Butternut noodles are a surprising thing – somehow the spiralizer totally changes the texture of butternut squash, leaving behind some of the squashy-ness and transcending into wonderfully sweet noodles! You're going to love them with all sorts of toppings, but today I'm giving you my favorite pairing yet – Rosemary Chicken Ragu.
The savory sauce has an almost velvety texture, rich with rosemary, and ultimately comforting. When you pair that with slightly caramelized butternut noodles you have the perfect match. And… if you're like me, you'll gild the lily a bit by adding a sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan!
1) You can only spiralize the straight, solid part of the squash – the rounded end with the seeds needs to be cut off.
After you peel it, you need to cut the squash in 4″ lengths or so. If you try to spiralize the whole piece the weight of the squash really gets in the way and ruins your leveraging ability.
And speaking of cutting the squash into 4″ lengths, try to slice as straightly as possible for a nice flat surface. When you fit the squash onto the spiralizer, flat sides make your life so much easier.
I like to roast butternut noodles – you can sauté as well but roasting is nice because the oven does all the work for you. Simply toss them with a bit of olive oil and season with sea salt before roasting. Veggie noodles are just like cooking pasta in that you need to season as you cook – it's the secret to restaurant-like flavor! A well seasoned sauce cannot make up for bland noodles!
And here they are, hot and steaming right out of the oven! I like to pull my noodles out while they're still al dente and hold their shape, but feel free to cook them to whatever texture you prefer.
I developed this recipe to make twice the amount of sauce you'll need for 1 meal because I love cooking once and eating twice! Simply freeze half of the sauce, and you'll thank yourself later when you make dinner with your awesome pre-made sauce! But… if you want to use all the sauce right away, simply make twice the butternut noodles, and you'll be good to go.
As a final note, I always know a recipe is a hit when both Tyler and I want to eat it every-single-week! I've also been eating the leftovers cold, straight out of the fridge – so I think this one is more than here to stay!
Note: You'll need to double the amount of butternut noodles if you want to use all of the sauce. We like to make the sauce once and freeze half of it for another super easy meal!
Start by heating a large deep sided skillet, or dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil to the pan with the chicken. Brown the chicken, but don't worry too much about cooking it all the way through, it will finish cooking in the sauce at the end.
Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside.
Add the remaining 2 Tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and sauté the onion until translucent with browned edges. Add the garlic and rosemary to the pan, and sauté just until fragrant before adding the sea salt, chicken stock, and blended tomatoes.
Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat until you have a gentle simmer. Simmer for 25 minutes or until the rosemary is no longer the prominent flavor of the sauce. Depending on your simmer, you may need to add a small amount of water if the sauce starts to get too thick.
While the sauce is simmering, prepare the butternut squash by cutting off the stem end and the rounded end with all the seeds, (reserve the unused squash for another purpose – like roasted veggies). Peel the remaining squash, (you should have around 2 pounds remaining) and cut it into about 4″ lengths for spiralizing.
Fit the squash onto the spiralizer (I used the 1/4″ blade) and spiralize. Peel apart any butternut noodles that are sticking together and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle them with a small amount of olive oil and sprinkle with ground sea salt. Toss the 'noodles' to thoroughly coat them.
When the sauce has simmered for about 20 minutes, add the sautéed chicken and continue to simmer while you roast the 'noodles'.
Place the butternut noodles in the oven to roast. Roast until they're al dente – about 8 minutes. While the butternut noodles are roasting, grate the optional parmesan cheese.
Serve the noodles topped with the sauce, and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese if desired!
Very tasty! Currently eating it right now.
Question though, my sauce was more on the watery side, was I supposed to drain the extra sauce that surrounded the tomatoes in the can?
So glad you enjoy them! You don't drain out the water from the tomatoes, if the sauce is a bit watery, just simmer it until it's the texture you desire before adding the chicken back in towards the final minutes of the cooking time. Canned tomatoes can really vary in water content, so the cooking time for my sauces is always based on how long it took my sauce to simmer, but it can vary as well depending on the heat of your stove's burners as well.
Just curious…what do you do with the part of the squash with the seeds that you did not use for noodles?
After we've finished dinner, I cube up the part with seeds and add a few other root veggies and sliced onion to the mix. I place it all on a parchment lined sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt, and roast the veggies at 425ºF until they're tender and caramelized. From there I use the roasted veggies in everything from scrambled eggs, to soup, to Thai curries!
Simply delicious. We call it butternut pumpkin here in Australia, but never thought of making noodles out of them. Roasting them was amazing too. Thanks for inspiring. Oh, and the ragu was awesome too.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I really love the flavor of butternut when you roast it, somehow it seems to taste less squash-y and more caramelized!
Rosemary is the best! I love your butternut noodles (time to get that spiralizer!) and I love how you used chicken thighs. Was just reading that Chipotle uses chicken thighs because they just don't get as dry as chicken breasts. Besides, my mom says it's time to get over my fear of chicken thighs!
Rosemary is the best isn't it, and once you start using chicken thighs you may never look back!
I've never made bolognese sauce with chicken and I've never made butternut noodles. I guess I need to fill that void pronto with this recipe!
You'll absolutely love butternut noodles – they're a great change of pace from the way I usually just cube up and roast it!


