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Making a list and checking it twice
December 5, 2012 by Jen Bucciarelli Leave a Comment
Shopping for youngsters this holiday season? You'll want to check your list twice to ensure you're following these updated toy safety guidelines.
Protecting future generations
Each fall, the Public Interest Research Group in Michigan (PIRGIM) Education Fund conducts a survey of toys in preparation for the holiday shopping season. Dubbed "Trouble in Toyland," the 27th annual survey inspects products through four safety categories—toxic concerns, choking hazards, magnets and noisy toys. The report has spurred several recalls in the past and continues to advocate for stronger federal laws protecting children from potentially harmful products.
"We want to praise the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) because we definitely found fewer hazards than we have in years past," Meghan Hess, a PIRGIM program advocate said. "But our study is not meant to be exhaustive, it's just a survey and so parents definitely need to be on the lookout."
Hess said the survey does not target specific stores or brands, but rather selects items that researchers suspect to be harmful. Based on the category—toxic chemicals, noisy toys, etc.—the toy is either examined by PIRGIM staff or sent to a lab for chemical testing.
So whether you are adding items to your cart in the store aisle or online, Hess highlights several health concerns surrounding potentially hazardous toys.
"The scariest part about the toxic hazards is that you can't tell by looking at the toy," Hess said. "(Parents) can look at a toy and test at home whether it's going to be a choking hazard but you can't know instinctively whether something has toxic chemicals in it and could cause developmental effects."
So PIRGIM selects several toys made of metal and plastic to be chemically tested at STAT Analysis Corporation in Chicago.
Some of the toxins they look for include lead and cadmium in metal products and phthalates found in plastic toys.
Lead is particularly harmful to developing brains of young children but also affects nearly every organ and organ system in the body, the report said.
The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) set the current 100 parts per million (ppm) standard for lead, which is an improvement from last year's reported standard of 300ppm. But the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that toys do not exceed 40ppm.
Cadmium is also found in metallic children's toys, most commonly—play jewelry. When exposed to large amounts of cadmium over time, negative health effects include bone pain, fractures and may cause learning disabilities in developing children. The Center for Environmental Health (CEH) implemented the legal limit for cadmium in children's jewelry as 300ppm.
Phthalates
Phthalates are used to increase flexibility of plastic products. Health implications of increased phthalate exposure include reproductive complications—early onset of puberty or lower sperm counts—as well as premature delivery for unborn children exposed to phthalates. Six different phthalates have been documented as harmful and include di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), diisononyl phthalate (DINP), diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP) and di(n-octyl) phthalate (DNOP).
No toy item or childcare item—such as shampoo—may legally contain more than 1000ppm of phthalates.
This year, no hazardous toys in these categories were found, but "That doesn't mean they're not on the shelves," Hess said.
Although, the report notes that one toy tested exceeded the 100 ppm lead standard, with a lab result of 180ppm. And several other toys registered above the AAP-recommended limit of 40ppm.
Because parents can't conclude whether a product is chemically hazardous, it's up to statewide toy manufacturers to abide by federal regulations.
Some states including California and Washington have implemented additional legal requirements in addition to federal regulations as an effort to protect future generations. An example includes further labeling noting that a toy item contains phthalates and which phthalates in particular.
But if parents want to be extra cautious, Hess recommends avoiding toys made of metal or plastic altogether and purchase play items made of wood or cotton instead.
Choking hazards
When shopping for children under the age of 3, Hess recommends being particularly careful when purchasing smaller objects.
"We need to have (the standard) enlarged," Hess said as young children have choked on toys that meet the current federal standard size.
"Toys that are almost round—as in a strawberry from a toy food set—can become lodged in the airway just like a toy ball would," Hess said. "And the standard (size) for balls is bigger. So we want to make sure that something that is roundish is treated as if it were round to be extra sure."
To ensure a young child won't choke on a particular toy, parents can use a toilet paper tube to test the object. If the toy passes through the tub with ease, it is too small for children under 3.
"We also want to warn parents about magnets because if those are swallowed, they can have really severe effects," Hess said.
When two or more magnets are in the body, they can attract each other while passing through the digestive system. This can cause the magnets to perforate tissue, inferring severe injury, the report states with most of these incidents occur between the ages of 4 and 12. PIRGIM continues to urge for safer magnet products.
Noisy toys
When it comes to testing the noise levels of potentially harming toys, PIRGIM researchers use a sound meter.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration shares that exposure to sounds at 85 decibels (dB) or higher can result in hearing damage and toys should not exceed this limit.
"Some toys that we found on the shelves (this fall) that exceed the decibel limits can cause long-term hearing damage in children," Hess said.
Feel like you have a toy that may be too loud? PIRGIM suggests covering speakers of loud toys with tape just to be safe.
Being confident with your holiday gifts
Overall, the standards haven't changed since last year, Hess said. "Although we argue that in some cases they should," she said, noting the particular concern of choking hazards. "I'm relieved and excited that the toy store shelves are getting safer because one toy-related injury to a child is one too many."
But, Hess agrees it's still alarming that some toxic and hazardous toys are still on the shelves this holiday season.
"I don't have children myself but I certainly shop for kids so I want to make sure that I—and anyone else who's shopping for children—don't have to worry that what they're going to give this child for Christmas is going to harm them."
Rochester toyshop focuses on American, German toys
Local storeowner Geoff Lytle of Froggy's Toy Stop on 4th Street said he actively purchases toys made in the United States to help avoid child health and safety concerns in the wake of the China toy recall a couple years prior.
While there are no particular guidelines that the store must follow regarding the safety concerns, Lytle keeps his customers in mind when considering which manufacturers to order from.
As a shop owner, he appreciates the frequent paperwork attached to toy orders noting the products are safe
"We are getting more documentation showing that (manufacturers) are complacent and how (the toys) have been tested and where they've been tested and who did the testing and the date that it was done," Lytle said.
Lytle has noticed that his customers are also increasingly proactive with their purchasing endeavors with the abundance of accessible toy information online.
Whether you're on the go or just interested in taking a peek at the updated recalled-toy list, visit PIRGIM's mobile connection at ToySafety.mobi.
If you'd like to report a potentially hazardous product, be sure to visit www.SaferProducts.gov.
PIRGIM is an independent, state-based, citizen-funded organization that advocates for the public interest and is a member of U.S. PIRG, the federation of state Public Interest Research Groups.
For more information about PIRGIM and their work, check out www.PIRGIM.org or www.PIRGIMedfund.org. (Don't forget to read the full "Trouble in Toyland" report, too.)
To learn more about the American Academy of Pediatrics, visit www.AAP.org.
Filed Under: General, Health and Exercise, Rochester, Rochester Hills, The Community Edge Tagged With: "Trouble in Toyland", American Academy of Pediatrics, cadmium, choking hazards, Froggy's Toy Stop, holiday, holiday toys, lead, noisy toys, phthalates, PIRGIM, PIRGIM Education Fund, safe toys, shopping, The Center for Environmental Health
About Jen Bucciarelli
Veggie lover and aspiring word chef, reporter Jen Bucciarelli covers all things health and medicine for Rochester Media and The Community Edge. She is always on the hunt for local experts who can help improve the lives of our readers. Send her a note at [email protected].


My doorstay bracket bolts, the two bolts on the body frame that hold the door stays, just turn and turn on both passenger and driver side. It appears that a weldnut behind the body door frame have come loose. Is there any way to reach the weldnuts from the back side? What do you suggest I do? Both door stays move back and forth with each opening and closing of the doors.


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Franz Clemens Honoratus Hermann Josef Brentano (* 16. Januar 1838 im damals schon aufgelösten Kloster Marienberg bei Boppard am Rhein; † 17. März 1917 in Zürich) war ein deutscher Philosoph, Psychologe und Begründer der Aktpsychologie. Ursprünglich katholischer Priester, verließ Brentano aus Protest gegen die Verkündigung des Dogmas von der Unfehlbarkeit des Papstes die Kirche und hat dann als konfessionsloser Professor in Wien auf die junge Philosophengeneration nachhaltig eingewirkt.
Zu seinen Hörern zählten unter anderem Edmund Husserl, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk und Sigmund Freud.

Herkunft
Die Familie Brentano stammte ursprünglich aus der Lombardei, lebte aber seit mehreren Generationen in Deutschland. Franz Brentanos Eltern waren der Schriftsteller Christian Brentano und dessen Ehefrau Emilie Brentano, geborene Genger. Ein Bruder war der Wirtschaftswissenschaftler und Sozialreformer Lujo Brentano. Clemens Brentano und Bettina von Arnim, die zu den bedeutendsten Persönlichkeiten der deutschen Romantik gezählt werden, waren Onkel und Tante väterlicherseits.

Leben

Franz Brentano wuchs in Aschaffenburg auf und studierte in München, Würzburg, Berlin und Münster. Seine Dissertation über den Begriff des "Seienden" bei Aristoteles legte er in Tübingen vor.

