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Fort Worth Camera Radio Podcasts
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Podcasting Education Fort Worth
The Photography Lifestyle in Fort Worth, Tx.
Fort Worth Camera Radio
Photo For All! The finest in photography education, printing & sales, deep in the heart of Fort Worth, Texas! Come visit us at 6483 Camp Bowie Blvd. in West Fort Worth www.fortworthcamera.com and www.fortworthfotofest.com
Chris Hershman: Local lessons of the past 20:04
Enjoy our conversation with Nikon Ambassador, Chris Hershman as he discusses his experience from a music enthusiast to music video producer!Mr. Hershman reveals his passion for not only capturing the energy of music with a camera but, his passion for supporting local businesses!We thank Chris for his recent and patronage of Fort Worth Camera. Be su…
Tim Cooper: National Parks at Night 20:06
By Fort Worth Camera Radio
"Gettin' Lit" with Kirk Edwards 21:31
Chris Knowles: General Admission 15:52
Lee Schneider: Read Only Memory 25:55
"Get in the Truck & Go" with Trent Gilley 19:35
How do you place a label on a man with interests so varied? Is it possible to not only make time for all of your favorite hobbies but actually succeed and improve your enjoyment of them? Trent Gilley knows all too well the need for an escape from the daily grind. For him, photography ads a certain peace and sense of self-discovery. Learn more about…
Mock-tail Hour with the Elevated Beth Hutson! 22:26
Photographer, producer, and publicist Beth Hutson has blazed a trail of successful film projects and dynamic branding for businesses in Fort Worth with her husband Brian Hutson via their company Elevated Contact. As with all Fort Worth Camera Ambassadors, we explore and share their influence on the community of Fort Worth and beyond. Listen to Beth…
Cissy Wilson 22:38
Passion can present itself, when you may least expect it. For Cissy Wilson, her path towards photography was met with a challenge that has defeated many. Her determination is obvious and shines through her imagery. This Fort Worth Camera Ambassador has a very unique perspective on life and through the lens and we are proud to have this "wild mustan…
Noel Pensock: An Instrument of Specialazation 18:24
Our spotlight on the 2019/20 Fort Worth Camera Ambassadors continues with our good friend and Fort Worth Foto Fest "Super Friend", Noel Pensock and her enthusiasm and lifelong passion of photography, food and sharing positivity with our community and an overwhelming zest for life. Get influenced by Noel's imagery on Instagram @noelpensockpix…
Donnie Williams: Man About Town 11:25
Our friend Donnie Williams is a Fort Worth icon. He embodies the spirit of our dynamic city. He is unapologetic with style....he is not afraid to be honest and his opinions are unabashed. His images shot with film are truly analog: representations of something real.By Fort Worth Camera Radio
Ted Forbes & the Art of Photography 43:17
Ted Forbes' "The Art of Photography" can be viewed on YouTube & heard on iTunes. A Fort Worth Texas native, Mr. Forbes educative and entertaining spotlights on photography, cameras & those who use them have been experienced by thousands. Here at Fort Worth Camera, we are honored to have Ted Forbes as a friend and ambassador of photographic goodwill…
2019 Fort Worth Foto Fest by Rode! 45:34
Want to be a fly on the wall during our 2019 Fort Worth Foto Fest Sales Expo? Listen to stories and tech-talk from representatives from Sigma, Nikon, Tamron, Sony, FujiFilm, The Print Refinery, Olympus, Trillo & Son!We want to express special gratitude to Sean Herrera from Rode Microphones. This podcast was recorded on Rode Pod Mics and RodeCaster …
Flying and Falling with Aaron Poole 45:28
He's on a mission to capture images of celebrities in the City of Angels!Life on the red carpet is fast....even faster for someone who photographs it. Mr. Poole has shot celebrities from the music, sports and film industry with cutting edge flair. Sit back and enjoy story time with this man who just so happens to have hailed from a certain camera s…
Tech Talk: Olympus Cameras w/Charles Garcia 16:49
We continue our series on informal discussions on "Tech Talk", this time with Charles Garcia from Olympus!-Black & White modes-In-camera stabilization-Compact sizeThese are only a few features we discuss on this episode as enjoy "the Light of the Gods" on Olympus cameras!By Fort Worth Camera Radio
Hiram Trillo: Respecting the Craft 22:26
Photography is a craft like any other...you shape an image from light and a keen eye for detail.Hiram Trillo is a master craftsman with his camera and with the custom-made leather products he painstakingly creates. Can a parallel be drawn between photography and hand-crafted piece of leather artwork? We've seen it ourselves. View Hiram's photograph…
Tech Talk: Nikon Z6/Z7 with Dixie Dixon 19:33
Nikon & Fort Worth Camera Ambassador Dixie Dixon shares her experience with Nikon's full-frame mirrorless cameras, the Z6 & Z7. Be sure to visit Dixie's website: www.dixiedixon.com & view her fabulous images, shot with the NIkon Z7 & Z6 on Instagram at @iamdixiedixonBy Fort Worth Camera Radio
Eric Jang: The MacGyver of Grip 23:06
Successful photographers know that next level imaging is a team activity. In some cases, selecting your team takes as much skill to prepare the image ahead of time as it does to shoot & process it. Enter Eric Jang: renowned set designer and engineer with a keen eye for detail and precise lighting.Setting out for your next studio or location shoot?Y…
Boyd Matson: The Adventure Begins When Things Go Wrong 26:46
We were honored to have Texas native, Boyd Matson in our studio to discuss his presentation at the 2019 Fort Worth Foto Fest on May 4th. Mr. Matson enjoyed a long career as the host of National Geographic Explorer and as a correspondent for NBC news.We hope you enjoy the discussions we had with Boyd, as we recounted exciting tales of travel, wildli…
Mark Comon: Deeply Communicative 33:36
We're talking with Mark Comon of Paul's Photo and The Creative Photo Academy of Torrance Ca. We're also talking about the current industry of camera stores and how they relate to today's climate, be it economic or artistic. Film may be enjoying a comeback and exciting, educational offerings are now definitely part of the camera store world, but one…
Senses Come Alive: Brandon Cunningham 15:53
Taste, Smell, Touch, Sound....do these 4 senses influence the 5th?And just how can you influence culture with these senses? Brandon Cunningham has amassed a portfolio of travel photography that is nothing short of astonishing. But it his imagery of people during his travels that ignites the imagination of the viewer and inspires others to see the w…
George Haddaway: A Man Wise Beyond His Years 14:22
This young man has a mature taste for the finer things. His travels have taken him and his Olympus cameras to waters of the Galapagos, and the Hawaiian Islands. He knows the importance of photographing his mountain biking adventures in Colorado and fishing in mountain streams or deep sea angling....not to mention, recording the imagery of underwate…
Charla Corn-Barrett: Positive Content 27:14
Charla Corn-Barrett is at home on stage, whether it be as a musician, radio personality or on social media. How success is valued by this social media personality may not be what you think.During her days as a traveling musician and radio star, she developed a work ethic that now drives a positive influence on not only her brand but a grateful audi…
Moose Tracks! A conversation with Moose Peterson 33:29
Photography legend Moose Peterson, hails from the cradle of photography in CalBy Fort Worth Camera Radio
RAP Photo Rocks! Concert photographers, Roman Pena & Jamie Ford 30:09
Photographing musicians on stage & rock concerts may not be as glamorous as it sounds. Hard work and 35 years of experience have formed one of the most in-demand teams in Dallas' dynamic music scene and large venues.Enjoy a stroll down memory lane & some great stories of celebrity encounters with our good friends Roman & Jamie. Be sure to visit @ra…
Where to begin? Brandon Allen's road to success 13:34
In the world of a camera store, it is always gratifying to see a customer grow from humble beginnings to established photographer. Brandon Allen has amassed an impressive catalog of photography, and we are proud to have helped along the way...but his imagery is all his own. Fort Worth, Texas is glad to call him one of it's own.…
THE National Patch Lady, Sandra Ramos 18:40
Our National Parks are a treasure that all Americans should cherish. Sandra Ramos as an Olympus "SuperFan" captures the grandeur and the not-so-obvious details of our parks with an organic and beautiful eye, all from the lenses of her Olympus cameras.By Fort Worth Camera Radio
"Impress Yourself": Charlie Stout 33:38
Charlie Stout's images depict the mystery of the road, just as his music induces imagery of the Southwest, and the true sprit of Texas Music.His unique style of classic, backroad scenes, as well as iconic concert photography blend in a way that only a true artist could craft. Listen to Mr. Stout's music on iTunes and view his images on Instagram at…
Rambo's "1 millimeter of difference" 29:22
Rambo is an artist in the truest definition of the word, who produces images and films that defy description and "the confines of time".She has developed a reputation through iconoclastic images that are steeped in beauty and grit...sadness and joy. You can view her work and learn more about Rambo on Instagram.…
"Movie Talk" with Erik Clapp 32:07
Please enjoy our wheels-off discussion with cinematographer Erik Clapp, as we cover cartoons, Cannonball Run, teh Fall Guy, watching movies in the early 80's and his head-tilting humorous Instagram page....and if there's time we'll get into his body of work as an award wining filmmaker...Check him out on Instagram at @erikclapp & www.erikclapp.com…
DFW's DP: Nick Utter 23:33
Nick Utter's commercial client list is a veritable "Who's Who" in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.No matter how the term is defined: "Cine", "Video", Filmmaking"...take it from this Director of Photography and Cinematographer. Nick has some advice to aspiring motion picture enthusiasts on how to improve and how to start your next project.Be sure to…
Constance Jaeggi: True Texan 19:55
Her self-described title of an " Equine Fine Art Photographer" simply does not suffice. This young woman from Geneva, Switzerland constructs dramatic, haunting images of figures, be they horses or people. Within a short time, she has adapted and flourished in a setting in which she has always felt she had belonged....the west. You can see Constance…
"A good kid from a bad city": James Stokes 19:38
Meet "Beastman" James Stokes, the newest addition to our line of Ambassadors that specialize in cinematography.He also happens to specialize in helping disadvantaged youth realizing their fullest potential. Mr. Stokes is a remarkable talent, both behind and in front of a camera while portraying a positive "blueprint" to the greater Fort Worth/Dalla…
Carrie Caposello: Discovering yourself through the lens 19:51
Describing your photographic vision can be difficult, let alone, defining yourself. Carrie Caposello found photography on the path to self confidence and success within her community outreach and a supportive family. Now, she's a Fort Worth Worth Camera Ambassador and continues to push herself to share messages of life challenges and how to prevail…
Erik Estes: Defining the Photo "Enthusiast" 24:20
Perhaps lost in the continual onslaught of technology and social media, we remind ourselves that the art of creating an image is supposed to be enjoyable. Erik Estes, Fort Worth Camera Ambassador, serves as an example of a craftsman using traditional photography equipment and film, all while producing some of the most gorgeous and intriguing images…
Simon Lopez and the matter of respect 30:11
When it comes to photographing gorgeous models, it all begins with a level of respect towards the subject.Simon Lopez understands this, as himself, one of Fort Worth/Dallas' most respected commercial photographers not to mention a producer of sensuous images that prove that there is far more behind them than sex appeal.…
Dixie Dixon: A Brand Positive 29:16
You don't come to be one of the world's most sought-after fashion photographers without support.Dixie Dixon's professional path has been a trail blazed by God-given talent, a supportive family, tenacity, and overwhelming positivity to all that meet her.Listen to how this self-proclaimed introvert has climbed to the top of the fashion photography in…
Andrea Simon: Style on both sides of the lens 23:10
Fort Worth Camera Ambassador Andi Simon has perhaps one of the best perspectives as a photographer to communicate to a model, as one herself. Her work as a photographer speaks of true skill on multiple camera formats, visionary fashion design and always innovative imagery. Follow Andi's work on Instagram at @andrea.r.simon and be a part of her work…
Trust me...I'm a professional. A chat with Chris Foster 10:44
Where do you get the best advice on how to sell your photography brand to a prospective client? ...Ask an arms dealer.We talk to Major Chris Foster (ret.) and his unique perspective as a part-time professional photographer and full-time professional merchant of defense weapons.His approach to a demanding professional schedule that takes him all acr…
Megan Parks and the time she "Shot J.R." 19:01
Our continued spotlight on local photographers and Fort Worth Camera Ambassadors, shines upon Megan Parks, an established photographer in Parker County, Texas. Listen to her story of how a girl from North Hollywood, with family ties to the movie industry, makes horses, brides, and families look good fabulous!Read about her 2018 Fort Worth Foto Fest…
Photo Burn-out: Keydrin Franklin 18:11
When photography melds with the world of social media, sometimes you need a break. Mr. Franklin discovered what was needed in his photo life in order to maintain composure and clarity.By Fort Worth Camera Radio
Brandon Cunningham & the Human Connection 20:52
Fort Worth Camera is proud to interview Brandon Cunningham! Traveling the world with his camera, his images portray the "human connection" and draw awareness to cultures, across the globe. Join him at the 2018 Fort Worth Foto Fest!You can view Brandon's images on Instagram at @snapjudgementphotoVisit www.fortworthfotofest.comwww.thegivinglens.com…


