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Garcetti takes self out of running for role in Biden administration
LA's Jewish mayor, a co-chair of president-elect's campaign who helped with VP selection of Kamala Harris, says he has more work to do on pandemic, police brutality in California
By Ron Kampeas	18 December 2020, 11:38 pm 0 Edit
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti speaks during a press conference at Stubhub Center in Carson, outside of Los Angeles, California, July 31, 2017. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu, File)
JTA — Los Angeles' Jewish mayor won't be Washington bound.
Eric Garcetti says he is taking himself out of the running for a job in the Biden administration, Politico reported Thursday. Garcetti was a co-chair of Joe Biden's campaign and helped select Kamala Harris, a California senator, as Biden's running mate.
Garcetti, nearing the end of his second term, said he is still needed in his city, as he grapples with the pandemic and with the aftermath of protests against police brutality.
"Joe Biden has told me for the last two years that he was very interested in me coming to Washington, DC, and there were things on the table for me," Garcetti told Politico. "As the administration reached out to me about serving, I let them know early this week that my city needs me now, and then I want to be here and that I need to be here."
Abbas meets Egyptian, Jordanian intel chiefs to discuss Palestinian elections


HonorHealth Rehabilitation Hospital provides rehabilitation programs and services to maximize the health, function, and quality of life to those we serve through comprehensive physical medicine and rehabilitation programs and services.
At HonorHealth Rehabilitation Hospital we are committed to delivering an exceptional patient experience through the integration of quality care, technology, education, compassion, and advocacy.
We set high standards of quality performance for ourselves and for others. We provide superior services to our patients. We continually strive to uphold and improve our reputation for excellence.
We treat others with compassion and as they would like to be treated.
We treat each other with respect and compassion and we promote a positive environment where people feel valued. We are honest and open in our relationships and straightforward in our communications.


"There is an extreme disparity when it comes to treating HIV and AIDS," said Anthony Hayes, managing director of public affairs and policy for GMHC, formerly Gay Men's Health Crisis.
"It's critical, when we talk about ending the epidemic, to not just to talk about the science. These are people who are incredibly vulnerable as it relates to all aspects of society. In contrast, more affluent HIV positive people — specifically gay white men — are able to access care, they have jobs, they have homes, they have access to life's basic necessities that many do not.
It's not a simple matter of financing care for those who can't afford it. Treatment and social services are currently available for low-income and uninsured or underinsured patients under the Ryan White Act. Once long waiting lists for free HIV medications have virtually been eliminated. But basic survival – money to live, a place to sleep — often takes precedence over seeking help and closely managing a disease that can be symptom-free in its early stages, doctors say.
Jones eventually was able to find a government-subsidized studio apartment in Berkeley and qualify for Social Security disability benefits. She recently had a bout with eczema, a serious skin rash that can be a marker for the progression of HIV-related disease. Her blood pressure spiked, leading to discovery of kidney disease, a common complication of HIV.
With her health problems now coming to the fore, she is finally receiving HIV treatment.
Newer approaches to controlling HIV/AIDS focus on a "continuum of care," from the very beginning. Federal health official are trying to track improvements or setbacks at every stage: testing, linking the newly diagnosed to care within three months, getting HIV-positive people to remain in treatment, prescribing them antiretroviral drugs, and suppressing HIV viral load – the amount of HIV in the blood – to a very low level.
People fall out of care at every stage, with minorities generally faring worse than whites. The the goal is to keep them in treatment, not only for their sake but because research has shown that people with low or undetectable viral loads are far less likely to transmit the disease to others.
Dr. Edward Machtinger, professor and director of the Women's HIV Program at the University of California, San Francisco, said his clinic has been able to achieve viral suppression in up to 80 percent of its patients. But the focus on biomedical treatment of their HIV obscures the deep challenges many of his patients face: poverty, domestic abuse, addiction, mental illness, he noted.
Dr. William Cunningham, a University of California, Los Angeles medicine and public health professor, is researching ways to help marginalized HIV-positive people stay in treatment and avoid infecting others. He's co-directing a $4.6 million, five-year study that pairs recently released Los Angeles County jail inmates who are HIV-positive with peer navigators who help them find medical care and new prescriptions of antiretroviral medications they received while incarcerated.


A special limited-edition bottle of Jack Daniel's, celebrating a not-often-discussed part of the whiskey's history: the days when it had a bright green and gold label. In the bottle, it's Old No.7, but at 43% ABV, giving it a more punch than the regular release. A must for collectors and fans of Jack Daniel's classic Tennessee style.


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Food Network Star
Photo Credit: Food Network
Network: Food Network
Subject Matter: Talent
Tags: food, cooking
A group of chefs compete in elimination challenges until only one chef is left in the kitchen, with the winner earning the chance to host their own Food Network program. Past winners include: Dan Smith & Steve McDonagh (Season 1), who hosted PARTY LINE WITH THE HEARTY BOYS; Guy Fieri (Season 2), who hosted GUY'S BIG BITE and many other programs afterwards; Amy Finley (Season 3), who hosted THE GOURMET NEXT DOOR; Aaron McCargo, Jr. (Season 4), who hosted BIG DADDY'S HOUSE; Melissa d'Arabian (Season 5), who hosted TEN DOLLAR DINNERS; Aarti Sequeira (Season 6), who hosted AARTI PARTY; Jeff Mauro (Season 7), who hosted SANDWICH KING; Justin Warner (Season 8), who hosedt the special REBEL EATS; Damaris Phillips (Season 9), who hosted SOUTHERN AT HEART; Lenny McNab (Season 10). In Season 8, the series had a change in format with Alton Brown, Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurentiis each picking a team of five finalists, who they mentored through the experience. Plus, for the first time, the viewing audience voted before the finale to determine which contestant scored his or her own Food Network show. Season 9, which debuted on Sunday, June 2, 2013 at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network, welcomed back Alton, Giada and Bobby as judges instead of mentors and offered two other new twists: Food Network fans participated in focus groups and one eliminated contestant will be allowed to return. Food Network broadcast the Season 10 premiere of FOOD NETWORK STAR on Sunday, June 1, 2014 at 9pm ET/PT, with Alton Brown, Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay returning as mentors/judges. The 12 new contenders are put to the test in a season filled with unique competitions challenging their kitchen and on-camera chops, to find out who has the talent and charisma to follow in Alton, Giada and Bobby's footsteps and helm their own show. The web series STAR SALVATION also returns, giving one eliminated contestant the opportunity to rejoin the on-air competition, which culminates in an audience vote to determine who wins the ultimate prize -- their own show on Food Network. On Sunday, June 7, 2015 at 9pm ET/PT, FOOD NETWORK STAR returned for its eleventh season with Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay back as mentors/judges, joined this season by a roster of special guests and judges. In the season premiere, the 12 hopefuls arrive in Los Angeles and are introduced to Giada and Bobby. Each finalist must produce a 30-second introductory video and make their signature dish for a food festival to be held the next day. At the festival, attended by a crowd of Food Network fans, each video is screened and signature dish tasted by a judging panel including Giada, Bobby, Food Network executives Susie Fogelson and Bob Tuschman, and "People" Deputy Editor J.D. Heyman. For one finalist, their dream ends, while the remaining 11 continue on their journey. Upcoming episodes include a Fourth of July-themed celebration, intense food truck/social media challenge and do-or-die live television demo. Special guests/judges this season include Food Network personalities Sunny Anderson, Richard Blais, Anne Burrell, Melissa d'Arabian, Bobby Deen, Duff Goldman, Alex Guarnaschelli, Katie Lee, Jeff Mauro, Damaris Phillips, Rachael Ray, Geoffrey Zakarian and comedian David Alan Grier. The competitors for Season 11 are: Emilia Cirker (Reston, VA); Jay Ducote (Baton Rouge, LA); Christina Fitzgerald (St. Louis); Rosa Graziano (Los Angeles); Matthew Grunwald (Scottsdale, AZ); Eddie Jackson (Houston); Michelle Karam (Santa Barbara, CA); Sita Lewis (New York); Alex McCoy (Washington DC); Arnold Myint (Nashville); Rue Rusike (Brooklyn, NY) and Dominick Tesoriero (Staten Island, NY). Season 12 of FOOD NETWORK STAR premiered on Sunday, May 8, 2016 at 8pm ET/PT on Food Network, with culinary icons Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay looking to discover the next promising food television star. This season, titled FOOD NETWORK STAR: COMEBACK KITCHEN, is co-hosted by Valerie Bertinelli and Tyler Florence and features seven former FOOD NETWORK STAR finalists returning to compete over three episodes for a coveted spot as the thirteenth finalist within Season 12's premiere. For the first challenge, hosts Valerie Bertinelli and Tyler Florence ask the competitors to redeem themselves by making a dish that haunts them from their first go-around, then shoot a one-minute video to explain what they've been up to and how they've improved. Based on the dishes and videos, the least-improved alumnus is eliminated. On Sunday, June 4, 2017 at 9pm ET/PT, Food Network premiered the thirteenth season of FOOD NETWORK STAR, immediately following "Comeback Kitchen: Passing the Bar" a new one-hour special of FOOD NETWORK STAR. Thirteen fresh competitors enter the kitchen to showcase their cooking and on-camera skills over 11 episodes, to prove to Giada and Bobby they have what it takes to join the Food Network family. In the season premiere on June 4th, 12 potential Food Network Stars arrive at the beautiful and historic Orpheum Theater in downtown Los Angeles, hoping for their big break. Bobby and Giada greet the anxious competitors with some troubling news: they have to pass one more big audition before they will officially be considered finalists. But that's not all, there is one more person joining the competition, and that's the winner of Food Network Star: Comeback Kitchen. Special guests Robert Irvine and Monti Carlo help Giada and Bobby decide who will be the first competitor sent home. Throughout the season Bobby and Giada are joined by a roster of top-notch special guests to present the finalists with challenges that test their culinary and on-camera prowess, including a special game day challenge featuring ESPN anchors Jemele Hill and Jaymee Sire. Additional special guests joining the action this season both in and out of the studio include: Sunny Anderson, Melissa d'Arabian, Anne Burrell, Josh Denny, Guy Fieri, Hannah Hart, Eddie Jackson, Sandra Lee, Sabin Lomac, Tiffani Thiessen, and Andrew Zimmern. The finalists this season are: Blake Baldwin (Flemington, NJ); Trace Barnett (Brilliant, AL); Toya Boudy (New Orleans, LA); Addie Gundry (Lake Forrest, IL); Rusty Hamlin (Atlanta, GA); Suzanne Lossia (Detroit, MI); Nancy Manlove (Texas City, TX); Amy Pottinger (Honolulu, HI); David Rose (Atlanta, GA); Jason Smith (Grayson, KY); Caodan Tran (Dallas, TX), and the winner of Food Network Star: Comeback Kitchen. The returning Comeback Kitchen alumni battling it out to join the new season are: Rob Burmeister (Season 12); Emilia Cirker (Season 11); Matthew Grunwald (Season 11); Josh Lyons (Season 8); Danushka Lysek (Season 9); Jamika Pessoa (Season 5);and Joy Thompson (Season 12). Season 14 of FOOD NETWORK STAR premiered on Sunday, June 10 at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network, immediately following a brand-new one-hour "Comeback Kitchen" special. This season, over nine episodes the finalists -- Harrison Bader (Los Angeles, CA); Katie Dixon (Hattiesburg, MS); Jason Goldsmith (New York, NY); Samone Lett (Sanford, FL); Rebekah Lingenfelser (Savannah, GA); Palak Patel (New York, NY); Christian Petroni (Port Chester, NY); Jessica Tom (Princeton, NJ); Chris Valdes (Miami, FL); Manny Washington (Orlando, FL) -- are tasked with challenges that test both their cooking and on-camera skills, as they try to prove to Bobby and Giada they have what it takes to be a star. Over the course of the season Bobby and Giada are joined by special guests as they pull out all the stops to see which of these finalists have what it takes to excel, both in the kitchen and in front of the camera. Whether it is hosting their own live show with Ree Drummond in attendance, or putting their judging skills to the test to impress People Magazine editor-in-chief Jess Cagle, these culinary novices have their work cut out for them. Other special guests joining the action this season include: Sunny Anderson, Richard Blais, Anne Burrell, Fran Drescher, Tyler Florence, Tregaye Fraser, Duff Goldman, Alex Guarnaschelli, Robert Irvine, Loni Love, Damaris Phillips, Jason Smith, Casey Webb, and Molly Yeh.
On Sunday, August 5, 2018 at 9pm ET/PT, Food Network premeired "The Newest Star," the Season 14 finale of FOOD NETWORK STAR. In the season ender, the pilots are in, and Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay determine the fates of the three finalists -- Jess Tom, Christian Petroni, and Manny Washington. Watch what happens behind the scenes and find out who will join the Food Network family and become a Food Network Star.
Bobby Flay - Host (Season 3); Judge/Mentor (Season 4 - Present)
Giada De Laurentiis - Mentor/Judge (Season 6 - Present)
Valerie Bertinelli - Host, Comeback Kitchen Specials (Season 12 - Present)
Tyler Florence - Host, Comeback Kitchen Specials (Season 12 - Present)
Marc Summers - Host (Seasons 1-2)
Bob Tuschman - Judge (Seasons 1-6)
Susie Fogelson - Judge (Seasons 1-6)
Alton Brown - Mentor/Judge (Seasons 7-10)
Title for Seasons 1-6: The Next Food Network Star
Title for Season 12: Food Network Star: Comeback Kitchen
Produced by	CBS EYEToo Productions

