The recent U.S. Census data promises to dramatically change current state and federal legislative districts, making re-election more challenging for local representatives who can no longer take their historic support for granted.
Already, many office holders are preparing.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank), whose district stretches from Burbank to Temple City, could see his voter pool change dramatically. The latest 10-year census figures showed California has grown by more than 3 million in the last decade to 37 million, with most of the growth in the Central Valley and the Inland Empire. As a result, political power is expected to shift east and away from Los Angeles and the Bay Area.
It is possible that the neighboring district of Rep. David Dreier (R-San Dimas) will be pushed east, or that parts of Dreier and Schiff's districts will be blended together, forcing the two incumbents into a showdown.
In a recent fundraising letter, Schiff said his next re-election bid may be his most difficult.
Most of state Sen. Carol Liu's constituents live in Glendale, Burbank and Pasadena, but her legislative district has a long, skinny tail that points west all the way to Reseda.
In four months, that nearly 20-mile tail may be cut from Liu's territory as a result of the California Citizens Redistricting Commission's redrawing of the state's congressional, state Senate and Assembly maps.
In 2008, state voters passed Proposition 11, taking mapping decisions for the Assembly and state Senate out of the hands of lawmakers — who were blamed for creating politically safe districts to help incumbents — and creating a citizen's redistricting commission.
Last year, voters approved Proposition 20, giving the commission the additional task of redrawing congressional boundaries.
The baseline rule is that legislative districts be of equal populations. Other priorities include keeping cities intact in a single district where possible, and drawing lines that respect "communities of interest" based on economic and other factors.
The commission is slated to reveal its preliminary maps on June 10, host another round of public meetings and then publish its final boundaries on Aug. 15.
The federal and state legislative districts will likely expand in Burbank and Glendale because the current boundaries include fewer people than the new Census calls for.
Experts and elected officials watching the process emphasize that it is impossible to know the shape of the new districts before the June 10 preliminary reveal.
"This is the most troubling and challenging time for elected officials, because they really don't know what their districts will look like," said Dario Frommer, a former 43rd District assemblyman.
Some politicos speculate that the commission will reunite Burbank — which is split along congressional boundaries — or eliminate mapping oddities in La Cañada Flintridge and La Crescenta based on the priorities in Proposition 11.
Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) recalled when his valley district was drawn to include Malibu. He said he expects to see his district change again, though he wants to see the communities in the San Fernando Valley placed together as much as possible.
Despite the commission's directive to keep cities and communities of interest intact, the need to meet population proportionality will make the process messy.
After that, he said, the effort to draw a straight line will be difficult, even if politics is out of the equation.
"If a committee of angels were to meet, in order to get it right, some cities are going to get split," Sherman said.