Lynne Stahl is currently working on her Masters of Library and Information Science at Emporia State University. Stahl holds a Ph.D. from the English Department at Cornell University. Stahl was selected as a fellow in Olin Library's Summer Graduate Fellowship for Digital Humanities in 2013. As part of the fellowship, Stahl created a tutorial for use in teaching a Freshman Writing Seminar.
Teaching first-year writing seminars that incorporated but did not focus exclusively on film, I found myself struggling to equip students with a sufficient critical framework and lexicon to write about film amid time and page constraints. The Digital Humanities Fellowship enabled me to create an interactive, open-access film tutorial on the multimedia platform Scalar, which has served well to introduce my students to film analysis in a more flexible engaging way than traditional textbooks can. I also had the chance to publish a piece related to it through Cinema Journal's Teaching Dossier, which was an unexpected bonus.
In fact, the DH program, the thoroughly wonderful Olin staff who made it possible, and my peers in the program were all a large part of what spurred me to pursue a postdoctoral Master's in Library Science, which is what I'm doing now, along with working in a public library. I realized fairly early on in the PhD program that traditional professorship wasn't for me, but I still wanted to be involved in research, intellectual inquiry, and working with students, so I changed course slightly toward academic librarianship–and I expect that Digital Humanities projects will continue to be a part of my scholarship. Next semester, I'll be starting on an independent study in which I'll create and publish an open access reading guide to Alison Bechdel's 2006 graphic memoir Fun Home, using Scalar's flexible platform to illuminate the meanings and interplay among the numerous literary allusions Bechdel includes throughout the storyline.


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El Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores y Cooperación Internacional (en italiano: Ministero degli affari esteri e della cooperazione internazionale) es el ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores del gobierno de la República de Italia. Es popularmente conocido como Farnesina por su sede en Roma.

Historia
La primera denominación oficial del Ministerio fue la Secretaría del Estado de Asuntos Exteriores del Reino de Cerdeña. El nombre original se deriva del Estatuto albertino que fundó el Ministerio en 1848. La sede original fue el Palazzo della Consulta en Roma, donde permaneció hasta 1922.

La primera reforma significativa fue bajo la dirección del ministro Carlo Sforza, quien reorganizó el Ministerio en torno a bases territoriales. Sin embargo, este sistema fue posteriormente reemplazado durante el régimen fascista de Benito Mussolini. Durante ese tiempo el Ministerio fue alojado en el Palazzo Chigi. Después de un breve período en Bríndisi durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, el presidente de gabinete Pietro Badoglio restauró los servicios completos del ministerio con un decreto ministerial el 15 de julio de 1944.

Desde 1959 el Ministerio ha estado en su actual ubicación en el Palazzo della Farnesina, que junto con la Reggia di Caserta es uno de los edificios más grandes de Italia.

Listado de ministros

Véase también

 Alto representante de la Unión para Asuntos Exteriores y Política de Seguridad
 Relaciones Exteriores de Italia

Referencias

Bibliografía

 Ministero degli affari esteri, Il Ministero degli affari esteri in cifre - Annuario statistico 2011, Roma, 2011.
 Ministero degli affari esteri, Libro bianco 2000. Nuove risposte per un mondo che cambia, Franco Angeli, Milano, 2000.
 Claudia Caggiula e Roberto Benedetti, Il Ministero degli Affari Esteri, La Nuova Italia Scientifica, Roma, 1992.

Enlaces externos
 Sitio web oficial (en italiano y inglés)

Italia
Relaciones internacionales de Italia

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


This MSc programme will enable you to acquire marketing function expertise by capitalising on brand value and innovation in the digital era Marketing is a cross-cutting function at the crossroads of all corporate departments. It is the lifeblood of any organisation and operates as a catalyst and a facilitator by federating customer/consumer knowledge internally. Nowadays customers/consumers are multi-channel connected and very demanding, and they are the major focus of attention of all companies. Brand management, innovation oversight and the introduction of an overall communication policy are key elements of the strategy based on analysis-oriented value creation, strategic design and production, internal or external communication plans and actions for organisations (public or private companies, institutions and associations).


Dex Labs is expanding our team of mobile and web app developers to take on new and exciting projects. Tasked with building frameworks, mobile and web applications and data visualizations for the modern web.
Work closely with the team to translate designs into functional web and mobile apps.
Proficiency in code editor of choice.
Prior experience building mobile apps and rest frameworks.
Prior Experience with React or GraphQL.


Trillian 5.1.0.7 (Beta) 0 out of 5 based on 0 ratings.
You can chat, send files, and even make Skype calls directly within Trillian. In addition, we've polished up the chat history design, exposed the ability to send images on all chat services, upgraded our AIM and ICQ engines, added user streams and other new features to our Twitter engine, and fixed a handful of other minor bugs.
A refreshed chat history design.
The ability to send images on all chat services.
AIM and ICQ plugin updates.
Twitter user streams and other misc new features.
A host of other minor bugfixes and improvements.
Coming soon: Native Skype integration for the Mac!


Using APKPure App to upgrade Kama - South Asian Dating, fast, free and save your internet data.
Kama is a new dating app designed exclusively for savvy and sophisticated South Asians who want a real connection, not another distraction. We know you're smart, busy and ambitious, so why not choose a dating app that supports this goal?
Whether you are Indian, Nepali, Pakistani, Sri-Lankan, Bangladesi, etc. -- Kama provides an easier way for South Asians to connect with people who share a similar lifestyle and beliefs. It's a refreshing escape from apps that are either too generalized and liberal or too conservative (matrimony websites).
Kama is the perfect app for smart and ambitious South Asian millennials who want an equally smart and reliable platform to meet new people and have genuine interactions that evolve into dates, friendship, or love.
*Support contact: hello@gokama.co - please send feedback, questions, ideas!
Copyright © 2016 - Kama Group, Inc.
- Kama is launching "Intros," a premium product. Intros allow you to send a message to prospects along with your "Like." The feature is optional and requires an in-app purchase.


