Sweet Face Makep Remover Reviews - Is it a Scam or Legit?
Sweet Face cloths claim to cleanse your face without soap, erasing all traces of dirt, makeup, and even stubborn waterproof mascara with just a splash of water.
Could a high-tech face cloth tempt you to ditch your facial cleanser? That's the promise behind Sweet Face—a face cloth that claims to completely remove your makeup without using any cleansers or products whatsoever.
At first glance, Sweet Face looks similar to your average washcloth: It's purple and vaguely rectangular. The difference is in the fabric—Sweet Face is made of an ultra-soft microfiber comprised of thousands of, you guessed it, teeny-tiny micro-fibers.
In lieu of standard soap, Sweet Face claims that these fibers can effectively cleanse your skin when activated with water, removing even stubborn cosmetics such as waterproof mascara. Additionally, Sweet Face features two different textures of cloth—one side exfoliates, and the other wipes your face clean.
Dampening the cloth with warm water.
Rinsing out Sweet Face, and hanging it to dry until your next use.
The result, according to Sweet Face, is skin that's glowing, soft, and free of daily cosmetics and grime.
What Are The Benefits Of Using a Sweet Face Cleansing Cloth?
Since Sweet Face is machine washable, the company claims that purchasing a single face cloth means that you'll never have to buy expensive face cleansers or cleansing wipes again. This also means your skin is cleansed without the irritation or dryness associated with soap-based cleansers.
Because Sweet Face can be activated using just water, it claims to be great for travel, reducing the need for you to separate liquid or bar cleansers in your toiletry bag.
While that all sounds convenient, how can a fabric alone possibly clean your skin as effectively as soap?
What Makes Microfiber Cloths Different?
Standard washcloths that you're used to washing your face with might feel soft to the touch, but they're constructed using large cotton or rayon threads that have been twisted into a rope-like form.
These rope-like fibers are too large to sweep away dirt molecules on their own, so need to be combined with soap to effectively break down any products on your skin. According to Explain That Stuff's explanation of how microfiber cloths work, this method is "hit and miss" in that the dirt and soap are often left in patches on your skin.
Alternately, microfiber is the name given to fabrics with very small threads—about 1/100th the diameter of a human hair.
While Sweet Face doesn't disclose the composition of their fabric on the website, most microfibers are made of 50% polyester and 50% polyamide (another name for nylon).
It's the size of microfibers that make them so effective at cleaning.
Instead of detergent, the millions of tiny microfibers can attach themselves to each speck of dirt or cosmetic product, which have already been loosened with water. Then, the fibers work as a team to dislodge dirt and carry it away.
It's not just dirt and cosmetics products that microfiber cloths can wipe away, either. Because the fibers are approximately the same size as a typical bacteria, they can also cleanse your skin of any germs—without the irritation and dryness associated with traditional antibacterial face washes.
Sweet Face is available online and is currently running a buy-one-get-one promotion that offers two cleansing cloths for the price of one product, which is $14.99. Packaging and handling costs are an additional $4.99, bringing your total up to $19.98.
Not satisfied with Sweet Face? Your order is protected by a 30-day money back guarantee, minus the cost of P&H. Call Sweet Face's customer service representatives at 855-380-3103 to start your return.
Are There Products Similar To Sweet Face?
If you consider the promise of two reusable cleansing cloths and never again having to purchase another facial cleanser, the cost of Sweet Face is certainly reasonable.
However, our research revealed that, while there are a variety of different microfiber blends available, which one is "best" depends on personal preference.
Even better? Microfiber cloths can be found for much less when you look outside of the beauty aisle.
For example, this 24-pack of microfiber cleansing cloths can be found on Amazon for only $13.99! And, according to the Skincare Addiction subreddit, they work just as well as the cloths advertised strictly for makeup removal.
Microfiber cleansing cloths can also be found in the auto care and electronics aisles at most local stores, giving you a chance to test out cleansing cloths without paying for the cost of shipping Sweet Face.
Additional Tips When Using a Microfiber Face Cloth?
Because the threads in microfiber cloths are polarized to pick up the tiniest bits of dirt and grime, they tend to "stick" to other garments in the wash, and are best laundered separately.
Be sure not to use fabric softener when cleansing your microfiber cloths, as the oil coating will decrease each fiber's ability to bond with dirt and grime, eventually rendering your microfiber cloth ineffective.
Additionally, you should avoid using bleach with microfiber cloths, as the chemical breaks down delicate threads and will lead to your cloth's early demise.
It might take a while to get used to going soap-free, but microfiber cloths such as Sweet Face are a great, non-irritating way to cleanse your skin.
Interested in giving one a try? Check around at local stores near you—and in aisles outside the beauty section—where you'll potentially be able to find multi-packs for a third of the cost of Sweet Face cloths.
Write a Review for Sweet Face!


The New Year is upon us, and plenty of Americans are working hard on their resolutions to lose weight, save money, or plan for upcoming vacations. But the New Year isn't exciting for everyone: many people dread tax season.
The IRS deadline (April 18) is fast-approaching, meaning now is a good time for you to start gathering documents and schedule a meeting with your tax adviser. Even though 2017 is over, you may still be able to find ways to reduce your 2017 tax liability and get a larger refund.
As you review your documents and consider deductions, don't forget to see if you qualify for the earned income tax credit. This can save you thousands of dollars as you move into the new year.
This tax credit is for low- to moderate-income earners, meaning you must remain within certain income ranges (see below).
If you do meet these criteria, then the credit is applied to your taxable income, meaning lower taxes for you (and more cash in your pocket).
If you meet these criteria, read on for the tax credit income thresholds.
Here's the crux of the program: you must be within certain income ranges in order to qualify for this tax credit. These ranges depend on the number of children you have, too.
Also, if you fall into the first bucket (filing with no children) then your birth date must fall between 1953-1992 and you cannot be claimed as a dependent on anyone else's tax return.
We know these limits and thresholds may be confusing. If you think you may qualify, or if you have questions about income ranges or other requirements, consult with a qualified tax professional.
The earned income tax credit is often included on tax returns in error. This is because tax filers may not be familiar with the qualification requirements outlined above. In order to avoid some of the most common errors with this tax credit, ensure that you've carefully reviewed your own income limits and family situation.
No one likes paying taxes, but the process doesn't need to be miserable. Ensure that you're well-versed in 2017 tax law changes that may impact you, especially given major life changes like a marriage or the birth of a child.
Get your guaranteed maximum refund when you file your taxes with VTax. You'll get the ultimate in quality preparation no matter how complicated, messy, or difficult your tax dilemma might seem. Request your free quote today!


Facebook gave makers of devices such as smartphones, feature phones and tablets access to users' personal data in partnerships dating back to 2007, the New York Times reported yesterday (June 3). The partnerships, which included Apple, Amazon, BlackBerry, Microsoft and Samsung, may have violated a 2011 consent decree that the Federal Trade Commission imposed on Facebook, the Times said.
The Times story promises a lot, but upon closer examination, it doesn't amount to much. Facebook's explanation that it had to work closely with device makers when feature phones were the norm makes sense, and the Times story doesn't do anything to counter it. And it's pretty clear that people who use the Facebook smartphone app don't need to worry -- about this, at least.
Facebook admitted, however, that it had not begun to end the partnerships until after the Cambridge Analytica scandal was unearthed by the Guardian and the Times in March.
Each brand of device maker needed its own private API, or application-program interface, "to recreate Facebook-like experiences for their individual devices or operating systems," Facebook Vice President of Product Partnerships Ime Archibong wrote in the blog posting.
"Our partnership and engineering teams approved the Facebook experiences these companies built," Archibong wrote. "Contrary to claims by the New York Times, friends' information, like photos, was only accessible on devices when people made a decision to share their information with those friends. We are not aware of any abuse by these companies."
The partnerships with device makers were formed "over the last decade," and the device-application developers could "obtain data about a user's Facebook friends," the Times says. Read further, and it becomes clear that these partnership agreements were formed about 10 years ago in a very different mobile-phone industry.
There's a lot of background on Facebook's handling of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, and there are predictable comments from Facebook's most frequent critics. The story also says that Facebook admitted that "some partners did store users' data — including friends' data — on their own servers," but that the data "was governed by strict agreements between the companies."
Apple told the Times that its own private access to Facebook's servers was to let iOS users post photos on Facebook without using the Facebook app, and that the function was deprecated in September 2017. Microsoft said that its partnership let users "add contacts and friends and receive notifications."
BlackBerry said its private API let Facebook users access their own friend networks and messages. Amazon and Samsung refused to comment. There's no evidence that anyone at any of these companies abused their access to Facebook user data.
The Times points out that the 2011 consent decree with the FTC barred Facebook from sharing data about users' friends with third parties. Facebook told the Times that the partnerships did not violate the consent decree.
To put this in plain English, what Facebook did, according to both the Times story and the Facebook blog posting, was to let mobile-phone and tablet makers build their own Facebook apps at a time when few people had smartphones, and even smartphones were dependent on what their makers included.
This, of course, did let device makers access Facebook data. It wouldn't have worked any other way. Facebook worked with these companies to make it possible for "dumb" feature phones with limited flexibility, and smartphones before app stores were available, to reach Facebook's databases and give users of those devices access to their Facebook accounts. Facebook couldn't develop its own mobile apps for these devices because there would have been no way to get them onto the phones.
It may seem like a long time ago, but the iOS and Android app stores debuted in the second half of 2008, about a year after the iPhone hit the market. Before that, Apple dictated what was on iPhones. Feature phones continued to outsell smartphones in North America for several more years, and feature phones still dominate the markets in India and Africa, which have tens of millions of Facebook users.
"Over the last decade, around 60 companies have used" these "device-integrated APIs," Facebook's Archibong wrote in his blog posting. "These partners signed agreements that prevented people's Facebook information from being used for any other purpose than to recreate Facebook-like experiences."
The Times did manage to demonstrate how a private API could grant a phone maker access to Facebook users, showing that a custom smartphone app could get the "relationship status, religious and political leanings" of more than 500 of a user's Facebook friends, and get "unique identifiers" on nearly 300,000 friends of those friends.
The device the newspaper used to demonstrate this was a 2013 BlackBerry Z10 running the BlackBerry 10 OS, which succeeded the "classic" BlackBerry OS and was used on 10 devices until BlackBerry switched over to Android in 2015. The implication is that the Times couldn't get the rogue API to work on any more recent device, whether a smartphone or a feature phone.
In other words, the Hub was doing exactly what it was meant to do, and Facebook gave BlackBerry a private API so that it could function as designed.
The Times huffs that the Hub's access to Facebook data contradicts a 2015 Facebook policy that third-party apps can get only the names of a user's Facebook friends. But that policy went into effect two years after the Hub was developed, around the same time BlackBerry said it would abandon development of its own OS and switch to Android.
So should you be worried that phone makers have access to your Facebook data? Not really. Again, there's no evidence that any of this data has ever been exploited or abused. And while some of the decade-old agreements may still be in effect, they're not as useful nowadays when Facebook directly creates and controls the apps that go onto your smartphone.
It's Facebook that you should be worried about abusing your personal data — not Amazon, Apple, Microsoft or Samsung. But no one's forcing you to use Facebook.


