"Touchdown confirmed!" a flight controller called out, touching off a celebration that was a complete turnaround from the nail-biting anxiety that gripped the control room as the spacecraft made its six-minute descent. Radio signals confirming the landing took more than eight minutes to cross the almost 160 million kilometres between Mars and Earth. InSight is equipped with two cameras: the one that produced this picture is on the main body of the spacecraft and captures fish-eye images, which maximizes the field of vision for close-up work.
NASA's $850 million InSight mission is created to probe the interior of Mars with a seismometer, heat probe and other instruments to study how the planet formed.
"Its new home is Elysium Planitia, a still, flat region where it's set to study seismic waves and heat deep below the surface of the Red Planet for a planned two-year mission", NASA tweeted. It landed less than 400 miles (600 kilometers) from NASA's Curiosity rover, which until Monday was the youngest working robot in town.
The plan called for the spacecraft to go from 12,300 miles per hour (19,800 kph) to zero in six minutes flat as it pierced the Martian atmosphere and settled on the surface.
Renault's board has so far stood by Ghosn - naming his deputy Thierry Bollore to handle day-to-day business. It also accused representative director Greg Kelly of having masterminded the fraud with Ghosn.
"Ultimately, the day is coming when we land humans on Mars", Bridenstine said, adding that the goal is to do so by the mid 2030s. "This team of really mostly part-timers on the project has proven the technology we were trying to demonstrate with this mission, being able to support a large craft like InSight", he said.
"Landing on Mars is one of the hardest single jobs that people have to do in planetary exploration", InSight's lead scientist, Bruce Banerdt, said before the landing. "It's such a risky thing that there's always a fairly uncomfortably large chance that something could go wrong". Less than a minute later, InSight cut its parachute free and its 12 retrorockets fired, providing the probe with an additional braking force and allowing it to settle neatly onto the planet's surface.
InSight will not be looking for life on Mars.
It will spend 24 months - about one Martian year - taking seismic and temperature readings to unlock mysteries about how Mars formed and, by extension, the origins of the Earth and other rocky planets of the inner solar system.
InSight is being followed to Mars by two mini-spacecraft comprising NASA's Mars Cube One (MarCO), the first deep-space mission for CubeSats, which attempt to relay data from InSight as it enters the planet's atmosphere and lands. That will be left to future rovers, such as Nasa's Mars 2020 mission, which will collect rocks that will eventually be brought back to Earth and analysed for evidence of ancient life. No lander has dug deeper than several inches, and no seismometer has ever worked on Mars. Why, for instance, is Earth tectonically active but Mars isn't? But tomorrow begins an exciting new chapter for InSight: "surface operations and the beginning of the instrument deployment phase".
A second instrument, furnished by Germany's space agency, consists of a drill to burrow as much as 16 feet (5 meters) underground, pulling behind it a rope-like thermal probe to measure heat flowing from inside the planet.
Whiteout conditions brought low visibility to the small town of Chariton, Iowa, which is an hour south of Des Moines. The National Weather Service was warning those conditions would make travel hard in places.
The companion Camilla Parker-Bowles is convinced that his daughter-in-law is a real asset for the future of the royal family. The Queen and Prince Philip arrive last, as they are the most senior members of the family, and royal protocol dictates it.
Mexico's Interior Ministry said it would immediately deport those who tried to "violently" enter the U.S. from Tijuana. Within an hour on Sunday, the group from the caravan that rushed toward the border largely dispersed.
Inside, twin touchscreens operate the controls, while there's Apple and Android compatibility and a 4G wifi hotspot. The all-new Range Rover Evoque has been revealed and it boasts all sorts of new technology and design tweaks.
It was reported the popstar had tied the knot with Baldwin, the daughter of actor Stephen Baldwin, at a secret ceremony in September .
I mean, on paper Arsenal are always favourites, so they can take enormous pride in that. But Sunday is another test, and a big test against a team that are behind us.
The cottage has 10 bedrooms and a separate nursery, compared to the two-bedroom Nottingham Cottage where they now live. It was initially claimed the move next door to the Queen was down to "tension" between brothers Harry and William.
While Western governments have sharply criticized Duterte's brutal crackdown on illegal drugs, China has not. The documents signed included a memorandum of understanding on the cooperation on oil and gas development .
Open before finishing their season in style in London. "This could be our last hoorah because Bob's training back in Florida". From there he remained solid on serve, before ending with a flourish. "This trophy means a lot, everything", Zverev said.
When he returned to India, Sidhu said General Qamar Bajwa had told him Pakistan may open the corridor to Kartarpur. In a message, President said, "the life of Guru Nanak Dev teaches us to love and harmony".
In the video address, Trump wished the American people a "wonderful Thanksgiving" on behalf of himself and the Trump family. Trump made the remarks during a Thanksgiving teleconference call with us troops stationed in the war-ravaged country.
Peas and runner-up Carrots will both live out their lives at Virginia Tech's "Gobbler's Rest" exhibit in Blacksburg, Virginia. Peas and Carrots were selected for the trip to Washington. "They're very social, very docile birds", Dalloul said .
Smith was benched for the Cavaliers earlier in the season, but injuries now have him playing significant minutes as the losses pile up.
An American national has been killed , allegedly by an endangered tribe in India's Andaman and Nicobar islands. The Indian government conducts frequent observation missions to check on the well-being of the islanders.


The NPE Grassroots Education Network has grown to over 100 groups! Don't miss our state-by-state run down of what these powerful education groups are up to!
Diane, the NPE Board, Carol and Darcie wish you a wonderful holiday season full of joy, family and friendship. May we all see brighter days in 2019!


At the core of most cryptocurrency networks are miners, the people who use specialized computer equipment to secure the cryptocurrency's blockchain by performing mathematical equations millions of times per second. In exchange for this computing power, and the electricity it takes to run the computer, these miners are rewarded in cryptocurrency proportionate to their contribution to the network. Given the high cost of electricity in many places and the computing equipment it takes to mine, it makes sense that miners try to maximize their return in any way possible.
This has resulted in some creative approaches to cryptocurrency mining—including running a mining rig in the back of a Tesla, setting up a wind-powered rig in a field, using your own breath to run a mining rig, and even a mining rig that harvests human body heat—but the immersion cooled rig from Reddit user 'Limping-Zebra' takes the cake, at least as far as cool factor goes.
As detailed in a Reddit post on r/Bitcoin, Limping-Zebra managed to create a Bitcoin mining rig consisting of 36 ASICs (a specialized chip that in this case can only be used to mine Bitcoin) that are all immersed in a tank of oil.
ASICs can get extremely hot while they're running, and if you put a bunch of them together the heat can quickly damage the chips. To address this problem, Limping-Zebra adapted an obscure cooling trick for immersion-cooled PCs and servers for their Bitcoin miners.
On each of the 36 ASICs in the tank, the fans are reversed so that cooler oil from the bottom of the tank is sucked up toward the top of the tank in a cycle meant to optimize the dispersion of heat waste away from the ASICs. This heated oil is then cooled using a plate heat exchanger that also has cool oil from a garden hose running through it. It is then run through a filter to remove particulates and pumped back into the system.
Read More: How Much Body Heat Would It Take to Mine 1 Bitcoin?
According to Limping-Zebra, the entire setup cost around $120,000—$20,000 for the vat (which includes a heat exchanger and all the necessary electronic components, including an Ethernet switch) and another $100,000 for the ASICs. The entire system uses about 50kw of power—for the sake of comparison, that's roughly enough power for 25 average American homes. The miners have been running "since last summer and show no signs of having any issues" and generate about 1.5 bitcoins per month, according to Limping-Zebra.
A video of the immersion Bitcoin mining set up can be seen on Reddit.


