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HomeOscar's JourneyNot Enough SpaceTwo generations: Memories of a Niece
Two generations: Memories of a Niece
by María Rejdukowski Torres
For 26 years, I have been visiting my uncle, Carlos Alberto Torres, in prison, and his strength, dedication, intelligence, and creativity continue to inspire me. I admire how he has truly known how to live in spite of his imprisonment and continue to be a strong-spirited human being, one who is caring and constantly busy challenging his mind. His ability to create is exemplified in his artwork.
I was eight years old when my uncle was arrested, along with my aunt Haydée. From that day on my life was changed. I started to see the world very differently as I learned about the United States history of control over Puerto Rico. I knew that Vieques was used as a war games training camp and that bombs were used even though people lived there. I remember the mysterious death of Angel Rodríguez Cristobal during his brief imprisonment for resisting the military actions in Vieques. I knew that my uncle was not the criminal portrayed by the media but was in prison for defending against the injustices done in Puerto Rico.
As a child, I remember feeling it was difficult to share my experiences at school and the way I viewed the world. Our family directly experienced what it was like to have a grandmother in prison in sensory deprivation, to have my uncle put in segregation for no reason, and prison visits in which we would be reprimanded for hugging. I learned that the myth that these injustices didn't occur in the US was just that — a myth. These experiences taught me to question and not just assume that things are the way they appear to be because it is the idea that is widely accepted or conveyed by the mainstream media.
Facing constant repression at a young age, I also learned to hold in my feelings, be strong and not shed a tear even though many of our experiences were painful, scary, and infuriating. Our family and friends have been persecuted, followed, and harassed. I can vividly recall the sadness and tightening of my chest when I saw my grandmother in the courtroom after her arrest. And to this day it still breaks my heart to leave my uncle after a visit. Even at home, it was natural to expect that our telephone conversations were tapped. It wasn't easy to be expressive, as it felt like our thoughts and feelings were held, hostage. It wasn't until adulthood that the effects of this repression became easier to manage.
Part of what helped us persevere through all of this was the reminder that injustice existed and a profound sense of hope to try and change this oppressive situation. Our typical evenings and weekends consisted of attending meetings, protests, leafleting or visiting family in prison. Over time, we learned to tune out the metal detectors, cameras and guards watching and listening, and automatically tune in with each other and take advantage of each second we could share together.
Our family unity grew, much of it due to the strength and conviction of my grandfather, Jos. Alberto 'Viejo' Torres. I was fortunate to be part of many of my grandfather's visits in his later years to see my uncle. Any chance he got, he'd be the first one in the front seat ready to see his son. He'd say, "I'll go anytime someone wants to take me." When I'd look at my grandfather, I would see his pain at seeing his son in prison, but I also saw and admired his strength and resolution to hope.
Just after my grandfather passed away, on the other side of a full, noisy, visiting room, my aunts told my uncle that his dad was no longer physically with us.
Now two generations in my family have grown up with my uncle in prison. After many years he got to meet his only daughter again, who he had last seen before his arrest. Recently, he was unable to meet his second, granddaughter, one-year-old who had traveled more than seven hours with family, due to a sudden lockdown at the prison. After two years of being in prison, my uncle met my younger sister Noemi, and sixteen years later had to hear the news of her death, due to a drunk driver, over the phone. He has met my husband as well as my two daughters while in prison.
My uncle has missed many of the highlights of our life. Only weeks ago, my brother was married, and Uncle Berti was unable to attend. Maybe my six-year-old daughter conveyed it best "I don't like Uncle Berti's house. I wish he'd move to another one closer where more people can visit and we can do more things together." It is obvious that his continued imprisonment is unjust and is due to his political convictions. It's been too long for us — his family and for his community. It's time to bring him home.
Purchase your Reyes Magos Plate by Oscar to benefit the children of Vieques
Read "Between Torture and Resistance"
Read "Torture and Resistance"
Between Torture and ResistanceAlejandro Molina - January 1, 2023 0


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Sam bailey clown adobe
Dec 12, · Sam Bailey sings Clown by Emeli Sande -- Bootcamp Auditions -- The X Factor -Official Channel. Got Talent Global. 4 years ago | K views. The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent, contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. Created by Simon Cowell, the show began in and has. Nov 12, · Sam Bailey's biography with early life, career, personal life, and relationship info. Sam Bailey is the winner of the tenth season of the singing reality show, The X Factor. She is married to her husband, Craig Pearson and shares three children. She has done many shows and released many songs in her career. Her net worth is $1 million at JudgeLink.org Nation: England. Essex Pride has just revealed our very own Sam Bailey as the newest addition to its lineup. The star will join the likes of British electronic group N-Trance and Ru Paul's Cynthia Lee Fontaine to perform at the event which celebrates the LGBTQ+ community.
Essex Pride has just revealed our very own Sam Bailey as the newest addition to its lineup. The star will join the likes of British electronic group N-Trance and Ru Paul's Cynthia Lee Fontaine to perform at the event which celebrates the LGBTQ+ community. Dec 12, · Sam Bailey sings Clown by Emeli Sande -- Bootcamp Auditions -- The X Factor -Official Channel. Got Talent Global. 4 years ago | K views. The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent, contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. Created by Simon Cowell, the show began in and has. Nov 12, · Sam Bailey's biography with early life, career, personal life, and relationship info. Sam Bailey is the winner of the tenth season of the singing reality show, The X Factor. She is married to her husband, Craig Pearson and shares three children. She has done many shows and released many songs in her career. Her net worth is $1 million at JudgeLink.org Nation: England. Dec 17, · Sam Bailey has vowed to "win back" her husband of 11 years after winning this year's X Factor. The prison officer, dubbed Screwbo, admitted her .SAM Bailey had what might be the scariest moment of her life since the X Sam looked like she was having a right laugh as she spooked by two clowns on the. Sam Bailey Clown Download Google American fans of Sam Bailey rejoice! Download free trials and updates for Adobe products including Creative Cloud. Adobe Audition CC Build Crack is an astonishing sound repair .. Sam Bailey sings Clown by Emeli Sande -- Bootcamp Auditions -- The X Factor Jacobs Chicago c Ringling Brothers Circus Clowns | Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey held a once- Sam Coty from Rockport. Clown Faces, Creepy . See more ideas about Clowns, Circus clown and Red skelton. Charlie Bell and Emmett Kelly on the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in .. Emmett Kelly (Sam O'Neal) without his clown makeup! Illustration of a zombie police officer I created in Manga Studio and Adobe Photoshop for a motorcycle club of.
Sam Bailey Song 2 sings Clown by Emeli Sande - Live Week 8 - The X Factor 2013, time: 6:29
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A caban-style jacket by BOSS Womenswear, cut to a straight fit with a double-breasted closure. Crafted in double-faced Portuguese fabric with a touch of stretch and a soft feel, this modern jacket features oversize lapels and flap pockets for a tailored effect. Layer this versatile blazer over businesswear or casual ensembles for effortless elegance.


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AboutNicholas Block2019-11-06T15:54:12+00:00
We, the parents, families and friends of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons, celebrate diversity and envision a society that embraces everyone, including those of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. Only with respect, dignity and equality for all will we reach our full potential as human beings, individually and collectively. PFLAG welcomes the participation and support of all who share in, and hope to realize this vision.
By meeting people where they are and collaborating with others, PFLAG realizes its vision through:
– Support for families, allies and people who are LGBTQ
– Education for ourselves and others about the unique issues and challenges facing people who are LGBTQ
– Advocacy in our communities to change attitudes and create policies and laws that achieve full equality for people who are LGBTQ
Our Strategic Goals
Build the capacity of our organization at every level so that we may have all the resources, in the form of information, people and funding, necessary to move forward in our work with the greatest possible effect.
Create a world in which our young people may grow up and be educated with freedom from fear of violence, bullying and other forms of discrimination, regardless of their real or perceived gender identity or sexual orientation or that of their families.
Make our vision and our message accessible to the broadest range of ethnic and cultural communities, ending the isolation of families with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender family members within those communities.
Work toward full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons within their chosen communities of faith.
Create a society in which all LGBT persons may openly and safely pursue the career path of their choice, and may be valued and encouraged to grow to their full potential in the workplace.
Create a society in which all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons may enjoy, in every aspect of their lives, full civil and legal equality and may participate fully in all the rights, privileges and obligations of full citizenship in this country.
We welcome the participation and support of all who share in our Vision and Mission and who hope to realize our goals.


