Tiny Shark Interactive has launched the Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for their upcoming open world action RPG, Exzore: The Rising. The campaign will run through September 18 and may be found here.
Set in the medieval world of Eogaan, the game follows Damien Clive, former commander of the Exzore army unit, as he emerges from the ashes of his betrayal to seek retribution and regain his honor. Exzore: The Rising features the use of "mechanical gadgets" which give special abilities to the hero and can be used in combat and exploration. The game also features a unique Affinity system, which affects the player's experience and how the story unfolds as the character interacts with the game world and the various factions, as well as an extensive combat system that allows players to mix and match Exzore abilities in a wide variety of combos.
Eogaan is split into four factions, each with its own community and rules. As you play, your interactions between the different factions will affect the game's story and how it progresses. Favor any faction of your choice to get special missions, rewards, benefits, and abilities. Each faction has its own motivations and agendas. The Affinity parameter will be altered as a consequence of player's choices in game. Every mission will alter affinity, increasing toward one and decreasing toward another. Affinities are important because they directly affect the character and mission progression, and play an important role in gameplay experience. Choose your faction and actions wisely, as they may alter how the story ends.
Exzore: The Rising releases in late 2018 on PS4, Xbox One and PC.


text:
Finestrat är en kommunhuvudort i Spanien.   Den ligger i provinsen Provincia de Alicante och regionen Valencia, i den östra delen av landet,  km sydost om huvudstaden Madrid. Finestrat ligger  meter över havet och antalet invånare är .

Terrängen runt Finestrat är varierad, och sluttar söderut. Den högsta punkten i närheten är Puig Campana,  meter över havet,  km norr om Finestrat. Runt Finestrat är det mycket tätbefolkat, med  invånare per kvadratkilometer. Närmaste större samhälle är Villajoyosa,  km söder om Finestrat. Omgivningarna runt Finestrat är i huvudsak ett öppet busklandskap.

Ett kallt stäppklimat råder i trakten. Årsmedeltemperaturen i trakten är  °C. Den varmaste månaden är juli, då medeltemperaturen är  °C, och den kallaste är januari, med  °C. Genomsnittlig årsnederbörd är  millimeter. Den regnigaste månaden är november, med i genomsnitt  mm nederbörd, och den torraste är juli, med  mm nederbörd.

Kommentarer

Källor

Externa länkar

Orter i regionen Valencia

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Are you up for an adventure this week? A number of fellow intermediate teacher-bloggers have joined to provide you with blog-hopping fun this last week of January. Perhaps snow covers the ground outside where you are reading this from, making a real outdoor hike out of the question…so we thought we would offer you a trail to "hike along" from the comfort of your couch!
Back in December, I was partnered with Kathleen from Middle Grades Maven. I was thrilled, as I've enjoyed her blog and resources even before I started my own blog! We decided we would each choose which product we wanted to use from each other's TpT store. I thought it was funny that we both choose figurative language units! I guess that's one of those skills that I'm always looking for new ways to reinforce with my students.
Here's the product I choose from Kathleen's TpT Store.
Kathleen was worried that these activities might be too easy for my 7th graders, but I assured her they'd be just right.. and I was right! They proved to be open ended enough that even my 7th graders could be challenged and I was even able to use a few of the pages for assessment!
I decided to make 12 of the pages into cards that my students could fill out and keep in their interactive notebooks. To do this, I just printed them out 4 to a page.
I did this for the following activities: Similes for My Valentine (letter to your valentine full of similes, fill-in-the-blank), Hyperboles for My Valentine, Metaphors About Love, Valentine's Day Heart Idioms, and Figurative Language Challenge. Seriously, this pack is FULL of activities!
With a scrap of pink paper, we made an easy pocket by gluing the sides and bottom down.
And there's still more that I'm saving for closer to Valentine's Day, like the Valentine's Day Idiom Story and Comic Strips. Oh, and posters are also included in this pack!
If you're looking to spice up your Valentine's Day, have some fun with figurative language and pick up Kathleen's Valentine's Day Figurative Language Pack!
Now, to help with your exercise for the day, here's what you need to know about our hike and giveaway!
–The raffle is open until midnight on January 31, so feel free to take a break from your hike, rest up, and finish it later!
My sweet sixth ears love figurative language so this is great! we just finished dissecting popular songs and identifying different Fig Lang. They loved it and now I know all the words to so cool tunes!
We seem to have pulled a muscle at the start of our hike! 🙂 "Minor" technical difficulties with the giveaway this Sunday morning…we are slowly getting it up and running on all participating blogs… In the meantime, you can enter the giveaway at Crafting Connections or at Teach, Create & Share!
I love the idea of printing them 4 to a page to create them small enough for student notebooks! I always print 2 to a page, you just taught me a new trick to help save on my limited copies!


