. The vacancy list and cut off of the first merit list will be published on the website at 7 pm on July 10, 2019. The process of filling Part-I and Part-II of admission forms and editing Part-II can be completed between 11 am to 5 pm on July 11 and July 12.
The second merit list will be displayed at 6 pm on July 15, 2019. Students can take admission for the general merit list on July 16 and July 11 (between 11 am and 5 pm) and on July 17 (between 11 am to 3 pm). The vacancy list will be published on the website at 7 pm on July 18, 2019. Students can fill Part-I and Part-II of the admission forms and edit Part-II on July 19 and July 20 between 11 am and 5 pm.
The third merit list will be published on July 23, 2019 at 6 pm. Students who wish to take admission through the third general merit list can do so between 11 am to 5 pm on July 24 and July 25. Admission can also be taken on July 26 between 11 am and 3 pm. The vacant seats and cut-off for the special round will be published on July 26, 2019 at 7 pm. Students can fill both the admission forms and edit Part-II on July 27 and July 29 between 11 am to 5 pm.
For more information visit : https://mumbai.11thadmission.net/


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Gun Control Solution To Border Violence?
Members of Congress may be alarmed by the surge in Mexican drug violence and its potential to spill across the border, but they grow silent when the talk turns to gun control as a solution.
With related kidnappings and killings occurring in the U.S., the White House announced Tuesday plans to shift dozens of enforcement agents and step up gun and drug smuggling prosecutions in the fight against Mexican drug cartels.
Yet when Attorney General Eric Holder suggested last month reinstituting a U.S. ban on the sale of certain semiautomatic weapons, many lawmakers balked. The 1994 ban expired after 10 years.
"The Second Amendment Task Force opposes the discussed ban and will fight any attempts that infringe on our Second Amendment rights," said Rep. Paul Broun, R-Ga., a chairman of the group. Six Democrats and six Republicans co-signed his statement.
Mexico's drug violence has killed more than 9,000 people since President Felipe Calderon took office in December 2006 as gangs battle each other for territory and fight off a government crackdown.
Underscoring the Obama administration's concern over the violence and the potential for a large-scale spillover into the United States, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will travel to Mexico on Wednesday to show support for its crackdown on drug cartels.
Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, said the administration's plan would be inadequate if it does not enact new gun restrictions.
"The problem that is occurring in Mexico is one we are contributing to. It is one our weak gun laws are contributing to," Helmke said.
Mexico has long tried to get the United States to curtail the number of guns - many purchased legally - that wind up south of the border, where gun laws are much stricter. The State Department says firearms obtained in the U.S. account for an estimated 95 percent of Mexico's drug-related killings.
"If President Calderon's policies to roll back organized crime are to be successful, we need to defang the power of the drug syndicates to inflict damage upon our state, local and police forces," Arturo Sarukhan, the Mexican ambassador to the United States, said in January. "The best way we can do that is for a real ratcheting up of the United States' capabilities of shutting down the flow of weapons."
That may prove tough to do.
After opposition from the National Rifle Association, 22 Democrats joined Republicans in a Senate vote this month to negate the District of Columbia's tough gun registration requirements and overturn its ban on rapid-fire semiautomatic weapons. More than 80 House Democrats backed a similar measure last year.
The gun lobby has raised more than $20 million for political candidates since the 1990 election cycle, with about 85 percent going to Republicans. That ranks 68th among about 80 industry groups tracked by the OpenSecrets.org campaign finance watchdog.
When border violence comes up in hearings, lawmakers say they don't see a need for new gun laws.
"I don't think the solution to Mexico's problems is to limit Second Amendment gun rights in this country," said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, chairman of the Senate GOP's election committee. "What we can do is help our Mexican friends enforce their own laws."
For his part, Obama has signaled a willingness to tighten restrictions on guns, calling the flow of drug money and guns "a two-way situation." Yet 65 Democrats said in a letter to Holder that they would oppose any attempt by the administration to revive a ban on military-style weapons.
Congress did provide $45 million this year for Project Gunrunner, a federal program aimed at curbing the flow of guns. Rep. Ciro Rodriguez, a Texas Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, said he will seek another $30 million over two years for the program and $30 million more to fund efforts by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to crack down on gun trafficking.


