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The Braille Monitor October 2005
Recipes for this issue were submitted by members of
the National Federation of the Blind of Delaware. They were compiled by Doris
Blake, who has been an active member of the Central Delaware Chapter. She has
held positions in the local chapter and is a member of the state board. She
serves as a volunteer driver and often hosts dinner meetings for both the local
chapter and the state board at her home. She is a second-generation Federationist,
since her mother, the late Viola Fraser, was also an NFB member.
Doris Blake
Tomato Soup Cake
by Doris Blake
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons shortening
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 can tomato soup (with 1 teaspoon baking soda stirred into it)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts, optional
Method: Cream shortening and sugar together, add egg, and stir in soup. Add sifted dry ingredients, raisins, and nuts (if desired). Bake in greased 13-by-9-inch pan at 350 degrees until done (forty-five minutes to one hour, when toothpick inserted in center comes out dry).
Cream Cheese Icing
1 3-ounce package cream cheese
1 cup confectioner's sugar
Small lump of butter
Method: Cream three ingredients together until well mixed. Frost top of cake with the icing.
Crisco Frosting
Ingredients for an alternative frosting:
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Method: In a saucepan mix flour and milk together until smooth and cook, stirring constantly, over low heat until thick. Beat the remaining ingredients together for four minutes. Add the thickened paste and beat until fluffy.
Corn Casserole
by Doris Blake
1 can whole corn, drained, but save the liquid
1 can creamed corn
2 boxes corn muffin mix
1 stick butter
1 cup sour cream
Method: Melt butter and combine it with all other ingredients. If the mixture seems too dry, slowly add some of the liquid saved from the whole corn. Bake in a greased two-quart casserole dish in a 350-degree oven for about one hour.
Beef Liver with Onions and Bacon
by Doris Blake
5 slices bacon
3 cups boiling water
1 pound beef liver, thinly sliced
Seasoned flour
2-1/2 cups sliced onions
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup hot water
Method: Fry bacon until crisp, then drain, leaving bacon fat in skillet. Pour the three cups of boiling water over the liver, drain, and dry. Dredge liver in flour seasoned with salt and pepper and sauté in skillet until slightly browned on all sides. Arrange browned meat in greased 1-1/2 quart casserole dish. Cover with onions. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and add the half cup hot water. Crumble bacon on top. Cover and bake in a moderate oven at 350 degrees for forty minutes.
Old Fashioned Cole Slaw
by Doris Blake
1 3-ounce package of lemon or lime gelatin
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
A little grated onion, to taste
1/2 teaspoon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups shredded cabbage, approximately
Method: Combine flavored gelatin and boiling water. Stir to dissolve gelatin and add cold water and then the remaining ingredients, except cabbage. Mix well. Fold in cabbage. Pour into large mold. Chill until set. Unmold. Serves twelve people.
Hidden Treasures
by Lisa Moller
Lisa Moller is the niece of both Doris Blake and the late Ruth Moller Whelan, who was also an active NFB member. Lisa won a blue ribbon in the Kent County 4-H Favorite Foods Contest in the Senior Dessert category with this recipe.
2/3 cup butter-flavored Crisco
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
48 well-drained stemless maraschino cherries
White dipping chocolate:
1 cup white melting chocolate (cut in small pieces)
2 tablespoons butter-flavored Crisco
Dark dipping chocolate:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces
2 tablespoons butter-flavored Crisco
Finely chopped pecans
Finely grated white chocolate
Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream 2/3 cup Crisco, sugar, egg, milk, and vanilla in large bowl at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Beat dry ingredients into creamed mixture at low speed. Divide dough into forty-eight equal pieces. Mold each piece of dough, forming a very thin layer around a well-drained cherry. Place cookies two inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for ten minutes. Cool one minute on cookie sheet. Remove to wire rack to cool completely.
For dipping, place chocolate of choice and Crisco in glass measuring cup. Microwave at 50 percent (medium). Stir after one minute. Repeat until mixture is smooth. Drop one cookie at a time into chocolate. Use fork to turn. Cover completely with chocolate. If chocolate starts to become firm, reheat in microwave. Lift cookie out of chocolate with fork. Allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed-paper-lined cookie sheets.
Immediately sprinkle tops of white chocolate cookies with chopped pecans and sprinkle chopped white chocolate over dark chocolate cookies before chocolate sets. Chill in refrigerator to set chocolate. Makes four dozen.


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"Baby Daddy's" Tahj Mowry is once again on the "Pretty Little Liars" set for the latest edition of "Hey Tucker." This time he's checking out Rosewood High School.
The infamous Aria/Ezra Staircase o' Drama actually goes nowhere, which is a rather hilarious metaphor for the Ezria relationship, right?
Meanwhile, Lucy Hale decides to have a little fun with Tucker by first telling him she's a huge fan (she's not) and then telling him he should be her on-screen love interest on the show (he shouldn't). Oh, those Liars. So tricky.
"Baby Daddy" airs Wednesday nights at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT and "Pretty Little Liars" airs Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC Family.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
"Slick" 4x6 Oil
by Renee Brennan
Day 4 of the 30/30 Challenge is an American Paint horse named Slick
who belongs to my niece. He is a beautiful animal and is 15.2 hands tall.
I think this painting needs a little bit more work in a few spots, but overall
ok especially since it is the first horse I painted since 6th grade a hundred years ago!


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its eliptical, kinda yellowish, beigeish. the side with '1 8' imprinted on it has a break line between the numbers, and the other side has a plain capital 'A'
What is this pill - with '1 8' imprint on one side and 'A' imprint on the other side?
- Asked
- 8 Sep 2009 by zachthomas9
- Updated
- 9 September 2009
- Topics
- pill id
Answers (1)
Unfortunately I cannot find an image to show you but maybe
Sertraline HCl 100mg
Imprint Code A / 1 8
Yellow oblong scored tablet
More info at https://www.drugs.com/cdi/sertraline-tablets.html
Search for questions
Still looking for answers? Try searching for what you seek or ask your own question.


text: THE RETURN OF THE GREMLINS #2 (of 3). Mike Richardson (W) and Dean Yeagle (A). FC, 32 pages. Miniseries. The gremlins face a forced eviction, and they aren't going to go without a fight. And when gremlins fight, cars end up disassembled, front porches disappear, and grown men end up trussed in tiny ropes like overgrown turkeys-which is exactly how the house's owner, Gus, found himself last issue! But this issue finds him in just as sticky a situation: the gremlins are convinced that Gus is here to save their home, not sell it! Meanwhile, Mr. Snide and his accomplices plan to scare the living daylights out of Gus in order to convince him to sell the "haunted" house . . . and they're about to get more than they bargained for. Check out the great Gremlin figures available from Dark Horse Deluxe! Written by Mike Richardson!


text:
Very positive corporate track. Created with acoustic instruments: guitars, percussion, bells, etc. I'm sure this track will be a wonderful addition to your Projects.
The archive contains two versions:
- 00:00 – 02:04 Full version
- 02:05 – 03:10 Short Version (Length – 01:05)
This track is included in Pop Rock Pack
Don't forget: You can rate this file after purchase.


text: High quality and very cheap international calls! It's so easy to setup… Download now to make your first call. Stay close to your family and loved ones every day without having to worry about the cost of international bills or roaming charges. You can use our app to make calls from any iPhone or iPad to any mobile or landline in the world at VERY LOW rates & with EXCELLENT voice quality. - Use WiFi or 3G/4G - Send SMS - Activate Caller ID - Access to your own integrated Phonebook Our Support team is super friendly & always ready to help on: email@example.com Nymgo is available in the following languages: English, French, Arabic **NB: Nymgo is not to be used for dialing emergency services


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Today is the Littlest's birthday. I don't know what happened but she is 11. There will be pics.
The Eldest is having pre-drinks with her friends in ours on Saturday to celebrate her Scholarship she was awarded at Uni - her school nominated her for ' her personal contribution to the school' she attended. I will provide pics.
Mr F took the two little ones to see They Might Be Giants on Wednesday, yep, pics to come!


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Happy Valentine's Day Quotes for Friends
Valentine's Day is a day when everyone in the world celebrates the special feeling and emotion of love. This is the day when people find the courage to propose the one they love or express their heartfelt feelings for their someone special. Valentine's Day is celebrated on 14th February each year and on this day; people wish other through messages and quotes. Happy Valentine's Day quotes for friends are those quotes which people write to their friends to wish them on 14th February. The following are some of the samples of Happy Valentine's Day quotes for friends which can be used for the purpose of reference by anyone.
Sample Happy Valentine's Day Quotes for Friends:
[notice noticeType="alert" ]Dear friends, here's wishing you all a very happy Valentine's Day. May this year, you all find love and experience this lovely feeling and emotion which is purer than any other thing in the world.[/notice]
- Happy Valentine's Day to all my friends and especially to the ones who are single. May you all hook up with good looking people this year and start a story which will continue for a lifetime.
- This is surely a very special day for all my friends who are engaged or in relationships but for those who are not, here's a special wish. May you all find your soul mate this year and experience love which is a feeling that cannot be described in words. God bless you all my dear friends.
- Dear friend, may this year, on the Valentine's Day, you find a girl who will blow you away and who you will fall in love with, forever. Here's wishing you a rocking 14th February and a lot of love.
[blockquote]May god fill your life with love, may he bless you with a partner who understands you and loves you. Happy Valentine's Day dear friends. Have fun and party hard.[/blockquote]
- This is a day when we need to drown ourselves in the festivity of love and embrace this special day with open arms. May we all fall in love, rise in love and experience the magic of this feeling. Happy Valentine's Day to all my dear friends.
Friendship is the most special relationship in the world. So on this Valentine's Day, let's celebrate friendship which has more love in it than all other relationships. Happy Valentine's Day to all my dear friends


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UW Theatre and Dance Professor Nominated for Excellence in Design Award
University of Wyoming Department of Theatre and Dance Lecturer Sharon Huizinga has been nominated for one of Live Design magazine's Excellence in Design awards.
The nomination is for her lighting design work on last fall's UW production of "From the Ashes: A Cinderella Ballet."
The voting allows the public and professionals to choose among the best projects in several categories. This production is nominated in the "Theatre" category. Voting is open to the public at: http://livedesignonline.com/news/excellence-awards-voting-open. The deadline to vote is Tuesday, April 30.
Huizinga has worked as a lighting designer and programmer for more than 15 years. She has worked around the world in theatre, live music, corporate events, and television. The highlights of her work include lighting director for the Cultural Olymplia of the 2010 Winter Olympics; lighting programmer for "Shrek, the Musical" Broadway show and national tour; and lighting director for Norah Jones' summer 2003 tour.


