Confession: I'm no cocktail-making maven. I love to imbibe; don't get me wrong. But I'm not great at the DIY part — much beyond the basics stresses me out. My garnishes usually stop at citrus. And I don't have fancy toothpicks like Colleen Hughes gets to play with at Haberdish.
So when I announced to my husband that what our dining area really needs is a beautiful bar cart filled with beautiful barware (#legit), he issued a challenge: Learn to make some fancy cocktails first.
Sooo … now what? Do I buy a book? Do I stalk some of the amazing bartenders and mixologists we feature here at Sip for a tutorial?
Like an answer to prayer, I saw a post about Liberate Your Palate that same week.
Meet Tamu Curtis, founder of of Liberate Your Palate. Also meet me, back middle, clearly paying close attention.
Curtis wanted to enlighten locals about the growing craft cocktail scene. So she started offering cocktail tours at top restaurants around the city.
The tours were so successful that Curtis decided to partner with bar consultant and Scotch enthusiast Emily Elda (better known as The Crazy Bar Lady on Instagram) to begin offering interactive cocktail-making classes as well.
That's Emily "Crazy Bar Lady" Elda on the right. And yes, she's wearing a boot. She broke her foot "being clumsy," she says.
The premise: For $55 a person, you — along with a small group of 15 to 20 other people who signed up — get a personal cocktail station with bar tools, hands-on instruction for how to make three different cocktails (which you get to drink, obviously), plus some take-home recipes and light bites.
It seemed like my kind of event, the kind of place where I could chat it up with my table, ask stupid questions, and enjoy some delicious beverages. So I enlisted my friend Cass Bradley (also a professional photographer) — who's always down for a good cocktail, as long as it's not bourbon — and we signed up.
We each Uber-ed to Uptown's Level Coworking (#responsible), where tables were set up in the main kitchen and seating area.
We arrived 30 minutes early to take some preliminary pictures and were surprised to find how many go-getters also arrived early. It was pretty quiet at first, as Cass and I bustled around with a light stand and off-camera flash. People nibbled on the hors d'oeuvres — a veggie platter, seasoned shrimp, pimento cheese and chicken skewers. There was some small talk.
But the fun started when Elda (and our cocktail instruction) began.
The ingredients: Sutler's Gin, Crazy Bar Lady's homemade orange liqueur, citrus syrup, cold-brewed sparking tea (also homemade) and an assortment of fruits and herbs for garnish. There was even a star fruit on our platter — one of those $4 delicacies at Harris Teeter I always wonder about but never buy.
The communal punch was a great way to start the class, to get people to loosen up and work together. The couple across the table from us were a little hesitant to chat when they initially saw my notebook. But after a few sips, we were all buddies.
Next up was the "Blushing Mule," made with Doc Porter's Vodka, homemade ginger liqueur, lemon-mint syrup, beet shaving and a mint spring for garnish.
Not being super into beets, I was kinda iffy on this one at first. But it turned out to be oh-so delicious. You could barely even taste the beets, which were mostly there for color. We didn't quite get that figured out, though. See below.
The goal, as created by our tablemate.
The reality, as created by us.
The finale was a spiced Old Fashioned. Cass (with her "anything-but-bourbon" rule) was pretty skeptical. We've tried many an Old Fashioned variation in the past, and — never being really sold on it — she's good at the ol' one-sip-and-pass routine.
But this one made her a believer: In this drink and the Crazy Bar Lady herself, at least.
We started by making the orange-twist garnish; don't want to water down the drink while you make the garnish later.
We then combined 2 oz of bourbon, 1.5 oz of homemade spiced pear shrub (#divine), a dash of Angostura bitters and a splash of water in a shaker. Next we added ice, stirred, and strained the concoction over ice.
The whole class was supposed to last a couple of hours. But most of us stayed longer, chatting, drinking, finishing off the platter of fruit garnishes. And we were bummed when the class was over, vowing to take another one and to tell everyone we know about the experience.
So here's my heartfelt endorsement, folks, and some info on the next one, a Valentine's cocktail class on Feb. 10. Sign up. You won't regret it.
Meanwhile, I'm starting my hunt for a bar cart.


Forrester believes that marketers should take charge of self-regulation implementation today to protext their brand reputation as well as data collection in the long run. Read to find out more.
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Good marketing is like a conversation. You have to listen to your customers. In our connected world, that means listening to the data they generate in their interactions with your brand.


At Safe-T, we've been delivering innovative, award-winning solutions based on our Software Defined Access solution for years. Part of the value we offer is in accelerating ROI by enabling customers to plug-in solutions from third-party security vendors, enhancing existing protections. We work closely with industry leaders like Check Point to enable this kind of capability. So we were keen to continue in this vein when Check Point itself recently released produced research highlighting a new threat vector in the common fax protocol.