Nach seiner Habilitation in Würzburg 1866 lehrte Brentano dort Philosophie. Neben Philosophie hatte er auch Theologie studiert und wurde 1864 zum Priester geweiht. Im Vorfeld des Ersten Vatikanischen Konzils engagierte er sich auf höchster kirchlicher Ebene gegen die Kanonisierung der päpstlichen Unfehlbarkeit; er hatte aber bereits 1870 wegen der Problematik der Dogmen der Trinität und der Inkarnation sowie der absoluten Forderung zu glauben den christlichen Glauben aufgegeben. Nach längerem Zögern, auch aus Rücksicht auf seine fromme Mutter, zog er die Konsequenz und legte 1873 sein Priesteramt nieder. Er beendete auch seine Lehrtätigkeit in Würzburg und wurde 1874 als Professor für Philosophie nach Wien berufen. Da er infolge seiner Priesterweihe nach österreichischem Recht nicht heiraten konnte, wurde er sächsischer Staatsbürger in Leipzig, um heiraten zu können. Er musste dennoch auf die Professur verzichten. 1879 trat er aus der Kirche aus. Das war in Österreich erst seit kurzem, nämlich durch Gesetz vom 25. Mai 1868 ermöglicht worden. 1880 trat er von der Professur zurück. Er blieb jedoch bis 1895 als Privatdozent in Wien.

Am 27. Juni 1888 wurde sein Sohn Johann Michael (Giovanni) geboren (gestorben 1969). Nach dem Tod seiner Gattin Ida Lieben (17. Mai 1852 bis 13. März 1894) aus der österreichischen Bankiersfamilie Ignatz Lieben (1809–1877) zog er aus dem Palais Todesco in Wien, Ringstraße, aus und übersiedelte 1895 nach Florenz. 1897 heiratete er in zweiter Ehe Emilie Rueprecht. Ab 1903 verlor er langsam sein Augenlicht. Er erwarb die Klostertaverne von Schloss Schönbühel in der Wachau als zeitweiligen Feriensitz. Nach dem Eintritt Italiens in den Ersten Weltkrieg floh er 1915 nach Zürich, wo er nach zwei Augenoperationen erblindete und am 17. März 1917 an einer Blinddarminfektion starb. Zunächst in Zürich beigesetzt, wurden seine Gebeine auf Wunsch der Familie 1953 exhumiert, eingeäschert und seine Urne in der Familiengruft auf dem Altstadtfriedhof in Aschaffenburg (Unterfranken) beigesetzt.

Seit 1914 war er korrespondierendes Mitglied der Preußischen Akademie der Wissenschaften.

Werk
Brentano verband die Philosophie eng mit der Psychologie, die für ihn die Grundwissenschaft schlechthin war. Er war Begründer der Aktpsychologie, die unter anderem auch Edmund Husserl, Alexius Meinong, William McDougall, Sigmund Freud und Carl Stumpf beeinflusste. Sie zählen zur sogenannten Brentanoschule. Besonders in Prag wurden seine Lehren von den Dozenten der Karls-Universität weitergetragen und in Clubs wie dem Café Arco und im Louvre-Zirkel von vielen Anhängern wie Emil Utitz besprochen. Wie auch andere Philosophen trat z. B. Felix Weltsch, ein enger Freund von Max Brod und Franz Kafka, Brentanos Lehren eher kritisch gegenüber und vertrat Ansichten von Christian von Ehrenfels. Ebenso kehrte sich Meinong später von Brentano ab, da er eine andere Auffassung des psychischen Begriffs "Intentionalität" vertrat. Einer seiner bedeutendsten Schüler war Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. Starken Einfluss übte das Werk von Brentano auf den jungen Martin Heidegger aus.

Werkauswahl
 Aristoteles und seine Weltanschauung. (= Philosophische Bibliothek. Band 303). Meiner, Hamburg 1977, ISBN 3-7873-0401-0.
 Aristoteles und seine Weltanschauung. Leipzig 1911.
 Aristoteles' Lehre vom Ursprung des menschlichen Geistes. Leipzig 1911.
 Das Genie. Vortrag gehalten im Saale des Ingenieur- und Architektenvereins in Wien. Verlag Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1892.
 Das Schlechte als Gegenstand dichterischer Darstellung. Vortrag, gehalten in der Gesellschaft der Litteraturfreunde zu Wien. Verlag Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1892.
 Die Abkehr vom Nichtrealen. Briefe und Abhandlungen aus dem Nachlaß. (= Philosophische Bibliothek. Band 314). Meiner, Hamburg 1966, ISBN 3-7873-0432-0.
 Die Psychologie des Aristoteles, insbesondere seine Lehre vom nous poietikos. Verlag Franz Kirchheim, Mainz 1867.
 Die vier Phasen der Philosophie und ihr augenblicklicher Stand. Stuttgart 1895.
 Geschichte der griechischen Philosophie. Hrsg. von Franziska Meyer-Hillebrand. 2., verbesserte Auflage. (= Philosophische Bibliothek. Band 313). Meiner, Hamburg 1988, ISBN 3-7873-0694-3.
 Geschichte der Philosophie der Neuzeit. Hrsg. von Klaus Hedwig. (= Philosophische Bibliothek. Band 359). Meiner, Hamburg 1987, ISBN 3-7873-0678-1.
 Grundzüge der Ästhetik. Hrsg. von Franziska Mayer-Hillebrand. 2. Auflage. (= Philosophische Bibliothek. Band 312). Meiner, Hamburg 1988, ISBN 3-7873-0738-9.
 Kategorienlehre. Hrsg. von Alfred Kastil. (= Philosophische Bibliothek. Band 203). Meiner, Hamburg 1985, ISBN 3-7873-0011-2.
 Meine letzten Wünsche für Österreich. In: Neue Freie Presse. 2./5./8. Dezember 1894.
 Neue Räthsel. Verlag von Gerold's Sohn, Wien 1879. (veröffentlicht unter dem Pseudonym Aenigmatias)
 Philosophische Untersuchungen zu Raum, Zeit und Kontinuum. Hrsg. und eingeleitet von Stephan Körner und Roderick M. Chisholm. (= Philosophische Bibliothek. Band 293). Meiner, Hamburg 1976, ISBN 3-7873-0356-1.
 Psychologie vom empirischen Standpunkt. Leipzig 1874, Neuauflage 1911. (Wiederauflage: Ontos, ISBN 978-3-938793-41-1)
 Über Aristoteles. Hrsg. von Rolf George. (= Philosophische Bibliothek. Band 378). Meiner, Hamburg 1986, ISBN 3-7873-0631-5.
 Über die Zukunft der Philosophie. Hölder Verlag, Wien 1893.
 Ueber die Gründe der Entmuthigung auf philosophischem Gebiete. Ein Vortrag gehalten beim Antritte der philosophischen Professur an der k.k. Hochschule zu Wien. Verlag Braumüller, Wien 1874.
 Untersuchungen zur Sinnesphysiologie. Hrsg. von Roderick M. Chisholm und Reinhard Fabian. 2. Auflage. (= Philosophische Bibliothek. Band 315). Meiner, Hamburg 1979, ISBN 3-7873-0444-4.
 Untersuchungen zur Sinnespsychologie. Leipzig 1907.
 Vom Dasein Gottes. Mit Einleitung und Anmerkungen hrsg. von Alfred Kastil. (= Philosophische Bibliothek. Band 210). Meiner, Hamburg 1929. (Nachdruck: 1968)
 Vom Ursprung sittlicher Erkenntnis. Verlag Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1889.
 Von der mannigfachen Bedeutung des Seienden nach Aristoteles. Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau 1862.
 Wahrheit und Evidenz. Meiner, Hamburg 1974.
 Was für ein Philosoph manchmal Epoche macht. Wien/Pest/Leipzig 1876.

 Weitere Werke postum herausgegeben von Franziska Mayer-Hillebrand.

Literatur
 Thomas Binder: Franz Brentano und sein philosophischer Nachlass. Berlin/Boston 2019, ISBN 978-3-11-059579-6

 .
 .
 Barry Smith: Austrian Philosophy (The Legacy of Franz Brentano).
 Otto Friedrich Bollnow: Franz Brentano: Besprechung der philosophischen Schriften. (PDF; 139 kB)
 Oskar Kraus: Franz Brentano. Zur Kenntnis seines Lebens und seiner Lehre mit Beiträgen von Carl Stumpf und Edmund Husserl. München 1919.
 Anton Marty: Franz Brentano biografische Skizze. In: Gesammelte Schriften. 1. Band, I. Abteilung, S. 97 ff.
 J. Koch: Herman Schell und Franz Brentano. In: F. J. v. Rintelen (Hrsg.): Philosophia perennis. Band I, Regensburg 1930, S. 337–348.
 Gerhard Oberkofler, Peter Goller: Franz Brentano. Briefe an Carl Stumpf 1867–1917. Graz 1989.
 Alessandro Ialenti: Franz Brentano und die Grundlegung einer Moralphilosophie des Gefühls. In: Dialeghestai. online Zeitschrift für Philosophie (2008).
 Michael Ehn und Ernst Strouhal: Denken unter Zugzwang. Kurze Erinnerung an den Schachphilosophen Franz Brentano (1838-1917). In: KARL. Das kulturelle Schachmagazin, 2/2012, S. 62–63.
 Antonio Russo: Franz Brentano – Heinrich Denifle. Studium, Roma 2014.
 Antonio Russo (Hrsg.): Cornelio Fabro e Franz Brentano. Per un nuovo realismo. Studium, Roma 2013.
Steiner, Rudolf: Von Seelenrätseln. Anthropologie und Anthroposophie. Max Dessoir über Anthroposophie. Franz Brentano: Ein Nachruf. Skizzenhafte Erweiterungen (GA 21), 1917 (Online-Fassung).