So, y'all know I'm definitely not a health food fanatic. We try to eat lots of veggies and avoid yucky things like saturated fat and trans fat and sodium, but you won't see me buying chia seeds or protein powder or whatever, and I can't seem to make myself enjoy Greek yogurt. Paleo, Whole30, and whatever other diets are cool these days... I don't really do that stuff.
BUT - I do have a large jar of coconut oil in my pantry because I love to make these coconut chocolate chip cookies, so when I got asked to review a new cookbook that would tell me what to do with all the leftover coconut oil, I was totally excited.
There's this cute new cookbook called Cooking with Coconut Oil by Elizabeth Nyland, and it's kinda sorta AMAZING. It turns out there are lots of wonderful health benefits to be gained from coconut oil, and cooking with it is tasty, too!
1. Make the compote: In a small saucepan, combine all compote ingredients and set over medium heat.
2. Cook, stirring occasionally, 35 to 45 minutes, or until a sauce-like consistency is reached and apples and onions are soft.
3. Meanwhile, make the pork chips: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Farenheit and place a heavy baking tray in the middle rack. In a heavy, cast-iron pan, melt the coconut oil over medium-high heat.
4. Season the chops on all sides with salt and pepper. Place in hot pan and sear for 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to oven and allow to cook for approximately 10 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of chop reads 145 degrees Farenheit.
5. Serve compote over pork chops.
The rest of the cookbook looks delicious as well, and I can't wait to try more recipes. Lots of coconut fun! Oh, and you should consider buying to cookbook - you can find Cooking with Coconut Oil on Amazon!
You make this look so easy, but mine would never turn out that way!


Some of the most popular scams recently have involved job opportunities.
One of the most common of these scams is the Secret Shopper. There are also scams for other jobs but basically these type of scams involve the supposed employer sending you checks or money orders that you are supposed to cash or deposit in your account, keep a percentage of the money, and wire the rest of the money to the employer or a third party via a company like Western Union or Money-gram.
You are either being sent forged checks or forged money orders and eventually they will come back as a forgery and the bank will take the entire amount of the check or money order out of your account.
The bank WILL NOT work with you on this and you are responsible for the entire amount.
When you wire money somewhere, all the receiver has to have is the name it was sent to and the transaction number and they can pick it up anywhere in the world.
For example: If you wired money to George Smith in Atlanta, Georgia it could be picked up by a George Smith in Moscow, Russia as long as he has the transaction number and a ID that says George Smith on it.
A second employment scam that is very popular is a re-shipper scam. The potential employer will describe the job as helping him ship products to customers or that he's traveling abroad and needs his packages sent to him.
The reality is that most of the time these are criminals in foreign countries who have stolen credit or debit card numbers and are using them to make fraudulent purchases over the internet at merchant's website. Many merchants having been hit hard by this type of fraud have stopped shipping to many overseas countries. The criminals want to use you as a conduit to ship their fraudulent obtained merchandise overseas.
These criminals in all these employment scams usually recruit unsuspecting victims on craigslist, monster.com, careerbuilder.com or quite recently we have seen a lot of these cases that originated from online dating sites.


text:
> TV & Film
Midsomer Murders star teases the end of the show
The show has been on the air since 1997
March 10, 2019 - 14:45 CET Emmy Griffiths Midsomer Murders is finally back, but after 22 years of being in the air - does it have an end in sight? Neil Dudgeon has weighed in...
A new series of Midsomer Murders is starting on Sunday, and the star of the show, Neil Dudgeon, has opened up when he thinks the series will finish. Although the show has been on the air for an incredible 22 years, the actor has revealed that he doesn't think it will finish any time soon, and will simply "go on and on", meaning that there isn't an end date in sight! The only problem is when Midsomer runs out of people!
Neil opened up about Midsomer Murders
Speaking about the series, Neil told Digital Spy: "It can be so varied. It can vary tonally. You've got a different setting every week. You've got a largely different cast every week. You can have a darker episode, a more serious episode. You can change everything about it. It can be more comedic. It can be more horror. It can be more spooky. It can be dark. You can kind of put anything in there because of the breadth and the style of the show. If there's a formula at all, it's a very loose formula. So I think it's got the potential to go on. It can keep re-energising itself."
READ: The cute thing Prince William does for Charlotte - and it might surprise you
Speaking about taking over from John Nettles, who played Tom Barnaby for 14 years before leaving the show in 2011, he added: "I think obviously people thought, 'What's it going to be like when John leaves, and this new person comes in that I've never heard of?' But they seem to have managed to weather that pretty well." So why did John leave? Speaking about his exit, he told The Telegraph: "It's always wise to leave people wanting more, rather than be booed off the stage because you bored them." The new series will air on 10 March at 8pm on ITV, and the episode will be titled The Ghost of Causton Abbey.
READ: Death in Paradise star opens up about Kris Marshall returning to show
Amanda Holden releases brave statement after terrifying encounter with stalker
Death in Paradise star opens up about Kris Marshall returning to show

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: TableView section I want to design a dynamic table which has 2 sections, first section has 4 cells and second one has 41 cells. I want to program these 2 sections separately but I can only modify one section. how can I modify each section separately. The codes that I wrote so far is like this:
{
    - (NSInteger)numberOfSectionsInTableView:(UITableView *)tableView {

        return 2;
    }

    - (NSInteger)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView numberOfRowsInSection:(NSInteger)section {

        if (section == 0)
            return 4;
        else
            return 41;
    }