Safe-T's solution for fax services mitigates the "Faxploit" threat while adding a range of security and compliance benefits.
Safe-T's flagship Software Defined Access solution leverages the SecureStream policy and workflow enforcement engine to broker traffic to third-party security solutions including Data Loss Prevention (DLP), SandBox, Anti-malware and Identity and Access Management (IAM) tools. We work closely with some of the most innovative technology firms in the world to make this happen, including Check Point.
Our work with Check Point has already seen us produce a joint solution integrating Safe-T's Software Defined Access offering with Check Point's SandBlast Zero-Day Protection. It means any file entering the organization from any source can be scanned for a comprehensive range of threats, including new and unknown malware, before being sent on to any destination.
Our latest offering also allows customers to integrate patented Safe-T technology with third-party solutions — this time to shut down the risk of threats entering the organization via fax.
Now, the fax might not sound like a particularly major threat to the typical organization, but Check Point recently discovered two new vulnerabilities in a common fax protocol (ITU T.30), which if leveraged could allow an attacker to gain control of a targeted machine. By sending a file containing a maliciously crafted image to the fax, an attacker could exploit the two buffer overflow flaws (CVE-2018-5924 and CVE-2018-5925) to gain remote code execution rights. This would then allow them to download additional tools to infiltrate the corporate network, including the notorious EternalBlue exploit.
The hacker only needs the target machine's fax number to begin the attack, and because security software typically doesn't scan incoming faxes for malware, it could leave organizations wide open.
Safe-T has an innovative answer. Our unique new fax security solution allows users to send and receive faxes via an easy-to-deploy Outlook plug-in, with traffic routed through our Software Defined Access components and third-party fax-to-IP, DLP, and SandBox solutions like Check Point SandBlast, and FAXSIPIT, to convert faxes to emails, and scan them for threats. This means malware transmitted via fax messages is stopped before it arrives at the endpoint, sensitive data is not allowed to leave the organization via fax, and faxes can even be sent securely using AES-256 and other encryption standards.
Using a newly released joint solution between Safe-T, FAXSIPIT, and Check Point, it is now possible to implement an email-to-fax and fax-to-email solution, adding security to an existing fax deployment. The joint solution works by converting standard fax deployment, to a fax to email (incoming fax) or email to fax (outgoing fax) and then passes the EML to be scanned by the Check Point SandBlast and DLP before continuing the flow.
By deploying this solution, you can now replace your legacy fax with the secure fax-to-email service in order to remove the threat of faxploits as well as prevent malware entering the organization over IP fax services.
Safe-T's Software Defined Access platform leverages our patented Reverse Access technology. This dual-server system allows traffic to pass securely between networks without the need to open any ports within the internal firewall, ensuring only legitimate session data can pass through.
With this solution, organizations can, for the first time, create information security policies to mitigate potential cybersecurity threats entering the organization via fax. And it will help you comply with a range of regulations including FISMA, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and GDPR.
If you're still wondering how big a threat this could be, fax machines are surprisingly commonplace in a variety of sectors, including government and legal. In fact, figures cited by Check Point estimate that there are over 46 million faxes still in operation around the world, including 17 million in the US alone. That's why we're pleased to be bringing the best of Safe-T innovation and combining it with expertise from our partners to offer yet another win-win for our global customers.


Born and raised right here in Asheville, NC, Christopher Wilkins is learning the art and trade of tattooing under the guidance of Aacross The Skin Tattoo Studio owner Brandon Paul.
Always involved in art and inspired by horror and comic books, Christopher started coming to the shop when he was 17. When he decided to become a custom tattoo artist, he was taken under Brandon's wing.
He offers small tattoos by appointment only and at the discretion of the owner.
Bring in your design ideas or come and browse our flash art.
You'll get a FREE consultation when you visit our clean, very friendly, and warm shop at 996 D Patton Ave.
A convenient ATM is available on-site.


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Football, Uncategorized, Weekly Articles
Atlanta Falcons Roster Preview – Defense
May 5, 2019 September 23, 2019 Ssniper63
Welcome back to your Falcons internet expert edition of the Atlanta Falcons roster preview. Much like last week's offensive edition (linked below), this is the Internet experts review of where the roster finished up last season and how that compares to initial look this season. I've been on NFL Game Pass and Madden all winter. I've read every Todd McShay, Mel Kiper, Bucky Brooks, etc article on our team, meaning I must know more than all of them now as I am a conglomerate of all their thoughts filtered through the crap to provide only the true experts review. After all that, I've concluded, the Falcons need to bring back the all black uniforms! I feel all other stories fail in comparison to this issue. The fans have been clamoring for it and management is now just blatantly ignoring our wishes. #FalconsBlackout lets make it a thing.
