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WASHINGTON (CBSDC/AP) — Iran's Foreign Ministry appears to be backing President Barack Obama's pick of former Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., as secretary of defense.
Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said in an interview Tuesday that he hopes the Hagel nomination will improve relations between the United States and Tehran.
"We hope there will be practical changes in American foreign policy and that Washington becomes respectful of the rights of nations," Mehmanparast said, according to Reuters.
Hagel has previously criticized discussion of a military strike by either the U.S. or Israel against Iran and spoken of the influence of the "Jewish lobby" on Congress. He also has backed efforts to bring Iran to the table for talks on future peace in Afghanistan.
"The appointment of Chuck Hagel would be a slap in the face for every American who is concerned about the safety of Israel," said Matt Brooks, executive director of the Republican Jewish Coalition.
RELATED: Graham: Hagel Would Be 'Most Antagonistic' Defense Secretary Toward Israel In Nation's History
In comments to the Lincoln (Neb.) Journal Star, Hagel said critics have "completely distorted" his record, insisting he has backed sanctions against Iran and demonstrated total support for Israel.
The National Jewish Democratic Council issued a statement Monday saying it trusts that Hagel "will follow the president's lead of providing unrivaled support for Israel," including "leading the world against Iran's nuclear program."
President Barack Obama called Hagel "the leader our troops deserve" as he formally nominated the former Republican senator during a White House news conference Monday.
"In Chuck Hagel our troops see a decorated combat veteran of character and strength," Obama said. "They see one of their own," who will champion veterans and military families.
The former senator shares many of the same ideals of Obama's first Pentagon leader, Republican Robert Gates. When Obama became president in 2009, he asked Gates to remain as defense secretary. Both Hagel and Gates talk of the need for global answers to regional conflicts and an emphasis on so-called soft power, including economic and political aid, to bolster weak nations.
"A Hagel nomination signals an interest in, and a commitment to continuing a bipartisan approach to national security," said David Berteau, senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
He said Hagel's two terms in the Senate, before he retired in 2009, spanned the latter years of the post-Cold War military drawdown and the post-Sept. 11 buildup. "From a budget point of view he has seen both ends of the spectrum and that gives him a good perspective to start from."
Hagel's possible selection has been met with mixed reviews. Senate Armed Services Committee chairman, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., said Hagel would be "terrific."
But Republicans have said he faces tough questions, with South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham declaring Hagel would be "the most antagonistic secretary of defense towards the state of Israel in our nation's history."
Defense analyst Loren Thompson, of the Virginia-based Lexington Institute think tank, said Hagel knows the political system and is known for thinking outside the box, which would help as budget cuts move forward.
"He's a veteran who understands how Congress works and has stayed plugged in to developments in defense policy," Thompson said. "He is not tied to the status quo and will think creatively about how to manage America's military forces."
(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)


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Quash quashed: Officials must talk in razor wire case
The City of Charlottesville was nicked June 21 when it tried to keep nine city employees from testifying in the criminal case against the property owner who has razor wire strung across her property to stop Rivanna Trail hikers.
Shirley Presley's attorney, Fred Payne, issued subpoenas to 13 people, including former mayor and Rivanna Trail Foundation board member John Conover, City Manager Gary O'Connell, Deputy City Attorney Lisa Kelley, Police Chief Tim Longo, and City Councilor Kevin Lynch. Even Hook reporter Courteney Stuart, who penned several stories about the long-running drama, has been ordered to appear in court June 29.
Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Joe Platania filed a motion to quash the city employees' subpoenas, arguing that Payne would have to show that their testimony would be "material and favorable" to the defense.
"I think you need some evidence to quash," said Charlottesville General District Court Judge Bob Downer. "They need to come in and make some representation."
"Let me make it clear to Mr. Platania," said Payne, noting his 30 years experience as an attorney. "All are necessary to my defense."
Judge Downer did show some concern about Payne's subpoena of Lisa Kelley, the deputy city attorney.
"I'm not asking for privileged information," replied Payne, who said he simply wants Kelley to authenticate documents. "These are all hostile witnesses," he added.
Payne also took issue with the fact that City Manager O'Connell would be out of the country on the June 29 trial date. "We object to that," said Payne. "He's had a month's notice. That [shouldn't] deprive Mrs. Presley of her right to a fair trial.
"All they're trying to do," Payne said of city employees, "is harass this lady."
His client, Shirley Presley, who has steadfastly declined comment to reporters, appeared in court sporting a green, checked jacket and lime pants, her blonde hair in a fresh wash-and-set. She was quickly ushered out of the courtroom by Payne at the close of the hearing.
"I'm going to allow the subpoenas to go forward and deny the motion to quash," declared Downer. He added that two of those subpoenaed– Officer Jeffrey Sandridge and O'Connell– would be excused if the lawyers could agree to stipulation of the facts to which the witnesses would testify.
"No comment," said Payne when asked if he'd stipulate.
"As a citizen, it's kind of interesting to me my city manager has all these trips out of the country," said the defense attorney after the hearing. "I don't get to travel out of the country like that."
Payne blasted the city's motion to quash as "having no merit." Platania, he said, "didn't argue the facts, and he didn't argue the law. He presented no evidence."
And while Payne was satisfied with Downer's decision, "I'm not at all satisfied with the actions of the city," he said. "I think it's extraordinary."
Next week: 13 subpoenas in a misdemeanor city code violation case– the rest of the story.
City ordinance takes issue with the concertina wire that fortifies Shirley Presley's patch of property on the Rivanna River, and the case goes to court June 29.

subset: commoncrawl


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Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones back together?
Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones are reportedly back together, according to multiple U.K. newspapers.
The couple separated last summer after 13 years of marriage. Douglas has supposedly moved back into the couple's apartment in Bedford, N.Y., with Zeta-Jones and their two children Dylan and Carys.
Sources told the newspaper that Douglas, 69, urged Zeta-Jones, 44, to give the marriage another try, and she agreed.
"It's not just for the sake of the children," a source told the Sun. "When they're good, they're amazing together, so they're hammering out their issues at their home. It's good news and Catherine is on top of the world."
I thought she was in New York.
Anyway, the actress seemed happy enough Sunday at the Dance Alliance Foundation Gala in New York. She was wearing her wedding ring.
The pair announced a "trial separation" in August, with a statement issued at the time claiming they were "... taking some time apart to evaluate and work on their marriage." The couple hadn't been seen together in public since April 22, after which Douglas did a publicity tour for his Liberace film "Behind the Candelabra."
Douglas battled Stage IV throat cancer after doctors found a malignant tumor at the base of his tongue in 2010. Zeta-Jones also underwent treatment for Bipolar disorder earlier this year.


