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- Candidiasis encompasses a wide array of local or invasive fungal infections caused by the Candida genus and infect more than 250,000 patients worldwide per year [1]
- Candida yeasts (most commonly Candida albicans) are normal flora that live on the skin and mucous membranes, but may cause infection with overgrowth and vary in clinical presentation depending on the infected area
- Local mucocutaneous candida infections: oropharyngeal candidiasis, esophagitis, vulvovaginitis, balanitis, chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis, and mastitis [2]
- Invasive candida infections: Fungal UTI, Meningitis, Endocarditis, Empyema, Mediastinitis, Pericarditis
Risk Factors
- Skin maceration
- Immunosuppression: HIV/AIDS, Corticosteroid use, Chemotherapy, Immunomodulators [2]
- Broad spectrum antibiotic use
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Oral Contraceptive use
- Hematologic Malignancy
- Central Venous Catheters use
- Total Parenteral nutrition use
- Neutropenia
Clinical Features
Local Candida Infections
- Mouth: Oropharyngeal candidiasis (thrush)
- Esophagus: Esophageal candidiasis
- Vulva/vagina: Candida vulvovaginitis
- Skin lesions: Candida dermatitis
Invasive candidiasis
- Candida is an important nosocomial infection that requires evaluation to identify a source: central line cathether, intravenous catheter, indwelling foley catheter, recent abdominal surgery with anastamotic leak
- Associated with candidemia with further hematogenous spread to visceral organs (heart, kidney, liver, spleen, eye, brain, skin, joints etc)
- Clinical Features
- presence of biofilms on catheter
- fever and chills unresponsive to antibiotics
- chorioretinitis
- muscle abscesses
- skin lesions with satellite pustules
- Diagnosis
- positive blood culture
- positive culture of blood, tissue, urine from normally sterile sites
- biopsy of skin lesions for gram staining
- beta-D-glutan assay can be a diagnostic adjunct to blood cultures and identify systemic fungal infections weeks before positive blood cultures
- Management [3]
- vascular catheter removal
- 1st line: IV Echinocandins (Caspofungin, Anidulafungin, Micafungin)
- Step down therapy: as early as 5 days, can step down to oral if blood stream is clear and patient can tolerate oral regime
- 2nd line: Fluconazole, Voriconazole
- Alternative: Amphotericin B is acceptable but carries a higher toxicity and side-effect profile
- Local candidiasis is primarily clinically diagnosed based on lesion characteristics and appearance
- Confirmatory tests: KOH preparation of lesion scrapings, vaginal wet mount, culture, or endoscopic biopsy reveal budding yeast with pseudohyphae
- Local: Topical anti-fungal (Nystatin, azoles) or oral azole
- Invasive: Intravenous Echinocandins (Caspofungin, Micafungin)
- Local infections can be managed on an outpatient basis
- Invasive infection will be managed with IV antibiotics and requires prolonged hospitalization
See Also
External Links
- ↑ Candidiasis. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site. https://www.cdc.gov/fungal/diseases/candidiasis/. Published June 12, 2015. Accessed August 25, 2016.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Kauffmann CA. Overview of Candida Infections. UptoDate. 2016.
- ↑ Kullberg BJ, Arendrup MC Maiken, Invasive Candidiasis. N Engl J Med 2015; 373:1445-1456.


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Happy New Year, Everyone! Sad to say I didn't make it to midnight. So close!
This was the first year Alex tried to stay up until midnight, but by 11pm or so we were both teetering – and NOT from alcohol! We collapsed into our beds without seeing the sparkly ball drop. Oh well, maybe next year. Wait… what did I say last year about practicing what I preach about healthy sleep habits? We're both in a sleep-deprived fog this morning. No energy to take down the tree and decorations yet. Maybe later…after our movie marathon.
We did celebrate by roasting the turkey that was intended for Christmas – the one that arrived frozen solid (unlike the one we ordered at Thanksgiving, which was fresh). Served with sweet potatoes, cucumber-avocado-salmon roe appetizer and vanilla-honey-cinnamon coconut butter candy. And let's not forget the sparkling apple juice to toast the New Year!
This past year has had some tremendous ups and downs for me.
I started Pamela's Paleo Life just over a year ago after Thanksgiving.
Completed a 21-Day Sugar Detox, during which I discovered I was pregnant at the age of 45.
Addressed a critical issue for those undergoing radical transformation.
Cooked a LOT. Ate a lot.
Suffered a miscarriage with complications requiring antibiotics at Easter time and lingering adrenal fatigue throughout the summer.
Son turned 9. Pets turned 12 and 14 years old respectively.
Son had orthodontic palate expander and braces.
Met my hero, Tara Grant at the Minneapolis Primal Blueprint seminar.
Completed a course in Behavioral Economics from Duke University (fascinating!)
Celebrated turning 29 with 17 years experience (that's 46 for the math-challenged.)
Posted lots of pet photos for cuteness and laughs.
Discovered Paleo Dough! Used it lots.
Attended a family reunion, lost two more members thereof.
Did an interview with Alison Golden of PaleoNonPaleo.
Enjoyed playing with the ever-expanding line of colors and products at Red Apple Lipstick!
Continued to educate myself about autoimmune disorders, especially celiac disease and ways to heal and stay healthy.
Celebrated our 1st Blog Birthday!
Whew! That's a lot of ups and downs.
Here's wishing all of us a Happy, Healthy, Wealthy, SMOOTH and STEADY 2014!

subset: commoncrawl


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LONDON (Reuters) - "Visitors may find some images in this exhibition disturbing," reads a sign at the entrance to the Wellcome Collection's latest exhibition: "Skin."
"Skin" tracks attitudes towards the human body's largest organ since the 15th century from scientific, artistic and historical perspectives.
The exhibition is divided into four parts: objects, marks, impressions, and after-life. There is also a Skin Lab, which looks at recent developments in skin science.
A black and white photograph of a patient in a Parisian hospital is the first piece in the exhibition. Running the length of the patient's back is a giant scar.
"This photograph sums up a lot of the underlying themes in the exhibition, first and foremost the exploration of skin as a physical and metaphorical frontier between the inside and outside of the body," co-curator of the exhibition Lucy Shanahan told Reuters.
"Another thing that recurs throughout the exhibition is this strange paradox between something horrific and something beautiful," she added.
For early modern anatomists, skin was superfluous. Figures in 16th century anatomical diagrams were drawn without skin, or participating in the removal of their own skin, as if undressing.
"The illustrations were obviously intended for medical purposes, and yet they have this incredible artistry to them," said Shanahan.
"Marks," the second section of the exhibition, explores the idea of skin as a document of a person's experiences.
In "Medical Heirlooms," artist Tamsin Van Essen re-creates the texture of various skin conditions - psoriasis, the affects of syphilis and acne - on 17th and 18th century apothecary jars.
"They're really about challenging our prejudices towards skin disease... what's really intriguing is that you're drawn towards them as beautiful objects, but once you discover what they are, your feelings towards them might shift," Shanahan commented.
"Healing of Wounds," an educational video for medical undergraduates in the 1960s, is "not for the faint-hearted," says Shanahan. "In fact, there have been several people fainting whilst watching it," she adds.
The film shows a layer of skin being scraped off a patient's thigh for grafting onto a wound. "A lot of people have mentioned graters and kebabs," Shanahan said.
Pieces of tattooed human skin from the 19th century are on display beside a case devoted to the Maori tradition of tattooing.
Ageing is also examined through photography and art.
Two close-up films, one of perspiration and the other of spots being squeezed, are on show. At such high magnification, the subject of the footage is not immediately clear.
"It's like looking at a strange lunar landscape with small creatures burrowing their way out," said Shanahan.
Also in the collection is a small book: a treatise on virginity bound in human skin. "It is bound with a piece of female skin, tanned by myself with sumac" reads an inscription inside the front cover.
The Peruvian mummy in the "after-life" room shows the durability of skin, even hundreds of years after death.
"Looking at the skin itself, it is utterly remarkable how strong and resilient it is," Shanahan noted.
Hanging on a rail in the Skin Lab are garments from designer clothing range SkinBag. The waistcoats and jackets, which are made from skin-like, rubber-based materials encourage visitors to think of clothing as a second skin.
Pharmaceutical pioneer and avid collector Henry Wellcome's vast collection was the starting point for the exhibition.
"The last decade has revealed a burgeoning interest and fascination with human skin, particularly among philosophers, writers, artists and designers," said Shanahan in a statement. "So there couldn't be a better time to get under the surface of this subject."
Editing by Paul Casciato
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


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Category: Liberals
5 Characteristics of Indian Liberals
I attended a couple of sessions in a forum for public discourse. I was intrigued by the tagline of the organization that organized them. "The place for INTELLIGENT CONVERSATIONS". Does it mean that what the other people discuss/speak is not intelligent? Who certified that whatever gets spoken at their place is intelligent? Does it imply […]
- Countinue Reading
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Anand Teltumbde: A Liberal Rebel Without A Cause
I got an opportunity to listen to Anand Teltumbde in a talk 'Caste in Stone?' at Manthan, Hyderabad on 3rd May 2019. I had never read any of his articles/books and heard him before. Though, I had read quite a lot about him that he is a liberal thinker, a public intellectual and so on. […]
- Countinue Reading
- No Comments


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(PG-13 content) Here's the first uncensored look at The Edge of Seventeen, an upcoming 2016 comedy drama starring Hailee Steinfeld, Haley Lu Richardson, Blake Jenner, Woody Harrelson, and Kyra Sedgwick. The film comes to theaters on November 18th, 2016.
"The Edge of Seventeen is a new coming-of-age movie in the vein of Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club – an honest, candid, often hilarious look at what it's like to grow up as a young woman in today's modern world."


