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Reconstruct the epic battles.. one building block at a time.
For a great selection of video game action figures and collectibles, check out BigBadToyStore.com, Urban-Collector.com, DollsAmerica.com, ClarkToys.com, ToyWiz.com, VNCToys.com, PastGenerationToys.com, HobbyLinkJapan.com, YesAnimation.com, and SuperheroToys.com.
For a great selection of video game t-shirts and apparel, check out TShirtGurus.com and 80sTees.com.
The ongoing success of the HALO franchise has increased with the release of the HALO Wars video game. Bringing an entirely new type of gameplay to this immensely popular series, the RTS (real-time strategy) HALO Wars not only introduced avid fans to a new perspective on playing HALO-based games, but also introduced the prequel happenings in the HALO universe. The game allows players to see the viewpoints of humans and Covenant alike during the early stages of the interplanetary war. This, in turn, allows an entirely new realm of toys differing with the current HALO 3 lines.
The first such company to divulge into HALO Wars is the MEGA Bloks, which utilizes building blocks to create exquisite pieces. And not only did MEGA Bloks decide to jump into the HALO toy realm, they did a cannonball from 20 feet high with 6 sets covering a majority of the iconic vehicles seen in the game. The sets include everything from both UNSC and Covenant turrets, the Ghost, Warthog, Hornet, the ultra powerful Scorpion tank, the Banshee, and finally, a vehicle first seen in HALO Wars: the UNSC Hawk. And something that MEGA Bloks had never done thats exclusive to this series is the introduction of camouflage blocks. This effect nicely enhances the look of the vehicles depicted in each set.
MINI FIGURES: Included in the varying sets are 4 different mini figures. These include the popular Spartan decked out in Mark IV armor, the Hellbringers which are flamethrower Marines, the ominous Elites, and of course the always comical cannon fodder of the Covenant, the Grunts.
The Spartan, Hellbringer, and Elites all have the same type of articulation. These include ball-jointed neck, ball-jointed shoulders, hinged elbows, swivel wrists, ball-jointed hips, and hinged knees. This degree of articulation for such small figures is impressive and I must say the quality of the figures is equally as impressive. I had no problems at all posing the figures and never felt like they would break under any stress I put upon them.
The Grunt, because of its extreme small size, is only articulated on the neck, shoulders, and hips but is more than enough to get some varying poses.
SET 1 UNSC TURRET: This 54 piece set is the first in the MEGA Bloks HALO Wars line and is perhaps the most basic. This set is the turret that the human forces in the games(the UNSC, or United Nations Space Command) use in battles.
The turret can rotate a full 360° and includes four blaster cannons for taking out any ground or aerial Covenant vehicles.
Also included in this set are 3 Spartans with one having a SMG and two having shotguns. The turret can also go be situated in an up, anti-aircraft position if desired. This set normally retails for $9.99.
SET 2 COVENANT GHOST: This set includes 72 pieces and is used to create one of the most common vehicles seen in the HALO games. This rapid assault vehicle is used in raids during battle by the Covenant.
The vehicle features twin blaster cannons and a boosted gravity propulsion drive. The set packs an Elite with a Beam Rifle and 3 Grunts. This set normally retails for $9.99.
SET 3 UNSC WARTHOG: This large set includes 173 pieces to create not only the most recognizable vehicle from the series, but also a Covenant Battle Turret.
As for the turret, its a very simple build and comes with an Elite armed with a Beam Rifle and has great mobility as it can rotate a full 360° around.
The Warthog is, simply put, freaking awesome and not too difficult to put together. It has a sort of suspension system allowing the wheels to easily maneuver over any obstacle in its way (or perhaps a pesky Grunt).
The Warthog is also accompanied by two Spartans armed with SMGs, but they really don't need any weapons with you one Spartan driving and the other manning the M41 Light Anti-Aircraft Gun. This vehicle is a must-buy for any true fan of the HALO series and will not disappoint. The retail price for this set is normally $19.99.
SET 4 UNSC HORNET: Another big set packing 159 pieces that create the Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) vehicle designed to provide close air support for UNSC troops. The set is a nice addition to the UNSC armory and is moderate in difficulty for building as some aspects of it will detach if handled with too much force. The cockpit opens up allowing the included Spartan, who comes with a shotgun, to be placed inside.
Also included in this set are 3 Grunts that serve as yet another hindrance to the UNSCs campaign against the Covenant. As can be seen in the picture gallery for this set, the Spartan and Grunts can be placed on the wings for both dramatic and/or comedic value. The normal retail price for this set is $19.99.
SET 5 UNSC SCORPION: This huge set includes 278 pieces to create the most badass weapons platform in the UNSC arsenal. There are not enough good things I could write about this set to express how awesome it truly is.
As for building difficulty, its slightly moderate, but not because of problems having pieces fit together but just the sheer number used to create it. Each of the four singular treads can movie independently of each other allowing for some interesting poses (as can be seen above with the Scorpion crushing the Ghost).
Also, the cockpit opens up so that the red Spartan equipped with an SMG can be placed inside. The Scorpion is also armed with a 90mm High-Velocity Cannon and 7.62mm Machine Gun that can rotate fully and move up and down. This set can easily be the favorite for most and will not disappoint. The normal retail price for this set is $29.99.
SET 6 AERIAL AMBUSH: This set includes a whopping 376 pieces to create a vast air battle. The Covenant have two components to this set with the first being a second assault turret. The next is the main aerial assault craft of the Covenant forces, the Banshee. They are armed with twin Plasma Cannons and the Fuel Rod Cannon used for taking out any ground troops. The cockpit flips up to open so that the include Elite, also armed with a Beam Rifle, can take control.
The build difficulty for the Banshee is not too bad but the wings can be sensitive to coming off if handled too much.
The last vehicle included in this set is the UNSC Hawk which is a super-unit upgrade anti-vehicle of the UNSC Hornet seen first in the HALO Wars game. It is armed with a powerful nose-mounted Laser Cannon and dual Machine Guns.
The build difficulty for this is also not too difficult and is pretty sturdy. The cockpit, like all the other vehicles, opens up so that the Spartan armed with a shotgun can be placed inside. Two other figures are included in this set with the first being another Grunt and the second being exclusive to this set, the Flamethrower Marine. Once built, he is the only action figure that requires some slight assembly, he is a menacing addition to the UNSC arsenal and is definitely helpful in creating unique diorama sets.
While each included vehicle may not stand out as being the coolest by themselves, put them all together and this set really stands out as a definite platform for creating a massive display. The normal retail price for this set is $39.99.
Overall, the 6 sets that MEGA Bloks have created to commemorate the newly established HALO Wars franchise do a more than adequate job of catching the essence of the characters and vehicles in building blocks fashion. While some sets really stand out in my mind in both build and in-game accuracy (Warthog and Scorpion), all the sets will please the buyer with whats included.
That being said, buying just one of the first couple sets might leave the buyer with some remorse as theyre not very compelling on their own. One should know that these are used more as army builders rather than standalones. Once you get up to the larger sets, and especially the last 2, is where you really feel like MEGA Bloks has created some pretty dynamic pieces. The quality of the blocks is also good, but there are some pieces that could have been molded for better gripping strength (Im looking at you Banshee wings). Yet, I was very pleasantly surprised at how each vehicle turned out as far as comparisons to in-game shots. Any fan of HALO and HALO Wars alike will enjoy adding these sets to their ballooning collections of HALO memorabilia.
MEGA Bloks' HALO Wars sets can be found at most mass market retailers. For free downloads and further HALO Wars information, visit www.megabrands.com/en/kids/halowars.
For over 200 images of these awesome MEGA Bloks HALO Wars sets, CLICK HERE!
Review and Photos by Aaron Binder
Review Samples Courtesy of MEGA Bloks


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Please advise basic requirements to start a new church under your denominational banner.
The process required in our Form of Government is two-fold. First, if a group is an organized church outside the OPC, the local Presbytery must examine members and officers to satisfy themselves that they meet the constitutional standards of the OPC (which are, for members, reasonable evidence of saving faith and, for ordained officers, satisfactory evidence that they qualify as "adopting the Confession of Faith and Catechisms of this church as containing the system of doctrine taught in Holy Scripture").
Secondly, if the group is not an organized church, the adherents of the group may become members of an overseeing congregation. Then, by Presbytery action, it becomes a "Mission Work" of the OPC. The group thus comes under the care of the OPC and a constituent part of it, with all the privileges of church membership. That includes exemption from government tax liability.
What I advise you to do is to make contact with the General Secretary of the Committee on Home Missions and Church Extension. Click the "Home Missions" link in the left column of this page and then "Want to start an OPC in your area?" under Resources.
"Questions and Answers" is a weekly feature of the OPC website. The answers come from individual ministers in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church expressing their own convictions and do not necessarily represent an "official" position of the Church, especially in areas where the Standards of the Church (the Scriptures and the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms) are silent.
The questions come from individuals like yourself. If you have questions about biblical and theological matters, you are invited to send them by e-mail by using the "Pose a Question" link on the OPC home page or by clicking here.
At least one new question is posted each week, so there should always be something new here for you to read. (For those people who would like to look at previous questions and answers, they will continue to be available as well.)
The purpose of the OPC website's "Questions and Answers" is to respond to biblical and theological questions. Matters of church discipline, disputes, or debates go beyond the scope of our work. We recommend that you present your concerns in these areas to the appropriate judicatory. In most cases this will be to a local pastor, elder, or session. We do not want the website to replace personal involvement in, or commitment to, the local, visible church.
While we will respond to every serious questioner, we are not bound to give a substantive answer to every question, should we deem the question to be beyond the scope of our purpose or our own ability to answer.
You will receive an answer by e-mail. Please be patient as many of our respondents are busy pastors. The response to your question may take up to two (2) weeks. Some of the questions submitted will be chosen to be posted here, along with the corresponding answers.
Note that the "Questions and Answers" posted on the site have been editedall personal references are removed, Scripture references or from some source may be added, and sometimes portions are expandedto make the questions and answers more useful to a larger audience.
|© 2020 The Orthodox Presbyterian Church
Chaplains and Military Personnel

subset: commoncrawl


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The Norman Studios
In the 1920s, Richard E. Norman (1891-1960) a white filmmaker and distributor of silent films, produced a number of works using all African American casts and crews. This was during the era of a rising racism, including the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan. Norman's feature-length "race films," such as the "Flying Ace" and "Bull Doggers," were part of a national movement to portray positive images of blacks, and served as an antidote to the racism of the time. The Norman Studios in Jacksonville represent the last remaining vestiges of the city's movie industry that rivaled Hollywood, California, in the early years of filmmaking. They are nationally significant as one of the few remaining intact studios in the country that demonstrate the participation of African American in the early history of filmmaking in the United States.


