text:
The Beginning: Krusnell on fulfilling a dream
To the millions watching at home, the chance of playing in the Premier League is a dream lived by few.
While children grow up around the globe using jumpers for goalposts imaging that one day they will be walking out in front of a packed stadium, it's a reality few get to savour.
In this week's edition of the 'The Beginning' Sam Lightle speaks to second-year scholar Oscar Krusnell about his cultural switch to Wearside from Sweden.
After growing up in Stockholm, Krusnell started playing football aged five and was later scouted to play for his boyhood club AIK.
It was a dream come true for the vibrant youngster, who was fulfilling a lifelong family goal, but it didn't last long…
The Swede moved to Sunderland ahead of the 2015-16 U18 Premier League campaign along with fellow countryman Joel Asoro.
And as Asoro continues to raise eyebrows in the first-team, Krusnell admits to play for AIK was fantastic, but the draw of the English Premier League is an opportunity too big to turn down.
"It was unreal for me because until the moment I got the chance to play for AIK, I never thought it would be possible. My dad, granddad and my family are huge AIK fans so it was a proud moment, and when I got my first training kit my dad used to take loads of photos," he smiled.
"AIK was a dream when I was little but playing in the Premier League is the biggest thing you can do and that has always been in the back of my mind.
"It was hard to leave AIK and my family in Stockholm but to leave for England wasn't because it's where I have always wanted to be," he continued.
"I love England's culture and to be given the chance to play in the Premier League has been a dream since I started playing football.
"I never thought that would come true until a couple of years ago, Joel has done it and it just shows how close we are now."


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Alejandra Betancur: "Our goal is to inspire future generations to build the road, dream and achieve"
Little did Alejandra Betancur know when she picked up an oval ball for the first time that it would lead to her captaining Colombia on the biggest stage of all, at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Alejandra Betancur agreed to give rugby union a try primarily as an attempt to get some peace, but 12 years later the sport gave her the platform on which to live out her Olympic dream.
Betancur was a 17-year-old student at the Universidad de Antioquia (UDEA) in Medellin, Colombia, in 2004 when she was approached by the coach of the university's women's team.
He was adamant the youngster should pick up an oval ball, and six months later – "after so much insisting" – she relented and attended a training session.
"That day was a life-changer," Betancur said.
"I felt joy and freedom running with a ball in my hand. The best was at the end of that training run I felt as if I belonged. That feeling of sisterhood kept me in the game."
It was the start of a career that would hit a highpoint in 2016 when Betancur captained Colombia at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, having led the team to the CONSUR Women's Sevens Championship title the previous June.
The Olympic dream
Colombia would go on to lose each of their five games in Rio but rubbing shoulders with world-class athletes from different sports and backgrounds left a mark.
Asked to describe her experience in Brazil, Betancur replied: "The most marvellous in my life.
"You don't know what it will be like until you are in the Olympic Village surrounded by star athletes, awestruck at times, bumping into them in the dining room.
"That is the moment you realise you are part of the elite who worked hard to be at a Games and made it.
"Once you are playing, the feeling is unique. Each ball, each tackle are good memories for me. They remind me of all the work we did in Colombia, fighting against everything to be there, to be playing, to be free."
Leading her country against Australia, Fiji and USA at the Deodoro Stadium was an honour for Betancur, but one that came with its own challenges.
"My predecessors [as captain] had set the bar very high and I took over a team with big changes and challenges," she said.
Inspiring future generations
"It took the best out of me at times, it made me hate myself at times and made me think hard.
"Thanks to those moments, I managed to change, put the team ahead of my personal needs and that in turn made me a better person. It was certainly one of my best personal experiences."
Betancur believes competing in Rio gave women's rugby in Colombia a "popularity platform", and she is determined to ensure that her country's appearance on the global stage is not a one-off.
"There and then [in Rio] I realised how clear our goal was – to inspire future generations to build the road, dream and achieve," she said.
Chief among her aspirations is to help push the case for South America to be given an automatic qualifying spot for future 15s Women's Rugby World Cups.
No South American team has ever played at a Women's Rugby World Cup and that will not change in 2021 when Canada and USA will again fly the flag for the Americas.
Betancur believes that a tangible path towards WRWC qualification is needed to help drive standards and swell female player numbers in Colombia and other South American countries.
Transforming society with rugby
"We face many big challenges, but the biggest is to increase the player pool, which we are doing year after year," said Betancur, Sudamérica Rugby's female representative on the World Rugby Council.
"Yet, we need to increase the number of competitions and have as many as the men. The hope is that in the future we will have a direct window to the Women's Rugby World Cup which will in turn allow us to generate more and better 15s competition, creating history on the continent."
Betancur admits it could take more than a decade to get to a point when South America has a defined pathway to WRWC qualification, but she is confident the game in Colombia can have an impact on the country's wider society, starting with more females being appointed to leadership roles within the sport.
"I believe in a game that in a few years will be jointly led by men and women. I believe in Executive Committees with women working in them," she said.
"I hope that unions and federations will support the development of women's rugby and 15s rugby, which will allow us to have more chances to play for a place in the Women's Rugby World Cup.
"Hopefully, in 10 years' time I will be able to look back and know we managed to inspire people and helped transform society with rugby, building roads all together.
"In 15 years I hope to have already stopped playing but have that pathway to the Women's Rugby World Cup for South America."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Home / Articles / Ten Palestinians murdered before death of three Israelis announced
Ten Palestinians murdered before death of three Israelis announced
Empowering Weak & Oppressed
Ramadan 03, 1435 2014-07-01
Zionist killing of Palestinians is so routine that it hardly evokes any reaction anywhere, least of all in the racist Western media and the equally racist Western governments. When the bodies of three Israeli squatters were discovered in the West Bank, all hell broke loose but before that, at least 10 Palestinians among them a 7-year-old and 15-year-old Palestinian youth were already murdered by the zionist occupiers.
Amman, Crescent-online
Tuesday July 01, 2014, 15:57 DST
Palestinian lives do no matter, as far as the racist zionists are concerned. Ten Palestinians were murdered, among them a 7-year-old and 15-year-old, in the West Bank over the last two weeks because three Israeli teenage settlers had gone missing.
Their bodies were discovered on June 30 leading Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare that he would "avenge" their death. He singled out the resistance group Hamas for his murderous wrath.
Dozens of Palestinian homes were demolished during the same period while the Zionist occupiers kidnapped more than 570 Palestinians among them lawmakers and other leading figures of Palestinian society, all because three Zionist illegal settlers had gone missing.
They should not have been in the West Bank in the first place. It is illegally occupied territory that is being invaded by Zionist squatters, illegal immigrants from North America and Europe.
Israeli planes have already bombed the besieged Gaza Strip where 1.7 million Palestinians have been put on a starvation diet. Very little food, much needed medicines or building material is allowed to enter the Gaza Strip.
As if not to be outdone in racism, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said today that the Israeli army should launch a ground and air offensive against Gaza. He need not have bothered; Zionist occupation forces are already gearing up for an assault on the besieged enclave despite Hamas' announcement that it had nothing to do with the teens' kidnapping.
Hamas is right; its power resides in Gaza, not on the West Bank that is under the control of the Palestinian Authority lorded over by Mahmoud Abbas, the US-zionist puppet. Abbas is a paid agent of the Americans and zionists and he does their bidding.
While the zionists believe any harm to Zionist squatters is illegal, Israeli minister for military affairs Moshe Yaalon has vowed to continue kidnapping Palestinian resistance fighters.
Israeli warplanes have also conducted a dozen air strikes in central and southern Gaza over the past few days.
As a result of Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip since 2007, the 1.7 million Palestinians have been kept on a starvation diet. More than 95 percent of Palestinians are food deficient according to UN statistics.
There are also more than 6,000 Palestinians held in Israeli prison in what is referred to administrative detention. What this means is that a Palestinian is arrested and held without charge or trial for six months.
At the end of the six-month period, the detention order is extended for another six months. This has resulted in thousands of Palestinians being held without charge or trial for years.
In protest over these illegal detention orders, hundreds of Palestinians have gone on hunger strike that ended only a few days ago.
All of this is considered perfectly normal but when three Israeli teenagers disappear and are found dead some days later, then all Palestinians must pay the price for this. Has it been established as to who was responsible for their deaths?
PalestiniansZionist crimesWest Bank
Israel poisoning West Bank with nuclear and toxic waste, say Palestinians
Our Own Correspondent
Zionists surpass the Nazis in crime
Hamas leading Palestinians against all enemies
Politicians talk about economics in West Bank while Ghazzans prepare for another attack
Ahmad Musa
Jumada' al-Ula' 27, 1429 2008-06-01