    - (UITableViewCell *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView cellForRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
    {
        static NSString *CellIdentifier = @"Questions";
        UITableViewCell *cell = [tableView dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier:CellIdentifier];
        if(cell == nil) cell = [[UITableViewCell alloc] initWithStyle:UITableViewCellStyleDefault reuseIdentifier:@"Questions"];

        cell.textLabel.text = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"Question %lu", (unsigned long)indexPath.row +1];

        return cell;
    }
}

A: The NSIndexPath has both a row property and a section property.  From these two properties, you can tell which cell you are currently working on in

*

*<(UITableViewCell *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView cellForRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
For example:
(UITableViewCell *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView cellForRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
{

    static NSString *CellIdentifier = @"Questions";
    UITableViewCell *cell = [tableView dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier:CellIdentifier];

    if(cell == nil)
         cell = [[UITableViewCell alloc]initWithStyle:UITableViewCellStyleDefault reuseIdentifier:@"Questions"];

        if (indexPath.section == 0)
        {
            cell.textLabel.text = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"1st Group - Question %d", indexPath.row + 1];
        }
        else
        {
            cell.textLabel.text = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"2nd Group - Question %d", indexPath.row + 1];
        }

        return cell;
    }

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Introducing AdSense Management Services in Google Apps Script
By Silvano Luciani, Developer Programs Engineer, AdSense API Team
Starting today, the AdSense Management API is available as part of AdSense Services in Google Apps Script. This means that you'll be able to automate your AdSense reporting across Google products using a JavaScript cloud scripting language to do things like:
Create AdSense performance reports for your AdSense accounts in a Google spreadsheet.
Create a chart based on your AdSense reporting data and display it in a Google spreadsheet.
Embed your scripts in a Google Sites page, for instance to import a chart.
Use triggers to schedule the execution of your scripts, for instance to periodically update the chart imported in the Google Sites page.
You can start using the service by checking out the reference documentation, which also contains some sample scripts, and by reading this tutorial, which implements the use cases mentioned above.
Based in London, Silvano Luciani joined Google in 2011 to make the AdSense API developers happier people. Before that, he has worked in Finland, Italy, Spain and the UK, writing web based configuration management tools for ISPs, social networks, web based training materials, e-commerce apps and more. He has recently discovered that he loves charts, and has finally started to play the drums in the London's office music room. If you can call what he does "playing the drums".
adsense apps script google apps


Data literacy is a team sport. How can organizations improve their data readiness? How can we upskill in the humanitarian sector? As part of Humanitarian Network Partnership Week, IFRC and the Centre for Humanitarian Data (represented by Javier Teran) convened 50 participants to share about our data literacy activities. We shared about the two organizations activities around data literacy and then hosted breakout groups on two topics.
What does some of your organization needs around data literacy?
Participants were from universities, NGOs, IOs, and civil society. The Center for Humanitarian Data's data literacy research was confirmed by the audience who said there is a need for investment in data readiness, a need to support the value of data, support for responsible data, best practices on data sharing, and ability to analyze data. And lastly, that with data literacy comes a need for a culture shift for organizational preparedness.
How can you and your organization contribute?
As expected, there are a plethora of resources around data literacy. It was super exciting to hear how other humanitarian actors are keen to help others on their data journey. There were offers to share content, resources, joint training, and translation support. Some individuals will test out the Data Playbook beta content with their audiences and give feedback. There was an offer to develop approaches and systems to make data management easier. And, there was an offer to provide research level data analysis (network modeling, epidemiology, predictive analysis).
Partnerships across humanitarian actors, universities/research and business are critical to success and sustainable planning.
We cannot be bystanders – Humanitarian Response needs a Data & Digital upgrade. The risks and opportunities that the influx of data and technology grows.
Upskilling staff and volunteers can improve our work and localize data workflows.
Guide the development of content – Advice and support.
Review the content as we develop it.
Building shared content in person and online will reach more humanitarians. Center for Humanitarian Data and IFRC are already engaged in these activities.
Icon credit: Education by Tuktuk Design (Noun Project).


text:
package eventkitui.test.page;

import eventkitui.test.page.core.LoadablePage;
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.WebElement;
import org.openqa.selenium.support.FindBy;

/**
 * Backdoor login page
 * /api/login
 */
public class BackdoorLoginPage extends LoadablePage {

    @FindBy(id = "id_username") private WebElement usernameField;
    @FindBy(id = "id_password") private WebElement passwordField;
    @FindBy(id = "submit-id-submit") private WebElement submitButton;

    public BackdoorLoginPage(WebDriver driver, long timeout) {
        super(driver, timeout);
    }

    /**
     * Logs in.
     * @param username
     * @param password
     */
    public void login(final String username, final String password) {
        usernameField.sendKeys(username);
        passwordField.sendKeys(password);
        submitButton.click();
    }

    public WebElement getUsernameField() {
        return usernameField;
    }

    public WebElement getPasswordField() {
        return passwordField;
    }

    public WebElement getSubmitButton() {
        return submitButton;
    }

    @Override
    public WebElement loadedElement() {
        return usernameField;
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