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Hard room surfaces are responsible for the most detrimental reflections like standing waves, flutter echoes, and low-frequency room modes. Ever clapped your hands and heard a ringing, repeating, hollow sound? Say hello to your arch rival, Mr. Flutter Echo. Ever been in a conversation with someone or played music in a room where the low frequencies were overpowering the rest of the sound, making for poor intelligibility? Meet Mr. Room Mode and his nasty sidekick, Low-End Buildup. The three types of sound wave reflection are called axial, tangential and oblique modes, which relate to which direction in a room sound is being reflected from one hard surface to another. The worst of these types is the dreaded axial mode, which means sound is being reflected from wall to opposing wall or floor to ceiling. Corners cause us a lot of problems, too, boosting the apparent amount of bass in our rooms by 9dB, making us think we have 3 times as much bass as we actually do. Corner bass trapping is vital to smoothing out virtually any room's sound.
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I was reading in Matthew Chapter 26 this morning where Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane and he took Peter, James, and John with him when he went to pray. He asked them to watch with him, but found them sleeping on three separate occasions when he returned from praying. The question that came up in my spirit was, if Jesus returned today how many Christians would he find asleep?
The word sleep means a natural periodic state of rest for the mind and body in which the eyes usually close and consciousness is completely or partially lost, so that there is a decrease in bodily movement and responsiveness to external stimuli. I want to break this definition down into 3 parts to explain how I see it affecting us as Christians.
State of rest for the mind and body in which the eyes usually close and consciousness is completely or partially lost. This is the first step in going to sleep as a Christian. You start by just going through the motions each day. You put very little thought into your purpose or your calling. You have closed your eyes to what is going on around you and are only concerned with your life. As long as everything is good within your life, you are content. You are not studying the Word or spending time in prayer like you once did. You often turn a blind eye to sin in your life or make excuses as to why this sin is now acceptable. You justify sin to make your life easier or to fit in with others. Your light is no longer shining because you don't want people to think you are weird or that you have become radical.
There is a decrease in bodily movement. Once your mind is not focused on God you become physically stuck in your walk with God. God is not a top priority in your life, but has been replaced with things or dreams of this world. You are no longer active in your church or community. You have excuses as to why you are missing services or are unable to help with outreach programs. You allow the offended spirit to get all over you, so you now have an excuse or justification for not being faithful and dedicated to your church or community.
Responsiveness to external stimuli. The last part of this definition applies to your spiritual heart. You no longer have the love and compassion that is required by God toward others. You become cold and indifferent to the needs of others. You start to only worry about yourself and your household. You no longer want to give of your time or money to help others. You no longer feel the Holy Spirit or the presence of God almighty in your life. You begin to find fault in everyone and everything because you have taken your eyes off God and put them on man. Lastly, you turn on your church and walk away. Now that you are no longer being spiritually fed at home or at church, you only grow colder and colder spiritually.
The good news is you can avoid going to sleep by staying focused on God. Praying daily for guidance and strength to stay on fire for God. If you feel you have fallen asleep in your walk with Jesus, you can wake up today. With one prayer you can turn it around and with consistent prayer and time in the Word you can get back on fire for God. We cannot fulfil our purpose or our calling by being asleep. As Christians we need to get excited and share that excitement with others. Tell others about Jesus and what he has done for you. We all have a story to tell of what He did for us and what He can do for us and others. Challenge yourself today to tell at least one person about Jesus.
I decided this morning I was going to clean out my Inbox for my email account. When I check my email each day I read the ones from actual people, but I usually just skip all the junk mail, such as ads and coupons. Instead of deleting those immediately I tend to procrastinate until I have over a 1000 of these in my inbox. As I was deleting these this morning and getting my email account in order, I began to think about how we do this as Christians. I thought about how our minds are like our email accounts. It receives thousands of emails or bits of information each day. Some of these emails are important and are needed, while other emails are just junk and serve no purpose to us. Instead of deleting it immediately we allow it to take up space in our minds. We feel it is not harmful or evil junk mail, so we tend to just ignore it.
In Colossians 3:2 it says Set your mind on things above and not on things on the earth. Are we allowing junk mail from the world to take up too much space in our minds? As I thought about this I realized that worry and doubt come from our minds. We all say things like "I need to quit overthinking it and just do it" or "I am reading to much into it." Both of these things have to do with our mindset. This is because we are searching all around the junk mail in our minds to find the emails from Jesus and his Word. When things come up in our lives, our minds immediately begin to look for validation. It starts searching through all the emails in your Inbox and other Folders you have created and when it doesn't find what it needs, doubt and worry take over. Doubt and worry lead to fear and fear will stop you dead in your tracks.
I believe this is why the Bible talks about a renewing of the mind when we are saved. This renewing that takes place when we are first saved is because everything in our Inbox was deleted and replaced with Jesus and the Holy Spirit. In Ephesians 4:23-24 it says, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. In Romans 12:2 it says, And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. The word renewing means to give fresh life or strength to. As I read this definition I thought wow! isn't this exactly what He tells us in II Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. There is no power in worry or doubt, only fear.
As I thought about this more, I realized that all this junk mail that we think is harmless is the reason we have doubt and worry, which leads to a spirit of fear. These harmless emails are paralyzing Christians because their Faith has become diluted. Their Faith is diluted because Jesus and His Word is not easily found in their Inbox. When your Faith is tested and you have to search your mind for validation you are opening the door to doubt, worry, and fear. A sound mind, as mentioned in II Timothy, comes from being confident. Confidence comes from knowing God can and will do what His Word says He will. Confidence is a firm trust and certainty that you cannot have unless your Inbox is filled with God and His Word, the Holy Spirit, and the love of Jesus Christ.
Today I pray that each of us delete all the junk mail that enables the spirit of fear. I pray that we all put Jesus number one in our Inbox, so when hard times arise or scary situations occur we stand strong in our faith and are confident in what our God can do.
As I was laying in the bed this morning praying, the phrase or term "Battle Scars" came up in my spirit. The definition of battle scar is the mark left behind by wounds or injuries received during battle that have healed. Most of us know what physical battle scars are, but what about spiritual battle scars? How do we get spiritual battle scars?
I believe we get spiritual battle scars from getting to close to sin and not close enough to God. Sin is used to lure you away from God and once you begin to participate in or condone it, you will be wounded. Most of the time we have to receive that wound before we realize how far we have gotten away from God. Once we receive that wound some will repent and draw close to God, while others allow themselves to become mutilated by sin. During this time of mutilation they try to justify their sin by saying things like my sin is not that bad, or God knows my heart, or I could be doing worse things. As they continue to make these excuses that sin is cutting and slashing away at them until they become unrecognizable. They keep trying to control it and figure out how they can balance living for God and still enjoy a little bit of their favorite sin. Some fight this battle their entire life and lose. Others return to God only after sin has broken and defeated them. The sad part is they were fighting a battle that Jesus had already won for them. Unlike Jesus, we cannot bear the weight of our sin, it will crush and defeat us without His power in us.
In Ephesians God tells us to put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the devil. The first thing he tells us to do in putting on his armour, is to gird our waist with the truth. I believe this is because until you admit the truth about sin and your sin in particular, you can't put on the rest of the armour. You have to be able to call sin a sin, even if it steps on your toes. You cannot put God's armour over lies and deceit. God gave us his armour to defeat the wicked one, not to allow us to play with the wicked one.
We all have some type of battle scars. Some are old and maybe some are new but once God heals the wounds they become only scars. These scars have no power over us but are only a reminder of where we came from. These scars can become part of our testimony of where God has brought us from but should not have control over us. Sometimes we become so ashamed of these scars that we allow them to prevent us from speaking out about God. Sometimes we allow others to make us feel ashamed and unworthy due to our scars. They point out our scars to keep people from seeing their scars. If you have given your life to Jesus then your scars only show His victory. They show that no matter how bad, disgusting, or filthy your wounds were, He was able to save you with his amazing grace. Your scars are just your reminder of not only how awesome and powerful our God is but how merciful and loving He his.
Just as we all sin differently, our scars are also different. This doesn't make my battle scars any less or any more than your battle scars. They are just scars that longer have any power or control over us. Today if you are struggling with wounds from sin in your life surrender them to God and let Him heal you. Give him total control over all of your life and just watch what He can do.
The phrase "To Purge" kept coming up in my spirit this morning during my prayer time. The definition of purge means to physically remove or expel completely, rid (someone or something) of an unwanted quality, condition, or feeling. I began to think about a spiritual purge and how when you first get saved the Holy Spirit purges a lot of sin out of your life. Things you once enjoyed you no longer have a desire to do, because of this purge. Your priorities get rearranged during this purge as well, because God moves into the number one spot in your life. This purge causes you to hunger for the Word of God and thirst for the Holy Spirit. Over time we allow things to build back up in our hearts that need to be purged. Things that fill us and keep us from hungering for God the way we did in the beginning. These may not blatant sins but things like doubt, fear, pain, hurt, and guilt.
When Christians are filled with doubt and fear they get stuck and are no longer following Jesus. They can't grow or move forward in Christ because they are stuck in the mud and muck of doubt which brings on fear. Once fear moves in we begin to belittle ourselves and the word "can't" becomes a huge part of our vocabulary. II Samuel 22:30-31 says For by you I can run against a troop; By my God I can leap over a wall. As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. As I read this I thought there was no fear or doubt in David when he wrote this. David said the Word of the Lord is proven. When something has been proven to us, we no longer doubt it. David goes on to say He is a shield to all who trust in Him. To trust and believe in God leaves no room for fear.
When Christians are filled with pain and hurt emotionally or physically it becomes like quicksand under their feet and they begin to sink. They sink into depression and darkness and if they don't let go of it, then it will overtake them. Did you know that the first rule if you step in quicksand is to drop everything you are carrying? That's kind of ironic when you think about it because we carry around the pain and hurt that is causing us to sink, instead of given it Jesus. In Psalms 147:3 it says He heals the brokenhearted and binds their wounds up.