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Birthday #8
Who is Ellenie Salvo González? She is a female celebrity. She was born on Monday February 26th 1979, in Berlin, Germany,.
Ellenie Salvo González is the philanthropist and humanitarian who is deeply concerned about the state of the world, for which she has great compassion and idealism. She has a utopian personality, and will spend her life trying to realize some aspect of her utopian dream, sacrificing money, time, and energy for a better world.
Her broad outlook on life allows González to see the big picture, and to often shy away from dealing with the minute details. That is why Ellenie Salvo González attracts people who can fit into her larger plans and take over the areas she considers uninteresting. Consequently, Ellenie evaluates people on the basis of what they can do for the larger cause. She is a true egalitarian, rarely prejudiced and would not accept social biases of people.
Interior decorating, landscape art or photography can be the sort of fields in which Ellenie's imagination and creativity can harmoniously arrange the beauty already potential in the environment. However, due to her strong social consciousness - she can be an effective politician, lawyer, judge, minister, teacher, healer, environmentalist or in any other vocation that carries a clear social impact.
Ellenie Salvo González has a romantic personality, but her love is more impersonal as she tends to be focused on her dreams instead. When not in harmony with her true nature, Ellenie can fall to moodiness, or become aloof, and withdrawn. She can also become timid, uncertain, and ungrateful, putting the blame for her troubles on others or the world. She is often disappointed by the realities of life, her own shortcomings, and those of others, and is relentlessly driven to improve upon it all - striving for greater accomplishments. This is Ellenie's life-lesson - to accept the natural limitations of the world and its habitants in order to make it possible for her to enjoy life more fully.
González must learn to let go of material possessions and relationships because holding on too tightly to anything causes her pain. The more she gives, the bigger is her reward, and the most successful and satisfying road for her is sharing and sacrificing for the larger goal, without expecting anything in return. Ellenie Salvo González's greatest chance at success is to tie her personal fortunes to an endeavor that makes the world a better place for others. It may very well turn into a highly successful and lucrative enterprise, providing amply for Ellenie and her family. More...
More flavors to Ellenie's personality
Ellenie Salvo González tends to be quite adaptable, and she finds it easy to fit into most social set ups and vocational fields.
There are no particular virtues that can cause an imbalance in Ellenie's personality and life, but she has to work hard and persistently to develop those special strengths that she desires to attain.
Learning to be wisely assertive is a major lesson to be taken by Ellenie Salvo González throughout her life.
Tour Ellenie's menu and gain more insight into her personality traits, relationships, strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, compatibility with you and with others, and much more.
During January 21st 2020, Ellenie Salvo González's momentum slows. She faces disappointment in her career, mixed with emotional turmoil.
Ellenie is moody today, coupled with lack of drive and persistence.
For González, today is a good day for hugging and kissing, and focusing on people rather than on material things.
You and Ellenie
Other female celebrities born on the same day as Ellenie Salvo González
Erykah Badu (1971)
An American singer, songwriter and actress, who has been called the queen of neo soul, was a core member of the Soulquarians, her voice has been compared to jazz singer Billie Holiday, and she is distinguished for her eccentric style, which often included wearing very large and colorful headwraps
Teresa Palmer (1986)
An Australian actress, writer, producer and model, who starred as Julie Grigio in Warm Bodies (2013), co-wrote and co-produced The Ever After, and portrayed Dorothy Schutte in Mel Gibson-directed war film Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
Taylor Dooley (1993)
An American actress who has started her artistic career at the age of nine, by studying dance and acting with the Phoenix Theater's Performance Troop, showing her unique personality and dramatic and comedic dexterity
Michele Carey (1943)
Marta Kristen (1945)
An Actress
Jenna Wolfe (1974)
A Correspondent and Actress
Corinne Bailey Rae (1979)
A Musician
Erinn Bartlett (1973)
Sandie Shaw (1947)
Natalia Lafourcade (1984)
A Mexican pop-rock singer and songwriter whose voice has been categorized as a lyric soprano, was nominated for a Latin Grammy in the Best New Artist category for her first album, and her band's name is Natalia y La Forquetina
Ellenie Salvo González personality profile | © Copyright 2009-2020 Celebrities Galore and Master Numerologist Hans Decoz


Although, it was not a big secret that Google had been working on some sort of Facebook Like button rival, last week Google started to roll it out. It is called the +1 button ("plus one"), and even if it hasn't rolled out publicly to everyone—yet—this is your first chance to jump on a little button that could significantly boost your SEO and site traffic.
First of all, just a few short months ago, Google and Bing announced that they were taking into account links shared on Twitter and Facebook to determine page rank. Since then, Facebook Like buttons and Twitter share buttons have become standard practice for good SEO. Now Google has realized the benefit of such a button and has created its own—but it is slightly different. Although many see +1 as a rival to the Facebook Like button, in reality it could be even more powerful.
The simple fact of the matter is that in order for your site to benefit from a Facebook Like button, you have to voluntarily put it on your site. As a result, only a small number of sites on the internet have a Facebook Like button. Although it may seem like most sites have it, really there are only a few hundred thousand sites that implement the Facebook Like button, and there are hundreds of millions of websites in existence. The difference between the Facebook Like button and +1 is that +1 can reach all of the hundreds of millions of sites.
You don't have to put a +1 button on your site in order for people to click on it. The button appears in the search results. So anyone can click a +1 button next to any link on the internet without the site owners having to do anything. So, whether you like it or not, you've already got a +1 button for your site.
How Does +1 Impact SEO?
All that may be fine a good, but why should anyone care about the Google +1 button? How can it affect your site ranking and SEO? Well the answer to that question is complicated. Google has not said anything about how +1 affects your SEO. In fact, right now, there is no direct tie between +1 and your site SEO. However, that does not mean it doesn't exist. In fact, if Google has invented this button, it would be foolish of them not to use it—in some degree—to measure site SEO and boost or downgrade site rank based on +1 button statistics.
Part of the power of the +1 button for users and for your SEO is the way that it appears in organic search results. If you've filled out a Google Profile and connect it to your social networks, you may already be viewing social-rich Google results. But the +1 button will take it to the next level. Although Google will naturally show you your contacts when they have +1'd a link, it will also publicly show users a total of +1's the link has received—no matter if you're using a social-rich Google experience or not.
For example, lets say you do a search for "skateboard shop." In the top 10 results, you see a skate shop near your home with a 10, +1 ranking. But you also see a skate shop a little further away, and you noticed that your cousin has given it a +1 and it has a +1 rating of 22. Which skate show are you more likely to go to? Although one shop is closer, you already know someone who recommends the other skate shop plus 22 other people.
This is how +1 will affect your SEO. By driving more visitors to your site through organic search results tagged with +1 stats. Increased traffic to your site means more +1's, more traffic, and an SEO boost.
As Google places more and more emphasis on website authority over site content, it seems impossible that user data from the +1 button won't have an affect on your SEO behind the scenes. That is, as the +1 button rolls out and becomes more popular, Google will most likely raise the status and SEO of sites with high +1 stats. Although there is no direct link right now, as the button becomes more popular, +1 will join the ranks of the Facebook Like and Twitter share buttons in determining website rank and SEO.
Think about the +1 button as an added boost to your already awesome SEO strategy. It's simply another tool to help you flourish in the search results and get you noticed and clicked on more often. If you are providing great content, great services, or great products, +1 will only help you increase your SEO and search engine rank.
If you are a local business, you've probably already learned the power that Google reviews can have over your business—both good and bad. You may also know that in order to get to the top of a local search results page, you need some great reviews. Although it is bad form to pay people to give you good reviews, it is certainly not outside the realm of possibility to simply ask your loyal customers to give you a favorable review online.
Think about he +1 button in the same way. When you have given a customer good service or you know that they are satisfied with their product, go ahead and ask them to give you +1 on Google. This is a simple way to get people to notice the +1 button and to help raise your organic search results rank at the same time.
Lastly, Google has announced that it will soon have a +1 button for anyone to post on their website—similar to the Facebook Like button. When this feature rolls out, take advantage of it as soon as you can. When you make the +1 button prominent on your site, like the Facebook Like button, you'll be subtly encouraging your site visitors to click it and boost your SEO.
All in all, the +1 button should be a part of your SEO strategy. Encourage your customers and site visitors to click it, and you'll rise in the organic search results, boosting your status and SEO at the same time.