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DHS collaborating with NY state officials to target Second Amendment rights
Paul Joseph Watson
April 15, 2013
The Department of Homeland Security is collaborating with New York State government officials to confiscate guns belonging to people who are deemed, often erroneously, to have a mental condition, according to radio host Tom Bauerle.
"NY State Talk Radio Host Tom Bauerle discussed on his program that several sources inside NY State Govt have told him that the Dept of Homeland Security played an active role in meeting and collaborating with NY State Officials to develop and implement the confiscation scheme that targeted David Lewis and an as yet unknown number of others," reports Ammoland.com.
Bauerle is a daily host on WBEN, based in Buffalo, New York.
Back in March it also emerged that the DHS was working with the Department of Revenue to collect information on gun owners in Missouri.
The fact that the DHS is coordinating with state government officials on gun confiscations is particularly unnerving given recent developments.
As we reported last week, the federal agency is testing a number of different drones at a scientific research facility in Oklahoma that have sensors capable of detecting whether a person is armed, stoking concerns that the federal agency is planning on using UAVs to harass gun owners.
The DHS has committed to purchasing more than 1.6 billion rounds of ammunition over the course of the last year, along with thousands of armored vehicles. While Americans are having their gun rights eviscerated, the government is seemingly arming itself to the teeth.
Under the NY SAFE Act, anyone considered as having a mental condition can have their firearms seized by police and their Second Amendment rights suspended. The law encourages therapists, doctors, nurses and social workers to report patients they determine may engage in conduct that may result in harm to self or others.
Last week, State police in Erie County, New York admitted they had wrongly confiscated the guns of 35-year-old college librarian David Lewis, who was prescribed anti-anxiety medication by his doctor yet was targeted after being falsely labeled as having a mental condition that could lead to violence.
Erie County Clerk Chris Jacobs admitted that police called him to clarify that they had wrongly enforced a pistol permit suspension on Lewis, highlighting the fundamental flaws in the newly passed law.
"I think that first and foremost, it stems from a flawed law that was passed so quickly without forethought on how something would be implemented," said Jacobs, adding, "Until the mental health provisions are fixed, these mistakes will continue to happen."
Lewis is now taking legal action, with his attorneys noting that protections should have been in force under The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Privacy Rule, which establishes national standards to protect individuals' medical records and other personal health information, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
As we also highlighted recently, numerous veterans are being forced to undergo "psychiatric evaluations" before having their guns confiscated, in another example of how the Veterans Administration is accelerating a purge of armed ex-servicemembers in accordance with a federal government demonization campaign that has labeled vets domestic terrorists.
The NY Safe act is just one stepping stone to total firearms confiscation, an end goal that gun control advocates have openly admitted.
As we reported last week, Democratic Austin City Council member and potential next mayor Mike Martinez admitted during a speech last weekend that the Obama administration's long term gun control agenda is focused on banning firearms altogether.
Paul Joseph Watson is the editor and writer for Infowars.com and Prison Planet.com. He is the author of Order Out Of Chaos. Watson is also a host for Infowars Nightly News.
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From Island to City to Island .. What Was I Thinking?
Of Food & the Sri Supremas...
Last weekend I went back to KL for my regular monthly trip (haven't gone back for more than a month already) and it's sooooo good to experience KL life again. The trip was only 3 days (only 3 days L sad sad sad, all because of work work work. I'll have my revenge Mr. Bossssssssss!!!) but as usual it was an exhausting 3 days full of makan-makan, movies, football, yamca, shopping and abit of a Karaoke session thrown in for good measure. Yup, not bad a schedule for 3 days.
On the first day, I managed to meet up with D for lunch at 1U's 'Delicious'. We whiled away the time updating each other like yapping ladies about what's happening to who, where and how. So much so it was nearly dinner time after we finished & later I got a date with SL as well as a certain Mr. Bond at KLCC. Drove from Damansara to KLCC (luckily no jam PHEWWW) and just after parking in Avenue K (it's easier there and a lot cheaper parking than KLCC) SL called. It was almost dinner time and we headed to an old eating joint of ours called 'Bongsen'. It offers Vietnamese-French infused cuisine, but after eating at that place a few times, I don't see the French influence anywhere. Maybe I'm French-dumb but to me it's all Vietnamese food. Blimey. But the highlight of the day was really our date with Mr. Bond. SL bought the 'Quantum of Solace' tickets days ago and we had the best seat in the house, right smack in the center of a THX cinema. Lovely. So was the movie any good? Read my full review below this blog, but to sum it up, it's not as good as 'Casino Royale'. It's still ok, but not great…
The next day, it was THE big day. No, I'm not getting married. It was Arsenal Vs. Manchester United. Yes, I'm a footie fan and the Red Devils are my team. The Devils are finally shifting nicely into gear with a few wins lately, while Arsenal was still living in a world of disillusionment that they can still win the league with a bunch of kids. And after suffering a defeat at lowly Stoke just prior to this big match, they were ripe for a devilish picking. I heard that 'Tiger FC' was having those huge outdoor events whereby they show the match 'live' on a gigantic screen, and this time it was at Sunway Pyramid's 'Bar Republic'. I just have to go. Called up TK and we got a front row seat and ordered some beer. The place was filled to the brim with footie fans. The stage was set. My adredeline was pumping. The match began. It was being played at a frantic pace. Both teams were going for it. It was perfect, both teams created chances to score. Until Arsenal scored. And scored again. And Man United never scored back. F**K. It ended Man Utd losing 2-0 to FC Kindergarten. Double the F**K. I didn't even finish the beer. That's coz I felt like having something stronger. A double shot of pure Vodka perhaps. That will do for a start…
On the third day, I had to release some of the disappointment away. I had to let it all out. I wanted to SCREAM. So what perfect way to scream than Karaoke? From noon until late evenings, it was Happy Hour at 'Red Box' Karaoke, meaning it was only RM25 per person, inclusive of 1 drink and 1 meal, or you can substitute the meal for another drink. But don't be fooled. The tidbits are COMPULSORY. The tidbits, consisting of some prawn crackers and kacang putih that could easily cots RM1 at a nearby mamak store, charges people RM8 each. And they will give you 3 packets the size of your palm for your 'total enjoyment'. Don't be shocked as this gimmick as it is not new and not exclusive to 'Red Box'. This gimmick is rampant in the karaoke industry, and we the customer will just have to live with it. Me, TK, Maj, AN and SL paid a total of RM35 each for a 5 hour session of speaker shattering and ear piercing live performances. For me, everyone was OK EXCEPT for Uncle. Not only does his singing do not follow the timing of the lyrics, but his antics in the darkened room is…peculiar, at best. And somehow, I got dragged into his peculiar behavior too. Damn you Maj, damn you. I was innocent. I got framed, I told youuuu, fraaammmmeeddddd……
Prawn Rice Paper Roll Appetizer @ Bongsen, KLCC: They are having a promotion now (or is it been running for ages already? I'm not sure) whereby for RM28 per person, it will include an appetizer, main dish and drink. It's quite worth it as the choices are many and the dishes provided are kinda exotic. Don't know what to order at 'Bongsen'? Just simply whack this set lah.
'Pho' Beef @ Bongsen, KLCC: I think this is every Vietnamese cuisine's signature dish. As for the name, 'pho' basically means noodles in Vietnamese. But depending on your level of English, some people pronounce it as 'Foo', but for me, I call it 'Poo'. 'Coz it got balls of stuff floating in a bowl of brownish water...Ooh Nevermind...
Having A Blast! @ Bongsen, KLCC: This dish is really called 'Having a Blast!'. We were feeling peckish so we ordered some stuff from the snacks menu, and decided on 'Having A Blast'. Why? Simply because of the name. What's so blasty what this dish? Absolutely nothing haha. It's just all fried stuff. The serving looks alot doesn't it? Actually, on the menu it said RM14 for this dish, and after seeing the serving, I thought DAMN, it looks blardy worth it. But when the bill came, they charged us TWICE, meaning its for TWO PERSONS. RM28 for this? Abit hard to swallow. Having a Blast indeed...
Having a Blast! @ Bongsen, KLCC: If you like fried onion rings, you are gonna love this dish. Perfect for being peckish, but not so perfect during dates with your loved ones. Close proximity with a tender loved one is a strict no-no, unless your loved one got a thing for onion breath...
The 'Tiger FC' Big Away Game at Repulic Bar, Sunway Pyramid: Huge fans of Arse-anal & Man Utd gathered outside of the Republic Bar for one of the biggest matches in English Football so far. I LOVE to watch football matches in such environments. The screaming crowd just gives that extra 'uummpphh' in excitement during a match. The 'OOoooHHh's and 'AAaaHHHhhhhhh's are something that no one can feel at home except in an open environment like this one….
…but when the opposition side scores against my team, sometimes I wish the ground would open up and swallow me in it. The Arse-anal fans go ballistic here when they score the 2nd goal to win the match 2-0. Cheh. You guys were lucky. Okaylah, you guys played well. But we simply let you win it to make the League more competitive mah right, Man Utd fansss?? Hmmpphh…
The 'Tiger FC' Big Away Game @ Republic Bar, Sunway Pyramid: Jien and Selena C (from Mix FM) was there to pump up the crowd. The games that they played? Pick people from the crowd and ask them to take their shirts off. Seriouslyy!!! Just see beloww...
The 'Tiger FC' Big Away Game @ Republic Bar, Sunway Pyamid: This poor kid had to take his shirt off so that he can get some cheapo jersey in return. As though that's not enough, Serena C was making fun of his body by asking why there's so little 'bulu' on him. And that's in front of so many people. PAISEHHHH!!!! If that's me, I'll return the cheapo jersey to them and retain by pride thank you...See how happy is Jien on the left there? I wonder why he is so happy leh...?
The 'Tiger FC' Big Away Game @ Republic Bar, Sunway Pyamid: Oh, and some lucky fan won a signed Arse-anal jersey or something. If I've won that thing I'll use it to wipe the toilet bowl that I use which doesn't really flushes properly sometimes. Oh wait, I already done that to a Chelsea jersey. My bad.
The 'Tiger FC' Big Away Game @ Republic Bar, Sunway Pyamid: If only I can drown my dissappointment with this bad-ass bottle of badness.
Karaoke @ Red Box, Pyramid: Warming up for our World Tour. See the guy on my right, he is so happy about it until it got him giggling like a little school girl.
Karaoke @ Reb Box, Pyramid: It's all fun and games here at Red Box. Whichever ladies that dares to grab this mic from TK's...er, groin area wins a non-stop 2 hour session with this groin-ster himself. Whatever you wanna do within that 2 hours is entirely up to you. Lovely.
Karaoke @ Reb Box, Pyramid: The fun and games continues. Whoever dares to sing to my mic here wins the actual real thing. Yeah baby. TK shows a disturbing sign of great interest. Curb your enthusiasm there fella.
Karaoke @ Reb Box, Pyramid: After much persuasion, 'The Sri Supremas' finally performs live to an audience of...two. From left to right are Uncle TFK (from the TK fame), Ray-Ray Choybecca & the Maj Mahal.
Karaoke @ Red Box, Pyramid: So much soul, so much spunk, a great show can be virtually guaranteed. For immediate bookings, kindly call our Manager Uncle TFK at 019-6969696. Thank you.
Yamca @ Old Taste Kopitiam, SS15: Our 'Sri Supremas' financial controller shows to our manager our earnings for the past month: RM10 bucks. "That's not enough to even buy ONE hair extension!!!" Our future is doomed before it even began.
Yamca @ Old Taste, SS15: Disgrunted, our Manager TFK ponders our next big hit: "If Christina Aguilera can make a hit out of a genie in a bottle, I can make a hit from kopi in a cup!!" Truly inspirational, he gathers his great ideas from anywhere and everywhere. But I'll be pondering: "God help us all".
That's it for my short KL trip last week. Until next time friends and family!!!! THE SRI SUPREMAs ROXXXXXs!!!
Review: Quantum of Solace
'Quantum of Solace' being the only true sequel ever to be produced in the history of all Bond films, it continues directly from the conclusion of 'Casino Royale'. In a sweeping opening sequence of a car chase set in the exceptionally beautiful Siena, Bond escapes from the clutches of his enemies in his latest edition of the Aston Martin DBS (which they crashed for a complete total of 6 cars while shooting this film. Well done cost cutting) with the nemesis Mr. White locked up in the car. Upon witnessing this opening first 15 minutes of frantic electric action, immediately it is clear that the tone and stylishness that 'Casino Royale' played so well with is a thing of the past. In comes new helmer Marc Forster of the 'Finding Neverland' fame and his assistants Richard Pearson and Dan Bradley which were involved in the Bourne films, an immediate sensation hits the viewer right smack in the face: it's Jason Bourne all over again. Rapid-fire editing and in-your-face functionality that just wants to push the movie on to the next action sequence rather than relishing the moments in between is the obvious, if not disappointing, departure from the more traditional Bond motive. The look and tempo is much higher octane as the camera zooms in and out from place to place, shattering the elegance that Martin Campbell, the director of 'Casino Royale' built so beautifully in the first installment. Even the music by David Arnold pushes the cadence to a higher state of adreline, making the whole rhythm of the film a wee bit too pulsating to be a Bond film. The Bond Ultimatum anyone?
Much to my disappointment, this disillusionment did not end there. While the action sequences are satisfactory (that is if you like the Bourne film's style – tightly welded and claustrophobic), in between them are moments that leaves a gapping black hole. Gone are the mischievous one-liner's that served such a distinctive signature to the character of Bond. Gone also are the charisma that those Bond girls usually provide, but most importantly, gone are the distinctiveness that Ian Fleming's character provided that distinguished itself so well from the rest of the other action heroes. In 'Quantum', Bond seems to have suffered a personality bypass but Daniel Craig still manages to portray the cool Bond character that is always in control (but notably less muscular and less flesh bearing). Stripped of all humor and warmth, Bond is a sulking and dry character this time around (if not more from 'Casino') which is a challenge to provide any sort of emotional attachment or care.
But part of this different feel I guess is simply due to the film's short duration: At 105 minutes, it is the shortest Bond film of all time, four minutes shorter than 'Dr. No' and a whopping 45 minutes shorter that its predecessor, 'Casino Royale'. This diminutive length is immediately evident: hitting just at the 40 minute mark of this film, Bond goes from a car chase scene into an interrogation shoot-up and then efficiently jumps into a roof-top man hunt, this relentless action is crumbling the very foundation that 'Casino Royale' tried so hard to build: that he is no Vin Diesel in 'xXx', he is Bond, James Bond. The old-school stylishness that Bond revered in 'Casino Royale' is thrown out the window, and what is left is the plot of 'Quantum' (which I will not reveal, as always). But even the plot is simply rudimentary and cheesy, more in line to the Roger Moore days of Bond in the 70's and 80's.
The Bond mis-Identity (HA!) does not end there. Even when we do find Bond and the newest Bond girl Kurylenko (playing the role of Camile) together, there is no spark whatsoever and does not even generate the slightest ignition of onscreen heat. At times I wondered if she had wandered into the wrong movie set, 'xXx 3' on Stage 2 perhaps, Kurylenko? There is only a brief glimpse of hope from Gemma Arterton's extended cameo as a field agent with orders to take Bond home (playing the creatively named 'Strawberry Fields' – which we get to know her full name only at the end when the credits are rolling - a refreshing throwback rendition of perky Bond women of the 60's) but surely, is this that is all that can be provided from a distinction like a Bond girl? Whatever happened to the Ursula Andresses, Halle Berrys or even the Eva Greens?
The rest of the characters are played fairly well but not outstanding. Mathieu Amalric portrays the bad guy satisfactorily in this film, a mildly physical proportioned man but with flourishes of evil glistering of hardness in the eyes. We get to see Jeffrey Wright return as CIA agent Felix Leiter, but he holds nothing more than just a bit role in this film. However, Judi Dench gets much more screen time this time around, appearing in most unlikely of places and confronting/engaging Bond in the most of situations. But I think this increase in screen allowance actually demised the quality of the character that is M, who is supposed to be this mysterious individual that is only wants to be seen at the most necessary of times.
All in all, being the shortest of all Bond films but most action-dense with lesser humor, 'Quantum of Solace' plays with a cold, mechanical efficiency perfect for a Bourne film, without any emotional hooks to engage the viewer. 'Quantum' will find solace in the rapid-fire thrills that is fitting for the action style that is so prominent today, but I honestly think it will not occupy a royal spot in the hearts of any die-hard Bond fans out there. Nor will it garner any new fans either...
And here's a tip: Refreshing your mind with the events and characters from 'Casino Royale' would be a good idea to avoid total confusion in this direct sequel that continues approximately 1 hour after 'Casino' ends.
Oh, and do look out for a naked dead woman lying 'artfully' on Bond's bed. A commendable testimonial perhaps to the gold-plated Shirley Eaton from 1964's 'Goldfinger'…
Verdict: 7 / 10
Reviewed by: Raymond Choy
KK Town Weekend Hop-Over (Take 2!!)
This weekend the KK trip was abit unusual. I've been saying to SL for so many times but SL still couldn't accept it. Every time SL comes to Labuan, or anywhere near East Malaysia in fact, SL tends to drag the rain clouds over!!! I mean, the exact moment SL steps onto East Malaysian shores, the sky opens up like a burst water balloon and causes a watery commotion that puts all plans into a shambolic quagmire. Remember the last trip to Labuan? It rained so hard until we couldn't visit any islands & worst still, both of us were sniffing from a cold. Remember KK a few years ago when we climbed Mount KK? Up and down the mountain it was raining so much, the path was so wet and damp it made the climb so challenging until it was like climbing Mount Everest. And remember every time I came back to KL for those short visits and I really wanted to go that pasar malam? What happened? Yup, it rained. I think you are the Aquatic God of Rain in your previous life or something!!! But…I guess rain or shine, we still have fun together. We still managed to climb Mount KK, right? No beach? No problems, there's always '1 Borneo' haha. Got the cold? Well at least it's not the fever, right? ;)
Anyway, this time around the rain was REALLY bad. I heard from a friend that flights to Labuan from KL on Saturday the 25th October had to divert BACK to KL because the plane could not land!!! The pilot couldn't see the runway or something like that and the passengers had to spend another 2 and a half hours on the same plane back to where they came from!!! If I was one of the passengers I'll most probably end up hijacking the plane and force land it or something. I'll go crazy. I have a slight case of 'air rage' you know. Take a note to NOT fly with me. Another case I heard was from my office friend's brother that had to wait almost 6 hours in the airport in KK for his 'AirAsia' flight to Labuan (remember 'AirAsia' planes don't load/offload passengers during rain). All this rain, storms and stuff, and how did I travel to KK during this wet weekend? We took the ferry. Yup, we took a middle-sized ferry that traveled for a full 3 hours over stormy weather to get to KK. Shit, who knew the weather was so terrible?! Was it smooth sailing? HELL NO. For the full 3 hours, the ferry was tilting from side to side, up and down and basically gyrating to obscene directions as though it was doing its best impression of Michael Jackson. Who was the ferry trying to impress?!! And did we throw up? Heck no. But I did feel REALLY glad my feet touched ground after that 3 hours though. SL was ok too. In fact SL said something of being hungry right after hitting KK. HHmmmm.
After gathering ourselves for a full half hour or so, we headed off to lunch (chicken rice that served pyramid-shaped rice. Weird but nice haha) and checked in to our 'Tune Hotel' room. By evening it was still raining like tears from a little girl that had just lost her darling pet and my worst fears slowly had sunk in. All plans for the beach and stuff will have to be cancelled. AGAIN. Sighhhh. In the end, this trip ended up as the '1Borneo trip' (and abit of the town area) because that is where we spent most of our time. Well, at least '1Borneo' had Starbucks, Big Apple Donuts, GSC Cinema, Secret Recipe, Sushi King and all that. It was not a TOTAL bore…the new plan? To stuff ourselves silly with food, food and food. And a bit of shopping haha. Well, I am going to shut up now and will just let you glance at some pictures I've downloaded to give you a glimpse of what had transpired over the trip. Enjoy!! :
Pyramid Chicken Rice!!! Well it looks interesting before eating it, but looks the same after you have destroyed it with the spoon hahha. It's from 'Restaurant Viya' in the town area. Sounds like an Indian place but its not. The taiko there is a chinese guy...WEIRD.
We took shelter from the rain and cold with a good ol' cuppa Mocha Latte with whipped cream of course. ALWAYS with whipped cream. Notice the blue band on my left arm? It's a 'Wall*E' limited edition watch!! Yayy!!
OooOooOOhhh, Big Apple...So big and juicy....So creamy....After months of 'Big Apple Donuts' D-tox, this is what happens. All of you be warned...
You have heard of Tune Hotels, Tune Money...and now Tune Store!!! I wonder what's next...Tune Toilets? Tune Toll Booths? Tune Coffee? The potential is endless!!!
This drink is called 'Macau Coffee'. Sounds tempting enough, and what does it taste like? Just like any other coffee hahahaha!!! It's all in the name I guess!!! From 'Hong Kong Cafe Xin Wang'.
Have you seen such a big French Toast Bun??!! Go to 'Kim Gary' or 'Wong Kok' and you will only get maybe just HALF of this baby!!! I have to admit it's kinda dry at the center of the bun but overall it's still yummy. 'Coz of the size, you can ask them to add more honey and butter for extra yummy-ness!!! Cost me only RM3.50 for this. A bargain!!!
French Toasts for breakfast!!! It's gonna fill-up the most hungry of eaters, trust me!!!
The queue for the free shuttle bus tickets to town. I remember last time we don't need to queue for this. Now there's even a waiting list, people giving each other 'the look' for jumping queue, etc etc etc. Feels just like home in KL haha. I heard they are gonna start charging from next year onwards tho...
Dinner time!!! The best dinner we had there was a restaurant called 'New York New York' a.k.a. 'We Do Not Serve Pork & Lard'. It's based on the same concept like 'TGI Friday's' & 'Chillies' (although unfortunately not as grand or 'happenning'). Their tagline: "Real food for Real People with Real Appetites!!" or something like that...See below for what they really mean.
The reason: the food here comes in super-big sizes, just like in America!!! I saw one Chicken Burger going to the table next to me, and it can feed a family of 4 people!!! WAHLAO WEHHHH!!!! Me & SL were so tempted to order that burger but we counldn't possibly finish that so we ordered this 'New York New York Massive Beef Ribs for 2' instead. For RM38.90, although abit pricey and doesn't look all that delicious, it is fact very tastey and worth your money. It's HUGE and have LOADS of meat. It comes with a delicious BBQ sauce too...perfect partner to this chunky goodness ;)
After more than 1 hour of carnivorious carnage, this is what's left...We cleaned it up so well, it's actually kinda freaky haha...