When Christians are filled with guilt over their past it becomes like cement around their feet. Their walk slows to a crawl until it becomes so hard they can't take another step forward. We all have a past and we have all sinned. Sometimes we are the ones that can't let it go or maybe it others around us that continue to dredge up our past. We need to avoid this like wet cement. In I John 1:9 it says God is faithful and reliable. If we confess our sins, He forgives them and cleanses us from everything we have done wrong, In Isaiah 43:25 He says I am the one who blots out your transgression for my own sake, and I'll remember your sins no more. This is the enemies favorite thing to use against us, guilt, but it can only have power over us if we allow it. We cannot serve and give 100 percent to our purpose or calling if we are holding on to guilt. Guilt keeps a lot of Christians permanently stuck where they are because they can't forget their past. Instead of holding on to your past sins use them as part of your testimony of where God brought you from. Once you turn this around and use it to show God's greatness and forgiveness, the enemy will stop using it against you. Jesus knew every sin you were going to commit before He ever went to the cross and He still thought you were worth dying for. Jesus saw something far greater in you than your sin and that was your purpose. The purpose He created you for and the purpose he died for, so you could fulfill it.
Let's pray today for the Holy Spirit to purge each and everyone of us today of the things that are keeping us from hungering for Him. To purge us of the things that may be holding us back in fulfilling our purpose.
I was reading in 1 Peter chapter 3 this morning and verse 12 caught my attention. It says For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. I began to pray and meditate on this verse. I have read this verse many times but this morning He spoke to me differently through this verse.
The first part of this verse says For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous. We all know that God sees everything that we do and that He is watching over us. However, I don't think we realize how attentively he watches over us. I see him watching us like a parent watching their child on the playground. Some of us test the boundaries and wander to far while others of us may fall and get hurt, but we are never out of His sight. He is right their to rescue us in our time of need. The next part of that verse says And His ears are open to their prayers. I don't know about you, but I am so grateful for that part. Just to know that all I have to do is cry out to Him in prayer and He is right there. He will wipe away our tears and pull us up close to Him with loving arms.
Today it doesn't matter what you are going through. It doesn't matter how great or how small, just know He is there and He is waiting on you to cry out to Him. God never meant for us to go through this life on our on, but to take every step with Him. As you grow up physically you need your mom and dad less and less for your daily needs, but as a Christian maturity begins when you realize how desperately you need Jesus for every step and every breathe you take. Don't go it alone, invite Jesus into every activity and every plan you have each day.
Mental Process – which is the major part (where action and reaction take place), which is to lead a person in their life.
Will -Where decisions are made between the rational and the emotive.
As I prayed I realized there is nothing pure about our hearts. We would have to be innocent and blameless to have a pure heart. I thought about how our egos stem from our hearts along with our thoughts and motives. The very sins we commit on a daily basis stem from the heart. I searched for other scripture that referred to the pure of heart like Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. My favorite was Psalm 51:10-11 Create in me a clean (pure) heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do take Your Holy Spirit from me. This verse reminded me that I may not have a pure heart on my own but through the Blood of Jesus Christ, I am being sanctified. Jesus Christ is the only way we can have a pure heart. A pure heart is not external behavior but it is an internal change. As Christians we have a internal desire to serve our Lord and Savior. We may fail at times, but Jesus is there to pick us up and dust us off. He died on the cross so you and I could have a pure heart. The Holy Spirit is the only way our hearts can be pure and thank you Jesus for sending Him to us.
As Christians we are not perfect and you may even feel defeated at this moment, but know who holds your future. Know that there are none greater than the One who died for you. The One who shed his blood so you and I could have eternity with Him. He is the pureness in our hearts.
We are living in a day and time when we as Christians need to stay focused on God and his purpose for us. We can easily become distracted with all the technology available at our finger tips today. Social media can be great for sharing the Word of God but it can also be a hindrance to us. If we allow it to take time away from our prayer life or our time in the Word then it has become a hindrance to us. Sometimes we can become so consumed with how many likes, shares, and followers we have that we forget the real purpose of our post, to spread the Word of God to others.
Due to this convenience we no longer have to wait or search diligently for any information. All we have to do is ask Google or any other search engine and in a matter of seconds there is your answer. Our minds have now become so accustom to this that our attention span has decreased. If we can't find something within a couple of seconds we forget about it and move on. I believe this is starting to affect us spiritually as well. Christians of today want what is easy to obtain. We don't want to search God's Word or pray and fast for a breakthrough, we want the answer right now. If we don't get the answer we want in just a few seconds our minds move on to something else. Sometimes when we are trying to focus on God we have fifty other things running through our minds and we are not giving Him our undivided attention. We have allowed ourselves to become ADHD Christians. ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. You may be wondering how does this apply to Christians, so allow me to explain.
Attention Deficit – We get so caught up in everything going on around us that we take our eyes off God. Our minds become so consumed with other things that we can't even concentrate on God when we pray. While praying we begin to think about things like, what are we going to wear today, where we are going to eat lunch, what activities the kids have this afternoon, we need to clean the house, we need to cut the grass and suddenly our prayers become shorter and shorter. Time in the Word becomes less and less because we are so preoccupied with our to do list. We have allowed our minds to take our attention off God and our purpose on this earth. We get anxious and frustrated because God is not answering our prayers fast enough so we decide to take matters into our own hands. We begin to search other places for the answer instead of waiting on God and His timing.
Hyperactivity Disorder – Once our attention is off God then our activities take us away from church, the Word, and prayer. We enlist ourselves or our children in so many activities that there is no family time. We run ourselves to death during the week trying to make it to the ball parks because the kids can't be late, but can't even set a clock to attend church on Sunday. We have made activities a priority in our lives and the lives of our children and not God. Families don't sit around the table and have dinner together anymore much less have family bible study. Why? Because we have become so consumed with activities and keeping ourselves and our children busy that we don't have time to spend with our families or with God. This teaches our children that God comes behind all of these activities and not first. All the activities in the world are not as important as your child having time with you. In order for your child to feel loved and wanted they need to spend time with you. The same is true for us as Christians. Our time with God is important and in order for us to feel loved and wanted we have to spend time with Him.
Today, if you feel God is distant or you feel God is silent. Check the amount of time you are spending with Him. I have had to do this myself recently because I had allowed all the projects and things I want to do for Christ to take my time away from Christ.
For the past couple of days the word clutter keeps coming up in my spirit. This word means a collection of things lying about in an untidy mass. We have all been to someone's home or business that was filled with clutter. Clutter can be a collection of things we like that has gotten out of hand or maybe we don't even notice the clutter because it has built up slowly one piece at a time. It can also be junk that we let pile up because we are too busy or lazy to take the time to get rid of it. Clutter in your home can make you feel overwhelmed and stressed, so you chose to ignore it rather than dealing with it. I then began to think do we have spiritual clutter?
As I prayed over this topic this morning, my mind became flooded with things that could be spiritual clutter. I started thinking of our hearts and minds like rooms in a home. I thought about when we get saved and the Holy Spirit starts living in us, do we allow him to get rid of the clutter? I believe the answer is no. While we let him get rid of the big things in our lives we tend to hang onto those little things and collect them until they become an untidy mass lying around.
Picture the Holy Spirit standing in the middle of your living room, this is your mind. As He is standing there He starts to move to the right and you say no don't bother that stuff, just leave it. See those are your dreams and goals that don't involve God, these are things you want and desire that you don't pray about because they are part of the flesh and world. He starts to move to the left and you say no don't bother that stuff, just leave it. See these are the things that you enjoy and do for entertainment that don't involve God. These are things maybe you watch or listen to that you know you shouldn't but you don't do it often so it's okay. He then starts moving forward and you say no don't bother that stuff, just leave it. These are our habits and addictions that no one else knows about. We have these under control so we don't need any help here. He then moves to the back and we say don't both that stuff, just leave it. These are the things we say we have put behind us and worked through but we are still harboring the pain, resentment, anger, and insecurities these things brought in our lives. We don't want to talk about them or let the Holy Spirit work through them, because we rather just ignore it and pretend it doesn't exist. We do the exact same thing with our hearts. We don't allow Him to move too far to the right, left, forward or backwards due to the clutter we harbor.
We have boxed the Holy Spirit in and then we wonder why God is not moving in our lives. We have to be willing to get rid of the clutter. There is nothing you have collected in your mind or heart that the Holy Spirit can't get rid of, but you have to allow Him to do it. You have to be willing to let it go and not return to it. If we want God moving in our lives we have to give the Holy Spirit full access to our minds and our hearts. We have to allow him to remove the clutter that shouldn't be in our lives and that hinders us from growing in God.
I pray today that each of us allows the Holy Spirit to de-clutter our lives. I pray for strength and courage for each of us to let go of those things that we collect that hinder us in God.
As I was reading in Galatians chapter 5 this morning, verse 13 caught my attention. For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. The portion that stood out to me this morning was serve one another. The word serve means to perform duties or services for another person or organization. As Christians, we get so caught up in what our purpose is or what we are called to do that we forget this basic rule to serve.
We are to serve others and to love others as ourselves. I hate to burst your bubble, but calling your Pastor and making him aware of someone's need, for him to help that person, does not constitute serving someone if it is something you can do on your own. There is nothing wrong with notifying your Pastor if the need is greater than you are able to do on your own, but so many times we dump it on our Pastor and leave feeling like we did a great thing. We justify this by telling ourselves and others how busy we are and that we just don't have the time to help others. When in reality we have time to do what we want to do but we have forgotten the basic rule to serve.
What about serving your Pastor or church? When was the last time you saw something that needed to be done at your church and just did it? When was the last time you asked your Pastor if there was something you could help him with? We all depend on our Pastors and expect them to be there to serve our needs, but in most churches the Pastor can only count on a handful to serve his needs. I can name the ones at my church that are there to serve and unfortunately it is not many. I, myself, have failed in this area. If you stop and think about your church, I am sure it will not take you long to think of the people, who are there to serve. I am not talking about the ones that just donate money but the ones that are there when the doors open and are involved in every aspect of the church. These are the people your Pastor depends on.
We often relate serving to giving of money when it can be so much more than that. Your time and the giving of yourself is so much more valuable than money. Serving can be spending time just talking to someone who is lonely. Serving can be doing housework or yard work for the elders who can't complete these task on their own. Serving can be speaking to or smiling at someone at the grocery store because you don't know what kind of day they are having. Let others see Christ in us by our actions not just our words.
The flesh side of us prefers to be served rather than to serve others. We get so caught up in our wants and needs that we forget about others. If you want to know your purpose, it is to serve. The Bible says in Mark chapter 10 that Jesus Christ came to serve others, not to be served and to give his life as a ransom for many. If we are to follow Jesus and be Christ like, where is our service?