Binary possible choices certainly are a effortless solution to trade value fluctuations in various worldwide markets, but a trader demands to know the dangers and rewards of those often-misunderstood instruments. Binary alternatives are various from classic selections. If traded, 1 will obtain these possible choices have distinct payouts, costs and dangers, to not mention a completely various liquidity framework and investment approach.
Binary opportunities traded outdoors the U.S. may also be generally structured in a different way than binaries on the market on U.S. exchanges.
When looking at speculating or hedging, binary selections are an different, but only in case the trader completely understands the 2 likely outcomes of those exotic possible choices. In June 2013, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission warned traders in regards to the probable hazards of investing in binary opportunities and charged a Cyprus-based organisation with offering them illegally to U.S. traders.
If a trader believes the marketplace is growing, she/he would buy a contact. If your trader believes the marketplace is falling, she/he would order a place. To get a contact to create dollars, the cost ought to be over the strike selling price in the expiry time. To get a place to generate dollars, the price tag should be beneath the strike rate on the expiry time. The strike value, expiry, payout and danger are all disclosed with the trade's outset. For many high-low binary opportunities outdoors the U.S., the strike cost stands out as the recent price tag or charge of your underlying economic product or service, this kind of because the S&P 500 index, EUR/USD currency pair or a particular stock. Therefore, the trader is wagering whether the future cost at expiry will be higher or lower than the present cost.
Binary solutions outdoors the U.S. usually have a fixed payout and danger, and are offered by individual brokers, not on an exchange. These brokers make their dollars from the percentage discrepancy between what they pay out on winning trades and what they collect from losing trades. While there are exceptions, these binary possible choices are meant to be held until expiry in an "all or nothing" payout construction. Most foreign binary solutions brokers are not legally allowed to solicit U.S. residents for trading purposes, unless that broker is registered with a U.S. regulatory body this kind of because the SEC or Commodities Futures Trading Commission.
Starting in 2008, some solutions exchanges this kind of because the Chicago Board Choices Exchange (CBOE) began listing binary choices for U.S. residents. The SEC regulates the CBOE, which offers traders increased protection compared to over-the-counter markets. Nadex can also be a binary alternatives exchange inside the U.S., subject to oversight by the CFTC. These selections can be traded at any time at a price based mostly on market place forces. The price fluctuates between one particular and 100 primarily based for the probability of an choice finishing in or out from the income. At all times there is full transparency, so a trader can exit with the profit or loss they see on their screen in each moment. They can also enter at any time since the price fluctuates, thus being able for making trades primarily based on varying risk-to-reward scenarios. The maximum gain and loss is still known in case the trader decides to hold until expiry. Since these solutions trade through an exchange, each trade requires a willing buyer and seller. The exchanges generate profits from an exchange fee – to match buyers and sellers – and not from a binary opportunities trade loser.
Assume your analysis indicates that the S&P 500 is going to rally for the rest of your afternoon, although you're not sure by just how much. You decide to invest in a (binary) phone choice within the S&P 500 index. Suppose the index is currently at 1,800, so by buying a get in touch with possibility you're wagering the selling price at expiry will be over 1,800. Since binary alternatives are readily available on all sorts of time frames – from minutes to months away – you choose an expiry time (or date) that aligns with your analysis. You choose an choice with an 1,800 strike price tag that expires 30 minutes from now. The choice pays you 70% when the S&P 500 is over 1,800 at expiry (30 minutes from now); when the S&P 500 is under 1,800 in 30 minutes, you'll lose your investment.
You can invest almost any amount, although this will vary from broker to broker. Usually there is really a minimum this kind of as $10 and a maximum this kind of as $10,000 (check with the broker for specific investment amounts).
Continuing with the example, you invest $100 inside the phone that expires in 30 minutes. The S&P 500 cost at expiry determines whether you make or lose funds. The rate at expiry may be the last quoted value, or the (bid+ask)/2. Each broker specifies their own expiry price tag rules.
In this case, assume the last quote about the S&P 500 before expiry was 1,802. Therefore, you make a $70 profit (or 70% of $100) and maintain your original $100 investment. Had the rate finished under 1,800, you would lose your $100 investment. In the event the value had expired exactly over the strike price tag, it is prevalent for the trader to receive her/his revenue back with no profit or loss, although each broker may have various rules as it is an over-the-counter (OTC) industry. The broker transfers profits and losses into and out from the trader's account automatically.
The example over is to get a typical high-low binary possibility – the most typical type of binary selection – outdoors the U.S. International brokers will traditionally offer several other types of binaries as well. These include "one touch" binary opportunities, where the selling price only wants to touch a specified target level once before expiry for the trader to produce income. There is often a target over and under the present price tag, so traders can pick which target they believe will be hit before expiry.
A "range" binary choice allows traders to select a rate range the asset will trade within until expiry. When the value stays within the range selected, a payout is received. In the event the price tag moves out on the specified range, then the investment is lost.
As competition from the binary choices space ramps up, brokers are offering more and more binary choice products. While the framework of your solution may change, chance and reward is always known with the trade's outset.
Binary solution innovation has led to alternatives that offer 50% to 500% fixed payouts. This allows traders to potentially make more on a trade than they lose – a better reward:threat ratio – though if an solution is offering a 500% payout, it is likely structured in this kind of a way that the probability of winning that payout is quite lower.
Some foreign brokers allow traders to exit trades before the binary solution expires, but most do not. Exiting a trade before expiry normally results in a lower payout (specified by broker) or small loss, but the trader won't lose his or her entire investment.
There is an upside to these trading instruments, but it requires some perspective. A major advantage is that the possibility and reward are known. It does not matter simply how much the marketplace moves in favor or against the trader. There are only two outcomes: win a fixed amount or lose a fixed amount. Also, there are generally no charges, this kind of as commissions, with these trading instruments (brokers may vary). The opportunities are very simple to work with, and there is only a single decision to produce: certainly is the underlying asset going up or down? There can also be no liquidity concerns, given that the trader never actually owns the underlying asset, and therefore brokers can offer innumerable strike prices and expiration times/dates, which is attractive to a trader. A final benefit is that a trader can accessibility many different asset classes in international markets generally anytime a industry is open somewhere while in the world.
The major drawback of high-low binary opportunities is that the reward is always less than the threat. This means a trader ought to be right a substantial percentage of your time to cover losses. While payout and threat will fluctuate from broker to broker and instrument to instrument, a single thing remains constant: losing trades will cost the trader more than she/he can make on winning trades. Other types of binary choices (not high-low) may provide payouts where the reward is potentially greater than the chance.
Another disadvantage is that the OTC markets are unregulated outdoors the U.S., and there is little oversight during the case of a trade discrepancy. While brokers commonly use a large external source for their quotes, traders may still acquire themselves susceptible to unscrupulous practices, even though it is not the norm. Another possible concern is that no underlying asset is owned; it is simply a wager on an underlying asset's route.
Binary solutions outdoors the U.S. are an alternate for speculating or hedging but come with advantages and disadvantages. The positives include a known possibility and reward, no commissions, innumerable strike prices and expiry dates, accessibility to a number of asset classes in worldwide markets and customizable investment amounts. The negatives include non-ownership of any asset, little regulatory oversight and a winning payout that is usually less than the loss on losing trades when trading the typical high-low binary alternative. Traders who use these instruments will need to pay close attention to their individual broker's rules, especially regarding payouts and dangers, how expiry prices are calculated and what happens in case the choice expires directly about the strike rate. Binary brokers outdoors the U.S. are commonly operating illegally if engaging U.S. residents. Binary possible choices also exist on U.S. exchanges; these binaries are normally structured quite in a different way but have greater transparency and regulatory oversight.