text:
Fulford to race in North for PNP
NORTH CAICOS, July 20, 2016 – The Governing Progressive National party has determined that it wants Mark Fulford to run as standard bearer for the North and Middle Caicos seat as a run-off did not give him the requisite majority on voting day last week Tuesday.
Fulford had won at all three polling places and was ratified by his parties NEC and NGC in meetings since Monday.
Still outstanding for the PNP, the South Caicos district; there will be another vote on Saturday, Magnetic Media is told, where members will decided between Alvin Parker and Ruth Blackman.
The first past the post system will be employed, which means, the potential candidate with the most votes, wins the party's approval to contest in South Caicos.
Bahamian man held for DR women murders, arrested late Wednesday
Indians sent to jail, Local man charged with Harbouring
#TurksandCaicos, January 15, 2022 – The Legal Year 2022 opened on January 4th 2022 in a hybrid fashion, where the Chief Justice, Court of Appeal Judges, Supreme Court Judges, Magistrates and other Official participants hosted the ceremony at the Supreme Court building in person and where Attorneys and other dignitaries attended remotely via zoom link.
The ceremony today marked a welcomed improvement from last year, where covid19 numbers caused the 2021 opening ceremony to be in a strictly virtual fashion for all attendees.
This year's ceremony saw a cadre of achievements listed by the Chief Justice in her short tenure such as:
New Legal Aid Rules
Establishment of a new Legal Aid Panel
Establishment of a Legal Aid Roster for Civil and Criminal Matters
Implementation of an 18 Month end date for Legal Aid Matters
Establishment of a complaint mechanism for grievances against attorneys
Establishment of Interim Payments
Establishment of Legal Aid for Civil Cases
Waiver of Supreme Court Fees for Civil Cases conducted under legal aid
Establishment of Early Legal Aid from the investigative process.
Establishment of Duty Counsels – where Legal Aid will allow those arrested on suspicion of crimes to have an attorney before charge;
Legal Aid will extend to constitutional rights, habeus corpus, judicial review, domestic violence, contentions probate matters, welfare of Children matters, landlord dispute matters;
Court Connected Mediation Rules
Court to now promote ADR
Establishment of Court mandated Alternative Dispute Resolution
Creation of a Mediation Committee
42 Mediators are Trained
Creation of a Roster of Mediators -11 are presently on the Roster
Consultation has begun on restorative justice to pay reparation for Offences to promote reconciliation
Establishment of Queens Counsel Selection Panel
Establishment of Alternative Sentencing Guidelines
Establishment of the first ever Bail Ordinance
Establishment of a Sentencing Deadline Committee
Establishment of a Magistrate Rules Committee
Establishment of the Civil Procedure Rules Committee
Establishment of Hybrid Hearings to allow Jury Trials to take place.
Establishment of a Court/Legal Library;
Continuous population of TCILII with judgements
Re-Constitution of the Judicial Education Committee JEI
JEI three workshops held for Court Staff
JEI programs to equip Court Clerks with Paralegal training
JEI trained the Bailiffs on Self Defence
JEI armed Bailiffs with body cameras
Establishment of Registrar of Magistrate Courts
Onboarding of two Judicial Research Assistants
Establishment of Code of Conduct for the Judiciary
The House of Assembly have voted to provide 3 million dollars toward a state-of-the-art court building for The Judiciary.
Two Buildings have been located and will be retrofitted to be used as Magistrate Courts in South Caicos and North Caicos.
Chief Justice Agyeman laid out other initiatives of the Judiciary and other Strategic priorities are as follows for 2022:
The E-Judiciary initiatives will continue, that will provide paperless access to the digital platform.
A dedicated space for ADR, being a center for parties to undertake mediation
Legislation to bring clarity to Judicial officers is underway.
Ethics and Integrity Training for Court Staff.
Extensive electronic infrastructure is being implemented to improve virtual proceedings
Ongoing work addressing gaps in treatment of Mental Health Issues and Juveniles in criminal justice
A CJSG which is a collaboration of all stakeholders of justice that serves the public and is striving to provide a multi-level approach to provide access to quality criminal justice.
The CJSG will also be publishing a calendar of community initiatives it will undertake to bring its work to the people they exist to serve.
Fulford views Chief Justice Mabel Agyeman in her role as Head of the Judiciary, as a Judge who sets goals and achieves them despite arduous challenges. The way in which the Chief Justice relentlessly pursues the Judiciary's goals bodes well for the jurisdiction and no doubt her record of achievement in her short tenue will cause the TCI Judiciary to become known as a regional leader.
Fulford noted that the Turks and Caicos Islands' Judiciary continues to grow from strength to strength because of the Chief Justice's resourcefulness, perseverance and commitment to modernization and improvement.
Chief Justice Agyeman thanked the DPP personally and his office for assisting in the many Judiciary reforms. Further thanks were given to the Attorney General and the Bar Association through its President who was on hand to give and receive the remarks. Many thanks were Given to the Governor, Deputy Governor, Premier, Cabinet and Parliament for the support to the Judiciary.
Chief Justice Agyeman specially thanked the Acting Court Administrator Mrs Barbara Jervis, Her Registrar Ms Renee McLean and her Judicial Assistant Ms. Aisha DeFour.
In closing, The Hon. Chief Justice renewed her commitment and that of the entire Judiciary to continue to improve access to quality justice for all in TCI and to be untiring in their efforts to follow through on the plans outlined for 2022, and continue to strive to position the Judiciary to attain the stature of a resilient, and accountable institution.
Fulford indicated, it's an opportune time to be serving the public in the legal profession.
By Kemol King
Guyana DPI
#Guyana, January 15, 2022 – Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, said the public school and healthcare systems, along with the country's infrastructure network, could benefit from the development that will come from Guyana's oil money.
He made the comments during a virtual interview with Globespan on Wednesday.
"Our government has been clear that… oil and gas will be used – there are some infrastructural issues.
Look at some of the infrastructure that we were left with. Look at some of the ports and the harbours, the roads, the bridges, look at them. A lot of them are dilapidated. Now, we are starting to build them.
We have health systems; we have educational systems that need help. It's the poor people that have to go to the hospital. It's the poor people that go to the public schools…"
He added that investments can also be made into reducing the costs of certain services like electricity, or into building the capacity of law enforcement to fight crime.
The minister said these sectors are where some of the major problems are, and act as bugbears for the country.
Already, the government has started rolling out an extensive infrastructure plan, building and repairing roads and highways across the country. The government has initiated processes for the construction of major infrastructural projects such as the Demerara River Crossing.
Investments are being made into upgrading healthcare facilities into modern sustainable providers for the poorest citizens.
In education, the government has provided 6,000 scholarships for ordinary Guyanese, and there are thousands more to come.
Minister Indar reminded that all the work government has done so far since taking up office in August 2020, have been done without using the oil money.
Some US$607 million sits in the Natural Resource Fund. The government has maintained that it would not spend a cent until a new Natural Resource Fund Act is in place. This was passed by the National Assembly and assented to by His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali in December.
The Act allows the government to withdraw the total balance of the Fund in the first year. The Ministry of Finance explained that it is important for Guyana to use its resources to fund its development agenda, instead of burdening Guyana with unsustainable debt. Even then, Minister Indar explained that the withdrawal rule moving forward will allow significant sums to be saved and be accrued, given expected ramp-ups in offshore oil production.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
A Hard Bunch Of Old Folkers
Think 'Easy Rider' but with a jolly accordion soundtrack
19th July 2021 bobo Arts, Culture, Fishing, History, Hobbies 0
Whitby Abbey
Geir Hval (www.MacWhale.eu), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
This a true story, and for once I can be unusually precise as to the date: towards the end of July in 1983. I was living in North Yorkshire at the time, and me and the lass that I was with back then decided to have a few nights away in Whitby.
Have you ever been to Whitby, dear boy? Oh, you should go, you know! It's enchanting! Simply enchanting! The ruined abbey stands atop the cliff, while the town tumbles down the narrow valley of the River Esk to the sea. The Esk, in point of fact, is the only eastwards flowing river in Yorkshire which debouches directly into the North Sea. All the others flow into the Tees or the Humber. Funny the things you remember after all these years.
Whitby is a nice little place. I've been there since, and it doesn't seem to have changed much. Touristy in the summer, but a bit bleak and grim in the winter. Although I don't mind a bit of bleak and grim, personally speaking. It chimes with my Byronic nature. I'd quite happily move back up there, but as Mrs B is of the opinion that the permafrost starts just north of Tamworth the likelihood seems remote. She has a deep and abiding aversion to the cold does Mrs B.
A very historical place too, is Whitby. The abbey was first founded in the middle of the seventh century AD by King Oswiu of Northumbria, although the remains are of much later construction. The abbey was the home of Caedmon, the first English poet whose name we know and whose surviving work is such a fine example of early Anglo-Saxon literature. Whitby of course owes much to the sea; there is still a small residue of the fishing industry and a fresh catch is landed daily, Captain Cook made his first sea voyage in a Whitby collier, and the ghost ship of Bram Stoker's Dracula nosed its way into the harbour bearing its grisly cargo.
Close by is the village of Ugglebarnby which, to my mind, is one of the finest place-names in England. But I digress.
The run out to Whitby from where I was living was a nice one. The easiest way was to hop onto the A170 and head east until you could see the sea, then hang a left and ride up the coast until you got to where you were going. But if time was not an issue, you could cut north along the network of B Roads that run through the North Yorkshire Moors. This was a lovely thing to do. Little villages with names like Cockayne, Goathland and Fryupdale flashed by, the fields among the drystone walls were emerald green and the sky above was that brittle cloudless cobalt blue you only ever see in the North. 440cc of BSA's finest blatting happily away between your legs and your bird riding pillion, her arms wrapped tightly around you as your two bodies sway in unison, leaning into the curves and responding to the serpentine rhythm of the road – Ah, me! But where did those days go? Please pardon my nostalgia, but sometimes I get quite overcome when I think about it all.
No full face helmets in those days, and no dressing up like a bloody Power Ranger either. Two pairs of jeans, army boots, a Hawkwind T-shirt and a leather jacket topped with a denim jacket with the sleeves cut off, which carried the embroidered patch of a local motorcycle club. I'd done them a favour by showing them around Amsterdam, and in return they offered me a kind of Associate status.
They were a great bunch of lads, and I had a cracking time with them. I lost touch when I moved down to Brum a few years later. I might still technically be a member, if they're still going. Although I'd be in a shed load of arrears, and the one thing they were gently but firmly insistent on was prompt payment of dues. I also still have my old cut-off up in the loft somewhere. It is my intention, when I can persuade the NHS to give me a mobility scooter, to start wearing it again. It is important to have goals in life.
The sun was slipping towards a hazy sea and the walls of the abbey were painted ochre by the low rays as we breasted the last hill, and we coasted down into Whitby's streets and tootled about until we found our accommodation. We had a quick wash and brush up then went out. We walked along the beach for a bit and looked for jet, we ate a fish supper on the esplanade, then we decided to visit a few pubs.
It became apparent to us, through the plethora of posters advertising the event and the fact that every boozer we entered had a folk group parping and yodelling away, that we had arrived in town on the weekend that Whitby hosted the International Sea Shanty Festival.
I won't say that the Sea Shanty (or Chanty, either is acceptable to the connoisseur) is my favourite sub-genre of Folk Music, but neither do I bear it any particular animus. In fact I'm more inclined to be a sympathetic listener than anything else, it being a repository of our maritime history and an interesting example of the Call and Response form of vocal harmonisation, etc etc etc. This lack of ill-will to either the genre or its proponents is something which I wish you to bear in mind as our tale unfolds.
The ISSF is a big deal among sea shanty circles, and the 'International' tag in the title was no idle boast. There were groups from far away as Germany, Scandinavia and even Canada and the US. I heard a rumour that there was a group of Japanese performers in attendance somewhere, a thing which I would have paid good money to see. Mostly, of course, the artists hailed from the UK. And the performances were free, so all in all it seemed right up my street.
We walked into one particular pub. We got our drinks and sat down at the only remaining table, which was hard by a low dais on which a group was performing. They were an acapella trio, with the middle guy accompanying them on an accordion. There was absolutely nothing to distinguish them from any other troupe we had seen that evening. Three stocky guys, cable knit sweaters, cable knit beards and those Breton Fisherman's caps that Donovan used to wear. I'd guess they were about the same age as I am now and, my goodness me, how old that seemed to me then. I was on my fourth or fifth pint by now, and I sat there bobbing my head in time to the music and feeling rather mellow. Then I became aware that my girlfriend was shifting in her seat nervously, so I looked up to see the reason.
You will indulge an old man's vanity whilst I describe this lass, for she was well worth the describing. She was almost as tall as me and Junoesque in build, she had large dark eyes and long dark hair. She was of the tight jeans and biker jacket persuasion in her habiliments, and she was the sort of girl whose progress through a pub or other venue you could track by the Mexican Wave effect of blokes' heads snapping round to watch her as she passed. She claimed to be unaware of this phenomenon, and even today I would still be slightly more than half inclined to believe her. She was, in short, the sort of bird who attracted attention.
"When you're in love with a beautiful woman," as the great psychologist and Relationship Expert Dr Hook informs us, "everybody tempts her, everybody tells her she's the most beautiful woman they know." Wiser words were never written. It was not uncommon, when we were out together, for some chap to swoop in while I was away at the bar. Normally her polite rebuff was sufficient, but even the most persistent would beat a hasty retreat when I hoved into view. I never blamed them, either: she was fit. And I'm an affable chap in any case, not prone to taking or seeking offence. You made your pitch, got knocked back and took it like a gentleman? Then no harm done, better luck with the next one and mine's a pint. Ta.
But when a geezer starts making her feel uncomfortable, gets too close and touchy-feely or whatever and won't stop, then it's a different kettle of fish: a line in the sand. As a Twentieth Century Bloke, and a reasonably enlightened one at that, it was never a proprietary issue for me. But there is an atavistic response. You're not going to just stand by and watch while some mug makes your bird cry, are you? There are boundaries that you cannot allow to be broken and still call yourself a man. Self respect and a damsel in distress. It's your job to protect her.
I don't know the name of the song that the trio were singing as I looked up at them, but I can remember the precise words. The lead singer called out "Be handy, boys!" and the other two responded 'We're handy!'. Or at least one of them did. The accordionist lustily brayed out "We're randy!" and gurned at my girlfriend's chest. There is no doubt in my mind about it. There was not much more than a six foot of distance or so between us all, and it was utterly unmistakable. And as I watched he did it again and, it being a repeated refrain type song, again. The other two guys seemed oblivious, lost in their own Sea Shanty world, but the accordionist was very much focused on my partner's upper hamper. Then his eyes shifted and locked on my own, and he gave me a little smirk. Then he turned back to my girlfriend and did it again. If he had got down off the stage, put his head in between 'em and gone "Bubble-ubble-ubble" it could not have been more blatant.
Blokes have a non-verbal form of communication. It's not sophisticated or extensive, but it generally does a job. And as the volume of the performance made speech redundant, it was a necessity at this precise time. I caught the accordionist's eye, and made the gesture that means "OK, mate. A joke's a joke but enough's enough". That is to say I bent my arms at the elbows and spread my hands out with the palms towards the floor, hunched my shoulders a little and made a wry grimace. Placatory, non-threatening. He gave me another smirk, then gurned with extra brio at my girlfriend's bosom. I also clocked the fact that the other two were now staring at me levelly.
I am not a violent man, but I grew up in a rough and tumble environment and I am a pragmatist. Being able to look after yourself was a virtue, and that always seemed sensible to me. But I've never gone looking for trouble as I learnt early that trouble will, unerringly and in its own good time, come looking for you.
Some people enjoy violence, I do not. I prefer to avoid violence if I can but I have finely honed instincts in that regard. I know when it's possible to defuse a situation and I'm good at reading people. I can tell who's all mouth and trousers, and on more than one occasion I have convinced odds of 2:1 or greater that they might be best served by leaving me well alone. I know when humour might do the trick or when an emollient approach is best. I know when the time for talk is nearly over and a pre-emptive strike is called for, or when the only recourse is to get the duck out of Fodge as expeditiously as possible. And there was something about these guys that was setting alarm bells ringing.
I tried another gesture from the repertoire of non-verbal comms. The one that means "Hang on, I don't know what the eff is going on but I don't like it. Proceed at your own risk": shoulders back, arms outstretched with palms diagonally upwards and an incredulous snarl on the face. Didn't faze them for second. They carried on singing, didn't drop a beat. The two singers stared at me stonily, and the accordionist smirked, gurned at my girlfriend's knockers and then smirked at me again. I stood up.
I appreciate that this is terribly anti-climactic, and you have my deepest sympathies, but as I stood up so did my girlfriend. She grabbed me by the elbow and dragged me precipitately backwards to the exit. I was caught off balance, and backpedaled the length of the bar and into the street. It is a small salve to my dignity that all the while I was making the gestures that convey the message "Egad, Sirrah! Were it not for the fact that I am being propelled in retrograde motion by my fair companion, you and your ruffianly associates would find events taking a course which is but little to your taste!"
Or words to that effect.
To this day I maintain that it was a set up. The Rolling Stones used to do something similar on stage in the early days. They would flirt with the girls and taunt their boyfriends in order to provoke a reaction. Although why a Sea Shanty band would want to do this is utterly beyond me.
Had it come to blows, well, I genuinely don't know. Honestly? I reckon I would have got a drubbing. This was practiced, they'd done it before and they weren't backing down. These were serious blokes. Confident. Perhaps they'd 'been something' before they became an acapella group. It's an interesting concept: a bunch of hard knocks turned Folkies, gigging on the Yo Ho Ho circuit and occasionally provoking mayhem. Under other circumstances we might have become friends.
I can picture the headlines in the local papers: Soft Southern Sh*te Gets Well-Deserved Knackering For Mugging Geriatric Folk Group. I can also hear the judge at the ensuing trial: "Eh, Lads! Tha's 'ad tha fun, now 'tis ma go", before he turns to me and hands down the maximum tolerable sentence for whatever being charged with for having been provoked into attacking a bunch of beardy Cnuts will warrant.
A crossroads moment there, I reckon. And I reckon I had a lucky escape.
And I reckon they was as 'ard as effin' nails.
Author's Note
The above was first published in May 2019, but fell victim to the Image Copyright firestorm shortly thereafter. I have digitally reimagined it and present it here for a new generation.
Of course I could have done the decent thing and just resurrected it and slipped it quietly into the back catalogue without any fanfare, but I am a lazy man and shame is a commodity I long ago ceased to be able to afford.
And you'll be seeing quite a lot of this sort of thing in the future, so be warned.
© bobo 2021
https://going-postal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/A-Hard-Bunch-Of-Old-Folkers.mp3
Sea Shanties
Postcard from Monmouth
Regina Quondam, Rex Futurusque
30th September 2021 bobo 20th Century, 21st Century, History 0
Author's Note: The following was published in February 2018, shortly after it was announced that Her Majesty had recovered from a potentially nasty bout of a seasonal respiratory illness. The collective national response to [more…]
Murder on Meon Hill
14th December 2018 bobo 20th Century, History, Literature, Mystery 0
Meon Hill lies in the valley of the River Avon, on the border of Oxfordshire and Warwickshire. It is an outlier of the Cotswolds and, although it reaches only a modest 194m of elevation, it [more…]
A Kinder, Gentler Nazism?
24th March 2021 bobo 20th Century, History, WW I 0
Their neighbours in the luxury apartment block on the swanky Prinzregentenplatz in Munich knew that the couple in Flat 16 had a volatile relationship. What was less clear was the nature of that relationship. He [more…]
Callsign Revlon
On 25th October 1994 29 year old US Navy Lieutenant Kara Hultgreen was killed whilst attempting to land on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Pacific Ocean. The case remains highly controversial to [more...]
Book review: Corona False Alarm?
"Corona False Alarm? Facts & Figures", Dr Karina Reiss & Dr Sucharit Bhakdi. This very timely work was first published in German at the end of June 2020. The English translation, published in September of [more...]
20th August 2021 0
GB News 19th August 2021 Present: Alan Hope (Election candidate) Jacob Rees-Mogg (Conservative) Nigel Farage (Broadcaster) Venue: Pints of View This week's first guest was Alan Hope. Who he? Alan 'Howling Laud' Hope leader of [more...]
In Praise of The Bongo
I have mentioned in previous articles that the exploits I was describing were usually carried out courtesy of my trusty Mazda Bongo. On reflection, it seems that this amazing vehicle deserves more than a "bit [more...]
Coronavirus – the inevitable inquiry
When, this bloody war is ooooover, Oh, how happy I will beeeee. That's how I feel about that virus! At some stage, we do need to get back to normal. Remember those days, when you'd [more...]