Offense Preview Link : Here
Falcons 2019 Depth Chart
Cornerback:
Defensive Back (DB) has been one of the most consistent positions under TD's tutelage as General Manager. He's had a knack for spotting top end talent and late round flyers who provide both top end starters (Desmond Trufant, Brent Grimes) or quality depth players who can fill in a pinch. This year the Falcons will be banking on it from Isaiah Oliver who will be taking over for Robert Alford. This isn't much of a surprise as the Falcons switch back to a press style defense under Quinn as play-caller. This is just a style of defense that Alford isn't well suited. He constantly would be out of position with his hips and feet trying to press at the line causing the many defensive holding calls Falcons fans have come to expect from Alford.
Oliver is a bigger DB and showed some quality play in limited time last season. One thing I love about Oliver is he is great playing the deep 3rd of the field off press coverage. You can see it in the pros on the INT against Henske, but go back to his college tape and you see it consistently (shown below). I love the way he uses leverage off the line to play to his advantage. Notice on the first two highlights below he's using inside leverage to force a very tight window for the QB to fit it into. They miss, he makes them pay. You can see a couple more plays at the 1:00 mark. That's the ideal fit for Quinn's Cover 3 system, but the question remains can he do it in the NFL.
The two draft picks are also intriguing players. First, I like CB's from the Pac12 like Oliver. They play against spread offenses giving you good tape to watch and gauge on a players abilities. Jordan Miller is an intriguing project player. His tape is physical, but he's not very big. Quinn could see him as a guy he can get 10-15lbs of muscle on and turn into a NFL caliber CB. Kendall Sheffield is lightning fast, and you simply can't coach speed. OSU doesn't press a lot so that will be a transition, but Sheffield is a good open field tackler. I'll be interested to see if Quinn doesn't try him in the Nickel spot for his tackling and speed. However, Rico should be the starting nickel and keep Kazee at FS. I'm an internet expert. I am obviously right about this Dan Quinn, so do it already 😂
Overall: we should see a slight upgrade as I believe the DL has improved (more on the next), but I am hesitant to move it to the B+ range until we see more from Oliver and whoever wins the NB job.
Sniper Shot: One story to watch this year is Miller and Sheffield's play. The writing could be on the wall for Trufant if he struggles this season and either one of these two steps up next to Oliver.
2018 Final Grade : 72
2019 Initial Grade : 80
Defensive Line:
This is the position I am sure most are here to see. In Atlanta, we've only been clamoring for a defensive line since the Discman was a big thing. Outside John Abraham and a few good seasons with Patrick Kerney, the Falcons have just been a disappointment in getting QB's on the ground. The league has gotten more and more pass happy, but here the Falcons stand with what looks to be average at best pass rush. However, my take is the DL will appear much better than it has in seasons before. This may not equate to stat numbers, but can translate on the scoreboard.
First, the Falcons have depth again with some Swiss army knife type players. Quinn wants to rotate and use fresh legs. One thing we know for sure from 2016 is Quinn wants to challenge his players to compete, but he does so in a strategic way trying to emphasize things players do well. What I like about this line is the depth. At DE, Clayborn is a well rounded player who still appeared to have tread on the tires. He enjoys playing with Quinn as he asked to be released and chose to come back to ATL. Then you have Jack Crawford who can be an outside-in type player. He's agile enough to play at the end during heavy sets, and strong enough to slide inside on spread sets. At the DT spot, Davison will be used in the base formation as a NT. This pick up has been widely slept on as NT is just not glamorous, but he did his job eating blocks in the underrated 3-4 defense the sAints ran last year. Hageman is a flyer, but he has all the ability in the world. If his head is on straight, he could easily work himself into starter snaps by years end. Senat had some highs and lows as a rookie, but he by no means looked inept out there. It'll be interesting to see his snap share with guys like Crawford or Hageman in the nickel look as more teams run from spread formations. Hageman could be a force up the middle at times during the 2016 season. John Cominsky is an interesting late round pickup as a potential DT. He moved interior guards at the senior bowl and had to be doubled at times. 👇
For the starters, we're still waiting for that dominant force to appear on the defensive line. Quinn believes he can get Beasley back to the QB. While I share the frustration at times with Beasley's seemingly inability to affect opposing QB's, I do think he is underrated overall as a player. He's stout in run defense, and is disciplined in maintaining his edge. If Jarrett and someone else gets the middle of the pocket pushed, that could open Beasley's speed rush more. Fans are also hoping to see more development from Takk this season. His second year in the NFL didn't see a major leap, but this will be the first time we've seen him under Quinn's complete control. At times against the Bengals last season, Takk showed us what he's capable of when he's going on all cylinders as a pass rusher.