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Where creativity is nurtured, skills are acquired, and art is made
Thu | Includes materials except printmaking paper | Beginners are welcomed | Instructor Dixon Fish
All levels
Fallbrook School of the Arts310 E. Alvarado St., Fallbrook, CA 92028
(760) 728-6383 | emailIn Historic Downtown Fallbrook
Fast, spontaneous, full of color and no mistakes; these are just some of the reasons artists have been making monotypes for hundreds of years. Now with safe non-toxic links and soap and water cleanup, the process is even easier. Come play with color, collage and stencils and leave with your own original print.Bring some thin papers and an apron. For inspiration, you might want to bring magazines, photos, or old drawings. Open to beginning and experienced artists.Printmaking paper is $1.50 per sheet and will be purchased during the workshop.
April 19, 2018 (Thursday) 9:30 am - 3:30 pm $85 includes all materials except for printmaking paper ($1.50 per sheet)Intended for beginners and all skill level adults
Staff Instructor


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Adam Carolla is quick to defend Alec Baldwin whenever the combustible star is in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
The two share a friendship of sorts. Baldwin has appeared on Carolla's podcast, and Carolla says the two have swapped emails through the years.
It didn't stop Carolla from blasting liberals for giving Baldwin a pass for his outrageous statements.
Carolla, along with fellow podcaster Dr. Drew Pinsky, recently brought up the fact that of the 16 or so writers toiling for Comedy Central's The Colbert Report only one was a woman.
Normally that would rev up the Outrage Police, but Carolla said Stephen Colbert's liberal politics protect him from such scrutiny.
"He's on their side," Carolla said simply.
The same holds true for Baldwin and his incendiary comments about gay people.
"When Alec Baldwin says something derogatory, they get a pass, against the gays, he gets a pass because he's on the right side of the issue even though he, I don't know, called someone a fag or something," he says.


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Radio Clatterbridge turned the clock back 50 years to mark the anniversary of the world's first commercial hovercraft service.
The inaugural trip, between Moreton and Rhyl, was recorded by one of the station's founders in July 1962.
Monty Lister was one of the few to board the 110-ton Vickers-Armstrong VA-3 craft.
He recorded proceedings to share with patients back at Clatterbridge Hospital.
The so-called Hovercoach was scheduled to run six services six times a week over the summer but bad weather and a series of engine problems meant it ran only for a total of 19 days.
However, it was said to have paved the way for modern day hovercraft.
Afternoon Edition presenter Andy Bonner spoke to Monty on the anniversary of the launch about his memories of the day.
It was a day like today. The sun was there. It was a nice breeze.... It was something brand new. The world's first hovercraft service... Tremendous excitement! - Monty Lister
Listeners were also treated to Monty's original recording.


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Palo Alto, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/09/2015 -- Silicon Valley Innovation Center announced Limelight Health as 1st Prize winner at the StartUp Showcase held as part of the "Insurance Disrupted | Silicon Valley 2015" Conference in Palo Alto on November 19-20th, 2015. Limelight Health is the nation's first real-time, mobile, all-in-one quoting platform for health insurance and benefits professionals.
The company's first product, QuotePad, is a mobile, cloud-based quoting platform that allows employee benefits professionals like agents, brokers, sales executives and carriers to quote and compare health benefits information quickly and easily, from any desktop or mobile device. Leveraging Limelight Health's robust health insurance and benefits plan dataset, QuotePad streamlines the decision-making process by eliminating the need for spreadsheets, traditional underwriting, and time-consuming proposal generation. Moreover, agents, carriers and other insurance professionals can private-label QuotePad's proprietary technology, allowing these groups to save money by reducing the need to develop their own solution.
Limelight was awarded the 1st Place in the Startup Showcase which concluded Day 1 of the Conference attended by over 290 insurance industry executives. Limelight was selected by a panel of 7 judges that included representatives of large insurance companies, corporate investors, VC funds, an accelerator, and an innovation lab. Judging criteria included typical elements of problem/need, target market, competition, solution and how they are disrupting the current market.
"We congratulate Limelight Health on their well-deserved award," said Andrey Kunov, Silicon Valley Innovation Center President. "Limelight exemplifies the kind of disruption we at the
Silicon Valley Innovation Center encourage and support—in Limelight's case, using innovative technology to simplify the insurance quoting process and give businesses and consumers a better experience when choosing insurance products. We look forward to seeing the impact they create across the industry."
"Winning the StartUp Showcase Insurance Disrupted award is a tremendous honor," said Limelight Health Co-founder and CEO Jason T. Andrew. "It's especially gratifying because it recognizes us for our fundamental mission: to improve an industry that we love but that is too slow, inefficient, and expensive. The award is further validation that we're on track to transform the way people everywhere choose and buy their health insurance and benefits packages."
About the "Insurance Disrupted | Silicon Valley 2015" and Silicon Valley Innovation Center (SVIC)
SVIC promotes the spirit of innovation throughout the world by providing executive leadership programs and creating connections between companies, industries, governments and Silicon Valley innovation that is reshaping our global society and economy.
"Insurance Disrupted | Silicon Valley 2015" Conference was a launch of SVIC's 2016 Insurance Innovation Program for the Insurance industry which ignites a dialog on disruptive innovation across Silicon Valley and the established industry executives through a series of conferences, executive strategy meetings with innovation technology leaders, and connections to leading innovative disruptors.
For more information on this program, email: email@example.com or visit http://www.svicenter.com
About Limelight Health
Limelight Health is on a quest to make health insurance simple. Leveraging years of insurance industry experience alongside innovative and mobile-first technology, Limelight Health provides a new platform and solution for health insurance agents and other health insurance professionals that connects and integrates data with other benefits technologies like payroll, CRM, benefits administration and compliance tools. This solution aids in the decision making process with advanced quoting and decision support tools while saving time and eliminating redundancies.
For more information, visit http://www.limelighthealth.com/
Contact person: Anastasia Vestfal
Company: Silicon Valley Innovation Center
Address: 1710 South Amphlett Blvd., Suite # 306 San Mateo, CA 94402, USA
Phone: 650-274-0214
Email: email@example.com
Website: www.svicenter.com


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New Delhi, Dec 26: Amid turbulent times for the stock markets across the world, the equity turnover fell on Indian bourses as well in 2012, but the fall was meagre at 1.57% when compared to the global average.
Globally, the equity turnover fell sharply by 14.7%, while the fall was nearly 8% for the bourses in Asia Pacific region as well.
On the other hand, the collective equity trade volume of two Indian bourses, NSE and BSE, fell by 1.57% to 161.74 crore during January-November period of 2012, as per data from the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE).
The total number of equity trades on the exchanges across the world was 907 crore for the same period. Indian markets are expected to further improve their tally in 2013, as a new bourse MCX-SX is expected to begin operations as a full-fledged stock exchange.
The Asia pacific region registered a decline of nearly 8% to 533.4 crore trades in January-November period of 2012. The global data for December is still awaited as one last trading session would take place tomorrow.
Experts said economic uncertainty across the globe, political deadlock in Europe, fiscal cliff debate in the US, policy logjam in India and lack of trading opportunities were main reasons for fall in equity trading in India and rest of the world.
Individually, National Stock Exchange (NSE) recorded 129 crore equity trades, showing a marginal improvement of one% compared to 2011, and grabbing the mantle as the top bourse among 51 global peers. NSE was the third largest bourse in the world in 2011.
BSE, ranked seventh globally in equity trades, recorded 32.71 crore trades in the period from January to November.
"Indian markets turned out to be better performing markets as compared to other emerging markets and government reforms are also bringing faith back in Indian equities markets resulting in higher interest among the traders and investors," Religare Securities EVP and Head Retail Research Rajesh Jain said.
Experts believe that NSE and BSE stood their ground among the top global bourses largely owing to heavy investment flows from Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs).
"Our entire policy is pro-FII, what ever volumes we have is basically because the global players are investing...The participation of retail investors and domestic investors is negligible," CNI Research CMD Kishore Ostwal said.
On the flip side, the experts say there was lack of confidence within the domestic and the retail investors, as Indian investors had lost confidence in 2011 and were seen looking for opportunities to exit during 2012.


