text:
Q: UILabel with Paragraph Style Line Spacing I'm trying to create a messaging application and am encountering a very strange issue.

The reason there is so much space between "Thomas" and the bottom of the text bubble is becasue the UILabel is creating another line. Currently I'm setting the label's text using the attributedText property, and passing in a NSMutableParagraphStyle with a line spacing of 8. If I set the line spacing to 0, the space between "Thomas" and the bottom of the text bubble goes away like so:

Here's where it gets strange though. If I set the paragraph line spacing back to 8, and add a couple more characters to the line, the text bubble appears without the extra line:

All help is greatly appreciated :)
Here is my code:
class MessageTableViewCell: UITableViewCell {
    var didSetupConstraints = false

    var thumbnail = UIImageView.newAutoLayoutView()
    let messageTailIcon = UIImageView.newAutoLayoutView()
    var messageView = UIView.newAutoLayoutView()
    var messageLabel = UILabel.newAutoLayoutView()

    override init(style: UITableViewCellStyle, reuseIdentifier: String?) {
        super.init(style: style, reuseIdentifier: reuseIdentifier)
        setupViews()
    }

    required init(coder aDecoder: NSCoder) {
        fatalError("init(coder:) has not been implemented")
    }

    func setupViews() {
        thumbnail.image = UIImage(named: "ThomasBaldwin")
        thumbnail.layer.cornerRadius = 17.5
        thumbnail.clipsToBounds = true

        messageTailIcon.image = UIImage(named: "MessageTailIcon")

        messageView.backgroundColor = Application.greyColor
        messageView.layer.cornerRadius = 10

        let paragraphStyle = NSMutableParagraphStyle.new()
        paragraphStyle.lineSpacing = 8

        messageLabel.numberOfLines = 0
        messageLabel.layer.cornerRadius = 10
        messageLabel.attributedText = NSMutableAttributedString(
            string: "Thomas says hello",
            attributes: [
                NSFontAttributeName: UIFont(name: "AvenirNextLTPro-Regular", size: 12.5)!,
                NSForegroundColorAttributeName: UIColor.colorFromCode(0x262626),
                NSBackgroundColorAttributeName: Application.greyColor,
                NSKernAttributeName: 0.5,
                NSParagraphStyleAttributeName: paragraphStyle
            ]
        )

        contentView.addSubview(thumbnail)
        contentView.addSubview(messageView)
        messageView.addSubview(messageTailIcon)
        messageView.addSubview(messageLabel)
        updateConstraints()
    }

    override func updateConstraints() {
        if !didSetupConstraints {

            thumbnail.autoPinEdgeToSuperviewEdge(.Top, withInset: 15)
            thumbnail.autoPinEdgeToSuperviewEdge(.Leading, withInset: 8.5)
            thumbnail.autoSetDimensionsToSize(CGSize(width: 35, height: 35))

            messageView.autoPinEdgeToSuperviewEdge(.Top, withInset: 17.5)
            messageView.autoPinEdge(.Leading, toEdge: .Trailing, ofView: thumbnail, withOffset: 10)
            messageView.autoPinEdgeToSuperviewEdge(.Trailing, withInset: 24.5)
            messageView.autoPinEdgeToSuperviewEdge(.Bottom)

            messageTailIcon.autoPinEdgeToSuperviewEdge(.Top, withInset: 15)
            messageTailIcon.autoPinEdgeToSuperviewEdge(.Leading, withInset: -10)
            messageTailIcon.autoSetDimensionsToSize(CGSize(width: 18, height: 9))

            messageLabel.autoPinEdgesToSuperviewEdgesWithInsets(UIEdgeInsets(top: 8.5, left: 10, bottom: 8.5, right: 5), excludingEdge: .Trailing)
            messageLabel.autoPinEdgeToSuperviewEdge(.Trailing, withInset: 0, relation: .GreaterThanOrEqual)

            didSetupConstraints = true
        }

        super.updateConstraints()
    }

}

If you would like to view a sample project demonstrating the issue, I've pushed one to github

A: Okay, so finally locked down and easy answer, this has to do with your KERNING attributed only. watch this:
Also disregard the sizing of the red cell, this is NOT happening like this in the app, this is just a product of my screenshots being different sizes, but please do try this for yourself. Comment out the kerning and the reapply it and you'll see the same thing
with kerning with "Thomas"

without kerning with "Thomas"

with kerning with "Thomas says hello"

without kerning with "Thomas says hello"