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MONTREAL - If you had the chance to dine in restaurants 30 years ago, you might have been lucky enough to enjoy dishes like crêpes Suzette, sole meunière and a proper Châteaubriand. A gourmet dinner back then was a formal affair: linens were starched, presentations were elaborate, menus were multi-coursed, and wines were old and French. It would be difficult — no, make that impossible — to imagine pop music playing in the background or a baseball cap in sight. Clients were dressed to the nines.
I remember those days well: the pomp, the posture, the sensuality of each bisque- and truffle-laden bite. But lately I've been questioning whether the elaborate French cuisine of yesteryear would hold up today. I'm not talking presentation so much as taste, which begs the question: Can deliciousness be dated?
There is a wonderful documentary, produced by the National Film Board in 1976, titled The Art of Eating that captured the "foodie" landscape at the time. A mere 10 minutes in length, the film depicts a gourmet meal prepared by chef Marcel Kretz at La Sapinière for the oldest gastronomic society in Quebec, Le Club Prosper Montagné.
At the time, Kretz was Quebec's leading chef and La Sapinière was Quebec's foodie mecca. The dinner was a men-only affair, where black tie was de rigueur. A Champagne tasting and canapés topped with foie gras, salmon and caviar kicked off the meal, followed by a puff-pastry-crowned soup made with a little-known herb at the time, chervil. The soup was served with sherry (a wine rarely seen on tasting menus today), and the fish course, a striped bass à la Bercy, was paired with a Puligny-Montrachet, a white Burgundy we would also rarely see on a tasting menu now, if only because it is so pricey.
The rules of the gastronomic dinner were strict back then: no flowers on the table, no scented candles, no water served until the salad course, no bread except with the cheese course, and never salt and pepper on the table. White-gloved waiters served plates in unison and poured rare Bordeaux and Burgundy. Presentations were sumptuous, as in whole fish en "belle-vue" and mallard supremes served on silver platters surrounded by duck heads as garnish. The main course was a stuffed rack of young goat (no doubt an avant-garde choice for the times) served with roasted tomatoes and "duchesse" potatoes piped around the perimeter of the serving platter. The idea of plating food would only come into vogue a decade later.
"Some people might believe that what we are doing tonight is elitist or decadent," commented the late Montreal gastronome Gérard Délage, founder of L'Association des hôteliers de la province de Québec, in the film. "If it was our daily routine, they would be right. But we meet only twice a year. Should we stop? Is that what people who support the arts do? Stop buying paintings, stop going to concerts?"
The meal concluded with a lamb's lettuce salad picked from the chef's garden, a cheese course served with a magnificent Chambertin 1964, and a tower of "bluets des Laurentides dans leur eau-de-vie" served in carved melon halves. "Because eating is something you do every day, some people have difficulty believing eating can be an art. We definitely don't," Délage said before lighting a cigarette, throwing back a bit of eau-de-vie and calling it a night.
Around 40 years later, few of these customs hold true. In contrast to Délage's world, today's fine-dining scene is far more democratic, with its blackboard menus, non-existent dress codes, bare tables, groovy soundtracks, T-shirt-sporting chefs and an ever-increasing rank of female sommeliers.
Food bloggers write about restaurants 15 minutes after their opening, wine snobs turn up their noses at Bordeaux in favour of "vins nature," and star chefs hold symposiums to explore ways to feed not only their elite customers, but the planet. I wonder what Délage would think of the fact that you can purchase foie gras-topped poutine from a food truck?
Cooking techniques have been refined and redefined, with food chemistry now playing a large role in the way chefs cook. From Japanese knives to immersion circulators, today's equipment is state of the art. And though the emphasis is on local ingredients, we have access to foodstuffs from the world over. Cuisine has broadened beyond country-specific styles to include dishes based not on the French, Italian or Asian canon, but often solely on the vision of the chef. I'm sure the art-loving Délage would have admired that greatly.
