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Workshop: The Smart and Sassy Springtime Cooking series is back tonight, 6-8 p.m., with a course on "Simply Risotto." Head over to Cornell Cooperative Extension of Monroe County (249 Highland Ave., in Highland Park) to learn new tricks. The class is $30 and registration is required: 461-1000, mycce.org/monroe.
Music: Do you want to help support piracy in a positive way? Of course you do! Then head on down to see Russian folk band Igor & Red Elvises tonight at the Palmyra VFW (4306 State Route 31), that will be playing as a fundraiser for the Palmyra Pirate Weekend upcoming in August. The Kids in the Band Hall open up, music starts at 7 p.m., and tickets run $10-$12.
Theater: The Regional Writers Showcase series will feature "Galileo's" by Bill Capossere tonight, 6 p.m., at Geva Theatre Center (75 Woodbury Blvd.). Tickets are free, but RSVP is required. For more information, call 232-4382 or visit gevatheatre.org.
Lecture: The Rochester Chapter of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State will host a debate titled "Does the Obamacare Contraceptive Mandate Violate Religious Freedom?" between persons from both sides of the issue tonight, 7:30 p.m., at First Unitarian Church (220 S Winton Rd.). Join the conversation for free. For more info, call 271-9070 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.


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The movie Ponyo was about a young man name Sosuke. He finds a strange fish in the sea. Sosuke catches it and names it Ponyo. But it turns out this is not an ordinary fish. It is the daughter of the sea queen. The rest of the movie is about how to get her back to the sea and to see whether he could keep her or not.
By Joe G.

subset: commoncrawl


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Relations between guys and girls are permitted in Islam, but only to a certain extent of course. An example of that is found in Sura Al-Qasa through the story of Prophet Musa (peace be upon him.)
Allah Most High says:
"And when he went towards (the land of) Madyan, he said: "It may be that my Lord guides me to the Right Way." And when he arrived at the water of Madyan he found there a group of men watering (their flocks), and besides them he found two women who were keeping back (their flocks). He said: "What is the matter with you?" They said: "We cannot water (our flocks) until the shepherds take (their flocks). And our father is a very old man." So he watered (their flocks) for them, then he turned back to shade, and said: "My Lord! Truly, I am in need of whatever good that You bestow on me!" Then there came to him one of the two women, walking shyly. She said: "Verily, my father calls you that he may reward you for having watered (our flocks) for us." (Qur'an, 28:22-25)
The lesson behind this story is that relations between non-mahram men and women is permissible and not completely forbidden as some people believe. Prophet Musa lowered his gaze and helped the two daughters of Shu'ayb purely out of kindness, as Allah commands that we show compassion and mercy towards one another. Prophet Musa, interacted with them in a manner that showed hayaa and self respect.
Although the Quran states that contact with the opposite sex is permissible, that does not mean that it is okay to step outside the bounds Allah s.w.t. has set for us. What are the restrictions placed upon us?
- Lower your gaze
- Avoid speaking in ways that could be taken as flirting. It has been said that laughter and joking should be avoided between non-mahram couples.
- Avoid being alone with the opposite sex, as shayan is the third. Meet in groups and within those groups, distance should be kept between the brothers and sisters.
- Follow the dress code Allah prescribed to you and dress modestly.
Baba Ali explains gender relations perfectly and humorously mashAllah. Please watch it to get a better idea of how boys and girls should interact through Islamic values.


