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Home Product type Credit Corporate bonds : E/OMS politics : Anna Reitman
Corporate bonds : E/OMS politics : Anna Reitman
GATEKEEPERS TO LIQUIDITY.
E/OMS providers need to overcome political hurdles to help the buy side navigate credit's fractured markets. Anna Reitman investigates.
Vendors and brokers that bundle order routing and matching together, while restricting access to competitors, appear to have a considerable, potentially anti-competitive, advantage. Yet paradoxically, by restricting the flow of orders based on their own interests, they are disadvantaging their customers.
Alfred Eskandar, CEO of execution management system (EMS) provider Portware, noted that not all industry participants may have quite the same priorities.
"Portware can handle any asset class in staging and routing. To provide value we also have to be able to bring in additional sources of information i.e. pricing, and certain venues will not allow that. That is not a Portware issue, it is an EMS/OMS issue," he says. "That will change when the client base is loud enough, when that issue becomes unbearable."
John Greenan, a front-office trading technology consultant for Alignment Systems, said that the challenges need to be properly understood: "The sooner people realise that the issue is economics and not technology the sooner the industry as a whole can make progress, and that means people working in joint ventures and partnerships."
For traders selecting execution/order management systems (E/OMSs), knowing that they can reach fixed income trading liquidity is imperative. As bond trading moves from voice-brokered to electronic, the buy side has never had so many options for routing orders. At the same time, technological advances are being implemented at a pace that limits the effect of this fragmentation despite a vicious cycle of venue proliferation in the corporate bond space.
Richard Hooke, buy-side product director at Fidessa, says, "In terms of searching to get a deal done as a buy-side trader, you obviously can't look at all 100+ venues, so you have to pick and choose."
The amount of fixed income venues popping up, he added, is "unfeasible". All of them are trying to solve a fundamental liquidity question: how do you find the other side of the trade in a post-financial crisis environment – one in which the sell side's ability to use balance sheet to help the trading process has largely disappeared.
Active investment in technology
According to one industry commentator, the current state of the E/OMS provider world can be summed up as: companies that are losing business, and BlackRock's Aladdin, which is winning the business. Schroders, for example, is one of the latest asset managers to make the move, putting aside a Charles River front end to select Aladdin (Schroders was not able to arrange comment in time for publication).
The reason so many relationships break down, the source added, is that the buy side does not want to pay enough money for technologists who understand the market and so end up with inadequate contracts to cover all the work needed.
From a vendor's point of view, many buy side firms have become used to having execution systems as a service, meaning they lack the resources to manage the systems themselves. Enrico Melchioni, managing director at IT and services provider LIST, says, "Many are not really ready to invest money into these kinds of systems. I think is the biggest challenge they are facing."
But there is also the business model of E/OMS providers who can struggle to make revenues in a way that supports the customer. Buying an OMS means agreeing to a defined set of acceptance criteria for delivery of the system, but if there is one extra item then it becomes a material change, which comes along with a hefty bill.
"You've got vendors whose economic model doesn't work very well, because they are moving from a site-deployed license fee plus extra services model to a software as a service model," said one source. "None of the software we are discussing here is complicated to write, it's all around getting the economic models right."
LIST's Melchioni says that now, the point is to understand whether large buy side firms will actually provide service to smaller firms, or whether in general the buy side will start building a more complex execution desk with pricing and advanced EMS systems to make prices.
"The traditional buy-side trader doesn't have in his DNA the idea of becoming a price maker or being an active liquidity provider," he says "Possibly, the buy side will need to hire people from sell-side institutions to do that."
Keys and gates
Even if the relationship and support network around a trading system are adequate, the interface for connection between a venue and trading system is still a bone of contention. There is no obligation for markets to provide open interfaces or for E/OMS providers to choose to connect to new venues, giving those with longer standing relationships, forged in an age of less diversity, an advantage.
Fidessa's buy-side platform connects to major established players for fixed income – Tradeweb, MarketAxess, Bloomberg, and Liquidnet – driven by demand from the large tier-one customers, says Hooke. However on a regular basis there is also connectivity to new fixed income venues, as "selected by the buy-side community," he notes.
The firm is also working with Project Neptune, an industry consortium aiming to create a connectivity network. Here, the structure is a different animal than trading via an exchange-like mechanism, Hooke explained.
"It's receiving information about who is advertising inventory available of a particular bond," he says. "We can display that information against the orders that buy-side fixed income traders are looking at to give an indication that there's some information out there that is potentially useful in terms of the execution strategy of those bonds."
Using Bloomberg typically means using Bloomberg's bespoke terminal. And though there have been moves to release new protocols to support interaction, "it is not an easy beast to deal with, in general," notes one observer.
Melchioni said that there is normalisation work needed to provide a unique interface to multiple trading venues.
"Some venues are more open to this process, others are resisting integration, for example forcing the buy side to connect only through a graphical user interface that requires manual intervention. Not all relevant venues provide API's, but there seems to be a change in this direction."
API panacea?
Interacting with a venue through an API means a simpler user experience, noted Fidessa's Hooke, but it is down to the willingness of the different venues in the space to actually offer it. Moreover, to be really useful, it needs to be consistent. That consistency is unlikely given that venues vie for position to sell their USPs, which translates to different styles of market interaction.
"Having a single API to an open API to deal with that different type of flow, or that different type of interaction would be quite challenging", said Hooke.
TradingScreen, a provider of E/OMS technology recently deployed the TradeExchange product to underpin SGX's Bond Pro platform and in September 2016 launched its own TradeCross venue in Europe.
Joe Ahearn, co-founder and COO of TradingScreen, says the firm's FIX API for fixed income supports the multiple protocols including auction, crossing, negotiations, firm and indicative request for quote, countering and request for stream. He expects this will continue to evolve with clients' needs.
Hooke says there are not as many different styles of trading as there are venues, he noted, adding that Fidessa is interested in using the APIs more. "We think that helps the trader stay within an environment that is embedded, which is their OMS, rather than having lots of disparate systems that they have to interact with," he says.
Companies like FlexTrade are pushing forward with an open API for fixed income, but the firm declined to comment on developments at this time.
Meanwhile, the industry is on wait-and-see mode over how regulatory decision-making might influence market structure development.
Ahearn says: "Fixed income will take a path similar to the national-best-bid-offer, where best execution will require that all orders be shown to different platforms."
Hooke adds, "[In this asset class it] is really about trying to make sense of this sort of huge plethora of information and systems. I think that's where a lot of the energy is going in terms of systems work."
Previous articleCorporate bonds : How big is credit? : Joel Clark
Next articleRegulation : Brokers warned on SI regime missteps : Dan Barnes


