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Q: How to loop through 5 UITableView cells based on the original cell tapped first I have an app that lists some data in a tableview, in cells.  I want the user to be able to select a table view cell, any one, and have the app cycle through the 5 lower cells.  Here is what I have so far:
- (void)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView didSelectRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath{
    // Navigation logic may go here. Create and push another view controller.

    [self fetchCellsToProcess:indexPath];

}

Here is the fetchCellsToProcess: method:
-(void)fetchCellsToProcess:(NSIndexPath*)indexPath{
    for (int cellsToProcess = 0; cellsToProcess < 5; cellsToProcess++) {
         //process each cell
         //...
   }
}

I need use the indexPath to get its indexPath.row.  Then add 5 to that indexPath.row and only process the tweets between indexPath.row passed in and indexPath.row+5.  What programming logic should I use to cycle through cells x -> x+5?

A: You should not be using cellForRowAtIndexPath: here: that's part of the presentation logic, while you are working on the model-level logic here.
Look at your cellForRowAtIndexPath: method, and see from where does the text of the cell's labels come. Usually it is an NSArray or some other collection. Your didSelectRowAtIndexPath: method should go directly to that same collection, and grab the info from there.

A: There is no direct approach to achieve this as dasblinkenlight mentioned

but there is a work around which works for me.

Please follow below approach:

Create your custom button within your custom cell

Create your custom cell class and put button(change type to custom ) do necessary connection custom cell class

 create and connect action method named "actionSelectedCell" as below from that button in class you are implementing this logic.

And cellForRowAtIndexPath cell.customButton.text = data from your array or dictionary

- (IBAction)actionSelectedCell:(UIButton *)sender {

// below code for getting selected cell row and its section

UIView *view = sender.superview;
while (view && ![view isKindOfClass:[UITableViewCell self]]) view = view.superview;

UITableViewCell *cell = (UITableViewCell *)view;
indexPathForSelectedCell = [self.tableViewListViewVC indexPathForCell:cell];
NSLog(@"cell is in section %d, row %d", indexPathForSelectedCell.section, indexPathForSelectedCell.row);// so now you are getting indexpath for selected cell

 // now you can create simple loop logic to get required data and do whatever you like post it to something or store it for any other use

NSString *strFifthCellContent = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@",[dataArray ObjectAtIndex:indexPathForSelectedCell.row+5]]; // in this way you can get data from any cell

}


Cincinnati's big ask: Will the levy pass?
CINCINNATI – Former Procter & Gamble President and CEO John Pepper has seen a lot of causes that promised to transform Cincinnati since he moved to town when John F. Kennedy was president.
Then came last week's decision to create near-universal preschool as part of a proposed Cincinnati Public Schools levy.
"If and when this passes, this will be the most important thing to happen in this community since I came here with P&G in 1963," Pepper said.
Pepper has been pushing for more early childhood education since collaborating with Gov. George Voinovich on expanding Head Start beginning in 1986.
Like many others in a broad coalition of business, church and education leaders, Pepper sees quality preschool as a means for breaking the cycle of poverty and improving the prospects for impoverished children who otherwise face high dropout and, eventually, high incarceration, unemployment and welfare rates.
CPS's board gave initial approval last week to put a levy on the November ballot that would raise an additional $48 million a year for five years, including $15 million a year to pay for preschool. Details of how the preschool money would be spent are still being determined, but it would fully subsidize two years of preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds to attend either CPS preschools or Catholic or other private operators.
Advocates said $15 million would fully subsidize preschool for all families who make 200 percent of the federal poverty rate or less. That would cover every family of four, for example, that makes $48,600 a year or less.
The remaining $33 million a year would boost funding for CPS's K-12 education, helping to close a deficit caused by growing enrollment, a drive for adding more computers to classrooms and rising fixed costs.
The board said the additional money, coupled with new spending cuts, will erase what would otherwise by a $50 million annual deficit.
The district hasn't asked for new money since 2008, and the levy's passage is by no means assured. Since 1983, CPS has asked for a 27 levy renewals, levy increases and construction bond issues. Nineteen passed, eight failed.
But levies that were before voters during a general presidential election, like this fall, passed the last five times from 1996-2012. That included new money requests in 2000 and 2008, and renewals in 1996, 2004 and 2012.
Depending on the exact millage request to be determined, the levy would add more than $200 a year to the tax bill on a $100,000 home, or $400 on a $200,000 home, etc. How will voters react to a request that large?
After many months of behind the scenes negotiations, including dueling polls, a grand bargain was struck among CPS officials, Cincinnati Preschool Promise , Cincinnati Business Committee and The Amos Project, which is a coalition of religious leaders fighting for economic justice.
Nearly all CPS levies have won at least a quiet endorsement from the business community, but this one has elicited an unusually strong endorsement and pledges of financial support from business leaders.
"I haven't seen this level of support from businesses since at least 2000, or maybe 1991," said Brewster Rhoads, a veteran leader of numerous school levy campaigns dating back to the successful 1991 campaign.
Pepper, who chaired the 1987 levy campaign that eked out a win by 154 votes, a number burned into his memory, agreed.
"There's a degree of community coalition in every levy campaign, but this one is extremely strong," he said. "Preschool Promise got close to 10,000 signatures. It's The Amos Project, it's the churches, legion of people who have been out there."
The Rev. Troy Jackson, who leads the Amos Project, had favored a separate payroll tax hike to fund Preschool Promise, as did other preschool advocates, based in large part on polling that suggested more support for an earning tax than a large property tax increase.
But business leaders wanted to hold the line on the city's earnings tax, concerned that an increase would make it more difficult to recruit quality workers and open the door for additional increases for other pressing community needs.
"Clearly the prospect of having two different levies both involving education and preschool on the same ballot practically was a non-starter in terms of expecting voters to approve it," Pepper said.
The compromise puts social justice crusaders intent on fighting poverty and economic inequality on the same page as business leaders who, additionally, see the benefits of a more highly qualified, educated workforce graduating from Cincinnati schools.
"All stakeholders are very well engaged and at the table. We are very supportive collectively," CPS Board Chairwoman Ericka Copeland-Dansby said.
She expects a robust campaign.
"We don't have a choice. We haven't had new money since 2008," Copeland-Dansby said.
Julie Sellers, president of the Cincinnati Federation of teachers, was an early skeptic of Preschool Promise's plan for a separate tax request, but is supportive of the combined levy. Her organization will do most of the organizing of the levy campaign, she said.
"I feel very comfortable with it," she said. "There will be a very wide cross section of support with the merged levy."
Pepper said the levy can pass if advocates make the case that more money is needed because the district is attracting more students by improving the performance.
"The second thing is to really get the ground game out. Go door to door, explain why the levy is important, and really listen to people," he said.
"Third, ensure voters that the money will be well spent," Pepper said.