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Q: plyr + simpleboot: NA in probability vector I am using simplebootpackage (https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/simpleboot/index.html) to obtain confidence intervals.
This is my function:
lb_weighted_median_dplyr <- function(x,v) {
  set.seed(1234)
  b <- one.boot(x, weights = v, FUN = function(x,w) matrixStats::weightedMedian(x, w = v, na.rm = TRUE), R = 100, student = FALSE)
  round(perc(b, 0.025), 0)
}

What the function does is to calculate the lower bound of the confidence interval when I run
ddply(wage_by_gender_2015, .(sex,region), summarise, FUN = lb_weighted_median_dplyr(wage, exp_region))

Where wage is a numeric column and exp_region is another numeric column that contains weights.
I don't have data for some regions, therefore the function fails with some regions and returns
Error in eval(substitute(expr), envir, enclos) : NA in probability vector

How can I bypass that error and obtain NA as the lower bound for a region without data?
A dplyr equivalent approach that also returns NA in probability vector is
grouped <- group_by(wage_by_gender_2015, sex, region)
dplyr::summarise(grouped, FUN = lb_weighted_median_dplyr(wage, exp_region))

Relevant sample of the data here: http://users.dcc.uchile.cl/~mvargas/casen/wage_by_gender_2015.RData

A: wage_by_gender_2015 <- data.frame(sex    = rep(c("male", "female"),100),
                                  region = rep(c("north", "south", "east",
                                                 "west"), 50),
                                  exp_region = abs(rnorm(100)),
                                  wage       = abs(rnorm(100))
)

wage_by_gender_2015$exp_region[10] <- NA
ddply(wage_by_gender_2015, .(sex,region), summarise, FUN = lb_weighted_median_dplyr(wage, exp_region))

 Error in sample.int(length(x), replace = TRUE, ...) :    NA in probability vector

# impute
wage_by_gender_2015$exp_region <- RRF::na.roughfix(wage_by_gender_2015$exp_region)

ddply(wage_by_gender_2015, .(sex,region), summarise, FUN = lb_weighted_median_dplyr(wage, exp_region))

    sex region FUN
1 female  south   0
2 female   west   0
3   male   east   1
4   male  north   0

As mentioned in the comment I would've used your sample data but it was missing sex.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
'use strict';

var gulp = require('gulp');
var lazypipe = require('lazypipe');
var jshint = require('gulp-jshint');
var stylish = require('jshint-stylish');
var watch = require('gulp-watch');
var plumber = require('gulp-plumber');
var config = require('../config');

var jshintTasks = lazypipe()
  .pipe(plumber)
  .pipe(jshint, '.jshintrc')
  .pipe(jshint.reporter, stylish);

/**
 * Watch and run .js files through jshint
 */
gulp.task('jshint', function taskJSHint() {
  return gulp.src(config.jshint.glob)
    .pipe(jshintTasks());
});

/**
 * Watch and run .js files through jshint
 */
gulp.task('jshint:watch', function taskJSHint() {
  watch(config.jshint.glob, {
    name: 'jshint-changed',
    emitOnGlob: true,
    emit: 'one'
  }, function (files) {
    return files
      .pipe(jshintTasks());
  });

});