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JAZZ FROM LONDON 1957/various: The crafty jazz fan running Acrobat's jazz line unearths some more previously unreleased goodies as he finds a Bix Curtis session, modeled on Norman Granz's JATP featuring the great Tubby Hayes working out with a crew of crack post war English jazzbos deserving of recognition and remembrance. Hayes, a running mate of Ronnie Scott back in the day, died way too young and would probably be all but forgotten if it wasn't for things going public domain in England after 50 years. On this Gillespie heavy jam, all the cats you probably never heard of are gladly rescued from time's bargain bin and given a chance to shine proving that it's new if it's new to you. Right up the average hipster's alley, these cats weren't shy about wailing and this is some high water mark old man jazz that doesn't sound a bit dusty. Check it out.
LALO SCHIFRIN/My Life In Music: It pretty much sucks that the record business is in such a state that the only way a cat like Schifrin gets a proper career retrospective is to put it out himself, but really, who in today's business knows the 80 year old's 50 year career better than the maestro himself. A four cd set that covers so much film, tv, jazz and symphonic work that it's amazing and it's amazing it all came from one cat. As it's been said in other contexts along the way, if I was responsible for writing "Theme from Mission Impossible", I would have called it a day then, but he went on to write "Mannix", a bunch of stuff for Clint Eastwood pics, a special commission for Dizzy Gillespie and so much more, all of it so seminal that my head spins thinking about it. And when you listen to these four discs, you find yourself trying to gobble the five hour parade all in one sitting. A great body of work, a great life and a great way to thumb your nose at Rhino for missing the boat on this one since so much of Schifrin's catalog is hiding in the soundtrack corners at WB and Atlantic, well within easy reach of Rhino. You don't have to be a film music freak to love it. You don't have to be a jazzbo to love it. You don't have to be a hipster to love it. You just have to be a cat that loves great music and would rather indulge in it than product. It's a limited edition, act accordingly.
KINKY FRIEDMAN/Bi-Polar Tour--Live from Woodstock: Back behind a mic after taking time off for an enviable midlife crisis, da Kinkstah is writing mysteries and singing his greatest hits across this fair land of ours once again. With a set that's mostly a journey through the past, one more time, he's trodding the same type of ground Townes Van Zandt did in his later years--documenting his high spots with the color of time and tide making the versions of classics new and different and must hearing for the real fan. With a few new things in the mix, Kinky can compete with his 40 years ago self quite well. With or without the Jewboys in tow (but of course, Little Jewford is on board), an original is an original. Even if some of the stuff is dated, it's still the same gas it was in 1973. Fun stuff from an oldie but goodie that could teach today's malcontent know it all a thing or two.
JOAO GILBERTO/The Roots of Bossa Nova: Everybody knows to mention Tom Jobim when they talk about bossa nova. Despite the notoriety of his ex-wife and his daughter, particularly in bossa nova, Joao Gilberto seems more of a background figure even if he was as seminal to the new wave as Jobim. This generously stocked single disc collects his first three albums and some non-lp sides into a set that serves as a veritable greatest hits of Gilberto. In the early days of cd, his early sides were quickly reissued and they sounded like crap which would make the nuevo bossa novan wonder what all the hoopla was about. Here, the guitarist is given the proper contemporary digital spiffing and his quiet fire burns mightily. Not that he needed any vindication, but if you can hear the nascent but fully formed versions of "Meditation", "How Insensitive", "One Note Samba", "Bim Bom", "Destifino", and more, more, more and not be moved to breathlessly exhale you really need a refresher course in real music appreciation. Killer stuff that more than stands the test of time.
T.J. MILLER/Mash Up Audio File: Part of the next wave of alt.underground comics that seems to have the uncanny ability to travel in underground and over ground worlds and media, Miller bounded back from a congenital brain anomaly to be one of the funniest cats out there. With skewed observations on contemporary life, Miller throws the ball time after time and you can't imagine how it manages to be a strike right down the middle as it comes over the plate. Funny stuff for ostensible left of center tastes that really anyone can hurt their sides listening to. Check it out
SUPER HI-FI/Dub to the Bone: So, mix some trombones with some dub reggae and afrobeat, of course throw in the kitchen sink and a bunch of echoplex and what have you? A sinister sounding hipster record that takes the left of center madness brought on when the 90s lounge revival rolled off the rails mixed with white punks on dope white reggae pushing the party forward to when the late hours become the early ones. Crazy, insidious stuff that you can listen to and enjoy with or without a doob, this kitchen sink mash up is a grand head trip that won't leave you fuzz brained or dry mouthed. Check it out.
BOOK SUPPLEMENT
SCOTT ADAMS/I Can't Remember if We're Smart of Cheap: Holy moley, if you read the comments on Amazon, it would seem that the people that bought this treasury collection can't read, or basically don't know the difference between an original collection of "Dilbert" strips or a greatest hits anthology. Hey kids, the treasuries are the tourists editions, for those that want the flavor of "Dilbert" without savoring every strip---even if that is the best way to go. This collection basically looks back at the last (lost?) decade where everything went so kafluee that it could only be really appreciated through the eyes of Dogbert and the rest of his animalbert pals. Funny is funny, and whether you read this in the daily paper, on the net, in past collections or whatever, if you can enjoy "Big Bang Theory" DVDs repeatedly, you can dig this memory jogger that's loaded with panels that are more concerned with cutting to the chase than digging into the story arc. If 200 pages of laughing your ass off isn't good enough for you as you traipse through this journey through the past, then you are either an uber fan or a grump. It's a buffet you can savor and over indulge on without worrying about reflux or nasty burps.
PATRICK McDONNELL/A Shtinky Little Christmas: A classic "Mutts" story arc gets repurposed as a sweet little book for sweet little people. Earl and Mooch first meet "Shtinky Puddin" here when the found him in a garbage can before Christmas. Shtinky is a lost kitty. Mooch takes care of him, but Shtinky runs away rather than continuing to put Mooch out. Of course, he leaves in a blizzard. Earl and Mooch set out to find him and the trio hooks up but gets lost together in the blizzard. Luckily, it's Christmas eve and they get rescued by Santa who reunites Shtinky with his rich owner. And that's why this strip is so well loved.
Volume 36/Number 9


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Dominican Republic Investment in telecoms with private participation Stats
Investment in telecoms with private participation
Current US$: Investment in telecom projects with private participation covers infrastructure projects in telecommunications that have reached financial closure and directly or indirectly serve the public. Movable assets are excluded. The types of projects included are operations and management contracts, operations and management contracts with major capital expenditure, greenfield projects (in which a private entity or a public-private joint venture builds and operates a new facility), and divestitures. Investment commitments are the sum of investments in facilities and investments in government assets. Investments in facilities are the resources the project company commits to invest during the contract period either in new facilities or in expansion and modernization of existing facilities. Investments in government assets are the resources the project company spends on acquiring government assets such as state-owned enterprises, rights to provide services in a specific area, or the use of specific radio spectrums. Data are in current U.S. dollars.
Current US$ > Per $ GDP: Investment in telecom projects with private participation covers infrastructure projects in telecommunications that have reached financial closure and directly or indirectly serve the public. Movable assets are excluded. The types of projects included are operations and management contracts, operations and management contracts with major capital expenditure, greenfield projects (in which a private entity or a public-private joint venture builds and operates a new facility), and divestitures. Investment commitments are the sum of investments in facilities and investments in government assets. Investments in facilities are the resources the project company commits to invest during the contract period either in new facilities or in expansion and modernization of existing facilities. Investments in government assets are the resources the project company spends on acquiring government assets such as state-owned enterprises, rights to provide services in a specific area, or the use of specific radio spectrums. Data are in current U.S. dollars. Per $ GDP figures expressed per 1,000 $ gross domestic product.
Current US$ > Per capita: Investment in telecom projects with private participation covers infrastructure projects in telecommunications that have reached financial closure and directly or indirectly serve the public. Movable assets are excluded. The types of projects included are operations and management contracts, operations and management contracts with major capital expenditure, greenfield projects (in which a private entity or a public-private joint venture builds and operates a new facility), and divestitures. Investment commitments are the sum of investments in facilities and investments in government assets. Investments in facilities are the resources the project company commits to invest during the contract period either in new facilities or in expansion and modernization of existing facilities. Investments in government assets are the resources the project company spends on acquiring government assets such as state-owned enterprises, rights to provide services in a specific area, or the use of specific radio spectrums. Data are in current U.S. dollars. Per capita figures expressed per 1 population.
Current US$ per capita: Investment in telecom projects with private participation covers infrastructure projects in telecommunications that have reached financial closure and directly or indirectly serve the public. Movable assets are excluded. The types of projects included are operations and management contracts, operations and management contracts with major capital expenditure, greenfield projects (in which a private entity or a public-private joint venture builds and operates a new facility), and divestitures. Investment commitments are the sum of investments in facilities and investments in government assets. Investments in facilities are the resources the project company commits to invest during the contract period either in new facilities or in expansion and modernization of existing facilities. Investments in government assets are the resources the project company spends on acquiring government assets such as state-owned enterprises, rights to provide services in a specific area, or the use of specific radio spectrums. Data are in current U.S. dollars. Figures expressed per capita for the same year.
Current US$ 50.2 million$ 2005 55th out of 84
Current US$ > Per $ GDP 1.7$ per $1,000 of GDP 2005 75th out of 81
Current US$ > Per capita 5.3$ per capita 2005 59th out of 84
Current US$ per capita 5.37$ 2005 58th out of 84
SOURCES: World Development Indicators database; World Development Indicators database. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.
Dominican Republic categories
Agriculture Energy Lifestyle
Background Environment Media
Conflict Geography Military
Cost of living Government People
Crime Health Religion
Culture Import Sports
Disasters Industry Terrorism
Education Language Weather
Malaysia has the lowest rate of cinema attendance in the world.


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Q: Generalized Reduced Gradient algorithm in C I am working on some science project and I need the C language implementation of Generalized Reduced Gradient algorithm for non-linear optimization. Is there any library or just a piece of code for that? Or, please suggest any other solution for non-linear multivariable problems. I am looking to build an optimization model using 4 independent variables and 2 constants: the model is nonlinear.
I have checked with Microsoft Excel's Solver using generalized reduced gradient (GRG) is solving this model perfectly, but I need this in the C language for my simulations.
Here is my excel solution:
http://speedy.sh/SEdZj/eof-cs-rest.xlsm
I have used Microsoft Excel Solver with GRG algorithm to search for a minimum value of SS and the output are values of Const_a and Const_b.