Water containers are an essential part of your camping or hiking gear. The general consensus is that we can survive for about 3 days without water, so it's definitely best to plan ahead and make sure you have the right water container for your trip.
Large collapsible water containers are excellent for camping trips, hydration bladders do the job when traveling fast and light on hikes, runs, bike rides and climbs, and good old fashioned robust water bottles are great to stuff in your pack for day trips.


As a parent you are responsible for your child's health and well being, which is a huge thing. One of the important milestones in a baby's life is the apparition of the first tooth. As soon as the baby can chew, they can graduate to solid foods, which open a new array of textures and tastes for them. But it also opens the door towards tooth decay. This is why you need to take the little one to their first dentist appointment.
When should your child visit the dentist for the first time?
According to the Pediatric Dentistry Center your child's first dental visit should be after their first tooth emerges or around their first birthday. At this first visit the pediatric dentist is going to evaluate the development of the jaw and the teeth. They can identify potential problems and advise on how to avoid tooth decay.
During this first visit the dentist is going to teach the parents how to brush their child's teeth and how to start teaching the child basic oral health habits. As soon as your baby has a tooth, it needs to be brushed. The little one will quickly get used with this routine, which is going to stick with them when they grow up.
The pediatric dentist can also advise on the use of the pacifier, which can alter the palate and teeth development if it is used too much. Thumb sucking can also become a problem for the baby, as it can alter the development of their teeth.
As soon as the child starts to understand what you say and becomes interested in their body, you can play with them a lot of games. Teach them to point to their teeth or open their mouth wide, which are useful things to know before a dental checkup.
You can try to play a game that mimics what happens during a dental appointment, so your child gets used to staying put on a chair, opening their mouth and allowing the dentist to check their teeth.
Adults are always nervous in the dentist's office, which is bad for your child. The little one is going to pick up your mood and if you are stressed out, they will also become nervous. When you go to the dentist try to be relaxed and calm. This will help the child stay calm. Explain them what is going to happen, so they won't be surprised.
Regular dentists can and do care for kids, but pediatric dentists are specialized in dealing with children, from toddlers to teens. Picking a specialized doctor can help your child, as they will be welcomed by a child-friendly office and experienced staff.
Apart from experience with kids, the dentist you pick needs to provide flexible appointment hours, should be near your home and provide emergency assistance if needed.
Introducing your child to the dentist and oral hygiene practices as soon as possible ensures the little one will have strong, healthy teeth and a beautiful smile all the way into adulthood.


is now available for purchase on VHS and DVD.
This special edition of the film includes ten minutes of bonus material not seen in the television broadcast.
Get your copy before the film is sold out!
This film makes a wonderful gift for family and friends. Preserve Croatian history by having this film in your home and passing it on to future generations.
Freedom from Despair is a powerful, moving film, documenting a much neglected piece of modern history - Croatia's struggle for independence from the repression of Tito's Yugoslavia and the brutality of the Balkan War. Brenda Brkusic has created a memorable portrait of a people, a culture, and one man's hard-fought journey to freedom.
Click the button below to add the **** DVD ~ FREEDOM FROM DESPAIR: Brenda Brkusic's award winning PBS TV documentary to your wish list.