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The Winston Workstation Triple from Innovative is a height-adjustable sit-stand add-on unit that converts almost any sit-only desk into a sit-stand desk. This all-in-one unit will raise a keyboard, mouse, or other desk accessories, including three monitors, to whatever standing height needed (up to 17.0" above desk height for the keyboard platform; up to 40.0" above desk height to the middle of the monitor). This model can accommodate three monitors up to 24" wide each.
The keyboard platform (30" W x 18" D) and monitor mount (100 x 100 mm VESA compatible) move as one unit for height adjustment* to ensure that monitors are appropriately positioned, whether sitting or standing. The Winston uses a heavy metal base to stabilize the unit so that it can be positioned anywhere on the desk surface without having to clamp or bolt it to the desk. Adjusting the height of the keyboard platform is as easy as pressing a button located on the right side of the keyboard platform.
With appropriate accessories, the triple unit can be upgraded to a quad unit or extended triple unit (for wider monitor sizes).
NOTE: The monitor height relative to the keyboard platform is set when the unit is assembled and is not intended to be adjusted on the fly while in use. It can be readjusted by disassembling the monitor clamp and reassembling at whatever height is needed.
The Winston Workstation Dual from Innovative Office Products is a height-adjustable sit-stand add-on unit that converts almost any sit-only desk into a sit-stand desk. This all-in-one unit will raise a keyboard, mouse, or other desk accessories, including two monitors, to whatever standing height needed (up to 17.0" above desk height for the keyboard platform; up to 40.0" above desk height to the middle of the monitor).
The keyboard platform (30" W x 18" D) and monitor mount (100 x 100 mm VESA compatible) move as one unit for height adjustment* to ensure that monitors are appropriately positioned, whether sitting or standing. The Winston uses a heavy metal base to stabilize the unit so that it can be positioned anywhere on the desk surface without having to clamp or bolt it to the desk. Also, there is a release mechanism built into the keyboard platform on the right side, which releases a lock when pressed so that the platform can then be effortlessly moved up or down as desired.
Single, Triple and Quad units are also available.
*NOTE: The monitor height relative to the keyboard platform is set when the unit is assembled and is not intended to be adjusted on the fly while in use. It can be readjusted by disassembling the monitor clamp and reassembling at whatever height is needed.
The Locus Standing Desk is an elegant height and angle adjustable standing desk which provides functionality in a stylish form. It is ideally suited as the worksurface for the Locus Seat from Focal Upright Furniture. The worksurface height can be precisely adjusted using a German-manufactured design which allows the unit to effortlessly glide from 36" to 48" above the floor. The gears are 'one-to-two' to reduce the number of rotations required for movement, and are self locking so the worksurface will not slip once set. The angle of the worksurface can be adjusted from level to 15°and there are leveling feet on the base. The desk is constructed of a powder-coated extruded and cast aluminum base which conveys a professional clean and stylish look (thanks to the slope on the feet).
The worksurface is 48" W x 30" D x 0.75" H and features an organic 'cutout' design which positions the user and lends to a more organic look than a plain rectangular desk. It is composed of hardwood plywood with three layers of polyurethane varnish on the veneers (Black Walnut or White Oak) or a melamine laminate (Matte Black or Glacier White). A strongly recommended accessory is the Locus Stay Flat Shelf (48" W x 10" D x 0.75" H) which is a secondary raised surface which is always level regardless of adjustments to the primary worksurface and is ideal for ensuring a monitor is at an ergonomically correct height. Other accessories include a Cable Management System and an IMAC Monitor Bracket. As mentioned earlier, this product is perfectly complemented by the Locus Seat.
The Kangaroo Tri-Elite is an adjustable height desk that converts any ordinary desk into a sit-stand desk. It is identical to the Kangaroo Elite with the exception that it can accommodate three monitors instead of two (the Tri-Elite's crossbar is hinged on both sides unlike the dual Elite). The unit is free-standing (no clamping required) and easily moved to any position on the desk. The main keyboard platform adjusts up or down with the assistance of a gas cylinder (or lift), making quick adjustments throughout the day easy and effortless. This platform is generous compared to most keyboard trays at 28" wide and 24" deep and can be adjusted up to 16.5" above the desk. With the "stopping bolt" feature, the user can raise the platform to a preset desired height every time. All Kangaroo models also include a stabilization leg to practically eliminate worksurface vibration.
Monitors are attached to monitor mounts (or brackets) using the standard VESA plates requiring 75 or 100 mm hole patterns. These monitor mounts allow for panning, tilting, or rotating the monitors from landscape to portrait positions. In addition, the monitors can also be height-adjusted independent of the keyboard platform using a separate gas cylinder mechanism with a vertical range of 6.5").
The Kangaroo Tri-Elite is recommended for monitors up to 10 lbs each (without stand attached) and not more than 22.5" wide (not diagonally but from side to side). For heavier monitors, customized units can be special ordered upon request.
The Kangaroo is an adjustable height desk which converts any ordinary desk into a sit-stand desk. It is free-standing (no clamping required) and easily moved to any position on the desk. The main keyboard platform adjusts up or down with the assistance of a gas cylinder (or lift), making quick adjustments throughout the day easy and effortless. This platform is generous compared to most keyboard trays at 28" wide and 24" deep and can be adjusted up to 16.5" above the desk. With the "stopping bolt" feature, the user can raise the platform to a preset desired height every time. All Kangaroo models also include a stabilization leg to practically eliminate worksurface vibration.
An independently adjustable shelf unit is also provided with the Kangaroo to support either a single monitor with its stand attached or a laptop. This shelf unit has a 6.5" range of adjustment relative to the main keyboard platform. It also has its own gas cylinder mechanism and tightening knob (or "monitor brake").
The Kangaroo is recommended for monitors up to 15 lbs (with stand attached). For heavier monitors, customized units can be special ordered upon request.
Le Kangaroo est un bureau ajustable en hauteur qui transforme n`importe quel bureau ordinaire en bureau assis-debout. Il est sur pied (un serrage n`est pas requis) et peut être facilement déplacé à n`importe quelle position sur le bureau. La plate-forme principale du clavier est ajustable avec l`aide d`un verin à gaz (gas cylinder or lift). Cette fonctionnalité permet aux utilisateurs de faire des ajustements en haut ou en bas rapidement et facilement. Cette plate-forme est plus grosse que les tablettes standard, de 28 po en largeur et 24 po de profondeur, et peut être ajustée jusqu`à 16.5 po au-dessus du bureau. Avec la fonction d`un boulon d`arrêt, l`utilisateur peut augmenter la plate-forme d`une hauteur préférée prédéfinie chaque fois. Toutes les modèles de Kangaroo ont aussi un stabilisateur pour réduire la vibration de la surface de travail.
Une étagère ajustable indépendamment est aussi fournit avec le Kangaroo pour supporter l`un l`autre un seul moniteur avec sa base attachée, ou un ordinateur portable. Ce module en étagère a une gamme d`ajustement de 6.5 po par rapport à la plate-forme de clavier. Il a son propre verin à gaz (gas cylinder mechanism) aussi qu`un bouton de serrage (ou "un frein de moniteur").
Le Kangaroo est recommandé pour un moniteur qui pèse jusqu`à 15 livres (avec la base attachée). Pour les moniteurs plus lourds, des modèles personnalisés peuvent être commandés sur demande.
Le Kangaroo est disponible en noir, en rouge cerise, et en érable. Des accessoires supplémentaires pour étendre la surface de travail sont aussi disponibles.
The Wallaby Junior is an adjustable height desk which converts any ordinary desk into a sit-stand desk. It is free-standing (no clamping required) and easily moved to any position on the desk. The main keyboard platform adjusts up or down with the assistance of a gas cylinder (or lift), making quick adjustments throughout the day easy and effortless. This platform is generous compared to most keyboard trays at 24" wide and 18" deep and can be adjusted up to 16.5" above the desk. With the "stopping bolt" feature, the user can raise the platform to a preset desired height every time. All Kangaroo models also include a stabilization leg to practically eliminate worksurface vibration.
A single monitor is attached to a monitor mount (or bracket) using the standard VESA plates requiring 75 or 100 mm hole patterns. The monitor mount allows for panning, tilting, or rotating the monitor from landscape to portrait positions. Unlike the Kangaroo and Kangaroo Junior models, however, the Wallaby Junior is designed so that the user sets the monitor at a desired height and it stays locked in that position relative to the keyboard platform. The monitor will then always move in unison with the platform. There is a 7 inch height range to set the monitor to the desired position.
The Wallaby Junior is recommended for monitors up to 12 lbs (without stand attached). For heavier monitors, customized units can be special ordered upon request.
Available in black colour only. Additional accessories to extend the worksurface are also available.
The Kangaroo Junior is an adjustable height desk which converts any ordinary desk into a sit-stand desk. It is free-standing (no clamping required) and easily moved to any position on the desk. The main keyboard platform adjusts up or down with the assistance of a gas cylinder (or lift), making quick adjustments throughout the day easy and effortless. This platform is generous compared to most keyboard trays at 24" wide and 18" deep and can be adjusted up to 16.5" above the desk. With the "stopping bolt" feature, the user can raise the platform to a preset desired height every time. All Kangaroo models also include a stabilization leg to practically eliminate worksurface vibration.
An independently adjustable shelf unit is also provided with the Kangaroo Junior to support either a single monitor with its stand attached or a laptop. This shelf unit has a 6.5" range of adjustment relative to the main keyboard platform. It also has its own gas cylinder mechanism and tightening knob (or "monitor brake").
The Kangaroo Junior is a smaller version of the Kangaroo and is recommended for monitors up to 12 lbs. For heavier monitors, customized units can be special ordered upon request.
Le Kangaroo Junior est un bureau ajustable en hauteur qui transforme n`importe quel bureau ordinaire en bureau assis-debout. Il est sur pieds (un serrage n`est pas requis) et facilement déplacé à n`importe quelle position sur le bureau. La plate-forme principale de clavier est ajustable avec l`aide d`un verin à gaz (gas cylinder or lift). Cette fonctionnalité permet aux utilisateurs de faire des ajustements en haut ou en bas rapidement et facilement. Cette plate-forme est plus gros que les tablettes standard, de 24 po en largeur et 18 po de profondeur, et peut être ajustée jusqu`à 16.5 po au-dessus du bureau. Avec le fonction d`un boulon d`arrêt, l`utilisateur peut augmenter la plate-forme d`une hauteur préférée prédéfinie chaque fois. Toutes les modèles de Kangaroo ont aussi un stabilisateur pour réduire la vibration de la surface de travail.
Une étagère ajustable indépendamment est aussi fournit avec le Kangaroo Junior pour supporter l`un l`autre un seul moniteur avec sa base attachée, ou un ordinateur portable. Ce module en étagère a une gamme d`ajustement de 6.5 po par rapport à la plate-forme de clavier. Il a aussi son propre vérin à gaz (gas cylinder mechanism) aussi qu`un bouton de serrage (ou "un frein de moniteur").
Le Kangaroo Junior est recommandé pour un moniteur qui pèse jusqu`à 12 livres (avec la base attachée). Pour les moniteurs plus lourds, des modèles personnalisés peuvent être commandés sur demande.
Le Kangaroo Junior est disponible en noir seulement. Des accessoires supplémentaires pour étendre la surface de travail sont aussi disponibles.
The Kangaroo Pro Junior is an adjustable height desk which converts any ordinary desk into a sit-stand desk. It is free-standing (no clamping required) and easily moved to any position on the desk. The main keyboard platform adjusts up or down with the assistance of a gas cylinder (or lift), making quick adjustments throughout the day easy and effortless. This platform is generous compared to most keyboard trays at 24" wide and 18" deep and can be adjusted up to 16.5" above the desk. With the "stopping bolt" feature, the user can raise the platform to a preset desired height every time. All Kangaroo models also include a stabilization leg to practically eliminate worksurface vibration.
A single monitor is attached to a monitor mount (or bracket) using the standard VESA plates requiring 75 or 100 mm hole patterns. The monitor mount allows for panning, tilting, or rotating the monitor from landscape to portrait positions. In addition, the monitor can also be height-adjusted independent of the keyboard platform using a separate gas cylinder mechanism with a vertical range of 6.5").
The Kangaroo Pro Junior is a smaller version of the Kangaroo Pro and is recommended for monitors up to 12 lbs (without stand attached). For heavier monitors, customized units can be special ordered upon request.
Le Kangaroo Pro Junior est un bureau ajustable en hauteur qui transforme n`importe quel bureau ordinaire en bureau assis-debout. Il est sur pieds (serrage n`est pas requis) et facilement déplacer à n`importe position sur le bureau. La plate-forme principal de clavier ajuste en haut ou en bas avec de l`aide d`un vérin à gaz (gas cylinder or lift) en faisant des ajustements vite faites durant la journée facilement et sans éffort. Cette plate-forme est plus gros que les tablettes standard, de 24 po en largeur et 18 po de profondeur et peut être ajuster jusqu`à 16.5 po au-dessus du bureau. Avec la caractéristique d`un boulon d`arrêt, l`utilisateur peut monter la plate-forme à une hauteur préférer prédéfini chaque fois. Toutes modèles de Kangaroo a aussi un stabilisateur pour pratiquement éliminer la vibration de la surface de travail.
Un seul moniteur est fixé sur un support de moniteur (ou crochet) en utilisant la plaque standard VESA, qui exige un schéma de trous soit de 75 ou 100 mm. Ce support de moniteur permet l`ajustement de positionner le moniteur panoramique, inclinaison, rotation, position paysage ou position portrait (lanscape or portrait). En plus, le moniteur peut aussi être ajusté en hauteur indépendant de la plate-forme qui utilise un vérin à gaz (gas cylinder mechanism) séparé avec une gamme verticale de 6.5 po.
Le Kangaroo Pro Junior est plus petit que le Kangaroo Pro et est recommandé pour les moniteurs qui pèsent jusqu`à 12 livres (sans la base attachée). Pour les moniteurs plus lourdent, des modèles personnalisés peuvent être commandés (commande spéciale) sur demande.
Disponible en noir seulement. Accessoires supplémentaires pour étendre la surface de travail sont aussi disponibles.