A: CONOPT as distributed by GAMS seems an established implementation of GRG, but is not free (although demo may be sufficient for you).
Alglib has an implementation of non-linear Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm here and is GPL / commercial licensed.
Sample code using alglib below:
/*
 * Simple optimiser example
 *
 * nl_opt.cpp
 *
 * Compile with eg 'g++ -I../tools/alglib/src ../tools/alglib/src/ap.cpp ../tools/alglib/src/alglibinternal.cpp ../tools/alglib/src/linalg.cpp ../tools/alglib/src/alglibmisc.cpp ../tools/alglib/src/solvers.cpp ../tools/alglib/src/optimization.cpp nl_opt.cpp -o opt'
 *
 */

#include "stdafx.h"
#include <iostream>
#include <cmath>

#include "optimization.h"

using namespace std;

double fn(double a1, double a2, double a3, double x, double A, double B)
{
    return A * exp(-x*(a1*B*B+a2*B+a3));
}

struct problem
{
    double *m_a1s;
    double *m_a2s;
    double *m_a3s;
    double *m_xs;
    double *m_ys;

    int m_n;

    problem(double *a1s, double *a2s, double *a3s, double *xs, double *ys, int n)
        : m_a1s(a1s), m_a2s(a2s), m_a3s(a3s), m_xs(xs), m_ys(ys), m_n(n)
    {
    }

    void fn_vec(const alglib::real_1d_array &c_var, alglib::real_1d_array &fi, void *ptr)
    {
        double sum = 0.0;
        for(int i = 0; i < m_n; ++i)
        {
            double yhat = fn(m_a1s[i], m_a2s[i], m_a3s[i], m_xs[i], c_var[0], c_var[1]);
            double err_sq = (m_ys[i] - yhat) * (m_ys[i] - yhat);
            sum += err_sq;
        }
        fi[0] = sum;
    }
};

problem *g_p;

void fn_vec(const alglib::real_1d_array &c_var, alglib::real_1d_array &fi, void *ptr)
{
    g_p->fn_vec(c_var, fi, ptr);
}

int main()
{
    cout << "Testing non-linear optimizer..." << endl;

    int n = 5;
    double a1s[] = {2.42, 4.78, 7.25, 9.55, 11.54};
    double a2s[] = {4.25, 5.27, 6.33, 7.32, 8.18};
    double a3s[] = {3.94, 4.05, 4.17, 4.28, 4.37};

    double xs[] = {0.024, 0.036, 0.048, 0.06, 0.072};
    double ys[] = {80, 70, 50, 40, 45};

    double initial[] = {150, 1.75};
    double ss_init = 0.0;

    cout << "Initial problem:" << endl;
    for(int i = 0; i < n; ++i)
    {
        double yhat = fn(a1s[i], a2s[i], a3s[i], xs[i], initial[0], initial[1]);
        double err_sq = (ys[i] - yhat) * (ys[i] - yhat);
        ss_init += err_sq;
        cout << a1s[i] << "\t" << a2s[i] << "\t" << a3s[i] << "\t"
            << xs[i] << "\t" << ys[i] << "\t" << yhat << "\t" << err_sq << endl;
    }
    cout << "Error: " << ss_init << endl;

    // create problem
    problem p(a1s, a2s, a3s, xs, ys, n);
    g_p = &p;

    // setup solver
    alglib::real_1d_array x = "[150.0, 1.75]";
    double epsg = 0.00000001;
    double epsf = 0;
    double epsx = 0;

    alglib::ae_int_t maxits = 0;
    alglib::minlmstate state;
    alglib::minlmreport report;

    alglib::minlmcreatev(2, x, 0.0001, state);
    alglib::minlmsetcond(state, epsg, epsf, epsx, maxits);

    // optimize
    alglib::minlmoptimize(state, fn_vec);

    alglib::minlmresults(state, x, report);

    cout << "Results:" << endl;

    cout << report.terminationtype << endl;
    cout << x.tostring(2).c_str() << endl;

    double ss_end = 0.0;
    for(int i = 0; i < n; ++i)
    {
        double yhat = fn(a1s[i], a2s[i], a3s[i], xs[i], x[0], x[1]);
        double err_sq = (ys[i] - yhat) * (ys[i] - yhat);
        ss_end += err_sq;
        cout << a1s[i] << "\t" << a2s[i] << "\t" << a3s[i] << "\t"
             << xs[i] << "\t" << ys[i] << "\t" << yhat << "\t" << err_sq << endl;
    }
    cout << "Error: " << ss_end << endl;

    return 0;
}

This gives sample output:
./opt
Testing non-linear optimizer...
Initial problem:
2.42    4.25    3.94    0.024   80  95.5553 241.968
4.78    5.27    4.05    0.036   70  54.9174 227.485
7.25    6.33    4.17    0.048   50  24.8537 632.338
9.55    7.32    4.28    0.06    40  9.3038  942.257
11.54   8.18    4.37    0.072   45  3.06714 1758.36
Error: 3802.41
Results:
2
[92.22,0.57]
2.42    4.25    3.94    0.024   80  77.6579 5.48528
4.78    5.27    4.05    0.036   70  67.599  5.76475
7.25    6.33    4.17    0.048   50  56.6216 43.8456
9.55    7.32    4.28    0.06    40  46.0026 36.0314
11.54   8.18    4.37    0.072   45  36.6279 70.0922
Error: 161.219

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
New committee looks at future of Kirkcaldy
An artist's impression on how the proposed new cinema complex for Kirkcaldy could look
The future of Kirkcaldy is set to come under scrutiny with the first meeting of the new area committee after the recent council election.
It marks a new era after the formation of the new coalition between the SNP and Labour on Fife Council.
The first Kirkcaldy Area Committee of the new term was set to meet today, comprised of six local Labour councillors, four SNP, and two Conservatives.
Absent from the 12-person group will be notable names which have been present in previous terms, such as former Kirkcaldy West, Kinghorn and Burntisland councilors George Kay, who retired ahead of the election, and Susan Leslie, who was not re-elected.
As the committee meets to elect members to the various roles, there is no solid agenda yet.
However it is thought that town centre regeneration and the cinema plans may feature in the new term.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Carol Lindsay, SNP councillor for Kirkcaldy North said: "In terms of my local ward, I'd like to see the Temple Hall Community Centre refurbished.
"Hopefully for the Kirkcaldy area there would be a cinema, bringing jobs to the town.
"So many people in Kirkcaldy want this facility. Why should they have to go all the way to Dunfermline?
"It would be a good thing for Kirkcaldy as long as it was under the right conditions.
"It would be great if we could look at the esplanade, and make it a seaside town. We have to use the seafront better."
A planning application for the cinema was lodged before the election, however, despite the recent shift in the political landscape.
Conservative councillor for Kirkcaldy East, Richard Watt, said that if a cinema helped improved the town's fortunes then he would support it.
Fife public to decide on limiting lap dance bars
"My job is to represent the interests of the people of Kirkcaldy.
"If it is something that can improve the situation, then I'll fight for it.
"I think it's become difficult out there for shops on the High Street.
"It might be that the future lies in leisure facilities, where people can go enjoy themselves and interact with others."
Labour Kirkcaldy Central councillor Judy Hamilton said the parties are putting their differences aside to work for a better Kirkcaldy.
She said: "We're working together on an agreement that will deliver for the people of Fife.
"We've left national politics out of it.
"Obviously we're still campaigning for the General Election.
"On a national level we will be campaigning for our own parties, but locally we're able to work together.
"So it's not creating a problem.
"The work to improve Kirkcaldy will continue.
"I'm really looking forward working with the new committee and looking forward to a new agenda for the next five years and I hope the people of Kirkcaldy will support us and get behind us."


text:
Gavriil Abramovich Ilizarov () (Białowieża,  – ) foi um médico soviético, conhecido como o criador do aparelho de Ilizarov, utilizado em fraturas expostas ou alongamentos de ossos. Ele foi um Herói do Trabalho Socialista (1981), um vencedor do Prêmio Lenin (1979), e um membro da Academia de Ciências da Rússia (1991).

Membros da Academia de Ciências da Rússia
Médicos da Bielorrússia
Judeus da Bielorrússia

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Artem Voronov (ur. 26 marca 1993) – uzbecki narciarz alpejski.

Dwukrotnie brał udział w mistrzostwach świata.
Jego najlepszym wynikiem w zawodach tej rangi jest 43. miejsce w slalomie osiągnięte podczas Mistrzostw Świata 2013 w austriackim Schladming.

Voronov był reprezentantem Uzbekistanu na Zimowych Igrzyskach Olimpijskich 2014 w rosyjskim Soczi.

Osiągnięcia

Zimowe igrzyska olimpijskie

Mistrzostwa świata

Bibliografia

Uzbeccy narciarze alpejscy
Uzbeccy olimpijczycy
Urodzeni w 1993
Ludzie urodzeni w Taszkencie
Uczestnicy Zimowych Igrzysk Olimpijskich 2014