text:
Armed with pamphlets: the battle to register women voters in Libya
Hendia Alashepy
Student Journalism
Libya's Electoral Outreach Ambassadors program aims to increase women's trust in the political process and register new voters. The female ambassadors are experienced in civil society participation but are not affiliated with any political or religious group, which is key to building trust given the country's recent civil war. Ambassadors are trained in many tactics and left to tailor their own strategy so that it is best suited for their own district. Outreach efforts include a combination of house visits, workshops in private and public institutions, and talks with women in public spaces.
Civic participation Voter education and registration Community organizing Women's rights Voter rights
Meeting people where they are at Empowering People Expanding Access
Boston: There's an App for That
Ben Schreckinger
Politico 10 June 2014 Text / Over 3000 Words
Boston had a hard time solving civic problems efficiently and holding its leadership accountable. In response, a team...
Ever Wonder Why Nobody Goes to Town Council Meetings? Meet the Folks Who Are Changing That.
Ever Wonder Why Nobody Goes to Town Council Mee...
Rob Gurwitt
NationSwell 11 December 2013 Text / 1500-3000 Words
Very few people go to city council meetings. MindMixer, a tech startup company, increased civic participation in stat...
Guiding Families to a Fair Day in Court
The New York Times 29 May 2015 Text / 1500-3000 Words
Millions of families of arrested individuals do not know what to do to help, how to obtain a lawyer, or what the proc...
Oklahoma schools district offers insight as EPISD, YISD consider shutting schools
Oklahoma schools district offers insight as EPI...
Lindsey Anderson
El Paso Times 21 March 2015 Text / 1500-3000 Words
Tulsa Public Schools drew on expertise across many sectors and extensive neighborhood input to address the issue of t...
On Gay Rights, Moving Real-Life Friends to Action
The New York Times 7 July 2011 Text / 800-1500 Words
The ability of social media and online civic participation to impact law and politics is still developing, but one so...
How This Teen's Quest to Define 'Sustainability' Changed State Law
How This Teen's Quest to Define 'Sustainability...
The Tyee 17 October 2014 Text / 1500-3000 Words
Hawaii private school students were taught about ecological sustainability, but public school students were not. Afte...
In India, Latrines Are Truly Lifesavers
Vivekananda Nemana
Ankita Rao
India has had a problem in which 620 million people openly defecate outdoors, causing harm to hygiene, sanitation, fo...
How to Topple a Dictator (Peacefully)
The New York Times 13 February 2015 Text / 1500-3000 Words
The Center for Applied Nonviolent Action and Strategies provides a "blueprint" for peaceful and democratic revolution...
Crime and blight still remain
Fayetteville Observer 22 February 2014 Text / 800-1500 Words
Civic leaders in the U.S. struggle to effectively help their distressed neighborhoods. East Lake, Atlanta, created a ...
From Young Adult Book Fans to Wizards of Change
Courtney E. Martin
The New York Times 21 March 2012 Text / 1500-3000 Words
Global social and economic problems are difficult to change. However, fan-activism fuels the interests of fans of pop...
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/06/boston-theres-an-app-for-that-107661.html#.VYml6PlViko
Boston had a hard time solving civic problems efficiently and holding its leadership accountable. In response, a team in the Mayor's office was charged with "making Boston better through clever, low-cost hacks" such as a mobile app that allows residents to send government service requests to City Hall.
http://nationswell.com/meet-folks-upgrading-civic-engagement
NationSwell
Very few people go to city council meetings. MindMixer, a tech startup company, increased civic participation in states across the U.S. with online platforms for city officials and the community to discuss ideas.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/05/29/guiding-poor-families-to-a-fair-day-in-court
Millions of families of arrested individuals do not know what to do to help, how to obtain a lawyer, or what the process entails in the court system. Created by Albert Cobarrubius Justice Project, participatory defense is a type of community organizing that teaches and empowers people who face criminal charges. Individuals know how to work with attorneys in order to navigate the system and ultimately feel equipped to become drivers of their own change.
http://www.elpasotimes.com/story/archives/2015/03/21/tulsa-outreach-key-palatable-school-closures/73899232
Tulsa Public Schools drew on expertise across many sectors and extensive neighborhood input to address the issue of thousands of empty seats in local schools. Through a community-focused process, they were able to mindfully close under-utilized schools and better maximize the community's resources for students.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/07/on-gay-rights-moving-real-life-friends-to-action
The ability of social media and online civic participation to impact law and politics is still developing, but one social media tool - Friendfactor - was used successfully in New York to help bring about the passage of Gay Marriage Equality. It may be an indicator for how powerful platforms like this one will continue to play a role in societal growth and change.
http://thetyee.ca/News/2014/10/17/Sustainability-Definition-Changed-Law
Hawaii private school students were taught about ecological sustainability, but public school students were not. After losing a school essay contest about sustainability, a high school student convinced Hawaii's legislature to pass a resolution requiring that every student learn the meaning of the concept. Due to this student's advocacy, the state is also piloting a program to install solar panels on its public schools to teach children how to be more self-sustaining.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/11/13/in-india-latrines-are-truly-lifesavers
India has had a problem in which 620 million people openly defecate outdoors, causing harm to hygiene, sanitation, food, and water resources. The president of India funded an initiative to build public toilets for the people in his country, but the people did not use them because of old traditions and behaviors. The Total Sanitation Campaign is slowly changing villagers' minds by having local leadership persuade those who resist the toilets by holding community activities and creating special committees to maintain the sanitation.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/13/a-military-manual-for-nonviolent-war
The Center for Applied Nonviolent Action and Strategies provides a "blueprint" for peaceful and democratic revolution, busting myths about the process of nonviolent revolt and helping dissidents in countries around the world to accomplish political goals, such as fighting corruption or protecting the environment.
http://www.fayobserver.com/article/20140222/News/302229724
Civic leaders in the U.S. struggle to effectively help their distressed neighborhoods. East Lake, Atlanta, created a replicable model that mixes residents of differing socio-economic status, and focuses on education and health in the area.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/21/from-young-adult-book-fans-to-wizards-of-change
Global social and economic problems are difficult to change. However, fan-activism fuels the interests of fans of popular young adult fiction. Books such as Harry Potter and the Hunger Games have inspired activist groups that raise awareness of global hunger, reading, and relief supplies to impoverished nations, among others. Being a fan has served as a bridge to become politically active and solve the world's problems.


text:
Q: Write a complex loop in pythonic way I have the following Code
import numpy as np
from readers import readerXYZ
import glob
folder=r'N:\FolderXYZ/*'
D_list=[]
ctr=0

for name in glob.glob (folder):

    Zdata = readerXYZ(name, output_matrix=True)

    #I Need this counter of the NaNs for future computations
    ctr=ctr+np.count_nonzero(np.isnan(Zdata))
    a=list(Zdata.shape)
    D_list.append(a)

The program reads from different files stored in the Folder called "FolderXYZ", this is done with an external program called readerXYZ, what I want to store in the lis D_list is the dimensions of each Zdata Matrix, and at the same time count how many NaNs are in total.
This code works fine but takes so Long, how can I improve it?
thank you

A: If time is your concern. You can consider processing the list in parallel. Here is a reference for multiprocessing
Python how to parallelize loops

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Germaine Gamiet is the music programme manager at Pro Helvetia Johannesburg, a Swiss Arts Council in South Africa.
Germaine graduated from the University of Cape Town with a Bachelor of Music: He also has a Masters in Performing Arts Administration and a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of Oregon. Pro Helvetia Johannesburg supports and disseminates Swiss arts and culture in Southern Africa. The organisation promotes cultural exchange, develops and nurtures long-term partnerships and support residencies.
Gamiet has held positions with the East London Guild Theatre and Business and Arts South Africa in an arts management capacity. He lectured in the arts management and classical music department at the University of Fort Hare.


Browse our selection of XML tutorials covering topics including Data Integration, XQuery, XML Schema, and specific Stylus Studio operations. You'll find XML tutorials and tips for troubleshooting some of the most common Stylus Studio technical support issues, and for tackling more advanced XML development issues.
Data integration challenges are an every day occurance in the XML world. With powerful tools such has XQuery and XSLT at your finger tips data integration challenges can be solved faster and easier then ever before. These tutorials contain such information as Using XML Adapters, Transforming Non-XML Documents with XML Tools, Writing Custom XML Adapters, and Using Relational Data in XML Applications to combat all your data integration woes.
XQuery is an essential technology for you to have when querying and integrating any number of heterogeneous data sources, including XML, relational databases, EDI and more. Make sure to check out these XQuery tutorials to help you for all your querying needs such as, Learning XQuery in Ten Minutes, XML Schema-Aware XSLT and XQuery Processing and XQuery FLWOR Expressions!
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With locations in Vail and Eagle, this barbecue restaurant offers food with Southern soul. The atmosphere in Moe's is inviting and relaxed, perfect for a post-ski drink and bite to eat. Kids are welcome, and you can enjoy their food off-site with catering options and "haul it home" family-size portions.