1. If someone is nice enough to let you go in front of them in a long line of traffic like say, when you're trying to turn left into the car rider line at school with cars backed all the way up the other side of the street who are actually turning right into the school and therefore, have the right of way have the common decency to throw your hand up and give a little "thank you" wave...or at least nod your head, smile or do something to show your appreciation. Because if you don't? It is considered extremely rude. At least where I come from.
2. Dim your bright lights at night when you come upon another car. It's hard to drive when you are being high beamed. Plus, it's the law!
3. Do NOT pull out in front of someone especially if you are going to drive at a snail's pace while talking on your phone and weaving all over the road.
4. Turning lanes are there for a purpose. And that purpose is so that you can get out of the way of moving traffic in order to make your turn. Don't stop, put your turn signal on and then get in the turning lane. Because that kind of defeats the purpose.
5. Do not tailgate especially if the person you are tailgating is already exceeding the speed limit. It is not their fault that you did not allow yourself enough time to get where you're trying to go on time. Besides, you never know when you are going to ride the bumper of the wrong person on the wrong day of the month, thus placing your life in imminent danger.
6. When you are on the interstate and someone is about to enter from an on-ramp, move your arse over and let them on if at all possible.
7. When the stoplight you are sitting at turns green, move it! The gas pedal is still the one on the right. I really don't want to get stuck sitting through this light again because whatever you were doing up there was way more important than driving the vehicle you are sitting behind the wheel of.
8. Do not turn left in front of someone who is turning right on the other side of the green light. Unless you see a green arrow lit up on that big yellow traffic light in the sky in front of you, you do NOT have the right of way!
9. Everyone knows better than to text while driving, right? Right? I mean it's now illegal in most states I think. I know it is here in North Carolina. Just don't do it. But what about applying mascara while you are driving down the highway? Or reading or watching a movie behind the wheel? Yes, I have actually seen this...more than once! If you do these things, don't tell me. I don't want to know. I just want you to STOP doing it!
10. Pay attention to all the other vehicles, pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles, animals around you. YOU are not the only one on the road in front of you and contrary to what you may believe, it does not belong solely to you. We all pay taxes. This one especially goes out to the lawn guy who comes barreling through the winding road of my neighborhood at exceedingly high speeds while pulling his lawn equipment behind his big arse truck who has nearly killed me and mine twice in the past two weeks. I've got my eye on you. And I don't mean that in a good way.
That #3 is always one of my biggest pet peeves, but I am pretty sure I have lectured my 9 year old on all 10 of these after he caught me cussing someone out while taking him to school. He now knows better for that day that I actually let him drive a car (you know when he is 30).
I hate when I see people DRIVING down the road with one of their feet up on the dashboard (Okay, I understand passengers do it, but NOT the drivers!) and yes, I've seen it, actually on two ocassions! HOW CAN YOU DRIVE WITH YOUR FOOT ON THE DASHBOARD!??!?
We drive a dark 3 mile 2 lane road to get to and from our house. I have started leaving my brights on if other cars leave theirs on! It kind of reminds me of the scene in Fried Green Tomatoes with Kathy Bates.
I drive a big van. Me and hubby have backed into cars because we couldn't see them. That whole trucker saying..."If you can't see my mirrors, I can't see you" Is such a true thing. I have gotten so much better about not tailgating.
I get so friggen angry when I let someone in and they don't give me a "Hey thanks" wave...seriously jerk.
Also, I agree with the whole "if you see someone trying to get on, speed up to let them on"...it irritates me when people see me coming and they don't move or slow down to let me on.
I have a thing about turn signals.
They are to let folks know what you are GOING to do, Not what you are doing so dont turn them on after you are starting to turn.
If they had not added the window wiper function to the turn signal lever it would never get used.
Also I am much more willing to let you in my lane if you use your signal. I know your hands are too full of cell phones and coffee to turn it on but I watch too much NASCAR and I know how to use a fender. So dont try to weasel in.
And last but not least. I cant stand the folks that run the ending lanes to the last second just to move 4 or 5 cars ahead and then dont use a signal. See pet peeve above.
WOW, I feel all better now.
#1... yes, yes and yes!! Seriously, people... let's show some kindness, huh?
It really does make me crazy how cavalierly people drive. The biggest concern out there is protecting ourselves from everyone else!
I seriously can't believe how rude some people are on the road. I ALWAYS wave when someone lets me in but I notice a lot of people take it for granted. Grr.
I feel the same way about all of things. I sat here and shook my head in agreement as I read each one.
Excellent driving tips! Especially #7 and #9... they are often related.
Amen! All such good advice.
How about the opposite to #6 - if you are entering the freeway from a long on ramp how about getting up to match the speed of traffic already out there? Don't wait to merge before speeding up from 35 to whatever, causing everybody behind you to brake.