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Croatian Evangelistic Outreach
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1 Croatian Evangelistic Outreach Croatian Evangelistic Outreach CRKVA CJELOVITOG EVANĐELJA_CROATIA Copyright 2018 CEO PROJECTS & ACTIVITIES
2 History_Croatia CCE Sunday service at Crkva Cjelovitog Evanđelja. Croatia s Flag Offically adopted on December 22, About CEO Croatian Evangelistic Outreach is the overseas arm of our church Crkva Cjelovitog Evanđelja (CCE). Its function is to keep our contacts and supporters informed through monthly updates as to the work and ministry of our church here in Zagreb. Through CEO we share with our prayer and financial supporters about our upcoming evangelistic outreaches, concerts, seminars; the testimonies of our new converts, the needs of our church and Pastor Mario s family. Brief History of Croatia With a history dating back to the 4th century B.C., when settled by the Illyrians and later by the Celts and Greeks, Croatia has endured multiple wars, empires such as the Roman Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the Ottoman Empire, as well as communism. National pride and sturdy resilience is what enabled Croatia to fight its way to freedom time and again. The early 1990 s marked a turbulent time for Croatia. On June 25, 1991 Croatia declared her independence from Yugoslavia and brought on an attack by the Yugoslavian army. In this bloody war, lasting five long years, more than 20,000 people lost their lives not only through combat but in concentration camps and through ethnic cleansing. Since the Dayton agreement that finally ended the war, Croatia has fought to repair the damage that not only destroyed cities but also decimated the economy. At the turn of the new millennium Croatia s economy began to take a slow upward turn as tourism was on the rise, yet unemployment and political resistance continues to hold the country economically hostage. 02 /
3 Croatia Croatia and the Gospel In a country with a landmass the size of West Virginia and a population of 4.2 million it is surprising to learn that approximately only 150 protestant churches exist with approximately 7,000 newborn Christians. Many villages and towns lack gospel preaching churches entirely, and to this day remain void of the true gospel of Jesus Christ. This is why we regularly plan evangelistic outreach events. Because Croatia is a Roman Catholic nation, historically she has been resistant to the gospel of Jesus Christ, perceiving it to be a battle of Protestantism versus Catholicism or even a further invasion of Western culture. A map of Croatia Croatia: population 4.2 million and surrounding nations. CCE Movement Crkva Cjelovitog Evanđelja (CCE) is an active, interdenominational movement established in 1989 and is a movement connected with similar churches and ministries in Croatia and abroad. The vision of the CCE movement is to carry the gospel to every place where it is not presented with integrity, to bring change to the community through repentance and personal faith in Jesus Christ by presenting the gospel in a practical means through a variety of talents, personalities, gifts, and ministries. Our mission and goal is to train up a central local church that will act as a hub for future church plants throughout Zagreb and Croatia. In conjunction with this vision we desire to see missionaries from our congregation carry the gospel to unreached regions of Croatia and plant churches in those areas where no gospel-preaching churches exist. Bez Kompromisa Band Bez Kompromisa at Jarun Lake. / 03
4 Mario Dučić _ CCE Founder Mario Dučić Pastor and President of Crkva Cjelovitog Evanđelja. CCE Founder Mario Dučić was born in Zagreb to a Catholic family in In 1991, during the war, he began his theological studies at Theological Seminary Matija Vlačić Ilirik in Zagreb, Croatia. During his second year at the seminary a Christian befriended him and began witnessing to him. At this same time his grandmother became ill and so he asked his friend to pray for her. God answered this prayer and she was healed of her severe pain. The answered prayer softened his heart and that same night as he read the Book of John he said to himself, This is the truth. I find myself in every word and this is what I need. Mario was saved that very night! Pastor Mario As a guest host on a national TV program. After finishing his second year Mario applied to the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Osijek. With the opportunity to study there he actively volunteered to work with a refugee camp in Gasinci. After his third year he received a scholarship to study abroad. These doors opened to him so miraculously that he temporarily left his studies at the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Osijek and completed a two-year course in Practical Theology in one year at Christ for the Nations Institute in Dallas, TX. After completing his studies in America he returned to Osijek in 1996 to complete his theological studies, in the field of Christian counseling, on the theme of The Sexual Abuse of Children. In 2007, he finished his post-graduate theological studies at the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Osijek, Croatia, under the title, Effective Christian Leadership - Understanding and Implementing Visionary and Foundational Characteristics of Leadership. Mario has gone on to finish his Doctoral studies in Practical Theology with 04 /
5 CCE Founder special emphasis on leadership through the Wagner Leadership Institute in Phoenix, AZ. Finally, in 2016 he received his D. Min. at the Mihael Starin Protestant Theological Seminary with a thesis of Biblical Understanding and Pastoral Approach to Financial Management. Mario became Pastor and President of Crkva Cjelovitog Evanđelja in the fall of God has given him a vision to work and serve both in Zagreb and the entire country of Croatia. He has a passion to see the church arise with a new passion for the Lord and for true revival come to the church; to see her awaken to its call to reap the vast harvest of souls yet unreached. Family entertainment Free food at an outreach for families. As the pastor, Mario has formed many ministries in the church and has a vision to start societies that deal with practical issues as a means of building the influence of the church in society. He has also engaged in national events with other protestant churches and for some years led the annual Croatia For Jesus festival as well as Days of Reformation. Since 2003 he actively written various articles and published monthly sermons preached at Crkva Cjelovitog Evanđelja. In 2008 he initiated and became president of the Croatian Christian Coalition. The purpose of the coalition is to stimulate and realize solidarity, transparency, and collaboration along with the realization of community influence among members in the political realm through active promotion of Christian principles in Protestant churches in the Republic of Croatia. The Dučić Family L-R Luka, Bonnie, Vjera, Mario, Divna, Filip. / 05
6 CCE Founder Bonnie Dučić Director of our band Bez Kompromisa. Live Recording Recording our second praise and worship album, May Bonnie Dučić Mario s wife, Bonnie Dučić, is also a graduate of Christ for the Nations Institute, Dallas TX and daily assists Mario in the ministry. Having felt a call to the mission field from a very young age she sought every avenue to learn about mission work. In the early 1990 s Bonnie spent six months in Moscow, Russia working at the Advanced Training Institute - Moscow Center. Upon graduating from Christ for the Nations Institute in December of 1998, she moved to Vinkovci, Croatia where she assisted a local church by working with their music team and with their young people. In 2001 she married Mario Dučić. Bonnie is worship leader and director of the band Bez Kompromisa, which has recorded two live worship CDs Ustani Gospode (Arise, O Lord) and Pred Svetim Kraljem (Before the Holy King). Bonnie and Mario have a strong vision for reaching Zagreb and the nation of Croatia by training up leaders and missionaries to reach the unreached regions of Croatia. They are accomplishing this vision through the CCE movement, which is not only a church but also an interdenominational movement designed to multiply itself throughout Croatia. Together they have four children - Filip, Luka, Divna, and Vjera. 06 /
7 Current Prayer Needs Current Prayer Needs Several departmental ministries have been set in place to help us accomplish our vision, yet in order to be successful we have a number of projects that need funding. We ask that you join us in prayer as you read through the following projects that outline the needs, the funds needed, and what the funds for these projects will do in advancing the Kingdom of God in Croatia. Building Fund After sharing a facility with other churches for more than two decades, in September 2016, the Lord has opened the doors for us to finally move into a new church facility that we can call our own. The new location is perfectly suited to meet the needs of our church, including the children, as well as other ministry needs of the church. However, the building we moved into was simply one open room with concrete floors. As we moved in we had to install dry wall, flooring and had other construction done to make the facility more suitable. God has been very faithful to provide the required finances, and we are overjoyed to finally have a place of our own. The new meeting place is still a rental. However, our lease is a five year lease with the possibility of purchase. Because it is located in a heavily populated part of the city and because the facility is ideal for our needs, we would like to permanently stay at this location. The final price is $ This would allow us to not only have a permanent place of worship for generations to come, but also to have a place in which we can host various programs that will serve our community. We are currently working on ideas such as: free child care for a few hours once a month, leadership classes for small business owners, a youth church on Sundays along with various youth functions, and after school activities for children. Our vision for this facility is not simply to have our own church building in which to host Sunday and Wednesday services. Our vision is to have a place that will be full of events every day of the week that serve the community and demonstrate the love of Christ. Worship at CCE Glorifying God and crying out for revival. / 07
8 CEO Ministries Young Families Families serving together at CCE. The Challenge Adriatic beauty mingled with evangelism. Ministers It is our desire to see Croatian men and women enter full-time ministry. However, due to the economic struggles in Croatia most ministers find it necessary to take on a tent-making business. The economic situation in Croatia is very unstable, not only is sales tax at 25% - in addition to other high taxes but due to the fact that most goods are imported, prices are quite high. Along with this, the average salary in Croatia is $900 per month. This creates a serious problem for people who are in ministry to provide for themselves and their families. This also prevents these individuals from being able to invest in some of the necessary full-time commitments needed here to advance the gospel. Furthermore, it is very difficult to find employment in Croatia. Having a reasonable full-time salary would enable those called into vocational ministry to focus all their energy toward their calling and enable them to go on to harvest souls throughout Croatia. Please consider helping us support a single minister, a couple, or a family. Our vision is to see ministers supported by the local church. Yet, partial gifts, monthly support or annual support would help them get started until their church could support them with tithes and offerings. - Single: $25,000 annually - Couple $50,000 annually - Couple with Children $70,000 annually Summer Camp Summer is a popular time for parents to send their kids to camp. This is a great means of evangelism. Christian kids can come to camp with their unsaved friends to enjoy the beauty of the mountains of Lika, experience the love of Jesus Christ and the message 08 /
9 CEO Ministries of the Gospel. Because of the sharp rise of inflation in the recent years, some Croatians have found it virtually impossible to pay the cost of camp. We would like to remove that hindrance and thus make it possible for anyone to come, especially the unsaved, no matter their financial situation. $7,000 would help to cover the cost of those who cannot afford to pay tuition. Evangelism / Prayer Many regions of Croatia remain unreached with the gospel of Jesus Christ forcing us to seek creative evangelistic approaches. Apart from street evangelism, where we hand out tracks and share our testimonies, we evangelize through concerts, drama, and special outreach services. Each June we host a large outdoor outreach at Jarun Lake called Jarunfest where we give away free food, host free concerts by Croatian Christian bands, and rent inflatable jumping balloons for kids. Our vision is to reach families by offering free family entertainment. This event has been recognized and supported by the City of Zagreb and has proven to be an event our unsaved friends and families with children of all ages love to attend. It also gives us the opportunity to hand out thousands of copies of New Testaments and Gospel tracts. Furthermore, the prayer and fasting ministry is vital to the foundation of what we do. Every day of each month an individual from our church chooses to fast and pray for the ministry, the unsaved, and upcoming evangelistic events. Often we encourage our Jumping Baloon Castles Jumping baloon castles for children at Jarun Lake. Street Evangelism Handing tracts near central train station. / 09
10 CEO Ministries congregation in a week of fasting in prayer for upcoming evangelistic outreaches. $10,000 goes annually toward the following: Christian Worship Band Bez Kompromisa live on stage. Band Bez Kompromisa An outdoor concert. - Purchasing tracks - Venue costs - Costumes, make-up, backdrops, props, etc for evangelistic dramas - Mission trips - Printing costs for church flyers, invitations, and posters - Assisting in other outreach ministries throughout Croatia Music Ministry In the late 1990 s God raised up a band within our music ministry called Bez Kompromisa (No Compromise). Before long it had not only gained a reputation for being one of the best Christian worship bands in the country. God also began to anoint members of the band to write their own worship music. We feel that music indigenous to Croatia (music written with original Croatian texts by local people) is extremely vital to the Croatian people. Bez Kompromisa has recorded two live worship CDs comprised of original worship songs: Ustani Gospode (Arise, O Lord) and Pred svetim kraljem (Before the Holy King). Currently they are in the midst of recording a third album also comprised of all original worship music. Our music ministry has a strong desire to not only lead God s people into worship but also to spread the gospel through music. Croatia s religious roots and deep love for music provide a great avenue for spreading the gospel through Christian music. $8,000 annually would assist in instrument repair and upkeep of sound equipment as well as for evangelism needs such as a stage and equipment. 10 /
11 CEO Ministries Publishing Realizing the importance of Christian literature in assisting proper Christian growth we strive to make literature available to the believers in Croatia by organizing a small team of people within the church who are in charge of translation, editing and publishing of books. Apart from the few books that have been written or translated into Croatian, there is very little Christian literature available in the Croatian language. Because we find it very inexpensive to print books and teaching materials we have begun a ministry specifically for translation and printing. $7,000 for this ministry will help us translate and print at least two books a year. In 2103, we published Pastor Mario Dučić s first book, Effective Christian Leadership, and his second book on finances is currently in the process of being published. Also, we encourage and equip other people in our church to write indigenous Christian books that are culturally more relevant for Croatian Christians. Mercy Ministry In 2005 our brother Mladen Justinić was burdened with the desire to reach out to the widows, needy, and infirmed; and he began the Mercy Ministry - an outreach ministry to visit the widows, feed and clothe the needy, and visit shut-ins and those in hospitals. A year later he went home to be with his Savior, but the ministry continues under the direction of others who also have a burden to help those who cannot help themselves. Mercy Ministry seeks to visit local hospitals, the elderly, widowed, orphaned, and shut ins; as well as assist the poor with bills, food and clothing. The greatest need in this Ministry is for food and $7,000 annually would assist us in aiding those who find themselves under great pressure due to Croatia s economic struggles, the elderly who are unable to find employment, and those who are unable to pay their monthly bills. Croatia s social welfare system is financially poor, giving the church a prime opportunity to obey God s command. Quality Christian Literature A great need in aiding quality Christian growth. Mladen Justinić Original founder of Mercy Ministry-CCE. / 11
12 CEO Ministries Children s Ministry-CCE Laying a foundation for future generations. Children s Ministry Throughout the Bible God instructed His people to teach His law to the next generation. We feel responsible to lay a strong biblical foundation in the hearts of children and young people that will set the stage for their future ministry in God s kingdom. Our church has a children s ministry that actively and creatively instills the Word of God and its principles in the hearts of young children through stories, art, drama, and creative play. We also do an annual family outreach on a local parkside lake where we invite families to come and parcipate in a day of games, free food, and concerts. $6,000 annually would assist in buying: - Toys - Art/craft materials - Literature and teaching materials - Evangelistic Outreach Youth Ministry Youth Ministry Pre teens and teens meet to study Bible, pray and have fellowship. As children within the church grew and began bringing their friends to church, we started a youth ministry, held every Wednesday evening during our mid- week service. Young people gather to study the Word of God, worship, play games and interact. They also participate in various ministries within the church such as media, working at the book table, helping in Children s ministries and street evangelism. A young couple from a town North of Zagreb come each Wednesday to teach our youth group. Danijel and Gris are CFNI alumni, have vast experience in working with young people and have a strong calling for this ministry. Some of the greatest needs we have for this ministry are finances to cover their travel costs and finances for materials and literature. $6,000 annually would help us cover the needs of this ministry. 12 /
13 CEO Ministries Leadership Training Not only do we want to help current ministers become fruitful in their calling, but we also aim to disciple new believers and train them to be ministers, leaders, and those who will carry out our vision to take the gospel throughout Croatia. Each January, we host a leadership retreat that is meant to refresh our leaders and facilitate a time of dialogue, learning, and growing together as leaders. Each year we invite a special guest to come and share with us about principles of leadership. $5,000 would go toward paying for discipleship materials and securing the retreat center. Croatian Christian Coalition In 2008 Pastor Mario initiated and became president of the Croatian Christian Coalition. The purpose of the coalition is to stimulate and realize solidarity, transparency and collaboration along with the realization of community influence among members in the political realm through active promotion of Christian principles in Protestant churches in the Republic of Croatia. Croatian Christian Coalition has been successful in working with three local churches to win a historic victory in the European Courts in Strasbourg against the Republic of Croatia for religious discrimination. Furthermore, they have earned favor with the former President of the Republic of Croatia who openly supported them in their efforts to bring religious equality to Croatia. The Croatian Christian Coalition is also working on legal regulations for and the implementation of homeschooling into the Croatian educational system and has been actively working with the Ministry of Education. Members of the Coalition Meeting with the former President. Croatian Christian Coalition Lobbying on political levels for true religious freedom. To read more about all that Croatian Christian Coalition is doing visit their website at hr. $4,000 annually would assist / 13
14 CEO Ministries in lobbying and administration costs. $4,000 would also help us support entrepreneurs and small business owners as a way of providing jobs to the unemployed, and fellow churches. A Church Van Would assist in transportation. Church Van It is not uncommon to pay more than $80 to fill a tank of gas in Croatia. In a city with excellent public transportation many families do not even own a car. However when it comes time for us to go on various outings as a church or the kids need to go to camp, the problem of finding rides for everyone arises. Having a church van would assist us in solving these issues and help in the transportation of equipment for events. $33,000 would help in purchasing a good used van and cover the 25% sales tax plus possible custom fees. 14 /
15 Mario s Ministry Mario s Ministry Mario is available to minister to men s groups, business leaders, mission groups, youth groups, at mid-week services, Bible studies, and regular church services. Mario s strengths in preaching and teaching are in the areas of leadership, revival, prayer, spiritual discipline and character development. To schedual Mario for a speaking engagement you may contact him using one of the methods below. Altar ministry at CCE Helping people find freedom in Jesus Christ. Croatian Evangelistic Outreach Pledge Card Yes, I would like to partner in this ministry with my monthly pledge of: $ 50 $ 100 $ 150 $ Please find enclosed my gift of $ Please find enclosed my gift of $ for supporting a full-time Croatian minister. Gifts within the United States of America designated for this ministry are received by City Church International ( P.O. Box Dallas, TX For further information call For tax-deductible receipts, please make checks payable to City Church International and write Croatian Evangelistic Outreach in the memo of your check. For online donations please visit (Giving Designation Missions Croatian Evangelistic Outreach ). Gifts outside the United States of America can be sent to: Crkva cjelovitog evanđelja, Zagrebačka cesta 227, Zagreb, Croatia. Bank Name: Raiffeisen Bank Austria D.D. Zagreb. Swift Number: RZBHH2X. Account Number IBAN Number: HRO Thank you. / 15
16 Croatian Evangelistic Outreach Info CEO Contact Information Address Crkva cjelovitog evanđelja Zagrebačka cesta Zagreb, Croatia Phone Number Mario Dučić Available for ministry in your church today! CRKVA CJELOVITOG EVANĐELJA CEO Fax Website SUVREMENA CRKVA TRAJNIH VRIJEDNOSTI CEO. All Rights reserved. All materials in this issue is subject to International copyright laws and may not be reproduced without prior written approval. Permission to reproduce may be obtained by writing to Croatian Evangelistic Outreach. Mario Dučić Pastor and President of Crkva Cjelovitog Evanđelja Mario Ducic s contact information for personal ministry Crkva cjelovitog evanđelja Zagrebačka cesta Zagreb. HR Croatia Europe P _ M _ E _ W _ 16 /