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Q: Where did the "pew pew" phrase come from? People make silly phrases like:

Pew! Pew! I shoot you with my space gun.

Where did the "pew pew" phrase come from?

A: From KYM

While the sound effect of laser-beam has been imitated by sci-fi movie fans for decades (most notably in Star Wars films), popular usage of "pew pew" in online conversations began to surge in mid-2005, around the same time when lolcat & lolspeak phenomena started gaining grounds on 4chan.

The earliest definition of the phrase "pew pew" appeared on Urban Dictionary in August 2005:
interj. 1. Used to imitate the sound made by firing a gun; specifically a laser gun (esp. a Stormtrooper rifle).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
First Edition: July 23, 2014
Today's headlines include coverage and analysis of yesterday's conflicting legal decisions regarding the health law.
Kaiser Health News: Appeals Courts Split On Legality Of Subsidies For Affordable Care Act
Kaiser Health News staff writer Julie Rovner reports: "Two U.S. appeals courts Tuesday reached opposite conclusions about the legality of subsidies in the Affordable Care Act, a key part of the law that brings down the cost of coverage for millions of Americans. In Washington, a three-judge panel at the U.S. Appeals Court for the D.C. Circuit ruled that the Internal Revenue Service lacked the authority to allow subsidies to be provided in exchanges not run by the states" (Rovner, 7/22). Read the story.
Kaiser Health News: Brief Consumer Guide To Health Law Court Decisions
On Tuesday two U.S. appeals courts issued conflicting rulings on a subject that's important to millions of people: the availability of subsidies to help purchase coverage under the health-care law. Kaiser Health News' Mary Agnes Carey answers some frequently asked questions about those court decisions and how they impact consumers (7/22). Read the story.
Kaiser Health News: California Nurses Union Braces For Contract Battle
Reporting for Kaiser Health News, in partnership with NPR, KQED's April Dembosky writes: "But this is no church service, and nurses are not here to worship. The California Nurses Association is rousing its troops for battle. California's powerful nurses' union will begin bargaining next week with Kaiser Permanente on a new four-year contract for nurses at its Northern California hospitals. (Kaiser Health News is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.) Kaiser operates the largest hospital system in the state, by number of hospitals and number of hospital beds, and is the eighth largest health system in the country" (Dembosky, 7/22). Read the story.
Kaiser Health News: Capsules: Business Groups, Consumer Advocates Draw Lines In The Sand About Essential Benefits
Now on Kaiser Health News' blog, Shefali Luthra reports: "During a July 21 Capitol Hill briefing, members of the Affordable Health Benefits Coalition, a business interest group including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Retail Federation, said they would push to reshape essential benefits, arguing that current regulations have led to unaffordable hikes in insurance premiums" (Luthra, 7/23). Check out what else is on the blog.
The New York Times: New Questions On Health Law As Rulings On Subsidies Differ
Two federal appeals court panels issued conflicting rulings Tuesday on whether the government could subsidize health insurance premiums for millions of Americans, raising yet more questions about the future of the health care law four years after it was signed by President Obama. The contradictory rulings will apparently have no immediate impact on consumers. But they could inject uncertainty, confusion and turmoil into health insurance markets as the administration firms up plans for another open enrollment season starting in November (Pear, 7/22).
NPR: Obama's Health Care Law Has A Confusing Day In Court
Another wild legal ride for Obamacare on Tuesday: Two U.S. Court of Appeals panels issued conflicting decisions on an issue with the potential to gut the health care overhaul. The two rulings could lead to another U.S. Supreme Court showdown over the controversial law, all because of what one of the law's opponents initially called "a glitch" (Totenberg, 7/22).
The Washington Post: Federal Appeals Courts Issue Contradictory Rulings On Health-Law Subsidies
The conflicting rulings give traction to the most serious current threat to the Affordable Care Act, which has been battered by a series of legal challenges since it was enacted four years ago. The dispute centers on whether the subsidies may be awarded in states that chose not to set up their own insurance marketplaces and instead left the task to the federal government. About 5.4 million people had signed up for coverage on the federal exchange as of this spring, federal figures show. About 87 percent of them received subsidies (Somashekhar and Goldstein, 7/22).
The Wall Street Journal: Appeals Courts Issue Conflicting Rulings On Health-Law Subsidies
In a blow to President Barack Obama's signature legislative achievement, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, on a 2-1 vote, invalidated an Internal Revenue Service regulation that implemented a key piece of the 2010 health law. The regulation said subsidies for health insurance were available to qualifying middle- and low-income consumers whether they bought coverage on a state or federally run exchange. Two hours later, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Richmond, Va., reached the opposite conclusion, unanimously ruling that consumers in states relying on the federal marketplace could receive subsidies. That handed the White House a victory that counteracted the administration's loss in the other case (Kendall and Armour, 7/22).
Los Angeles Times: Federal Appeals Courts Issue Conflicting Rulings On Obamacare
The legal battle gives Obamacare's opponents another shot at trying to kill the law in the high court, a goal they fell one vote short of in 2012. In that case, four justices voted to strike down the entire legislation as unconstitutional. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. joined the four liberal justices to uphold the core of the law. This time, the outcome at the high court would turn on whether at least one of the five conservative justices agreed to uphold Congress' broad goal of providing all Americans with insurance they can afford (Savage, 7/22).
Politico: Wild Day For Obamacare: Appeals Court Rulings Conflict
For now, no one will have their subsidies cut off while the legal battle continues. The Obama administration said it will appeal the D.C. ruling on Halbig v. Burwell by asking for an en banc review involving the full panel. "We are confident in the legal case that the Department of Justice will be making," said White House press secretary Josh Earnest. The plaintiffs in the fourth circuit's King v. Burwell in Virginia haven't yet said what they'll do next (Winfield Cunningham, 7/22).
USA Today: Appeals Court Panels Issue Split Decisions On Obamacare
The federal subsidies offered through the exchanges have reduced monthly insurance premiums by 76% for those who qualify, federal health officials say. The average monthly premium dropped from $346 to $82. In 2016, an estimated 7.3 million people in the 34 states with federal exchanges would receive subsidies totaling $36 billion, according to the Urban Institute. To qualify for subsidies, participants must have incomes below 400% of the federal poverty line, or $95,400 for a family of four (Wolf, 7/22).
Politico: Democrats Still Haven't Learned Obamacare Lesson
The conflicting rulings were another wake-up call for Democrats about the fragility of the health care law — and a reminder that whenever they think a lawsuit is no threat to the law, it's probably a threat to the law. It's all because of what most Democrats insist is a drafting error in the law, but it's kind of a big one. The federal health insurance marketplace is now serving 36 states that couldn't or wouldn't set up their own exchanges (Nather and Haberkorn, 7/22).
Politico: How Obama's Court Strategy May Help Save Obamacare
Last fall, President Barack Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid deployed the "nuclear option" to help get three liberal judges onto the D.C. Circuit appeals court. Tuesday's ruling on Obamacare is a dramatic example of why they forced the issue (Gerstein, 7/22).
The Wall Street Journal: Hospitals, Insurers Say Subsidies Rulings Further Confuse The Issue
Health-industry officials said Tuesday's dueling court rulings over federal health-law subsidies set the stage for another bout of confusion as consumers return to marketplaces this fall to shop for next year's coverage. "People are going to be coming in with more questions about these court cases," said Jason Stevenson, a spokesman for the Utah Health Policy Project, a nonprofit organization that has navigators that aid residents in enrolling on the federal exchange. "People are already asking about the long-term stability of the ACA" (Wilde Mathews, Weaver and Armour, 7/22).
The Wall Street Journal: Some Governors Face Fallout Over Health Law Ruling
The prospect of millions of people losing federal tax credits they obtained under the health law places some governors and legislators in a tough spot in the run-up to this fall's elections. Some 36 states turned over the task of running the health law's insurance exchanges to the federal government. If courts ultimately back Tuesday's decision by a federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., which held that Americans can obtain tax credits only if their state is operating its own exchange, then officials in these states may come under pressure to find ways to ensure residents keep subsidies (Radnofsky and Peters, 7/22).
The Washington Post: Federal Undercover Investigation Signs Up Fake Applicants For ACA Coverage
The results of the inquiry by the Government Accountability Office are evidence of still-imperfect work by specialists intended to assist new insurance customers as well as government contractors hired to verify that coverage and subsidies are legitimate. The GAO also pointed to flaws that linger in the marketplace's Web site, HealthCare.gov (Goldstein, 7/22).
The New York Times: Investigators Detail Missteps In Verification For Health Care
Federal investigators working undercover said Tuesday that they had been able to obtain subsidized health insurance under the Affordable Care Act using fictitious identities and false documents. The investigators, from the Government Accountability Office, said their tests indicated the Obama administration was not adequately verifying information submitted by applicants (7/22).
The Wall Street Journal: Fictitious Applicants Able To Get U.S. Health-Insurance Tax Credits
The investigation will be the focus of a House Ways and Means subcommittee hearing Wednesday on the potential for waste and fraud in the subsidies. Republicans opposed to the health law say the GAO's findings are evidence of the government's inability to verify information, which they say creates the potential for fraud and abuse (Armour, 7/22).
The Washington Post: In Response To Court Ruling, Administration Works To Ensure Contraceptive Coverage
The Obama administration said Tuesday that it is coming up with a work-around to ensure that employees of certain charities, hospitals and colleges whose leaders have religious objections to contraceptives can still get birth control through their employee health insurance plans. The administration made its plans known in a legal brief filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit in Denver. The alternative plan, which is still being developed, is in response to a recent Supreme Court order questioning the government's current process for allowing nonprofit organizations to opt out of a requirement that their health plans cover all contraceptives that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (Somashekhar and Barnes, 7/22).
The Wall Street Journal: Obama Administration To Revise Part Of Contraception Rule
The Obama administration said Tuesday it will revise a compromise arrangement for religiously affiliated universities and charities that object to providing contraception in workers' health insurance plans, in response to a Supreme Court order earlier this month (Radnofsky, 7/22).
Politico: Administration To Broaden Contraception Accommodation For Religious Groups
The Obama administration will create a new option for certain religious nonprofits that object to both the Obamacare contraception mandate and the earlier administration efforts to find accommodation for them, according to a court document filed Tuesday. The brief filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit says the administration is broadening the accommodation policy after the Supreme Court ruled that Wheaton College, a religious institution, did not have to provide contraception in employee health plans while the issue makes its way through the courts. Details were not spelled out Kenen, 7/22).
Politico: Poll: Most Say Obamacare Working
More than half of Americans believe that they or others are better off with Obamacare, a new poll shows. The CNN poll released Wednesday found that 18 percent of respondents said they or their family had benefited from the health care law, while an additional 35 percent said while they may not be better off, the lives of others have improved (McCalmont, 7/23).
The Washington Post: Obama Nominee McDonald Pledges To 'Transform' VA
President Barack Obama's choice to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs pledged Tuesday to transform the beleaguered agency, saying that "systematic failures" must be addressed. Robert McDonald cited problems with patient access to health care, transparency, accountability and integrity, among other issues (7/22).
The Wall Street Journal: VA Nominee Gets Warm Reception At Confirmation
If confirmed, Mr. McDonald would take over from Sloan Gibson, who has been acting as VA secretary since Eric Shinseki's resignation in late May following revelations of systemic problems including falsified reports about patient appointment wait times. Mr. McDonald was a paratrooper in the Army's 82nd Airborne Division before beginning a 33-year career at Procter & Gamble Co., including serving as CEO from 2009 to 2011 (Kesling and Schwarz, 7/22).
USA Today: VA Budget Request Snags Veterans Health Bill
After meeting last week, lawmakers say they won't send a stop gap veterans' health bill to the president's desk without working out details on longer term Veterans Affairs spending. The rift comes after VA acting Secretary Sloan Gibson sent Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., a memo detailing how VA would use the $17.6 billion Gibson requested last week as part of "additional resource needs" through fiscal year 2017 (Kennedy, 7/22).
Check out all of Kaiser Health News' e-mail options including First Edition and Breaking News alerts on our Subscriptions page.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