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TV NEWS FOR JAN. 27TH: VAMPIRE DIARIES, STARGATE U, TRUE BLOOD, AND LOST
Jan 27 Dawn
by Red at Vampire-Diaries.net: The making of the document from the first Founders party
A long time ago – back in episode 4, "Family Ties" – there was a Vampire Diaries set piece featured that had Vee and I pretty excited. It was the document that the Founders Council all signed upon the attendance of the first Founders party, and our bookish fan selves were delighted to see shout-outs to Honoria Fell and Mayor Jacob Lockwood…
Maren Nicholas is the talented calligraphy artist who was asked to create both the Founders Council document and the placards that were used for displaying other items in the collection of family heirlooms. She was kind enough to take some time out to answer some questions for us, and to provide us with some images of the document so that everyone can get a closer look at the signatures and appreciate the detail and work that went into the project.
How did you come to be involved with this project for The Vampire Diaries? I was contacted my the prop designer to see if I would be interested in creating the Founding Fathers document. He found my website online. The first thing I had to do was supply five signature samples of how I thought both Damon and Stefan would have written their names in the 1860s.
by Kristin Dos Santos at E! Online: Leighton Meester to Vampire Diaries and Nina Dobrev to Gossip Girl? Let's Make It Happen
Good news if you are a fan of Leighton Meester and Nina Dobrev: Their executive producer has promised to "work on" getting these real-life friends to guest star on each other's CW shows.
Here's what Vampire Diaries and Gossip Girl executive producer Bob Levy tells me:
"I love that idea!" Levy said of having Nina guest star on Gossip Girl and Leighton guest star on Vampire Diaries some time in the future. The idea came up while I was chatting with Nina and Levy at a recent press event, and Levy said: "We're gonna work on that. You have my word."
Leighton and Nina became friends while shooting the upcoming big-screen movie The Roommate, set to come out later this year. And Nina told me she would jump at the chance to make a guest appearance on the Upper East Side. "Oh my god, I would love to be on Gossip Girl," Nina said. "I feel like it's hard to do because we're both so busy. But I would love to, and I would for her to be on our show. Leighton would make a great vampire, I think!"
by Cynthia at SF Universe: Ming-Na Talks to Stargate Magazine
The current issue of Stargate Magazine is all about the ladies of Stargate Universe. Here's an excerpt from an interview with Ming-Na. You can read the rest when you pick up a copy of Issue #32. It's on newstands today.
Longtime fans of Stargate SG-1 and Stargate: Atlantis are familiar with the International Oversight Authority (IOA), a group of bureaucratic busybodies who love poking their noses into our heroes' comings and goings through the Stargate.
On Stargate Universe, IOA representative Camille Wray finds herself a long way from home on board the Ancient ship Destiny. Given the IOA's reputation, she is trying to balance her professional instincts and compassionate nature, especially as one of the mediators between the military and civilians. It is not easy, but actress Ming-Na, who plays Camille, is enjoying the challenge.
Via the HD room: HBO Dates True Blood Season Two for Blu-ray
HBO has confirmed that the second season of True Blood is locked in for a Blu-ray Disc and DVD release on May 25. That is just ahead of the True Blood Season Three premiere date sometime in June.
Details are still sketchy but we can confirm that the Blu-ray set will span five discs and include exclusive bonus features. Tech specs will clock in at 1.78:1 1080p video and DTS-HD Master Audio.
via Movieweb.com: Watch the Cast of Lost Talk About the Final Season!
The Lost cast talks about the final season of the show and their plans for premiere night in a new behind-the-scenes video featurette you can watch below! The cast and crew let you in on some of the secrets surrounding the final season as well as what to expect from premiere night.
Posted in News BlogTagged lost, lost season 6, Stargate Universe, true blood, vampire diaries


Put your superhero cape aside for a second. There's no doubt that you're capable of doing it all, but getting a little bit of help never hurt anybody. Pisces, could you be closing yourself to support? Word to the wise: prioritise. As a leader one needs to understand the tasks that need special attention and the ones that can be taken care of by others. Aquarius, raising the universal vibrations has always been a part of your sacred purpose. Now is the time to delve deeper into the healing arts. Leo, solo time is sacred. The only people allowed in your space are the ones who nurture your soul.
Do you believe in what you are working towards? These are your dreams, Aries. You don't need anybody outside to validate them. Continue to work towards them. Action is the operative word. When you take a step towards something you are trying to create, no matter how big or small, the universe responds to your vibrations. Keep the law of cause and effect in mind as you move forward.
Cosmic tip: Continue to take action in the direction of your dreams.
Love with all your heart or not all, but don't forget to love yourself first. Honour your own feelings, Taurus. Respect your boundaries and protect them fiercely. You have a duty towards yourself. Often, we lose ourselves in this trap of trying to please those around us. If you're doing this at the cost of your own sanity, be aware of this toxic pattern. Remember, you are only causing yourself more harm. Those who truly appreciate your presence in their life will never make unrealistic demands of you.
Cosmic tip: Respect your boundaries and protect them fiercely.
Radical self-love is the magic potion you are looking for, Gemini. Stop looking at the world outside to make you feel good. Pour unconditionally into your cup. Give yourself the love you truly deserve. Make a list of all the amazing things about yourself, from that booty to die for to your talk show-level communication skills. This simple exercise will remind you of what a superstar you truly are.
Cosmic tip: Radical self-love is the secret to your Universe.
Cancer, you're three seconds away from the miracle! Your dreams and desires are taking a tangible form. All you need to do is believe in what you are manifesting and allow yourself to receive. The blocks that previously stood in your way are being lifted. Go forth and conquer! Making the most of the opportunities offered to you will take you to the next level. Remember, the secret to staying in the game is being the fittest, most Zen version of yourself. Getting your fitness fix outdoors will help you recharge your batteries.
Cosmic tip: Your dreams and desires are taking a tangible form.
If there's one thing you should do today, it's to make time to be by yourself. Putting yourself on flight mode for just an hour will help you not just save but also recharge your batteries. Make self-care a priority, Leo. Those social obligations can wait. The only people allowed in your sacred space today are the ones who energise you, inspire you, and make you a better person. You know a real connection when you see one.
Cosmic tip: Make time to be by yourself.
Grounding is an important practice. You're being asked to honour your inherent connection with the Mother Earth. Why restrict yourself to the gym when you can take your workout outdoors? Sign up for a yoga or tai chi class in the park or head out for a run. Let the combination of fresh air and early morning sunlight soothe your soul.
Cosmic tip: Let the combination of fresh air and early morning sunlight soothe your soul.
At any point of time you have two options: to grab life by horns or continue to live a mundane existence. Libra, be aware of all the ways in which you are sabotaging your own growth. The fears that have paralysed you and are keeping you from taking a giant leap towards the future. New and exciting opportunities are being offered to you. Say yes now and figure everything else out along the way.
Cosmic tip: Get ready to live your best life.
Is love without freedom, love at all? You're walking hand-in-hand, but your journeys are different. Your worlds, apart. Help each other fly instead of chaining each other down. Mutual understanding is the best gift that will help your love grow and evolve. Boundaries are sacred, even in the most intimate relationships. Don't feel bad about asking for time to figure things out.
Cosmic tip: Help each other fly instead of chaining each other down.
Honour the one-on-one connections that make your soul feel good. What you have is sacred and will only get better with time. Are you feeling the feels for somebody? Don't wait for them to make a move. Have a conversation about how much this connection means to you. Coupled Archers could give a life of togetherness a serious thought. Start small. Move in together and see how compatible you are. Travelling as a duo could be another great way to get to gauge where you stand.
Cosmic tip: Honour the one-on-one connections that make your soul feel fly.
This is a time of joy and celebration, especially on the family front! A landmark event such as an engagement, a wedding or an anniversary could be on the cards. Partake in the merriment, Capricorn. It's not everyday that life gives you an opportunity to put your favourite suit on! Remember, solo time is just as sacred. Getting an hour to yourself every day will help you recharge your batteries and function in social scenarios better.
Cosmic tip: A landmark celebration is on the cards.
Raising the universal vibrations have always been a part of your sacred purpose—and today you're being asked to take a giant leap in the right direction. Do you feel a draw towards the healing arts? Nurture you gift or train under a mentor who can bring them to the fore. Reiki, access bars, and crystal healing are some of the modalities you could delve into.
Cosmic tip: Tap into your inner healer and nurture the gifts you have been born with.
Put your superhero cape aside for a second. There's no doubt that you're capable of doing it all, but getting a little bit of help never hurt anybody. Could you be closing yourself to support? Be aware of this pattern. Word to the wise: prioritise. As a leader, one needs to understand the tasks that need special attention and the ones that can be taken care of by others. Allow yourself to delegate and trust people do do their job. You have the permission to say no to the unrealistic demands of others.
Cosmic tip: Allow yourself to delegate and trust people to do their job.