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Worst 20 Singles of 2020
In a year of tremendous turmoil, music served for many as an escape, as a comfort in times of despair. As we come to the end of 2020, we are able to reflect on the tracks that got us through these hard times. And within the coming days, we will certainly do this.
As is tradition, myself and my good friend Zackary Kephart (of The Musical Divide and Country Universe) count down our least favorite singles of the year. As a broad comment, this year was not so much a horrible one for mainstream country as it was uninspiring. New artists come out of the woodwork with generic word salads while the usual culprits remain in standard form. There will be ample celebration of the highlights, but for now, here are the 20 worst radio singles of the year that was 2020.
Little Big Town, "Wine, Beer, Whiskey"
As someone who will gladly defend Little Big Town's Nightfall album, this is the most disappointing entry, for me. Beyond just being a clunky, sloppily mixed single where Jimi Westbrook's performance is beyond over-the-top, it's a sour drinking song that was only released as a summer single to try and salvage the band's momentum in an otherwise tough time. In other words, Capitol Nashville has no idea to market them anymore, and the sooner the band escapes into the night, the better we'll all be for it - especially when, again, Nightfall houses some of their best work; this just ain't it. - Zackary Kephart
Kelsea Ballerini, "hole in the bottle"
I do think that Kelsea Ballerini has made strides artistically since the "Dibs" days, but I do not think that is represented by this track. I think the production grates and the melody feels jarring, and I don't think it suits her somewhat limited vocal range. It just doesn't have much to say and what it does, it doesn't do well. - Markus Meyer
Dylan Scott, "Nobody"
I'm not convinced that Dylan Scott has ever had an original thought. I'm not sure what the point of this is. I'm not sure what the point of any of his singles are. He's a perfectly capable vocalists that exaggerates for no reason, and does so on top of production and songwriting copy-pasted from every other crappy top 20 hit from a white guy with a silly haircut. I just don't see any appeal. - MM
Jason Aldean, "Got What I Got"
To be frank, Jason Aldean just does not have the skillset to pull this off. He's too inherently mad to do slowed down, sexy songs. Sometimes his anger works! It just doesn't here, and it's incredibly awkward to listen to. The production feels a little clunky and it makes for a weird listen that gets worse with time. - MM
Robert Counts, "What Do I Know"
You don't know this guy, and given how there are only around 4,593 new, generic male artists that enter the fray every year, I can't say I blame you. The production and performance leans into Jason Aldean's worst tendencies of being a dark, overly serious, angry song, where the sentiment just feels misplaced all around. It's macho posturing at its worst, and while this type of attitude is, unfortunately, a prevalent philosophy for certain country fans, it doesn't represent the genre at its absolute best, thankfully. What do I know? I know this sucks. - ZK
Dustin Lynch, "Momma's House"
I'm sorry but what is there left to say about this guy. He's completely content just phoning it in, even though I'm not convinced anyone cares about his music anymore. This isn't actually one of his more offensive lyrics but he ruins it with his siganture slathering of autotune and production that sounds like a computer breaking down. Obligatory reference to "Cowboys and Angels" and what a letdown he's been since. - MM
Easton Corbin, "Turn Up"
Remember when, in 2015, Easton Corbin released a dated bro-country project in About to Get Real? Well, he's basically doing the same thing again in 2020 with "Turn Up," and this time around, it's like a living incarnation of that Steve Buscemi "how do you do, fellow kids?" meme. "Let's turn up and get lit like the kids do, my fellow lady friend!" - ZK
Lee Brice, "One of Them Girls"
I'm usually a big defender of Lee Brice. I think he's one of the good guys and unlike many of his peers, he has some legit vocal talent. It just baffles me how big this was. It's just middle-of-the-road fluff about his girl, who just so happens to apparently be the exact same as eveyr other girl described on country radio. It's completely unmemorable in every way. Bud light labels and hometowns and parties. Good one! Waste of talent. - MM
Florida Georgia Line, "Long Live"
Whew … I mean, Cledus T. Judd and Weird Al couldn't have written a better Florida Georgia Line parody, I tell you. Wait, you're telling me this is an actual Florida Georgia Line single? Oh, my. In all seriousness, what analysis must one offer to explain why their sixty-millionth song in this bro-country vein is bad? It just speaks for itself sometimes. - ZK
Parmalee feat. Blanco Brown, "Just the Way"
Songwriting by committee, almost literally. There's no chemistry here between the two acts desperately yearning for relevancy on this tired, predictable schlock, derivative of the worst traits "boyfriend country" has had to offer so far. Also, my fellow dudes, we really need to retire the whole "God made this woman just for me" trope – it's not nearly as endearing as you think it is, coming from, again, a fellow dude. Why is this even a duet? Are they really sharing the same woman? - ZK
Sam Hunt, "Hard to Forget"
Believe it or not, I don't dislike Sam Hunt's music solely for its lack of a "country" sound – it's just bad, no matter how you cut it. The Webb Pierce sample isn't innovative, though it gives Sam Hunt one of the few decent melodies he's ever had. But the song is just a mess, from the brighter, chipper tones – bolstered by a sing-a-long toward the end, no less - that contradict the otherwise dour theme, to the mix of chintzy-sounding drum machines and guitars that clash with the fiddle and dobro. It isn't nearly the worst song off Southside, or even Hunt's worst single. But it's his most bizarre, and it absolutely deserves its place here. - ZK
Dan + Shay, "I Should Probably Go to Bed"
The schtick is old. "Tequila" was really good and everything since has sounded identical. There is zero substantive difference between this and "Speechless" and "All to Myself" and "10,000 Hours". Find something new to talk about! They have immense vocal talent but you can only do the exact same song so many times. Beyond boring and unoriginal, to the point where it's infuriating. It's also 0% country, but that ship sailed long ago. - MM
Keith Urban, "God Whispered Your Name"
I'm copying and pasting my blurb from "Just The Way" to reiterate to my fellow dudes that, y'all, God isn't cranking out women in Heaven's factory for us. Otherwise, this has to be the most painfully boring entry on this list, hampered by a lack of real groove or melody and only made worse by Keith Urban's twee, saccharine delivery. It's the embodiment of boyfriend country at its absolute worst, which, at that level, is basically a NyQuil replacement. - ZK
Luke Bryan, "One Margarita"
To some extent, you have to commend Luke Bryan for not even trying to hide it. He knows he'll make millions off stuff like this and he just keeps cranking it out. A blatant grift with diminishing returns. It's annoying as all hell, is not fun to listen to, and isn't saying anything Bryan hasn't done 1000 times already. Sad but not surprising, and for my money the worst thing released in 2020. - MM
Kane Brown, "Cool Again"
Just so grating and a poor represenation of Brown's abilities. Same old same old. He misses loving this girl in the summer. Cheap pop production. No one will remember this in two years. Not much more to say that hasn't been repeated throughout these entries because they're all the exact same. Rather pointless. - MM
Darius Rucker, "Beers and Sunshine"
Here's the thing – most of these are bad singles by equally bad artists. Darius Rucker, though? He's got a great voice, and while his material has always been more inconsistent than I'd prefer, it's never been as bad as "Beers & Sunshine." Beyond that God-awful hook that Blake Shelton already proved wasn't all that funny more than a decade ago, it's another summer single with some of the most dour, contradicting production I've heard all year. Even Rucker doesn't sound like he cares, like this was just an attempt at releasing a vapid ode to escapism during the pandemic. A sad case, indeed, and "B.S." of another variety. - ZK
Cole Swindell, "Single Saturday Night"
Cole Swindell has the occasional good track but man, when he's bad he is bad. His vocal talent is already so limited and it really stands out here. Not even remotely catchy and the production is laughably bad and sloppy. From an artist who is usually mediocre, this is a truly awful and anger-inducing effort. - MM
Niko Moon, "Good Time"
I don't really know who Niko Moon is and I do not care to find anything else out. He appears to have no actual ability and it sounds like a parody song. If you can't tell, it's about having a good time, so it's a pretty creative track. I expect we won't be hearing from him again when he's replaced by generic white bro #4632 next week, but my goodness this is just embarrassing. Hopefully if we ignore it'll just go away. - MM