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Yesterday I received a press release about a new service available to UK-based mobile phone users called AQA2U.
Set up by the existing AQA text messaging service, it allows anyone to set up an account and then send SMS alerts to anyone who has decided to follow them.
Though it's free for a publisher to register, it costs 98p for someone to subscribe (by texting the chosen topic name to 63336) and thereafter it costs 25p each time they receive a text, up to a maximum of £3.50 per month. The publisher can make around 7-9p per subscriber per message. [Read more…]


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Hello readers! It seems almost wrong to post these snaps on such a filthy rainy day but I need to reminisce already. If the sight of sun, sea and sand (that is what you thought?) is going to turn you green, look away now!
Blimey, isn't this weather here in Blighty dire? You might have warned me and I'd have stayed away! Rewind two weeks and we were in need of a little...
Time to leave these shores, love them as we do, leave the office behind, the school yard, even (gasp) the Den and head West like heat seeking missiles...
What to do for two weeks? Some folks wrestled with crocodiles...
... of the inflatable kind!
For me, there were a few reminders of my crafty lifestyle back home. A few handmade touches abroad. Along came the Kindle cover, the beach bag and a last minute kaftan thingy.
I had already picked up a cheap plain kaftan from the shops because I liked the style and thought it would be easy to copy so I simply laid it on top of the pretty Tanya Whelan fabric and cut out roughly the same shape. I added a band of paisley fabric to the hem, some turquoise bias binding to the neckline and having trawled my stash for the perfect three buttons, I ended up using the buttons which are free with this month's Mollie Makes mag (which handily arrived in the post just as we were to depart).
On the beach, there were crafty makes by others to peruse and maybe purchase. I did draw the line at the corn rows in my hair though!
The jewellery was very pretty and you can't beat being able to watch it being made right there on the beach.
For others, their holiday was not about being sedentary, especially not when there were rock pools to explore.
Evenings saw us resume the Yahtzee challenge with the odd cocktail to quench one's thirst in that Caribbean heat.
And eating far too much lovely food, of course. I love cooking but it's nice to have a break and there is a certain something about a beach bbq, sand beneath your feet and 25 degree heat through the night.
More entertainment came in the form of a spot of limbo dancing. Strictly one for us old fogies to watch and marvel at, although the Munchkin did get up for a go (without the flames!)
Calypso dancing ensued (once again we watched while the youngster joined in. Were those really virgin cocktails he was drinking?)
Ahhh, Barbados, we miss you already. Especially in this darned rain and cold! Now where did I put my jumper?


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MacKayne Arabians
Located in the heart of East Texas, Mackayne Arabians are breeding, raising and showing the purest of Egyptian Arabians. Founded in 2008 with the purchase of our first Egyptian Arabian Mare, Lady Mishaal RCA, Mackayne Arabians began the journey of a lifetime. Since then, the herd has grown to include Egyptian champion mare Alia Valentino, as well as bloodlines from many notable Egyptian Arabian champions, such as Thee Desperado, Mishaal HP, Ruminaja Ali, and many more. These mares will reproduce winners in the showring, and winners in your family!
Phone: 903.880.6589
Owner: Keitha Adams


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"Since the establishment of the first office in Italy, I can proudly say that MTIC InterCert and TÜV InterCert today are mindful of the client's needs and pioneers in the market's innovation; determined in keeping a close bond with our historical roots, we become at the same time a technical point of reference in offering tangible and innovative solutions for professional and business growth. In a few years, thanks to a competent and passionate team, we reached an important goal, placing ourselves among the leaders in Testing-Inspection-Certification (TIC) with customers in more than 60 countries around the world "
MTIC InterCert and TÜV InterCert offer innovative solutions that are personalized for each business sector and provide a 360 degree services to organizations that want a reliable partner with cross-disciplinary skills.
TESTING | Qualified and accredited partner laboratories carry out tests on finished components and products, according to regulatory and legislative requirements, ensuring maximum safety and compliance.
INSPECTION | Specialized technical team carry out inspections directly to the company, verifying compliance with regulations and technical requirements to ensure their safety and compliance.
CERTIFICATION | The wide world of system, product and people certifications to meet the requirements of international standards, European Directives (ex. CE marking) and national regulations.


text: Doctor Who (BBC, 2005) is a British science-fiction television show created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber, and Donald Wilson. The further adventures in time and space of the alien adventurer known as the Doctor, a Time Lord/Lady who can change appearance and gender, and his/her companions. ... more on Wikipedia


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Difference between revisions of "Mylyn/Incubator/Generic Industrial Connector"
(→Configuring the SQL Connector using Ibatis)
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==Configuring the SQL Connector using Ibatis==
==Configuring the SQL Connector using Ibatis==
For detailed instructions on configuring a Industrial Generic SQL Conencter see [[Configuring Industrial Connector using Ibatis]]
For detailed instructions on configuring a Industrial Generic SQL Conencter see [[Configuring Industrial Connector using Ibatis]]
Revision as of 18:55, 9 February 2009
This work is funded by Remain Software and Industrial-TSI.
This is a temp doc space for the generic SQL connector for mylyn.
Update Site
We have created an update site to try this connector for 3.0.x and 2.3.x.
Create the update site reference as follows, using the above URL:
Then select that site:
And make select the latest version plus the Ibatis SqlMap feature:
Temporary SVN
The port of the generic SQL connector to Mylyn 3.0 will be at:
- svn://bugs.industrial-tsi.com/mylyn_gsc/trunk
The generic SQL connector for Mylyn 2.3.x will be at:
- svn://bugs.industrial-tsi.com/mylyn_gsc/branches/mylyn23x
Maarten Meijer
Wim Jongman
Ahmed Aadel
Initial Request: bug 184532
Discussion: bug 223048
Current work is done using Apache Ibatis so that all configuration can be stored in the ibatis xml configuration files.
Legal parameter sets for various fields can then be stored as pseudo queries.
News from the dev team
* 06/21 Restructured the SVN to start porting to Mylyn 3.0 * 06/13 Now ready to create tasks as well, using a property in the db.properties to allow this. Only how to set the properties in the new task editor? * 06/10 Well I have refactored the code and project structure, so now basically settings for every database are in a Fragment.
This increases modularity and offers the possibility of adding code fragments for specific databases, adds a speciic home for JDBC drivers, etc.
* 09/08 Port to 3.0 is underway, new preliminary package names: org.eclipse.mylyn.sql.* * 09/26 New version 0.7.0.v20080926 with extended queryEditor and general UI improvements, download site available
Generic Task Structure to map to any SQL DB
These are mainly the fields from AbstractTask
- repositoryUrl - taskId - owner - summary - priority (as P1, P2, P3, P4 or P5) - completed - completionDate (null is not completed) - creationDate - dueDate - notes
Further more a generic Task can hold:
- a list of TaskComments and - a list of TaskAttachments.
But how?
Task Context
Since the users of this connector are owners of the database (otherwise they would not be able to access it) it makes sense to create a new table that is keyed by task id and that holds a blob for the task context. In this way the task context can conveniently be dropped in this table. This could also be a setting in the connector.
Generic Query Structure to map to any SQL DB
There will be a Query window allowing (full text) selection on:
- taskId : match a specific ID - owner : match a known owner from a list - summary : match a string in a description - priority (as P1, P2, P3, P4 or P5) : match one or more priorities - completed : match true or false - completionDate (null is not completed) : match before, after and null - creationDate : match before, after and null - dueDate : match before, after and null - notes : match a string in a description
and possibly:
- in the list of TaskComments and - in the list of TaskAttachments.
Configuring the SQL Connector using Ibatis
For detailed instructions on configuring a Industrial Generic SQL Conencter see Mylyn/Incubator/Configuring Industrial Connector using Ibatis


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Like millennials before them, Gen Z endures a lot of trash talk from older generations that they don't deserve. But, hey teenagers, when it comes to stereotypes about your driving, I'm sorry, you're … just … not good.
To be fair, that's been true for every generation before you, and it's not entirely your fault. The simple fact that you're inexperienced means you haven't fine-tuned your skills behind the wheel.
Still, bottom line is: Car crashes remain the leading cause of death among U.S. teens. You're three times more likely to die in a car crash than drivers 20 or older.
Other risk factors associated with teen drivers, are:
- Driving with other teen passengers, dividing their attention
- Nighttime driving — when your daytime driving is still not great
- Distracted driving, the cause of some 10 percent of teen traffic deaths.
- Drowsy driving, a particular problem for you straight-A, extracurricular-activity types with a lot going on
- Speeding, cited in a third of teen driving fatalities
- Impaired driving, cited in 16 percent of teen highway deaths
- And not using seatbelts, cited in 58 percent of teen driving fatalities in 2016
OK, that last one? Is just dumb. Those who arguably need seatbelts most have the lowest use rate? PUT YOUR SEATBELT ON!
For parents, the federal highway-safety authorities recommend:
- Starting the conversation early and often, before it's time for them to get behind the wheel.
- Setting ground rules about things like seatbelt use, stowing smartphones, speeding and other risk factors, and putting them in writing
- And always setting a good example, as your teen is more likely to do as you do, not as you say
And look at it this way, Gen Z, if you clean up your act behind the wheel? That'll give those lame older folks one less thing to talk smack about.