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Jordan Mendiola
Creative entrepreneur, U.S. Army Engineer, and dedicated runner. Committed to sharing ideas that lead to more fulfillment in all areas of life. Email: mendiola1829@gmail.com
https://www.linktr.ee/jordanmendiola
My Brother's Extravagant Time in the 2012 Little League World Series
Jordan Mendiola 2021-03-11
Lamade Stadium
The Little League World Series is one of the most spectacular sporting events that's ever been created.
In 2012 my family was living in Kaiserslautern, Germany. My brothers and I were military kids who loved sports — especially baseball. Jared, the second eldest of three earned his spot on the KMCC All-Stars team — a team comprised of Air Force and Army Kids.
They worked their way out of Europe outscoring their opponents 182–15 throughout the tournament. The boys won the Championship game against the Netherlands 11–4 and got their plane tickets for the LLWS in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
What an experience it was.
Players are Treated Like Celebrities
When you qualify for the Little League World Series, your life gets crazy. You're surrounded by the best little league players in the entire world and cameras are literally everywhere.
Never have I ever seen so many kids come up to my brother for autographs and to take pictures. It was stardom. It made me think about all of the hard work he and his teammates went through to get to this point.
There are so many kids who are inspired to be great baseball players like my brother and strive to one day play in the big tournament.
The uniforms the teams receive are absolutely stunning. It's all free and made by one of the greatest baseball brands out there — Easton. There's no wonder why fans walk up to players and they're so easily identifiable.
LLWS Jerseys
It's an Incredible Experience for the Families
Families get their own fan section on the first and third baselines of the stadium. We made signs, painted our faces, got crazy wigs, you name it we did it. This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience to root on my sibling in front of millions around the world.
One of the coolest parts of the entire experience was traveling with some of my closest friends who were older and also had their siblings playing under the lights. My family had never expected to experience a tournament so exciting and diverse in our lives.
It was a blessing to cheer on our boys and share the experience of military children and the sacrifices they make moving anywhere their parents are asked to go. There's no other way to express the entire situation, other than lucky.
I was not only attending a baseball game, something I love to do, but I was watching the kids I know and grew up with getting to play in front of massive crowds!
Diversity is Beautiful to See
In the tournament, there are 8 teams from the United States and 8 teams from around the world. Each championship game results in one American team versus one international team.
Little league World Series Teams
The year I went I got to witness Japan defeat Tennessee 12–2. It's intriguing to see an American sport be played so well and so cleanly by other countries. Baseball grows more and more every year, and the Little League World Series is a huge catalyst.
If you ever get the chance to attend the Little League World Series, you must go! It's a free event that runs for two weeks, and you can see a bunch of inspirational events happen right before your eyes.
Video of My Brother's Team Intro
You can see my brother, Jared Mendiola 0:32
Traveling halfway across the world for one of the most memorable sporting events in my life will stick with me forever. I'm incredibly grateful to have not only experienced the game of baseball as a fan but as a supporter of my brother playing in it.
When everything else in the world may seem divided, sports find a way to bring us all together and inspire us to all be better and achieve more in life.
Follow me to see more articles like this.
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Hurricane Ida struck Louisiana first on August 26th and finally calmed down by September 4th. The death toll is above sixty and there are thousands still without power. It's one of the worst tragedies due to natural disasters in 2021. If we're going to fight Covid while simultaneously trying to rescue people and recover cities and power, we're in for a long road ahead.
Chicago, IL 2021-09-07
New "Mu" Covid Strain Shocks The Public into Wearing Masks Again
If you've been watching or reading the news lately, then you know about the new Coronavirus variant, "Mu". The World Health Organization states, "Mu was first seen in Colombia in January 2021, when it was given the designation B1621. It has since been detected in 40 countries, but is thought to currently be responsible for only 0.1% of infections globally".
5 Things Every Good Soldier Does
Serving in the military is one of the most intense jobs on the market. Being a soldier demands so much of you — loyalty, respect, and accountability to succeed. In my four years of serving in the United States Army and doing one tour in the middle east, I've learned the do and don'ts of being a soldier in the U.S. Army.
I Could Have Made $24,000 on Dogecoin
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Facing "FOMO" as a Deployed Soldier
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One Personality Trait That Attracts Others Instantly
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How to Completely Purge Through Your Home and Eliminate Clutter
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3 Forms of Escapism to Relieve Your Stress
Being in your prime is the best time to go all-in on your goals and your potential. As a 23-year old entrepreneur, I know that as I get older, my motivation will deteriorate over time. That's why I make sure to work hard and take care of my mental health through escapism.
Daily Fitness is The Easiest Ticket to Stress-Relief
Stressors are all around us — financially, emotionally, physically, etc. Life is all about how you get up when you're knocked down. You can either complain and blame the world, or you can do something about it.
How to Find Your Voice as a Writer
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How to Structure Your Goals in 3 Simple Ways
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Why Eating Breakfast is Important
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My First Rave Since Covid Was Incredible
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Loki is The Best Show on Disney+ Hands Down
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Review Recommends
© 2021 The Stanford Review
Crazy COP
pbkoning
The past few days in Copenhagen have been chaotic beyond imagination. As can probably be seen in the news right now, riots around the conference have started to get violent, and I just saw a menacing bicycle rider tackled by seven police officers as he tried to approach the Bella Center a tad too fast. While the first week of the COP seemed to operate smoothly aside from a few registration hiccups, it is now clear that the city was not prepared for the sheer number of people that showed up for the COP.
Lovely UN bureaucracy
Rumors have spread that the UN allowed over 50,000 people to register for the conference, despite its capacity to hold a mere 20,000-clearly a recipe for disaster. Many of those 50,000 arrived this week, including some Stanford delegates, some of whom waited over 12 hours outside without even being able to register or enter the massive complex on Monday. In an unexpected turn of events, NGO entry has now been restricted to compensate for the UN's organizational brilliance-with only 7,000 being allowed in on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, 1,000 on Thursday, and–wait for it–a grand total of 90 on Friday! Many from the Stanford delegation have had the fortune of being around since early last week and exploring the COP, but countless people lost hundreds of dollars by coming to the COP for just the second week without being able to enter. The Stanford delegation was told they could register as many people as desired, and they probably said the same to every other NGO in attendance. How this even happened is honestly incomprehensible and could have easily been avoided with basic foresight.
**Thoughts on the plenary
A lot of attention has been given to the recent resignation of the COP 15 President, Connie Hedegaard. It seems as if this so-called "dramatic turn of events" may actually have been a routine procedure to make way for a more prominent figure-Danish PM Rasmussen- to chair the plenary, where hundreds of heads of state will be speaking. Still, I have to admit my suspicion she was probably tired of hearing a speeches from delegations expressing disagreement with the COP's president's decision to hold informal consultations to discuss the formation of a contact group to address one article of the Kyoto Protocol (and yes, this really did happen…). The plenaries ooze with procedural minutiae, and it is evidently hard for anything to ever get accomplished. Given that so many of the real negotiations likely occur in hotel bars behind the scenes, is it really all that necessary to implement overly formal discussion sessions? While I certainly cannot claim to have uncovered the panacea to all the UN's ills, it does seem clear to me that eliminating most of the formalities embodied in the plenary session would go a long way to improve the efficiency of our paramount international institution.
Some Quick Back of the Envelope Math About the Class of 2014
Stanford announced recently that it had accepted a record 753 early applicants for the class of 2014, out 5,556 that applied (that's a
The Year in Music
This was an interesting year in music, as many of them are. Let's take a look at some of the standouts, in no particular
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Review: Power Support Air Jacket for iPhone 5s
- Mar. 26th 2014 6:25 am PT
Just under two weeks ago, Power Support, famous for their really awesome screen protector for most Apple devices, announced their newest of cases, the Air Jacket – available for the iPhone 5s, iPad Air, and iPad mini with Retina display. In this article, I will be reviewing and giving my opinion on their iPhone 5s case in black color.
Unlike most cases, the Air Jacket is very low profile and thin, while covering a good majority of the device. The bottom of the iPhone 5s is covered, with a small leeway for the Lighting connector that makes this case compatible with most accessories. The headphone jack also has a small notch for 90º angle connectors, so those shouldn't be an issue.
The volume rockers and mute switch are left uncovered, but are enclosed around a tapered plastic, to make accessing them a lot easier. The sleep/wake button is the same way. The buttons would be rather hard to press if the taper wasn't present.
On the back, you have a rather large cutout for the camera and dual-LED flash. While taking photos, not once has the case caused any discoloration in them. One other thing I definitely want to point out is the absence of any kind of branding on the case, which I particularly like. The whole back is one smooth sheet of plastic.
I really like this case. I've used many 'slim' cases before, but this one takes the cake because not only is it truly slim, but combined with the tapered plastic around the buttons, it makes for a really awesome experience. The lack of any kind of branding is also a huge plus, as a lot of other cases I've tried had pretty noticeable logos on the back/or sides of the case. I personally use the Apple EarPods, but I know a lot of users complain about no support for 90º angle connectors in cases. The case also holds up really well to slides on a table, occasional drops from the waist down, and it doesn't show much wear and tear. While the case can provide protection from day-to-day mishaps, it isn't going to protect your phone from anything too severe.
In conclusion, if you're looking for a case that not only adds a fair amount of protection to your iPhone, but also a nice sleek look, this case may be for you. The case also comes in a transparent, white, and translucent (black) variant.
You can pick up the Air Jacket on Amazon for $34.95.
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Congratulations on the arrival of your new beautiful baby boy!
Oh how exciting!! Congratulations!! Your son looks pretty proud of his little brother.
Congratulations on your new baby boy! So cute!
Not working on much? You've got the most important, most wonderful and most exhausting job of all! Congratulations!
I have been wondering, and am so glad to hear all went well with the birth. A warm congratulations to your whole family!
Congratulations! He is precious. They both are actually.
Oh, Aren't they precious! Congrats!!
Congratulations on sweet baby Samuel!!!! What a cutie and his big brother looks so proud!!! I hope you are getting some asleep and getting help! Thanks for doing the link up with such a full plate you have! Hang in there, Young Texas Mama! I am a no-longer young Texas Mama and can tell you don't blink or those boys will be 17 and 14 like mine!!!
Congratulations on the birth of your beautiful baby boy :). Take care and enjoy this precious time. They grow up so fast!
Congrats and welcome home Samuel.
Congratulations on the sweet addition to your family! Precious!
Congratulations! Two beautiful children! What fun!


