Common buckthorn is a non-native, invasive buckthorn species found in Minnesota. The species was introduced to Minnesota from Europe in the mid-1800's as a popular landscaping shrub. But over time, it became a nuisance plant forming dense thickets in forests, yards, parks, and roadsides. Although innocent in appearance, buckthorn can take over and crowd out native plants, shrubs, and trees in the mid-layer of the forest where many species of birds nest. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture lists buckthorn as a restricted noxious weed, meaning that the sale, transport, or movement of this plant is prohibited.
Buckthorn is most identifiable in the late fall when most plants are changing colors and browning. Buckthorn will remain green for a longer period of time and is easily confused with dogwoods, plums, and cherries.
10-25 feet tall, oval form, upright and frequently multi-stem.
Dry to moist areas such as woodlands, savannas, abandoned fields, prairies, and roadsides. It is a hardy shrub and can survive drought conditions.
The bark is flaky and upon tearing it back, an orange inner tissue will be revealed called the heartwood.
Leaves are arranged alternately and bear an oval shape with a tipped end. They have finely toothed edges and are dark green in color. Buckthorn will leaf out in early spring and hold their leaves until late fall. The leaves are high in nitrogen and calcium making them attractive to decomposers like earthworms. When decomposers consume these leaves, the soil chemistry is changed and attracts other weedy species.
Hidden where the leaf meets the twig, the buckthorn flower is small, yellow-green in color, four petals that are produced in May or June.
The fruit is round, green (unripe) to black (ripe) ¼ inch berries that are arranged in clusters.
The fruit contains a yellow dye and is rich in protein. Oils from the seeds are used for making printer ink, soap, and lubricating oil.
Buckthorn does not have any specific predators. In fact, most animals stay away from the plant. On occasion, birds will eat buckthorn berries which produce a laxative effect which makes the birds sick and can even result in death. Because of this, the birds end up spreading seeds when they consume buckthorn berries, propagating the growth of the plant.
By consuming many of the nutrients, sunlight, and moisture, Buckthorn moves in and squeezes out native plants. This makes it difficult for new growth to take place under dense vegetation. As plants diminish, diversity does as well making it difficult for other living things to survive. Unable to meet their basic needs, plants and animals will vacate these areas. Buckthorn also contributes to erosion by out-competing plants on the forest floor that helps hold soil in place. And there are no "natural controls" for buckthorn as no known insects or disease exist that would curb its growth.
The best way to get rid of Buckthorn is to remove the tree all the way down to its roots and then set the removed pieces on fire. Fire is one of the ways that can truly dispose of the tree and keep it from regrowing. Fire offers a long-term option in large areas and burning will need to take place every two or three years to fully eradicate an area of buckthorn.
Buckthorn can be removed by cutting the stem at the soil surface and then treating the stump with glyphosate and spraying a triclopyr/oil diluent mix around the stem. This method can harm surrounding trees and can be cost-efficient. The best time to treat the stumps is within two hours after cutting. And if chemicals are used, they should be applied during late summer and throughout the fall.
Smaller buckthorn plants can be removed by hand. Various hand tools, such as a root talon, can easily pull the shrub out. This process does disturb the soil and is not recommended on sensitive sites or steep slopes.
The easiest route is to have professional arborists from Precision Landscape and Tree remove the buckthorn. They are equipped with the proper tools and chemicals to attack this noxious weed. And, they have the knowledge to address buckthorn on an annual basis as follow-up is necessary.
With any method, follow-up is critical as buckthorn seeds can remain viable in the soil for up to five years. Control of emerging seedlings after initial efforts is important and failure to follow-up will almost ensure that buckthorn will return. It is best to leave the noxious weeds on-site to prevent seed spread. But if the material must be moved, contact a yard waste facility to see if they accept noxious weeds. Although the transport of buckthorn is prohibited, it is allowed for the purpose of disposal. The management of areas affected by buckthorn is an ongoing process. Removing it, disposing it, and annual follow-ups can be time-consuming. But once buckthorn is removed it will benefit the environment, provide opportunities for new wildlife habitat, redesign the landscape, and beautify an area.


text:
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We expect these retreats to be a GO!
And, in the unlikely event that Costa Rica closes its borders to US travelers prior to our scheduled departure dates because of the pandemic…
We got you!
We will have alternative travel dates in February 2024 (and your deposit and any funds paid will automatically be rolled over to the new dates). A final decision will be made no later than 21 days prior to departure. If you want to OPT OUT of the automatic rollover and receive a refund, you must let Julie know by email within 14 days of notification of the change in trip dates.
ADVENTURE RETREAT:
Payment in full must be received before December 28, 2022. Except as set forth above, any cancellation will result in a total loss of the $1000.00 deposit. All cancellations must be in writing. Any cancellation received before December 28, 2022 will result in a loss of 50% of the retreat price. Any cancellation made after December 28, 2022 will result in a total loss of funds. We reserve the right to cancel the trip if it's not meeting the trip minimum no later than 21 days prior to departure, however, your funds would be fully refunded.
We recommend that you travel with hand sanitizer, sanitizing wipes and masks.
Currently, there are no Covid-19 related requirements to enter Costa Rica or return to the United States.
Trip cancellation insurance is always a good idea when making travel plans. You can use Travel Guard Insurance online or search for additional options online.
At this time, Costa Rica no longer requires special medical insurance that would cover your expenses should you become infected with Covid-19 during our time there. If you are still interested in obtaining special medical insurance, though, here are a couple options for you to explore:
https://www.americanvisitorinsurance.com/us-citizen/travel-to-costa-rica
https://greenhealthcarecr.com/costa-rica/travel-insurance
https://www.squaremouth.com/
NOTE: We will share all of this information with you again after your registration is complete.