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There once used to be a great warrior who fought for a cause. He was victorious and decided to settle down. However, a transformation occurs in his life (literally, it says "drink from the chalice and be reborn") and he discovers that his job is not quite done yet. He understands that the past events were only a prelude to something even bigger and that he has to take up the sword again. And now, having reached the truth, he feels reborn and fights with even greater conviction.
Well, that's it, taking it from a literal point of view. Of course, it can all be an allegory.
LaughingSkullon August 05, 2009 Link


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Strongwell Duragrate Molded Grating Receives NSF Certification
14 September 2008
14 September 2008
Duragrate premium polyester, non-fire retardant (NPP) and vinyl ester, non-fire retardant (NVE) molded grating has received NSF-61 approval in extreme temperatures.
Strongwell's Duragrate NPP and NVE molded grating is the first in the industry to receive both hot and cold temperature NSF approval.
The NSF official listing certifies that the Duragrate NPP and NVE gratings are both acceptable for use in potable drinking water. NSF testing concluded the submitted Duragrate samples are able to withstand hot temperatures of 140°F and also cold temperatures. The fasteners used with the NPP and NVE gratings have also been NSF certified. Duragrate is an ideal solution for water and wastewater treatment plants because the grating is strong, lightweight, corrosion resistant and can withstand extreme temperatures.
Duragrate NPP and NVE gratings have been added to a list of Strongwell's NSF certified fiberglass products. Other NSF approved products include Extren Structural Shapes and Plates, Composolite Building Panels, Safplank Interlocking Decking System, Baffle Panels, and Flight Channels.


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SMASHBOX - lipgloss
The colour itself is really pretty, not as dark as I would like but you sure have that purple plummy colour. the lipgloss too lasts for absolutely hours. Has anyone got a darker shade in Smashbox?
Also if you have noticed my christmas tree, I put it up few days ago! Getting all festive quite early!
Smashbox lipgloss - 8/10
Overall really nice, good price and size just wished the shade was at dark as it looks on the outside!


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I watched trial by fire on NFL network (on my DVR) last night. When they did the segment on RW and he said "on the way back to the tunnel I just got so excited about next year". This is kind of exactly how I feel about our team right now. I am so anxious about this coming season I can hardly stand it sometimes.
I know most of you are feeling the same way, I could care less about the draft, I don't care about preseason, I just want this season to start tomorrow.
Our team has become so much better in Free agency that I don't know what else we can do right now. Our defense was already good, now I don't know how any team will pass against us. Our offense gets me overly excited when I think about Harvin, Lynch, and Wilson in the backfield together (or any formation where they are all three on the field at the same time).


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Who doesn't love a good scare? But you can't exactly sit down and watch "The Shining" or "The Exorcist" with young kids. (Well, you can but we're not paying the therapy bills.)
Why not queue up family-friendly horror-comedies like "Hocus Pocus," "Casper" or "The Addams Family?"
Here's our list of 16 movies you can watch with your kids (and not be bored silly).


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Text overload after the jump, so please just take a moment to soak in the super deliciousness!
I've learnt so much over the past year or so through blogging – how to structure my thoughts a tad more coherently, how to set up little photo-shoots for one's food (with still varying success), and to not be shy to ask questions and give hearty praise where it is sprung from the sheer joy of what other people have created. I've signed up for so many blogs in the last few months, much like a hoarder, simply because there is no end to the beautiful, inspiring and shockingly artistic ways in which people express themselves. I've been trying to be a bit braver in my photos, my choice of food and what I actually end up writing, much of which seems very personal to me. Then again, food is personal as well. It is something that I spend a lot of time on; researching, adapting, creating, planning… It really is a full-time passion! I always just hope that whomever I share my dishes with also sees it as more than just consumable items – that there's a story behind every meal, every morsel. Sometimes what one makes, despite hours of prep and thought, comes out so normal, so essentially bland that it truly feels as if "edible" is no longer an acceptable term. I can't simply eat a sandwich anymore without deconstructing its form, function and flavour, and I always dread and hope in equal measure that whoever makes a recipe I've jotted down or munches on a corner of some grub is the same.
Part of this journey of learning is sharing! As in my last post, I've been busy submitting recipes to various places, and I've now gotten onto Foodgawker for the second time with my spicy pumpkin, nut butter and bean pastry, as well as onto the shiny Finding Vegan with the tikka bean and zucchini cauliflower pizza of the other day. W00t! I love these sites with a passion – I spend so many hours a week trolling up and down discovering the most amazing dishes and photographs, so I'm super excited to be partaking in my small way 😀
Another aspect of the journey is learning how to make food for my family. I'm blessed to have a family (on both sides) that cooks and bakes wonderfully, and as such there are very high standards for any newcomer in the generation to try and meet, especially if one is a vegan to boot. My family is rather tolerant (though they will give me grief occasionally), and are very gracious when it comes to trying out my food, but I am still working towards making them roll their eyes in absolute decadent pleasure at a vegan meal or dish. Approving nods is a good sign, but I am a secret (or not so secret) perfectionist. There must be swooning! And so we march on!
In anticipation of a get-together today with the in-laws as an early birthday party for my FIL before the parents set sail on a Mediterranean cruise next week, I decided to offer up my efforts at making dessert. Usually my in-laws are very sweet about the things I make, even though I'm sure they'd rather just have a custard pastry or milk tart instead of bizarre raw cakes and very, very unsweet efforts (by South African standards). I suspect I take my FIL's diabetes much more seriously than I should, but I usually refuse to go wild, because I know I will also suffer ill-effects. I am happy about my latest blood tests that show my sugar levels are well within the norms, after years of skating on very thin ice between "watch yourself" and "inject yourself". My body tells me immediately if it's not happy with my choices. Sugar-saturated dessert with cream and big, luscious canned fruit? Nap for an hour or two with what feels like sugar seeping out all my pores. Ugh!
Nevertheless, there come moments where one just goes so wild in the kitchen, jumping around from idea to another, all the while thinking "this is INSANE!" This dish integrates incredibly dense and moist chocolate and zucchini muffins with the tricks and sly glamour of the bread pudding. Oh yes. I couldn't stop at the muffins, so I simply had to jazz it up even more!
Chocolate-zucchini fudge muffins: ingredients:
I made a modified version of Yvette's deliriously decadent chocolate fudge cakes and nom! I love their recipes because they are low on sugar but are always so very much to my tastes.
- 1 cup buckwheat flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 cup non-dairy milk
- 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1.5 TBSP agave syrup
- 1/2 cup pureed zucchini
- 3 TBSP cocoa powder
- splashes of cinnamon
- 1/4 cup ice water
- Preheat to 180C, and prepare 6 depressions in a muffin pan with non-stick.
- In a cup, let the milk and apple cider vinegar curdle for a few minutes after mixing.
- In a medium-large bowl, mix your dry ingredients then add wet, including the zucchini puree. Add in 1/4 chilled water and fold everything together.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until slightly crispy and brown.
- Take out of oven and wait for next steps. I would recommending baking something else in the meanwhile, so as to let the muffins have an opportunity to cool down.
"Bread pudding" ingredients: (adapted from all over the internet – a pretty straight forward mix!)
- 2 cups soy/non-dairy milk
- 1/4 cup light sugar/raw sugar/coconut sugar
- 1 TBSP cornstarch (gluten-free)
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- Lots of cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- Prepare a 8″ square or so dish and set aside.
- Decrease the temperature to 170C
- Whisk together the liquid ingredients with the cornstarch.
- Cut the muffins into little cubes and fill the bottom of your baking dish with them.
- Pour the mixture over it and let it sit for 10 or so minutes.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes until the middle is no longer soggy and the muffins have absorbed most of the liquid.
Oh heck yes! But wait, it didn't end there! I decided to up the ante and add some delicious and uber naughty date syrup on top for the in-laws. The idea was to warm up the pudding with the date syrup, a glorious fusion of heavenly nom for the individual servings…yissss please! *swoon* I got the date syrup recipe directly from Oh Lady Cakes, and I've been making variations of this for a rather long while (espresso choco date syrup you're on my hit list!).
The bread pudding, freshly made, is still squishy and forgiving in the middle, so poke some holes all round with a toothpick and make sure the date syrup can truly sink into the hot pudding…so divine! It may not be traditional in the sake of being stale bread, thus more porous and all that, and I didn't bother to toast the bits, but I'm sure if I had patience and willpower I could make an actual muffin pudding to 100% replicate the texture and feel of the so-called original, even throwing in some raisins (though it's honestly so sweet for me (and neutrally so I suspect for others) that I would have a true sugar overload!
When we got to the in-laws there were guests that we hadn't been told were coming (though these people are great, so I'm not sad we got more people). My carefully portioned dessert wouldn't work, so we slyly texted my SIL to stop somewhere and quickly buy a pudding or so. One usually should always make more than enough for seconds or what not, but sometimes there's always leftovers so one doesn't feel like that battle of "no, you take it home" vs "oh, no, I insist!" Either way, I'm not fussed! I left a share each for my SIL and her man, Foxtrot, as well as for my in-laws, with one little portion for myself to take home (since Man-thing already stuffed himself at the party).
Sometimes it's good, after all the efforts, to actually sit back and eat one's own food and smile in utter contentment, and realize that one can't make everyone else happy or always induce the same feelings that you yourself experience. Going vegan and learning about what it means on an ethical, moral and practical level means that any food I make is more than just sustenance or something to bring along to an event; it is a conscious choice about saying "yes" to life (against ill-health, diabetes and other dangers) and also "yes" to being positive. What I eat or make for others is never about what I can't do or have or consume; it's about the plethora of choice, and the opportunities for decision. Before going vegan I never made anything to take with to parties or get-togethers. I would show up, eat as much as I could in front of people, and only offer to help "wash up" with the idea of licking bowls clean and making myself look pathetic enough to warrant a take-away. Now I'm happy to make something, even if I know only one out of twenty will eat it, because it's my small way of showing trust, love and happiness. 🙂