While there are people in society who are born with a million-dollar trust fund to use or a job that pays a skyscraper salary, for many this is not the case. While this is not a prerequisite for a happy or fulfilled life, having that kind of money to hand can be very useful at times. If you are not in this position, your first thought might be to go and see your local bank for financial help. Unfortunately, bank loans are not always open to everyone, especially if you have a poor credit score or debt against your name.
For many people, purchasing a car to drive is not only vital for their daily life but also a big outlay in terms of money. What can you do if you need a new car but don't have the cash to pay for it and the bank aren't willing to loan you any? Far from giving up on the idea, there is another option out there that can help you out.
By far the most relaxed and simplest way to afford that new vehicle if you don't have the cash in your bank is with an auto loan. These are easy to apply for and open to nearly everyone, even if you currently have a bad credit score.
Getting an auto loan means that you can afford to get not only a new car but also one that is better quality and more reliable in the long term. If you are going to get a new vehicle, then it really is worth getting the best that you can to ensure that you save financially overall. Auto loans bring buying that new car into reach for you if your current situation would otherwise prevent it.
Flexible contract terms and loan lengths available.
Choice of variable or fixed interest rates as required.
Lower interest rates as loan is secured against the car that you will be buying.
Deposit from trade-in or via cash can help reduce the loan amount needed.
The ABCs of auto loans are actually pretty simple. You would first apply for the loan itself with a reputable auto loan company. This will be as easy as filling in some paperwork (usually online) and then the company processing it for you. They will do their best to get you an auto loan agreed at the best interest rate, which saves you the hassle of doing so yourself.
Once this has been done, you can move on to the process of finding your dream car. Many companies will also be able to assist with this and help you select your new vehicle as well as sorting out your auto loan. Picking your new car will be as simple as finding the one that you like best online or in person if applicable. This is obviously the most enjoyable bit as you can have a look through the available cars and pick the one that you like best.
After you have chosen your new car, it will be delivered to you at your home when most convenient if ordered online. Of course, if you have gone in person to a showroom to choose your new vehicle, then you can drive it home there and then in all probability.
There can be many things that you might need a car for, from traveling to work to grabbing the groceries or giving the kids a lift around town. For whatever reason you need the convenience, flexibility, and comfort of car ownership, taking the chance to grab an auto loan is an excellent move. Easy to take out and available to you whatever your credit rating score, they will give a smooth route into buying your ideal car and get you on the road as needed.


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The FDA Commissioner Called Teen Vaping An Epidemic And Is Going After Juul. Here's Why
Evie Fordham Politics and Health Care Reporter
November 16, 2018 12:28 PM ET
The FDA says its newly released statistics on teen e-cigarette use show that widespread use of e-cigarettes, like those sold by Juul Labs, is reversing a trend of falling teen tobacco use rates.
Juul took steps to cut its appeal to minors Tuesday, but its critics say the company has already cemented its popularity with teens.
The statistics come as the FDA proposes changes to limit minors' ability to buy Juul in store and online.
More than 3.6 million middle and high school students were current e-cigarette users in 2018, a "dramatic" uptick that ended years of decline in overall youth tobacco use, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration published in a survey Thursday.
The FDA released the e-cigarette portion of its National Youth Tobacco Survey early as it cracks down on tobacco companies like Juul Labs, which the agency accuses of pushing flavored products that appeal to teens and get them hooked on nicotine.
The number of high school students who reported vaping in the previous 30 days — what the FDA defines as "current e-cigarette users" — skyrocketed 78 percent between 2017 and 2018 to 3.05 million, according to the survey. That's roughly 21 percent of high schoolers, according to the FDA.
E-cigarette use among middle schoolers shot up by 48 percent to 570,000, or 4.9 percent of middle school students, during the same time. (RELATED: Juul Temporarily Stops Selling Flavored E-Cigarette Pods As FDA Tries To Limit Underage Usage)
The FDA linked the increases with the prevalence of discreet e-cigarettes like those sold by Juul Labs, which has become a multibillion dollar company since its products first hit markets in 2015. Juul's products are so small students often bring them to class and take hits when teachers aren't looking, reported California Healthline.
A woman holds a Juul e-cigarette in this posed picture, near Jerusalem on Sept. 16, 2018. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
"These products … have a high nicotine content and come in appealing fruit and candy flavors," the FDA stated in a Thursday press release. "The increased popularity of e-cigarettes among youth raises a number of other health concerns: risk of addiction to nicotine early on in life; potential harm from nicotine exposure to the developing adolescent brain; and exposure to chemicals associated with adverse health effects."
After rumors of an FDA crackdown, Juul said Tuesday it is deactivating its Facebook and Instagram accounts, where the company posted photos that made using Juuls seem glamorous and mature, reported MarketWatch.
"Juul's social media marketing fueled its popularity with kids," Caroline Renzulli, a spokeswoman for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, told The New York Times. "Now that it has captured 75 percent of the e-cigarette market, Juul no longer needs to do social media marketing because its young customers are doing it for them."
Searching for Juul's Instagram account Friday pulled up a message that read "Restricted profile: You must be 21 years old or over to see this profile."
Use of e-cigarette products like Juul's or those sold by tobacco companies R.J. Reynolds and Altria have reversed falling rates of middle and high school student tobacco use, according to the FDA. The number of high school students using tobacco products increased by 38 percent to roughly 27 percent in the last year, according to the FDA. The number of middle school students using tobacco products increased by 29 percent to roughly 7 percent in the last year, according to the FDA.
The statistics were published the same day that the FDA released proposals to slash underage e-cigarette use with the announcement of proposals to limit sales of e-cigarette flavors both in store and online.
E-cigarette manufacturers have been quick to point out that their products help adult smokers transition away from traditional cigarettes. Critics of e-cigarettes claim many teens who would not otherwise use tobacco start vaping because of the variety of flavors like creme brulee, mango and even mimosa that cut the harshness of tobacco.
FDA Commissioner-designate Scott Gottlieb testifies during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing on April 5, 2017 at on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Zach Gibson/Getty Images
"We still believe that non-combustible forms of nicotine delivery, such as e-cigarettes, may be less harmful alternatives for currently addicted adult smokers who still seek nicotine," FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in a statement Thursday. "And we want to keep this option open for adults as the evidence develops to inform their use by adult smokers. But as we've said before, we will not allow that opportunity to come at the expense of addicting a whole new generation of kids to nicotine."
E-cigarette giant Juul announced it would temporarily stop selling several flavors of its e-cigarette pods Tuesday after rumors of an announcement from the FDA about the agency's plans to crack down on teen use of the corporation's products and similar devices.
The FDA seized documents from Juul's San Francisco headquarters to look for evidence the company markets to teens on Sept. 28, reported CBS News.
Follow Evie on Twitter @eviefordham.
Send tips to evie@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
Tags : food and drug administration juul scott gottlieb
Evie Fordham
Follow Evie on Twitter @eviefordham. Send tips to evie@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