It's a Friday night, and I've turned up to The 1865 in Southampton on my own. There's music playing, people coming together for a great cause. As I'm stood in the middle of a benefit show for someone I've only recently heard of, a flood of anxiety runs over me, why am I here? Is it bad that I came to see some bands I liked while other people came to support the cause? Then I stopped. I wasn't just there for the bands. I was there, just to be there, at a show, in my element. I've loved Mystery Jets for years, and I am really into Band of Skulls. The people around me might feel the same, but they're here for Delays, for their singer Greg who has recently been diagnosed with cancer. I don't know Greg, but simply by buying a ticket and showing up, I'm supporting him, his family, his friends. Like I said, I'm there on my own, and I feel a little bit odd, but I'm far from alone. The passion that filled the room, both musical and emotional was overwhelmingly beautiful, and it got me thinking about my relationship with music, the reason why I didn't feel entirely uncomfortable to go solo, the fact that I just simply love music so much that I'll enjoy it whether anyone joins me or not.
I'm not really sure when it started, I think there has always been a part of me that has been particularly interested in music, going to shows, getting to know people in the music scene. I must admit it was easier when I was just going to local shows every weekend, an idiot teenager who would make a fool of herself just to talk to people from the bands. You'd think that I would have just developed into a well presented young adult who had progressed into holding a fairly normal, sensible yet interesting conversation with those bands she meets today. Well, sometimes. It's the launching myself into that situation that I struggle with. Not being around my lifelong friends who are happy to push me into any situation, no matter how stupid, just so long as it got me what I wanted. No, I've gone shy again, but if I happen to naturally bump into anyone, I'd say I can hold the conversation for at least five minutes. Perhaps. That's besides the point.
I think the moment I really started to explore my relationship with music was when I came home from a gig one night and would not shut up about it. With just a few words, my mum lit up a whole new path that I had never considered.
I mean, sure. At the time I definitely imagined it to be a lot more glamorous than writing from my bedroom, but hey, there's still time for this whole writing thing to reach higher planes, right? The main thing is that it actually pushed me to go to university. I had always considered journalism as an option for uni, I'm not sure where it came from, but the idea was just there. I felt like English was probably my best subject at school, but I didn't necessarily love the lessons, so the idea of an English degree sounded too daunting. Journalism followed as a close second, but because of that, it felt like a fallback. It wasn't a course I was necessarily interested in once I actually looked into it, something didn't seem quite right. Then out of nowhere music journalism. It sounded perfect. I looked up the very few universities where such a specified course was offered. Southampton Solent, despite its low rankings, stuck out from the moment I discovered it, to the moment I had my interview five years ago. I remember feeling instantly welcomed, the course leader, Martin James pretty much (unofficially) offering me a place on the spot. It felt awesome. I knew immediately that this is where I wanted to be, and so my relationship with music really began.
If I had a pound for every time somebody has asked me what instrument I play when I tell them that I have a degree in popular music journalism, well, I'd probably be earning a lot more than a music journalist. The first few times I was asked this I thought that whoever I was talking to had just misheard me, or perhaps they just didn't quite get it. Then I kept hearing that question time and time again, and I was surrounded by other people on my course who either played an instrument, sung, wrote songs, or had experimented here and there. Was I the one in the wrong? I mean, I did take drumming lessons when I was at school, but put me behind a kit now and I could maybe do a little something but that's about it. I'd need at least 15 minutes to myself to get reacquainted with my snare and toms either way.
The more I heard the question, the more I realised that there is this assumption that a passion for music centers around being a creator of music, but that's not quite it for me. It's not that I'm not at all interested, I like playing around on synths and plenty of digital formats, but that's just it, I enjoy playing around. Most of it comes down to a lack of patience and perhaps a fear of performing. I hated music lessons at school, being forced to play music in front of other people, particularly music that I was not bothered about. However when it came to exploring certain music cultures and genres, I was all ears. All ears. That's it really, my relationship with music in a nutshell, all ears.
Some of my best memories are connected to live shows for many different reasons. It started off as fandom, sheer joy to see my favourite musicians in the flesh, hoping to get as close to the front as possible, perhaps lock eyes with them. I was fangirl crazy. Of course there were those regular weekend shows at home when it was all about the community, however I didn't realise it at the time. I didn't put my enjoyment of those nights down to the music, until I attended some of Southampton's local shows. Maybe it was because I was studying music at this time, maybe it was just personal growth, either way, I soon came to realise just how much music had always been a huge part of my life. I went to gigs instead of the under 18 'club' nights. It was important that I socialised with people I could talk to about my favourite bands, and I was very quick to judge on music taste alone.
As I've got older, this has developed into just taking a general interest in music itself, sharing the love for what it does for us, both as individuals and as part of a 'scene' or community. As much as I still get excited about actually physically seeing my favourite musicians, there's nothing I love more than seeing the pure passion in their eyes as they are there in a moment of sharing not only their music, but their feelings, their energy, their everything. It's intimate, and that's exactly what music is to me. It's intimate to me, it is everything to me. My last relationship was built largely around a combined interest in music; from the bands we liked, to the music he made, from getting to see his band grow, to finding new bands together, and being gifted a record for my birthday that I had never heard of, but he knew I'd love. On top of that a lot of my friendships that developed later on in school are built on music tastes, or are with people who I can talk about various different bands with. Of course there are my friends I've had for years, those that have known me before my fascination for music, we get on for a whole load of different reasons, but they respect that my passion is there, and are always ready to listen to me go on about whoever I might be obsessing over at any given time (at least I hope so). I live for the connections I make around music, listening to it, talking about it… it all just makes me so happy.
I guess my point is, music is so much more than its creation. It continuously shapes my life. It creates memories, takes me back to forgotten moments, makes me smile, makes me cry, keeps me up for hours, and most of all, keeps me alive. Now I'm aware that it sounds corny, but that's just simply the way it is. The thing is, the moment I say I'm interested in music, I seem to be expected to know EVERYTHING about EVERY BAND I listen to. That's not how I roll. Occasionally I'll get in deep with a band, find everything they have ever done, know all their albums back to back, but to be honest, I'm kind of done with obsessing over one band at a time.
Since Spotify came along, I've been able to browse more artists and discover more genres that I like, but I don't really get truly stuck in. When it comes to loving music I'm not necessarily going to devote myself to one act. There are a few bands that I love more than others, but when people ask me my favourite album(s) of the year, or ever, my mind goes blank. For me, it's more like 'current favourites', who am I loving right this second? Yes I like that band, but it's less than likely that I can tell you the track-list of the album that I have actually been listening to over and over. Music is fluid, and there is always this inner conflict going on with the fact that I review albums and live shows. What I think one day might be different to the next. I've written great reviews only to not give a toss about the band a few months later. Really, my relationship with music can be problematic, but if it wasn't, it'd be a little boring.
This has turned out to be a lot longer than expected and in all honesty, I don't know exactly what conclusion I intended to come to from writing this, so I might just end it here. I could write about my feelings for music endlessly, in fact I'm going to try and write a few more music related pieces that don't come from Vulture Hound articles. Music plays a huge part in my life, but I feel like people don't quite always understand what that means. Anyone could say that music is important to them, and it could be for a hundred different reasons. I used to think I wasn't worthy to write reviews because I didn't really play an instrument, but I realised that it doesn't matter. I like music because listening to it makes me feel good, going to live shows makes me feel ecstatic, and as the recent #Give4Greg show demonstrated, music has the power to bring people together. I just love it.


text:
If you've kept your new year's resolutions by the end of today, you're officially winning
According to Strava, today's the day you're most likely to quit
By Mildred Locke
Strava has also found that you'll ride more if you ride with others or join a club
Mick Kirkman / Immediate Media
Strava found that athletes who set goals are more likely to remain active
Blue Monday is on its way, but according to some research conducted by Strava, today is the day that most people are likely to drop their new year's resolutions, and it's being dubbed Quitter's Day.
The global social fitness network has also handily come up with some great tips to keep athletes on track.
10 cycling New Year's resolutions (and how to stick to them)
Top 5 new year's resolutions you can actually keep
Strava's findings
Strava analysed data from 98.3 million exercise activities across the globe to pinpoint today as Quitter's Day. It also found that certain demographics are more likely to keep going than others.
Women are better at keeping fitness New Year's resolutions than men, according to the data
Younger people keep motivation further into January when data is broken down by age
Brits are likely to last two days longer than those in Germany and France but are outlasted by those in Spain
How not to quit
If you don't want to be a quitter, here are five tips from Strava to keep you going:
1. Set a goal
Strava found that 94 percent of athletes who set goals remain active nine months later, and 88 percent of runners are still active six months after setting a distance goal.
2. Join a club
Being social leads to a significant increase in overall activity. Athletes who join a club are three times more active than non-club members. This is based on 88.7 average uploads by athletes in a club, versus 25.2 average uploads from athletes not in a club.
Why not join BikeRadar's club on Strava if you haven't already?
3. Vary your workouts
Activity uploads more than double when athletes change their workouts. Discover another activity type and start varying your workout routine.
Athletes who uploaded activities from two or more different sports recorded 15.3 activities per month compared to those who only uploaded rides (6.7) or runs (6.1).
4. Incorporate indoor activities
Athletes who shared indoor activities to Strava uploaded 323 percent more total activities in the past year versus athletes who only uploaded ride or run activities.
5. Be social
When athletes exercise in groups, they tend to go 21 percent further and those workouts last 10 percent longer. People who exercised in a group increased their average distance by 21.4 percent versus those who exercised on their own.
This was even more so for UK cyclists. For example, solo cyclists averaged 28.6km per ride, while those who rode as part of a group averaged 49km per ride.
Mildred Locke
Mildred's a utilitarian cyclist at heart, determined to do everything on two wheels, whether it's shopping, commuting or moving house. She's spent the past three years volunteering as a mechanic and workshop coordinator at the Bristol Bike Project, and now sits on its board of directors. Her expertise in bikes — and what people want out of them — comes from working in real-world bike shops and learning the ins and outs of the industry. At home on slicks and knobblies alike, Mildred's ideal ride covers long distances through remote countryside, on mixed terrain that offers a bit of crunch. She's easily won over by steel frames coupled with a 650B/plus-tyre combo, and is currently riding a Surly Bridge Club.


Aloe vera is often touted as being a 'miracle cure' but does it really work? We look at the scientific evidence supporting the use of Aloe Vera for eczema.
Has anyone use Aloe Vera gel/cream for LO (little one) with eczema?. Mom of baby girl Allison (born 4/20/2009), Alexis (born 1/12/2013).
Has anyone experimented with 100% aloe vera gel?. Eczema & aloe vera. Also no bubbles in the baby bath (you may have to forcibly restrain midwives etc.) .
Aloe Vera Spray by Baby Organics is soothing and cooling on inflamed eczema skin and safe to use on babies and toddlers.