As for the drinks: Hot Choco with Mashmellows!!! It's so hard to get hot Choco with mashmellow drinks nowadays. Richly yummy especially from the rainy cold!!!
FINALLY the rain stopped!!! But it stopped only on the final day of our trip :( So, no island hopping. Sad sad. But I bet its too cold for a swim anyway haha. With the sun finally peaking out from the forlorn clouds, it's picture time!!! Snap snap snapping along the KK Waterfront ;)
Dolphins at KK??!! I wish. But it's a good companion for pictures tho!!! Snap snap snap!!!
Oh, I just bought the shades at '1Borneo' for RM65. Nice ar? I'll be going to Langkawi in December so, it'll be put to good use don't worry!! ;)
See, I told you this is the '1Borneo trip' hahhahaha. No islands, no mountains, no nature whatsoever. In fact, half way through this trip I was actually confused whether I was in KL or in KK!!! Anyway, it was fun nonetheless. Oh, I also finally bought my 'Microsoft' wireless keyboard and mouse, total package RM135. Now my quest to be a TOTAL lazy bum is finally complete. And SL bought a bottle of 'Chivas' (12 years old) back to KL for RM65, and I'll be bringing a 'Johnnie Walker Swing' back to KL next weekend for RM80. Cheap eh? See you in KL next weekend!!!
Review: Max Payne
I should have known what was coming. This film was adapted from an enormously popular game of the same name, debuted way back in 2001. The game was something fresh as it infused graphic novel storytelling and stylization with slow-mo-guns-blazing-bullets-flying-with-John-Woo-mimicry and had hints of 'The Matrix's finesse. I'm no gamer but when I played it, even I was impressed. Hence, a movie adaptation was inevitable. And hence, with all video-game adaptations, can I safely say now that a massive disappointment was inevitable too? Remember 'Hitman'? Remember 'Doom'? Remember 'Street Fighter'? Sadly all these movies run on the same road to nowhere. And sadly these movies are still being offered to the public, inviting unsuspecting passengers with super-slick marketing from the movie-makers in return for a quick buck.
Should I even mention about the script? Even after striped bare of all matter that needs even an ounce of brain matter, the story feels payne-fully lurching and disconnected. The first hour goes nowhere very slowly, a tedious attempt by the director John Moore to introduce us the world where Max Payne dwells, to develop his character and to build our sympathy for him after his family was slaughtered. But it never pays off. With poor acting and directing, it actually made the Payne character more of a lazy sulking fella that deserves nothing more than a slap in the face as a wake-up call. We are introduced to the side characters, but again it's a feeble attempt to inject some soul into the film and fails miserably as they all feel like empty carcasses primed for target-practice.
When the action finally kicks into gear, all the hard-work of character building goes out the window (so what's the point of it then?) as characters we are supposed to care for turns to plain two-dimensional drawings and they just die during gunfights that erupts for no reason. Yes, there are a few scenes where the action was quite impressive, but there's nothing we have not seen before that distincts itself from other bullet-ballets like 'Wanted' or 'The Matrix'. Even the finale, which I had high-hopes for redemption, falls flat with illusions of grandeur. It was everything that is to be expected of such a film like this, and let's just say we all know how it ends, don't we?
In the end, it's another movie that is made to please the fan-boys of the video-game and has absolutely nothing to win new fans over whatsoever. Watch it if you have nothing to look forward to, or watch it if you are a fan of the videogame. Besides these two reasons, do not watch it in anyway because you just know how this road leads too…
Verdict: 6 / 10
It Knows...
The cashier machine actually KNOWS it's out of order. IT'S ALIVE!!!! And it has brakes too. For safety reasons perhaps? Probably for incidents when a burglar steals the entire thing, the machine puts on its brakes and stops the burglary attempt on the spot. But I wonder where are its brakes. What will we see next…?
Oh Dear, Joe Kinnear!!!!
The Sound Bite.
F**kin' amazing, innit? Talk about his inadequacies as a manager, the people were dead on. Where's your media handlin' skills, ey Joe?
The Complete Transcript.
Ah, and some people say the English language is one of the most beautiful of all languages. How quaint, how charming. Did you miss a F-word in between the C-words and all? Yes, well, feat not, here's the entire transcript for your complete enjoyment!!! Do kindly share it in English class, your teacher will definitely love you for contributions in exposing the vibrancy that is the English language. Oh, the Queen would have been utterly proud!!! Read on:
Joe Kinnear: Which one is Simon Bird [Daily Mirror's north-east football writer]?
Simon Bird: Me.
JK: You're a c**t.
SB: Thank you.
JK: Which one is Hickman [Niall, football writer for the Express]? You are out of order.
Absolutely f**king out of order. If you do it again, I am telling you you can f**k off and go to another ground. I will not come and stand for that f**king crap. No f**king way, lies. F**k, you're saying I turned up and they [Newcastle's players] f**ked off.
SB: No Joe, have you read it, it doesn't actually say that. Have you read it?
JK: I've f**king read it, I've read it.
SB: It doesn't say that. Have you read it?
JK: You are trying to f**king undermine my position already.
SB: Have you read it, it doesn't say that. I knew you knew they were having a day off.
JK: F**k off. F**k off. It's your last f**king chance.
SB: You read the copy? It doesn't say that you didn't know.
JK: What about the headline, you think that's a good headline?
SB: I didn't write the headline, you read the copy.
JK: You are negative b**tards, the pair of you.
SB: So if I get a new job next week would I take the first day off? No I wouldn't. If I get a new job should I call my boss and tell him I am taking the first day off?
JK: It is none of your f**king business. What the f**k are you going to do? You ain't got the balls to be a f**king manager. F**king day off. Do I want your opinion. Do I have to listen to you?
SB: No, you can listen to who you want.
JK: I had a 24-hour meeting with the entire staff.
SB: Joe, you are only here six weeks, you could have done that on Sunday, or Saturday night.
JK: No, no, no. I didn't want to do it. I had some other things to do.
SB: What? More important things?
JK: What are you? My personal secretary? F**k off.
SB: You could have done the meeting Saturday night or Sunday. You could have had them watching videos, you could have organised them.
JK: I was meeting the f**king chairman the owner, everyone else. Talking about things.
SB: It is a valid point that was made in there. A valid point.
JK: I can't trust any of you.
Niall Hickman: Joe, no one could believe that on your first day at your new club, the first-team players were not in. No one could believe it in town. Your first day in the office.
JK: My first day was with the coaches. I made the decision that I wanted to get as much information out of them.
NH: But why Monday, no one could believe it?
JK: I'm not going to tell you anything. I don't understand where you are coming from. You are
delighted that Newcastle are getting beat and are in the state they are? Delighted, are you?
NH: Certainly not. No one wants to see them get beaten, why would we?
JK: I have done it before. It is going to my f**king lawyers. So are about three others. If they can find something in it that is a court case it is going to court. I am not f**king about. I don't talk to f**king anybody. It is raking up stories. You are f**king so f**king slimy you are raking up players that I got rid of. Players that I had fallen out with. You are not asking Robbie Earle, because he is sensible. You are not asking Warren Barton? No. Because he is f**king sensible. Anyone who had played for me for 10 years at any level ... [but] you will find some c**t that ...
Other journalist: How long is your contract for Joe?
JK: None of your business.
SB: Well it is actually, because we cover the club. The club say you are here to the end of October, then you say six to eight games which would take it to the end of November. We are trying to clarify these issues. We are getting no straight answers from anyone. How long are you here for. It is a dead simple question. And you don't know ...
JK: I was told the length of contract. Then I was told that possibly the club could be sold in that time. That is as far as I know. That's it finished. I don't know anything else. But I have been ridiculed. He's trying to f**king hide, he's trying to do this or that.
(There follows an exchange regarding the circumstances under which Kinnear had met the owner Mike Ashley and executive director (football) Dennis Wise.)
Steve Brenner (football writer for the Sun): We are all grown men and can come in here and sit around and talk about football, but coming in here and calling people c**ts?
JK: Why? Because I am annoyed. I am not accepting that. If it is libellous, it is going to where I want it to go.
Newcastle press officer: What has been said in here is off the record and doesn't go outside.
Journalist Well, is that what Joe thinks?
JK: Write what you like. Makes no difference to me. Don't affect me I assure you. It'll be the last time I see you anyway. Won't affect me. See how we go at Everton and Chrissy [Chris Hughton, assistant manager] can do it, someone else can do it. Don't trust any of yous. I will pick two local papers and speak to them and the rest can f**k off. I ain't coming up here to have the piss taken out of me. I have a million pages of crap that has been written about me. I'm ridiculed for no reason. I'm defenceless. I can't get a point in, I can't say nothing, I can't do nothing, but I ain't going to be negative. Then, half of you, most of you are trying to get into the players. I'm not going to tell you what the players think of you, so then you try and get into them in some way or another, so I've got a split camp or something like that, something like that. It's ongoing. It just doesn't stop.
Journalist: It's only been a week.
JK: Exactly. It feels more like a year.
Journalist: It's early days for you to be like this.
JK: No, I'm clearing the air. And this is the last time I'm going to speak to you. You want to know why, I'm telling you. This is the last time. You can do what you like.
Journalist: But this isn't going to do you or us any good.
JK: I'll speak to the supporters. I'm going to tell them what the story is. I'm going to tell them. I don't think they'll interpret it any different, I don't think they'll mix it up, I don't think they'll miss out things. I mean, one of them last week said to me ... I was talking about in that press conference where you were there, I said something like "Well, that's a load of bollocks ..."
Journalist: "Bollocks to that" is what you said.
JK: Bollocks to that. And what goes after that?
Journalist: That was it.
JK: No it wasn't, no it wasn't. What was after it? I don't know if it was your paper, but what went after it?
Journalist: I don't know.
JK: It even had the cheek to say "bollocks to Newcastle".
Journalist: I didn't write that.
JK: That was my first f**king day. What does that tell you? What does that tell you?
Journalist: Where was that? Which paper said that?
JK: I've got it. I can't remember. It was one of the Sundays, not a Saturday. It was a Sunday.
Journalist: But you didn't say that to the Sundays, you said that to us. That was during the Monday press conference.
JK: I'll bring it in and show it to you. Why would I want to say that?
Journalist: Are you saying that someone has reported you saying "bollocks to Newcastle?"
JK: Yes. Lovely.
Journalist: I don't know who's reported that.
JK: I'll tell you what, I'll bring it in.
Journalist: That's obviously going to damage you. That's not a good thing. But I don't think someone's done that. We have to have some sort of relationship with you.
JK: So have I. But I haven't come in here for you lot to take the piss out of me. And if I'm not flavour of the month for you, it don't f**king bother me. I've got a job to do. And I'm going to do it to the best of my ability. I'm not going to spend any more time listening to any crap or reading any crap. Stick to the truth and the facts. And don't twist anything.
Journalist: You know, you know the game ...
JK: Of course I know, but I don't have to like it.
Journalist: Today we'll print the absolute truth, that you think we're c**ts, we can all f**k off and we're slimy. Is that fair enough?
JK: Do it. Fine. F**king print it. Am I going to worry about it? Put in also that it'll be the last time I see you. Put that in as well. Good. Do it.Much, much later after long discussions over whether Kinnear had promised Alan Shearer and Kevin Keegan would be returning to the club
Press officer: Let's get on to football. Let's have an agreement that everything said so far, if anyone has got their tapes on, it's wiped off and we're not discussing it.
Journalist: But that's what Joe has said he thinks of us.
Press officer: I'm saying don't push it. Let's accept what's been said and try and move on.
Journalist: Move on to not doing any more press conferences?
PO: No, to doing something now.
Journalist: What, one press conference only?
Journalist: Any knocks?
PO: Come on, let's go football.
Journalist: What are your plans for training in the next three days? How's the training going?
JK: It's going very well. No problems at all.
Journalist: Enjoyed getting back in the swing of things?
JK: Absolutely. I've loved every moment of it.
The Background.
So, how did this mess emerge from the gutters of England and be laid nakedly bare for all the entire world to perceive? Hence forth is the background, before the tirade began…
Newcastle United Football Club is in a shambolic state that disgraces even the least loyal of fans. Newcastle United is one of the best supported clubs in England, if not the world. Mind you, Newcastle is the only football club in England that carries the distinction of being the sole club in a big city. In Manchester, there is Manchester United & Manchester City. In Liverpool there is Liverpool FC and Everton. But in the region of Tyneside, there is the one and only Newcastle United. So, the fan-base is huge and so are the expectations for the club. But for decades, the club never did manage to achieve the heights that all Newcastle fans had hoped it would reach.
Looking at the current situation now, the doom and gloom will darken even the most optimistic of fans. Recently, the club was bought over by an American billionaire, Mike Ashley, but now he wishes to sell out completely to the highest bidder. The so-called messiah of Newcastle United, Kevin Keegan, resigns in protest to the managerial structure that was created when the takeover took place. Keegan has no say in the transfers of his players, and that is like saying a driver has no control of his brakes. A certain Mr. Dennis Wise has control over the transfer policies, and this is not so wise a policy according to Kevin Keegan and he duly resigns.
And this is where our motor-mouth of a manager enters the lion's den of the journalist's attention. Our colorful Joe Kinnear took over the reigns of the club, and that is only after a reportedly 15 managers rejected the post before him. Kinnear, a senior in English football but hardly the most popular, takes over on a game-by-game basis. But to the fans, a club that is of Newcastle's stature should not employ such a pitiable individual. From day one, Kinnear was bombarded by the press for his inadequacies as a football manager and also for the dismal lack of respect that he commands from his players that he is in charge of. A certain journalist by the name of Simon Bird from the 'Daily Mirror' newspaper in the UK enters the fray and runs a report claiming that on Kinnear's first day at office, due to lack of confidence by his players on Kinner, was no where to be seen during a scheduled meeting with the players. A tabloid story made up to sell more papers or is it just simply true? You decide.
But whatever it may be, this episode of explosive emotional outburst will definitely go down as one of the most dramatic, if not most colorful, dramas to ever engulf the world of English football. The 2nd most memorable incident? Coincidentally, it was a man we hear all so often recently; it was Mr. Kevin Keegan himself. But that's another story. In the meantime, I would 'lurve' it to see Dennis Wise get kicked out of Newcastle United and Kevin Keegan be re-instated as the manager of the club, I would absolutely 'lurve' it. And Kinnear as his assistant. The world of English football would be as explosive as ever. And oh, bring back Jose Mourinho. I would definitely LURVE that…
KL Weekend Break (Again!!) from 19th Sept ~ 21st Sept, '08
Emperor's Roll: Baked Rice Roll Topped with Mango: Looks like sushi, but not sushi. After eating this, I still don't know what t his is. A freaky creation. Terrible.
Beef Rice: Too dry and tasteless. Economy rice at any coffee shop tastes better than this.
Honey Vinegar Drink: Thank God for the Honey, honey.Not satisfied with the food for the day, we ventured to other places around Pavillion (while shopping for jeans, I tried everything from 'Guess' to 'Levi''s' to 'Calvin Klein' and still no luck as I still like Pull and Bear). We ended up in a dimsim place at the top floor called 'Lijin Chinese Fusion Cuisine'. It had 30% off for all dimsum after 2pm, so what the heck, dimsum it was. And after ordering the 'Shanghai Siew Long Pao', the 'Har Gao', 'Siew Mai' and many more, I have to say it was YUMMY. I think this place is good, we can even see customers walking in and placing orders to 'tapau' and arranging those big chinese dinners for important occasions. So something must be right here. In the end, for the amount of food we ordered, we paid RM50 for dimsum that could have cost the same amount at those outside streetside places. A good deal and a good meal, that's super thumbs up in my book anyday!!!
Dinner time, we headed to Desa Sri Hartamas (I couldn't stop eating!!! Maybe because of the stress?? Haha) to celebrate Prasad's belated birthday. Big old Prasad is a married man now (and his wifey and friends treated him a 30-minute plane flying lesson at Subang Airport by an instructor. What a super cool present!!) We went to an Indian place called 'Saffron' (next to Aunty Nat) and the it serves very delicious Indian cuisine. Very yummy even though I don't like Indian food much. The interior of the place looks very very simple, but if you see properly at the patrons that eat there, there's a good blend of locals of all ethnic origin, foreigners and datuks/datins with bug cars parks outside the restaurant. In fact, 'Saffron' was voted the best restaurant a few times by some major newspaper before. So, soemthing must be right, correct? It's worth a try even though you might not fancy Indian cuisine and it's also good place to introduce yourself to the spicy side of food!!!
As Prasad was not a clubbing kaki or anything like that, we went into his car and ronda-ronda Sri Hartamas area to look for things to do. First thing came to mind was to play pool at 'Breakers', but we were so sure it was full to the max so we headed off to Bangsar to look for a place that serves "the best alchoholic coffee in town", as according to V. I forgot the name but it was unfortunately closed so we ended up at 'The Social" at Bangsar and had a few drinks there. Drank and talked-cock until TK came over. But by then, our hands were itchy with pool table sickness (Bangsar's pool places were full) so we headed back to 'Breakers' at Sri Hartamas haha. Got a table and my ass was properly whipped by Prasad and TK. I'm sooooooo out of touch with pool sigghhhh...Ever since I went over to Labuan...ever since then....my silky touch of the que is now gine. Sighhhhh....
Sunday, 21st September 2008.
Woke up late and had lunch with SL & TK at 'Kar Heong Chicken Rice'. This place is so delicious I just have to eat it eveytime I come back home to KL haha. It's like I've signed an invisible contract that stipulates that I must eat at this place or else my ass will be properly sued by Karpal Singh. A new branch opened in Kota Damansara and I heard the boss went over there already to manage the place. So to all those Kota Damansara folks, do try out this place, it's chicken rice that is closest to Ipoh's chicken rice that I've ever tasted. Honestly.
As the day was a slow and rainy one, we then headed off to 'Beans' at SS15 for some 'tong sui'. Not the best palce for 'tong sui' but at least there's a place that serves it whenever we feel like having it. We chit-chatted about stuff and mainly on the Langkawi trip (which I have a funny feeling is doomed to failure. Sighhh).
It was getting late and I wanted to go to 1 Utama's 'Pull and Bear' store to look at the jeans I saw yesterday and see if there's my size available...and there was none. But when I tried the same size I tried yesterday, it FITTED!!! It's abit loose at the waist but with a belt, it actually fitted very nicely. Wowwww. I can't believe it. I've gained so much weight in 1 day?? But it fitted and that's all I wanted to know haha so I finally bought my jeans after so many months of searching!!! Yaaaaayyyy!!! The cost? RM250. Okla for jeans, 'Levi's' also around that price but I'm soooo bored with Levi's. Furthermore we change jeans after many years right...? So RM250 is considered a long-term investment then ;P
Finally felt satisfied after so many days of tension and stress, we headed back to Sunway Pyramid's 'TGI Friday's' to celebate Majidah's birthday. I have to admit, there was no planning for this event whatsoever (sorry Maj hahahaha). I was just throwing around ideas on where to eat for the past few days with Ah Nei and all (it was down to either 'Delicious' at Bangsar, 'Wendy's Bristro' at Sunway or 'TGI Fridays'. In the end it was Fridays cause everyone will be familiar with Pyramid). I tried calling to make reservations because for sure it will be super-duper-packed due to the buka puasa session, but when I called some guy said "we don't do reservations at this peak time, however if you walk-in I'm sure there will be a place". Fine, I didn't want to argue with him so I planned on walking-in, and when I walked-in it was super-packed. Thank you Mr. Anonymous TGI Fridays man. There was a waiting list and we were 4th on the list. And that forced Maj to buka puasa somewhere else. Oooopppps, thousand apologies ya. But she came back to join me, SL, Ah Nei, and Paul. I noticed that this branch in Pyramid is abit too serious as the waiters were all too cool and non-communicating. Other 'TGI Fridays' branches have this fun and jovial mood to them (especially at The Curve) but this one is just...cold. Even though I still noticed the staff did sing the usual birthday songs to the guests (and also force the birthday boy/girl to STAND ON A CHAIR. Talking about asking for attention), it was not all right at Sunway's branch with the staff. But it's not all doom and gloom: it had this huge & super-cool Bruce Lee action figure right next to our table and the food was not bad either, check it out:
Haiyaaaaa!!!! Abs that will kick @SS!!!
Mac & Chez as appetizer: If you like cheese and fried stuff, you're gonna LOVE this!!!
JD Burger: A thick chuck of beef with generous slices of bacon and a dash of TGI's signature JD sauce on the side. With chips of course. Absolutely perfect for burger lovers.
JD Chicken: El Classico. Chicken with the distinctively tasty JD sauce with a plop of whipped potatoes. Lovely. If you don't know what to order at TGI's, you can start off with this.
Sizzling Chicken & Shrimp: Garlic-marinated chicken breast and plump shrimp tossed with zesty roma tomato-basil salsa. Served with onions and peppers and our cheddar cheese mashed potatoes on a sizzling platter of melted Colby and Jack cheeses. Quoted from TGI Friday's website. Ha!!! Unfortunately, this dish was not served sizzling, which was a down-side.
After the dinner it was already getting late and Pyramid was closing. So we all headed over to SS15's 'Canai & Such' to finally have a proper discussing on our Langkawi trip in December. Paul even brought with him a lappy for research and make bookings if need to. But the lappy ran out of power mid way through =.= Nice one Pauuuuuuul. At the same time I also handed over to Ah Nei her 2 cartons of 'Marlboro Reds' ciggies that she asked me to buy in Labuan (RM65 for 1 carton. Cheap? Not really, last month it was just RM55. Too bad Nei Nei. Oh and btw, don't come find me if you die from the ciggies ya, you asked me to buy one!!!). Oh, that night it was also super cold and with the wind blowing, it was like drinking 'Coffee Bean' at Genting. So cool haha. Anyway, around 12am plus plus we adjourned home. But already we got to know the rough price of Langkawi, a booking is imminent (and at the time of posting this blog, 4 peeps made bookings already which are me, TK, Paul and Maj. Nei Nei and Theva is also on the way I heard). So, I think this Langkawi trip might just be a blast after all...until then, finger's crossed.
So my trips are piling up already. Oct will be in 'Kota Kinabalu', Dec will be 'Langkawi', and Feb will be the 'Hong Kong/HK Disneyland (hopefully)/Shenzen/Macau' trip. And that's not all. 'Penang' is also target (althought still early stages of planning) and with my family will be 'Guilin' in China. And is 'Kuching' for the World Music Festival really on...? God help my pockets, God bless my wallet....