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DISNEY'S ALADDIN JR.
Presented by North Shore Music Theatre at North Shore Music Theatre, Beverly MA
Disney's Aladdin Jr. brings the famous movie to life, on stage! Presented by NSMT's Summer Program students August 23!
Aladdin, a kind but wily, street urchin, falls in love with beautiful Princess Jasmine, who he knows is waaaaay out of his league. It just so happens, however, that the Sultan has declared Princess Jasmine must choose a husband within the next day. After she turns down the offers from various wealthy suitors, Aladdin — with the help of a fast-talking, magical Genie — introduces himself as wealthy suitor Prince Ali Ababua. Meanwhile, evil royal advisor Jafar also has his sights set on the
Aladdin, a kind but wily, street urchin, falls in love with beautiful Princess Jasmine, who he knows is waaaaay out of his league. It just so happens, however, that the Sultan has declared Princess Jasmine must choose a husband within the next day. After she turns down the offers from various wealthy suitors, Aladdin — with the help of a fast-talking, magical Genie — introduces himself as wealthy suitor Prince Ali Ababua. Meanwhile, evil royal advisor Jafar also has his sights set on the kingdom, and tries to convince the Sultan to force Jasmine to wed him. Will love conquer all? Perhaps – if love has a little help from a Genie.
Email: pr@nsmt.org
Aug 23, 2019 at 10:00 am (Fri)
North Shore Music Theatre
62 Dunham Rd, Beverly, MA 01915
Free and Paid ($10) lots. Handicap parking and wheelchair accessibility throughout theatre.
MORE FROM North Shore Music Theatre
RAPUNZEL presented by Kaleidoscope
Presented by North Shore Music Theatre at North Shore Music Theatre
Disney's FREAKY FRIDAY
Jul 9 - Jul 21, 2019
LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD presented by Kaleidoscope
CINDERELLA presented by Kaleidoscope
CONNECT WITH North Shore Music Theatre
Aug, 23, 2019 at 10:00 am (Fri) Aug, 23, 2019 at 01:00 pm (Fri)