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Evening Eye Candy: "Power" Star Omari Hardwick
Who else watched Being Mary Jane this season and couldn't get enough of Omari Hardwick's delicious self? Turns out that Hardwick has too much banging body and beauty for one show, so now he's going to show off all that goodness and talent on the new Starz series, Power, which already has critics talking. But what I like most about Hardwick is that he's talented in more than just acting. He used to play football (hence the body), and he's an award-winning poet. Seriously, homeboy took part in the National Poetry Slam before. He's a gift to the eyes and the ears! To celebrate his new show (where he plays James "Ghost" St. Patrick, owner of a hot NYC nightclub…and a drug dealer), which starts tomorrow, we're showing love to one hunk of a man. Enjoy this eye candy gallery, as I'm sure it will make your day.


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Additional information
Kids (3 to 6 years old), Kids (7 to 9 years old), M (Medium), L (Large)
Crafted from the same soft, fabric as our signature masks, which were also donated to frontline workers during our pay it forwards donation campaign, our face masks are washable and reusable, designed for durability, reinforced with 100% cotton material, and feature comfortable adjustable ear loops. These comfortable masks are designed for all-day wear in many environments thanks to the breathable, pleated fabric and soft ties that don't irritate the ears. The unisex masks for adults and kids are available in multiple patterns and can be a perfect fit for your day. Each mask shown is the fabric you will receive but will have slight color variations due as they appear on the website. Creates a physical face shield designed for maximum comfort and extended use. Kufukaa is providing these masks to support unemployed workers during the pandemic to provide service at our cost.
Worldwide shipping applies. Ships in 5-7 business days. Masks are not returnable.
Note: While they are not direct substitutes for N95 surgical or procedural masks, these 100% cotton masks with filter pockets do offer a significant degree of protection against droplets with COVID-19, and should help reduce person-to-person droplet transmission of the virus.
This is an initiative spearheaded by Kufukaa in Kansas City, with the support of those who have lost their employment and those who can't practice their current professions who are out of employment currently and are helping us make these masks. Each of the women involved in the project has been supplied with the necessary supplies needed for the manufacturing of washable hygiene masks. The masks are made using pure cotton, which is breathable, non-irritant, and does not shrink.
An information leaflet has been produced to distribute along with each hygiene mask. The leaflet contains information on the proper use of the masks alongside other measures and guidelines advised by the HSE and the World Health Organisation. HSE and WHO guidelines, as well as the recommendations of a public health expert, were consulted and deployed in the production of information guides on the use of hygiene masks. The official guidelines emphasize that the hygiene masks do not replace existing guidelines on safety procedures for COVID-19.
About the mask:
Made using 100% cotton fabric
Includes filter pockets for those who would like to add extra layering
Made in the USA; to help our economy thrive in this stressful time
Sizes available. Please choose an option below.
If you know someone who is in need or you would like to purchase in bulk or request a donation, please contact us. For more information, email firstname.lastname@example.com


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Leave the wires behind! TheBluetooth Beanie Hat w/Wireless Earphones lets you take your music with you and enjoy hands-free mobile calling while staying warm in all kinds of cold weather.
Made of washable, stretchable, high quality knit material to fit all sizes and shapes, the wireless Beanie Hat features universal Bluetooth technology with forward/backward compatibility that lets you easily connect to most Bluetooth enabled media player devices. The built-in, high performance speakers let you listen to your favorite music for up to 4 hours at a time with advanced digital sound, balanced deep bass, dynamic mid-range, & crystal clear high notes. Plus, the built-in mic lets you make and answer calls without skipping a beat!
You'll get two bluetooth beanie hats in randomly selected colors. Keep one for yourself and gift the other to the cold weather jogger, walker, hiker, skier, or anyone else who spends time outdoors!
* Two hats: various colors
* Bluetooth device can be removed and the beanie can be washed easily
* One size fits all
* Intuitive control buttons for easy pairing and volume control
* High density built-in rechargeable battery for 4-7 hours of hands-free calling and 3-4 hours of wireless remote music streaming
* Streaming distance,up to 33 feet of distance with free line of sight
* Easy-access MicroUSB charging port (MicroUSB Cable included)
* Universal Wireless Technology compatible With: iPhones, iPads, iPod Touch, Samsung Galaxy, HTC One, Sony Xperia, Huawei and Xiaomi smartphones and most other smart devices


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Has anyone found a good source for finding a RELIABLE private tour guide for a tour of Beijing's food hutongs? I fear being ripped off.
Finding reliable private tour guides in Beijing. As a senior, I fear being taken advantage of.
9 Answers
There is no government approved private tour guide in Beijing. Soothe best you can do is to ask your hotel in beijing to find you one. And usually they can speak some English and know some history but not brilliant. Better get a book or google for homework. Don't have to pay over RMB50 for a hutong tuktuk when you are there. Prepare RMB50 cash. No change will be given back. about 9 years agoAnswered by Sarah@Shanghai via Ask a Nomad iPad app
- Thank you...very helpful! Dean about 9 years ago
Yes why not use a guide network like LocalGuiding to find and hire a private local tour guide. There you can look at the profile of the guide and get to know him.
Besides when booking through a website the guide is highly motivated because he needs to get a good review from you.
LocalGuiding for example has listed 3 guides in Beijing:
http://www.localguiding.com/en/guides/china/beijing about 9 years agoAnswered by Rob via Travellr.com
- Very helpful...I've looked at that site and plan to use it, not only for my Beijing stay, but on other travels in the future. A great suggestions! Dean about 9 years ago
We have a couple of great vetted Locals in Beijing - let us know your dates. We are at www.cupoflocalsugar.com about 9 years agoAnswered by Rebecca via WorldNomads.com
Be honest, I'd recommend yo to buy a guide published by Lonely Planet and you'd find some useful information!! Or, check out the link, www.openrice.com, which has info of that!! about 9 years agoAnswered by Ansel Ho via Ask a Nomad iPad app
I'm in China right now and seen a sign in one of our hotels for a tour. Jian Guo Hotel in Beijing I seen a sign on the front desk for tours so I would call them to see what they can arrange. about 9 years agoAnswered by Gabe via Ask a Nomad iPad app
Here is the book that you want: http://www.chinazest.com/travel/ about 9 years agoAnswered by annasui via WorldNomads.com
Check out the local hostels. They usually have guided tours scheduled or know where you can find a reputable guide. about 9 years agoAnswered by Jay Dizzle via WorldNomads.com
Hostels are a great choice as you can usually find other travellers who have already done the tours and can give you feedback. You can also easily wander around Beijing's hutongs on your own without a guide and still discover and learn plenty about local culture. Some of my favourite areas are north of the Drum & Bell Tower, around Nanluoguxiang and the areas around the Lama & Confucious Temples. Another idea is rather than to take a rickshaw tour (agreed these can often be "rip offs!") is to look for a company that offers cycling tours. There are plenty of them, including our company Beijing Urban Adventures (www.beijingurbanadventures.com). Great way to explore, see more and be guided through a fascinating part of Beijing's "contemporary history"! almost 9 years agoAnswered by Beijing Urban Adventures via WorldNomads.com
Our guide are certified and professional private tour guides.They are easy-going,passionate and patient young ladys and are interested in providing service for your convenience. They are familiar with Beijing History and culture. about 8 years agoAnswered by beijinglocaltours via WorldNomads.com


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A memorable and immeasurably relaxing stay is something you're assured of at Desroches - whether its in one of the 20 luxury suites centred around the communal gardens, the relaxation areas, dining room, pool, spa, or one of the 45 four bedroom deluxe pool villas running running along the spectacular shoreline. My glass-fronted suite overlooks a sparkling white beach fringed with palm trees, and I'm loving being steps from the sand. When I'm not dining by candle light in the hotel restaurant, I'm doing it in privacy here, the waters lapping around my ankles.
Equipped with everything I need to feel special, including a beautiful outdoor bath and shower, I'm looking forward to the week ahead, flitting between bouts around the pool and exploring. And being surrounded by 13km of beaches and virgin forest there's plenty of that to be done: cycling, bird-watching, sunset cruises, diving, snorkelling, kayaking, fishing... here I come!


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Bill Cook
Call Today For A Free Verbal Estimate! (504) 450-0514
General Contractor
Kitchen & Bathroom Remodeling
General Contractor
A good general contractor can be hard to come by. At Bill Cook, we know the importance of good service and quality work...
Kitchen & Bathroom Remodeling
The kitchen and bathrooms in a home usually receive the most use, resulting in general wear and minor damage that can...
Bill Cook. approaches each home improvement project with high standards and a positive attitude.
Welcome to Bill Cook
Bill Cook. is a general contractor that serves New Orleans, LA and the surrounding parishes. We are a business that is family owned and operated, and we've been working in the field for 50 years, which has given us the experience and the knowledge to offer the best in service and workmanship.
At Bill Cook, we are committed to providing the finest in home remodeling. Our services include everything from minor repairs to cabinetry installation to roofing. If you have a job related to home maintenance or renovation, we are capable of handling it with professionalism, reliability, and efficiency. We have the expertise and the management skills to ensure that your project is completed in a timely fashion, with an end result that will make you proud.
Your home is one of your biggest investments, and we work with you to improve its appearance and increase its value through kitchen and bathroom remodels, as well as repair of normal wear and tear. We approach each house as if it were our own, helping you plan custom designs and work out what improvements are best suited for your home. If you have an idea in your mind of how you'd like your home to look, we will find a way to make it happen.
Call Bill Cook if you are thinking of remodeling or renovating your home, and talk to one of our contractors about your plans, your vision, and the renovations you'd like to do. Contact us today for your free verbal estimates!
Bill Cook
2704 Bradbury St.
Meraux, LA 70075
Telephone: (504) 450-0514


text: What a day! Pictured is Co-Owner Mark Amadio, with Michelle from the Sutton Senior Center at our Grand Opening in Sutton, MA. It's a pleasure to be able to donate and we love working so closely with them! From food drives, to Wireless Workshops – We couldn't do it without you!