text:
Miguel Maestre's perfect paella
Carla Grossetti
Home cooking at its best: "Paella is the opposite of intimidating."
The first rule when it comes to making paella is that you're not allowed to cook it unless you can pronounce it properly, says chef Miguel Maestre.
The Spaniard who calls Sydney home is only half-joking. "It's paella [pah-ey-uh]," laughs Maestre, who co-hosts TEN's The Living Room.
"Paella is the most iconic Spanish dish. What pizza and pasta are to the Italians is what paella is to the Spanish. I love paella. It's a real family dish and defines where I come from," says Maestre, who was born in Murcia in the south of Spain.
Chef Miguel Maestre is trying to teach Australians how to make paella.
Most etymologists agree paella was created in the Spanish city of Valencia and is a happy marriage between two cultures: the Romans, for the pan, and the Arabs, for the rice.
Paella is prepared by simmering chicken or seafood with rice, vegetables, saffron and other seasonings. Maestre says he has made it his mission to see the Spanish dish a staple in kitchens around his adopted country. While those with Spanish ancestry will have different versions of the dish, here's how to master his version.
Maestre says many home cooks stumble at the first hurdle in that they are too intimidated to even try the dish and wrongly perceive it to be exceedingly difficult.
"Paella is the opposite of intimidating. It's home cooking at its very best. The Spanish make it look like a restaurant dish but it's actually an everyday meal that is accessible and affordable," he says.
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Preparing to cook the paella
Maestre says paella is typical of traditional home cooking in Spain because it can be ready in about 20 minutes. The key to pulling together a paella is to have all the ingredients laid out on the bench and ready to go before you start.
"You don't want to be looking for the paprika when you are cooking the paella."
The sofrito
Maestre says the sofrito - that aromatic mixture of caramelised onions, garlic and tomatoes - is at the heart of the paella, lending a lovely texture and real richness of flavour to the dish.
"I want people to make paella, so my version of the recipe is about keeping it simple while maintaining that authentic taste," he says. "I want to make it easy for people to achieve. For example, I recommend putting all the ingredients for the sofrito in a food processor - the tomatoes, piquillo peppers, garlic, parsley, chives, oil, saffron and paprika - to make it less fiddly to prepare."
While Maestre concedes many people insist on adding the saffron strands to the warm stock to infuse, he insists it's perfectly acceptable to add the fragrant strands to the sofrito and then add it direct to the pan.
"People muck about with saffron too much. Sure you can put it in the stock and all that rubbish but you can also stop thinking about being a genius and just add it to the pan and cook it," he says.
The importance of the pan
Despite being named after the dish it is cooked in, Maestre argues it's not essential to use a proper paella pan if not having one deters you from cooking the dish. If you are going to improvise, opt for a flat wide pan, he says.
Maestre's personal preference for a paella pan is one made of stainless steel, round, a flat, dimpled base. The size of the pan will depend on the number of people you want to serve and must take into consideration the size of your oven or cooktop.
"Having a flat, wide pan with a thin base is very important. You don't want the rice to be too thick. If there is no conduction of heat, there is no evaporation, which means the rice will not cook evenly," he says.
It's possible to make do with a flat frying pan as the most important thing is that it will fit over your stove top so the rice has maximum contact with the bottom of the pan. If you have a lot of guests and a large pan, he suggests using more than one burner and rotating the pan in order to control the distribution of heat.
The classic paella pan made of carbon steel requires a little more care to prevent it from oxidising but is popular with professional paella cooks as it develops a patina over time that Maestre says imparts a certain flavour to the dish.
"The height is the most important element about the pan as the rice must have maximum contact with the bottom of the pan to achieve the soccarrada [the crust at the bottom of the pan]. The Spanish say that the rice should be only as thick as the width of one finger and spread in an even layer," he says.
The type of rice to use
Short-grain rice is best as it absorbs liquid easily and won't dry out. And, unlike risotto, stirring the rice is strictly forbidden. Maestre says any self-respecting Spaniard uses Bomba rice in their paella, a variety grown near the village of Calasparra and renowned for its quality and ability to absorb 1½ times as much water as regular rice varieties without turning mushy.
"Bomba is the ultimate paella rice because the starch is so strong that you can cook it and cook it and it holds its shape. The most common mistake people make when cooking paella is to use the wrong rice. Why? You wouldn't use Singapore noodles for fettuccine would you?" he says.
Soccarrada success
Ask any proud paellero (paella cook) and they'll tell you that the soccarrada is what separates an average cook from a maestro. Maestre says the crisp, golden layer that forms on the bottom of a paella is regarded as a highly prized delicacy in Spanish households.
"Colour means flavour and the soccarrada caramelises the flavours from the garlic and the paprika and that strong flavour is going to give you extra layers of flavour. In every home in Spain, the kids always fight for the soccarrada and the oldest brother always gets the most," he says.
So how do you achieve soccarrada success? "After 15 minutes, when all the stock is gone and you finish cooking your paella turn the heat up and look at the bottom of the pan and see if the rice is sticking. Cook it on high for two minutes and then turn off the heat and rest it for five minutes. That extra five minutes will make all the difference to the paella as the flavours will settle and it will taste fantastic."
Taking stock of your ingredients
If the sofrito is the heart of the paella, the stock is what makes the dish sing. And while Maestre's first choice is for a quality home-made stock, he'd rather see people cook the dish than worry about whether they've slaved over a stock made from scratch.
"Aussies get so stressed about paella. I'm here to say, 'relax'. If you don't have a home-made stock, use a good-quality bought stock. It doesn't matter. Cooking paella should be free. Use whatever you want to. You can use chicken, seafood, vegies, squid ink or whatever you like because it's meant to be a home-cooked dish. Throw out the rule book and just cook," he says.
"If you do want to make a home-made stock, just quickly boil up some of the fish bones and prawn shells before getting started."
Two common mistakes are not adding enough stock to the dish or overcrowding the pan. Maestre says you can always top up the dish with additional stock if it has evaporated ahead of the recommended cooking time. To minimise failure, don't overcrowd the pan. "If the pan is too crowded the rice will be cooked at the bottom and raw on top. You also need to rest the pan to ensure all those lovely flavours are allowed to develop."
Cleaning a paella pan
Never scrub a paella pan. Wash it carefully with hot water only, clean and dry really well. If you have a carbon steel paella pan, apply a little bit of olive oil so it does not rust.
Miguel Maestre has launched a make-at-home kit, Paella a la Maestre,available at Woolworths. Paella pans are available at Victoria's Basement, Peter's of Kensington, GrandCucina.com and Salt Meats Cheese.
Paella a la Maestre
Serves 3-4
500g marinara mix (mussels, fish, calamari, prawns, scallops)
Splash of extra virgin olive oil
220g Bomba rice
50g fresh or frozen peas
1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve
½ bunch chives, garnish
Aioli and Sangria, to serve
For the sofrito
2 large ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
6 piquillo peppers
4 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed
½ bunch parsley
1 bunch chives
25ml extra virgin olive oil
1 pinch saffron threads
1 tbsp smoked paprika
To make the sofrito, place all the sofrito ingredients in a food processor and process until chunky. If you don't have a food processor, roughly chop the tomatoes and piquillo peppers and finely chop the garlic, parsley and chives then combine with other sofrito ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Place a 30-centimetre-wide frying pan or paella pan over a high heat. Add the marinara mix with a splash of extra virgin olive oil and cook for one minute. Add sofrito and cook for a further three minutes. Add chicken stock and bring to the boil. Stir in rice and bring to a simmer on medium to low heat for 15 minutes until stock has absorbed.
Add peas and cook for a further two minutes to achieve "soccarrada" (crust on the bottom of the pan).
Season to taste with salt and garnish with chives. Squeeze over lemon juice just before serving. Serve with aioli and sangria, the Spanish way. Ole!