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The Yankees Bolster Their Rotation with Frankie Montas
by Ben Clemens
Frankie Montas needed to be set free. When the A's began their selloff in earnest this offsesaon, he looked like a lock to end up elsewhere. Sean Manaea and Chris Bassitt, fellow rotation stalwarts, were gone. Matt Chapman and Matt Olson were shipped out. Montas (along with Sean Murphy and Ramón Laureano) seemed likely to be next, but then the season started, and there he was, still atop the Oakland rotation.
He's done everything Oakland could possibly ask of him this season, to the tune of a 3.18 ERA in 19 starts. Meanwhile, the A's have the second-worst record in baseball, ahead of only the woeful Nationals. Montas will reach free agency after the 2023 season, another year in which the A's will likely be far from the playoff conversation. He had a brief injury scare, missing two turns with shoulder inflammation, but he's returned to the field and made two starts without incident. One way or another, the A's were going to move him.
The Yankees, for their part, stormed to the best record in baseball but would still like starting pitching help. Gerrit Cole is great and Nestor Cortes has been a revelation this year, but the group of pitchers behind them has been uneven. Jordan Montgomery started strong, but he's been homer-prone of late. Jameson Taillon is steady but a step below Montas results-wise, and will be a free agent after this year. Luis Severino just hit the 60-day IL, pushing a potential return even deeper into September. The aggregate results have been solid, but you can see why the team wants more certainty given the difficulty of cleanly upgrading their lineup.
The result of Oakland's surplus and New York's need is a logical trade: today, the A's sent Montas and reliever Lou Trivino to the Yankees in exchange for a smorgasbord of prospects. Ken Waldichuk, Luis Medina, JP Sears, and Cooper Bowman comprise a deep and talented prospect return. Eric Longenhagen will have a separate piece that delves deeper into the specifics of each player, but I'll lay them out at the end of this article for the sake of posterity.
First, let's talk about Montas. He's a great fit in front of a revitalized New York infield. The Yankees have one of the best defensive infields in the majors this year, thanks largely to the contributions of offseason acquisition Josh Donaldson. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, another offseason acquisition, has been roughly average overall but uneven at shortstop, though uneven is a vast improvement from last year's tire fire. Donaldson's acquisition also means that New York can run out an alignment with DJ LeMahieu at second base, which puts three defenders on the infield who range from solid to plus.
I wouldn't describe Montas as a sinkerballer, but he certainly gets his fair share of grounders. He mixes a four-seamer and sinker in roughly equal measure, which keeps hitters off-balance, but that's not a great plan unless your infielders can do something with the grounders. Now that they can, Montas makes a lot of sense to me in New York. More strikeouts than average, fewer walks than average, and the ability to turn into a groundball pitcher when appropriate: Montas is simply good across the board, and given that the Yankees will have perused his latest medical reports, they clearly think he's a good bet to stay on the field.
Meanwhile, Trivino is more than just a throw-in. His horror-movie .451 BABIP is obscuring what would otherwise be another solid but unexciting season. He has a five-pitch arsenal that essentially boils down to fastball/cutter/slider and he consistently misses bats with that mix. Despite the grim results so far, he looks like a solid middle reliever. I don't think batters will continue to hit line drives 40% of the time off of his fastball, which hasn't changed in shape or velocity compared to his more effective years. A new sweeping slider (or "whirly," if you're really into New York names) will be right at home in the Yankees bullpen. If nothing else, he's a good bet to deliver average performance in medium-leverage situations, which is a valuable skill against the stacked lineups the team will face in the playoffs. Despite recently turning 30, he's also under team control for a while, with two more trips through arbitration remaining. He's not a sure bet to produce, but if he's the fifth-best reliever on your team, it means you have an excellent bullpen.
When you have the division locked up like New York does, your deadline trades should have an eye on the playoffs. If you're trying to work out the ways the Yankees could fail in October, inconsistent pitching seems like the most likely scenario. There are enough question marks that you could imagine a few injuries, a few tired arms, and suddenly Aaron Boone trusts exactly one of his starters. One way you can fix that is by assembling a lockdown bullpen — today's Scott Effross trade represents a step in that direction — but another way you can fix it is by getting more good starters. Montas was the best available option after the Luis Castillo trade; if I were running the Yankees, he would have been my number one target today. Throw in Trivino, and the Yankees are making good strides toward that lockdown bullpen as well.
That logic holds for next year, too. The Yankees figure to be fighting for the American League East crown again next season. Plugging in an excellent starter will make that fight easier, and as the mantra goes, there's no such thing as a bad one-year contract. As an added benefit, Montas represents one of the few obvious spots for a Yankees upgrade. I guess they could sign a marquee shortstop this offseason, and re-signing or replacing Aaron Judge is of utmost importance, but "just add a top-25 starter" is one of the surest ways to improve an already-deep team without making any of your existing players redundant (cough Joey Gallo cough).
The cost for that upgrade is substantial. Waldichuk is a fast riser who Eric likens to Reid Detmers, a four-pitch starter with enviable fastball shape. He peppers the top of the zone with it, making up for its middling velocity with remarkable ride and a deceptive delivery. If you're trying to time that up, good luck adjusting to the wipeout slider and rapidly developing changeup. We have him 36th on our updated Top 100 prospects list as a 50 FV prospect, and we're hardly alone in the scouting community: even without dominant velocity, he looks like a future major league difference maker. He slots in as Oakland's new top prospect.
Medina is another 50 FV member of our Top 100, though Eric pegs him as a future multi-inning relief ace rather than a starter in the long run. He tops out above 100 mph with a vicious fastball (albeit with below-average movement), and complements it with a hammer curve and a rapidly-developing changeup. He uses those two secondaries with equal frequency, and both have looked sharp this year. That's an enviable set of pitches, one that would look right at home at the top of any rotation in the majors today. There's just one problem: his command could charitably be described as inconsistent. He's walking 13% of the batters he faces (five per nine innings) in Double-A, right in line with his performance there last year. Loud stuff is all well and good, but without the ability to consistently spot his pitches for strikes, it's hard to imagine him sticking in the majors as a starter. His raw talent is so overwhelming that he could likely hack it as a reliever right now, but Oakland will surely give him more time to figure out his command as a starter. The upside here is huge if Medina can start locating more consistently.
Sears (40 FV) is Medina in reverse. His fastball doesn't overpower and he doesn't have an obvious third pitch behind a solid slider. He's posted impressive strikeout numbers in the minors over the past two years, but the pitch data merits skepticism; indeed, he's been below-average in that respect in 22 innings of major league work this year, mostly as a reliever. That's okay, though, because he has excellent command. His walk rates are consistently superlative, which gives him a high floor; he's simply not going to walk himself out of many ballgames. I think that profile will play up in Oakland's spacious foul territory, though it might not work well in the thin air of Las Vegas, for whatever that's worth.
Bowman is the least-heralded of the prospects heading to Oakland. A fourth-round pick in last year's draft, he looked solid in a brief cameo with the Tampa Tarpons. He's treading water in High-A so far this year, but in an ugly way: he's both walking and striking out quite frequently, but without a ton of power, which makes me think the walks aren't sustainable. He was an honorable mention on our preseason Yankees prospects list. We think that he'll stick at second base, and that his compact swing mechanics will make him a contact-driven, averageish hitter, though this year's elevated strikeout numbers are certainly worrisome. File him under the "mystery box" category: we'll just need to see more to know what he'll become.
Even if Bowman is just window dressing, this is an enviable haul for Oakland. Three probable major league pitchers, all of whom are performing in the minors this year, will bring far more to the team over the next five years than Montas would have. Is that largely the fault of Oakland's ownership, who mandated a sell-off? Indisputably. But considering the position they're in, restocking their farm system with top-level pitching is an excellent decision in my eyes.
As for the Yankees, I would have preferred to bring Castillo in, but that horse has already left the barn. Waldichuks and Medinas don't grow on trees, but the Yankees have proven adept at developing mid-level draft picks and international signees into impact pitching prospects and eventually impact major leaguers. Cashing in some of those prospects to improve the major league team right now makes a lot of sense. It's reasonable to assume that development pipeline will continue to produce arms, and the Yankees are very good right this instant. Waldichuk, Medina, and Sears might make the 2023 team better, but their value largely comes from what they might produce further in the future. There are other ways to get that future value: the Yankees could sign impact major leaguers, or develop more prospects, or trade from their still-solid hoard of great young players. But there's only one way to supplement the 2022 team: trading for someone like Montas.
For me, that makes this a layup. Would the Yankees have preferred to trade one fewer player in the deal? Obviously. Would they have preferred a better reliever to Trivino as the throw-in? Most certainly. But if it was this or nothing, I'd easily make this deal, and I might have even offered another prospect to close things if necessary. Flags fly forever, after all.
Orioles Prioritize Head Over Heart, Trade Trey Mancini to Astros
Braves Lock Up Another Core Bat With 10-Year Extension for Austin Riley
Ben is a writer at FanGraphs. He can be found on Twitter @_Ben_Clemens.
jradMITmember
I wonder how much his recent shoulder issues had been cleared by the Yankees.
Ivan_Grushenkomember
Reply to jradMIT
Well if he's a particularly high injury risk they shouldn't have touched him with a 10′ pole.