Overall : The Falcons clearly focused on upgrading depth more so than finding top end starters. Hageman & Clayborn are the only guys added this offseason that you can look at and say he could possibly come in and have an impact in deciding a game or two this season. The bigger things is the depth and rotation on heavy sets. Falcons have been pretty lackluster in terms of short yardage defense. Offenses were successful in picking up more than 2yds on nearly 75% of short yardage situations. Quinn clearly added bigger bodies to the interior. This should help the Falcons get goal-line stops which plagued the team last season. Still concerns on how much pressure can this line really deliver and probably even more importantly, can it do it when it matters most?
Linebacker:
Linebacker is a position I feel isn't getting enough love from Quinn & TD recently. There is going to come some decisions in the next year around this position and the players on the roster. Both Campbell and Jones will be coming up on free agency, and this is compounded by the fact Julio and Jarrett want pay raises. TD and Rich Mckay are cap wizards and they seem to find ways to make money available for players, but the writing is going to be on the wall for some of these guys.
Duke Riley hasn't inspired confidence in fans as a steady player at LB. He did show some improvement as a nickel linebacker and may earn snaps there again this season, however, we will need to see a big leap to think about him becoming a starter in 2020. Foye Oluokun looks to be a nice pickup from Yale last season and earned playing time even upon the return of Jones. For 2019, the Falcons go into the year with an honestly nice starting LB corps. Jones is an All-Pro caliber linebacker and the perfect hybrid speed backer designed for today's NFL. Campbell took a big step last year as a leader and voice on the defense when Jones went down. While his season may have been "quiet" in most peoples eyes, he continues to be a long, rangy linebacker than can chase from the backside and cover TE's one on one. He has shown promising development at using his tools without creating the penalties that really hurt him the first 2 seasons.
I would expect the Falcons to target a LB early next year as the position group thins out at the top. The depth isn't great, but its a rare luxury to have starting quality players as depth something we do see on the lines now.
Overall : The Falcons come into the season in a better position with the return of Jones. The fact they allowed over 10pts less per game with him on the field should inspire some confidence. 3 big things: the return of Campbell to his natural position, further development of Oluokun, and the return of Jones to health will make this position group, will make this the best position group for the Falcons defense outside the safeties. If injury hits, it could quickly again become the worst. The fact none are A quality says that Quinn better be a really good coach. If they allow the 18pts/game we've seen from Quinn as a play caller, it would be a testament to him as a coach.
Safety is the only position I am confident with the players on the roster coming into the season. Ricardo Allen is a great deep field cover safety who can play sideline to sideline. He's the best open field tackler on the Falcons which is key as he plays safety valve for Quinn's single high safety defense. Keanu Neal returning to health is a big boost to this position. Neal gives Quinn a lot more flexibility in the nickel package teams run most often now. He's essentially another linebacker at the safety position who makes receivers prepare for a level of physicality certain guys don't want. The enforcer mentality at his size and speed definitely alters game plans of offensive coordinators. Check the record below if you're unsure.
Behind Neal is Sharrod Neasman who looked good in limited action last year. He is not the enforcer Neal is and doesn't have the size and range of Neal, but he is a quality depth player who will not break the defense if you need him to take snaps. Kazee is getting a look at NB, but I would expect with the draft picks this year he will also be the backup to Allen. The team also signed Chris Cooper who has a very interesting path from a freak accident in high school to a NFL prospect. They also added Afolabi Laguda who came out of Colorado in 2018 and was signed, put on IR for an undisclosed injury, then waived from the LA Rams. These guys will be competing to show the coaches why they must make a roster spot for them. Laguda would appear to battle Neasman for backup strong safety where as Cooper will try to earn a roster spot behind Rico with Kazee moving to corner back in order to get on the field after a great season in 2018. I'd give Cooper better odds at making the roster and put his probability at a 50%. He appears to have nice size and speed for the middle of the field. Question is does he have the instincts.
Overall Notes:
This defense should improve simply from the additions of key players coming off injury last season. The Falcons do not have much depth and are relying on these guys returning to peak form. The Falcons do catch a slight break in the fact that most the key players went down early and will have almost an entire year to rehab. The concern still lies with the depth and the Falcons cannot afford to have 3 starters go down without finding themselves scrambling to find the right fit. I do not think they'll experience the same level of injuries as they did in 2018, but injuries are a part of the game.