And I'm not talking about 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in DC.
The White House I'm talking about is on the corner of Arctic and Mississippi Avenues in Atlantic City.
Hands down the folks at White House Sub Shop make the best sub I've ever had. Don't just take it from me. I've talked people who have driven to Atlantic City with one thing in mind. Not to gamble. Not to see a show. But to eat a White House sub and then take some to go for their friends back home.
A few tips if you think a trip to the White House might be in your plans. Order a half sandwich. You wouldn't believe how big the whole sandwich is that comes from the guys behind the counter at this place. Get a number right when you go in. They guy who will make your sandwich will shout it out when he's ready to make you a masterpiece.
The White House is all about character. Just about every inch of the walls around the sub shop are filled with pictures of stars and celebrities who have stopped in for a sub. The Miss America Pageant isn't even held in Atlantic City anymore, but each year the winner still makes her way to Atlantic City to get her picture take at the White House.
For 60 years they've been doing their thing at the White House. The bread they pile high with every kind of meat you can think of is made fresh each day at a bakery right across the street. Nice touch.
You won't find the Secret Service at this White House. Not unless they want what some describe as the best sub on the East Coast. Then you can bet the Secret Service will find this White House. How long until Barack Obama's picture is on the wall? He'll have to order a sub at the White House to make that happen. But not from his executive chef.
There's nothing like driving past a good roadside attraction.
Big things that catch your eye as you pass by looking out the window. Big is the operative word when it comes to roadside attractions. Bigger is truly better when you're talking about roadside attractions.
A massive elephant along the road in Margate, NJ. A gigantic Cowboy roadside near Woodstown, NJ. You get the idea.
There's a very cool stretch of Route 40 between the Delaware Memorial Bridge and Atlantic City that's jammed packed with "old school" roadside attractions.
The portion of Route 40 that rolls across the NJ countryside isn't much different than some of the stretches of Route 66 out west. Neat roadside attractions lining the 2-lane highway.
But you have to make an effort to see the roadside attractions. You won't find them along the interstate. Put your GPS to work and you'll find them.
The roadside attractions are never too fancy. Usually just big and bright to catch your attention. I find the roadside attractions a great way to keep track of how long you have to go on your trip.
"Once you get to the huge dark red cow, you're about halfway there!"
"Make the first right after you pass the big wine barrel on your left you're almost in Pleasantville"
Lucy the Elephant is along the road in the little ocean front town of Margate, NJ. It's about 5 minutes from Atlantic City. The folks in the resort town recently put a lot of money into Lucy to spruce her up.
The Big Cowboy and Big Cow are along the road in an area that's known just as Cowtown. In the spring and summer they even have a rodeo.
How about that Big Rocking Chair just up Route 40 from Cowtown. Normally you see people pulled over taking pictures of family members sitting on it.
A good roadside attraction doesn't have to be fancy. Check out this Tire Pyramid on Route 40 near Beuna, NJ.
You know you're only about 15 minutes out of Atlantic City when you pass Storybook Village. Who needs a GPS when you have roadside attractions.
So next time you hit the road, pull off the interstate and see if you can find some big roadside attractions that will leave a big smile on your face.
Maryland's First Family were guests of the Nation's First Family at their first state dinner at the White House.
An evening of black tie grandeur at the White House for Governor O'Malley and Judge O'Malley as they dined with the Obama's and governors from across the nation.
Politics aside, some consider it the biggest invitation of all, an invitation to spend an evening at the White House. An invite the O'Malley's nabbed just a month into the new administration. Nice work! Dinner and dancing. I hope the O'Malley's cut a rug. Something tells me I would have to tone down my dance routine if I was ever invited to a state dinner at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. I'm not holding my breath.
Do they have valet parking at the White House? Do you tip? A little bird told me they thought Governor O'Malley was wearing Jos. A Bank. Not sure who was Judge O'Malley's designer, but her dress was stunning.
So what were the O'Malley's dining on?
Here's the menu as prepared by White House Head Chef Cristeta Comerford and the Obama's personal chef in tow from Chicago, Sam Kass.
While the sauvignon blanc was from California, the pinot noir from Oregon, that dessert wine that was served at the state dinner was the most unusual - a Michigan ice wine from Black Star Farms in Suttons Bay.
The frozen grapes were picked in December 2007 and crushed outside so they wouldn't thaw. The wine was released last July and sells for $80 or more for a half bottle. I'm not sure what the rules are at the White House, but now in Maryland you are allowed to take home your bottle of wine if you don't finish it at dinner.
The White House paired the sweet A Capella Riesling ice wine with the huckleberry cobbler with caramel ice cream. Yum.
Chef Comerford says she has a working staff of 7 in the White House kitchen, not to mention two full time pastry chefs . Chef Comerford says for big events, like this state dinner, she borrows staff and chefs from around DC, like from the Navy mess.
She after the menus been planned it takes only two days to prepare. But shes says, "the planning stage is the longest stage, and of course connecting with the growers, the purveyors for any menu to be successful those are the key relationships".
After the tasting meal, Mrs. Obama wanted to mix and match foods they sampled to come up with the final presentation that Governor O'Malley enjoyed.
While giving some young culinary students a tour of the White House kitchen before the state dinner, the First Lady was asked what was her favorite dish.
"There's some mean waffles and grits that are made in the morning that's become a regular staple for some of us; I don't eat waffles every day," said Michelle Obama. "The soups and salads that Chris has made for lunch. Some light, healthy salads and, you know being able to make a soup that tastes creamy without being creamy because that is something that we work on, how do we keep the calories down but keep the flavors up".
The White House did not release a guest list for its first state dinner since taking office last month. The staff did expect 130 guests (all the governors in town for the National Governors Association were invited).
While I'm not sure who the O'Malley's sat with during the state dinner, President Obama sat between the first ladies of Pennsylvania and Florida and Michelle Obama California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Washington Governor Christine Gregoire.
You know the music is going to be good when you're invited to the White House for a state dinner. Governor O'Malley and his wife mingled with the other special guests as a Marine Corps Band jazz ensemble played.
Then after dinner it was time for Earth, Wind and Fire to crank it up. "Shine a star for you to see, what your life can truly be". I'm sure Governor O'Malley's pick would have been U2! I wonder if the guys in EWF invited Governor O'Malley to jam with them?
The White House chef and the Obama's decided that they would serve locally sourced and seasonal ingredients as part of the meal. But don't look for signs in any Baltimore-area food stores saying something like, "Vegetable provider for the White House". For security reasons, the growers and even fishermen do not know they are supplying food for a a state dinner at the White House. I'm thinking crabs from Gunnings. Vegetables from Baltimore's Farmers Market. Maybe some ice cream from Lee's or Moxley's.
Last weekend was the 29th anniversary of the "Miracle on Ice" at the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid. I had a friend on the U.S. hockey team who told me a great story about the team's trip to the White House after they won the gold medal.
He says the team flew right from Lake Placid to DC. He says they were taken right to the White House where they were hosted by President Carter. Literally hours after getting their gold medals.
Now we're talking about 20 year old hockey players coming off possibly the biggest win in U.S. sports history. My friend said he was scolded by the Secret Service for wandering off into the private living quarters to check things out and maybe grab a souvenir or two. My hockey playing friend skated away from Lake Placid with a gold medal. He tells me he also skated away from the White House with a slap on the hand from the Secret Service and with a spoon from their meal! And no I'm not going to give up his name.
Some 20 years later, urban legend busted.
It wasn't busted by the gang at Mythbusters.
It was busted by Billy Ripken.
Billy has come clean when it comes to the story surrounding the infamous (or famous) baseball card showing him holding a bat on his shoulder with an expletive written on the bottom of the bat (blackened out in the photo to the right). That four letter word was in plain sight.
He has admitted to CNBC's Business of Sports guy Darren Rovell that he in fact wrote the four letter word on the knob of that bat.
For years there have been several stories floating around about how that "swear word" ended up on the knob of the bat. Even though the folks at Fleer quickly tried to pull the card off the market and replace it with a corrected version (bad word blacked out), many of the original baseball cards have been floating around.
Stories like it was Billy's Oriole teammates who wrote it on his bat as a joke that slipped past him, the photographer and the baseball card company. Not true.
Stories like Mike Greenwell of the Boston Red Sox had given him the bat as a joke. Not true.
Stories like an audience member on the Geraldo showing claiming that he had written it on the bat and got it into the hands of Billy for batting practice. Not true.
Over the years someone even came up with a web site dedicated to the baseball card and stories about it. "Searching for the whole story. Looking for the truth. Collecting cards. Finding answers," is the banner headline across the top of the Billripken.com.
CLICK HERE for the truth, according to Billy Ripken, as told to CNBC's Darren Rovell.
To make a long story short, Billy got a shipment of bats he didn't like so he says he wrote the expletive on the knob of the bats so he could use them in batting practice but not in the games.
So he says he wrote the expletive on a part of the bats he could easily see show the "bad bats" wouldn't end up by mistake in the bat rack in the dugout.
He says the baseball card photographer came up to him during batting practice and took the picture. Billy says it didn't even occur to him that it was going to show up on a baseball card.
But some are asking why did he choose that four letter word to write on the knob of his bat. I saw one person in a chat room said why not just "bad"?
I just searched several baseball card collector web sites and it looks as though the obscene card sells in the ballpark of about $5.
Why did Billy wait 20 years to come clean with what he is saying is the real story behind the 1999 Fleer baseball card? Why now?
What would Cal say? Heck what would Vi say?
The urban legend was pretty cool.
Thanks to Billy, now the folks at Snopes have a new entry. And we've lost a pretty good urban legend.
Check out this guy who came up with a special way to honor Cal. Now that's a Hall of Fame mosaic.
The man in the video says it took him 30 hours and some 10,115 thumbtacks to create the Cal thumbtack mosaic. Too bad he didn't use 2131!
BTW, last week Billy Ripken was in Fredericksburg, Va. when Doris Buffett and the Sunshine Lady Foundation announced a $1 million grant to the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation.
Warren Buffett's sister Doris matched the $1 million raised by the foundation for its Play Ball Campaign. The Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation is building a Youth Sports and Development Complex in the town about 45 minutes south of DC.
Doris helps her brother Warren make charitable contributions.
Below is a picture of Doris Buffett (3rd from the right) standing alongside Billy in Fredericksburg last week when she presented the grant to Billy on behalf of the foundation named after his father.
Conan O'Brien bid adieu to NYC in a tearful way.
The raucous red head even enjoyed one last Big Apple moment with Will Ferrell.
O'Brien is on his way to LA to begin his new gig as host of the "Tonight" show. I swear I saw Conan walking in New York last spring break. My wife said no way. The kids have never been up that late to know who Conan O'Brien is.
The door was opened for O'Brien's move when "Tonight" with Jay Leno was moved up and hour and a half to 10 p.m. in the fall. Conan will start hosting "Tonight" in June from Southern California.
Will Ferrell, who's starring a few blocks away from Rockefeller Center in a Broadway production as former President George W. Bush, stopped by in costume to offer a few mangled words of congratulations. But he stripped off his suit to reveal another character, a leprechaun stripper who rubs up against O'Brien's leg.
The White Stripes were his final musical guest, with the duo strumming guitars on "I Can Tell We're Going to Be Friends." All with Max Weinburg, LaBamba and Company on-board.
Abe Vigoda (Matt Lauer look a like) made a cameo appearance. John Mayer, through the wonder of video, had a message for Conan. John Mayer and Abe (Fish) Vigoda. Truly the young and the old turned out for Conan's last late show in NYC. Leave it to Conan O'Brien to resurect the career of one Abe Vigoda. Quiz Answer. Sal Tessio. Quiz Question. Abe's character in the Godfather? Barney Miller would have been proud!
But when it was all said and done, O'Brien showed his sentimental side at the end of his final show from 30 Rock in NYC.
His voice broke as he thanked Lorne Michaels, who gave him the job hosting the late night slot on the peacock. O'Brien started working for O'Brien as a writer on SNL. He told the studio audience he wasn't going to grow-up when he moves to 11:30pm out of L.A. The crowd liked that. They gave him a standing ovation.
All of this while Conan stars now in a popular TV commercial spoofing himself. Strike while the iron is hot. And right now the funny read head is hot.
Buns are baking in Highlandtown.
I'm talking about those famous hot cross buns that emerge from the ovens at the legendary Hoehn's Bakery along Conkling Street.
It's only for the next few weeks that the buns will be baking at the bakery that has been serving Baltimore's sweet tooth since 1927.
The tender, sweet spiced buns with a cross across the top are only available at Hoehn's during Lent.
The ladies behind the counter at the family owned bakery will carry plenty of trays of hot cross buns out to the display cases that run the length of the corner bakery a block off of Eastern Avenue. They tell me the orders are already pouring in.
There are only a few true classic neighborhood bakeries left in Baltimore. In addition to Hoehn's, there's The Fenwick Bakery along Harford Road, New System Bakery along Chestnut Avenue in Hampden, just to name a few. Is Bauhoff's Bakery still open in Woodlawn? WBAL's Greg Bianco just mentioned Simons Bakery in Cockeysville. How about the Bel Air Bakery (since 1954)? I'm sure there was one in your neighborhood. If you're lucky there still is.
My wife worked at a classic neighborhood bakery during high school. It's where she met her best friend to this day. We still go back there for cakes for special events. She just calls it the Bakery.
There are other Lent bakery traditions that will be re-newed across the nation in towns like Baltimore.
Up the road in Philadelphia they have fastnachts.
Fastnachts are a Pennsylvania Dutch tradition. It's a yeasty doughnut. Some locals eat their fastnachts with with apple butter or jam. Fastnacts are also said to be good with molasses. You eat them hot right out of the oven during Lent. In fact, fastnact means "eve of the fast" in German. So you know Fat Tuesday is Fastnacts Day around Philly. One of my co-workers who says he normally likes donuts, says fastnachts are too heavy for him. He says you eat them and they just sit there in your stomach. To each his (or hers) own.