Story by Staff Report on July 29, 2011 . Click on author name to view all articles by this author. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
As long as the temperature remains high and the rainfall low, citizens will be at risk of low water pressure. To help ease these problems, the City of Oklahoma City this weekend sent to The City Sentinel and other news organizations a release asking all citizens to begin an odd/even water rotation program immediately.
Wholesale customers are required to comply with this outdoor watering restriction.
Citizens whose house numbers end in even numbers are asked to water on even-numbered days. Likewise, citizens whose house numbers end in odd numbers should only water on odd-numbered days. The odd/even rotation program applies to yard sprinklers and irrigation systems. Hand watering with a hose is allowed any day.
 Avoid watering in between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. when people use the most water indoors.
 Water the lawn only when it needs it and in the early morning or late afternoon. Watering in the middle of the day allows most of the water to evaporate.
 Make sure the sprinkler is aimed at the lawn not the street or sidewalk. If you water when it's windy, water will go everywhere but on the grass.


The Chicks are extremely excited to welcome Eleanor Cawood Jones, author extraordinaire of short crime fiction, to the blog today. She may just tell us how she comes up with her stories' amazing settings. Take it away, Eleanor!
Ouch! Sorry, Cousin Carolyn. But that reminds me of a few of the quandaries of being a purveyor of short fiction. One, you have to constantly invent and introduce new characters if you're not doing a series of related stories. Especially if you're writing murder mystery shorts and some of the characters aren't going to come back for sequel stories unless they are ghost guest stars (hey, there's an idea). And they all need to be fresh and different, each time. It can be a challenge.
Same thing goes for settings.
Green Bay, Wisconsin when you accidentally stumble into a clown convention? Oh, please. Yes, yes, yes. (Malice Domestic: Murder Most Conventional).
Weird and wonderful Florida? Oh, sure. That landed in the 2018 Bouchercon anthology, and if you're in a weird and wonderful mood and have a minute, you can actually read it here: GirlsGoneChillin.com/Hollywood-Motel.
But sometimes the best settings are right around you, and you don't have to go anywhere much at all. Have you ever heard of NIMBY? (Not In My Back Yard; No thanks, don't build that highrise/superstore/helipad/drag racing track behind ME.) But as a writer, I embrace YIMBY—Yes! In My Backyard!
I was walking through the tiny park behind my condo looking at new spring flowers and BAM—what would happen if a murderer in the next block hid a body in that hollow tree? And what's lurking under the tennis court next door? And don't even get me started on what might wind up in the dumpster to my left.
So I've been thinking a lot about where to set my next story, and maybe even creating a set of stories with the same characters—Cousin Carolyn would like that—and I've been wondering… As a reader, what kinds of settings do you like to read about, and is setting in fact important to you? As a writer, is setting something you struggle with? Do you use the same settings over again? Are you a YIMBY writer or a globetrotter/I-must-see-it wordsmith?
And do you have a dream setting, that one place you really mean to write about, or read about, someday? I've been told setting is a character, and I embrace that, whether it's right in my own backyard or on that next big roadtrip.
Meanwhile, and speaking of our own backyards, my hometown bestie has just solved the Mystery of the Nesting Chicken. The short version is her new all-girl poultry flock turned out to not actually be all-girl. One day Mary Jane started crowing, and shortly after that, Ingrid started nesting. Could the two be related? And indeed they were. I mention this because it's a "Chicks" blog, and because they are cute, and just in time for Easter, and it seems a good way to close.
In fact, I think that's my next setting… right in her own backyard. See what I mean?
Eleanor Cawood Jones is a former journalist and reformed marketing director who packs a suitcase with very little prompting and spends any spare time creating short fiction, and longs to create longer fiction if just she had the attention span. Find Eleanor on Facebook and Twitter and visit her website at GirlsGoneChillin.com, too!
Readers, please say hi to Eleanor and tell her the favorite place you've ever visited–bet she's been there!
Tags: #amediting, #amreading, #amwriting, All Accounted For at the Hooray for Hollywood Hotel, Eleanor Cawood Jones, Florida Happens, mystery, setting, short stories, Sisters in Crime, Travel, writing inspiration. Bookmark the permalink.
Entertaining as always, Ellie. I particularly enjoy following your travels.
Thanks, Grace! Your debut novel is definitely on my TBR list!
Eleanor, thanks so much for joining us today! The title "All Accounted for at the Hooray for Hollywood Hotel" is one of my favorites ever. And I LOVED the story!
Thank you for the kind words about the story, which warms my heart.
LOL, I guess Mary Jane's got something to crow about! Eleanor, my globe-trotting friend I'm a fan — really loved "Killing Kippers" and getting to meet you in person at Malice and LCC. Such a treat to have you hanging out with the Chicks today!
Supper club! Aren't conferences great? And thank you!!
Eleanor, how many frequent flyer miles do you have? Great post!
20 billion, give or take? Kidding. I use them up as fast as I get them.
I can attest — YOU ARE a lot of fun to walk with, and remember the cluttered antique shop! Sounds like a good setting to me. 😉 I can't choose a fave from all your stories, they're ALL my faves! Keep on chillin', girl!
I love YIMBY (ha ha!) and your stories!! SO glad you're here!
I'm a fan of settings that seem ordinary and familiar but that hide a mystery. Or a body. And I would love to go on a walk with you! I'm sure inspiration (and hilarity!) would be around every corner.
Let's do it! I can't wait to see what trouble we get into!!
Since I write a series, I definitely don't have to create a new setting every time and it's definitely YIMBY (seeing as I live a mere hour away from the Laurel Highlands). Well, I do create new settings when I venture to short fiction.
The Laurel Highlands…sigh. Sounds so perfect. If you write that one–and please do–I'm first in line for furries!
Favorite place I've visited? Do I have to choose?
Right now, I'm really wanting to visit a redwood forest. I grew up camping in the redwoods and I really miss them.
We camped in the redwoods last summer, and I can't wait to go back!
But is there chicken and waffles cereal?
Come to Santa Cruz, Mark!
Guess what's number one on my bucket list right now? I've never seen redwoods. That's a CRIME!
It is. Redwoods are so lovely. And a redwood forest is so peaceful.
Eleanor, I met you at LCC in Reno and bought A Baker's Dozen. I read it on the train home. Love your writing and your humor! I'll take a walk with you any day!
Eleanor, so glad you guested with us! I envy all your travels. #1 on my bucket list is the Haworth Parsonage and Bronte moors. As to favorite place I've visited, well, that answer is pretty obvious. NOLA, baby! Laissez les bon temps rouler!
ooooh! the Bronte moors. Now there's a fine thought!! Yeah, NOLA, baby. And they're bringing Bouchercon back there!!!!
You are too kind, as usual. I'm glad you liked YIMBY! I think we need a group chick walk, don't you?
My series is YIMBA, since it all happens in the same town. They go outside, and bodies everywhere! Also, I think it's great you see places to hide bodies when you go on walks. You're in good company.
Bodies everywhere! I'm so glad other people do this…wait, should we worry? YIMBA YIMBA YIMBA!
I love following your travels, Eleanor, and love your stories, too! That twist at the end of "All Accounted for at the Hooray for Hollywood Hotel"? I'm with Cousin Carolyn – I'm still thinking about those characters.
Place I love to visit? Paris! Set a story there!
I love reading about new places, but I do get why folks tend to keep their series in the same location: Once you've met all those side-kicks and secondary characters, you want to hang with them again and again!
That said, I really want to set my Sally Solari number 6 in Hilo, Hawai'i, where I live half time. It'll be a fish-out-of-water story, and who doesn't want to read about hot lava and Maitai cocktails?
Thanks so much for visiting the Chicks today, Eleanor! And love the chicks photo and story!
Which explains why I met you at LCC Hawaii. Hilo is wonderful. I love your posts. I'd read about lava and Maitais in a New York Heartbeat.
It's part of any well-balanced camping trip!