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Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.
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By Paullie
Hi all,
Hopefully someone can help me with this?
I really enjoy making tartalettes of sorts. When baking the dough rises a lot meaning that there is not really a lot of space to fill with something nice.
I am using glutenfree flour (Peak's All Purpose) and have tried blind baking them. But from my first blind baking try, it seems that the bottom stays raw. Have put it back in the oven 'unblinded' (can i use this term? :)) but still its not the way i want it.
Could sure use some tips on how to get these tartalettes nice and thin.
Thanks in advance to anyone who tries to help, i appreciate it.
By chefpeon
So, strangely, as of late, I sort of seem to have my shit together, and I actually had enough forethought to bring along my digital camera to document the construction of my latest cake project.
Since so many of you seem curious as to how one of these things comes together, I thought you all might enjoy the picture filled journey down the path of a sculpted cake.
How it started:
First a little history. I'm a semi-burned out pastry chef who transplanted herself from the "big city" (Seattle) scene to a tranquil and liberal, artistic, intellectual, granola chewing, Birkenstock wearing, marine and tourist trade Victorian Seaport......also known as Port Townsend, Washington. I love this place. I affectionately call it Tinytown. In Seattle I spent a lot of years doin' the PC thing in various bakeries and specialty shops, but mostly I was employed as a high-end cake artist. I loved the work I did (and do) as a cake artist over there, but the long hours and snotty brides took their toll, and I wanted to walk away from it for a while. After a couple of years living here in Port Townsend and establishing a life with my new husband and love of my life, I decided to get back into doing cakes just a little. I'm only doing the ones I want to do, and only the ones that make it worth my while. But sometimes I'm so inspired to do a cake, I do it for nothing just because I want to do it, and I love to see the look on people's faces when I present it to them. Usually, that's all the payment I need. Such is the case with this cake. A side note: I do have a regular job baking for a cute progressive little deli (Provisions) and a cookie wholesale outfit. I love that job.....it fulfills my need to bake. Not only that, the people I work for are so freaking nice as to let me use the kitchen for my cakes also. I only have to pay them 10% of whatever I'm charging for the cake.....but anything under $100 is free. I also get to order all my ingredients wholesale on their account. Sweet, huh?
Here's a picture of Provisions, Port Townsend's source for gourmet European ingredients, and the best take-out on the Peninsula!
Since this town is small enough that everyone seems to know everyone else, I heard that one of my boss' wife's friends was getting a baby shower on May 1st. Of course, the boss' wife, who is a chef in her own right and runs the deli, offered to do the food. So I chimed in and said I'd do the cake. The person giving the shower, Lily, showed me the invitation and told me that she was going to do a May Day theme with lots of flowers. When I offered to to the cake, I was just going to do a simple round cake....but when Lily told me the details I had this epiphany. Into my head immediately popped one of those Anne Geddes babies that is coming out of the flowerpot. I immediately started forming this vision of my cake, and this is what I sketched:
Now, I knew I would be putting in a lot of work for no monetary gain, but what the hell.....it would be fun. Once I get a bee in my bonnet, there's no stopping me.
A week before the day of the shower, I started all my prep work.....which included:
making the flowers, out of gumpaste making modeling chocolate and kneading in all the colors I would need making the umbrella out of gumpaste baking the cakes making the buttercream making simple syrup kneading all the fondant colors I'd need buying chocolate cookies and liquor cutting and covering my bottom board dying bamboo skewers green with vinegar and food color I did a little each day. I had to fit that in between my regular job and family-care duties.
On Saturday, the day before the shower, and one of the days I'm off from my regular job, I went into the kitchen to build the cake. I'd had a nutritious breakfast of Oreo Mint Creams thanks to my stepson who'd been eating them the night before as he was watching TV. Gulped down a little coffee, and packed up all my equipment in the back of my truck. Only 4 minutes to the kitchen......man, I don't miss commuting!!!
The night before, I had filled and stacked the cakes, so they would be ready for me to carve, first thing. The top cake is a lemon cake with raspberry buttercream, and the bottom cake is chocolate cake with mocha-toffee buttercream. All the cake layers are soaked with simple syrup; the lemon was soaked with lemon syrup and the chocolate, soaked with Kahlua syrup. I prefer to use buttercream as a filling in sculpted cakes....it sets up firm and makes carving a cinch. Mousses and jams and curds don't set up enough and are also very slippy-slidy. When you are carving out a cake, you don't want your layers sliding around on you. Here is my top cake.....I baked off two 8 inch rounds and 1 10 inch round. Cut them all in half and filled. Ready to carve!
Here is the rough cut:
I just used my long serrated knife to get a general pot shape. Now for the fine tuning:
Lookin' like a flowerpot! Mmmmmm......look at all those cake scraps on the table. Yep, a few went in my mouth (quality control you know) but the rest went into the garbage......Next it's time to put a layer of buttercream on there, for extra smoothy goodness:
I snapped the pic with one hand as I was holding the pastry bag in the other. Not easy. I like to use the giant pastry bag with the giant tip for applying icing....makes for less work later.
Ok, here's a pic for folks that wanted to see that "paint masker thingy" in action. Tried to snap a pic myself, but just couldn't muster up the co-ordination. Luckily, Amber, the front deli counter girl, took a pic for me. I hadn't meant for her to include ME in the pic (Gawd!) but I wanted more of a close up of Mr. Smoothing Tool. Oh well, you take what you can get. See that I have my sketch on the reach-in behind me....along with all my other wacky magnets. Hey, I like to decorate my workspace.....Notice I hold the "pint masker thingy" by the bottom when I am smoothing the sides. If I don't, and hold it by the handle, it tends to kind of bend. I hold it by the handle when I go across the top. See how nice and smooth?:
Now it's really starting to look like a flowerpot. But wait! It's upside down! Why is that, you ask? Because it's easier to carve and ice that way, and most importantly, much easier to apply the fondant. Into the walk-in it goes, to firm up. Now for the second pot:
This is going to be the bottom flowerpot. It's going to be larger, and a slightly different shape than the top flowerpot. I baked off 2 10 inch rounds and 1 8 inch round for this one. I only ended up using half the 8 inch round, as you can see. I have the saran wrap underneath the cake and on top of the board, so it will be easier to flip over later. Here it is all carved out.....mmm....more cake scraps.....into the garbage they go.....
Below, here it is, with a layer of buttercream. I didn't use the "paint masker thingy" on this one because of the curvature of the cake. I just piped the icing on and then smoothed it out with my offset spatula as best I could. After I refrigerate it, I will do the final smoothing.
So now I'm waiting for my pots to set up. Time to do some other stuff, like:
"Cuiz" my chocolate cookies to make the "dirt" for my pots. And......
start dusting my flowers and leaves with luster dust to add a little depth and realism to them. For this project I just made "whimsical flowers" in that they really aren't any particular flower....they're just cartoonish and colorful. Well, the roses are, well, roses.....gotta have a few roses. In the background there, you can see sort of how I did the gumpaste umbrella. I happened to have a dessert cup at home that was well suited for it. I filled out the top with gumpaste and added "ribs" with gumpaste, then put some saran on the top of that and put a gumpaste disk on it. I then cut out the rounded parts between the ribs.....and voila....umbrella! This was the first thing I made because I wanted it to have the maximum amount of drying time. Now if I were really smart, I would have made not one, but two or even three umbrellas because stuff always breaks. Always. No matter how careful you are. Especially in a commercial kitchen.....not only do you have to worry about yourself but everyone else too. I make more flowers than I need because I always manage to break quite a few. But, as it was, I only made one umbrella since I was so cocky and sure of myself. Turns out I was lucky......this time! Ok, time to roll out some terra cotta colored fondant!
Dust the table liberally with cornstarch and roll away. I've done this so much I can just eyeball how much fondant I'll need to cover a certain sized cake. When rolling out fondant, waste no time from the time you're done rolling til you get it on the cake, because it starts drying out right away. Drying out means yukky little cracks, and me no likey little cracks! So I race to walk-in, retrieve cake, and cover it quickly.
Then I take my trusty little pizza wheel and cut the excess away. This excess will get kneaded back into the remainder of my fondant so that I'll have enough to cover the other pot. So I take the rounded pot out of the walk-in, and, after washing my hands like a surgeon, I use the warmth of my hands to smooth the buttercream out so I have a perfect surface on which to cover with fondant. I tried using latex gloves for doing smoothing, but they are too much of a barrier to my body warmth. I need that warmth to lightly soften the buttercream for the proper smoothing. And here we have a nice smooth surface for the fondant:
Into the reach-in it goes to set up while I roll out my fondant.......and here it is covered, with the excess trimmed away. Notice that I trimmed off my plastic wrap quite a bit before I covered it. Otherwise I would have gotten into a wrestling match with it and the fondant.
So back into the walk-in they go to stay firm while I take me a little breaky:
This is the view out the back door of the kitchen. We look over the Kai-Tai Lagoon and the Olympic Mountains. Unfortunately you can't see the Olympics in this picture because it's cloudy. But man, on a clear day......it's outstanding. Off to the right, beyond the trellis thing, is a large garden full of culinary things....a la Chez Panisse. We've got rosemary, bay, basil, fennel, oregano, chervil,onions, squashes (in the fall), thyme, decorative flowers, arugula, and more. Whenever we need herbs....just go out back. We get most of our produce from local farmers who come to our back door. One of the things I LOVE about Tinytown. It really beats the in-city large mass produce vendors. As I look out the back door, I sip on a latte that I made myself from our aging and undependable espresso machine. Luckily, today, I managed to pull a pretty good shot. Ok, break time over! Back to work! My next step is to turn my pots over. I will turn the larger pot over first. I slip my offset spatula underneath the saran wrap and lift the cake off, and set it aside on the table. An important thing to note: If I'd used a mousse, curd, or jam filling, I wouldn't have been able to do this so easily. With a refrigerated buttercream filling, the cake doesn't flex at all as I lift it. I managed to nick a little of my polyfoil covering with my spat when I went to lift the cake. Nuts. Oh well, I'll cover that with a flower later. I melt some white chocolate and smear some in the center of my board. I need to anchor the bottom pot so it doesn't slip around.
I flip the bottom pot over, place it on top of my melted white chocolate, make sure it's centered, and peel the saran wrap off.
My next step is to mark where I'm going to place my top pot, then insert straws within that area to support the weight of it. I decided to place the top pot slightly off center, and traced a circle with my paring knife to mark it. For most cake supports I use straws. They're easy to cut to fit, cheap, and they work. The only time I use wooden dowels is when there is an UNGODLY amount of weight or a weird center of gravity involved. I used to use regular heavy duty bar straws, until I discovered.......bubble tea straws! They are super heavy duty and very large.....they have to be for people to suck up that lovely bubble tea. I don't really think that fad is going to catch on here much in the states, but as long as I can get the straws I'm happy. I get them from an asian novelty wholesaler in Seattle. I think it's Viet-Wah, but can't remember for sure.
Anyway, I insert the straw, mark it with my thumb where it's flush with the top of the cake, then pull the straw out and cut it. I use that straw as a measure to cut the rest of my straws. In this case I will use 5. One in the center and four around.
Now I'm all ready to place the top pot on......oh, wait, except for a swirl of buttercream on top of the straws to anchor it a bit. Next, I use my melted white chocolate to adhere an appropriately sized round cardboard on the bottom of my top pot.
Once that's set, I flip over the top pot, and place it on my bottom pot.
Voila! Now, I really have to make sure that the top pot won't slide around, so I stick a few bamboo skewers down through the middle and through the cardboard til it hits the bottom board. I use the side of my needlenose pliers to pound the skewer down through. Now starts my very favorite part of this whole thing.....details! I figured that using my silicone lace impression molds will make great detailing on the pots. Here's the one I'm going to use to detail the bottom pot:
I dust the inside of the mold with cornstarch........then roll out a quick piece of fondant, and roughly press it in:
Then I place the top piece of the silicone impression on top, and roll it like crazy with a rolling pin. With the top part of the impression still in place, I pull off as much of the excess as I can.
Then I remove the top piece, and pull all the ragged edges back in......
Then I brush a little water on the back of the piece, and adhere it to the pot. I keep making them until the pattern has gone all the way 'round.
I use a different lace mold to make a pattern on the top pot. Now it's time to do the rims. When I did the lace impressions around the pots, I used fondant, because I needed the stretchability of it to conform easily to the shape of the pot. A little stretchiness in this case is good. But when it's time to do the rims, I don't want ANY stretching going on whatsoever.....I want uniformly thick and perfectly straight strips, so for this I'm going to use modeling chocolate, which of course has been colored the same color as the fondant. See the neato embossing on my strip? I found that little embossing wheel at Seattle Pottery Supply, believe it or not, and it was cheap too. The embossers are interchangeable and it came with about 10 different patterns! I rolled out my strip, then embossed the pattern twice (one next to the other) then used my pizza wheel to cut nice straight even edges. I made two top strips and two bottom strips....the bottom strips are just plain.
And here are the pots with all their details.....
These guys are going into the walk-in for a while while I work on the other details. Gotta make the baby! First I start with a styrofoam core. The reason for this is for stability and less weight. There was a time in my career when I thought I shouldn't use ANYTHING that wasn't edible, but talk about making life hard. I've made things out of solid modeling chocolate, but they were very heavy and hard to support. Then over the years, I realized that people really don't eat the decorations anyway (except for a few overzealous kids), so I decided to reduce my chocolate expenses and weight by using styrofoam to bulk things out more and more. I pat out a disk of flesh colored modeling chocolate, and place my styrofoam ball in the middle.
Then I bring the edges up around the ball and squeeze the chocolate together so that no seams show. I stick a couple of skewers in it so that I can hold it in one hand and model it with the other. Then I manipulate it in my surgeon-scrubbed hands to model the face, add a little nose, eyes, mouth, ears, hair and of course, a dimple. The baby head needs to go somewhere while I work on other stuff.....oh, here's a good place.....right in the edge of my equipment box.
I've been so good about taking pictures at nearly every step! But here's where I fail you.......when I get "in the zone"......meaning that I'm so intent on my little details....I sort of forget about the camera! Here's what I did in between this picture and the next two:
*made the baby's shoulders and neck and arms out of modeling chocolate
*sprinkled my cookie dirt inside the pots
*dusted the centers of my flowers with luster and color, made the calyx's (sp?) and mounted *them on my green skewers
*rolled modeling chocolate onto a skewer to form the umbrella stem
*made the bottom banner and wrote on it
*made the baby's flower bonnet
I modeled the baby's neck and shoulders, then stuck that right on the top pot. Then I cut the skewers that are coming out of his head to the right length and pushed it down through the neck and shoulders.
I placed the arms and formed the hands. I stuck my umbrella stem through the arm and down into the cake so there would be adequate support......but darn, I wasn't watching carefully, and the skewer came out of the side of the pot because my angle was a bit off. Oh well, I'll cover that up with a leaf. At least you can see where the umbrella stem is on the skewer. On top of the umbrella stem is a little half dome of modeling chocolate, to support the gumpaste umbrella. I dab a bit of melted white chocolate on that, and stick the umbrella on top. Now all I have to do is place my flowers, mount the banner, and put his little bonnet on.
And here we have the finished product. It's sort of hard to read the banner....it says, "May Showers Bring Adorable Flowers". One thing I always seem to to do.....I'll shoot the picture of my finished cake and I'm always tired.....so I'm too lazy to find a good backdrop. Then I curse myself later when there's that yukky kitcheny background. God, in one picture I took, my cake had a dirty mop bucket behind it! All I can say is, thank god for Photoshop......I can always "fix" it later.
It took me 8 hours to put this together and that's not counting all the prep I did the whole week prior. I don't think a whole lot of people realize the time that goes into this stuff.....and it's also why you don't see it very often.
Anyway, the girl that's getting the baby shower has NO IDEA this is coming. Surprising her is going to be the best part!
Fast forward to the next day. My boss's wife and I are bringing the box inside the house, then removing the cake from the box. Kids are dancing around us....."is that a CAKE? Is that a CAKE?" People gather round, and the girl who's getting the shower sees it and starts crying. She gives me a big hug and says "I don't know how to thank you!" I told her she just did.
The shower went on, presents were opened, food was eaten, champagne was sipped.......and then.....it was time......the part that the kids almost couldn't wait for.....time to eat cake! Which of course, means, time to cut cake. And guess who gets to do it. Yep. Me. I don't have to cut my own cakes very often, and that's a good thing. Usually I'm nowhere in the vicinity when my cakes are cut and consumed.....I have only the memory of a photograph and my labor. This time I also do the deconstructing.....and I gotta say it was bittersweet. Especially since knowing it took me 8 hours to build it and only 15 minutes to take it apart. May I say.......wah? Yes. Wah. Luckily I'd had a couple glasses of Mumm's so my "pain" was numbed a bit.......
Hope you all have enjoyed this bit of cake sculpting. Now back to our regular programming.......
By Nn, M.D.
I'm very excited to share with you all a recipe that I developed for a double crust apple pie. I had been inspired a few weeks ago to come up with a series of 3-ingredient recipes that would focus on technique and flavor but still be simple enough for the unseasoned chef. I decided to make an apple pie as a challenge to myself--never having made one before--and as a way to show those who might find pastry intimidating how easy and adaptable it can be.
Basic Shortcrust Pastry
- 300g flour
- 227g salted butter, cold
- 2 lemons, zested with juice reserved
1. Cut butter into small chunks. Beat butter, zest of the 2 lemons, and flour together with an electric mixer OR combine with pastry blender OR rub together with fingers OR blitz in a food processor until it resembles sand.
2. Add just enough water to bring the mix together into a dough (about 20g for me). You'll know your pastry is ready when you can press it together and it stays in one piece.
3. Divide dough in two and wrap tightly with plastic. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
4. When ready to use, roll out each portion to 13 inches in diameter. (I do this between two sheets of parchment paper. Don't worry too much if the parchment sticks to the pastry. I periodically placed mine in the freezer to help keep everything cold, and the butter will separate from the parchment when frozen.)
5. Take 1 portion of rolled dough and place it in a 9-inch tart tin with a removable bottom. Gently press into the sides to ensure even coverage. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Freeze the other portion of dough in-between the parchment pieces.
Apple Filling (and Assembly)
- 1 kg apples (I used about 7 apples for this recipe.)
- 220g dark brown sugar, divided
- 1 egg, separated
Making the apple butter:
1. Cut and core 500g of your apples, but do not peel. Add cut apples, juice of the one lemon, about 100g or so of water, and 170g of sugar to a large saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer and cover. Let the apples cook for 20-30 minutes or until tender.
3. Remove from heat and blend until smooth.
4. Return puree to saucepan and simmer uncovered over low heat, stirring occasionally, for an hour. Color should deepen and the mixture should thicken slightly, but do not allow it to scorch.
5. Remove from heat and refrigerate until cool.
Apple filling:
1. Peel, quarter, and core the remaining 500g of apples. Slice on a mandolin to about 1/8th inch thickness. Place sliced apples in a large bowl of cold water while slicing remaining apples.
2. Once apples are sliced, drain water and add the juice from the remaining lemon, as well as the remaining 50g of sugar, over the apples. Stir to coat.
1. Remove pie base from the freezer. Dock with a fork and brush on egg white. Place back in the freezer and allow to set for for about 5-10 minutes.
2. Pour the entire recipe of apple butter into the pie base and even out with an offset spatula.
3. Arrange apple slices over the apple butter.
4. Remove remaining pie dough from the freezer and cut designs in while still cold. Transfer to the surface of the pie and seal overhanging edges. Trim excess dough.
5. Brush top pastry with egg yolk (beaten with any remaining egg white) and bake in a 365˚F oven for 60-70 minutes. Crust should be shiny and golden brown.
6. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before removing from tin.
Some notes:
The reason for using salted butter is I think the flavor incorporates a little better into the mix than if I were to use unsalted butter and added salt. That being said, you could do that instead, though your recipe would then have 7 ingredients The addition of apple butter here takes the place of the normal apple pie filling, which is usually thickened with cornstarch and is typically quite sweet. By using the apple butter, I push the flavor of apple forward beyond what you would find in a typically apple pie. Also, the apple butter acts as a glue of sorts so that my slices are always clean, so no need to resort to adding thickeners or extra sweeteners. I'm always looking for a way around blind baking, and using an egg white seal has worked out very well for me. The egg white creates a water-tight layer between the crust and the filling, so no matter how wet my filling is, the crust will always bake crispy and won't get soggy for as long as the pie is around. Feel free to change this up as you see fit. Obviously you can spices to this (I recommend cinnamon, clove, and cardamom) but the beauty of this pie is that it's really not necessary. Although at first blush it may seem one-noted, the harmony between the flaky, almost savory crust and the bright and refreshing filling is one that doesn't need any help, in my honest opinion.
So there you have it! My 6-ingredient apple pie, sure to become a go-to for me, and hopefully for you as well!
By ResearchBunny
Posted 6 hours ago Dear EGulleters,
ResearchBunny here. I've just found you today. I've been lolling in bed with a bad cold, lost voice, wads of tissues, pillows, bedding around me. I spent all of yesterday binge-watching Season 2 of Zumbo's Just Desserts on Netflix from beginning to grand finale. I have been a hardcore devotee of Rose Levy Beranbaum since the beginning of my baking passion -- after learning that she wrote her master's thesis comparing the textural differences in cake crumb when using bleached versus unbleached flour. I sit up and pay attention to that level of serious and precision! While Beranbaum did study for a short while at a French pastry school, she hasn't taken on the challenge of writing recipes for entremets style cakes. That is, multi-layer desserts with cake, mousse, gelatin, nougatine or dacquoise layers all embedded in one form embellished with ice cream, granita, chocolate, coulis. After watching hours of the Zumbo contest, I became curious about the experience of designing these cakes. Some of the offered desserts struck me as far too busy, others were delightful combinations. I was surprised that a few contestants were eliminated when their offerings were considered too simple or, too sophisticated. So I'd like to hear from you about your suggestions for learning more about how to make entremets. And also, what you think about the show. And/or Zumbo.
Many thanks.
ps. The show sparked a fantasy entremet for my cold. Consider a fluffy matzo ball exterior, with interior layers of carrot, celery, a chicken mince, and a gelatin of dilled chicken broth at its heart!
By TexasMBA02
After batting about .500 with my previous approach to macarons, I came across Pierre Herme's base recipe online. After two flawless batches of macarons, I've been re-energized to continue to work at mastering them. Specifically, I want to try more of his recipes. My conundrum is that he has, as far as I can tell, two macaron cookbooks and I don't know which one I should get. I can't tell if one is just an updated version of the other or a reissue or what the differences really are. I was hoping somebody had some insight. I have searched online and haven't seen both books referenced in the same context or contrasted at all.
This one appears to be older.
And this one appears to be the newer of the two.
Any insight would be helpful.
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text:
This comes somewhat unexpected - Supreme announced their new collaboration with Adam Kimmel for Spring/Summer 2011. This is exactly the kind of collaboration that send the New York brand apart from the rest of the pack.
"Adam Kimmel launched his eponymous men's wear line in 2004 in New York. Known for creating timeless styles that infuse comfortable, utilitarian work wear with a sophisticated and elegant feel. Often inspired by artists and art movements, Kimmel has collaborated with art world luminaries like George Condo, Gerard Melanga, George Herms, Dan Colen and Ryan McGinley among others.
Working from the same principal of inspiration through popular culture and art. Supreme has worked with Adam Kimmel to produce a two-piece suit for this Spring. The suit is understated, youthful, well crafted, and made from Italian cotton twill. It features an unlined two button suit jacket & custom fit pant. Available in two colorways; navy and black."
Supreme will be releasing their suits with Adam Kimmel on March 31st online and in store.
Take a detailed look at the pants and jackets after the jump.