Costa Rican Adventure Retreat Jan 28-Feb 4, 2023
JOIN US! If you're a ready to embrace adventure & move past the craziness of the past couple years & into an incredible 2023 - full of courage, confidence & joy in this chaotic world - then it's time to get traveling again and join Julie Loomis for an exhilarating, mind-opening and soul-satisfying retreat adventure to reignite your life in carefree Costa Rica.
Accommodations for seven nights
Entrance into the Cloud Forest Reserve
Garden to Glass Cocktail making class
Membership to a private Facebook group for participants
Your round-trip flight to and from
Flight info:
You will want to arrive into Liberia Airport (LIR) on January 28, 2023 between 12:00-2:00pm so we can pick everyone up together and get you settled in before dinner.
What People Are Saying:
"Julie was a great host and knows how to facilitate meaningful discussion that really gets to the heart of each person's issues, even when we all are in different stages of life. A great mix of rest, adventure, and discussion.
Linda Goodno
"The Luna Azul retreat gave me the opportunity to give up control, be present and to take a look at my routines at home.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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The Israel Association of Baseball's Israel Baseball Academy had its first practice on Tuesday evening. The academy is recognized by Major League Baseball as the elite program for 14-21 year-old baseball players in Israel.
The program is by invitation only and the following players were invited to take part in this year's academy: Tal Erel (Tel Aviv); Roey Shelem (Tel Aviv); Noam Calisar (Binyamina); Yoav Moeded (Tel Aviv); Yotam Ben-Amran (Bet Nir); Ilan Klein (Bet Shemesh); Shlomo Lipman (Bet Shemesh); Avi Watson (Bet Shemesh); Ori Wachspress (Modiin); Ofer Bobrov (Misgav); and Assaf Lowengart (Timorim). In addition to this year's players, a group of 20 players have been placed on a "scout list" as potential candidates for next year.
IAB National Director Nate Fish and National Team Coach David Schenker will co-direct the Academy. Former college pitcher and long-time Israel National Team player Dan Rothem will serve as pitching coach.
Academy players will train together weekly. In return for their commitment to baseball, they will have opportunities to play in the Israel National Team Program, to be recognized as Elite Athletes in the IDF, and have access to Major League Baseball's programs for the best young players in Europe.
The Israel Baseball Academy is for baseball players in Israel who are interested in competing at the highest levels of the sport: summer baseball in the USA, college baseball, and professional baseball.
"This is a good group of young players who have a chance to do something really special in the next few years," says Fish.


ExChristian.Net - News and Opinion: Did John Paul II perform a miracle?
During Holy Week we are treated to a variety of decent-sounding people in print and on the airwaves explaining that religion — or "faith" as they now prefer to call it —is basically all about shared moral values, making the world a better place and gaining a proper sense of awe at life's mystery. We are given to understand that the great world religions are all really fumbling towards the same truth.
And by doveish voices we are urged to join what is essentially a campaign for increasing the amount of goodness in the world. Who could be against that? Such faith sounds so reasonable. Churlish nonbelievers like me are made to feel it is we who are being arrogant, dogmatic, closed-minded. How can we be so sure? And then this. A nun has apparently been cured of Parkinson's disease through writing the name of John Paul II on a piece of paper.
Ecclesiastical authorities in the Roman Catholic Church have been investigating the alleged miracle, interviewing neurologists, graphologists, psychiatrists and medical experts. The diocese of Aix-en-Provence is now satisfied that it has a putative supernatural intervention on its hands, and this week submitted its dossier to Pope Benedict XVI, who may declare an official miracle and begin procedures for making the late Pope a saint.
Meanwhile, Gerard Baker ("'Israel right or wrong' is not a grown-up debate", March 30) writes that one determinant of US foreign policy towards Israel is the belief, widely held on the Religious Right, that before the prophecy of the Second Coming and the end of the world can be fulfilled, the Israelites must be given their Biblical lands of Judaea and Samaria.
Where are you, intelligent Christians? Where is your voice, your righteous anger? Where is your honest contempt for this nonsense? Take that claimed recent miracle, for instance. I know lots of nice, clever Catholics — friends, thoughtful men and women, people of depth and subtlety, people of some delicacy, people who would surely cringe at the excesses of Lourdes. Do they believe that John Paul II may have cured this nun from beyond the grave?
Where are the shouts of self-respecting bishops and cardinal-archbishops, raised against the woeful confusion of faith with superstition? I have a theory about their reticence. I think they know this stuff is the petrol on which the motor of a great Church runs; that without these delusions to feed on, the unthinking masses would falter. And they may be right. But what a melancholy conclusion: that the thinking parts of a religion should be almost extraneous to what moves it; far from the core; just a little fastidious shudder; a wink exchanged between the occupants of the reserved pews.
There is, of course, an alternative: that they too believe the nonsense; that the Prime Minister's wife (and maybe the Prime Minister), and the Communities Secretary, and the Chancellor of Oxford University and former Governor of Hong Kong — not to mention several of my colleagues on these pages in The Times — honestly entertain the possibility that from beyond the grave the late Pope John Paul II interceded with God to cause a woman to be cured of Parkinson's disease.
You are living, dear reader, at a watershed in human history. This is the century during which, after 2,000 years of what has been a pretty bloody marriage, faith and reason must agree to part, citing irreconcilable differences. So block your ears to the cooing voices on Thought for the Day, and choose your side.