text:
(CBS News) A little known piece of the Affordable Care Act went into effect Monday. It is designed to lower the cost of Medicare to taxpayers.
Hospitals will now face big fines if too many of their patients have to be readmitted because of complications. One of every five Medicare patients ends up back in the hospital within 30 days of being released.
Roughly two-thirds of those receiving Medicare will forfeit money, up to one percent of a hospital's Medicare reimbursements.
Phil Eklof, 84, suffers from congestive heart failure and diabetes, and wound up in the hospital twice this year. He left with a laundry list of follow-up instructions and medications.
Eklof is fortunate. He has a home health care worker to help him.
"If you don't take a service like this you'll end up back in the hospital," Eklof said.
Federal officials are concerned that many Medicare patients nationwide fail to get the necessary follow-up care and many end up being re-admitted to the hospital, often in the same month.
The government is now penalizing hospitals for excessive readmissions in three areas: Patients recovering from heart failure, heart attacks or pneumonia. If a released patient comes back within 30 days, there's a one-percent penalty.
For example, if a hospital submits a $100,000 bill to Medicare, the penalty would reduce the reimbursement to $99,000.
In all, the penalized hospitals will forfeit about $290 million in Medicare funds over the next year.
Stephen Love, who heads the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council, says the penalties are unfair to hospitals that serve primarily low-income populations.
"Hospitals that treat people in low-income areas in many cases don't have the primary care providers they need in their communities. They may not have pharmacies they need. So to coordinate that care outside the hospital is going to be very difficult," said Love, adding that much of the responsibility relies on patients themselves.
Not all hospitals are failing to meet these guidelines. Some hospital executive told CBS News the initiative is not all bad. In fact, some of those hospitals are developing their own programs to keep people healthier once they do get home and out of the hospital.