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You see, for decades, the United States and the United Kingdom – and millions of American and British service members – have helped provide the security and uphold the values that have allowed millions upon millions of people around the world to be safe, to raise their children, dream their dreams, and to live lives that are full.
As prepared
U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter
Blavatnik School of Government
University of Oxford
06 September 2016
[Photos are on Flickr]
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE CARTER: Good morning.
Thank you for those kind words, Sir Lawrence, and for all you're doing to help ensure today's students – and readers – learn the old lessons of war and strategy as they seek to serve in and shape a new era. I want to thank Dean Woods, who could not be here, and the Blavatnik School for inviting me to return to Oxford to speak with all of you today.
It's a pleasure to be back in the UK and back on campus. That's because the United States has no closer or stronger ally than the United Kingdom, and the world has few finer educational institutions than Oxford. For centuries the great and the good have been studying here…and you've even been generous enough to let a few Yanks join the fun.
As Sir Lawrence mentioned, I was fortunate to be one of them…and I was grateful no one held my Philadelphia accent against me. As a Rhodes scholar, I not only earned a doctoral degree in theoretical physics at St. John's College, but also studied many other subjects at one of Oxford's other renowned institutions of higher learning, the Lamb and Flag Pub. I'm disappointed to say I don't have time for a visit…or a pint today.
That's because I have to make it back to London in time for a very special event. Tonight, dozens of defense ministers from around the world will gather for the first-ever UN Peacekeeping Defense Ministerial. My friend and the UK's Secretary of State for Defence Michael Fallon is hosting this important event where we will discuss how the world's militaries can and must do more to end – and, more importantly, prevent – conflicts around the world. Of course, that's not a new commitment for the United Kingdom. Like many Americans and many others around the world, I've always valued Britain's – and its people's – global view.
I saw that as a student here at Oxford. I've seen it in my years working on defense issues for my country, alongside our British allies, who have long played a leadership role – economically, politically, militarily, and often morally – around the world. As it has done so, the UK has helped ensure collective security and prosperity in Europe and many other regions of the world, among many other important contributions to global progress.
And I see the UK's global view still today…at a time of great change in the world and at a time when the principled international order we've built together is being tested in Europe and elsewhere. Indeed, in the face of Russia's aggression and coercion, and ISIL's barbarism – the two topics I'd like to address this morning – the United States and the United Kingdom are continuing to stand together. And so I'd like to speak with you about the steps our alliance – our special relationship – is taking to continue to standup for the principles and values that have, for decades, made all of us safer, freer, and more prosperous.
We've been doing so together for the last seven and a half decades. Because, although the U.S.-UK relationship is rooted in centuries of shared history – including a few contretemps and some tension along the way – our modern alliance has its roots in conversations and meetings held 75 years ago aboard the USS AUGUSTA and HMS PRINCE OF WALES. In August 1941, on those two ships anchored off the shores of Newfoundland, President Franklin Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill met for the first time, and together made history.
President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill's conversations those days were unique and instructive for us today. That's because before World War II was won, before it even seemed likely to be won anytime soon, and before the United States was even in the war, the U.S. and UK – in the Atlantic Charter – identified the eight "certain common principles…on which they base[d] their hopes for a better future for the world." Those principles included freedom of the seas, the right of people to choose their own government, and the elimination of territorial changes against the wishes of the peoples who live there.
We should take a moment to appreciate the wisdom – and pluck, some might say – of those two great statesmen who had the foresight to make a plan for after the war before they had finalized a plan to win the war. At the time the Atlantic Charter was issued, the United Kingdom was fighting for its survival. And the United States would soon be in the fight as well. But, as the Charter demonstrated, they also sought – and later fought together – to build a world that would not just be safer, but also better, thanks to those shared principles. That commitment, and the inherent logic of our partnership, is part of what makes our relationship so special. We are brought together and we work together not only because of shared interests and values – though they are closely aligned – but also because of a shared belief in, and willingness to take action to promote and defend, the principled international order.
That's why Roosevelt and Churchill met near Newfoundland and worked so closely in the years that followed. And that's also why generations of Americans and British,
servicemembers and civilians, have served together to deliver on the commitment and principles embedded in that Charter. Along with our allies, those men and women – whether they served at the Battle of the Bulge or Bletchley Park, under the seas of the Atlantic or on the sands of North Africa, in the skies over the continent or in battles of the Asia-Pacific – won a world war, and set the stage for the hard work to build a better world around those principles.
And together, the United States and the United Kingdom, our militaries, and our servicemembers, have realized that opportunity. Together, during and after the war, we built multilateral institutions like the United Nations and the Bretton Woods system. We established and led the greatest alliance in history, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, to deter an aggressive Soviet Union and provide a shield behind which the nations of Europe could rebuild. During the Cold War, we stood together to confront a global adversary intent on autocracy and autarky – and after we succeeded, we helped bring East and West together again. We helped make and keep the peace in the Balkans. We stood and responded together in the face of terror – 15 years ago after 9/11, 11 years ago after the 7/7 bombings, fighting side-by-side during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. And we've continued to do so, most recently in the coalition military campaign to deliver ISIL a lasting defeat.
And because of all we've done together, our people, our two nations, and people around the world have benefited over the past 75 years. And the world has become more prosperous and dynamic as a result. All that change – economic, political, military, social, and technological; personal and national; regional and global – has produced many opportunities for both our nations, but it has also created challenges and crises as well. Indeed, today's security environment is dramatically different from that of the last generation, and even the generation before that. In this new era, the United States and the Department of Defense I lead are contending with five immediate, major, evolving challenges.
Of course, here in Europe, the United States is standing with the United Kingdom and America's NATO allies and taking a strong and balanced approach to deter Russian aggression, which I will say more about in a moment. We're managing change in the vital Asia-Pacific, where China is rising, which is fine, but also behaving in some ways that are aggressive, which is not. In that same region, we are also strengthening our deterrent and defense forces in the face of North Korea's nuclear and missile provocations and threat to our allies. In the Middle East, especially in and around the Gulf, we're checking Iranian aggression and malign influence, all while
standing with America's friends and allies in the region. And, of course, in the broader Middle East, as well as elsewhere in the world, the Defense Department is continuing to counter and defeat terrorism – in particular, accelerating the lasting defeat of ISIL in its parent tumor in Iraq and Syria, and everywhere it metastasizes. More on that in a moment as well.
Thankfully, the United States and its military and Defense Department do not have to respond to these challenges or underwrite global security alone. President Obama and all Americans are heartened to know we can continue to count on our allies and alliances, and especially on the United Kingdom, to join us in meeting these challenges and defending the principled international order. That's because – even with all the change in the world – the inherent logic of our countries' special relationship still stands – economically, politically, and militarily.
That was true the day before the Brexit vote, and it is true today. The United States respects the decision of the British people, and we're committed to continuing to partner together in the months and years ahead. While I said before the vote that I wished it would go the other way, I'm confident the U.S. and the UK will now focus on the future. And I'm here this week to work with my counterpart Secretary Fallon to ensure that our countries, and our militaries, are ready to keep standing together and partnering together in the years ahead.
That's important, because the Brexit decision does not change all that we have to do together, whether in response to Russian provocation or ISIL's threats. It does not change the fact that the UK will continue to have a rich relationship with countries across Europe – economically, politically, and militarily. And it does not change all that the United Kingdom – and particularly its military – is doing at home and around the world.
We see that in the ambitious, forward-looking Strategic Defense and Security Review conducted last year, which has quickly progressed to the implementation phase. We see it in the coming modernization of the UK's continuous at-sea deterrent, maritime patrol aircraft, and attack helicopters, which make clear the British military will continue to be among the most capable in the world. And we see it in the British military's contributions to NATO's Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan, to the global coalition to deliver ISIL a lasting defeat, to our deterrence efforts against Russian aggression, and to leading in NATO, including upholding the alliance-wide commitment to invest 2 percent of GDP in defense.
This week's UN Peacekeeping Ministerial is yet another example of the UK's continuing leadership in the world. At a time of crises and change, strengthening UN peacekeeping is vital, and I appreciate Britain's leadership in pressing for reforms to UN peacekeeping. And I look forward to discussing that further this evening, when I join Prime Minister May, Secretary Fallon, and other defense ministers for this important ministerial. The UK's continued commitment to global leadership comes at a time when the principled international order is being tested by an era of great change. For, as more nations rise, as some states fail, as some institutions fray, as people seek better lives in other countries and on other continents, some are questioning whether the principled international order can endure and continue to serve us as well in the future.
Unfortunately, some in the world are also intent on challenging or even upending that principled order. I'd like to speak about two of these challenges today. First are states like Russia that are trying to play by their own rules, undercutting the principles that have benefited their own country and the rest of the world. None of these actors can overturn the international order completely, but they are intent on undermining its cohesion, questioning its effectiveness, and assailing its legitimacy. And the second type of challenger – who in their own right stand opposed to the principled order – are terrorists like ISIL, who are intent on pursuing a violent ideology, premised on hatred and intolerance, and seeking to thrive on division and suspicion.
They directly target the human values and shared principles that bind the current order. Let me start with the challenge posed by Russia's coercion and aggression. Despite the progress that we made together in the aftermath of the Cold War, Russia's actions in recent years – with its violations of Ukrainian and Georgian territorial integrity, its unprofessional behavior in the air, in space, and in cyber-space, as well as its nuclear saber-rattling – all have demonstrated that Russia has clear ambition to erode the principled international order that has served the United States, our allies and partners, the international community, and Russia itself so well.
As it does so, Russia appears driven by misguided ambitions and misplaced fears. Russia wants to be considered, very understandably, as the important world power it is, of historic importance. Unfortunately, it's tendency is to pursue that goal by undercutting the work and contributions of others rather than creating or making any positive contributions on its own. It sows instability rather than cultivating stability. It lashes out, alleging that it fears for its own viability and future, even though no nation – not the United States, not the United Kingdom – seeks to defeat it or constrain its potential. Just the opposite; we all have expressed an interest in being able to work more closely with Russia.
In response to this behavior, the United States is taking a strong and balanced approach to address Russia's actions and deter Russian aggression against our allies. We are strengthening our capabilities, our posture, our investments, our plans, and our allies and partners, all while keeping the door open to working with Russia, where our interests align. Let me be clear, the United States does not seek a cold, let alone a hot war with Russia. We don't seek an enemy in Russia. But make no mistake – we will defend our allies, the principled international order, and the positive future it affords all of us. We will counter attempts to undermine our collective security. And we will not ignore attempts to interfere with our democratic processes.
Now, we haven't had to prioritize deterrence on the Transatlantic Community's eastern flank for over 25 years. Unfortunately, now we must. That's why the United States is strengthening our deterrence posture here in Europe. Our defense budget for the coming year includes significantly more funding for our European Reassurance Initiative – $3.4 billion dollars, more than quadruple what we allocated the year prior. This will allow us to rotate an Armored Brigade Combat Team into Europe on a persistent basis, and to preposition a brigade-worth of equipment and warfighting gear to be used by American troops flown into Europe. And that's in addition to the two brigades the United States already has stationed in Europe.
Meanwhile, NATO, which the United States and the United Kingdom helped establish and build into the greatest alliance in history, has been writing a new playbook. Here's what I mean by that: the 20th-century NATO playbook that helped counter the Soviet Union in the Cold War is not a perfect match for today's Russia challenge. That's why NATO's new playbook takes the lessons of history and leverages our alliance's strengths in new ways. Together, we've been adapting and innovating to meet new challenges, like countering the cyber and hybrid warfare we're seeing more and more of, integrating our conventional and nuclear deterrence, and
adjusting our military posture and presence here in Europe so we can be more agile in responding to new threats.
For example, the United States, the UK, and our NATO allies have developed and exercised what we call a Very-High-Readiness Joint Task Force. It can deploy NATO forces on 48 hours' notice from multiple locations in Europe to any crisis on alliance territory. This is a real innovation: one that combines the commitments from many members of the Transatlantic Alliance – the United States, the UK, and others – to respond to crises in Europe's East, South, or elsewhere. The UK's own Allied Rapid Reaction Corps will rotate in to spearhead this task force soon.
NATO has also agreed to a persistent Enhanced Forward Presence of four NATO battalions stationed in Allied countries on its eastern flank – one each in Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. This past July at the NATO Summit in Warsaw, the United Kingdom announced it will lead the battalion in Estonia, and the United States announced it will lead the battalion in Poland.
Additionally, NATO and its members, including the U.S. and UK, are also providing support to partner countries like Ukraine and Georgia, both of which have seen their sovereignty and territorial integrity violated by Russia. We're helping them strengthen their capabilities for national defense, improve their ability to work with NATO, and reform their defense institutions…all important in the face of Russian coercion and aggression. Of course, even as we take these prudent steps to guard against a revisionist and more aggressive Russia, the United States will continue to hold out the possibility that Russia could one day assume the role of a constructive and reliable partner. In fact, we've cooperated with Russia when it's been in our shared national security interest to do so – most recently in preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
And these past few weeks, America's Secretary of State, John Kerry, has been tirelessly testing the proposition for a true ceasefire in Syria with his Russian counterpart. Russia entered the Syrian tragedy saying it wanted to counter terrorism and end the civil war – the source of so much suffering – through a political transition. But what it has done is very different from what it said.
Unfortunately so far, Russia, with its support for the Assad regime, has made the situation in Syria more dangerous, more prolonged, and more violent. That has contributed to what President Obama this weekend called the "gaps of trust" that exist between our two countries.
Nevertheless, our diplomatic team continues to test whether Russia will agree to take, and then carry out, the specific steps to attain a true ceasefire, and whether it is in fact willing and able to influence the Syrian regime toward a political transition that ends the civil war. Today's news out of Syria is not encouraging. The choice is Russia's to make…and the consequences will be its responsibility.
Of course, there was a time, in the years after the Cold War, when Russia worked with the United States and other nations more closely, contributing to the principled international order rather than undermining it. I know and remember that personally. In 1995, for example, I negotiated with Russia's then-defense minister so that Russia could help NATO bring peace to Bosnia and also to establish a number of cooperative efforts between the U.S. and Russian militaries.
And I also worked in a very practical and successful manner with Russian defense officials to help limit the dangers of nuclear proliferation in former Soviet states. In fact, 20 years ago this summer, I was in the Ukrainian town of Pervomaysk with the Russian defense minister, and his American and Ukrainian counterparts, when the last nuclear weapon rolled out of Ukraine. The denuclearization of Ukraine was the result of far-sighted American, NATO, Russian, and Ukrainian statesmen dedicated to turning the page and making a better world together. And someday I hope to see that spirit rekindled again.
Now, let me turn to the Middle East, where the United States and the United Kingdom face a very different challenge from the one posed by Russia, and that is ISIL – a barbaric organization intent on harming our citizens, damaging our allies and partners, and trying to shake the principled international order with an ideology that is hateful and cruel to those under its sway. In response, the United Kingdom and the United States are leading a historic coalition to deliver ISIL a lasting defeat. We're fighting that campaign in many different ways, across all domains from air to land to cyberspace, to destroy both the fact and the idea of an Islamic state based on ISIL's barbaric ideology.
As I speak to you today, we've entered a decisive phase in our counter-ISIL coalition military campaign. Thanks to the contributions and sacrifices of our local partners, and of British, American, and coalition servicemembers, we've accelerated the military campaign, we have the momentum firmly on our side, and we are seeking – this year – to put ISIL on a path to the lasting defeat it will surely suffer and richly deserves.
Let me remind you briefly of our campaign's three objectives and our strategic approach that Secretary Fallon played a critical role in shaping.
The first objective is to destroy the ISIL cancer's parent tumor in Iraq and Syria. ISIL's safe havens in those countries threaten not only the lives of the Iraqi and Syrian peoples, but a lso the security of our own citizens and those of our friends and allies. The safe havens feed the illusion that there can be an Islamic State based on ISIL's hateful ideology. That's why the sooner we defeat it in Iraq and Syria, the safer America, the United Kingdom, and other countries will be.
Our second objective is to combat ISIL's metastases everywhere they emerge around world. That's because, while defeating ISIL in Iraq and Syria is necessary, it's not sufficient. We know this cancer can metastasize, and in some cases it already has. That's why U.S. and coalition forces are engaged in supporting local forces in operations against ISIL in Afghanistan and Libya, and in countering ISIL across the intangible geography and terrain of the Internet. And our third objective, a very important one, is to support our law enforcement and our intelligence partners, in protecting our respective homelands.
Of course, all three objectives are critical to delivering ISIL the lasting defeat it deserves. Ensuring that sort of defeat – a lasting one – requires our coalition to identify and enable capable, motivated local forces. That is our strategic approach…for local forces are the only ones that can hold and govern territory after it has been retaken from ISIL. From my first conversations with Secretary Fallon, we resolved to accelerate our coalition's military campaign. We set in motion a series of deliberate steps to gather momentum and put ISIL on a path to a lasting defeat. We mobilized the coalition to step up the contributions to the fight, including our own. And we made it clear that there can be no free riders in this campaign. When the war is over and the coalition prevails – which I am certain it will – the United States will not forget that the United Kingdom stood with us. And collectively we will remember who failed to show up for the fight.
Since last fall – town after town, from every direction, and in every domain – our campaign has accelerated, pressuring and squeezing ISIL, and rolling it back towards Mosul in Iraq and Raqqa in Syria.
In Iraq, we enabled the Iraqi Security Forces led by Prime Minister Abadi and the Peshmerga commanded by Kurdish Regional President Barzani to clear Ramadi, Hit, Rutbah, Fallujah, and most recently the critically important town of Qayyarah – setting the stage to complete the isolation of Mosul and collapse ISIL's control over that city.
In Syria, we've also enabled considerable results by our local partners. After seizing Shaddadi – a crucial junction on the road between Mosul and Raqqa – our partners on the ground cleared Manbij City, a key transit point for external plotters threatening Europe and our homelands. And our NATO ally Turkey, working with vetted Syrian opposition forces, is clearing the remaining stretch of the Syrian side of the border from ISIL. The United States is supporting this effort through air strikes, surveillance, and – as of last week – with High-Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS. To be clear, the United States is willing to do more to help Turkey – including on the ground in Syria – to cut off ISIL lines to and from Europe. At the same time, we will continue to work with and support the Syrian Democratic Forces to capitalize on their considerable successes on the battlefield, especially as they begin to converge on Raqqa – our next objective in Syria.
At the same time, across Iraq and Syria, our coalition is pressuring ISIL by systematically eliminating its key leaders and destroying its financial base. Just last week, our coalition targeted Abu Muhamad Al-Adnani – one of the most lethal leaders within ISIL, who was actively planning to kill our civilians around the world. Wherever our local partners have advanced we've taken out ISIL field commanders. Thus far, we've removed from the battlefield more than 20 external operators, including Jihadi John and Junaid Hussein. We're continuing attacks on ISIL's economic infrastructure – from oil wells and cash storage sites to tanker trucks. In recent days, our coalition hit over 40 oil tankers and another key ISIL financial center, depriving ISIL of tens of millions of dollars in revenues. And we're taking the fight to ISIL across all domains, including cyber.
We've also seen results where we've been countering ISIL's metastases. Working alongside our Afghan partners, U.S. forces have conducted two large operations against ISIL in Afghanistan, dealing the organization severe blows, including killing its top leader there, and degrading its infrastructure, logistics base, and recruiting. And more operations are coming. Meanwhile, in Libya – which a few months ago many predicted would become the next ISIL headquarters – our air strikes in support of local forces aligned with the Government of National Accord have shrunk ISIL's presence in Sirte to a single neighborhood.
So as I said, we have entered a decisive phase in our campaign. Our coalition has expanded our geographic reach, intensified our operations – in the air, on the ground, in cyberspace – and we've enabled our local partners to take and hold territory. ISIL is simply unable to resist this pressure any more. They're still a dangerous adversary and their lasting defeat will take time. But we are not and we will not rest until ISIL is defeated.
Of course, even when the coalition wins this fight – and let there be no doubt that we will – there will still be much more to do. We must ensure that when that time comes, the Iraqi and Syrian people have what they need to hold, stabilize, and govern their own territory. So our coalition's development and diplomatic institutions must summon the courage and foresight that Roosevelt and Churchill had all those years ago, and make the plans and preparations to keep a lasting peace once our militaries and our partner forces have delivered ISIL a lasting defeat. Russia's aggression and ISIL's barbarism are robust challenges for the United States and
the United Kingdom, and, to be sure, there are many others out there as well. But, if we continue to stand together, if we pursue our objectives with vigor and focus, and if we avoid needless distractions, we not only can meet these challenges, but also seize the many opportunities before us.
To do so, as I discussed today – and as I will discuss later this afternoon with Prime Minister May and Secretary Fallon – we must recommit our two countries to standing together and standing up for the values and principled order that we have promoted and defended over the last 75 years. We must partner together in new ways and in new domains. And we must remember that our two nations have faced – and overcome – many challenges and difficult days before.
At the close of their meetings off Newfoundland, on the quarterdeck of the USS AUGUSTA, Prime Minister Churchill brought out two copies of a poem, a verse of which
President Roosevelt had sent him eight months before to help boost the Prime Minister's spirits at a difficult time. As he said goodbye after their meetings, Churchill signed one part of the poem and gave it to Roosevelt, and asked Roosevelt to do the same.
That poem was "The Building of the Ship" by the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. It rather eloquently makes the point that even though a sailor – or by implication a statesman – may worry in the face of storms, rough seas, and tough days, they must sail on for their own good – and the good of all.
Now, studying theoretical physics did not provide many opportunities for me to recite poetry here at Oxford. But I'll quote a few lines from Longfellow today. He wrote:
"…Sail on O Ship of State!
…In spite of rock and tempest's roar,
In spite of false lights on the shore,
Sail on, nor fear to breast the sea!
Our hearts, our hopes, are all with thee…"
You see, for decades, the United States and the United Kingdom – and millions of American and British servicemembers – have helped provide the security and uphold the values that have allowed millions upon millions of people around the world to be safe, to raise their children, dream their dreams, and to live lives that are full.
At a time of change, and at a time of challenges to what our two nations have both built and defended, we must continue to do so together. As we do, we must not be afraid of change, or intimidated at the challenge, or doubtful of our capacity to meet it – we must not flinch at the "rock and tempest's roar" or be distracted by "false lights on the shore."
Instead, we must sail on, and sail together…for our national and shared interests, for the principles and values embodied in the Atlantic Charter, and for the principled international order that has continued to serve us all so well. As we do, we must remember that… the hearts and hopes of the world are with us.
Thank you.
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Namaste Care
Course date24 May 2017
Course Times09:30 - 16:00
Who is this course for?
Anybody who cares for those with end stage dementia
Course Content:
Namaste is a Hindu term meaning to 'honour the spirit within'. The Namaste Care programme was developed by Professor Joyce Simard to meet the needs of people with advanced dementia. The programme is based around the five senses, using music, massage, colour, tastes and scents, to connect with people and focus on wellbeing. No additional staff, space or expensive equipment is required.
Fee: £95