"But how can you be sure?" Oh boy, am I sure. Oh great quivering mountains of pious mumbo-jumbo, am I sure. Oh fathomless oceans of sanctified babble, am I sure. Words cannot express my confidence in the answer to the question whether God cured a nun because she wrote a Pope's name down. He didn't. Mere language does no justice to my certainty about whether God might be waiting for the return to their Biblical lands of the Israelites, before arranging the Second Coming. He isn't.
Shout it from the rooftops. Write it on walls. Carve it into rock. He didn't. He isn't. He won't.
This summer Gordon Brown is to publish a book, Courage, profiling eight human studies in that quality. Whom has the politician chosen? Anyone dangerously controversial? Mr Brown has selected Martin Luther King, Nurse Edith Cavell, Robert Kennedy, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Raoul Wallenberg (who saved Hungarian Jews), Dame Cicely Saunders (of the hospice movement), Aung San Suu Kyi and Nelson Mandela.
Courageous choices, Chancellor. No place here for Copernicus, though?
No, that would still be a bit risky — Copernicus was only pardoned by the Vatican in 1993.


The AMHA is proud to introduce Tiger Cubs Hockey for the 2018-2019 season.
Tiger Cubs Hockey is a fun on-ice skills development program for boys and girls, ages 4 and 5 (born in 2013 and/or 2014). Our program will begin in September 2018 and carry through to March 2019, with ice times on Saturday and Sunday mornings, including games and practices.
A year-end awards banquet for all Tiger Cubs!
It's an exciting time for our association and we can hardly wait for the Tiger Cubs Hockey season to start!
In-house registration begins on April 4, 2018.
For more information, please visit our website at www.auroraminorhockey.com and/or call our office at (905) 727-1480.
Start as a Tiger Cub and grow into a Tiger, becoming a part of the Aurora Tigers Minor Hockey Association Family!
Q. Who operates Tiger Cubs Hockey?
A. The Aurora Minor Hockey Association (AMHA) operates the Tiger Cubs Hockey program. We are a not for profit, volunteer-run hockey association for players, aged 4 to 20. The AMHA offers Representative, House League, and now, Tiger Cub Hockey programs. Generally, our programs will operate from the first week of September through until the end of March.
Q. How often will my child play in the Tiger Cubs Hockey? What about in the House League program?
A. The Tiger Cubs Hockey program will operate on Saturdays & Sundays; the ice times will be consistent through the season. Players in the House League program, dependent on their age group, will also have consistent ice times through the seasons.
Q. How many players will be on a Tiger Cubs Hockey team?
A. We believe all Tiger Cubs Hockey players will gain maximum exposure to the program if we limit team rosters to only 17 players/team. There will be two teams on the ice at any given time for all age groups.
Q. My child would like to try being a goalie. Can he/she?
A. Absolutely. We believe in rotating the goaltending position on a weekly basis, allowing all players (regardless if they're Tiger Cubs or House League) the opportunity to try goaltending.
Q. What is the structure of the 4- and 5-year old Tiger Cup Hockey program?
A. We will follow Hockey Canada guidelines and scale down the game for our Tiger Cubs. Put simply, we want to create an environment that is appropriate to a player's size and age. Studies have shown that cross-ice (width-wise) hockey provides players with six times the amount of shots on net, five times more passes and two times as many one-on-one puck battles and touches. For these young players, the ice surface will be divided cross-ice into three sections. In these areas, players will participate in small games and structured development activities - they will always play games and have fun. Small area games and activities will help keep players engaged in the game without the stamina worries associated with full ice surface skating.
Q. How can I get involved with Tiger Cubs and House League Hockey?
A. The AMHA will provide each individual who wants to be a team Head Coach on an AMHA team, the opportunity to attend an instructional clinic which will assist them for years to come. We will also ensure that every team has a certified trainer. The AMHA will reimburse these individuals for the cost of the clinics. Perhaps you'd like to be an on-ice helper? For all of those helping on-ice or coaching, a Respect in Sport Activity Leader certificate, a Gender identity certificate and a police screening is required. The AMHA will reimburse these aforementioned requirements for those who are helping on-ice or coaching.
Q. What do Tiger Cubs and House League players receive with their registration?
A. Players will receive a team jersey, a pair of hockey socks, a team and individual photo, and an end-of-season awards banquet.


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package org.apache.drill.exec.planner.logical;

import org.eigenbase.rel.rules.PushProjectPastJoinRule;
import org.eigenbase.rel.rules.PushProjector;
import org.eigenbase.relopt.RelOptRule;

public class DrillPushProjectPastJoinRule extends PushProjectPastJoinRule {

  public static final RelOptRule INSTANCE = new DrillPushProjectPastJoinRule(DrillConditions.PRESERVE_ITEM);

  protected DrillPushProjectPastJoinRule(PushProjector.ExprCondition preserveExprCondition) {
    super(preserveExprCondition);
  }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Cotton and fire-proof *- it's not a contradiction!
The feischee-cotton fr collection combines the advantages of cotton as a natural material with the safety standards that are required for contract fabrics.
The patented Coex® technique results in a molecular modification of the vegetal materials. This ensures fire-proofness at all times, without changing their characteristics. The fabrics of the feischee-cotton fr collection have all the benefits of 'a good material'.
Coex® is a fireproof patented technology, 100% natural fiber, based on cellulose molecula.
Based in Pieve Porto Morone, near Pavia in Italy, the textiles company Torcitura Padana SpA has developed natural fibres like linen, cotton and cellulose, which are treated by a special patented method to give them the properties of fire resistance and low flammability.
coex® is the only entirely plant based fabric that does not burn, drip or emit harmful gases.