I've done everything possible to check the code, use different constraints, and I even played around with ALL options of an NSAttributedString, and the only thing that changes this bad behavior is the kerning attribute, and it's doing this to all types of fonts, not just Avenir. In fact, the font you used in this example is system font when you didn't set a font at all, but I've tried it with 3 fonts now, same effect, the kerning seems to be broken or perhaps its working as intended for Swift and/or ObjC, but I think this is actually a bug.
Most NSAttributedString options, if you want to mess around with stuff:
    var myString1 = NSMutableAttributedString(string:"Thomas asdfadsf asdfasdfasdf asdfasdf asdfasdf \n asdfasdf asdf \n")

    let myString1Font1 = UIFont.systemFontOfSize(12.0)

    let originalNSString = myString1.string as NSString
    let myString1Range1 = originalNSString.rangeOfString(myString1.string)

    var myString1ParaStyle1 = NSMutableParagraphStyle()
    myString1ParaStyle1.alignment = NSTextAlignment.Natural
    myString1ParaStyle1.baseWritingDirection = NSWritingDirection.Natural
    myString1ParaStyle1.defaultTabInterval = 0.0
    myString1ParaStyle1.firstLineHeadIndent = 0.0
    myString1ParaStyle1.headIndent = 0.0
    myString1ParaStyle1.hyphenationFactor = 0.0
    myString1ParaStyle1.lineBreakMode = NSLineBreakMode.ByWordWrapping
    myString1ParaStyle1.lineHeightMultiple = 0.0
    myString1ParaStyle1.lineSpacing = 8.0
    myString1ParaStyle1.maximumLineHeight = 0.0
    myString1ParaStyle1.minimumLineHeight = 0.0
    myString1ParaStyle1.paragraphSpacing = 0.0
    myString1ParaStyle1.paragraphSpacingBefore = 0.0
    myString1ParaStyle1.tailIndent = 0.0

    myString1.addAttribute(NSKernAttributeName, value:0.5, range:myString1Range1)
    myString1.addAttribute(NSFontAttributeName, value:myString1Font1, range:myString1Range1)
    myString1.addAttribute(NSParagraphStyleAttributeName, value:myString1ParaStyle1, range:myString1Range1)
    myString1.addAttribute(NSBackgroundColorAttributeName, value:UIColor.redColor(), range:myString1Range1)
    myString1.addAttribute(NSForegroundColorAttributeName, value:UIColor.blackColor(), range:myString1Range1)

Again, this isn't an constraints issue, I was wrong, this is only a KERNING issue, and this sucks, but such is life, perhaps this needs to be reported to RADAR.
Also, you can try this for yourself, anything BUT a 0 or 0.00000 or as many zeros as you want will produce the wrong results with Kerning, i tried this and it messes up your label field the same way that kerning would mess up the field with a larger value:
 NSKernAttributeName: 0.00000000000001

HOLD up, I solved it, from what it looks like, set this value, just add this to your paragraphStyle variable that you set up in the example project, its working with the kerning, not sure if this is working for all fonts, but it fixes your example project at least:
paragraphStyle.lineHeightMultiple = 1.5

The only problem with this method is that it works for lines with one word or one line, you'll have to do a word count adjustment to set this "lineHeightMultiple" based on when a new line appears, this sucks, but it works, obviously, not a very good method to use, but works if you have a 1 liner string, needs adjusting if you have more, otherwise just turn off kerning, and it will be solved wihout this line height multiple.
It's as if the line height is changing internally and pushing characters to a new line but apple isn't automatically accounting for this change in character width.
And as a matter of fact, I think the answer you are looking for isn't kerning at all but tracking, which will push the letters apart from each other. The problem with kerning is that kerning screws around with the glyphs of the fonts and overrides some of their behaviors and as such it can be anoticeable effect like we are seeeing here.
From Apple:

preferredFontForTextStyle:, the specific font returned includes traits
  which vary according to user preferences and context, including
  tracking (letter-spacing) adjustments, in addition to being tuned for
  the use specified by the particular text style constant. The fonts
  returned using text style constants are meant to be used for all text
  in an app other than text in user interface elements, such as buttons,
  bars, and labels. Naturally, you need to choose text styles that look
  right in your app. It's also important to observe the
  UIContentSizeCategoryDidChangeNotification so that you can re–lay out
  the text when the user changes the content size category. When your
  app receives that notification, it should send the
  invalidateIntrinsicContentSize message to views positioned by Auto
  Layout or send setNeedsLayout to user interface elements positioned
  manually. And it should invalidate preferred fonts or font descriptors
  and acquire new ones as needed.

