text:
blinding flashes of intellect...just a little too late.
Morning Flights
Shortly after I finish making the morning coffee and setting the table for breakfast, I go back downstairs to shower and dress.
Within moments, the morning quiet is shattered by the sound of Israeli fighter jets flying overhead... not at all a normal thing at this hour of the day.
One part of my sleepy mind observes that with Turkey now denying us use of their airspace for training, it is probably just a training exercise. Probably.
But as I go back to the dining room 15 minutes later to distribute goodbye kisses, I can still hear the jets continuing to pass overhead.... one after another.
ONce outside, while warming up my scooter and putting on my helmet and gloves, I look up into the robbin's-egg blue sky overhead and can see them quite clearly - one F-16 after another, flying in single file - streaking due north.
I really hope this is just a training exercise. But even if it turns out to be an operation over one of our northern neighbors, the news won't report it for at least a few hours.
Note to self: Check the news sites at lunchtime.
UPDATE: Seems like it was nothing (tfu, tfu tfu).
Posted by David Bogner on April 29, 2010 | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack
What they didn't teach us in motorcycle safety school
The class where the instructor spent nearly half an hour discussing riding safety apparel (while we all sat looking longingly at the shiny scooters and motorcycles lined up behind him) seemed deliberately evil.
As he droned on about riding jackets, gloves, helmet construction, full-face vs. 3/4, the improved visibility to be had from cleaning bug spatter off the face shield before each ride, and about flipping up the face shield when stopped at a light to avoid fogging it up with your breath... we all struggled with our impatience and nodded dutifully in all the right places.
All those obstacle course hours and endless slaloms/figure eights between orange cones prepared us well to deftly avoid potholes, roadkill, suicidal pedestrians, feral dogs, brainless partridges and scattered piles of sheep and donkey sh!t.
Those über-slow riding exercises, teetering on the verge of falling over, that we found so mind-crushingly boring have proven invaluable for riding in stopped traffic, lane splitting and balancing my scoot for those last few milliseconds before the light turns green.
The emergency braking drills that we did over and over and over again - on dry pavement, wet pavement and pavement soaked with motor oil - helped us understand, identify and experience the outer limits of traction... and also hammered home that there is an important difference in the use and function of the front and rear brakes.
The additional segment where they taught us not to panic in case of attacks with rocks or Molotov cocktails; the one where the instructors tossed water balloons at us and had us ride through puddles of burning gasoline, was an eye-opener (my wife had done that segment in a car a few years ago). But in the back of my mind I felt it was like taking boxing or Judo lessons in preparation for a street fight.
But now that I am riding nearly every day, I am truly grateful for all those skills whose acquisition seemed so dull and impractical while I was yearning to get that motorcycle endorsement on my driver's license. The safety course has certainly made me a better, safer driver than I otherwise would have been... and has prepared me to share the road with people who are anything but safe.
However, in light of recent experience, I'm just a little disappointed that the instructors didn't find a moment during all those theory and riding hours to mention - even once! - the strategy and mechanics of sneezing inside a full face helmet at highway speeds. I feel that at some point they should have found the time to prepare us for the possibility that if we don't do it exactly right, we might end up riding for an indefinite period of time while squinting at the world through the freshly evacuated contents of our sinus cavities.
Posted by David Bogner on April 28, 2010 | Permalink | Comments (21) | TrackBack
A moment that only a few of you will fully understand/appreciate
One of the many hats I wear at work is that of liaison between my company and the many visiting military officers from countries with which we do business. My fluency in english, previous service in the U.S. military, and current role in marketing/customer service make this both a natural assignment and a good fit.
However, (and here's where I will probably lose many of you who haven't served in the military), at some point whenever former / current military people get together, an informal exchange of personal information (also known as trading war/sea stories depending on what branch of the service you served in), takes place which is essential to helping size each other up.
This process of exchanging information becomes doubly important if one or both people is out of uniform, since the clues that would normally be gleaned at a glance (branch of service, rate/rank, qualifications, awards/medals, etc.) have to be given over long-hand.
For example, within five seconds of meeting someone in a military uniform, I can tell what country they are from, how senior they are, and can usually surmise from their ribbons and badges what kind of training/responsibilities they've had and how 'colorful' a career they've led so far.
In the military, anytime you are in uniform and meet a commissioned officer outside who is senior to you, you are required to salute them first... and then they will acknowledge your salute with one of their own. As an enlisted man (I was honorably discharged after four years in the Navy as a Petty Officer Second Class), I pretty much had to salute all officers.
And in my experience, fraternization between officers and enlisted personnel was frowned upon (although I counted a couple of officers among my friends, back in the day).
I mention all this background because almost all of the officers I deal with on a professional basis these days are field grade, or or even flag officers. And once the informal exchange of information I described above takes place, there is the occasional 'coolness' that results from the revelation that I was not an officer. It isn't rudeness or a deliberate snub, mind you. There is just a certain camaraderie among brother officers... very much the way there is a similar kinship among senior non-coms.
In recent months I have had the privilege of working closely with several high ranking foreign naval officers who have been stationed in Israel on a joint project with us. In addition to the work-day contact, I have also shown them around, hosted them in my home and spent a lot of time explaining our culture to them.
For the most part the rapport between us has been excellent, and I have not felt any reserve on their part when, in the course of exchanging stories, they figure out I was an enlisted man. But there is one officer who seemed a bit more aloof when he found out I was a petty officer... and I couldn't help noticing that he was decidedly cool towards me for a few days after we had first exchanged 'sea stories'.
After a while he must have come around (or I stopped noticing the distance), because our daily meetings and frequent contact became very natural and cordial. But I couldn't help noticing that he didn't exchange any more sea stories with me either.
Yesterday was this particular officer's last day with us, and I had asked him to stop by my office on his way out so I could say goodbye. But when the appointed time came and went without his arrival, I started to get concerned. I didn't think he would snub me... but I was concerned that he'd miss the ride I'd arranged for him to the airport.
As I reached for my cell phone, it rang... and it was the departing officer. He asked me if I would step outside for a moment.
"Outside?" I asked him. "Where, outside?"
"Just out in front of your building", he replied.
I went to the door and saw him standing at rigid attention just in front of my building's entrance. When I stepped outside he locked his eyes on me, snapped a formal salute, and held it.
I was a bit stunned. First of all, this was a bit unorthodox since I wasn't in uniform. But more importantly, he was a senior field grade officer... certainly not someone who should salute me first (if at all). But after a long moment when I saw he wasn't going to release his salute until I reacted, I snapped a respectful salute in return....upon which he released his own and allowed his serious face to break into a broad grin.
He came forward and shook my hand warmly and then drew me into a bear hug. After he had thanked me for all my help on the project, and for making him feel at home in Israel, he gave me a small gift and a slip of paper on which was written his home address and phone number... with what I'm certain was a sincere invitation to visit him and his family when I am next in his country.
The gift he gave me is still wrapped on my desk. It does't really matter what it is. The real gift was the respect that was exchanged between us outside... something intangible but priceless that will probably remain a complete mystery to anyone who has never served in uniform.
No self-confidence issues here!
This morning at 5:45 AM when I was making the coffee and setting the table for breakfast, I was surprised to see Yonah come padding downstairs to join me. He's a sleepy-head and is normally the last one to make an appearance in the morning.
I gave him a kiss and pointed his little pajamaed tushy to his place at the table. But instead of sitting down and tucking into his breakfast, he decided to share something with me which he'd clearly been thinking about.
Yonah held up his hand and announced, "This is our family!"
Often, Yonah is frustrated at having to compete with his older siblings for our attention at the table, so because the two of us were alone... and because I wasn't in a hurry (for a change), I sat down and indulged him. "Okay, Yonah... explain how that hand is our family".
Without missing a beat, he held up his middle finger at me and said, "This is you!"
I'm sure a day will come when he'll understand the significance of the gesture he was making, but for now I simply asked him "why".
He looked at me like I was an idiot. "Because it's the tallest one!. The tallest one is always the Abba!"
"Okay", I said. "That makes sense. But what about the others?".
Delighted to have an attentive audience for a change, Yonah continued, "This one (he pointed to the ring finger) is the Ima."
I stopped him here, because he'd violated his own logic. "But Gilad and Ariella are both taller than Ima... shouldn't that finger be one of them?"
Yonah rolled his eyes and exhaled loudly, clearly feeling he was dealing with an idiot. "No Abba, that one wears the rings and stands next to the Abba so it has to be the Ima. This one (pointing now to the index finger) is Ariella... and this one (pointing to the pinkie) is Gilad".
Again, I interrupted him; "But Gili is taller than Ari. Shouldn't it be the other way around?"
The look on Yonah's face reminded me of how crestfallen my 10th grade algebra teacher used to look when he noticed the only person whose hand wasn't waving wildly in the air... me. It was a combination of disappointment and disbelief that anyone could fail to grasp such a basic concept.
"No Abba. Except for Ima, Ariella has known you the longest. She always sits on your lap and she can make you do whatever she wants".
That made me giggle a little, but I tried not to let him see. "Oh yeah? So if the pointer finger is Ari, why is this little one Gili? He's taller than everyone in the family but me... and he's really strong! This is just a little tiny finger!"
The loud exhalation was repeated... this time with a slow, patient head shake.
"Nooooo, Gilad is a Red Belt in Taekwondo. He's the only one in the family who can break things." And with this, Yonah made a few chopping motions with his hand that would probably not have passed muster at Gili's Taekwondo class, but which clearly demonstrated the pinkie as the one doing all the breaking.
"Okay, you've convinced me", I told him. "But where's Yonah?
He grinned broadly, clearly pleased with himself that he was able to conceal this bit for last.
He held up his thumb and said "This is Yonah... I'm the thumb!"
I let him enjoy his moment of triumph and then asked, "Okay, but why are you the thumb?"
"Because", he exclaimed while making a fist and caressing each finger in turn with the thumb, "I'm the only one who can give everyone else in the family a hug. And also... the other fingers can't do anything without me. I'm the most important finger!"
With that, he started eating his Cheerios. And before picking up his coffee-milk, he examined his hand again... secure in his primacy in the family hierarchy.
How I'll be responding to all future inquiries on the subject
I always have to think twice (sometimes even three times) before answering the frequently asked question; 'why do you carry a gun?'
The reply I give varies slightly depending on the nationality, politics, and age of the asker. But in my mind, the actual reason is pretty straight forward: My daily commute takes me through areas that are potentially dangerous... so I figure better safe than sorry.
But I recently heard someone give a response to the question 'Why do you carry a gun?' which, from this day forward, will become my stock answer:
"Because carrying around a policeman would hurt my back."
Vespa Cowboy
In many places along my daily commute I see Bedouin shepherds grazing their herds of sheep and goats on the rocky hillsides next to the road. In Bedouin culture, it is more often than not the youngest boy in the family who is tasked with watching the family flocks... and although larger flocks might require two shepherds to manage, it is not uncommon to see boys as young as 8 or 10, alone in the Judaen hills with a few dozen grazing animals.
I guess bright red Vespas are not a common sight in this area, because shepherds who used to ignore me as I passed in my silver Peugeot station wagon now smile and wave as I ride by. In the short time I've been riding the scooter I've started to recognize a few of the young shepherds, and I always return a wave when it is offered.
Yesterday on my way to work I passed a flock of sheep grazing contentedly on a hillside... with no shepherd in sight! About a kilometer later I crested a hill and nearly ran over one of the young shepherds who always waves to me. But instead of looking up at the sound of my engine and screeching tires, he seemed to be watching something further down the road with rapt attention. When I looked down the other side of the hill, I could see a donkey who was trotting away in the distance with his head rope dragging along on the ground.
As I looked back at the shepherd, I realized that the kid I had assumed to be 15 or 16 was probably just tall for his age. His youthful face, which was now streaked with sweat, looked no older than 10.
I don't speak Arabic and he spoke only broken Hebrew, but judging by the desperate look on his sweaty face, and the distance between the boy and his flock, I guessed he'd been chasing the donkey for a while.
With a few words and gestures he asked if could take him down the road to retrieve his donkey. But before I could get out my spare helmet from under the seat (just my luck I'd get a ticket trying to do a good deed!) he was running back towards his flock because they had started to wander into the road, forming a big woolly roadblock.
It wasn't bad enough that the kid was going to have to explain to his father that he'd lost the family donkey... but now there was the possibility that he'd also have to explain a few squashed sheep (not to mention whatever damage the sheep did to any car unlucky enough to plow into them).
Now, I don't claim to have any rodeo experience (having grown up in the 'burbs), but I did spend time on a kibbutz during my University days, milking cows and working with horses, so I'm not a complete city slicker.
I gunned the little 250 engine on my Vespa and headed down the road to see if I could catch up with the escaped donkey.
If it headed off into the hills I wasn't going to have any luck (scooters are not much use off-road). But if he stayed on the road or shoulder I figured I could at least hold onto him until the kid sorted out his flock problems.
Within a few seconds I had caught up to the donkey as he trotted in that funny stiff-legged gait common to Equus africanus asinus. He didn't even turn his head as I passed him. But when I stopped the scooter about twenty meters past him and turned sideways to try to block his path, he came to a sudden halt and started looking right and left for a new escape route.
Before he could head off in a new direction where I wouldn't be able to follow him, I turned the scooter around and began rolling slowly towards him. He backed up a few steps, but didn't show any signs of bolting.
Finally after a few more seconds I rolled up next to him and was able to grab his head rope. I thought for a second about tying the rope to the back luggage rack of the scooter, but I was afraid that if the donkey got spooked and ran to the side, he could pull me (and my shiny new scooter) over. So I just held the rope in my hand and waited to see if the kid would come collect his donkey.
But after about five minutes of waiting I realized that he couldn't see me from where he was now chasing his flock, and he probably had no idea I'd caught up with his donkey. So I slowly started rolling the scooter to see if the donkey would follow along. When all the slack was out of the rope, the donkey started walking along agreeably behind me... the two of us going just slightly faster than walking speed.
When I got back to where the shepherd was, his dirty face split into a big grin and he ran over to take the rope out of my left hand. After saying thank you to me, the boy turned his attention to the wayward donkey and launched into an unbroken torrent of what I assume were curses in Arabic towards the donkey.
I was starting to worry about being late for work, so I left them alone to work out their relationship issues.
As I headed down the road towards Beer Sheva, I could swear I heard the jingle jangle of spurs over the soft purring of the Vespa motor. Too bad it was early morning... the only thing that could possibly have made the moment more perfect was if I could have ridden off into the sunset.
Happy trails. :-)
Not in my name (redux)
Back in 2004 I wrote a post entitled 'Not in my name' in which I denounced violence perpetrated by right wing individuals /groups.
At the time I felt it was important to point out that, while the left-wing crowd may view all 'settlers' as a unified, monolithic block, we are every bit as fragmented / diverse as any other part of Israeli society... and that many (if not most) of us are anxious to disassociate ourselves from the tiny minority of settlers who are behaving badly/criminally.
Yesterday I was horrified to read about some residents of Yitzhar who decided that Israel Independence Day would be a good time to go over to the neighboring Arab village and hold an impromptu demonstration.
No permits, no planning, no coordination with the army... nothing. Some idiot(s) just decided that if a bunch of Israelis went over to vent their spleen in the neighboring village on what they (the Arabs) consider Nabqa Day, it would all end well. Idiots!
Thankfully a local army patrol (i.e. soldiers who risk their lives to keep all of the area safe and secure for both Jews and Arabs), showed up and tried to head them off... explaining that it was not only a closed military zone, but also a very bad idea.
Sadly, the small group of Yitzhar residents did not take the hint, turn around and go home, but rather summoned a much larger group from their town. This mob [a word I use advisedly] of settlers began pelting the soldiers with rocks, fists, and anything else handy. One enterprising young boy even found the means to slash the tires of several of the army vehicles.
I have no words to describe how I hate hearing about something like this. These are our soldiers... our sons and daughters... the people's army. We pray for the safety of these holy men and women with the sefer Torah in our arms, and we rely on them to guard us from our enemies as we enjoy our incredible good fortune to live in this country they have secured for us. How dare an Israeli of any stripe raise a hand against these soldiers?!
I have spoken out repeatedly here against the government's ill advised use of soldiers to remove illegal settlements and perform 'disengagement' duties for exactly this reason. The people's army must never be used against the people. But by the same token, the people must never raise a hand against their army. Because the moment the IDF ceases to be the army of all the people... we are all lost.
Just as with leftist/anarchist criminals who attack IDF troops at protests over the security barrier, I strongly urge the police to arrest anyone linked with right-wing violence against soldiers... and I urge the Justice Ministry to see that such acts are prosecute to the fullest extent allowed by law without regard to the political affiliation of the perpetrators.
Lastly, the leaders of Yitzhar, the regional council heads throughout Judea and Samaria, and anyone else with a public voice (i.e. bloggers, journalists, etc.), must speak out unequivocally against such violent acts. Every such act that takes place without our immediate and complete condemnation lends credence to the countless fabricated, fraudulently reported complaints of settler wrong-doing.