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The Al Gore police report is disturbing.
To be specific, it's 67 pages of the quite graphically disturbing, as posted here by Red State.
You are reading the news of this police report — originally filed in October of 2006 — only because the National Enquirer scooped the story. In June of 2010. You did not read it in the Portland Tribune, which has been on this story since 2007 and failed to tell its readers until the Enquirer broke the story. The Tribune's explanation for this is to be found here.
Then there's the interesting news that Kathleen Parker, she the "conservative" columnist who has gained renown in liberal quarters for Palin-bashing, has been selected by CNN to partner (so-to-speak) on a new political chat show with Client Number 9 for a rousing — according to press reports — $700,000. Client Number 9, of course, would be former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, who was identified as such by the investigating feds curious about the ex-crime busting state attorney general's passion for expensive prostitutes. Said passions led to Mr. Spitzer's resignation as governor.
Next up is the recent news that the Washington Post's David Weigel (who has occasionally written here at TAS), hired to blog about conservatives, has resigned after e-mails came to light that suggested he hoped Rush Limbaugh died and said that Matt Drudge should "handle his emotional problems more responsibly and set himself on fire." Not content with this, the Post's longtime media reporter Howard Kurtz tells us Tucker Carlson's Daily Caller has Weigel writing behind the scenes that "conservatives were using the media to 'violently, angrily divide America' and lamenting news organizations' 'need to give equal/extra time to 'real American' views, no matter how [expletive] moronic.'"
Last but not least, the Sunday New York Times of June 5, featured a front-page story in its Sunday Styles section on a Washington book/dinner party hosted by David Frum for Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the considerably brave Somali-activist-turned-Dutch parliamentarian who is now, but of course, the target of the same Islamic jihadist thinking that launched on Salman Rushdie, not to mention the world.
So what do we have here as we look at these four, seemingly unconnected events?
What does the almost three year absence of the Al Gore-Portland-police-problem story from the Portland Tribune, CNN's hiring of Parker, Weigel's resignable sentiments from the Post and the Times story on the Frum party tell us about the state of the Establishment or liberal media — and of conservatives and conservatism itself?
First, the Portland Tribune. The explanation offered for withholding the story sounds eminently reasonable on the surface. Clearly, the paper's editors felt they needed verification of the guts of the story — the information included in a police report about the former Vice President. The problem here is that the existence of a police report is itself a story.
Let's go back to today's granddaddy of political scandal reporting — Watergate. What happened in the first few hours of this story? The Washington Post was tipped off to the story only by a longtime contact who told the paper of — a police report. From that scanty info on a burglary attempt at the Democratic National Committee's Watergate Headquarters, information was published — verified information — almost instantaneously.
What happened next is important. Not understanding exactly what they had on their hands, the two young reporters Woodward and Bernstein did not realize that one of the people they named — James McCord — was "the security coordinator of the Committee for the Re-election of the President." They simply made a rookie mistake and didn't follow up. But what they had done — reporting the basic fact of the police report on the arrest, which was a fact, not speculation — launched the Associated Press on a quest to learn more about Mr. McCord. Then the news was out — and the next piece of the puzzle was provided.
The question here is why didn't the Portland Tribune publish what they had? Well, says the paper, all they had was an unverified police report. What is missed here is that a police report on a former Vice President of the United States — a man who has emerged even in political defeat as one of the most listened to voices on the planet on environmental issues and global warming — existed. The report itself existed. It was fact. And hence news.
Had Woodward and Bernstein held the news of the names of those listed in the Washington, D.C. police report until they could verify that there was some actual confirmation of high level involvement — possibly by the President himself if not his senior staff — Watergate would have fizzled and faded away almost immediately. It was precisely because the initial Post report set off a chain reaction in the media that others — notably the Associated Press in the beginning hours — jumped on to the story and began looking where Woodward and Bernstein had "embarrassingly" (in their later words) failed to look.
The Tribune dismisses as nonsense the idea that they would not have held back if the subject in the Portland police report was named George W. Bush or Dick Cheney. We'll take them at their word. But there is a disturbing problem here nonetheless.
What problem?
The Tribune is owned by Robert B. Pamplin, Jr. of the Pamplin Media Group. And a check of campaign contributions recorded by the Federal Elections Commissions records money donated by various members of the Pamplin family to federal candidates — of both parties. From Democratic Senator Ron Wyden to ex-Republican Senator Gordon Smith, from ex-Democratic Congresswoman Darlene Hooley to the Bush-Cheney campaign, the Pamplin family contributions run the political gamut.
Which means, of course, that whatever else it is or is not, the Portland Tribune is owned by what in this day and age would be called The Establishment. The folks who have their hands politically, socially and financially on the wheel that steers or helps to steer Portland, Oregon.
Rule One for Establishments everywhere is: don't rock the boat.
And by not publishing what was a verifiable fact — which is to say news — that a police report existed placing one of the most powerful people in the American and global Establishment at the scene of a disturbing potential sexual crime, the Tribune signaled on just which side of the power equation it sees itself as sitting. By remaining silent, it was effectively heading off an investigation into Gore's activities from any manner of other media outlets with more resources at their disposal than those available to a small Oregon paper. Just as the printing of the report on James McCord by the Washington Post caused the Associated Press to discover that McCord was not just some hired hand caught in a bad moment. But rather the security coordinator of the re-election campaign for the President of the United States.
In other words, the Tribune seems effectively to have protected the Establishment Mr. Gore because, consciously or not, the paper's instincts themselves are those of the very same Establishment. How, after all, would the paper's owners and reporters be treated in their community by the likes of the Oregon Establishment if seen as prying National Enquirer-style into Al Gore's sex life? Even when the reason for this so-called prying is not peep-hole spying but the hard cold fact that Gore has wound up as the subject of a quite official police report?
WHICH BRINGS US TO CASE NUMBER TWO, CNN's hiring of columnist Parker to pair with Eliot Spitzer. Parker, recall, made some news when she used her post at National Review in 2008 to whack Sarah Palin as being "out of her league." And calling for the Alaska governor to get off the ticket. For this kind of thing, Parker is graced with — what else? — the Pulitzer Prize for commentary. The ultimate symbol of liberal Establishment approval to conservatives — provided they aren't Ann Coulter or Michele Malkin.
The hiring of Parker is a pluperfect example of the way some conservatives try and get ahead — by attacking other conservatives in a fashion that will appeal to the dominant liberal media. Parker's willingness to do this is nothing new. It is a familiar if unseemly trait of some conservatives well recognized over the years, documented most recently in R. Emmett Tyrrell's After the Hangover: The Conservative Road to Recovery.
Not for nothing do Pulitzer judges find themselves aglow at Parker but somehow never quite managed to get around to William F. Buckley. How ever could that be?
This willingness to bend the knee to the liberal media establishment is in fact what makes Parker or any like-acting conservative acceptable to the CNN brass and that of the Establishment media. If Fox News did not exist, would they hire Sean Hannity? To ask the question is to answer it. Notice that this job offer did not find its way, as far as we know, to, say, Ann Coulter or Michele Malkin or Laura Ingraham or any number of conservatives male or female known to conservatives if not to CNN. Does anyone really think CNN would ever offer a $700,000 a year job to any conservative who actually had the brass to defend Sarah Palin? Would that conservative have gotten a Pulitzer for said Palin defense? Are you kidding? Or would CNN have hired anyone who might make the gross breech of televised liberal decorum by saying something that would actually drive Eliot Spitzer over whatever edge he hasn't voluntarily leapt off already? Of course not.
Trailing along in the Parker vapors is the story of Washington Post blogger David Weigel. Now this story is mostly an Inside-the-Beltway story. Our TAS colleague Phil Klein has defended Weigel as a good guy, and there's no reason to think otherwise. No one here is accusing him of heinous crimes against humanity.
What there is reason — more than reason — to think is that Dave Weigel is just the latest example of a "slip-of-the-mask" moment from those who present themselves to conservatives and Americans in general as just your basic impartial journalist. When in fact, beneath the mask of professionalism, they are actively pushing a liberal/left-wing agenda that is anything but impartial.
Mr. Weigel, assigned to cover conservatives in some presumed impartial fashion, turns out — shocker! – to have serious issues with those he covers. In the series of remarks quoted above he shows himself to be a walking stereotype of precisely how conservatives have viewed mainstream media journalists over the years. Smooth and friendly words that hide contempt, coupled with a hilariously overblown sense of moral superiority. Busy supporting liberal agendas that depend on, among other things, the most vividly racial approaches (segregation, for example) to buff up a self-congratulated reputation as a friend to, say, seniors. Like that Social Security program, Senator Bilbo? Thanks for the vote — give our best to the Klan.
Stunningly, without the least sense of apparent irony, the Post Executive Editor said this, according to a story in the Post:
"Dave did excellent work for us," Executive Editor Marcus Brauchli said. But, he said, "we can't have any tolerance for the perception that people are conflicted or bring a bias to their work.…"
One hates to suggest to Mr. Brauchli that he's perhaps…ohhhh…decades late on that score.
If irony were oats there would be enough here to choke a cavalry of horses. But, of course, it's not Dave Weigel's fault he doesn't get it. Only that he got caught. Most conservatives I know think this is standard fare at liberal newspapers — which is why they've mostly stopped reading them. Ditto liberal TV networks. The notion that his executive editor doesn't get it either, or at least says he doesn't, should provide some balm for Weigel.
Outside the Beltway and the herd mentality, I actually wish Dave Weigel, whom I've not met, well. He has a real opportunity here to learn something, pick up his socks and come back as a better journalist. But hopefully he will use this episode as a moment to think through what happened to his once-blossoming career and why.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST is the Frum party for Ayaan Hirsi Ali. So there's no doubt — hooray for throwing her a party. This is a remarkably brave woman willing to speak out at a time of genuine danger for those like herself — and eventually all the rest of us as well if we don't face up to it.
This was not, however, just a dinner party. It was a book party, and for author and book to get known this means media invites. But the way this was played out alas adds to Frum's reputation as one of the more fecklessly inept — someone willing to do almost anything to get publicity, including trashing Rush Limbaugh on the cover of Newsweek even as he knows the only reason he would ever get cover space at even a fading liberal magazine is to trash the number one conservative radio talk show host in the sourest of personal terms.
Sure enough, what was — one assumes — a media invite to cover a dinner party for a notable author and book turned into the typical Times effort at conservative bashing. Which is to say, Mr. Frum invited a batch of conservative friends and guests, only to have them set up for ridicule on the front page of the Sunday Times Style section.
The Party, in Exile snarks writer Pamela Paul of the guests. Ms. Paul, it seems immediately, is clueless about the conservative ascendancy going on just about everywhere outside the Beltway and the newsroom of the New York Times these days. But never mind. Mocked for showing up to honor the author are the "summer frock" crowd of Laura Ingraham, Mona Charen and "Barbara Amiel, the wife of the disgraced media baron Conrad Black, now incarcerated at a Florida prison." Presumably that would be the same Florida prison where Mr. Black heard recently (after the Frum event) that the U.S. Supreme Court decided by a 9-0 vote that he had been wrongly convicted. No word whether Ms. Paul writes stories covering parties with guests such as ex-Times publisher Howell Raines (he of the Jayson Blair scandal) or former President Bill Clinton (of impeachment fame) and appending the prefix "disgraced" to their names.
But guess who else is featured in this gem of a story engineered by Mr. Frum? Really. You'll love this on several levels.
Also present was The Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker, prom-girl pretty and winner of a Pulitzer this spring for "gracefully sharing the experiences and values that lead her to unpredictable conclusions," including a rebuke of Sarah Palin. "Like all the best conservatives, I started off as a liberal," she trilled. In a similar display of the intellectual right's discomfort with Wasilla-brand populism, Ms. Frum mocked a speech by Ms. Palin in April on The Huffington Post. ("There was not a single memorable line, not a single new political idea, not a single proffered solution beyond the cliché.") And lending a poignant immediacy to the rejiggered state of affairs was the Republican Senator Robert Bennett, ousted last month in the Utah primary for his votes on health care and Wall Street reform. A certain kind of nomad, all."
Getting the flavor here? Try as they might, even though Parker is willing to mock Palin and gets a Pulitzer from the Liberal Establishment for sharing her "unpredictable conclusions," even thus Parker is a figure of idiocy to the Times as she "trilled" her way though her latest thoughts "prom-girl pretty." Right alongside the defeated Senator Robert Bennett, upended in Utah by those nasty Outside-the-Beltway tea partiers.
Perhaps most pitifully of all, Mr. Frum — the host in his own home — was written up as having "lost his salaried post at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank, in March, after calling the passage of health care legislation the Republican party's 'Waterloo.'" A dissection of Mr. Frum's problems follows. Ouch.
The point?
What ties all these stories together?
From Al Gore's police reported but media ignored troubles to CNN's big bucks for the trillings of Ms. Pulitzer Parker to the departure of the Washington Post's Weigel and the coverage of Mr. Frum's party — in one form or another we are seeing different threads in the usual pattern of Establishment media or liberal Establishment media bias.
The good news for conservatives is that this kind of thing no longer makes much difference. The Gore story was sniffed out by the relentless Enquirer, which got the goods on John Edwards as everybody else in the liberal media closed their eyes. The Parker-Spitzer pairing will interest a few times while the public's curiosity about Client Number Nine is sated. But hiring a conservative who makes her bones dissing conservatives will not bring a conservative audience to CNN. Why go for the chopped liver when Fox is steak — and there is no obvious intention at CNN to ever deliver steak?
Weigel, one assumes, will be replaced at the Post. But by someone who actually respects the conservatives he covers — or just someone better than Weigel at pretending?
As for Mr. Frum's parties — once again one is left speechless at the idea of deliberately inviting someone whose intent to savage the guests in the coverage of a simple party honoring someone who deserves to be honored was so utterly predictable.
Taken together, these events are a reminder of the kind of nightmarish media world we left behind with the advent of Rush, and the talk world of Sean, Levin, Beck, Fox and the Internet.
The misdeeds of the Gores of the day were ignored, the Weigels of the day reigned supreme, the Parkers and Frums of the day were tokened.
It was the Establishment and liberal media's version of one of the basics of organized crime:
The protection racket.