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Bristol Lewis raises over £5,000 for Prostate Cancer UK
A 15-year-old son and grandson of two Bristol Freemasons has completed four endurance challenges in six weeks to raise over £5,000 for a national prostate cancer charity
When Dr Richard Hayes was suddenly and unexpectedly diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer in April this year, his grandson Edward felt pretty powerless and didn't know what to do to help, so he decided to undertake a series of challenges to raise money for Prostate Cancer UK. A retired GP, Richard was having an annual PSA blood test due to a family history of the disease.
Even though he had no symptoms, his PSA level was a little bit raised, which prompted referral to a specialist. The specialist turned out to be a member of his own lodge in Bristol, but unfortunately after he was investigated it was shown that the cancer had already spread to his bones.
Edward spoke to his teachers at Beechen Cliff School in Bath about what he could do to try and raise money. As Edward recalls: 'My school organises lots of outdoor activities and the teachers organise training and supervision to allow us to take part in a number of events. Normally, we would do one or two of these, but this year I thought I would do the Ten Tors, The March for Men, National Three Peaks Challenge and Centurion Challenge all together, to try to raise money to support Prostate Cancer UK and make sure that more people are aware of this disease and try to help men get diagnosed earlier so that they can be treated.'
For the Ten Tors, Edwards was the leader of his team which involved hiking 35 miles over the rough terrain of Dartmoor at the end of May 2018, visiting 10 different nominated tors in under two days. In the middle of June, he took part in The March for Men in Bristol. Organised by Prostate Cancer UK, it gives families the opportunity to walk in support or in memory of someone they know with prostate cancer. Edward did this walk with the rest of his family, but to make sure it was a proper endurance challenge he ran the whole 10K course twice.
In the last weekend in June, Edward completed the National Three Peaks Challenge with lots of other pupils from his school. This involved climbing the three highest mountains in Scotland, England and Wales over one weekend – Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Mount Snowdon. They walked 23 miles and climbed the overall total of 10,052ft.
The last challenge was the school's annual Centurion Challenge. This event has been running at the school for 50 years now and is a 100 mile walk from Bath to Hungerford and back. It must be completed within 48 hours in order to be a "Centurion". Yet because it was so hot this year, for safety reasons, the walk was shortened to 50 miles in 24 hours.
Edward added: 'I was really disappointed because I wanted to do the full 100, but the teachers had to make sure we were all safe. Even though he's on chemotherapy at the moment, my grandpa got to watch me come in at the finish and gave me a massive hug. We were both a bit tearful. I had a big blister on my heel, but I managed to complete the course in 8hrs 57 minutes.
'My dad is a Freemason in Bristol and last year he was Provincial Senior Grand Warden, so when they heard about grandpa's illness, lots of the people in Bristol lodges sent me sponsorship money to support my fundraising. It's brilliant what fundraising support the Bristol masons have given me and I hope that I can join my grandpa's lodge when I'm old enough.
'When I got home after the Centurion Challenge, my great uncle Roy, who is a Freemason in Gloucestershire, presented me with an old ice axe. He was one of the first young people to do the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award in 1959 and went on an expedition to Greenland with Sir John Hunt and Sir Edmund Hillary, who were both famous mountaineers. This was the axe that he took on that expedition and he gave it to me to celebrate successfully finishing these challenges. I'm really grateful to everyone who has sponsored me for doing these four events, to raise money for Prostate Cancer UK.'
Prostate Cancer affects one in eight men in the UK. A man who has a father or brother who has been diagnosed, is two and a half times more likely to also be affected. You can contribute to the fundraising initiative here.
Published in Provinces, Districts & Groups
PGL Bristol
PGL Gloucestershire
FMT No 44 – Winter 2018
Winter 2019 column - Grand Secretary and Grand Scribe E Dr David Staples
A royal visit to Bristol by UGLE's Grand Master
Bristol Freemasons celebrating raising over £1 million for charity at Festival Ball
Kick off for Welsh Rugby Clubs Lodge
Bristol Freemason celebrates 50 years by going back in the Chair of his Mother lodge
More in this category: « Cheshire Freemasons support opening of Better Lives Centre following £25,000 donation Middlesex Freemasons 'Pass The Veils' in Hungary »
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On the Bénou Plateau, walks and hikes for everyone: donkeys, ponies for children for half an hour. Big ponies and horses for inexperienced riders.
By the Bious-Artigues Lake, at the foot of the Pic du Midi d'Ossau, donkeys and ponies for children. Horses and mules for adults. Walks in the heart of the Pyrenees National Park. Walks (around the lake…), several-hour hikes and entire day (towards the Ayous Lakes) … to a few days with bivouac.


It is a tiny settlement located just west of Big Lake which is a rather large Leech Lake Reservation lake covering nearly 5.0 sq. mi. This settlement does not have a name. I thought i name it after a lake it is located near. Big Lake or in Ojibway Ga-mi-chi, has about 7 housing units. All except two are mobile homes. Housing units are located along Punky Road Northeast. It is located within Ten Lake Township, Beltrami County, Minnesota which has a population of 1,026 according to a 2010 census. Indians make up 63.2% of it's population or 648. It's 69.9% when including Mexicans and mixed bloods. Big Lake may have a population of 10 to 20. Using google earths historical imagery, Big Lake does not show up until around 2004. It's a newer Leech Lake Reservation community. Elevation is 1,363 feet above sea level. This tiny settlement is located in a midst of a forest. Being located in them woods probably leads to some residents being weary of strangers. Below are a couple of google earth photos of Big Lake, Minnesota and to other Leech Lake Reservation communities.


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Economy, labor
5000 Steelworkers Deliver a Message to GOP Stimulus Blockers and Cutters
Steelworkers Jobs
March Draws Thousands
in Granite City, IL
St Louis Suburban Journals
Feb. 10, 2009 – A line of more than 5,500 laid-off steelworkers from Granite City, auto workers from Decatur and Fenton, Mo., and their supporters stretched out for more than eight blocks along a mile-long route as part of a "Put America Back To Work" march Tuesday morning in Granite City.
The march, sponsored by local and state labor unions and several community groups, was held to support passage of a federal stimulus bill, including a "buy American" provision.
Both city and union officials said slightly more than 5,500 people participated. Continue reading 5000 Steelworkers Deliver a Message to GOP Stimulus Blockers and Cutters →
Steelworkers
France Protects Its Auto Workers
February 12, 2009 randyshannon	Leave a comment
A Lesson from France
"The French government said it would give 6.5 billion euros ($8.4 billion) in low interest loans to Renault SA and PSA Peugeot-Citroen in exchange for pledges that the car makers won't close any factories or lay off any workers in France for the duration of the funding." Wall Street Journal 2-10-09
Quel surpris! The French government bailout of France's auto industry requires the auto companies to continue the employment of the company's workers! In the US, on the other hand, the government urges the auto industry to "restructure" before receiving bailout funds, principally by laying off workers.
Are US auto workers any less deserving of this pledge? Does government owe them any less, in a time of global economic crisis?
But then nobody asked…
In the US, representatives of the auto workers join the CEO's in begging for corporate bailout money while conceding that everyone must make sacrifices. It is a foregone conclusion that tens of thousands of workers will lose their jobs for the sake of "restructuring".
France's commitment to its auto workers certainly does not spring from any compassion on the part of its government. French President Sarkozy has dedicated his term to breaking the back of France's unions. He is widely viewed as a French George Bush, seeking to wipeout the social gains of years of struggle in the interest of a harsh competitive regimen.
But the French working class has pushed back with militant, united street actions and strikes. They have joined students, immigrants, retirees, and professionals in resisting. Long derided by arrogant tourists for its labor militancy, France has – ironically – faired better economically than its European counterparts in the face of the world crisis.
The above commentary is from zz's blog. Note that unemployed French auto workers also enjoy continued access to full health care benefits under France's national single payer helathcare system.


The unlikely becomes reality. Not many of us believed that it could be a success…but M Premeire did. After 25 years as a world-famous act with 70 million albums sold, one of Sweden's biggest pop groups steps back into the spotlight and rocks Dubai with a magnificent performance celebrating the release of their new album "The Charm School".
How do they do it? A decade ago it seemed like Roxette had gone crash, boom, bang — but they listened to their hearts and dressed for success in Dubai on Friday, May 20th at Dubai World Trade Centre. The age-defying, leather pants-wearing Scandinavian pop-duo Per Gessle and Marie Fredriksson put on a phenomenal performance, the 52-year-olds proving that they could still rock it out in the old-school style. The audience was perfectly warmed-up by the Palladium Electric Band who impressed the crowd by the sound of electric violins and stunning appearance of the trio itself. The light, the sound, the atmosphere everything was put together to make it an amazing, professional, and unique show which Dubai has not seen for a long while. To keep the buzz after the actual Roxette performance there was a Dj's battle of 80's hits which was a perfect conclusion to the show.