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One more price of Freedom
The Packers stood to honor the flag even as team President Mark Murphy was releasing a rebuttal to President Trumps remarks
Many hours of news coverage and commentary by "experts" was spent this weekend discussing the comments made by President Trump regarding fact that a few athletes decided to take a knee rather than salute the flag during a football game.
While I understand the initial reaction, and personally would never even consider this level of disregard for the sacrifice of our men and women in uniform I'm finding myself forced to admit to some hard truths that make me wonder what the President was thinking.
This kind of protest and more importantly the right to exercise it is exactly what so many of our friends and family members sacrificed so much to defend. Just off the top of my head I can name more than 30 people who I grew up with that went into the service after high school, at least two of whom are still on active duty more than 20 years later. My father, two cousins, two uncles, a great uncle, and now two nephews have made the same sacrifice.
I am forced to consider that sacrifice in acknowledgment of a deeper truth: that the ability to do stupid and disrespectful things like insulting our Nation, it's flag, and even it's Commander in chief is one of the fundamental freedoms that set America apart from the other nations of the world, and exactly what they all gave so much to defend.
My personal opinion, and even that of the President can't change that any more than it can stop the disgust I feel as the descendant of Jewish immigrants when seeing a Nazi flag carried down the street by teenage idiots with no concept or concern for the visceral response it provokes not only in people who share my heritage but from the Veterans who were in Europe during the 2nd World War fighting to make sure that symbol of hatred never flew over any nation again.
While I will continue to salute the flag when appropriate, and certainly have raised my children to do the same, we as citizens need to realize that one of the costs of Freedom; that the people who we disagree with have just as much right to exercise freedom of speech and expression as you, I, and yes even the President. For better or worse that right does not carry with it a requirement to be thoughtful, considerate, or intelligent.
In Lifestyle, Opinion, Special Events Tags NFL, Military service, Freedom, #takeaknee, Trump, Protest, Opinion
Burger mecca launches first franchise in Happy Valley
Saturday the first franchise in the Killer Burger chain had their "Friends and Family" night, and my wife and I were on the guest list. Located at 147th and Sunnyside Rd. in Happy Valley this newest location is sure to bring local diners to the Killer Burger bandwagon.
With a Killer new design esthetic and a full bar this is my kind of burger joint!
A fresh faced young crew works the main food counter, but grizzled veterans run the bar and keep the peace. With a great selection of punch drinks and beer on the menu and a full bar for those over 21 it's a burger joint concept for a new generation.
Fast food burger joints with full bars? Bye bye McDonald's
With burgers ranging from the basic "Purist" (with just onions, pickles, lettuce, mayo, and ketchup adorning the 1/3rd pound patty) to the "Barnyard" (which adds bacon, ham, egg, and a second patty along with Smokey house sauce in place of mayo) these burgers are built to appeal to every craving. Every sandwich includes unlimited fries as well.
" The Lineup"
I went with the above mentioned Barnyard, and overall was impressed. The burger itself was juicy and full of flavor, with plenty of fat to deliver the flavor you would expect from a premium burger. Constructed with a great balance of toppings there wasn't too much lettuce or too little sauce, and the tomatoes were firm and flavorful. I would have preferred a fuller flavored pickle, but no burger is perfect. In my opinion, an egg on a burger should be runny so that the yolk creates a sauce for the burger and this was served over medium and firm, again a matter of preference not a deal breaker.
" The Barnyard Burger"
The fries were crisp and delicious, cooked all the way through in the center without being too starchy.
Overall it was a great dining experience in a great new venue that will spell a great new future for a PDX favorite. Franchisees Wes and Coral Welterman can be proud of their new project. If what I saw tonight it's any indication they have a hit on their hands.
Coral and Wes Welterman pose in front of the kitchen at Killer Burger - Sunnyside
In Lifestyle, Restaurant, Food Tips, Special Events, Coming attractions, Reviews, Review Tags Welterman, Bar, #LiveLife, Barnyard, Review, Franchise, 2017, Killer Burger, Sunnyside, Burger
We left St. Louis after a great time catching up with the Golden family and headed south to Memphis. Alongthe way we stopped at Stonie's Sausage Shop for some road snacks. They had a great selection of fresh made smoked meats and sausages, great homemade jerky, and a wide selection of local area products from pickles to pork rinds, wine, and sodas. It was a great find. We picked up some cheese, some snack sticks, and some bologna and sausage to thow in the cooler for the drive to Memphis.
Even on a Monday evening Beale Street was busy.
After a long drive we made it to Memphis around 8pm and headed straight to Beale St., starting at the West end at the Hard Rock Cafe. If you have never been to Memphis, TN it really is a trip every music lover should take. The sights and sounds even on a Monday night were spectacular, with live music coming from every juke joint on Beale. We walked "with our boots ten feet off of Beale" taking in the sights and sounds until we reached the end of the entertainment district and were waived into Coyote Ugly by their manager T. It was quiet on a Monday night, but we ended up having a ton of fun and closing the place down with Morgan and Evee.
In this job attitude is everything, and the Memphis Coyotes had it. Evee was fiesty and up for a challenge.
Morgan was pure attitude, running the bartop like it was a circus tent at times to try and get tips from a small crowd while drawing people in off of the street.
Some customers relucktently dance on the bar for a photo....
Other customers are much more enthusiastic!
What's a guy to do when his buddy wanders away and the next round comes?
This fat boy drinks them both and hopes his boy comes back before the next round hits the bar....
And then your bartenders steal your phone off the bar to take a selfie!
Left Memphis for Shreveport, LA. The long night had us so tired we forgot to set the alarm and were woken up by the guy at the front desk telling us it was checkout time. Fortunately he gave us a late checkout without a hassle. We had a huge breakfast at Cracker Barrel and were on our way.
It was a long drive, but we made it into Shreveport and got checked into our hotel. It was right next to the Louisiana Downs racetrack and casino, so we walked over there to find dinner.
Fuddruckers was the only restaurant in the casino still open, but they have always made an amazing burger so we had a nice meal. We played the slots for a few minutes after dinner then called it an early night.
After an early night we got up and packed after a decent breakfast buffet at the hotel. After a long drive made it to Austin, TX.
Stubbs BBQ has quickly become one of the premiere music venues in Austin, and they proudly have decorated with concert posters from previous shows.
I had the 3-meat combo with spare ribs, brisket, and classic sausage. On the side I had Serrano Cheese spinach and mashed sweet potatoes.
No trip to Austin is complete for me without a trip to Stubbs BBQ. Stubbs Legendary BBQ has been doing pit style BBQ right since Mr. Stubblefield opened the original (and now closed) joint in Lubbock in 1968. He was instrumental in breaking musical talent like Stevie Ray and Jimmy Vaughn back then and ever since live music has been almost as important as the food to Stubbs' customers and fans worldwide.
After a great dinner at Stubbs we headed for 6th Street to find a party. We walked the North side of the block then crossed to come back to Chuggin' Monkey to get a look at the band that we could hear from across the street.
The Blues Posse were tearing it up! Their lead guitar, Jack Edery was pulling blues licks from all over the spectrum and doing them well. Vocals from Mr. Jamie van Beek were tight and accurate. A great show. On to the next spot.
Blues Posse blew the roof off of The Chuggin' Monkey during their first set
We left the Chuggin' Monkey and wandered into Pete's Dueling Piano Bar. It was packed, with hundreds of people all singing along and shouting requests spanning the decades.
Another music town, another Coyote Ugly! Rosalyn, Morgan, and Ashley were fun but didn't match the energy or fun of the great ladies we met a couple of days ago in Memphis.
We closed Coyote Ugly down again, and headed back to the hotel.
We got up and moving planning on heading for Amarillo, but plans to see a friend fell through so we changed our routing a bit, heading to Roswell, NM instead. It was a long drive, but we made Roswell about 7:30 local time. We had dinner at a local Mexican restaurant recommended by the girl at the front desk called Los Cerritos.
I had a great stuffed sopapilla with all the trimmings. The recommendation if anything undersold the food. I love New Mexican food, with the great use of hatch green chiles and a unique addition of fried dough.
In Country Music, Food Tips, Lifestyle, Music, Restaurant, Review, Reviews, Special Events, Tours, Travel, whisky Tags Summer, Road Trip, 2017, Memphis, Austin, Roswell, Shreveport, Coyote Ugly, Pete's, Stubbs, Chuggin' Monkey, 6th Street, Dinner, Travel, Coop, Bar
Fat Boy Summer Road Trip
The Fat Boy Summer Road Trip started out with a day of flight from PDX to Kansas City.
After my arrival we went to dinner at a local spot called Nick & Nino's Pub. I Continued celebrating the #OldFashionedFortnight with a strong but decent Old Fashioned made with Makers 46. For an appetizer we had the Fried Trio, a combination of fried pickles, fried zucchini, and fried green beans. Dinner was a 16oz Rib eye, served with mashed potatoes and fresh sauteed veggies. The rib eye was perfectly cooked and seasoned, in addition to being tender enough that I didn't realize I was using my butter knife until the second bite.
The atmosphere at Nick & Nino's was great, with friendly staff and live music from a decent band. Not a bad start to the adventure.
Our second day started on base at Ft. Leavenworth for Maj. Michael Cooper's graduation from the United States Army's Command and General Staff College. It was great to be able to be here and see Coop reach another milestone in his military career.
The keynote address was provided by Gen. Abrams, Commanding General, U.S Army Forces Command. His address focused on the bonds forged by graduates with each other and with graduates from the 93 nations represented in this year's class, the threats they will face in a faster paced global environment than his generation of staff officers had to deal with, and the relationships that would change to the organizations graduates would return to or be joining.
After graduation breakfast was in order, so we headed to downtown Leavenworth to a restaurant that opened just a couple years ago in the old railroad depot, appropriately named The Depot.
My breakfast special included a biscuit with gravy, crispy and perfectly fried hashbrowns, two eggs, and two slices of crispy bacon. The biscuits were flaky and amazing, gravy was peppery beauty. One of the best classically dine breakfast Atos I've had in a long time. Definitely worth a stop if you find yourself in Leavenworth, KS.
That evening we went out to celebrate before leaving town, and spent must of our evening at DraftCade in Kansas City's Zona Rosa mall. Featuring 60 taps of craft brew goodness, classic pinball and arcade games, and a decent bar menu it was a fun place to hang out.
From there we headed out to local dive Arthur's for karaoke and drinks with some old friends to end the night.
Day Three dawned with a delay after finding that the Uhaul had been stolen from the parking lot over night. After a three hour delay to file the police report and track down a replacement trailer we were finally on the road to St. Louis and a home cooked meal with the Golden family. Bob worked for Coop in New York, and I met them on our last trip West three years ago. Since then they have become good friends.
We arrived to advance amazing meal and great time catching up with the whole family. We stayed up until after 3am laughing and talking around the fire out back. It was the perfect end to a day that started out so crazy.
We woke up and had a light breakfast before heading out to see a little bit of the city. We stayed at Anheiser-Busch's Grants Farm. The historic home if general US Grant's in-laws it became the country home of the Busch family in the early 1900's.
We expected to see the Clydesdale horses so famous for pulling the beer wagons. We didn't expect to find camels, elephants, buffalo, and exotic birds.
From Grants Farm we headed downtown to visit the Arch.
the old courthouse in St Louis
We were all hot and tired so headed back to Bob and Rinku's house for dinner. On the way we grabbed pizza from local favorite Imo's. Featuring a cracker thin crust and light sauce it is unique but a nice might take on a take out staple.
We left St. Louis after a great time catching up with the Golden family and headed south to Memphis. Along the way we stopped at Stonie's Sausage.
Snack stix and sweet bologna were my favorite finds, but a great selection of meat and sausage aft decent prices.
In Special Events, Restaurant, Tours, Lifestyle Tags 2017, KC, Adventure, CGSC, KCMO, #FatBoyRoadTrip, summer, Nick & Nino's, Kansas City, ARMY, on the road
Milestone days
There are days that are important in life. Days that matter. Days that stick out in our past that we will never forget no matter what else we experience in the future. Today didn't feel like one of those days when I woke up, but as I'm writing this I know that it is.
Some of those important days in my past I had to endure rather than celebrate, like the first time I celebrated a birthday without my dad. Some of them I didn't know were important milestones until weeks or months after they had passed like the day I met my amazing wife. Rarely but thankfully some of them I have recognized as special as they were happening, and that meant I could capture them in detail and save a piece of that day forever.
As I sat with my wife and family watching my son enter the gym of his High School in his cap and gown this afternoon the importance of the day hit me full force. I experienced something that connected me to what my parents felt 22 years ago when I made a similar journey into a similar gymnasium 60 miles from here. I flashed back in that instant to the moment eleven years and fifty-one weeks ago when my son walked with my daughter out of their foster home to our car for their first overnight visit to our home. I recalled all the visits to school principals, counsellors, IEP meetings, and case workers. My son has come so far from the lonely broken little boy we adopted that some of those memories shocked me to think about.
When we met with his first grade teacher we were told our son had severe learning issues and radical social interaction problems. We were cautioned that he was more than 18 months behind his peers academically and he might never catch up in a traditional classroom environment. Carrie and I agonized over what to do, but after a lot of prayer and counsel decided we would hold him back a year but not let them give up and move him into special education classes.
There are many of those moments from my past I'm proud of, and many more I'm not. There is nothing that gives me more pride than seeing what my boy was able to accomplish today. It wasn't easy for him. He had to work hard and find his own ways to make sense of the world around him. He had to study harder than I did at his age because things didn't come as easily to him. He never backed down. Never quit trying. Never let anyone tell him something was beyond his ability. And today that little boy they said needed special education graduated with honors.
So it's one of those days, and I couldn't be happier.
In Special Events, Lifestyle, Opinion Tags #BePresent, 2016, family, #LiveLife, Adventure
Time passes, life changes
March 3, 2016 Drew Fleisher
Singing karaoke with Jon, Coop, and Ray around 1998
Seventeen years ago today my life was a lot different than it is now, and what I thought my life would end up looking like bears no resemblance to current circumstances. I was living in the house I grew up in down in Woodburn, OR back then. I worked as a Tier 2 support representative for Dell computers and had just broken up with a long distance girl friend who lived in New Jersey. The breakup had been rough enough on me that I was thinking leaving my job and becoming a monk at the Mt. Angel Abbey might be a good way for me to put my years of religious study to use.
One year to the day later would find me waking up in a hotel room with my little brother the day before my wedding. It was the kind of change only God could bring into reality. I had met an amazing woman, my career had taken off and I was now managing technical support team I was part of the year before. Carrie and I would be moving into the first home I would ever own instead of rent. And still, on that day I had the audacity to think I knew what my future might hold. Kids, career growth, I was thinking this was a sign it was all going to get better from here.
Our Wedding party, March 4th 2000
Fast forward four years and life hasn't been what that 24 year old dreamed and planned for the day before his wedding. We bought a new house to be closer to my job and I was later off a month later. My dad went in for an angiogram and never made it out of the hospital after bypass surgery led to a fatal secondary infection. The kids we had hoped would come right away doctors are telling us will never come. The difference is now I'm not alone, I have an amazing wife, and we are resolved to follow the path God puts us on instead of worrying about what we don't have that we had anticipated and dreamed of.
So 12 years ago today Carrie and I were in the hotel room she had booked for a romantic weekend to celebrate our 4th Anniversary. Instead of celebrating we were pouring through hundreds of pages of case files, praying about whether a young brother and sister were supposed to be our kids. One year to the day later, a process the State DFS worker told us takes 18-24 months was finished and a family court judge signed the papers changing their names and making them ours forever.
Our family is official, with the Judge and DFS case worker
Fast forward 11 years and our lives have certainly changed and been stretched by these two amazing additions to our family. That cute little boy, who came to us with reports from school that he had a hard time learning is about to graduate from High School with a better than 3.0 GPA. His little sister, who we were warned had more severe learning issues and may always need occupational therapy starts her first job in 2 hours and will graduate next year. Carrie is in LA today, but is flying all night to make it home so that we can celebrate our 16th wedding anniversary tomorrow.
Tonight, I get to take my son and daughter to dinner to celebrate another Adoption Day.
In Inside Baseball, Opinion, Inside news, Special Events, Lifestyle Tags Anniversary, #nothingtoseehere, Wedding, Life, #BePresent, #LiveLife, Adoption Day, Family
Nike chooses All-Star weekend to change the sneaker game
February 14, 2016 Drew Fleisher
The Jordan Horizon Premium
I'm not a big sneaker head, but Nike chose this weekend to blow the shoe game to pieces twice. First with the new Jordan's pictured here. Dubbed Horizon Premium they are a cross between a classic Jordan design and hand beaded Native American moccasins. Truly the most unique and creative design to ever ship under the Jordan brand.
Then, they release a new app just for sneaker heads called SNKRS, a combination storefront and online community promising access to the latest dropping shoes.
In Inside news, Special Events, Lifestyle, Coming attractions Tags shoes, Oregon, Sneaker Heads, Nike, #GEEK
A weird sleepless night....
December 10, 2015 Drew Fleisher
An old friends inscription in my High School yearbook somehow still makes me smile....
Here in the Pacific northwest it's another wet and windy night in a time of year known for wet and wind. The weather isn't what is keeping me up tonight though. I'm not worried about the wife and kids any more than usual. They are all asleep, the wife 3000 some miles away until tomorrow night.
What's keeping me awake tonight are thoughts of a good friend from high school that somehow I let time and distance sweep out of my life. We lost him last week, and family and friends are poised to gather tomorrow morning to say goodbye. Not past 40 years old and gone. The medical cause of death is complicated, but the bottom line is addiction and his personal demons lost their fight with his better angels.
I know he had better angels. We grew up close to each other in a town that wasn't very big anyway. His dad taught our journalism class in high school. His mom was one of our youth leaders at church. Something happened though. Where I was able to wander in and out of party life in high school, and drink whisky all night tonight and not need a drink in the morning he couldn't.
I know it's insensitive and politically incorrect for me to be sitting here drinking a bottle of Irish whisky while I talk about losing a friend to alcohol, but it's my website. I didn't know this was the direction my words would take me when I poured the drink and started writing.
What I did know is that losing Patrick drove home that even the best of us can be lost in the blink of an eye. He was a gentle soul who loved art and photography for all that he tried to talk rough sometimes in school. It also made me wonder what is it that has made some relationships hold on over time and some fade into the background.
Twenty-one years ago when we graduated I never would have bet that Packy and I would go almost twenty years without talking to or even seeing each other. Of course three years before I graduated I would have bet against making it to 25 myself. Time can change your life and your priorities.
So tonight I think about the unfortunate twists and turns that separated friends, and lift a few glasses of my favorite Irish whisky while I wish an old friend was here to share it with me.
In Opinion, whisky, Lifestyle, Special Events, Inside news, Inside Baseball Tags #nothingtoseehere, Grieving, #GEEK, Loss, 2015, High school, Class of 1994, Friendship
Alpha Media has a deal for beer drinkers this summer - meet Alpha Pub and Growler 2015
August 3, 2015 Drew Fleisher
Alpha Media, a company I have mixed feelings about usually (they own 98.7 "The Bull" and Kink 103 but also killed off KUFO) has created a promotion that the Fat Boy's can get behind: The Alpha Pub and Growler Card.
The card sells for $60 and gets your growler filled at eight local bars and brew pubs, including Bridgeport, Kells NW, and HUB among others. You can find more information on their website here, but this one is a no brainer folks.
Source: http://www.alphamediausa.com/growler/
In Special Events, Lifestyle Tags Beverage, Brew Pub, Adventure, BEER, Cider, Drinking, Container, Drink, Bar, Budget, Amazing, 2015
Remember last month when I said it was a big year?
April 14, 2015 Drew Fleisher
I'm lying awake tonight, and as tired as I am after a full day working at The Pantry unloading trucks, stocking shelves, and then doing the other hundred things my father-in-law Alden and Mother-in-law Linda do there while they spent the bulk of their day at the hospital I'm not sure as we near two if sleep is possible tonight.
In about five hours my Father-in-law will enter a surgical OR for a valve and aortic replacement. The surgeon will literally be replacing nearly a quarter of his heart! This is major surgery, especially for a 75yo with long history of heart problems. Ever since the aneurysm that necessitates this procedure was found six weeks ago as both a church body and a family we have been praying that God's will be done to heal him. All along we have felt reminded by the Spirit that sometimes God uses the hands of skilled surgeons in that healing.
So here we are: In three hours the rest of the family will get Alden checked in while I am home praying and getting ready to go back into the Pantry to make sure that things continue to run smoothly there while waiting for news from that hospital 12 miles away.
I spoke to Dad tonight for the last time before surgery and he fealt at peace with the surgery moving forward. The entire family is concerned, obviously at different levels.
My feelings are hard to describe as I lay here writing this. You see, a little over 13 years ago my father went in for open heart surgery. 30 days later we had lost him. Part of me really wants to be at that hospital to support my wife and her family, but a big part of me feels guilty that I'm glad I don't have to face that tortuous wait again, because I know I'll spend most of it thinking of my Dad.
I know this is all in Gods hands. I know the only practical solution is for me to rest and be ready to fill Alden's shoes at the pantry for the next few weeks while he recovers, especially tomorrow while everyone is adjusting to his absence. Now if I could get my body to cooperate.
If it comes to mind between 7:00am and 12:00pm PDT your prayers and positive thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
In Special Events, Lifestyle, Inside Baseball Tags #nothingtoseehere, family, Alden Eld, 2015, #HumanMoments, Lifestyle, Surgery, Life, Family
My thoughts on "A Letter To Christians In Indiana, From Jesus"
March 29, 2015 Drew Fleisher
This is a great take on the way Christianity has become politically and radically motivated in recent years, posed as a letter from Christ to his church. As we begin what the Christian Church calls "Holy Week" I thought this would be a great article to share with you along with my thoughts, especially given recent court rulings and laws passed in Indiana and proposed in Arkansas and Massachusetts regarding religious beliefs and civil law.
Regardless of your faith, the mixture of religion and politics is dangerous to our system of government. We can't make laws based on Christian values and then yell about communities imposing elements of Shariah law. Separation of Church and State is an all or nothing proposition, and our constitution clearly calls for total separation.
Those of you that know me well are very aware of how my faith influences my life, my family, and our view of the world. While that also influences my political views and how I vote on various issues, I have never been one to try and force my beliefs on anyone. To me it is something personal, a relationship as important to me as my marriage to Carrie, and one I work just as hard to maintain.
Just like my marriage, if people come to me asking how my relationship with Jesus is still so alive and vital I have no problem talking about it. I talk about my Dad's theory of "Personal Theology" that helped me shape my faith and find peace and comfort in churches of all denominations. I talk about being asked to leave the first bible college I attended and how theological differences caused that conflict. Above everything else though I talk about the peace and joy I feel in those quiet moments with Jesus....from worship on Sunday morning at church, to quiet talks with him at 2am when I just don't know how to deal with my teenage daughter, and from laying in a quiet forest staring up at the tree tops to receiving communion.
Our faith was intended to be something intensely personal, yet so transformative that those around us couldn't help but ask about it. It shouldn't ever be something we feel a need to force on anyone. If it is, we are doing it wrong.
Source: http://johnpavlovitz.com/2015/03/28/a-lett...
In Opinion, Special Events, Lifestyle Tags Family, Adventure, Church, Faith, Legal, 2015, Religion
It's a big week in a big year at our house....
As I write this post I'm waiting for Carrie to get home from work. Yesterday marked the 10th anniversary of a judge signing paperwork making us parents of two amazing kids, and today marks our 15th wedding anniversary. Just a couple of months ago we celebrated the fact that Carrie had reached the 5 year mark after surgery and was "officially" cancer free. Carrie has a birthday coming in a few weeks and then less than a month from today I turn 40. It's a big year around here.
Adoption Day, March 3rd 2005
Looking back to where my life was 16 years ago I never could have predicted the twists and turns life would bring.
I knew the first time I met Carrie that I was going to marry her. It was April of 1999, and we met for dinner one evening after work. We had met online and were getting together just as friends since we lived so close. At the time neither of us was looking for a relationship, but in talking with so many couples over the years that's usually when God decides we are ready.
We both had busy work lives and finding time to get together was hard, but convincing Carrie that I was worth making time for was harder. Somehow I was the first guy this amazing woman had ever dated. Less than a year later we were married, and in the words of Jerry Garcia "What a long strange trip it's been".
The fifteen years since have had amazing highs and heart breaking lows. From the low of learning we couldn't have children to the high of adopting the two most amazing kids we could ever hope to have call us Mom and Dad. From the torture of Her cancer diagnosis a week before Christmas to the joy of successful surgery and being declared cancer free five years later. From the pleasure of seeing our kids grow from the broken kids they were when met them to the amazing Man and Woman they have become. The loss of family members to disease and friends to time and distance. Through it all I have known the comfort and love that only she could bring to my life, knowing that God brought her to be the perfect anchor for me in the storm of life.
Over the years I have had friends get married and have families, and heard numerous sermons preached on marriage and family by some amazing speakers. I have heard people complain about traditional marriage vows that included "honor and obey" in the wife's vows and not the husbands, and even my Mother had questions about the words staying in our ceremony. When Carrie and I talked about it she said something that has never left my mind. I don't even know that she remembers saying it that night, but she said "If I had any doubt you would die for me like Jesus did I wouldn't be saying 'I do'. If you can keep your vow I can keep mine."
I have no idea what I did to deserve anything that life has brought my way, but as a great Rabbi once said to his student "I don't ask God 'Why Me' when the good things happen, what right do I have to ask 'why me' when the bad things happen?".
The only answer I need is that God brought her into my life 16 years ago because he knew I couldn't have made it to where he wants me to be without her.
I don't think we are there yet, but I know we are closer than we have ever been.
In Special Events, Opinion, Inside news, Lifestyle, Inside Baseball Tags Wedding, Marriage, #15yearsandcounting, Anniversary, Family, Carrie, Faith
Can Beauty change the world?
I've spent the last couple of days at this years Global Legacy conference at New Horizons Church in McMinnville, OR. Among other topics the main subject last night and today sparked some interesting discussion. "What makes rivers flow from the Temple in scripture, as in Ezekiel 47?". Paul Manwaring's argument is that perfect beauty was the key, and will be the key for the modern church to bring about change in our world.
It raises an interesting idea, and one that I think will work at the minds of the church leaders at the conference for quite a while. The biggest challenge is who or what defines beauty in a world corrupted by the fall of man? To some it is limited to the physical but obviously it was intended to be much farther reaching than just human physical presence.
For too long the church has seemed to wait for permission from somewhere or someone to allow modern technology or art into our churches, never taking time to wonder why it ever left? In the renascence art was central to every place of worship, and the church sponsored more art than any king or queen yet today we are afraid to have a picture on the background of our overhead.
We need to first redefine beautiful, and then acknowledge that it needs to come back to our community and our churches in godly ways for the Kingdom to move forward.
In Special Events, Lifestyle Tags Beauty, Church, special events, Rock Creek Church, Technology, Global Legacy, 2015
The Wife and Daughter take a trip to NYC and review the experience
Note from the Fatboy-in-Chief: This article was written by my amazing wife about her recent trip with my mother-in-law and daughter to NYC for my daughters 16th birthday. You will notice some stylistic differences but the writing is probably much better than mine. Enjoy.
In Lifestyle, Review, Restaurant, Reviews, Special Events, Tours, Travel, Guest Contributor Tags NYC, New York, Broadway, Katzs Deli, 9/11 Memorial, Water Taxi, Empire State Building, Stomp, Wicked, Birthday
Five years ago the world almost ended - Big Drew's View
Five years ago today Carrie came home from a doctor's appointment and said she needed to talk to me. Those who have known me all of my life know I've been in some scary places, but I didn't know what fear felt like until my wife told me she had cancer that afternoon. I didn't know what to do, but a song from my youth popped into my head, and it's lyrics never felt more appropriate. Petra had a song in the late 1980s called "Get on your knees and fight like a man", and never did those lyrics make more sense than that night.
Somehow we made it through Christmas without telling the kids ( I can't remember how we managed that), through our individual breakdowns with family and friends. We made it through the doctors appointments and surgery the same way we have made it through everything else life has thrown at us: together by the Grace of God.
When you are facing the ultimate test of faith and grace you learn a lot about yourself and those around you. I learned two things. First, I married Wonder Woman. She beat cancer and came out the other side deciding to run marathons and finish college while still working full-time and not missing a beat. The second thing I learned is that I don't know who I would be without her in my life, but I know it would be far less than I am.
Carrie completing a half marathon the summer after her cancer surgery.
In a few weeks she will be "Officially" Cancer Free, and we will celebrate with joy. But this Christmas I wanted to make sure to that the world knew how thankful I was for the only gift I'll ever need: my beautiful wife.
Carrie, the kids, and I this Thanksgiving
In Special Events, Opinion, Inside Baseball, Lifestyle Tags #nothingtoseehere, Lifestyle, Life, Praying, thanksgiving, Wife, Carrie, Christmas, Reason to live, Family
Gizmodo has all the best CyberMonday deals in one place
December 1, 2014 Drew Fleisher
As always, Gizmodo and Kinja have teamed up to put together a comprehensive list of CyberMonday deals for all things tech and geek, I'll post deals as I find them but their list is a good place to start today.
Source: http://gizmodo.com/the-best-cyber-monday-d...
In Special Events, Lifestyle, Music, Office, Inside news Tags Gaming, Accessory, Delivery, FireTV, special events, CD/DVD, Appliance, ConnectedDevice, #GEEK, Event, #nothingtoseehere, Cases, Console, Amazon, Game, 2014, Coffee, Apple, Camera, Clothing, Beats by Dre, DVD, Bluetooth, Computer, Cell phone, Budget, Chromecast
Our pick for best headphones less than half price today
Microsoft is selling the V-Moda LP2 CrossFade headphones that won our headphone comparison this summer for only $99 as a CyberMonday special while supplies last both online and in store for those of you who live near one of their Apple Store clones. Run, don't walk to grab these while you can!
In Inside news, Lifestyle, Special Events, Music, Opinion Tags V-Moda, 2014, Deals, Sound, CyberMonday, #GEEK, Headset
Great deal on one of the worlds best coffee makers
November 30, 2014 Drew Fleisher
Amazon has discounted the price on the AeroPress, voted numerous places the worlds best coffee maker and one of our personal favorites. Normally $30, it is now $25 and a great deal for the coffee lover in your life this holiday season. We reviewed the AeroPress here early in the life of Fat Boy Heaven, you can check out what we had to say about it there and follow the link below for a great deal.
In Lifestyle, Special Events, Inside news, Review Tags Sale, Coffee, coffee maker, AeroPress, Amazon, Discount
Here's one for the country music fans
October 31, 2014 Drew Fleisher
Yesterday morning I opened me email to find a message from Mr. Garth Brooks talking about his new album, Man Against Machine which is set to be released in a few weeks. He was excited about this great idea one of the guys at GhostTunes (the site he launched to sell digital versions of his music) came up with. The concept was to record a quick description of the song over the preview sample so that we could hear Garth's own thoughts about each song on the album.
Since the website is called GhostTunes and it was already the end of October they decided to launch the preview on Halloween. Head on over for a sneak peek, it sounds amazing. I can't wait for the album and Garth finally touring again after all these years.
From Garth's email:
"...a friend of mine at GhostTunes asked if we would take a different look at sampling for this new record...he wanted to know if we would speak a little bit on each song as a snippet of the song was playing. Because he asked, we went into studio and tried it. We were all surprised to hear how cool it turned out. Because it was his idea and his ask, I felt it fair to keep this to GhostTunes. Because it is GhostTunes, Halloween seems like the perfect time. So, for 24 hours, starting at midnight Thursday night, October 30th and for the entire 24 hours of Halloween, 2014, a sneak-peek at the new album will be available..."
You can here the preview at https://www.ghosttunes.com/garth-brooks/
In Coming attractions, Lifestyle, Special Events, Inside news, Music, Country Music Tags Garth Brooks, Exclusive, Man Against Machine, 2014, music, Preview