I also don't think we can undersell Quinn's proven impact on defense. Go back to 2016 and the fact the defense went from allowing 26/gm to 17 when Quinn took over play calling from Richard Smith. Go back to his time in Seattle to see how the Legion of Boom performed with Quinn leading the charge (or notice how they've been since). That proven track record and impact shouldn't be ignored or glossed over. Based on this, the Falcons defense will be leaps and bounds better than last season. The ceiling could be much higher than those pundits think. As an internet expert, the overall unit play upon the return of Jones and Neal will greatly increase and has a ceiling as a top 5-7 defense in the entire NFL.
2019 Initial Grade :88
Tagged 2019 NFL Roster Preview, Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta Falcons 2019 Depth Chart, Atlanta Falcons Defense, Atlanta Falcons Defense Preview, Atlanta Falcons Depth Chart, Atlanta Falcons Draft 2019, Atlanta Falcons Preview, Atlanta Falcons Preview 2019, Atlanta Falcons Roster, Atlanta Falcons Roster 2019, Brotherhood, Dan Quinn, Deion Jones, Falcons, Falcons 2019 Depth Chart, Falcons Blackout, Falcons Depth Chart, In Bortherhood, Internet Expert, Keanu Neal, NFL Roster Preview, NFL Season, Vic Beasley
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Nanomaterials are known to be present in over 1300 foods and commercial products. As a result of the European Union (EU) recently providing a precise definition of a nanomaterial for regulatory purposes, it has become important to be able to characterise nanomaterials reliably to understand their behaviour in contact with humans and the environment.
LGC is an international life sciences measurement and testing company with a history stretching back 175 years, providing reference materials, genomics solutions and analytical testing products and services. It is home to several national government roles, including the UK National Measurement Laboratory, the Designated Institute for Chemical and Bio-measurement and the Government Chemist.
The inorganic analysis team at LGC - led by Principal Scientist and Science Fellow, Dr Heidi Goenaga-Infante - has established world class expertise in size-based and number concentration analysis of nanomaterials using hyphenated techniques to support the development of reference methods and materials, with field flow fractionation coupled to ICP-MS (FFF-ICP-MS) being the centrepiece of their multi-modal analytical approach.
Dr Goenaga-Infante commented "Over the last 15 years, Field Flow Fractionation (FFF) coupled to ICP-MS and other sizing detectors has proven itself a powerful tool for the characterisation of nanomaterials. For complex samples FFF seemed the ideal choice for matrix separation/sample fractionation, enabling us to achieve selective detection and characterisation of nanomaterials, that otherwise would have been hampered by the matrix components".
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Tag Archives: yorkville condos
How women over 55 are reshaping the Toronto condo market
February 8, 2015 Baby Boomers, Empty Nesters, Luxury Real Estate, Midtown Toronto Real Estate, Toronto Condos
Denise Balkissoon – The Globe and Mail
Among the features that Judy Booth is looking for in a new condo, dog poop isn't one of them. A tiny little turd is the first thing she spots as she opens a bedroom door in a two-bedroom at Avenue Road and Davenport Avenue, followed by its maker, an energetic teacup Yorkie. "Hi, sweetie," says Ms. Booth, giving the dog a pat.
Ms. Booth has a bichon frise herself, so the mess in the $549,000 space isn't the real problem. The deal-breakers are the unit's low, popcorn ceilings and dated kitchen, both typical of buildings that went up in the 1990s. "No, not interested," Ms. Booth said to her agent, Linda Chu, who's taking her on a tour of properties in Yorkville. Within 10 minutes of unlocking the door, the two are finished with the unit.
Six years ago, Ms. Booth got divorced, then renovated and sold her Rosedale home. After that, she moved into her first condo. The 66-year-old retired project manager didn't choose a pretty little single-lady pad: instead, she decided to overhaul a 3,500-square-foot unit on Yonge just north of Bloor, adding gorgeous wallpapers, dark wood floors, and lots of marble. Now, she's ready to actually downsize. She's looking for about 1,200 square feet, and a unit that's move-in-ready. "I'm getting a little tired of renovating," she says.
Ms. Booth is at the crest of a wave: the single woman over 55, a powerful force in Toronto's condominium market. Twenty-eight per cent of Canadians lived alone in 2011, more than twice as many as did so in 1971: there are influencing factors at all age groups, especially later marriages among young adults and a rising divorce rate among those 55 and older. For women around retirement age, the number of single-person households jumps to 76%. All solo dwellers are far more likely to be homeowners than renters than they used to be, and due to both affordability and ease of care, many older female buyers have decided that condominiums are where they want to live.
"Condos are appealing to single buyers because you don't have to worry about a whole layer of infrastructure," says Jennifer Keesmat, chief planner for the City of Toronto. "Pooling resources to pay someone to do maintenance really reduces the burden on an individual, unlike a single family home." Safety is another key concern for single women, who appreciate not having to leave their home empty when they travel, says Ms. Keesmat, and not having to answer the door to strangers.