In Detroit and Cleveland they have their paczki's this time of year.
Paczki is a rich Polish donut. Paczki's are traditionally filled with various different kinds of fillings.
Fat Tuesday is the big day for Paczki aficionados in Detroit and Cleveland. Lines the length of city blocks will be the norm outside of some Polish bakeries in those two cities. The Cleveland suburb of Parma is known for its Paczki's. WBAL Traffic Reporter Tamara Nelson grew-up eating Paczki's in the Motor City. There is even a Paczki Day celebration in Detroit's Hamtramck neighborhood. You can also get your hands on a good Paczki in Chicago, Milwaukee and Buffalo.
Pass The Paczki. You pronounce it Punch-key.
Fatsnachts and Paczki's sound good, but you'll find me in Highlandtown next week waiting for one of those big trays of hot cross buns to come out of the oven at Hoehn's Bakery!
News of a spectacular crash involving a bus carrying a minor league hockey team in New England really captured my attention today.
Back-in-the-day it could have been me on that bus.
For 4 years back in the mid-80s, I spent many a late night on buses just like the one pictured above driving from city to city across the Northeast. I was the play-by-play announcer for the AHL's Maine Mariners.
Five people were seriously injured when the bus carrying the AHL's Albany River Rats rolled on its side on The Mass Pike in Western Massachusetts.
Four hockey players and the team's radio commentator were hospitalized with serious injuries.
One of those injured in the wreck was the team's radio commentator. The coach of the hockey team says he's never been so frightened. This coming from a guy who has made his career playing and coaching in what is often the very tough world of hockey.
The bus carrying the hockey team home from a game in Lowell struck a guard rail and rolled on its side at about 3:35 a.m. There was many an early morning when I sat near the front of the Mariners team bus making its way to and from games. Like when the team played here in Baltimore against the Skipjacks. It was an 8 hour ride back to Portland, ME from Baltimore. We would leave Baltimore at 11pm and roll into Portland at around 7am. 4 hours from Springfield, MA to Portland. 7 hours from Portland to Moncton, New Brunswick. You get the idea. Long late nights on the bus packed with players, coaches, trainers, reporters and me.
I remember one early morning during a trip back to Portland from Sherbrooke, Quebec when I thought our bus was going to crash. I was asleep across 2 seats (nobody ever sat next to me because I talked too much) at about 2 am when something woke me up. I looked out the windshield of the bus and saw a moose standing in the middle of the 2 lane highway in Crawford's Notch, NH. The bus driver hitting the break woke me up and there I was looking out at the moose that I thought we would either plow into or crash trying to avoid. Luckily the driver was able to just miss the moose and keep the bus on the road.
Those folks on that bus carrying the Albany River hockey team weren't as lucky.
"It's not too bad," said one of the injured players in the hospital when he was reached on the phone by the Albany Times Union . He said he was sleeping when the bus crashed. The next thing he realized he was awake and the bus was on its side.
He and his teammates were heading home to Albany from Lowell when the bus hit bad weather in the Berkshire Mountains and rolled.
I remember many a late night bus trip when we would hit bad weather. In the back of my mind I always knew it was possible that we would crash. But you never thought it would happen.
Luckily nobody was killed when the River Rats bus crashed. The coach says the injured players and announcer should be fine.
Along with the 4 injured players, radio commentator John Hennessy remained behind at the Berkshire Medical Center for treatment.
The Albany Times Union reports radio play-by-play announcer Owen Newkirk (pictured above) suffered a slight concussion. Just like when I was riding those buses in the minor leagues, he's the team's broadcaster and communications director. He told the paper from the hospital in Massachusetts that he was all right. I'm definitely going to drop him a line on Facebook. He said he climbed to safety through a broken window after the crash.
If the bus driver was anything like the man who drove our bus in Maine, he must be devastated.
Our motor coach driver was Bill Anderson. He spent decades driving for the Maine Lines Bus company. He wore a green jacket while he was behind the wheel. It looked like he had just one the Masters. He helped load and unload all the players equipment (and my radio equipment too).
Bill would rarely see the Maine Mariners play though. After dropping the team off at the rink he would find a quiet spot to park and sleep. He knew he was responsible for everyone of us on his bus and he needed to be fresh and wide awake when we made those long trips home.
Bill was a real character who really did a good job getting us to games and back home safely.
We had some great times on those bus trips. Stories that could last for hours. Food and drink from neat mom and pop roadside stops across the Northeast. Not to mention the great scenery.
The trick to getting back to the restroom is walking on the arm rests! That's because the aisle is normally packed with bags and coolers. There were no laptops 20 years ago when I was making all those bus trips across the American Hockey League. I bet it's cool being able to do so much and to be so connected now on those bus trips with the team. We did have movies though!
Tom McVie (former Caps coach) was the coach of the Mariners my first season with the team. He sat in the front seat of the bus next to the door. Tommy never seemed to sleep. He was always up talking to our driver Bill. For two seasons Mike Milbury (now on NBC's hockey coverage) and Gordie Clark (the NY Rangers Director of Player personnel) were the coaches of the Mariners. While Mike and I would usually fall asleep, it was Gordie who would stay awake with Bill. Gordie was also the only one on the bus who had more stories than me.
But for anyone who has spent late nights and early mornings on the road for their jobs, crashes like this one involving the River Rats hit close to home.
Here's hoping that those Albany River Rat players and their radio commentator are going to be O.K. and back on the ice, back on-the-air and back on the road soon.
Four weeks into the Obama Presidency and already the Economic Stimulus Package has been signed into law. Governor O'Malley and the powers-to-be in Annapolis are making plans for how they plan to spend the billions that are coming Maryland's way.
From the economy now to clothing?
The Obama Fashion Stimulus Package. Michelle Obama that is.
Has a First Lady's fashion ever gotten as much attention in the first month of a new administration? And will her fashion decisions kick start the fashion industry that like many other sectors of the economy is struggling these days. She's Vogue's cover girl.
First it was her J. Crew ensemble on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Then it was young Jason Wu's gown at the Inaugural Balls. Don't forget about Michelle's "fave designer" in Chicago Maria Pinto. She designed the sheaths, slacks and tops that Michelle regularly wore on the campaign trail.
The Obama campaign must have seen this coming. Months ago it boasted swag from twenty different designers on its web site. Can you say Diane Von Furstenberg and Isaac Mizrahi? Maybe that's why the folks in the Obama campaign seemed like they were staring at me when I rode along on the Obama Bus Tour in my khakis and button downs.
What's in Michelle Obama's closet is apparently all the talk around the runway at Fashion Week this week in NYC.
Some tabloids in the Big Apple are describing it as the "Obama Effect" hitting New York's Fashion Week. A style and cultural explosion? Her fashion "spirit".
Many designers hope all the focus on Michelle Obama's fashion will give the fashion industry a shot in the arm. An Economic Stimulus Package of sorts for the designer crowd.
Her White House Social Secretary even made an appearance at the big fashion show going on now in Bryant Park. Desiree Rogers took in shows by the likes of Anna Wintour, Donna Karan and Carolina Herrera. It's scary that I can rattle off those names.
Sure Michelle Obama wears it well. But why wasn't there this kind of fashion buzz when Laura Bush moved into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue?
She wore a gown to Inaugural balls in both 2001 and 2005. Some are asking why wasn't there this kind of buzz for her that is surrounding what's in Michelle Obama's closet?
The bottom line is that there is a fascination out there with Michelle Obama's fashion. And department stores and designers hope it doesn't go away any time soon.
Gone are the no parking signs. Gone are many of the security guards. Gone are most of the tourists. Gone is the glow on the faces of many people walking on the city streets.
Gone are the tables seemingly on every corner selling anything with Obama on it. Gone are the wooden bleachers along Pennsylvania Avenue. Gone is that huge luxury box from where the President watched the Inaugural Parade at the White House. Gone are those road closures.
What happened to those people on the street cheering, "O-bam-a, O-bam-a"?
One month removed from the Inauguration and you would have never known what went on in DC on January 20th.
Back in their regular spots are the street vendors selling hot dogs and pretzels. Back are the government workers who got out of town for the Inaugural.
Back are the white contractor trucks lining the streets. Back are the many cab drivers who found it hard to get around town during the Inauguration.
An assignment brought me back to DC today. My first trip across the border since that big day a month ago.
But I still found a few things that haven't changed from a month ago. The traffic. The prices and the attitude.
Like voters in Chicago, traffic in the DC-area is "early and often". I thought about parking at an outlying lot and taking Metro into DC. Some research showed it would be both cheaper and quicker if I drove into town. The only drawback was getting on the road much earlier than normal so I could miss some of the traffic.
I snuck into DC through Montgomery County as I made my way down Route 97 Georgia Avenue to Connecticut Avenue. Ct. Ave. took me all the way into my destination near 13th and L, NW.
Big time traffic getting through Montgomery County. Not too bad once I crossed over the DC line.
As always I gave myself too much time and I find my self typing out this blog in an Au Bon Pain a full 2 hours before the scheduled start of my meeting. But that's nothing new for me.
In 2002 when I covered the 9-11 ceremony at the Pentagon I arrived a full 4 hours early. Can you say 3:30 am? I made the mistake of calling the newsroom to let them know I was "in place" at 3:30 am. They had a good laugh at my expense.
It's that way for just about every story I cover. I start to panic if I'm actually getting close to arriving on time. It's my fear of being late. On Sunday mornings I find myself the only one in church for the 9:15 am service after the 8 am service has let out. Don't even ask how early I get to the airport.
Those NASCAR drivers from Daytona 500 last weekend had nothing on me driving through the streets of the Nation's Capital. I was drafting on my way in to DC this morning. I was pushing how far I could go on a tank of gas that was near E. I even made a pit stop on may in. It probably would have been a good idea to wear a helmet too.
Just like when I was here in DC for the Inaugural, the price you pay for just about anything around here is still a lot. Be it a soda. Be it a sandwich. It's almost NYC prices 30 miles from Baltimore. Don't ask what gas is going for around these parts. It goes without saying that I'm running on fumes.
And of course the attitude that you have always found on the streets of DC remains the same. It is the "most powerful city in the world"! Or so they say so.
I've been here for a few hours and I'm running out of patience and I'm running out of money.
Hopefully I won't run out of gas before I get back home. Right now I have no thought of filling up around here.
It will be nice to get back to Baltimore. Maryland I miss you. DC is so close, but yet so far. In so many ways.
What do Baltimore City Community College students, the vending machine folks, construction workers and WBAL Radio news reporters all have in common?
They are all on-the-job today on this Presidents Day.
The BCCC students I talked to today said isn't so bad. A couple said they didn't mind going to school today because it was easier to find a parking space. The man who fills the vending machines at the radio station had a smile on his face today. It's easier for him to make his rounds when there's not a lot of traffic. He is also a very important person at the radio station on holidays. The only food around here on a holiday is in those vending machines. On a Monday the selection isn't normally very good after the weekend. So having him here on a Monday, ( a holiday at that) "that's gold Jerry".
And it's not like Presidents Day is Christmas or Thanksgiving. It's not like anyone who has to work today is missing that much back on the home front. It's normally a great day to run out and take care of that "honey do list". But a blogging colleague of mine reports that when he went to the mall this morning to get a new washing machine, many of the stores at the mall were closed when he got there. I thought today was a big shopping day. Presidents Day sales? Extended store hours? Especially with all the problems retailers are having right now. I guess not. At least 30 people stood outside one store waiting for the doors to open at 10.
Presidents Day is one of those rare weekdays in some offices where you can wear jeans.
What time is Presidents Day dinner at your house? Are the relatives coming over to open Presidents Day gifts? What about that big Presidents Day parade you're missing?
Some of the people I've run into at work today say they're glad to be on-the-job on Presidents Day. It gets them out of the house. There isn't much traffic to deal with getting into work. Once in the office the phone doesn't seem to ring as much.
And why is it that George Washington and Abe Lincoln seem to get all the publicity?
Sure their birthday's are this month, but why aren't people waxing poetic about Chet Arthur today? You know, Chester Arthur. Our 21st President. He's one President who seems to have flown under the radar for the last 128 years or so. Chester Arthur, the forgotten President. But not to me.
Quite frankly I never really had heard of Chester Arthur until I arrived on the campus of Union College in Schenectady, NY in the fall of 1981. There was a big statue next to the student union. I walked up to it and read the plague. Wow, a President of the United States went to the school I was going to.
He was Vice President and succeeded to the presidency when President James Garfield was assassinated. He was not renominated. He died from kidney disease just a year after he left office.
Publisher Alexander K. McClure said, "No man ever entered the Presidency so profoundly and widely distrusted, and no one ever retired ... more generally respected."
I learned that he was the first President born in Vermont. Arthur never ran for President in any general election, he was on the ticket as Vice President in the Election of 1880. I believe he is the only President to have never run for President.
Known as the "The Gentleman Boss" and the "Dude President" for his sense of style, Arthur died from a kidney ailment on Nov. 18, 1886, a year-and-a-half after leaving office, at his home in New York City.
To me Chet Arthur's claim is that his statue on the grounds at Union College played a prominent role in the movie The Way We Were. Filmed on campus at Union College, in one scene Barbara Streisand was handing out anti-war fliers smack dab right next to the statue of President Arthur. And the big campus wide party sponsored by the College was called Chet Arthur Day. You don't have to go to Schenectady to see a statue of President Arthur. There is also one in Madison Square in NYC.
Here's to you Chester Arthur. We're talking about you in the newsroom today!