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Ojai Unified Passes 2011-2012 Budget
By Misty Volaski
Like school boards across California, the Ojai Unified School District finalized its budget for the 2011-2012 school year this week. Cuts and reductions proposed have remained unchanged since the last budget revision, but much of it is based on educated guesses and projections at the state level. The 2011-2012 California State Budget, signed by Gov. Jerry Brown Thursday, closes the state's $26.6 billion deficit by assuming that $4 billion in revenues will be received during the next fiscal year. Should those revenues come in as


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"One Dish" is a regular segment on "Non-Stop," airing weekly on Fuji TV, in which Sakamoto Masayuki (V6) goes to a different district (usually in the Tokyo metro area) to sample food and purchase a certain ingredient for a simple recipe. The following is the interview from Sakamoto Masayuki's "One Dish", a collection of recipes from the show.
The reason I love food
The food I made as an elementary schooler was about 90% bad
My parents own a greengrocery. Both my parents were always busy working, so when I'd come home from school and ask, "is there food?", they'd answer, "there's some in the kettle, isn't there?" Then I'd be all "are you serious, it's just rice!" (laughs). So that's probably the reason I began cooking.
I started off making ojiya.1 That's probably a lot of I made from elementary to high school. Putting miso on rice… I really started from making a really boring, normal ojiya. At the time, I made a lot of different things, but I feel like they were about 90% bad (laughs).
Mom's home cooking was "tomato and egg soup"
When I thought that I wanted to start properly making food, it was when I started living on my own some years later. I'd ask my mom for recipes for the foods I wanted to eat.
The first thing I made was "tomato and egg soup." I'd think "man, I wanna eat that," and call her, and it was so incredibly easy. Even though it's "mom's home cooking" (laughs). To make the tomato soup, you mince the tomatoes, and in onions, and add that to water and consomme, and then you add in a scrambled egg and on top of that, squeeze a lemon. Everyone in V6 has eaten it, too, so it's memorable for me.
I treat people to "boiled righteye flounder"
I just normally started making food a lot. Even though people would say "I'm so busy, though," whenever you want, you can eat the foods with the flavours you want, and it's a piece of cake. It also doesn't cost much (laughs).
But, some years later, I sort of got to be a fanatic about making certain foods; pretty much just nabe (laughs).
We'd been working on a play for about a month straight, and of course our diets got all out of whack. That day, my co-stars and I went to a chanko restaurant and I realized "this is all it takes, just these ingredients?" The preparation and cooking was a cinch, too. So from then on, it turned into the era of me making nabe by myself. People would ask, "isn't that kinda lonely?" but it totally isn't (laughs).
I cook food in the dressing room, too. When we're doing two shows a day — afternoon and evening — I'll make stuff like boiled righteye flounder. After a performance, I'll go buy the fish at the supermarket. I'll have prepared all the other ingredients beforehand, and I'll cook it all in a rice cooker. It's incredibly easy to boil the fish, so I feel really satisfied. The people around me will say, "oh, that smells so good!" I make sure to make enough for everyone.
The food I'm into now
I've been making soumen Okinawan stir fry a lot. I went to this really delicious Okinawan restaurant, and I got really into making it after that. I'll go to an Okinawan grocery store and get ingredients. And after that, I wrap chicken breast meat in ham and cheese, coat it and deep-fry it; it's a cordon bleu. I just recently learned it's called "cordon bleu" (laughs).
You never carry your recipe notebook?!
Before, I'd always carry my notebook with me whenever I'd go out, so when I found something good, I'd be able to write it down. But when I'd switch bags, I'd forget it. So now, I leave my recipe notebook at home, and when I'm out and there's something I'm interested in, I'll write a note to myself. Like, when I'm at a restaurant, or when I'm watching TV, so I want to fill it delicious things I want to try making.
Making food reminds me of making plan models. So I realized that's why I like it
Making the food is my goal
I've loved putting together plan models since back in the day, so since I thought, "oh, this reminds me of making plan models," I've come to like cooking and think of it like that. I generally like cutting and gluing the parts together. When I was watching TV to learn how to be a TV chef, I saw a newbie chef dip a wet towel and salt into a frying pan, and I was like "I wanna do that, too!" Yeah, they used salt; what the hell?! (laughs)
More than just wanting to eat good food, I want to try making good food, and I channel that curiosity for wanting to make things into making food. I like the me who's like a pro chef … or something (laughs).
So I don't take pictures of my food. When I make the food, that's when I feel satisfied. Probably for most people, tasting the food and how it tastes is the goal, but for me, it's before that. Making the food is my goal.
Fixated on his tools
What I'm most interested in is a wooden basket for steaming food. It's really small but you use it to make dim sum. There are things I want, but I haven't bought much lately, I don't think. I wore out a frying pan, so I've been thinking I have to go buy a new one. I really want a wok or small pot or something like that. For making oyakodon2 or katsudon, something like a small pot would be easier to use than some other dedicated type of pot.
More than cooking, I like cookware. See, that's my plan model senses again (laughs). I use my boat3 when I make hand-rolled sushi, and I probably have about … 5 nabe pots? I've got regular nabe pots and edible ones, and then I've collected other ones that I got interested and bought, like a square nabe pot. And also a huge oden pot like you'd see in a restaurant (laughs).
My philosophy is that the same goes for cooking: it's never interesting without that little something extra. When a friend calls me, I get so excited as though I were opening a restaurant. I should probably try hanging one of those wooden "open" signs up at my house or something.
If I were to make food for someone I liked, it'd probably be lunch
If I were to make food for someone I liked
I'd probably make them lunch rather than dinner … Well, that's what I'm better at making. I of course want to make them whatever they say they want to eat. It's such a pain when they say "anything is fine." And then, no matter what I make, they complain (laughs).
But I do get pretty into stuff. I'm sort of extreme (laughs). I think like, "what sort of courses should I make?" and that sort of thing. Should I do soup first, or appetizers? … but even if I don't have that sort of power, I can be pretty outrageous, so I'd probably honestly just go with lunch.
What I'd want the person I like to make for me
Now that, that I worry about. I like Japanese food, so probably that. But, if they were to line up the foods I like for me on my dining room table, it'd probably turn brown (laughs). I like cooking, so having someone treat me … is hard, and I get that, so I don't think I'd ask them to.
Even if they make food for me and it doesn't match up with what I like, I still won't say "this isn't good." If we were making it together and then eating together, you can get the taste, right? So I would say, "this is sort of bland" or "wanna try adding some salt" And then after we ate, "I think you should add a little more next time." Without being limited by the taste, my ideal is to have a relationship where you can be empathetic no matter what.
My last meal was rice with ponzu!
I'm way too obsessed with ponzu (laughs). I put it on shabu-shabu meat, and then putting that on top of rice — it's a one-hopper4. And then if you put a little of the ponzu on the rice, it's so friggin delicious. Sprinkling on the ponzu gives the rice a lot of impact. People often ask me "is that all you put on it?" and so that's why it was my last meal (laughs).
I love rice, so I love a simple onigiri with just salt. When I have my friends over for a party, that's the last thing I'll put out. I'll see how things are going and throw some rice in the nabe pot and cook it up. It's gotten quite a reputation!
Getting my first regular cooking show, "One Dish"
"One Dish," begun in 2012!
When I first heard about starting the show, I was just full of questions. Why me? When everyone thinks of food when it comes to V6, they think of Nagano. But when I asked, he's more eating, I'm more cooking. So when they said that, I was like "oh, right," and I thought I'd try doing it.
Actually starting the show, I was so nervous during the first episode. Just feeling like "aaaaah." Neither the staff nor I really knew how the show was going to proceed, so I was fumbling around a lot. I don't want to rewatch it. I don't want to go back to how I was back then (laughs).
My skill with cooking now…
I've had to make a lot of different foods, and I've probably made over 100 by now, so I'd like to think that, as you'd expect, I've gotten better (laughs). More than that, I think I've become more serious when it comes to cooking. And it's fine if I'm not perfect, or if I can't do it exactly like the cookbook. I can give myself some leeway. That's huge.
Compiling as yet unknown stories that left an impression
When I'm making okonomiyaki or an omelette, I don't know if it'll flip well or not, so it's like I've got one shot, and that's pretty neat. Everyone's paying attention, and it's like "if I mess this up, what will happen?" But I haven't yet. I'm really good on camera, so I must be a star, right? (laughs)
But I have messed up before. When I was preparing horse mackerel, for some reaason I had to stick my knife into a weird place. So the day before, I bought some and practiced at my house but I still couldn't get it. So when I stuck my knife in when we were filming, the staff froze, and my mind just went blank. I thought they must be screwing with me; I'd tried so hard up until that point (laughs). But as I expected, we had to redo it, and they yelled out "sorry, let's do it again!"
My suggestion for how to get everyone interested in cooking
On "One Dish," we only have simple food. For me, when there's a lot of seasonings or steps involved, I'll lose interest and just go "screw it, I can't make this!" So, I think I only want to make things that I think I could make.
Things I want to try doing now
I want to make an original pizza, and also go out on a boat and go deep sea fishing — catch the fish, prep it, and then cook it. I love manila clams, so I want to try clamming, too. While I'm sharpening my cooking skills, it would be good if I could gain a deeper interest in the ingredients.
. notes .
01. Rice gruel with veggies and fish, seasoned with miso and soy sauce
02. Chicken and half-cooked egg over rice. Super delicious. Great for when you're sick
03. 舟盛り (funamori), boat wrap sushi. He showed it off on "Meringue no Kimochi" (the one with Koyama) and talked about it on "Arashi ni Shiyagare" at the Leader nomikai. It's literally a boat that you put food on.
04. A one-hopper is a baseball term for when someone hits you a grounder and you catch it after one bounce.