https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/StringsTextFonts/Conceptual/TextAndWebiPhoneOS/TypoFeatures/TextSystemFeatures.html
If you truly need kerning, then you should probably be tweaking the kerning values of the ligatures if the font has any available to play with.
Other things to consider, this does work, but it's also bold so it's already not something that matches your style above, but it's something you can toy around with:
let sytemDynamicFontDescriptor = UIFontDescriptor.preferredFontDescriptorWithTextStyle(UIFontTextStyleHeadline)
let size = sytemDynamicFontDescriptor.pointSize
let myString1Font1 = UIFont(descriptor: sytemDynamicFontDescriptor, size:size)

println(sytemDynamicFontDescriptor.fontAttributes())

messageLabel.numberOfLines = 0
messageLabel.layer.cornerRadius = 10

messageLabel.attributedText = NSMutableAttributedString(
    string: "Thomas asdfad as ",
    // string: "Thomas says hello", // switch back to this to see it display the text properly on one
    attributes: [
        NSFontAttributeName: myString1Font1,
        NSForegroundColorAttributeName: UIColor.blackColor(),
        NSBackgroundColorAttributeName: UIColor.redColor(),
        NSKernAttributeName: 0.5,
        NSParagraphStyleAttributeName: paragraphStyle
    ]
)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: VSTO Outlook: How to get the StoreID from a Outlook.MailItem I have several accounts configured in Outlook. Now I am trying to get the StoreID of an Outlook mailItem. For example if I select a message from the inbox folder of an account, let's say, account1, I want to get its StoreID, and if I select a message from the inbox folder of another Outlook account, let's say, account2, I want to get the its corresponding StoreID.
I have created an extension method to get the StoreID:
    public static string GetStoreID(this Outlook.MailItem omi)
    {
        Outlook.Folder folder = null;
        Outlook.Store store = null;

        string storeID = null;

        try
        {
            folder = (Outlook.Folder)omi.Parent;
            store = folder.Store;

            storeID = store.StoreID;
        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
            Log.Error("GetStoreID: An error occurred while getting mail item storeID. " + ex.ToString());
        }
        finally
        {
            folder = null;
            store = null;
        }

        return storeID;
    }

Is it correct or is there any other way which is better?

A: Your code works, so it appears you are asking for any other approach you could take to get the StoreID string.
Whether one approach is "better" than any other approach is purely subjective and entirely context specific.
Another way you could do this, would be to instead get the StoreID from the Explorer object (rather than the MailItem).  If you have an "Explorer Wrapper" class in your add-in, you could have something like the following for your backing-fields and constructor:
private Outlook.Explorer _myExplorer;
private Outlook.Folder _myFolder;
private Outlook.Store _myStore;
private string _myStoreID;

public OutlookExplorerWrapper(Outlook.Explorer explorer)
            {

                _myExplorer = explorer;
                _myFolder = (Outlook.Folder)_myExplorer.CurrentFolder;
                _myStore = _myFolder.Store;
                _myStoreID = _myStore.StoreID;

            }

A: Your method is fine. Or you can make it even faster - simply retrieve the PR_STORE_ENTRYID MAPI property (DASL name "http://schemas.microsoft.com/mapi/proptag/0x0FFB0102") using MailItem.PropertyAccessor.GetProperty and convert it to a string using MailItem.PropertyAccessor.BinaryToString.