text:
1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
2 tablespoons crystallized ginger, finely chopped
4 small navel oranges, peeled
8 ripe strawberries, hulled (other berries or chopped fruit may be substituted)
2 medium-sized bananas, peeled
Place the yogurt in a small bowl. Add the ginger and stir briskly for 1 minute or until the yogurt has a sauce-like consistency. Set aside. Cut each orange crosswise into 5 slices. Cut each strawberry lengthwise into 4 slices. Cut each banana crosswise into 14 slices. Spoon 1/4 cup ginger sauce onto each of 4, 8-inch dessert plates and spread the sauce over each plate. Arrange the fruit equally on each of the plates and serve.
Each serving contains about 197 calories, 5 g protein, 1 g fat (4% calories from fat), 3 mg cholesterol, 45 g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber, and 44 mg sodium.
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Mr. Small Move has Movers in all areas of the Treasure Coast. For Vero Beach Movers call 772-770-2689, for Stuart Movers call 772-283-5540, for Port St. Lucie Movers call 772-340-2626, for Sebastian Movers call 772-770-2689. The majority of Mr. Small Move Moving Companies customers are in the list of cities below, but we service the entire state of Florida for local moving. In addition to local moving, if you need a moving company for an in-house move, office move, or interstate long distance move, we can help.
Moving is the perfect time to get rid of unwanted items that have collected in your house over the years. The rule of thumb is: If you haven't used it in about a year and it doesn't have any sentimental value, get rid of it. It can be hard to let things go, though, so you may need to go through each closet or storage space twice. On the first run, you'll remove the obvious unwanted things, and on the second run you'll remove the items you're a little more attached to.