From CBC's Spark Well, if this isn't the most relevant Spark segment for this blog, I don't know what is… Listen here.
What Can Combat Hate Speech? Why Flower Speech Of Course!
And over in the Right to the City corner, is an interesting musing on community activism via an OKCupid love story! Here is the link to the original blog post and movie.


Get skilled legal recommendation from a number of lawyers inside a couple of hours. The Abstract Advice Counsel is a lawyer who assists individuals who need authorized advice on a household law matter, however who would not have a lawyer. Read articles, advice from attorneys, and questions and solutions by matter.
Representing an individual before a court or different governing body. Appointments with our legal professionals final for 20 minutes. Separating from an abusive companion, when you're making arrangements for youngsters or finding out cash and property. There are a lot of ways to get authorized advice should you cannot rent your personal lawyer.
To assist avoid the confusion that always comes with legal data, web sites and individuals will usually go to nice lengths to clarify that any info contained of their web site should not be construed as authorized recommendation nor kind an legal professional-shopper relationship.


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Giacomo Fornoni (né le  à Gromo dans la province de Bergame en Lombardie et mort le  à Rogeno) est un coureur cycliste italien des années 1960.

Biographie

Professionnel de 1961 à 1969, Giacomo Fornoni a été champion olympique du contre-la-montre par équipes aux Jeux de 1960 et a remporté le Trophée Baracchi avec Gianni Motta en 1964.

Palmarès
 1960
  Champion olympique du contre-la-montre par équipes (avec Antonio Bailetti, Ottavio Cogliati, Livio Trapè)
 1961
  du Trophée Baracchi (avec Battista Babini)
 1962
  du Grand Prix de Forli  du Grand Prix des Nations''
 1964
 Trophée Baracchi (avec Gianni Motta)
 1968
  de la Cronostafetta

Résultats sur les grands tours

Tour de France
 1963 : abandon ()
 1965 :
 1966 : abandon ()

Tour d'Italie
 1961 : abandon
 1962 : abandon ()
 1963 :
 1964 : abandon
 1965 :
 1966 :
 1967 : abandon

Notes et références

Lien externe

Naissance en décembre 1939
Naissance dans la province de Bergame
Sportif italien du XXe siècle
Coureur cycliste italien
Coureur cycliste aux Jeux olympiques d'été de 1960
Champion olympique en cyclisme sur route
Champion olympique italien
Décès à 76 ans
Décès dans la province de Lecco
Décès en septembre 2016

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


"/> Topical Body Cream | Buddha Buddah by Miss Envy is 100% fair trade.
Buddha Buddah is a specially formulated, 100% fair trade organic THC infused topical body cream. 200mg THC/jar.
A uniquely formulated topical body cream designed to increase the skin's ability to attract, hold and distribute moisture to alleviate muscle pain. With the use of MissEnvy's 100% organic signature blend, Buddha Buddah relieves discomfort associated with inflammation, chronic muscle pain, arthritis and bruising; the cream can also be applied externally for further ailments such as dermatitis, psoriasis and eczema.
Buddha cream works well 🙂 My only criticism is that it smells bad.
ordered this months ago and received wrong items. sent several emails but no one seems to care to resolve the issue.
This cream is incredible. Used it on a sprain wrist and its been helping!


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Daily bite: Chef Mark Gray takes ownership of Dartmouth's The Watch that Ends the Night
The Watch has always felt like "Mark Gray's restaurant." Now, it actually is.
by Helen Earley
Follow hfxhelen
Since becoming the head chef of Dartmouth's The Watch that Ends the Night less than one year ago, chef Mark Gray has certainly put his stamp on the new mid-century inspired cocktail bar and eatery, offering a menu—featuring local seafood, cured eats, pickles and a Nordic brunch—that is truly unique to Halifax, and that establishes exciting and forward-thinking events such as the Four Hands collaborative dinner series.
Now, The Watch, which has always felt like "Mark Gray's restaurant," actually is Mark Gray's restaurant.
This week, Gray, who began his career at 16 years old as a dishwasher, and attained his red seal certification through the Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC), announced that he has purchased the restaurant from previous owners Bethany and Joe Gurba, and will move into an executive chef and owner position, promoting long-time sous chef Janie Bogardus (also a graduate of NSCC) to the position of head Chef.
Gray isn't planning on changing too much in terms of the restaurant's décor, ambiance and already excellent cocktail program (they make the best Pisco Sour this side of Peru); but under the guidance of the existing bar staff (Riley Maggs, Coady LeBlanc and Griffin Cox), he does plan to extend the beer and wine program.
The menu will evolve too, offering meals that Gray says will be more approachable, and less "upper class."
"Who we are at our core will remain much the same," says Gray, "but we'll be adding more comforting offerings and friendlier food and drink prices."
There's something different planned for every day of the week at the already popular Dartmouth hotspot, from beer and burger night on Tuesdays to live jazz on Wednesdays (if you have ever visited The Watch, you know how much this makes sense). And of course, the signature Nordic brunch on the weekends will remain.
With a growing list of awards and accolades, Gray is always doing something new, fresh and exciting, whether it's supporting young talent or collaborating with other chefs. So although owning one's own restaurant might seem like the epitome of any chef's career, our prediction is that this is simply the next chapter for Gray.
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Daily Bite: Celebrated Toronto restaurant North 44 to close at the end of July
3 Places to dine in Dartmouth after dark


What Could Proposed Changes To Pennsylvania's Workers Compensation Law Mean For You?
If you've recently been injured on the job, you may have begun the process of filing for workers' compensation benefits through your employer. Workers' compensation is designed to provide employees who are injured with work some funds to pay medical bills, lost wages, and other expenses associated with a sudden and unforeseen injury. However, a recent bill proposed in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives could impact the way drugs are prescribed to those who are currently receiving workers' compensation benefits. Read on to learn more about this proposed amendment to existing Pennsylvania workers' compensation law and how it may impact existing (and future) cases.
What changes have been proposed to state workers' compensation law?
House Bill 18 was recently introduced and is now working its way through the Pennsylvania legislature. This bill is intended to reduce the growing number of opioid addictions related to the receipt of workers' compensation benefits, reducing employer and insurer costs while keeping Pennsylvania residents healthy. Specifically, this bill will require comprehensive evidence-based treatment guidelines for workers' compensation claims, mandating that the state's Department of Labor and Industry to adopt a drug formulary for the workers' compensation program. This will limit the amounts, types, and lengths of time for which doctors can prescribe certain opioid-based medications to individuals receiving workers' compensation benefits.
How will these changes affect current and future workers' comp claims?
If this bill is successful, Pennsylvania will join several other states that have adopted similar formulary guidelines for workers' compensation claims. The final legislation will likely contain a provision requiring this formulary list to be continually updated as additional research on the use and potential harm of various drugs (including opioids) is uncovered.
Doctors who treat a worker who has filed (and is receiving benefits pursuant to) a workers' compensation claim will be able to access the formulary list online or through software to ensure any medication being prescribed is appropriate and consistent with the injury or illness diagnosis.
This won't prevent opioids from being prescribed to those who receive workers' comp benefits, but will require the prescribing physician to jump through a few additional authentication hoops to prove that the medication is safe and necessary.
Through the introduction and support of this bill, it is Pennsylvania lawmakers' goal to ensure the workers' compensation program works as designed--to cover expenses of those who are injured at work through no fault of their own--without causing further problems like prescription drug addiction and abuse.
Contact professionals like Rizzi Law Group to learn more.
The laws governing child custody and guardianship can be confusing. As a family attorney, I have helped many clients gain legal guardianship over a foster child or a relative's child. Getting legal guardianship of a child you are caring for is important because you need to be able to make decisions about that child's education, health care and other matters. This blog will help you navigate the world of legal guardianship and show you how to take steps to get guardianship over a child whether the child's parents are cooperative or not. Legal guardianship does matter even if a child is not going to be adopted. I hope to help people find the way to get this done.