It is incumbent on those with a public voice to state loud and clear that criminals do not act in anyone's name but their own.
Alone on a bridge (with everyone else)
At 11:00 AM this morning I was on my way into Jerusalem to pick up my daughter. I was driving my scooter across a bridge that spans a valley between two mountain tunnels when all around me the sound of air raid sirens filled the air.
I wasn't alarmed, though. I was expecting this.
It is Memorial Day here in Israel... the day before our independence day. Today, all over the county people pause to remember and honor the men and women who have fallen in Israel's wars.
In a country where everyone - men and women - gets a draft notice for military service after high school, everyone is related to someone. or knew someone who paid the ultimate price for freedom.
At exactly 11:00 AM a two minute siren sounds throughout the length and breadth of the country, and everywhere - in offices, in shopping malls, on highways, and of course, in cemeteries - people stop whatever they are doing - even driving - stand at attention with head bowed, and remember.
When the sirens started, all the traffic around me stopped and the drivers and passengers got out and stood silently on the pavement beside their cars. I got off my scooter, put it up on its stand, and took off my helmet.
For two minutes the only sound there on the bridge was the plaintive wail of the siren from the nearby neighborhood of Gilo... and the soft sobbing of a policeman who was standing next to his cruiser two cars in front of me. His female partner on the opposite side of the car soon joined him, though her sobs were silent; given away only be the way her shoulders shook.
When the siren finally trailed off, everyone got back into (or onto) their vehicles, and the sound of cars and motorcycles starting filled the deck of the bridge. And slowly the line of traffic began to move again towards Jerusalem.
Anyone who has ever ridden a scooter or motorcycle is familiar with the feeling of being alone... even in heavy traffic. The cars are full of people, and even the single drivers have the company of the radio and four walls. I'm not complaining, mind you... I like the two wheeled experience. But I have to admit that it was a special moment there on the bridge this memorial day, having all those drivers step out into the fresh mountain air, and join me in my solitude.
The absence of peace does not mean war
If you are contemplating entering into a binding transaction, and the other party (and all of his friends) starts pressuring you to close the deal by an arbitrary deadline... or else!... you have to ask yourself if that deadline - or the deal itself - is in your best interest, right?
I mention this because in an interview this weekend, King Abdullah of Jordan (one of our so-called friends) echoed a very troubling sentiment that we've been hearing from most of our enemies in the Arab League; namely, that if we don't finalize a peace agreement quickly, war will 'break out'.
Think about that for a moment. Considering the staggering cost in lives and infrastructure that wars usually engender, there are really only two reasons why a country would go to war: Because the potential gain outweighs the potential losses... or to defend against the aggression of another state / non-state actor (i.e. there is no other choice). So the idea that the Palestinians can't help but go to war is idiotic.
Don't get me wrong... I firmly believe that Israel should extend it's hand in peace wherever and whenever a real opportunity presents itself. I'll even go so far as to say that we should make difficult concessions if it will bring about a real and lasting peace.
But the idea of entering into a questionable peace under the threat of war is just nuts! Yet that is exactly what everyone is demanding of us! In support of the Palestinians, the Lebanese (government & Hezbollah), Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and now even our 'friendly neighbor' Jordan, have all expressed the same sentiment; that if Israel doesn't hurry up and agree to the Palestinian's peace terms, then we will have to fight a war.
How exactly does that work?
Israel is faced with a divided Palestinian people... not just geographically divided between Gaza and the West Bank, but also politically divided between the democratically elected Hamas, (which has an unambiguous policy of wanting to destroy Israel and replace it with an Islamic Palestinian state), and the serially corrupt Fatah (which has seized total control of the Palestinian Authority but which is otherwise powerless to impose its decisions on the Palestinian people).
Simply put, Hamas won't talk to us (except about our unconditional surrender), and any agreement Israel would make with Fatah would be unenforceable. We, of course, would be expected to bring large chunks of land to the signing ceremony, while they would be expected to bring... a pen.
Further, if we did sign a peace deal with Fatah, once we'd handed over sovereignty for whatever territory they demanded, Hamas would come in an take over, leaving us without peace... and even more troubling; without our territory.
Although the present tension is far from ideal, while we have been waiting for the Palestinians to speak and act with one voice, we have been living - thriving even - with the absence of peace. While waiting for a real peace partner to emerge, Israel's economy has blossomed, our international academic standing has continued to improve, and by any measure, the number of start-ups and Nobel prizes is, on a per-capita basis, the envy of the world.
The Palestinians, on the other hand, have suffered terrible set-backs each and every time they have tried to use violence to win their state. At a certain point even they must see that their efforts are moving them further away from their state, not closer.
Obviously it would be preferable to have peace - a real peace - at the earliest possible moment. But for Israel to be dragged blindly into another Oslo accords-type agreement just because of an arbitrary and artificial time-table, is a recipe for disaster.
Of course, by echoing the Lebanese, Syrians and Saudis, a disaster my be exactly what 'friends' like King Abdullah are hoping for.
The only downside I've found (so far) to scootering to work
The other morning I was approaching an intersection a few blocks from my office. The light had turned red and there were a few cars waiting in each lane. Being a scooter, I did what scooters do; I threaded my way to the front of the line and waited next to the lead car for the light to change.
I'm not sure if it was because my scooter is so quiet or if this guy just didn't care... but being a tad higher than the four wheeled folks on the road, when I glanced over at the driver in the car next to me, I could clearly see he was about wrist deep in his right nostril, and scrabbling away so enthusiastically that I imagined I could hear fingernails scraping on cartilage through the open window.
I couldn't very well rev my engine because the automatic transmission on the Vespa would shoot me into the intersection, and clearing my throat wouldn't be heard through my full-face helmet. I suppose I could have beeped my horn, but I was worried that startling him in flagrante decerpo might cause a sudden brain injury.
After what seemed like an eternity I finally turned to him, flipped up my helmet's face-screen and said (in Hebrew), "You know I can see you, right?"
The guy turned his head slowly towards me (without bothering to remove his digit from his nose) and simply stared. No signs of embarrassment... no deft feign at scratching an itch... just a deadpan stare.
When the light finally changed I sped ahead of the other drivers, silently promising myself that I would try to avoid using my new, elevated vantage point to peek at the other drivers waiting with me at intersections.
Yeef !
I think I've figured it out [please don't take this post seriously]
It has always bothered me that we see thousands of perfectly normal looking people at work and on the street every day, but when someone does something truly heinous, we wonder if we should have been able to spot some warning sign... some kind of 'tell' that would have tipped us off to their potential for wrong-doing.
Well, I'm happy to report that I think I'm onto something.
Please take a look at the following photos of Tali Fahima and Anat Kamm and you tell me if you see a common thread:
Yup, that's right... there seems to be something about people who favor unusually clunky eyeglass frames which hints of a propensity for [allegedly] being disloyal citizens.
Now you know. :-)
Jewish Anti-Semitism
There are many who use their nominal Jewishness as a shield against charges of anti-Semitism. They insist that their Jewishness allows them to speak truths about their own people that others cannot for fear of being called racist.
As distasteful as it may be, today on Holocaust Remembrance Day I must point out this lie for what it is.
Jews are often more dangerous enemies of their own people than the worst of the nations who have tried to destroy us. Self-hate and internal divisiveness is like a cancer to our community, and our enemies latch onto these eager Capos knowing full well they can penetrate even our most carefully constructed social and legal bulwarks with the help of someone on the inside.
Take for example Shulamit Aloni. This former Education Minister was the first of several far left aparatchiks to use that post to systematically purge the Israel education system of all but the the most vestigial traces of religious content. This has led to subsequent generations of Israeli youth who have no idea why we are here on this inhospitable patch of land. They scratch their heads and wonder what's so special about this place that it needs defending.
Aloni decided that today, of all days, would be a good day to compare all settlers to Nazis.
In her words:
"It is Holocaust Memorial Day today, and what did they [the Nazis] do during the Holocaust? Destroyed houses and burned books. They did not like Jews, and the settlers do not like those who think differently from them. " [source]
This from the same woman who enthusiastically defended U.S. President Jimmy Carter's use of the word "apartheid" in the title of his book, 'Palestine Peace Not Apartheid' [source], and who famously accused her own country of War Crimes at the height of the 2nd Intifada stating, "the terror utilized by Israel in the territories is worse than Palestinian terrorism". [source]
But Aloni is far from a lone anti-Semitic voice in the forest of self-hatred.
The publication this past week of a Facebook chat held between assistant editor of Ha'Aretz Magazine Section, Uri Tuval and other Ha'Aretz journalists, was beyond anything I thought possible. These icons of Israeli intellectualism were discussing the death of IDF officer Eliraz Peretz who was killed leading a unit of Golani special forces soldiers into an apparent Hamas Ambush on the Gaza border last week.
Tuval wrote the following:
"I don't want to live in the country of Captain Eliraz Peretz or his mother. My consolations to the family…a family of Jihadist Fascists, and don't dare let anyone say he was killed for my sake."
"I can't bear that "People of Israel- Land of Israel- Defense Forces of Israel-Israel's children-Sanctification of G-d's name" mantra. His mother said she is sure that G-d loves the Golani Brigade's Egoz special forces unit. I don't want an army that G-d loves. For that I may as well move to Iran."
"What keeps this mother alive is what sent and keeps on sending too many people to their deaths. I don't like using grief for one-sided ends. She was given ten minutes of live coverage on three different TV stations to expound on her nationalistic worldview and no one is allowed to respond?"
"The family's suffering is real, but the nationalistic 'righteous ones' who allow her to deal with it in this way encourage people who are still alive to go to their soldiers' deaths, including her other son. I do believe that 'it is good to die for our land [a quote from the Zionist hero Joseph Trumpeldor, ed.]', but the question is what land and what worldview."
"The officer who was killed had built his home in an illegal outpost. Is that rational? The religious Zionists have turned the IDF into a tool for their political goals, they endanger all of us, and also cause more of their group to be killed. And when they are killed, they talk about it. When they do that, we are allowed to think about it and respond." [source]
I have never advocated Israel being a theocracy. On the contrary, I love that my country is a pluralistic, modern society with a vibrant Jewish character; albeit one with a religious / non-religious status quothat requires constant tweaking. But that line between having a Jewish character and impinging on personal freedoms is not-unlike the constant tug-o-war between civil liberties and national security. Meaning, there is no perfect solution... only the constant need to adjust (one way or the other) the location of the line where they meet.
What we are seeing today with countless home-grown Israeli NGOs actively abetting the interests of foreign powers dedicated to undermining Israel's legitimacy is, IMHO, a direct result of purging Judaism from the educational system of the Jewish State.
Once upon a time there were as many (or more) secular contestants in the annual Israeli Bible quizzes as there were religious. Secular Israelis once proudly hiked the length and breadth of this country secure in their knowledge of how and where modern and ancient history overlapped.
Now it has become fashionable for radical leftists to arrange 'outings' to religious communities on Shabbat, and have female 'activists' disrobe on the main streets in hopes of inciting a newsworthy reaction. [source] Apparently it isn't enough for religious Jews not to impose their views on the secular. Even when they go off and live by themselves, their very existence is an affront to the anti-Semitic among us.
If I take anything from this Holocaust Remembrance Day tinged with hate from the likes of Aloni and Tuval, it is that we must work harder to preserve the Jewish character of our country so it can survive the relentless onslaught of self-hating, anti-Semitic Jews... and the foreign agents whose agendas they shamelessly champion.
NG does it again
Every few years I come very close to canceling the family subscription to National Geographic. This is almost always a result of a deliberate and unnecessary slamming of Israel.
I know I'm probably overly sensitive, but I'd like to share a couple of things from the latest issue... one devoted entirely to the global issue of water.
First is the following statement (with my emphasis added):
"Accompanied by military escort, three scientists - an Israeli, a Palestinian, and a Jordanian - are standing knee-deep in the Jordan River. They are nearly 40 miles south of the Sea of Galilee, under the precarious ruins of a bridge that was bombed during the Six Day War of June 1967."
Strange how in one short paragraph about a cooperative scientific survey of the Jordan River, the author manages to make two not-so-subtle allusions to militarism.
Next comes the following:
"Armed confrontations over the Jordan date to the founding of Israel in 1948 and the recognition that sources of the country's needed water supply lay outside its borders. Its survival depended on the Jordan River, with its headwaters in Syria and Lebanon, its waters stored in the Sea of Galilee, and the tributaries that flow into it from neighboring countries."
Ah yes, all the region's woes can be traced to that upstart Israel casting a greedy eye outside its borders for the things it wants.
"In the 1960s Israeli air strikes after Syria attempted to divert the Baniyas River (one of the Jordan's headwaters in the Golan Heights), together with Arab attacks on Israel's National Water Carrier project, lit fuses for the Six Day War. Israel and Jordan nearly came to blows over a sandbar in the Yarmuk River in 1979. And in 2002 Israel threatened to shell agricultural pumping stations on the Hasbani, another of the headwaters in southern Lebanon."
Now we're getting to the root of the problem. Israel threatens or actually carries out military actions whenever it's neighbors do anything related to water management.
"According to a 2009 World Bank report, Israelis use four times as much water per capita as Palestinians, much of it for agriculture. Israel disputes this, arguing that its citizens use only twice as much water and are better at conserving it. In any case, Israel's West Bank settlements get enough water to fill their swimming pools, water their lawns, and irrigate miles of fields and greenhouses."
This is a common theme in Israel-bashing from Europe and the U.S. They like to juxtapose the poor Palestinians living in squalor with no landscaping and sub-standard sanitary provisions, against Israeli settlers living in comfortable suburban neighborhoods filled with tree-lined streets and green lawns. What they never talk about is that the respective communities are responsible for their own urban planning and Israel has no way to impose first world standards or aesthetics on what is essentially a third world population. This leaves aside the fact that there are many, many Palestinians living in homes far bigger/nicer than mine who drive BMWs. Mercedes and other luxury cars I could never dream of affording.
But by far the thing that offended me the most was a picture caption (which doesn't appear in the on-line edition) stating that since 1967 Israel has been denying Syria access to the easter shore of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee). No context, just that incredible statement as if Israel woke up one day and decided to block a peaceful neighbor's access to a vital water source.
This may be the one that finally gets me to cancel that subscription.
Words to live by:
"I have no problem serving as a cautionary tale... so long as I'm still around to tell it."
Posted by David Bogner on April 7, 2010 | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack
The Bread Run
Even though we tend to dismiss bread as little more than the frame within which we display our artfully assembled sandwiches, or a lowly tool with which to sop up the stray dribbles gravy at the end of a good meal, going without the stuff for a full week is a potent reminder of why it is referred to as 'the staff of life'.
There is something so vitally important about bread that the mere smell of it baking can turn a house into a home... and the smallest taste of it can turn an odd assortment of unrelated foodstuffs into a meal.
Over the past few years I have started a tradition surrounding bread. The moment the Passover holiday is finished, I leave Zahava and the kids to 'turn over' the kitchen to the year-round dishes and utensils, and I make the 'bread run' to Jerusalem (there are no bakeries in our town that open right after the holiday).
Once there, I wait on line at one of the bakeries with an appreciative crowd of like-minded people while the bakery staff turns out the first batch of hot baguettes and rolls, and load up the car with enough bread for our family... as well as some extra to drop off with friends in our neighborhood.
The ride home is always a challenge since the big load of fresh warm bread tends to fog up the windows, and the intoxicating smell of yeasty goodness is enough to set my stomach rumbling.
At the check-point I pass on the way home I always hand over a couple of warm baguettes to the surprised soldiers, and I watch with delight in my rear view mirror as they tuck into their first post-Pesach bread.
Once back in Efrat, I make the rounds of a few close friends' houses, and hand over more of the warm bread.
Finally, when I get home, Zahava and the kids take the last of the bread from me and we settle in with butter, cheese and assorted spreads to enjoy a pleasant reminder of why this simple staple, in all of its variations, is so vital and central to our very existence.
We call Matzoh - the unleavened Passover cracker - 'the bread of affliction'. But the truth is, with a little butter and jam it's actually pretty good. Which is why I'm convinced that without that first post-Pesach bread run, we wouldn't sufficiently appreciate the hardship our ancestors in Egypt took upon themselves.
I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday as much as we did.
Posted by David Bogner on April 6, 2010 | Permalink | Comments (11) | TrackBack
The Honeybee's Defense
Compliment or Flirtation?
Alone With The Dishes
Time To Bake!
Just This Simple
Yes, Mary Poppins is Actually a Bit Racist
Farewell to Elisson
Should Old Antagonists Be Forgot...
Your Cocktails May Never Be The Same!
Thoughts from a feminist in a world still out of balance
'Cause when we kiss, oooh Fire
Much Ado About Headgear
Righteous [Cyclist] Among The Nations
Really?! In 2018 We're Still Arguing About Breastfeeding?
Bring Home Karim Jumhour!!!
Come On Out... The War's Over! [at least for now]
Go Ahead and Bring Up Paris...
Hoping For a Bad Meal Seems An Odd Strategy For An Evening Out
Sit Down and Shut Up!
Committing [National] Suicide
... a nation like any other.
New York Times Report Card: D-
Seeding Winds of Change
All Yonah...All the time
Kids Bees
older folks
Flotsam & Jetsam
WalkerTracker.com