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The Rainfed Agriculture Innovation Network Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates
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Program Endowment Fund in 2009 to be a holistic educational experience for students. College sophomores, ... Preference may be given to recipients of the Talon Scholarship program, members of the American Angus ... 1 for the Talon Internship Program The internship honors the legacy of the late Camron "Cam" Cooper of ...
Columbus Metropolitan Club Presents: Food Distribution: Reliable Yet Fragile
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Call Us:
The attorneys at Willingham & Coté serve on a number of boards and organizations and have served in leadership positions in civic, charitable and trade organizations. As a firm, we take pride in our long-standing support of area charities, schools and associations. We also provide financial support for eligible non-profit organizations that provide free civil legal aid to the poor.
Have questions? Want to learn more? Feel free to
get in touch »
333 Albert Avenue Suite 500
East Lansing, MI 48823
Call 517.351.6200
Fax: 517.351.1195
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All Contents and Materials © Copyright Willingham Coté, P.C. 2020
Website designed and developed by Web Ascender


text: September began with Julie and I back out in Oklahoma at the cabin. Fall is one of my favorite times of the year because Fall also means the start of football. Alabama got off to a great start I think I was in a different state every week they played. As soon as we returned from Oklahoma, my sister brought my Mom to Tennessee to meet her third Great-grandson. It was a wonderful weekend of celebrating family. Getting to watch an Alabama game with my family is a sight to behold. I'm sure my neighbors were wondering what was going on. September also marked the start of the Orange Tour. It started for me in Minneapolis, Seattle, then a site visit in Portland, then another tour stop in Southern California and this run ended in Richmond all in one month. Along the way I was able to do some training at other churches, connect with other leaders and also I even had time to take in some great coffee and fun shopping. While I was in Portland one highlight was getting to shop at the Nike employee store. It was amazing. Rhythm made history this month by not only going on his first flight but also getting his first stamp in his passport. Yancy returned to work with a concert in Toronto. Rhythm does so good traveling, just like his big brother.


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Root Aeration
Chaffin Works operate several air pick tools (also known as an air spade), which can be used to expose tree roots without the need for conventional excavation equipment.
Increasingly recommended by Tree Officers, air picks utilise a pressurised jet of air that removes soil particles and allows roots to be located, inspected or pruned without any risk of damage to the tree in question, those that surround it, or any utilities located nearby.
Other tree care activities such as root de-compaction and mulching can also be carried out using air pick technology.
Soil compaction can occur due to many causes, although the common cause is construction site traffic and heavy pedestrian use. Soil compaction is detrimental to tree health, preventing water ingress to the roots and gaseous diffusion, a natural function of the root system. A common method employed to alleviate compaction is known as radial mulching. An air pick is used to expose up to a third of the tree's root system, compost and/or mulch is added to the excavated soil which is then put back in place.
It is even possible to expose an entire network of roots for safe tree relocation.


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10 Cool Color-Coded Cables
Cool Color-Coded Cables
We're always on the look out for ways to add a some color and creative design to our daily lives.
Jazzing up ordinary, boring cables with more exciting replacments is one way to do it.
Whether you're looking to color-code your cables or just add a splash of chromatic cool to your consumer electronics, our collection will come in handy. Check it out in the gallery above.
Image: Eastern Collective


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- Server 1
American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile
The movie will shift its focus on Erik Stifler, the cousin of Matt and Steve, a youngster who is nothing like his wild relations. Peer pressure starts to turn him to live up to the legacy of the other Stiflers when he attends the Naked Mile, a naked run across the college campus. Things get worse when he finds that his cousin Dwight is the life of the party down at the campus
Genre: Comedy
Director: Joe Nussbaum
Actors: Eugene Levy, Jake Siegel, Jessy Schram, John White, Jordan Prentice, Ross Thomas, Steve Talley
Duration: 97 min
Quality: HD
Release: 2006
IMDb: 5.1


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Christmas Nativity & Stained Glass Windows
We got some lovely stained glass windows from Hobbycraft a couple of weeks ago. The kids saw them and wanted to make them straight away. As you know, I like to share crafts that anyone can do "wherever", but that usually involves a bit of effort and time on the carer's part. These little stained glass windows are perfect for one those "spontaneous crafty sessions" that the kids love and require not much input from you (yes, we all need those sometimes. especially with my craft monsters).
The ones we had came with special paint, but we did some a while back for The Boy's cars party birthday and coloured them with sharpies, which worked really well too. They were a hit then. And they were a hit today.
As we had a "nativity" and a "Christmas tree", it was a great opportunity to talk to the kids again about the meaning of Christmas and why we celebrate it. We talk about the story of Jesus and where he was born and how the Sheppard , Angels and The Three Kings rejoiced at his arrival.
I have to confess, that we are not a religious family, but I do believe in the nativity as a historical fact. Jesus lived a long time ago and Jesus did good things for people around him. It is important for me to teach my children about history, to teach them about religion and what it means to other people and to teach them about traditions and why we do things. "Santa" is not "enough" in my eyes (and neither is the Easter bunny for that matter). So having a nativity at home, talking about the Christmas story and discussing why we celebrate Christmas is very important!
Hopefully it will also teach the children about compassion and kindness. About thinking about others and not just today's commercialism and obsession with "things".
Anyway, the kids loved painting and it was a nice time for us to just chat about Christmas!
This post is part of the Nativity Blog Hop:

Join the Blog Hop!
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How to use a portable fire extinguisher
Fire Safety advocates continue to promote the benefits of portable fire extinguishers as part of a complete and balanced approach to fire protection. The reason portable fire extinguishers remain at the forefront is because they are your first defense against small fires once the fire department base has been called and everyone is safe. Consider this: 94 percent of the time a portable fire extinguisher is used, it puts our the fire - typically within the initial two minutes.
To use the "PASS" method:
- PULL the pin
- AIM the nozzle or hose at the base of the fire from the recommended distance
- SQUEEZE the operating lever to discharge the fire extinguishing agent
- SWEEP - Starting at the recommended distance, sweep the nozzle or hose fromo side to side until the fire is out. move forward or around the fire areas as the fire diminishes. Watch the area in case of re-ignition.
- Class A fires involve ordinary combustibles such as wood, paper, cloth, trash, and plastics.
- Class B fires involve flammable liquids such as gasoline, petroleum oil, and paint. also included are flammable gases such as propane and butane. Class B fires do not include fires involving cooking oils and grease.
- Class C fires involve energized electrical equipment such as motors, transformers, and appliances. Remove the power and the Class C fire becomes one of the other classes of fire.
- Class D fires involve combustible metals such as potassium, sodium, aluminum, and magnesium.
- Class K fires involve cooking oils and greases such as animal fats and vegetable fats.
On-site fire extinguisher training conducted by the Deputy Fire Marshall is available by application.
- 20x20' clear, outside area
- Water availability
- Demo fire extinguishers provided
- 10 or more attendees
- Length of training session -- approx 1 hour
- Sessions to be scheduled between 10am & 2pm
- Applications available at Station 1
- Questions: Contact Deputy Fire Marshall - 209-599-4209


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Transforming mining for the future
In the future, mines could look quite different to those that you see today.
Thanks to new technology, future mining will mostly happen underground, be low impact and produce less waste. Miners will use sensors, big data, autonomous vehicles and smart methods for extracting and handling ore. It's a vision shared by many industry leaders and an example of some of the challenges we're seeking to solve through a brand new collaboration.
We've partnered with fellow leading mining research group, CRCMining, to create the world's largest, most advanced mining innovation powerhouse, Mining3. Headquartered in Brisbane, Mining3 is about bringing the best minds in the business together to solve the industry's toughest challenges.
By pooling knowledge, expertise and equipment in hard rock mining, it aims to transform the industry through innovation to make mine operations safer, more productive and sustainable. This evolution is vital to the future of mining in Australia, and the rest of the world, in order to keep pace with increasing economic, environmental and social pressures.
After all, mining is a big player in our national economy and its long-term sustainability is important for producing the commodities that our modern, technological lives depend on.
Your average smartphone is powered by around 60 different metals and metalloids. Likewise, medical treatments, lasers, renewable energy and electric cars all rely on a range of different metals to function – many of which are in increasing demand.
Through Mining3, our goal is to apply innovative, sustainable practices to enable a more productive mining industry, while driving environmental performance for the betterment of the Australian community.
You can read all about the unique challenges facing the mining industry, and how innovation through Mining3 is going to help solve them, in our latest edition of resourceful.
We'll be showcasing Mining3 and our other work in mineral resources at the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) in Melbourne this week so stop by our booth to learn more.
You can find out more about our mineral resources work here.