Watch above as Goodie Mob performed their newest single "Fight to Win" at the 2012 Billboard Music Awards. The Cee-lo helmed group performed decked out in all adidas gear in support of the 80s rap pioneers Beastie Boys. They even performed a bit of "Fight For Your Right" in tribute to MCA.


text:
WABBA WORLD
Rules & Category
Pictures 2016
WABBA World Championship, Venice 2016
WABBA World Miss & Mister Universe 2016
WABBA Universe, Helsinki 2014
WABBA World Championships,Greece 2014
WABBA Universe 2013
WABBA World Championships 2013
2010 and Past
MAN CATEGORY
JUNIOR HP_________________ less than 24 years on the day of registration
JUNIOR BB_________________ less than 24 years on the day of registration
OVER 40 HP ________________ 40 years made or in that year
OVER 40 BB ________________ 40 years made or in that year
OVER 50 ________________ 50 years made or in that year
SMALL CLASS___________ less or same high than 167.9 cm
MEDIUM CLASS__________ less or same high than 173.9 cm
TALL CLASS_____________ less or same high than 179.9 cm
X-TALL CLASS ___________less or same high than 180 cm
MAN FITNESS____________ up to 175 cm
MAN FITNESS____________ over to 175 cm
MAN MODEL_____________ up to 175 cm
MAN MODEL_____________ over 175 cm
HP ______________________- 3kg
HP ______________________ + 3kg
Each athlete will be evaluated based on muscular development, symmetry (assessment of the skeletal structure and distribution of the muscles in a harmonious way between the upper and lower body) and the definition (given from % body fat and the separation of different muscle groups). There's 4 semi-relaxed poses (front, right side, left side, back) and the required basic poses (double biceps, front Front Lat Spread and back Front Lat Spread, chest expansion, triceps, Front Abdominal-Thigh Isolation, and Most muscular. The routine (only in the categories which is provided) is about 1 minute and will be performed only by the 3 finalists in each category. The categories with less than 3 participants will be merged to higher or less category by the jury discretion.
Each athlete will be evaluated for the symmetry, definition (given from % body fat and the separation of different muscle) and muscle development, (assessment of the skeletal structure and distribution of the muscles in a harmonious way between the upper and lower body). There's 4 semi-relaxed poses (front, right side, left side, back) and the required basic poses (double biceps, front Front Lat Spread and back Front Lat Spread, chest expansion, triceps, Front Abdominal-Thigh Isolation, and Most muscular.
MEN MODEL
It 'a category without height and weight limits where stand out more aesthetics than muscularity.
Beauty, elegant bearing and charisma in the presentation, attention to detail (haircut, tanning, proper costume, beautiful skin, etc.),
And it's required a good tone (especially abs and gluteus) but not excessive muscularity and definition.
Required Costume must be 20-30 cm and the color you want.
One exit, walk on the stage without BB poses. Penalty will be applied for those which make BB poses.
Category with no height and weight limits, more muscular than Man Model category but with no body fat less than HP categories
It requires smart presence on the stage by a charismatic presentation, where it shown own physicality and aesthetic without BB poses. Abs and glutes make this category different.
WOMAN CATEGORY
MISS MODEL
MISS BIKINI
MISS SHAPE
MISS FITNESS
MISS BODY FITNESS
WABBA Word – Mr Universe
No pain no gain, road to WABBA WORLD CUP 2017
The Miss & Mister Universe Gallery ONLINE!
MISS & MR UNIVERSE 2016
Wabba World is back!
Copyright © 2019 WABBA WORLD. All Rights Reserved.


text:
Sat 22nd September
Fulham 1 1 Watford FT
Burnley 4 0 B'mouth FT
Cardiff 0 5 Man City FT
C Palace 0 0 Newcastle FT
Leicester 3 1 Huddsf'ld FT
Liverpool 3 0 So'ton FT
Man Utd 1 1 Wolves FT
Brighton 1 2 Tottenham FT
Burnley vs Bournemouth
3:00pm Saturday 22nd September
Turf Moor (Att: 18636)
M Vydra (39),A Lennon (41),A Barnes (83, 88)
B'mouth 0
Burnley vs B'mouth
Premier League 3:00pm Saturday 22nd September Turf Moor (Att: 18636)
Burnley 4-0 Bournemouth: Burnley thrash Bournemouth for first win
Report and highlights as Ashley Barnes scores twice
By Oliver Young-Myles
Burnley 4-0 Bournemouth
Goals from Matej Vydra, Aaron Lennon and a late double by substitute Ashley Barnes earned Burnley a comprehensive 4-0 win over Bournemouth at Turf Moor to seal their first Premier League victory of the season.
Vydra, making his first start for the club, capped it with the opening goal of the game with a clinical finish after 39 minutes before Lennon doubled Burnley's advantage just 125 seconds later.
Bournemouth dominated for large periods in the second half but they were impotent in attack and Burnley picked them off with two goals from Barnes on the counter-attack in the final 10 minutes.
The result sees Sean Dyche's side move off the foot of the table while Bournemouth's good run of form has come to an emphatic end.
Burnley: Hart (7). Lowton (7), Tarkowski (7), Mee (7), Taylor (7), Lennon (9), Westwood (7), Cork (7), Gudmundsson (8), Vokes (6), Vydra (7)
Subs: Barnes (8), Wood (6)
Bournemouth: Begovic (4), Smith (4), S. Cook (4), Ake (5), Rico (4), Fraser (5), Lerma (4), Surman (4), Brooks (6), King (5), Wilson (4)
Subs: Francis (4), Stanislas (4), Defoe (4)
Man of the match: Aaron Lennon
Bournemouth went closest to opening the scoring when Nathan Ake's shot deflected off Ben Mee and looped over Joe Hart onto the crossbar just past the quarter-hour mark. They had another golden chance to break the deadlock soon afterwards, when Callum Wilson was inches away from connecting to a Josh King cross with the goal gaping in front of him.
After surviving a couple of hairy moments at the back, it was Burnley who took the lead late in the half. Vydra, handed a full debut after his summer move from Derby County, was on hand to finish clinically from close range after Ashley Westwood's half-volley had been diverted into his path by Ake's block.
Moments later it was 2-0. Johann Gudmundsson latched onto a dinked ball down the line by Matthew Lowton, cut inside onto his favoured left foot and whipped a devilish cross to the far post, with Lennon sliding in to convert the chance into the corner.
Sean Dyche made three changes to the team beaten 1-0 by Wolves last weekend. Matthew Lowton, Ashley Westwood and Matej Vydra came in with Phil Bardsley, Jeff Hendrick and Ashley Barnes dropping down to the bench.In contrast, Eddie Howe made only one alteration from last Saturday's 4-2 win over Leicester as Andrew Surman replaced Dan Gosling in midfield.
The visitors had a go in the second period and things might have been different for them had David Brooks scored his opportunity on the hour mark after being played through by Josh King, rather than seeing it brilliantly stopped by the onrushing Hart.
Eddie Howe threw on Junior Stanislas and Jermain Defoe in search of a route back into the game but instead it was one of Dyche's substitutes who got the on the scoresheet next, as Barnes tapped in from close range after Gudmundsson's volley had clanged off the foot of the post and into his path.
Notes for Southgate
James Tarkowski will have done his chances of a call-up for next month's internationals no harm with a clean sheet and a solid display. Joe Hart strengthened his case for a recall with a couple of crucial stops following a strong performance against Wolves last weekend. Lewis Cook, capped by Southgate last season, failed to get on after being named as a substitute.
With two minutes remaining, Burnley flooded forward on the counter-attack after clearing a Bournemouth corner, with Lennon scampering onto a loose ball before teeing up Barnes to score a first-time effort beyond Asmir Begovic for the fourth and final goal of the game.
Jeff gave away £1.5m last month. Enter your predictions to be the next winner here.
Opta stats
Burnley scored four goals against Bournemouth, as many as in their previous eight Premier League games combined.
Bournemouth have kept just one clean sheet in their last 15 Premier League away games, shipping 30 goals in total in those fixtures.
Matej Vydra is the fifth player to score on his first Premier League start for Burnley, after Daniel Fox, Scott Arfield, Robbie Brady and Chris Wood.
Aaron Lennon scored his first Premier League goal in 55 appearances, since netting for Everton against West Ham on March 5 2016.
Johann Berg Gudmundsson has registered 12 Premier League assists for Burnley, seven more than any other player for the club.
Ashley Barnes scored two goals in a Premier League game for the first time ever in his 105th appearance in the competition.
12 - Johann Berg Gudmundsson has registered 12 Premier League assists for Burnley, seven more than any other player for the club. Strings. pic.twitter.com/xFxKHaxOhD
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 22, 2018
Man of the match - Aaron Lennon
Aaron Lennon rolled back the years with an electrifying performance as Burnley ran riot against Bournemouth.
The 31-year-old grabbed the all-important second goal of the game when he slid in at the far post to convert Johann Gudmundsson's cross and he was a constant threat on the counter-attack in the second half.
Aaron Lennon of Burnley celebrates after scoring his side's second goal
Lennon played a huge role in Burnley's third when he skipped past a challenge on the left before clipping a cross to Gudmundsson, whose shot hit the post and rebounded to Barnes to score.
He then got a well-deserved assist for the fourth, showing his desire to race onto a loose ball and tee up Barnes for his second to add some gloss to the scoreline.
Sean Dyche: You've got to earn the right to win a game and we did that today. It's cleared the air for us a bit, we've had a lot going on at the start of this season, you try and speak about it and people listen of sorts, but there have been big changes for our players.
I said before maybe we were suffering from a success hangover which happens in life. We hit a pinnacle - finishing 7th in the league was a massive statement - and then the noise changes about what you're about.
Dyche: It's just the start
We had a chat about that this week so I'm pleased with the players. I did remind them before the game, that I'm immensely proud of what this group have done over a number of years for the football club and I reminded them before the game that will never go. Now it's about moving forward and building on the progress we've made.
Eddie Howe: It was a strange game, I don't think it was a 4-0 defeat in performance, but that's the reality of the result.
We were well in the game early on, had chances to score and couldn't take them, we weren't effective in front of goal today and we've come away having conceded four goals. There are plenty of lessons for us to learn after today's game.
Both sides are in Carabao Cup action next, with Burnley travelling to League One Burton on Tuesday and Bournemouth hosting Championship side Blackburn Rovers on the same night.
In terms of the Premier League, Burnley face Cardiff City in Wales at 4pm on Super Sunday, while Bournemouth take on Crystal Palace on Monday Night Football. Both games are live on Sky Sports Premier League.
Arsenal v Everton
Pick your Sky Sports Six-a-Side team for a chance to win the guaranteed £1k jackpot.
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Last Updated 15/07/19 2:29pm