In an interview with BBC Radio 4's You and Yours programme, the managing director of Waterstone's, James Daunt, has revealed the company's plans to design and sell its own eBook reader.
However, the move isn't a complete surprise, given that Waterstone's has sold eBook readers from Sony and other manufacturers for a while, and you can also buy eBooks from the Waterstone's site. The decision makes sense from a business perspective too, given that Amazon is now selling more eBooks for its Kindle device than physical books.
According to Daunt, the Waterstone's eBook reader is 'well down the planning line' and due for release in spring next year. In the meantime, rumours abound that Amazon is developing a new colour tablet Kindle device with a capacitive touchscreen, although apparently the company isn't planning to develop any new e-ink displays until next year.
Do you have an eBook reader? Is this too little late from Waterstone's? Let us know in the forum.


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Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe
December 2nd thru 12th, 2022
About the Missionary Image of
On December 12, 1531 an image of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, miraculous appeared on the 'tilma' (or cloak) of Juan Diego in Mexico. The natural fiber cloth of which it is made normally lasts no more than 50 years; however, almost 500 years later the tilma remains intact and still exists today for all to see in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe near Mexico City. Our Lady is depicted on the cloth as the pregnant Mother of God. Via the message conveyed during her four appearances in that long ago December and in the miraculously image provided, she came to offer faith, hope and consolation to the oppressed Indians. She played an important part in ending the human sacrifices carried out by the Aztecs and was instrumental in converting nine million Indians over the nine year following her appearance to Juan Diego. And yet, this was only the beginning of what she desired to accomplish.
The Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is an exact 4' x 6' print of the digitally-scanned original miraculous image. The visiting Missionary Image, created in 2001, was blessed by Monsignor Diego Monroy Ponce (Rector of the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe from 2000 to 2010) with the intention of aiding the mission of promoting the sanctity of family, solidarity of the Church, a culture of life, and a civilization of love. It has journeyed throughout America on parish visitations.
Pope John Paul II recognized the evangelistic role of Our Lady of Guadalupe when he prayed that the Guadalupe Shrine would be a center "from which the light of the gospel of Christ will shine out over the whole world by means of the Miraculous Image of His Mother." He also prayed that:
"Our Lady accompanies each one of her daughters and sons with her repeating what she said to her children in Cana, 'Do whatever He tells you.' (Jn. 2:5). May she cross this continent bringing it 'life, sweetness and hope!' May she enliven and protect the work of the New Evangelization, so that Christians may live their faith with consistency and fervor, and that those who have abandoned it may return. May she promote the unity of the Church, reuniting as in a new Pentecost those who believe in Jesus Christ and those who need to be renewed by the Spirit."
The Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe will visit the Churches of Mary, Queen of Saints Parish from Friday, December 2nd through Monday, December 12th, 2022.
(Missionary Image photo credit: Mary Volitich)
Our Lady of Guadalupe,
Patroness of the Americas,
"Am I not here, I who am your mother?"
— Virgin Mary of Guadalupe to Juan Diego
Below is the schedule of services and events that will take place during the December 1st thru 12th, 2022 visit of the Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe to Mary, Queen of Saints Parish. It is hoped that all will take the time to come and pray and participate often over the span of days at the various church locations throughout our parish.
SCHEDULE LEGEND (w location link)
SFC — St. Frances Cabrini Church
SJB — St. John the Baptist Church
OLF — Our Lady of Fatima Church
ST — St. Titus Church
MI — Missionary Image
OLG — Our Lady of Guadalupe
** — may difer due to a funeral, holy day, or etc.
Service Schedule for the Missionary Image Visit
This is the schedule of services that our parish will follow for the Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe visit to the churches in our parish during the days of December 2, 2022 through December 12, 2022. .
Friday, December 2, 2022 (at SFC)
7:15AM — Mass; Eucharistic Adoration
7:45AM — Private Prayer
9:00AM — Rosary
10:00AM — Private Prayer**
12Noon — Angelus & Rosary
12:30PM — Private Prayer
3:00PM — Divine Mercy Chaplet & Rosary
4:00PM — Private Prayer
6:30PM — Rosary
7:00PM — Vespers Service
At the conclusion of the service, SFC will close for the evening.
Saturday, December 3, 2022 (at SFC)
9:30AM — Rosary**
11:00AM — Confession
4:30PM — Mass & Presentation of the MI of OLG
At the conclusion of the service, SFC will close for the day.
Sunday, December 4, 2022 (at SFC)
8:30AM — Mass
10:30AM — Rosary
11:00AM — Mass
At the conclusion of the service, SFC will close for the day. MI of OLG transfers to SJB.
Monday, December 5, 2022 (at SJB)
At the conclusion of the service, SJB will close for the evening.
Tuesday, December 6, 2022 (at SJB)
7:00PM — St. Monica's Tears Prayer Service
Wednesday, December 7, 2022 (at SJB)
At the conclusion of the service, SJB will close for the day. MI of OLG transfers to OLF.
Thursday, December 8, 2022 — Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (at OLF)
8:30AM — Mass: Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (w/ Children's Liturgy of the Word) (Holy Day)
10:00AM — Private Prayer
At the conclusion of the service, OLF will close for the day.
Friday, December 9, 2022, (at OLF)
9:30AM — Private Prayer**
7:00PM — Prayers for Peace; Protection of the Unborn Holy Hour
At the conclusion of the service, OLF will close for the evening.
Saturday, December 10, 2022 (at OLF)
At the conclusion of the service, the MI of OLG leaves OLF and transfers to ST.
Saturday, December 10, 2022 (at ST)
4:00PM — Mass
At the conclusion of the Mass, ST will close for the day.
Sunday, December 11, 2022 (at ST)
12Noon — Angelus and Rosary
At the conclusion of the service, ST will close for the day.
Monday, December 12, 2022, Feast of O. L. of Guadalupe (at ST)
5:30PM to 6:30PM — Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
7:00PM — Closing Mass and Farewell
To download a copy of the Schedule of Services, CLICK HERE.
Your Opportunity to Volunteer
To demonstrate the honor our Lady deserves, volunteers are needed to join the Guardian Committee and/or to provide an hour attending the image while it is on display for designated periods at each church location in our parish. Guardian Committee members will be available after each Saturday Vigil/Sunday Mass to help with signing up volunteer companion attendants.
Contact Mary Volitich at [email protected] to become a guardian or companion, or for more information.
Brief Accounts
The Story of Our Lady of Gaudalupe
Who is St. Juan Diego?
"Mater Mea, Spes Mea" | "My Mother, My Hope"
— inscribed on a crown gifted by Pope Francis