If you are interested in bringing your startup to Brazil but don't have the capital or expertise to market your product here, participating in a national accelerator program may be the best way to go. With experienced mentors on their teams, accelerators can give you insights on everything you need to know to succeed in the country, besides providing initial funds to help you get started.
Big supporter of Startups Meetups, Aceleradora is an attempt to bridge a gap in the Brazilian startup scenario: entrepreneurs formation and business model discovery. They connect entrepreneurs and investors, coaching them into building viable startups.
Some of their mentors: Yuri Gitahy, Eric Santos (Resultados Digitais), Edson Mackeenzy (Videolog), Gustavo Caetano (SambaTech), In Hsieh (Baby), Rodrigo Paolucci (SambaTech), Gian Carlo Martinelli, Jacques Chicourel, Leandro Alves(Latitude14) and Millor Machado (Empreendemia).
Startups that participated in the program: Anuncie.la , Descomplica, Empreendemia, Mailee.me, Ningo, Organizze, Zuggi.
Startup Farm is an initiative that seeks to amplify the development of new businesses through the creation and acceleration of startups in an intenstive one-month program. A team of experienced mentors in the digital scenario helps entrepreneurs structure, model and test new startups. Each edition at a different city, the first one took place in São Paulo, and the next will be in Rio de Janeiro.
Investment per startup: There is no direct investments and entrepreneurs have to pay to participate. Some startups and companies sponsor the participation of startups, such as Peixe Urbano, Brazilian's bigget collective buying website.
Some of their mentors: Bob Wollheim (SixPix), Gustavo Guida Reis (HelpSaúde), Pierre Schurmann (Bossa Nova Angels) Caio Chaves Garcez, Carlos Flores, Claudio Roca, Daniel Cunha, Daniel Saad, Elizabeth Merlo, Felipe Matos(Inventta), Henrique Bastos, Henrique Pistilli, In Hsieh (baby), Jairo Margatho, Juan Bernabó, Lígia Dutra, Marina Miranda, e Tiago Baeta (Imasters).
Startup Rio! Is a four-month startup acceleration program focused in four different fields: Digital/IT, Life sciences, greentech and social innovation. The program is sponsored by Tropical Angels.
Investment per startup: U$ 50.000 (aprox R$ 80.000).
Some of their mentors: Julio Vasconcellos (Peixe Urbano), Amit Garg, Gustavo Guida Reis (Help Saúde), Ken Harrington, Mika Peltola, Alexandre Ribenboim, Rogério Passy, Eric Gulve, Mauro Schechter, Hugo Villar, Stevens Rehen e Frank Yin.
Space: Shared offices in Rio de Janeiro.
Polo Marte is a Brazilian group that accelerates startups that bring technology to essential services to the people. Its experienced mentors and its approach to web development attracts young entrepreneurs with brilliant ideas, to provide them a strategic mentoring and seed investment. The company specializes in user experience, product development and provides an inspiring workplace.
Some of their mentors: Marcelo Gluz, Nando Pereira and Fabio Giolito.
Spcae: Shared offices in Rio de Janeiro.
Some startups that participated in the program: Posto Zero, OQDar e Apps4Kids.
21 212 is a group of successful entrepreneurs and developers that believe in the idea of digital startups acceleration in the Brazilian market. They have seed acceleration program, that offers seed capital, mentoring, technology, physical space and business knowledge needed to establish a solid foundation and generate business in an agile way. At the end of the four-month program, the startup has the opportunity to make their pitch to angel investors and VCs.
Some of their mentors: Fábio Seixas (camiseteria) , Anderson Thees (Apontador) Paulo C. Novis, Henrik Werdelin e Bill Boebel.
Terms (Equity per startup): 20% – 10% para a 21212 + 10% para patrocinadores.
Location: Rio de Janeiro and New York.
Startups that participated in the program: undisclosed.
Acelera10 is a startup accelerator founded to find startups with great potential and excelent teams, and assure they become successful. With proven entrepreneurship experience from its founders and a mentoring program to follow up, capacitate and transfer knowledge, early stage companies may apply to participate in a nine-month program focused in creating every condition for the participants to be in the path of profitability and growth. Besides having a physical space based on the coworking concept, startups can count with a shared services center for accounting, legal, press and marketing activities.
Terms (Equity per startup): undisclosed.
TechRok is an accelerator focused in early stage tech companies that has the web as their core business. Its mission is to identify investment opportunities providing strategy and management to minimize risks and generate growth for the companies on their portfolio. It was founded by Pierre Mantovani and the first company from their portfolio was Omelete.com.br.
Some of their mentors: Pierre Matovani, Ex Digitas Brasil's CEO.


The QMobile Noir S4 is a smartphone by QMobile and it has been released.
The QMobile Noir S4 boast of a 1.3 GHz Octa core processor, a 5.0 inches of display with Android 6.0., Marshmallow.
The QMobile Noir S4 also comes with a 2GB of RAM, an internal memory of 16GB. It also boast of an 8.0MP back camera with LED flash and an 8.0 MP front camera and a 3000mah battery capacity to push all this.