Walker Hayes, "Trash My Heart"
This has to be Walker Hayes' last bid for radio airplay, and if so, good riddance. I will not miss your half-assed, half-spoken delivery devoid of any charisma, your word choice that, like Easton Corbin, often embodies that aforementioned Steve Buscemi meme, or your God-awful, clunky-as-Hell production. He constantly echos the word "trash" throughout this song, and if that doesn't speak for itself, I don't know what does. - ZK
Florida Georgia Line, "I Love My Country"
I'll be blunt, if my blurbs for these scream as half-assed, it's because I just did not have the energy for most mainstream country singles this year – the ones that were hits, at least. It's a genre that prides itself on speaking to real life problems, but this year, all country radio had to offer was either boring-as-fuck boyfriend country, which we've discussed here already, or bro-country revivals aimed at taking attention away from the global pandemic.
Look, I don't begrudge anyone who needed more than a bit of escapism this year. But there were way better options than this, from singles that didn't become chart hits to quite a bit of music found beyond one's radio dial. Another way of saying that, to me, nothing this year quite spoke to that disconnect than Florida Georgia Line's "I Love My Country." Most people noticed it ripped off Kane Brown's "Short Skirt Weather"; my mind immediately thought of Chris Young's "Raised on Country." Either way, you've heard this song from this duo before, a tepid attempt at recapturing any former glory they once had. "Cruise" forever defines their legacy, and, as far as the music goes, proves that they haven't able to be much more than frat-bros partying it up with not a care in the world, at least, you know, in song. Moreover, "I Love My Country" is another shot for them to denounce their critics through their feigned "authenticity," and speaking as one, I just didn't care. I collectively found most mainstream singles disappointing and boring this year; this was just bad. - ZK
Single Review: Darius Rucker- "Homegrown Honey"
My expectations weren't exactly high going into this one. I mean, how much good could possibly come from a song titled "Homegrown Honey"? And yet, Rucker still managed to deliver a failure of epic proportions.
This is a disaster on all fronts, but the lyrics stick out as especially terrible. Listen, as poorly written and mind numbingly stupid as lots of material from the likes of Florida Georgia Line and Thomas Rhett is, at least they make it seem relatable. They're young. They sell it from that viewpoint. When Darius sings it, it comes as off as creepy. The man is 48-years-old. 48! And he's singing "I dig the way that you move"? I know you're not supposed to judge the music off the artists themselves, but this is just unacceptable.
The production and melody are just as bad. Yes there's banjo, yes there's fiddle, but sounding country does not always equate to being good. From a sonic standpoint, "Homegrown Honey" is grating, while the melody is choppy and jarring.
I like Darius an artist. He has delivered some quality songs on multiple occasions. But nothing about this single is good, and should the rest of his upcoming album be anything close to similar, I will not be picking it up.
Listen: "Homegrown Honey"
Hello folks, and welcome to the 2nd annual This Is Country Music 20 Worst Singles of 2014 list. This year, in addition to myself and sabre14, we have Pulse Music Board member zack97 contributing to our list. Without further ado, here are the twenty worst radio singles of 2014, as voted on by TICM contributors. Stay tuned for our Best Of list, coming soon!
Little Big Town, "Day Drinking"
After "Your Side Of The Bed" and "Sober" under performed at radio, it was obvious that Little Big needed something upbeat and fun in the vein of "Pontoon" to catapult themselves back into top five territory. With that we have "Day Drinking". This song is lazy and annoying, the whistles throughout make it hard to enjoy, and do we really need more songs about how fun drinking is? It's an overdone topic as is, throw in a grating production and you have a mess of a single. - zack97
Darius Rucker, "Homegrown Honey"
While "Homegrown Honey" was already a dull, unoriginal song to begin with, what makes it even worse is the fact that it's such a blatant attempt to return to radio after "Miss You" bombed. Bro-country is dead dude, get with the times. "Ooo, I dig the way that you move" is an embarrassing line. *sigh* - Markus Meyer
The Band Perry, "Chainsaw"
While "Chainsaw" is fairly unoffensive upon first listen, it grows worse upon each listen. When The Band Perry is on their game, they're interesting, and they hold up after repeated listens. "Chainsaw" is neither, it's boring, and it's grating. - MM
Eric Paslay, "Song About A Girl"
This song spends three and a half minutes telling you what this song is not about but at the same time never going in depth about what the song "is" about. I'm sorry but Eric's song about "nothing", or at least nothing we haven't heard a million times before about a heartbreak queen rockin' the jeans before, if you ask me, and one I wish was never a single. - sabre14
Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood, "Somethin' Bad"
I expect better from both of these two. Lambert and Underwood have produced some of the most compelling material of the past five years, and this is what we get from their duet? Disappointing. This is all style, no substance, it's loud for the sake of being loud, and worst of all, it's pointless. Somethin' bad indeed. - MM
Sam Hunt, "Leave the Night On"
This song shouldn't even qualify for the worst "country" song. It's anything but country. If you called it pop or R&B, then you'd be right. Now, I'm no staunch traditionalist, but come on. A line has to be drawn somewhere. The lyrics are nothing special either, just a song about a guy who is spending all night with a girl, hmm, where have we heard that before? Evolution of country? Please.
- zack97
Brantley Gilbert / Justin Moore / Thomas Rhett, "Small Town Throwdown"
This obnoxious piece of trash is easily the worst song on what was an otherwise brilliant album in Just As I Am. It's cliched, it's loud, and Thoma Rhett sounds terrible with his exaggerated twang. No thanks. - MM
Maggie Rose, "Girl In Your Truck Song"
Maggie, why? When you put out three dynamite songs out to radio that barely make a dent with them its frustrating. So she thought that combining the names of a lot of famous "bro country" hits("Thats My Kind Of Night", "Chillin' It", etc.) would be a great idea. Unfortunately for her, this song doesn't work at all, largely due to the fact that the lyrics are lazy and stupid. Seriously Maggie. get on Maddie & Tae's side. At least they mentioned the bro songs cleverly and stood up for the females. - zack97
Florida Georgia Line feat. Luke Bryan, "This Is How We Roll"
With this song came the same song and dance (literally) with FGL. A catchy melody but God awful lyrics. The overproduction is nothing new with them but the rapping by Tyler during the one of the song's verses was (on radio at least) and easily the worst part of the song. - sabre14
Rascal Flatts, "Payback"
Sure, Rascal Flatts have had some bad singles over the years, but this one takes the cake. Gary LeVox sounds laughably bad here, as does everything else about this obnoxious, immature, and just plain bad "song". Apparantely country radio agreed, as it missed the top 20. You're better than this guys. - MM
Jason Aldean, "Burnin' It Down"
The only country sounding thing to me in "Burnin' It Down" is Jason's vocals. This is more Pop than Kelleigh's song which is saying something. The production has more of a Hip-Hop and R&B feel than a country one. The lyrics are another look away moment. There's nothing "offensive" or "taboo" about saying "Naked in my bed". But the reason most don't use it, is because it sounds, well, stupid. Probably my least favorite Aldean song but most obviously disagree as it topped the Mediabase and Billboard charts for multiple weeks... - sabre14
Kelleigh Bannen, "Famous"
I know country radio is trending more into the Pop sound as time goes on but "Famous" takes it to a new level. The chorus made me though I had tuned into a Hot AC station when it first came on the radio. Quite the change from Kelleigh's country sounds on her first single, "Sorry On The Rocks". Kelleigh has immense talent but "Famous" masks it. - sabre14
Chris Lane, "Broken Windshield View"
A song about small town pride with an obnoxiously loud chorus? Yeah, that pretty much sums up this song. It's obvious he's trying to cash in on the bro crowd like Cole Swindell and Chase Rice did, but unfortunately, he's a little too late. Try again with a better song next time Chris. - zack97
RaeLynn, "God Made Girls"
People wanted more females in country music so god made Raelynn....unfortunately, neither she, nor this song are the remedy to the problem. "God Made Girls" basically states that women were made to be subservient to men. Great, nice step forward right? Ugh, to back it up too, her voice sounds so annoying that it makes this almost unlistenable.
Jake Owen, "Beachin'"