Walkability is another key factor for this demographic. Downsizing often means eliminating a car, and almost everyone in Toronto wants to cut their commute time. Retirees may not have to worry about getting to work, but that doesn't mean transportation isn't a factor. "There will come a time when I can't drive, and I don't want to be dependent," says Ms. Booth.
The affluent neighbourhood north of Bay and Bloor has solid appeal among older, solo females. Minto Communities launched a 200-unit midrise at Cumberland Avenue and Bellair Street this season, and also began selling units in a 20-storey tower at Bathurst and Front. Planning for both involved focus groups at every stage of the process, potential buyers who shared their opinions on amenities, the design of shared spaces and the specific finishes available at different price points. Among these groups were plenty of older women, who mentioned safety features like concierges and staffed lobbies, as well as attractive, ample lighting, and underground parking.
"Women over 50 are our fastest growing market segment," says Amanda Wilson Watkins, the VP of marketing and sales for Minto Communities. "Aesthetically, women in this segment know what they like." Big closets are important, as are extra guest suites. Units for visitors are a must-have for Ms. Booth now that she's cutting her space by two-thirds. Her brother lives in Saskatoon, and her son is in British Columbia with his family (though even if his parents are in a guest suite, Ms. Booth plans to have her eight-year-old grandson in her apartment).
That condos are less work than a house is an obvious part of their appeal, but though downsizers are willing to give up a yard, that doesn't mean they don't need outdoor access. Minto's focus groups also showed that older women really like pets, and those pets aren't always teacup-sized.
"Other buildings weren't taking bigger dogs," says Defne Berkin about why Minto's Florian on Avenue Road was the condo she chose after getting fed up with houses (her basement wouldn't stop flooding). The 57-year-old industrial engineer has a 74-lb Airedale terrier, which means that a terrace and quick outdoor access are a must. She's just bought into the developer's new Yorkville project, slated to open in 2018, and is curious about the "doggie spa" it will include, with a washing station for cleaning mud off of paws on rainy or snowy days. "There's really nothing I don't like about condo living," says Ms. Berkin. "I love it-no work, no investment of time on my part."
Fixed incomes are an issue for retirees at all price points. For buyers like Ms. Booth, it means weighing the intimacy of a smaller building against the higher maintenance fees that come from a smaller pool of units sharing costs. For lower-income women, the chance to own a condo can mean a type of security that they might never have had before. Two new projects were launched this year by Options for Homes, a non-profit consultant that designs condominiums that are streamlined to maximize affordability.
Neither its new 16-storey building at Danforth Road and Eglinton Avenue East or a 275-unit tower being built at Danforth and Main Street has any fancy amenities. Both project are to be built by Tridel's Deltera, and units are currently being sold at cost. Half of the buyers at the Eglinton project are single women and 38% of those are over 50. Forty per cent of those who chose Main are solo female buyers.
"My daughter was worried that it was some type of scam," says Lata Swarn of the Options for Homes ad she saw in the Toronto Star in 2007. The 66-year-old used to live with her oldest daughter in Scarborough, since it seemed impossible to afford her own place on the salary she earned as settlement worker for newcomers.
It was slightly unbelievable that Options for Homes would help her organize a second mortgage that she didn't have to pay back, but it was true: Only when buyers sell or rent out their place are they on the hook for the original loan (Ms. Swarn's was $20,000) plus a percentage of increased market value. She signed up for a space in a new building near Dundas Street West and Keele in the Junction, and visited the construction site regularly as the 643-unit tower rose from the ground.
When Ms. Booth began her search, she planned to stay in Yorkville. She toured a modern, high-ceilinged space on Avenue Road that had lots of design appeal but will be within earshot of construction for the next few years. A sunny unit on Bloor East overlooking the Rosedale ravine was a bit too close to a neighbour's window for privacy.
Ms. Booth widened her search area, and soon found what she was looking for closer to Street Clair: a spacious two-bedroom unit with two bathrooms and a spacious kitchen. It's farther north that she expected, but right on the streetcar line.
"A lady of my era, the more walking I do, the better for my mental and physical well-being," says Ms. Booth about frequenting her favourite Yorkville hangouts. "A little bit more walking in the summertime is not going to be so bad."


No, this isn't a post about wimping out on Christmas obligations. I'm fully in the swing o' the season and entering the homestretch, which will include a good amount of cooking in the next few days. More on that later though.
This is a post about an actual corner. The corner of my kitchen to be exact. It's the only part of my house that is decorated for a variety of reasons–not the least of which is the reverse peer pressure of being in a place where most can't be bothered to even string up a set of lights.