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Just as important as having real flair and talent, she is exceptionally easy to get along with and both contractors and clients enjoy working with her. She delivers on time and to budget; the entire experience is completely hassle free and everyone ends up delighted with the effects she creates. A real star"
Vanessa Church (Church and Rose Designers)
"Thank you so much for an outstanding result! I am thrilled with your transformation of the swimming pool dome into something altogether more magical and powerful.
Thank you for doing everything so calmly, cleanly and with such great humour!"
Private client, Holland park
"Jo has been working for our company for many years. She most recently assisted us for a contract at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London where she carried out stenciling and gold lettering to the lecture theatre. Her work is always impeccable and the museum was highly satisfied with the work she carried out."
Andrew McGregor, contracts manager for Marble Contracting UK ltd
"If you are looking for a skilful artist then look no further than Jo. I have been working with her for over 15 years and she is extremely knowledgeable, her work is of a very high standard and she is totally reliable."
Pier Casorerio, interior designer
Belgravia Restorations ltd has been working with Joanne Poulton Specialist Decorations over the past ten years. We find Jo extremely professional and accommodating, achieving the high standards expected from our high profile clients.
We look forward to working with Jo on future projects.
Gary Nason, company director.
I am absolutely thrilled to have attended Joanne's class on plaster and polish effects.. I flew in specially for this class from India and must say that I certainly did not regret
Jo has a vibrant personality and this reflects in the ease with which she teaches the students.. I must say that for a complete beginner like me she was the most patient
teacher and her easy style of teaching ensured that I picked up the technique without much trouble..
Completely recommend thee classes for anyone wanting to learn some absolutely innovative techniques ( both for beginners and professionals)..
I will certainly try and attend some of her other classes as well..
Sonal Gupta ( India)
I just wanted to say Thank you for such a Fantastic course today (paint effects 1). I learnt a lot and wish I had done this a long time ago. I look forward to practising (practice makes perfect!!) and attending your paint effects 2 and marbling courses but then again I'll more than likely do all of your courses as I found today's course to be extremely well put together and delivered as well as outstanding value for money. It goes without saying that I will highly recommend you to all.
Dave, DFP Building Services.
I was looking into doing wood graining and marbling courses to broaden my skills base as a painter and decorator, when I happened upon Joanne's website. The examples of her work looked impressive and the course prices were very reasonable, so I decided to give her a call.
I needed to do the Paint Effects 1 course first, which If I'm honest, I saw more as just a means of getting onto the other courses. I had always viewed paint effects as being a bit dated and wacky. However I am happy to say Joanne completely changed my mind!
I came away, really exited at the endless possibilities there were, and how with good choice of colour, just how funky and modern these techniques could be.
Joanne is a friendly, fun and enthusiastic teacher, and I can't wait for the next course!
Ellen Wilkenson, Decorator
Thanks for a great weekend - the learning was great and also the atmosphere was fun and lively, which added to it. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and felt that it was time and energy well spent.
Your positive, open and generous way of presenting set a really good example and put everyone at ease - ready to make the best of what you were sharing and to enjoy the process.
Michael Ashby, Zensplash Web Design
I have completed all of Joanne's courses this year (2012) and I feel completely happy and satisfied that I learnt what I wanted to. I feel confident I can pursue my dream career as a specialist decorator and put it all in to practice now. Joanne's courses are friendly and fun and I could not think of a better way to enjoy my Saturdays. Also, along the way I met some lovely people who are like minded and share similar interests in specialist decorating, of all ages and sexes, from professional decorators and plasterers, to D.I.Y enthusiasts. Thank you Joanne for everything, I hope you create some new courses for next year.
David Gouveia/ Painter & Decorator @ AJ Building Services/ London
I am still so excited from the Paint effects class today, I can't wait to try out what I have learnt, please count me in on all your other classes...... thanks for a fun and informative class.
Viki Mabrey
I attended the Polished Plastering training. Joanne was the ultimate Professional. Her delivery of the subject and knowledge was outstanding.
I recommend this course to all in the Decorative and Plastering Application industry. It is an effective and very enjoyable skill to learn and apply.The finished effects are outstanding, and with the professionalism and fantastic teaching of Joanne it made my course so enjoyable and rewarding.
Also I came away with sample boards with all the applications taught, to show my clients the types of Polished Plastering effects I now can deliver and apply.
Thank you Joanne for such a enjoyable and constructive course. A must !!
Ian Marsh / IDM Plastering Services
"The Venetian polished plaster training courses are great, Joanne is a fast, effective, informed professional who teaches an incredible decorating process so competently that in 2 days I felt completely confident of being able to reproduce all the Venetian plaster effects and could truly understand the amazing possibilities.
I left with a huge range of samples, and full of inspiration.
A dream course for anyone interested in this incredible process."
Sam McEwan, Artist, London
"I've just completed one of the polished plaster training courses, this is a perfect place to go if you want to learn new skills, as a painter and decorator I wanted to offer my clients something more exciting, the course did not disappoint and I left with a great range of samples. Joanne understands individual expectations, I am very satisfied and would highly recommend this course."
Mariusz Kaluza, Painter and Decorator, London
"Thank you very much for the two day polished plaster training courses at Acava Studios. I very much enjoyed learning about the products and techniques involved in applying them to create such fantastic finishes. Everybody has been most impressed with the sample boards that I produced. You were a great teacher and the whole two days was of great benefit and really good fun.
Please keep in touch and let me know of any other courses in the future that you are running, and that I might benefit from."
Roger Lanaway, Painter and Decorator, London
Venetian Plaster Courses London | Polished Plaster courses London