Sometimes I don't mind talking verses in songs, even country songs. They can be executed. Take "The Devil Went Down To Georgia" and "The Talkin' Song Repair Blues" as exapmles. But "Beachin's" verses comes off as awkward and unnecessary. I actually don't mind the production and the chorus is passable, but the verses absolutely kill any chance of being decent
Joey Hyde, "Get It On"
This is a perfect example of what not to release as your debut single. "Get It On" is uncreative in every way, shape and form. The lyrics are unoriginal. The instrumentation is repetitive, and the production is overbearing. Not a good first step into country radio. - sabre14
Florida Georgia Line, "Sun Daze"
The boys of Florida Georgia Line took it a little too far with this song. Getting stoned is nothing new in country music, but the problem with this song is that the entire song talks about NOTHING other than getting stoned, oh and getting laid (classy). I don't think anyone will be able to forget the infamous "pink umbrella" line. Ugh. - zack97
Dylan Scott, "Mmm, Mmm, Mmm"
We've heard this type of song 100000 times. A guy thinks a girls so hot that he wants to express that by showing how it makes him feel and how country he is. This song is one of the worst examples of this, nothing but cliche country boy lyrics that sound so stupid. The title doesn't even have an actual word in it. - zack97
Tim McGraw, "Lookin' For That Girl"
When I first heard this song, something happened that had never happened to me before - my jaw dropped in disbelief. I couldn't imagine that this was indeed Tim McGraw. It sounded like some awful computerized auto-tune machine sputtering out odd and strange lyrics. I never thought Tim would outdo "Truck Yeah" in the horrendous department but he did so with flying colors. - sabre14
Jerrod Niemann, "Donkey"
I have nothing to say that hasn't already been said a million time about this atrocity. This is embarrassing to Jerrod Niemann, his label, the songwriters, the producer, and country music. Everything about this is just terrible. An absolute no-brainer for my most hated single of 2014. Jaw droppingly bad. - MM
2013 CMA Award Predictions
For this set of predictions, myself and new writer sabre14 will be making our predictions and picks (Gator is busy so he is unable to join us this time).
Should win:
George Strait - MM, S14
Will win:
George Strait - MM
Luke Bryan - S14
Markus: George will get sympathy votes from voters. Not to mention he's put out the best music of these 5.
sabre14: I just don't have faith George will get enough votes here to overtake Luke. His album is better, and he had a great first leg of his farewell tour. But the massive sales of Luke will be too much in the end.
Male Vocalist
Jason Aldean - MM
Blake Shelton - S14
Luke Bryan - MM
Markus: If "Fuse" had been released within the eligibility period, Urban would have been my should win by a landslide and Church is my favorite of the bunch but he hasn't done much this year. So I guess I'll go with Aldean. This is Bryan's to lose though.
sabre14: I think the voters will lean Blake purely for the fact of his success of his television appeal coupled with his album being out longer than Luke's. I have to go with my gut on this one.
Miranda Lambert - S14
Kacey Musgraves - MM
Carrie Underwood - MM, S14
Markus: This one is probably the most competitive group, for both picks. Underwood and Lambert have both released material among their career best this year, but Musgraves' album is too good to overlook. I could see any of them, Clarkson aside, winning this. Swift is the biggest name, Lambert is always a safe bet, Underwood has had a monster year and Musgraves has the critical acclaim. I guess I'll go with CU but wouldn't be suprised to see it go to the one of the aforementioned three.
sabre14: I feel Miranda has the perfect combo of great artistic music along with the success to go with it. But Carrie has the better chart numbers therefore she will win.
Vocal Duo of the Year
Thompson Square - S14
The Civil Wars - MM
Florida Georgia Line - MM, S14
Markus: A weak year for this category? What a shocker. In all seriousness, if FGL hadn't been arguably the most dominant artist in the format this past year, TCW would have a fighting chance by virtue that they released an album, which is more than B&R or Sugarland have done.
sabre14: Pretty cut and dry category. Thompson Squares album is better and makes better music. FGL have had 3 chart toppers and the digital and album sales to justify them winning.
New Artist of the year
Kip Moore - MM, S14
Markus: Probably the best quality wise. I don't really consider Brice a new artist anymore though. I liked FGL's and Brett's debuts, but not quite to the extent I liked the other 2's. I'll give the should to Moore by the slightest of margins. FloGaLine takes this though.
sabre14: This will be my personal favorite of the evening. Kip had a great Album coupled with a string of chart toppers. But I would not be shocked to see the voters give more love than we think to Kacey or Lee. In the end I'll go with FGL with the transcending impact they have made in country music wether I like it or not
Vocal Group of the year
The Band Perry - MM
Zac Brown Band - S14
Little Big Town - MM
The Band Perry - S14
Markus: "Pioneer" is one of my favorite albums of the year. So they get my should win. I'm still gonna say LBT takes this though, but TBP are gonna start taking these home.
sabre14: I think the time has come for The Band Perry in this category, even though Zac Brown Band made a stellar album and two number one hits.
Vocal Event
Florida Georgia Line feat. Nelly, "Cruise"
Tim McGraw feat. Taylor Swift and Keith Urban, "Highway Don't Care" - MM, S14
Blake Shelton feat. Pistol Annies, "Boys 'Round Here"
Kelly Clarkson feat. Vince Gill, "Don't Rush"
Jason Aldean feat. Luke Bryan and Eric Church, "The Only Way I Know"
Markus: Pretty competitive this year for a change. 3 of these were #1 hits, the other is huge pop hit and one features two big names. I'll give "HDC" both of them though.
sabre14: To me this song was the best song out of these choices and it was the biggest country hit this year. Pretty simple if you ask me.
Blake Shelton, Based on a True Story
Carrie Underwood, Blown Away
Taylor Swift, Red
Kacey Musgraves, Same Trailer, Different Park - MM, S14
Little Big Town, Tornado
Markus: I can't be the only one suprised "Uncaged" and "Night Train" have been completely snubbed at both the ACM/CMA'S so far. This one is close between Kacey and LBT for me but I'll give it to Kacey, who will also win.
sabre14: This one they will get right. Kaceys album was the most unique and well done record this year and I have a feeling the CMA's will see the same thing.
Single of the year
Florida Georgia Line, "Cruise" - MM, S14
Tim McGraw feat. Taylor Swift and Keith Urban, "Highway Don't Care"
Miranda Lambert, "Mama's Broken Heart"
Kacey Musgraves, "Merry Go 'Round"
Darius Rucker, "Wagon Wheel"
Markus: Say what you will about FGL or "Cruise", but it would be unfair to not give them single of the year.
sabre14: This was the biggest hit on all the charts this year, and sold like crazy. This one has to go to "Cruise"
Song of the year
Lee Brice, "I Drive Your Truck"
Kacey Musgraves, "Merry Go 'Round" - MM, S14
Little Big Town, "Pontoon"
Lee Brice, "I Drive Your Truck" - MM
Kacey Musgraves, "Merry Go 'Round" - S14
Markus: Pretty good "Pontoon" aside. It's close for me between Lee's, Kacey's and Miranda's but I'll give "MGR" the slight edge. "IDYT" takes it though. It touched so many people.
sabre14: If this doesn't win It will be a travesty. Kaceys song was the best song in terms of writing a different impactful yet, putting it in a subtle way to get her message across, and I would think the voters will agree.
Billy Currington - "Hey Girl"
Not offensive. Has a nice little grove to it. Sounds like another Billy Currington track. He seems to have about one true gem an album and this is not it. I really like his voice but this is basically another addition to his oft forgotten hit catalog. Here's to hoping for another "People Are Crazy," "Good Directions" or "Love Done Gone" soon!
The Henningsens - American Beautiful
They have written some good stuff for The Band Perry and so I do not doubt their talent, but this song is an outright dud that plays like Lady Antebellum's "American Honey" with an even less appealing hook.
Greg Bates - "Fill In the Blank"
He hasn't hit a truly great song yet but Greg seems to be the best new male vocalist around due to his neo-traditional bent that is coupled with lyrics that are just clever enough to avoid being cliche/rote, which is impressive given the appalling titles. This one in particular manages to be effortlessly sexy and suggestive without being grotesque like many songs in the same vein.
Darius Rucker - Wagon Wheel
The original is great. This is better than a lot of what is out, but it loses the magic of the performance and thus loses some of its charm. Props for the attempt and the nice choice of material though.
Tim McGraw (Feat. Taylor Swift and Keith Urban) - "Highway Don't Care"
First single from the album that is somewhat memorable to me. Still no where near the glory days of Tim's Everywhere-era. The most intriguing thing for this track since it is rather bland is whether it will maintain Country cred for Taylor in this time where she is focusing almost entirely on pop music.