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How Kyle Groeneweg emerged as a potential playmaker at wide receiver for Iowa Hawkeyes
After starring at Sioux Falls, Kyle Groeneweg is pursuing his dream of playing at Iowa. And he may help at wide receiver and punt returner.
How Kyle Groeneweg emerged as a potential playmaker at wide receiver for Iowa Hawkeyes After starring at Sioux Falls, Kyle Groeneweg is pursuing his dream of playing at Iowa. And he may help at wide receiver and punt returner. Check out this story on hawkcentral.com: https://www.hawkcentral.com/story/sports/college/iowa/football/2018/05/08/iowa-football-kyle-groeneweg-walk-wide-receiver-west-lyon-jay-rozeboom-brandon-snyder/591283002/
Mark Emmert, memmert@gannett.com Published 3:38 p.m. CT May 8, 2018
He transferred from Division II Sioux Falls as a walk-on, sat out a year, and now has one to go as part of Iowa's WR group.
Kyle Groeneweg (11) scored five touchdowns as a shifty receiver at the University of Sioux Falls in 2016. He then transferred to Iowa, sat out one season, and has emerged as a potential playmaker at wide receiver and punt returner this falls.(Photo: Joe Ahlquist / Argus Leader)
Kyle Groeneweg is still featured prominently in the West Lyon High School gymnasium. He owns the school record by covering 200 meters in 21.69 seconds en route to a state championship in 2014.
So if you want to know how Groeneweg emerged as this spring's "Iowa wide receiver to watch," start with his speed. He's always surprised people with how fast he is, Groeneweg's high school coach, Jay Rozeboom, said last week.
"This guy's just smaller and shiftier," Rozeboom said of the 5-foot-10, 186-pound Groeneweg. "He can cut on a dime and he's fast while he does it."
Groeneweg used that sprinter's speed to help lead West Lyon to a 2013 state football title. He had 62 carries for 475 yards and 12 touchdowns that season, plus 18 receptions for 381 yards and another six scores. He even returned a punt for a touchdown.
And somehow never got recruited.
"I think we had a really, really good class," Rozeboom said of that senior group that included Hawkeye safety Brandon Snyder. "(Groeneweg) went right from football to basketball the next day and there was some recruiters that came through he probably didn't talk to and maybe he should have."
While Groeneweg's childhood friend Snyder walked on at Iowa, he stayed closer to home, walking on at the University of Sioux Falls, a Division II school in South Dakota. He wasn't without a scholarship for long.
"He pretty much blew by people at that level," Rozeboom said.
Despite playing for a team with a running quarterback, Groeneweg caught 24 passes for 402 yards and five touchdowns as a Sioux Falls junior in 2016. He also ranked seventh in Division II with 891 combined kickoff and punt return yards. The team went 12-1.
But coach Jed Stugart left after the season to take over the program at Lindenwood in Missouri. He brought most of his staff with him.
Suddenly, Groeneweg had a big decision to make.
"He was very loyal to that coaching staff," Rozeboom said. "So he decided: His dream was always to play at Iowa and, 'It's now or never.'"
The Hawkeyes brought Groeneweg aboard as a walk-on. He sat out the 2017 season and then, to the surprise of many, emerged on Iowa's depth chart this spring as a second-stringer at split end behind sophomore Brandon Smith. Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz touted Groeneweg's "shiftiness" (there's that word again) when reporters asked about him. He's in the mix to be a punt returner as well.
West Lyon is the alma mater of former Hawkeye star and current special teams coach LeVar Woods. Perhaps it's no coincidence that the small school in northwest Iowa will have five players on the Hawkeye roster this fall. Groeneweg was already joined by Snyder and defensive lineman Jake Newborg, who will be a junior this year. Now, Brandon's younger brother Jaden Snyder is joining tbe crew, along with fullback/linebacker Monte Pottebaum. West Lyon is churning out Hawkeye walk-ons these days.
Brandon Snyder turned that opportunity into a starting role.
Rozeboom won't be surprised if Groeneweg does the same.
"He'll do anything he can to make the team. He'll catch the ball and run afterward really well — he's fearless," Rozeboom said.
"Those receivers at Iowa have to be able to block, and Kyle is not afraid to block. He'll stick his nose in there and get dirty."
This is heady stuff for a player who arrived on campus practically unnoticed. It is reminiscent of the career arc of last year's spring sensation wide receiver, Nick Easley.
Easley, a Newton native, became a Hawkeye after two years at Iowa Western Community College. He was a player coaches were touting this time last year — and backed up that buzz, leading Iowa with 51 catches for 530 yards and four touchdowns last fall.
"What Nick did last year was great," Groeneweg told reporters after Iowa's spring practices ended April 20. "I think we all kind of inspire each other in the receiver room. … Not just looking at one guy to take us to the promised land, so to speak."
Groeneweg did not participate in the Hawkeyes' final practice session, which was open to the public, as he nursed a hamstring injury that he termed "not serious." So no fans have really seen what he can do. Yet.
"I got to learn the playbook a lot more this spring. Playing at different spots, outside or slot. I think that's my biggest growth, is just mentally," Groeneweg said.
"I'm trying to help any way I can — special teams, offense, it doesn't matter. Wherever coaches want me to fit."
Gavin Teasdale, a one-time Iowa wrestling commit, says he's now joining Hawkeyes
Hawkeyes draw motivation from Michigan's College World Series run
Kriener hopes to give Hawkeyes a senior jolt
Hawkeye film room: Breaking down Iowa's eight new recruits
Leistikow: Iowa's season comes down to these 6 games
Iowa's Cordell Pemsl is back — and pain-free

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Just a quick post to show you another digital layout I made this week.
Echo Park is having a Facebook challenge using Chillingsworth Manor products. I just happened to have some, so I played along with a picture of Caleb's first Halloween.
I hope you like today's project. I'll be back tomorrow with a fun Halloween card.


One of the stand out beauty looks from Milan Fashion Week was undoubtedly the beachy waves and metallic eye pairing at Roberto Cavalli F/W 2015. What impressed us most is how understated the eyes look with so much shimmer and shine. Any time we try a metallic look we end up feeling like it's over the top, but the Roberto Cavalli team got it just right!


This vegan broccoli cheese soup is SO thick, rich and creamy you would never know it's dairy free, gluten free and healthy! It's ready in only 15 minutes and SO easy to make!
Soαk cαshews in wαter for 1 hour, drαin αnd discαrd wαter. Set αside.
αdd olive oil to α dutch oven αnd cook the diced onions for 5 minutes over medium heαt. αdd cubed potαtoes, thinly sliced cαrrots, α pinch of sαlt αnd 2 cups of wαter. Cover αnd let cook for 20-25 minutes or until the vegetαbles αre soft. αlmost αll of the wαter should be αbsorbed by now.
Let the mixture cool slightly before αdding it to the high powered blender. αdd vegetαble broth, pαprikα, gαrlic powder, cαyenne pepper, nutritionαl yeαst, cαshews, sαlt, αnd pepper to the food processor. Blend on high until smooth αnd creαmy. (If you don't hαve α lαrge blender, blend the soup in smαll bαtches.) Pour the soup bαck into the originαl pot αnd bring it to α low simmer for 5-10 minutes.
You cαn use fresh or frozen broccoli for this soup (cook it while the potαtoes αnd cαrrots αre cooking). αfter you steαm or roαst the broccoli, chop it up into bite-size chunks αnd αdd it to the blended soup.
Gαrnish eαch bowl with pαrsley αnd α sprinkle of cαyenne.
You cαn substitute chickpeαs for the cαshews if you wαnt this recipe to be nut-free.
You cαn use fresh or frozen broccoli in this recipe, it reαlly doesn't αffect the consistency.
Feel free to αdd grαted cαrrots or other vegetαbles to the soup.
The αddition of cαyenne pepper is just for color, not for heαt. If you're concerned, pleαse omit it.