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Ádám Kokesch: BACKUP
20 November 2015 - 21 February 2016, 10:00 - 17:00
Opening: 20 November 2015, 6 pm
Ádám Kokesch has an original take on the object culture of modernity and the traditions of abstract art, linking the aesthetics of abstract art with the aesthetics of imaginary high-tech design.
The purist aesthetics of classical modernism initially developed in parallel with modern interior design, product design and graphics. It was a phenomenon which first gained articulation through the work of the Bauhaus in the early twentieth century.
Kokesch above all examines the question of whether the parallel development of classical modernity and modern design, as we see it now, can serve as a model for creating a connection between today's radical design aesthetics and radical art.
The upsurge in technological development caused design to progress by impulses from outside art and set off astounding advances. Design acquired a special interpretative relationship with technology, devised its own communication, and carved out an elite position by bringing the refinements of functional interpretation to new heights.
But what happens when design is deprived of its interpretative-communicative role? Does it become mere decoration? Kokesch produces technical fakes and imitations, actually ironic experiments in reconstructing the relationship between radical design and radical art. Through their "blether", these art works seem to deliver a deeper understanding of that connection, or indeed of its fictive character.
Curator: Eszter Őze, Edit Sasvári
Graphic design: Klára Rudas
Communication: Anna Juhász, Boglárka Kőrösi
Translation: Alan Campbell
Supported by the National Cultural Fund of Hungary
Kassák Museum, 20 November 2015 - 21 February 2016
Képek a megnyitóról
GALÉRIA: gelérai neve