text:
Iggy The Writer
Love. Learn and Respect Always
February 19, 2018 February 19, 2018 Linda Iggy Dean1 Comment on Free To Love Speech
Free To Love Speech
Iggythewriter.com
Linda Iggy Dean
Picture of Linda in 1973.
This speech uses the storytelling technique to make a point. It is a story of an 1st generation Armenian American growing up in Detroit in the 1960s. Written for the Toastmasters International Speech Contest August 2018. 5 to 7 minutes. It must stand on its own. Introduction is:
Linda Iggy Dean, Free To Love, Free To Love, Linda Iggy Dean.
Dressed like a village girl in blue jeans, belly dancing belt, wrist handkerchief, Kinda skip with left arm up to Shake hands with right.
I am immigrant Roupen's daughter. I am an Armenian born in Detroit Michigan. Armenians came to America for a better life, however, the Armenians that came during World War I were fleeing to survive a slaughter. My mom's family came then. My dad was carried out as an infant by his young mother and her brothers. Roupen's father Hovannes was killed in a church, thinking he was being drafted into the Army.
Roupen came from Baghdad Iraq. He was a pharmacist. He found a wife, Rosie, and they married in 1954. He wanted his family to be free.
Ladies and Gentlemen, this is a story about my parents. It's for anyone who loves freedom and wants the freedom to love. America used to be the land of the free, but she has lost her way. It's a shame because real people want Real freedom.
START MOTHER
My mom had beautiful brown eyes, a kind heart and a sense of humor. Mom was always cooking. She made mouth-watering pilaf, chicken and fresh carrots every Sunday. Her secret was capturing the chicken broth to put in the pilaf for the next week. She also made fresh yogurt from a gallon of milk and a cup of last weeks yogurt. Yes, dad ate it up and lived to be 90. PAUSE maybe HA.
My nicknames were Little Rosie, chicken or pil-ah-gee (which means lover of pilaf.) My job was to make the salad and my dad grew the vegetables in his garden. I chopped, peeled, and diced. He planted parsley, onions and tomatoes. I spent hours pulling the weeds from the parsley. I lost myself in the calm of the garden. I still love the feeling of dirt on my hands. I became an Ayurvedic vegan so now I prefer fruits, nuts, and pilaf with vegetable broth. HA
If I had been raised in Armenia, I might have lived on a vineyard picking grapes and breathing fresh air. Instead, I was in the Motor City breathing exhaust fumes and dancing to Michael Jackson. DANCE
My parents introduced me to music. My mom played her 78 (speed) records on her console record player and my dad sang in the choir. When I was 3, I fell in love with Louie Armstrong and his trumpet. I wanted to be just like him. I got to play the trumpet in 3rd grade. My bedroom was off the dining room. No one cared for my practicing after dinner. HA HA
We moved from Detroit that year shortly after the Detroit riots in 1967. Rev King had been killed and so did my step-grandfather in his dry-cleaning store. We stopped going to church. I found my way to God in a Methodist church. I learned singing posture to Amazing Grace. I learned the Armenian Yerevan song,
YEREVAN DARTZATS, IM EREBOONIE,
DOO MER NOR DAVIN, MER NOR ANI (1, YouTube)
It means, Yerevan, capital of Armenian, became my Erebuni (Fortress)You are my new divine, my new Ani. (capital in the 5th century)
147 words "Ani is a ruined medieval Armenian city now situated in Turkey's province of Kars, next to the closed border with Armenia. Called the "City of 1001 Churches",[7][10][11] Ani stood on various trade routes and its many religious buildings, palaces, and fortifications were amongst the most technically and artistically advanced structures in the world.[12][13] At its height, the population of Ani probably was on the order of 100,000.[14][15]
Long ago renowned for its splendor and magnificence, Ani was sacked by the Mongols in 1236 and devastated in a 1319 earthquake, after which it was reduced to a village and gradually abandoned and largely forgotten by the seventeenth century.[16][15] Ani is a widely recognized cultural, religious, and national heritage symbol for Armenians.[17] According to Razmik Panossian, Ani is one of the most visible and 'tangible' symbols of past Armenian greatness and hence a source of pride."[15 (2,Wikipedia)
START FATHER
My dad grew up in Baghdad Iraq. He finished high school but was denied entrance into college. When a Muslim man didn't show up for pharmacy school, Roupen's Uncle Yervant slide him into the program.
Roupen wanted more in life, he wanted freedom, so he came to America when he was 37. He repeated college and married Rosie Paulian in Detroit. Rosie was the first in her generation to graduate college.
TRANSITION TO JOHN AND LINDA
My brother John Iguidbashian and I are products of Detroit. John, who passed out at the sight of blood in biology class, became a pediatric heart surgeon. He treats baby hearts in Portland Oregon. John has 3 Iguidbashian children.
I grew up watching my dad fix toasters. I fetched tools and learned how to take things apart. I thank my dad for my engineering genes and my love of dirt. HA I have a beautiful daughter who is also an engineer, no broken toasters except for me. HA
Armenians are unusual. We are the disciples of the Jesus' apostles. My dad knew Turkish, Arabic, Armenian and German. He would spit at the window if a driver cuts him off. My mom taught me how to swear like an Armenian sailor. HA HA
It's challenging being an immigrant. Too often in America, you are seen through lenses of hatred. Being an Armenian, I lost my homeland one hundred and 3 years ago. In America, I found the Unity church. We believe in Love. Some say Armenians cannot be killed because our eyes are on heaven. We will always walk this earth because we are free. We can all be free to Love.
956 –147 – ~20 words is~780 words
PUT HAND OUT FOR THE CONTEST CHAIRPERSON
(1) Yeravan Song words and music. Retrieved Feb 15, 2018 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbq66OCx8mE
(2) The city of Ani Turkey. Retrieved Feb 15, 2018 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ani
Published by Linda Iggy Dean
Writer, MBA, Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) Computer Engineer, Vegan, Ayurveda follower, Armenian, mother, wife, grandma! I graduated from Walsh College in Troy Michigan in 2014. I will be publishing my research papers. Global Economics, Statistics, Strategic Leadership, Information Assurance, marketing, trade studies, human resources, and education. I will also be writing on health topics and life as a high-functioning Bipolar diagnosed woman.	View all posts by Linda Iggy Dean
1 thought on "Free To Love Speech"
grevisangel73 March 7, 2018 — 11:54 am
I haven't been keeping up. I see you have been busy that's great. Liked this story, you added some to it.
Previous The Armenian Diaspora Speech
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Love Armenian Style
Love Yourself, Forgive Yourself, Be Yourself
Born Free Speech (v2.1)
Free to Love FINAL Speech (was Born Free before)
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Dr. Charlene Monticello graduated from Palmer Chiropractic College in San Jose, California in 1999. She has been practicing in Windsor, California since 2000. Dr. Monticello loves being a chiropractor; she brings energy and enthusiasm into each and every day while treating her patients ranging from newborn to senior citizens. Dr. Monticello knows that healthy people don't get sick, don't need drugs, and live much happier and productive lives. Her goal is to help each and every patient attain their maximum health potential and keep it throughout their years.
Dr. Monticello lives in Windsor with her husband. She is also a mother of two young men. She loves to travel, go camping and playing with her two Labradors.