Huw D Jones has published a new article in Studies in European Cinema on 'The Box Office Performance of European Films in the UK Market'.
The article examines two key questions:(1) why is the UK market for European film so small; and (2) how do certain European films achieve 'breakout' success?
European films averaged 17.4% of UK cinema releases in the period 2002-14, but accounted for only 1.8% of the gross box office – the lowest market share for European films in the EU28.
Non-English language European films accounted for only 1.1% of the box office – or about 1.8 million admissions per year – which is about half what Skyfall, the top-selling film of 2012, took solely in its opening weekend.
Cultural factors go a long way to explaining why so few British people engage with European films (especially non-English language productions) – many viewers are put off by subtitles, the lack of familiar actors or subject matter, and the 'art-house' style of many European dramas. Only 14.1% of Britons, for example, say they like foreign-language films.
UK admission for English-language and foreign-language European films, 2007-13. Source: BFI 2014.
However, there are also industrial issues at play – European films have smaller budgets than Hollywood films (an average of $5m, compared with $139m) and more limited distribution (reaching 14 cinemas at their widest point of release, compared with 168 cinemas).
Non-English language European films in particular have struggled due a number of factors: (1) arthouse cinemas (e.g. the Picturehouse chain) showing more mainstream Hollywood films; (2) increased competition for screen space due to a doubling in the number of film releases over the past decade; (3) and higher distribution costs due to the introduction of the 'virtual print fee'.
Attempts to boost the audience for non-English language European films have had limited effect. Between 2007 and 2013 UK distributors received €8.6 million from the EU's MEDIA programme and a further €6.8 million from the UK Film Council/British Film Institute to support the distribution and marketing of non-English language European films. Yet, in the same period, admissions for these types of films fell by 46.8%, from 1.9 million in 2007 to 1.0 million 2013.
English-language European films (e.g. Taken, The Impossible, The Ghost Writer, Animals United) tend to do well in the UK because they feature qualities which appeal to mainstream British audiences, e.g. Hollywood-style content and/or well-known British or American actors.
The small number of non-English-language European films which 'breakout' in the UK market tend to be ones with 'pre-sold' qualities – e.g. they are based on a best-selling novel (e.g. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), they tell the life of well-known historical character (e.g. Coco Before Channel, La Vie En Rose), or they are made by a well-known European director (e.g. Pedro Almodovor's The Skin I Live In and Broken Embraces). They also tend to have good reviews, major awards, generic conventions and stories which are easy to follow.
The vast majority of successful European films are also distributed by Hollywood studios (e.g. 20th Century Fox, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros) or major independent distributors (e.g. eOne, Entertainment, Lionsgate, Studiocanal), rather than specialist 'arthouse' distributors (e.g. Artificial Eye, Soda, New Wave).
A more selective approach to distribution subsidies could help to increase the audience for non-English language European films. EU MEDIA funding in particular should be targeted at films with qualities (e.g. 'pre-sold' material) which British audiences are likely to identify with. At the same time, the future of this source of support remains in doubt as a result of the Brexit referendum.