In this long read, Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform, examines the avoidable errors Britain made during its negotiations with the EU.
In 2018 the British were obsessed with Brexit, but the rest of the EU had much else to worry about. Although the migration crisis abated, EU governments could not agree on how to handle irregular immigration. France's President Emmanuel Macron struggled to convince fellow leaders that the euro would not face a secure future without radical reforms to the way it is managed. Poland and Hungary were in conflict with EU institutions because of their disregard for the rule of law. Russian misbehaviour continued to worry eastern member states, while US President Donald Trump's threat of a trade war caused many of the 27 to fret. Perhaps most alarming of all, the Italians elected a right-wing populist government that seemed set on collision with the EU on issues such as Eurozone spending rules, migration and Russia.
And on top of all that, EU leaders faced the unwelcome distraction of Brexit. They all regret it (some more than others) and they all want the problem out of the way as soon as possible. They now realise that Britain's departure is not quite the existential threat they once feared – no other member state is anywhere near following the UK out.
That realisation may have made parts of the EU too complacent about Brexit. One senior Commission official commented in 2018 that with the British pebble removed from the EU's shoe, the EU could get back to the necessary task of integration. Yet those who see the UK as the principle obstacle to a more federal, united Europe are surely mistaken. The vote for Brexit was simply an extreme and particularly unfortunate example of a phenomenon that stretches across much of the continent. Right-wing, populist forces in many member states – including those in central Europe – are antagonistic to some or all of immigration, trade liberalisation, cross-border financial transfers, supranational rules and the institutions of Brussels.
The excision of the British pebble appears to have created moderate problems for right-wing populists: since the referendum, support for the EU has grown in many parts of Europe, as voters have seen the mess the UK is in. But the fundamental EU-scepticism of many parts of European society remains. And despite the best efforts of Macron, who has found very little support among his fellow leaders, the EU is not making much effort to undertake serious reform.
Indeed, the first major lesson of Brexit is that European integration – in the old sense of grand new treaties that transfer powers to the union – has stopped. From the Single European Act (ratified in 1986) to the Lisbon Treaty (ratified in 2009), five major treaties endowed the EU with substantial new powers. There will probably never be another such treaty. Any new document would have to be ratified by every member-state, with four or five of them certainly resorting to referendums. It is virtually certain that one of the referendums would have a negative outcome. EU leaders know this, which is why, if integration is required – for example to improve the way the Eurozone works – they will resort to small, low-key inter-governmental treaties among the relevant member states. The Eurozone countries have already done this in recent years, with mini-treaties establishing the European Stability Mechanism and the bank resolution fund.
The challenge of anti-EU populism to European integration will wax and wane from year to year, but will remain potent. The May 2019 European elections will remind the EU of populism's strength. The European Commission is undoubtedly right that, in order to tackle the root causes of right-wing populism, the EU needs new powers in areas like Eurozone governance and the handling of immigrants; the EU's poor performance on those issues has boosted support for the likes of Marine Le Pen, Matteo Salvini and Heinz-Christian Strache.
Yet the paradox of European integration is that anti-EU populists will often be strong enough to prevent the steps towards more integration that would undermine support for their own parties. Voters and/or parliamentarians in many member states would be likely to block the transfer of substantial new powers to the EU. Therefore while the EU is a very long way from unravelling, it is likely to soldier on with insufficient means to tackle the many complex challenges it faces.
At the time of writing, in January 2019, the final result of the Brexit process remains unclear. No particular outcome looks likely, but several seem possible: the deal Theresa May negotiated; that deal modified to produce a much softer, Norway-style Brexit; Britain leaving the EU without any deal; or a second referendum, which could lead to the UK remaining a member.
However, two and a half years after Britain's referendum, some lessons of the Brexit process are becoming clear. One is that leaving the EU is like joining it. Countries wanting to join engage in "accession negotiations", but that is a misnomer. The accession process in fact involves the EU imposing its terms on the country concerned. If it does not like those terms it does not have to join. The details can be debated, but not the basic deal that the EU offers. Every country that has joined the EU has put up with this unequal "negotiation" in order to get into the club.
Leaving the EU is a similar process. Once the departing country has set its red lines for the future relationship, the EU decides what kind of deal will work. Then the exiting country has to accept those terms – if it wants a deal, and it will, since leaving without one would be hugely damaging to any state. It is true that the Irish border has made Britain's exit particularly complicated; the Withdrawal Agreement's provisions for Northern Ireland to stay in much of the single market, and for the whole UK to stay in a basic customs union with the EU, would not be relevant to other countries exiting. But any member state leaving would have to accept the EU's strictures on process (the Withdrawal Agreement must come before discussions on future relations); and substance (the departing country must promise to pay the money the EU claims it is owed).
Exiting the EU is a process in which the departing country holds very few cards, except for the money it owes. So Brexit was always going to be an unequal negotiation. But the British have handled their exit particularly badly, thereby exacerbating the weakness of their position, in at least three ways.
In that speech the Prime Minister was trying to curry favour with Tory eurosceptics, especially when she said that "if you believe you are a citizen of the world, you are a citizen of nowhere – you don't understand what citizenship means". For much of her prime ministership, May has made minimal efforts to build bridges with the 48 per cent of Britons who voted Remain, or to the businesses that fear a distant relationship with the EU. But having embarked on the path towards a hard Brexit, she then spent the following two years learning that such a course would be very damaging to the economy; rather late in the day, she sought to change direction towards a softer Brexit. That meant blurring some red lines and provoking supporters of a hard Brexit.
Another tactical error was to send the EU her Article 50 letter, activating the withdrawal process, in March 2017. It is true that she was under pressure from both her eurosceptic backbenchers and from the EU to get a move on. But she sent the letter too soon, because she had no plan for Brexit: she should have waited till she knew what she wanted. And once the letter was sent, the clock started to tick: the UK would automatically leave on 29 March 2019, with or without a deal. The ticking clock put the EU in a very strong position.
The third tactical error was to take so long to work out what she wanted. All through the Brexit talks, the texts that the two sides discussed were EU texts. The UK failed to produce its own proposals, which allowed the EU to set the agenda. When May finally came up with a blueprint for the future relationship, in June 2018 – the so-called Chequers plan and its associated white paper – it was too little, too late to make much impact on the EU. The plan's section on customs (allowing the UK to set its own tariffs at the same time as eliminating border controls between the UK and the EU) was regarded as unworkable by the EU, and many British officials. The provisions that would allow the UK to stay in the single market for goods by aligning with EU rules were more serious; but they failed to take account of EU concerns that the British could distort the level playing field by undercutting continental firms in areas such as social and environmental rules or competition policy. As one EU negotiator put it: "If the UK had produced the Chequers plan a year earlier, and met our concerns about the level playing field, it would have been hard for us to reject it." But coming when it did, in the form it did, the plan was rejected.
The explanation for these tactical errors, of course, was May's fear of upsetting her party's hard-Brexiteers. Especially after she lost her parliamentary majority in the general election of May 2017 – which left her dependent on the votes of Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) – she lacked the authority to take on her right wing. She was painfully slow in developing a Brexit strategy because she could not get her fissiparous party to unite behind a common line – and when she did finally concoct a plan, key ministers such as Boris Johnson and David Davis resigned.
The second reason why the UK was in an especially weak position was that its government was divided – while the EU played a blinder in uniting behind the solid, sober and serious leadership of Michel Barnier, the Commission's chief negotiator. He made a big effort to stay in touch with the 27 capitals – and the European Parliament – and therefore won their confidence. His "Task Force 50", working closely with the Germans and the French, set a firm line, which to the UK was hard and to the EU was principled. Some of the member states had reservations about this line, but they still went along with it. They understood that if they kept together they would achieve more of their objectives. The UK tried hard to work with its "friends" – such as the Dutch, Swedes, Irish and Poles – to soften the EU's stance, but with little success.
In 2018 the EU was disunited on countless issues, but not on how to handle the British. Meanwhile May and her top officials were greatly weakened in the negotiations by the continuing Tory civil war over Europe. Quite often, May would tell her EU partners one thing, her Brexit secretary (David Davis, or later Dominic Raab) would tell them something else and her officials would have a third point of view. To take just one example, in early November Raab said to Ireland's foreign minister that the UK expected the right to pull out of the Irish protocol after three months – contradicting what officials and other ministers were saying. That civil war – and the often crude and thoughtless comments coming out of the mouths of senior politicians and commentators, such as Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt's comparison of the EU and the USSR at the 2018 Tory conference – did a lot to tarnish the UK's reputation and lose it goodwill.
The third reason why the UK weakened its own position in the Brexit talks was the sheer ignorance and incompetence of its political leaders. For most of the time since the referendum, they have failed to level with the British people about the painful trade-offs that Brexit would inevitably entail: if the UK wanted close economic ties with the EU it would have to forego sovereignty, and if it wanted regulatory autonomy it would have to accept barriers to trade with the EU. May eventually understood the trade-offs, but did not explain them to the people. Indeed, for much of the Brexit process she would not accept what experts told her. Late in 2017 she was still saying that the entire future trading relationship could be negotiated before Brexit happened: in fact trade talks will not start until after Brexit, and are likely to take around five years.
The EU did not have a problem with the British officials that it dealt with, but became frustrated with the inability of their political masters to allow them to negotiate. The persistent tendency of UK politicians to make gross factual errors grated. For example, many of them said that trading on WTO terms would not be so bad since that was how the UK traded with the US, ignoring the fact that UK-US trade is facilitated by dozens of US-EU agreements covering areas such as data, aviation, financial services and pharmaceuticals. And then David Davis said that it would not matter if the UK left without a deal, since it could use the transitional period to negotiate a free trade agreement (FTA) with the EU – apparently unaware that, without a deal, there is no transition.
Whatever the result of the Brexit process, the appalling performance of the UK's political class – and in particular the narcissistic Tory psychodrama on Europe – has permanently stained its reputation, and not only in Europe.
Any member state contemplating an exit in future years will pay close attention to the EU's priorities during the Brexit talks. They may be described as the "three Ps" – politics, principles and precedent.
Note that economics was not a priority – a point that many eurosceptics failed to understand this during the Brexit talks. Because the British have always tended to see the rationale of the EU as economic, they assumed that EU leaders would also prioritise future trading ties. Brexiteer ministers assured the British people that the EU would not do anything that could endanger its trade surplus in manufactured goods with the UK. They were wrong.
The most important driver of the EU's response to Brexit was politics. The French and German governments, and others too, saw Brexit as potentially an existential threat. If the British flourished outside the EU, others might think seriously about leaving. "We don't want Marine Le Pen to say, 'Look at the Brits, they are doing just fine, let us join them'," said a French official. Every EU government that had to worry about a powerful eurosceptic movement made this point.
By the end of 2018 the risks of Brexit setting off a chain reaction appeared minimal; arguably the EU had overdone its effort to ensure that departure did not appear to be an agreeable process. Whatever the final outcome, it was evident that Brexit would inflict a degree of economic pain on the UK. But the EU was taking no risks.
The EU also cared deeply about its principles. One of the most important is that the "four freedoms" – free movement of goods, services, people and capital – are indivisible. Thus if Britain wanted free movement of goods – as its Chequers plan proclaimed – it would have to take the other freedoms too. That is why Barnier told the British that they could have a deal modelled on Norway (fully in the single market) or a Canada-style FTA (completely outside the single market), but nothing in between. The EU rejected the Chequers plan for this reason, and others – including fears that the British would distort the level playing field, and that, whatever they said, they would simply refuse to be rule-takers for very long.
The political declaration on the future relationship agreed in December more-or-less sticks to the Barnier approach, though it is so vague that with some effort one can read into it what one wants. The declaration is certainly a rejection of Chequers and it spells out that the British shall not have frictionless trade – a key aim of the Chequers plan – post-Brexit. British officials can claim that that declaration will lead to something between Norway and Canada, if not Chequers.
Another key principle for the EU is that no third country can have as close a relationship with the union as a member, or a quasi-member such as a Schengen country that is outside the EU. This reinforces the EU's point that a state cannot be partially in the single market. More controversially, the EU has also applied this principle to future co-operation with the UK on policing, justice, security, foreign policy and defence – areas where the UK has been surprised to find the EU wanting to keep it at some distance.
A closely related priority for the EU has been to attach great importance to precedent. This may not be entirely unrelated to the fact that many of the key officials on the EU side, notably in the European Commission and the German government, are lawyers. Precedent gave the EU yet another reason to reject the Chequers plan: if the British were allowed into the single market for goods, without free movement of labour, the Swiss would insist on the same deal. (Switzerland currently accepts free movement as the price of participation in the single market for goods, albeit reluctantly.) And if the British could have their cake and eat it, what would stop Italy, say, from insisting that it be excused freedom of movement? As for security, if the British were allowed to participate in EU defence institutions, how could the EU stop a third country such as Turkey requesting the same privilege? The obvious answer is that the EU could simply say no – but that has not made EU leaders less precedent-focused.
The EU has tended to put politics, principle and precedent ahead of pragmatism, and certainly ahead of economics. In some national capitals, particular ministries (such as those responsible for trade, defence or police co-operation) thought the EU's line on Brexit was too hard, but such views made little impact. The member states' input into the Brexit talks was managed on a centralised basis by prime ministers' and presidents' offices; the sectoral interests represented by particular ministries were largely excluded.