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DOD experiment tests transformation
The Defense Department will conduct an experiment this week testing network-centric warfare operations, a concept crucial to DOD's transformation and the vision of its chief information officer, John Stenbit. The trial, called Quantum Leap, will occur Aug. 27 and seeks to make intelligence quickly available to warfighters. The experiment is designed to validate new ways of transmitting, posting and accessing information. Some of these processes were used in Iraq and Afghanistan. The 12-hour-long test will take place at several sites, including the Defense Information Systems Agency in Washington, D.C., the Navy's Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command facility in Charleston, S.C., and the Army's top soldier training facility at Fort Benning, Ga. "This is the first opportunity for the Defense Department to demonstrate network-centric warfare capabilities," said Margaret Myers, principal director to the DOD deputy chief information officer. Full Story


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"I'm Not Racist" Documentary Features Millennial Views On Privilege, Power And Identity
Tara Jefferson
Students don new identities while playing the board game, "American Dream"
In one compelling segment from the 2014 documentary, "I'm Not Racist…Am I?" high school students huddle around a board game modeled loosely after the game "Life."
This one is called "American Dream."
To play, each student takes on an identity different from their own. So a young black student is now a middle-class white male; a white peer is now a lower-class Asian woman. As they move the pieces around the board, players hear instructions that begin to heavily favor a certain demographic: "All females lose one turn" follows "LGBT players move back one space," which follows "All welfare recipients move back five spaces."
At the end, the young black student — playing the game as a white male — threw up his hands in victory. "I just kept moving forward," he says, "while everyone else got pushed back."
This quick lesson in privilege is the cornerstone of the prickly 90-minute film. For one full school year, filmmakers followed 12 New York teens as they dove into an intensive anti-racism curriculum developed by The Calhoun School, a prestigious college preparatory institution in Manhattan. The film is part of a larger initiative called Deconstructing Race. It aims to begin educating its students, teachers and families about structural systemic racism.
The Cleveland chapter of Facing History and Ourselves organized a May screening at John Carroll University. Organizers broke the film into three chunks with ample time for the audience — high school students, teachers and community members — to share their reactions in between.
While 12 students participated, filmmakers focused primarily on five students:
Kahleek, a black 17-year-old from Brooklyn, who is teased by his family and peers for skateboarding and other markers of "white" behavior
Martha, a 15-year-old whose white family is the only one in her subsidized Harlem apartment building
Abby, a 16-year-old biracial girl struggling with identity in Manhattan
Sacha, a self-described liberal 16-year-old from the Upper West Side, who says it's just coincidence that his friends are all white
Anna, an adopted 17-year-old Korean American student who says if not for the mirror, she'd think she was white
Viewers see the students wrestle with identity, stereotypes and prejudice. To launch the program, the participants attended a weekend retreat to root their conversations in shared language. First on the menu: What does racism mean?
The facilitators of the "Undoing Racism" workshop defined racism as race prejudice plus power, which exists in two forms: individual bigotry and institutional control. Racism exists, the facilitator told the students, primarily to uphold white supremacy.
"So are all white people racist?" one student asked. The facilitator didn't hesitate: "Yes." The students look dazed, a mixture of confusion and shock as they let the answer land.
In another workshop on the "N-Word," facilitator Dr. Eddie Moore Jr., an African-American man in a pinstriped shirt and vest, asked the group to close their eyes and imagine that "a nigger has just walked into the room."
"What did you see when I said that?" he asked. A handful of students' erupted in response: "Sagging pants…gold teeth…Kunta Kinte." But one student, Sacha, made the Cleveland audience gasp with his answer: "I saw you."
Moore latched onto the moment.
"It doesn't matter how you articulate, it doesn't matter what degree you get, it doesn't matter how hard you study, doesn't matter how many books you read," he said. "The only thing they see when they see you is that…and then that kid doesn't make it home from the store."
During one of the breaks, director Catherine Wigginton Greene conceded that the film doesn't offer solutions, but rather exists to expand the conversation. "We want white people to watch this film and know that [this discussion on racism] is very much about them," she said.
And after more workshops, Sacha, at least, appeared to hear the message. On camera, he admitted he saw the wrongness of his response to facilitator Moore's prompt.
Join the conversation (2)
Patricia Keenan
Wow! I'm really impressed by the trailer and would like to watch the film.
Me, too! I sent it to my son who will be teaching next year– really powerful stuff.
REVIEW: Alison Kinney's "Hood" Offers Lesson On The Garment That Made Headlines
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[VIDEO] Marlon James: We All Have A Stake In Ending Racism
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Naruto has become one of the most popular anime, and for a good reason. For several years friends retell each other and advice to watch this masterpiece. Yes masterpiece, the plot is laid out in detail. For an example, the meaning of what is happening in the first series of the first season is fully revealed in the series 370-390 of the second season. It's just a wonderful, touching, cheerful, exciting, vibrant anime. Here, each character is worked out so that it seems that you are watching a movie and all of the characters are real.
The main plot is interesting, unique, it catches attention and you do not want the series end. This story reveals many features of human nature. Villains are not always the villains and the people whose stories were not told have their own reasons to act in such a way. The story tells that the most terrible in life is to lose close people. And the appetite for revenge take over and it is hard to manage own rage.


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Looking for St George's Day support
PUBLISHED: 18:21 23 April 2007 | UPDATED: 20:01 01 June 2010
Should St George's Day be a public holiday?
SAINT George was out and about in Wisbech on Monday calling for April 23 to be declared a public holiday so people can celebrate their English heritage. The three founder members of the Fenland branch of The Royal Society of St George were dressed as the
SAINT George was out and about in Wisbech on Monday calling for April 23 to be declared a public holiday so people can celebrate their English heritage.
The three founder members of the Fenland branch of The Royal Society of St George were dressed as the patron saint as they asked people to sign a petition demanding the day be made a holiday.
Nearly one million people have already signed the petition and an early day motion to get the day recognised as a public holiday has been signed by 43 MPs.
Chairman Steve Clark said: "Basically we want to make people aware of our national day. We also celebrate the Battle of Trafalgar because we are on the Norfolk border.
"This is our special day and we think it should be celebrated in the proper way. We have had an excellent reception from both young and old. The younger generation would like to have another holiday and the older ones see it as a celebration of English values such as courtesy and respect."
Mr Clark of Wisbech said the inaugural meeting of the Fenland branch was held in January and another meeting is planned soon. It will be held in the Duke's Head, Wisbech.
He would like to see Fenland residents holding street parties and other celebrations.
Mr Clark said: "We have been celebrating St George's Day for years but not in such a high profile way as today."
- Anyone interested in finding out more about the Fenland branch of the Royal Society of St George can contact Mr Clark, Tel 0780 359 0996.
NON-LEAGUE FOOTBALL: Wisbech Town in penalty controversy as they suffer defeat in 10-goal thriller


Coming with a newly developed impact-proof body, the new Casio G-Shock GXW-56 Series also feature Togh Solar and Multiband. Expected to be available in Japan starting next month (July), the GXW-56 watch will be offered in three model including Orange/Black, Black/Red, and Black/Gold. Which one do you want?


BUDGET ADVOCATES-Caring about your neighborhood means that you care about your community. Caring communities make great cities, and that's why many become part of neighborhood councils as committee members, board members and stakeholders.
Those who are interested in helping the city become transparent with your tax dollars also volunteer their time as City Budget Advocates.For a few others,such a commitment isn't enough, and they decide to run for office. Ron Galperin, LA City Controller is an exampleof this. He is the first Neighborhood Council member elected to city-wide office in Los Angeles.
Now we have Adrienne Nicole Edwards, a City Budget Advocate, who will run for the California U.S. Senate seat. At 29 years old, Adrienne is currently the youngest person running for U.S. Senate in the Nation and the only African American running for Senate in California. She is pitting herself against 20-year incumbent Dianne Feinstein who failed to get the California Democratic Party's endorsement this election cycle, along with California Senate Majority leader Kevin De Leon who is also running.
BK: Why hasn't being on the neighborhood council and a current budget advocate been enoughfor you and what have you learned in those roles that motivates you to run for Senate?
Adrienne: As a current OPNC neighborhood council member and Budget Advocate I feel like we do a lot for our community, but we are also limited and at times we are forced to be onlookers while things happen out of our scope of power.
This motivates me to run for US Senate! We can no longer afford to be passive observers. It's time for us to do the right thing and take back our future. I have learned that it takes the people and consistency to make change happen regardless of who you are. The NC's play a major role in their direct neighborhoods, I wish more California cities had a civic engagement program this large and diverse.
BK: Why run for California Senate now?
Adrienne: It's either now or never, we are facing a crucial moment in the United States and we cannot allow hatred, division, or bigotry to tear us down. Trump has caused a lot of discourse and hatred to thrive more than ever in our lifetime. Its time for us to come together and unite as one despite our differences by using our diversity to unite us. Standing together and united in one voice for the benefit of us all! We can all gain something we need by working together. We can make a transition as a nation. We are better than hatred happening now, we are bigger than this and I am running to change the tempo by spreading Hope and Unity!
Neighborhood councils, city budget advocates and stakeholders all care about their communities. The experience gained from volunteering so many hours provides insight into how things work in our city.
Will you give your time and talent on behalf of the needs of your community? As you volunteer and learn, you too may discover it isn't enough and decide to run for city or state office. But the first step is to join your local neighborhood council...Ron Galperin and Adrienne Nicole Edwards did.
(Brigette Kidd is a Neighborhood Council Budget Advocate from Region 9 who chairs the Cannabis Committee.) Edited for CityWatch by Linda Abrams.