text:
Houston Nearly 400 acres of commercial development to ...
Houston 5 businesses now open in Tomball, Magnolia
Houston First public meeting on Magnolia's master thoroughfare ...
Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers brings fast-casual restaurant to Tomball
By Anna Lotz | 7:30 AM Oct 4, 2022 CDT
Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers is opening in Tomball. (Courtesy Freddy's)
Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers will open Oct. 6 at 27645 Business 249, Tomball, the company announced Oct. 3. Freddy's brings its steakburgers, all-beef hot dogs, shoestring fries, and frozen chocolate or vanilla custard. The 3,598-square-foot restaurant features indoor and outdoor patio seating as well as drive-thru service and mobile ordering.
"We've steadily increased our presence in the Houston metro and look forward to adding Tomball to the list of communities we serve," franchise owner Padden Nelson said in a statement. "We'll continue to uphold the exceptional Freddy's dining experience with fast, friendly service and cooked-to-order menu items to all of our guests at our newest location."
www.freddys.com
By Anna Lotz
Editor, Tomball/Magnolia & Conroe/Montgomery
Anna joined Community Impact Newspaper as a reporter in May 2016 after graduating with a degree in journalism from Cedarville University in Cedarville, Ohio. In July 2017, she transitioned to editor for the Tomball/Magnolia edition. She began covering the communities of Conroe and Montgomery as well in 2020. Anna covers education, local government, transportation, business, real estate development and nonprofits in these communities. Prior to CI, Anna served as editor-in-chief of Cedars, interned with the National Journalism Center in Washington, D.C., and spent time writing for the Springfield News-Sun and Xenia Daily Gazette.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Healthcare W Minnesota
Kraus-Anderson completes $52 million health center expansion in Minnesota
July 18, 2019 | Staff Writer
Kraus-Anderson Construction Company has completed a $52 million expansion of FirstLight Health System, at 301 South Highway 65 in Mora, Minnesota. The 25-month, multi-phased project includes major expansion and renovation of about 115,000 square feet of the FirstLight Health Systems Mora Hospital and Clinic campus.
Designed by DSGW Architects, the renovation of the critical access hospital features a new main entry and commons for waiting and registration, eye clinic, lab, as well as new infusion/ chemotherapy and radiology spaces, IT, facilities, administration offices and gift shop.
A two-story addition includes a new rehabilitation space with therapy pool, food service kitchen, cafeteria and inpatient pharmacy. It also includes new units for births, medical surgeries and ICU, and new bariatric and transformative rooms.
Another two-story addition features a new emergency department, community pharmacy, ambulance garage and fitness center; and a one-story addition includes clinical exam rooms.
Exterior upgrades include new parking areas and courtyard, relocation of the helipad, and improved campus access from MN Hwy. 65.
The original hospital was built in 1943, with additions completed in 1960, 1970, 1995, 2002 and 2007.
With deep experience in healthcare construction, Kraus-Anderson is currently ranked 16th among the top health care general contractors in the U.S. by Modern Healthcare magazine.
All hospital services were in full operation during the entire duration of the multi-phased project, including the use of the helipad. KA worked continuously with hospital staff to minimize disruption to hospital operations and to ensure patient care and safety.
MinnesotahealthcareKraus-AndersonMora


If you want a perfect vacation out in the golden sun and sandy beaches where you can enjoy exotic drinks, food and music, then you can take a trip to Florida. It is a beautiful place with a perfect blend of natural beauty and wonderful city life too. You can find some of the best hotels and cheap motels at affordable rates in this place. The main attraction about Florida is that it's always sunny there. If you live in a place which is always cold and windy, then this place would be a nice change for you.
If you want the taste of a vibrant Cuban lifestyle, food and music then you should definitely visit Miami. If you sit and have a sip of the local exotic drinks in the scotching heat while staring out at the deep blue seas it is an experience which you'll never forget. If you visit the everglades, you'll see that it's more than a swamp. The whole experience in the middle of the shallow waters surrounded by tall grass is fantastic. You might even see and alligator or two on the way.
This entry was posted on Saturday, November 3rd, 2012 at 4:05 pm	and is filed under Travel Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.


text:
Q: if folder exists with PHP I'd love some help....i'm not sure where to start in creating a script that searches for a folder in a directory and if it doesnt exist then it will simply move up one level (not keep going up till it finds one)
I am using this code to get a list of images.  But if this folder didn't exist i would want it to move up to its parent.
$iterator = new DirectoryIterator("/home/domain.co.uk/public_html/assets/images/bg-images/{last_segment}"); foreach ($iterator as $fileinfo) {
    if ($fileinfo->isFile() && !preg_match('/-c\.jpg$/', $fileinfo->getFilename())) {
        $bgimagearray[] = "'" . $fileinfo->getFilename() . "'";
    } }

A: Put your directory name in a variable.
$directory = "/home/domain.co.uk/public_html/assets/images/bg-images/{last_segment}";

// if directory does not exist, set it to directory above.
if(!is_dir($directory)){
  $directory = dirname($directory)
}

$iterator = new DirectoryIterator($directory);

A: It works: file_exists($pathToDir)

A: To test if a directory exists, use is_dir()
http://php.net/function.is-dir
To move up to the parent directory would be by chdir('..');
http://php.net/function.chdir


Petra Bischoff is the head guide at Kultur & Bildungsreisen, a company that offers guided city tours through Erfurt, Germany. Petra can take guests to Thuringia on private and customizable tours through the state's capital. Petra has many years of experience guiding tours and providing for her guests and is a member of the BVGD, the German Association of Tourist Guides, an organization she has been with since 1997. Petra also serves as the Chairman of the Erfurt Tour Guide Association. Petra has a special interest and education in the Reformation Decade and the histoy of Martin Luther.
If you are looking for a guided trip through Erfurt that can be customized to what you want to do, and if you value knowledge and experience in your tour guide above all else, join Petra today. She will ensure that you have an unforgettable experience in her hometown!