Few of the key officials in Brussels or national capitals dealing with Brexit are economists; nor are the important politicians. When one discussed Brexit with them, it was apparent that maximising future trade and investment flows was not a priority. The British expected industrial lobbying to soften the EU's stance, but it did not. National officials, including in Germany, liked to report that business lobbies were pressing them to be tough on the integrity of the single market. "We have been urged not to let the British pick holes in the single market, lest that precedent lead to the whole thing unravelling," said a Berlin official. "Business leaders tell us that the strength and integrity of the single market is much more important than the loss of a bit of trade with the UK." In fact some individual firms, such as Airbus – for which, friction on the UK-EU border will be a major headache – did speak out for a closer future relationship that that envisaged by the EU. They do not appear to have made much impact.
Just as few EU negotiators are economists, very few of them have experience of foreign policy, defence or security issues. Indeed, one lesson of the Brexit process is that the EU does not attach great importance to the geopolitical implications of a country leaving the EU. Macron has said that, with an increasingly threatening geopolitical environment, Europe needs to develop "strategic autonomy"; Chancellor Angela Merkel has added that the EU must take more responsibility for its own security.
Yet without very close collaboration with the UK, post-Brexit, the EU will not be able to fulfil such aims. It is one of only two countries in the EU that has a broad range of defence capabilities, and is willing and able to use them. It has a first-rate diplomatic network, intelligence services that are second to none in Europe, and great expertise in policing and counter-terrorism.
So one might have expected the EU to take a hard line on the future economic relationship, to show that Brexit does not pay, but – out of self-interest – to have been more pragmatic on security. Given that almost nobody in the UK voted to leave because of co-operation on foreign and defence policy, even a eurosceptic Conservative government could be open to pragmatic ways of plugging in the British post-Brexit.
But this has not been the EU's approach. Principle and precedent have dominated its thinking. The UK cannot have as close a relationship to Europol as Denmark, which opts out of police co-operation, because it is a third country. It cannot take part in the European Arrest Warrant since that is only open to member-states. And if the UK was allowed military liaison officers in the EU's defence planning institutions, other third countries would ask for the same privilege. As for the Galileo scheme to build a network of European navigation satellites, the EU says that a third country such as Britain can use the system but cannot be part of the management or gain access to the encryption technology, lest the US asks for the same (the EU talks less about the industrial advantages of excluding UK-based firms from bidding for Galileo contracts).
Many European defence experts and quite a few ministers on the foreign and defence side of EU governments are worried about the British being kept at arm's length. They argue that the EU does need to create unique and bespoke arrangements to plug in the British, because it needs their capabilities. Otherwise, they say, the EU cannot be serious about strategic autonomy.
Yet the political declaration agreed in December reflects little of this thinking. Given the declaration's non-binding and very vague format, however, it is not too late for national governments to push for close ties when the security relationship is negotiated.
Did the EU push the UK too hard in the Brexit talks?
Given that the final outcomes remain unclear, it is far too soon to make a definitive judgement. And in any case, given the abysmal performance of the UK's government and political class, it is hard to criticise the EU's performance; during the two and a -half years since the referendum, the UK has done so little to earn goodwill.
But there are certainly Britons who voted Remain in June 2016 who would probably vote differently in another referendum, because of the perception that the EU has bullied the UK. They don't like the fact that one side has held most of the cards in this negotiation, and they bridle at hauteur of some EU officials. And it is not only Britons who sometimes take exception to the tone of these officials.
Put all this to EU officials, and they respond, of course, that their job is to ensure a smooth Brexit that protects the union's interests; their job is not to nurture British public opinion – especially since that opinion has been so poorly managed by UK politicians, many of whom have repeatedly lied to voters.
British MPs, and not only right-wing Tories, have found it difficult to accept that Northern Ireland should be left – in economic terms – closely aligned with the EU. But once both sides accepted, in December 2017, that for the sake of the peace process there should no border controls between Northern Ireland and the Republic, there had to be an Irish protocol that left Northern Ireland in some kind of regulatory union with the EU.
On the Irish issue, the EU did in fact show flexibility in November 2018. Driven by the desire to avoid customs checks on goods travelling from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, May erased her earlier red line and asked for the whole UK to be in a basic customs union with the EU. At first the EU said no – though if maximising trade with the UK had been a priority, it should have said yes. The EU worried about the legality of putting an arrangement that could end up permanent into a treaty that, according to Article 50, should only cover the process of exiting – and not the future relationship. Furthermore France and several other countries had major worries that, without automatic provisions for the UK to update its social and environmental rules in line with those of the EU, British firms could exploit the customs union to distort the level playing field.
In the end Merkel helped to persuade the 27 to accept May's request, despite its questionable legal basis. May's problem was that, although her customs union reduced the need for controls across the Irish Sea (some would still be necessary, to check for compliance with single market rules) in an unsuccessful attempt to win over the DUP, she alienated her right wing, since FTAs with other countries would be nigh on impossible. Never mind that every serious piece economic analysis, including the government's own, puts the benefits of FTAs with the BRICS countries and the "Anglosphere" as minimal, compared with the costs of leaving the single market and the customs union.
The biggest lesson of the Brexit process is that any effort to leave the EU will turn out to be much more complicated, time-consuming, expensive and damaging than its advocates ever suggested. Even Brexiteers have to admit that the opportunity costs are enormous: the UK's top officials and politicians (not to mention thinkers and journalists) have been focused on Brexit, rather than on the many other serious challenges the country faces – such as the housing shortage, knife-crime, poor infrastructure and a shocking record on productivity.
If any good comes out of the Brexit drama, it may be the inoculation of other European countries against any attempt to leave the union.
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Aged To Perfection – The Rarest Chinese Ingredients
A masterclass in the most potent, albeit rare, Chinese remedies to ailments.
by David Yip / October 25, 2015
[dropcap size=big]W[/dropcap]hen I was growing up, I had a doting amah (domestic helper) from Shunde. She was part of our family for close to 40 years, and was also our unofficial doctor-cum-bomoh (folk healer) who seemed to have a remedy for every ailment.
I remember waking up one morning with my voice a few octaves lower. She immediately diagnosed "heatiness" and made an infusion with water and two aged, salted calamansi. "Drink fast," she ordered. "It will soothe your throat."
15-YEAR-AGED CALAMANSI Traditionally, kumquat is used. But being hard to find in Singapore, the early immigrants used local calamansi instead. Preparing it is simple but laborious and repetitive. The fruit is cleaned and buried in coarse salt that helps to dry it. The steps are repeated for about three months, until the fruit is completely dried out. It is commonly eaten as a tidbit or made into a drink to ease fever and throat irritation.
And it did. She was a jealous guardian of a cache of those calamansi. Once every few years, she would corral the other domestic helpers to scrub and pat-dry a few kilograms of calamansi and bury them in coarse salt. She would fuss over the calamansi for the next few weeks, sunning them, then topping up the salt.
"Aiyoh, we used kumquats back in China, but Singapore can only use calamansi," she would moan. As the fruit dried, turning into "mummies", she packed them into glass jars and stood them in rows.
She would give some away to close, privileged friends, keeping the rest for us, her family. Those calamansi were a precious link to the world she had left behind. As I spent lots of time with her, she taught me cooking, as well as homespun healing methods.
Some foodstuffs, I learnt, were useful to both callings. "Dried tangerine peel is good for minimising strong odours in meat," she would explain, holding a 25-year-old specimen and proceeding to show me how to soak and scrape off its white pith. "Don't use too much. A little will do as aged tangerine peel is strong and expensive," she said.
50-YEAR-AGED TANGERINE PEEL Xinhui, a district in Guangzhou, is known for its dahong gan tangerine, harvested not for its pulp but for its peel. The peel is sun-dried and stored for at least six years before use. The aged peel is believed to be a remedy for sore throat, cough and stomach discomfort. The older the peel, the more effective the cure. It is also great for cooking as its citrus pungency helps to eliminate meat odours.
I was a kid then, and while it would be some time before I learnt the value of money, I instinctively knew to use such ingredients carefully. I credit my dear amah for acquainting me with the concept of the rare, the premium, the artisanal. Later on, I learnt that among the southern Chinese, especially early immigrants from Guangzhou, preserved and cured fruit, vegetables and meat were a common part of the larder.
Apparently, the skills that the southerners picked up from a long history of trading salt and sugar made them experts in curing vegetables and meat for practical and medicinal purposes. This explains why Singaporeans like me, who have southern Chinese roots, grew up eating and liking preserved foodstuffs such as salted vegetables, salted fish and chai poh (preserved radish).
20-YEAR-AGED CHAI POH This is preserved chai poh commonly found in the market, except that it is black and oily because of the long fermentation. The Teochew often use this in stews, soups and omelettes, giving them a unique, addictive muskiness and slightly sour taste. You can't find aged chai poh anymore in Singapore, Hong Kong and even Shantou, so you may have to rely on friends for sources.
Then, when I moved to Hong Kong about 10 years ago, living among some of the most informed and discriminating eaters in the world introduced me to a different level of connoisseurship. I paid attention to quality, when it came to preserved and cured foodstuffs and artisanal products. I noticed year-of-manufacture, grade and provenance. I learnt that some commodities such as premier-quality fish maw and cordyceps were available off the shelf, while others as mundane as artisanal preserved black beans and Pu-erh tea were procured through "networks", or first-hand from growers and manufacturers in outlying villages and towns. Some were affordable, while others were worth more than their weight in gold. There were subtleties and nuances to look out for; and my efforts to explore them took me across Hong Kong and north to China.
AGED INGREDIENTS
The aged tangerine peel is a case in point. Peels above 50 years old are rare. A wellknown food writer-cum-TV personality in Guangzhou and Hong Kong, Philip He, introduced me to a man in China whose family survived the Cultural Revolution by burning all their family land leases.
All his family's valuables were also confiscated or destroyed. Fortunately, the family's trove of dried tangerine peel was left intact as the Red Guards knew nothing about Cantonese culinary habits. "Some were as old as 80-plus-years," he said, handing me a few peels to sniff. They had a mellow, musky fragrance, with a light hint of citrus.
However, the real test was in the cooking. The tangerine peel made a pot of braised beef brisket robust and rich, with the tangerine taste coming through gradually and lingering. Another memorable experience I had was in Puning, a Teochew-speaking county to the south-east of Guangdong province. While chatting with Zhang Xinmin, a leading food journalist and chef in Shantou, the subject of aged chai poh, which I read about in some old recipe book, came up.
Chai poh, or preserved radish, is prepared by stacking it in layers separated by sea salt. A heavy rock is placed on top to squeeze out any liquid, and the radish is rinsed with brine and sunned until it turns golden brown. After this laborious months-long process, the radish is stored in an earthen container. Every autumn, it is taken out to dry, gradually turning charcoal black. Zhang told me aged chai poh was hard to find, even in this area.
The next day, I was visiting Puning on the invitation of a friend I met on Weibo. Huang Jian was a young entrepreneur who owned two chains of restaurants in the city. I raised the subject and he promised to look into it for me. On the last day of my visit, he handed me a bag of aged chai poh and said: "It is impossible to find, so my mum is giving hers to you." Apparently, that aged chai poh had been prepared by his mother some 20 years before.
On another trip, this time to a Ming-period village in Chaozhou, I came across a house where an old man was sunning his preserved chayote in the courtyard. I was curious and asked about the fruit. He explained: "The fruit comes in two shapes. The finger-shaped ones are called zhi foshu or Buddha's fingers; the fist-shaped ones are called quan foshu or Buddha's fist."
15-YEAR-OLD PRESERVED CHAYOTE Another preserved fruit that is almost impossible to find in the market, this is cured in medicinal herbs and honey repeatedly, until it turns charcoal black. Most Teochew seniors would cut a small piece and brew it in piping hot water to ease discomfort in humid weather.
He told me that preserved chayote is a home remedy for coughs and mouth ulcers. "They are known as lao xiang huang, and the longer they are aged, the higher their medicinal value. I preserved these when my grandson was born and he's 15 now."
ARTISANAL INGREDIENTS
During my stay in Hong Kong, one of the hottest food collectibles was soya crystal, obtained from the fermentation of soya sauce in urns under the hot sun, as the liquid content evaporates, leaving hardened crystals behind. These concentrated crystals have a robust and intense flavour, and are available only at soya factories that still use the traditional way of manufacture.
SOYA CRYSTALS These are formed during the fermentation of soya sauce. They are pure soya with zero liquid content. Cottage industries like soya manufacturers are dwindling in Asia, and of these, only a handful produce soya crystals. The quality of the soya sauce is important, so I normally buy mine from Kowloon Soy or Dai Zai in Hong Kong. As they are not displayed, ask the sales staff for them.
One cottage-style factory in Hong Kong known to connoisseurs is Dai Zai Jiangyou. The limited "harvests" of soya sauce the factory produces are often reserved by regular customers, and soya crystals are even more limited. Crushing them into powder and sprinkling it on steamed fish or grilled steaks guarantees a sublime umami sensation.
On one of my many trips to Panyu, a rural district in Guangzhou, in search of good food, my companion told me li yunzi was in season. I was excited because I had never heard of, or eaten, li yunzi, which is mangrove crab roe. The roe is found beneath the crab's carapace and collected only once a year during mating season. As the crabs are only about 3cm in size, collecting a sizable amount of roe is extremely tedious. Wastage is high, too. Five kilograms yields only 50g of roe, due to the need to sieve out impurities. However, the taste is heavenly and robust, filling the mouth and lingering even after the meal.
LI YUNZI The roe from mangrove crabs is available only for a very short period during Chinese New Year as it doesn't keep well. It is laborious to harvest and prepare, and only a few restaurants in Guangzhou offer this delicacy during early spring. Every year, I reserve mine through Yao Ji Fandian, a tiny restaurant in Panyu. Each bottle weighs 200g and costs around $350. It is best served with tofu, plain rice or even eggs, where the main player on the plate remains the roe.
An interesting aside: I made many of my best foodie friends through Weibo, where I regularly write about and discuss food. These friends have become my "teachers", as well as "informers" on rare and artisanal ingredients. I remember writing about nian gao (glutinous rice cake) on Weibo two years ago and receiving a response from a man. His village in Hainan would harvest sugar cane just for making this Chinese New Year snack, he told me. They would press sugar cane, collect the juice and boil it until it caramelised. He gave me his village's recipe, and the nian gao I made from it was far more fragrant and robust in flavour than others.
It's a cliche, but, when it comes to food, it's the thought that counts – sincere thoughts, kind intentions and the effort invested. I remember my amah collecting orange and tangerine peels after the Chinese New Year festivities and even from our daily meals. She would wash, dry and set them aside. The peels were "too young and too citrusy to eat", she used to say, so she boiled them and kept the water for the final rinse of my bed linens and bath towels. "The scent will help you sleep," she said.
Aromatherapy before it became trendy? Indeed.