August 21, 2013 - Tonight's mayoral debate--the first to be sponsored by the NYC Campaign Finance Board--will showcase more of the same: there will be plenty of candidates talking out of both sides of their mouth, and only one candidate who has delivered actual results for New York City.
August 16, 2013 - Christine Quinn today detailed a number of strategic, innovative proposals that will expand job growth in New York City's tech sector by tapping into unique opportunities in Long Island City.
August 15, 2013 - You don't want to miss Chris's latest appearance on MSNBC's Morning Joe! This morning Chris sat with Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski to talk specifics of her plan to grow the middle class in NYC.


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net.wars
Net life
New tech, old knowledge
Software inside
In 2011, Netscape creator-turned-venture capitalists Marc Andreesen argued that software is eating the world. Andreesen focused on a rather narrow meaning of "world" - financial value. Amazon ate Borders' lunch; software fuels the success of Wal-Mart, Fedex, airlines, and financial services. Like that.
There is, however, a more interesting sense in which software is eating the world, and that's its takeover of what we think of as "hardware". A friend tells me, for example, that part of the pleasure he gets from driving a Tesla is that its periodic software updates keep the car feeling new, so he never looks enviously at the features on later models. Still, these updates do at least sound like traditional software. The last update of 2019, for example, included improved driver visualization, a "Camp Mode" to make the car more comfortable to spend the night in, and other interface improvements. I assume something as ordinarily useful as map updates is too trivial to mention.
Even though this means a car is now really a fancy interconnected series of dozens of computer networks whose output happens to be making a large, heavy object move on wheels. I don't have trouble grasping the whole thing, not really. It's a control system.
Much more confounding was the time, in late 1993. when I visited Demon Internet, then a startup founded to offer Internet access to UK consumers. Like quite a few others, I was having trouble getting connected via the Demon's adapted version of KA9Q, connection software written for packet radio. This was my first puzzlement: how could software for "packet radio" (whatever that was) do anything on a computer? That was nothing to my confusion when Demon staffer Mark Turner explained to me that the computer could parse the stream of information coming into it and direct the results to different applications simultaneously. At that point, I'd only ever used online services where you could only do one thing at a time, just as you could only make one phone call at a time. I remember finding the idea of one data stream servicing many applications at once really difficult to grasp. How did it know what went where?
That is software, and it's what happened in the shift from legacy phone networks' circuit switching to Internet-style packet switching.
I had a similar moment of surreality when first told about software-defined radio. A radio was a *thing*. How could it be software? By then I knew about spread spectrum, invented by the actress Hedy Lamarr and pianist George Antheil to protect wartime military conversations from eavesdropping, so it shouldn't have seemed as weird as it did.
And so to this week, when, at the first PhD Cyber Security Winter School, I discovered programmable - - that is, software-defined - networks. Of course networks are controlled by software already, but at the physical layer it's cables, switches, and routers. If one of those specialized devices needs to be reconfigured you have to do it locally, device by device. Now, the idea is more generic hardware that can be reprogrammed on the fly, enabling remote - and more centralized and larger-scale - control. Security people like the idea that a network can both spot and harden itself against malicious traffic much faster. I can't help being suspicious that this new world will help attackers, too, first by providing a central target to attack, and second because it will be vastly more complex. Authentication and encryption will be crucial in an environment where a malformed or malicious data packet doesn't just pose a threat to the end user who receives it but can reprogram the network. Helpfully, the NSA has thought about this in more depth and greater detail. They do see centralization as a risk, and recommend a series of measures for protecting the controller; they also highlight the problems increased complexity brings.
As the workshop leader said, this is enough of a trend for Cisco, and Intel to embrace it; six months ago, Intel paid $5 billion for Barefoot Networks, the creator of P4, the language I saw demonstrated for programming these things.
At this point I began wondering if this doesn't up-end the entire design philosophy of the Internet, which was to push all the intelligence out to the edges, The beginnings of this new paradigm, active networking, appeared around the early 2000s. The computer science literature - for example, Activating Networks (PDF), by Jonathan M. Smith, Kenneth L. Calvert, Sandra L. Murphy, Hilarie K. Orman, and Larry L. Peterson, and Active Networking: One View of the Past, Present, and Future (PDF), by Smith and Scott M. Nettles - plots out the problems of security and complexity in detail, and considers the Internet and interoperability issues. The Road to SDN: An Intellectual History of Programmable Networks, by Nick Feamster, Jennifer Rexford, and Ellen Zegura, recapitulates the history to date.
My real question, however, is one I suspect has received less consideration: will these software-defined networks make surveillance and censorship easier or harder? Will they have an effect on the accessibility of Internet freedoms? Are there design considerations we should know about? These seem like reasonable questions to ask as this future hurtles toward us.
Illustrations: Hedy Lamarr, in The Conspirators, 1944..
Wendy M. Grossman is the 2013 winner of the Enigma Award. Her Web site has an extensive archive of her books, articles, and music, and an archive of earlier columns in this series. Stories about the border wars between cyberspace and real life are posted occasionally during the week at the net.wars Pinboard - or follow on Twitter.
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Other places to read my work
wg home page
net.wars archive
net.wars (book full text)
Guy Kewney's NewsWirelessNet
ZD Net UK
Guardian Technology section
Movable Type 4.32-en


Cracking the Google SEO algorithm can be a bit daunting, but earlier this week, the search giant launched a new set of tools designed to bring about some clarity. Here's what you need to know about the tools, and how you can incorporate them into your industrial marketing.
Thomas WebTrax® 3.0 gives you "Opportunity Intelligence," with in-market buyer data that allows you to track, identify and engage the high-value opportunities generated by your online presence.
Opportunity Intelligence is actionable data on buyers that are actively in-market for what you sell. It enables you to track, identify and engage buyers that have signaled a propensity to buy your products and services.
Thomas President and CEO Tony Uphoff shares his insights on industrial marketing's fundamental shift from sales enablement to buyer enablement.
Thomas WebTrax lets you go beyond simple web analytics, to start engaging real buyers.


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Екарма е проток в Тихи океан, отделящ островите Екарма и Шиашкотан. Свързва Охотско море и протока Севергин.

Дължината му е около 25 km, минималната ширина е 8 km, а максималната дълбочина надвишава 900 m. Брегът е стръмен и планински.

В протока се вливат множество ручейчта. По източното му крайбрежие има много подводни и надводни скали. В близост до брега на Шиашкотан се намират островчето Дробние и скалата Башмак. След носовете Чупров и Лютим протокът преминава в проток Севергин.

Средното ниво на прилива по бреговете на протока е 1 m. Носи името на близкия остров Екарма. Бреговете му не са населени, намира се в акваторията на Сахалинска област.

Бележки

Протоци на Курилските острови

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


I bought this about five years ago as we were looking for a door mounted cooker for our RHD bus which I'm restoring. I've had it stored since then and upon having a bit of a move about, I thought I'd have a look at it and its got me thinking that I may have some parts missing.
As you can see, the whole thing is a square cabinet and doesn't follow the contour of the side door. So the question is, are there some infill strips missing that fasten the unit to the door? Or maybe a fitting frame as the weight of this unit is quite high.
Its in really nice condition for an early cooker as you can see from the pics. Rikki James will recognize it as we bought it from him at vanfest!
Post a query on CP forum?
Last edited by type21f on Sun Sep 28, 2014 7:20 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Hi. many thanks for the reply. Of course, I realise that it goes on the door without the lock knob, I was thinking that maybe I was missing some wood that is the same shape as the curve on the door. After all, it wouldn't fit flat without some kind of infill.
I've been trawling through the forum, trying to find a pic of a fitted cooker so I could see what it looks like against the door. I found one that looks like the side panels of the carcass is shaped to the door but mine is not shaped, so I look on.
Post a query on C P forum?
Thanks Miles. We really like it and intend to collect as much CP interior as we can find. had to stop restoring the bus for a while due to other commitments but we are on it again now and steaming ahead!
This cooker is just what we were looking for as we don't want to cook inside the bus. Stinks everything out as far as we are concerned. It will open out into the awning just fine.
Someone on here must know how these cookers fix to the door. I only need to know if I'm looking for wood that exists, or maybe I've got to make it?
As far as I remember there is a metal strip that it fits to on the door and don't remember any shaping. However my van is in the garage and I can't open the door to look at it as barely enough room to get down one side of the van when in narrow garage I might pull the van out later as I have said I will post pics of the bunk mechanism and the table. Hoping (fingers crossed for some sort of miracle!) that I will get my carburetor problem sorted in time to use the van to go to Brighton Breeze. BTW Steve cooker looks excellent.
Ah. Many thanks for that pic. It would seam that I'm now looking for, or going to make, a frame shaped to the door that the whole unit will hang on. may have to strip that varnish so it all looks a uniform colour.
Lovely bus that one Miles. No wonder you miss it.
Sorry you had to part with that one miles. It looks like I will have to start making this cradle. Any info would be welcome but I'll sort it whatever.
LOL..... What ever I say I would get in trouble..
NICE to get such a clear picture of the shape..
Originally mine had a section/panel of wood fixed directly to the door, then a door card mounted on top, followed be the cooker….. but no casing/mount.
Before you even go there Miles.... No, it's not the one I got from you for Mr X..... he's not ready for it yet so yours is still tucked away in my garage!
Apologies as I missed this due to being away for a cheeky week of surfing (shoulder high and clean as you like ).
The cooker has an "edging strip" about an inch wide, as shown above, which is contoured to the curve of the door. The cabinet has two rather large screws in the top which screw directly into the door just below where the door card screws are (you should see the holes in the cooker cabinet if you lift the lid up and look near the top ). These screws go through the door card and into the metal of the door. Mine also has a flat bar which screws to the door frame on either side at the bottom of the cabinet and the bottom of the cabinet then screws to this bar. As far as I am aware these are the only things which attach it to the door. When attaching the flat bar to the door you need to be careful that the screws don't catch on the door locking bars that run vertically inside the door.
Hopefully that explains it all but if not let me know and I will get you some pictures.
Graham - cardboard aided design classic.