'The secret of our patented technique consists in a chemical reaction which modifies the molecular composition of the natural fibres,' explains the company's CEO Simona Pesaro. In the past, fire-resistant textiles were always made from artificial fibres. 'But with this innovative process, we can now use cotton, flax, hemp or jute for the purpose,' the young businesswoman emphasises.
As suitable application fields, she mentions special clothing for motor sport, the inner cladding of vehicles, garned and tarpaulins for use in the garden.
Among the special advantages offered by Coex as a material are that it is skinfriendly and composts well. By contrast with fire-resistant artificial fibres, its production does not involve the use of environmentally and toxic additives.
Maasberg's ''feischee-cotton fr'' product line which was presented at the fair was awarded by AIT, the great trade magazine for architects and interior designers.
AIT – Architecture – Interior Design – Technical Finishes – being a trade magazine for architecture focuses on the room itself. In the field of interior design and the interior finish ithe magazine has its special competence.
In addition to design – in particular regarding commercial and public buildings the AIT magazine explicitly makes an issue of their technical finish in one special column.
According to AIT Maasberg's "feischee-cotton fr" product line presented at the fair absolutely meets current trends. Jointly with the jury and trend scouts they are of the opinion: there has been sufficient plastic all over the world.
all of them are not decomposed in nature and for that reason they are causing increasing problems. In the meantime polyester is contained in about 60 per cent of fabrics produced all over the world. The cheap synthetic fibre has turned out to be a disaster for the oceans.
Textiles made of cotton also because of our ecological responsibility. Raw material is renewable. Energy consumption in the production process is low. Fibre & fabric are completely bio-degradable - an increasingly important aspect.
Also available as curtain fabric.
Special sizes and special colors possible.
For further questions we are always at your disposal.


text:
XPath Interview Questions
What is an atomic value in XPath?
An atomic value is a value in or an instance in the value space of an atomic type defined by XML Schema. Atomic values are consists of strings, integers, decimals, dates, etc. and these values are known as atomic because they cannot be subdivided.
Explain xpath operator?
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XPath stands for XML Path Language. It is defined as a query language for selecting nodes from an XML document. It is used to find values such as strings, numbers, or Boolean values from the content o...
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Adaku from Our New collection of Ankara Print Jacket is a must have in your African print collections. Inspired by my desire to create signature contemporary pieces, the fierce, confident combo jacket will set you apart from the crowd. It's flamboyant, edgy and contemporary. Designed and handmade with vibrant fresh Afro inspired colours. Can be styled for a special occasion or party event . It is fully embellished with Swarovski stones to give that sparkle edge with a flamboyant cape. This jacket is finished off with a black and white dogtooth fabric lined throughout the outfit. It's definitely a show stunner. Ideal for the Fall season.


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Tag: sushi
At 12.01 precisely, I enter the staff room, hoping it will be empty. Referred to officially as the 'Staff Lounge', it implies it is a comfortable area where one could relax, which is far from the truth. More of a dumping ground for archive boxes, the ancient celebrity gossip magazines give any Drs waiting room a run for their money. Thank you cards from ex-colleagues who left years ago are still on the noticeboard, as well as a flyer for a theatre production from Halloween 2015. This room appears to get cleaned about once a year, but although it is grotty, at least we have somewhere to go.
I'm not an al-desko person because it doesn't feel like I've had a break. My colleagues will interrupt me, (breaks are unpaid) even though I'm clearly not working if I'm looking at clothes online or reading a book. That's the culture there, so I always try to get away from my desk whenever I can. If I don't, I know I'll be climbing the walls or exhausted by 3pm, finding any excuse to go outside for a breath of fresh air, aka a cigarette.
So yes, an early lunch, before the crowd. If I can establish that I'm busy with my book, maybe no-one will disturb me. Annoyingly, I'm not the first one in here. Still, I'm hoping for a polite nod, an understanding. We've worked in the same building for fifteen years, so by now there should be no such thing as an awkward silence between us. Our reading materials, indicate (to me, anyway) that we would like to be left alone. She's got a pile of holiday brochures, I've got the new Robert Galbraith, so I might be in luck.
It's Tuesday, so I already know her sandwich will be ham, and that she will also be on her second packet of cheese and onion crisps of the day. A creature of habit. Monday is cheese. Tuesday is ham. Wednesday is cheese. Thursday is ham again. Friday is slim pickings because she goes to the supermarket straight from work, so she's probably got dairylea or tuna mayo on white bread. Always white, plastic bread.
I say "Hi." and sit diagonally across the long table from her. Far enough away for my personal space, but close enough to not be rude about wanting some room to myself.
Lunchbox out. Swig of pop. Not too much at once, even though I'm really thirsty. It's fizzy and spicy so if the bubbles go up my nose, or I need to burp, it will draw unwanted attention to me. Hand sanitiser, napkin, fork, book.
The obligatory, usual fiddle with the phone. Press the screen a few times, double tap, swipe, double tap, quick index finger thumb combo tapping, chuckle to myself, swipe, swipe, double tap. Phone down. I really need to do something about my stiff fingers. I'm losing out more and more in this game of muscle memory vs arthritis.
There's about ten pages left to go, which is always the crucial point of resolution in any detective story, so I crack the spine and put my train ticket bookmark on the table. It occurs to me that there's a definitely a market for spiral bound books, and also why tablets could be so popular with older people for reading. They lie flat, so no aches from trying to hold the pages open, and you can change the size of the font.