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Between the Lines is a 1977 ensemble drama from Midwest Films. It was directed by Joan Micklin Silver and produced by her husband Raphael D. Silver. The film was nominated for three awards at the 27th Berlin International Film Festival, winning two of them.

Plot
The story revolves around a group of people who work at The Back Bay Mainline, an alternative newspaper in Boston, as it is bought out by a major corporation. This involves Harry Lucas (Heard), a disillusioned lead reporter with an on-and-off again girlfriend in Abbie (Crouse), flaky music critic Max (Goldblum), writer/author Michael (Collins) who plans to move to New York, an eager cub reporter in David (Kirby), and Frank, a beleagured editor in chief (Korkes).

A series of loose thread occur throughout the film, such as Laura  struggling with her relationship to self-involved Michael, who is using the sale of a forthcoming book to move to New York and take her there. A party celebration only results in Laura going to Harry's house and sleeping before Michael eventually arrives to pick a fight. Laura decides to go along with Michael to New York. David, a youthful reporter who rides a bike to work, tries to hitch a big and potentially dangerous story. Max, Harry, and Abbie try to chase him down from meeting up with a source (they arrive right as he gets a bloody nose). The purchase of the paper by a corporation (specifically a communications empire) had been rumored through the film, but only near the end does it come through that a group headlined by Roy Walsh (Smith) plans to buy and run the paper. One meeting spurs Walsh to ask Frank to fire Harry, citing him as a "moving force in the wrong direction." Lynn the secretary is the first to quit. Harry responds to his firing by walking to Walsh's office and shooting him with a toy gun.

Cast
 John Heard as Harry Lucas
 Lindsay Crouse as Abbie
Jeff Goldblum as Max Arloft
Jill Eikenberry as Lynn
Bruno Kirby as David Entwhistle
Gwen Welles as Laura
Stephen Collins as Michael
Lewis J. Stadlen as Stanley
Jon Korkes as Frank
Michael J. Pollard as The Hawker
 Lane Smith as Roy Walsh
Joe Morton as Ahmed
 Richard Cox as Wheeler
Marilu Henner as Danielle
 Raymond J. Barry as Herbert Fisk
Gary Springer as Jason
Susan Haskins as Sarah
Guy Boyd as Austin
Charles Levin as Paul

Notes
Fred Barron, who had written for both The Phoenix and The Real Paper, used his alternative newspaper experiences as the basis for his Between the Lines screenplay. The director Silver once had worked for The Village Voice. Doug Kenney, co-founder of the National Lampoon, has a cameo role. Robert Costanzo makes a brief appearance as a hired goon, his second film role.

The success of the film led to a short-lived TV sitcom, also titled Between the Lines.