Rios Clementi Hale Studios provided interior design and landscape architectural design services for this new home located on a 1-acre lot in the hills of Santa Barbara. A steep ravine cuts off the property to the east, ending in a creek that provided some of the raw materials for the landscape - incredible sandstone boulders that were strategically placed around the site. With the house reflecting the true indoor-outdoor lifestyle of the couple, the interior furnishings and the landscape responds more than adequately. All the main living spaces – the kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms and halls, connect to the outdoors. Japanese influenced courtyards break up the main sections of the home and accent the warmly elegant interior finishes. A kitchen vegetable garden, outdoor dining spaces, pool terraces and small courtyards create individual spaces that link together and enable group gatherings and private retreats.


text:
World's First Text Message Set To Be Auctioned Off As NFT
The world's first ever text message is set to be auctioned off as an NFT - and it's expected to sell for a huge sum.
An NFT, short for non-fungible token, is defined as 'a unique digital certificate, registered in a blockchain, that is used to record ownership of an asset such as an artwork or a collectible'.
The text message, which simply reads 'Merry Christmas', was sent from an Orbitel 901 handset back in December 1992.
Vodafone's director at the time, Richard Jarvis, received the 15-character message from engineer Neil Papworth, who was only 22 at the time and had been working on the company's short message service (SMS).
Vodafone are now selling a virtual replica of the text as an exclusive NFT, which will be available to buy in Ether cryptocurrency.
Richard Jarvis. Credit: Vodafone Group
It's expected to sell for around £170,000 ($225,000).
And it's all for a good cause, as the auction price of the text will be donated to the United Nations Refugee Agency.
Hannes Ametsreiter, a CEO at Vodafone, said: "We're bringing together the pioneering spirit of two centuries by immortalising the world's first SMS and auctioning it off for a good cause.
"We believed technology can change the world when it serves to connect people."
Ametrsreiter continued: "The transmission of this message nearly three decades ago was a decisive moment in the history of mobile technology.
"In 1999, seven years after the first SMS was sent via Vodafone, it was finally possible to send text messages over multiple networks, accelerating their use and popularity.
"Today greetings for Christmas, Hanukkah, and Eid are sent by billions of people around the world in the form of texts, videos, audio messages and emojis.
The buyer will pay for the NFT with Ether cryptocurrency. Credit: Alamy
"Without the very first 'Merry Christmas' sent to a cell phone, our world would be less connected today."
It feels only appropriate, then, to mark the anniversary of such a momentous occasion with a grand gesture like this where the old and new digital worlds collide.
Whoever wins the auction will receive the text as a digital file - which will also contain information on the sender and the recipient, such as their phone number.
The sale is set to take place in Paris on 21 December and is being organised by Aguttes Auction House.
Featured Image Credit: Vodafone Group
Topics: Cryptocurrency, Technology, Phones
NFT Of Twitter Founder's First Tweet Goes On Sale For $64 Million And Highest Bid Was Just $375
Schoolboy Creates £3 Million Cryptocurrency Empire After Learning To Code Aged 5
Huge asteroid set to hit earth's atmosphere tonight
Chris Martin stops Coldplay gig midway through song to ask crowd not to use cameras or phones


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Darren Fletcher of Man Utd a Positive Role Model for the Chronically Ill – by Rob Atkinson
For a Leeds United fan, yesterday's news that Man U had won 3-0 at their perennial rabbit team Aston Villa was hardly welcome or, in itself, inspiring. The two Uniteds from either side of the Pennines share a mutual loathing that has become legendary and transcends geographical proximity or considerations of direct rivalry, the normal prerequisites for a healthy hate-hate relationship. The fact that Leeds and the club I fondly refer to as the Pride of Devon are miles apart both in location and in status has not affected the poisonous depths of the antipathy between the two. We sing about them in terms of extreme dislike, they reciprocate in tones of mixed cockney and that characteristic West country burr. Neither set of fans would cross the road to save one of the enemy, by means of micturition, from a death by conflagration. It's been like that for years.
However, some things are more important than football's strife and conflict, on or off the field. The other news to emerge from Villa's capitulation was without doubt positive, welcome and a thing to be celebrated by anyone who loves football – indeed by anyone at all. It is the story of a young athlete with a glittering career before him who was struck down by a chronic and debilitating medical condition, yet who has overcome that awful setback to regain a place among his team-mates playing a highly demanding game at the top level.
Fletcher – back from the brink
Darren Fletcher made his senior bow for Man U in 2002 and performed with versatility and industry in midfield and defensive roles, depending on the requirements of his club, up until 2011 when he was finally struck down by the bowel condition ulcerative colitis, something he had been coping with whilst playing on – but which now necessitated rest and treatment. It was announced that Fletcher would take an extended break from football to address his problems and, obviously, there were fears in some quarters about whether he would be able to return to such a demanding way of making his living. Yet return he did, in September 2012, only to be then ruled out for the remainder of last season after undergoing an operation to lessen the effects of a condition which can have life-altering consequences depending on its severity and treatment. Last Saturday at Villa was Fletcher's second comeback – but this time it seems that the problem may have been overcome for the longer term.
Fletcher himself certainly believes that he is back to stay, having beaten his health problems. "This is it, I'm back for good," he told MUTV, the club's in house TV channel. "This (the Villa game) is hopefully the game which means I'm back now.
"I seem to have come through the setbacks and health issues and I'm thankful for that. It's onwards and upwards now. I always believed I would come back, I kept that mind-set. I think other people around me were trying to make me think otherwise, but I stayed strong and believed I would get back."
All football fans should be wishing Fletcher the best and hoping earnestly that he is right to be optimistic about the future. At 29, he still has a good part of his career ahead of him and, having shown the character and courage to overcome such a potentially demoralising and energy-sapping condition, he surely has much to give for club and also his country. As the captain of Scotland, his will be an example of determination and courage in adversity that many will look up to, especially those stricken with this or similar conditions at an early age as Fletcher was – and many who are suffering at much younger ages.
Fletcher appears to have fought his fight and won – something that will give hope to many thousands of people who might otherwise be tempted to succumb to a belief that their health problems will stop them from achieving their life goals. Darren Fletcher looks set fair to achieve much more in his career, adding to what is already a glittering trophy and medal haul. That he can do this despite such a serious setback is greatly to be admired. The positive example he might set to others is difficult to over-state, and to call him a role-model is no exaggeration. Good luck to him as he regains full fitness and resumes a career that must at one point have been in doubt. That is something which Darren Fletcher – to his eternal credit – has clearly never accepted.
Tagged Aston Villa F.C., chronic illness, club rivalry, comeback, courage, Darren Fletcher, Leeds United, Manchester United, Manchester United F.C., perseverance, positive example, recovery, role model, Scotland, surgery, ulcerative colitis
Happy 44th Birthday to Leeds Legend Simon Grayson – by Rob Atkinson
Simon Grayson – Leeds United legend
The happiest of happy birthdays today to Simon Grayson, the man who stands third in the ranks of all-time great United managers, surpassed only by longer-serving luminaries who brought the League Title itself to Elland Road.
Coming as he did to a once-great club at the very lowest ebb of its historical fortunes, Simon was the driving force behind the start of a Leeds revival that is still, slowly but surely, heading us back to the top-flight pastures we used to graze with such relish and assurance. The fact that we've had those dark League One days will, when we are back, make success taste all the sweeter. Simon Grayson is the figure in United's history who will forever be remembered as kick-starting that process – and delivering us a rare and treasured win at the Theatre of Hollow Myths into the bargain. To go to the home of the Champions as a third division side, to outplay them and out-fight them, to win by a goal that could so easily have stretched to a margin of three and to dismiss the Pride of Devon from the FA Cup – these are achievements that will write Grayson's name indelibly into Leeds United folklore.
Click here: Celebrating United's promotion – BBC interview
It must be remembered also that Grayson achieved all of this against a background of almost a decade of decline, with a demoralised support and a chairman who could charitably be described as "less than supportive". In an entertaining forum the other night, Simon and some of his colleagues from his time at Elland Road – well, let's say that they "lifted the lid" a little on his time as United manager, and on his relationship with the Chairman and various of Bates' cronies and dressing-room spies. The natural conclusion is that Grayson has finally received his financial entitlement from Leeds United and no longer feels confined by any "gagging order". I do hope that's the case. Simon was treated shabbily by the Bates-regime Leeds United, both in his tenure and in the manner of his departure. His is a dismissal I can't think of without regret – although it clearly has to be said that we have the right man for our times now.
Simon Grayson, 44 years old today and with a long managerial career still ahead of him, already has three League One promotions to his credit, and appears to be working on a fourth at Preston. Leeds fans should wish him nothing but well, may success crown his efforts at Deepdale, the home of a fine old club and a great name in English football. Should his path lead him back to the away dugout at Elland Road in the future, Simon Grayson should be assured of a warm welcome as befits a United legend.
Oh, and it's Dennis Wise's birthday too, 47 he is. Yeah. Happy birthday, Wisey.
Tagged Deepdale, Dennis Wise, Elland Road, Heroes, Leeds United, legends, managers, Preston North End, promotion, Simon Grayson