Barely five sentences in and my colleague speaks.
"Have you ever been to Egypt?" she asks.
"No. Not really my thing. Too hot. My ankles swell up in the heat." I reply.
"It's just that we're thinking of going there this year. It's a bit different, isn't it? The all-inclusive prices look good."
A beat of silence.
"Ooh, that looks nice. What have you got?"
I hold up my sandwich to show her, chew more quickly than I'd like to, swallow, clear my throat with an ahem, then say,
"Tuna and horseradish mayo with baby gem lettuce and a little tub of radish, celery, apple and cucumber salad. Rice pudding and a can of ginger beer."
Then I take another bite of my overstuffed, slightly soggy but still crunchy sandwich. My sinuses will thank me today. More nose-tingling deliciousness.
"I had wafer thin ham salad. No horseradish though. That's like mustard isn't it? I don't think I'd like horseradish. Don't you have it with roast beef? I don't like hot food. Gives me heartburn. I only like roast beef when it's well done. I hate meat that's not cooked."
She didn't pause between statements long enough for me to respond. I'm guessing she was just thinking aloud and wasn't really expecting me to reply, so I hope she interprets my pause as the end of the conversation. Alas, it is not to be.
"Are you going on holiday this year?" She asks.
"Mmm." I chew slowly, deliberately. Take another sip from my can and wipe my mouth on my napkin. I pretend thump and pat my chest, as a gesture that I'm waiting for my food to go down. Then, I sigh and slip the train ticket back in between the pages. The unveiling of the baddie can wait. I decide to give in and fully engage. That's what mindfulness says to do. I don't really have any choice, but I know she means well.
"Vegas" I say.
"You a bit of a gambler then?"
"No, we go for the food."
"What? You go to Las Vegas for the food? Really? "Her brow furrows and she looks right at me, mouth slightly open. I think she's trying to decide whether she believes me. "I've never heard of anyone going on holiday for the food before. Each to their own I suppose. Mind you my brother went to Las Vegas on a stag do, and he said that drinks were free and that everything was massive, so he went for a buffet every day. He had lobster and steak and everything. Have you been to a buffet there?"
"Nah. We thought about it, but the queue to the place we wanted to go to was too big. The food really is amazing there. I love going out for dinner to a different restaurant every night. There are some really good ones, you know, proper Michelin Starred restaurants just a taxi ride or walk from the hotel."
"Oh yeah, I remember now when you said that you had to book a year in advance to go to that posh pub run by that big bloke off the telly." She holds out the blue packet towards me. "Crisp?"
"No thanks. God, I love crisps you know. Every year for New Year, I have a resolution and try to ban myself from eating them because I'm so greedy. I can't just have a few. I can eat a whole family pack in one day. I don't even like knowing they're in the house. I've got no willpower. Have you had those sweet chilli ones?"
"Yeah, they're nice they are. That's about the right amount of spicy for me."
I can predict the next question and I was right. It's always the next question. Guaranteed. I'd put money on it.
What's the best restaurant you've ever been to?"
"Well, there was this one in Denmark. It's closed down now, but it was voted best in the world once, and so to get a table you had to be online at exactly a certain time and date to book three months ahead. It used to sell out in minutes."
I take another bite of my sandwich and take the plastic lid off my salad.
"I can't believe you booked a restaurant before you booked your holiday. That's crazy. Sorry! I didn't mean you're crazy. I meant that's … er… dedication. Why was it so good?"
I pretend to think whilst I'm chewing, but really I just want to eat my lunch. I've said a version of this schpiel a few times before.
"I know what you mean. You're not the first person to think it's a bit weird actually. That restaurant in Copenhagen, well, I've thought about it, and, for me, it was the endless combinations of flavours and textures. Even though some of the ingredients separately seemed a bit strange, they all went together so well. I think the restaurant had loads of chefs from all over the world all working on their own unique little obsessive projects, so when the individual courses were put together the results were just amazing. Not like anything else I've ever had before. Rene sparked a whole new style of cooking. Nordic cuisine is really popular now, but it was confined to that part of Europe before. A lot of the food was wild or foraged or local to the area. So it was basically the same as your ancestors would have eaten but not exactly to that same recipe. So the chefs in this restaurant wouldn't use lemon, for example because lemons don't grow in Denmark."
"What do they use instead?"
"You're not going to believe me."
"Ants."
"Ants? Like the insects?"
"Exactly like the insects."
She puts her hand up to cover her mouth. I don't think she quite believes what I've just said.
"No way. For real? Are they still alive?"
"Not usually. Ant paste tastes just like sharp citrus."
"I'd never eat ants." She shudders. "I feel all creepy now."
I'm actually starting to enjoy this conversation.
"I thought that too, but then I'd gone all that way to the best restaurant in the world, so I thought I might as well try them." I said
"Is all the food weird in Denmark? I thought it was all fish and pickles."
"Well, I did eat bulls testicles and cod's cheek at another restaurant there. It was one of those nose-to-tail places, where you pay a fixed amount for whatever chef cooks you. Everyone at each table gets something slightly different. They don't waste anything"
"Testicles? Balls? You're joking?"
"No. Seriously. I really didn't want to try them, but they looked like chicken nuggets and I dared myself. I think we were into our second bottle of wine by then anyway. I couldn't eat the fish eye though."
She makes a fake vomit gesture.
I smile and stab my fork into my salad.
"Why would your eat bulls balls?" She's baffled and a little disgusted.