Einzelnachweise

Weblinks

 Website zu Franz Brentano
 Letzte Ruhestätte im Aschaffenburger Altstadtfriedhof

 Franz Brentano Website (Texte auf English und Italienisch)
 Franz Brentano Archiv (Universität Graz)
 Website des Brentano-Instituts
 Franz Brentano Forschung auf der Website der Universität Würzburg, mit Nachlassliste
 Werkbibliographie
 .
 Nachlass in der Bayerischen Staatsbibliothek

Philosoph (19. Jahrhundert)
Philosoph (20. Jahrhundert)
Psychologe
Römisch-katholischer Geistlicher (19. Jahrhundert)
Hochschullehrer (Universität Wien)
Hochschullehrer (Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg)
Mitglied der Preußischen Akademie der Wissenschaften
Franz
Deutscher
Geboren 1838
Gestorben 1917
Mann

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Q: How can I remove or reset the tab order in VS 2010 I have a tab order set, but have rearranged a lot of controls, added more, removed some.
So now when I click view Tab Order it show the tab oeders by cluttering the screen with tons of numbers. Is there a way to clear these and start over?
I tried setting tabstop to false on the controls, hoping it would 'clear' their entries in the View Tab Order, but when I go back to view the tab order they still have numbers in them.
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

A: Those numbers are the order that your controls will be hit when pressing the 'Tab' key. When in View Tab Order mode, you can click on the controls in the order that you want them to be hit. That will re-order them. You'll notice that the numbers start changing as you click.
Here's the MSDN page on how to do Tab Order.

A: None of the provided answers really satisfied me. With the accepted one, you still have to go through each control...
Here's what I did:

*

*Open the [Form].Designer file.

*Quick replace with regular expressions: .TabIndex = {.+}, replace with: .TabIndex = 99 or whatever highest number you want (or even zero (0)).

*

*THEN go to design view and set the order via Tab Order command

A: In case some other will have the same issue(you may also see print screens in link):
First step: as you are in Design View of your form in menu go to View and select Tab Order. Second step: on your controls will appear a number that represents the Tab Order of your control. For re - setting tab order press a click in ascending order the controls that want to succeed, including Labels(even they are not selectable). I hope it is very intuitive this step for you too.
Print screens at: http://how-to-code-net.blogspot.ro/2013/06/how-to-set-tab-order-for-controls-in.html

A: I found the tools that VS provides to help with tab order to be lacking, but I found another tool that could help you.
https://stackoverflow.com/a/13256814/271351

A: Use "Send to Back" and "Bring to Front" to Shuffle the order of the docked controls.

A: Try to search for this.groupBox1.Controls.Add(this.txtTextBox1); and check is it added to the same groupbox.

A: I use in VS2019 :
replace : .TabIndex = .\d+
with : .TabIndex = 0

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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In my book, 'Secret Gateway to Health', I explain how the mouth is one organ that makes an impact on every other organ. No health guru talks about the importance of the mouth on this level, but it's true. If you neglect it, it will affect your general health one way or another.
You'll be able to usually ask your dental professional to show you some prior to and following pictures so you are able to make an idea of how your dental professional worked prior to on other patients.
Tooth loss is a natural process when you age. However, the jaw area starts collapsing with the tooth loss. If you opt for titanium implant, the entire dental bone structure is restored.
For the more adventurous, go to a graveyard and get a tooth from a corpse. When worn as an amulet, this ghastly souvenir will supposedly protect you from toothaches as the English believe.
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text:
Oblast Loveč (bugarski Област Ловеч) nalazi se u sjevernoj Bugarskoj. U oblasti živi 169.951 stanovnika, dok je prosječna gustoća naseljenosti 41 stan./km² Najveći grad i administrativno središte oblasti je grad Loveč s 48.151 stanovnikom.

Oblast Loveč sastoji se od osam općina:

Stanovništvo
Prema popisu stanovništva iz 2001. godine, oblast Loveč imala je 169.951 stanovnika.

Etnički sastav
Prema popisu stanovništva iz 2001. godine etnički sastav je sljedeći:

Izvor

Vanjske poveznice
 Službena stranica oblasti

Loveč


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text:
to have roamed our planet," study researcher Karl Bates, of the University of Liverpool, said in a statement.
Younger T. rexes didn't have such strong bites, the researchers found, which probably meant they had a different diet and relied less on the fearsome bite than their older counterparts. This differing diets likely led reduced competition between generations of T. rex, the researchers said. [Image Gallery: The Life of T. Rex]
Fearsome bite
The new estimate of bite force is higher than past estimates that relied on indent measures in which they pressed down the skull and teeth onto a bone until they got the imprints that matched those on fossils. In the new study, the researchers created a computer model of the dinosaur's jaw by first digitally scanning skulls from an adult and juvenile T. rex, an allosaurus, an alligator and an adult human. They used these scans to model each animal's bite.
"We took what we knew about T. rex from its skeleton and built a computer model," Bates said. "We then asked the computer model to produce a bite so that we could measure the speed and force of it directly."
The force exerted at one of T. rex's back teeth would have been between 7,868 and 12,814 pounds-force (35,000 and 57,000 newtons). This force would be akin to having a medium-size elephant sit on you.
Young vs. old
The shape of T. rex's skull allowed room for lots of muscles, creating what is "by far the highest bite forces estimated for any terrestrial animal," the researchers write in the paper, to be published tomorrow (Feb. 29) in the journal Biology Letters, but it is possible the extinct gigantic shark Megalodon had a stronger bite.
"If you consider that the lion and alligator [bite strength] are so much lower (as reported in our paper), and think of what they can bite through, that can give you a sense of the power in a T. rex bite," study researcher Peter Falkingham, of the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom, told LiveScience in an email. "Such a powerful bite may have enabled T.rex to crush large bones."
(Past research has suggested T. rex's fused nasal bones boosted its bite force, while also keeping the predator's skull from breaking from a serious chomp.)
Even when Falkingham and colleagues scaled the models for body size differences, this bite was relatively much stronger than the bite of a juvenile T. rex. In its early years of life, T. rex's bite was weaker, but the young dinosaurs might have also been more athletic and had longer arms in proportion to their body size, previous research has suggested.
These differences could mean that the dinosaur's diet would have changed over time — starting on smaller prey, but growing into a ferocious predator to even the largest animals as it matured. These dietary differences would have reduced competition between older and younger T. rexes, Falkingham said.
You can follow LiveScience staff writer Jennifer Welsh on Twitter @microbelover. Follow LiveScience for the latest in science news and discoveries on Twitter @livescience and on Facebook.
What's the Controversy Over Baby T. Rex Listed on eBay?
Meet Scotty, the New T. Rex Heavyweight Champion of the World
Baby T. Rex Was an Adorable Ball of Fluff
Mighty T. Rex Began As Cute, Deer-Size Dino
Jennifer Welsh,
Jennifer Welsh graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz's Science Communication graduate program after working at a start up biotech company for three years after getting her Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from the University of Notre Dame. She has worked at WiredScience, The Scientist and Discover Magazine before joining the Live Science team.
Jennifer Welsh, on


Biba, without much fanfare, has released final details of the Insurer Trust bank accounts that will enable brokers who handle no client money at all to operate outside the FSA's extremely complex CASS rules. But is this the news we have all been waiting for?
For 18 months now, firms with a permission to hold client money have struggled with the FSA's CASS rules, and while risk transfer may have been given by many insurers to many of their brokers, the risk transfer wording has been inconsistent and buried within insurer terms of business agreements that have grown in size and complexity.
Where risk transfer has been given in one hand it has been taken away by the other, where the insurer has then asked the broker to comply with certain elements of the CASS rules. This behaviour was not the intention when risk transfer was first agreed by the FSA.
Risk transfer is where the insurer bears the risk of the premium not turning up - the customer should be left with no exposure. Insurers should not have been invoking any FSA rules in their risk transfer wordings because those rules protect the handling of client money and risk transfer money is not client money.
The FSA has already found "worrying" levels of failure with these rules in both the wholesale and retail broking sectors and is set to visit 200 firms in September. Earlier this year it even published a 42-page 'guidance' paper on the CASS rules to assist firms' understanding.
Julian Adams, head of wholesale insurance firms at the FSA, said: "We will consider taking enforcement action against any firm, where we see wilful non-compliance or an inability to handle customers' money in line with our requirements."
It has been a serious issue - so does Biba's solution help the poor broker?
A broker can decide to hold no client money at all. This will mean all premiums (and refunds and claims monies, if relevant) are held under a proper risk transfer agreement. These can be held in an 'FSA-badged' client account (statutory or non-statutory trust) if they are then co-mingled with 'real' client money - money that is not held under a proper risk transfer agreement.
Some insurers have already agreed with some brokers that their money can be held outside of the FSA-badged account and the Biba model expands this.
When the FSA decided to allow co-mingling, which is holding of insurer and client money in the same client account, on a permanent basis, its intention was that to co-mingle, a firm would need to hold both client money and risk-transferred monies in the account.
However, the way the rules have been written has not closed the door to 'just' risk-transfer (insurer) money only being held in an FSA-badged client account - and the rules were not designed for this eventuality, that is, the protection of insurer monies.
that is, a minimum requirement of £10,000.
Where a firm holds only monies held under risk-transfer agreements and has a restriction on its FSA authorisation that prevents it from holding client money, the firm is unable to hold these monies in a FSA-badged client account.
Biba has been in discussions with the ABI for many months, working on suitable banking arrangements for monies that are exclusively risk transferred and has now arrived at a solution.
So should a broker decide that it no longer wishes to handle client money and does not wish to retain an FSA-badged client account what does it have to do?
3. Finally, you ill need to set up and sign off the trust deed.
Step 1 is the easiest stage and step 3 in itself should not cause a problem, although there are some key issues with the new trust deed (see below). What causes some surprise is the second requirement, as it was hoped insurers would have welcomed such proposals automatically and with open arms.
Imagine that every primary broking firm now wishes to operate outside FSA rules, as it will only handle insurer money.
Let's assume that there are 7,000 firms where insurance is their primary function (there are 18,000 firms that have a general insurance permission at the FSA) and that those firms have an average of, say, 25 insurer agencies.
That will mean each firm will need to send a letter to each insurer. That is, write 25 letters. Multiply that then by 7,000 and you have 175,000 letters being sent to insurers and insurers (assuming that they are up to speed on this) will send back some 175,000 letters.
All of this will use up at least 350,000 pieces of A4 paper, or 700 reams of A4 - a stack that would reach 35 metres in height.
In addition to the paper cost, this will cost around £80,000 in postage,using second class stamps.
I would have hoped insurers could have revised their business agreements and then offered two options: insurer trust or FSA-badged client account that co-mingles.
Once you have a trust account, the firm no longer needs permission to hold client money, assuming that all insurers are in agreement to the above and can rescind this permission.
Also the firm can then maintain lower capital requirements of £5,000 or 2.5% (whichever is greater) of insurance income.
Has it been worth the wait? "Yes," is my answer.
But don't think going down this route means very easy or no compliance requirements for the use of the insurer trust account.
The deed you will execute and agree to places quite onerous conditions.
Investment of insurer monies can only be done in line with FSA CASS-designated investments definitions and the firm is responsible for any shortfall should there be one.