The adventures in Umbria continue, with a new featured player experiencing the rustic countryside for the first time. My best friend Cal arrived just about two weeks ago and, after a quick acclimation in Rome to Italian time (both the time zone and also the way hours work a bit slower here), we took the scenic train ride away from the city and toward Umbria, the green heart of Italy.
Cal and I went to college together, are rock climbing partners, artistic collaborators, lived together this past year in Los Angeles and, perhaps most of all, share a similar ethic around the joys of preparing food with and for those we love. What better place to delve into this passion than in Umbria? We settled into our routine of adventure with immediacy and great delight, reveling in our early morning exercise, followed by a long and slow breakfast preparation with the eggs from our lovely birds and produce from the orto at the farmhouse. We take turns brewing coffee in the moka pot – one as we start to cook and a second batch just as we sit down to eat, making sure to steam our milk only if the clock still reads before 11am. The food scraps from the morning meal get walked over to the birds as an extra treat, then we linger at an outside table to work on the day's crossword. As usual, any number of thoughtfully planned or curious and improvised adventures await us.
A black truffle. The official fungus of Umbria.
In these two weeks, Cal has ascended the ranks (i.e., supplanted me) in the kitchen at le Delizie del Borgo, our friend Simone's restaurant in nearby Bevagna, effectively serving as sous chef and doing a damn fine job: a guest sent explicit compliments back to the chef for the Umbrian classic uovo morbido, the elevated Italian brother to our scrambled eggs – not knowing it was l'americano Cal who had executed the dish flawlessly on his first attempt! Meanwhile, I've ventured into the server's world which has proved a highly encouraging environment to hone my Italian and let out my inner sprezzatura, a necessary nonchalance that all waiters in Italy are seemingly dripping with.
Outside of Simone's kitchen, we have been spending heaps of time in … our kitchen. At the farmhouse, every meal can be envisioned just by stepping out into the backyard. We've strung together all manner of immediately fresh, holistically healthy (if you consider using a lot of olive oil healthy), unreasonably tasty meals in a setting that Cal has been describing as "magical" – when he has the words the express the feeling.
On our day off last week we took the bike path from Cannara to Montefalco which, given the fact that we got slightly lost, ended up taking about two hours. After having scaled some serious hills, we luxuriated in the beautiful square, walked the entire circumference of the town, sat and had coffee and some time to draw, and ran into just about every person I know with even a loose connection to Montefalco along with making some new friends at some of the local businesses. Among these happenstance visits were assorted members of the Pardi family, all of whom had eagerly been awaiting the arrival of Cal to set into motion an opportunity for us to all spend time together. We made the obligatory stop at the family winery to say hello to Albertino, the man who runs the business, and we unexpectedly left with plans for him drive a 60 gallon stainless steel fermentation tank over to the farmhouse to assist in a batch of beer we will be brewing in October, as well as talk of him contributing an oak barrel as well to age our sure-to-be spectacular beer.
Speaking of beer, the hops that I planted last year in hopes of convincing a local winemaker to help me make a beer here (thanks Albertino!) have just been harvested! The hops are now dried, vacuum sealed, and keeping fresh in the fridge, along with some green Italian figs (known as both dotato or kadota figs) being stored in the freezer that will be added to the beer after it finishes its first fermentation. Instead of buying yeast, we are going to collect a sample of local ambient yeast from the rich biodiversity of our garden at la Fattoria del Gelso, and we will use local barley and other grains as the base. After running the brewing club at my college (yes, I know, pretty sweet) and working in a brewery right after school, this situation is what I would consider the ideal. More news on that to come with the arrival of my brewing partner from college and tour guide of one of the best sour beer breweries in the US next month!
This makes me very hoppy.
Not to miss out on the climbing while we're in Italy, Cal and I managed to find one of the most unexpected experiences one could imagine. In the town of Serra San Quirico about two hours away, there is a yearly climbing festival that takes rope climbers onto the high cliff walls that surround the town. However, the locals also curate much shorter routes throughout the medieval architecture of the town, climbing on the old tower, in a brick archway tunnel from maybe the 1300s, or up the face of the town fortress wall to a window that was once used to shoot arrows at approaching enemies. We spent the day touring this unbelievable historic town while also climbing all over it. For many climbers, there is a challenging balance between spending time in the city and getting to climb outdoors – we got both at the same time!
We spent another day harvesting grapes, this time for our friends the Pardis. Seemingly, the crew didn't account for what naturals Cal and I would be because all together we finished a supposedly 5 hour job in just under 3 hours. Thanks to a very early start, this left us with pretty much a whole day ahead and no real plans. With time to kill, one of our fellow harvesters, a friend of Albertino's named Kwan, whom I had met last year at a lunch party in the winery offered to give us a ride to his parents' property just on the outskirts of town. Although it was only a few minutes away, the ride transported us to a different place. We arrived to the gates of a reasonably sizable but very humble property and were greeted by a horde of dogs. Looking to the right, there were three comically obese Thai pigs that were very sweet and devoured whole apples with their hairy snouts. Out from the garden ambled an older man with a pronounced back hunch, leathered and weathered fingers, jet black heavy eyebrows and a frayed baseball hat with the bill torn off to fit as a skull cap. He looked like the idyllic Italian garden in late summer, in fact, much like the one from which he was just exiting. We proceeded to be inundated with generosity, sharing thoughtful and slow conversation across three languages, being taught how to crack a walnut with one hand (as evidenced by Kwan's older father being much more capable than us two strapping young climbers, strength is not so much a matter in the equation as finesse), sampling and eventually being sent home with a bag of the best figs either Cal or I has ever tasted, and convening with all sorts of animals besides the pigs. Kwan's father, it seems, spends every waking hour tending to one aspect of another of his farm, which includes the aforementioned pigs, figs, and walnuts, as well as a vibrant and active orto for produce, about two dozen goats, 100 or more birds, including turkeys, geese, ducks, and chickens of varieties I never knew existed, and three donkeys. Sharing that space, that time, and that company was a true lesson to me in the ethic of sharing – it was the kind of experience that keeps your breath stuck somewhere between your lungs and your mouth, a distinctive warmth that has your sensations fully tingling but your mind at complete ease and drawing out every moment. It really was hard to leave, but sure enough, we ended up back there the next day.
Farm living is the life for me . . .
It has been just a week since Suzy and I returned from our annual spring pilgrimage to Italy and we're already counting the days until our return. The two and a half week trip flew by and is now a just a memory. But oh, what memories!
Our April visits are always a joy, if only because they give us the opportunity to enjoy springtime in Italy, which really is, in a word . . . magical. This year was no exception, with perfect weather during our week in Umbria and even perfecter weather throughout the week we traveled up north.
Pavilion for the Veneto region at VinItaly. This is a building, not a landscape!
That second week's itinerary took us to Verona, site of the VinItaly, the Italian wine expo that is held annually there. This was Suzy and my fifth visit to VinItaly and even after all those visits, it remains simply breathtaking in its scope. Nearly five thousand exhibitors displaying tens of thousands of Italian wines in a dozen airplane hangar-like pavilions covering a million square feet. That's an awful lot of wine for two people to drink.
Our new best friend. Also pictured, Marta Poli, the export manager at Mirabella winery.
That's why we brought Lindsey and Scott from Via Umbria to join us and help us navigate this ocean of wine. For four days we spread out and made new discoveries and friendships and renewed old ones. We drank bubbles – lots of bubbles – from spumante to prosecco to franciacorta. We drank white wines. We drank red wines. We learned about particular grapes, about soil, about terroir, about traditions. We met winemakers and met their sons and daughters, their mothers and fathers. We saw our friends and neighbors from Umbria and made new friends in Piemonte, Lombardia, Veneto and Puglia.
For us, wine tastes better, leaves a deeper impression and is just plain more enjoyable when we don't just taste it, but understand it. Not a clinical academic understanding, but an appreciation and a showing of respect that comes from knowing the grapes (of which there are thousands in Italy), of knowing where it comes from (the zone, the soil, the history and traditions of the area) and of getting a sense of the mindboggling number of decisions the winemaker makes every day that impact the final result. As big and crowded and frenetic as Verona is during VinItaly, it is still possible to find quiet moments with winemakers where they can share their passion with you and help you understand their wines. And along the way you may drink a glass or two.
We had a number of those moments with winemakers over our days in Verona. We drank through Giorgio Colutta's entire lineup while comparing notes with him and his winemaker about the winemaker dinner he is hosting at Via Umbria on June 7. We met Marianna Annio from Pietraventosa in Puglia, who is also hosting a winemaker dinner here (on May 4) and made some last minute changes to the menu for her dinner. We were given VIP treatment by Cristina Renda, brand ambassador for Ca' del Bosco, one of the leading producers of Franciacorta, which some call Italian champagne. Cristina prefers to call champagne French Franciacorta. And while visiting Cristina's private VIP room we ate prociutto and drank bubbles with the owner of the parent company. We tracked down Valentina Frignani, who will be hosting our Veneto winemaker dinner (May 22) and wrangled an invite into her boss' private tasting room, where we got to meet the boss – Remo Farina – himself. We tasted out of this world Barolo from a small family-operated estate as the owner, Giorgio Viberti, passes on leadership of his winery to his young sons. And on a daytrip outside Verona for another tasting event we were treated to a spirited debate over the relative merits of Tuscany and Umbria by Simone Santini (Tenuta di Calcinaie in Tuscany) and our dear friend Albertino Pardi (Cantina Fratelli Pardi of Umbria).
This is how to learn about wine. This is how to taste wine. This is how to enjoy wine. With all your senses and your mind and spirit engaged. Learning from the people who make it because they are all to happy to share their stories with you.
And this is what we're trying to bring to Via Umbria. Interesting wines that are expertly made and enjoyable to drink. Add to that the opportunity to learn a little more about them and great food to eat with them. Our upcoming calendar is full of these extraordinary opportunities. We hope you'll join us at one of our upcoming winemaker dinners, four and five course menus that were designed to highlight and showcase the wines of these outstanding winemakers. You'll eat well, drink well, make friends with the winemakers and taste and understand what these wines are and why these wines are. Who knew learing could be so much fun!
Terre Margaritelli manager Federico Bibi and Suzy execute a Vulcan Hair Meld.
This is the story of four men. Farmers. Winemakers. Community builders. Umbrians.
This is the story of Roberto DiFilippo, Federico Bibi, Giampaolo Tabarrini and Albertino Pardi. Umbrian winemakers, colleagues and friends. But we could have just as easily told this story with different names – Roberto Dionigi, Duccio Pompili, Peter Heilbron or a host of others. The love of the land, of the region's traditions, of the wine that Umbria's winemakers make is universal amongst them. To them, it is simply what they do. To us it is unique. To us it is inspiring.
Over the course of this weeklong food and wine tour our winemaker friends have shared their passions, their stories, their love of what they do. Each one practices their craft differently but at the end of the day, they do it all the same because each in his own way has discovered the universality that connects what they do. Some are organic. Some are biodynamic. Others practice traditional farming methods. But regardless of the label we apply or the strictness of the practices they follow they all value sustainability. Above all they seek to sustain the patrimony that is their land. To nurture it, to make it healthier every day. So they can grow the best grapes. So they can pass on this patrimony to their children and their children's children.
Each respects others' differences, but they all share the same universal belief. Each looked us in the eye and said that good wine is made in the fields, not in the cantina. That in order to make good wine you must grow good grapes. Healthy grapes that reflect the soil in which they grow.
One of them told us of an experience he had in Turkey, where a certain winemaker extolled his practice of adding this and that in the cantina to make up for grapes that spent days in the sun before fermenting. This, our friend opined, perhaps a bit too generously, is just a different approach. The wine, he told us, was "technically good." It had been corrected in the winery.
Our winemakers prefer not to correct mistakes in the winery. Because you can make bad grapes "technically good." But the excitement in wine is not in being technically correct, the excitement is in feeling something alive in your mouth. Something that vibrates with the rhythms of the fields and the sun from where it came. You can correct flaws and make something "technically good" but you can't give it life. You can't give it personality. Only the land and the sun can do that. And that is what these four men have spent their lives learning.
Their wines are simple in the very best sense of the word. They are made from healthy grapes grown in well-tended fields. They are transformed from juice to wine with knowledge and experience that does not rush, that does not cut corners. Because while technology can minimize risks and defects, only time can produce great wine.
This week we have enjoyed many wines at many good meals and have created many pleasant memories around the table. But the lessons of these humble, passionate, patient, giving and caring winemakers – farmers, community builders, Umbrians – will stay with us long after that glorious taste has faded away. And it will leave a taste as sweet and as satisfying as the wine itself.
What a fierce winter this has been. The extremes between odd 60 degree days have not been enough to balance the fierce cold, snow and winds that have crept along the east coast. We often joke about how frequently we shut down the government for the promise of snow—this year was an all time first for me when we shut down for the promise of wind.
We departed a snow covered New York City for Umbria where we have been greeted by sunny skies and fields of green.
We are often asked, "What is the best time to visit Italy?" Of course our answer is always, "Whenever you can make it to Italy." There is always a good reason to visit Italy. For me, the best reason to visit Italy in the spring is the promise of what is to come.
When we visit during the summer—the farmers discuss the heat and the wind—how they are affecting the fields. When we visit during the fall—the farmers discuss the impact of the flies and the rains. When we visit during the spring the farmers discuss the possibilities of what is to come. The promise of a perfect harvest. The potential of a particular grape. The buds on the trees. The gentle rain that just passed through. In spring—everything is possible.
Our tours always involve food and wine—in the spring we are drinking the most recent releases. We are eating wild asparagus, artichokes and favas. As our friend Emiliano pointed out to us on day one, "The green has returned"—and we are here to enjoy it.
powerhouse to a center of the renaissance. And today it is so much more than a museum, it is a living breathing city, one that happens to be breathing cool, crisp autumn air with hints of chocolate. For Perugia is the home of Perugina, a historic chocolate company where we will be making chocolates later in the day. And Perugia is host of the annual Eurochocolate festival, which we enjoy after our tour has ended.
Sandwiched in between Perugia and Perugina is our visit to our friend Federico's winery, Terre Margaritelli in nearby Torgiano. And as wonderful as is the tour of the winery, where we learn of this year's troubles with a super hot, dry summer that caused the harvest to be advanced by several weeks, as well as Terre Margaritelli's commitment to organic, sustainable farming, the highlight of the day is lunch in the winery prepared by Federico's wife Jennifer.
For anyone who doesn't know the background – Jennifer, Federico and their two children flew to the states last December before Christmas for a work vacation. Plans included catching up with family and friends in the states, promoting Federico's wines and olive oil and for Jennifer to showcase her talent in Via Umbria's kitchen, followed by a well deserved 10 days in the Caribbean.