text:
Spike (Chris Foote)
Chris Foote (always known as "Spike") was the Volunteer Coordinator for the Mozilla Festival in London for four years from 2013 to 2016. A (now retired) professional Electronic Engineer with a passion for science and technology, he volunteers with global organisations such as CrisisCommons, CrisisMappers, OpenStreetMap (OSM), Humanitarian OSM Team (HOT), StandbyTaskForce (SBTF) etc. He started a very successful London-based monthly Meetup group for people involved in or interested in ICT4D (Information and Communication Technologies for Development) as well as organising countless BarCamps and Hackathons. As a long-time user and supporter of Mozilla he was honoured to be named as part of the first #Network50 cohort – 50 people who contributed to Internet Health movement in 2016 (https://network.mozilla.org/opportunity/network-50/#ChrisFoote) . Spike has been an administrator on the Mozilla Wiki since 2015 and has been "module owner" from mid-2019.
Tagsmozfest, sf-monument, mozfest volunteers
Skillsevent management, health and safety, mediawiki, risk assessment
Vouched By
Ziggy Maes
Spike is both a name and a title within the Mozilla community. He's done such an incredibly amazing job coordinating the volunteers at the Mozilla Festival all these years, and I'm truly glad I've gotten the opportunity to work for him.
He can always be found for a chat, be it Mozilla related or something completely random. He's a great friend before everything else.
Sarah Allen
Spike is the fearless leader and Volunteer Coordinator for MozFest. He is an all round awesome mozillian and great friend to all.
Stefan Costen
Spike is one of a kind, dedicated to supporting others in every way he can, he inspires many mozillians and volunteers Mozilla festival as the MozFest London Volunteer coordinator, Words can't Describe Spikes Mozilla contribution but this would be as close as someone can go
Spike Keep rocking the Open Web
Michelle Thorne
Words can't even describe Spike! He's our Volunteer Coordinator at Mozfest and involved in many great open projects in the UK. We couldn't do the festival without him!
Alison M Wheeler
Organiser of volunteers par excellence, eg. at Mozfest London 2013
- Alagundula Sai Kiran
- Cornelia Boldyreff
- David Ross
- David Thaler
- Elena Vilimaite
- Eleonore Mayola
- Errietta Kostala
- haider sajjad
- James Sandoval
- Livvy Adjei
- Minn Soe
- Patrick O. S. Kuti
- Paul Wright
- Petras Slekys
- S. M. Mohi-Us Sunnat
- Srikar Ananthula
- Temi Adeoye
- Tom Farrow
- William Duyck
- Yousef Alam
- Ziggy Maes