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First Page Blogfest
I am getting addicted to blogfests. These are just so much fun! I love participating myself, and reading what everyone else has done. Thanks to Kelly Lyman for hosting this one.
Since I have already posted my first page several times, I am going to try something different. I am going to post my old first page This was the opening of book until about a year ago when I came up with the whole nightstalker-in-the-snow thing. I'm thinking of cutting out the new chapters I've added at the beginning of the story, and going back (or rather, forward) to this one.
So, tell me what you think, please. Especially if you are familiar with the newer version. Thank you!
Long ago, when the mountains were taller and the seas younger, there lived a race of people who were smaller than humans, less magical than elves, and not at all like dwarves. For one thing, their menfolk (called hamen) had no beards, and for another, they loathed being underground. All they knew for sure about themselves was that they were Hanorja, and that their ancestors had come over the mountains in ages past.
A new moon hung low over the shoulders of the mountains as two hamen sat huddled at the base of a rocky slop. They had drawn themselves up to a dark fire, which gave off heat but no smoke and only a little, purplish light. One was taller and broader of shoulder; he stared into the fire with his head bowed, as if a great weight were upon him. The other was shorter, leaner and had propped his back against a rock with a quiet watchfulness, mouthing an unlit pipe. He was Faldur, a captain of the King's Rangers that patrolled the mountain border. His tall companion was Melbrinor, eldest son of King Elmoran and the captain's closest friend.
They had been following a regional protector called Chalmeth, whom they suspected of plotting against the King. His trail led them to Blackpool, an opening in the rocks into which a waterfall poured with thundering force, then disappeared into the earth. Chalmeth's trail stopped at the edge of the pool; it was as if he had vanished along with the water. There was a cave behind the falls, but there was no way to reach it and no other entrance anywhere among the rocks. They had assured themselves of this after a long, discouraging day combing the mountainside. At nightfall they made their camp a short distance away, sheltered by a stand of aspens that sighed and rattled their branches in the chill wind. The sound of the water was not so deafening here, though it still mocked them.
"He can't have possibly entered that cave, so where is he?" asked Mel in a low voice.
Faldur stretched his well-worn boots to the fire. The soles needed mending; he could feel hot spots on the bottom of his feet. "Perhaps he sprouted wings and flew away."
"Perhaps he fell in."
Faldur chuckled grimly. "We wouldn't be that lucky."
Nighfala April 2, 2010 at 6:24 AM
I know that the scene opens in omniscient point of view, then narrows to just Faldur's pov. I did that deliberately after much consideration of how to introduce these characters, and comparison with similar published books.
I think it will be invisible to most readers, and that it's effective, although it will probably annoy the heck out of other writers, who are ultra-sensitive to pov shifts.
Portia April 2, 2010 at 10:04 AM
This is a very vivid world you've created here. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Well done!
dolorah April 2, 2010 at 1:04 PM
I liked the starting large, then narrowing the focus. Effective way of giving a bit of setting, weaving in relevant back story, and then introducing the MC.
The middle of chapter one's first paragraph reads a bit choppy. The passive description, then naming them and the rank, didn't flow well. I'd like to see it start with Faldur, and his full description, and then to Melbinor.
The other place the mood is broken is with: They had been following a regional protector called Chalmeth, whom they suspected of plotting against the King. Maybe just say: They had been following regional protector Chalmeth; whom . .
Your dialogue here is excellent. Very strong; really sets the characters up as soldiers.
This is much more descriptive than the one that starts out with the hunt. Or was that one a chapter beginning?
I really enjoyed this beginning. Its active, even with them resting by the fire; sets up the plot, MC's and the antagonist; and reveals setting. Well done.
......dhole
Roxy April 2, 2010 at 1:22 PM
I really enjoyed this, Christine. I'm intrigued with the fantasy world you created. Great job!
Roland D. Yeomans April 2, 2010 at 1:33 PM
Your first page has a mystical feel that swept the still-living child in me enthralled. I like the humor to the dialogue as well. It is obvious you have continued to hone your craft.
I fear that I have come in too late to join the fun. But I tried anyway. Perhaps I squeaked in. Good luck with being published, Roland
Kelly Lyman April 2, 2010 at 3:11 PM
Love the descriptions- very vivid. I also like the humor throughout the dialogue. Great job. Thanks for participating!
sarahjayne smythe April 2, 2010 at 4:46 PM
Really good job of creating the tone and mood of the piece. Very descriptive and evocative.
Hi Christine
How nice of you to invite us all over :)
This speedy re-edit is one stage from truly dire and I offer the same advice that was given to me - always try to say everything you need in the fewest number of words (punctuation optional ;) )
A new moon hung on the shoulder of the mountains as flickering firelight cast a purple stain across the frown of Faldur, captain of the King's Rangers, who huddled to its meagre heat.
Tara April 2, 2010 at 7:15 PM
As a whole I enjoyed this. You're very descriptive and you've done a great job creating their world. I'm not sure I'd be hooked as the first page. But, that is largely due to this being a genre I don't read either ;) I love your writing.
Sierra Godfrey April 2, 2010 at 10:14 PM
I really liked this line: "and not at all like dwarves." That got me. It told me that all the usual genre stuff may not apply.
I liked the description and I liked the image of these two sitting and talking. My only critique is that because hamen is a new word to us mortal readers, starting off with character names might be easier to bring us into the world. Does that make sense? I can relate to Mel and Faldur, but hamen catches me up.
Thanks you for the comments, everyone.
Sierra, you have no idea how many times the word "men" is used in a story until you aren't allowed to use it! It catches me up, too. I truly feel for Tolkein now with his "gentlehobbits," "hobbit lads" and "hobbit lasses."
Roland, you're not too late at all! Thank you for coming over.
"Thanks you." Sheesh. Yes, the dogs woke me at 6:30 and I haven't had my coffee yet.
Roland D. Yeomans April 3, 2010 at 10:28 AM
Thanks for you perceptive comments, Christine. You're spot on for the mood for which I was aiming, for I call my genre "Noir Fantasy" as in the movie, DARK CITY.