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Runchkins LLC ("Runchkins") operates the website runchkins.com. It is Runchkins's policy to respect your privacy regarding any information we may collect while operating our website.
Like most website operators, Runchkins collects non-personally-identifying information of the sort that web browsers and servers typically make available, such as the browser type, language preference, referring site, and the date and time of each visitor request. Runchkins's purpose in collecting non-personally identifying information is to better understand how Runchkins's visitors use its website. From time to time, Runchkins may release non-personally-identifying information in the aggregate, e.g., by publishing a report on trends in the usage of its website.
Runchkins also collects potentially personally-identifying information like Internet Protocol (IP) addresses for logged in users and for users visiting our website. Runchkins only discloses logged in user and visitor IP addresses under the same circumstances that it uses and discloses personally-identifying information as described below.
Certain visitors to Runchkins's websites choose to interact with Runchkins in ways that require Runchkins to gather personally-identifying information. The amount and type of information that Runchkins gathers depends on the nature of the interaction. For example, we ask visitors who sign up for Runchkins to provide their name and email address. Those who engage in transactions with Runchkins – by purchasing Runchkins clothing, for example – are asked to provide additional information, including as necessary the personal and financial information required to process those transactions. In each case, Runchkins collects such information only insofar as is necessary or appropriate to fulfill the purpose of the visitor's interaction with Runchkins. Runchkins does not disclose personally-identifying information other than as described below. And visitors can always refuse to supply personally-identifying information, with the caveat that it may prevent them from engaging in certain service-related activities.
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Runchkins discloses potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information only to those of its employees, contractors and affiliated organizations that (i) need to know that information in order to process it on Runchkins's behalf or to provide services available at Runchkins's websites, and (ii) that have agreed not to disclose it to others. Some of those employees, contractors and affiliated organizations may be located outside of your home country; by using Runchkins's websites, you consent to the transfer of such information to them. Runchkins will not rent or sell potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information to anyone. Other than to its employees, contractors and affiliated organizations, as described above, Runchkins discloses potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information only in response to a subpoena, court order or other governmental request, or when Runchkins believes in good faith that disclosure is reasonably necessary to protect the property or rights of Runchkins, third parties or the public at large. If you are a registered user of an Runchkins website and have supplied your email address, Runchkins may occasionally send you an email to tell you about new features, solicit your feedback, or just keep you up to date with what's going on with Runchkins and our products. If you send us a request (for example via a support email or via one of our feedback mechanisms), we reserve the right to publish it in order to help us clarify or respond to your request or to help us support other users. Runchkins takes all measures reasonably necessary to protect against the unauthorized access, use, alteration or destruction of potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information.
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If Runchkins, or substantially all of its assets, were acquired, or in the unlikely event that Runchkins goes out of business or enters bankruptcy, user information would be one of the assets that is transferred or acquired by a third party. You acknowledge that such transfers may occur, and that any acquirer of Runchkins may continue to use your personal information as set forth in this policy.
Although most changes are likely to be minor, Runchkins may change its Privacy Policy from time to time, and in Runchkins's sole discretion. Runchkins encourages visitors to frequently check this page for any changes to its Privacy Policy. Your continued use of this site after any change in this Privacy Policy will constitute your acceptance of such change.Change log:


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New Honda Jazz Color Options And Review. New Honda Jazz is equipped with a function of tilt & telescopic steering wheel adjustment to suit the driver. Inside the cabin more so with the latest audio system which is able to play songs with the MP3 format, WMA and WAV. In addition, this tool can be connected with digital music devices such as iPod, iPhone, BlackBerry, USB or MP3 player.
For machinery, the latest model is no change. Jazz still equipped engine 1.5-liter i-VTEC engine that can produce maximum power of 120 PS at 6600 rpm and torque of 14.8 kgm at 4800 rpm range.
Braking system has been using ABS and EBD systems. While airbags feature specific to New Honda Jazz RS type. Offered in 8 colors, including Abalaster Silver Metallic, polished Metal Metallic, Crystal Black Pearl, Brilliant White Pearl, Pearl Rallye Red, Cerulean Blue Metallic, and two new colors Fresh Lime Green Metallic and Midnight Blue Pearl.
Regarding prices, the new Honda Jazz dibanderol Rp198, 5 million for type S Manual and Rp208, 5 million to S Auto. While the RS type Manual pegged Rp214 million while the automatic version of Rp224 million.
source : okezone.com


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I saw your name pop up on Kate's blog (Stripes and Polka Dots) and I always get excited when I notice a blogger who is Canadian!! Especially ones that talk about camping. I am glad I stopped over.
from the desk
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Several ladies at the annual La Cañada Thursday Club Spring Benefit told me that last week's column ("Around Town: Comparing apples and oranges?") was totally unclear.
"Anita," asked a nice lady, "are you for or against the proposed policy?"
"Can't you tell?" I replied.
Five minutes later, another club member approached. "I didn't understand your column today. Are you for or against the policy?"
And so it went.
Let me speak clearly. I would vote "no" on the proposed policy that would allow the La Cañada Unified School District to ignore citizen complaints about teacher misfeasance.


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Ask the Experts
Ask the Experts
5 ways to improve call center agent performance
Side-by-side evaluations, reinforcement, training resources and coaching can help wayward contact center agents improve performance and catch up to the pack. Continue Reading
The role and responsibilities of a customer relationship manager
The customer relationship manager has a challenging and ever-evolving role to play when it comes to optimizing the customer experience. Continue Reading
What do GDPR principles mean for CRM data management?
Avoiding General Data Protection Regulation penalties means getting your CRM compliance program in order before the sweeping regulation goes into effect late this spring. Continue Reading
Which tools should we use for marketing automation for SMBs?
Small and medium-sized businesses looking to implement marketing automation should start with email, social media and internal communications tools, according to expert Matt James. Continue Reading
What are benefits of Microsoft Teams collaboration for call centers?
Call centers are replacing landline-based PBX systems with VoIP platforms, freeing agents to work from anywhere. Microsoft's offering is one platform option. Continue Reading
Nine skills every call center agent job requires
Call center agents need to make sure they have the skills for which hiring managers are looking. Here are the top call center agent job skills you'll need to land a job in a contact center. Continue Reading
How to calculate abandoned call rate for a contact center
Experts offer an abandoned call formula and advice on what to include when calculating call abandonment rates. Continue Reading
What should I tell my CEO in a comparison of CRM software?
I have a presentation to give to the C-suite explaining differences among Pegasystems, Microsoft, SAP and Oracle CRM. How do I do that? Continue Reading
How do we choose a CRM system for small business?
The largest companies can choose the largest CRM platforms, but what's left for small- and medium-sized businesses? How should they choose the right systems? Continue Reading
What problems need solving to create smoother customer interactions?
While many factors can make or break a sales-service platform merge, three challenges stand out when combining service, sales strategies. Continue Reading
Why do we need the CRM platform wars in the enterprise?
The platform wars between Microsoft, Salesforce, SAP, etc., feed innovation in the marketplace, but they can also be detrimental to the cause. Continue Reading
How advantageous is Microsoft's ERP-CRM integration within the market?
With the ERP-CRM integration, Microsoft may have a leg up in the Salesforce arena, where Salesforce has dominated in CRM but hasn't grabbed a foothold in the ERP space. Continue Reading
How does data insight remove human bias from customer research?
Integrating IoT analytics with supply chain management helps create an efficient and successful customer experience by utilizing data insight not found anywhere else. Continue Reading
How do IoT analytics enhance customer experience with quality data?
IoT analytics helps companies create a better customer experience by providing quality data that allows for the reduction of costs and a more efficient work day. Continue Reading
How will Microsoft Dynamics 365 benefit the enterprise marketplace?
Is Microsoft Dynamics 365's role in the enterprise marketplace actually beneficial for users? Expert Brent Leary discusses Microsoft's upcoming product. Continue Reading


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Farm Festival
Our 2nd annual farm festival has been postponed until further notice. Check back frequently for more upcoming details about the festival, or visit our Facebook page for the latest news!
In Stores
At Market
Or Call Us at the Farm:
828-429-9312 Cell
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Nature is a popular interior decorating theme, and the term "bringing the outside in" is often used to describe using natural features like plants and rocks inside—but what about "bringing the inside out"?
A contemporary look has clean, understated lines and a limited color palate with bold graphics. This style can liven up a generic ranch house, complement a modern home design or provide an interesting contrast to a historical house style that also boasts clean lines, such as craftsman. When choosing contemporary furniture, look for metal designs or all-weather wicker with a sleek, sculptural design, says Voyles. If you prefer wood, go for teak, which tends to come in contemporary designs.
About Us
Serve you with pleasure, Tvolves proudly presented its first inspiration in 2017. We're kitchen design and outdoor furniture enthusiasts, just like you. Today we're going to have more than 1,000 unique articles with more than 15,000 pictures & ideas …so We are pretty sure that you can find everything you want here. The primary focus of this interior ideas publication is to give you inspiration to make your home, your furniture, or your patio space more beautiful, organized and healthy. We believe that a calm, healthy also beautiful home is a necessary foundation for happiness and success in the world.
© 2005-2019 Tvolves. Reproduction without explicit permission is prohibited. All Rights Reserved.