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Seven members of same family killed in Kentucky tornado; one still missing
By Shelby Lofton and Debra Dolan
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WKYT/Gray News) – At least 15 people, including a family of seven, were killed in Bowling Green, Kentucky, during the recent tornado outbreak.
Cierra Bryant told WKYT she often talks to her sister-in-law, Rachel Brown, on Facebook Messenger but didn't think twice when Brown didn't respond, assuming she'd lost power.
Bryant said she woke up Saturday morning to startling images of her sister-in-law's home.
"On the drone video, the drone stops right over their house and pauses. That was terrible," Bryant said of a house that seven people called home.
Bryant said her mother-in-law's truck was sitting where their living room would've been.
She said Victoria Smith, the 64-year-old family matriarch, was found in a nearby field.
Her son-in-law, Stephen, and daughter, Rachel, were found together with their youngest, 4-year-old Nyles, a quarter-mile away.
Nolynn, 10, was found on a neighbor's property; while 16-year-old Nariah was found in a creek.
"There was nothing they could've held onto, nothing they could've tried to shelter themselves, everything is gone," Bryant said.
Bryant says crews are still looking for 14-year-old Nyssa, and she is praying she's found.
She says the tight-knit family was loving and taught their children to love other people.
Copyright 2021 WKYT via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
MORE BALDWIN Co. NEWS
We'll see middle 50s this afternoon
Baldwin EMC crews head to Georgia in advance of projected winter storm
Washington digs out after record-breaking weather leads to 38 avalanches
By Theresa Waldrop, CNN
Alabama tax credit available for new storm shelters
Heal the Heartland: Here's how you can help tornado victims
Cierra Bryant
Currently in Mobile, AL
58°/33°F
Clear. Lows overnight in the low 30s.
More sun than clouds. Highs in the low 60s and lows in the upper 40s.
Mix of sun and clouds. Highs in the upper 60s and lows in the upper 50s.
Cloudy with rain. Highs in the low 60s and lows in the low 30s.
t-storm
A few morning showers. Highs in the low 40s and lows in the low 30s.
Showers ending by midday. Highs in the upper 40s and lows in the low 30s.
Mix of sun and clouds. Highs in the low 50s and lows in the upper 20s.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Scannel is launching our Monthly Journal to discuss about RFID Technology.
We are very excited to present the first issue of our Newsletter and Journal to you. Our goal is to provide valuable information about RFID Technology in general and to keep you updated with the latest trends in the industry. Whether you are new to RFID or an expert, we would like to invite you to visit our website regularly for our Monthly Journal. Our hope is that you will learn more about RFID and understand how our products will be able to help you in your respective industries.
In the first edition of our Journal, we have prepared an introduction of the the RFID Technology. This will be the first in a series of articles that will cover the basics of RFID. In succeeding articles you can look forward to topics such as how RFID is implemented, practical applications/case studies, and the benefits of RFID in manufacturing.