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Bean to Bar Chocolate Maker: DAR Chocolate
Bean to Bar Chocolate Maker Location: Denver, CO
Website: DAR Chocolate
Date Established: May 2016
Ingredients Used: 3 - Cacao Beans, Cacao Butter, Organic Cane Sugar or Coconut Sugar
Allergy Information: Made in a facility that also processes dairy
Husband-and-wife team Joel and Gila Dar of DAR Chocolate create chocolate bars that highlight the true and surprising flavors of cacao. Their aim is to keep their recipes simple, clean and healthy, with a range of surprising flavored bars. They both work in their commercial kitchen, making chocolate and creating new recipes. As of late, Gila handles more of the sales and marketing, while Joel takes care of production. The brand's name originates from Joel's last name which has Yemen origins: Dar in Arabic means "house"; in Hebrew, it means "to live"; in Polish, it means "gift"; and in Spanish, it means "to give".
After leaving their country of origin (Israel), Joel and Gila were swept into an unexpected turn of events which led them to Costa Rica, where they lived and learned chocolate for 1.5 years. Introduced to the cacao fruit for the first time, they were fascinated with the ancient and mysterious bean. It opened the door for them to embark on a new passion and work. They moved to Denver in the spring of 2016 and started DAR Chocolate.
Joel, formerly a film producer, and Gila, a visual artist and movement geek, merged their talents to create a full chocolate experience and love to explore chocolate's culinary potential. At their chocolate events, they offer pure chocolate treats such as savory spreads, exotic chocolate drinks and a 2-ingredient vegan mousse. To them, "chocolate, with the right ingredients, can be a guilt-free pleasure".
The cacao beans they use are ethically traded and organically grown. They source their beans from 2 fair-trade, sustainability conscious cacao importers: Meridien and Uncommon Cacao. After performing a cutting test to discern fermentation quality, they sort, roast, winnow, grind, conch, temper and pack the chocolate. To them, it was the cacao beans that chose them, not the other way around because the artistry of making chocolate from the bean felt like a natural continuation to their previous careers in visual art.
DAR Chocolate's packaging features the amazing BloomArt (a term coined by the couple). These are evocative, natural images that appear on the surface of their untempered chocolate blocks. Using close-up photography, the images are incorporated into the DAR Chocolate packaging.
Ecuador $ 10.00
Belize $ 10.00
Venezuela $ 10.00
Tanzania $ 10.00


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TV brings out old favorites, new friends for the holidays
McClatchy News Service
The creative forces behind �Yes, Virginia� know they face daunting odds.
At this time every year, TV programmers serve up shiny, new holiday-themed fare, only to have viewers discard most of it like crumpled wads of gift wrap. When it comes to seasonal fare, the stuff that�s new rarely generates the same interest as the tried-and-true.
�It�s tough to break through the crowd,� says Matt MacDonald, a producer for �Yes, Virginia,� which debuts Dec. 11 on CBS. �A lot of specials in recent years have failed to stick around. Everyone seems to love the classics from the 1960s.�
He�s referring to holiday hall-of-famers such as �A Charlie Brown Christmas� and �Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer� - timeless favorites that still cast a powerful yuletide spell.
�Yes, Virginia,� featuring the voice talents of Neil Patrick Harris, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Alfred Molina, is one of this season�s �rookies� trying to seize some attention. It�s a computer-animated offering that revisits the late 1800s tale of little Virginia O�Hanlon, who wonders if Santa Claus really exists. She eventually writes a letter to the New York Sun newspaper, which responded with an editorial that has become part of Christmas lore.
The story received TV treatment for a 1974 special, but MacDonald and his collaborators thought it was worth telling again.
�We anchored it in reality, but we didn�t try to make it too hip or too modern,� he says. �We don�t want it to be something that has its day and is gone. Twenty years down the road, we�d love to be right there with Charlie Brown and Rudolph.�
Here�s a rundown of some of television�s prime-time holiday highlights. Take note that many of the cable programs will receive multiple airings.
�Dr. Seuss� How the Grinch Stole Christmas�: Quick, put Whoville on lockdown. The greedy grouch is lurking once again; 8 p.m. Monday and Dec. 23, ABC.
�A Charlie Brown Christmas�: A pathetic little tree gets some love, and the Peanuts gang learns the true meaning of Christmas; 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 8 and Dec. 24, ABC.
�Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer�: It�s a celebration of nonconformity as North Pole outcasts rise and shine; 8 p.m. Wednesday and Dec. 12, CBS.
�The Year Without a Santa Claus�: Say it isn�t so: The big guy goes on strike; 8 p.m. Dec. 8, ABC Family.
�Santa Claus is Comin� to Town�: Mickey Rooney as Kris Kringle melts the heart of the Burgermeister Meisterburger; 8 p.m. Dec. 7, ABC.
�Frosty the Snowman�: It�s time to chill out with the jolly, happy soul; 8 p.m. Dec. 18, CBS.
�Merry Madagascar�: An animated special starring the zoo animals from the movies; 8 tonight, NBC.
�Disney�s Prep & Landing�: An elite unit of Santa�s elves readies homes for the big night; 8:30 p.m. Tuesday and Dec. 16, ABC.
�Yes, Virginia�: Neil Patrick Harris and Jennifer Love Hewitt lend voices to the familiar tale of a girl who questions the existence of Santa; 8 p.m. Dec. 11, CBS.
�A Christmas Carol�: The 1938 version with Reginald Owen as Scrooge; 8 p.m. Thursday, TCM.
�National Lampoon�s Christmas Vacation�: Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) becomes a walking disaster zone around the holiday; 8 p.m. Monday, AMC.
�The Polar Express�: Tom Hanks is the conductor on a magical train en route to the North Pole; 8:30 p.m. Thursday, ABC Family.
�White Christmas�: Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye work hard to make your days merry and bright; 8 p.m. Dec. 5, AMC.
�It�s A Wonderful Life�: Capra classic still has the power to turn us into blubbering wrecks; 8 p.m. Dec. 12 and Dec. 24, NBC.
�A Christmas Story�: We triple-dog-dare you not to watch this nostalgic charmer over and over and over; marathon starts at 8 p.m. Dec. 24, TBS.
�Shrek the Halls� : The cranky ogre struggles to get into the Christmas spirit; 8:30 p.m. Monday, ABC.
�Mickey�s Christmas Carol�: Disney does Dickens in this 1983 �toon; 7 p.m. Dec. 8, ABC Family.
�A Miser Brothers� Christmas�: A 2008 sequel to 1974�s �The Year Without a Santa Claus;� 9 p.m. Dec. 8, ABC Family.
�A Muppets Christmas - Letters To Santa�: Kermit, Miss Piggy and the gang celebrate the holidays; 8 p.m. Dec. 11, NBC.
�The Flight Before Christmas�: Animated tale of a young reindeer who aspires to be an expert flyer like his father; 9 p.m. Dec. 12, CBS.
�Frosty Returns�: Apparently, there�s still some magic in that old silk hat; 8:30 p.m. Dec. 18, CBS.
�The National Tree�: Father (Andrew McCarthy) and son (Evan Williams) bond on a cross-country trip as they deliver a majestic spruce to Washington, D.C.; 8 p.m. Saturday, Hallmark.
�The Dog Who Saved Christmas�: Ex-police dog confronts Grinch-like burglars. Dean Cain stars; 8 p.m. Sunday, ABC Family.
�A Dog Named Christmas�: Farm family adopts a lonely pup for the holidays. Bruce Greenwood stars; 9 p.m. Sunday, CBS.
�Debbie Macomber�s Mrs. Miracle�: Doris Roberts plays a heaven-sent housekeeper who gives a fractured family an unforgettable holiday; 8 p.m. Dec. 5, Hallmark.
�12 Men of Christmas�: Emmy winner Kristin Chenoweth plays a PR exec who raises temperatures in a Montana town with a hunk-filled calendar; 9 p.m. Dec. 5, Lifetime.
�Christmas in Canaan�: Billy Ray Cyrus stars in a tale about two boys who form an unlikely friendship in the 1960s; 8 p.m. Dec. 12, Hallmark.
�The Christmas Hope�: A social worker (Madeleine Stowe) bends the rules and takes in an orphaned child; 8 p.m. Dec. 13, Lifetime.
�Christmas in Rockefeller Center�: Aretha Franklin, Alicia Keys, Barry Manilow and others help light up the big tree in the Big Apple; 8 p.m. Wednesday, NBC.
�Carrie Underwood - An All-Star Holiday Special�: The country crooner performs holiday classics with her pals, including Dolly Parton and Brad Paisley; 8 p.m. Dec. 7, Fox.
�Jennifer Hudson - I�ll Be Home for Christmas�: The Oscar-winning �Dreamgirl� gets into the holiday mood; 8 p.m. Dec. 14, ABC.
�Christmas in Washington�: Mary J. Blige, Neil Diamond, Sugarland and others celebrate in musical style; 8 p.m. Dec. 20, TNT.
�A Home For the Holidays with Faith Hill�: Celebrities present inspirational stories about adoption; 8 p.m. Dec. 23, CBS.


text:
Q: Postgresql string concatenation: error: syntax error at or near "msg" I am trying to raise an issue in a Postgresql function using a concatenated message, but I get an error message at runtime:
error: syntax error at or near "msg"

The code is the following:
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION insertUserAccount(
    id             bigint,
    nname          varchar(40),
    email          varchar(40),
    pwd            varchar,
    status         smallint,
    last_update  bigint,
    preferences    json,
    bits           integer,
    adm            json)
    RETURNS bigint AS $$
DECLARE
    rowc INTEGER;
    ret_id bigint;
    msg text;
BEGIN
    ...
    IF ( rowc > 0 ) THEN
        msg = 'User account already exists or name or email is unavailable (id=' || id
            || ', name=' || nname
            || ', email=' || email || ')';
        RAISE EXCEPTION msg USING ERRCODE = '23505';
    ELSE
    ...

A: The actual problem is the faulty syntax for RAISE EXCEPTION. I would simplify overall:
IF rowc > 0 THEN
   RAISE EXCEPTION 'User account already exists or name or email is unavailable (id=%,name=%,email=%)'
                 , id, nname, email  USING ERRCODE = '23505';
ELSE ...

The variable msg might not be needed at all then. It is generally best to keep the number of assignments low, since those are rather expensive in PL/pgSQL (as compared to other programming languages). Not dramatic, but still ..