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Seasonal Truffles
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Queer Chocolatier: Unapologetically Indulgent
Thoughts on Pride from a Queer Chocolatier
Morgan Roddy · May 31, 2018
In the forty-nine years between the Stonewall Riots and today, the LGBTQIA2+ community has experienced wave upon wave of changes, from new letters of identities being included in our community acronym to the SCOTUS ruling in 2015 that same-sex marriage be federally recognized and from a reboot of Queer Eye and to black and brown stripes being sewn into the rainbow flag.
The month-long celebration of our queerness and trans*-ness in the heat of June sunshine has also changed from its inception. Some of the changes render Pride celebrations hardly recognizable from the early riots, yet much of the emotional outlets and connections remain as true to message as ever: "We're Here! We're Queer!"
My wife and I have attended three Pride marches in two states in the last three years. We weren't married during the first year we marched alongside one another under the brutal Indiana summer sun but, again thanks to SCOTUS, we wed later that same year. Indy Pride was extraordinary that year due to the outpouring of support in the face of the passing of RFRA--Religious Freedom Restoration Act--which was a blatant attempt to codify statewide discrimination against queer and trans* folx.
Hoosiers showed up in large numbers to surround us with love.
Cheri and I, before we were married, marching with Indy Feminists in the Indy Pride Parade in June 2015.
Living in Minneapolis for our first year of marriage allowed us to attend the Twin Cities Pride celebrations and, although we knew that it was the third-largest Pride parade outside of San Francisco and New York, we were in awe. It was truly a massive crush of humanity.
We relished in our open celebration of our love in a city that seems beyond accepting of queer folx.
My wife and I sharing a Pride-ful kiss at Twin Cities Pride in 2016.
Last year, my wife and I moved back to Muncie, Indiana and our small cadre of queer friends all attended Indy Pride together. Our group has folx ranging in age from 20s to 50s and Pride means different things to us individually as much as generationally. This was also the first Pride where I got to meet up with my aunt and her own queer crew.
Our return to Indy Pride in 2017, without marching in the parade this time.
Queer Chocolatier's First Pride
Queer Chocolatier first became #outandopenforbusiness last August, so this is the first Pride month for the business. As such, Cheri and I put lots of thought into how we want to celebrate the month with chocolate and transparency.
For the month of June--for Pride--I am going to return to my roots and celebrate this month with my Bittersweet Truffles. No rainbow truffles or glitter from Queer Chocolatier.
Bittersweet Truffles represent not only my beginnings as a chocolatier, but they represent pride in the quality of what I offer you as well as serving as a metaphor for the complicated feelings I have about Pride celebrations:
I am simultaneously critical of and hopeful for Pride.
Pride Critiques
As Pride has grown even more flashy and colorful, it still remains overwhelmingly white, racially-speaking. Recent Pride events across the nation also have increased their rapidly-growing corporate and police presence.
In part, this can be explained because of the organizing bodies that put the work into coordinating Pride events are also mostly white. Observing this isn't meant to be callous; it is a feat to put together such events but the amount of labor, including emotional labor, must be absolutely draining. For someone who is of lower income, or not able-bodied, or of an ethnic or racial minority, such labor may be simply too much to add to their own daily struggles of societal navigation.
In many instances, it is easy to see how today's version of Pride lacks resonance with queer and/or trans* persons of color as well as younger folx. QTPOC are more likely to have negative encounters with law enforcement than white queer and/or trans* folx. And, broadly speaking, our queer and/or trans* youth are savvy and critical of capitalism and conspicuous consumerism in a way that older generations are not. Both QTPOC and younger queer and trans* folx are at greater risk of economic, physical, and mental harm.
QTPOC
When the 2017 Columbus, Ohio Pride parade was blocked by Black Lives Matter protesters who were bringing to light the violence that QTPOC experience, some white organizers and participants were irate that the space was no longer made comfortable for them. Not only were they irate, they aggressively pursued charges against the Black Pride 4, thereby shining a harsh spotlight on the growing chasm between the middle-class white cis queers and QTPOC. There was a stark division on display during this parade and later at the Twin Cities parade, where protesters were quickly mobilized after the acquittal of the officer who killed Philando Castile; it is shameful that cities that have shown a lot of acceptance with queerness have not put in the labor to be as racially and ethnically inclusive.
It is especially shameful that this division is within our own house. Particularly as we owe Sylvia and Marsha a great debt for the roots of our month of celebration but we also demonstrate that we would likely kick them out of "our" space were they with us today. Pride organizers can and must do more to pass the mic and be inclusive.
Queer and/or Trans* Youth
A segment of our queer youth lack a connection with Pride because they haven't directly witnessed some of the ugly historic events firsthand. Possibly this could be a consequence of the success of society's acceptance of queer and trans* people. But I suspect our queer and trans* youth is sometimes leery of Pride because in part of the pervasive "Rainbow Marketing" corporatization and commercialization of the events.
For the longest time, queer and trans* folx weren't seen as market-worthy. More frequently, we were discriminated against before we even could show that some of us had money to spend; folx would have to remain in the closet when banking or purchasing a home or applying for work. Some still do since there are too many states that still have no legal protections for queer and/or trans* persons. When Pride parades are filled with corporate sponsors and employers touting their diverse workforce, some older queer and/or trans* people see this as progress because they remember a time that corporations willfully forgot that green ($$$) was a color in the rainbow.
However, the youth in our marginalized community are often crushed under the wheel of society's venomous "religious liberty" laws and are more concerned with finding a safe place to call home rather than which company is courting them for their disposable income. Our youth are still suffering from violent bullying, mental health issues, and lack of stability at home or work once they enter the job market. It is shallow to be excited over the next rainbow flavored or colored widget to buy when LGBTQIA2+ youth are 120% more likely to experience homelessness versus others.
These overlapping issues of race and class must be addressed in order for Pride to remain inclusive, relevant, and courageous.
Pride Praise
Pride is not without bright and shining moments that are praiseworthy. As an effort to listen to and address the concerns of QTPOC, some cities such as Minneapolis and Edmonton, Canada are adopting a policy that uniformed police officers are not allowed at the Pride events but police officers can instead participate out of uniform as members of the community. Whether this will fully tackle the dynamic between law enforcement and marginalized communities is not the question, but the steps taken in engaging with the community on their terms will hopefully bear fruit to show how we can reclaim our spaces.
Again, it cannot be overstated that Pride began as a riotous demonstration of visibility, dignity, and liberty.
As such, we cannot remain complacent in simply partying and shopping our way to full equality and justice in society. To that point, Anthony Niedwecki wrote in his piece in The Advocate earlier this month, "As we again feel that same boot of oppression crushing down on us and other minority communities, it is time for us to once again use our collective might in active defense of justice and equality." Pride, out of necessity, must be a political event and we need to do all we can collectively to engage one another so that we can more fully resist the oppression of dominant groups.
One way that folx are making a political statement is to throw Queerbomb events rather than participate in the mainstream Pride parades. Queerbomb Austin, for example, turns to crowdfunding instead of courting corporations for money to celebrate their queerness on their own terms, with promoting speakers such as a queer deaf community activist and sex workers' rights activists in 2018. In contrast, Pride events have arguably pursued palatability rather than authenticity.
I hope Pride can reclaim some of its defiant glory.
But perhaps out of some small measure of defiance, several communities throughout the country organized their first Pride events for 2018. Rural spaces and small towns often are challenging places for queer and/or trans* folx to be visible and free. When communities come together to launch their own Pride parade, without the flash and slick advertising found in LGBTQIA2+ meccas, the main thing on display is courage. Columbus, IN, home of the (in)famous Mike Pence, celebrated Pride in April of 2018 based on the hard work and organization of a bisexual high school student. Southern Illinois is also having its first Pride event this year, with much of its efforts on supporting the rural LGBTQ youth who struggle with isolation and rejection more than their counterparts throughout the country.
DIY Pride events aren't limited to small towns throwing their first celebration. The National Women's Soccer League recognizes Pride as a meaningful event for its players and fans, however, one team regularly holds out. The Washington Spirit owner, Bill Lynch, is a person who holds conservative political views and projects them regularly over his team and its operations, in ways that include not only dismissing Pride events but also in thwarting visiting team's star Megan Rapinoe's national anthem protest by unilaterally deciding to play the anthem while both soccer clubs were in their locker rooms. As a result, fans create their own Pride Night events as a way to push back against an owner of a club they feel doesn't represent their voice.