For all of our Umbrian friends – cooking at Via Umbria is easy, its natural. Where many American chefs see a small, impossible kitchen to cook in – our Italian Chefs see an open space where they can create anything. Unfortunately while we are away enjoying that Caribbean vacation our Chef has decided that ours is not the right kitchen and gives her notice.
So – after 10 beautiful days in the sun, as the Bibi family is packing their bags to return to Italy I invite Jennifer out for drinks and ask the impossible. "Any chance you can come back to DC and cook for us for a couple of weeks while we find a Chef?" My powers of pursuasion must be good, or maybe Jennifer is just a good friend, but in any case she agrees to help out and we scramble to rearrange plans, call, beg and plead to find a space in school for the children, and two days later we are back in Washington with Jennifer at the helm of Via Umbria's kitchen.
Days turn into weeks, weeks turn into a month, a month turns into months. Every week we change the return on the ticket. Facebook posts starts appearing (probably written by Federico) – Free Jennifer! Free Jennifer! T-shirts are made for the entire staff. And finally we find Chef Liam, someone we can trust to manage the kitchen at Via Umbria and Jennifer is finally paroled, returning after three months to Italy to her family.
Today's lunch is our chance to see Jennifer back in her element. In the world she has created for herself in Umbria. We sit back and relax. Enjoying a meal – created in a tiny kitchen no bigger than the one at Via Umbria – that captures our favorite Umbrian flavors and experiences.
All of this is washed down with a parade of Federico's wines, making our afternoon in Torgiano not only relaxing but delicious.
We may miss Jennifer back in Washington, but on a magic day here in Italy, we're glad we freed her to come back to her new native land.
Today we met Pippo – a truffle dog who has served his master well the last 13 years. He was a champion white truffle hunter but is getting a bit white himself around the snout and beginning to slow down. Not quite ready to retire, his owner has farmed him out as a black truffle hunter, a challenging job but not quite as physically exhausting as hunting the rarer white truffle. Pippo makes a great black truffle hunter. For Pippo hunting for truffles is an adventure, a job you can see that he enjoys. Its pretty simple, go for a walk with your master. Keep your nose to the ground constantly sniffing, searching for the scent of a truffle that is released when the truffle is ripe. Dig up the ground – gently but diligently. Dig deep until you find the truffle and then wait patiently for your reward – not the truffle but a treat from your master. For Pippo the truffle the hunt is a game.
In hunting for truffles the hunter is important but the dog is key. Without the dog you simply cannot find truffles. Truffles grow underground and while they sometimes leave clues as to their whereabouts above ground, they can't reliably be spotted. Although they're called tubers, they aren't like a potato where you can see the plant above them. Truffles truly have to be sniffed out. Which is where Pippo comes in.
Returning to the home of our hosts for the day, the Bianconis, we meet their other dog – Eddie. Eddie is a high energy dog who as a puppy was always getting into trouble. A loveable naughty dog with needle-like teeth and a disposition to nip. How many times in a day can you say "Eddie, No." Watching Eddie while enjoying our truffle feast, Gavin, sitting next to me points out that Eddie is having all of the fun while Pippo got to do all the work.
While work is fun for Pippo it still is work. He has been working his entire life and is now one step away from retiring. He gets well taken care of and he gets to eat, or at least smell truffles everyday. He is one happy dog.
Eddie has never worked a day in his life. He could have been trained as a truffle dog – but he wasn't focused and pretty much not interested. His reward? He gets well taken care of and gets to eats truffles every day. He is one happy dog.
We had a very succesful day today – we found about €600 worth of black truffles. Or should we say Pippo found about €600 worth of truffles and we sat back and enjoyed them.
The highlight of Day 1, on which eight of our group, including Suzy and me arrived in country, had to be the carriage ride with Roberto. It's not easy picking just one favorite on a day that included lunch in Santa Maria degli Angeli, a walking tour of Assisi, a visit and winetasting at Roberto's winery and a marathon welcome meal prepared by Chiara. But when you get to spend a half hour with Roberto DiFilippo, the inspirational owner of DiFilippo and Plani Arche wineries, being transported in a carriage drawn by the horses that work his fields, listening to his philosophy of organic and biodynamic farming while you clip clop through rolling fields that are home to his vines, licked by the cool, crisp, late afternoon autumn air, how could that not be the highlight?
It's that sort of experience, making the acquaintance of one of the area's top winemakers and immediately boarding his ten person carriage, entering his world at his invitation, becoming his guest and his friend, that makes these food and wine tours so special. Half an hour later, our group of eight guests find themselves sitting in Roberto's tasting room enjoying his wine as he and his colleague Valeria introduce them to grechetto, trebbiano spoletino, sangiovese and sagrantino, not to mention Roberto's special Vernaccia di Cannara.
Some of the couples on this tour arrived in our little corner of heaven knowing one another, but by the end of that first day, a day on which all shared and experienced so much together, everyone – those who had already been friends and those that became friends today – had become part of the same family. And so it goes here in the tiny village of Cannara, where Suzy and I have brought part of our family, our oldest son Austin to help manage the group, that we bid a late goodnight, bellies filled and souls sated, to our new family with whom we will share much this week.
I love a surprise as much as anyone (especially if its diamonds) but sometimes the best part of something is the anticipation. For our Fall Harvest tour in Umbria I love the planning, the packing, the reading and rereading of the itinerary. Imagining the sights, sounds and smells we will be enjoying. Anticipating the highs and the lows. Preparing for all types of weather – does packing an umbrella really give you a better chance of clear skies? Better not take the risk – throw it in.
Talk about anticipation – we have been talking with this week's group for 4 years trying to get a date on the calendar for their Fall Food & Wine Tour. Bill and I have been working around the clock with Marco and Chiara putting together a week that captures all of our fall favorites. We work with each other to create a schedule that gives a full day with a little bit of flexibility to find new adventures along the way. Our challenge isn't what to do – it's how to do everything. So many people to meet, foods to eat and wines to discover.
This week is a reunion for us. Catching up with Italian friends who are now part of our family. Sharing stories of weeks past and planning for more adventures ahead. Every stop this week includes friends who have shared experiences with us right here but also outside of their hometown, outside of Italy. So stay tuned for new stories with old friends.
And stay right here 'cause these are the good old days.
I was fortunate to be born to two amazing people. My parents raised all of us to be confident that we could do anything and to always feel comfortable speaking up. We enjoyed dinner together every night with lively discussions around the table. As children we were meant to be seen and heard.
My parents were leaders in all they did and they passed on a strong sense of family and community to all of us. My mother came from a large family – I have 41 first cousins on her side. Whether it meant babysitting for my younger cousins for free or having family live with us in hard times – we took care of each other. We always had room for everyone My mother would throw huge elaborate parties for business and for us kids. We loved hearing a knock on the door signalling that someone was driving by and wanted to drop in. We never ran out of food at the table or space for someone who needed to crash. Sometimes as an adult it is tough staying friends with my relatives on Facebook – but the memories of playing football and cards together balances out their crazy political positions.
My father was the youngest state senator ever elected to office in Iowa and went on to hold many political positions and ran for Governor in the '70's. We knew from a young age that our behavior would reflect on our parents. It was not an option for us to misbehave or get into trouble. So minor infractions like being 5 minutes late on curfew or neglecting to unload the dishwasher were the biggest trouble we got into (boy were my folks lucky). As Iowans we were used to seeing all of the presidential candidates around town – as Worthington's we were used to seeing all the Democratic candidates around our kitchen table. Dad was pretty influential and it was important to get his early support. So while other kids would be playing video games (like Pong) I was knocking on doors collecting peanuts for Carter.
We continued to work in politics and made many friends over our wins and losses. Today it is strange to see friends we knew in their 20's & 30's become Top Level Advisors and Party Leaders.
After much thought we decided to start a family in Washington – we were both hooked on the city. Austin was born the summer after our big Dukakis loss (again – at least something good came out of that election!) We decided to take a break from politics – Bill started at Georgetown Law and I decided to stay home with Austin. I have always felt fortunate that I had the choice of working outside of the home or staying home. I was one happy housewife. Lindsey was born just shy of Austin's second birthday. We had two great kids, Bill was working at a big firm downtown, we were making new friends in our neighborhood. Life was Good. Why not make it better – we had always talked about having a big family with the number of kids ever changing – but we definitely wanted to have more. We were surprised, frightened and excited when we discovered that we were expecting twins. Identical boys – Teddy and Davis.
Bringing the twins home to a house with a three year old and not quite five year old was probably the most daunting task of my life. But as always we settled into a routine that worked. With so many children running around there was no chance of just one of us raising the children – it was all hands on deck. If someone offered to help out I never said no. Bill has always been a great dad and involved in the kids lives. Its truly been a partnership raising our kids.
We have had several adventures in Italy over the years. After Bill's first year at law school he signed up for summer school in Florence. We had a little apartment on the other side of the Arno. Bill would take the bus to Fiesole to study American Constitutional Law in the mornings and Austin and I would explore Florence. Visiting the parks and public pool, shopping and eating a lot of Gelato. Bill would finish class and we would leave Austin home with my cousing who was traveling with us and Bill and I would go out discovering Florence. Over the three months there we met several Italian friends who we are still in touch with today. Bill proudly graduated Law school with Lindsey on his shoulder a proud father and JD.
When the twins were turning 5 we took all four children to Italy. We were in the Cinque Terre and took cooking classes with a local Chef who was fabulous. It was the early stages of the internet and he was a big early believer. He promoted his courses with great success online and wanted to set up a small company where he could provide extra virgin olive oil, traditional balsamic vinegar and coffee to his clients in the states. Always looking for a challenge – we immediately agreed to work with him and went through the process of figuring out how to import food products from Italy.
When this hobby turned into more of a full time responsibility we had the option to shut down or go all in with a bricks and mortar store. Never one to walk away from a challenge we set our sights high and joined forces with good friends to open up Bella Italia in Bethesda. Now we were really learning how to import products from Italy.
Our trips to Italy became more focused and we travelled throughout Italy finding new products and meeting new families who were passionate about their craft. Eating, drinking, and shopping became my full time job. The more we travelled the more people we met and the more we became rooted in Umbria. Several of the artists we were doing business with had become part of our family. All trips to Italy had a stop in Umbria. When we decided to buy a home in Italy – there was no doubt that we would buy in Umbria. And as a result our Italian family has expanded. Zia Augusta joined us for Teddy's graduation, our oldest son Simone calls me Mommy, and of course we practically kidnapped Jennifer and her two children last spring when we were short in the kitchen. When we visit in Italy we have friends and neighbors (our family) who will drop by with a piece of cheese they saw at the market and wanted to make sure we had an opportunity to try or stop by for a drink and stay for dinner.
Our summer dinner parties in Italy are a blast – often introducing our Italian neighbors to each other. Their talents, their commitment to their art, their promise to continuing tradition is inspiring and makes us return to DC wanting to shout from the rooftops – come and see what these amazing people have done.
I am fortunate to have met my partner in life at a young age. Hard to believe it will be 32 years in December. Raising four kids together was a challenge – running a business 24/7 is an even bigger challenge! Only possible remembering at the end of the day we love each other and we love what we do.
Anyone who knows me knows that I use a lot of inappropriate words. The only word to me that is truly inappropriate is NO. When we began the buildout of Via Umbria our vision was confusing to others. Contractors and Architects are used to cookie cutter projects – is it a Restaurant? Is it a Market? Is it a Cafe? Can you sell wine? By design we are a bit of everything – an Italian Village under one roof. It truly is the reflection of all of our many amazing experiences in Italy and a tribute to the incredible artisans, chefs, winemakers, and people we have met there. It took a lot of patience and a lot of guidance to create the feel that we wanted. And then came the permitting – DC is definitely used to cookie cutter projects and there is no permit for "Italian Village under one roof". But we knew what we wanted to create and weren't willing to give up until we found the permits that we needed.
Now the task of building a team to work with us who shared our vision. Finding a team who believe in what we are doing is no easy task. But over time and with a lot of on the spot learning we have created our Italian home in Georgetown. Going from Bethesda with a staff of 4-5 to Georgetown with a staff of 40 was a challenge.
Walking into the store today puts a smile on my face – I am greeted with a Buongiorno and I see people taking care of people. I love the people I work with.
Via Umbria is a family business. Our kids are all involved in some way. The boys clock in when they are in town visiting and they spent two weeks this summer travelling around Italy with Bill meeting old friends and discovering new producers. Our daughter Lindsey works with us full time. Who better to look out for the store than family? Lindsey grew up visiting Italy, she knows the families and she definitely knows the products. She is my daughter and my best friend. She is the perfect sounding board. She is my fashion consultant and my voice of reason. She is a talented young woman and I feel blessed to have her running the business alongside us.
And what they do is spectacular. Over the last couple of years Giampaolo has expanded his cantina into a show stopping beauty. With high ceilings and miles of space to store his wine, a tour of the cantina is endless. And his wines are fantastic.
We arrive for lunch on a beautiful spring day straight out of central casting. The sun is shining high in the sky, a gentle breeze is blowing across the terrace and there is a beautiful, clear view. I arrive a few minutes behind the group and everyone is animatedly talking on the terrace – drinking one of Giampaolo's collection of sparkling wines.
Today's lunch is not about showcasing Tabarrini wines – he knows we are all big fans already. Today we are dipping into his private cellar and drinking wines that he has been given or collected over the years. We start with a beautiful Sicilian wine – only 10,000 bottles are produced each year. This one has been aging in the cellar and is extraordinary… Daniele and Teddy pop into the cellar and return with a big Primitivo from Puglia. A friend of Giampaolo's makes this wine and it holds up perfectly with the beautiful guinea fowl we are eating.
Our visit to the winery today is also a reunion. Giampaolo's mother Franca had made her first trip to the US in December and spent two days with us at Via Umbria cooking amazing dinners to serve with the Tabarrini wine. Franca comes out of the kitchen to say hello and to kindly let us know that whenever we are ready – her bags are packed.
So we enjoy a beautiful lunch and as we are leaving we pause on the steps to sit for just a minute to enjoy the day and of course more wine is poured and Giampaolo decides that his work in the field is done for the day. We don't need a facebook memory for this day – the fresh air, the laughter and wine all bring back memories of people and place – of a day enjoyed two years ago that perfectly mirrors today. Two hours later we say our good byes and leave.
But it's not really good-bye because we are meeting up on Saturday in Verona to taste wine and enjoy another meal together. Don't mention it – this is what we do.