Reception
The film received positive reviews at the time and is still regarded as an excellent 'snapshot' of the alternative newspaper era. Matthew Monagle of Film School Rejects writes:What makes Between the Lines such a timely film even decades later is its depiction of the diminishing space offered journalism in a world of corporate takeovers. Pages of copy are cut to make way for more advertisements; writers are asked to choose between walking out and compromising their integrity. The film makes it clear that the Back Bay Mainline, even in its diminished capacity, still has its finger on the pulse of the Boston community in a way no major newspaper could. When that is gone, something vital goes with it...<p>Those looking for the newspaper industry's answer to Broadcast News will find a welcome film in Between the Lines. The film has countless moments of insight into the struggle of the American journalist, from the staff's shabby living conditions — the film offers perhaps the most realistic look at big city apartments ever committed to film — to how well-meaning writers navigate the competing interests of truth and financial trendlines. With an all-star cast and some great comedic bits — enjoy watching Goldblum engage in a battle with a local performance artist at the Back Bay Mainline headquarters — Between the Lines is a late addition to the already impressive canon of essential 1970s cinema.

References

External links

1977 films
1977 comedy-drama films
American comedy-drama films
Films about journalists
Films directed by Joan Micklin Silver
Films set in Boston
Films set in Massachusetts
Films shot in Massachusetts
Harvard Square
Vestron Pictures films
1970s English-language films
1970s American films

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Lightfoot's diverse range or compressors which are built or refurbished within the Lightfoot portfolio. However, actual unit usage will depend on the job requirement and customized compressors can also be designed and supplied.
Fully integrated service stations such as the ECS cart and DASS Rigs, now give the maintainers the control and accuracy required. When servicing critical aviation systems. With built in – Drain, Clean, Pressure Test, Vacuum Dehydration, Top up, Incondensable Purge and Weigh Platform the integrated service station has an edge on the competition. Having the facility to be set up for multi-use or customised application they cope with all commonly used refrigerants for a fully adaptable solution. Already used on Apache and Eurofighter they are field tested and proven.
Lightweight: Weighs only 22 lbs.
Weight 22 lbs 10 kgs.
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Weight 24 lbs 11 kgs.
Auto power off (APO) 15 minutes. Push-button disable.
Operating environment 32°F (0°C) to 122°F (50°C) at <75% R.H.
(23°C ±5°C), <75% relative humidity.
Temperature Coefficient: 0.1 × (specified accuracy) per °F.


Caroline Finnerty studied biotechnology at college, and then spent a year at business school. She works as a business development officer for a pharmacy group.
She started writing in her late 20s. She began a novel, and did a creative writing class in Leixlip. After her first baby was born she had the idea for In A Moment. "Having Lila was magical; but it was also scary and overwhelming. I thought, 'what if anything were ever to happen to her'.
Date of birth: November 6, 1980.
Education: St Wolstan's Holy Faith Convent in Celbridge, Co Kildare. Degree and masters at NUI Maynooth. Michael Smurfit Business School.
Family: Husband Simon. Lila, 3, and twins Tom and Bea, 5 months.
The Day Job: Maternity leave from her job as a business development officer.
Hobbies: Reading, writing, walking with the dogs; Harvey, a boxer, and Sam, a golden Labrador.
Favourite Writers: Marian Keyes. "I love the way she does dark topics, yet her books are so humorous." David Nicholls. Also Sophie Kinsella and Melissa Hill.
Top Writing Tip: Every writer feels what they're writing is really awful. Don't let that put you off. Keep coming back each day and making it better and better.
Adam and Emma are barely speaking. Adam is desperate to salvage his marriage, but Emma does her best to avoid him. What happened to push them into this state? Meanwhile, Jean McParland, a single mum of three, feels terrorised by her son. In just a moment, Adam, Emma and Jean's lives become linked, and are changed forever.
The Verdict: An absorbing and emotional page-turner.


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Barbaresco wine is made from the Nebbiolo grape, a red grape originally found in Piedmont Italy, but is now also grown in limited quantities in many other regions of the world. This grape is used to make both Barbaresco and Barolo wines. Barbaresco wines are generally more supple and delicate than barolo wines. The appellation has several crus that show specific character. The wines benefit from a pleasant acidity and fine but substantial tannins. They can be complex and worthy of long aging.


It is estimated that aspartame is an ingredient in more than 6,000 products worldwide. Knowing the general categories of foods commonly sweetened with aspartame is a good guide for healthcare professionals who educate their patients about calorie control with sweet-tasting foods.
The following questions came into the Aspartame Resource Center. We asked Gail Frank, PhD, RD to respond.
Is there a list of aspartame-sweetened products?
Don't throw away your low-calorie sweeteners just because sugar is safer than you thought. Low-calorie sweeteners are "free foods." They make food taste sweet, and have no calories and do not raise blood glucose levels. They do not count as a carbohydrate, a fat, or any other exchange. They can be added to your meal plan instead of substituted.
The Calorie Control Council reported that 180 million people in the U.S. consumed foods or beverages with sugar substitutes in 2004, and the number may reach 200 million people today. Healthcare professionals may assume many products are easily available and visible on grocery shelves to meet this demand. As a rule, think sweet and the names of products with aspartame will come to mind.
Experience a creative tool called, "The Calorie Calculator," available on the homepage of this site. "The Calorie Calculator" allows substitution of regularly sweetened products with ones containing aspartame. The amazing result is two-fold: first, you see the calorie savings and the potential weight loss over time, and second, you see the product name. The next step is to obtain and incorporate the product into a healthy eating pattern for the beneficial reduction in calories!
How can you tell if a product contains aspartame?
Simply looking on the back of the product label in the ingredient list is the first step to tell if the product contains aspartame. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that all ingredients be listed on the label. The word 'aspartame' will be in the ingredient list if it is in the product.
Products containing aspartame have a message that alerts individuals with phenylketonuria, or PKU. Individuals with this genetic condition must limit the amount of phenylalanine, an essential amino acid, in their diets. This label message also is an indication that a product contains aspartame.
Gail Frank, Los Alamitos, CA, is a registered dietitian and provides expert counsel to the Aspartame Resource Center.