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You know about the Fulbright Program, the grant and scholarship vehicle for grad students, teachers and professionals founded by Sen. J. William Fulbright. Its scholars and prize honorees include Bill Clinton, Colin Powell, Silvia Plath, Joseph Heller, Jonathan Frazer, etc. Well, now the program is under the wing of the senator's wife, Harriet Mayor Fulbright, and she's saying that arts and humanities can create a new utopia, in the States and all over the world.
The Australian's Matthew Westwood discusses her speech to the US Studies Centre at the University of Sydney about the role of the arts and humanities in building international understanding:
In her Sydney address, Fulbright will explain that the established educational measures of numeracy and literacy are too limited and that there are other intelligences that we may associate with creativity: visual, kinesthetic, musical and social.
Understanding between people of different cultures, she says, is aided when the tools of communication are not limited to language.
She gives an example from 40 years ago. Living in Moscow, she saw a performance by the visiting New York City Ballet at the Bolshoi Theatre: the Bolshoi Ballet, in turn, was touring the US. The abstract, American style of choreography astonished the Russians, who had not seen such freedom of movement. She says it became a much more powerful way to describe the benefits of individual expression than any lecture.
Fulbright says the arts and humanities should coexist in centres of learning along with the sciences and vocational subjects. But, in the US as elsewhere, courses with economic benefit have been favoured at the expense of the liberal arts.


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Serpent of Sicily
One of my home grown veggies has enjoyed the heatwave this year. It's the freaky Serpent of Sicily, also known as a cucuzza. Seeds from Franchi - Seeds of Italy. I'm going to see if this one will reach the ground.
Whole lotta lovage
Hardly ever seen until this year but now it's trendy and on every menu. It grows like a weed in my garden. My favourite way to use it is to rub my salad bowl with a big handful of the stuff and it will impart a lovely savoury Bovril like flavour. When used raw in dishes it can be very overpowering. The first young stalks of spring are the best for a delicious delicate flavour.
Lovely local Lleyn lamb
Harriet .. Our September Spiraliser
Harriet makes courgetti for her work colleagues.They take her courgettes from their gardens and she spiralises away in the evening. Well someone has to do it!
Seasons of mist and too much basil
As the glut of homegrown fruit and vegetables reaches its' peak, here is a good way to preserve fresh basil leaves in the fridge for a week or two. Pick the fresh basil leaves and layer in an empty jam jar, with a sprinkling of coarse sea salt between the leaves and some very good olive or rapeseed oil to cover. The basil will retain a vibrant green colour and the oil a lovely flavour, both can be used in pesto or salads.
And you thought cooking for six was hard work...
You can't get any more money through the lottery Local Food Grants but there are lots of interesting food projects going on around the country that are not food banks giving away pot noodles and instant mashed potato. There's a community vineyard, primary school allotments, a food circus and have a look at the size of the saucepans they have in Manchester in their Feeding 5000 project.
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe
A delicious treat and the perfect way to use up those unripe tomatoes. Vegetarian too!
- 4 to 6 green tomatoes
- salt and pepper
- beaten egg
- cornmeal
- vegetable oil for frying
Slice the tomatoes into 1/4 - 1/2-inch slices. Salt and pepper them to taste. Dip in the beaten egg and then the corn meal. Fry in hot oil for about 3 minutes or until golden on bottom. Gently turn and fry the other side. Serve as a side dish - delicious with breakfast!
Hey Pesto
Today I picked my whole crop of basil and turned it into pesto sauce ready to smother onto hot pasta. Pesto is very quick and easy to make, either in a mini food processor or by hand, with a pestle and mortar. You will need:
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup pine nuts ( or try walnuts for a change)
- 3 medium sized garlic cloves crushed
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Crush the basil leaves, salt, pepper and garlic together adding the nuts and oil a little at a time. Keep working until you have a rough paste. Add the grated cheese and the last of the oil. Mix well and store in the fridge in a covered jar.
I keep a layer of oil on top of the sauce, to maintain the colour and texture.
"the last thing this country really needs is another chutney or ice cream."
In the Independent at the weekend - ' How realistic is the 'good life' dream? Can the seemingly insatiable public appetite for fancy foodstuffs offer hope to a legion of disillusioned city slickers seeking a way out of the rat race? And how many trendy niche food-stuffs can one economy sustain? Given global financial pressures and the sheer number of artisan products already on market, the luxury-food industry could be in real danger of eating itself...
Too late for my hand-fried crisps with hot sauce idea then?
What a wonderful harvest of Walnuts
This must be a great year for Walnuts, look at these booties. Did you know there are 50 varieties, so my Dad tells me, and according to scientists they are the healthiest nut of them all.
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National Boss Day is Oct 15th
Sometimes the best way to show your boss just how much you appreciate their fine leadership is by sending flowers. With a National Boss Day gift of flowers from Random Flower Company, your boss will know exactly how you feel. Everyone wants a raise. Raise your boss's spirits this Boss Day with one of the many colorful flower arrangements from Random Flower Company in Chandler, TX.


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Barclays Premier League soccer fans can watch a clash of two English football giants live online when Arsenal hosts Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, with one of the bitter London rivals battling for a league title and the other, shockingly, still fighting to keep their heads above the turbulent waters of the relegation zone.
Even with the Premier League season nearly two-thirds complete, football experts remain in shocked disbelief that Chelsea, the defending champions and winners of four Premier League championships, are not only far below the top four, they could actually be dropped from the top flight by virtue of finishing in the bottom three. Headed into their 23rd game of the season, Chelsea sit on just 25 points, only four ahead of Newcastle United who currently occupy 18th place, the last relegation slot.
But since the club sacked legendary manager Jose Mourinho on December 17, Chelsea have seen, if not a dramatic turnaround, then at least a noteworthy improvement in their fortunes under interim manager Guus Hiddink — in his second stint as "interim" Chelsea boss.
The 69-year-old Dutch manager helmed Chelsea briefly in 2009, just one of the 15 stops on his managerial journey, which began in 1987 and has seen him helm national teams in South Korea, Turkey, Russia, Australia and his native Netherlands.
Since Hiddink took the reins at Stamford Bridge this time around, Chelsea has yet to endure a defeat, though in his six matches the Blues have won only two while drawing four.
In stark contrast to the volatile situation at Chelsea, Arsenal Manager Arsene Wenger has become an institution in North London, currently guiding the Gunners for the 19th consecutive season; and Wenger has Arsenal making a serious challenge for their first Premier League title since 2004.
Arsenal Vs. Chelsea Preview: Gunners Look Forward To See Off Blues
Arsenal Transfer News: Barcelona Target Ramsey, Koscielny Reveals Interest
Chelsea Secure Impressive Victory Over Crystal Palace, Can They Still Claim Top 4 Spot?
Premier League: Diego Costa Embodies Chelsea's Demise
Radamel Falcao Could Be Dropped By Chelsea FC, Wanted By Columbus Crew, Club América
A win over Chelsea on Sunday puts Arsenal on top of the Premier League table, tied on points at 47 with surprising Leicester City, but ahead in goal differential.
Sunday's meeting will be the third of the season between Arsenal and Chelsea, with Arsenal — last year's FA Cup winner — edging Chelsea 1-0 in the season opening FA Community Shield, and Chelsea gaining revenge on September 19, with a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge, a victory that so far has provided the sole highlight of the dismal Chelsea season.
Watch a preview of the Arsenal-Chelsea clash from Sky Sports in the video below.
To find out how to watch Sunday's Arsenal vs. Chelsea Barclays Premier League London derby clash, see the streaming link in the final paragraph of this article. Kickoff at Emirates Stadium in North London, England, is scheduled for 4 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time, which is also local time in London — but translates to 11 a.m. Eastern Time in the United States, 8 a.m. Pacific.
The fact that Chelsea continues to struggle just four points off the relegation zone is irrelevant to Arsenal, according to Wenger, who said he looks only at the talent-packed roster of his team's crosstown rival.
"Even if Chelsea are not in the best position, look at their squad," he said earlier this week. "It's a big game because of the quality of the players on the pitch. It has a big importance to us as well. We play at the Emirates and know how important it will be to win this game."
Arsenal will be boosted by the return from injury of German international Mesut Ozil, who has been Arsenal's best player this season when healthy.
Chelsea get two stars back from injury on Sunday, as Spanish international Diego Costa and Belgian Eden Hazard are both expected to play.
To watch the clash of Barclays Premier League giants, Arsenal vs. Chelsea — who seem to be headed in opposite directions — live online from Emirates Stadium in North London, use the live stream provided by NBC Sports Live Extra at this link, or download the NBC Sports Live Extra app to watch the match on mobile devices.
[Featured Image By Mike Hewitt/Getty Images]