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An Interview between Scout Toronto and Seeking Ceremony co-founder Kate Love
by Jess K June 08, 2020
Due to COVID-19, we are living in a unique time, trying our best to adapt and figure out how to connect with our communities and loved ones while practicing social distancing. Along with these shifts comes the challenge of finding new ways to hold space for ourselves and what we're feeling. How are you processing this time? When was the last time you checked-in with yourself? What does it look like to grieve, spark joy, or imagine the future during this time of uncertainty? Traditionally, we attach the idea of ceremony to events like birthdays and anniversaries, but what about the moments of light and dark that deeply impact us but slip away unacknowledged?
In this unprecedented time, the idea of ritual has taken on a whole new meaning, so we turned to an expert to explore this topic. We spoke to Kate Love, a life & loss coach and co-founder of a platform called Seeking Ceremony, via email for her expertise on ceremony as a doorway to healing and deeper connection. Inspired by her own journey through life's ebb and flow, her work invites us to pause and create an intentional practice around honouring all moments of life and the human experience. We are humbled by Kate's vulnerability in this conversation and hope that this functions as an uplifting reminder of our ability to create and shape sacred space in our everyday lives.
Meet Kate Love
Jessica: How would you describe Seeking Ceremony? And what inspires you to do this work?
Kate: Seeking Ceremony is a love story between two friends. We were university roommates in Montreal, then we returned to our respective coasts. After years of being on either side of the country, supporting each other through all the vicissitudes of life, we shared an unspoken way of coping with these ups and downs using ceremony.
We launched Seeking Ceremony last year. Our shared vision is to use our platform to offer our story-inspired ceremonies, workshops and retreats for the light and dark moments of life, and to continue to build our community of ceremony-curious seekers alongside us.
I lost my mom in 2016. I found myself grappling with how to move through grief and loss in a way that honoured my Great Love. I found solace in ceremony, in creating ways of connecting to my mom and setting aside time to feel the feelings of the impact of becoming a motherless mother. I explored the concept of legacy and how to keep meaningful teachings my mom imparted as part of my daily life.
By doing so, I realized how naturally my kids gravitate to the world of ceremony, curiosity and wonder, which inspires me to build more family ceremony and tradition. Once my lens was attuned to ceremony, I found it everywhere in my life.
Photo credit: Megan Sheldon of Seeking Ceremony
J: What is the most joyful aspect of what you do?
K: The most joyful aspect of what I do is connecting: especially during this socially isolated time, I've started putting my own story and experiences out into the world with more abandon and less self-editing. Hearing from friends, family and strangers how my own experiences resonate or differ from them, has brought joy, validation and even more love into my life.
J: In this time of collective uncertainty, I am curious about how Seeking Ceremony has adapted. Have current events altered your definition of ceremony? How are you creating space for the work in our current world?
K: The current climate has absolutely elevated my own daily ceremony practice, from something I tried to do consistently, to becoming an anchor for my day and for my internal world. I never thought I'd be the person to wake up before my family, and claim that first hour of the day as mine. But here I am, almost every day, carving out space to practice a few non-negotiable ritual ingredients, plus trying out a few more here and there, to add to my daily ceremony.
With so many celebrations and rites of passage happening online, it's an interesting time to be exploring ceremony. From holding surprise birthday parties, to high school graduations, to life and death and everything in between, it's an ever-changing landscape right now. Whether it's sharing the same cup of tea or lighting a candle in our respective places, we are trying to bring the virtual ceremonies into the physical realm, to connect us beyond the screen.
My partner, Megan, in BC is exploring how to bring meaning and ceremony into the virtual space. She's working with an amazing woman, Christina at New Narrative Memorials, to explore how ceremony can enrich and support online events, like weddings and funerals. She has also explored virtual blessingways/baby showers. The ideas and creativity that I see coming into the virtual space has been incredible to witness. People are resilient and nimble.
Photo credit: Felicia Chang Photography
J: Ceremony as a form of healing has become a necessary belief. What hopes and dreams do you have for people who are seeking deep connection and community during this time?
K: I hope and dream that people will find the right ingredients to create ceremonies that express their story. When it comes to daily ceremony, I think of it as a way to honour myself, just as I am.
For this, there are so many incredible tools at our disposal, from burning/releasing practices, to decks of cards (most of mine from Scout!), to movement and grounding, to being in nature, to sensory experiences like hot tea, candles, oils, etc. And there are also the tools that are experiential that we can harness: expressing gratitude, sitting with feelings, processing emotions, finding quiet, saying no, articulating boundaries, speaking your truth.
There are an abundance of rituals, and sometimes it takes trying a few out to sort them and find the ones that speak to you and feel meaningful.
J: What advice would you give to someone who is interested in incorporating ritual in their everyday life?
K: Consistency. Find a time of day that works for you and try to carve out as little as a few minutes.
Start small. Find what you connect to. Keep it accessible, and meaningful to you. I try to steer people away from the "shoulds" of self-care and daily ceremony, and to find things that work for them, that they connect to, and which don't appropriate culture that doesn't belong to them.
Repeat. We believe that flexing the muscle of ceremony is key, which is what we do by practicing and repeating and adapting our ceremony. Then when we come across challenges (death, loss, disappointment), we've already been practicing and have the built in muscle memory to access practices to support us to process and heal.
At this time in history, it is even more relevant for us to be reflecting, finding stillness and nourishing ourselves so we can continue the work of dismantling oppressive systems and anti-racist action. The rituals and practices that have supported us play a critical role in keeping us engaged long term, as active participants in change.
Photo credit: Seeking Ceremony (Facebook post)
Since running this article Kate & Megan from Seeking Ceremony have done some more introspection and learning around the meaning behind ceremony. Click here to read about how they are sitting with the question of how they talk about ceremony as white settlers to ensure they do no harm.
You can learn more about Seeking Ceremony online at www.seekingceremony.com, or follow them @seekingceremony to keep up with their journey.
Jess K
Jess is a pug-loving Toronto based writer, currently studying English literature. She joined the Scout team last August and enjoys spending time learning about how different artists and makers express themselves through their unique crafts.
Leah's 2020 Picks
by Leah Eyles January 14, 2021
Leah Eyles (she/her), owner and buyer of Scout in Toronto, shares her favourite books, shows, podcasts, explorations, and communities from 2020.
Embracing the Holidays During the Pandemic
by Jess K December 19, 2020
This year has brought its own set of challenges on a universal scale, meaning that many of us have had to find new ways of embracing the holidays during the pandemic. Join us as we contemplate different ways of appreciating and enjoying the season with open arms and a sensitivity to these ever-changing times.
Locally-Sourced Gifts for Everyone on Your List
This holiday season, we want you to focus on staying safe and balanced as we navigate the circumstances of the times. Join us as we share our Christmas gift guide and try to help you get your shopping done early by making slow, intentional and locally sourced purchases that are certain to warm the hearts of everyone on your list.