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Q: index.HTML does not recognize script in folder (chrome) I am creating a browser based game with phaser, which involves linking to an external javascript file with my own code in it. For some reason when I use either
<script type="text/javascript" src="/js/main.js"></script> or
<script type="text/javascript" src="js/main.js"></script>
to link the javascript to the HTML, no 404 is thrown but the script does not run. However, if I move main.js to the root directory and put
<script type="text/javascript" src="main.js"></script>
in the exact same spot, the script runs fine. Any theories as to why this is? I am using chrome version 57.0.2987.133. Thanks in advance!

A: It should be:
<script src="./js/main.js"></script>
You had a simple scoping error and forgot the script's src.


On October 12, HUD Secretary Ben Carson testified before the House Financial Services Committee in a hearing titled "The Future of Housing in America: Oversight of the Department of Housing and Urban Development." The broad scope of the hearing included a general overview of Secretary Carson's vision and priorities for policy and program reform at HUD; the impact of the Budget Request and previous budget cuts on housing and communities; several charged lines of questioning about the appropriateness of the President and Administration's response to the crisis caused by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.
Recurring topics from Republicans throughout the hearing included how to make HUD programs more cost-efficient, reforming FHA to expand homeownership and reduce taxpayer liability, and creating new metrics to measure success of HUD programs and policies. Democrats repeatedly asked the appropriateness of the President's recent comments and actions regarding hurricane disaster victims in Puerto Rico as well as the impact of proposed budget cuts and rental assistance program reform on low-income families and communities. Themes in Secretary Carson's testimony included thinking about housing in the context of a whole person; expanding engagement in Public Private Partnerships (PPP), including Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD), to attract private capital to renovate and construct affordable housing; and repealing burdensome regulations.
Secretary Carson began the hearing by promoting HUD's leadership in the disaster response and long-term recovery after recent hurricanes affecting Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. He expressed pleasure in Deputy Secretary Pam Patenaude's confirmation, citing her expertise in dealing with disaster recovery following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Currently, HUD is providing FHA Section 203(h) mortgage insurance to people who lost their homes, as well as a 90-day moratorium on foreclosures and 90-day forbearance on foreclosures of FHA-insured mortgages.
In response to questioning from Rep. Ann Wagner (R-MO), Secretary Carson explained that the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Program (CDBG-DR) is vital in disaster situations and that the program has largely done great work but that some uses of funds have been questionable, without providing any specifics. In the hearing, he mentioned that HUD will use FEMA damage assessment data to determine where and what the unmet needs are, but he did not provide further details on CDBG-DR regulations.
In his testimony, Secretary Carson highlighted his vision for HUD, including a plan for institutional and program reform called the FORWARD initiative which involves: reimagining how HUD works, restoring the American Dream, and rethinking American communities. The Secretary argued that: 1) housing assistance must help beneficiaries reach self-sufficiency and that it must be aligned with job training; 2) FHA should open condominium rules to consider expanding assistance for more first-time homebuyers in order to promote responsible homeownership; and 3) HUD should expand public-private partnerships to attract more private capital in affordable housing construction and preservation. The Secretary also expressed a special and personal commitment to removing lead and other hazardous substance from American homes.
Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) expressed concern that HUD programs have failed in their mission to reduce poverty and provide opportunity to low-income Americans. In his opening statement, Chairman Hensarling heralded a growing economy as the single best way to provide housing opportunity for Americans and that tax cuts that allow Americans to keep more of their money is the best way to stimulate the economy. Chairman Hensarling lauded Secretary Carson's approach to leading HUD as a business and expressed appreciation for new ideas that would improve program efficiencies. He also noted that the Secretary's journey out of childhood poverty and into a distinguished career as a pediatric neurosurgeon is representative of the American Dream.
During the hearing, the Chairman asked if HUD is developing alternative metrics that measure how many people HUD programs have helped escape poverty. The Secretary responded that he believes that HUD should consider people holistically and view housing as a component of developing people. Later in the hearing, the Secretary stated that HUD's success is measured by how many people leave HUD programs and become self-sufficient.
In her opening statement, Ranking Member Maxine Waters (D-CA) questioned Secretary Carson's commitment to HUD's mission. Citing data that there is a nationwide shortage of 7.2 million rental units affordable to low-income households, Rep. Waters stated that the Secretary is failing to stand at the forefront of expanding access to safe, decent, and affordable housing. She argued that housing is a platform for economic mobility and well-being as well as a necessary human right and criticized the Secretary for supporting a Budget Request that would have cut the HUD budget by over $6 billion.
During the hearing, Rep. Waters asked pointed questions regarding the appropriateness of the President's comments about the disaster and humanitarian crisis in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands in addition to the President's conflicts of interest. She also expressed alarm that proposed rental assistance reforms would harm tenants of HUD-assisted properties. When Secretary Carson responded that elderly and disabled people can be given hardship exemptions that would exclude them from rent increases, Rep Waters stated that hardship exemptions, such as those included the HUD's proposals, historically have failed to help people.
Rep. Meeks expressed alarm the Distressed Asset Stabilization (DAS) program is selling assets to private equity firms that do not have an interest in keeping families in their homes. Secretary Carson agreed with Rep. Meeks' argument that HUD should allow nonprofits that are committed to keeping people in their homes to buy DAS properties.
When Rep. Leutkemeyer asked about the innovative ways that HUD is expanding access to housing, Secretary Carson cited how the RAD program attracts private capital and Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (Housing Credit) financing to rehabilitate and construct new units. The Secretary lauded how RAD has brought in $4.3 billion of private capital to address public housing capital needs largely through Housing Credit financing and noted that the new Republican tax plan recognizes the importance of the Housing Credit for new affordable housing creation. To learn amount about the Housing Credit, visit the ACTION Campaign website.
Expanding the Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program. As part of the program, families can put money into an escrow account that can be used for monthly maintenance. If the family leaves public housing within 5-10 years, then the escrow can be used for a down payment on a house.
Making housing vouchers more portable so that more people can more quickly get off of waitlists and into housing. He argued that vouchers need be able to follow where there are jobs. (Note: there was a voucher mobility demonstration proposed in the FY17 Senate THUD Appropriations bill, which was ultimately not included in the omnibus and was not included in the FY18 bill).
Permanently authorizing Moving to Work (MTW) as more than a demonstration. He complained that as families start climbing the ladder, HUD discontinues assistance.
Throughout the hearing, Secretary Carson appreciated the support for and importance of HUD programs, such as CDBG and HOME, and seeks to build on what works in existing programs. However, he is also eager to find ways of cutting costs associated with these programs and believes that states and localities should play a larger role in providing housing for their residents.