text:
Dennis Edwards Jr. (3 de febrero de 1943-1 de febrero de 2018) fue un cantante estadounidense de soul y R&B, conocido sobre todo por ser el líder de The Temptations, en Motown Records. Edwards se unió a los Temptations en 1968, en sustitución de David Ruffin, y cantó con el grupo de 1968 a 1976, de 1980 a 1984 y de 1987 a 1989. A mediados de la década de 1980, intentó emprender una carrera en solitario, consiguiendo un éxito en 1984 con "Don't Look Any Further" (con Siedah Garrett). Hasta su muerte, Edwards fue el cantante principal de The Temptations Review, un grupo disidente de los Temptations.

Biografía

Primeros años y carrera
Edwards nació en Fairfield, Alabama, a unas ocho millas de Birmingham, hijo del reverendo Dennis Edwards Sr. Empezó a cantar de pequeño, con sólo dos años, en la iglesia de su padre. La familia Edwards se trasladó a Detroit, Míchigan, cuando Edwards tenía unos diez años, y seguiría cantando en la iglesia que pastoreaba su padre, llegando a ser director de coro.

De adolescente, Edwards se unió a un grupo vocal de gospel llamado The Mighty Clouds of Joy, y estudió música en el Conservatorio de Música de Detroit. No se le permitía cantar o escuchar música secular en casa, y su madre lo desaprobó cuando empezó a hacer carrera cantando música rhythm and blues. En 1961 organizó su propio grupo de soul/jazz, Dennis Edwards and the Fireballs. En 1961, Edwards grabó un sencillo para el oscuro sello de Detroit, International Soulville Records, "I Didn't Have to (But I Did)" b/w "Johnnie on the Spot". Tras un tiempo de servicio en el ejército estadounidense, en 1966 Edwards hizo una prueba para la Motown Records de Detroit, donde fue contratado, pero se le puso a prueba. Ese mismo año, se le asignó unirse a The Contours después de que su cantante principal, Billy Gordon, cayera enfermo. En 1967, los Contours fueron los teloneros de varios conciertos de The Temptations, y los miembros de los Temptations, Eddie Kendricks y Otis Williams, que estaban considerando sustituir a su propio cantante principal, David Ruffin (que era amigo personal de Edwards), se fijaron en Edwards y lo conocieron.