A: Use := for assignment in PL/pgSQL


text:
Home > Lihi Hod
New York Bridal Market Spring 2020 Recap {and Top Bridal Trends for 2019/20}
25/04/2019 by Emily Sacharin
Reem Acra | Photo courtesy of Reem Acra
Hello from New York! Emily here, reporting back from New York Bridal Fashion week on all the hottest Spring/Summer 2020 collections.
Grace Loves Lace | Photo courtesy of Grace Loves Lace
Bridal Market happens twice a year in NYC, in April and October (you can check out my recap of last October's highlights here).
Yaniv Persy | Photo courtesy of Yaniv Persy
The April show is known for being a little lower-key than October's, but that doesn't mean there weren't tons of fantastic new looks on display.
Halfpenny London | Photo courtesy of Halfpenny London
Because there definitely were.
Phuong My | Photo courtesy of Phuong My
Spring 2020 is looking to be a season of extremes, with clean hyper-minimalist gowns vying with some of the most opulent dresses you could ask for, dainty feminist looks like puffed sleeves and bows neck and neck with androgynous pieces like pants (and even shorts!) and fitted jackets.Continue Reading
A Lihi Hod Bride for a Destination Jewish Wedding at Borgo San Felice, Berardenga, Tuscany, Italy
13/02/2019 by Karen Cinnamon
A late summer night's dream… yep, Leah and Tyler's stunner of a Jewish wedding combined the magic of Tuscany with one of the most beautiful times of year, that perfect patch of late summer where fall's just beginning to creep in.
The setting — a medieval Tuscan village converted into a hotel — could not have been more magical, and the couple's wedding planner, Sara Mazzei, fromSmashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Infinity Weddings went full-on for that fairytale sparkle with a soft muted florals, a dreamy chuppah, twinkly lights, and even a fireworks display! Everything was captured to perfection by photographer Massimiliano Morlott and videographer Luigi De Gregorio Films.
And then there's that dress. Leah was a total and complete knockout in Lihi Hod, and we're kind of obsessed with her dramatic yet classic styling. We'll let her take it from here…
Leah, the bride: We got married under a grape pergola at Borgo San Felice in Tuscany. My husband and I had a short list of must-haves for a wedding venue: we wanted everything to take place outside and a venue where all of our family and friends could stay on-site. We researched venues quite a bit in different countries (mostly wine-regions because we are lovers of wine) when the thought of getting married in Italy occurred to us. Between the two of us we had visited wine regions in California, New Zealand, Hungary, Switzerland, South Africa, and Israel, but neither of us knew much about Italian wines.
We booked a trip to visit a few venues in Tuscany and while they were all beautiful, Borgo San Felice blew us away. It is a medieval Tuscan village converted into a hotel. On the outside old spindly vines cover stone buildings. On the inside fresh chic interior design integrates with classic Tuscan architecture. My husband and I live in an old abode in New Orleans' French quarter, so this character-filled aesthetic was right up our alley.
A Lihi Hod Bride for a Bohemian Chic Outdoor Jewish Wedding with a Driftwood Chuppah at Le Rocher on Corsica, France
Just when we think we've seen every amazing chuppah idea out there, a new Jewish wedding comes along and knocks us off our feet. Today, we've got a DRIFTWOOD CHUPPAH! And it could not possibly be a better match for the rugged beauty of the awesome (literally, as in truly awe-inspiring) outdoor venue in France.
The fantastic panoramic views of the mountains and the sea are just BEYOND — guess they didn't name this fab venue "The Rock" (giving rise to Elsa and Stephane's adorable hashtag, #weddingontherock), for nothing. We are so, so in love with Moonriverprod's photos — they really didn't miss an angle.
We're also totally obsessed with the fact that these guys choreographed and performed a surprise dance inspired by Friends, as well as by their totally mouthwatering naked cake with red fruits, prepared by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Dany's Traiteur, tops for luxury kosher catering in the South of France (who also handled the rest of the menu, which looks UTTERLY delish too).
And for good measure, we've got some perfectly Parisian, mega-chic photos from the couple's civil ceremony in their home city. We are totally swooning over them kissing in front of the Eiffel Tower.
Now we'll hand you over to Elsa, who looked positively ravishing in her pearl-embellished top from Israeli designer, Lihi Hod, which she paired with a simple custom skirt…
Elsa, the bride: The name of the venue is "Le Rocher" ("the rock" in French). It is on the island of Corsica (France), close to Calvi City. There is a wonderful 360 ° view overlooking the sea and the mountain.
The venue is very wild and authentic, with lot of vegetation: tamarisk trees, rocks, etc. It's like the world's end, with only nature and no construction.
You can have both the ceremony and the party outside (and keep going until 5am!). The weather tends to be very good in june (around 24-27 °C/75-80 °F).
The Rise of Israeli Wedding Dress Designers
19/02/2016 by Smashing The Glass
This is a guest post by Anne Kleinberg
There was a time, not isao long ago, when the words Israeli Haute Couture could be considered an oxymoron. There was nothing elegant or sophisticated about evening dresses. And bridal gowns? A profusion of puffiness and petticoats!
But times changed. Dramatically. In a country known as the start-up nation, the bridal industry has captured the world's attention and is reported to be valued at billions of shekels. The wedding gown creations of Israel's designers are nothing less than stunning and they are being paraded out onto the world's catwalks and red carpets – big time. The names of these houses are uttered in hushed, revered tones on both sides of the Atlantic, and beyond.
While the centre of the bridal dress district was once Dizengoff Street in Tel Aviv, it now expands out into trendy Jaffa, the southern coastal city of Ashdod and beyond. And although Israeli brides tend to rent their gowns (for considerably less money than buying), many designers sell in bridal salons throughout the world as well as via the Internet. The shops vary from small, personalized boutiques run by classically trained dressmakers to empires run by businesswomen and their daughters.
Berta Baliti was born in Egypt, emigrated to Israel with her family as a small child and parlayed her degree from the famed Shenkar College in Tel Aviv into a world-renown bridal dress empire. She describes her designs as "avant-garde" and they certainly exude sexiness and daring, femininity and elegance with their plunging necklines, flowing trains and delicate veils. She has boutiques in many countries and her gowns have graced magazine covers, and bodies, throughout the world.
> See real brides on Smashing The Glass wearing Berta
Galia Lahav is of Russian descent, born into a family of dressmakers. From a modest beginning creating ivory lace appliques to establishing a design house saturated in extravagance and luxury, a Galia Lahav gown is not for the faint of heart. Her collections epitomize a golden age with evocative names like Ivory Tower, La Dolce Vita, Empress, Lourdes & Les Reves Bohemians. Pearls cascading down a graceful back, mermaid tails, fringes, feathers & ruffles embellish her dresses as jewels in the crowns of royalty.


text:
Mohammad-Hossein Khoshvaght was head of the press and foreign journalists department at Iran's Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, under reformist President Mohammad Khatami.

Background
A relative by marriage to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, he is a former Rome bureau chief of the Islamic Republic News Agency, fluent in Italian and English. He came into news during the alleged murder of Iranian-Canadian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi by official security forces, as he claimed he was repeatedly forced by Saeed Mortazavi to declare false information to obstruct the investigation into Kazemi's death.

References and notes

Iranian politicians
Iranian journalists
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)


Game Mastering is a special burden, a badge of honor to some, a constant headache for others. Despite exceptions like Fiasco most role-playing games require a Game Master. Whether you are a GM that plans ahead every detail of the session, or a fly by the seat of your pants improv GM, you are an integral part of the game experience.
When I talk to players seeking games I often hear, "We have a group, but no GM." Or, "No one wants to GM." I have no study or hard data, but from simple anecdote I get the feeling most people would rather be a player than a GM. And that's understandable. When you are a player you get to be one of the protagonists of the adventure. The perception is that being the GM is all about the metaphorical heavy lifting.
And it is! Don't get me wrong, in most systems the brunt of prep, expectations of mastering the rules, and the responsibility of coordinating things so that everyone is having fun in the game falls squarely on the GM. It is important to know that you are not solely responsible for it, it takes all members of the group for things to go smoothly, likewise it's important to know that as GM this is not solely your story, this is the groups endeavor, and you need to take into account everybody's expectations.
The secret is communication, open and candid, but respectful and mindful of the feeling of others. If you do that, your game will improve. But even when this happens I keep talking to fellow GMs who are unhappy or frustrated by their role. Why?
It's no secret I prefer being a GM. I've written about it before. It was what I first did when I played an RPG and I became enamored by the magic of telling a story with my friends. I've done it for most of my gaming experience, and if I must choose between being a GM or a payer, the first option always wins!
If you become a GM ask yourself an honest question, "Is this something I want to do?" If the answer is no, well don't. If the answer is "I'd rather not, but the group has no GM." Well you can do this for a while, talk to your group, rotate GMs, and make some sort of arrangement so that the brunt doesn't fall on just you. If the answer is HELL YEAH! Well then you are set.
Even if you love being a GM, there are going to be bad days, complications and frustrations. There are times when you'll say, "I don't want to do this! I quit…" I wholeheartedly understand. Don't give up. That's what this support group is here for.
"I feel frustrated!" This is a very common comment I hear from fellow GMs. And it runs the gamut from the adventure didn't go as I plan, the players wrecked my adventure, to I'm convinced my players hated the adventures.
My best advice, relax, it's a game! If you worry yourself about it too much the game will never be good enough for you. Being a GM is part storyteller, part control freak, and we often construct the idea of how a session will run in our minds, and believe me, no plan survives the players. Not unless you railroad them to death.
There are a hundred things that can go wrong in a game, and some will definitely will. It's easy to replay that moment over and over in your mind, and forget about all the other things that went right. So my best advice is, don't take it too seriously. After the game do something that separates you from the game, don't dwell. Take a bath and go to bed, watch a TV show NOT related to your game, read, have a soothing tea. Whatever helps you relax! With a little perspective it will not seem as bad.
This may seem like a little contradictory, but, always be critical of your GMing. If you can detach from the game, once you've given yourself some space, consider what you could improve. We can all be better, so look for what you think could improve and take steps to do so. Talking to your player helps, be upfront about it and ask for feedback. If you know that just after the game you'll be raw to criticism, do so later, and use social media or an e-mail.
But do this incrementally. If you try to solve every problem at once you'll be overwhelmed. For example you feel as if you don't do enough voices for your NPCs and believe this would improve your game, don't try to do this for every NPC next session. Perhaps identify an important NPCs, a recurring character, a hireling, and try it with him or her. The old adage of baby steps applies here.
If you feel like you plan too much, maybe you do. It depends on group expectations and styles. And this is one of those things that get easier with experience. BUT my advice is, plan for a game like you plan for grocery shopping. What do I mean by that? Unless you are really obsessive compulsive (and that is not meant as value judgment) I doubt most people plan a visit to the grocery store with so much detail that you know the number of steps from entering the store to the exiting it once you are done, or make a detailed map of how you will navigate the store.
You need a list of what you plan to buy, equivalent to an adventure outline, a budget, which would be a plan for the opponents the players will encounter, resources you need for the adventure, specifics items for the system, all this depending on the game, and the desire to go shopping. And by shopping I mean running an adventure.
When you get to the supermarket myriad things can happen. You may find that something you needed is not in stock, there may be a special you just can't pass up, or a strange mist may descend upon the store and you need to fight unknown creatures to survive. Ok, maybe not that last one. But the thing is you have to think on your feet, but about the minutiae, not the big details, those are on your list.
The list may be more detailed or less detailed depending on your GM style, and the changes you make along the way should be based on player feedback, how the game runs and all those little bits that pop-up and you cannot possible plan for.
My last bit of advice, listen to your players, they will let you know what they expect by what they say to you, and to each other, don't be afraid to go with it. The game just might be better for it.
I admit I've felt frustrated with a game one time or another, and will again, but I typically deal with it successfully following this advice. What works for you? Hope my advice on dealing with these situations is useful. Thanks for reading!
Dungeon Master Burnout… My cure! #GMwisdom, musings of a Game Master! Game Master Emulators Preview: Odyssey–The Complete Game Master's Guide to Campaign Management Being a better Game Master: Credit where credit is due!
For quite a while I was in this position. If I wanted to play a game then I needed to be the GM. In the last couple of years I've rather successfully made the transition to full time player. I still occasionally get that feeling like I should be prepping for a game but it has mostly gone into remission.
Jejejeje even when I was mostly a player (only occasionally GMed), a period between 1989 and 1990, I was always working on the game for when I went back to full time GMing. It's in my blood! Thanks for the comment.