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Star Wars, Comin' Right Atcha!
September 29, 2010 July 29, 2011 Michael Falkner10 Comments
In case you missed it, the official site announced that the six live-action Star Wars films will be returning to your local theater, this time in 3-D starting in 2012.
My immediate response was one of apathy. However, after a few hours of thought and sleep, I've slightly adjusted my position.
First, in the world of 3-D films, I've only been able to see the effect once or twice. The first one that came to mind was during the stellar Space Station 3D IMAX film, which I caught last year. In that documentary, there is a long shot along the axis of the International Space Station that looks out into the depths of space, and that shot stood out very well behind the 3-D glasses. I remember taking off the glasses to look at the screen and get the full effect of what technology was doing. Unfortunately, the only other time the effect returned was when the astronauts were demonstrating weightlessness with a ball, and that was intermittent for me.
The second time I saw a 3-D effect work was at the fun but intellectually vacuous 4-D "ride" based on A Bug's Life at Disneyworld, and that was during the typical "coming right at you" moments. I tried watching Up in 3-D, mostly because that was the only way our local theater presented it, but nothing ever looked three dimensional. I know there were moments, because the audience was "ooh"-ing and "ahh"-ing at those points.
My second big concern is in the technology side. If a movie is made in 3-D from the ground up, the effects tend to work better than if the movie is 2-D initially and rendered to 3-D later. Unfortunately, the Star Wars saga was born in 2-D, which makes me apprehensive at the quality of the end 3-D result.
I think my problem with 3-D is because I know that it's a visual trick. In the sparse moments when I've forgotten where I am with a 3-D movie, the effects work, but if I'm thinking about the movie and the experience, all I see is a flat screen. So, the next response is, "don't think about it." Space Station 3D was a documentary about something I know quite a bit about, and honestly, was a significant chunk of eye candy. Like I've already said, A Bug's Life 4-D was low on substance, lasted about five minutes, and was broken up with the "fourth dimensional" effects of rumbling chairs and blowing air to represent things that happen to the viewer in the show. Both instances involved distraction from thinking too much about the material presented on screen. The problem is that I can't switch off the analysis during Star Wars movies. They've been a big part of my life since I was kid, and it's hard to separate that.
Now, I don't want to seem like I complete "Debby Downer" on this. I am excited for the saga to get another big screen release for another generation of children, but if Lucasfilm uses the current 3-D technology, I won't play. I would love to see the films again with the theater experience, but I don't want to sully that experience by filtering the imagery with 3-D glasses that don't work for me. Like any other visual filter, the glasses tend to remove a portion of the vibrancy that I expect on the silver screen. Watching the 3-D films without the glasses is completely out of the question for obvious, headache inducing, reasons.
My opinion is tempered with the fact that George Lucas is an innovator. If anyone can create a method for three-dimensional filmmaking that is revolutionary, it is Lucas, and to paraphrase Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, I'll be watching the developments on this project with great interest. If it looks like something I can enjoy, my butt will be in the seat for all six films. Until then, I have no choice but to remain cautiously optimistic.
Either way, we all know what the end result will be: A metric Bantha load of money deposited in the Lucasfilm coffers as fans either re-live or discover Star Wars again.
Obligatory Update Post
September 27, 2010 July 29, 2011 Michael FalknerLeave a comment
In the sinusoidal motion of existence, life turns into a cycle of feast or famine. Recently, I've seen famine. Not in the food sense, though I could probably survive for a while… that is until these trips to gym start paying off again.
No, life's been relatively calm of late. Hence, no updates.
I am working on my Dragon*Con report which will be posted here. I've also been playing around with the idea of getting back into short story fiction, including submissions to an anthology and an e-zine.
So, yeah… calm with chance of continued work.
Quick Writing Update
I spent a little time back in the universe tonight. I missed it and needed it after a long couple of days on travel for work. It's small progress, but it's also a rather tricky spot for me. I've also been brainstorming on my NaNoWriMo project.
Creative Progress Ticker
Perdition's Progeny: Outlining
Pro Patria: First draft — 45,672 words — (+595)
Bhriar's Blade: Outlining
Elemental: Researching
Project "Ark": Concept
Project "John": Concept
Project "Recursive": Concept
Project "D Christmas": Concept
Project "Democ" [NaNoWriMo]: Concept
"Meruva": Submitted — 12,433 words
It started like any other Tuesday. I had to be at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City by 7:30 for class, and that meant joining the fray with every other commuter who fought the non-stop rush of cars from Davis County to the capitol. Up early, showered, and fed, I ventured into the temperate September air along the Wasatch Front. The drive was uneventfully normal along the I-15 corridor as I hit 100 South and started east toward the campus, the Todd and Erin morning show playing on the radio.
At about 6:45, Todd and Erin returned from a song to some breaking news: a small twin-engine plane had just flown into the World Trade Center. While I was amazed, I wasn't too terribly concerned, but I remember hoping that no one was hurt too badly. Minutes later, the story changed. It wasn't a small Cessna-like plane… it was a commercial airliner.
I reached the university and waited a few minutes before walking to the Naval Sciences building to start my navigation class, but no further news came. When I got to the boxy two-story building, I checked my mailbox – every NROTC midshipman had one to deliver important messages from the battalion – and went upstairs to get ready for class. Once I crossed the threshold, I found the speculation in full gear. Our instructor gave permission to listen to the radio while we worked on our assignment, and that's when we got the full details.
I remember the sense of fear I had, coupled with anger and frustration. I will admit that I was angry at all Muslims at that point, but that was before I fully understood the details about extremism and terrorism. I now understand, nine years later, that my anger was misdirected. I never acted on those emotions, and I am glad I didn't. I also am happy that I was able to learn about another complexity in the human tapestry.
In the immediate aftermath, Americans were buoyed up as a single voice under the call to action based on revenge. For every question of "where were you when the world stopped turning," there was a yell to kick some ass because it's the "American way." New legislation that was supposed to protect national security and make us more safe ended up biting back with illegal wiretaps and tracking of born and raised American citizens who had no intention of betraying the red, white, and blue. Now we stand divided amongst ourselves and listening to the screaming voices who still believe that all Muslims stand allied in favor of the actions of extremists.
The scenes nine years ago were certainly shocking and game-changing, but I firmly believe that we should stand together against those who would do us harm, not against a category of people who had no more to do with the attacks than I did. "Patriot Day," which in my opinion needs to be re-named, should be a day of solemn reflection, not political grandstanding.
I honor those who sacrificed their health or lives in efforts to rescue the fallen. I honor those who sacrificed their lives to prevent United Flight 93 from impacting in Washington, DC. I honor those who were killed in the impacts of American Airlines Flight 11, American Airlines Flight 77, and United Airlines Flight 175. I honor those who died in the aftermath.
I honor those who fight to defend our freedom from those who would take it. I honor those who practice tolerance in the name of those freedoms in lieu of allowing hatred and bigotry to rule their actions. I honor those who rise above petty politics and divisive labels to ensure our freedom persists and help to heal our wounds.
I honor those who remind us that we are all members of the human race, despite our color, religion, sexuality, gender, or other factors are used to divide us.
Above all, I vow to never forget.
Changes Coming at Dragon*Con
September 9, 2010 July 28, 2011 Michael FalknerLeave a comment
If you didn't know, there is a community page set up on LiveJournal for Dragon*Con. One of the threads on the page centers around the lines for pre-registration, which we all know are the nemesis of Dragon*Con. For those not in the know, D*C has people who registered months before the event standing in line at (and around) the Sheraton for hours waiting to pick up their badges. Once you get to the head of the line, the queue splits into individual lines for each letter of the alphabet. The end goal is a volunteer with a binder of names on stickers, which eventually end up on your badge after they verify that you are indeed you.
After significant griping, there is hope. On the page, Troy Bradley has made the following statement:
First off, let me put the big bullseye right in the center of my forehead now.
I am the Director of On Site Preregistration for Dragon Con.
Let me first apologize for the waits in the line this year. We were trying a new system and it obviously did not work as intended. We were also limited on how many people we were allowed to have in the building at once by the fire marshal and hotel security. This only served to add to the delay as they would not allow more people to enter until so many lanes of the cue were emptied.
We are developing a bar code system for 2011's show. This of course means you MUST remember your post cards and if they are emailed to you, the print out with this individual bar code. If not, you will be in the main line only to be moved to the solutions line to be looked up and printed out. As it stands the plan is to have printers and scanners at each kiosk and NO MORE ALPHABET LINES. You will be in the main line and when you get to the front, you will move to the next available open kiosk to be scanned and handed your badge. This should greatly speed things up for everyone.
I hope this clears up any misconceptions about the Preregistration process as well as shows we are working to streamline and change this so it is a faster process.
Troy Bradley
Dragon Con On Site Preregistration
Well, that is good news. I'm not too peeved in particular about waiting in line in Atlanta heat, but there are some folks who understandably get very upset about it. It looks like Dragon*Con is listening, and I appreciate it.
One other thing: Troy Bradley also said one thing that royally pissed me off.
Please remember that the staff of Dragon Con are volunteers. They are fans like you who give their time to the convention. They are cursed at, abused, called names, and have had things thrown at them. While many waited 2 or more hours, remember also that Thursday this year alone, we were there at 9am or earlier and we did not leave until 1:30am on Friday morning and were still back again at 7:30am on Friday to work until 10:30pm on Friday evening.
In my opinion, this is unacceptable. I've never volunteered at Dragon*Con for anything more than guesting on panels, but no one should ever be abused for doing their job. I personally believe that anyone who abuses a volunteer should have their badge pulled and be asked to leave the event. Repeat offenders should be banned. Such people give the rest of us a bad name and do not belong at the con.
In the same vein, there are volunteers who sign up to work, get the free badge, and then never contribute an hour to the con. They should be banned from volunteering for a year. If they repeat the onerous performance after that, they should be banned from the con.
These may be the thoughts that keep me out of the really good schools, but good manners should be universal, as should the concept of promises and volunteering one's time.
FLASHBACK: Jar Jar Binks
September 7, 2010 July 28, 2011 Michael Falkner2 Comments
Originally submitted and posted on September 16, 2008 in response to the September 12, 2008 episode of The ForceCast
Jason, Pete, Jimmy, and the crew,
On the September 12 show, you asked for opinions about Jar Jar Binks, and I'd like to share mine with you.
In the movies, Jar Jar is portrayed as a bumbling idiot and an outcast in his society. He's a klutz and responsible for making an annoyance of himself in Otoh Gunga in a vain attempt to fit in. Why do I love him? Because I personally identify with him. Jar Jar Binks in 1999 is me in 1999, when I was getting ready to graduate high school.
Jar Jar was in the wrong place at the wrong time, looking for breakfast when the Trade Federation invaded Naboo. He was confused by the goings-on around him, not sure why giant vehicles are plowing through his home, and not sure why some arrogant off-worlders are pushing him around. The thing is that Jar Jar Binks is pure of heart, even if he's somewhat dim intellectually. He offers what he has, quite selflessly, and tries his best to help with the search for a hyperdrive and the Battle of Naboo, even if the tasks are well beyond his capabilities.
Later, as we know, he becomes a senator for Naboo, is bullied by Palpatine into declaring a state of emergency, and is the catalyst for the Clone Wars and the Purges. The reason he was selected by Palpatine is that he was a target of opportunity.
Star Wars fans don't like him because he talks strangely, is somewhat slow, and not what we expect from the other street-smart characters in the saga. I identify with him because he is so willing to help out if given the chance, even if it is clumsily. I embrace the diversity that Jar Jar brings to the Saga's table because he isn't the same character as any random Jedi or smuggler.
To think that fans would shun this character because he is different than the norm saddens me, because wonder what they would think of any person who is clumsy, mentally challenged, but pure of heart. If they are willing to throw away the Gungans, or even one character for this, then do the fans have the grasp on diversity that we give them credit for?
While Jar Jar Binks is far from my favorite, I find him to be one of the strongest characters in the Star Wars universe. He may not have the Force, and he may not be good in a firefight, but he is like the focus of the Saga, Anakin Skywalker, in his purity of heart and passion to do the right thing.
I have grown and matured in many ways since the release of The Phantom Menace, but I still admire Jar Jar Binks for doing the best with what he had to offer the galaxy. He's not a racist, and he's not annoying; Jar Jar is a test of our acceptance for what others have to offer, which is the same lesson Qui-Gon tried to teach Obi-Wan. I hope we can learn the same lesson.
They're Conspiring, Aren't They?
I swear that author Keith R. A. DeCandido and his fellow Star Trek authors are conspiring against me. A long time ago, I used to collect a great deal of genre goods, including action figures, video games, music, and books. It's to the point now that I'm paring down my collections. Part of that is finally reading those books and casting out the ones I don't enjoy or will likely never read again. Don't worry, Keith, I haven't jettisoned one of yours yet.
So, what does he do? Over Labor Day, whilst I'm away, he publishes a post on his LiveJournal account by fellow writer David Ward explaining how Star Trek: Vanguard is one of the best Trek series in a long while, including mention that it's more gritty and realistic than the rest of the franchise's novels.
I already had the post-Nemesis books in the Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager series to look for. Now I have another series to read as well. Insert overly-hyperbolic but no less dramatic sigh here.
No, in all seriousness, thank you for continuing to add some much needed depth to the Trek tie-in novels. There are some true jewels in the ranks, but a lot of your predecessors didn't quite speak to me in the same language as the on-screen characters. If we're getting some great work — as I'm sure we are — then I may have no choice but to tune back in for the continuing adventures.