text:
Eye For Film >> Movies >> 2 Jacks (2012) Film Review
2 Jacks
Reviewed by: Paul Logan
Read Paul Logan's DVD Review
"The film has a cheap minimalistic feel, although this adds to the theme of two men who are always trying to grasp at anything that comes their way."
A modern-day adaptation of Tolstoy's short story The Two Hussars brings together two generations of an acting dynasty - with Danny Huston teaming up with his nephew Jack for this dramedy.
The piece is split into two segments in which we first encounter a down-on-his-luck veteran filmmaker Jack Hussar (Danny Huston) returning to Los Angeles. He meets a wannabe film producer Brad (Dave Pressler) who gives him a ride to his hotel. The hotel declines to give him a room until he settles up his large bill. After he asks Brad for the money, the hotel refuses him anyway. Brad takes him to a Hollywood party where he spots the beautiful socialite Diana (Sienna Miller) across the crowded room, who turns out to be Brad's sister. He later seduces her and takes her car to a poker game in order to gain financing of his latest project from a producer (Richard Portnow) who has had dealings with in the past.
The film then cuts to 20 years later, when his son, Jack Jr (Jack Huston) arrives in L.A. to make his first movie. He is introduced to Lily (Rosie Fellner), who is the daughter of Diana (Jacqueline Bisset) and niece of Brad. He starts to fall in love with the young girl. History appears to repeat itself, however as soon becomes apparent the younger Hussar has none of his father's traits of being sly and charismatic.
The film is rather thin in characterisation and plot but it remains fairly entertaining due to the two leads. Danny is having the time of his life hamming it up as the self-obsessed, cheapskate, womanising director. Every time he is on screen the film bursts with energy. Jack, in contrast, gives a restrained performance but his character is not as interesting or as likeable as his counterpart.
The film has a cheap minimalistic feel, although this adds to the theme of two men who are always trying to grasp at anything that comes their way. Bernard Rose has shot the first half in monochromatic, almost washed out colour palette, while the second is in full colour to differentiate the time periods.
Not anywhere near Rose's best work or, in fact, his best Tolstoy adaptation, but it is strangely entertaining and compelling. The story in the past works better than the story in present day but this is purely due to Danny's fiery outspoken performance.
Reviewed on: 06 Jul 2015
Legendary Hollywood director, Jack Hussar a notorious womaniser returns to Hollywood to raise financing for his next film.
Director: Bernard Rose
Writer: Bernard Rose, based on the short story by Leo Tolstoy.
Starring: Danny Huston, Sienna Miller, Billy Zane
Raindance 2013


Hello and happy Tuesday! This week at The Broke and the Bookish, they're reminiscing about their favorite classics, and as per usual, I'm here to join them. I haven't read a ton of classics, but the ones I've gotten around to, I've loved. These are some of my favorites, since last week I posted a list of ones I've been meaning to re-read.
A Moveable Feast, by Ernest Hemingway: Is this considered a classic? In my eyes it is. I absolutely love this memoir of Hemingway's time in 1920's paris.
The Catcher in the Rye, by JD Salinger. I haven't read this in years, and maybe it doesn't hold up to how much I loved it in high school, but I think I'll always love this one.
Rebecca, by Daphne Du Maurier. Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again… Just those words and you're off on an amazing gothic ride.
The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Even Leonardo DiCaprio can't bring Fitzgerald's classic to life, that's how good it is.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith. The book lover in Francie is the book lover in all of us.
The Awakening, by Kate Chopin. I just have so much love for this book I can't even tell you.
A Midsummer Night's Dream, by William Shakespeare. I know it's not one of the more ~*scholarly*~ Shakespeare plays but this by far my favorite one.
The Bell Jar, by Sylvia Plath. I feel like I'm fulfilling some kind of stereotype when I say I'm fascinated by Sylvia Plath, but that won't make it any less true!
Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy. This giant novel took me forever, but the sprawling story is well worth it. The movie actually does it justice too!
A Doll's House, by Henrik Ibsen. Technically a play not a book, but I'm counting it because it's just so good, and definitely a classic along with Ibsen's other plays.
Anna Karenina is sublime!! It tops my favourite books!
The Great Gatsby is also a favourite of mine!
I saw Rebecca mentioned a lot by other people.I didn't think it was that good.I must definitely read it.
You've reminded me about Ibsen.He is regarded as the greatest playwright after Shakespeare.I have so many to buy and read that I've almost forgotten about him.
I can't believe you managed to read through Anna Karenina! I actually tried to read Tolstoy's War and Peace once since the story really intrigued me but I never got past 250 pages or so (and the font size is TINY!). His books are such great tomes!
They are seriously huge, but worth it! I can't imagine attempting War and Peace, though!
I did too! It got me interested in Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald and Hemingway and pretty much inspired a lasting love of the whole time period.
The Catcher in the Rye was one of my high school favourites but I'm a little nervous to see if it still holds up now that I'm older. I'm happy to see The Bell Jar on this list! I recently bought it and can't wait to read it. Did you hear that Meg Wolitzer has a YA adaptation/retelling of it coming out soon? It's called Belzhar.
I did hear that and I'm SO excited for it to come out! I hope you like The Bell Jar!
I've never heard of a lesser scholarly Shakespeare–they all seem like equal trump cards to me haha. But maybe it's cause Midsummer's was my first foray into his works I guess it holds a certain place in my heart.
You, my dear, have excellent taste in classics!