1967-1984: Años de The Temptations
Más tarde, en 1967, Edwards dejó los Contours y volvió a ser contratado. Intentó liberarse de su contrato, ya que Holland-Dozier-Holland le había prometido fichar por su nueva Invictus Records, pero fue reclutado a finales de junio de 1968 para unirse a los Temptations, que acababan de despedir a Ruffin del grupo. Ruffin había avisado a Edwards de que iba a ser reclutado como su sustituto, lo que alivió la conciencia de Edwards al sustituirle.

Los Temptations presentaron oficialmente a Edwards el 9 de julio de 1968 en el escenario de Valley Forge, Pensilvania. Sin embargo, Ruffin, que intentaba volver a formar parte del grupo, se coló en el escenario durante la voz principal de Edwards en "Ain't Too Proud to Beg", lo que provocó un gran aplauso. Siguió haciendo maniobras similares durante un mes hasta que, según Edwards, el grupo decidió despedir a Edwards -con la promesa de un contrato en solitario de Motown- y volver a contratar a Ruffin. Cuando Ruffin no se presentó a su compromiso de vuelta en Gaithersburg, Maryland, la noche siguiente, Edwards se quedó definitivamente y los Temptations se negaron a considerar la posibilidad de volver a contratar a Ruffin. Edwards fue el primer cantante que se unió a los Temptations después de su período "Classic 5". Con su voz más áspera y evangélica, Edwards lideró el grupo en sus períodos psicodélico, funk y disco, cantando en éxitos como "Cloud Nine" (1968), "I Can't Get Next to You" (1969), "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" (1970), "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" (1972) y "Shakey Ground" (1975), entre otros. Dos de estas canciones, "Cloud Nine" y "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone", ganaron premios Grammy. Durante esta época, Edwards se comprometió con Yvonne "Frankie" Gearing, la cantante principal de Quiet Elegance, que realizó una gira con The Temptations como su grupo de acompañamiento.

Edwards permaneció en The Temptations hasta que fue despedido por Otis Williams en 1977, justo antes de la salida del grupo de Motown a Atlantic Records. Tras un intento fallido de carrera en solitario en la Motown, Edwards volvió a unirse a los Temptations en 1980, cuando volvieron a la Motown. En 1982, Edwards tuvo la oportunidad de cantar con Ruffin y Eddie Kendricks como parte del álbum y la gira Reunion. Edwards empezó a faltar a los conciertos y ensayos, y fue sustituido en 1984 por Ali-Ollie Woodson. En 1989, Edwards fue incluido en el Salón de la Fama del Rock and Roll como miembro de The Temptations. Edwards también fue incluido en el Salón de la Fama del Rhythm & Blues con The Temptations en 2013.

En 1989, Edwards fue incluido en el Salón de la Fama del Rock and Roll como miembro de The Temptations. Edwards también fue incluido en el Salón de la Fama del Rhythm & Blues con The Temptations en 2013.

1984-1990: Carrera en solitario
Motown relanzó la carrera en solitario de Edwards, en 1984, con el exitoso sencillo "Don't Look Any Further", un dúo con Siedah Garrett. El álbum homónimo alcanzó el número 2 en las listas de R&B e incluyó los singles radiofónicos "(You're My) Aphrodisiac" y "Just Like You". Cuando surgieron problemas entre Woodson y los Temptations en 1987, Edwards volvió a ser contratado.

Él y el grupo grabaron el álbum titulado Together Again, que incluía el exitoso sencillo "I Wonder Who She's Seeing Now".

Edwards volvió a ser sustituido por Woodson en 1989 tras abandonar el grupo por tercera y última vez.

1990-1994: Ruffin, Kendricks and Edwards
Edwards salió de gira y grabó con su compañero ex-Temptation David Ruffin a finales de la década de 1980 como "Ruffin/Kendricks/Edwards, former leads of The Temptations", aunque no se publicó nada. El DVD de Street Gold de 1998 Original Leads of the Temptations documenta este período histórico. Tras la muerte de Ruffin y Kendricks, Edwards se vio obligado a cerrar el proyecto en solitario. En 1990, Dennis se asoció con Kendricks para lanzar un tema dance/club para A&B Records titulado "Get It While It's Hot". El tema se grabó en el estudio de grabación de Fredrick Knight en Birmingham (Alabama), la antigua ciudad natal del dúo, y fue producido y diseñado por el pionero de la música house Alan Steward. El tema creó mucha controversia, ya que contenía una breve secuencia de rap que no sentó muy bien a los fans más acérrimos de los Temptations. En 1998 se publicó Don't Look Any Further: the Remix Album de Edwards, que contenía mezclas de baile actualizadas y el tema original de 1984.

The Temptations Review featuring Dennis Edwards
Durante la década de 1990, Edwards empezó a hacer giras bajo el nombre de "Dennis Edwards & the Temptations", lo que provocó una batalla legal entre él y Otis Williams. En enero de 1999, se dictaminó que Edwards tenía prohibido legalmente utilizar el nombre de la banda, lo que llevó al grupo de Edwards a llamarse The Temptations Review featuring Dennis Edwards. El grupo de Edwards incluía a Paul Williams Jr. (hijo del miembro original de los Temptations Paul Williams), David Sea, Mike Patillo y Chris Arnold. Edwards fue retratado por Charles Ley en la miniserie de televisión biográfica de 1998 The Temptations, aunque no se centró mucho en él, ya que la miniserie prestó más atención a la formación de los Temptations de la época de Ruffin y Kendricks. El grupo Temptations Review fue incluido en el Salón de la Fama de la Música de Rhythm and Blues el 4 de octubre de 2015 en Detroit, Michigan, cuando Edwards también recibió el premio Living Legend Award. Su grupo sigue actuando hoy en día como Dennis Edwards' Temptations Revue.

Vida personal y fallecimiento
Edwards mantuvo una relación con la cantante Aretha Franklin, quien declaró que él fue la inspiración de su canción soul de 1972 "Day Dreaming". Edwards estuvo brevemente casado con Ruth Pointer, con quien se casó en Las Vegas en 1977. La pareja tuvo una hija, Issa Pointer, que se convirtió en miembro del grupo vocal de su madre, The Pointer Sisters. Edwards se trasladó a Florissant, Misuri, en la década de 1980 para estar más cerca de su madre.

Edwards falleció en un hospital de Illinois el 1 de febrero de 2018, dos días antes de cumplir 75 años. Había estado luchando contra la meningitis antes de su muerte.

Referencias

Enlaces externos

Cantantes de rhythm and blues
Cantantes de soul de Estados Unidos
Pianistas de Estados Unidos
The Temptations

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Safe Harbour: should you consider your customer data?
Home Insights Safe Harbour: should you consider your customer data?
James Stanley
The Safe Harbour legislation, established due to conflicting data protection laws between the EU and US was voided by the European Court of Justice at the start of this month. The decision was made after the court found that current US surveillance laws breach the fundamental rights of European citizens.
The court made the judgement to provide a very definite message to the business world on the importance of data privacy and insisted that non-compliance will result in serious consequences. "EU data protection authorities are committed to take all necessary and appropriate actions, which may include coordinated enforcement actions", the court wrote in a statement.
It is implied that for companies to continue operating across the Atlantic, the EU will either have to bend to the US, or the US will have to draft stronger data protection laws. For now, American companies including Google, Facebook, Apple and Microsoft must seek to strike "model contract clauses". These agreements authorise the transfer of data outside of Europe.
Does the suspension of Safe Harbour affect UK businesses?
Marketing could be a new challenge for US companies operating in the UK from the US. Without appropriate data, the quality of direct marketing to UK consumers is likely to fall below par, meaning more junk mail being sent to more people who don't need it.
The suspension could however present a lucrative business opportunity for the UK. If US companies no longer have access to accurate and relevant UK data, marketing endeavours may have to be outsourced to the UK. This would mean employing locally-based companies, applying local standards, and utilising local knowledge to target the UK market. Over time, we would expect the standard of US marketing in the UK to improve. This opportunity is profitable for the UK economy in the immediate future, and constructive in the development of better international marketing strategies in the US.
Will I notice any changes?
In the short term, the impact is unlikely to be obvious. It's improbable that social sites such as Facebook will be disrupted, but it may open the door to further complaints and lawsuits from users and data regulators.
When will the new Safe Harbour agreement come into effect?
The agreement is currently being negotiated between the EU and US. Both parties have until the 31st January 2016 to settle on a new deal and we can expect a revised legislation by the end of this year. For now, encryption may be the only option in maintaining data transfer while a new agreement is put in place.
How to use LinkedIn's latest feature
What does Facebook have in store for 2019?
Users can now purchase in Instagram – what next?


The Volusia County School's district athletic division provides direction, coordination and support for high school interscholastic competition at our high schools and basketball at our middle schools. As a member of the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA), we adhere to and follow FHSAA bylaws, policies and procedures.
Each year over 5,300 student athletes compete in 18 different sports. Volusia County Schools has a rich tradition of competitive excellence in a wide variety of athletic competitions.
Lisa Eggert, former cross country, track and Athletic Director for assisting with the Heritage Middle School course.
Tony Tussing, USA Track and Field, FHSAA Offical race starter with the Heritage Middle School course.
Scott Kirschner, Spruce Creek Running and Fitness, timing for Creekside Middle School course. Check us out on Facebook.
Heritage Middle School and Spruce Creek High School (Creekside Middle School) for hosting the events.