I found myself adrift on the streets of New Orleans for a time after Katrina, experiencing the horrors firsthand. Sadly, the drama I described in my first page was all too real.
Have a healing weekend, Roland
Christine Danek April 3, 2010 at 11:36 AM
Great descriptions! Interesting world you created.
Abby Annis April 5, 2010 at 11:14 PM
Love the descriptions! Can't wait to read more. :)
Hehe. I like these two characters. I was left wanting more, great job!
Don't forget to sign up for Last Line Blogfest! (details on my site.)
Nighfala April 7, 2010 at 8:51 PM
Thanks, Lilah! I can't resist another blogfest. I'll have to check yours out.
How much more of your novel do you think you have left? And remember the last line doesn't have to be the very last line of a novel. It can be the last line of a chapter or scene, too. I have yet to finish my novel so my own entry will just be a scene. :) You'll do great and thanks for the participation!
Hi Lilah! Technically, if you look at my revision meter over there on the left side of the page, I have about 55,000 words still to revise. So, um, yeah. I might not get that much done in three weeks. LOL!
At least not unless I stop blogging, and quit my day job.
Douglas G Clarke April 8, 2010 at 10:11 AM
The hunt version started with more action, but left me wondering who these characters were. This version, while slower does give a hint that these are not humans. I like the contrast to dwarfs.
Two points. You introduced "dark fire" and described it, but you didn't explain any of the how or why. Is it magical, some special kind of wood, or just one of the kinds of fire in your world? As for why, I figured out later it was so that they would not be seen, but it might be worth adding a couple words to foreshadow that not only are they hunting, they don't want to be found.
The part with the cave seems off. Now maybe I'm wrong but of corse he found a way to get to the cave. The question is, how do people know there is a cave if no one can get to it? Can they see it through the waterfall in the darkness? If there a path that ends? If so, the question isn't if he went that way but how. Since you've already introduced magic, it that is the assumption behind dark fire, and it seems to be common, since they could just as easily get in their sleeping bags (or blankets) and have not fire, so would it be unreasonable for them to wonder if the protector had obtained some sort of magic that would allow him to pass through the falls. And might that wondering at the use of powerful magic concern them?
Of the two, I think I like this one better.
Hey, Doug. Once again, a good catch. Originally I had said "They could see a cave behind the falls..."
In the next couple of paragraphs, you learn more about the magic and how it works in this setting.
Joshua McCune April 9, 2010 at 11:23 AM
This is different than the one I read previously, and, if memory serves, more evocative, IMO. I get a sense of the voice pretty quickly -- more old school storytellerish. It might be a bit slower paced, but I doubt you want readers who are gonna jump ship after a first sentence/paragraph anyway.
Yes, Bane, it is different. It's funny, because I wrote the other one to put more action into it, because that's what I thought readers wanted. But this one seems to be getting better responses.
So I basically wasted most of the past year writing and re-writing the first three chapters. 'Cuz if I make this the beginning, those get cut. Currently, this scene (edited a little differently) is the beginning of Chapter 4.
Pass the whiskey. I need a drink.
P.S. I was under the impression that the "old school storytellerish" was out of vogue and no one would like this. So now I'm just really confused!
How Perfect is Perfect Enough?
Rearranging Trees in the Forest
Loving the Internet
A Virtual Tea Party


There are only 110 days left until the Can-Am 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race weekend and what better way to celebrate the second half of the NASCAR season than with unbeatable 'Christmas in July' offerings exclusively at Phoenix Raceway.
Earlier today, the steel beam signed by fans and the entire field of drivers during this year's Verizon IndyCar Series Phoenix Grand Prix was installed in one of the two new Canyons – the redesigned and expanded entrances associated with the Phoenix Raceway Project Powered by DC Solar. Fans who signed the steel beam will forever be a part of The New Phoenix Raceway as the beam was placed at the top of the new Canyon 1.


text:
Online social media giants warned to protect Australians or pay the price, literally
Marnie Banger
Published: 25/03/2019 Updated: Saturday, 4 April 2020 12:06 AM GMT+11
Social media crackdown
The Prime Minister has flagged new laws that stop social media being used and weaponised by extremists. The legislation follows the Christchurch killer's live stream.
Tech giants such as Facebook and Google are being urged to keep Australians who use their platforms safe, by properly protecting their personal information and managing hate speech.
The federal government on Sunday revealed plans to force online titans to cough up far more cash if they breach privacy laws, under sweeping changes to the Privacy Act aimed at protecting Australians' data.
The announcement came ahead of both Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten meeting with executives from social media companies on Tuesday.
They are due to discuss violent offences being broadcast by perpetrators on sites such as Facebook and YouTube, in the aftermath of the Christchurch massacre in which 50 people were killed.
A video of the attack, in which a lone gunman opened fire at two mosques during Friday prayers was live-streamed on social media.
"It's no good for the people who run the swamp...to then not take responsibility for what crawls out," Mr Shorten told reporters in Melbourne on Sunday.
Under the government's proposed changes to the Privacy Act, online platforms that seriously or repeatedly breach privacy laws would be fined $10 million, compared to the current penalty of $2.1 million.
Alternatively, they could be charged three times the value of any benefit obtained by misusing information or 10 per cent of their annual domestic turnover, depending on which figure is greatest.
Attorney-General Christian Porter says the act needs updating after the boom in recent years of online companies trading in personal information.
"We need better protections and stronger penalties and stronger incentives to ensure that the social media platforms do the right thing with our private information," he told reporters in Perth.
The current $2.1 million maximum penalty for misusing people's data was "almost irrelevant" to the companies with huge profits, he said.
Legislation to make the changes will be drafted ahead of community consultation in the second half of the year.
PoliticsEconomicsTechnology