text:
Join Love Sea Salt on Social
Types of Sea Salt
Australian Sea Salt
French Sea Salt
Halen Mon
Himalayan Sea Salt
Maldon Sea Salt
Irish Atlantic Sea Salt
Pink Himalayan Sea Salt
What is Himalayan Sea Salt?
Himalayan sea salt is a gourmet salt with a slightly misleading name. It doesn't come from the Himalayan mountains, and it doesn't come from a sea.
However it is definitely sea salt, so it's not a total misnomer.
Himalayan salt actually refers exclusively to a Pakistani rock salt that used to be sea salt hundreds of millions of years ago. When a sea spreading over this region dried up, it was covered by geological shifts, leaving massive deposits of salt scattered throughout the hills.
Odd name aside, Himalayan salt has a lot going for it: It's tasty, it's pink, and some even claim it has healing properties.
Let's look a little closer and get the full story.
What Makes Himalayan Salt So Special?
While Himalayan salt is best known for being pink, it can also be off-white or transparent depending on the other minerals present in that particular deposit.
At over 95% sodium chloride, it's a very pure salt. The other 5% is made up of iron oxide, which usually gives it that characteristic pink color, and smaller amounts of sulfur, calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, and zinc.
In addition to being pretty, it's also versatile. The 'gourmet' in the name might have given away the fact that it's a very popular cooking salt.
It comes with a nice crunch and a slightly floral flavor similar to lavender that makes it ideal for a finishing salt on roasted meats or even baked goods.
The coarse texture means that it's also a good choice for brines and marinades.
Where Does Pink Himalayan Sea Salt Come From?
The name makes it sound like it could come from anywhere in the Himalayas, but in reality, Himalayan gourmet sea salt comes only from Pakistan, or even more specifically, from the Khewra salt mine in Jhelum District in Punjab.
It's located not in the Himalayas themselves but in the nearby Salt Range foothills. The full Salt Range stretches across the entire Punjab province, covering about 300 kilometers. Although it contains a number of different salt mines, Khewra is the only one that produces true Himalayan salt.
The Khewra mine is the largest salt mine in Pakistan and the second-largest worldwide, which makes it a major tourist destination that attracts over a quarter million people each year.
Despite the constant visits, they somehow still manage to mine a huge amount of salt each year.
The Himalayan Salt Story
The full story of authentic Himalayan salt begins over 800 million years ago when that shallow sea evaporated, but it wasn't discovered until Alexander the Great discovered the deposits around the year 326 BC during his Indian Campaign.
Actually, to be more precise, Alexander didn't find the salt: His horses did. When the soldiers found them licking the stones in the area, they tried it out for themselves and shared the discovery.
The flavor and healing effects of the salt were highly regarded from then on, but mining on a large scale didn't begin until the 16th century, when the Mughal Empire and then the Sikhs used it for food and commerce. It was transported by yak as far as Central Asia as a valuable trade item. Mining was dangerous, though, due to narrow tunnels and lack of water inside, so the sea salt deposits were never fully exploited.
The modern history of the mine begins in 1872, when the British took over the Khewra salt mine.
Finding the old-school methods of production to be inefficient, they undertook a complete overhaul of the mine and built warehouses, widened roads, expanded the tunnels, and mechanized the excavation of the salt.
Nowadays, the Khewra site is a completely modern mining operation. It covers a full nineteen stories, with eleven of them completely underground.
The miners use a room-and-pillar method of mining to reduce the need for outside supports. This method involves cutting out about half of the salt and leaving the rest there as pillars to support the many tons of material overhead, leaving the interior looking something like a massive pinkish maze of salt.
Despite the newer mining techniques, the salt is still brought out of the mine in rail cars using the same tiny 2-foot wide track that the British laid in the 19th century.
The Khewra salt mine is now one of the most productive mines in the world and produces nearly 400,000 tons of Himalayan salt per year. That's almost half of Pakistan's total annual salt production.
As huge as that sounds, though, it's not even close to exhausting the potential of the deposits. Estimates suggest that the mine could sustain that level of production for another 350 years without a problem.
Health Benefits of Himalayan Salt
The health benefits are another popular reason to use Himalayan sea salt. Many tout it as a healthier replacement for table salt, but it can also be used topically.
Himalayan salt baths and scrubs are said to stimulate circulation, relieve sore muscles, and even help eliminate toxins from the body.
Larger chunks of the salt are also used to make lamps, which some say release soothing energy waves and ions into the air.
While the jury is still out on the energy waves, there's no denying that the aesthetic appeal and fine taste of gourmet Himalayan sea salt are unparalleled. If you're on the fence about the value of this luxury salt, give it a try.
With all the benefits of color, flavor, and texture on its side, you've got nothing to lose.
Copyright @ LoveSeaSalt