...in accordance with some intricate web of trails carried by the cells of the brain"
- Vannevar Bush, "As We May Think," Atlantic Monthly (1945) quoted by Michael Joyce in Of Two Minds: Hypertext Pedagogy and Poetics, 1995.
The secret of what anything means to us depends on how we have connected it to all the other things we know.
This is why, when someone learns "by rote," we say that they do not really understand.
Well-connected representations let you turn ideas around in your mind, to envision things from many perspectives, until you find one that works for you. And that is what we mean by thinking!
- Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari "The Desiring-Machines"
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Education can be a slow process. There can be no shortcuts with a true and valued education. Purchasing understanding is not something to become mistaken with education. Factual learning and the development of understanding-based learning is applicable while acquiring an education, this really is only one step in the method that never ends. Searching for understanding as well as the acquisition of understanding can at occasions be ornamental than other activities, yet oftentimes remains produced, or considered, as education.
Purchasing professional or vocational training through institutions of greater learning is travelled into the need or intent to "succeed" in society through method of professional advancement and accomplishment. Material effects, tangible results, figures, and power, however, determine such advances, and kinds of professional success. An education that concentrates concentrate on such outcomes, or possibly is in ways goal orientated, is not in line with what is referred to as traditional or classical kind of education.


text:
The US Issues A Global Travel Warning After Recent Terror Attacks
WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States has issued a global travel warning after recent terror attacks in France, Australia and Canada.
The alert comes hours after French police killed three hostage-takers in a pair of incidents. Two of the men are believed responsible for Wednesday's attack on a satirical magazine in Paris. Twelve people were killed in that assault, France's deadliest terror incident in decades.
The State Department's warning says attacks against Americans are becoming increasingly prevalent. It also cites an increased risk of reprisals against U.S. and Western targets for the U.S.-led intervention against Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq.
The warning also cited last month's hostage standoff at a Sydney cafe and the October killing of a soldier near Canada's parliament.
Copyright (2015) Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
This article was written by Bradley Klapper from The Associated Press and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.
associated press charlie hebdo shooting defense-contributor defense-us france law terrorism


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(4) Insulin is a fat storage hormone - this isn't true, okay kinda. Like I mentioned, both insulin and protein trigger insulin. If insulin was the issue than high protein intakes should has a worse reputation beyond what it currently has. Insulin has a job of transporting nutrients into cells. Carbs have a more direct connection to insulin than protein, so when carbs are consumed, insulin is spiked higher. Insulin will take the carbs (sugars) and transport them into cells for energy and then the rest into glycogen to save for later. If glycogen is full, then insulin still has a job to do. It doesn't just float around dumb founded. It takes the carbs (sugars) and stores then into fat. It's smart like that. But, we abuse that system by eating too many carbs and being in a surplus. The body doesn't want to convert carbs into fat, that's what fats are for, yet we abuse and do it anyways.
A: First, you have to realize that when one is gaining weight it's nearly impossible (steroid discussion aside) to gain solely muscle without the acquisition of some body fat as well. That being said though, you can improve thedistribution of lean body mass to fat mass by ensuring that your calorie consumption isn't too aggressive (i.e. 1000+ over your BMR). Also, it should go without saying, but you need to be training hard while focusing on progressive overload to ensure that the calories you're ingesting are actually going towards muscle growth. You shouldn't be neglecting cardiovascular work either; both HIIT and LISS each play a role in enhancing mitochondrial density, balancing neurotransmitters, improving oxidative capacity, and influencing brain plasticity.
Bodybuilding became more popular in the 1950s and 1960s with the emergence of strength and gymnastics champions, and the simultaneous popularization of bodybuilding magazines, training principles, nutrition for bulking up and cutting down, the use of protein and other food supplements, and the opportunity to enter physique contests. The number of bodybuilding organizations grew, and most notably the International Federation of Bodybuilders (IFBB) was founded in 1946 by Canadian brothers Joe and Ben Weider. Other bodybuilding organizations included the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), National Amateur Bodybuilding Association (NABBA), and the World Bodybuilding Guild (WBBG). Consequently, the male-dominated contests grew both in number and in size. Besides the many "Mr. XXX" (insert town, city, state, or region) championships, the most prestigious titles[according to whom?] were Mr. America, Mr. World, Mr. Universe, Mr. Galaxy, and ultimately Mr. Olympia, which was started in 1965 by the IFBB and is now considered the most important bodybuilding competition in the world.
This period also saw the rise of anabolic steroids in bodybuilding and many other sports. In bodybuilding lore, this is partly attributed to the rise of "mass monsters", beginning with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sergio Oliva, and Lou Ferrigno in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and continuing through the 1980s with Lee Haney, the 1990s with Dorian Yates, Ronnie Coleman, and Markus Rühl, and up to the present day. Bodybuilders such as Greg Kovacs attained mass and size never seen previously but were not successful at the pro level. Others were renowned for their spectacular development of a particular body part, like Tom Platz or Paul Demayo for the leg muscles. At the time of shooting Pumping Iron, Schwarzenegger (while never admitting to steroid use until long after his retirement) said that "you have to do anything you can to get the advantage in competition".[citation needed] He would later say that he does not regret using anything.[8]
A: Let your symptoms be your guide. A slight sore throat or runny nose may require you to back off for a day or two but don't confine yourself to your bed and assume the worst. However, you must also remember that prolonged, intense exercise can decrease immune function and make you more susceptible to bacterial and viral based sickness so it's equally as important to listen to your body and respond accordingly.
"I would really focus on learning how macros work, how your body works and how it reacts to certain foods, and what your body requires each day to maintain your weight," he advises. "Then you can start playing around with increasing calories [to bulk up], and decreasing calories when you're dieting." Our beginner's guide to macros will definitely help.
Having a strong butt will get you far—literally. Our glutes are responsible for powering us through everything from long runs to tough strength workouts to a simple jaunt up a flight of stairs. Strong glutes that can take on the brunt of the work can help us avoid overcompensating with smaller muscles during lower-body exercises. Plus, beyond just helping us move, the glutes play an important role in "stabilizing our entire lumbo-pelvic-hip complex," says Cori Lefkowith, NASM-certified personal trainer and owner of Redefining Strength in Costa Mesa, California. That translates to better form, more efficient movement, and a reduced risk of straining your lower back and hips.
The two workouts listed above are completely free and highly recommended. If, however, you're looking for additional workouts, my book – Superior Muscle Growth – contains ALL of the muscle building routines that I've personally used and designed for others (11 different workouts, 40+ different versions). Feel free to check it out to learn more about what's included.
So, who cares right? Wrong. Everyone has seen that little old man walking with a cane, hunched over almost to the point of staring at the ground. Do you think he always walked like that? I'd bet you he didn't. Maybe he had an injury that never healed properly, or maybe after spending years and years in a similar position, his body became tighter and tighter until eventually he ended up bent over.
(5) Glycogen levels. Ever heard of Keto Diet? This diet focuses on little to no carbs. Why? Glycogen levels. Most people eat too much food and most of these foods are carb based. Which means most people have filled glycogen levels. Which means most people are having glucose spill over into being stored as fat. By dropping carbs, we stop carbs from being stored as fat. By dropping carbs, we allow glycogen to become depleted which allows another opportunity to treat carbs better. By dropping carbs, we drop our calories, which should help one enter into a calorie deficit and it's this deficit that helps more than anything. Make sense?
The G-med and G-min perform similar functions, depending on the position of the knee and hip joints. With the knee extended, they abduct the thigh (out to the side away from the opposite leg). When running, they stabilize the leg during the single-support phase. With the hips flexed, they internally rotate the thigh. With the hips extended, they externally rotate the thigh.
Stand on your right foot and lift your left foot off the ground. Inhale as you step your left foot backward into a lunge, so that your left knee hovers above the ground. Exhale as you drive through your right heel to rise to a single-leg stance, bringing your left leg forward and up to hip height. Do 10-12 reps. Switch sides. Optional: Load this move by holding a kettlebell at your chest or a dumbbell in each hand.
Begin in a standing position with one leg planted firmly on a slightly elevated surface – like a step. Raise the opposite hip and pelvis by hiking your hip towards the sky. Hold for 3-5 seconds. Slowly lower your hip and pelvis down towards the floor. Repeat this exercise as many times as you can until you feel fatigue (1-2min), then switch sides. Ensure the standing leg is straight and do not sway your shoulders side to side.
Protein do not have a home really. They do have a pool on which amino acids are stored, but this isn't much. Proteins home is actually our muscles. You know how we eat meat for protein? Well if we ate human meat, it would be protein. Muscle is protein. We eat protein to build muscle and other shit. Protein during a calorie surplus will get stored in our fat cells more than go towards building muscle or the pool. Anything eaten in a calorie surplus will be stored as fat.
While leg lifts, certain ab exercises, and even hula hooping can all help work the hips, the hip flexors can still be a tricky part of the body to stretch Kinetics of hula hooping: An inverse dynamics analysis. Cluff, T., Robertson, D.G., and Balasubramaniam, R. School of Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Human Movement Science, 2008 Aug; 27 (4): 622-35.. To get them even stronger and more flexible, try these five simple hip flexor stretches:
Ever hear of TIME UNDER TENSION? Well, people have this concept so upside down. People think that if we hold a weight longer that we will get bigger. Okay, then how long does a weight need to be held? They say going slow on the eccentric will help. Okay, but at what weight? I say this because someone cannot just lift a light weight slow on the eccentric and think they will progress further then what I'm about to say:
During the 1950s, the most successful and most famous competing bodybuilders[according to whom?] were Bill Pearl, Reg Park, Leroy Colbert, and Clarence Ross. Certain bodybuilders rose to fame thanks to the relatively new medium of television, as well as cinema. The most notable[according to whom?] were Jack LaLanne, Steve Reeves, Reg Park, and Mickey Hargitay. While there were well-known gyms throughout the country during the 1950s (such as Vince's Gym in North Hollywood, California and Vic Tanny's chain gyms), there were still segments of the United States that had no "hardcore" bodybuilding gyms until the advent of Gold's Gym in the mid-1960s. Finally, the famed Muscle Beach in Santa Monica continued its popularity as the place to be for witnessing acrobatic acts, feats of strength, and the like. The movement grew more in the 1960s with increased TV and movie exposure, as bodybuilders were typecast in popular shows and movies.[citation needed]
To do dips, place your hands at shoulder-width apart on a bench, with your body and feet stretched out in front of the bench. Slowly bend your elbows and lower your body down so that your butt nearly touches the floor. Lift back up with your arms to starting position; repeat, doing 3 x 8. If this isn't a high-intensity set for you, increase the resistance by lifting one foot off the floor.
Bodybuilders also train small muscles with a similar volume, frequency and intensity of their larger muscles. Strength athletes laugh at this. "Curls are a waste of time" is a common phrase you will hear hurled at a bodybuilder. This is SILLY. Although big compound movements should be most people's resistance training priority, smaller muscle group focus work has some benefits for every athlete. Bicep tears are quite common among strength athletes, especially strong men and powerlifters. This happens because these competitors will lift tremendous weights with their backs, but their biceps are the weak link. Many of these injuries could be prevented with some good old-fashioned bodybuilder type isolation work. If you are only as strong as your weak link, doesn't it make sense to make those weak links strong ones?
These guys are different than traditional deadlifts in that your legs are more or less fixed throughout the lift. Your knees are slightly bent, but this is mostly a "pulling" exercise initiated by the hamstrings and glutes. It likely is more focused on your hamstrings but they need to be strong as well to make you a stronger and more shapely human.
A 2001 study at the University of Texas found that lifters who drank a shake containing amino acids and carbohydrates before working out increased their protein synthesis more than lifters who drank the same shake after exercising. The shake contained 6 grams of essential amino acids — the muscle-building blocks of protein — and 35 grams of carbohydrates.
The first two weeks of the program are all about lifting heavy with mass-building compound exercises. For everything but abs and calves, reps fall in the 6-8 range; for those accustomed to doing sets of 8-12, this means going heavier than normal. There are very few isolation exercises during this phase for chest, back, shoulders and legs because the emphasis is on moving as much weight as possible to add strength and size.
A: At the end of the day, the most important variable regarding weight gain or loss is calorie consumption. However, meal frequency and timing around activity can both influence workout intensity and duration thus potentially allowing for further improvements in body composition. Remember, muscle growth isn't a pulsatile process, it doesn't just acutely spike and then return to baseline so if there aren't circulating amino acids within the blood stream then they'll have to be broken down from muscle as this is the highest form of concentrated amino acids within the body. That being said, it would probably be a good idea to consume anywhere from 3-6 meals spread throughout the day depending upon your schedule and preference. Ideally, we want to stimulate anabolism through food every 3-5 hours.
We can all pile on the pounds, just stay in the fast food lane, but it's a nutrient-dense healthy diet, that will promote lean muscle development and size. In truth, muscular growth and building that brick house frame, can be harder to achieve than losing weight, and very frustrating. But we are here to help - follow our top 8 tips and you'll pack on lean muscle and size far more easily and be well on your way to achieving that physique you want.
Do standard/oblique crunches. Lie down on a mat and position both arms behind your head without locking the hands. Bend your knees so that your feet are flat on the ground. Pushing the small of your back into the ground, slowly roll your shoulders off the ground only a couple of inches (not to a full sitting position). Don't use your momentum to help you up; use slow, regulated movements. Repeat 3 x 20.
You have to fuel your body with high-quality, real, wholesome food. Eating pizza, burgers, ice cream, and fast food just because it's high in calories is a really bad plan. You'll feel terrible, and while the extra calories will help muscle gains to an extent, most of them will turn to fat. It's not worth it. Your recovery will be slower and you will be riddled with inflammation.
Those micro-tears that are such a key factor for muscle-building need rest to rebuild themselves and grow stronger. When do they do that? When you're asleep! "You have to rest and feed your muscles between workouts or you will tear them down and they will become weaker," says Olson. "Over time, you run the risk of over-training, which can result in injury, and possibly even more sleep troubles."
I learned from this to focus on the body weight exercises. I never understood why I could lift a lot of weight, but felt weak when it came to dips, pull ups, push ups etc. Normally I spend 2 hours in a gym: 20 min jogging, 80 min lifting, 20 min jogging, 5 days a week. After reading this I'm excited to incorporate HIIT training in addition to mobility training on my off days, because I think I was wasting a lot of time and effort. I can push way harder on lifting days without the jog beforehand, so I'll also be able to make the most of 60 minutes…
After all, if you're doing more reps in a set, the weight would obviously be lighter and the intensity level lower. If you're doing fewer reps in a set, the weight is obviously heavier and the intensity is higher. In addition, how close you come to reaching failure – aka the point in a set when you are unable to complete a rep – also plays a role here.
This muscle sits partway under the gluteus maximus and connects the ilium (hip bone) to the side of the upper femur. It helps you externally rotate your leg when it's extended behind you, and internally rotate your hip when your leg is flexed in front of you. Together with the gluteus minimus, this muscle abducts the hip (moves it outward). This is your chief "side stepping" muscle.
How to do it: Firmly plant your feet on the platform of a Power Plate machine, and turn it on to the vibration setting you're comfortable with. Exercise your full range of motion as you "pulse" by bending your knees slightly at 80-90° in a squat position. "Vibration training uses time under tension, so complete squat pulses for 30-60 seconds," Reames says. This is one set. Because the Power Plate works by vibrating across three planes: vertical, horizontal, and up and down, your body is forced to make microadjustments, which can improve your strength, power, flexibility, balance, and muscle tone.
The gluteus maximus can be your best friend when it comes to safely performing backbends. Yet overusing this big muscle by clenching your butt as you backbend can lead to irritation and injury in the spine and sacroiliac (SI) joint. In order to mitigate excessive spinal compression in backbends, it's helpful to use the buttocks and adductors (inner thighs) to support the weight of the pelvis, hips, and spine. Work on the following actions:
Aim to eat roughly 250 to 500 extra calories per day. To make sure that any weight gained is from muscle, Fitzgerald recommends that the bulk of those calories come from protein. In a 2014 Pennington Biomedical Research Center study, people who ate a high-calorie diet rich in protein stored about 45 percent of those calories as muscle, while those following a low-protein diet with the same number of calories stored 95 percent of those calories as fat.
Athletes with relative shortening of the hip flexors and accompanying weakness of hip extensors will exhibit decreased hip extension at terminal stance phase or "toe off." Athletes who lack hip extension may also exhibit related limitation in great toe extension. Often these athletes will show decreased wear under the great toe aspect of their shoe sole and relative increased wear under the more lateral toes. These athletes may also demonstrate increased hip flexion at initial contact or "heel strike" in an effort to make up for the shorter stride length caused by limited hip extension. In patients with knee instability this will contribute to hyperextension or "giving way" of the knee.13
I always recommend starting on the low end of the scale. Only increase volume when you absolutely need to. So, if you're training chest, you could do 6 work sets of dumbbell bench presses to start out, breaking down to two sets per workout for three sessions per week. You can gradually add sets from there, experimenting with different training splits that will allow you to get in more volume without overtraining (we'll discuss training splits next).
Build an effective exercise routine. A good diet is required for your body to be able to maximize your potential, but there's no potential at all until you start the process of tearing down your old muscles and rebuilding them bigger, bulkier, and stronger. The best way to do that is to start at the beginning. If you're not sure where to begin, find a solid workout program online and try it out for a while. Don't immediately jump from one program to the next - you'll end up keeping yourself from making steady progress.