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Westchester Health - Advanced Dermatology of Westchester
Dermatologist in Tarrytown, NY
Advanced Dermatology of Westchester offers both traditional and state-of-the-art technology for cosmetic and medical dermatological issues, with highly specialized treatments tailored to meet the needs of all age groups and skin tones. Our facility features unparalleled medical and surgical expertise, as well as the latest cosmetic techniques and advancements in a caring and friendly environment. You have our assurance that every effort will be made to make each visit with us a pleasant and positive experience. The highly qualified physicians and medical assistants are always available to answer any questions you may have about your treatments. Our medical aesthetician can provide you with a customized skin care program featuring leading cosmeceutical brands to meet your individual skin type and concerns.


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ANC Centenary Celebrations
Against all odds, the party of Nelson Mandela has transformed a nation where just 20 years ago black South Africans could not vote, and beaches and restaurants were reserved for whites only. The venerated party once banned for decades under apartheid has won every national election since racist white rule ended in 1994, and President Jacob Zuma vows the party "will rule until Jesus comes."
Yet as the African National Congress marks its 100th anniversary this weekend with fanfare and dozens of visiting presidents, critics say the ANC has failed to unchain an impoverished majority still shackled by a white-dominated economy. Unemployment hovers around 36 percent and soars to 70 percent among young people. Half the country's population lives on just 8 percent of the national income, according to the Congress of South African Trade Unions.
South African political analyst Aubrey Matshiqi praises the ANC for developmental achievements "unprecedented anywhere in the world" in its 17 years of governing the country. But he noted that many at the ANC festivities will have their joy marred by "a tinge of disappointment and even sadness" about weaknesses and failures. The ANC's reputation is being tarnished by a never-ending deluge of corruption scandals, some involving politicians who sacrificed during the fight against apartheid and now feel entitled to luxury cars and financial payback. It's created disillusionment, especially for those who volunteered to serve as freedom fighters at a time when many of the ANC's leaders were imprisoned for their activism.Serame Mogale, who was only 14 when he became a guerrilla fighter for the ANC, recalled that the slogan in one Angolan training camp was "the pace of the slowest."
"We would run six hours nonstop with female comrades in front, from whom the whole company or platoon will take the pace," he recalls. "But today, the weakest is overtaken and left behind to tire and die." Africa's oldest liberation movement is kicking off the festivities with a golf tournament -- an event critics say shows how the grassroots-based movement has morphed into an elitist-run political party. More than 100,000 people are expected for the ANC centenary festivities, including 46 heads of state and a dozen former presidents, the party says. Nobel peace laureate Desmond Tutu is coming, though it's unclear whether Mandela will make an appearance.
South African President Jacob Zuma presents former President Nelson Mandela with a gift - an architect's rendering of the Nelson Mandela Legacy Bridge - Reuters
The political party representing South Africa's impoverished majority already has drawn criticism for spending 10 million rand (nearly $1.5 million) of public money to buy the church where it all began. The Wesleyan church is the focus of this weekend's centenary celebrations in Bloemfontein, a city in the heart of the country. It was here that black activists and intellectuals founded the liberation movement that would help lead the decades-long struggle against racist rule.
Until just 20 years ago, blacks were evicted from their homes and herded into separate suburbs, forced to work under slave-like conditions on mines and farms. Families were separated under legalized race discrimination so that white entrepreneurs could take advantage of poorly paid black laborers. The best parks, beaches and restaurants were reserved for the white minority, with signs in Afrikaans saying "Net Blankes" -- Whites Only. Some shops would only serve blacks through a hole in the wall.
Black nannies cared for white children and prepared elaborate meals for white families, then went to hovels in the backyards of mansions to feed their own children "ration meat" -- bones and fat less nutritious than the meals served to white families' dogs. A turning point came in 1960 when police turned their guns on about 300 people peacefully protesting "pass laws" restricting them to certain areas and requiring them to leave white areas where they worked by nightfall.
At least 69 people were killed and scores wounded in the Sharpeville massacre. The unprovoked slaughter attracted international condemnation that formed the roots of the global anti-apartheid movement. The government declared a state of emergency and banned South Africa's two liberation movements -- the Pan Africanist Congress, which had organized the Sharpeville protest, and the ANC.
ANC leaders declared there was no longer any space to organize nonviolent resistance and formed Umkhonto we Sizwe, Zulu for "Spear of the Nation," an army that would wage a guerrilla war for liberation. "The time comes in the life of any nation when there remain only two choices: submit or fight. That time has now come to South Africa. We shall not submit, but we shall fight back by all our means within our power for the liberation of our motherland," said the guerrilla army manifesto.
After Mandela's 1990 release from prison, he was elected president of ANC and went on to become South Africa's first black president after the historic 1994 election. While the ANC confronted a common enemy in apartheid, it became a catchall for people of many different ideological persuasions. Once the enemy was defeated, it is not surprising that differences have arisen. "We would like to think it (the ANC) has teething problems, but it's not really only teething problems," said Amina Cachalia, a political activist who joined the ANC in the 1940s. "I think suddenly it's become a different platform for different ideologies and for different people with different agendas, and that's a pity, a great pity."
The party also has struggled to find a leader as charismatic as the beloved anti-apartheid icon. Thabo Mbeki, the president who succeeded Mandela, was unceremoniously booted out of office by an ANC congress that deemed him too cerebral and out of touch with the people. Today the ANC is led by Zuma, a guerrilla fighter who was imprisoned at Robben Island alongside Mandela but whose polygamous lifestyle and extramarital affairs have scandalized South Africans.
Zuma's leadership is being challenged by Julius Malema, the very same fiery youth leader credited with ousting Mbeki and helping bring Zuma to power in 2007. Late last year, an ANC disciplinary committee fired Malema and suspended him from the party for five years.Malema, who is awaiting the result of an appeal and is under police investigation for corruption and tax evasion, has been denied the opportunity to address the centenary celebrants. But he will speak at smaller rallies near Bloemfontein, the party said of the young firebrand who draws support from young adults.
Sifiso Mkwanazi, a 26-year-old self-employed businessman, complains about the government's lack of investment to create jobs and better education opportunities."For the generation of my parents, I think it (the ANC) has done a lot, but with our generation, I don't think they are contributing as much as they should be," he says. Still, he said his vote would go to the ANC unless a viable opposition party devoted to the people's interest springs up. Cachalia, who has been a friend of Mandela for 60 years, says she wonders what he would make of the ANC's evolution. "I sometimes feel very disillusioned these days, but I suppose we live in hope," she says.
Associated Press writers Ed Brown and Krista Larson contributed to this report from Johannesburg.