How Can Digital Receipts Add Customer Value?
For all the significant developments that have been made over recent years, digital remains one of the most difficult frontiers for supermarkets to conquer. This is because the challenge is two-fold. Firstly, supermarkets have had to set up an effective eCommerce presence, which isn't easy considering their core offering lies in Fast Moving Consumer Goods, which don't fit naturally in the online world. Secondly, there's an increasing need to enhance the in-store experience through digital innovation, adding convenience to customers as they go about their shopping. It's the second of these that's the most difficult to achieve. What needs to be digitised and how do you go about doing it?
We've written in the past about retailers' attempts to digitise their offline offering in an attempt to secure greater rates of customer retention and boost customer value. Marie Claire and Ocado recently teamed up to provide a digital, curated experience in a pop-up shop on Tottenham Court Road in London. The likes of Boots and McDonald's have tried to find digital ways to increase footfall and dazzle the customers while they're in store. And there's increasing call for major supermarkets to digitise their loyalty cards to make it easier for customers to take advantage of rewards schemes. The old adage that you don't leave home without your plastic card simply doesn't hold true anymore. The only thing you do always remember is your phone.
Ironically, the latest attempt at in-store digitisation is driven by a desire to not have customers fill their pockets with an item. This month, Tesco has announced that it's trialling Tap&Tag, a digital technology that removes the need for paper receipts by logging the information in a digital account. To use Tap&Tag, customers simply tap a Tap&Tag console at the checkout with their contactless card or NFC phone and the digital receipt is sent to the customer's email address or app. There's no paper to pick up from the terminal and nothing to stuff into your back pocket. It's all paperless and all online.
The trial is currently taking place at two stores in Essex, but Tesco is hoping to roll it out much further in the coming months with an eye to similar developments in the future. It's an acknowledgement, the company's technical programme manager Neil McGeough explains, of a significant change in the way customers are shopping. Cumbersome wads of paper and plastic frustrate customers; why have them when the switch to digital is so intuitive for most shoppers and fairly simple for retailers?
How can digital receipts add convenience?
It's a logical question. After all, receipts are pushed into our pockets almost by reflex: we pay, we put the receipt and loose change away, and we go on with the rest of our day. Surely asking customers to bring out their mobile phone and go through an extensive process just to get something they used to get on a piece of paper is counter-intuitive to what supermarkets need to be doing. In short, it doesn't really make things easier for the customer, and when things aren't easy for the customer, there's ample opportunity for confusion, frustration, and a loss of the very customer loyalty the technology is seeking to secure.
That's true, but it only tells half the story. While it may be slightly less intuitive in the short-term, customers are smart and can easily adapt: using a smartphone to pick up your receipt will quickly become as natural as picking it up in paper form. What's more, the success of online banking and other financially-based digital systems have shown that customers value having their information in one central place that can be easily accessed at any time. Such benefits far outweigh the minor negatives of having to get used to a new way of doing things.
Moreover, there's a significant benefit to Tesco itself. Firstly, it saves money on the paper and ink required for physical receipts. This may not seem much, and certainly some of the savings will be gobbled up by the cost and maintenance of the digital machines, but store-by-store and year-by-year, it'll add up. More significantly, Tesco reportedly loses around £8 million every year in returns from people who don't have the receipt. Such situations are difficult to resolve, but by having a digital record of transactions, Tesco can more confidently assess which returns are truthful and which are fraudulent.
The introduction of digital receipts isn't the only major advancement Tesco has made in digitising its in-store experience this year. During the summer, the company announced the introduction of PayQwip, an app that allows customers to pay and collect loyalty points with their phone. The app was developed by Tesco Bank, and it proved successful enough to warrant further rollout, with a spokesman from Tesco Bank calling the initial trials "very positive". Sainsbury's and Asda are also looking into developing their own digital payment options as they seek to offer the kind of convenience Apple Pay provides without having to surrender all-important customer data to third parties.
These are all positive signs for the digitisation of the in-store experience, but the shift isn't a simple one and the true value won't be seen until next year or even 2018. Tesco and its rivals aren't just looking to build loyalty with their existing customer base, but expand it. By bringing in digitisation, they're hoping they can make enough noise to drive more customers their way, showing that they can deliver greater value through greater convenience. No longer will those points go unearned or unspent because you've forgotten your card. Just use your phone, and you're getting the value you're lacking elsewhere.
The winner of this battle will be the one that makes digital convenience most convenient and least disruptive. It's a delicate balancing act, but thanks to its introduction of digital receipts, Tesco just about has the advantage at the moment.
What do you think of digital receipts and supermarkets' increasing move to digitisation? Let us know in the comments section or get in touch with us on social media.


Yugo.pk brings an easy visa assistance guide to get visit visa to Kyrgyzstan. We'll ensure to maximize your chances of getting Kyrgyzstan visa from Pakistan. Our team of professional visa experts has vast experience in Kyrgyzstan visa applications.
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Come join us at Tiara Rado Golf Course for the annual APWA-CARMA Spring Golf tournament in Grand Junction! Golf tournament proceeds go toward the West Slope Branch scholarship/internship programs.
Registration includes green fee, cart and range balls.
Hole sponsorships and prizes for Longest Drive, Closest to the Pin or Longest Putt are available. Prize donations (golf balls, tees, putters, etc.) are also accepted.
The Clarion Inn will be offering a free shuttle to and from Tiara Rado Golf Course. The shuttle is first come, first served starting at 11am with the last shuttle leaving the hotel at 12:30pm.
The Tiara Rado Golf Course is a spikeless facility. Please were spikeless footwear. Food and soft drinks are available at the golf course. All food and beverage must be purchased through the golf course's food and beverage concessionaire.
Alcohol policy: Colorado State Liquor Code requires that only alcoholic beverages purchased at the Tiara Rado golf course may be consumed on the premises or the course.
And, as always, please display good golf etiquette so we may be invited back to play in the future.
For questions concerning the conference, please contact Renee Railsback at cltap@colorado.edu.
If you wish to play with a specific individual/foursome, please submit the names for your group/foursome to Pamela Weimer at bdweimer@msn.com upon registration. If not submitted, you will be randomly assigned.
Cancellation policy: Cancellations must be made in writing (email only to Pamela Weimer at bdweimer@msn.com) by Friday, April 12th to receive a refund. Substitutions can be made at any time.
Company's name will be displayed at hole on the course.
Company's name will be displayed at the designated "Longest Drive" hole on the course.
Company's name will be displayed at the designated "Longest Putt" hole on the course.
Company's name will be displayed at the designated "Closest to the Pin" hole on the course.