Still Proud
When queer and trans folx have adversity to face, we can galvanize to push back and boldly make a statement. But, when we have reached a certain level of "tolerance" or "acceptance" from society, we tend to forget that while some of our struggles have lessened, others in our family are still at risk of great harm.
As a businessqueer, I am proud of being visible but I recognize it isn't easy for all of us to be so. Founding Queer Chocolatier has given me a platform. For others, Pride may be their platform and for others still, there may not be a platform to be had.
For me, to remember the current challenges and risks faced by the most marginalized in our community is also to remember the recent and historical struggles our community faced. Our liberation must be for our most vulnerable.
We need to continue to remember our roots. We need to return to our basics. We need to return to unapologetic love. And I can do that while still being proud.
Let me know how you feel about Pride, our community, and Queer Chocolatier. What would you want to see from our business to stand in solidarity with queer and/or trans* folx in our community?
And let me know how you would like to join me in solidarity. Because Pride is about all of us and it is political. And we can't make it in this world without each other.
Tags: Pride, Pride month, queer small business owner, Queer Chocolatier, queer women, QTPOC, youth, claim your space, riot, queerbomb, celebration, parade, community, praise, critique, same-sex marriage, Indiana, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, Pride parades, Bittersweet, defiant, Megan Rapinoe, unapologetic, solidarity, inclusion, political
Queer Finances: Should Queers Have Their Own Credit Union?
Morgan Roddy · November 9, 2017
Queer folk can face discrimination at banking institutions. Is it time for queers to have their own credit union?
If you subscribe to my monthly newsletter, you'll notice that I include a section that I adorably call "News Bites": a curated list of news and media pieces related to chocolate and/or the queer/trans* community. November's issue of the Cocoa Communiqué contained a piece from Forbes (though the original interview was a podcast episode from Queer Money(TM)) and it asked the question: "Should the queer community have its own credit union?"
Dozens of internal responses engaged immediately in a mental traffic jam, desperately trying to nudge their way past another to get out first.
I'm queer and I have some thoughts about how I would like my personal and business finances handled.
I used to be a stockbroker and have a certain amount of financial and economic professional knowledge.
I have an advanced degree in sociology and tend to think about systemic issues, such as the economy and LGBTQIA2+ communities.
Hence, this blog post.
Do I think the queer community should have a credit union of its own? Yes.
The original interview between Phillip Endicott (who is attempting to launch a queer credit union: Equality Credit Union) and John and David, the hosts of Queer Money (TM), contained some references to data that were interesting and, on the face, very convincing:
"In 29 states, you can get married and be denied a home loan because of who you are, how you live and who you love,"
Endicott struggles with the notion that LGBTQ people are "considered wealthy and well-off when, in fact, we're struggling financially." He continues, "We've been adversely affected by all the years of fighting for equality and acceptance."
Endicott says, "We've been fighting the HIV/AIDS crisis. We've been fighting for marriage equality and equality in general. We've been fighting for our rights for so many years.
However, I think there were elements of homogenizing the homos to make a point.
It is true that there have long been battles that the queer community has waged, but some of those battles have been labeled as "LGBTQ issues" instead of what they might have been more accurately described as "cis white gay men" issues. And that's problematic.
Demographics of Wealth and Homeownership
Discrimination of any sort is wrong, particularly when it leads to a barrier preventing financial betterment. In Endicott's reference of discrimination at the bank when applying for a home loan, the only folks who might be shocked or find themselves seeking pearls to clutch are white folks.
People of color (PoC) have long been denied home ownership, which has led to a staggering generational wealth discrepancy between white households and non-white households.
"In 2009, a representative survey of American households revealed that the median wealth of white families was $113,149 compared with $6,325 for Latino families and $5,677 for black
— Shapiro, Meschede, and Osoro. 2013. IASP Research and Policy Brief.
These figures are before any consideration is taken regarding sexual orientation, but we can cautiously extrapolate this to mean PoC who identify as LGBTQIA2+ are multiply marginalized and increasingly less likely to enter into homeownership due to discrimination and socioeconomic barriers and, thus, lose out on the biggest wealth generator in our economy.
"Discrimination was pervasive throughout the entire sample, yet the combination of anti-transgender bias and persistent, structural racism was especially devastating. People of color in general fare worse than white participants across the board, with African-American transgender respondents faring worse than all others in many areas examined"
— Grant, Jaime M., Lisa A. Mottet, Justin Tanis, Jack Harrison, Jody L. Herman, and Mara Keisling. Injustice at Every Turn: A Report of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey. Washington: National Center for Transgender Equality and National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, 2011.
Trans* folks were surveyed and found to have a homeownership rate of less than half of the general population (32% compared to 67%).
To layer on an additional challenge that is far too frequently ignored, our aging LGBTQIA2+ folx are being crushed by our nation's economic machinations. According to a 2014 report by SAGE, our queer/trans* elders are facing "adverse differential treatment against older same-sex couples seeking housing in senior living facilities" and "this report attests to the role that discrimination plays in worsening this housing instability among LGBT elders."
"Housing instability affects millions of LGBT older people around the country, many of whom face severe financial hardship, challenges with employment and unequal treatment under the law."
— SAGE and ERC Documents Discrimination against Older Same-Sex Couples. 2014.
Sexual orientation and gender identity minorities face housing and banking discrimination, but PoC and the elderly are suffering disproportionately when compared with younger and white cis gay males.
As a small favor, I will begrudgingly leave out the rural/urban divide that can also be layered onto this verbal model I'm outlaying! You're welcome!
Queer Financial Struggles
It is also true that the queer community struggles with the duality of being stereotyped as having gobs of money to spend while also not actually having a strong financial situation or outlook. But this might be simply because of lumping folx together who have vastly different experiences and levels of privilege.
According to Experian's 2012 survey, married or partnered gay men have the best financial partnership out of any possible couplings. The average annual household income for such pairings is approximately $116k while married or partnered heterosexual men household earned nearly $22k less, on average.
"When it comes to individual income, gay and straight men may earn roughly the same amount, but married or partnered gay men personally take home nearly $8,000 more, on average, than their straight counterparts. "
— Experian. 2012. "Understanding Your Customer."
In a clumsy attempt to compare the venerable apples-to-apples, Experian's survey also referenced that lesbians--single or married/partnered--earn more than straight women, but all this does is muddy the waters surrounding the wage gap between men and women, regardless of sexual orientation.
This is not to be dismissive of the financial challenges faced by straight, unmarried women but rather point out that the notion of a cis white gay man saying "we're struggling financially" while sitting atop the financial mountain falls flat.
Yay! Queers can get married! Now what? wait, where'd you go, gay guys???
When trans* PoC are being murdered at terrifying rates, with 2017 already surpassing the number of such murders in the previous year, planning nuptials isn't at the forefront of their minds for causes worthy of fighting. Whereas, cis white gay men have the majority of the same socioeconomic and political privileges as their straight counterparts, the main thing they lacked in terms of institutional access was in the ability to legally marry their partners. Thus, the cause célèbre of same-sex marriage was born.
This is not to say that other queer/trans* folx didn't benefit from being able to marry whomever they unapologetically loved, but consider that there has been a deafening silence from cis white gay men on a myriad of social justice and civil rights issues after they won their SCOTUS ruling. The amount of capital (social and financial) gay men initially had to invest in the cause of same-sex marriage had a tremendous return; but where are they now?
The backlash against queer/trans* being given a modicum of equality has led to a more focused attack on our community, particularly the trans* community, with a rash of so-called bathroom bills and preventative measures against enacting the passage of hate crime bills.
Gay cis white men need to use their access and privilege to help build a safer and more just environment for the most marginalized in our community before trying to win over our support for a new cause célèbre of wanting a credit union.
Do I think queers should have a credit union for our community? Yes. Credit unions serve communities and we are a community that has unique financial conditions. But a queer credit union does not need to be led by cis gay white men and it does not need to come into existence through the exploitation of the marginalized socio-economic and political contexts of those in the LGBTQIA2+ community who do not share in such privileges.
Tags: finances, queer, lgbtqia2+, credit union, forbes, trans*, socioeconomic, discrimination, aging, surveys, political, privilege, injustice, same-sex marriage, cis white gay men, lesbians, married, unmarried, partnered, homeownership, wealth, systemic, community