"In some of those fine dining, white tablecloth places, where it's like ten courses, you get served each course by the chef who cooked it. They bring it to your table, and explain all about it. Some of the chefs are so modest and sweet. All they think about is food twenty-four-seven. There must be dozens of incredible chefs in Copenhagen. I think they're made to interact with customers though, because there are so many questions and compliments. Some of those chefs are definitely going places. Like gonna be famous. Some of them are really anxious and worried whether you'll like it. There was this one time, where he brought out a huge baked onion and cut it and served it right in front of us. There was no way that it could fail."
"What, just like a massive onion?"
"Yeah, there was this beautiful, delicate broth with it. I'll never forget it. In some restaurants, they treat the meal like it's theatre, and there are amusing little jokes and gadgets from the chefs. Oh yeah, like, get this, you've definitely had pate as a starter before, right?"
"I haven't because I don't really like it, but yes, go on."
"Well, in this one restaurant we went to, the pate was disguised to look like a little tangerine. This other time, the chef had made some little tiny balls of pops of flavour that looked like caviar. Another time at this Spanish restaurant, one course was tomato consomme poured from a teapot into little teacups. The waiter told us that there was a Spanish word for tomato that also meant 'absent' so the lack of colour in the consomme was a play on words"
"You're braver than me. I bet you like all that sushi stuff too."
"Now you're talking. I love sushi, but it's all about the rice really, not the fish."
"What do you mean? The rice? How hard can it be to steam some rice? I don't know how you can eat raw fish on purpose."
I hope she's enjoying these tales more than she's letting on.
"Oh I really love it. Do you know it takes years to become a sushi master and for the first few years of training, you're on cleaning up duties? If you prove yourself, then they might let you prepare the rice?"
I stab my fork into my salad and realise that I'm basically eating sushi but in a different format. Deconstructed sushi.
"I never know that. Really? Do you like raw fish then?"
"Sashimi? Yes, there's some I don't like much. Like we always trade – his mackerel for my tuna belly, but my favourite food is oysters. If they're on the menu then I always order them. I can't get enough. I went on an oyster shucking class once in this restaurant in London. They basically give you unlimited champagne and teach you how to open oysters. It was a great way to spend a couple of hours on a Saturday morning. The more we opened, the more we got to eat. It was brilliant. Dangerous though, with that little knife. You really have to go for it when you jam it into the side if the hinge of the shell. I'd love to go again. The Italian bloke who showed us how to open them was the champion of some contest in Galway. I forget which. He could do it really quickly. I forget how many he said he could shuck in an hour. I think I had about 20 of three different kinds. I've got a little oyster diary notebook to write down how each one tastes, you know, plumpness, size, rock, native, farmed, so I can learn which ones I like best."
"Urgh. I don't know how you can eat them. They look like snot."
I ignore that comment. Everyone who never dares to eat shellfish always says that. Those who love oysters can't quite put their finger on why they taste so good.
"I tell you what. One thing I have noticed over the years is how the cheap food that our grandparents would have eaten, has now become upmarket restaurant food. You know like oysters, rabbit, game. And food that used to be really expensive has now become everyday. Like chicken or ice-cream."
"I get it now. I can see why you go on holiday for the food, like you say. If it's your hobby and all. Bet you don't eat Maccy Ds then?" She says.
"Course I do. I like a quarter pounder with cheese or a whopper or a KFC bucket as much as everyone else does. I pretty much love all food. I'm a bit of a snob about my fruit though. It's gotta be ripe. I'd rather wait all year for two weeks of decent juicy peaches than have hard, sour ones."
"Yeah, I know what you mean."
Her phone beeps and she plays with it for a minute. I finish my salad.
"So what's the food like in Egypt then?" I ask.
I hold up my little pot of the childhood favourite rice pudding, to try to show her that I'm just like everyone else.
"Well, normal really. Like canteen or buffets. You know, fried breakfasts, pancakes. Soup, salads, pizzas, burgers, curry, roast dinners. What you get here really. They do have some Egyptian food like those sausages, so you can try them if you want to. It's just great to be able to have an ice cream or a beer whoever you want and not have to worry about paying for it."
"Tell me about it. I drink so much when I'm on holiday. At lunchtime I'll have a glass of wine or a gin and tonic and then we'll have a cocktail in the afternoon and then a bottle of wine at dinner. I dread to think how many units it is. Ice-cream every day. Pudding after every meal."
"Yeah, but that's why you go on holiday. To chillax. Everyone loses half a stone for their holidays and then puts it back on again while they're there. And it's not like you're driving like you would be if you went to Florida."
"Oh I'd love to go to Florida." I say, wistfully. "I really want to go to Harry Potter world and I bet the aquarium is awesome. I've seen some pictures. it looks amazing."
"Do you take photographs of your food for Instagram then?"
"I have done, but only to show people I know. I think it's a bit rude to photograph everything you eat, especially if the restaurant is a bit posh. Like you're trying to have a lovely birthday meal, that isn't cheap, and someone is taking a photo every five minutes. A lot of those amateur bloggers are wankers in my opinion, and they don't even know what they're talking about. I read this one review about that wine bar in town and she kept saying how much she despised all red wines but loved rose, and never once said what the grape varieties were. She had no clue how rose is even made! They're just chancers, playing at it for their "brand" and not doing it for the right reasons. I can't see how someone can be impartial if the meal they're reviewing is paid for by the restaurant."
"I never even thought about that before." She says.
"An don't get me started about those who hashtag foodporn everything when it's a flipping readymeal or a cake from the shop. I mean, how big must your ego be to call yourself an influencer? Isn't that what other people call you, after the fact?"