text:
The Joys of Parenting by VegAndGeeky
Cartoons » Young Justice Rated: T, English, Family, Artemis C./Artemis, Wally W./Kid Flash, Words: 20k+, Favs: 122, Follows: 115, Published: 7/31/2012 Updated: 10/7/2012}
209 Chapter 11: Here We Go Again
Artemis stared at the small stick with a mix of emotions boiling in her gut as she waited for its conclusion. She'd blamed the morning sickness on bad food but Wally knew her too well and, subsequently, a recently bought pregnancy test was waiting for her in the bathroom on her day off.
Evie was downstairs dancing to a new CD; so Artemis knew she was free for at least as long as it lasted.
Her thoughts wandered back to the last time she'd been in this position. Losing the baby had been one of the hardest moments of her life. Was she really ready to try again? Wally hadn't been pushing for another child, even though they had talked of multiple children when they got married. Things had changed since then.
Artemis didn't know if she could trust herself to carry another child. She had failed as a mother, it wasn't something you ever really got over. But it was too late for those kinds of decisions if she was already pregnant.
The archer glanced down, her chest contracting painfully as the results stood out clearly on the device.
Positive. She translated from the symbols, a hand resting over her lower abdomen.
Artemis wouldn't fail this child.
She would keep this child safe.
"Daddy!" Evie's cheer rang over the muted sounds of her music and the sound of the front door opening.
Artemis dropped the test on the counter and went to sit on their bed. She knew why Wally was home early, he was the one that had left her the test after all. The sounds of laughter and squeals died down and Artemis found herself counting the thud of each step Wally took up the stairs. She felt oddly numb, a result of her warring emotions.
"Artemis," The redhead spoke softly as he nudged the door to their bedroom open. His eyes darted momentarily to the bathroom where the light was still on before taking a few long steps to the bed, "Hey Babe," Wally kissed her forehead as he sat down, pulling her onto his lap.
"Hey," Artemis smiled, leaning her head against his shoulder. Speaking was difficult with the buzz of thoughts running through her brain.
"How are you?" He asked, his hands running through her hair.
"Don't you mean; are you pregnant?" The archer gave a half-laugh. It was a sore attempt at a joke.
"No," Wally's response was simple and Artemis noticed she had been playing with his wedding band, "I want to know how you're feeling. What's running through that beautiful mind of yours?"
Artemis leaned fully against him, calmed by the scent of her husband. A mix of latex gloves from his job at the lab, flowers from Evie's shampoo (a result of his constant coddling of the girl), and what could only be described as fresh air. She nearly forgot why she had been emotionally disrupted, why Wally had come home early, why the small stick sitting in the bathroom was both her enemy and her friend.
"I'm scared," She whispered, because no one else could know.
"What are you afraid of?" Wally held her close, guiding her face to rest on his shoulder. He already knew; but on the off-chance he was wrong, assuming fears could bring complications into play.
"I'm not a good mother. What if I can't keep this child safe? I've failed before," Artemis's voice cracked and Wally's heart broke at the sound. Wounded by the knowledge that his love was upset and he had yet to mend her.
Then her words caught up to him.
This child.
Artemis was pregnant. His mind instantly filled with the joys of having another child, of giving Evie a sibling. But Artemis shifted against him and Wally was reminded of her current state. His unborn child was safe with her at the moment, and he was sure they would continue to be safe. There was no need to celebrate now. Artemis came first.
"Artemis," He whispered back, squeezing her hand gently for support, "You are a wonderful mother. The situation was out of your control, you fought your hardest. You only fail when you give up, we learned that years ago. And you never gave up." He lifted her hand to his lips when she began relaxing, pressing delicate kisses to each of her knuckles, "We can be extra careful if you want to, Babe. But I have faith in you."
"You always have too much faith in me," Artemis paused, "Except during missions."