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Modern Work
Happy New Year. Our first edition of 2019 covers everything from the Brexit chaos in Westminster to getting a business mentor. We have an article on what the self-employed think about Brexit as well as political commentary by Asa Bennett on the latest debacle. But it's not all policy...
Modern Work
Our latest edition of Modern Work covers all the political drama over the last couple of months - and there's been a lot. From the off-payroll tax reforms in the Budget to the Brexit debacle taking over Downing Street, Modern Work has it covered. Alex Massie analyses what the Budget...
Modern Work
This edition of Modern Work is a celebration of all thing's tech. We meet recent graduate and website developer Liam Charmer who talks about why and how he is running two businesses. IT consultants Harvey Morton and Michael White discuss how the sector has evolved for contractors over the years....
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We have a very special cover this edition. Two women. Both freelancers. Both at the top of their game. With research showing women are more likely than men to embark upon a freelancer career, we sit down with two women making waves in self-employment. Experienced freelance business analyst and mother...
Modern Work
This special bumper edition of Modern Work pays homage to the UK's booming self-employed sector. We feature all the finalists named in this year's IPSE Freelancer of the Year Awards, which celebrate the country's best and brightest freelancers plus those organisations and individuals who support this way of working. The...
VOOM Awards 2018
Two women crowned winners for their businesses designed to help and inspire children Judges Sir Richard Branson, Sophie Morgan, Peter Kelly, Susie Ma and Richard Reed with the six finalists and winners of the special awards at the...
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Thank you to everyone who attended our official launch party for the magazine last month. We had a fantastic turnout of more than 70 people and it was great to hear such positive feedback on our new look. I want to say a particular thanks to our panel, which included...
Modern Work
Over the last year the editorial team has been working hard to redesign and update the magazine to ensure it remains relevant to our audience of freelancers, contractors and the self-employed. Special thanks goes to our designer Martin Harling-Coward and media consultant Jim Cassidy for their contributions towards the...
IPSE Magazine Issue 64
IPSE magazine has been producing six issues a year for over ten years. In that time, it has gone through a number of redesigns and updates to keep the content up to date and the look and feel modern. Over the past few months the editorial team at the magazine...
Issue 63
In this issue of IPSE Magazine you can read all about how self-employment is on the rise. While growing in number, it's not all plain sailing if you work for yourself. We bring you new research, which shows freelancers' confidence in the economy has hit rock bottom. We also speak...
Issue 62
This issue of IPSE magazine celebrates the best of self-employment. On 8 June we held National Freelancers Day at Kings place in London. It was an amazing success and we hope that who attended had a great time. If you didn't make it, don't fret; you can read all about...
issue 61
On Thursday 8 June, people all over the country will be making a stand. They will be calling for greater recognition, celebrating their successes and looking to the future. They will be of course, celebrating National Freelancers Day, which just so happens to be taking place concurrently with the Snap UK...
issue 60
Self-employment has literally been front page news in the past month. From tax rises on the "white van man" to a stunning U-turn just a week later, how the Government views people who work for themselves has dominated news coverage. They've been referred to as everything from tax dodgers to...
issue 59
Welcome to this, the first IPSE magazine of 2017, and I couldn't be more proud to share it with you. We were delighted to speak to Carolyn Fairbairn, Director-General of the CBI about what it takes to be the voice of business. Read our cover story on page eight. We...
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This issue of IPSE Magazine is absolutely jam packed with advice on being an independent professional in today's world. From top tips on how to market your business, to business planning, to tax and pensions, we have it covered. Our headline feature looks at some of the rules, regulations and...
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Welcome to our 'Research Special'. In the current political and economic landscape, IPSE have been working hard to provide insight into independent professionals and the self-employed in the UK. In better understanding our sector, we can better improve our support. There's much more to do, whether by business groups, industry...
Issue 56
This is a big one. We have all the news from National Freelancers Day. From the IPSE QA Awards to our new creative campaign #BeFreeToCreate and a host of masterclasses from the likes of Google, Saatchi and Masius, we have you covered. Not only that, look out for interviews with...
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I'm delighted to introduce the new-look IPSE Magazine, and what a time to bring it to you. We have just held our first ever national policy conference. On the day it made the headlines, and here we bring you the lowdown on everything that happened. One number featured heavily throughout –...
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I hope you love this edition of IPSE Magazine. The team have worked hard to make sure you have all the latest news on working for yourself. If you've read recent issues, you will know about the Independent Review of Self-Employment. This review was published 14 February and took up...
Issue 53
In this edition of IPSE Magazine we celebrate all that is good about working for yourself. You can read full coverage of National Freelancers Day, including interviews with our newly crowned Inspire and Aspire Award winners. In late November, IPSE launched the Centre for Research on Self-Employment. We have full...
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I hope you enjoy reading the latest issue of IPSE Magazine. We report back on our recent policy survey, which received a record-breaking level of feedback, and hear from one of our members about what the changes to the travel and subsistence claims process would mean for his business. We...
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Live Appearances by Stefanie Scott
Stefanie Scott: Wreck It Ralph Premiere
Stefanie Scott is radiant in red as she steps out at the premiere of her new film, Wreck-It Ralph, held at El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood on Monday night (October 29).
Stefanie voices Moppet Girl and accessorized with a cute gaming clutch!
← Previous Story Stefanie Scott (Moppet Girl) from Disney's Wreck-It Ralph
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President Bush is right, though boldly audacious, in insisting that Clarence Thomas' experimentation with marijuana in college and law school should not disqualify his nomination to the Supreme Court. The nation, after all, virtually conceded that four years ago, after discovering that Douglas Ginsburg, President Reagan's choice for the high court, had smoked pot while he was a law school professor. The Ginsburg revelation sparked confessions of youthful pot-smoking from Baby Boomers from Main Street to Capitol Hill. Although Ginsburg withdrew, a great moral conundrum remained: If college-age drug use was grounds for rejecting candidates, it would "disqualify most of an entire generation" from public service, as one Reagan administration official succinctly put it.
Nonetheless, the Bush administration has publicly maintained a punitive, lock-'em-up approach -- arguing that casual drug users
are just as guilty as the drug barons in Colombia who murder and maim for their profits. Its newest tactic in the domestic war on drugs is to take away student loans from those caught using illegal substances -- even if they, like the young Thomas, only took "a few puffs." Ironically, had this policy prevailed when Thomas, 43, was a student at Holy Cross College, the Supreme Court nominee would have been kicked out right away, lost any hope of financial assistance, possibly been jailed and probably never heard from again. That Bush can condemn and punish students who today experiment with marijuana and simultaneously dismiss Thomas' behavior as "inconsequential" is the height of hypocrisy.


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Not a great weekend for fantasy and sci-fi, I'm afraid. "Mirror Mirror" is fine if you have kids or just want some silly camp this weekend. No matter what though, I'd recommend staying far away from "Wrath of the Titans."
Will you see either of these movies this weekend?
- Reposted by