I put my hands up and say "I'm gonna shut up now. You know what I'm like when I start ranting"
She does know me well enough to smile sympathetically and says "Good idea."
"So." I say after a few seconds. "Are you into Egyptian history then?"
Nah, not really. We thought it looked good value and people we know said it was lovely. The kids do love a pool. Guaranteed sun for a bonus. If we take them out of school, it'll be cheaper and we won't get fined because Egypt is educational. That's what the headmaster agreed last year."
"Sounds like a plan. Can't fault you." I say.
aramblingcollective	Uncategorized	11 Comments October 12, 2018 October 13, 2018 13 Minutes


KE Bengaluru holds "Wealth Management, The Citi Way" KE Bengaluru holds "Wealth Management, The Citi Way"
Kanara Entrepreneurs Bengaluru conducted a programme on "Wealth Management, The Citi Way" recently.
An overview of the pillars of Wealth Management–The Process, Model Portfolio and Product Ideas was provided by Rajesh K Singh, Vice-President & Banking Head, Bangalore Branch and Madhup Patel, Regional Investment Counselor from CitiGroup on the occasion.
They gave a very enriching presentation on 'Wealth Management: the Citi Way'. They also gave a 'Citi Overview', a focus of the Citi Group on Wealth Management. Citi's Market views and Investment Strategy was provided to the several entrepreneurs, professionals and senior executives who attended this meeting and was a very valuable take-away.
The otherwise number-based subject was made even more interesting to the audience with a lot of trivia thrown in by the two experts from the CitiGroup. The trivia, shared through questions thrown to the audience, was literally a take-away as those who answered the question correctly were rewarded with prizes.
Peter Anil Rego, in his presidential address emphasized, "No person would make a great Leader who wants to do all things by himself. A Leader should be thoughtful, considerate and share responsibility with others, while persons who are aggressive or apprehensive or not flexible or prejudiced, would not make good leaders", he said.
During the meeting, eight new members namely, Rosario Selvam, Vincent Concessao, Eric Robert D'Silva, Nisha Maria Ninan, Joseph Fernandes, Gaurav Vaz, Benedict Pereira and Anil D'Souza were inducted into Kanara Entrepreneurs. The new members were administered the oath by Naveen D'Souza, Director-Membership.
A lead member of Kanara Entrepreneurs and a leading publisher, Nigel Fernandes, managing director & CEO of Asian Trading Corporation (ATC Publications) spoke of how ATC, a 70 years old Christian Publishing Company, started in Bombay in 1946 and had grown to be a renowned publisher. He narrated how in April 2010, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI himself had personally recommended ATC to publish his book, 'The Spirit of the Liturgy' for the Asian market. Among many bestsellers, ATC has also published other books written by Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Francis and Mother Teresa and are the publishers of the world bestseller 'YouCat'. He said, in addition to over 1,500 titles that ATC has published, it has the distinction of publishing the RSV and RSV-Second Catholic Edition Bible and has been appointed as the sole distributor for Lifeway Publishers - USA for the regions of Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines and India.
Nigel Fernandes then introduced Alan Machado (Prabhu), the author of the recently released ATC book 'Slaves of Sultan'.
Alan Machado gave a brief overview of the book and the history of the Catholics in the Kanara region, tracing their lineage, the troubles and tribulations endured by them during the captivity of Srirangapatna and how they remained committed to their faith even in the midst of extreme persecution. "We need to recognize adequately the sacrifices made by them which could be considered the highest form of martyrdom. Courage and valour exhibited by our forefathers need to be an inspiration to each one of us today", he said.
The president in his concluding remarks specially thanked the sponsors of the meeting. He recalled the wonderful time that all the members who had gone to Goa for the special event – KE Global Joint Meeting. With the enticing slides of the wonderful time at the event being played on the large screen in the background, Adrian D'Souza, Clarence Pereira and Clatus Mathias shared their experiences. The members relived some of the moments amidst thundering applauses and laughter.
He then drew the attention of the members to the new initiative of KE introduced in the previous meeting, called 'The Bulletin Board': HR opportunities/requirements available in member organizations. He cited the requirements already listed by some of the member organizations and requested other members to use this opportunity and facility provided by KE.
Vivon Pinto welcomed everybody gathered for the meeting by relating an anecdote featuring Thomas Alva Edison invoking the necessity of a creator in the universe before leading the prayer. Vote of thanks was proposed by Jose Paul.


Base of a plane figure - Definition and illustration.
The base of a plane figure is the side on which the figure " sits ." You could also say that it is the bottom of the plane figure.
We show the base with a red segment for the trapezoid and the triangle below.
Notice how the base of the trapezoid in the figure above happens to be the shortest side in this situation.
The base of a plane figure does not have to be the shortest side or the longest side. Just rotate the figure and make it "sit" on a different side and that side is your base.
After rotating the triangle and the trapezoid, the red segments are no longer the bases for these figures.