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KWIK-STIK™ 2 Pack
Catalog No. 0721P
Mycobacterium smegmatis derived from ATCC® 14468™*
In Stock
2 Pack EA
General Information
Culture Method
All Product Formats
General Information
Biosafety Level1
Product FormatKWIK-STIK™ 2 Pack
Test MethodMicrobial Identification
Catalog number0721
Price CodeP-E
Culture Method
MediaLowenstein Jensen Agar or Middlebrook Agar
Atmosphere5 to 7% CO2 or Aerobic
Growth Time2 to 30 days
Additional TipsNote: M. fortuitum subsp. fortuitum, M. peregrinum and M. smegmatis will also grow on Tryptic Soy Agar (Soybean Casein Digest Agar) as well as Lowenstein Jensen and Middlebrook Agar but additional incubation time may be required.
Documents related to this product format:
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Mycobacterium smegmatis derived from ATCC® 14468™*, SKU: 0721KKWIK-STIK™ 6 PackDETAILS
*The ATCC Licensed Derivative Emblem, the ATCC Licensed Derivative word mark and the ATCC catalog marks are trademarks of ATCC. Microbiologics, Inc. is licensed to use these trademarks and to sell products derived from ATCC® cultures. Look for the ATCC Licensed Derivative © Emblem for products derived from ATCC© cultures.


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Loop power supply with optional HART® diagnostics
Loop power supply, wide range power supply, flexible power source
Bi-directional HART® transmission with SMART transmitters
Optional HART® diagnostics
Specs at a glance
Approval ATEX II (1) GD [EEx ia] IIC HART® signal Bidirectional Diagnostics Via HART® status bit or NE43 Relay output Optional for HART® diagnostics Product / Version Price / pcs. in EUR Order code Power Supply; Diagnostics Approval 1 to 3 4 to 10 11+ Standard Non-hazardous area 132,- 122,- 116,- RN221N-A1 ATEX II (1)GD (Ex ia) IIC 141,- 132,- 124,- RN221N-B1 With Hart® diagnostic relay Non-hazardous area 210,- 195,- 184,- RN221N-A3 ATEX II (1)GD (Ex ia) IIC 219,- 204,- 193,- RN221N-B3
Product / Version Price / pcs. in EUR Order code Housing Field, R4 182x180x165, 5xM20, PC Protection housing Minitec. Synthetic housing with transparent cover. Protection IP66. 4x22.5mm / 2x45mm. Usage: FTL825. 74,96 52010132
Prices valid until 31.12.2020 in EUR per unit (not including shipping and applicable sales tax). See
Endress+Hauser Terms and Conditions
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The RN221N power supply is used for the galvanic isolation of 4 to 20 mA signal current circuits. It can also be applied for the intrinsically safe operation of 2-wire transmitters and to remove earth loops. The unit offers a sensor monitoring function as an option which monitors the HART® signal or the current loop for faults. The status of the measuring point is reported over an alarm relay.
The RN221N active barrier supplies sensors with auxiliary energy and transmits the measuring signal to the output. The optional, intrinsically safe input circuit, conforms to the requirements for ignition classification ATEX II (1) GD.
Application Example
Technical dataInput
Number of inputs 1 Power requirement 16.7 V ± 0.2 V (at I = 20 mA) Open circuit voltage 26 V ± 5 % Short circuit current ≤40 mA Internal resistance 328 Ω Over range 10 % Reference conditions Calibration temperature at 25 °C (77 °F) Ambient temperature influence
≤0.1 % in range 0 to 50 °C (32 to 122 °F)
≤0.2 %/10 K in range –20 to 0 °C (–4 to 32 °F)Intrinsically safe input option
Open circuit voltage 27.3 V Short circuit current 87.6 mA Power consumption 597 mW Capacitance
86 nF [EEx ia] IIC
683 nF [EEx ia] IIB, [EEx ia] IIA
5.2 mH [EEx ia] IIC
18.9 mH [EEx ia] IIB, [EEx ia] IIAOutput
Number 1 Open circuit voltage 24 V ± 10 % Over range 10 % Load (impedance) 0 to 700 Ω (without communication resistance) Galvanic isolation To all other current circuits Relay output Optional 250 V AC/30 V DC, 3A normally open/normally closedPower supply Power supply 20 to 250 V DC/AC, 50/60 Hz Power consumption
Without HART® diagnosis max. 2.5 W
with HART® diagnosis max. 5.0 W
Current requirement (Input current limitation) Imax /In < 15 Electrical safety To EN 61 010-1, protection Class I, over voltage category II, over current protection at installation (fuse) ≤ 10 APerformance characteristics Linearity ≤0.15 % Load influence ≤0.1 %Operating conditions Ambient temperature –20 to +50 °C (–4 to 122 °F) Storage temperature –20 to +70 °C (–4 to 158 °F) Climatic class To EN 60 654-1 Class B2 Ingress protection IP 20 EMC Immunity to EN 61326, Class AMechanical construction Dimensions (W×H×D) 22.5 × 96 × 112 (0.89" × 3.78" × 4.33") for top hat DIN rail to EN 50 022-35 Housing PC/ABS, UL 940 Terminals
Keyed plug-on screw terminals, core size 2.5 mm² solid, or strands with ferrules;
front mounted communication socket for 2 mm (0.79") jack plugsDisplay and operating level
Display elements LED yellow in series to current output: Illuminates, when output current circuit is closed LED current >2 mA Remote communication HART® communication: Communication signals are transmitted bi-directionally. Communication resistance: Resistance for HART® communication 250 Ω built in. Please take note of voltage drop!Approvals Ex approval ATEX II (1) GD [EEx ia] IIC
Dimensions (in mm)
Electrical connection
RN221N without HART® diagnostics
RN221N with HART® diagnostics
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Astronomers have detected dust grains glomming together around a faraway star, capturing a snapshot of what appear to be newly forming alien planets caught in the act of being born.
Scientists used the Subaru Telescope in Hawaii to image the disk of dust and gas surrounding UX Tauri A, a young star found about 450 light-years from Earth in the constellation Taurus (The Bull). Analysis of the image revealed large and non-spherical dust particles — a telltale sign that grains are adhering to each other in a process that will eventually lead to planet formation, researchers said.
UX Tauri A is a sunlike star about 1 million years old, and it's part of a binary star system. Back in 2007, NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope discovered a gap in the protoplanetary disk surrounding UX Tauri A, suggesting that one or more planets may be taking shape there.
This gap is huge, extending from 0.2 to 56 astronomical units from UX Tauri A (1 astronomical unit is the distance from Earth to the sun, or about 93 million miles). If this gap were transported to our solar system, it would range from Mercury to Pluto, researchers have said.
The new results suggest that planets are indeed forming around UX Tauri A, despite the star's youth.
Space news from NBCNews.com
Teen's space mission fueled by social media
Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: "Astronaut Abby" is at the controls of a social-media machine that is launching the 15-year-old from Minnesota to Kazakhstan this month for the liftoff of the International Space Station's next crew.
- Buzz Aldrin's vision for journey to Mars
- Giant black hole may be cooking up meals
- Watch a 'ring of fire' solar eclipse online
- Teen's space mission fueled by social media
The team looked closely at UX Tauri A in near-infrared wavelengths, measuring how the disk's dust particles scatter and reflect light. They determined that the particles are about 30 microns wide — 300 times bigger than the motes floating through interstellar space that seed protoplanetary disks to begin with.
"Only particles with a non-spherical shape and a size of 30 microns, which is much larger than the near-infrared wavelength that was used for the observation, can explain the features of our observation," study co-author Yoichi Itoh of the University of Hyogo in Japan said in a statement.
The study will be published in the Publications of the Astronomical Observatory of Japan in December.
Follow Space.com on Twitter @Spacedotcom. We're also on Facebook and Google+.
- The Strangest Alien Planets (Gallery)
- How Planets in Alien Solar Systems Stack Up (Infographic)
- Alien Planet Quiz: Are You an Exoplanet Expert?
© 2013 Space.com. All rights reserved. More from Space.com.


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Along with the limited edition Vibe X2 Pro, the Chinese tech giant also launched the Lenovo P90 smartphone at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2015 in Las Vegas. It is the first smartphone to utilize the combination of 64-bit Intel AtomTM Z3560 processor with Intel's 5-mode XMMTM 7262 modem. It runs on the latest Android 5.0 (Lollipop) Operating System.
Lenovo P90 comes with a 5.5 inch Full HD display, 13 megapixel rear camera, 5 megapixel front camera, gesture controls, advanced LTE connectivity and a huge 4000 mAh battery. This handset will be available in Pearl White, Onyx Black and Lava Red colors. The Lenovo P90 will go on sale from next month. The price of this device will be announced soon.
"The Lenovo P90 smartphone is an impressive addition to the growing portfolio of Intel-powered smartphones. As one of the first smartphones powered by Intel's latest processor coupled with the LTE-Advanced XMM 7260 modem, people will enjoy exceptional speed and 64-bit performance that will provide users with a great mobile experience. We are proud to continue our work with Lenovo on this major milestone."
– Hermann Eul, Intel's vice president of Mobile Communications


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As many of you know, LG re-introduced the Optimus G yesterday and made it known that it would it hit international markets come October. With us here in the United States anxiously awaiting our release, we begin to wonder how and where it will make its debut. Could it be a Verizon follow-up in the tradition of Revolution or Spectrum? Sure. Could it also be a stock Android 4.1 experience called the Optimus Nexus? Yeah, that sounds possible, too.
Considering the beefy hardware and latest build of Android, the Optimus G is the stuff that us nerds love. With the year end launch expected, the timing is right for the annual Nexus line. Our friends over at AndroidAndMe have heard from a pair of reliable sources that LG is expected produce a Nexus smartphone this year. Given the recent rumor of an Optimus Nexus, this would be the perfect device for Android faithful. What with its quad-core processor, LTE support, 2GB RAM, and 32GB storage, it's among the smartphone elite. With rumors of up to five Nexus partners, LG's got something special here and could really help their U.S. image.
As a reminder, LG does have an event scheduled for today where they may provide some new details for the Optimus G. We would not expect to hear any Nexus stuff today, but it could give us a few more tea leaves worth reading.