This article is about the region of Middle-earth. For the MERP supplement, see The Northern Waste.
The Northern Waste was a vast cold region of mostly ice and snow, in the far north end of Middle-earth, beyond the Mountains of Angmar, Mount Gundabad and the Ered Mithrin. The main known area was Forochel.
The location was also named Forodwaith (S., "Northern lands, people") after the hardy Forodwaith folk, who inhabited it.
The Waste had been made very cold earlier in Arda's history because of the presence of Utumno and Melkor's evil cold emanating from it. The region remained cold even after Utumno's destruction.
The region was once inhabited by a hardy Mannish folk, the Forodwaith who gave the region its name. However in later years (possibly suffering by the Witch-king of Angmar) their remnants retreated to the Cape of Forochel.
Dragons also dwelt in there and after many years they multiplied and became strong and made war against the Dwarves. Cold-drakes came from the Northern Waste and drove the Dwarves of the Grey Mountains out of their homes, and most of the Dwarves then moved to Erebor and the Iron Hills.
According to Frodo Baggins's poem for Gandalf, Gandalf had travelled to the Northern Waste.
The different definitions of "Forodwaith" between the earlier and the later map.
In the earliest General Map of Middle-earth by Christopher Tolkien, the northern portion of the Westlands is featureless, labelled as "Northern Waste", with the name "Forodwaith", in smaller letters, above the Mountains of Angmar; this seemed to suggest that Forodwaith is a part of the wider Northern Waste, if not a smaller separate region. This nomenclature was carried over to Pauline Baynes's A Map of Middle-earth.
Later, Christopher Tolkien realized that the two names are synonymous. The misunderstanding was corrected in the later map known as The West of Middle-earth at the End of the Third Age, where only the name "Forodwaith" appears, labeling all the blank portion north of the Mountains of Angmar and the Grey Mountains.
This page was last modified on 23 May 2018, at 19:10.


Do We Still Have Power Over Medicine?
Home Health + Fitness Do We Still Have Power Over Medicine?
Think back to the stone ages, where simply a broken leg would most likely kill you. There was just no medicine to help with all of the things that we take for granted today. Which is why we have to be in awe as to how far medicine has come, even in recent years. We think it's mainly due to the advancement of technology and how that has helped expand our knowledge into medicine. But do we still have power over it? Are we still going to lead the way in the future of developing new treatments and cures, or are we going to go back in time. It's something we want to explore today, because people are always under the opinion that medicine is something we're moving forward constantly in, when we think there are areas we might be falling behind in. Let's explore some more!
There really is an elephant in the room within medicine because of antibiotics. You will not doubt have seen adverts on the TV now warning you how eventually antibiotics will stop working if you pump your body full of them. But they won't just stop working for you, they'll stop for your children, and your children's children and so on. We're rapidly running out of time with new antibiotics, and no, they can't just keep creating new ones. At the minute there are all sorts out there that doctors can use, but our bodies are slowly building up resistance to them. If we still want to have power over this area, we need to take fewer antibiotics, and stop using them in farming. Farmers lay them on the grass to help prevent infections in their livestock, and to help them grow bigger. We then eat the meat, and in slow doses take the antibiotics that we're trying to resist. Much has to be done if we want to hold the power in this area.
Our genetics are what makes us who we are, and in this area, we do actually hold a lot of power still. This is mainly due to technology and the equipment we can now use to separate matter from one another, and to see how different proteins in our DNA bind to molecules. A chip kit, power microscopes, analysis software, and the human eye all work together to build a picture of the makeup of our DNA, and how other processes in our body affect it! But through analysing genetics we're learning a lot. We're learning what causes defects, how they might be prevented, and even how they can be cured!
If there's one thing that can be said for sure, it's that we definitely need to pick up the pace if we are to make any advancements that are worth talking about. Think about things like the race to completely wipe out cancer. It's a multi-billion dollar industry, with so many funds going into it each day. Yet there is still no cure for something that affects millions. Other areas too are suffering, such as HIV treatments.
Next articleIs Artificial Intelligence Good Or Evil?