text:
Waste management has one of the most direct impacts on the environment and your business operations. The most effective way to reduce waste is to NOT create it in the first place.
Think REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE. Benefits include:
Below is a quick guide. Questions? email: email@example.com
Click here for the C&W TENANT RECYCLING GUIDE DC
Learn more:
Learn more:
*The average American office worker uses about 500 disposable cups every year. * 50 billion cups in the U.S. end up in landfills every year — if placed end to end, they would go to the moon and back roughly five times.
Why flatten cardboard?
What type of paper can you recycle?
Answers to some of the most common questions we are asked. Read our Q&A archive.


text:
Student tests scores down in Missouri
State Board of Education meeting to discuss test results
Missouri students scored lower on standardized tests for most subjects this year, leaving state education officials searching for answers as to why.
Statewide figures released Tuesday show that fewer students scored "proficient" or better this year on tests for communication arts, mathematics and science, compared with last year. The only overall improvement was in social studies.
The decline comes after several years of general improvement in student test scores.
The State Board of Education was meeting Tuesday to discuss the test results. Several explanations were offered, including the use of new test questions and the loss of instructional time this past school year because of severe winter weather.
Staff for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education said the transition to new Common Core educational standards may also have played a role, as it could have created uncertainty among teachers and administrators and general public unrest.
The statewide figures show the percentage of students scoring "proficient" or "advanced" in mathematics declined in third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh grades, rising only for eighth-graders on the tests that were administered this past school year.
In communication arts, the percentage of students scoring "proficient" or "advanced" fell in all of those grades except seventh.
The state also administers end-of-course exams for high school students. Those scores fell in Algebra 1, English 1 and Biology but rose in Algebra 2, Geometry, English 2, Government and American History.
Test results for specific districts are to be released later this month.


text:
Preparing for winter. Do I need to feed? What about reducing the entrance? Wrap the hive?
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GUANAJUATO — The Old World charm is palpable almost the minute you arrive in this 16th Century Spanish colonial city tucked in the mountains of central Mexico.
Sunday, warm and clear, was a free day for the musicians of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. They arrived from LaGuardia Airport the previous afternoon and evening, fresh from last week's triumphs in New York's Carnegie Hall.
Some players and family members took a funicular ride to the top of one of the many mountains that ring the region. Others went sightseeing in the nearby colonial town of San Miguel de Allende, a retirement destination for many Americans, numerous Chicagoans included.
Many simply took time to stroll along the narrow, winding cobblestone streets of the old central city, its wrought-iron balconies glinting in the noonday sun. The aroma of fresh-baked pastry wafted in from a tiny storefront next to one of the huge churches that dominate the skyline. Cool gardens beckoned from behind ancient wooden doors.
"We're not in Chicago anymore," assistant concertmaster David Taylor remarked over breakfast.
He and cellist Richard Hirschl were among the 50 or so players who gathered on a street corner late Sunday night to watch a local folk ensemble singing, beating drums and dancing in feathered costumes, huge headdresses and leather outfits, as onlookers cheered.
The CSO musicians may be new to Guanajuato, but artistically Riccardo Muti y la Orquesta Sinfonica de Chicago (as they are billed in the program book) loom at the head of a bounteous parade of cultural events going on here this month as part of the 40th annual Festival Internacional Cervantino.
Named after the great Spanish writer Miguel Cervantes, this movable cultural feast comprises some 110 performances ranging from classical to pop to jazz, theater, dance, street happenings and multimedia. It is one of the largest and most important events of its kind in Mexico. And it's only a part of the massive arts infusion that seizes the town the rest of the year.
The wonder is that they can find enough halls and theaters and plazas to house everything, not to mention accommodate the arts tourists who come in from all over the world to bask in the many attractions.
Monday's 9 p.m. concert by Muti and his orchestra was to have taken place at the historic Teatro Juarez, which seats only 800. This imposing structure was commissioned in 1903, which makes it roughly the same age as Chicago's Orchestra Hall. Statues of the Muses tower over the front entrance, with its neoclassical colonnade. The foyer features marble steps, dark wood beams and panels, skylights and colorful tiles. It looks more like the entrance to an old Spanish cathedral than a concert hall.
Inside the grandly old-fashioned theater, which features a European-style horseshoe design, polished wooden seats gleam below five tiers of balconies. How well the acoustics will serve Muti's purposes in Brahms and Franck, we will find out soon enough. A large wooden shell had been placed at the rear of the stage in advance of the CSO's rehearsal Monday morning. It was there to help project the sound in the dryish acoustic. Not one to take any chances in an unfamiliar concert room, Muti had his string players drawing longer-than-usual bow strokes in the Brahms Second Symphony.
We shall hear later Monday evening, when warm bodies fill the seats, how much those stratagems help.
Between the maestro's southern Italian sensibility and the warm hospitality of the locals, Muti hit it off immediately with those who run the city and its pride-and-joy festival.
"I feel at home here, very welcomed," he told the members of the media and various dignitaries earlier in the day at a formal ceremony in city council chambers where he was given Guanajuato's highest honor — its "honorary resident award." The key to the city, we would call it.
Speaking in Italian — the closest he could come to Spanish — Muti thanked Guanajuato's mayor, Edgar Castro Cerrillo, and various other officials for the "big honor, which I share with my orchestra." He mentioned how much Chicago has "opened its arms" to its large Mexican community over the years. As for the local cultural life, "it's the same great cultural vitality" he observed years ago when he led the Vienna Philharmonic on tour to Mexico, he said.
The dry air, warm temperatures, openness of the citizenry to visitors and appetite for cultural diversity Muti found in Guanajuato reminded him of one of his favorite places back home in Italy, the Spoleto Festival in the region of Umbria. "I feel both are holy places," he observed.
While in Mexico, some musicians are taking time out to give master classes at local music conservatories — events organized as part of the Citizen Musician initiative of the CSO's learning institute. Concertmaster Robert Chen and his colleague Charles Pikler conducted separate sessions Sunday afternoon at the University of Guanajuato.
Chen's session involved eight young violin students. They had been assigned repertory ranging from solo Bach to a Beethoven sonata to concertos by Bruch and Mozart. Chen offered his advice with the help of a translator.
"They all seemed very earnest, very receptive to my ideas," he told me. "The playing level was all right; I don't think I was surprised. At the same time, they seemed really excited, because they don't get teaching experiences like this very often."
A wave of colds appeared to have swept through the ranks of players during their Carnegie Hall residency last week. But this hasn't produced any concert dropouts, nor does it appear to have dampened the upbeat attitude overall as the CSO musicians headed into Monday's concert and their tour-concluding performance Wednesday in Mexico City.
Read John von Rhein's continuing coverage of the CSO's tour at chicagotribune.com/vonrhein
Twitter @jvonrhein