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Meet Zhou Qunfei one of the 19 self-made billionaire woman in the World
Inspiration, Money
Zhou Qunfei, Founder and CEO of Lens Technology, is a China based self-made billionaire. While most of the 187 women billionaires became rich due to inheritance, 44 year old Ms. Zhou is one of the 19 self-made billionaire woman, fighting head to head with Chen Lihua for the position of wealthiest female entrepreneur in China. After the public listing of her company on the Shenzhen ChiNext market in March 2015, her net worth has reached US$10 billion, making her the richest woman in China. As of 16th August 2015, she owns 7.7 Billion Dollar.
Ms. Zhou was born in a tiny village in the Hunan Province of central China, a farming community about two hours south of Changsha, the provincial capital. Her father, a skilled craftsman, later lost a finger and most of his eyesight in an industrial accident, before even she was born. Her mother died when she was 5.
Belonging to a poor family, Ms. Zhou dropped out of School at 16 despite of her excellent academic records. Later she travelled south, in search of a better Job and started living with her Uncle's Family. With the dream of becoming a fashion designer, she could only manage to land a job on a factory floor in the City of Shenzhen. She used to earn $1 a day for making watch lenses.
Due to harsh conditions, monotonous and boring job, Ms. Zhou resigned. And in 1993, at the age of 22 she started her own company with the help of her relatives and savings of $3000. At the new company, Ms. Zhou did it all. She repaired and designed factory machinery. She taught herself complex screen-printing processes and difficult techniques that allowed her to improve prints for curved glass. Her cousins call her a person who dares to do what others are afraid to.
She caught her big break in 2001, when her company won a profitable contract to make mobile phone screens for the Chinese electronics giant TCL Corporation. Later in 2003, she received an unexpected phone call from executives at Motorola. They asked if she was willing to help them develop a glass screen for their new device, the Razr V3. She said yes and soon after, orders started rolling in from other mobile-phone makers like HTC, Nokia and Samsung. What brought Lens Technology to prominence was the order from Apple who chooses Lens Technology as its Glass supplier for touch screen based Smartphone, Iphone in 2007. Lens Technology is now one of the leading suppliers of the cover glass used in laptops, tablets and mobile devices, including the Apple iPhone and the Samsung Galaxy
It's because of the passion and hands-on of Ms. Zhou, instead of 100 of competitors; Lens Technology stands strong as a Tier 1 Player. Ms. Zhou designs and choreographs nearly every step of the process, a detailed-oriented approach she traces to her childhood. Lens operates round the clock, with 75,000 workers spread across three main manufacturing facilities that occupy about 800 acres in the Changsha region.
The Story of Zhou Qunfei has not only inspired the Chinese women, but it has inspired many women around the globe, who fear to become an entrepreneur.
#Inspiration#Money
This Melodious Tribute To The Timeless Beauty Rekha Proves In Ankhon Ki Masti Ke Mastaane Still Hazaaro Hai!
With Mother Teresa Being Criticised For Converting People, See which Selfless Foreign Origin Women Could Be Targeted Next
7 Most Inspiring Women In unusual fields
How women in business can step up their leadership skills