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Details and First Look at the Menus of the New Hog Island Oyster Bar, Opening Very Soon
The (often crowded) patio at Hog Island Oyster Bar. Photo by Ed Anderson Photography, courtesy Hog Island Oyster Co.
Here are the first details and menus for the brand-new and expanded ~HOG ISLAND OYSTER BAR~ at the Ferry Building Marketplace, although the opening date is still a bit up in the air due to a snag with the ventilation system (it's "early May" for now). As we previously mentioned, the popular oyster bar took over the Ferry Plaza Seafood space and has therefore doubled in size, and now has a full bar, with executive chef Christopher Laramie leading the kitchen (prior to this, he was chef and owner of Brasa and eVe in Berkeley, and his cooking background includes Blue Door in South Beach's Delano Hotel, Everest in Chicago, and 1515 restaurant in Denver).
The menu will continue to have cult classics like the clam chowder and the grilled cheese sandwich, with new additions like an oyster po'boy on a special baguette-style roll developed with Acme Bread (a good neighbor to have), plus a spin on a Caesar salad with crispy white anchovy "croutons" and a creamy oyster-based dressing. There will even be steak frites! You'll be able to enjoy the bay view while noshing on the house-smoked potted sturgeon and fried smelts, and of course there will be plenty of oysters (here's an initial oyster list, plus some specials). All the seafood is sustainably raised and harvested, with many small fish that are low on the food chain, and even the produce and herbs come from their own gardener near the oyster farm in Marshall.
Designed by Cass Calder Smith Architecture, the expanded space now has 65 seats inside and 65 outside. There are three bars: a 16-seat oyster bar facing the bay, an 8-seat cocktail bar, and an 8-seat chef's counter with mirror-reflected bay views (ooh, trippy), plus communal tables too. You'll see lots of recycled materials, with oyster shells in the concrete and an oyster bar top by Bohemian Stoneworks, and the shelves at the cocktail bar are from an original 1880s redwood foundation at the Hog Island farm in Marshall. Nautical elements include a hull-shaped ceiling of wood and rope and kelp sculptures woven by Lina Prairie (an Inverness artist).
The cocktail list is by Scott Beattie and Michael Jack Pazdon of St. Helena's Goose & Gander. Look for spirits from Bay Area small-batch producers and lots of fresh produce; drinks range from $10-$12. There are also West Coast wines, including a couple of custom collaborations, plus five microbrews on tap, a cider, and Boylan natural sodas (also on tap)—check out the wine and cocktail list here.
We'll keep you posted on the actual opening date and will hopefully have some images to run next week. Happy hour will continue on Mon and Thu from 5pm-6pm, with chef's choice of half-price oysters on the half shell (selection changes weekly), plus beer and wine specials. Hours will be Mon-Thu 11:30am-9pm, Fri 11:30am-10pm, Sat 11am-10pm, and Sun 11am-9pm. 1 Ferry Building, 415-391-7117.
Outerlands Names New Chef and Is Reopening Within a Couple of Weeks
Yelp photo of Outerlands bread by Anthony M.
An update from the ~OUTERLANDS~ team: after letting go of chef Brett Cooper, owners David Muller and Lana Porcello have named a replacement: Greg Kuzia-Carmel. He is a new recruit from New York, where he worked at Thomas Keller's Per Se and Michael White's Altamarea Group; prior to that, he was part of the opening team at Governor in Brooklyn, and also spent time at Mugaritz in Spain and Toro in Boston. Their pastry chef, Brooke Mosley, will also be more involved in developing the savory menu, in addition to heading the newly expanded bakery program.
Outerlands has been closed while expanding into the space next door, and pending successful inspections, hopes to open within the next 10 days or so. They will open for midweek lunch next week or brunch that Saturday (May 10th), and will also offer a late afternoon/early evening bar menu. They will add dinner after a week or two. Stand by for a look at the new space and menu, hopefully by next Tuesday's tablehopper.
Outerlands on Apr 29, 2014
Big 4 Chef Named: Kevin Scott
Chef Kevin Scott. Photo provided by Glodow Nead.
After hearing some rumors about who the chef was going to be for the ~BIG 4~, replacing longtime chef Gloria Ciccarone-Nehls, the official hire has just been named: Kevin Scott, formerly of Paragon, Bar Jules, and Hog Island Oyster Bar. He will be working with the Puccini Group operations team on the menu, which "speaks to classic San Francisco with a focus on local, Bay Area ingredients in simple and straightforward, no-fuss cuisine." His menu officially launches May 23rd—Puccini Group's culinary team developed an interim menu that will be further evolved by Scott now that he's on board. Stand by for more details soon on the restaurant's reopening, which is happening Tuesday May 6th. (I know, that's next week!)
Big 4 on Apr 29, 2014
Dirty Habit Opens Thursday May 1st
You'll find lots of housemade bitters at Dirty Habit. Photo: Eric Wolfinger.
After completing its run of preview parties for local tech companies (including Uber and Twitter), the (unfortunately named) ~DIRTY HABIT~ is opening to the public this Thursday May 1st. The former Fifth Floor in the Hotel Palomar has been converted into this bar-centric project, led by chef David Bazirgan and bar manager Brian Means. Bazirgan's menu is focused on shareable (and very appetizing) small plates, like steamed buns with fried lamb belly and peanuts, pork croquettes with pickled mustard seeds and raita, and squash blossoms with ricotta and romesco. There are a few larger plates as well. You can look at the menu here.
As for beverages, look for some unique touches (like corn tea), barrel-aged cocktails, large-format drinks for groups, cocktails served tableside, and fun vintage glassware. The list has an emphasis on rare brown spirits, with 300-plus rare spirits and whiskeys available. Emily Wines is behind the wine list—look for some rare pours from the cellar (using Coravin). You can look at the beverage and wine list here.
The space was given a film noir-esque style, with a dark color palette. A highlight is the new heated outdoor patio, with room for 50. There are also private dining areas for events. Hours are Mon-Sat 5pm-12am. 12 4th St., fifth floor, at Market, 415-348-1555.
Could It Be True? La Rondalla Reopening This Week
Flickr photo by Thomas Hawk.
After literally years of false starts and false hope (and some really wacky window signs), it looks like ~LA RONDALLA~ in the Mission may finally be ready to reopen, according to Scoop. The current opening date is Thursday May 1st (yes, just in time for Cinco de Mayo), and they're even taking reservations on OpenTable. The menu will remain largely unchanged, with the addition of elote, carnitas, and shrimp cocktails, but classics like enchiladas will remain as staples. And yes, their margaritas will still flow freely.
The space is a bit pared down, with fewer string lights and a little less kitschy stuff on the walls. But it's still brightly painted, and lots of paintings and fun touches remain. There will still be live music, but instead of the full mariachi band you'll now find a three-piece band on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. There will also be a happy hour Mon-Fri 4pm-7pm. They'll be serving lunch 11:30-am-3pm Tue-Sun and dinner Tue-Thu 4pm-2:30am, Fri-Sat 4pm-3:30am, and Sun 4pm-12am. Closed Mondays. 901 Valencia St. at 20th St. 415-829-8444.
Gut-Bustin' Openings: Adam's Grub at Chug Pub, Homeskillet, Grubbin'
The "Grubbin' It" sandiwch from, yes, Grubbin'. Photo from Facebook.
Here's a trio of new restaurants with funny names that want to get you fat. First up is ~ADAM'S GRUB AT CHUG PUB~. It looks like food truck Adam's Grub now has a permanent home at Chug Pub in the Sunset. The menu is the same as the truck; think Asian-inspired and hefty sandwiches like the Falkor (that's panko-crusted fried chicken with pepper jack, bacon, and Asian slaw on a brioche bun) or the Sho'nuff Hot Dog (a beef dog with jalapeños, Asian slaw, wasabi avocado, pepper jack, and bacon bits). Check out the whole menu here, and note their late-night hours: Mon-Fri 4pm-2am and Sat-Sun 12pm-2am. 1849 Lincoln Way at 21st Ave., 415-242-9930.
Eater caught the news that ~HOMESKILLET~ is now open in the former Pearl's Burgers location on Market. The new project comes from John Chow, who also owns nearby Little Griddle, and has a diner-inspired menu. There are burgers with lots of toppings at lunch; at breakfast, look for lots of hotcakes, egg dishes, and Benedicts. They're pouring Equator coffee too. 1001 Market St. at 6th St., no phone.
There's also a new sandwich spot in Parkside, according to Eater. The new spot is called ~GRUBBIN'~, and is owned by Emily Truong. It's a classic sub shop, with some rather visceral names for their specialty (from Droolin' to Savorin') and a signature "grub sauce" on all of them. There's also a daily special, hot wings, fries, and tater tots. Hours are Mon-Fri 11am-7pm and Sat-Sun 11am-6pm. 1404 Taraval St. at 24th Ave., 415-688-7116.
New Mealtimes: Trou Normand Now Serving Breakfast, Kate's Kitchen Adds Dinner
Breakfast pastries from Neighbor Bakehouse at Trou Normand. Photo via Facebook.
~TROU NORMAND~ is now serving breakfast Mon-Fri from 8:30am-10:30am. You can sit in one of their tufted leather booths and enjoy table service, or order at the takeout counter. In addition to Four Barrel espresso and drip coffee, there's a breakfast sandwich on the menu with pancetta, egg, and cheddar ($8), or yogurt with housemade granola ($6). Here's the menu, plus they're serving pastries from Neighbor Bakehouse. 140 New Montgomery St. at Natoma, 415-975-0876.
Hoodline reports that ~KATE'S KITCHEN~ is now serving dinner Tue-Sat from 5pm-9:30pm. The previous plan for dinner with chef Thomas Martinez is no longer in play, so the dinner menu is focused on Southern-influenced comfort food, not unlike their current breakfast options. Look out for fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy ($13.50), pork chops with carrots, leeks, parsnips, and watercress ($15.50), and wild shrimp tostadas ($13.50). 471 Haight St. at Fillmore, 415-626-3984.
Tidbits: Biscuits at Firehouse 8, Chef Changes, Book Event at Baker and Banker, More
Mmmmm, SunnySide biscuits. Photo from Facebook.
At ~FIREHOUSE 8~ there is a new opportunity to check out some brunch. On Sunday May 4th from 11am-3pm, SunnySide Biscuits will be popping up with their signature biscuits. Options include a brisket biscuit (do not try to say that before coffee) on a cheddar biscuit with yogurt horseradish, or a biscuit Benedict with egg, bacon, spinach, and hollandaise. Check out all the menu choices here. Their beer and wine bar will also be open, with mimosas and Bellinis. 1648 Pacific Ave. at Polk, 415-890-4800.
A reader let me know there's a new chef at Lorenzo Logoreci's ~ALA ROMANA~: according to a Facebook post, chef David Taylor has been replaced by Philippe Routhier, whose background includes Anzu, where he was chef de cuisine, and Ame (executive sous). Weekend brunch has also been added. The menu's atrocities against the Italian language and its spelling continue to remain. 1098 Jackson St. at Taylor, 415-292-3699.