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Imparting drought stress-tolerance to crop plants
Imparting drought stress-tolerance to crop plants by heterologous transfer of high altitude plant protection mechanisms
In the upcoming years, crop production will be facing an increased demand by the growing and changing world population on the one hand and strong limitations by increasing abiotic stresses, like drought and temperature changes caused by the global climate change on the other hand. Thus, breeders and plant scientists have to provide varieties with higher yield, improved yield stability and stress tolerance traits to maintain and increase a sustainable crop production. Here we propose an Indo-German academic-industrial cooperation to identify stress tolerance genes and insert those into high quality crop plant lines.
Chosen stress-induced genes isolated from plants growing and surviving in high altitude stress experiencing extreme cold, drought and high light (Institute for Himalayan Bioresource Technology, India) will first be transferred to the model plant thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana). Transgenic plants will then be analyzed in the Juelich Plant Phenotyping Centre (JPPC) for their growth under controlled and drought stress conditions in a most field-comparable environment. Finally, genes providing a stress tolerance to the model plants will be transferred to high quality crop plants by German and Indian breeders. Transgenic crop plants will further be characterized for drought tolerance in JPPC climate chambers and high tech-greenhouses.


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Seated Figure, originally uploaded by plingthepenguin.
I really liked this sculpture in the Kingdom of Ife exhibition. It's cast in pure copper, which is apparently harder to work with than its alloys coz the melting point is higher. Or so the label next to it told me. It also told me that when it was in a shrine in a village called Tada it was cleaned every Friday by taking it to the river and scrubbing it in gravel! They had a photo from the 50s of it sitting overlooking the river, in fact. And looking at that again (in my photo of the label) I kinda wonder about the damage (which is there in the 1950s photo), as most of the damaged sculptured heads they had were labeled as having been hit by a pickaxe during discovery (like when building a road or something). But this was in a shrine in modern times, so I wonder when it had the holes knocked in it. Plenty of time between the late 1200s/early 1300s when it was made & the 1900s when it was in a shrine, I guess - it could've been lost and found a few times over. Particularly as (unlike neighbouring Benin) the culture of Ife did not survive through into modern times, as I understand it.