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Interview with Man who Pulled Dickson Passengers Out of Crashed Plane
Stream WZTV Fox 17 Newscasts LIVE starting with Fox 17 This Morning at 5am and News at 9pm.
Our reporter Erika Kurre spoke with Duane Lovelady. Lovelady pulled the passengers out of the plane that crashed in Helena, Ala. Thursday afternoon. The plane was flying from Florida to Dickson, Tenn. Lovelady was working on his lawnmower before the incident.
RELATED: 4 from Dickson Survive Plane Crash in Alabama
DOWNLOAD OUR APPS:NEWS: iPhone/iPad | AndroidWEATHER: iPhone | iPad | Android MORNING: iPhone/iPad | Android
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Feed the Creatives is a TGSOT original series spotlighting young Black + minority brand/business owners. A crash course in dream-chasing, where you can get inspiration + advice on starting your own and igniting those entrepreneurial spirits within. Because… why not?
"Outkast my whole life so I decide to dress like André" is the first thing you'll see when you visit her Instagram, a nod to one of her major style inspirations, André 3000 of Outkast, and a tagline true to her eclectic and individualistic style. If "You Fake Like This Birkin" rings a bell, so should Sonique Saturday. The Atlanta native turned L.A. socialite whose pieces have been seen on a slew of A-listers and Hollywood VIPs including the iconic Erykah Badu, Tracy Ellis Ross, Meagan Good, and Amber Rose, wears many hats—blogger, fashion stylist, handbag designer, and celebrity stylist.
The "You Fake Like This Birkin" handbag creator is a maximalist fashionista and ironically, a lover of minimalist manicures. Her mix of menswear with subtle feminine twists, oversized silhouettes on her petite modelesque frame, and standout prints, patterns, and colors pulled me into her feed, along with the perfect marriage of aesthetic and always-on-point photography. As a natural girl, I initially came for the curly-top 'fro (often complemented by streaks of brightly colored hair) but I stayed for the shameless, punky cool-girl style and overall feel-good vibe.
Sonique hosts online pop-up shops every weekend, where she sells her hand-painted bags that don cheeky phrases like, "No One Cares. Work Harder," "I Lost My Real Dior," "You Used To Buy Me Real Hermes," "Pizza > You," "You Wear Designers Just to Fit In," and "Your Dad Bought This." Her limited edition "You the Type to Ask Celebs for Selfies" trench coat was spotted on Erykah Badu during the 2015 Soul Train Awards.
In every avenue of her career, Sonique aims to inspire people to live out their dreams, while simultaneously showing them that your dreams can require hard work.
On her start:
"I got started doing my handbags in college. I was taking a trip and wanted a universal bag to wear with every outfit, mood, and season. I just wanted that one bag that I could put all my junk in and just go, and I couldn't find it. Long story short, I made it."
On her inspiration to launch Sonique Saturday:
"When I got back to school, I wore the bag around the campus yard. Within my circle, so many were like, 'I want that bag. Make me one.' It kind of just turned into something, like most businesses do. It turned from a hobby into my side job, and my side job turned into my career. So it's really a dream come true. I know it sounds very fairytale, but that's basically what happened."
On the most difficult + most rewarding part of running your own brand:
"Being an entrepreneur in itself is both the hardest part, and the most rewarding part about running my own brand. The most obvious advantage is the opportunity to be your own boss. Being in charge and making the important decisions regarding your business can be fulfilling, but it can also be challenging."
On her daily motivation to keep going despite all odds:
"Prayer. My faith keeps me believing that I can continue. If one door slams in my face, I know through God and my faith that two or three more will open."
Advice to fellow young people looking to start A brand/business:
"You don't need anyone to make it. People are going to help you along the way. It's just human nature to help each other out. So help is going to come, but you need to work as if help is not in existence; as if help is not on option. I think a lot of young designers don't want to start from the bottom. It's the best way to start from the bottom because once you do make it, and you will, you're going to make it to the top. I don't care if you're making shoestrings for a living. If you keep making shoestrings, people are going to constantly be outsourcing your supplies, period! So it doesn't matter what you're doing, as long as you keep doing it, you're going to be successful."
Sonique has inspired many with her hand-painted designs, and bags attempting to mimic hers continue to swirl around the Internet, as supporters and friends point out on social media. Even Gucci was accused of stealing her concept last year, but it seems the replicas can never get the best of this prospering indie designer.
Shop her handbags + visit her blog or connect with her on Instagram.
If you would like to be considered for a Feed the Creatives feature, please inquire via contact form below.


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This numbered edition Canvas Print, designed by Stefania Piredda - Giffyart, comes with a numbered and signed certificate of authenticity. Ready to hang, this image is printed onto a 450gsm white finish, 100% cotton canvas and stretched over 1.5" deep wood stretcher bars (3/4" for XS). Each print comes with wall hanging hardware.
Incredible discovery of the essence of nature. Technique: photo manipulation
Latina, Italy


text: LOCAL Weather station to get upgrade High above the National Weather Service office in Syracuse, a giant ball sits at the top of a metal tower. It's called a WSR-88D, and for the men and women who spend their days and nights in the NWS office, it is a radar system that works like a giant eyeball to help them see the weather that threatens Michiana -- before it gets here. This month, the unit is getting the radar equivalent of Lasik surgery, in a set of upgrades that will likely allow the unit to "see" better by making future upgrades easier and more cost-effective. B1 State study: Tobacco sales to youth hit record low Indiana tobacco retailers are growing increasingly diligent in refusing to sell cigarettes to minors, with a record low 12.7 percent of the state's stores selling to those under 18 years old in 2004, a report released Tuesday found. The state's Tobacco Retailer Inspection Program's findings show a sharp decline in tobacco sales to minors since 2000, when unannounced inspections found 40 percent of tobacco outlets that were examined permitted the sales. B8 Teachers union sues over school money The Indiana State Teachers Association plans to file a lawsuit claiming that Indiana is not providing enough money for many public schools to meet higher academic standards and reach adequate performance levels. B8 BUSINESS Meijer, GM to expand E85 fuel availability Meijer Inc. and General Motors Corp. plan to cooperate to make E85 fuel available at about 20 of the discount chain's gas stations in Michigan. Indiana also hopes to expand the availability of the fuel, which is 85 percent ethanol. C10


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Becoming an EESS member entitles you to particular benefits. For example you will get access to certain events and industry nights. To join, pay via PayPal after completing the form below (a payment button will show after submitting) - ensure the information used is consistent between the PayPal transaction and the form. Please ensure you complete both these steps, if no payment is received within 3 business days of completing an application form, the current application will be cancelled. Note: the current membership fee is $5 and applies to 2018 only, you must be a QUT student to sign up.
If you would prefer to meet an executive in person and pay that way, please contact us and we'll arrange a suitable time to meet.
Reminder: If no payment is received within 3 business days, the application will be cancelled.


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Charles Krauthhammer defends Paul Ryan's budget plan, which Democrats are decrying in apocalyptic terms for the way it slashes the budget, even though that will not be enough to balance the budget until 2040! That's how bad our deficit is!
The conventional line of attack on Ryan's plan is already taking shape: It cuts poverty programs and "privatizes" Medicare in order to cut taxes for the rich.
Major demagoguery on all three counts.
(1) The reforms of the poverty programs are meant to change an incentive structure that today perversely encourages states to inflate the number of dependents (because the states then get more "free" federal matching money) and also encourages individuals to stay on the dole. The 1996 welfare reform was similarly designed to reverse that entitlement's powerful incentives to dependency. Ryan's idea is to extend the same logic of rewarding work to the non-cash parts of the poverty program — from food stamps to public housing.
When you hear this being denounced as throwing the poor in the snow, remember that these same charges were hurled with equal fury in 1996. President Clinton's own assistant health and human services secretary, Peter Edelman, resigned in protest, predicting that abolishing welfare would throw a million children into poverty. On the contrary. Within five years child poverty had declined by more than 2.5 million — one of the reasons the 1996 welfare reform is considered one of the social policy successes of our time.
(2) Critics are describing Ryan's Medicare reform as privatization, a deliberately loaded term designed to instantly discredit the idea. Yet the idea is essentially to apply to all of Medicare the system under which Medicare Part D has been such a success: a guaranteed insurance subsidy. Thus instead of paying the health provider directly (fee-for-service), Medicare would give seniors about $15,000 of "premium support," letting the recipient choose among a menu of approved health insurance plans.
Call this privatization if you like, but then would you call the Part D prescription benefit "privatized"? If so, there's a lot to be said for it. Part D is both popular and successful. It actually beat its cost projections — a near miraculous exception to just about every health-care program known to man.Under Ryan's plan, everyone 55 and over is unaffected. Younger workers get the insurance subsidy starting in 2022. By eventually ending the current fee-for-service system that drives up demand and therefore prices, this reform is far more likely to ensure the survival of Medicare than the current near-insolvent system.
(3) The final charge — cutting taxes for the rich — is the most scurrilous. That would be the same as calling the Ronald Reagan-Bill Bradley 1986 tax reform "cutting taxes for the rich." In fact, it was designed for revenue neutrality. It cut rates — and for everyone— by eliminating loopholes, including corrupt exemptions and economically counterproductive tax expenditures, to yield what is generally considered by left and right an extraordinarily successful piece of economic legislation.
Ryan's plan is classic tax reform — which even Obama says the country needs: It broadens the tax base by eliminating loopholes that, in turn, provide the revenue for reducing rates. Tax reform is one of those rare public policies that produce social fairness and economic efficiency at the same time. For both corporate and individual taxes, Ryan's plan performs the desperately needed task of cleaning out the myriad of accumulated cutouts and loopholes that have choked the tax code since 1986.
Ryan's overall plan tilts at every windmill imaginable, including corporate welfare and agricultural subsidies. The only thing left out is Social Security. Which proves only that Ryan is not completely suicidal.
But the blueprint is brave and profoundly forward-looking. It seeks nothing less than to adapt the currently unsustainable welfare state to the demographic realities of the 21st century. Will it survive the inevitable barrage of mindless, election-driven, 30-second attack ads (see above)? Alternate question: Does Obama have half of Ryan's courage?
via After Ryan's leap, a rush of deficit demagoguery – The Washington Post.