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Home Explorations Guru
The Five Best Celebrity-Owned Hotels
Posted By: Stacey August 22, 2013
Star-Power Stays: The Five Best Celebrity-Owned Hotels
From the HotelsCombined Blog: by David Haddad
We're not quite sure what it is, but celebrities seem to have a real knack for the hotel business. Robert De Niro, Francis Ford Coppola and Richard Gere are just a few of the personalities who've made the successful leap from movie stardom to hotel proprietorship. With so much star-powered accommodation options on offer, our friend David Haddad from Publiseek was kind enough to help us out and take a look at the luminary hotel owners who've done the hospitality industry especially proud:
Andy Murray – Cromlix Hotel, Scotland
Cromlix Hotel
Wimbledon Champion Andy Murray made his first foray into the hospitality industry earlier this year when he acquired the Cromlix Hotel in Perthshire. The hotel was the venue where Andy's brother Jamie married his Colombian wife Alejandra Gutierrez in 2010. Murray has announced that the refurbished hotel will create 40 jobs in the local community and that the hotel will trade directly with other local businesses. The Cromlix is just five miles from Murray's hometown of Dunblane and has extensive woodland and gardens, around 5o acres, including its own trout fishing lake.
Bono and The Edge – The Clarence Hotel, Ireland
The Clarence Hotel
Unlike Andy Murray, the U2 men Bono and The Edge are experienced hoteliers having bought The Clarence Hotel back in 1992. When the pair took over the hotel, it had 70 bedrooms and a two-star rating. The musicians remodelled the venue, enlarging some of the bedrooms to give the hotel a luxury feeling, and the property has emerged from that process with 49 bedrooms and a 4-star rating. The hotel is currently undergoing further renovations as chefs Oliver and Rory Carville prepare to launch a new on-site restaurant.
Clint Eastwood – Mission Ranch, California, USA
Mission Ranch
The movie star, acclaimed film director and former politician owns the Mission Ranch in Carmel, California. Eastwood has a long association with Carmel; he was elected mayor of the exclusive community in 1986. The Mission Ranch is a former dairy farm that now hosts guests who come for the upmarket rooms, the private tennis and sports club, the Mission Ranch restaurant and the breath-taking views over the sheep meadow down to the Pacific Ocean. The ranch has a range of individualistic accommodations including a Honeymoon Cottage with its own flower garden and a converted hayloft complete with a whirlpool spa.
The Marley Family – Marley Resort and Spa, Bahamas
Marley Resort & Spa
If it's guaranteed sunshine and a laid back Caribbean attitude you are looking for, then the resort owned by Bob Marley's family on Cable Beach, Nassau is just your thing. Marley's music is the theme across the hotel, from the Stir It Up Bar to the Simmer Down Gourmet Caribbean Restaurant. The resort has just 16 rooms in this former governor's mansion which Rita Marley purchased in 1982 after the family had enjoyed many vacations there. The resort also features the Natural Mystic Spa where guests can relax and enjoy the Wata Passage hydro-therapy room before spending a stress-free day on the brilliant white Cable Beach.
Robert Redford – Sundance Resort, Utah, USA
Sundance Resort
The Sundance Film Festival is more widely known than the resort that hosts it, but Redford's association with the property goes back to 1969. Double Oscar winner Redford loves the name of his favourite acting role from Butch Cassidy and the Sunshine Kid so much that he also named a movie theatre chain, film institute and TV channel after him. The Sundance Resort really comes to life in the winter when it offers skiing and snowboarding on 42 different runs in its 450 acres of mountain terrain. The adventurous skier can also try floodlight night skiing in the height of the winter season. The resort has two restaurants and accommodation ranging from mountain view hotel rooms to private luxury mountain cabins.
To see more, check out the Hotels Combined Blog
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Guestspeaker- Bruce Whitfield
Bruce Whitfield
Speaker, MC,
Cape Town South Africa
Broadcasting,Facilitator,Finance,Journalist,MC,Media,Politics,Presenter,Radio Personality,Scenario Strategist,South Africa,TV & Radio
Guest Speaker Bruce Whitfield, is a multi-platform award-winning financial journalist. His work on radio, television and in print gives him unique access to South Africa's biggest power brokers in business and money.
Bruce has been named Financial Journalist of the Year three times in the past decade by independent judges in the annual Sanlam Awards and has received recognition for his work on the economy, companies and personal finance.
Bruce has developed the ability to tell compelling stories about the political economy in a way that is creative and engaging.
He has worked in the highly competitive London radio market and has worked as a foreign correspondent for various global news organizations. He graduated top of his class with a Bachelor of Journalism degree from Rhodes University and has been practicing as a journalist for over two decades. One day he hopes to turn it into a career.
Bruce presents The Money Show on 702 and CapeTalk, hosts Taking Stock, a weekly TV show on eNCA, and is a columnist and writer for Business Insider.
He is also a sought-after public speaker, MC and conference facilitator.
Bruce has developed th
PRESENTATIONS by Bruce Whitfield
Thriving on the Edge of Chaos - A brand new talk by Bruce Whitfield.
Bruce has spent nearly 20 years interviewing CEO's and studying the companies they have created. South Africa might seem to be an unlikely breeding ground for globally competitive companies, but it has produced a range of extraordinary success stories.
Through a range of exclusive one-on-one interviews with the founders of great South African companies, Bruce has distilled precisely what it is that has made them formidable international players.
Just four of the top 40 companies listed on the JSE today were on that list the day Nelson Mandela was released from prison. At least half either did not exist or were in early start-up phase and have grown, in most cases, far beyond their founders own expectations.
In the minute it has taken you to read this, and in every other minute of every day, 365 days a year, 900 people across the world are injected by a sterile product from Aspen Pharmacare which runs and operates 25 factories worldwide, one of its most sophisticated is in Port Elizabeth.
Considering South Africa has been through 8 recessions of varying intensity over the past forty years, what would have happened had the founders of great South African companies had sat on their hands and waited for certainty?
They didn't. They got stuck in.
Thriving on the Edge of Chaos explores issues of strategy, planning, leadership, ego and more than just a little luck.
It's a compelling 45 minute talk that shows while South Africa can be a challenging place to do business it has proven to be an incubator of exceptional, globally competitive businesses.
Thriving on the Edge of Chaos - A brand new talk