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Fairfax Heights is definitely one of the more established neighborhoods in the city of Fairfax, which makes sense given its close proximity to downtown. In fact, some homes in Fairfax Heights were built as early as the 1920s, giving some listings a little charm and character that's hard to duplicate in a more recently built property. Homes for sale in Fairfax Heights are also some of the more affordable listings you'll find in Fairfax, with some entry-level or fixer-up properties commonly found on the market for between $500,000 and $700,000. And here in Marin County, finding a detached single-family home somewhere in the $600,000 range isn't always easy, especially in a town as desirable as Fairfax, California.


It's that time of year – we're getting ready to kick off our 14th Annual Stuff The Van Toy Drive at both locations of Wal-Mart, with help from our friends at Wyoming Food Bank Of The Rockies. For the last 13 years, we've taken to the streets every Christmas season to help Casper kids in need – and with your generosity, we've been able to help more and more kids each year.
Over the past couple of years, we've expanded the Toy Drive to include more local charities and participating agencies in an effort to reach as many children as possible, with the distribution and organizational help we get via Wyoming Food Bank Of The Rockies. This year, kids served through the Boys & Girls Clubs Of Central Wyoming, the Salvation Army, and the Child Development Center Of Natrona County will benefit from your donations of new and unwrapped toys, clothes, and cash/checks.
We're at Wal-Mart West from 7-7, December 12-14. December 15-17, we move to Wal-Mart East – so whichever side of town is more convenient, we'll be near you for a portion of Stuff The Van to make it easy to drop off your donation. Right now, the need is broad and all-ages (both clothing & toys). In years past, we've always found that donations for older kids pace a little slower than stuff for the younger ones – so please keep our tweens & teens in mind if you're shopping. Listen in for hourly updates throughout the drive, as we'll be talking more about the specific needs as we take daily inventory of where we're at and get updated lists of needed items from our participating charities.
There's also something new you might not be aware of – last year, after we had fulfilled the wish lists (and then some) of all our participating charities, we found ourselves in the enviable position of having a surplus of cash donations. We were able to use those donations in the spirit they were given – helping kids. After receiving some matching funds to be placed with them, your generosity helped seed a Casper project called Totes Of Hope, which provides food to Casper children that often struggle to get a meal outside of the free breakfast/lunch programs at school. It's hard to imagine for those of us fortunate enough to have food on the table – but the reality for these kids is that when school is out evenings, weekends, holidays – some of them just simply don't get anything to eat.
Through Wyoming Food Bank Of The Rockies and the school system, these kids are sent home with tote bags containing enough nutritious kid-friendly food to get them through the times when food is scarce. We're proud to report that due to your extra generosity last year, this program is now going in 20 different schools, and serving just shy of 200 kids. These kids are showing up happy, healthy & focused on learning, instead of hunger. But there's a lot more ground left to cover – in Natrona County alone, there are 3,650 children (that's 54% of our kids) who are identified as "food insecure". Pretty scary stuff – but the good news is, something's being done about it.
We started Stuff The Van over 13 years ago with one goal – that no child in Casper should go without a simple toy or warm clothes at Christmas. With your help, we hope to eventually insure that those same children never wonder where their next meal is coming from. Every year, we meet people who personally benefitted from your generosity, are back on their feet, and stop by and give what they're able in order to pay it forward. Thanks for a great 13 Stuff The Vans so far – hopefully #14 is our best yet. Merry Christmas!


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Home Business Carlos Slim Helu – Height, Wife & Children
Carlos Slim Helu – Height, Wife & Children
Carlos Slim Helu is now synonymous with wealth in Mexico because of the vast riches his name commands. And although the business titan is no longer the world richest billionaire after holding the position from 2010 to 2013, he never misses out on the world's list for his numerous holdings in some of the most valued companies in Mexico.
With his innovative business strategies extending to different sectors such as healthcare, real estate, transportation, energy, entertainment, media, sports, retail, and numerous others, which continue to maintain strong income and growth, there won't be any fatal financial misstep for the Mexican billionaire in near future. That said, let's explore how he was able to make himself a billionaire for life.
Born on January 28, 1940, Carlos grew up in Mexico which is the place of his birth. He grew up in a Christian home as he was born to Lebanese parents Julián Slim Haddad and Linda Helu Atta who practiced Maronite Catholicism. He has five siblings including Nour, Alma, Linda, Jose, and Carlos. He is Middle-Eastern and has Lebanese ancestry.
How Did He Get Into Business?
Carlos Slim comes from business-oriented household and the law of expansion seems to be a cue he took from his dad. His father who moved with his family to Mexico started a dry goods store with the little fund available to him then. Ten years after its establishment, his wares were able to worth about $100,000. With the dramatic growth, the business made a stretch to investing in real estate. And by 1922, Julian Slim Haddad who originally bore the name Khali Salim Haddad Aglamaz piled up huge net worth estimated at $1,012,258. And fortunately, the business tycoon didn't stop diversifying and thus, never stopped growing.
On account of this growth, Julian Slim gained recognization as one of the richest men in Mexico, revered mostly for his smart business dealings. Sadly, Julian Slim died in 1953 when Carlos was only 13 years but the many legacies he left behind have been carried on by Carlos Slim and have been made a priority even in his old age, so it isn't surprising that he was able to build his own empire. Also, experiences he got from his maternal parents who also immigrated to Mexico just like his dad and owned a magazine that was among the first Arabic-language magazines for both Mexico and Lebanese community helped in providing more knowledge in the business world.
Early Business Career
Slim developed a huge passion for business as a child and knew it was his calling. But he didn't want to be an illiterate businessman. As a result, he decided to acquire knowledge in this field and thus, started taking finance, management and accounting classes from his father, Julián.
Before he became a teenager, Carlos made a profitable money move, investing in a government saving bond. The venture gave him an idea of the concept of compound interest. At that point, he became keen on keeping records and got personal ledger book of every transaction he was involved. The billionaire still has some of these records to date.
At age 12, he took another great step which was buying his first stock in a Mexican bank. Three years on, he became a shareholder in the largest bank in Mexico. After doing small jobs, he enrolled in the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Arriving at the school, Carlos Slim majored in mathematics and also took courses in economics. He excelled in both courses which have a linear programming background and this helped him become an expert in reading business statements.
Read Also: Top 20 African Billionaires For 2018
How He Built His Net Worth Between 1961 and Now
In 1961, when he was done with all the class works and calculations, the billionaire started out as a stock trader in Mexico. Since he was his own boss, and much efforts were required to be successful in the business, Carlos worked 14-hour daily. Four years into the business, cash began to flood in the private business which surged to $400,000.
This served as ready cash for the billionaire to expand to other business. Some of his establishments he started then include Jarritos del Sur. and Inmobiliaria Carso. He also started the initial preparations for the launch of Grupo Carso. He has since expanded to numerous businesses which have survived through the 1980s and 1990s and is still steadily growing and drawing strong earnings in the 2000s.
As CEO of Telmex, América Móvil, and Grupo Carso which have substantial holdings in many businesses and high-earning companies, Carlos Slim Helu is the world's seventh-richest person and richest in Mexico with a net worth of $61.3 billion.
As he continues to hit the right financial targets, the Civil Engineer will keep getting richer and this is not going to change soon.
Who Are Carlos Slim Helu's Wife and Children?
Carlos Slim got hitched to the love of his life Soumaya Domit in 1967. But he lost her to the wicked clutches of death in 1999. Soumaya was active in charitable ventures just like her husband. Their marriage produced six children and Slim has made clear that all he has built and achieved belong to his children. Three of his older sons hold top positions in some of his companies. Since her death, Carlos has stayed single and doesn't look ready to enter into any commitment with any woman.
Height and Other Facts You Need to Know
1. Carlos Slim Helu is 1.73 m tall and weighs 90 kg or 198.5 lbs. The billionaires birth sign is Aquarius.
2. Life challenges are part of living and only the dead that doesn't fear this fact. Carlos Slim is a living testament to this. The businessman has gone through a heart surgery and fortunately, he came out strong. He has since been hale and hearty.
3. Carlos loves reading events of the past and this passion grew when he was in school. Some of his best subjects those days include History, Cosmography, and Mathematics.
4. Who would have imagined that a billionaire of this modern age would prefer old bookkeeping methods in contrast to the use of computer technology? Well, now we have found that exception who is Carlos Slim. Despite being very conversant in technology, he prefers to keep records manually using books, pen, and other writing materials.
5. It is said that when you work on God's vineyard, he will surely flourish your own vineyard, as seen in Carlos Slim Helu's business. The billionaire has held onto his faith since he was a child and now he is one of the biggest sponsors of Legion of Christ, a Roman Catholic religious institute.
6. Carlos Slim, alone accounts for 40 percent of his entire country's Stock Exchange and his net worth is 6 percent of Mexico's gross domestic product.
7. He has been in the middle of controversy for wealth just as much as he has received honors and awards (including being named among reputable lists of richest of people). The subject that always stirs the controversies is how he was able to achieve such amount of wealth in a country where a huge percentage of the people live in poverty and the average per capita income is not more than $14,500.
8. Above all, Slim loves charity works and devotes huge amounts of money to humanitarian works.
Ogechukwu Nwabugo