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Evaluating Transportation Resilience
Evaluating The Transportation System's Ability To Accommodate Diverse, Variable and Unexpected Demands With Minimal Risk
Victoria Transport Policy Institute
Updated 6 September 2019
This chapter explores the concept of resilience and the role that TDM strategies can play in creating a more resilient transportation system.
Resilience (also called reliability and risk management) refers to a system's ability to accommodate variable and unexpected conditions without catastrophic failure, or "the capacity to absorb shocks gracefully" (Foster, 1993). Security refers to freedom from danger or fear, which is an important goal of resilience. These concepts have many implications for planning in general, and transportation planning in particular (Berdica, 2002; Husdal, 2005). Resilience can be evaluated at various levels.
· At an individual level it means that people have Transportation Options needed to satisfy their transportation needs even under unusual and unexpected conditions, such as when their automobile breaks down, if they become physically disabled, or their income decreases.
· At a community level it means that a transportation system can safely and efficiently accommodate unusual conditions, including construction projects, Emergencies, Special Events, and gathering; and that the transport system can provide Basic Accessibility to people with special needs, including people with, low incomes, disabilities, or who do not speak the local language.
· At a design level it means that facilities can withstand extreme demands and unexpected conditions, including major equipment failures, disasters and new technologies.
· At an economic level, it means that transportation services can be provided if a particular resource, such as petroleum, becomes scarce and expensive.
· At a strategic planning level it mean that a transportation system can meet long-term economic, social and environmental goals under a wide range of unpredictable future conditions (Sustainable Development).
Resilience reflects uncertainty, our inability to know what combination of conditions will occur in the future. If the future were predictable, Resilience would lose its importance: individuals and communities would simply need to plan for a single set of conditions. But since the future is unpredictable, it is necessary to plan for a wide range of possible conditions, including some that may be unlikely but which could result in significant harm if they are not anticipated.
The value of Resilience explains why people and communities are often willing to support transportation options and services that they currently do not use, in order to have them available if needed in the future, just as ship passengers value having life boats even when they are not being "used". Economists call this "option value" (ECONorthwest and PBQD, 2002).
Resilience tends to increase if a system has diversity, redundancy, efficiency, autonomy and strength in its critical components. This allows the system to continue functioning if a link is broken, if a particular resource becomes scarce, if a particular decision-maker is unavailable, etc. It allows the system to accommodate a wide range of user needs and conditions.
Mobility can be an important strategy for increasing Resilience. Mobility permits movement away from adverse conditions or towards areas of greater need. For example, a common response to Disasters such as hurricanes and wars is to evacuate people from risky areas, and after such events occur there is often a need to bring in new resources to help with recovery efforts. An efficient transportation system is therefore an important part of a community's overall resilience.
Resilience is affected by a system's ability to collect and distribute critical information under extreme conditions. Resilience tends to increase if a system has effective ways to identify potential problems, communicate with affected people and organizations, and to Prioritize resources.
Resilience affected by a system's ability to correct problems and perform repairs, even under extreme conditions. This means that critical components are self-correcting, repairable, redundant, autonomous (the failure of one component does not cause other components to fail), and fail-safe (i.e., if they fail they automatically shift to their most benign form). It means that decisions are incremental and reversible, so costs are minimized if a particular approach proves ineffective or dangerous.
Principles of Resilience (Foster, 1997)
Compatibility with diverse value systems.
Capacity to satisfy several goals.
Equitable distribution of benefits and costs.
Generous compensation for major losers.
System Characteristics
Diversity of components.
Functional redundancy.
Incremental funding.
Wide range of potential financial support.
High benefit-cost ratio
Early return on investments.
Equitable division of costs and benefits.
Minimal adverse impacts
Replenishable or extensive resource base.
Short lead time and rapid response to stimuli.
Open-ended life span.
Operational Characteristics
Incremental operation.
Autonomous operation.
Physical Dimensions
Not site specific.
Fine grained and modular.
No esoteric components.
Unique skills unnecessary.
Fail-safe detection.
Early fault detection.
Many TDM strategies can improve transportation system Resilience by increasing transportation system diversity and flexibility, improving resource management, allowing resource Prioritization, improving communication, and by increasing the system's overall efficiency.
Table 1 lists transportation system stresses, problems and risks, and TDM strategies that are particularly likely to address these problems and so increase system Resilience.
Table 1 Transportation Stresses and TDM Solutions
Individual or Household
Community or Region
Examples of transportation system stresses, problems and risks.
Temporary vehicle failure.
Loss of driving privileges.
Reduced income or increased financial obligations.
Physical disability or difficulty communicating.
Increased transportation responsibilities, such as an increased need to chauffeur children or visitors.
Increased stress from traffic and parking congestion.
Loss of an accustomed travel mode (such as a discontinued transit route).
Major sport or cultural event that attracts large crowds.
Emergencies and disasters: fire, earthquake, explosions, etc.
Closure of a major bridge, highway or rail line due to a crash, construction or other event.
Influx of visitor or refugees, particularly if they do not speak the local language or have other special needs.
Sudden change in the availability of vehicle fuel or other critical resource.
Increased travel demand due to growth in population or economic activities.
Strategies that can help mitigate these problems and increase transportation system resilience.
Location Efficient Development
Pedestrian and Cycling Improvements
Location Efficient Development
New Urbanism (connected road networks)
Pedestrian and Cycling Improvements
TDM Communications and Marketing
This table lists examples of stresses on the transportation system from individual's and society's perspectives, and TDM strategies that can help address those stresses.
There are many possible ways to evaluate transportation resilience (Money, et al. 2017). It can be evaluated based on a systems ability to provide its critical functions under variable, uncertain and extreme conditions. This involves identifying a system's critical functions, its vulnerabilities, and ways to reduce vulnerabilities. Morlok and Chang (2004) discuss ways to quantify the ability of a transportation system to accommodate changing demands and traffic patterns. They describe two approaches, one of which holds traffic patterns constant, the second allows flexibility in traffic patterns, which reduces the amount of excess capacity needed at any point in the system to accommodate increased demand. This implies, for example, that the ability to shift travel routes, times, modes and destinations, through Transportation Demand Management, can be as important as increasing capacity to deal with sudden increases in peak demand. This type of analysis should involve more than simply contingency planning (considering "what would happen if…") because it is not possible to predict every possible future condition. Below are specific steps in resilience planning. ECONorthwest and PBQD (2002) and Husdal (2003) describe methods for quantifying the value of an incremental change in resilience for incorporation into benefit/cost analysis.
The first step in this planning process is to define the extent of the system to be evaluated. For a transportation system this may include the transportation facilities and services in a particular jurisdiction or region, including those that connect outside of that area. All components of that system should be considered, including, for example, the pedestrian system, freight and package delivery systems, transportation for public services such as road maintenance and garbage collection, air travel systems, etc.
This involves identifying transportation activities and services are most valued to society. The list below is an example (Basic Accessibility).
This involves identifying various ways that a system's components and requirements could fail or become inefficient. Below are some examples of potential problems to consider.
· A network link is broken, such as a blocked sidewalk, bridge or roadway.
· A service fails, such as a bus strike, or a motorist loses his or her ability to drive.
· A group of users has difficulty walking or is unable to speak the local language.
· A critical resource becomes scarce and expensive, such as a petroleum shortage.
· A common source of information fails or provides false information, such as an incorrect announcement of travel conditions by a radio station.
· A particular official, technician or repair crew is unavailable during a crisis.
· A disaster requires emergency transport of a large number of people, many who cannot drive, and some with medical problems.
· A disaster causes extreme traffic congestion on a particular roadway.
· A particular service is discontinued due to inadequate demand, such as local bus or freight delivery services.
The intent of this exercise is not to try to predict every possible problem that could occur, since it is impossible to know what combination of problems may occur. Rather, it is important to generalize the risks in order to find categories of vulnerabilities.
Find ways to reduce specific vulnerabilities, and incorporate Resilience principles into the planning and management of critical components of the transportation system. Below are examples of strategies that can increase Resilience.
· Increase transportation system Diversity. Insure that there are opportunities for people to walk, cycle, rideshare, carshare and travel by transit.
· Increase network redundancy and connectivity (e.g., the number of roads and transit routes in an area).
· Increase facility design and construction standards to withstand extreme conditions.
· Improve systems to identify potential problems, including physical damage, unusual demands and new risks.
· Improve the ability to communicate with transportation system users, including people with special needs, even under unusual conditions.
· Establish ways to Prioritize transportation system resources (road space, fuel, vehicle capacity) so it is available first to higher-value transportation activities.
Contingency Based (or Responsive) planning refers to the idea that the planning process must be able to change over time in response to future needs. This involves the following steps:
1. Identify objectives (general things that you want to achieve) and targets (specific things that you want to achieve).
2. Identify various strategies that can help achieve the objectives and targets. These can include both projects that increase capacity and demand management strategies.
3. Evaluate the costs and benefits of each strategy (including indirect impacts, if any), and rank them according to cost-effectiveness or benefit/cost ratios.
4. Implement the most cost-effective strategies as needed to achieve the stated targets.
5. After they are implemented, evaluate the programs and strategies with regard to various performance measures, to insure that they are effective.
6. Evaluate overall results with regard to targets to determine if and when additional strategies should be implemented.
Contingency-based planning addresses uncertainty by deploying solutions on an as-needed basis. For example, a transportation plan may identify 5 strategies to implement immediately, another 4 to implement in two years if stated targets are not achieved, and another 3 can be implemented further in the future if needed. This tends to be cost effective and flexible, because strategies are only deployed if they are needed, and additional strategies can be ready for quick implementation if unexpected changes create additional needs. This approach is ideal for medium and long-range transport and land use planning.
Resilience and security analyses are important for transportation planning. This can define design requirements (such as seismic standards for bridges) and service standards (such as transit service in lower-density areas). Many of the policies and practices that increase transportation system resilience are TDM strategies. Below are examples of ways to increase transportation system resilience and security.
· Value diversity, flexibility and redundancy. As much as possible try to develop a multi-modal transportation network. For example, if there are several possible ways to reduce traffic congestion problems, favor the solutions that help improve transportation system diversity.
· Avoid irreversible decisions. For example, maintain railroad rights-of-way for possible future and emergency uses.
· Use contingency-based planning that identifies a wide range of potential solutions and implements the most cost-effective strategies justified at each point in time, with additional strategies available for quick deployment if needed in the future.
· Design transportation facilities to withstand extreme conditions (earthquakes, storms, etc.).
· Incorporate security planning as part of transportation planning. Perform user surveys, safety audits and crime data reviews to identify and Address Security Risks. Find ways to communicate with transportation system users and include them in security planning.
· Include Emergency Response as part of all transportation planning (local, regional, national, transit, etc.). Consider disaster response as part of TDM planning, and TDM solutions as part of disaster planning. Consider the widest possible range of possible disasters and stresses on the transportation system, and consider the widest possible range of possible solutions.
· Create a well Connected transportation system network that provides multiple links to each destination.
· Encourage Transportation Options, particularly for transportation modes and services that help provide Basic Access. Support development of diverse and competing transportation services, such as Ridesharing, Telework, Delivery Services, etc.
· Insure that transport planning take into account people with special needs (physical disabilities, low incomes, inability to speak the local language, etc.). Develop plans to provide Basic Access to people with special needs, and under unusual conditions.
· Develop effective ways to maintain information and communication systems among transportation system managers, staff and users under normal and extreme conditions. Develop ways to warn travelers of problems and let travelers know their transportation options.
· Develop multiple, overlapping communication systems that will continue to function if one component fails.
· Develop ways to prioritize the allocation of transportation system resources. For example, design systems to allow emergency, public service and freight vehicles priority over general traffic during emergencies. Maintain contingency plans to allocate fuel and other resources in emergencies.
· Maintain ongoing transportation systems evaluation to provide early detection of possible problems and inefficiencies.
· Design critical components of the transportation system to be fail-safe, self-correcting, repairable, redundant and autonomous.
· Cross-train staff to perform critical management and repair services.
· Encourage efficient use of resources, including energy conservation and Accessible land use.
· Develop Comprehensive Planning that identifies the full impacts and vulnerabilities of a transport system.
TDM Planning and Comprehensive Planning describes ways to improve current transportation planning practices, including consideration of resilience. Address Security Concerns describes ways to identify and reduce perceived risks to transportation system users. Special Event and Emergency Response planning indicates ways to prepare for events that require special transportation responses. Transportation Options describes how to evaluate the quality of transportation choices that are available in a community.
Two hikers out in the woods encounter an angry bear. One stops to change from his boots into running shoes. "What are you doing? You can't outrun a bear!" says his partner.
"I don't need to outrun the bear. I just need to outrun you," was the reply.
The magnitude 6.8 Northridge (Southern California) earthquake in January 17, 1994, severely damaged four freeways, parking structures and buildings. During the weeks after this event, total vehicle travel declined and public transit (particularly Metrolink rail transit) use increased significantly. Surveys indicate that about half of all Los Angeles residents, and 80% of commuters in the earthquake zone, changed their travel patterns, primarily changes in automobile route and travel time, and reducing discretionary travel. Many of these changes were temporary, but a significant number of commuters continued using transit services and surface streets after their former freeway routes were repaired. Researchers emphasized the importance of redundancy in the transportation system as part of disaster response.
This study defines and evaluates a transport system's travel adaptive capacity to reduce fuel use in response to unexpected supply disruptions and price increases. Travel adaptive capacity is a measure of the resilience of transport activity systems to a reduction in fuel use for personal vehicle trips while not reducing participation in activities. It characterises the vulnerability to oil shocks of a particular urban area, organisation, socioeconomic or demographic group.
This study used an interactive travel adaptive capacity assessment survey (TACA survey), which collects habitual or 'normal' weekly travel activity patterns. Participants are asked to indicate up to three alternative modes for each trip. It asks 'Do you have an alternative mode for this trip?' The first alternative selection in the drop-down menu is 'no alternative'. The study was used to estimate the price elasticity of vehicle travel with respect to significant fuel price increases. It found that many factors influence the availability of alternative modes for carrying out activities, particularly urban geography.
The study found that people in all demographic categories residing in all parts of the cities have the potential to adapt most of their current vehicle trips to other modes. Young people tend to have the highest adaptability. The largest share of adaptive potential is bus trips, but walking and biking feature nearly as prominently. Conversely, some people have no adaptability. While these people are found in all demographic categories, a higher proportion was found among the elderly and higher income participants. Participating in the activity without travelling, as in working from home or conducting a social visit by telephone, was selected for less than 1% of trips by all participants.
The fuel consumption associated with the alternative modes can be calculated from the travel distances associated with each individual's adaptive potential and the vehicle information. The researchers recommend that the focus of transport policy should shift away from subsidies for measures like alternative fuels or electric vehicles, as the adaptive capacity for fuel reduction is larger than the capacity for uptake of new vehicles or making biofuel. Many people are currently aware of their alternatives, which is the first requirement for future behaviour change.
This is an information sheet provided by the U.S. Federal Transit Administration, based on experience with the September 11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.
Make a Plan
Work with your colleagues and counterparts in the police department, fire department, health department, public buildings department, and emergency management office to develop a plan that will be successful.
Review your plan regularly and update it when your system changes or new threats emerge
Plan for the worst. Determine what you will do if…
· Normal communication systems (television, web, radio, telecommunications) are not available.
· Electrical power is cut off.
· There are massive deaths or injuries.
· There are air-borne chemical or biological hazards.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Conduct regular emergency/disaster drills (not just fire drills!) to keep skills sharp and your plan up-to-date.
Build interagency relationships; every level of transit leadership should personally knows his/her counterparts in the agencies and organizations who will be responding to an emergency situation.
Some Things that Really Matter
Put the resources in place to execute your plan – people, equipment, facilities.
Identify alternative means of transportation for the transit-using public in case one or more of your primary modes is disabled.
Radio communication capability is essential because cell phones are not reliable during the emergencies; be sure you have multiple communication systems, in case one or more is inoperative.
Conduct criminal and credit background checks on every employee. Make sure every employee has a photo identification and require that it be displayed at all times.
Establish Command Central
Immediately set up a joint operations center so that your key responders can talk to each other face-to-face and make joint decisions.
Although it was not clear at the outset whether there was a terrible accident or a terrorist incident, the command center leadership made the decision to respond to the situation as a terrorist attack. As a result, the NYC transit authority immediately evacuated all trains, passengers and transit employees from the World Trade Center area – and there were no transit-related deaths or serious injuries and no equipment losses as a result of the collapsed building.
Be ready and willing to improvise; even a good plan can't anticipate everything. NYC Transit made the decision to let everyone leave the city for free; this decision made the evacuation process quicker and built tremendous goodwill with the public.
Communicate with the Public
Use your website to communicate your service plans and availability with the public on a real-time basis.
NYC Transit has been getting 10 million hits a day, compared to a usual 200,000 hits, and updates its site every 2 hours even if no substantive changes to service have been made.
Work with local television and radio stations to get information about closings and alternative routes to the public
Restore Public Confidence
Increase law enforcement visibility; put a uniformed officer on every train, if possible, to reassure the public and deter potential threats.
Tell people – with brochures, ads, and announcements – how they can help enhance security.
Following the September 11, 2001 terrorism attacks in downtown New York City, Mayor Rudy Giuliani restricted private solo automobile travel on major bridges and roadways into the city center during morning rush hours. At the same time, transportation agencies established new Park & Ride facilities. Despite initial skepticism and some protests, the regulations were widely accepted and were considered effective. Transit travel from suburbs increased substantially, traffic delays declined and emergency, service and demolition vehicles were able to access the area of destruction for recovery and repair work.
APTA (2001), Checklists For Emergency Response Planning And System Security, American Public Transit Association (www.apta.com/services/safety/checklist.htm).
Katja Berdica (2002), "An Introduction to Road Vulnerability: What Has Been Done, Is Done and Should Be Done," Transport Policy, Vol. 9. No. 2 (www.elsevier.com/locate/tranpol), April 2002, pp. 117-127.
Stephanie Chang and Nobuoto Nojima (2001), "Measuring Post-Disaster Transportation System Performance: The 1995 Kobe Earthquake in Comparative Perspective," Transportation Research A, Vol. 35, No. 6 (www.elsevier.com/locate/tra), July 2001, pp. 475-494.
Thomas J. Cova and Steven Conger
(2004), "Transportation Hazards," Handbook of Transportation Engineering,
(M. Kutz Editor) McGraw Hill (www.mcgraw-hill.com),
pp. 17.1-17.24; available at www.geog.utah.edu/~cova/cova-conger-teh.pdf.
J. Joseph Cronin, Roscoe Hightower and Michael Brady (2000), "Niche Market Strategies; The Role of Special Purpose Transportation Efforts in Attracting and Retaining Transit Users" Journal of Public Transportation, Vol. 3, No. 3 (www.cutr.eng.usf.edu), pp. 63-86.
Jago Dodson and Neil Sipe (2006), Shocking the Suburbs: Urban Location, Housing Debt and Oil Vulnerability in the Australian City, Research Paper 8, Urban Research Program, Griffith University (www98.griffith.edu.au); at www98.griffith.edu.au/dspace/bitstream/10072/12665/1/41353.pdf.
ECONorthwest and PBQD (2002), Estimating the Benefits and Costs of Public Transit Projects, TCRP Report 78, TRB (www.trb.org); available at http://gulliver.trb.org/publications/tcrp/tcrp78/index.htm.
Reid Ewing (1997), Transportation and Land Use Innovations; When You Can't Build Your Way Out of Congestion, Planners Press (www.planning.com).
Harold Foster (1997), The Ozymandias Principles, Southdowne Press, University of British Columbia (www.ubcpress.ubc.ca); available at www.hdfoster.com/Foster_ozymandias.pdf.
Harold Foster (1993), "Resilience Theory and System Evaluation," in J.A. Wise, V.D. Hopkin V D and P. Stager (editors), Verification and Validation of Complex Systems: Human Factor Issues, NATO Advanced Science Institutes, Series F: Computer and Systems Sciences, Vol.110, Springer Verlag (New York), pp.35-60.
Harold Foster (1995), "Disaster Mitigation: The Role of Resilience," in D. Etkin (editor) Proceedings of a Tri-lateral Workshop on Natural Hazards, Merrickville, Ontario, Canada, Feb 11-14, pp. 93-108.
FTA Safety and Security Website (http://transit-safety.volpe.dot.gov), by the U.S. Federal Transit Administration, provides information on transit safety and security issues, including disaster preparedness and response.
J.F. Hughes and K. Healy (2014), Measuring The Resilience Of Transport Infrastructure, Report 546, New Zealand Transport Agency (www.nzta.govt.nz); at www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/research/reports/546/docs/546.pdf.
Jan Husdal (2004), Why Reliability and Vulnerability Should be an Issue in Road Development Projects, first published in Samferdsel: Journal of the Norwegian Institute of Transport Economics (www.toi.no/samferdsel); at (www.husdal.com).
Genevieve Giuliano and Jacqueline Golog (1998), "Impacts of the Northridge Earthquake on Transit and Highway Use," Journal of Transportation Statistics, Vol. 1, No. 2 (www.bts.gov), May 1998, pp. 1-20.
Erik Jenelius, Tom Petersen and Lars-Goran Mattsson (2006), "Importance and Exposure in Road Network Vulnerability Analysis," Transportation Research A, Vol. 40, Issue 7 (www.elsevier.com/locate/tra), Aug. 2006, pp. 537-560.
Susan Krumdieck (2009), Pathways to meet the Challenge: Critical Change Projects, AEMS Laboratory, University of Canterbury (www.aemslab.org.nz); at www.resilientpathways.org.nz/resources/Susan_Krumdieck_Pathways.pdf.
Susan Krumdieck, Shannon Page and Montira Watcharasukarn (2012), Travel Adaptive Capacity Assessment For Particular Geographic, Demographic And Activity Cohorts, Research Report 486, NZ Transport Agency (www.nzta.govt.nz); at www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/research/reports/486/docs/486.pdf.
Todd Litman (1999), First Resort; Resort Community Transportation Management, VTPI (www.vtpi.org); available at www.vtpi.org/resort.pdf.
Todd Litman (2005), Lessons From Katrina and Rita: What Major Disasters Can Teach Transport Planners, Victoria Transport Policy Institute (www.vtpi.org); available at www.vtpi.org/katrina.pdf.
Michael Mehaffy (2019), "Traditional Cities Are More Resilient Than 'Modern' Buildings," American Conservative (www.theamericanconservative.com); at https://bit.ly/2WgkMSd.
Harvey J. Miller (2003), "Transportation and Communication Lifeline Disruption," in S. L. Cutter, D. B. Richardson and T. Wilbanks (eds.) The Geographic Dimensions of Terrorism, Routledge, pp. 145-152, available at www.geog.utah.edu/%7Ehmiller/papers/lifelines.pdf.
C. Money, et al. (2017), Establishing the Value of Resilience, Research Report 614 NZ Transport Agency (www.nzta.govt.nz), www.nzta.govt.nz/assets/resources/research-report-614/614-Establishing-the-value-of-resilience.pdf.
Edward K. Morlok and David J. Chang (2004), "Measuring Capacity Flexibility of a Transportation System," Transportation Research A, Vol. 38, No. 6 (www.elsevier.com/locate/tra), July 2004, pp. 405-420.
Nancy W. Okasaki (2003), "Improving Transportation Response and Security Following a Disaster," ITE Journal (www.ite.org), August 2003, pp. 30-32.
Resilience Alliance (www.resalliance.org) is a multidisciplinary research group that explores the dynamics of complex adaptive systems.
Nada D. Trout and Gerald L. Ullman (1997), "A Special Event Park-and-Ride Shuttle Bus Success Story," ITE Journal (www.ite.org), December 1997, pp. 38-43.
Transportation Security Website (www4.trb.org/trb/homepage.nsf/web/security) provides information developed by the Transportation Research Board and National Academies of Science on transportation system security and protection.
USDOT (2005), Effects Of Catastrophic Events On Transportation System Management And Operations: New York City- September 11, U.S. Department of Transportation (www.itsdocs.fhwa.dot.gov//JPODOCS/REPTS_te/14129.htm).
This Encyclopedia is produced by the Victoria Transport Policy Institute to help improve understanding of Transportation Demand Management. It is an ongoing project. Please send us your comments and suggestions for improvement.
Victoria Transport Policy Institute
www.vtpi.org email@example.com
1250 Rudlin Street, Victoria, BC, V8V 3R7, CANADA
Phone 250-360-1560