My grandmother used to go crazy with Christmas–red, green, gold, or white wherever you looked–including bathrooms. And I loved it. I'm getting all warm and fuzzy just thinking about walking in there after Christmas Eve mass, the warmth inside and only the lights of the tree lighting the way to the amazing smells in the kitchen.
Well, I don't have much of a stash of Christmas decorations here in Italy, but give me time, my friends…and the food is forthcoming!
This is the corner of my kitchen, which also serves as our living room for the most part (the TV is in another, far less pretty corner). To the left is the balcony door. If I were a better photographer, you might see the Ionian Sea through the window (and also *not* the reflection of the overhead light in the glass of the picture above the fireplace). Sorry.
Those blondies in the picture in the lower left corner? My niece and nephew. A good three years ago, but they're just so darn cute in that shot, I can't take it down. There's a black-and-white of them, too, on the lower right side by the Christmas teddy (paw dated 2003), but you can't see it very well from this angle. There are also individual pictures of them on the mantle in the off-white square frames. One could use the word obsession. I wouldn't be offended.
I bought the 1895 map of southern Italy above the fireplace on Ebay for $2.99 (plus shipping) and got it framed and matted here for 20 euro. Many of the villages now on the coastline aren't on the map because they weren't built until after World War II. For anyone who hasn't seen them, you can tell this from the concrete, institutional-like architecture that lines the coast. Very becoming.
My mom recently sent me the festive tablecloth and the basket that is sitting inside the fireplace (that woman can fit anything in a shipping box). These are the only new additions to the scene this year, but they really make it, don't you think?
You already know a little about the heart on top of the tree.
That circular thing above the window? It's a Pennsylvania Dutch hex sign that says "Bless this House." My mom is Pennsylvania Dutch, which, if you're wondering, is not remotely Dutch and is not the same as Amish, although many Amish are indeed Pennsylvania Dutch. Please research this one on your own if interested as it's far beyond the scope of this two-days-before-Christmas blog post.
The orange splash of color on the table may be my favorite thing about the picture, but I had to throw out at least half of those lovely clementines. For a few days straight, I was greeted by two maggots on my table in the morning. Always two. Swiftly eliminated. Thank goodness I don't eat risotto for breakfast or it could've gotten ugly around here. Even more disturbing was that I never found the culprit, and I sure hope I didn't eat it.
Now, come on, fellow bloggers. Show me your corners!
I don't have any angolino this year….instead I brought tons and tons of sweets to work…at work we were way more festive than here, since we'll be going to the in-laws for the holidays.
I'm soooo jealous of your fireplace… I wonder if it's too late to 'fireplace' on my Christmas list this year… ?
I thought our Christmas tree was small, but yours is tiny!
I have to agree with Delina though, I want a fireplace too. I guess that's a downside of renting an apartment: No fireplaces.
Sara, you can do any corner you like, festive or not. I've been seeing those sweets on your blog (and, I think, gaining a couple kilos). Yum!
Annika, I *told* you my tree was mini. I figure if/when bambini come along and we have a bigger place (with, hopefully, another cute fireplace), we'll go bigger on the tree. Slightly.
I'll trade my American overkill decorations for your simplicita' any day……actually, one day, I WILL trade :>) Anyway, your little corner looks delightfully festive. The Struffoli is done and my guys are cooking Christmas dinner…..so I'm happy. Buon Natale.


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1,300 firefighters battle Portugal wildfires
Agence France-Presse . Amendoa, Portugal | Published: 00:00, Jul 22,2019
A firefighter plane drops water over a wildfire at Relva in Macao, central Portugal on Sunday. — AFP photo
Planes and helicopters joined more than a thousand firefighters in central Portugal Sunday to battle huge wildfires in a mountainous region where over 100 people died in huge blazes in 2017.
By 12:30pm (1130 GMT), one of the biggest mobilisations ever seen in the area — including 1,300 firefighters and 400 vehicles — had been deployed to fight the blazes in the heavily forested Castelo Branco region, 200 kilometres north of Lisbon, the rescue services said.
Around 20 people were injured in the blaze, including eight firefighters and 12 civilians, according to interior ministry figures.
One badly burned civilian was evacuated by helicopter to Lisbon. The biggest effort — 800 firefighters, 245 vehicles and 13 planes and helicopters — battled to douse flames in the municipality of Vila de Rei, which had spread nearly 25 kilometres.
'Only the fire at Vila de Rei remains active,' interior minister Eduardo Cabrita told a news conference.
Authorities were looking into whether the fires may have been started deliberately, Cabrita said.