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Some Plans to Make America More Democratic
November 20, 2020 November 22, 2020 daniel	A Proposal to Fix Congressional Elections, A Proposal to Fix the US Senate, Can the US Senate Be Fixed?, Some Plans to Make America More Democratic, The Senate represents just 16% of Americans\
Democracy was the real loser in the 2020 electoral cycle. Critics such as Vox's Ezra Klein observe that an increasingly authoritarian Republican Party has a stranglehold on political power in the United States.
Democratic Party leaders fear a growing gap between their party's popularity and its political power, the Associated Press (AP) reports. President-Elect Joe Biden (D-Delaware) won election with the largest popular vote in US history (77.5 million votes) and a five million vote lead over President Donald J. Trump (R-Florida).
Republicans could lock in gerrymandering, which can give them more influence in the US House of Representatives for a decade, The AP speculates. To explain, Republicans still control enough state legislatures to draw House Districts to give their party more representation.
The Senate represents just 16% of Americans
A greater problem is the US Senate. The Republicans who control the US Senate represented 153 million Americans in 2020, Mother Jones estimates. In contrast, Senate Democrats represent 168 million Americans.
To elaborate, America's 25 least populous states contain one around one sixth or 16% of the nation's population, FiveThirtyEight estimates. However, those states elect half the US Senate or 50 Senators.
Hence, a political party can get a stranglehold on the US Congress by focusing its electoral efforts on those 25 states. That's what the Republicans have done. Therefore, the Grand Old Party (GOP) is more racist, more-white, more Christian, more conservative, more pro-gun, and more pro-Trump than America.
Republicans have no incentive to make broad appeals because they can gain vast power with a narrow, culturally conservative, nativist, slightly racist, and slightly libertarian agenda.
Instead, Republican leaders have a powerful incentive to quash any effort to make a broad appeal. The fear is the broad appeal will drive away the rural white voters the GOP needs to dominate the US Senate.
A typical example of this agenda is America's most powerful man; US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), sorry Donald. McConnell represents a poor, rural, white, conservative state in the Bible Belt; Kentucky. Worldometers estimates Kentucky had a population of 4.468 million in 2019.
How the Senate Distorts America's budget
The power the U.S. Senate gives small states explains many aspects of US policy, including America's bloated military budget.
The Balance estimates Congress will budget $933 billion for the US military in 2020. That spending includes $636.4 billion for the Department of Defense, $228.4 billion for base support, and $69 billion for overseas operations (the wars and other missions).
There is little need for that spending because no other nation spends so much money to the military. The Peter G. Peterson Foundation claims the US spends more on national defense than China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, France Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, and Brazil combined.
I think the Senate explains America's bloated defense spending because defense benefits less-populous states. First, they locate many military facilities in smaller states such as Mississippi (population 2.976 million) and Oklahoma (population 3.957 million).
Second, the military recruits heavily in poor rural white areas. Many critics, including me, consider the military a jobs program for the rural poor. IE the recruiter gets poor and uneducated young men and women, probable trouble makers out of rural areas. More importantly, the military gives those young people a chance at an education or a career.
In addition, the military creates a large pool of conservative and probable Republican working-class voters: veterans. Those veterans are more prone to settle in rural areas because they have a steady income (pensions or government jobs) and free healthcare from the VA. Moreover, veterans have a powerful incentive to vote: preserving their VA benefits.
Military spending shows how the Senate robs one group of Americans to benefit another. For example, New Yorkers griping about their decaying mass transit and Californians complaining of crumbling freeways can point to the senseless military spending.
Can the US Senate Be Fixed?
Many people will wonder if America can fix the Senate. The answer is yes, but it will be difficult.
History shows we can reform the US Senate. The 17th Amendment gave us elected Senators and abolished the corrupt millionaire's club that disgusted America in the early 20th Century, for instance.
Unfortunately, reform will be difficult because it takes a vote of two-thirds of state legislatures to amend the US Constitution. I cannot imagine small state legislatures voting to limit their states' power.
You could rewrite the Constitution by calling a Second Constitutional Convention or Con-Con. Unfortunately, it will take a vote of two-thirds of state legislatures to call a Con-Con. Thus, I think new Constitutional amendments or a second Constitutional Convention are improbable without a major crisis.
Still, it is possible to pressure politicians to amend the Constitution. I think the Socialist Party's crusade to abolish the Senate in 1911 and 1912 inspired the successful drive for the 17th Amendment. Notably, Congress passed the 17th Amendment on 13 May 1912, just as the presidential race was beginning. Socialist Eugene V. Debs (S-Indiana) ran a potent third-party challenge in 1912.
Today, former US Representative John D. Dingell (D) who represented Michigan for 59 years wants to abolish the Senate. Unfortunately, there seems to be no popular movement behind Dingell. However, that could change if the Senate keeps appointing ideologues and religious fanatics such as Amy Coney Barrett to the US Supreme Court.
I think Senate abolition could be a good idea, but only with reform of the House, and abolition of gerrymandering. There is a successful anti-gerrymandering battle in the nation. Fifteen states have set up independent commissions that will redraw Congressional districts, Reclaim the American Dream reports.
However, 35 states still allow state legislatures to draw Congressional district borders. Additionally, state legislators could figure out how to reverse or block anti-gerrymandering methods.
Note: I think a federal solution such as allowing the Federal Election Commission (FEC) or the US Census Bureau to draw Congressional districts will be better. Unfortunately, I do not think the political will for such a solution exists in Washington.
Hence reform is possible but it will be a difficult and slow process.
A Proposal to Fix the US Senate
The problem with the US Senate is a disproportionate representation for small states. I think the best way to fix that is to add Senators for larger population states.
An obvious solution is to add one US Senator for each five million people a state has. Hence, California with its 39.512 million people could get seven additional Senators. California could have nine US Senators. Furthermore, California could have 10 Senators if its population rises to 40 million as observers expect.
Meanwhile, Texas with its 28.996 million people could gain five new Senators or six new Senators if the Lone Star State's population rises to 30 million. I predict this system could add 93 Senators, which will make the Senate more diverse and more representative of America.
My suggestion is to use is to use the mixed-member proportional system to elect the Senate. First, each state will keep the two elected Senates they already have. Each state will have one popularly elected US Senator and one-party list Senator.
Under the party-list method, people vote for a party and the winning party picks the Senator. For instance, if Republicans win, they pick the new Senator.
Since, many people already mindlessly vote for a party this will not be a great change. Generally, American voters seem to like their party leaders and support the party leaders' actions. This system works well in Germany, Scotland, and New Zealand.*
The advantage to this system is that parties will support it because they want to pick Senators. Another is that politics could become professional as people with experience working in the system get elected. Ideally, seasoned politicians could pick people with political skills. If voters dislike the politicians' picks, they can throw the party out at the next election.
I like the party-list method because it eliminates the personality focused campaigns that include attack ads that drive many voters away. Parties will have to concentrate on policies or what they plan to do for voters instead of glorifying their candidates and smearing opponents.
An additional advantage is to strengthen American political parties and potentially open the door for third parties. To explain, there will be no primary elections for the party list contests. That will force those who want to challenge the status quo to make third-party runs.
Second, each state will get an additional Senator for each five million people. We will elect the additional Senators through a party list. Third, if there are additional Senate seats in a state; they will fill those positions through a proportional vote.
In a proportional election, voters elect the two top vote getters. For instance, if the Democrats get 50% of the vote and Libertarians get 45%. The state will send a Democrat and a Libertarian to Washington.
Another reform is to reduce Senate terms to four years and make Senate terms concurrent with the presidential term. Hence we could have a Senate, a majority of Americans elect. One advantage to this system is that the President could have a Senate that supports her.
An interesting advantage to this reform is that unrepresented people; such as California Republicans and Texas Democrats, could get Senate representation. For instance, California; where around 38% of the population votes Republican, could send two or three Republicans to the Senate. Likewise, Texas could send two or three Democrats to the Senate. Currently, California only sends Democrats to the Senate and Texas only spends Republicans.
Hence more Americans get Senate representation. One problem with the Senate we rarely discuss is that our winner-take-all elections deprive large minorities of representation in many states.
For example, 4.867 million Texans voted Democratic in the 2020 US Senate race. Those people get no representation in the Senate. Under my proposal, Texas could send two or three or Democrats to the Senate.
The advantage to such a system is that it could force parties to work together and allowing openings for third parties. For example, if Republicans compromise on Gun Control, the National Rifle Association (NRA) could back Libertarians.
A Proposal to Fix the House
I think US House of Representatives elections needs some variation of the following fixes.
First, expand House Districts to represent one state or one million people, whichever is larger. Second, give each House District two US Representatives. This could expand the House to around 661 members.
Third, give each House District one popularly elected representative and one party-list representative. That way there will be at least one representative in each district not selected for electability. Thus, voters will choose one popularly elected representative and one political party to represent them.
Fourth states with between one and two million people will get an additional party-list representative. Fifth, states will get one additional party-list representative for each 10 million people.
This system could create a partially proportional House of Representatives, which will offer more representation for more people.
A Proposal to Fix Congressional Elections
Beyond the shape of the two Houses of Congress, I think elections for U.S. Senators and Representatives could use some major reforms. I believe those reforms should include:
Publicly financed campaigns to get the money out of politics. One way to achieve this is to ban all contributions from organizations and cap individual contributions at $5,000. My suggestion is to ban all corporate and PAC (political action committee) contributions. Then use some variation of Andrew Yang's Democracy Dollars scheme and small individual contributions to finance campaigns.
Abolish Congressional primary elections. These contests are undemocratic and unrepresentative because only small numbers of people vote. That leads to the election of extremists and crackpots, such as U.S. Representative Lauren Boebert (R-Colorado).
Adopt party-list voting for as many elections as possible. In a party-list system, people vote for parties rather than candidates. The parties then chose the candidates if they win. The advantage to this system is that the elections are about parties and their policies rather than a personality contest. Moreover, the change will not be as great as you think because many people only vote for a party.
Make elections proportional where possible. Proportional elections offer more representation to more people.
Have a federal agency; such as the Federal Election Commission or the U.S. Census Bureau, draw Congressional districts rather than state legislatures to eliminate gerrymandering
Hold one Congressional election every four years on the same day as the presidential election, so most Americans can vote for Congress.
I think the reforms proposed here could fix Congress. Unfortunately, I think America lacks the will to fix Congress without a massive national crisis.
* See Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop: The Case for Multiparty Democracy in Americaby Lee Drutman for some suggestions for fixing America's electoral system.
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I have a QGraphicsView on a scene with around 6000 SVG images.  When I scale the view to the point where they are all visible, things start getting choppy and performance suffers when I scroll.  Any tips at how to optimize things to handle this better?
I see that I can set a shared SVG renderer for all the QGraphicsSvgItem's I create but I don't see anything in the docs to tell me why I would want to do that.  Will it speed things up?
The QGraphicsSvgItems are all set to not transform since they need to be shown at the same size no matter what the scale is set to.  Would that be contributing to the slowness?
Would it be better to render the SVG into pixmaps and just add them as QGraphicsPixmapItems that also don't transform?
Any hints would be helpful since there seems to be a lot of options and combinations I can try!