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Israel's Sovereignty over the Golan: Now and Forever
by: Kathy Degagne, BFP Staff Writer
In the northeastern corner of Israel, bordering Syria and Lebanon, the Golan Heights is a sweeping plateau, rich in fertile soil for vineyards and grasslands for dairy cattle and sheep. The Golan serves as a catchment area for fresh meltwater that drains into the Sea of Galilee below. The region draws thousands of tourists each year who are eager to view the spectacular waterfalls of Saar and Banias that flow from Mount Hermon into the tributaries of the Jordan River and water the lush Galilee.
The People are with the Golan
There is an intrinsic link between the Jewish people and the Golan Heights. The Golan has been their ancestral homeland since Joshua's conquest of Canaan, when the half tribe of Manasseh was given Bashan, present-day Golan (Num. 32) as their inheritance.
Ancient Jewish presence in the Golan is evidenced by the over 30 synagogues and numerous second-century Jewish coins that have been uncovered in archaeological excavations. Though the Jewish presence has been interrupted by exile and conquest, Jews have continually returned to the Golan to settle the land, till the soil and tend their livestock, rebuilding their lives on the same land from which they were banished.
Fighting for Survival
Israel has legal, historical and security claims to the Golan, but the enemies of the Jewish state will do everything in their power to take it away. Though important to Israel for many reasons, the significance of the Golan can be essentially summed up in one word: security. The Golan's elevated terrain ensures that whoever holds the region holds the strategic advantage in battle, making the Golan dangerous territory for Israel if it ever falls into the wrong hands. From the Golan, Israel's enemies could launch a strike at any time—and strike they will if Israel ever lets its guard down.
Israel's Claim vs Syria's Claim
Israel learned that lesson the hard way between 1948 and 1967 when Syria held the Golan and showered the towns of the Galilee below with unprovoked, deadly sniper fire. Slated to be part of Israel after the Balfour Declaration, Britain turned the Golan over to France in the Sykes-Picot Agreement. France eventually ceded the Golan to Syria in 1944. In 1967, Syria lost its claim to the Golan when it attacked Israel and then lost the war. For Israelis, the Six Day War was not an offensive war calculated to increase Israel's territory, it was a battle for their very survival.
Aware that it would never be secure if the Golan was not in their hands, Israel annexed the territory in 1981 by passing the Golan Heights Law. Legally, Israel was entitled to the territory because it had gained the land fighting a war of defense. The United Nations, woefully ignorant of Israel's security issues without the Golan, called the annexation "null and void." In an absurd move, the international community adjudicated that the Golan be ceded to a nation whose sole intention was to annihilate Israel.
Israel and Syria
As if history had not already proven that point, during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Syria launched a surprise attack on the Golan and almost overran the country. Outnumbered by Syrian tanks—177 Israeli against 1,400 Syrian—Israel managed to repel the attack, though with heavy losses.
After 1973, Israel's relationship with Syria can be described as a cold war: a diplomatic freeze with a few displays of belligerence, but no outright conflict. However, the situation became more volatile during the Arab Spring in 2011 and the subsequent Syrian Civil War, as Iranian troops and Iran's terror proxy Hezbollah used the distraction of the civil war to entrench themselves along the Syrian/Golan border.
The Golan has long been used as a bargaining chip in land-for-peace negotiations between Syria and Israel. However, since the Syrian Civil War, peace talks have ceased altogether, and Syria has chosen to back terrorist groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas in their fight against Israel. The Golan has again become a thorn in the side of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. For Syria, recovering the Golan has become a priority, and they intend to use "every possible means to liberate the Golan."
Israel and Russia
Banias Falls
Another major power player in the region is Russia, who supported Assad in the civil war under the pretense of fighting the Islamic State. Russia is now virtually controlling Syria and may be looking to the oil and gas resources of the Golan as a prize for the massive amounts of money spent on Assad's behalf. Netanyahu made it clear to Russian President Vladimir Putin that the Golan was a "red line" that Israel would not allow Syria, Hezbollah or Iran to cross. Israeli sovereignty of the region is nonnegotiable. Israelis agreed, proclaiming, "Ha'am im HaGolan!" (The people are with the Golan).
Israel and USA
After decades of weak-kneed US foreign policy, President Donald Trump bucked international opinion and recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan on March 21, 2019. That announcement coincided with Purim (Feast of Esther), the holiday that celebrates the rescue of the Jews in Persia (Iran) from annihilation. "After 52 years [since 1967] it is time for the United States to fully recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights," Trump tweeted, "which is of critical strategic and security importance to the State of Israel and regional stability."
Prime Minister Netanyahu affirmed the announcement as "historic justice" by a non-Jewish leader on behalf of the people of Israel. As for the Golan and the many costly battles fought on its land, "Israel holds the high ground," Netanyahu declared, "and we shall never give it up."
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Book Review: Is This Bottle Corked?
This is just the kind of off beat book about wine that you might find very interesting. No chapters about what to drink, how to drink, how to match food with wine, and other tiresome wine preaching. Rather, this book offers 138 somewhat obtuse but fascinating questions about wine. The authors, Kathleen Burk and Michael Bywater, are not wine gurus or critics, but rather wine lovers who have an interest in the historical perspective of wine. The result is a book with an academic tone, offering short and straightforward answers that fascinate rather than bore the reader.
Examples of questions posed include, "What did Jane Austen recommend for headache?" (Answer: Constantia wine), "Did Benjamin Franklin really produce a 'sprightly claret?" (Answer: He gave instructions on how to make wine in the Colonies in the 1743 edition of Poor Richard's Almanac), "What was Napoleon's favorite wine?" (Answer: Clos Vougeot and Chambertain), and "Was Pliny the first Robert Parker?" (Answer: No 100- point scale, but he was unrivaled as a wine scholar of his time). There are a number of other questions answered which will enrich anyone with an interest in wine such as, "Who first invented wine," What is terroir, and should we care," and "Should wine be decanted." Because the short chapters are devoted to one question, the reader can pick up the book for short periods of time and thumb to a question of interest without reading the book from front to back. Wine writers will find the book a special resource of historical facts.
Published by Random House, Inc., 208 pages, hardcover, 2009, $19.99.


Human rights activist Park, who fled North Korea with her mother in 2007 at age 13 and eventually made it to South Korea two years later after a harrowing ordeal, recognized that in order to be "completely free," she had to confront the truth of her past. It is an ugly, shameful story of being sold with her mother into slave marriages by Chinese brokers, and although she at first tried to hide the painful details when blending into South Korean society, she realized how her survival story could inspire others. Moreover, her sister had also escaped earlier and had vanished into China for years, prompting the author to go public with her story in the hope of finding her sister.
First things first In Order To Live is the true story of Yeonmi Park who escaped from North Korea with her mother. Yeonmi Park was born in 1993, Yeonmi is 1 year older than me! At 13 she escaped to China and at 15 finally settled in South Korea, just let that sink in for a bit, this story isn't 50+ years old, this happened in 2007, Yeonmi is 24 years old, 24 and she's such an amazing young woman who is now an activise and working towards helping the people of North Korea. Her story really made me really appreciate the pure privilege of being born in Australia.
This book is so emotional and I cried on the train reading about how Yeonmi felt when presenting her speech for One Young World Summit having just watched the speech and seeing how emotional and passionate she is.
Yeonmi's story is truly inspiring and she continues to inspire and work for North Korean rights. I highly recommend reading this young girls truly incredible story and putting your life into perspective. I am so privileged and so inspired that Yeonmi has been through so much and prevailed not only to find happiness in her own life but to help others who are struggling.
If you don't normally read non fictions and don't think you'd pick this up I urge you to Youtube Yeonmi's One Young Nation speech, listen and educate yourself on what is happening right now. This story isn't 100 years ago! Yeonmi is our age and this is happening in our world right now.
I've stopped reading non fiction in the last few years and I don't know why these stories are always so important and emotional. I can't wait to read some more non fiction about amazing woman.
Have you read this book? Is it on your TBR? Do you have a non fiction story that really touched you and made you see yourself in a new light?
I loved this book. I read it when it first came out!
its such an amazing story, I gave it to my Mum to read and she loved it as well.
This sounds good. I've been looking for a non-fiction book for the bingo. I might give this one a try! I've wanted to read more about North Korea for quite some time.
Great review for this book Casey, I'm so glad it made you feel the way you did while reading it. 🙂 I guess when it comes to books like these the writing and the story are always powerful, especially considering like you said it's not something that happened in the long ago past but so recently.
I just had such an intense feeling while reading this but also a kind of helpless one because it's not a one man job it'll take many years to fix the problems. Yeonmi truly is such an amazing woman all I could think was this girl is my age, she's a year older then me and suffered then prevailed, she's worked hard for her people and continues to even through the slander and horrible experiences she's but subjected to. If you do pick it up I hope you love it, non fiction isn't for everyone I read a lot of it when I was younger so it felt so nice to break from fantasy and read her story.
I suppose considering it did happen recently-ish would that mean it would take longer to fix the problems? I can't really say because I haven't read the book and aren't aware of most of the problem.
I completely agree that this isn't some short term fix and it's so very political it's hard for the average person to help but I hope the world starts working towards helping the North Korean people and all the other Yeonmi's out there that are stuck under a strict regime.
Very frustrating, I guess we just have to hope that eventually positive changes are made.
I hope you love it when you pick it up! Just her speech on YouTube is heartbreaking and amazing. I feel a lot of people shy a way from Non fic because of stuffy school texts.
This definitely hits all your emotions, just the helplessness I felt at not knowing how I can help and the awe for Yeonmi's strength and what she's endured.
Great review, and what an incredible story… and an incredible young woman.
I've heard about her in the past but I never really looked into her story. This sounds like such a powerful story.. I mean.. It managed to draw a tear from you!
It's so powerful and just really hits home how its all a chance of luck that I was born in Australia, before reading this i didnt realise how emotional her story was going to be and how much I was going to imagine myself in her place. It's hard not to respect someone that's been through so much and is still working towards helping others in her situation.
Lovely review! I really need to read more memoirs and this seems like the next one to pick up in the future.
Wow. Thank you for reviewing this book, Casey! I would never have heard of it otherwise, which would have been a shame. I don't read much non-fiction, but most of the non-fiction I do read are memoirs. As you identified, this is a really powerful one. The last non-fiction book I read which really impacted me was Hillbilly Elegy by J D Vance. It shined a ton of light on what's happening in rural America and helped me see my country in a new light. A different kind of powerful.
Are you participating in Asian Lit Bingo?
I've listened to JD Vances TED talk and his book is on my TBR I think I won't be able to connect with it as much coming from the otherside of the world but it sounds interesting nonetheless 😀 I hope you really love this when you pick it up or even if you just watch her speech on Youtube she's such a strong woman and so young it was so emotional and made me check my privilege hard, I mean Yeonmi is only a year older then me and she's been through so much while still fighting for her cause.
Hey there i enjoyed your review upon the book and if you are ever interested into looking into north korean life style there's a south korean tv show called "Now On My Way To Meet You" Which shows north korean defectors its like half talk show half talent show half comedy i believe there are some English clips to it and i can give you a link to one of the videos if you like.


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