'The cause of the fires is being investigated... there's something strange. How is it that five such large fires broke out in areas that are so close to each other?' he asked.
The commander of the Civil Protection for the region, Luis Belo Costa, said that 'given the difficult terrain, we have not succeeded in getting the fire in Vila de Rei under control, but have only contained about 60 per cent of it, despite a lull in the wind.'
The army said it was dispatching 20 soldiers and machinery to open routes 'to facilitate access' for the firefighters.
In a message, president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa expressed his 'solidarity with the hundreds fighting the scourge of the fires'.
Two other forest fires reported on Saturday have since been brought under control.
While a number of small villages were evacuated as a precaution overnight, no additional measures were planned on Sunday.
But that could change 'if the situation deteriorates,' Belo Costa said.
Five regions of central and southern Portugal were on maximum fire alert Sunday because of the dry weather and winds.
However, temperatures are currently below the threshold of 41 degrees Celsius (105 Fahrenheit) at which a red alert is triggered.
The fires, fanned by strong winds, had broken out on Saturday afternoon in the more inaccessible areas in the Castelo Branco region.
The centre of Portugal is hilly and covered in dense forest and is regularly ravaged by fires, including the deadliest in the country's history where 114 people died in two separate blazes in June and October 2017.
Portugal is still traumatised by those deaths, with authorities taking extra precautions.
Much of the population in the area is elderly, as young people move to the cities.
The forests are largely eucalyptus, a highly flammable wood used in the paper industry.
Despite the combustion risks, the trees are planted because they are fast-growing and represent an important source of income for locals.
With fields and pastures abandoned, the forests are poorly maintained, with the dense undergrowth facilitating the spread of the fires.
According to the EU's European Forest Fire Information System, more than 250,000 hectares of land were destroyed by fire across Europe between January and April this year, more than the 181,000 hectares recorded for the entire fire season in 2018.
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Top Anime & Manga
Summer 2019 – What to Watch
Taka No Dan
A Look at Death Note – Ep. 1 – 8 Review
Modified date: July 6, 2019
As Death Note is one of the best rated animes in Japan, I decided to give it a go. I was pleasantly surprised. Here is a rundown of it:
Light Yagami is an ace student with great prospects, who's bored out of his mind. One day he finds the "Death Note": a notebook from the realm of the Death Gods, with the power to kill people in any way he desires. With the Death Note in hand, Light decides to create his perfect world, without crime or criminals. However, when criminals start dropping dead one by one, the authorities send the legendary detective L to track down the killer, and a battle of wits, deception and logic ensues…
It's pretty interesting, and I've been enjoying how it has developed over the course of the anime. The anime is more of a talking one than an action one, but that's not to say that action doesn't happen. The main character picks up a Death Note, meaning that he can control the time, and how, people die. This was dropped by a 'Death God', who comes down with him to earth and basically follows him about and gives him tips. He then has the police on his tail, and a detective named 'L', who all look into his case and try to track him down. It then turns into L and Light (the main character) dodging each other and outplaying their tricks, which is surprisingly entertaining. He essentially plays God, and wants to create a perfect world without criminals that he rules.
The episodes I have watched so far have been very well put together. It's interesting to see what tricks the two will come up with in order to dodge each other.
In addition, watching a normal, bored student slowly and subtly turn into a sociopath is interesting, and Death Note does it in a way that is subtle and not too obvious. Many viewers like that Light isn't the typical protagonist, and I also found this a refreshing change from the majority of animes that focuses on the 'good guy'.
The writers have done a good job of making Light a character that you can dislike, but still making you want him to stay, and not lose to the protagonist, L. This is really well done, and whilst I found that I disagreed with much of what Light did, I also didn't want him to die or get defeated.
View on My Anime List
Originally posted:
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Gorgeous Butterfly: Young Nobunaga – Worth Watching?
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View other animes from this season. Vinland Saga airs every Sunday at 4:15 PM for 25 minutes.Vinland Saga has been on my to read list...
Other names: Kochouki: Wakaki NobunagaView other animes from this season. Young Nobunaga airs every Monday at 1:30 PM for 25 minutes.Nobunaga seems to be quite...
Other names: Kawaikereba Hentai demo Suki ni Natte Kuremasu ka?View other animes from this season. Hensuki airs every Monday at 2 PM for 25 minutes.For...
Maidens of the Savage Season – Worth Watching?
Other names: Araburu Kisetsu no Otome-domo yoView other animes from this season. Maidens of the Savage Season airs every Friday at 6:30 PM.For some reason,...
Fire Force – Worth Watching?
Other names: Enen no ShouboutaiView other animes from this season. Fire Force airs for 25 minutes every Friday at 5:30 PM.Based on a world where...