Wally chuckled, ducking his head to stare into his wife's eyes, "I'm allowed to worry about you on missions," It was meant to be playful, but neither of them could hold back the memories of all the times they had thought they'd lost each other.
"I am pregnant." Artemis breathed, her face a blank slate.
Wally grinned and kissed her nose. "I know."
The redhead placed a gentle hand over her lower abdomen, though there was nothing to feel for. Artemis covered his hand with her own, closing her eyes and just listening to his breathing, feeling his thumb rub tender circles beneath her palm.
They would keep this child safe.
"Josh call me a sissy!" Evie exclaimed, "Cause I play with Nora!" recounting her story of her afternoon with the neighborhood kids. Artemis had already heard the story from Josh's mom, but the boy's mother had been a bit biased with the tale.
"No way!" Wally yelped between bites, "So what did you do?" He asked. Evie grew enthusiastic and set down her silverware to hold her hands dramatically on the table.
"I hit him!" She said with exaggerated narrowed eyes, "Nora nice. Josh mean,"
Wally pulled a face, "Uh, I think that was a bit...much," He stated. The redhead turned to glance at Artemis for back up but she paid no attention and continued eating.
"But Daddy," The girl shot up in her chair in surprise, "Josh push Nora down!"
Artemis frowned, "When?"
"Before I hit him," Evie explained easily, picking up her fork to shovel some food into her mouth, pausing at her mother's pointed glare and eating slower.
"Oh!" Wally gasped, "Well then he definitely deserved it," He nodded sagely, holding his hand out for a high five that his daughter happily accepted.
"Yes, good job sweetie," Artemis smiled, "Does your hand hurt?"
Evie shook her head, "Nut-uh. I hit like you teach me," She grinned proudly.
"That's my girl!" Wally laughed, scooping up everything left on his plate.
The conversation continued a little longer until finally it was time for dessert. Wally took everyone's dishes to the sink as Artemis took some brownies out of the fridge, the two sharing a look as they sat back down at the table.
"Evie," Artemis started, Wally taking hold of her hand underneath the table, "Have you ever wanted a sibling?"
Evangeline paused with her hand reaching for the dessert, blinking her eyes before looking thoughtful. Wally helped her out and put the brownie in front of her since her arms weren't working, "I dunno, maybe," She shrugged.
"Well we have some news for you," Wally grinned, "Your Mom is pregnant, and you are going to be an older sister!"
"What a suh-prize," Evie rolled her eyes, making Wally's jaw drop.
"You taught her that," He accused, turning to his wife, making the two blondes laugh.
"What do you think, Evie?" Artemis asked.
"They can be my sidekick," The girl nodded decisively.
Wally and Artemis had agreed that missions were out of the question, but Artemis was still going to be on monitor duty. All that was left was to inform the League of the decision.
"Are you sure Evie's going to be fine?" Wally whispered in her ear as they made their way to the cafeteria of the Watchtower.
"Yes, you worrywart," Artemis rolled her eyes, "Roy Junior has babysat her before, you know that,"
"Babe, you know he hates being called that," Wally reminded her while holding back a smirk.
The archer shrugged, "Hey, technically he's the younger one. It's how I specify,"
"There you are!" Zatanna grinned, running up to the two, "We're all here, what's this about?"
"Hold on, we're telling everyone at once," Artemis explained as they entered the room.
The chatter stopped and Zatanna ran back to her seat next to Rocket, all the heroes looking expectantly at the couple.
"Uh," Wally started, letting out an awkward grin, "Hey, guys,"
"I'm pregnant," Artemis smiled, unconsciously leaning into her husband's arm wrapped around her waist.
Well that certainly got a response.
Wally's first instinct was to pick up the blonde and make a mad dash for the zeta tubes (which, undoubtedly, would be a successful plan) but Artemis snuck her arm around his torso and kept him still.
"You avoid them now, they'll hunt you down later," She hissed into his ear.
"Let them try and catch me," Wally taunted, although he knew there was no way out of this.
So the two merely grinned, watched the clock, and tried to make up excuses for a leave.
Awwww yeaaah! Please leave a review!
Love, Veg and Geeky


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