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Algorand misrepresents its performance against Bitcoin
Source: Crypto Slate
Algorand misrepresents its performance against Bitcoin
Blockchain startup Algorand cited incorrect Bitcoin stats while marketing its own network. The startup claimed that its network handled over 50,000 transactions in less than a month, which it said was equivalent to what Bitcoin does every six months when the network actually does 1.8 million transactions in that time.
Algorand says it had a successful month following token sale
Algorand, a Boston-based blockchain company created to improve blockchain decentralization, made the news last month after it successfully completed a $60 million token sale. The company's token sale implied that Algo token's market capitalization was close to $6 billion, which would make it the seventh-largest coin—above Binance's BNB and just below EOS.
The company's successful token sale and mainnet launch didn't last long though, as Algo's value plummeted just days after the sale. But, the company maintained that everything was going according to plan, saying they had a successful month.
Algorand issued various marketing texts citing their accomplishment during the last month. The company's CEO Steven Kokinos participated in several AMA sessions, answering questions about the state of the network.
However, the company's claims were put to the test by a well-known independent cryptocurrency analyst and blogger, who found that some of the data Algorand provided was not only exaggerated but completely incorrect.
Crypto blogger calls out Algorand for sharing wrong stats
The analyst, who goes by the name of Hasu on Twitter, called the comparison "incredibly disingenuous marketing" by Algorand. He found several instances where the company used incorrect data when comparing its transaction volume to that of Bitcoin.
While it's unclear where the text was pulled from, the same wrong data is used on two separate occasions.
Incredibly disingenuous marketing by Algorand, claiming BTC does 50k transactions every 6 months. In reality, BTC does 27k payments (tx equivalent) *every hour*, 120M payments every 6 months. It's not a mistake, the claim is being repeated in AMAs by Algorand's CEO @stevekokinos. pic.twitter.com/thnQRYXctu
— Hasu (@hasufl) July 11, 2019
According to Hasu's tweet, Algorand claimed it handled over 50,000 transactions since the launch of its mainnet less than a month ago. That, the company said, was equivalent to "roughly 6 months of Bitcoin transactions."
According to data from Blockchain.com, Bitcoin network is confirming almost 300k transactions per day as of July 2019.
This wasn't a one-time mistake, either. Steven Kokinos, the company's CEO, used the same data during an AMA.
"In the first two weeks of live mainnet, over 50,000 transactions have been processed, which is roughly equivalent to 6 months of Bitcoin transactions or 2-3 months of Ethereum transactions," he wrote.
And while Kokinos and Algorand were quick to react to the twitter thread, issuing an apology for using wrong stats, the crypto community still found it to be odd for a data-conscious company.
I'd like to reiterate the same. That stat around bitcoin was clearly wrong and I should have caught it. Apologies to everyone on that.
— Steven Kokinos (@stevekokinos) July 11, 2019
Users accused Algorand of intentionally using the wrong information to trick investors into believing their network was doing better than Bitcoin.
Algorand only need a fraction of their audience to miss bitcoiners' corrections for the deception to have been worthwhile. It's like the downmarket newspapers whose front page lies are corrected in small print on p14.
Indeed, cutting out the % who *are* informed helps the grift.
— Manticlops (@manticlops) July 11, 2019
Others said that using incorrect data from the world's most transparent data record was a very bad idea.
Why would someone piss all over their own credibility like that by citing incorrect figures from the world's most accessible, verifiable, immutable and transparent data record known? Seems like a very bad idea.
— Eric Wall (@ercwl) July 11, 2019
We are yet to see whether this information spreads and affects Algorand's price in the following days.
The post Algorand misrepresents its performance against Bitcoin appeared first on CryptoSlate.


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Individual Plant Examinations for External Events: Review Plan and Evaluation Criteria (NUREG/CR-5260)
On this page:
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Publication Information
Manuscript Completed: March 1989
Prepared by:
R.C. Murray, P.G. Prassinos, J.B. Savy, D.L. Bernreuter, G.E. Cummings
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
R.J. Budnitz
Future Resources Associates, Inc.
M.K. Ravindra
EQE Engineering, Inc.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
7000 East Avenue
Livermore, CA 94550
Prepared for:
Division of Safety Issue Resolution
Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Washington, DC 20555
This document presents the Review Plan and Evaluation Criteria for Individual Plant Examination for External Events (IPEEE) including: Seismic, Internal Fires, Extreme Winds, External Flooding, and Transportation and Nearby Facility Accidents.
The material presented in this document is intended to provide a review plan and evaluation criteria for the NRC staff reviewers responsible for the IPEEE. This document is to be used with the companion document NUREG/CR-5259, Individual Plant Examination for External Events: Guidance and Procedures, which provides the general framework for conducting the IPEEE.


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Items tagged with: Articles/Interviews
January 2009
Archbishop gives support to 2008 Faith in Human Rights Statement
7 January 2009
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams has given his support to the 2008 Faith in Human Rights…
December 2008
The Times on Christmas Eve
24 December 2008
An article by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, published in The Times on Christmas Eve…
Put aside your principles and remember: all you need is love
22 December 2008
Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, says in The Daily Telegraph that the first Christmas…
Archbishop's New Statesman magazine interview
22 December 2008
The full text from James Macintyre's interview with Dr Rowan Williams - published in the 22 December…
Archbishop's Christmas message on BBC Radio 2 'Pause for Thought' with Terry Wogan
19 December 2008
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, offers a Christmas message to listeners of Wake up to…
BBC Radio 4 Today Programme - end of year interview
18 December 2008
The Archbishop of Canterbury is interviewed by John Humphrys.
Archbishop of Canterbury's Christmas Message to the Anglican Communion
15 December 2008
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams' Christmas Message to the Anglican Communion
Remembering Merton - BBC Radio 4's "Something Understood"
14 December 2008
In the BBC Radio 4 programme "Something Understood - Remembering Merton", Archbishop Rowan Williams talks…
Churches urge Europe's leaders to build a greener economy
9 December 2008
In advance of the EU summit this month, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Archbishop of the Church of…
November 2008
Archbishop's letter to Moderators of the Churches of North India and South India
14 November 2008
The Archbishop wrote earlier this week to the Moderators of the Church of North India and the Church…
October 2008
The Archbishop's Dostoevsky - TLS
8 October 2008
A. N. Wilson reviews "Dostoevsky: Language, faith and fiction" by Rowan Williams.
Cross purposes - Guardian article
8 October 2008
The Archbishop talks to Stuart Jeffries about his book Dostoevsky: Language, Faith and Fiction.
September 2008
Archbishop's article on the financial crisis
27 September 2008
Taken from The Spectator - 27th September 2008
Where Rowan Williams meets Dostoevsky - The Telegraph
27 September 2008
In an article published in The Telegraph, the Archbishop talks to A.N.Wilson about his book Dostoevsky:…
Dostoevsky: Language, Faith, and Fiction - The Times
19 September 2008
Salley Vickers' review of "Dostoevsky: Language, Faith, and Fiction" by Rowan Williams was published…


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Payroll deduction for Bulldog Bucks is no longer be available. Faculty and staff may make a deposit with a debit card each month at their convenience when signing into their Bulldog Bucks Account, in person at the One Stop Shop in Tate Plaza or at the VTS machine located at the Main... more
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While tickets are still loaded to your most current UGA ID, the Bulldog Bucks office is no longer able to assist you in seeing that your tickets are loaded onto your card. For more information, visit http://www.georgiadogs.com/tickets/geo-student-tix-footbl.html or contact the ticket office at 706-542-1231. On Game Day Student Ticket problems will be handled at East... more


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WaPo, Bloomberg Join Forces|Wenner Changes Distributors For Us|Denver Web Site Stops Producing New Content|David Letterman Scandal Round-Up
FishbowlDC: The Washington Post has paired up with Bloomberg to launch a new global news service.
New York Post: Jann Wenner has switched distributors for his Us Weekly magazine, from Condé Nast and Hearst-owned Comag to Time Warner Retail Sales.
Denver Business Journal:The Rocky Mountain Independent, the second online publication launched by former staffers of the shuttered Denver paper The Rocky Mountain News, has announced that it will stop producing new content citing the "economic reality" of the publication.
New York Times: A good round-up of all the David Letterman news that has developed today.


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Stock information
General Fields
Special Fields
A popular series in Japan, Baroque makes its U.S. debut as an action role-playing game with dark, religious overtones. Players will journey into a foreboding tower filled with horrific monsters, mutated humans, and mysterious angels. The world is essentially a distortion of reality that finds everything in a constant state of flux. How this happened is a complete mystery -- as is the lead protagonist's past. The only thing the protagonist knows is that he must venture into the Neuro Tower to atone for a past sin. He can save the world, so he is told, by battling the bizarre creatures lurking within each randomly generated room and reaching the tower's bottom floor. To defeat the monsters, these so-called "meta-beings," players will be able to find and use an assortment of weapons and items. While Baroque's content is the same on PlayStation 2 and Wii, the latter features motion controls, a 16:9 aspect ratio, and progressive scan support. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide


text: We first met Monica 15 years ago. When I saw the proofs, I knew we had stumbled onto someone special! I LOVED every one of them! Since then, I have had the pleasure of working with both Monica and Michael. The studio has photographed all of our special milestones- my parents' 50th wedding anniversary, each child's senior portrait, and lots of Christmas cards/portrait gifts. The end result is always so much more than I could ever hope for. Monica and Michael have so much warmth and energy during a session that it is always a fun day- even our dogs enjoy it! What sets their work apart from the other photographers we have used is the lighting, and their ability to anticipate the very slight changes in a face as someone smiles. They can capture that perfect moment and it is true portrait art. I recommend Monica and Michael all of the time, and have enjoyed giving gift certificates to friends and family for portrait sessions. I love hearing how our friends have enjoyed working with the studio as much as we have!!


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Follow @ChiCitySports23 for BIG Media Day updates
College basketball is almost upon us. That means it's time for Media Day.
Today is Big Ten Media Day and ChiCitySports is here for the coverage. Follow CCS all day and all week as we cover everything around the Big Ten. Tom Izzo has already complemented the moderator on his bowtie. This is just the start of our awesome coverage. Also make sure to check out our Twitter account @ChiCitySports23 for updates throughout the day.