text:
Haugenbok.no› Engelsk› Engelsk - romaner og fortellinger› Reservoir 13
Reservoir 13
Jon McGregor Forfatter Fourth Estate
Tomt hos leverandør, ny melding ventes 01.01.1970
Reservoir 13 Reservoir 13
LONGLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE A GUARDIAN NOTABLE BOOK OF 2017 From the award-winning author of If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things and Even the Dogs. Reservoir 13 tells the story of many lives haunted by one family's loss. … LES MER Midwinter in the early years of this century. A teenage girl on holiday has gone missing in the hills at the heart of England. The villagers are called up to join the search, fanning out across the moors as the police set up roadblocks and a crowd of news reporters descends on their usually quiet home. Meanwhile, there is work that must still be done: cows milked, fences repaired, stone cut, pints poured, beds made, sermons written, a pantomime rehearsed. The search for the missing girl goes on, but so does everyday life. As it must. As the seasons unfold there are those who leave the village and those who are pulled back; those who come together or break apart. There are births and deaths; secrets kept and exposed; livelihoods made and lost; small kindnesses and unanticipated betrayals. Bats hang in the eaves of the church and herons stand sentry in the river; fieldfares flock in the hawthorn trees and badgers and foxes prowl deep in the woods - mating and fighting, hunting and dying. An extraordinary novel of cumulative power and grace, Reservoir 13 explores the rhythms of the natural world and the repeated human gift for violence, unfolding over thirteen years as the aftershocks of a stranger's tragedy refuse to subside. LES MINDRE Forlagets omtale Forlagets LONGLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE A GUARDIAN NOTABLE BOOK OF 2017 From the award-winning author of If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things and Even the Dogs. Reservoir 13 tells the story of many lives haunted by one family's loss. Midwinter in the early years of this century. A teenage girl on holiday has gone missing in the hills at the heart of England. The villagers are called up to join the search, fanning out across the moors as the police set up roadblocks and a crowd of news reporters descends on their usually quiet home. Meanwhile, there is work that must still be done: cows milked, fences repaired, stone cut, pints poured, beds made, sermons written, a pantomime rehearsed. The search for the missing girl goes on, but so does everyday life. As it must. As the seasons unfold there are those who leave the village and those who are pulled back; those who come together or break apart. There are births and deaths; secrets kept and exposed; livelihoods made and lost; small kindnesses and unanticipated betrayals. Bats hang in the eaves of the church and herons stand sentry in the river; fieldfares flock in the hawthorn trees and badgers and foxes prowl deep in the woods - mating and fighting, hunting and dying. An extraordinary novel of cumulative power and grace, Reservoir 13 explores the rhythms of the natural world and the repeated human gift for violence, unfolding over thirteen years as the aftershocks of a stranger's tragedy refuse to subside.


Women have played a lot of important roles in the society. In fact without women, the society will not be a better place to live in. Women play a variety of significant roles in our society from their birth till the end of life. Women or mothers in nature are seen by most people as being soft hearted, caring and kind in all aspects. Traditionally, the role of women included being a housewife, whose occupation is running or managing her family's home, caring for her children; buying, cooking, and storing food for the family; buying goods that the family needs in everyday life; housekeeping and maintaining the home; and making clothes for the family. Where does this idea of women role as just a housewife or related to doing works that are basically for the home keeping comes from?
However, In my view, limiting the role of women literally to being a housewife will not help us because looking at the population of the world today, men alone cannot work to feed the world, unless women also help in. In an effort to give way for women to also work as men do, should there be a matter of a gender role?, which is how roles or desired behaviors and attitudes are categorized based on male or female. But once again i ask myself whether there is the need for gender role in the society when it comes to work? And if there is the need, it means that certain works will be limited to women and likewise the same thing to men also. Is gender role determined by God, culture, society or man? In an attempt to analyze the issues of gender role in the society, let's look at religion first. I think most of the religions in the world have spelt out the role of men and women especially when it comes to leadership.
God is considered as the highest authority and men derive their authoritative roles from God. When we look at religion, which in a way comes from God or gods has in simple terms sidelined women from leadership because according to scriptures, prophets at that time were the leaders of their people and they were followed by their subordinates, but I think no religion from the beginning till now had or has a woman as a prophet, and this suggest that the leadership of women is silenced by religion, and I am in no position to decide whether it is right or wrong for a religion to silence the leadership of women. Even if this is questionable, but not by me.
Again when it comes to culture which goes with the society, in most traditional cultures, women are regarded as subordinates and seen as people for the kitchen and mothers that are obsessed with being obedient to husbands. Cultural roles such as chieftaincy, chief elders, clan heads and messengers are usually positions regarded as manly and purposely for men only, and in view of culture some certain characteristics which often considered to be attributes of leaders clearly favors only men, strength, assertiveness, warriors like features, and even deep voices, are attributes that both men and women tend to view as more leaders like in the society. Please my dear women take note about all these feminism and women empowerment programs, some are definitely helpful while others are in to destroy your marriage and relationships, In simple truth, no man wants to be controlled by a woman naturally. In our today's society religion and culture are the two most important practices that shape and guard our thinking in all decisions we make. In the view of religion and culture, we realize that the leadership of women is not intrinsic and since most of our decisions are shaped by religion and culture, we tend to see the leadership of women as something not acceptable in society. But In recent times we see and hear everywhere people preaching about gender equality, which is equal rights and opportunities for both men women, and I think that is one of greatest change that is happening in the world now.
The reason why people are now agitating for this change is that, women and others have seen that the society, culture and religion has been unfair to them, so they want to change this unfairness. Yes it is good for one to stand up and fight against what seems not to be fair to him or her. Changing the society and culture has no issues because as modernization steps in, there's a need to make changes on the society and culture, but when it comes to religion whether modernization or not we don't need to make changes on it because in attempt to make changes to it, will definitely deviate from the rightful ways that was set by God for us. Every change in the society seems difficult anyway, so my dear women I am not encouraging you people neither am i discouraging you, I am only expressing my views on the change of gender role that is now the order of the day……..
📝 Please my dear women don't be deceived by all these feminism and women empowerment programs, no man wants to be controlled by a woman naturally……..
Next I DON'T WANT EBONY BACK…… I am not a hypocrite….