text:
Conversations (12)
Rockbound
by Frank Parker Day
Members Reviews Popularity Average rating Mentions
214 11 82,594 (3.79) 12
Recently added by RobtCM, lit_chick, conantl, Rdra1962, Yak_Litsy, Didici, merelybookish, Siubhan
Top Five Books of 2016 (313)
Canada Reads Winners and Nominees (56)
CBC's Great Canadian Reading List (74)
» See also 12 mentions
Showing 1-5 of 11 (next | show all)
Such a lovely book! Really should be a classic, and I'm glad it was resurrected by U of T and Canada Reads. It follows a basic plot structure, one main likeable protagonist, some not completely evil 'villains,' drama and a bit of romance. Actually, literarily (Shakespearean) speaking, it is a romance because the devil intercedes at one point.
David is a young man with a good work ethic who strives to reclaim his land on a island, Rockbound. There are two feuding families on the island and a local lighthouse. The dialogue is written in dialect, which makes the characters so much more real.
(small spoiler alert)
I just really enjoyed it -- David perseveres and nothing absolutely horrible happens to him, the ending is "happy" (which I normally hate) and loose ends are nicely tied up. It's just a cute little story. ( )
LDVoorberg | Dec 3, 2017 |
Initially it took me a few pages to get into the dialect. After that I thought it was a thoroughly enjoyable read taking one into the harsh life of an east cost fisherman and his struggle to create a his place in this world. Definitely a goodread for this struggling author. ( )
paulhock | Oct 17, 2017 |
I love CanLit. It's one of my favourite genres, and I am so proud of our numerous very talented authors in this country. This book is a classic and a fitting winner of the Canada Reads award. The book was written in 1928 by Frank Parker Day, who was born in Nova Scotia. He was schooled in Oxford and in Berlin and came back to North America at the beginning of the Great War. He taught in the States for a while, but came back to Cape Breton to live out the rest of his life. All of Day's experiences with Canadians and the extremely brutal life of Canadian fishermen are honestly and empathicaly portrayed in this dark and savage novel. Yet even in the darkness and within the unrelenting work of the people who live on Rockbound island, we see human warmth, compassion and even love. The colloquialisms and the speech patterns from this era, which is pre-WWI, are true to form. They do make for some difficulty following conversations between characters, but I found if I took the time, I could easily figure them out. For example sentences like "Nair a one o' de Rockbound Jungs could do dat." are peppered throughout the book. This speech pattern makes the story more realistic then normal sentences and words would. Life on Rockbound is hard. It's a small island in the Atlantic which is isolated for many months of the year either due to bad storms or winter ice. The people on Rockbound are farmers and fishermen and they all pitch in and work very hard in order to keep food on the table and the wolf from the door. Rockbound breeds a strong, resilient people who will meet any challenge head on. The story and the people of Rockbound will remain with me for a long time. This is a well-deserved winner of the Canada Reads prize. I have always loved stories of the sea and of sea tragedies. The true people of the sea are brave, resourceful and very philosophic about life and death. That comes through very strongly in this book. ( )
Romonko | Aug 18, 2016 |
originally published in 1928, 'rockbound' never made much of a splash with book sales, but the novel crops up in CanLit courses across the country. in 2005, the novel was included in Canada Reads - and ended up winning. this was cool because it brought a whole new audience to the book!
set on an island off nova scotia's south shore, the story well depicts the hardships of rural and fishing life, and the challenges of a community almost completely connected as family. the settings are evocative and the characters are interesting. this book is an important part of the canadian canon, and representative of one sort of an Atlantic way of life. but (sorry!), i just didn't find much emotion in the story (for all of the very emotional situations that occurred). it felt a bit simplistic at times, and was too tidy at the end.
i am glad i finally had a chance to read this book. i wish i liked it a lot more than i did (to clarify: i liked it. i didn't love it). ( )
Booktrovert | Jun 6, 2016 |
On a remote island off the southern shore of Novia Scotia, young David ventures to claim a piece of land that is his by inheritance. It's difficult at first to make his livelihood and gain acceptance among the islanders. The community is mostly comprised of two families that are in constant friction. The harsh conditions and rough work make tough men, who are proud of their strength and skill. It was really intriguing reading not only the details about how fishermen make their living, but also the politics on the island, the gossiping and vying for power, the prevalence of ghost stories and superstitions. David's friend becomes keeper of the lighthouse on a small, even lonelier island and it was interesting to read about the work involved in tending the lighthouse and ingeniously fixing it up when things broke and no supply ships could get in because of the weather. There's also a love story, acts of forgiveness and revenge, and a picture of how life on the island evolved over time. Machinery replacing some of the work done by cattle, women eventually getting to vote and choose their husbands instead of always being ruled by the men. I even liked the details about managing the land- how the barren rock and thin topsoil was turned into rich gardens by composting with sea wrack- that appealed to the gardener in me! Through it all there's the admirable character of David. He takes his hard knocks and comes through it. He survives shipwreck and debilitating injury, he doesn't stand in his best friends' way when they desire the same future.... I almost didn't get into this book because at first the dialogue written in local slang really threw me off, but before long I got used to it and was caught up in the narrative.
The afterword by Gwendolyn Davies is pretty interesting- it tells about the author's life and research, how the book was first published and its initially poor reception. Apparently the author had visited the fishing community on an island called Ironbound, to learn about the local culture. The inhabitants were offended when the book was finally published- though called fictional, they said it portrayed them in a bad light as being ignorant and crude. The book met strong disfavor and was out of print for over forty years, finally being reprinted in 1973.
more at the Dogear Diary ( )
jeane | Mar 7, 2015 |
» Add other authors (1 possible)
Newfoundland, Canada
Canada Reads (Winner, 2005)
Atlantic Canada's 100 Greatest Books (No 10)
Wikipedia in English (1)
East Ironbound
To the harsh domain of Rockbound -- governed by the sternly righteous and rapacious Uriah Jung --comes the youthful David Jung to claim his small share of the island. Filled with dreamy optimism and a love for the unspoken promises of the night sky, David tries to find his way in a narrow, unforgiving, and controlled world. His conflicts are both internal and external, locking him in an unceasing struggle for survival; sometimes the sea is his enemy, sometimes his own rude behavior, sometimes his best friend Gershom Born, sometimes his secret love for the island teacher Mary Dauphiny; but always, inevitably, his Jung relatives and their manifold ambitions for money and power. The balance of life on Rockbound is precarious and thus fiercely guarded by all who inhabit its lonely domain, but just as a sudden change in the direction of the wind can lead to certain peril at sea, so too can the sudden change in the direction of a man's heart lead to a danger altogether unknown. Enormously evocative of the power, terror, and dramatic beauty of the Atlantic sea, and unrelenting in its portrait of back-breaking labour, cunning bitterness, and family strife, Rockbound is a story of many passions-love, pride, greed, and yearning -- all formed and buffeted on a small island by an unyielding wind and the rocky landscape of the human spirit. Canada Reads 2005 Winner! In a David and Goliath style battle to the finish, Rockbound by Frank Parker Day triumphed over Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood and was declared the 2005 Canada Reads winner. In a series of debates that aired on the CBC in February, panelist Donna Morrissey, author of Kit's Law and Downhill Chance, passionately championed this 1928 novel about life and nature on the small maritime island of Rockbound. The victory has brought this Atlantic Province favourite back into the limelight and is receiving nationwide attention, appearing on several bestseller lists across the country. After its initial publication, Rockbound remained in out of print status until 1973, when the University of Toronto Press acquired the rights to publish as part of their "Literature of Canada Prose and Poetry in Reprint" series. It was reprinted with an introduction by Allan Bevan of Dalhousie University's English Department. In 1989, Gerald Hallowell, an editor with the University of Toronto Press, rescued Rockbound from the backlist of the UTP catalogue. The book was reprinted with an afterword by Gwendolyn Davies, Dean of Graduate Studies and Associate Vice-President (Research) at the University of New Brunswick. UTP had been selling around 200 copies of the book per year, until Donna Morrissey selected it for the Canada Reads debates. Since then, UTP has sold over 35,000 copies and it has been reprinted three times! The University of Toronto Press would like to thank Donna Morrissey for her superb defense of the book and all of the people at the CBC for their support and encouragement.… (more)
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text:
namespace leveldb {