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Carson's legacy: Two events raise funds in H1N1 victim's honor
When Woodbrook Elementary School third-grader Carson Raymond died in October of complications related to H1N1, his parents, John and Jennifer Raymond, urged calm and announced plans to start a foundation in Carson's name to improve the t-ball fields at Woodbrook. One month after the loss of their oldest son, they've launched the Carson Raymond Foundation and are holding a softball and a poker tournament this month.
While John Raymond says his initial goal was to focus only on the t-ball program at Woodbrook, he says the "unbelievable" outpouring of support since Carson's death may allow the Foundation to help improve t-ball fields and programs at other area schools as well.
"It's been overwhelming," says Raymond. "My wife and I both feel incredible love and support from the community, and it has helped."
The Carson Raymond Memorial Softball Tournament will take place at Darden Towe Park on November 15, and the Carson Raymond Memorial Poker Tournament will be held at 6pm on November 20 at the Doubletree Hotel. For details on both events, call 975-2629. Donations are accepted at carsonraymondfoundation.com.


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A Sandwich a Day: 'ABC Pang' Special from Num Pang
A new sandwich every day.
In this great city of ours, one could eat a different sandwich every day of the year—so that's what we'll do. Here's A Sandwich a Day, our daily look at sandwiches around New York. Got a sandwich we should check out? Let us know. —The Mgmt.
Chicken skin. We've noticed it popping up on more menus, providing its crackly texture and fatty flavor to things like this sandwich. (Chicken skin is the new bacon, what?)
The "ABC Pang" ($9.25) is a special sandwich brainchild of ABC Kitchen chef Dan Kluger and the guys behind Num Pang, only available until July 12. The lemongrass-poached chicken salad sandwich comes topped with a spicy cashew butter, Thai basil, that crisp chicken skin, and Num Pang's usual fixin's. "I knew I needed to work within the confines of Num Pang's roll, pickled carrots, cucumber, cilantro and chili mayo. But from there, I added pickled radishes and jalapenos, lots of basil and lime, which I might do for a chicken salad at ABC Kitchen or at home," said Kluger.
It's a satisfying combo of creamy, crunchy, salty, tangy, and nutty, all stuffed inside a semolina baguette. The ABC Pang special is part of the "Guest Chefs Give Back" series, so you can feel good knowing that $6 of the $9.25 sandwich goes to Edible Schoolyard NYC and The Double H Ranch. It's available at both the Grand Central and Union Square locations of Num Pang.
Num Pang
multiple locations
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Rhizoplaca subdiscrepans
(Nyl.) R. Sant.
Go To
Encyclopedia of Life
Frank Bungartz
Greater Sonoran Desert
Web Links
Nash, T.H., Ryan, B.D., Gries, C., Bungartz, F., (eds.) 2002. Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert Region. Vol 1.
: to c. 3 cm across, to 2 mm thick in center, verrucose-squamulose, strongly polyphyllous; subunits scattered to contiguous or crowded, 0.3-1.3 mm across, convex, becoming ± sinuous and plicate
: similar to central subunits or somewhat more flattened and becoming slightly elongated and divided, c. 1-1.5 mm long, ultimate segments c. 0.5 mm wide
upper surface
: often somewhat powdery-roughened but not distinctly pruinose, pale yellowish green to somewhat whitish, edges concolorous
lower surface
: pale to dark brownish; umbilicus: indistinct, consisting of the narrowed base of the squamules; rhizinose strands: sometimes present
: common, laminal, 0.7-1.5 (-3) mm diam., usually soon sessile and constricted at base; disc: plane or slightly concave, usually ± strongly orange, pruinose, and appearing light to moderate orange; in occasional specimens (especially from areas north of the Sonoran region) younger discs and ones exposed to strong light becoming bluish black and often epruinose; thalline margin: concolorous with thallus, 0.1-0.2 mm wide, entire to flexuous, often soon crenulate towards inside, somewhat raised and slightly inflexed especially when young, usually persistent; hymenium: pale yellowish or orangish, not inspersed, but the uppermost part usually covered with granules; paraphyses tips: hyaline and scarcely thickened, or occasionally becoming at least partly greenish-blue and ± capitate, to 3-5 µm
: (in material with placodiolic acid) ellipsoid to narrowly ellipsoid or slightly ovoid, (7-) 9-10 (-12) x (3-) 4 (-5) µm
: occasional
: 15-25 µm long
Spot tests
: upper cortex: K- or + yellowish, C-. KC+ yellow, P-, UV-; medulla: K- or (rarely, in non-Sonoran material, K+ yellow or red), C- or rarely C+ red, KC-, P- or occasionally P+ yellow, UV-
Secondary metabolites
: upper cortex: in our region with placodiolic acid (major), usnic acid (minor); medulla: without lichen substances, or occasionally with psoromic or rarely lecanoric acid chemosyndromes or unidentified substances; the norstictic acid chemosyndrome occurs rarely (in Europe).
Substrate and ecology
: on basalt, rhyolite, granite, and sandstone (including calciferous types); on exposed, dry, steep surfaces (in northern areas often south-facing), in pinyon-juniper and oak woodlands, and in pine forests,
World distribution
: chemotypes containing placodiolic acid (± other substances) occur in warm-temperate to boreal-arctic areas of Asia, Europe, and western North America; psoromic or rarely lecanoric acid occurs in some specimens (including ones from Arizona, but also from some northern localities); the report of "Lecanora subdiscrepans" from South America is dubious
Sonoran distribution
: Arizona, Baja California Sur and Sonora at 1200-2900 m; southern California (San Bernardino Co.) at 1830 m.
: Material from the Sonoran region is similar to that from other areas in western North America, and from Eurasia (and differs from that in eastern North America), in usually containing placodiolic rather than pseudoplacodioic acid, having relatively long and narrow ascospores, and including occasional specimens (e.g., one from Gila Co., Arizona) with discs that are at least partly bluish or bluish black as in R. melanophthalma. As treated here, R. subdiscrepans can be distinguished from both R. melanopthalma and R. chrysoleuca (with which it sometimes grows side by side) especially by the numerous and crowded, distinctly convex to plicate and at most vaguely umbilicate thallus subunits, with lower surface completely lacking greenish or bluish black tinges, and from Lecanora opiniconensis and related taxa (with which it is frequently associated in North America and Asia) especially by having pruinose discs and a more matt and grayish thallus lacking yellowish to orange lobe tips.
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What is CrossFit Kids?
CrossFit Kids is not simply a scaled down version of CrossFit, it is entirely absolutely CrossFit geared and designed for a special population and the specific developmental needs of that population. (nuerological, cognitive, motor)
CrossFit Kids is the principal strength and conditioning program for many young athletes and the primary P.E. program for many home schools, charter schools. It is used by athletic teams, martial arts schools and many parents that want their kids to grow up healthy, strong and have a life long love of working out thus avoiding the common problems associated with childhood inactivity and obesity.
Our program delivers a fitness that is, by design, broad, general, and inclusive. Our specialty is not specializing. Healthy living requires that our kids push, pull, run, throw, climb, lift, jump, effectively and safely regardless of whether or not they play athletics. Athletics is a specialized pursuit. Our goal is to support the specialist, but reward the generalist.
The CrossFit Kids program is designed for universal scalability making it the perfect application for any committed individual regardless of experience. We've used our same routines for 4 year olds and elite high school athletes. We scale load and intensity; we don't change programs. The needs of our second graders and our high school wrestler differ by degree not kind. – CrossFit Inc.
T = Teens (12 – 17)
CrossFit Kids classes are for children age 7-17.
If you would like to sign your child up, Contact us for more details.