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20 Minute Autumn Minestrone with Tiny Turkey Meatballs
My kids love this soup so much they always ask for seconds, and I love that it's a delicious, one-pot meal I can pull together on a weeknight. The ingredients list looks intimidating, but don't fret! Just use the veggies you like and omit anything you can't get past your kids - although I was pleasantly surprised to discover that my kids love the Swiss chard!
One tip: If you gather and prep all of your ingredients first, this will come together in just 20 minutes, plus 30 minutes for cooking!
2 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/2" thick
2 celery stalks, sliced 1/2" thick
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups Swiss chard leaves, chopped
4 cup chicken broth, low sodium
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed & drained
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
For the meatballs:
16 oz ground turkey meat
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
3 tbsp dried bread crumbs
1/2 tsp fresh sage, chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
In a Dutch oven or soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook, uncovered, until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the Swiss chard and cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer while you make the meatballs, about 10-15 minutes.
To make the meatballs, combine the turkey, Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, sage, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Stir to combine, then add the egg and mix until just incorporated.
Increase the heat to medium on the soup and bring to a gentle boil. Use a tablespoon to form the meatballs and gently drop them into the soup. Add the garbanzo beans and basil, cover, and cook until the meatballs are cooked through, about 12 minutes. Serve hot and pass the Parmesan cheese at the table.
Amanda Haas is a cookbook author, cooking video host, and the founder of One Family One Meal, a website that helps families menu plan, grocery shop, and cook on a budget. Her latest writing collaboration is with renowned chef Todd English. Their book, Cooking in Everyday English , is now available on Cooking in Everyday English and is loaded with family-friendly recipes. Amanda's own One Family One Meal cookbook will be released in the fall of 2012.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, POPSUGAR.


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Prior statin use and 90-day mortality in Gram-negative and Gram-positive bloodstream infection: a prospective observational study
(Springer, 2015-03)
n several studies on patients with bloodstream infection (BSI), prior use of statins has been associated with improved survival. Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria alert the innate immune system in different ways. ...


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Victory Centre of Galewood
2370 North Newcastle Avenue Chicago IL 60707
for a local A Place for Mom advisor
Our longstanding mission is to transform the way society thinks about aging and senior living. Our Victory Centre of Galewood community is an extension of that promise. We are steadfast in our commitment to cultivate a genuine home for you or your loved one. Above all else, this is your life and we hope you'll take us along for the ride.
With a variety of studio apartments, residents may choose the apartment location that best suits their needs when available.
Live Well, Age Well, Be Well
We're excited to welcome you to Victory Centre of Galewood. Serving adults in the Chicagoland area, Victory Centre of Galewood is an extension of Pathway to Living, a program and a promise to celebrate life by fostering a stimulating, comfortable and openhearted environment.
The lifestyle at our community supports residents in the next phase of life. People are choosing Victory Centre of Galewood as home because they need someone to guide them down their path, not stand in the way. Life enrichment is our priority. Through Pathway to Living's award-winning VIVA! philosophy, residents are growing – physically, mentally and spiritually.
At Victory Centre of Galewood, we offer Pathway to Living's signature, award-winning VIVA!? lifestyle – an approach that offers an entirely new way of aging healthfully and happily, encouraging and inviting residents to live each day with purpose, fulfillment, and meaning. VIVA!? offers a combination of programs, including a number of proven Pathway to Living's signature programs that have been perfected over time, as well as customized programs developed specifically for individual residents.
Signature programs include:
Inspire the artist within! We offer regular and ongoing instruction in various art mediums for both beginning and experienced artists. Rewarding, creative and fun, ArtPath is a cornerstone of our Wellness Programming.
Lifelong Learning:
Every month, our residents engage in programs from college level courses on various topics to adult educational series on photography, literature and other resident interests.
Victory Gardens:
Residents have the opportunity to maintain their own vegetable garden and curate seasonal ingredients. It's not uncommon for a summer dish to be topped with our own homegrown vegetables.
Viva! World Tour:
Viva! World Tour invites residents to see the world, experience exotic cultures and practice foreign languages, all without ever leaving home. Viva! World Tour expands the mind while satisfying the travel bug.
Good Vibrations:
During Pathway's Drumming and Vibrations circles, residents tap into their creative spirit. Using a variety of rhythmic instruments, residents exercise self expression and socialization with friends. Plus, it's an effective full-body workout!
See Spot Retire:
Adopt, don't shop! At Pathway, we're committed to rescuing dogs who need a loving and forever home. Every Pathway community you visit will have a four-legged resident!
Wellness Care You Can Trust
-Routine health and wellness programs, including weight monitoring, blood pressure checks, nurse consultations and coordination of licensed medical services
-Medication management and review of possible drug interactions by a pharmacist
-Assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs)
-Routine follow-up coordination with physicians and ancillary medical service providers such as therapy, home health and hospice
-Resident and family education and support
-Disease prevention counseling and education on self-care
-VIVA! Legacy, an award-winning program honoring residents' living and end-of-life wishes to create a personalized lifestyle
-24-hour care services
You simply have to visit and meet some of our residents to learn for yourself what makes living here so special.
Pricing at Victory Centre of Galewood
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*Prices quoted are monthly rental charges and are provided by the communities themselves. Actual prices may differ due to one-time fees, timing and care services required. Speak with your Senior Living Advisor to learn more.
Reviews of Victory Centre of Galewood
Community Details at Victory Centre of Galewood
Senior Housing Types Provided at Victory Centre of Galewood
The features and amenities that are displayed on this page contain marketing information provided by the community. A Place for Mom has not confirmed the completeness of the provided information, and cannot guarantee its accuracy.
To conduct a complete investigation, seniors and their families should:
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- Confirm that the community offers services that are required for the senior's specific needs and budget; and
- Check additional licensing and state audit information.
If you become aware of any information that should be updated or noted, please contact A Place for Mom.


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The Price Of Compromise, The Wages Of Influence
The Price of Compromise"Some cultures do not compromise. Take the example of Islam. Islam is now culture, now religion, now political system and now race. It can be anything, depending on the situation. However, Islam cannot change. You cannot water it down, reform it or modernize it. The Qu'ran is emphatic that Islam is perfect (Q: 5:3). No Muslim will tolerate reforming his religion that was perfected by God. Consequently, the only culture that will have to give in to the point of extinction will be the Western culture." —Ali Sina The Wages of Influence"One facet of this sad disagreement,...Read More


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The chair designed for coziness and comfort. Chair's backrest can be adjusted continuously. The chair is equipped with a brake lever which can be found between the seat and armrests. Head rest can be adjusted manually.
The electric recliner function allows you to easily move your chair into a sitting or lying position with its two motors. The first motor allows for the back of the chair to continuously drop at the touch of a button. The second motor pulls out your leg rest at the touch of a button.The recliner function is admitted and functional for up to 120kg.
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I'm about to bottle my first Coopers home brew and I don't have a rapid bottler. Can I pour it straight from the tap or will I have problems?
What is a rapid bottler? – brewchez Apr 17 '11 at 12:27
AKA bottling wand / bottle filler. My LHBS has a pic - westbrew.com.au/showProduct/Home+Brewing/Bottling+and+Sealing/… – Mark McDonald Apr 18 '11 at 4:55
The bottling wand that comes in the Cooper's kit is there to make bottling easier & doesn't add any special technique required for the process. If you do pour straight from the tap, unless you're careful, you'll find it hard to fill the bottles to consistent / accurate levels, you will likely make a huge mess and you could waste precious beer.
I'd recommend holding out an extra day & visiting your local homebrew store to pick one up (they're under $10 where I live) but as long as you're careful, you could get away with bottling straight out of the tap.
For more info, have a read of "How To Brew" - Section 1, Chapter 11 covers priming & bottling.
I assume you mean a tap on your fermentor/bottling bucket and not a tap like from a kegging system.
The biggest problem is getting too much air/oxygen into the beer. You can fill that way, but the beer will potentially stale faster because of the oxygen pick up. At least get a piece of tubing that will reach from the "tap" to the bottom of the bottle. Fill slowly and when you pull the bottle off the tubing you should have about the right amount of head space.


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Melvin (Babe) and Pauline Jones of Fayette, Ohio, will celebrate 70 years of marriage. The couple was united in marriage March 2, 1940, and they continue to be each other's best friends.
Babe and Pauline have lived in Fayette most of those 70 years and have been active members of the community. Babe runs a small manufacturing business, and Pauline worked as a librarian for many years. Retirement wasn't part of their plans, so they both continue to work in one form or another. Pauline volunteers at Serenity Haven, and Babe continues to head off to the office every day.
Anyone acquainted with them knows that the center court line was "home" to them over all the years of high school basketball. No matter which grandkid was handling a ball, running a course, or participating in a school event, they were there.
Babe and Pauline have two children, Jamie and Sandy Jones of Big Rapids, Mich., and Jim and Joyce Fruchey of Fayette. They also have two grandsons Brian (and Lesley) Fruchey and Corey (and Melanie) Fruchey, both of Fayette, and great-grandchildren, Hailey and Dustin Tuley of Hampstead, N.C., Mackenzie, Alexis, Kelsey and Trista of Fayette, and two step-grandchildren, Tyler and Katelyn Downing, also of Fayette.
Due to health issues, Babe and Pauline will celebrate quietly at home. Cards and notes of congratulations may be sent to P.O. Box 331, Fayette, OH 43521.


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We prefer you submit maintenance requests through your tenant portal. Please login to your tenant portal and follow the prompts. If you have not activated your portal, you can get started below.
Note: If you do not yet have a login password for your tenant portal, please click here to get started.


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I'm a one man Hardware Engineering department, designing using Eagle, hand assembling prototypes and contract manufacturing the bulk of the items. I've been getting by with just using spreadsheets and managing my items all myself, but with 2 and 3 revisions of each product, and 3-4 products in various stages, I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around how I can control the BOMs, Part Numbers, etc., and make sense of it. I also want to be able to setup a system that I can add an apprentice/purchaser, so that I can say, "hey, I need you to build 25 more of part # xyz", and they just go to the system and start ordering the parts. I have been recommended the REDMINE system, and that I can custom tailer it to my needs, but this seems like a lot of behind the scenes work.
I have a "part numbering" scheme going, and I'm using the BOMex script for Eagle with success so far, but it's a manual effort to keep my part number lists up to date, and then I have to export a CSV file from that Excel spreadsheet to be able to run BOMex and pull in the part numbers.
Do you have an recommendations, or words of wisdom, on how I can improve my product development management, and set myself up, should I ever need to grow beyond just myself? Am I talking expensive software? Even if that is the case, I have no idea what would work best for my scenario.
Thank you