class PosixLogger : public Logger {
 private:
  PosixLogger(const PosixLogger&);
  PosixLogger& operator = (const PosixLogger&);
  FILE* file_;
  uint64_t (*gettid_)();  // Return the thread id for the current thread
 public:
  PosixLogger(FILE* f, uint64_t (*gettid)()) : file_(f), gettid_(gettid) { }
  virtual ~PosixLogger() {
    fclose(file_);
  }
  virtual void Logv(const char* format, va_list ap) {
    const uint64_t thread_id = (*gettid_)();

    // We try twice: the first time with a fixed-size stack allocated buffer,
    // and the second time with a much larger dynamically allocated buffer.
    char buffer[500];
    for (int iter = 0; iter < 2; iter++) {
      char* base;
      int bufsize;
      if (iter == 0) {
        bufsize = sizeof(buffer);
        base = buffer;
      } else {
        bufsize = 30000;
        base = new char[bufsize];
      }
      char* p = base;
      char* limit = base + bufsize;

      struct timeval now_tv;
      gettimeofday(&now_tv, NULL);
      const time_t seconds = now_tv.tv_sec;
      struct tm t;
      localtime_r(&seconds, &t);
      p += snprintf(p, limit - p,
                    "%04d/%02d/%02d-%02d:%02d:%02d.%06d %llx ",
                    t.tm_year + 1900,
                    t.tm_mon + 1,
                    t.tm_mday,
                    t.tm_hour,
                    t.tm_min,
                    t.tm_sec,
                    static_cast<int>(now_tv.tv_usec),
                    static_cast<long long unsigned int>(thread_id));

      // Print the message
      if (p < limit) {
        va_list backup_ap;
        va_copy(backup_ap, ap);
        p += vsnprintf(p, limit - p, format, backup_ap);
        va_end(backup_ap);
      }

      // Truncate to available space if necessary
      if (p >= limit) {
        if (iter == 0) {
          continue;       // Try again with larger buffer
        } else {
          p = limit - 1;
        }
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      // Add newline if necessary
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        *p++ = '\n';
      }

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      fwrite(base, 1, p - base, file_);
      fflush(file_);
      if (base != buffer) {
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    }
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};

}  // namespace leveldb

#pragma GCC diagnostic pop

#endif  // STORAGE_LEVELDB_UTIL_POSIX_LOGGER_H_

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
The Moroccan Sahara includes Saguiet el Hamra to the north and Oued el Dahab (Rio de Oro) to the south. The total land area of the Sahara is 266 000 km square, between the 20th and 30th parallel crossed by the Tropic. It is bordered to the north by Massa Darâa, to the east by Algeria, to the south by Mauritania and to the west by the Atlantic.
Most of the reliefs are plains and some table lands which rarely reach 400 metres height. Generally, we can divide the Sahara into three different zones: north-eastern part, from Al Atlas ranges to Zemmour hills, is a rocky desert (hmada) with steep mountains and hilly relief. Water is rare except some wells which makes life so difficult.
The second zone or river zone is located between Oued Draa to the north and Jat to the west. Rivers are some depressions where water flows during the short raining seasons (mainly in fall). These waters are evaporated because of the hot weather and never reach the sea.
The region is named after Saguiet el Hamra river, one of the most important rivers in this zone. At the river's banks and bed there is enough vegetation for cattle breeding.
The third zone is Rio de Oro at the center of the Sahara. It is made of table lands and monotonies called "ergs" and sand dunes. The land is so permeable and cannot keep fall rain waters and so flat to allow water streaming. Water is accumulated underground; therefore, the region contains many wells.
The landscape is quite monotonous inside and at the coast. This monotony ends at Dakhla and Guera peninsulas (ex-Villa Cisneros). This is a continental climate, arid inside with very cold and hard winters and hot summers (temperature may reach 60° Celsius in shadow) and humid at the coast where we find fog, mist and dew.
Rain is scarce both at the coast and inside. Only 45 millimetres per year fall on Dakhla. Coast humidity generates abundant and rich flora. Inside we find the flora typical for steppes and desert: acacias throughout rivers, bushes in sandy depressions. Large lands are totally deprived from vegetation and water.


text:
Home News Study reveals in-person service essential in creating smart homes
Study reveals in-person service essential in creating smart homes
Business support systems specialist CSG International has published the results of its latest market survey, showing that consumers want customer service when it comes to connecting up their smart homes.
CSG's survey, entitled The Future of the Digital Experience: Connected Service Edition, asked 2,000 consumers in five countries about their preferences when connecting home automation and smart devices.
Consumers from the US, Mexico, Brazil, Australia and Malaysia were polled in the study, with most of them using cable, satellite television and paid television services regularly.
Conducted through an (unnamed) independent research firm, the results paint an interesting picture of the future of connected homes. In particular, the study finds that consumers expect in-person support from technicians, as well as online.
Read more: Survey: UK consumers wary of smart home products
The human touch
Overall, consumers seem to be more comfortable dealing with specialists who understand how these technologies work and how they can get the most out of them, than they do on relying on their own resources.
Almost half (49 percent) of respondents said they're likely to connect home and security monitoring devices within the next three years, with home automation devices following closely behind, cited by 48 percent.
The participants revealed that they expect help with both simple and complex connections. More than two-thirds (67 percent) said they're not confident enough to install complex solutions on their own.
Meanwhile, only 44 percent said they are somewhat confident about completing simple, single-device installations, and 84 percent would seek support from a technical resource when connecting between two and five devices.
Connected technology companies should have good software and a reputation for good service if they're to attract the attention of consumers, and personal interaction will continue to be an important factor.
Read more: Smart home device metadata offers hackers insight into residents' habits
Putting customers first
As far as customer support is concerned, 74 percent of consumers prefer to speak to technicians over phone calls, and 58 percent said customer reputation is an important factor when choosing a technical provider.
Consumers also place a heavy emphasis on the availability of Pay TV field technicians – 89 percent of respondents said they'd choose a Pay TV service if the company also provided smart home connection support.
"Survey respondents have predicted that professional, technical resources will play a significant role in bridging the gap between consumers and the world of devices around us," said Chad Dunavant, vice president of product management at CSG International.
"CSG's Workforce Express enables a mobile workforce of 65,000 of the Pay TV industry's field technicians who are already receiving service requests for smart devices such as TVs, phones and home security. There is a clear opportunity for Pay TV providers to evolve the skills of their field service technicians to capitalise on the growing consumer-based IoT market," he added.
Read more: Cyber amateurs protect smart home from real-time invasion
Transformative tech
Dr Kevin Curran, senior member of the IEEE and professor of computer science at the University of Ulster, maintains that IoT will transform the way consumers interact with the world around them.
"The Internet of Things [IoT] will offer the ability for consumers to interact with nearly every appliance and device they own. For example, a refrigerator could let the consumer know when the milk is low or a dishwasher can inform it's owner when it is ready to be emptied," he said.
"It is entirely possible that consumers will be getting more text messages from their devices than human beings in the near future. We are seeing elements of the IoT in the marketplace already, with home automation having a strong consumer pull, from controlling the lights and temperature to closing the garage door while away from the home."
smart home technology
Nicholas Fearn


Roofline is an area which is often over looked when thinking about house renovation but it really does add that finishing touch to a home, whilst providing a total low maintenance solution that requires no annual painting.
Available in a number of finishes, including White, Antique, Oak, Mahogany and Rosewood, it's easy to find a style that will match your existing or new PVC-U Windows, Doors and Conservatory.
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Any rotten rafters or gable ends will be cut out and replaced before being covered over with new UPVC and we will take the time to replace the felt to the first tile batten for UPVC as existing felt can rot where its been exposed for years.
Just like our PVCU Windows, Doors and Conservatories, all our Roofline products are fully guaranteed for ten years for total peace of mind.


In the fall, plants stop sending water and minerals up to the leaves. Instead, they will use these nutrients to increase root mass, and to store up food for the winter as well. The changing of the color and dropping of leaves accompanies this phase of the growth cycle. By fertilizing at this time of the year, you allow the shrubs and trees to store up food as it sees fit for next year's growth. We call this a dormant feeding, since above ground growth has stopped. But underground these plants are not dormant at all. The roots are very active (until the ground freezes) and will grab the fertilizer quickly. You can apply fertilizer much heavier at this stage without fear of leaf burn or flower drop.
One of our favorite All-Purpose fertilizers for shrubs and trees is our 10-8-8 Bio-Enhanced Liquid Fertilizer. This contains all the basic nutrients and is good for flowering and non-flowering plants and trees alike. If you are fertilizing mostly evergreens or non-flowering trees or plants you could also use our All-In-One for LAWNS (a 14-3-7 fertilizer) if you have some extra to spare. The beneficial root fungus (mycorrhizae) in All-In-One for LAWNS is especially great for shrubs and trees this time of year.
Here is a good illustration of where to water, which is the same as where you would want to fertilize a tree.
Make sure to fertilize both inside as well as slightly beyond the drip line, or canopy line, of dense shrubs or trees. There are a lot of feeder roots there. But do not soak the area right near the trunk of a tree. It can cause rot, and there are no feeder roots in that area anyway.
Note: do not fertilize at the rates below if the soil is dry. Either wait for a rain, water beforehand, or cut the amount per gallon in half to dilute the fertilizer concentration.
For Shrubs: Drench the soil around the root area with 4-5 oz liquid fertilizer per average size shrub (approximately a 2½ foot diameter plant). Increase amount proportionately for larger plants and decrease for smaller plants. We recommend using a hose-end sprayer set at 4-6 oz per gallon of water or use a watering can at the same rate.If fertilizing beds of plants close together where roots are going to be mingled, apply 2- 3 quarts per 1000 sf of bed.
For Trees: Use 4 oz liquid fertilizer for every inch of diameter of trunk at chest height. If some of the roots are under driveways or walks, or trees are close to buildings then apply heavier to the areas that can be treated, perhaps 6 oz per inch of diameter. Water in for a few minutes if fertilizing over a lawn area.
Hint: Add some Aerify PLUS or Nature's Magic to your liquid fertilizer to help improve the soil while fertilizing. If you have any questions at all, just email us, and we would be happy to help!