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In Zen Buddhism a sesshin is a period of intense practice of Zen and meditation that typically last 5-7 days. This reminded me a lot of my Immersion experience this weekend. In Zen you are trying to maintain the utmost concentration on your practice, and the same is true with Immersion. Teaching librarians have the opportunity to concentrate on nothing but teaching and learning for 4.5 days.
Normally life consists of rushing from one thing to the next with little sustained focus, but at Immersion we got to concentrate solely on teaching. Even during the informal, social parts of Immersion we were jokingly refering to "teachable moments," and "what lesson did we learn here?"
At sesshin there is also a significant amount of discomfort that occurs. Your legs and body can get very sore from doing extended sitting meditation, you can get completely exhausted doing all night meditation, and even get hit from monks using a flat wooden stick called a keisaku.
Now our amazing faculty members weren't whacking us with sticks, but there is a certain amount of pain and dismofort at Immersion too. You can get really tired (I took a nap under my desk like George Constanza). You are required to prepare and deliver a short speech in front of your peers, which can make people very nervous. And you are constantly challenged in different types of less than confortable learning activities such as elevator pitches, skits, and even an addition of battledecks this year. But in both Zen and Immersion this discomfort is to serve a higher purpose. Getting out of your confort zone helps you improve and become a more successful person and teacher.
Finally in Zen there is sometimes an elightenment experience that occurs after all the intense practice and concentration and Immersion is similar. We discussed "Aha!" moments, and I know I had a couple of those. I also heard several people saying (me included) that there were points later in the week when things started to all come together. Different pieces like assessment and learning styles began to make sense as a more coherent whole and we could see information literacy in a new light.
I do feel that I am more info lit enlightened and I'd recommend ACRL Immersion to librarian who has to do teaching in the classroom. It wasn't all work. We had time to go out and blow of some steam too. I also made a lot of new friendships. It might not be for everyone but it is a great program if you're serious about information literacy and want to push yourself to become better.


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When Left 4 Dead 2 was announced at E3 this year, PC fans reacted with horror and many felt almost betrayed. A sequel, already? Where were all the updates to the first game? Where was the free content? The backlash began immediately, and Valve was forced to go into damage control mode, giving interviews and telling its side of the story. It may not have been enough, with a boycott group springing up in Steam and gamers promising not to buy the new game. It seems as if Valve has given the team behind the boycott the ultimate gift: a tour of Valve, and direct answers to their concerns.
"We've been hearing from a lot of folks because people just didn't see us getting an official response from Valve and that kinda makes people think we're not doing our jobs," the group wrote in its announcement page. "Meanwhile, we've been giving Valve a hard time because of their lack of action in providing DLC and bug fixes." The group then says Valve decided to let its actions speak louder than words.
"Rather than trying to explain everything via email, they invited us out to their offices in Bellevue, Washington. That alone speaks of a developer that really does care about its fanbase," they explained. Both "Walking_Target" and "Agent of Chaos" took time off their jobs, and flew to meet with Valve.
The reaction was swift
The trip was recapped with kind words for Left 4 Dead 2, and some talk of the "small army" of Valve employees working on the game. "What we can say with confidence is that the quality of gameplay in Left 4 Dead 2 is not in question; and it will only get better."
The community was less than pleased. "Why did you guys visit Valve? I hope you realize this is a publicity stunt, because 42,000 lost copies of L4D2 = worth more money than 2 first class round tickets for the leaders of the boycott group + special treatment," one member commented.
"Really hope you are not selling out over a free trip... because that is what I am getting out of it," another wrote. Pictures of the two members of the boycott posing with Gabe Newell posted in the announcement didn't do the two any favors with the community they represent.
They admitted that Valve did pay for the plane tickets and the hotel rooms for the visit, but Walking_Target claims the trip was far from easy. "No, we didn't pay for flights or hotels, and we are fully aware of how that looks. However, anybody who has had to spend more than 2 hours in an airplane can tell you it's no treat."
Valve now controls the message
The two men who visited Valve promise detailed write-ups and previews of Left 4 Dead 2 and the upcoming Left 4 Dead content, but the shift from boycotting the game because of the timing to feeding the group's followers information about the game means that the air will likely be taken out of the movement. The two men who used to rally gamers into avoiding the game now seem enthusiastic about the title, and will begin to share their enthusiasm with their readers.
Other members of the community saw this move as a sign of Valve's commitment to its user base, something that borders on the legendary in the gaming world, and it's not sinister to think that the company sincerely wants gamers to be excited about its new product; especially those who spoke out against it the loudest.
The group's demands were that Left 4 Dead 2 be released as a free update to the first game or an "expansion with full compatibility with basic Left 4 Dead owners," discounts to gamers who bought the first game, and continued support for the first Left 4 Dead. "Not to be the bearer of bad news, but unless something very major changes, there is 0% chance of a discount on L4D2," Walking_Target wrote after the visit. There is also little chance of full compatibility with the first game at launch.
With the demands not met—but with a personal meeting with the cofounder of Valve and a ton of personal attention—it seems like at least some of the community is going to be ready on launch day with their $50, and really, isn't that worth the cost of a plane ticket or two?


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NEW YORK (AP) An NFL version of No. 1 vs. No. 2 is set for Monday night when the Houston Texans visit the New England Patriots.
The Texans remained first in the AP Pro32 power rankings Tuesday, while the Patriots inched up two spots into a second-place tie with the Atlanta Falcons.
Houston received eight first-place votes and 376 points in balloting by The Associated Press' panel of 12 media members who regularly cover the league. The Texans (11-1) are first for the fourth straight week.
New England (9-3) and Atlanta (11-1) each had 364 points; the Patriots received three first-place votes, the Falcons one.
``We will find out all we need to know about this team when they visit New England on Monday,'' said the Chicago Tribune's Dan Pompei, who had the Texans first and the Patriots third on his ballot.
``Had impressive win in Chicago. Can they get one in New England?'' asked Clifton Brown of Sporting News, who had the Texans fifth and the Patriots first.
The Texans clinched a playoff spot with last week's win over Tennessee, while the Falcons clinched the NFC South and the Patriots the AFC East over the weekend.
New England has made a steady climb up the rankings thanks to a six-game winning streak.
``Hard to keep out of the top spot when all you do is win,'' ESPN's Chris Berman said.
``Still don't trust the defense,'' noted Rich Gannon of CBS Sports/SiriusXM NFL Radio, ``but they do have Brady and the No. 1 offense that's averaging 36 ppg.''
Denver is up a spot to fourth after clinching the AFC West with its seventh straight win. San Francisco slips three spots to fifth after an overtime loss to the St. Louis Rams.
``They can run. They can play defense. They have Peyton Manning. And they can't lose,'' said Clark Judge of CBSSports.com. ``Yeah, I'd say the Broncos are complete.''
Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News noted the Texans and Broncos are the most balanced teams in the league because they are the ``only teams that rank in the top 10 in both offense and defense.''
The New York Giants dropped a spot to eighth after a 17-16 loss to Robert Griffin III and Washington on Monday night, with the Redskins up two places to 14th. The Giants are the highest-ranked 7-5 team and are ahead of two 8-4 teams - Chicago (ninth) and Indianapolis (10th).
The defending Super Bowl champion Giants have a one-game lead over Dallas and Washington in the suddenly tight NFC East race.
``The Giants have been very inconsistent and to me it starts up front on both sides of the ball,'' said John Lynch of Fox Sports. ``This D-line that has been so feared and integral to their success and championships in recent years needs to start dominating!''
Pittsburgh, in a playoff fight with Baltimore and Cincinnati, improved three spots to 11th with a win over the Ravens.
``They likely salvaged their season in an unlikely venue - Baltimore,'' noted Ira Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune.
Kansas City, with an emotional win over Carolina, moved up two places from last to 30th. Jacksonville fell to 32nd.
Follow Richard Rosenblatt on Twitter at:http://www.twitter.com/rosenblattap
Online:http://pro32.ap.org/poll andhttp://twitter.com/AP-NFL


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MIAMI, Feb. 4 (UPI) -- Miami Dolphins guard Richie Incognito announced Tuesday his suspension for allegedly bullying teammate Jonathan Martin has ended after four months.
In a Twitter post, Incognito wrote "it's official" and thanked "my family and friends for their continued love and support."
The Miami Herald and ESPN, without naming sources, also reported Incognito's suspension had been lifted by the team in an administrative move.
Incognito was suspended Nov. 3 in the wake of accusations of harassment, intimidation and bullying by Martin.
NFL special investigator Ted Wells is still conducting an inquiry into the club's workplace conduct as a result, which is expected to be released soon.
Martin left the team prior to an Oct. 31 game against Cincinnati.
Incognito has denied bullying Martin but has admitted using harsh and racist language.
Dolphins owner Steve Ross said in an interview last week he does not expect either to play for his team again.


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From the 1st of April Hobbyco as has become the official, exclusive distributor of HPI-Racing products for Norway, Sweden and Denmark. With its long RC experience, huge warehouse and professional shipping facility Hobbyco will provide a great support of HPI cars to the Scandinavian market.
|All dealers and customers
from Norway, Sweden and Denmark feel free to contact Hobbyco for
all questions about HPI products:
Hobbyco as
Hvamsvingen 24
2013 Skjetten
Tel: 0047 63840720 or 0047 63840721
Fax: 0047 63840722
Web: www.hobbyco.no
Email: email@example.com