Today I was making my lunch smoothie in a hurry. Although I was running late, I wanted to make a beet smoothie and take a few pictures because the color is always so beautiful.
But – being that I was in a hurry, my pictures came out no where near what I intended, so I'll just leave most of them out!
All my smoothies are green smoothies. Since the greens don't seem to change the taste, why leave them out? I like having the extra nutrients.
Save the beet greens to use in your smoothies. I wash them when I am ready to add them to my smoothie so they don't wilt in the refrigerator.
Once fall arrives I start craving pumpkin and sweet potatoes. I don't like preparing raw pumpkins, so I use sweet potatoes instead. They're easy to clean and cut and just the right size to use in a raw smoothie.
I prefer to use raw, but roasted (unsalted) nuts and seeds are fine. And when I use flaxseeds, I prefer to use the whole seeds.
If you have a Vitamix blender, you don't have to worry about peeling the sweet potatoes or the apple. The peel will blend up smoothly so you don't even know it's in the smoothie. That means your body will get all the vitamins and nutrients without leaving anything out.
Last night I met the girls for a ladies only pot luck. I did a lot of cooking this week and I wasn't ready to take time to make another recipe for everyone else to eat. Yes, I'm stingy that way!
Here's my reason… I take the time to carefully select my food and I only buy organic. I am the only vegan at this pot luck and I already know from experience that most people won't eat it. So I indulged myself and stopped by my favorite vegan restaurant and ordered my favorite wrap. Yes, I ordered extra so everyone could have a taste. Only one person tried it (as expected), so I brought the rest home.
I was feeling full today and not really into eating, but I knew I needed my nutrients. I had no intention of writing a post about this today… I just wanted something quick and easy. Therefore, I don't have all the usual pictures I would take showing the ingredients and the process.
I took one sip of the finished smoothie and knew I had to share it with you.
I really don't like having to go shopping for food more than once a week because I end up spending too much money. That's why I like to cook things in advance and store them in glass containers in the freezer. This prevents fresh food from going bad, which can happen very quickly when you purchase organics.
Over the years I started to notice that fresh produce was lasting longer and longer in the refrigerator. At that time I had no idea it REALLY was lasting longer due to the toxic chemicals they were sprayed with… not to mention GMOs. I don't believe many people were aware of that 20 years ago!
I love to cook, so reviewing all the beautiful vegan images on social media sites makes me want to try too many recipes in one week. That's another way to increase your food bill, especially if you don't already have most of the ingredients on-hand.
It's finally Fall and all I can think about is pumpkin spice!
Years ago, one of my favorite things was dark chocolate covered orange sticks. I served these as an after dinner candy when I had people over.
About a month ago, I was debating what to use to make my green smoothie as I was looking for a new taste instead of the same old ingredients I had been using. Of course, that was going to be limited by what I had in my cabinets!
Gazing into the refrigerator, my eyes fell on the bag of oranges I had not used up. Yum – fresh, juicy oranges looked good, but what else did I have that would make them into a new recipe?
I opened the cabinet and discovered a bag of cacao powder that probably had about a quarter cup remaining. That reminded me of the chocolate covered orange sticks and I got excited.
A few years ago I started making smoothies for breakfast, a quick snack, or a low-calorie dessert. At that time I was into matching different combinations of spices and herbs with the fruits and vegetables I was using. For instance, does basil enhance beets and can I add mint to grapefruit?
I was having a great time testing and tasting and then one day I thought I was just brilliant… I decided I could make my smoothies more healthy by adding fresh greens. No – I had not heard of "green smoothies" yet so I actually thought I invented them – silly me!
The best part of using greens in my smoothies was that it didn't seem to matter which greens I used; none of them seemed to adversely affect the taste of the smoothie… until last year.
Something I added turned my favorite smoothie so bitter, I could barely drink it. I made a mental note to discover the name of that green, but promptly forgot.
Well – it happened again last week. I spied a neon lime, leafy green and quickly added it to my basket.
The next day I pulled it out of the fridge, marveled at the size of the leafs and added it to the Vitamix container. I blended and poured and marveled again at the beautiful color. After the shock of the first gulp I realized I had done it again. It was bitter or did it taste like my smoothie was full of pepper? Then I realized it tasted like one of my most hated condiments – horseradish!
I already had my daily addition of flaxseeds and green protein powder added to the smoothie, so I wasn't about to pour it down the drain. I managed to drink it down to the last drop and quickly rinsed out my mouth.
A few days later I remembered to locate the green in the produce section of my favorite market and there it was – Mustard Greens. I had to go home and research what on earth a cook could do with mustard greens.
I was surprised to find they are related to kale and cabbage because I really love both of those. Evidently they lose some of the peppery taste when cooked and are frequently used in Chinese, Japanese, and Indian cooking. The recipes I found using cooked mustard greens really did make my mouth water, so I may try a few… some day.
For now, I can assure you I will never again make the mistake of purchasing mustard greens for any of the raw vegan recipes and smoothies I make.
P.S. I absolutely LOVE my Vitamix. I have used it every single day since I purchased it… best investment I ever made. Using a regular blender on green smoothies will leave you with small bits of leafy greens floating in your drink. The Vitamix blends it all; releasing the important nutrients inside the greens.


Experiences of parenting a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have mostly been studied in relation to hardship. The current study explored personal growth experiences of Israeli parents to children with ASD, specifically in relation to Tedeschi and Calhoun's crisis-related growth model. Nineteen parents were interviewed, and qualitative categorical content analysis was performed. Four major growth themes emerged: Empowerment and personal strength, Existential perspective/spiritual-emotional experience, Interpersonal and Expertise, professional or political involvement. Themes were largely consistent with the crisis-related growth model, with some being unique to the current subject of inquiry. Findings indicated growth might occur differently in different cultures. Clinically, with some parents, the focus regarding the parenting of their child with ASD should be shifted from adjustment to growth.
We are grateful to our participants for openly sharing their personal experiences, and to Prof. Rivka Tuval-Mashiach and Dr. Yael Golan for their methodological advice.
MYS and OG designed the study, MYS collected the data and analyzed it with OG. EWB and OG wrote the final manuscript. All authors commented on the manuscript and approved it.
Authors EWB, MYS, and OG declare that they have no conflict of interest.
The study was approved by the ethics committee of the department of psychology, Bar-Ilan University. All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
A general explanation regarding the study and its goals.
Tell me a bit about you and your family, so I can get to know you better.
Each child in the household: Age, Occupation, Diagnoses received.
Relationships in the family: Marital, Siblings, Parents and Children.
How would you describe your parenting experience?
How did this parenting experience influence the interviewee's life, personality and the choices he has made?
How did the encounter with the child's ASD affect the interviewee's thoughts and feelings with regards to himself, the future and his surroundings in general? Was there a specific part of it that was more challenging than others?
The parenting experience of undiagnosed siblings: Similarities and differences, how do the different types of parenting correspond with one another?
Think of parenting as a process—how would you describe the process you went through?
Thoughts and emotions at time of receiving the diagnosis and today.
Thoughts and expectations with regards to parenting—before the child's birth, after the diagnosis, and today.
To what extent do you view parenting a child with ASD as something that has promoted growth in your life? How do you see this growth?
What role do these growth aspects play in your parental experience?
Have you experienced personal growth or empowerment resulting from this parenting experience? How would you characterize this process? How does it affect your life?
What do you suppose enabled this growth? Could you identify certain characteristics of your parenting experience to your child with ASD that contributed to growth?
How did you experience the encounter with your child's ASD? Have you experienced a change in personality, views or principles due to this encounter? If not, how did your views and principles help you in coping with this parenting experience?