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Beautiful Girl Chirp Tote
Special Price $14 Regular Price $20
This classic canvas Chirp Tote is the BEST! It's so easy to carry and is perfect for the beach, carrying your laptop or toting along to the farmer's market… it will be your new favorite everyday bag! Each one features one of our most-loved Chirps, which everyone loves!
- 15in W x 15in L, 9in handle drop
- 100% cotton canvas
- Canvas tote features double sided printing
- Hand wash, do not bleach, tumble dry low, warm iron
Shipping & Returns
Visit our shipping policy and returns policy for more details!
- ALL SALE ITEMS ARE FINAL SALE. Please refer to our Return Policy for more information.
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It used to be about cross-channel. Then came multichannel. Now it is omnichannel.
What has remained the same is the fact that consumers still want to use all available information to make informed decisions and purchase the right product quickly.
To meet these expectations and compete in this ever-changing environment, you need marketing and sales strategies that bridge the gap between the online and offline experience, offering consumers a seamless experience.


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Winsted's search for new finance director put on hold
WINSTED >> While the Civil Service Commission has several ongoing job searches, the hunt for a new finance manager is on hold due to the circumstances regarding the previous director's departure.
"Technically," said commission chairman Fran Delaney, "they couldn't hire anyone because as far as I know, Henry Centrella still occupies the position."
Centrella, who was the first finance manager in Winsted's history, announced he would retire in late November due to his battle with prostate cancer. However, before Centrella could retire, he was placed on administrative leave due to what was reportedly determined to be "accounting irregularities." Subsequently, Centrella has not retired, even though Winsted has already retained an interim finance manager.
"We understood he was supposed to be retiring too," said Delaney, "but as of this moment, he hasn't."
Delaney's commission was supposed to review the procedures for hiring Centrella's permanent replacement, as well as a new police officer, at their Dec. 27 meeting. So far, the commission has four candidates in hand -- none of whom are interim finance director Jane Wall -- but due to the issue with Centrella's status, Winsted cannot hire any of the candidates until Centrella's case can be resolved.
The commission also discussed the process to hire a new police officer with town manager Dale Martin. Hiring a new police officer could require the services of an outside chief examiner -- which the commission did not know at the time of the meeting -- but the town could try to save money and simplify the hiring process by finding the right kind of candidate.
"They want to advertise a position for officers who are already certified," said Delaney, "so they don't have to go through the whole training process."
Doing so would simplify the Civil Service Commission's role in the process, but before the town could hire anyone, Delaney said, the commission needs to review the advertisement for the job to make sure it matches what the town wants out of a new police officer. There is currently no timeline for the town to hire a new officer because of these concerns.
Reach Jason Siedzik at (860) 489-3121, ext. 321 or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RCjsiedzik. Follow us online at www.registercitizen.com or on twitter.com/registercitizen.


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Gina - owner (pictured first row in the middle next to her parents Lloyd and Barbara far left) along with staff.
CALL to place your cake order today!
(805) 922-7866
Gina's Piece of Cake is now located in the Santa Maria Town Center Mall, a move that has given them tremendous exposure, and has allowed them to share their pride in quality and client satisfaction with many new customers. Gina's is a family owned and operated full-time bakery, offering everything from cookies and eclairs to custom-designed cakes for any occasion. Gina and the staff, including her parents Lloyd and Barbara, rely on decades of experience to create treats that look great and taste even better! Stop by the mall where you can look through the glass at their kitchen and see them at work creating one-of-a-kind cakes and all their other baked goods.
Photo taken by Superior Publications Photographer, Heather J. Erb
Gina's Piece of Cake© Copyright


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Spring Newsletter
We are very grateful to all the fine people who have stepped up to help us. This show is going to be a good time for all of us and we hope you mark your calendar and plan to attend. Call 902 681 5005 for tickets. Even if you can't attend the show, you [...]
Leah Pineo has announced her retirement from Leah's Clean and Green after 19 years of business (1998-2017)! It was CAPRE's honour to support you in the realization of your personal potential through your entrepreneurship Leah!
Attention: Teachers, Daycares, Community Groups Mr. B Wants Your Broken Crayons! Mr. B's Makery is a crafty small business owned and operated by Annapolis Valley Artisan, Brendon Purdy-Smith. He has been a member of CAPRE (Community Association of People for Real Enterprise) for 7 years. The association assists entrepreneurs with disabilities in realizing their business [...]
To commemorate National AccessAbility Week, CAPRE is hosting an Artisan Craft Fair showcasing CAPRE entrepreneurs and other artisits from around the province. Admission by donation towards CAPRE's mission to support the realization of personal potential for individuals with intellectual disabilities through person-centered planning, entrepreneurship, innovation, partnerships and community engagement.
Welcome to CAPRE
Monday November 7 2016 6:30-8:00 pmat the Canning Lions Hall, 1000 Seminary AvenueJoin us at the Lions Hall for our Annual General Meeting. There will be reports from our Board and Committees. We will hold our Election of Board Members for the upcoming year. All are welcome. To become a voting Member of CAPRE please call 902-582-1280


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text: Pousada Sotaque Mineiro offers you and your family comfortable Alpine chalets with two environments, a gas shower, a minibar, a TV and a fireplace. We serve breakfast in a beautiful and large room and we have a games room with pool and card tables, a library, a delightful Memory Space with several beautiful and curious antiques and a comfortable round table. We also have adult and children's pools, besides being less than 1 hour from Paraty - RJ by one of the most beautiful roads in Brazil. Enter in Waze or Google Maps the name POUSADA SOTAQUE MINEIRO and GPS will bring you to Cunha to enjoy an unforgettable place, comfortable and with a pleasant climate.


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If you've got a 70s-inspired interior, this 1970s Dijkstra pull-down hanging lamp could be perfect for it.
Very much of the era, the lamps has a chromed metal base and white plastic shade, with a cable and mechanism that allows you to lower the lamp or let it go up.
The lamp is described as being 'in good condition', although the ceiling rose has a little hole (see the listing for a close-up of that). If that's not a problem, bidding is currently at just one pence.


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Where to start….where to start….
So, in the realm of 'Least Desirable Volkswagen Products' enthusiasts bemoan, the New Beetle must surely rank very high on the list. But every once in a while one pops up that is worthy of consideration. Maybe they have low mileage or are a neat color. Sometimes they're turbocharged, making them pretty quick, too – all attributes of this 1999 example. Presented in L9L9 Cyber Green Metallic, it's traveled only 23,000 miles in its life and its the more macho 1.8T speedbug. Though it's clearly not stock, we've recently looked at a well modified Beetle that pulled off big-dollar mods at a budget price.
Tuner Tuesday GCFSB Alumnus: 2002 Ruf Volkswagen Beetle Turbo S Concept
So when I first caught the gallery shot, it looked as though the owner of this car tried to replicate the super-sweet Beetle RSI – not a bad thing, if it was pulled off correctly.
This one is not pulled off correctly.
However, if you'd like a few chuckles, read on.


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The business of privacy by disaster
A 'privacy disaster' is a privacy advocate's best friend. News of data breaches, data theft and social acceptability issues linked to the deployment of data-intensive technologies are in the media on a regular basis. Regular 'privacy disasters' have made some players aware that taking privacy into account is not only a matter of social responsibility, but a sound business decision.
Incorporating privacy and broader societal concerns into the development of data-intensive technologies can save money in the medium and long term, as well as diminish the risk of reputational crisis. This opens a window of oportunity for privacy advocates and ethical hackers to work with early adopters of real-life privacy enhancing solutions and mechanisms, both in the public and private fields.
The session will present the experience on Eticas Research and Consulting, a company founded by social scientists and engineers that has tripled its workforce in its first year of operation and is currently working with clients in the field of border management, biometrics, social media, emergency management, citizen science or data brokers.


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Not just an old Beetle, this is a 1970s Herbie-styled Volkswagen Beetle.
Specifically, this is a 1973 VW Beetle with a 1.3 engine, complete with the paint job inspired by the classic Herbie movies, which of course kicked off with the 1968 Love Bug movie.
According to the seller, the car has done 73,000 miles and has been taxed and tested. It's also described as a 'good runner and driver'. The price is £2,500, with lots of images on the sales page.