Paradise found in the shadow of a Sleeping Giant.
Stoney Creek feels like a mountain oasis, and yet it is only an eight minute drive from Nadi airport. The cooler temperature and lush green surrounds offer a stark contrast to the Viti Levu coast.
Michelle and Gary have perfected indoor outdoor living, with the gentle curves of the pool melding into the Resort's restaurant and bar area. As I read my book pool side, my eyes were repeatedly drawn across the landscaped gardens, sugar cane fields, to the sleeping giants face etched in ridge line. Like most guests I desperately wanted to stay an extra night, in my state of exhaustion I was beyond grateful that Fiji has saved one of my best accommodation experiences for my last night.
For those who have a bit more cash and want something more than a dormitory, or a basic 'love shack' try a 'bure', it's worth it. The spa bath set in the corner of the room became my happy place after a hectic ten days. The two room bure was immaculately clean, could sleep up to three people, and so relaxing it was almost surreal.
Michelle is an amazing host. She has the ability to welcome you, make you feel totally relaxed and emotionally disarmed...with just a smile. She and her kitchen team prepare all the food fresh and on site, the menu has different specials every night, and yes, the food is YUMMY.
If you feel like doing something a little adventurous, the Sabeto Valley has more hidden treasures to be discovered beyond Stoney Creek. My facial pores can highly recommend the nearby mud-baths and hot pools, and I discovered that October is the perfect time to visit the Garden the Sleeping Giants orchid gardens.
In the hills behind Suva, the climate is cooler and fresh air a revelation after the hectic city laden with diesel fumes. Designed to showcase the environment, with sustainability in mind Raintree Lodge is something special.
My Eco bure felt more like a private treehouse, and I slept in a four-poster bed for the first time in my life. The hardwood floors, walls of timber louvers and high windows melded together to create a cosy hideaway surrounded by rainforest. The bathroom was clean and like the rest of the bure, functional.
I made use of the tea and coffee-making facilities, and the bar fridge, but I ignored the TV and DVD player. I fell in love with my balcony, which overlooked looked the lake. The lake was originally an abandoned government quarry, and now it is the focal point of the complex.
Architecturally the main building echoes the design of a traditional Chiefs Bure, and houses the reception, gift shop, bar and dining area. The menus promote local food, and I can highly recommend the Chicken Balabala from the Raintree Restaurant. The Veranda Bar & Cafe is perfect for breakfast. A two bedroom family bure, and three dormitories are also available on site. A conference room by the main lake, a swimming pool with a covered deck area, are all surrounded by...wait for it...rainforest.
Raintree Lodge is across the road from the Colo I Suva Forest Park, and the Police Post. An $8 taxi ride will take you to Suva, with its Museum of Fiji, shopping precinct and markets, but, that is only if you actually want to leave!
If you want a meditative island retreat, that is off the beaten track then the Wellesley Resort is perfect. It is so boutique that there are only fifteen rooms. If you brought a few friends, it would become your own private resort.
It is two hour's drive from Nadi Airport, and don't be scared by the access road, my 2WD rental car had no problems getting there. Be warned, some websites promise a free transfer to the Resort, however, this is no longer offered.
I was upgraded to the Wellington Suit, with its dark wooden furniture and monogrammed linens this Stateroom made me feel like an Island princess. There was a carved wooden desk where I set up my laptop on, a king sized sleigh bed, kitchenette and tiled bathroom. Talking to the other guests, their rooms were as clean and spacious as mine.
The white sandy beach seemed very exclusive compared to the busy Nataloda beach. The kayaks and snorkelling gear were ready to go, and the snorkelling is ok, nothing like you would see around the outer islands, which is to be expected. The pool area is stunning, perfect for lounging around, and Joanna was always ready to bring me whatever I wanted.
The food was excellent, and the menu changed every night. I really appreciated the wine list with its selection of New Zealand and Australian wines. If you want something more fast-foodish you can wander down the beach to Crusoe's Retreat. Here you can also have a rowdy night out, with limbo competitions and frog racing nights. A visit to the local village for dinner is also highly recommended.
At Bedarra Beach Inn I received the most melodious island welcome that I have ever experienced, anywhere in the Pacific. Three musicians were playing guitars and singing to the guests, they were so talented that small children were drawn to the flax mat to sit with them and sway to the music.
At the Ocean Terrace restaurant that night the same group welcomed each table with a song from their own country. I was serenaded with a pitch perfect version of Po Kerikeri Anna, that would put most New Zealand musicians to shame.
I sat with Maggie an Australian woman of unknown vintage who had been coming to the Bedarra for over fourteen years. Talking to Maggie was the perfect illustration of why 'Bedarra' is so magical; people just keep boomeranging back, year after year. Maggie said that coming to stay was like coming home, her husband died a few years ago and her daughters fret over her travelling, however, she always feels welcome and safe at Bedarra.
Later that night, I found myself laughing out loud as I read the Hotel Compendium, I think it is the most entertaining piece of hotel literature that I have read anywhere in the world. It starts with the Three Rules of Bedarra, all of which involve relaxing in a beautiful environment. It explains the facilities that are available, the local activities, and gives some excellent tips on how to enjoy the Island way of life and the concept of Fiji time.
My room was big enough to have a full blown island soiree in. There was a tribal sized bed, a large wardrobe, fridge, immaculate bathroom and I loved that there was no TV! The view from my balcony overlooking the pool and lagoon was hard to turn away from. I was so entranced over breakfast that I did not want to leave.
There is no 'Kids Club' and if you or your family needs a barrage of planned activities then Bedarra is not for you. However, there is a babysitting service available for a small charge, and you can borrow snorkeling equipment and kayaks for free. The tour operators will also make your life easy by picking you up and dropping you home. Bedarra Inn is for those who have the time to relax, want to be treated like family, and well fed. If you do want to explore I would highly recommend the nearby Kula Eco Park and the Sigatoka Sand Dunes National Park.