Carolyn Jung, who is also known as Food Gal on her blog, is hosting a dinner to showcase some of the locals celebrated in her cookbook, San Francisco Chef's Table. Join her at ~BAKER & BANKER~ on Saturday May 10th for a multicourse lunch. Chef-owners Lori Baker and Jeff Banker will be cooking their recipes that are featured in the book, and the book's photographer Craig Lee will be in attendance, as well. Lunch begins at 11:30am and costs $65 per person, including a copy of the book. Reservations can be made by calling the restaurant at 415-351-2500.
~SECOND ACT MARKETPLACE~ has a change coming: Community Craft bakery is closing (so bummed, I will miss many of their tasty treats!), and in its place Eatwell Farm's Ice Box is moving in with their seasonal soft-serve ice cream. They make their own cones with real butter, and recent flavors have included chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and melon. 1727 Haight St. at Cole, 415-713-0270.
I heard some rumblings about ~POPEYE'S~ on Divis being put on the market, and sure enough, Hoodline confirms it's available for a long-term sublease. Popeye's has been holding down the corner of Hayes and Divis for 28 years, so we'll have to see if someone wants to take over the business, or put in their own concept—the space still has 22 years on the lease. I can't imagine the neighborhood without that particular Popeye's perfume, and not finding discarded chicken bones in the one-block radius around it. 599 Divisadero St. at Hayes.
Nothing Says Happiness Like Cheese: A Happy Hour and a Book Event
Cheese at The Cheese School. Photo by Mia Nakano courtesy The Cheese School of San Francisco.
Here's a new happy hour for your antennae, and this one involves cheese! Now that the weather is nicer, ~THE CHEESE SCHOOL OF SAN FRANCISCO~ is offering a special Cheese Makes Me Happy Hour every Wednesday from 5:30pm-8pm. Tickets are $20 in advance ($25 at the door) and include a plate of cheese and a glass of wine or a beer. For those of you who haven't checked out their new digs, which includes access to the former Saison courtyard, this is a great chance to do so for minimal moolah! 2124 Folsom St. at 17th St., 415-346-7530.
On Saturday May 3rd, get even more cheese in your life at ~MARCH~ during an event with cheesemonger Chester Hastings. He'll be signing his new book, The Cheesemonger's Seasons, and there will also be a pop-up cheese shop from Gourmet & More, so you'll have a chance to hear about cheese and eat some too. The event is from 11am-3pm and is free, with items available for purchase. 3075 Sacramento St. at Baker, 415-931-7433.
AlaMar Opens in Oakland on Thursday May 1st
AlaMar's dining room (with the hand-washing station in the back). Photo: Nicholas La.
The sunny bar area. Photo: Nicholas La.
Officially opening on Thursday May 1st is ~ALAMAR~ from chef-owner Nelson German—it's opening in the former Noble Café location in Uptown Oakland. We previously mentioned the project here, but to recap, German—a New York City native—was most recently the chef at Supperclub and Marbella. The restaurant's name means "to the sea," so you can expect a variety of seafood dishes. The primary theme is food that is meant to be eaten with your hands, including crustacean boils with Louisiana crawfish (there will also be a vegetarian boil with vegetables), soft-shell crab, peel-and-eat Gulf shrimp, and Penn Cove mussels. There are also plenty of small plates, some meaty large dishes, and lots of sides—even dessert will be meant to be eaten with your paws. Check out the menu here.
There's also a full bar, with cocktails by Rob Wertheimer, which will include sno-cones, punch bowls, and housemade sodas. The interior is a bit industrial, melding with some nautical elements as well. There's a cheerful turquoise wall, a high-top communal table, an intimate bar area, and plenty of light from the floor-to-ceiling windows. One fun touch: there's a copper hand-washing station in the dining room, good for pre- and post-meal cleanup.
Lunch service will roll out in a couple of weeks, and will feature rustic sandwiches instead of seafood boils. All-day Sunday brunch will launch shortly after. Initial opening hours will be Mon-Wed 4:30pm-10pm, Thu-Fri 4:30pm-11pm, Sat 4pm-11pm; closed Sun. 100 Grand Ave. at Valdez, Oakland, 510-907-7555.
510 News: BarLago Now Open, Marzano Closing This Summer, Comestible Pop-Up
BarLago's front patio. Photo from Facebook.
A dish from a previous Comestible event. Photo courtesy Comestible.
According to a notice on their Facebook page, Oakland Italian restaurant ~BARLAGO~ is now open. The new place features a menu of Italian staples, including pizza, pasta, and entrées. Take a look at the full menu here, and look out for classics like pasta carbonara, a meatball appetizer, and a beef short rib entrée. They also offer gluten-free pasta, which is handy for some folks.
They've also got a full bar, with a list of specialty cocktails that incorporate Italian spirits, like the Cicciolina, with bourbon, Carpano Antica, Meletti amaro, and orange bitters. There are six beers on tap (mostly local craft brews, with Peroni for good measure), and an exclusively Italian wine list with a house red and white available by the glass, carafe, or bottle. Take a look at all the beverage choices here. There's also a heated and dog-friendly front patio for enjoying those beverages. Hours are Tue-Thu and Sun 5pm-9pm, Fri-Sat 5pm-10pm. Look for lunch to be added later, as well. 550 Grand Ave. at Euclid, Oakland, 510-836-2424.
It looks like Oakland Italian restaurant ~MARZANO~ has been sold to new owners, according to Scoop. Owners Justin Hafen and John Hurley (who also own Garibaldi's in San Francisco) have moved to the Napa Valley to focus on a design business, and will be closing Marzano this summer. They're not saying who the new takers are, though, only that they are Montclair residents and veterans of the East Bay dining scene. The liquor license transfer names the "Growler Group," and a search of the state LLC database names Shelley Mulhall as the owner. According to her LinkedIn profile, she currently works at Gary Danko, with previous stints at A16 and Chez Panisse. No word yet on any other partners, but it sounds promising so far. 4212 Park Blvd. at Glenfield, Oakland.
Comestible Catering & Supper Club has a pop-up in Oakland on Friday May 16th and Saturday May 17th. A team of six chefs, including Allyson Harvie (chef of the the soon-to-open Township Restaurant, and previously of Citizen Cake and Ragazza), Molly Healey (Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York), and Christian McDermott (Jardinière and Spruce), will be preparing a 10-course lamb tasting menu in the future Township space. Tickets are $60 per person, with wine pairings for an additional $20. A vegetarian menu is also available. Both evenings, dinner will run from 7:30pm-10:30pm. 1545 Broadway at 16th St., Oakland.
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It is exciting to look into the future of technology. In an age of continuous innovation and invention, when the discovery of today loses its sheen tomorrow, it is not easy to pinpoint technologies that will transform our future.
Engineering and technical developments are everyone's concern, as they will not be confined to industry, university classrooms, and R&D labs. Instead, they will make a tremendous difference in our day-to-day lives. Here I will attempt to identify some of the technologies that will revolutionize our lives and our values in the coming years.
Unlike current PCs, quantum computers will have switches that can be in an on or off state simultaneously. The mechanism that will make this possible is known as superposition, and the switches are referred to as quantum bits. The system will make quantum computers operate very fast. A basic quantum computer is likely to be operational by 2020.
Scientists are in the midst of creating a substance that can take a specific shape to perform a specific task. The substance is known as claytronics, and it consists of catoms. Individual catoms are programmed to move in three dimensions and position themselves so that they assume different shapes. This technology is likely to have numerous applications ranging from medical use to 3D physical rendering. It may take around two decades to become a reality.
Techies are working on a project that would make our PCs able to contain tens to hundreds of parallel working cores. The device will have the capability to process huge amounts of information. To create this technology, Intel is exploring the possibility of using nanotechnology and allowing for billions of transistors.
Repliee is one of the most advanced life-like robots ever created. Repliee, an android, is covered with a substance which is very similar to human skin. Sensors placed inside the robot control its movements and enable it to respond to its environment. Astonishingly, the robot can flutter its eyelids and replicate breathing. Repliee operates best in a static condition.
To further advance the computing realm, techies need to create a hybrid CPU that is silicon based but contains organic parts as well. The most promising progress in information processing concerns a neurochip that places organic neurons onto a network of silicon or other materials. Future computers will be able to bridge the silicon and organic spheres to utilize processors that incorporate both of these elements.
The "spray-on" nanocomputer would consist of particles that can be sprayed onto a patient. It would monitor the patient's medical condition and communicate wirelessly to other machines.
Carrier Ethernet is a business service/access technology. It can serve as a transport method for both business and residential service. Ethernet will dominate the metro space in the future and will slowly displace SONET/SDH over the next 10 to 20 years.
Development sustains life. However, techies cannot afford to forget that technological advancement will remain inadequate in the absence of contributions from all branches of knowledge and will not flourish if it does not benefit society.


As authorities continue to investigate the tragic FIU bridge collapse, the names of the victims are beginning to trickle out.
USA today reports that eight cars were crushed under the massive 950-ton structure when it collapsed. Several of the vehicles were completely crushed. Officials were cognizant to be respectful of the remains inside the vehicles, and reportedly covered them as they pulled them from the rubble. The victims will be removed at the medical examiner's office.
At the time USA Today published its report, officials had not yet removed all of the cars. They indicated that they hoped to have the "mission" completed by the end of the day.
The message was not checked until after the tragic collapse.
The Miami Herald reports bridge cables were being tightened at the time of the structure's failure. The cables had reportedly been loosened before the tightening in a process called a "stress test".