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New 2020 Mercedes-Benz Metris Van
- Stock: MV20059
Basic Info
Exterior:Arctic White
Transmission:7G-TRONIC 7-Speed Automatic
Interior:Tunja Black Upholstery
Engine:2.0L I4 DI Turbocharged
Fuel Efficiency:20 CITY / 24 HWY
Key Features
Backup Camera
Keyless Entry
Side-Impact Air Bags
20/24 City/Highway MPG
All prices plus tax, tag, and fees. Must finance through manufacturer's or dealer's preferred lender for certain rebates. Important recall information: so you know, any used vehicle you may be considering may have unrepaired manufacturer's safety recalls. To check the recall status (repaired or unrepaired) of the specific used vehicle you're interested in purchasing visit www.safercar.gov. Thanks for shopping with us.
Vehicle Details
- Tires: P225/55R17 AS M & S
- Steel Spare Wheel
- Full-Size Spare Tire Stored Underbody w/Crankdown
- Clearcoat Paint
- Black Front Bumper
- Black Rear Bumper
- Black Side Windows Trim
- Black Door Handles
- Black Manual Side Mirrors w/Manual Folding
- Light Tinted Glass
- Fully Galvanized Steel Panels
- Black Grille
- Sliding Rear Passenger Side Door
- Split Swing-Out Rear Cargo Access
- Fully Automatic Aero-Composite Halogen Daytime Running Headlamps w/Delay-Off
- Adjustable driver's seat
- Adjustable front passenger seat
- Adjustable steering wheel (angle) w/ shift paddles
- Air conditioning, front
- AM/FM radio,USB,AUX, Bluetooth , 3.5" color screen
- Audio system speakers, 5 front
- Cupholders, 2 center console
- Cupholders, 2 dashtop
- Heat-insulating glass
- Lockable glove compartment
- Metal floor in rear compartment
- Outside temperature gauge
- Power front windows with pinch protection
- Rear doors, opening 180-degrees
- Remote key with central locking
- Sliding door, passenger side
- Trailer Pre-Wiring
- 2-Passenger Seating
- 4-Way Driver Seat
- Adjustable Front Driver Seat
- 4-Way Passenger Seat
- Adjustable Front Passenger Seat
- Manual Tilt Steering Column
- Gauges -inc: Speedometer, Odometer, Tachometer and Trip Odometer
- Front Cupholder
- HVAC -inc: Residual Heat Recirculation and Supplemental Heater
- Locking Glove Box
- Driver Foot Rest
- Front Cloth Headliner
- Urethane Gear Shifter Material
- Partial Floor Console w/Storage and 1 12V DC Power Outlet
- Fade-To-Off Interior Lighting
- Front Only Vinyl/Rubber Floor Covering
- Board Floor Trim
- Cargo Space Lights
- FOB Controls -inc: Cargo Access
- Instrument Panel Bin, Dashboard Storage, Driver And Passenger Door Bins
- Power 1st Row Windows
- Outside Temp Gauge
- Analog Display
- Seats w/Vinyl Back Material
- Manual Adjustable Front Head Restraints
- Driver And Front Passenger Armrests
- 1 12V DC Power Outlet
- Air Filtration
- Audio Theft Deterrent
- Streaming Audio
- Integrated Roof Antenna
- 5 Front Audio System Speakers
- 126" Wheelbase
- 14V / 175A Alternator
- 18.49 gallon fuel tank
- 2 liter, 4 cylinder, direct-injection turbocharged
- 208 hp / 258 Ib-ft
- 225/55 R17 All-Season Tires
- 6.5 J X 17 Steel Wheels
- 7-G TRONIC PLUS, 7-Speed Automatic Transmission
- AGM battery 12V 92Ah 850A
- Alternator efficiency management
- Axle ratio 3.46:1
- Engine: 2.0L I-4 Turbo w/Direct Injection
- Transmission: 7G-TRONIC 7-Speed Automatic -inc: standard shift paddles, ECO Start/Stop
- GVWR: 6,614 lbs
- Engine Auto Stop-Start Feature
- Transmission w/Driver Selectable Mode and Oil Cooler
- Rear-Wheel Drive
- 3.47 Axle Ratio
- 92-Amp/Hr 850CCA Maintenance-Free Battery
- Regenerative 190 Amp Alternator
- Trailer Wiring Harness
- 2425# Maximum Payload
- Front Anti-Roll Bar
- Electric Power-Assist Steering
- 18.5 Gal. Fuel Tank
- Single Stainless Steel Exhaust
- Strut Front Suspension w/Coil Springs
- Trailing Arm Rear Suspension w/Coil Springs
- 4-Wheel Disc Brakes w/4-Wheel ABS, Front Vented Discs, Brake Assist and Hill Hold Control
- Airbag, driver front
- Airbag, driver/passenger window
- Airbag, passenger front
- Airbag, side thorax-pelvis, driver
- Airbag, side thorax-pelvis, passenger
- Automatic headlights
- Crosswind Assist
- Halogen headlights
- Hill Start Assist
- Load Adaptive ESP (ESP9i)
- Rear View Camera
- Tire pressure monitoring system
- Side Impact Beams
- Dual Stage Driver And Passenger Seat-Mounted Side Airbags
- Dual Stage Driver And Passenger Front Airbags
- Curtain 1st Row Airbags
- Airbag Occupancy Sensor
- Outboard Front Lap And Shoulder Safety Belts -inc: Height Adjusters and Pretensioners
- Back-Up Camera
- Pre-Fitting Communication Module (LTE) for Dig Services
- Adjustable front passenger seat
- Auto Truck Ship-Thru - Summerville, SC
- Rear door, double-wing, 180 degrees, w/o window
- Driver Air Bag
- Passenger Air Bag
- Front Side Air Bag
- Front Head Air Bag
- AM/FM Stereo
- 4-Wheel Disc Brakes
- Third Passenger Door
- Rear Wheel Drive
- 4 Cylinder Engine
- Turbocharged
- Gasoline Fuel
- Daytime Running Lights
- Keyless Entry
- Power Door Locks
- Bucket Seats
- Power Steering
- Adjustable Steering Wheel
- Tires - Front Performance
- Tires - Rear Performance
- Conventional Spare Tire
- Traction Control
- Power Windows
- Intermittent Wipers
- MP3 Player
- Engine Immobilizer
- Automatic Headlights
- Transmission w/Dual Shift Mode
- Tire Pressure Monitor
- 7-Speed A/T
- Bluetooth Connection
- Back-Up Camera
- Stability Control
- Brake Assist
- Auxiliary Audio Input
- Passenger Air Bag Sensor
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Things To Do In Windhoek
It's not an enormous city and is prominently easy to go around; but most travelers embark on their tour of Namibia on its capital city- Windhoek. It is a blended populace with a busy downtown area, a relaxed and moderately bother free pace in an absolutely cosmopolitan standpoint.
Windhoek makes an incredible jump off point to start or break an excursion through Namibia. The majestic hotels and lodging inns, variety of world class cuisine, shopping malls, recreational parks, and the hip urban African culture provide for it an edge not discovered anyplace else in Namibia.
When To Go:
Despite the fact that Windhoek is placed on an immense desert plain, it really has an assortment of diverse atmospheres. For example, in the mountains, it can be extremely cool. But in the central part of Windhoek, it is mostly arid, with temperatures in the mid year arriving at 105°f and after that falling definitely to solidifying temperatures during the evening. In this part of South Africa, there are two stormy seasons: the 'light downpour season' from October to December and the blustery and monsoon period from January to April.
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In the capital city, it can get to be very steamy in the middle of December and February. December is the most humid month (the peak of summer). Then again, since the city is situated at a high elevation, by and large there is little moistness so it doesn't feel as hot. Furthermore, around evening time, there is regularly a charming breeze that blows through the avenues, cooling cafes at different restaurants and those who stroll along the boulevards around evening time. Notwithstanding that in the winter time, it can get to be extremely cold, particularly in the lower areas of the city during the evening. Be that as it may, amid the days in the winter, it is normally satisfying climate: warm, with sunny days and a small occurrence of rain.
Here are the top things to do when in the city of Windhoek, Namibia…
Katutura Township
The Katutura Township is an improved community of Windhoek that is lively and pretty, well maintained and where you have the chance to meet Namibians who are friendly and accommodating. The tour usually begins with a group of 13 people. You can choose the car or bicycle tour option. Upon arrival you will be amused by the locals' short welcome presentation. With them it is very easy to take pictures and you will not feel any animosity because they are always smiling and happy enough to live in their humble village. They prepare lots of meat for the BBQ party where everyone eats and have their share and pieces of grilled meat.
You can also have a lively interaction with the local women of Windhoek (Penduka Women's Project)and observe how they make beads, ornaments, trinkets, pottery, embroidery, manual textile weaving, and decorative handicrafts and also have the chance to buy their finished product right there in their small shop. There is also a restaurant-cafeteria at low prices with local - typical atmosphere. This Eco-tourism adventure is not to be missed while in Windhoek, Namibia. This is the true face of the nation where you will learn valuable information, unforgettable impressions, meet with the community leaders, and have interesting conversations and develop good camaraderie with the locals.
The overall architecture of the Christuskirche church corresponds to the designs most commonly found in German churches in Europe. The stained glass windows were donated by Kaiser Wilhelm II, and his wife Augusta donated the Bible. The church is just a few minutes away from Independence Street (main street) of Windhoek. The European-style church raises native feelings. The interior side should not be expecting too much because it is seldom open to the public except during a holy service. But outside you can take great photos of the city and the church itself which has a very interesting architecture. As a general "landmark", it serves as a good site to remember for the Windhoek explorer (pedestrian or motorist).
The Christuskirche is one of the stunning postcards of the city of Windhoek. This famous Lutheran church is built on top of a hill, near the city of Windhoek and visible from various points of the downtown. Built with architecture of German influence, the church is surmounted by a Gothic tower and was proclaimed a national monument in 1974. However, it is not possible to visit the interior of the Church for having pre-defined schedules. It is worth a visit for the architecture and offering excellent views of the city.
NamibRand Nature Reserve
The NamibRand Nature Reserve is the desert region of Namibia that brings unique experiences and memorable photos for your collection. Surely, it is one of the highlights of the visit to Windhoek. If you come during the summer season stay tuned for the roads that are not recommended for night driving and also always carry extra amount of water (although it rapidly becomes hot on this humid desert).
For desert lovers, the dunes are beautiful red ocher and looks splendid. You should see them at all hours of the day and do not hesitate to make the hike to reach the highs and lows of the desert dunes. It's a natural marvel! The vast desert, marvelous sunsets, wildlife and the idyllic landscape are bordered by its awesome surroundings, plus the silence. It is a pristine environment where time stops or where a quick moment for reflection is needed.
Bitterwasser Lodge & Flying Centre
The Bitterwasser Lodge & Flying Centre can be best visited in the months of November to January, to see how it becomes a paradise for glider pilots. The fine soaring weather around this time attracts many world-class pilots and pilots of bitter water to fly there and make records every year. But even the non-record flyer or an ordinary traveler can still enjoy this site. In the Lodge the guest is provided with everything they need. This lodge and cultural center in Windhoek has well trained staff, excellent food, and good accommodation in different price ranges. All these is reason enough for visitors to come again and again when in Namibia.
The Bitter Water Lodge is situated on the edge of the Kalahari and requires a half-day tour of Windhoek and the airport. The Lodge is a known target for gliding, which start from November and held on the adjacent salt pan runway and land. The thatched bungalows are scattered loosely in a landscaped garden, and most are spacious and have fan and air conditioning. There is a shady pool situated in the area. The meals are served in the restaurant in buffet style. In addition to seeing stunning images of colorful gliders in the sky, the cultivated area invites you to relax. The staff is very friendly and the food is simply delicious.
The pool area surrounded by palm trees and greenery in the midst of the Kalahari looks like a small oasis where nothing is heard as the palm leaves rustle and gently whispers every time the wind blows. The accommodation in individual, beautiful spacious bungalows is in compliance with German standards. Bitter water offers evening trips to the game drive and sundowners in the dunes, and there is probably nowhere else in the world to see a beautiful sunset. If you want to know the people on the ground, the auxiliary projects, and social events throughout the year, it is here where you will be given the opportunity to do so.
Equitrails Namibia
The Equitrails Namibia is good fun for those who enjoy horseback riding. Samantha the owner and trainer of the horses is extremely friendly and helpful. The area is beautiful and quiet. The outdoor lunch prepared by the staff is plentiful and very good. If you want to do trail riding in Windhoek's proximity then this is the place you should go to. The owner Sam (Samantha) has a good eye for the horse that you fit in and do their utmost to help you / you'll get the best horse/ride as possible. Sam is flexible and put together a package that suits her clients and the allotted time to ride. The package that is particularly recommended is the Sundowner Ride with food. This tour is like a scene out of the famous movie "Out of Africa".
The Equitrails is a must for horse lovers and those who want to be there. Anyone who loves horses and is in Windhoek must necessarily take a ride with Sam from Equitrails. The horses are all in great condition, the saddle is safe and secured and the scenery made for the rides are filled with breathtaking views. Sam will find the right horse for each rider, to make the ride an unforgettable experience. For those who live in Windhoek; Sam's riding lessons are also a good way to spend the week-end with family and friends.
Daan Viljoen Nature Reserve
The Daan Viljoen Nature Reserve is a conserved area located a few miles from the capital where you can admire the fantastic natural beauty of Namibia's wildlife with the chance to see the giraffes, zebras, warthogs, gazelles and so on. It also has a beautiful location of a resort accommodation where you can enjoy all the services. It is a beautiful park where you can see different kinds of wild animals. The restaurant area is really lovely with its green park, swimming pool and a nice restaurant. The food here is great and the service is fast, but if you go to this place it is advisable to take things easily and not hurry and just enjoy the nature and comfort. On the other hand the staff here are all kind and friendly.
The park is small, and can be visited by car in just 1 hour. Take note however, that in the absence of predators it is possible to walk in the park just make sure you go with a knowledgeable tour guide. However, you can see a family of giraffes in the middle of the road, as well as blue wildebeest, warthog, kudu, springbok, Oryx, hartebeest, and ostriches. If the park is quite limited in terms of mammals, it is in perfect contrast to birds (the guide there can easily identify fifty species of birds). In short, it is a great spot for an early travel, wildlife observation, and the perfect place for bird lovers.
National Museum of Namibia
The contents of the National Museum of Namibia is certainly interesting, there are vintage photos, documents and materials on colonialism, the local population and independence. However, the rooms are old and dilapidated and the exhibition criterion is not certainly inviting. Fortunately, it is going to be transferred in the new palace-monument to be built by the city government near the Christuskirche. It may seem a bit nostalgic but a visit to the Museum of Namibia in the capital city is part of something that will make you think a lot about the painful history of this people who had to fight hard to earn their long lost freedom. It's something to do when you are in Namibia, Windhoek, and if you have time to spare.
This museum is a self-adulation of SWAPO and Sam Nujoma. It is worked with commemorative elements and the diplomatic relationship between Namibia and Germany in the past. In particular, the large-scale wall paintings are covered. The museum is interesting and tells some of the settlers and the German colonial force in the early 20th century. The main focus, however, is directed to the freedom struggle which lasted until the independence of South Africa. With all the names and faces and parties, it leaves an impression that Namibia encountered so much hardship and struggle for power, and indeed it was. On display were photos and documents of the independence movement, furnishings of the German settlers and explanations of prehistoric rock drawings. The building from the outside is really beautiful and attracts attention from passersby.
National Botanic Garden of Namibia
The National Botanic Garden of Namibia is like a cinematic experience. This is what tourists expect from any classes that explore Windhoek because, it not only explores the wildlife but also the rich flora of the country that deserves a very special attention, especially the Acacia trees with its beautiful green fluorescent change, the really giant Baobabs (similar to the plants seen in Bedrock, the city of the Flintstones), and the wonderful sugar bush "fire flowers " called the Proteas.
The gardens are very well maintained and the catalog of information is easily available. Above all, the National Botanical Garden of Namibia is extremely well maintained by its hard working and organized people. It is truly worth knowing if you're in Windhoek!
Owela Museum
The Owela Museum contains a lot of information about the Native Bushmen, local tribes, and all immigrant people and ethnic villages of Windhoek. It gives accurate information about the lifestyle, clothing, food, cabins, livelihood, and the current status of its economy. In addition, the animal and plant world is vividly illustrated. It is one of the impressive and informative places to see in Windhoek. Don't fail to check out the reconstruction of each village and the exhibits about the birds and stuffed animals.
Kalahari Sands Casino
The Kalahari Sands Casino is one of the best ways to unwind while in Windhoek. It has an excessive luxury complete with a casino. Luxurious bedrooms with two king-size beds, huge double beds to sleep lounging. At about 200 meters from Post Street, the casino is located along the Main Street where you can also see the display of meteorites that fell in the nearby desert millions of years ago.
It is also near the typical Lutheran church of Christuskirche, the market along Castro Street, the central shopping street in Post Street Mall, and the few colonial-style buildings along Independence Avenue.
Wild Dog Safaris
The safari and package tour experience of Windhoek could not have been better if it is not from the Wild Dog Safaris. Surely, the great service from Wild Dog staff will make your trip perfect starting from the first meeting up to the end of the tour because they are all professional and helpful. The guides are responsible and very well trained; with their top quality equipment and they are always concerned with the welfare and security of the tourists. If you go on a safari tour of Windhoek, the service of the Wild Dog Safaris is highly recommended.
Windhoek of Namibia is a fascinating city that you have to discover and see. You will admire the sea, desert and mountains and also a large variety of animals. The size of this majestic city and the colors are incredible. All you need is your adventurous spirit, a sturdy hiking shoes to go, a pair of binoculars, a good brand of camera to capture the best scenic views, love and care for animals and a lot of time to see all of its wonderful sites, enjoy its features, and things to do. Windhoek City is a must in the list of your travel destinations to discover when you're in Africa. It is a city with a rich fauna and fantastic stories that is well worth checking out. You will be charmed by the country and plan to return as soon as possible.