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Family Dollar store held up again by same 2 men in string of robberies
DETROIT (WJBK) - Police say two men responsible for a string of Family Dollar store robberies have struck again.
Customers inside during the robbery on Saturday say two unmasked men held up the store at gunpoint, demanding cash, and scaring a lot of people.
"I wasn't necessarily scared for myself, I just did what I needed to do, which is call 911," said Harold Wilcox, who witnessed the robbery.
Wilcox was inside the Family Dollar on Grand River near Lahser, when he noticed two men in plain clothing, approaching the registers.
"One of them was a customer and one of them made his way behind the counter next to the cashier, demanding her to open the register," he said.
The unmasked men, blatantly showing their faces to surveillance cameras, appear to be the same two men who may have held up three other Family Dollar stores on four occasions in the past two weeks on Detroit's west side.
Their faces are shown in surveillance images from previous robberies. Police said the footage in this latest robbery appears to show the same men.
The Family Dollar on Grand River robbed Saturday was closed for the day as police collected evidence and viewed the most recent surveillance footage.
They are not releasing it yet, but say the suspects appear to be the same men responsible for a rash of Family Dollar armed robberies.
FOX 2 will keep you informed as we receive information from police.


Extended stay hotels don't have a real threat from Airbnb, but they may have a good distribution partner in the platform.
Although some financial analysts and others view Airbnb as a threat to the incumbents in the extended stay category, Extended Stay America officials believe the two companies address different markets and downplayed the challenge.
During Extended Stay America's third quarter earnings call Tuesday, chief marketing officer Tom Seddon said Airbnb operates at the "very urban core" in markets including San Francisco, New York, and Miami.
"I am not sure that we really are working on a directly competitive customer at this point," Seddon said.
Many lodging companies, ranging from hotel chains to vacation rental site HomeAway, have downplayed the impact and overlap with Airbnb. Extended Stay America will be keeping an eye on Airbnb, Lopez said.
In other developments, Lopez indicated that Extended Stay intends to focus on getting the most out of its existing operations rather than creating a new brand or changing the business model.
Separately on October 28, Hilton Worldwide CEO Chris Nassetta and CFO Kevin Jacobs addressed the Airbnb issue and its potential threat during Hilton's third quarter earnings call.
Despite Airbnb's efforts to appeal to the corporate traveler, the company is not a threat to Hilton, Nassetta and Jacobs said, highlighting Airbnb's presence in urban markets where there is lots of capacity to capitalize on.
And while Extended Stay America a day earlier said that Airbnb operates in a different space, the Hilton team argued that Airbnb's biggest threat is indeed in the extended stay category, which takes in both business and leisure travel.
The pair went on to say that Hilton and Airbnb could not replicate each other's services or business model, and that it is unlikely customers will one day wake up wanting to forgo amenities and services that comes with staying at hotels.


Featuring Ms Alicia Lim, ECDA Fellow and Executive Principal of PCF Sparkletots; Ms Ava Wang, ECDA Fellow and Preschool Learning Academy @ Temasek Polytechnic; and Mrs Ang-Oh Chui Hwa, ECDA Fellow and Principal of Far Eastern Kindergarten.
Respect, kindness, courage, honesty… You might want to instill such values in your children at their early years – but do you know which methods are effective?
Meet Ms Alicia Lim who used storytelling to impart values and enlighten her students about character development.
There are also other different ways to weave lessons about values and morals into children's daily life.
Inspired by her kindergarten teachers, Ms Alicia Lim feels that she can give back to society as an early childhood educator and a teacher trainer that supports children's moral and character education.
Ms Lim believes that abstract topics, such as character development, should not be taught academically to children but in a more interactive style that allows them to model the behaviors they see around them. For that, storytelling works best for teaching values as children are usually receptive and keen to listening.
"When children keep stories close to their heart, the messages of these stories will inspire and shape their characters," said Ms Lim. Hence, good stories not only provide joy to the children, they also strengthen their understanding of human motives as well as introduce them with new encounters.
Developing a classroom culture that promotes problem-solving approach will help to equip children with the necessary skills required to combat societal challenges in the future.
That is why Ms Ava Wang finds every opportunity to encourage her students to become independent thinkers and not to rely on others to fix their problems.
However, every child reacts differently when they experience a challenge, it is therefore important to guide them to use the right coping mechanism needed to tackle various situations.
As for Mrs Ang-Oh Chui Hwa, engaging young minds and shepherding young hearts are best achieved during early childhood.
Avoid rewarding children's behaviors with stars or stickers, but focus on teaching and encouraging them on how they can contribute and help those in need.