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Home / What's New / Reviews / Country 2 Country Friday
Country 2 Country Friday
Amy Westney 30th March 2018 0 comments 1108 view
It was Friday night at the O2 Arena in London and the Country2Country Festival was well and truly about to get underway as the first act, Old Dominion, were getting ready to take the main stage.
With live music having already been echoing around the inside of the O2 complex since earlier that day with some of the pop-up stages the audience were raring to go, drinks in hand and excitement filled the air.
Its always interesting to me to see how the audience grows each year and who would be waiting intently for that first main stage performance. As the lights went down and music began to blast from the speaker everyone erupted in a cheer as Matthew, Brad, Whit, Trevor and Geoff of Old Dominion walked out on stage. The crowd, myself included, were instantly on their feet as they broke into 'Song For Another Time'. Now with 2 albums under their belt and a great mix of songs that make you want yo just tap your feet they were a perfect start to the festival. With tracks like 'No Such Thing As A Broken Heart' and 'Break Up With Him' being clear favourites with the audience. They are a perfect festival band, whether this was just another show of theirs you were lucky to be in the audience for or your first time seeing them, they did not disappoint.
With a swift turnaround everyone's heads turned as Australian-born Morgan Evans took to the Spotlight Stage. He told us about how back in Australia he had his banshee would play shows with, when he moved to Nashville they did not move with him and so with his trusty loop pedal in hand he created and introduced up to each member of his band! A quirky performance that was met with a lot of audience participation and a huge round of applause as he closed his set with Kiss Somebody. With such an energetic performance I would love to see him on a bigger stage with a real life band! Though his loop pedal band is quirky, and pretty damn awesome, an opportunity to see him perform with others on stage, I think he would really shine! As he closed the spotlight stage he proudly introduced his wife, Kelsea Ballerini, to the stage.
Now I will admit that when it comes to Kelsea I am not a big fan, for no reason other than I have just never sat and listened to much of her music. However I did have the chance to see her perform 'Peter Pan' at the CMA awards and was very impressed so though I was somewhat unaware of her other content I was still looking forward to see what she would bring. First impressions as she walked out on to stage, she looked like a superstar and her vocals were right alongside. Breaking into 'Love Me Like You Mean It' was a perfect choice of opener as it was familiar, upbeat and quickly had the audience clapping and singing along. The ease of her performance was a breath of fresh air. She transitioned from one song to another seamlessly and clearly was having a blast on stage, a feeling that had spread across the audience at the O2 Arena. She was, in my opinion, a perfect choice of festival act. With some slot some upbeat and a lot of sing-alongs, even those, like myself, who maybe were not so knowledgeable on her music; it didn't matter. She was captivating and put on one hell of a show. I will be looking out for just what else she has to offer and if she is back in London, you had better look out for me in the audience!
This brought us right back to the back of the arena and the spotlight stage, once again, where this time Brett Young took to the stage. I had heard chatter about this guy all day and he was surely a favourite of all the ladies in the audience! A great placement for this new artist, he appeared in the spotlight with guitar in hand as the audience erupted in cheers.
Starting with 'Sleep Without You' the bottom stage got surrounded by fans wanting to get as close as possible. As he got to the end of 'In Case You Didn't Know' he asked the audience if they would sing with him and it didn't take much for the whole arena to break into the chorus. I would be very surprised if he we don't see him back at C2C next year and I for one will be excited to see a full set from him.
We then moved on to the act many had been waiting for all night. Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, the powerhouse couple of country music. Bringing over the set and show they have been playing in Vegas I was interested to see how they would be received, as last year Reba had been (I think unfairly) criticised by some for her 'Vegas-like' performance. After some set up time, the lights in the arena went down and the stage lighting lit up, it looked amazing. Over the speakers began playing Sister Sledge, We are Family. As Tim and Faith walked out onto stage they began singing It's Your love. Holding hand and looking longing into each others eyes it was a precedent set for the performance! That lovey, dovey show, I expected nothing less. The first part of the show consisted a medley of many of their hits which, though many were solo songs, they performed together. From Felt Good On My Lips to The Lucky One to Like We Never Loved At All the audience were quickly treated to many of their hits! It was cheesy but I liked it! This couple have a career based upon being that perfect loved up couple and that was translated on that stage, the lighting and performances were complimented perfectly by their vocals and though there may have been some warm up issues as they started they swiftly began to deliver a flawless performance. As this first part closed, Tim McGraw said goodbye to the audience and left the stage in the capable hands of Faith. She went on to sing many of her hits from over the years from This Kiss to the Wild One and her popular cover of Piece Of My Heart. She had the crowd in the palm of her hand and looking around fans were singing along to every word. Tim rejoined her for a duo performance of 'Angry All The Time' as Faith then left him to his own devices on the O2 stage. Again he performed a selection of his hits from over the years including One Of Those Night, Where The Green Grass Grows and Live Like You Were Dying. Of course in this solo set there was also the much anticipated 'Humble and Kind' that, just a couple of years ago fans who attended the CMA Songwriters Series to kick off C2C 2016 heard by Lori McKenna. The arena echoed with everyone singing along as he played this and the seats lit up with the lights of peoples phone lights as they swayed in the black. As the song came to a close he held the mic out gesturing for the audience to sing the chorus and the arena once again filled up with the sounds of the crowd singing every line.
As Tim finished off his set, Faith once again joined him out on stage and they finished with joint performances of Speak To A Girl, It's Your Love, Mississippi Girl and Something Like That before the lights dimmed and they left the stage, the audience eagerly awaiting an encore as cheers, foot stamps and claps filled the silence until the couple walked back out on stage.
The show was closed of with a very intimate performance between the two of them as they sat facing each other for a rendition of 'I Need You'.
It was clear the set was a success from the applause as the two finished the performance and both them and their band took their bows and left the stage.
As the lights went up the arena was full of buzzing country fans and this was just day 1!
What was to come for Saturday and Sunday! Check out the site for reviews of these other two days!
Country 2 Country Saturday
Jagertown
Amy Westney
Hey all! I am a musician, photographer, writer whatever you name it. Jack of all master of none... Wait... I mean master of all... yep that's the one! Country music has been my beginning, middle and end (cheesy but true...) ever since i discovered it back in 2005 and to be involved with Think Country just means that I get to spend my time immersed in it. I have had the chance to meet a lot of incredible people through music and I am thankful to now call a lot of them friends. Keep your eye out for me because im always here, there and everywhere! In the UK or in Nashville you never know where I might pop up!


When you need a fantastic side dish to bring to a potluck or family gathering (think Easter, Christmas or Thanksgiving) you cannot go wrong with these fantastic green beans.
The sweet and salty combination you get from the maple syrup, brown sugar and bacon is the perfect combination to the green beans and onion.
I used canned green beans because that is what I had on hand but if you like your green beans a little more crisp feel free to use fresh green beans that have been washed and trimmed and then add 1/4 cup water to the slow cooker when you add the green beans so that there is a little liquid to help those fresh green beans cook.
Because of the bacon and sweet maple syrup and brown sugar my kids actually LOVE this recipe and I can easily get them to eat their veggies!
In a sauce pan, heat bacon and onion just until bacon is cooked (do not brown the bacon).
Drain green beans and empty into a 5 quart or larger slow cooker.
Add bacon, onion and drippings on top of green beans.
Add in brown sugar and maple syrup and stir well.
Do not be afraid to substitute fresh green beans or even frozen green beans for the canned green beans in this recipe.
I made these for an Easter side dish. I was really hoping they'd be great, but they were disgusting. I will not be making them again!
I am sorry you didn't like the green beans Lauren. I am not sure what to say except that I guess each person has their own tastes and preferences.
Not exactly low sodium either by the time you add a main dish to it.


Этот красно-оранжевый цвет реалистично воспроизводит темные оттенки свежей ржавчины. После высыхания матовый. Можно использовать самостоятельно или смешивать с другими цветами для получения других оттенков ржавчины.
This red orange acrylic paint color with a matt finish is perfect for the darkest shades of fresh rust. Use alone or mix with other colors to create a full range of authentic rust tones. Acrylic - Effects color formulated for maximum brush & airbrush performance - 17ml. Water soluble, odorless, and non-toxic. Shake thoroughly before each use. We recommend MIG-2000 Acrylic Thinner for thinning. Dries completely in 24 hours.


Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg surprised his audience during a forum at Beijing's Tsinghua University on Wednesday by carrying out the 30-minute interview almost entirely in Mandarin.
Zuckerberg generally steered the conversation with some rehearsed discussion, and despite prefacing the interview with an acknowledgment of his less-than-perfect Chinese skills, he managed to rally up several rounds of laughter and applause from the audience.
When asked why he studied Chinese, Zuckerberg explained that his wife's family spoke it and he wanted to be able to communicate with them. He said that while he knows more words in Mandarin than his wife, who also speaks Cantonese, her listening comprehension far exceeds his own.
While the Chinese-language interview has been widely perceived as a bid to cozy up to China, where Facebook is currently blocked, his effort has been for the most part applauded.
You can read more transcriptions from the interview at Quartz.


In my mind, all babies talk like Stewie on Family Guy.
Anyway, I knew how he felt. In the old days, I spent the holidays feeling like I was waiting at a bus stop for a bus that was never going to come. Or that worse yet, it would come, and it would be full of cranky people who'd been shopping all day; people without jobs but with laps full of parcels, and faces with permanent scowls. People who were thinking about credit card debt instead of egg nog, or maybe thinking about egg nog because of their credit card debt.
If there are two kinds of people — those who hate Christmas and those who love it — I was definitely on Team Christmas Hate.
My friend and traveling companion Adam loves Christmas the way that kids love Christmas. He loves Christmas trees, so we got one for our very first Christmas. It was my first since high school. He loves presents, so we give them to each other, even this year when we have no money and everything we need. Adam taught me, all over again, that presents must be wrapped ahead of time and prominently displayed under the tree. We'll bake cookies for our landlord and make champagne punch for our friends, and we'll drink egg nog, despite the fact that I still find it a little weird, like the top of a dessert served in a cocktail glass.
My favorite part of all of this? Adam's an atheist. Also, he's not a big fan of social gatherings on a large scale. Put that together and you have a person who should hate Christmas. But he doesn't.
The night we put up our first tree, we turned out all the lights and sat on the couch and look at it.
"What should we name it?" I asked him.
"Let's call it Frasier," I suggested, somewhat unimaginatively.
It was very quiet in our little two-room apartment, even though we lived one block from a busy city avenue. With all the lights off, no TV, no computer, all I could hear was the rush of the air in my ears and the almost inaudible hum of electricity coursing through the building. If I listened long enough, I thought, I would start to hear the pulse of blood in my beloved's veins as he took my hand.
"You're welcome," I said. Although of course, I should have been thanking him.
This post appeared in slightly different form in another blog two years ago. Today, we put up Frasier the Third. He is quite stately.


That is an Icelandic Lopapeysa, which is just the general name for those hand-knit patterned sweaters. It was probably hand-knit by himself or a family member. The website you posted is probably your best bet for finding one similar, but you could also contact them directly (The Handknitting Association Of Iceland) and have a similar one commissioned.
the model you are looking for is the Loki, made with plötulopi, feels soft and is rather light. makes a nice, warm sweater one can wear on all sorts of occasions. better for more moderate climates than the álafoss lopi, used for thick, rather harsh working or hiking sweaters.