text: Steve Gagne 0 Posted May 1, 2007 Share Posted May 1, 2007 Hi. I just stole this thread from the "Parenting" section because the polemics in this post do not belong there. This thread started as a discussion of an individual who does not want children. I have no right to disagree with her insofar as her individual choices go. The subject I want to address here, though is demographics -- the observable aggregate result of what happens when many people make the same choices concerning their fertility. Leaving out side discussions concerning abortion and the like, this is the basic frame of the discussion:I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has made a personal choice to remain childless. I'm almost certain that I don't want children (I'm now 32 and have never wanted them). Whilst I know that no one can make this decision for me, I've had warnings from people who have children saying that I may change my mind, but I've never heard from anyone who chose not to have children (rather than couldn't) and is glad they made that decision. I'd particularly like to hear from women. If there is anybody who decided not to have children and now regrets it, I'd like to hear from them too, if it's something they would be willing to share, as I realise that this is probably painful for them?I have a nephew and niece and friends who have children, so I wouldn't be completely isolated from them.Here's a link to an interesting article about having children and happiness. According to studies that have been done, children do not bring us happiness, instead they have a small negative impact on our happiness. Couples start out happy when they are first married and their happiness decreases when they have children and then increases again when their children leave home.http://www.randomhouse.com/kvpa/gilbert/bl...ll_heroin8.htmlThis for me is an even more compelling reason not to have children - evolution doesn't give a damn about my level of happiness, all it cares about is that I reproduce! Happily, for the first time in human history I live in a society where I can beat evolution.Fran:~ IGNORE 'studies' about children-bring-(or don't)-'happiness'. They CAN 'add'...for some; they also CAN 'detract' for others! 'Bring', they don't...anymore than anything else CAN. NOTHING 'bring's happiness...to a person passively waiting for it to be 'brought' to them.~ You really want [ahem: 'need'] one (or more), go for them; you don't, DON'T. Don't allow yourself to get caught in a self-accepted trap set up (ignorantly, by others) of 2nd-guessing yourself re what you 'should' have wanted.~ How simple can this be? You 'want' such (career in brain-surgery/quantum-physics or hobbyist skill-development...or child-raising): do it. You don't; don't.LLAPJ:DFran --I agree with John Dailey on the advice side.I had some other things to say, but I realized that they were inappropriate for the scale and scope of this discussion; making them appear to be intentionally, unnecessarily cruel. That is not my intent. I may start another thread wherein they would be appropriate, but not here.On a personal note, if you don't want children, why on earth would you consider having them?Though I agree with John Dailey on the advice side, I must take issue with the supposed truth-value, or at least the implications, of Fran's last statement:This for me is an even more compelling reason not to have children - evolution doesn't give a damn about my level of happiness, all it cares about is that I reproduce! Happily, for the first time in human history I live in a society where I can beat evolution.Evolution may "care" (what an anthropomorphism!) about nothing but one's reproduction, but acting upon an aversion to having children, plays straight into natural selection -- if one opts out and remain childless, he makes himself the dead end of the chain of life that brought him into being. This is not called "beating evolution", it's called "extinction" -- a very important factor in real evolution.The topic I'm bringing up is the problem of demographics, and is discussed in a book by Mark Steyn entitled America Alone. The link connects to an excerpt from the book on Free Republic. Its topic of the demographic collapse of western civilization is in the same vein as the last few books by Pat Buchanan. The argument put forth is that the current western tendency, of downplaying the importance of family and posterity, plays directly into the demographic debacle that western civilization now finds itself in. If those people who come from western civilization, those who we hope would have an appreciation for its rational intellectual traditions, will not maintain their demographic pre-eminence, their civilization will be overrun and and destroyed, to be replaced by those who have no such orientation or loyalties. (Like by Brazilians...haha, Michael. Or Armenians. Or Eskimos.) Do you understand how the rational choice of refusing to bring children into the world, and to educate them to be rational human beings, will actually result in a world full of irrational people? Don't say, "but I can teach someone else, and he will embrace objective reason and rationality as I do," because (a) it's a lie -- you are neither trying nor succeeding, and (b) it does not contribute one additional rational being to life. There will still be more people born into the irrational mob, to live worse than animals, than those born to live as rational human beings. Population movements throughout history, like those triggered by the cyclic climate shift every 650 years or so (for at least 6000 years -- the last one was 650 years ago) have generally benefitted larger population groups; the smaller ones have either been assimilated or have become extinct. This phenomenon can as easily be made manifest in the relation between rational people and irrational people. If you give up the world to the irrational people, their granchildren "will dance on your unmarked grave." If that's the type of legacy you wish to leave to the world of rational men, then have at it. You can always say, like the fictional Cuffy Miegs, "In the long run, we'll all be dead." But were you in a burning building, it would be really stupid to stand there and burn with it, expecting anyone else to stand with you -- refusing to escape simply because you weren't the one who set the fire. Likewise, you cannot expect everyone around you to close their eyes ("blank-out"), and pretend with you that that a world left to irrational people is not the consequence of your chosen actions. Link to post Share on other sites