Taking inspired action puts fear in its place. Think about it.
When you are in motion, moving in a direction that feels right, getting things done to support you in a positive way, there is little room for fear to take over. Oh, it may creep in here and there–that's okay. Keep moving forward and the fear you feel will fuel you rather than stop you in your tracks.
On the other hand, when you sit still, wallow in your thoughts, focus on the negative things that are happening, fear has a tendency to move in and take up residence. When this happens, your forward momentum can grind to a halt and sometimes take you back a step or two.
Remember that our thoughts ebb and flow between positive and negative … that's natural. Our feelings do the same thing … that's normal, too. As we notice these thoughts and feelings running through our minds and bodies, we have a choice. Dwell on the bad stuff or choose to focus on the positive stuff … and move forward.
Think of these thoughts and feelings flowing by like the stock market symbols at the bottom on the TV screen on your favorite financial channel. You can pick and choose the one to focus on that serves you best. You can choose to ignore or put back the ones that drag you down. Your choice.
When you lean forward with the thoughts and feelings that support you best, you can't help but put one foot in front of the other and get that momentum started again. Try it. Actually stand up and lean forward … keep leaning … lean in more. You'll notice that if you don't put one foot out to catch yourself, you'll fall flat on your face. And if you put that foot forward and follow it with the other foot, you've got yourself moving in the right direction. Congrats!
P.S. I welcome you to share your inspired actions with an awesome group of women in my Facebook group called Thrive after Divorce: Your Journey Begins. We'd love to hear how we can support you.


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Show & Shine Lake Havasu City, Apr. 2, 2016
March 3, 2016 /0 Comments/in CVB, Havasu, News /by Joel Silverstein
There's something about a classic car that moves us all. Fifty years ago, it meant cars from the 1920s and 1930s. Model T Fords, and Dodge Roadsters, some converted into hot rods. Today, when you go to a classic car show you will see lots of cars from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. But some of the cars coming to the Havasu Classics 20th Annual Show & Shine may surprise you by how young they are.
The most popular cars coming to the Show & Shine, and there will be close to 300 displayed on Apr. 2 at Lake Havasu State Park Windsor 4, will likely be muscle cars of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Mustangs, Camaros, Challengers, Chargers, Barracudas in appropriate colors of the day… bright yellow, bright orange, candy apple red, and even purple plum.
These cars were shameless about two things: acceleration and fuel consumption. They needed to be fast, and the fuel mileage didn't matter back then.
But it's not always about age. One of the organizers, Bill Bess, is bringing his supercharged 2007 600 hp Mustang GT. "It's pretty snappy," he says.
"The show is really open to any year automobile. It could be new or old, antique, hot rod, or in my case, a late model muscle car," Bill told us.
Top trophies will be awarded for Best Paint, Best Interior and Best of Show.
For spectators and participants there will be a hook & ladder truck on display, ice cream and kettle corn, and other foods. Raffles and 50/50 drawings include themed gift baskets, movie tickets, restaurant dinners, and even free lube and oil changes for your own jalopy. The Show & Shine, open rain or shine, offers free admission and free parking to the public.
Sometimes the cars on display are also for sale, so here's a chance to turn your car-envy into some road muscle for yourself.
The post Show & Shine Lake Havasu City, Apr. 2, 2016 appeared first on Lake Havasu City Tourism and Community Blog.
Say Cheese: The Brew Shack Offers 32 Grilled Cheese Sandwiches AZ and NV'S Largest Boat Show Arrives for 25th Year


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My mother's hamantaschen, but filled with Nutella
By Phyllis Glazer | Feb. 25, 2010
Wear silly clothes. Play pranks. Feast, play cards and games, and maybe even drink a little. While this may sound like any college student's idea of a perfect evening, it's actually the traditional way to celebrate the Jewish festival of ... Read more
New potatoes with sage
Roasted pumpkin salad
Melon salad with shrimp and wild arugula
Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes, plus chilling time | Makes about 3 dozen cookies
Note: Three-cornered hamantaschen, the quintessential Purim cookie representing Haman's pocket, his hat or his ear (depending on whom you ask), is traditionally stuffed with poppy seed or dried fruit fillings. However, in recent years, mothers in Israel and elsewhere have discovered that given the choice, any kid -- and more than a few adults -- will choose hamantaschen filled with Nutella hazelnut-chocolate spread, hands down. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky, but it will firm up after chilling. Don't be tempted to work with too much flour, or the baked cookies will be too hard.
1 1/2 tablespoons Cognac or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/4 cups (13.8 ounces) unbleached flour, plus additional for rolling out
About 1/2 cup Nutella
Step 1In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat eggs until lemon-colored. Beat in sugar, oil and Cognac. Gradually stir in the baking powder and flour, mixing on low speed until a soft dough is formed. Add an additional tablespoon or two of flour if necessary.
Step 2Using a rubber spatula, transfer the dough to a large piece of waxed or parchment paper and form it into a fat cylinder shape. Close up the corners and chill until firm, at least 2 to 3 hours (can be chilled overnight).
Step 3Heat the oven to 350 degrees, and line 2 to 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Step 4Divide the dough into 3 pieces. Put 1 section on a lightly floured surface, and chill the others. Knead lightly just until the dough is smooth enough to roll out. Lightly flour a rolling pin and roll out the dough to a scant one-fourth-inch thick.
Step 5Using a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter or a glass with a thin rim, cut rounds, and place them on the prepared cookie sheets. Place a rounded half-teaspoon of Nutella in the center of each. Pinch the sides together to form a triangle, leaving the filling exposed in the center. Pick up scraps and form another ball. Repeat until all dough is used.
Step 6Transfer to the prepared cookie sheet, spacing the cookies about an inch apart on the sheet and bake until just lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Each cookie:
106 calories; 2 grams protein; 15 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 4 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 12 mg. cholesterol; 6 grams sugar; 33 mg. sodium.
Shira Levy's no-bake nut balls
Nut and seed treats
Double chocolate zucchini mini-muffins
République's chocolate fondant cake
Bittersweet chocolate cake with hot fudge sauce and cioccolati perugini
Lemon upside-down cake
Wear silly clothes. Play pranks. Feast, play cards and games, and maybe even drink a little. While this may sound like any college student's idea of a perfect evening, it's actually the traditional way to celebrate the Jewish festival of Purim, beginning this year on Saturday evening.
One of the most important and beautiful customs of Purim is giving the gift of food -- mishloach manot ( shalach manos in Yiddish). At Purim time, giving is a mitzvah, or good deed, and giving to the poor, the elderly and the less fortunate is considered especially virtuous.
Throughout the centuries, children of the family were enlisted to help both in the creation of the edible gifts and their delivery among relatives and neighbors. Carefully arranged on a plate covered with a white cloth, they traditionally contained at least two different kinds of ready-to-eat food, each of which requires a different blessing.
Today, the concept of mishloach manot has expanded to include a variety of creative ideas -- different cookies and sweets, a mix of savory and sweet items, fresh fruit and even groggers (Purim noisemakers) and playing cards, some packed in environmentally friendly materials such as recycled baskets, boxes and tins.
The happiest day of the Jewish calendar year, Purim commemorates the victory of Queen Esther and her faithful cousin Mordecai against the evil machinations of the king's prime minister Haman, who set out to annihilate the Jews of Persia somewhere between 534 and 420 BC. As the story goes, after being snubbed by his disobedient wife, Vashti, Persian King Ahasherus decided to replace her with the most beautiful woman in his kingdom. He held a beauty pageant at court and chose a stunning beauty named Esther, who, unbeknown to him, happened to be Jewish.
In the meantime, there was trouble in Shushan city: Haman, a descendant of the tribe of Amalek, ancient enemies of the Jews, convinced the king to issue an edict that ordered the destruction of all Jews in the land. He issued that lots (" purim") be drawn to pick the date. Time was running short. Mordecai pleaded with Esther to save the Jewish people by talking to the king. Risking her own life, Esther appeared before the king without being officially summoned by him. She revealed her Jewish identity and told him Haman's plans. Outraged, the king hung Haman and his sons, and the Jews were saved.
"Put down our story in writing for generations to come," entreated Mordecai and Esther in a letter to the rabbis of their era, according to the Talmud. And today, centuries later, the holiday is still commemorated by chanting the Scroll of Esther in synagogue, a carnival of costume parties and carousing -- there's even a Talmudic injunction to drink so much that you don't know the difference between "Blessed be Mordecai" and "Cursed be Haman."
The ready-to-eat holiday
Purim is a holiday of sweetness and joy, a time when Jews reflect on the power of an individual and the victory of the Jewish nation in the face of destruction. One of the exciting elements of Purim is the giving of gifts of food to friends and family. Jews are commanded to give at least two foods to at least one person, and they must be ready-to-eat food items. Mordecai, one of the Purim heroes, instituted the practice of mishloach manot.