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Since finding a home a few years back on Mike Patton�s Ipecac label, toxic-sludge kings the Melvins have been given free rein to do whatever the hell they please. And they sure haven�t wasted the opportunity. Release a three-album trilogy in the span of nine months? Sure. Follow it up with a " live " improvisational album? No problem. Follow that with a live document of a one-off performance that had the Melvins on stage with Patton�s Fantomas at the same time? You got it. The Melvins are currently out in support of yet another new disc, Hostile Ambient Takeover. And they�re touring with new labelmates Isis � Boston�s own heaviest band in the universe. Ipecac will release Isis�s Oceanic, which features guest spots from 27�s Ayl Naor and Maria Christopher and marks a bit of a departure from their past efforts, later this year. Both bands hit Toad�s Place (203-562-5589) in New Haven on Sunday; Higher Ground (802-654-8888) in Winooski, Vermont, on Monday; the Met Café (401-861-2142) in Providence on Tuesday; and the Middle East (617-864-EAST) in Cambridge on Wednesday.
Pervert, provocateur, stylistic gadfly, producer of massive Japanese pop hits and of underground obscurities everywhere else, theorist, essayist, and frightfully clever singer-songwriter, the artist known to the world as Momus and to his mother as Nick Currie has added " Label Boss " to his résumé and headed out on tour with three bands signed to his brand-spanking-new American Patchwork imprint. He�ll bring along the Super Madrigal Brothers ( " electro-Elizabethan glitch-folk " ), the Gongs, and Phiiliip to the Iron Horse Music Hall (413-584-0610) in Northampton on Friday and to T.T. the Bear�s Place (617-492-BEAR) in Cambridge on Saturday.
In several other markets, Simple Minds and INXS are teaming up for what amounts to a back-to-the-Breakfast-Club-era �80s mini-revival. Each will have a night at Avalon (617-423-NEXT) in Boston: Simple Minds on Tuesday and the post�Michael Hutchence INXS on Wednesday. INXS are also at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom (603-929-4100) in New Hampshire next Saturday, June 29. Teutonic power-ballad specialists, smoky-water stoner-rock godfathers, and the man who replaced Ozzy in Sabbath: Scorpions, Deep Purple, and Dio hit the Tweeter Center (617-931-2000) in Mansfield on Wednesday and Meadowbrook Farm Musical Arts Center (603-293-4700) in Gilford, New Hampshire, next Friday, June 28.
Melissa Etheridge is at the Tweeter Center tonight (Thursday June 20) and at Meadows Music (203-265-1501) in Hartford on Sunday. Jewel brings along the Norwegian jailbait-pop duo M2M for gigs Sunday at FleetBoston Pavilion (617-931-2000) and Tuesday at the Oakdale Theatre (203-265-1501) in Wallingford, Connecticut. Gospel legends the Blind Boys of Alabama play the House of Blues (617-491-BLUE) in Cambridge tonight (Thursday June 20) and the Pioneer Valley Blues Festival at Three County Fair Ground (413-584-2237 extension 113) in Northampton on Saturday.
BY CARLY CARIOLI


Cannabis oil, and CBD oil, in particular, has shown remarkable success in treating a wide variety of illnesses and disorders. And new research keeps coming out that supports the claims many daily cannabis oil users have been making for years.... Cannabis oil is good for your heart Cannabis oil contains high concentrations of antioxidants, which help to support a healthy heart and ward off cardiovascular diseases. A 2014 study published in the Journal of Pharmacological Research showed that 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), a cannabinoid in cannabis oil, could positively influence cardiovascular function.
Introduction In this book I will be teaching you how to make butane hash oil. I advise following these steps if you are a licensed medical marijuana user and want to make …... When it comes down to hash oil, we are not left with much to work with at judging how good the product may be. At the very best you will acquire hash oil from a dispensary, labeled with a strain name and thc/cannabinoid levels.
Cannabis oil is good for your heart Cannabis oil contains high concentrations of antioxidants, which help to support a healthy heart and ward off cardiovascular diseases. A 2014 study published in the Journal of Pharmacological Research showed that 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), a cannabinoid in cannabis oil, could positively influence cardiovascular function. how to make a good clan website for free When it comes down to hash oil, we are not left with much to work with at judging how good the product may be. At the very best you will acquire hash oil from a dispensary, labeled with a strain name and thc/cannabinoid levels.
Hash Oil Edibles Dosage Best Hash Oil Edibles. According to reports, almost 5 million edibles products were sold in Colorado in 2014. For the benefit, you are also able to make these edibles at your home.
Cannabis oil is good for your heart Cannabis oil contains high concentrations of antioxidants, which help to support a healthy heart and ward off cardiovascular diseases. A 2014 study published in the Journal of Pharmacological Research showed that 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), a cannabinoid in cannabis oil, could positively influence cardiovascular function.
Once your oil has been properly decarboxylated, all one needs to do is set up some open capsules in the capsule filler/holder and use the syringe to fill the capsules with anywhere between .05g and .1g of hash oil.


Are you ready for your next white-tail deer hunting trip? Come and visit the Golden Triangle of Illinois and our locations in Bourbon County and Crawford County in Kansas for the best free-range trophy white-tail deer hunting trips around! Whether you're a seasoned hunter, or if this is your first time, XtremeHunts is the place for you.


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Home European Affairs Page 3
Special Edition: Conflict in Conversation
The Franco-German Compromise: Laying the Foundations of a European Defence Union
Lena Krikorian - 25. June 2018
Losing Faith? The Role of the Catholic Church in Contemporary Poland
A Battle for the Soul of Europe
What's behind the NOTRE DRAME fire.
Maritime Crossroads: The Re-emergence of the Mediterranean as a Potential Source of Supply and Conflict
Bucking the System – A New Campaign Strategy Changes Austrian Elections
Lena Krikorian - 7. January 2018
Using an anti-system campaign strategy has defined a new approach to elections across Europe, with the Austrian Freedom Party joining the Austrian People's Party...
Polemics - 9. January 2021
This year, on 27 September, an old wound between Armenia and Azerbaijan was reopened. The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, referred to as the Artsakh conflict by...
The Never-ending Conflict
Lena Krikorian - 25. April 2019
By: Raphaela Tiefenbacher (Guest Writer) Why have we forgotten about Ukraine? Is it because the fighting has calmed down? The simple answer is no. Five...
Montenegro at a Crossroads: How Tight is the Grip of the Past on its...
Polemics - 14. April 2022
Just fourteen months after the beginning of its mandate, the Montenegrin government led by Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapić imploded due to a vote of...
An Endless Emergency
Lena Krikorian - 2. March 2017
Paris is always Paris. The narrow cobblestone streets, crowded clubs, beautiful museums and baguettes all matched my expectations. Until the first group of soldiers...
Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic Integration: A Realistic or an Idealistic Aspiration?
Polemics - 21. June 2020
The seventieth anniversary of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization marked a groundbreaking moment in the history of the security alliance. Facing criticism, questioning the...
Russian War Games Spark Fear in the West
Zapad 2017 ("The West 2017") represented the biggest Russian-led military exercise since Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, and has raised concerns among military...
Media Pluralism and Media Freedom Under Threat in Hungary?
Enshrined in the European Charter on Fundamental Rights and in the European Convention of Human Rights, media freedom and media pluralism are inadmissible elements...
Head Bites Tail?
Lena Krikorian - 28. March 2019
On March 31, Ukraine will hold its first presidential elections since 2014, the year in which the Maidan revolution plunged the country into years...
Turkish Drone Diplomacy: From Ethiopian Highlands to Ukrainian Trenches
Despite being affected by a chronic economic crisis, Ankara has tremendously increased its investments to support a burgeoning domestic arms industry. This development has...
A Tale of Two Cities: Response, Resilience, and Recalibration
Swallowing the Pill: What to Do with North Korea?
Meinungen statt Fakten
Is Human Workforce Destroyed by Machines?
Le confinement, quel danger pour les femmes?


2. With over 100 skilled workers and technicians, we have an annual capacity of 10,000 bathtubs and 24,000 basins. Bella is full of vitality, energy and warrior spirit.
3. Our R&D team undertake exhaustive programs to keep on the cutting edge of product and manufacturing advancement. deep freestanding tub,60 inch freestanding bathtub is of acrylic freestanding bathtub, making it the perfect companion for your life.