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THE Somali traders in Mogadishu's markets have long faced down Islamist rebels and warlords demanding money. Now they say there is a new predator: the government tax man.
Militias extorted cash from civilians during much of the last two decades of chaos. Now Mogadishu has a government in place, but shopkeepers view the taxman as the latest in a long line of troublemakers.
That makes tax collection one of the riskier jobs in Mogadishu: Five tax collectors have been killed so far this year, following the killings of 10 last year, according to the director of Mogadishu's municipal council, Abdullahi Artan.
"In some places, if you go without security escorts you're going to take risks,'' said Ali Haji, a tax collector. "Some of my colleagues were killed because of their work. Very many people don't like our work.''
The idea of paying taxes for social services seems outlandish in a nation where few have seen functioning hospitals or schools. But if the Somali government is ever to wean itself off foreign aid and provide social services to its people, the taxman will have to persuade business leaders to pay their part.
On a recent day in Mogadishu's Hamarweyne market, the taxman was having a tough time. Sweating while carrying a plastic bag for cash deposits, he asked one shopkeeper after another to pay up. Many ignored him. But a soldier escorting the tax man threatened an immediate closure of the business if the tax was not paid.
"I haven't earned any money since I came here in the morning, so I can't pay,'' one woman murmured as the tax collector walked away. Few willingly paid.
Between 2006 and 2011, Mogadishu was controlled by the Islamic extremist group al-Shabab, and business owners were forced to play by the rebels' tax rules. Following al-Shabab's ouster in August 2011, a fragile peace has fallen over the city, allowing new construction and business opportunities. Government tax collectors began work for the first time as tax evasion remains high.
"They consider me to be a bandit. They don't want to get taxed,'' said Mohamed Nor, another tax collector for Mogadishu's municipal government, as he stacked bundles of money into a black plastic bag. Because it takes 2 million Somali shillings to equal $US100 ($109), tax collectors have to carry around large bundles of bills. "Some are willing to pay, but you still have lawless lovers rejecting to pay it.''
One obstacle tax collectors face is philosophical: If it's an established fact that government leaders in Somalia steal tax money, why should citizens pay?
A report this month by the United Nations Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea said that 80 per cent of withdrawals from Somalia's Central Bank are made for private purposes, indicating it is operating as a patronage system for members of government. It said that of $US16.9 million transferred to the Central Bank last year, $US12 million could not be accounted for.
"They just collect money that ends up in their pockets,'' said Sahra Farah, a fuel trader, while looking at a taxman leaving the market.
The daily tax collections are not assessed based on a percentage of sales, but are merely payments toward an annual $US135 business permit. That comes to about 25 cents a day, though traders say that price can rise to 40 cents a day, depending on how corrupt a given tax collector may be.
"The amount you pay depends on the tax collector of the day,'' Mohamed Abukar said at his shop in Mogadishu. "Some shops pay fixed annual money, but some pay on daily basis. There's no proper regulation.''
Artan, the director of the municipal council, said that some business owners buy forged business licenses to avoid paying the yearly $US135 fee. "Taxing is really challenging here because some people don't want law and order,'' Artan said.
The UN report this month looked at many of the ways progress in Somalia is held back by corruption, which the report said is "embedded in all layers of society.'' Large-scale theft of government funds takes place at the Central Bank and Mogadishu's port. The country's nascent oil sector is at risk of corruption woes.
Corruption is so pervasive that it will be difficult to stop, said Abdi Aynte, the director of a Mogadishu think tank called The Heritage Institute for Policy Studies. He said the government must institute an anti-corruption commission that has powers to investigate and must enact policies that encourage transparency and accountability.
"Corruption has become corrosive and part of the culture in this country,'' Aynte said. "Citizens are unable to receive government services and even private services without bribing someone.''


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Pictures and Review of Balmain Spring Summer Paris Fashion Week Runway Show
2013 Spring Paris Fashion Week: Balmain
2013 Spring Paris Fashion Week: Balmain
For Spring 2013, Balmain went Working Girl — designer Olivier Rousteing, though only 27, was clearly inspired by decades past, and offered up a runway show that could have easily doubled as a George Michael music video. The '80s references were hard to ignore — skinny trousers, crop tops, and exaggerated shoulders were central components of the collection — but so was the painstaking attention to detail displayed on Rousteing's embellished and woven wicker pieces. Jackets, pullovers, and minidresses were done in intricate baroque wicker-weaving and topped with jewels, and the designer also incorporated eye-catching harlequin prints and vertical stripes on low-cut jumpsuits, high-waisted peg-leg trousers, and oversize smoking jackets — lending a nice complement to the overall highly structured aesthetic.
- Trends: Leather, crop tops, high-waisted trousers, wicker, embellishments.
- Colours: Black, white, yellow, tan, sky blue.
- Key Piece: The sheer striped top with leather triangle skirt.
- Accessories: Woven, peep-toe ankle booties, embellished waist belts, oversize silver hoop earrings.
- Who Should Wear It: Risk-taking style setters like Rihanna and Kim Kardashian.


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Yellen's big mistakeMarch 20, 2014: 1:41 PM ET
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Paul R. La Monica. Other than Time Warner, the parent of CNNMoney, Abbott Laboratories and AbbVie, La Monica does not own positions in any individual stocks.
Janet Yellen's first press conference as Federal Reserve chair was hardly a resounding success. But it wasn't an #epicfail either.
Judging by how the market reacted, you would have thought Yellen had forgotten the words to the national anthem on live TV , dropped an F-bomb, had a wardrobe malfunction or something.
But it really wasn't that bad. (Although I found it distracting when Yellen would take her glasses off only to put them back on again.)
Yellen made just one mistake as far as I'm concerned. It was a big one though. You know how they say you're not supposed to discuss religion, politics and sex in polite company? Central bankers need to add the calendar to that list.
When Yellen responded to a question about when the Fed might raise interest rates, she suggested that it could be as soon as six months after the tapering is over.
Related: Fed moves economic goalposts
Given that the Fed is likely to keep cutting its bond purchases by $10 billion a month at its next few meetings, that implies quantitative easing ends in the fall. Probably after the late October meeting.
Add six months to that, and you have a possible rate hike in the spring of 2015.
Many investors had been expecting rate hikes later in 2015, or perhaps not until 2016 -- despite what all the dot-plots that Yellen droned on about Wednesday might suggest. Traders did not like that.
And that's why stocks suddenly went down faster than a certain boxer did against George Foreman back in 1973.
Yellen made the same blunder that her predecessor Ben Bernanke often did. Giving the market a specific timeframe for Fed actions is not wise. Investors treat it as gospel, no matter how many times the Fed insists that no policy moves are on a "preset course."
The frustrating thing is that this could have easily been avoided. In the Fed's statement, it simply said that rates would remain near zero for a "considerable time" after the end of the asset purchases.
Yellen shouldn't have deviated from that. She should have said that this is a purposely vague and open-ended phrase.
Luckily, stocks have bounced back a bit on Thursday. Investors don't seem to be too nervous about the possibility of a rate hike coming a little sooner than expected.
Related: Yee-haw! The mechanical bull market
Still, this should serve as a reminder to Yellen and all other Fed members that this new era of central bank glasnost is not always a good thing. Transparency is problematic when the Fed talks too much and confuses investors.
Yellen needs to learn that mentioning dates needs to be verboten, much like bringing up that military conflict from the 1940s when a bunch of people of Teutonic descent are guests at your hotel.
Sure, investors deserve a huge chunk of blame for acting the way they do. But Yellen should be savvy enough to know how her words could be interpreted by fickle traders.
Sadly, I don't expect Wall Street to change. That's why the onus is on Yellen to watch what she says.
Of course, it's silly to expect that Yellen and the Fed are locking themselves into certain moves right now. So much can change with the economy.
If the job market continues to stall, and it's not just due to the weather, the Fed could hit the pause button on tapering.
Related: Recovery on track, but still slow and steady
Conversely, if the economy picks up more steam than expected and inflation rears its ugly head, the Fed may be forced to taper in bigger increments than $10 billion a month ... and maybe even raise rates sooner than the spring of 2015.
But if the Fed feels it can actually unwind QE and raise rates to normal levels more quickly, that's probably a sign that the economy is in better shape. And that's good news, not bad. But that's a rant for another day.
Sure, the market hates uncertainty. That would be a worn-out and tired cliche if it weren't so true. But sometimes, traders have to accept that economic data are a bit of a crapshoot. It is not easy to predict and forecast. The best economists are often very, very wrong.
That's why it is so colossally tone deaf of Yellen (and Bernanke before her) to EVER spoon-feed the market a target date for Fed actions. The Fed can't act based on what the calendar says. It can only act based on what the data are.
Janet Yellen, like everyone else, can safely say that April will follow March. But can she tell us what the unemployment rate will be next month? How many jobs will be added? What GDP growth will be in the first quarter? How much consumer prices will go up or down?
No, no, no and no. So do us a favor, Madame Fed chair. Learn from your rookie error -- and don't repeat it again and again like Bernanke did.
Never answer a question about when the Fed might do something by mentioning a specific number of months ... or even a year.
Get it? Got it? Good.
Reader Comment of the Week! The only individual that the market is arguably more obsessed with than Janet Yellen is a certain "world leader pretend" (what's up with all the old school R.E.M. references lately, La Monica?) in Russia.
One of my top followers compared Putin unfavorably to another mercurial personality -- the late owner of the NFL's Raiders franchise.
Ha. That is pretty funny. And when I followed up with Adam about whether that meant a former #1 draft pick turned bust from the Raiders might show up in Ukraine, Adam quickly fired back with another gem.


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Published by paul at 8:32 AM under Arduino | Example Code | LED matrix | LED Projects
It's been a couple of weeks since I've been able to play hands-on with electronics because I've been busy with client work and out-of-town traveling.
To continue satisfying my must-be-tinkering-with-something urges, I hit upon the idea of using some old Windows code I had lying around to allow me to program LED matrices, without the LED matrices or an Arduino. This means I can effectively be developing code for the Arduino while on the road (we travel around 50% of the year seeing our clients around the world). The old code was for a life simulator (creatures running around fighting, breeding, etc) but it had all the code to display a bitmap on screen and update it already worked out. I figured that I could use it to simulate an 8x8 LED matrix - so off I went.
What it turned into is a couple of classes that simulate a maze and an 8x8, 16x16, or 32x32 LED display. I thought the code would be useful to a bunch of you so I've zipped it up for you to download and play with. The cool thing is that I can work on the maze processing code while on the road and then come home and drop it into the Arduino environment to compile and use. As long as I have LED matrix driving code on the Arduino, it should work like a charm.
Here's a screenshot of the simulator running:
Black 'dots' are on LEDs, spaces are off LEDs, the lighter colored dot is supposed to be a different color LED to represent a person. The simulator can switch between 8x8, 16x16, and 32x32 displays by pressing the Page Up and Page Down keys. Movement is through the arrow keys. The display mode can either be static with screen changes when the person crosses a window border (i.e. the person moves around on the screen) or scrolling, where the person stays still and the maze moves around. Pressing S switches between the two modes.
The code is in a zip file: Maze021710.zip (12.1k) and I've been using VS 2005 Professional to develop and debug.
There are plenty of comments in the code and I'm happy to answer questions about it.
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