text:
Q: Are there any points on the curve $y=\frac{x}{2}+\frac{1}{2x+4}$ where the slope is $\frac{-3}{2}$? I am not sure how to find points of $y=\frac{x}{2}+\frac{1}{2x+4}$ where the slope is $\frac{-3}{2}$ without looking at a graph.
I can simplify the function by writing it as $y=\frac{x(x+2)+1}{2(x+2)}$, but I have no idea what to look for to discover the function.
I think that derivatives are equal to the slope of the line at a certain point, but I can't check every point in the function.
How can I find the points where the slope is $\frac{-3}{2}$?

A: Hint: Solve the equation $$f'(x)=-\frac{3}{2}$$ for $$x$$

A: I realize you didn't want a graph, but here:  you can check your answer:

A: I realise you may know the answer but just for completeness sake, we have $y=\frac{x}{2}+\frac{1}{2x+4}$, as you said! Then differentiating this we get:
 $$ y'(x)=\frac{1}{2}-\frac{1}{2(x+2)^2}$$ which is a formula for the gradient! We want the gradient at $\frac{-3}{2}$, so we set $y'(x)=\frac{-3}{2}$, which means:
$$\frac{-3}{2}=\frac{1}{2}-\frac{1}{2(x+2)^2}$$
Then solving this we get the quadratic $(x+2)^2=\frac{1}{4}$, so solving this we get $x=\frac{-5}{2}$ and $x=\frac{-3}{2}$. If you don't understand the simplification which I skipped just ask :)


I love cooking for myself. Given the choice between dining out at a restaurant and cooking my own meal at home, I would prefer the home-cooked meal, even if someone else was willing to pay for my meal out. And it is not because of ED, I swear.
I just love the whole process of cooking, especially when I try out a new recipe or create my own dishes. I love the hands-on chopping and mixing and stirring, love choosing each ingredient with care and attention, being aware of each components that make up the overall taste of the dish. I adore the innovation and novelty of trying out a fresh new recipe, love adding my own little twist and trademarks; I treasure the experience of tasting the finished product with both apprehension and excitement, and thoroughly relieve the pride and accomplishment I feel with each success. Even if I failed, I end up learning something new. Actually, the way I look at it, the more disastrous the result, the more interesting a story to tell in the end.
But a lot of people shy away from cooking, especially if they are cooking for themselves. And truthfully, I do understand why they avoid it. Cooking for one is not that easy or cheap, as most produce don't come in single-servings, or if they do, they usually cost a lot more. In addition, most recipes available out there comes in servings of four to six. Nobody likes to live on leftovers for four to six consecutive days. You could always scale down the recipe, of course, but cooking just a single serving worth of beans or rice, and turning on the whole oven just to bake a single potato or a small slab of tofu seems like an awful waste of energy and electrical costs.
Well, first of all, become best buddies with your freezer and toaster oven. When you buy meat or fish, portion them out into single servings and then freeze them, where they can keep for months. The toaster oven is a big help when you want to bake something small like a potato but don't wanna waste energy by turning on a whole oven.
Also, when it comes to fresh produce, try to limit yourself. Don't buy whole caskets of veggies and fruits, where they will inevitably sit for days in your fridge, wilting and molding. I'm lucky in that I live a stone's throw away from the supermarket, so I can just hop over to buy fresh produce everyday.
Try different grains and beans. Buy them in bulk by weight, since they are cheaper that way, and you can choose your own measurements. Cook up several servings at once, and store the leftovers in the fridge. They make excellent base for new recipes and creations.
Get ingredients that are versatile, like potatoes, eggs, and cheese. Things that you can buy in bulk, but won't have trouble using them up or having to eat the same dish everyday, because they are flexible enough to be used in myriads of different dishes.
Case in point: Today's lunch was a whole new dish made out of leftovers. It took barely any brain energy nor time to whip it up. In fact, it was totally last minute, because I had been expecting to have lunch out with friends, but at the last minute they had to hurry to church to deal with some issues. By then it was already past 2pm, and my stomach was growling. I didn't have time to wait for a potato to bake, or dream up of a complicated new dish. I just wanted something fast, ready, and simple.
DIRECTIONS: Heat up some oil in a skillet over medium heat, stir in minced garlic and chopped onions until soft and fragrant. Toss in your base and mix-in ingredients, stir to mix. Splash in the dressing and mix to coat. Dish the mixture out into a bowl and sprinkle with your desired topping.
So freaking fast and easy, and I got to use up three of my leftovers! All I needed to do was choose the dressing and topping and chop up some garlic and onions. Now that's what I call smart, efficient, economical, and practical!
Not to mention utterly delicious. Can you believe the colors and textures of this amazing bowl of leftovers?
The taste was really complex and interesting: the savory Asian flavor from the soy sauce, the subtle sweetness from the maple syrup, and the unique tropical taste from the coconut all combined together in one freaking scrumptious bowl.
So, have I convinced anyone yet? There shouldn't be any more excuses not to cook for oneself! Okay, I admit it, sometimes it doesn't work, like with big batches of soup or baked goods or casseroles, but then…that's when you've gotta share! In cases when I have to cook up a huge batch, I just set aside my own portion and then share the rest with my friends. Trust me, you gain a lot of popularity this way. Tee hee!
Now, I'd love to hear from you! Do you cook for yourself often? Any tips or advice you'd like to share on cooking for yourself? And also, please share some of your ideas based on this "Mix-it-up" recipe! What are some of the creations you'd like to try?
Oh, and heads up: I've been invited as a guest blogger to write an article on an eating disorder blog! The article is not up yet, but will probably be posted sometime on Monday. I'll let you know, but in the meantime please check out her eating disorder blog! It has a lot of great information on eating disorders, as well as her own personal story. I love that she's trying to bring more awareness to eating disorders, since this disease is so prevalent yet so misunderstood.


text:
Per Leo as WiR in Amsterdam
12 Jan-12 February 2016
In 2016 the main focus of the Residency for Writers in Amsterdam will be on German writers-in-residence, leading up to the Frankfurter Buchmesse in October 2016. The Netherlands and Flanders will be guest of honour this year. Our first guest is German writer and historian Per Leo (1972).
His debut novel Flut und Boden ('Flood and soil') was nominated for the shortlist of the Leipzicher Buchmesse Preis and won the Klaus-Michael-Kühne-Preis of the Harbourfront Literaturfestival in 2014. The Dutch translation of this book will be published by De Arbeiderspers in February 2016, during his residency.
Per Leo will be hosted on January 20th by the University of Amsterdam for an open talk about history and literature. He will also give a talk at the Goethe Institut in Amsterdam on February 11th.
What remains:
Schrijver Per Leo was even te gast in een droom van onverwoestbare schoonheid, Article by Per Leo on his residency in Dutch newspaper Het Parool ,10 maart 2016.
Two 1minute-video's by Why I Love This Book with Per Leo, both English spoken. One on his novel Flut und Boden and another discussing his favourite Dutch novel: De donkere kamer van Damocles by W.F. Hermans. This Dutch classic has been translated into twenty something languages, including English: in 1962 by Roy Edwards and more recently by Ina Rilke as The darkroom of Damocles for Harvill, London and Woodstock, New York.
the Writer in residence program
Per Leo at Klett Cotta Verlag.
Photo: Arno Burgi