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Karen Sijbrandij is a Senior Software Engineer at HackerOne. She will show you what methods HackerOne has implemented to promote secure coding practices and how they ensure platform security. Karen recently moved to San Francisco.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


"I've travelled all over Asia but from the sanctuary of La Folie Lodge I almost wonder why I bothered. Here, in a relatively small area of southern Laos I feel I've found a microcosm of the rest of the continent, but without the crowds or the cynicism."
Drive to Ubon aiport for your departure flight.
Upon arrival at Ubon airport, the local guide will welcome you. Then, take a 3 hour drive to Pakxe , arriving at around 3pm. After touring the city, spend the rest of the day relaxing at the hotel.
Board a long-tail boat for a 2h30 cruise down the Mekong river. Upon reaching Champanssak, reboard a cruise ship and check in cabin. In the afternoon, visit the ruins of Vat Phou, a unique, majestic temple Climb to the highest temple to explore Vat Phou Museum. Once back onboard the boat, cruise down and dock at a remote Laotian village to enjoy spectacular sunset.
After breakfast, board a small boat to Huei Thamo, a small typical Laotian village. Explore the hidden forest temple of Oum Muong before returning to the boat. Continue to cruise southward. Enjoy lunch on board.
Travel to the paradise area of Four Thousands Islands. Visit a small island and Ban Deau Tia before cruising across the archipelago to Don Khong, a wild island.
Early in the morning, cruise across the Four Thousand Islands. Stop at Ban Veuthong village to navigate some wild islands. Next, explore the old French railway by crossing a small bridge between Khone and Det Island.
After lunch, visit the Pha Pheng waterfall, often referred to as the Niagara of the East.
Return to Pakxe and spend the night in a Pakxe hotel.
In the morning, take a 2h30 drive to Xe Kong city, the capital of Xekong province. Next, continue driving on a dust road on some ridges of the anamitic range. Around 3pm, cross the Xekong river by an old US ferryboat and drive 1h through the bush to Ban Song village.
Today, trek 6 hours, ascending 300 meters. At dawn, head for the trail, passing by the village cemetery with its bizarre burial mound. Walk in the valley between luscious, rolling paddy fields before reaching the foot of the Poung Tuan massif, a vast dome that is home to wild elephants and tigers. Arrive in a Katu hamlet of just ten households in the middle of the mountain slope. Rest in the hamlet for a while. Refreshed, make the 30 minute climb to the high pass and get your first glimpse of the mountain path which descends into the jungle via the north face. Take in the spectacular panoramic views of the Annamite Cordillera. Descend into the jungle for 30 minutes, followed by another moderate climb leading to the lost Katu village of B Hito. At its center lies a communal house that, in a testament to previous eras, is still in excellent condition. The path overlooks Nam Pak, a set of intriguing caves and gushing waterfalls. High forests dominate the area which is a home for gibbons and numerous other primates. After passing over small bamboo bridges, take a one hour trek along the hillside before the ,trail enters the valley of Nam Dok. Here, tranquil, glimmering pools have been dug into the valley by the flowing waters, providing a perfect opportunity for relaxation, picnicking, and swimming before continuing along the way. Arrive in Ban village by 4 p.m. and spend the night in a Katu home.
Today, trek 7 hours, ascending 700 meters. Leave Ban at around 7 a.m. and walk along a peaceful small river path before ascending 200m to the B Ro, the first village of Katu Land. The path then follows a series of tranquil clearings and deep rivers that cut into the red sandstone. Trek downhill for one hour to the Katu village of B Ro, comprising a group of 20 houses and around 200 families. Here, visit an old Katu home where you will learn about the history and the unique cultural practices of the local population. After leaving the village, follow the trail along the river, crossing the suspension bridge built by Amica Travel specifically to facilitate this tour. Continue along the jungle track, a branch of the famous Ho Chi Minh trail formerly used by the North Vietnamese fighters. Here, you will have the extraordinary opportunity to stay in the house of a host family. Settle in and meet the locals who will share their traditional lifestyles and world view with you. Before nightfall, learn about fundamental Katu skills such as how to shell a paddy and how to handle a winnowing basket. This Katu village, a hidden gem and jewel among the villages of South Laos ethnic minority, is home to a mere 9 houses and 10 families, for a total 75 Katu inhabitants. The setting of this wonderful village at the foot of a small hill, dominated by high mountain crests and surrounded by verdant forests of 100-year-old trees truly makes for a timeless and unforgettable experience.
Take an unique immersion opportunity in the lives and activities of the last Proto-Indo-Chinese cultures. In a world untouched by French colonialism, wars, and the influence of Laos and Vietnam, witness and join in with traditional seasonal activities such as planting rice, managing the land with slash-and-burn techniques, fishing in shimmering streams, and collecting medicinal plants from the bountiful jungle.
The group (divided into subgroups of 3 to 4 people) will depart from the village at 7:30 a.m. and head into the rice fields to participate in seasonal agricultural activities such as sowing in October, or harvesting in November. After a morning of traditional labor, enjoy a picnic in the scenic fields before heading back to the village, collecting edible plants for the evening's meal in the forest along the way. Spend the afternoon learning about Katu handicrafts of weaving and basketry, village maintenance, livestock management and wood gathering. Late afternoon, take an optional 1.5 hour hike up to the nearest summit. Marvel at the spectacular view overlooking the village as the sun casts its final glowing rays.
Today, trek 7 hours, ascending 700 meters. Following breakfast, hike 1.5 hours to B Vuling, a Katu village of about 15 households. After visiting the town, climb 2 hours in the direction of Mount Phou Valo (1350m). The pathway leads though a thick forest of hundred year old pine trees, eventually arriving at a pass in the mountain range. Descend into a dense Dipterocarpaceae forest, stopping for lunch on the river bank. Arrive by afternoon at Village Number 4, a Katu eagle's nest high in the hills. Settle into a local home for the night.
Depart early from Village Number 4 and head out onto a beautiful trail. Cross a series of valleys and streams, occasionally passing through thick undergrowth. In this vast, open land abounding with mountains and forests, the stunning landscape is rich with awe-inspiring views. Arrive at a small village by around 10 a.m. The trail continues along the crest, making a steady descent before rising again into the next valley. At around noon, reach the river where your canoes await. After lunch, board a canoe for a 4 hour trip down the river to a campsite in a stunning clearing near the jungle.
Option: Spend 1 day and 1 night in the Xe Xap jungle.
Traveling in small, flat-bottom boats called pirogue, cross the final rapids in the river, and then continue by canoe down the river. Enjoy a traditional lunch at a local restaurant, then drive 2.5 hours to return by Jeep to Xekong City. Or, should you wish, opt for the 8-night trek in which you stay an extra night deep in the jungle. Discover one of the last jungles of the Indochinese Peninsula, a wild region of tigers and various primates, exploring its fauna and flora, and staying in a bivouac tent in the jungle.
Spend the night in a Pakxe hotel.
Option : Board a canoe for a 4-hour cruise to Xekong city.


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Two Bridges on SH 8 to be Replaced with One Long One
Contact: Marcus Sandifer
Two narrow bridges on State Highway 8 crossing the upper end of Wright Patman Lake will be replaced over the next few years according to plans approved in April by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).
"We will be replacing the two bridges crossing Lake Wright Patman between Bowie and Cass Counties with one long bridge," said Paul Wong, area engineer for TxDOT in Texarkana. "The current structures are 26 feet wide and the new one will be 44 feet wide with two 12 ft traffic lanes and 10 ft shoulders on each side."
The new bridges will be constructed to the west of the current highway, so traffic will continue to use the current facilities while the work is being conducted.
Longview Bridge and Road of Longview was awarded the contract for the project with a bid of $37.7 million.
"Work on the project should begin in July and take about seven years to complete," Wong said.


Asthma is a chronic disorder leading to bronchial obstruction in response to inhaled allergen. It is associated with immune deregulation with specific expansion of Th2 and Th17 CD4+ T cells. Both T cell populations support B cells response by stimulating their proliferation, survival and IgE secretion. B cells are described for their effector functions but recently reports have described their regulatory role in autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. However, definitive identification has been challenging because regulatory B cells (Breg) are rare, do not have a specific marker, and express detectable IL-10 or TGF-β only upon ex vivo stimulation. In OVA asthma models, local inhalation tolerance ,  and infections with helminthes ,  induce the generation of regulatory B cells. But no physiological role of this population in the development of asthma has been described yet.
Mice were sensitized on days 0, 7, 14 and 21 by percutaneous administration of HDM onto the ears. Intra-nasal challenges were performed on day 27 and 34 with 250 μg HDM. One day after each challenge, we realized by flow cytometry a complete B cell phenotyping in spleen and lungs.
Splenocytes and lung cells were isolated and stimulated ex vivo with LPS and PMA, ionomycin to induce IL-10 secretion by B cells.
No differential frequency was observed for all B cell populations in the spleen of HDM allergic mice, suggesting a normal B cell development. In contrast, HDM allergic mice exhibit a strong infiltration of CD19+ B cells in lungs and broncho-alveolar lavage after the second challenge. We found an increase of CD19 IgDhi IgMlow B2 mature and CD19 IgD- IgM- switched memory B cells in the lung of HDM allergic compared to control mice. We looked at CD19+ IL-10+ CD1dhi CD5+ CD21+ CD24hi IgMhi B cell population that has been shown to display regulatory properties in other situations. Whereas this population is present in spleen and lungs of HDM allergic mice, it produces less IL-10 than control after the first and the second challenge both in lung (vs control, p<0.01) and spleen (vs control, p<0.05).
Our results strongly suggest a potential defect of regulatory B cells in the course of asthma. Future investigations will focus on their capacities to inhibit bronchial hyperreactivity and inflammatory responses.