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Wreath-laying ceremony at PRO 7 headquarters to honor SAF 44 on 8th anniversary of Mamasapano clash
January 25, 2023, 4:21 AM ·1 min read
THE Police Regional Office Central Visayas (PRO 7) honored the memory of the 44 fallen Special Action Force (SAF) commandos during a wreath-laying ceremony at the parade grounds inside Camp Sergio Osmeña in Cebu City on Wednesday, January 25, 2023.
On January 25, 2015, the 44 SAF commandos were killed in Mamasapano in what is now Maguindanao del Sur, while they were trying to capture Malaysian terrorist and bomb-maker Zulkifli Abdhir and other Malaysian terrorists or high-ranking members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
Among the victims were three Cebuanos, namely PO3 Junrel Kibete, PO2 Romeo Cempron and PO1 Windel Candano.
The PRO 7 also recognized the sacrifice of Master Sergeant Michael Candido Alde, Staff Sergeant Careby-Cylde Valle Alinsug, Staff Sergeant Jade Carabuena and Corporal Rey Agustilo Ambo, who were killed in the line of duty.
The occasion was attended by Major General Arthur Cabalona, deputy commander of Area Police Command Visayas, and PRO 7 Director Brigadier General Jerry Bearis.
Cabalona delivered the message of Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief General Rodolfo Azurin Jr.
"Their legacy of heroism is not just a memory, but an inspiration for future generations of police officers to continue to serve with valor and integrity. The legacy -- that we must all strive to uphold. Their actions have shaped the PNP into what it is today and their legacy is something that we must all take great pride in," he said.
He said Azurin also expressed his warm sympathy to the family and relatives of the fallen heroes, saying the country would always be grateful for their sacrifice. (AYB / PJB)
Carbon vendors, stall owners undergo food handling training
Sunstar·1 min read
SunStar's Best of Cebu 2022 winners (Part 6 of 7)
Mananquil battles Baldonado for PH belt
'Drug pusher, buyer' fall in Talisay drug bust
1,600 new nurses take oath
Chan wants to help fixers, but LTO wants them charged
LAPU-LAPU City Mayor Junard "Ahong" Chan wants the fixers of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) Lapu-Lapu City to serve as "facilitators" of the agency so that they will stop working as "fixers" in the vicinity of City Hall.LTO Central Visayas (LTO 7) Director Victor Caindec, however, wants the fixers charged for their illegal activities.Chan came up with the idea after his office received several complaints about the fixers reportedly taking advantage of the clients of LTO, whose office is si
ABOUT 1,600 newly registered nurses participated in the mass oathtaking ceremony on Saturday, January 28, at the IEC Convention Center (IC3) in Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City.The face-to-face oathtaking of new nurses is recognized by the Professional Regional Commission, together with Board of Nursing, Philippine Nurses Association – Cebu Chapter Inc. and the Association of Deans of Philippine Colleges of Nursing Inc. (EHP)
Eugenio: For a better beginning
With the Chinese New Year on our hands, opportunities for new beginnings are here for the taking. Whether creating new businesses, relationships, or finding a new hobby, the world is our oyster! However, something that people forget when starting new beginnings is what existing negative binds they have in their life. Whether it is the shackles of one's controlling family, expectations of others, or our own self neglect, to start right, one must start truly fresh.Being forced to live out the labe
Moises: Am I enough to be loved?
@TRINA: Hi, Singlestalk. Few weeks ago, I read your response to a girl in a relationship with this guy with a checkered past. You were diplomatic about it but it sounded to me like your bias was for her to be cautious. Well, I have a past I am not proud of. But from it came my truest joy — my baby. Adorable from head to toe. She's now three, always wrapped in the warmth of sunshine. For three weeks now, an officemate is courting me. I like him. He's incredibly smart and comes from a good family.
Now in its 10th year, SunStar's Best of Cebu is back with a vengeance.Local businesses are slowly returning to form, allowing the Best of Cebu team to add more categories under lifestyle and travel, beauty and wellness, and shopping. From 78 awardees in 2021, SunStar's Best of Cebu lists 118 winners for 2022.From Jan. 23 to 29, SunStar's Best of Cebu 2022 winners will be featured in the Lifestyle section of SunStar Cebu.These winners went through a stringent selection and judging process conduct
'Creating 2 new dioceses will take time'
AN OFFICIAL of the Archdiocese of Cebu clarified that its "Sugbuswak" plan does not intend to divide the 500-year-old archdiocese. Rather, it will give birth to two more dioceses.Monsignor Joseph Tan, the archdiocese's spokesman, told SunStar Cebu on Friday, Jan. 27, 2023, that the primary purpose of creating two new dioceses under the archdiocese is to improve the management of the church and to deliver better services to its parishioners.The archdiocese wants to create the dioceses of North Ce
Briones: An eggsistential crisis?
I don't know about you, but I like my eggs lightly scrambled with lots of butter.I prefer mine with cream if cream is available, but milk will do. And I'm not talking about the kind that comes in a can.I don't like salty food so my eggs are lightly seasoned although I don't hold back on the black pepper. Quite the opposite.Some people say eggs are not good for you, but that never stopped me from indulging. So is drinking alcohol.They say eggs can lead to heart disease because these are "extremel
Chan 'turns over' to police 20 fixers at LTO in city with positive drug test
LAPU-LAPU City Mayor Junard Chan will leave it up to the police to deal with the 20 fixers at the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in the city who tested positive for illegal drugs."Closap will deal with those who want to undergo community-based rehabilitation. We encourage them to change their life around," Chan said in Cebuano.Only 16 of the 36 individuals identified as "fixers" at the LTO Lapu-Lapu City tested negative for illegal drug use during the surprise drug tested conducted by the City
3 most wanted persons nabbed in Cebu City
THREE most wanted persons were arrested in separate operations in Cebu City on Friday, January 27, 2023.First to fall was Justine Villamor, alias Danin.Police found Villarin, who is charged with frustrated murder, in Barangay Mabolo at 7:55 a.m.The warrant of arrest was issued by Cebu City Regional Trial Court Branch 20 Judge Leah Iligan Geraldez.Bail was set P200,000.Villamor is considered the fourth most wanted person in the provincial level.Next on the list was 20-year-old Archie Catipay, who
Converge hits target of 2M fiber ports, continues expansion
BROADBAND provider Converge ICT Solutions Inc. has hit its two million fiber port rollout target for 2022, indicating high availability of its service to meet the country's increasing demand for high-speed connectivity.As of Dec. 31, 2022, Converge has already deployed more than two million fiber ports in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, further cementing its position as the largest fiber-to-the-home network in the Philippines."Converge continues to expand its nationwide network reach to efficiently
Editorial: Solve the 'traffic crisis'
How civilized are the roads of Cebu?Any aspiration and claim by a metropolis for liveability rests on the safety of land transport.This encompasses the entire system ensuring the safe and efficient movement of people, goods and services.Like any system, land transportation is governed by laws and regulated by authorities.As crucial, too, is the education of the public as stakeholders in following regulations and observing road courtesy for the well-being of all.Cebu traffic rivals the notoriety
Lapu-Lapu Council passes ordinance creating disease surveillance unit
THE Lapu-Lapu City Council has passed an ordinance establishing an Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (ESU) that will be responsible for collecting, analyzing and disseminating reliable and timely information on public health status, as well as investigating disease outbreaks and other threats to public health in the city.The council approved on third and final reading on Jan. 11, 2023, Ordinance 16-069, or "An Ordinance Establishing the Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (ESU) of Lapu-Lapu City
F Cafe and Bar kicked out of bldg for December brawl
THE operators of commercial complex 88th Avenue in Barangay Kasambagan, Cebu City have pre-terminated the contract of lease with F Café and Bar less than a month after the latter's personnel were involved in a brawl that resulted in the mauling of a British chef and restaurateur.In a letter dated Jan 2, 2023, the management of 88th Avenue Holdings said it had decided to pre-terminate its contract of lease with the establishment due to a "recent controversy.""Recent controversy which involved you
Polymer banknotes available in more ATMS nationwide
THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) expects wider circulation and public use of the 1000-Piso polymer banknote as it becomes available in more automated teller machines (ATMs) nationwide.As of end-December 2022, 17,304 ATMs, or 92 percent of the total number of ATMs in the country, have been recalibrated by banks to dispense the 1000-Piso polymer banknotes. Up to 7,274 of these polymer-ready ATMs are located in the National Capital Region.Thirty-nine million pieces, representing 7.8 percent of
Lapu-Lapu City Hall departments urged to throw garbage directly to dump truck
THE Lapu-Lapu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) has ordered all the offices located within the City Hall building and compound to dispose of their garbage directly to the dump truck that will park in front of the Sports Complex during weekdays from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.City Administrator Danilo Almendras, who is also a lawyer, issued a memorandum on the matter on January 17, 2023, upon the request of Cenro officer-in-charge Dr. Ronald Oporto.Oporto told SunStar Cebu that all the o
Quibranza III: Big breakfast
Anybody else here love Sunday mornings? I know I do.For those who spend long hours at work during the week, Sundays become revered in a way. Sleeping in, rolling in bed an extra couple of hours—we embrace every tick of the second reminding ourselves that we have a life to live at our own pace.One particular Sunday morning had the wife and I randomly thinking of brunch and bubbles. We're really not drinkers per se, but the whole concept just sounded fancy. We ended up heading to this brunch place
Dialysis centers soon to open in Carcar, Danao
THE two dialysis centers in the provincial hospitals in the cities of Carcar and Danao are expected to be operational by March 2023.During the presentation by Medtronix Medical Supplies and Equipment to the Economic Enterprise Council on Friday, January 27, the company revealed that the construction of the dialysis centers is expected to be completed in two months' time.On December 2022, Governor Gwendolyn Garcia signed an agreement with Medtronix for the dialysis package for the province-run ho
P1M reward offered for arrest of 3 who 'duped' businessman
A CEBU City-based businessman claimed that three people, including a couple, defrauded him of almost P200 million in an alleged investment scam.In a press conference on Friday, Jan. 27, 2023, Kaiser Christopher Tan, through his lawyer Francisco Amit Jr., offered a P1 million reward to anyone who can provide the location of Michelle Lim Go and Lorenzo Baltonado Jr. and his wife Jerlyn Joyce.A warrant of arrest has already been issued by Judge Judilyn Hugot Tapia- Menchavez of Toledo City Regional
Feng Shui Forecast for the Year of the Water Rabbit
In Chinese astrology, the rabbit is associated with a gentle, meditative energy and symbolizes prosperity and longevity. Paired with the water element for 2023, the Year of the Water Rabbit is one for reconsideration and reflection. This is an ideal time to channel the rabbit's peaceful demeanor and seek serenity and balance, to move on and let go of old tensions. It is a fertile year for affairs of the heart, excellent for engagements, marriages and new babies.Feng Shui master Marites Allen fur
OPERATIVES of the Police Drug Enforcement Group Visayas and Special Operations Unit 7 arrested a drug pusher in Sitio Luna, Barangay Lagtang, Talisay City on Saturday night, January 28, 2023.They identified the suspect as 43-year-old Ritchie Villaraso, an assistant fighting cock handler who resides in the sitio.They also took into custody Villaraso's customer, 29-year-old Asher Bacacao, a resident of Sitio Kadikay, Barangay Lawaan 3 in the same city.Police seized shabu worth P102,000 during the


With increase in age, proteins of the eye lens undergo covalent modifications associated with interprotein cross-linking, loss of protein solubility, generation of protein-associated pigments, and racemization of some optically active residues. Precipitated protein aggregates localized in the nucleus of brunescent lenses are modified to such an extent that they become resistant to the commonly used methods of extraction by reducing agents or detergents. Thus, little information is available on the types of protein modifications that occur in the nuclear region of the lens. Here we report the simultaneous solubilization and digestion of the entire nuclear pellet of brunescent human cataract lenses into constituent amino acids and their derivatives through protease action at neutral pH. Fractionation of the resulting hydrolyzate by reverse phase chromatography, followed by spectroscopic and biochemical analysis of one of the purified fractions, showed the presence of racemic tyrosine in the amino acid mixture. Racemization of L-amino acid residues in protein chains is associated with the aging process. This is the first report of racemization of tyrosine in any system studied so far.


VANCE H. WATSON, director of the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, has been named interim vice president of the Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine and interim dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Mississippi State University. The appointment is effective Jan. 1, 2002, subject to approval by the Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning.
Watson will carry out responsibilities of the vice president and dean during the period that J. Charles Lee, current DAFVM vice president and CALS dean, serves as the university's interim president. In addition, Watson will sustain his current responsibilities as MAFES director, with full authority for decision-making, resource allocation, and general management of the unit.


A self-described student of manufacturing for more than 20 years, Matt realized early on that leading teams was his calling. Every step in his professional life has brought him new insights on how to manage effective relationships, meet customer expectations and improve organizational outcomes. As COO, Matt is a change agent who provides leadership, management and vision for business operations. Building and optimizing customer-focused teams to function at a high level has become the cornerstone on which he's built his career. Matt says his greatest accomplishment is seeing the success of those he has managed and mentored over the years. Away from work, Matt enjoys spending time with his family of six hiking, camping and attending sporting events.


Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas. It is made in response to the foods that we eat. It helps keep our blood sugar levels just right.
You can support your insulin sensitivity by adding a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to a glass of water every day, by eating sauerkraut, and making sure you eat soluble fiber, among other things.
Ignoring insulin resistance can set us on the path to Type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's disease.
My mother died of Alzheimer's disease in 2014, so this issue is close to my heart. I was diagnosed with metabolic syndrome in my early forties. This was a part of my motivation to lose weight and begin a regular exercise program. I started doing hot yoga, increasing to three times a week, which I have kept up since 2011. I no longer have metabolic syndrome, but I have also had to switch to a paleo/modified Mediterranean diet in order to stay at a healthy weight.
My other motivation was watching my beloved mother-in-law die of pancreatic cancer. She did not eat a healthy diet in the twenty years that I knew her. Ultimately, she didn't have the building blocks needed to stay healthy. It's important to eat nutrient dense foods that rank high on the ANDI scale. If you have a history of antibiotic use, NSAID use, PTSD, or childhood trauma, you are at higher risk for leaky gut. If you have leaky gut, you need to make sure you are not eating foods too high in oxalate, a toxin produced by plants to prevent overgrazing. Even very healthy fruits and vegetables can be high in oxalates. People with a healthy intestinal tract absorb 1-2% of dietary oxalates, but people with leaky gut can absorb up to 50% of dietary oxalate. A good group to find out more about this is called Trying Low Oxalates, started by Susan Owen. She's got a group on Facebook, as well as one on Yahoo. For ease of use, I recommend the Facebook group.
Remember, Elizabeth is not a doctor. Suggestions given on this blog are no substitute for medical advice from a licensed physician, and are only meant as discussion points with your doctor.