And yet, all of those elements are perhaps superfluous to what counts most: the actual food and wine. How does today's cuisine rank with that of the past? I was lucky enough to recently put these questions to the test.
On Nov. 1, the Jewish General Hospital held a fundraising dinner for Alzheimer's research. The theme was Babette's Feast, and chefs Eric Gonzalez and Olivier Potier were enlisted to recreate the famous dinner from that magical Danish/French movie.
As foodies and cinephiles well know, Babette's Feast is based on a story by Isak Dinesen, telling the tale of Babette, a Parisian political refugee who seeks shelter in a bleak Danish coastal town. Unknown to Philippa and Martina, the elderly daughters of the town's long-dead minister who take her in, Babette is a famous female chef. When Babette discovers that she has won 10,000 francs in the lottery, she asks the sisters if she can prepare a "real French dinner" to show her appreciation and celebrate their founding pastor's 100th birthday.
The feast she prepares, complete with caviar, foie gras, truffles and exotic fruit, is paired with great wines like Veuve Clicquot and Clos de Vougeot. The food scenes in the movie are captivating, for indeed this is the ne-plus-ultra of 19th-century French gastronomy.
Beginning with a bowl of turtle soup, the meal carries on with a caviar-topped "blini Demidoff," puff-pastry-wrapped quails "en sarcophage," and a rum-laced baba decorated with glacéed fruits for dessert. I won't provide too many spoilers, but let's just say the meal goes over big with this pious crowd. Watching the faces of the actors lapping up the food and wine in the movie, I saw the same expressions on the faces of the men at the Prosper Montagné: Bliss!
No doubt the meal was magnificent, but would Babette's Feast still impress in 2013? For many, yes, and yet for the blasé foodie crowd, alas, no. Today, blinis with caviar can be found on most every canapé table. That said, no one would have the budget to pile it on in the quantities Babette did, and as there is so little sturgeon roe available, chances are it would be farmed. As for the turtle soup? Illegal!
The quail served with puff pastry and stuffed with foie gras was certainly delicious. But at his restaurant (L'Auberge Saint-Gabriel), chef Gonzalez would probably take it 10 steps further than Babette by boning the bird, adding a foie gras espuma and boosting the vegetable presence, twirling it into the most lavish of presentations.
Was there anywhere in this meal where the older style would have trumped the new? Yes: dessert. Though pastry chef Potier presented a sharp variation on Babette's classic baba au rhum, his served with pineapple and topped with a coconut meringue, this minimalist take was no match for the elegant gateau in the movie. Worse, once dessert was barely over, the crowds (like at many charity events) made haste to the exit. Not one diner at my table opted for the final glass of Hennessy cognac, and few even finished the dessert's accompanying glass of Sauternes. Blasphemy!
Without a doubt, we are eating better today. And yet the civility, the tranquil pleasure, that "art of eating" behind fine dining are all but extinct. The food from Babette's Feast was indeed recreated, but I'm not convinced the outcome was as much blissful as blasé.
Twitter: LesleyChestrman


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It's one of those valuable life assets you cannot buy with money, garner through talent or earn with hard work. Perspective comes with time and reflection as you consider successes, trails, mistakes, failures and circumstances.
It's been almost 10 years since I left my career in the Air Force and started a new one as a designer. My jump into design was more out of necessity than any grand scheme. I had no formal design training, but was fortunate enough to work with designers and creative professionals during my last five years in the Air Force. Of course, working with pilots didn't make me one either, but design was a world I gravitated toward and seemed to have some natural talent.
If the young, talented and quite brilliant designers and developers of today had been around at that time, I probably would have been too intimidated to try my hand at design. But back then, everyone was new to the web design field and the bar for excellence wasn't terribly high. Plus, there was a prevalent idea that design could change the world. It is from this mindset that I wrote all the posts previous to this one. And though I've moved on from much of my idealistic thinking about design, I leave them for you to read as you take your own journey.
Three years have passed since I last wrote in this journal. This long sabbatical has afforded me time to acquire a little perspective. I hope to share thoughts, ideas, experiences with you that are informed out of ten years of designing communications for businesses and individuals. And I hope you'll share your perspective as well.