The winter solstice is the shortest day, and the longest night, of the year. It's been celebrated by cultures around the world since our earliest history.
The winter solstice comes on or around December 21st—and 6 months later in the Southern Hemisphere. Leading up to it, the days appear to be dying.
The dawn comes later, the sunset earlier. Nights get longer and colder. In far northern and southern latitudes, this is very keenly felt.
Then on the solstice, things turn around. The day after is a little longer, and they keep getting lighter and brighter.
So the solstice has always been associated with rebirth—of the sun and of a new year.
Asian, Middle Eastern, North and South American cultures all had, and still have, festivals marking the rebirth of the sun.
The Romans, too, celebrated Saturnalia, dedicated to the sun god Saturn, characterized by charity and gift-giving.
In the 4th century when they converted to Christianity, they turned their festival of the sun's rebirth into a celebration of a different son's birth. This gave us Christmas, on December 25.
Later, when the Vikings became Christians, they brought Nordic solstice traditions: evergreen trees, holly, and mistletoe, all symbols of life in the dark winter.
So this holiday season, you might consider a solstice party.
It's the astronomically correct way to ring out the old year and welcome the birth of the new.
Synopsis: The annual cycle of the sun has been monitored closely since prehistoric times. It drives our seasons, which are essential to our food sources and the cadence of our lives. One of the most important solar events each year is the winter solstice, which has been regarded for millennia with awe and hope, globally celebrated as a time of rebirth.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the winter, or hibernal, solstice in December has the year's shortest days and longest nights.
In the Southern Hemisphere, the opposite occurs in December: the summer, or estival, solstice occurs, with the year's longest days and shortest nights.
Earth has equinoxes, solstices, and seasons because the planet is tilted 23.5 degrees on its axis relative to its orbit around the sun.
Solstice, whether winter or summer, occurs at the same moment all over Earth.
As Earth makes its annual orbit around the sun, the hemispheres are illuminated at different times.
At the December solstice, the North Pole is as far from the sun as it gets, so the sun never rises there. At the same time, the South Pole is pointed at the sun, so the sun never sets there.
At noon on the day of the winter solstice, the sun shines directly over the Tropic of Capricorn—23.5 degrees south of the equator—and never goes any farther south.
Six months later, the noonday sun shines directly over the Tropic of Cancer at 23.5 degrees north latitude; the South Pole is dark and the midnight sun shines all night within the Arctic Circle.
Solstice is derived from the Latin word solstitium, which means "point at which the sun stands still." At the winter solstice, the sun seems to stand still for a few days before reversing direction.
As the winter solstice nears, dawn comes later and later, sunset comes earlier, days grow shorter and colder, the sun drops lower in the sky, noonday shadows lengthen, and points on the horizon where the sun rises and sets migrate southward.
Primitive societies had to be acutely attuned to nature, in particular to the rhythm of the sun that brought them light and warmth for their survival.
Early agricultural societies depended on the regularity of shifting seasons to know the best times to plant and harvest crops.
Over many centuries, ancient humans studied the placement of the sun and moon in the sky, formulating calendars and using astronomical events to decrease uncertainty about what to expect in the future.
Some of our ancestors worshiped the sun, building monuments aligned with its annual path to help predict and honor the shift from shortening to lengthening days.
The winter solstice—also known as midwinter, Jól, and Yule in Scandinavia and Northern Europe—was especially important to ancient man in pagan times.
The early months of the year, January to April, often brought starvation and famine in these northern climes.
Most livestock were slaughtered on the solstice so they would not have to be fed during winter.
The midwinter festival in these northern countries ran for a few days during and after the winter solstice––the last celebration before the depths of winter.
Meat was boiled, blessed, and served in temples with great fires in a pit on the floor.
Wine and beer were typically finished fermenting around this time, and ale flowed with toasts to Odin for victory and power, and to other gods for a good harvest and peace.
The Christmas tree, wreath, and Yule log are adaptations from this festival.
King Haakon the Good, a popular ruler who brought Christianity to Norway, is credited with shifting the dates of the celebration to coincide with the Christian celebration of Christmas.
Our ancestors left behind a remarkable global record of their reverence for the solstice.
About 3200 BC, a knoll of dirt surrounded by stones and aligning with the winter solstice sunrise was constructed in Ireland. During each winter solstice sunrise, sunlight illuminates the carvings inside a chamber in the Newgrange mound for 17 minutes.
In southern England, the famous circle of stones, Stonehenge, was built around 3000 BC; its axis is aligned with the winter solstice sunset.
A burial ground and temple to celebrate the sun, Stonehenge was under construction for at least 1500 years.
Although modern solstice festivals take place at Stonehenge during winter and summer solstices, ancient bones and teeth from pig slaughters for large gatherings indicate that ceremonies took place in the winter. No ancient evidence of summer gatherings has been documented.
Machu Picchu was constructed on a mountain overlooking the Urubamba valley in Peru about 1400 AD.
Among its numerous astrological features is the Intihuatana, which translates from the Quechua language as "hitching post of the sun." The Inca believed that this rock, which points directly at the sun during the winter solstice, held the sun in place.
Nearby, the Inti Mach'ay is a special cave for rites of passage to manhood. It has a window that only allows light to enter a few days before and after the winter solstice, when the rituals took place; the rest of the year the cave is dark.
The spiritual value of solar illumination was not lost on Spanish settlers in the American Southwest, Mexico, and Central America.
Many Spanish missions were deliberately oriented a few degrees off of the rest of their site plans so that sunlight would strike religious objects on the winter solstice. Some objects were oriented so that the same effect occurred on specific saints' days.