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No gay takeover - Church member says homosexuals should form own church
Christopher Serju, Gleaner Writer
Some members of the Christ Church in Vineyard Town, St Andrew, have vowed not to yield any more of their physical or spiritual space to members of the lesbian, gay, and transgender community, many of whom were in attendance at Sunday's morning service, which included a testimonial from a transgender individual, as well as the washing of the feet of two lesbians by resident Anglican priest Father Sean Major-Campbell.
"This thing haffi stop now!" one
member told The Gleaner yesterday. "It must stop
because no man of God would preach a sermon like that. No man of God
should preach about homosexuality in that manner. If you going preach
about it in that manner, you have to guh let adultery go; you have to
guh let go fornication (meaning they are all right). If the
homosexuality is all right, adultery and fornication must be okay,
He continued: "Mi naw run from mi church, you
know, 'cause what you going do? Lef it give the gay dem fi tek it over?
Dem must go form dem own church, man! Whole heap a tent and schoolroom
and theatre deh all over. Mek them go form them own church!" he
The resolute Anglican said he had the
support of many others who remain steeped in the traditional values of
the old-time religion, which allows for tolerance of sinners but not
wholesale acceptance of their sins.
Major-Campbell, in
a hard-hitting sermon, highlighted some age-old issues, which he found
helpful in grounding his reflection in current realities, targeting
Christians and policymakers for their allegiance to rituals and systems,
while failing to serve the needy.
His sermon was
based on Isaiah 64:6: "We have become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy
Major-Campbell spoke to some of
those issues.
"Do we realise that the first quarter of
this century in Jamaica is being characterised by quarrels concerning
human sexuality, women's reproductive rights, and religious confusion?
Do we realise that many well-intentioned members of the Church do not
sufficiently understand the issues, and often, it is easier to just jump
on a bandwagon in an effort to appease the appetite to feel as if one
is doing God's will, and mission, and work?"
continued: "And so we now have a very divided and fractured Jamaica. Out
of many, we have one confusion! We are in the liturgical season of
Advent. It is a time when the lessons often invite us to rid ourselves
of anything that leads to unrighteousness and injustice. It is our
prayer that even as we celebrate human-rights on this second Sunday in
Advent, churches throughout Jamaica will become more sensitised to the
awareness of human-rights and justice concerns."
message resonated with Sonia King, also a long-time church member and
steadfast Anglican, who admits that she was caught off guard by Sunday's
turn of events.
"I was taken by surprise that those
people were there ... . We didn't know what to expect, but it didn't
offend me at all," she shared with The
Comfort to the
King explained that after reading about the
events on the day's programme, which included the washing of the feet of
a sex worker who did not show, she accepted it all as part of
Major-Campbell's ongoing efforts to offer comfort and solace to people
underserved and neglected by the society.
unprecedented, she described this latest episode as consistent with
things the priest had done in the past in keeping with his expressions
of public demonstrations of love and Christian
And for anyone who missed the main points of
his sermon, the priest had this to say:
"The essence
of the message is that God cares about those who suffer injustice and
persecution. The message at Advent also notes that worship without
justice is dead! In the Church, we have tended to do a good job talking
about justice and praying about it, but the time has come for us to
understand that 'we have become like one who is unclean, and all our
righteous deeds have become like a filthy
"Many of the influential and so-called learned
persons in the halls of power in this country are a brood of vipers,
religious though they may be. Jamaica is not short of persons with the
ability to heal and inspire, but like the Pharisees and Sadduccees,
many, like vipers, wait coiled in silence. They wait to strike but never
to be an agent of healing and