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MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — As the Basilica of Saint Mary gets close to its 100th anniversary, it's undergoing some makeovers.
On Wednesday, the basilica showed off its newly restored sacristy.
WCCO-TV got a behind-the-scenes tour of the sacred room where the priests prepare for mass. Renovations replaced a lot of the ceiling because of water damage.
The restoration now reveals the beauty of the basilica's original colors and decorations. Most of the renovation work involved cleaning the walls from years of dust and burning candles.
The restoration project is supported by a grant from American Express after the basilica won a Facebook competition. It got the most votes among 25 historic sites located around the Twin Cities and was awarded more than $100,000.
There will be a solemn dedication to show off the work at the basilica on Sunday.
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My takings from the Taste:
- Vegan Samosa from Arya Bhavan
- Pralines and Cream (ice cream) from Lagniappe-Creole Cajun Joynt
- Slice of Gluten-Free Pizza from Connie's Pizza
- Italian Lemon Ice from Franco's Ristorante
- Bourbon Chicken (in a wrap) from Oak Street Beach Cafe
- Peach Cobbler from BJ's Market & Bakery
- Crab Rangoon from the Noodle Vietnamese Cuisine
- Churro (vanilla filled) from Churro Factory
All of the above were taste portions except the Churro. Elsa, alas, wasn't feeling hungry, so she gave us her tickets. Judi and I ate like queens. :-)
Once we returned to Judi's flat, I headed off to the pool to read. It was chillier than yesterday, but the water was warm still. Once Elsa & Judi joined me, I got in and enjoyed the warm water. Alas, the pool suffered a major child infestation, but we enjoyed ourselves anyway.
For supper, Elsa drove us to Tapas Valencia. We had quite a few plates.
- Salmon Curado - cured salmon with dill sour cream
- Alchofas con Crema - marinated artichokes with creamy white wine vinaigrette
- Champinones - stuffed mushroom caps
- Empanada de Buey - puff pastry filled with beef tenderloin
- Pato Confitado - duck confit with mushrooms and apples
- Patatas con Alioli - robust garlic potato salad
- Gambas al Ajillo - grilled shrimp with garlic lemon butter
- Crepe Rellena - crepe with goat cheese, spinach, pine nuts and apples
- Mejillones con Guindillas - fresh black mussels sauteed with guindilla peppers served with a white wine sauce
We did it in three rounds, each picking an item during the round. And then we each picked a dessert. I wound up ordering what I think I ordered the last time Judi and I came here. Crema con Chocolate, which is basically creme brulee with chocolate. All of the food that I ate today was wonderful (except the mussels, but that's to be expected. I don't like mussels.)
After a short stop back at the flat, we headed off to see Super 8 at the Icon theater. This place is hoity-toity with VIP films with leather seats. We went to a regular flick, however, but still had reserved seats. Reserved seats! And an air hostess telling how to escape in case of fire and where the oxygen masks drop from. We ain't got theaters like that in Ohio.
When we got back, Judi, Patty (her Pomeranian) and I took a night time walk around the Field Museum. Patty really enjoyed herself. And so did Judi and I.
Alas, tomorrow, Elsa and I need to have to leave Chicago. I have kitties awaiting my return. But I believe we'll have a bit more yummy food before the day is over.