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Updated December 02, 2020 by Karen Bennett
The 8 Best Milkshake Makers
This wiki has been updated 33 times since it was first published in August of 2015. It's hard to believe anyone lives more than five minutes from a fast-food restaurant these days. But, if you do, or if you're just worried about what goes into the stuff you get from some of those franchises, one of these milkshake makers will let you blend your own tasty treats using only the freshest and most natural ingredients. We've included both home and commercial models. When users buy our independently chosen editorial picks, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
This wiki has been updated 33 times since it was first published in August of 2015. It's hard to believe anyone lives more than five minutes from a fast-food restaurant these days. But, if you do, or if you're just worried about what goes into the stuff you get from some of those franchises, one of these milkshake makers will let you blend your own tasty treats using only the freshest and most natural ingredients. We've included both home and commercial models. When users buy our independently chosen editorial recommendations, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
1. Hamilton Beach HMD200
The Hamilton Beach HMD200 (about $292) is durable enough for commercial use, yet its compact footprint also makes it suitable for homes. It's equipped with a powerful 1/3 horsepower motor and conveniently allows for manual and automatic operation.
Three blending speeds
Dishwasher-safe components
2. Waring Commercial WDM120
The cup of the Waring Commercial WDM120 (around $350) can be kept securely on the slotted base platform when it's not in operation. It can stand up to daily use and is well suited for a restaurant that makes a lot of shakes throughout the day, but only needs to produce one at a time.
Comes with a butterfly agitator
Three-speed rocker switch
Can handle very hard ice cream
In addition to drinks, the three-spindle Hamilton Beach HMD400 (appx. $818) comes in handy for blending eggs as well as batter for pancakes and waffles. It features a convenient, hands-free operation, and the removable cup guides are safe for the dishwasher.
Independently powered motors
Pulse setting for added control
Permanently lubricated ball bearings
Today the budget-friendly Nostalgia Electric MLKS100BL comes on board, and it's a fun, brightly colored model for anyone looking to add a retro touch to their kitchen without spending a lot of money. While it's not as powerful as many of the others on our list, it's very easy to use and can handle basic milkshakes. You can set it to either low or high, and when your milkshake is done, just tilt the head back and detach the spindle for a quick and easy cleanup. It's also great for beating eggs or mixing batter for pancakes or waffles. For another retro model, but considerably more powerful, and thus pricier, look to the Oster Chocomilera, which sports a stable blue-green base and a polished chrome head. It's got 110 watts of power and offers two speeds. It's activated and deactivated when you insert or remove the cup. It's designed to be operated hands-free and is equipped with an auto-shutoff feature.
We kept the Hamilton Beach HMD200 in a prominent spot, since this versatile model is both attractive and durable, making it suitable for either home or business use. It's got a powerful 1/2 horsepower motor and can be operated either manually or automatically. Some of its components are safe for the dishwasher, and it's backed by a one-year warranty. The Waring Commercial WDM120 moves into a more prominent position, as it's a rugged model that can stand up to frequent use. It comes with a butterfly agitator that you can attach for softer ice creams, as well as a stainless steel malt beverage cup. The motors incorporate thermal protection and are easy to replace, as needed over time. The ball bearings are sealed and permanently lubricated, to ensure a long lifespan. You can buy it with confidence, thanks to its one-year warranty. Today we say goodbye to the Waring Commercial Triple Spindle, which has been discontinued by the manufacturer. No matter which model you choose, never allow small children to use them unsupervised, as they contain fast-moving parts.
When it comes to commercial milkshake makers, Waring has been king for a long time. Look in any restaurant, ice cream shop, or cafe that serves them and we are willing to bet that more often than not, a Waring model is what you'll find, which makes it no surprise that this brand dominates our list. What may be surprising though, is that Hamilton claimed our top two spots. The reason for this is simple. In the case of the Hamilton Beach HMD200, our number one choice, it is because it offers professional-level power and durability in an attractive design that most people wouldn't mind showing of in their home. In the case of the Hamilton Beach 730C, our number two choice, it is because of its affordability. While it certainly couldn't stand up to the demands of a busy ice cream shop, it is more than suitable for home use where you will probably be making just a few of milkshakes a day, at most. That being said, for any busy cafe or festival milkshake stall, we recommend the Waring Commercial Triple Spindle. Each of its motors is individually powered and mounted, allowing you to operate either one, two, or three of the spindles at a time. Plus, it has a thin design for a three-spindle model, so it won't take up all your counter space. The more attractive Hamilton Beach HMD400 is definitely a counter space hog, but it features a handy pulse switch for quick bursts of the agitator. If you don't even have room for a single-spindle machine, like the Waring Commercial WDM120, then we recommend the wall-mounted Waring Commercial DMC180DCA. We realize that no matter how badly you may want to make a milkshake at home, you may not be ready for a dedicated appliance, so we included the Breville BSB510XL Immersion Blender. Sure it isn't really a milkshake maker, but it can serve the purpose, though you may find the consistency isn't exactly what you would get in a restaurant.
Waring The Big Freeze We felt no list should be complete without this option, though since it isn't a time tested and proven model we aren't yet ready to include it in our rankings. It is one of the only variable speed units around, which means you'll have maximum control over the blending process. It also features a strong 1.2-horsepower motor and splash guard to keep you and the surrounding area clean. waringcommercialproducts.com
Breville The Shake Creation Featuring a double aerating motor, this shiny chrome device whips milk and ice cream into a frozen drink that's both smooth and frothy. Easier to clean than a blender, it features a stainless steel cup and agitator. It takes up refreshingly little countertop space, so it'll fit right into kitchens of all sizes. It stands 15 inches tall and comes with a one-year replacement warranty. breville.com
4. Waring Commercial DMC180DCA
No matter how little counter space your ice cream shop or restaurant has, the Waring Commercial DMC180DCA (appx. $235) can still fit, since it is designed for wall mounting. With a high-performance, two-speed motor, it can pulverize any ingredients you add to your treats.
Less than 5 inches wide
Capable of twenty-four thousand rpm
Durable die-cast metal housing
5. Breville BSB510XL Immersion Blender
While it's not, technically, a milkshake maker, there is no reason the Breville BSB510XL Immersion Blender (around $86) can't be used as one. It has a powerful motor, can puree almost anything, and comes with a smoothie jug and a chopping bowl.
Great for making soups or sauces too
Compact size allows for easy storage
Cannot be operated hands-free
6. Oster Chocomilera
The Oster Chocomilera (around $300) sports an attractive, retro style that is reminiscent of 1950s soda shops. It starts up automatically when you insert the polished aluminum cup, and the two integrated agitators ensure the proper consistency for your drinks and desserts.
Weighted base provides stability
Choose from 2 speeds
Color doesn't match all decor
7. Hamilton Beach 730C
The Hamilton Beach 730C (appx. $40) sports a small footprint, and its convenient tilting head makes it easy to remove the spindle for cleaning. It proves useful for making fluffy batters and beating eggs for omelets, and comes with a booklet with recipes for tasty frozen drinks.
Cool retro look
Large 28-ounce mixing cup
Is somewhat loud
8. Nostalgia Electric MLKS100BL
The brightly colored Nostalgia Electric MLKS100BL (around $30) will add a fun, retro feel to any kitchen, and its weighted base helps to keep it in place securely during use. Its high and low settings make it a breeze to customize the thickness of your creations.
Stainless steel mixing rod
A budget-friendly choice
Not as powerful as many
A Brief History Of A Delicious Treat: The Milkshake
Whatever you call it, the milkshake is a delicious dessert treat beloved all around the globe.
Today, it goes by several names. In Europe, you might hear it called a thick shake. In New England, you might hear it called the frappe. And in some small towns or in the vernacular of an older generation, you might hear it referred to as a malt. Whatever you call it, the milkshake is a delicious dessert treat beloved all around the globe.
The term milkshake was first used in the late 19th Century. The item on offer back in the 1880s, however, was quite a bit different than the one you will get at a Dairy Queen or Baskin Robbins today. The first milkshakes consisted of milk, eggs, and whiskey. This strong product was marketed both as a healthful tonic as well as a treat to be enjoyed.
By the turn of the 20th Century, the word milkshake had come to refer to a beverage much more akin to that which is still enjoyed some more than a century later. Most early milkshakes consisted of frozen milk and sweeteners and were flavored by syrups, with vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry as popular then as they remain today.
In the years before World War I, the first soda shops -- often also called malt shops -- had popped up around America. Soda jerks served colas, ice cream sodas, and milkshakes to an ever larger customer base. They were popular with people of all age groups, but younger crowds in particular flocked to the soda fountain, which became a place of socialization as much as a place for enjoying beverages.
In the early 1920s, an inventor named Steven Poplawski created the first viable electric blender, and the creation of milkshakes became even easier and faster. Many milkshakes from the 1920s would have the same consistency and taste of a milkshake you could enjoy today.
While a milkshake might not be the healthiest foodstuff on the planet, it is certainly one of the tastiest and most popular. The milkshake is enjoyed at fast food chains, casual dining restaurants, ice cream shops, and is no stranger to cinema, either. Just think of some iconic dialogue from films such as Pulp Fiction and There Will Be Blood.
Choosing The Best Milkshake Maker
The modern milkshake maker is little different than the same design used for decades behind soda fountain counters and in ice cream shops. Today's units are more compact and more powerful and, more to the point, most milkshake makers are now priced well in range for the common consumer. Many options are highly affordable and work just fine for making smooth, rich milkshakes at home.
Or, in other words, if you spend more on a good milkshake maker, you might never have to replace it.
There are also milkshake makers that cost a pretty penny. These most expensive units tend to mix a milkshake more efficiently and more thoroughly, both of which are necessary attributes for a machine to be used in a shop or restaurant. But on the other hand, an individual consumer with a passion for milkshakes would be remiss in not at least considering a high end model.
The amount of time saved thanks to efficient preparation during the lifetime of the milkshake maker does much to compensate for its cost, as does the increased durability and operating life of these units. Or, in other words, if you spend more on a good milkshake maker, you might never have to replace it.
Some milkshake makers are purpose built and really only suitable for making shakes; others are more versatile and can be used to create coffee drinks, smoothies, and even frozen cocktails. You should consider all the likely uses to which your unit will be subjected before choosing which milkshake maker is right for you. The more use you can get out of this and any other kitchen device, the better.
Wild And Wonderful Milkshake Ideas
The classic milkshake is a wonderfully simple affair. Just use two parts ice cream to one part milk and it's hard to go wrong. If you're looking to make a great shake for two, add two cups of vanilla ice cream, one cup of milk, and let the milkshake maker do the rest.
Adding extra ripe berries to a vanilla milkshake is an easy way to liven up your dessert, as is adding spices like nutmeg or even a dash of clove.
If you want to get a bit more adventurous, try a Bananas Foster milkshake. Stick with the same milk to ice cream ratio as above, but now add a whole ripe banana (cut into chunks), a pinch of cinnamon, two ounces of caramel sauce, and at least an ounce of a good dark rum. It's a delicious take on a classic dessert, and one that can also be made for the kids, just swap out the rum for a dash of vanilla extract.
Adding extra ripe berries to a vanilla milkshake is an easy way to liven up your dessert, as is adding spices like nutmeg or even a dash of clove. Just remember that it's better to use too little spice than it is to use too much, as many spices can easily overpower the flavor balance ideal in a good milkshake.
To make milkshakes kids will love (as if that were a challenge) consider adding little bits of chocolate, sprinkles, or even flavored cereals. These can add crunch and flavor at the same time.
And remember that almost any milkshake recipe will taste great when prepared with frozen yogurt, too, which is a healthier, lower fat option than standard ice cream.
See all kitchen electronics wikis »
Last updated on December 02, 2020 by Karen Bennett
Karen Bennett lives in Chicago with her family, and when she's not writing, she can usually be found practicing yoga or cheering on her kids at soccer games. She holds a master's degree in journalism and a bachelor's in English, and her writing has been published in various local newspapers, as well as "The Cheat Sheet," "Illinois Legal Times," and "USA Today." She has also written search engine news page headlines and worked as a product manager for a digital marketing company. Her expertise is in literature, nonfiction, textbooks, home products, kids' games and toys, hardware, teaching accessories, and art materials.