Shannon Moan is the voice of your wool sweater that keeps you warm on cool nights while camping in the north woods. She is the voice of your favourite coffee blend from your favourite coffee shop. She is the voice of that book that you keep reading over and over and over but never get sick of. She is the voice of a Tarantino heroine, always surviving, always strong but always vulnerable.
After a childhood spent in the Alberta foothills, she began playing music in Sault Ste. Marie at the tender age of fourteen. By sixteen, Shannon was writing and performing her own material, playing coffee shops and then moving up to bars at seventeen. Honing her craft, her song-writing, her voice, she played venues with names from a lost poem, The Fireball, The Steamy Bean, The Downbeat, Loplops.
Whether solo or with a band or sharing the stage with local artists, audiences are bewitched, enthralled, they are captured in her gentle grasp, unwilling to escape.


Hi (again)! In this sunny day, My friend and I decided to refresh our mind after the Final Exam in few days ago. This day, we went to cinema, to watch the new released movie named 'Penguins of Madagascar'. By this post I've also included the summary and some review from me about the movie. Check it out!
Actor / Actress : Tom McGrath, Chris Miller, Conrad Vernon, Christopher Knights, Benedict Cumberbatch, John Malkovich.
The Graphic was good because handled by the most common famous company, DreamWorks Animation and Pasific Data Images.
The first part wasn't too interesting because the plot was a little bit complicated.


text:
The Janesville Country Club is a private golf and social club located in the Town of Janesville, just outside the northwest city limits of Janesville, Wisconsin.  Founded in 1894 by Alexander Galbraith who brought golf clubs and balls back to Janesville from Scotland, it is the first golf club in Wisconsin, the second in the Midwest and the sixth in the U.S.

References

External links
 Janesville Country Club official website

Golf clubs and courses in Wisconsin
Buildings and structures in Janesville, Wisconsin

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Sometimes eating gluten free is just too damn easy. Seriously! So often our meals are complicated or involve unique ingredients or substitutions. It takes time, planning, and sometimes even luck.
Then there are those meals that are just...easy. So simple we tend to overlook them. Naturally gluten free and adaptable to whatever you have on hand. I made one of those meals tonight. Once upon a time, I was a vegetarian. For three and a half years I ate no meat, no meal made with stock made from meat, and no gelatin. I made sure to eat healthy, but finally was forced to reintroduce meat into my diet when even the iron supplements did not alleviate my anemia. (Uh, hel-LO! Should we maybe have been tested for Celiac back then?) Anyhow, even back in my veggie days I was not a fan of tofu. Ew! I just did not like it. I thought it was rubbery, tasteless. Needless to say, I never had tofu prepared well. Fast forward to today, tonight, in fact. Our super easy, stress free gluten free meal: the tofu scramble. I have made friends with tofu. When prepared well, it can be divine. It can also be incredibly easy. Crumble it up, spice it up. dress it up. A full meal in 15 minutes.
Add the olive oil to a big pan over med-high heat. Stir in the curry powder, and then quickly add the onions. Stir in onions, salt, and pepper and cook until the onions soften. Stir in the tomatoes and raisins, cook them for thirty seconds and add the tofu and spinach. Stir until the tofu is combined with the other ingredients and the spinach wilts. Remove from the heat and stir in the almonds. Taste and add more salt if needed.
Soft, fluffy, moist, bendable. These are all words to describe the bread that I have missed for the past year and a half. French bread, Wonder bread, pita bread. All of gone in a moment. I thought that the rest of my life would be spent eating dense, brick-like crmbling loaves that are only edible after toasting. NOT ANY MORE!!!
One of my girl friends recently bought a condo. Upon moving in she realized the previous owner had left behind a handful of small kitchen appliances. She offered them up and I marched home with a bread machine. I was so excited. Easy bread!!! I was cautious, though, and checked out the advisibility of using a previously used bread machine. Poop. Looked like a no go. At that point I was so excited about using the machine that it became imperative I buy one for myself. Out to the store I went. After three stops with no bread machines in sight, I began to despair. Target was my last hope. I looked through thr kitchen ailse three times before I saw one box sitting on the bottom shelf. The clouds parted, a light shown down from the heavens, and a choir of angels began to sing. Not only was it a bread machine, it was the Breadman Ultimate Plus.... with gluten free setting! I grabbed the precious and ran home.
After priming the machine per the directions in the manal, I was ready to bake me up some bread. Woo!!! I did a bunch of research. I read posts all over the internets. Finally, I decided to just go with the Gluten Free Pantry Favorite Sandwich Bread Mix. Um, it might be someone's favorite if it is made in the oven, but that mix is not made for my bread machine. meh.
This time I decided to do something I had never done before: buy the 800 different alternative flours and xantham gun to make the bread truly from scratch. After doing some more research I settled on this recipe that was posted on ByTheBay's blog. I scooped and measured the five different flours. I ground the whole flax seed into meal in my mortar and pestle. I put the wet ingredients in first, topped them with the dry ingredients and made a little well for the yeast. I closed the lid, engaged the gluten free setting, and prayed. "Please," I beseached, "I just want it to be better than the previous loaf." A little over and hour later (yes, the cycle really is that short!) a beeping was heard throughout my apartment. I removed the loaf from the pan and set it out to cool.
Put all of the wet ingredients into the bread machine pan. Gently layer the dry ingredients on top of the wet. Do not mix! Create a small well in the middle of the dry ingredients and place the yeast in the well so that is remains dry. Place the pan in the bread machine. Close the lid and set the machine to the gluten free setting or the quick rise setting. Press start. That is all.
If the loaf turns out to be too dense or if it falls, try redicing the water by 2-3 T. You can slice and freeze this loaf, but there is really no reason. This bread was still just a fresh the next day. Speaking of which, I need to go have a slice, untoasted and with no topping. Yes, it is just that good!