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YAOUNDE - Cameroon says it has evacuated at least 200 wounded people after twin suicide bomb attacks in Kerawa on its northern border with Nigeria's Borno state left at least 20 people dead. The attack has been blamed on the Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram.
Cameroon's government spokesman and communication minister, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, said the wounded have been moved to hospitals in neighboring towns as the lone hospital in Kerawa is not large enough. Issa Tchiroma said the attacks at the Kerawa market were carried out by Boko Haram fighters.
He said the first bomb was detonated by a young girl in the section of the market where women sell millet and groundnuts, and the second was detonated by a man near the military base where people had taken those wounded in the first explosion for treatment.
He said about 20 of the victims are in critical condition.
In July, about 60 Cameroonians were killed along the central African nation's northern border with Nigeria's Borno state, a stronghold of Boko Haram. The insurgents used teenage female suicide bombers in four attacks. Cameroon in response sent back about 5,000 Nigerians who claimed to be fleeing the Boko Haram insurgency but refused to go to refugee camps.
Boko Haram, which was founded in northern Nigeria, attacks Cameroon regularly for supporting the Nigerian military's mission to crush the group.


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Taking The Chaos Out Of Kids Parties
Do you have a little one with a birthday coming up soon? Maybe they've already begged you to have a party for their birthday this year, and they want to invite every single one of their friends. Maybe you're tearing your hair out at the prospect! You can't fit about thirty 5 year olds in… Read More Taking The Chaos Out Of Kids Parties


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Jamguy contests
Name the most artists on Jamie/Guyden-affiliated labels who appeared on American Bandstand or any other Dick Clark TV show. If not on American Bandstand, identify the show.
Extra credit for songs and dates to break a tie and lesser extra credit for earliest date of submission.
Deadline: March 31, 2013
Prize: 5 site downloads
Name the most holiday music released on Jamie-affiliated labels. A and B sides count separately.
Deadline: March 31, 2013
Prize: 5 downloads
Bonnie Guitar 1923-2019
With great sadness, we report the death of Bonnie Guitar, whose association with Jamie Record Co came through the acquisition of Fabor Robison's interests in Dandelion Music, Fabor and Abbott Records. Bonnie worked closely with Fabor as an artist, making a national hit of "Dark Moon," and in Robison's Malibu studio, becoming a pioneer label executive. More...


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"At its root, leadership is the ability to see the present situation of a church, envision a better future, and then develop a plan to take the people to that future. Effective planning takes place when leadership decisions are driven … Read the rest
Tag Archives: core values
The Top 5 Reasons Churches Are In Decline
From your own experience what would you list as the top 5 reasons churches are declining in our country? I don't have research at my finger tips to support my own thoughts on this topic but I offer what I … Read the rest
The Components of your Ministry Design
Every organization, whether for profit or non-profit, has a design. Below are common components of any organization's design.
- Code: This is who the organization really is.
- Culture: This is what is acceptable and not acceptable in the organization.
The Importance of Congruence
Where does a church, or any organization for that matter, need congruence? I would suggest that a church needs to have agreement in the following seven areas.
1. Who you are
2. Where you are going
3. How you will … Read the rest
Thank them for coming
How often do the words come out of your mouth, Thank You?
You can give your guests, congregation and staff a much-needed lift and example by using these two words regularly.
Thank your guests for coming and coming back … Read the rest
Which Star Level Do You Want For Your Guest Services?
My wife and I were in a large city overnight recently and we were able to book a nice hotel through one of the internet booking agencies. It allowed us to stay at a 4 star hotel for the price … Read the rest
Meeting Your Guests Where They Are
My shepherding philosophy for years has been "take people from wherever I find them to where God wants them to be". We didn't want to require people to "clean up their act" before they started attending our church. What I … Read the rest
Who or What is behind the Steering Wheel of Your Ministry?
Who is behind the steering wheel of your ministry?
Years ago while I was in freshmen speech class in college one of the students told a personal story about his adventure on the way back to school from Michigan after … Read the rest
How do you know if your Core Values statement is well written?
Last time we talked about the process for discovering your core values. Today we want to talk about how to know that you have developed your core values into statements that are well written. Why would you want to go … Read the rest
The Honest Truth about Your Church's Core Values
I am coaching a church that has struggled to grow. We had a Skype session recently with the leadership team to begin the process of clearly defining their Core Values. The Lord truly met with us in a special … Read the rest


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Loadbalancing Database
I'm searching for a way to create a scaling Database, that I can generate more Instances when the storage or the CPU of my Database gets over a specific limit. A normal AutoScalingGroup (with alarms and policys) will generate a new Database, but the DATA of the first Database needs to be shared as well. So that the generated Database can response to any requests like the first one.
So I need to copy the first Database instead of generating a new one. Is there a way of realising this theory or is it even done yet?
This seems less like an openstack question and more of a basic database scalability question. You are looking for a way of dynamically adding replicas into a database cluster for better performance. How you do this (and if it's possible) will depend a lot on which database product you're using.


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I'm going to get real deep here for a second. I'm going to ask a question(s) that most females ask at least once in their life. Where do all the bobby pins, hair ties, chapsticks, and mismatched socks of the world end up??!?!?
No. But seriously… I am convinced that there is a lost and found of just these items. Not that I would want someone else's hair accessory or used socks. Or would I? I always wonder about these misplaced items and then think to myself, "not this time little bobby pin, I will not lose you." Without fail, fast forward to me purchasing another package of bobby pins :/
Now with food, I wonder what do people do with the overly ripe produce? I grew up NEVER being allowed to waste food. I am thankful that my parents made me appreciate and respect the food that we had in our kitchen. There are starving individuals around the world and I think too many people look at their produce drawer or fruit bowl and toss the food out. Unless you have been living under a rock, you have enjoyed a slice of warm banana bread or a banana nut muffin of sorts. This is what the world has decided the fate of overly ripe bananas should be.
I am not here to argue fate. But I think I might have just created a pretty fancy-fanc twist on banana bread. My thought process:
I love chocolate.
I love brownies.
I love banana bread. …
Whoa, I can make super chocolatey banana bread. Per the usual, I tried to justify eating not one, but three different types of chocolate. I decided, if I am eating chocolate, I should probably use healthy fats, unprocessed sugars, and limit the cereal grains. The bananas bring a lot of moisture and natural sweetness to this bread and you really do not notice that coconut flour or coconut oil are substituting the usual butter and flour.
Baked goods you can feel a little less guilty about. That is my kind of treat! Now that I have found yet another use of my brown bananas, I guess I should work on a solution for the other lost items ;)
As always,
Bon Appeteek
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Servings: 16 bars
The Players:
3 ripe bananas
1 egg
1 t vanilla extract
1/4 C coconut oil, melted
1/4 C light agave syrup (alternatively honey or maple syrup)
Dry ingredients
1/2 C coconut flour
1/2 C hemp seeds (alternatively hemp hearts)
1/2 C dark cocoa powder
1 t baking soda
1 C dark chocolate chips
1/4 C cocoa nibs
The Rules:
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease 9×9 baking pan with cooking spray.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine bananas, egg, vanilla, coconut oil, and agave syrup using a hand/stand mixer.
- Add dry ingredients, except cocoa nibs, to the bowl and incorporate into wet ingredients. Do not over-mix.
- Pour batter into baking pan and spread evenly with spatula. Sprinkle cocoa nibs over batter and press down gently with hand. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes, then turn off oven and continue baking for 5 additional minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before slicing.


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Admittedly, I watch less TV right now than I have in the past, but that just means as I'm more selectively watching, the stuff I do watch is straight up awesomesauce. And one of those awesomesauce shows I'm watching right now is the Netflix Original Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.
Please tell me you're watching Kimmy Schmidt. If you're not, now's the time to start.
If you like Tina Fey, (and let's get serious here, who doesn't?) this is the show for you. Tina Fey + Robert Carlock are the executive producers and writers of this new ridiculously fabulous, off-kilter, sarcastic comedy TV show. If you've been living in a cave, Tina Fey is a brilliant actress + writer from Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock and now Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt fame. Robert Carlock has been behind-the-scenes as a producer and writer with Tina Fey in SNL and 30 Rock, and now Kimmy Schmidt.
All of which is to say, you're in the very best of comedy hands with Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Ellie Kemper (of The Office) stars as Kimmy Schmidt, a woman rescued from an underground bunker where she's been hanging with a totally bananas doomsday cult for 15 years. Upon being rescued, Kimmy heads to New York City where she moves in with the unbelievably loveable roommate Titus Andromedon, a failed/washed up Broadway actor who immerses Kimmy in the new modern day world, one sparkly light-up sneaker-ed day at a time.
And the hijinks are hilarious and adorable.
I regularly squeal and snort loud enough through my nose to wake both my children from a near-dead slumber while watching Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. It's the very best. The other great thing is this: episodes are only 24 minutes long. So if you don't want to get into a hot and heavy relationship with a new show, you can have the briefest of flings and still get the very best writing of TV right now.
What are you waiting for? Go watch!
// p.s. this post is in partnership as a member of the Netflix Stream Team. which just means I watch Netflix for you and find all the good stuff so you can spend your time doing useful things. see also: my job is awesome + I live to serve you. //