Avatar Review: Is "Not Bad" Good Enough?
Just posted a review of Avatar over on the MovieSucktastic blog.
In some ways it is less a review of the film than it is a review of other reviews of the film. But then again, sometimes the reception a movie receives is more telling and/or interesting than the film itself.
Check it out to see what I mean, and feel free to weigh in with your own thoughts.
And yes, I kept the 3D glasses.
Just got a copy of the cover to my upcoming book, Performed by Lugosi. Take a look and let me know what you think.
In the past, I have often found that many books and anthologies on unexplained phenomena and bizarre events are either sensationalized accounts with vague descriptions and no concrete details, or dry and uninspirational regurgitation of other source materials with more footnotes than original material. So it was with great pleasure that I discovered Robert Damon Schneck's book The President's Vampire.
Schneck's approach is far from exploitational. His attention to detail and devotion to searching out the truth behind the sensational and unverified leaves no doubt to the author's curiosity or credibility. Exhaustive and well-documented historical research is devoted to every subject, even when possibly debunking an even more remarkable aspect to a story. But neither is his writing boring or overly-clinical. Schneck's academic yet personal approach to his subject matter does not hide an almost uncontainable passion for the unusual and unexplained phenomena he writes about, and more importantly, it does not detract from how fun and compelling his writing is.
Most chilling and disturbing is the final chapter, Bridge to Body Island, an examination of a friend's recollected close call with a supernatural bogeyman. Many authors would present the tale on its own with perhaps a few embellishments for dramatic effect. Schneck, however, tells the story (which is genuinely creepy and unsettling) and then proceeds to examine the possible explanations for the events that took place, including research into possible real-world connections. His historical and scholarly comparisons and explanations are as captivating as the story itself, and do nothing to prevent readers who have used a Ouija board in the past from losing sleep.
That is where Schneck's approach to such Fortean tales as God Machines and Presidential Pardons for Vampires is a step above other authors in the field. He might not hold a flashlight under his face while leaning over the campfire to tell a spooky story, but that is because more often than not, the facts are far more disturbing. Robert Schneck delivers them, and thankfully so.
J.D. Salinger is not only one of the most reclusive authors, he is also one of the most litigious. He is very protective of all of his works, but by far his most closely guarded literary contribution is the classic Catcher in the Rye.
Salinger has never allowed anyone to touch this classic novel, despite the desires of many to adapt it to film and/or television. Of course, this is partly due to Salinger's boycott of any kind of adaptation of his works, a conviction that stems from his disapproval of the 1949 film My Foolish Heart, the silver screen version of his short story Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut. Years later, he went so far as to block an Iranian version of Franny and Zooey (Iran does not recognize US copyright laws) from being screened at a film festival in America.
Of course, his protectiveness doesn't just extend to film. He has sued often in the past, whenever publishers have threatened his privacy or his copyrights. He successfully stopped an unauthorized biography with extensive reprints of personal letters, although much of the content he wanted to protect ended up in the public records of the court transcripts.
This time around, a Swedish author has come out with a book entitled 60 Years Later: Coming Through the Rye. Salinger's lawyers argued that the book went beyond commentary or homage, as it borrowed heavily from the original exploits of Holden Caulfield. Salinger scored a victory, as the federal judge agreed and ordered the book shelved.
It looks like I will be appearing at the Paramus Public Library on June 14 as part of BooksNJ 2009.
An event designed to promote local authors and the joys of reading, BooksNJ 2009 will feature a stable of over sixty authors, as well as readings, panels, and children-specific activities.
Arlene, the organizer of the event, has assured me that she will be placing me alongside another author that specializes in 'weird and unusual' materials, so I'm assuming I won't be sharing a table with Steve Doocey.
I'll be posting more info as it occurs, but you can also check out the event's official website.