Don't miss out on your chance to compete in the New Zealand Coffee in Good Spirits (CIGS) Championship, with entries closing 20 April.
In its first year, the New Zealand Specialty Coffee Association will host the NZ CIGS Championship at La Marzocco on 36 Parnell Road, Auckland on 4 May 2019.
The highest scoring competitor will be named 2019 NZ CIGS Champion and will have the opportunity to compete at the World CIGS Championship in Berlin, Germany from 6 to 8 June.
CIGS promotes innovative beverage recipes – from a traditional Irish coffee to a unique cocktail combination – that showcase coffee and alcohol in a competition format.
At the 2019 New Zealand CIGS Championships, competitors will create a cold coffee cocktail and a warm or hot coffee cocktail for two taste judges, in 10 minutes. A head judge and technical judge will oversee the performance.
Competitors will be provided with alcohol and coffee for their drinks. Havana Coffee Works will provide a Cuban espresso and a single origin if the competitor prefers to filter one of their drinks. Five-hundred grams of each will be sent out to the competitors ten days prior to the event.


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This Week in Washington (1)
Share Your Insights Through Learning Exchanges
Each year WEFTEC attracts the leading experts from throughout the water sector on every topic imaginable. And that includes you. Others want to hear your insights and understand things from your perspective.
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Lights, Camera, WEFTEC Live!
For the first time ever, we will broadcast live from WEFTEC. This programming will give everyone, everywhere the chance to sample some of the best of WEFTEC.
We also know that not everyone who wants to join us will be able to. To help bridge that gap and provide a sense of the action happening live in Chicago, we have designed this free, open access portal.
See What's Streaming Live
Operator Ingenuity Contest 2021 Recognizes Five Winners
WEFTEC 2021 will host the ninth annual Operator Ingenuity Contest awards ceremony on Wednesday, October 20. The previous 8 years of this competition have led to 47 award-winning ideas. In 2021, five more entries will be added to the ranks of those who found simple, applicable solutions to make their job easier and safer.
See Who Won
Government & Regulatory Affairs
U.S. Senate Nears Final Vote To Pass Major Infrastructure Package
*Updated August 10, 2021*
On Sunday, August 8, by a vote of 68 to 29, the U.S. Senate cleared a final procedural hurdle to pass the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (H.R. 3684), which will provide nearly $1.2 trillion in funding for the nation's infrastructure. Approximately, $550 billion of the total is new funding to be spent over the next five years. Sunday's vote sets in motion the final vote to pass the bill late Monday night or Tuesday morning.
On Tuesday, August 10, the U.S. Senate voted 69 to 30 to pass this bill.
CDC to Expand Use of Wastewater-Based Disease Surveillance With Water Environment Federation
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has selected the Water Environment Federation to develop, manage, and provide training for a nationwide network of water utilities, public health agencies, and laboratories participating in wastewater-based disease surveillance.
Operator Ingenuity Contest Accepting Submissions for 2021
The 2021 Operator Ingenuity contest will celebrate simple and creative solutions to common challenges developed by water and wastewater professionals.
Enter by July 7, 2021


You are here: Home / Blog / Side Dishes / Look at Me…I Made Pasta…From Scratch!
Look at Me…I Made Pasta…From Scratch!
For this week's culinary journey, I decided to dive into making homemade pasta. I have a fabulous cooking teacher in my mom, so I've helped her make pasta before, but I've never done it all by myself. I was really excited to try it solo.
Mom gave me her pasta maker and I've never been brave enough to pull it out…until now. This blog is the perfect excuse for me to try stuff like this that I've never found a reason to make before.
Let's face it, it's extremely easy and not that expensive to buy pasta (dried and stuffed) in the store, however, there is something so great about making it yourself and knowing exactly what ingredients were used and having control over that as well.
So here I went, throwing caution to the wind (and a little flour on the floor in the process)!
Here's the amazing pasta press that attaches to the counter. I have to admit that I felt a bit like a fancy pants making pasta by hand. I was definitely wishing I was in Italy cooking alongside an Italian grandma who had been making pasta from scratch her whole life.
The pasta recipe I used was by the ever-so-reliable Giada de Laurentiis. I mean, who better to go to for a homemade pasta recipe than Giada, I say! And the recipe was ridiculously easy to make using a food processor. I HIGHLY recommend it. Plus if you click here, you can watch this great video of Giada making the pasta dough recipe I'm featuring here, which is always useful to watch a recipe being made. To get the recipe and step by step instructions on how to make this pasta, click here.
I decided to make two recipes this week with my homemade pasta dough. The first recipe involved using the dough and making it into a fettuccini. The second time around, I opted to make a stuffed pasta and went the route of ravioli.
Now this recipe first caught my eye after watching Giada's video that I linked to above. I saw the name of the dish on the right side of the website and thought that since I'd never made a ragu, this would be fun to make.
I have to say the recipe was pretty tasty, had lean ground turkey in it (ie, healthy), and was not labor intensive at all. Plus this dish is a great way to sneak in some veggies if you have picky eaters in your home. 🙂 You'll see what I mean when you check out the step by step instructions.
If you're looking for an easy pasta dish to make (with or without homemade pasta) this is definitely a good one to pick!
Click here for the recipe, step by step instructions, and nutritional information.
It's very difficult for me to put into words how fabulous this dish was. I made it Wednesday night, and while it was a bit labor intensive having never made ravioli from scratch before, the end result was beyond worth it.
Please make this dish, but also note that I used another recipe by Giada. However, with her recipe, I used the dough I'd already made, so I didn't follow her recipe exactly. I also almost made her sauce but I was really craving red sauce, so I just used my go-to spicy, jarred pasta sauce.
The filling is so good and you get a little meat in there with some rotisserie chicken. I cannot say enough good things about rotisserie chicken. It's convenient, efficient, and ridiculously flavorful (thanks Target)! (Sorry, I got side-tracked there.) Back to the filling…it has great flavor and can stand up against a nice, spicy marinara, which isn't an easy task.
I cannot emphasize enough how awesome this dish was…PLEASE make it. If you don't make it because you want to, then make it because I want you to. This is definitely in my Top 5 favorites of dishes I've made so far on this site.
Click here for step by step instructions and the recipe.
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I am always annoying my family by insisting they don't drink from cans or bottles. Unless I "nag" them when we are out they will happily just purchase one from a shop somewhere and raise it to their mouths.
Maybe they feel drinking from a straw or glass isn't macho or cool. At home they have no such qualms and always use glasses, usually so many I complain about the washing up.
There is a very good reason for my insistence however and relates to an incident which happened several years ago when I lived in Brunei.
One Friday afternoon a fit young family man who played football for a local team bought a can of drink from a restaurant situated close to the river. He drank directly from the can and died soon after. It was said he died of Weil's (pronounced Viles) disease. It caused quit a stir at the time and I've never forgotten it.
"A woman went boating one Sunday taking with her some cans of coke which she put into the refrigerator of the boat.
On Monday she was taken to the hospital and placed in the Intensive Care Unit.
The autopsy concluded she died of leptospirosis. This was traced to the can of coke she drank from as she hadn't used a glass.
Rat urine contains toxic and deadly substances. They are all around us and it is estimated no-one lives within a few feet of one these days, especially with the amount of food waste and rubbish left lying around.
They live anywhere where there is food and are not fussy about what they class as food. Rats often live in sewers and drains.
Rats can swim and with unusual weather conditions and unprecedented rain fall in many areas, flooding has left several areas not as clean as they should be.
If you must drink from cans or bottles I strongly recommended you thoroughly wash them first or at least the upper parts.
Cans are typically stocked in warehouses and transported straight to shops without being cleaned. Even if they have that plastic wrapping over the trays of cans when they reach the stores you need to consider that someone will stack them on the display shelves.
Do you know what is on their hands? Have they washed them?
A study at NYCU showed that the tops of soda cans are more contaminated than Public toilets i.e., full of germs and bacteria.
My husband often complains of the amount of men who walk straight out of the public toilets without first washing their hands. I'm sure it's the same for many women and that thought usually crosses my mind if I shake hands with anyone.
I have no such worries with my autistic son who is an "expert" hand washer. He has been known to almost hold up planes and stage performances because of it.
However, with so many infections seemingly resistant to treatment these days we need to take as much care of our health as possible.
Antibiotics and antibacterial products are no longer the answer.
What many people do not realize is that these kill ALL bacteria and many are really very useful and necessary.
Instead of using "anti" products you need to use "pro" products and they certainly are available.
I use all natural, general purpose, probiotic cleaning products and certified organic, probiotic health products.
Now instead of having my house full of toxic chemical laced cleaners, I have a powerful army of beneficial bacteria who regenerate, repopulate and dominate over the harmful, disease causing pathogenic bacteria, which are causing such concern both in homes and in our hospitals.
Please take care of your health, and if you must drink from bottles and cans PLEASE wash them with water BEFORE putting them to your mouth.
Leptospirosis or Weil's disease can be fatal.