An Abarth edition of the new Fiat 124 Spyder may be on the floor at the Geneva Auto Show this week according to rumors and a "leaked" video from Abarth.
What is the difference between a convertible and a roadster? Either may be fun to drive, but only a roadster is a true sports car.
The 2016 Mazda Miata may be offered as a coupe a year after the 2015 launch of the new-from-the-ground-up roadster.


You may have heard about den animals, critters who have made burrowing and living inside a den a way of life. Don't be surprised to find Scruffy embarking on similar excavation projects in your yard. His habitat and burrowing goals though may be a tad bit different from those of moles, gophers and groundhogs.
In the animal world, a den is basically a hole built by ground-dwelling animals. Its main purpose is to protect such animals from many hungry predators and the threats of extreme temperatures. Such dens are often built in hollow trees or can consist of an underground burrow. Dens are for the most permanent homes, but in certain circumstances they may be used temporarily, such as wintertime dens or maternity dens.
Meet Punxsutawney Phil Sowerby, the groundhog who keeps everyone waiting with bated breath on big Groundhog Day. Just as moles and gophers, groundhogs are animals who have decided to make a den their primary, permanent habitat. Dogs aren't den animals -- in the real sense of the word -- for the simple fact that they don't construct or use dens year-round as their primary, permanent residence. Yet, dogs seem to have denning instincts almost coded into their doggie DNA.
In some cases, dens are simply temporary homes, such as the maternity dens used by wolves, coyotes and foxes. A mother may therefore decide to temporarily live in a den to give birth so to provide shelter and protection to her young when they're in a very vulnerable stage of their lives. Remnants of this instinct can often be seen in pregnant dogs when they start digging and shredding bedding and papers to create a nest. While dogs aren't considered den animals because they spend more than 95 percent of their lives outside in the open, consider though that their ancestors were once born and raised in maternal dens.
rendezvous areas, which are ultimately the equivalent of open-air kindergartens.
Of course it's obvious that Scruffy, your domesticated dog, has made your home his home, sweet home. In the wild, though, canines live in open habitats. Wolves, for instance, after feeding, seek out open areas to lie down and sleep. They may make their beds under coniferous trees, ridge tops or on rock outcroppings, which offer unobstructed views of their surroundings. During inclement weather, they may seek shelter by curling up in protected areas, such as under evergreen trees. This explains Scruffy's behavior of turning around and scratching his blankets before lying down. It goes back to the wild, when he stamped down grass, leaves or snow to create a soft, level surface to sleep on and scare unwanted critters away.
You may have heard about dogs seeking out crates because they recreate the comfort and intimacy of a den. A crate isn't ultimately a home, nor a den, but more appropriately, it's simply a "place for confinement," suggests Steven R. Lindsay in his book "Handbook of Applied Dog Behavior and Training, Procedures and Protocols." While many dogs feel safe and content in their crates and young pups learn not to eliminate in them because they don't like to soil their "bedroom," some need a little extra help to get used to them. With some patience and positive associations, your dog can learn to love his crate.
Pet MD: Dogs Aren't Den Animals...so Why do we Crate Them?
Vetstreet: Why Does My Dog... Walk in a Circle Before Lying Down?


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Sant Esteve de Salelles (Saint Etienne de Saleilles en francès) és el nom de l'església i de la parròquia que encapçala, així com d'una capella que havia estat antigament l'església parroquial del poble rossellonès de Salelles, a la Catalunya del Nord.

L'església parroquial de Sant Esteve és un imponent edifici neogòtic construït en pedra i maons. Va ser començat el 1894 per substituir l'antiga església romànica del mateix nom gràcies als donatius d'una rica propietària, la senyora Vimort; la seva defunció el 1911, però, aturà els treballs i feu que mai no se'n pogués acabar de bastir el campanar. La donant va ser enterrada dessota l'altar major.

L'església és de nau única, amb la porta a la façana oest, un absis pentagonal en l'extrem i dues capelles laterals que li donen forma de creu llatina.

La capella (l'església romànica original) va ser declarada monument històric de França, però no és el cas d'aquesta església; en haver tingut les dues el mateix nom, hom podria arribar a confondre-les.

Bibliografia

Enllaços externs

 Descripció molt completa i fotografies de l'Església
 El campanar de Salelles

Salelles
Esglésies neogòtiques de Catalunya
Salelles, Sant Esteve església

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia