text:
The Master List of SEO Tools
Michael Garrity
The catch-all term "SEO" is a bit misleading. This is because search engine optimization is actually the result of many different practices that are all done with one goal in mind: to improve the organic search result ranking of your website and its individual pages.
But to succeed in doing this, you can't just optimize the content of your site to utilize the keywords most likely to be used by your target audience; you must also work on the architecture of your site, research, analyze, track, test and repeat. Oh, and if you want to be successful across the Web, that often means that you have to optimize for all of the major search engines, not just Google.
For those Web businesses without big, dedicated IT teams (read: most of them), this can be time consuming and difficult to manage, but that's why humans created tools, right? Keep reading for a big list of SEO tools that includes everything from webmaster tools to keyword checkers to domain tools and beyond.
Google SEO Tools
Since we're talking about something search related, Google is the obvious place to start. The Internet giant offers a variety of different, independent SEO-focused solutions, including Google Webmaster Tools, the Google AdWords Keyword Tool (and a YouTube keyword tool), Google Insights, Google Real Time Insights Finder, Google Page Speed Online and, of course, good old Google Analytics. The company's offerings rank among the best free SEO tools available. I think it's safe to say that Google knows what it's doing when it comes to search.
This tool specializes in link analysis. Users enter their desired URL to see the number of backlinks attached to it, as well as each one's type (e.g. text, no-follow, redirect, image or frame), referring IPs and domains.
With both free and premium webmaster tools, SEO Book offers a massive suite of capabilities, including a keyword suggestion tool, keyword list generator, keyword list cleaner, a meta tag generator, a link suggestion tool, keyword density analyzer, a page comparison tool and even a typo generator, among many others.
Users can run a free website review with this tool, which then provides them with tips on how to improve their SEO efforts and even find the right SEO company for their needs.
SEO Doctor
SEO Doctor is a Firefox extension that provides users with a brief overview of their site by looking at all of the elements that pertain to search engine optimization. It then alerts the user of where improvements need to be made to improve its rank based on the current algorithm requirements.
This is a popular free Web analytics solution that lets users study their websites to see how well it meets SEO standards.
Tynt SEO
In order keep people from directly copying another's content for use on their site, Tynt SEO places a piece of code on every single page on a site. Each time text or an image gets copied, it's automatically tagged with an attribution link back to the original Web page, so that the source site is always given a backlink when its content is copied elsewhere.
Ranks.nl
If you're just looking to check the keyword density of a page on your site, Ranks.nl is a great tool. And in addition to its Keyword Density Analyzer, it also has an Article Analyzer, Keyword Proximity Analyzer, Search Engine Comparison Tool and other useful SEO solutions.
Microsoft SEO Toolkit
To stay competitive with Google, Microsoft released its SEO Toolkit as Bing's answer to all of Google's comprehensive webmaster and keyword tools. It analyzes websites based on Bing's search engine algorithm, and it can tell users how fast their websites are so that they can know if it is performing up to par.
getRank
This is a pretty comprehensive suite of SEO tools for not just search engine optimization, but also website analysis and research. getRank tools include website rank checkers, link tools, keyword tools, header/tag tools, search engine tools, IP tools, source code tools and many more.
With the free version of SEMRush, users can input up to 10 queries a day. The solution analyzes domains and returns a listing of organic keywords, potential competitors, ad suggestions and more.
SEOCentro
Here is a suite of SEO tools that can analyze meta tags, link popularity, page rank, keywords positions, search engine saturation, page keywords and keyword density, and also offer users keyword suggestions.
SEOquake
SEOquake is great because it works seamlessly with all of the major Web browsers, including Chrome, Firefox and even Internet Explorer. The tool will gather information about a user's Web pages and then arrange them by priority, which is decided by the keyword density of each page.
SEOrush
SEOrush provides an opportunity for users to get a free report on their URLs, as well as the URLs of their competitors. It will provide them with on-page SEO and off-page SEO analysis, plus information on their social presence, indexed pages, validation, meta information, standard domain information and rankings.
LinkVendor
Users can quickly and efficiently evaluate their SEO practices and social visibility with LinkVendor's suite of Web analysis, keyword server, domain and, of course, link tools, among others.
Search Engine Genie
The Search Engine Genie is a totally free service that is jam-packed with more than 100 tools that help users optimize their sites for the Big Three search engines (Google, Yahoo and Bing). This includes, but certainly isn't limited to, rank checkers, domain age checkers, backlink analyzers, a Google datacenter checker, JavaScript tools, keyword tools, an HTML validator, page comparison tools and much more.
Xenu
Xenu's Link Sleuth tool works like a spider and analyzes a website to see if it has endless loops, broken links, redirect detections and much more.
BROWSEO
After users simply enter the URL they want to check out, BROWSEO will create a "search engine version" of the site that lets them see the site the same way Google does when it's crawling it, so that they can identify the faults and see what needs added, subtracted or enhanced on their site.
SEOmoz
One of the more comprehensive suites of SEO tools on the Web belongs to SEOmoz. Though it's one of the few paid packages on the list, it can certainly be worth the money if one is in need of a heavy-duty SEO solution. Users can analyze keywords, research backlinks, do on-page analysis, identify accessibility issues and track their rankings from within one easy-to-use platform.
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The Classical Roundup is a group of worthwhile articles, videos, and podcasts that I have found helpful on our journey of exploring classical Christian education in the 21stcentury.
Conventional Christian School Enrollment Falls; Classical Christian Enrollment Rises – Overall, enrollment in Christian schools in the U.S. is falling, according to WORLD Magazine's Joel Belz. Interestingly, the one growth area in Christian education is classical Christian schools.
The Case for Cursive: Making Penmanship Great Again – To say that cursive handwriting is out of vogue is an understatement. Whether you blame the ballpoint pen, the Common Core Standards, or the computer, cursive has fallen so far out of style that many students can't even read it. But who needs it?
Classical Conflict – Will classical public charter schools lure Christian parents away from schools that acknowledge Christ as the center of all things?


Need a fishing boat that can fit a few extra friends? Our range of Quintrex Territory Legends fit up to 6 or 7 people, meaning no one gets left behind for your next fishing trip! This aluminum boat range has a flared bow which deflects spray to keep all your friends and family dry and creates a smooth and stable ride. Live bait tank, anchor well and extruding side decks are just some of the features that make this range perfect for reeling in that perfect catch.
If your enjoy that extra room or want to fit more friends on the water, Territory Legend range could be for you.
This boat has fishing covered. With front and rear casting platforms, four rod holders and rear ladder you'll have everything you need for a day out fishing.
You'll love fishing at the back of this beauty with a standard live bait tank to keep your bait always at reach. The extruded side decks also provide a sturdy seat or platform to lean against when reeling in a catch.
Bring on your next adventure in the 610 Territory Legend. With a maximum 200hp rating and whopping 120lt fuel tank as standard, you can go faster and further to reach those awesome fishing spots. The Blade Hull and Flared Bow combination lead to a smooth and stable ride.
The 570 Territory Legend is versatile and suited to enclosed and open waters. The centre console design allows for unobstructed 360 degree fishing.


text:
On September 18, 2022, two weeks before her 89th birthday, beloved wife, mother, and sister, Teresa Isabella Pinto (née Saldanha), passed away peacefully in Monterey, CA. She was surrounded by her loving family during her last days. Teresa is survived by her husband of 66 years, their three daughters, four grandchildren, two sons-in-law and her sister.
Born to Martin and Anna Maria Saldanha (née D'Souza), Teresa studied at St. Agnes College in Mangalore and developed a gift for numbers. With her family, she lived in London, England, Mumbai, India and for the past 52 years in Toronto, Canada.
She advanced her career while raising a family and became a role model offering guidance to many. Teresa was devoted to her immediate and extended family, and was active in her community helping new immigrants settle in Canada. She was a good friend and confidante, and generous in sharing her knowledge. She was humbled by the service careers chosen by her grandchildren.
Teresa was an outstanding cook and well known for her mastery of traditional Mangalorean specialties. She loved people, cooking, gardening and maintained her keen intellect with daily crossword puzzles and sudoku.
Her funeral and viewing will be held on Friday, September 23, 2022. The viewing is from 8AM to 9AM, and the funeral mass is at 9:30 AM local Pacific time at San Carlos Cathedral, The Royal Presidio Chapel in Monterey, CA.
The livestream link for both is https://client.tribucast.com/tcid/6344877310.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Dave Hughes' stand-up show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival lived up its name, with a Hairy incident seeing several audience members evicted.
A group of multiple rowdy attendees were removed from the show and subsequently arrested.
"Four people walked in a little bit late… I always talk to the people as they're coming in… just to have a bit of a laugh with them," explained Hughesy on his Hit Network Drive show.
"These people walked in a bit late. I said, 'Why are you late?' They sounded a bit like they'd been at a bit of a party.
"I'm thinking, 'Oh well, hopefully they'll settle down once they sit down.' But I don't think they did settle down.
Hughesy then played some audio from the gig of him attempting to deal with the problem.


One of our favorite soups during the Christmas season or anytime during winter is Roasted Butternut Squash Soup. Although you can make this simply by cutting up the squash into cubes, additional depth of flavor is gained by roasting halved Butternut squash in the oven before adding to the soup. This can also be made using smaller Acorn squash which has a similar level of sweetness.
2 butternut squash, halved with seeds scooped out and discarded.
3-4 large carrots, diced (they add texture and sweetness).
With a heavy chef's knife, cut the squash in half holding them vertically and firmly. Be careful--it's a tough squash to cut through. Next, using a large spoon, scoop out all the seeds and discard.
Place the halved squash cut side up on a heavy baking sheet and coat with olive oil, then season with sea salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes or until the squash becomes very soft and a bit browned.
While the squash is roasting, dice your onion and carrots.
Next, saute the diced onion in a large sauce pan drizzled with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle the onions with the sugar (this helps bring out their sweetness). Saute until the onions are translucent, then add the carrots and cook, stirring occasionally until the carrots are beginning to get tender. You can remove from the heat when they are ready until the squash are finished roasting.
When the squash are done, remove from oven and scoop out the flesh, then add to your onions and carrots.
Add the chicken broth, salt, cracked pepper, thyme, nutmeg and stir well. Simmer on low heat for 30-45 minutes or until the carrots are very tender.
Use an immersion blender (THIS is the one I use) to blend the soup to your preferred level of texture. Some people like this soup thick, some leave a bit of rustic texture while others might add a bit of water or cream to make a smoother soup. Personally, we tend to like it a bit thick. At this point, taste your soup and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt or pepper if needed.
GARNISH: Place about 2 cups fresh cranberries in a small saucepan along with the allspice and lemon juice and cook, stirring occasionally until thickened and bubbling. You can prepare this ahead of time and store in the refrigerator.
Whip some cold heavy cream to soft peaks.
To serve, place a spoonful of cranberries in the center of your bowl of soup, then add a dollop or two of fresh whipped cream.
Serve with some crusty, heated bread and a glass of Prosecco.


text:
Legal haze
By News Hits staff on Wed, Jun 23, 2010 at 12:00 am
More than 19 months after voters approved the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act, the battle over the medicinal herb continues to blaze.
Ferndale is one of the state's latest battlegrounds. The City Council there unsuccessfully attempted to close Clinical Relief LLC, a medical marijuana center, two weeks ago over zoning, according to Ryan Richmond, a company partner.
The business, along with helping clients obtain certification and providing consultations on use, also sells pot to state-sanctioned medical marijuana users. The business model is similar to that of clinics the company operates in Colorado and Nevada, says Richmond.
"Call it what you will, we do dispense medication," says Richmond.
He adds, however, "We didn't want to battle City Hall, but unfortunately we became a lightning rod."
Although the Ferndale City Council didn't succeed in having the clinic closed, it did enact, on a 4-1 vote last week, a 90-day moratorium on new medical marijuana centers. The moratorium gives the city more time to decide how to handle the fledgling industry. In Ferndale alone, there are as many as eight entrepreneurs interested in starting medical marijuana centers, says Mayor Craig Covey, who voted against the measure.
"We have plenty of regulations and zoning laws already in place in the city," Covey says.
Councilman Scott Galloway says the city needs the moratorium to confirm that the placement of medical marijuana distributors is "appropriate to the master plan."
"There's probably a place for [medical marijuana] here," Galloway says. "We're just looking at what other communities are doing."
Similar controversies are playing out across the state as municipalities grapple with questions arising from implementation of the law. According to Brandy Zink, a Detroit member of the national group Americans for Safe Access, more than 70 jurisdictions in Michigan have passed or are considering medical marijuana ordinances of some type. In some cases, officials are looking to help medical marijuana-related businesses become established, while others are attempting to either ban such operations entirely or regulate where they may be located.
Royal Oak and Mount Clemens recently passed similar 120-day and 180-day moratoriums, respectively.
Another indication of the gray areas surrounding this law was the arrest earlier this month of a compassion club operator in Williamston Township near Lansing. In that case, the club operator stands accused of illegally being in possession of more than 100 pounds of pot.
The state's medical marijuana law, approved by voters in 2008, allows patients who have received a physician's recommendation and are registered by the state to either grow their own pot or obtain marijuana from state-registered caregivers. The caregivers can legally provide the drug to as many as five patients.
But the law doesn't address how and where people can legally obtain marijuana from commercial businesses, according to Eastpointe Police Chief Michael Lauretti.
These businesses — called compassion centers — are causing confusion for many local governments.
"The law was poorly written to begin with," says Lauretti, the vice president of the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police. "And it's in violation of federal law."
There is widespread support among the chiefs' association to alter the state's marijuana law to address commercial providers, Lauretti says. But he concedes that doing so will be an uphill climb.
There have been more than 18,000 patient registrations and 8,000 caregiver registrations issued in the state since April 2009, according to the Department of Community Health. And the push for increased access to marijuana is only getting stronger, according to Jamie Lowell, a partner at the 3rd Coast Compassion Center in Ypsilanti.
"The people who try to put the roadblocks in don't take it seriously," he says.
News Hits is edited by Curt Guyette. Contact him at 313-202-8004 or [email protected]
News Hits,
Food Stuff,
Cover Story,
Section Lead,
Motor City Cribs and Rides,
News Hits staff


text:
Manchester is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts. Located in Downtown Manchester, it serves the Newburyport/Rockport Line. Although the official name is "Manchester", the station is signed as "Manchester by the Sea".

A small parking area is provided for local commuters. The station is accessible, with mini-high platforms at the outbound end of the platform.

History

The Gloucester Branch opened from Beverly to Manchester in August 1847. It was extended to Gloucester station in December 1847, and to Rockport in November 1861. The line later passed to the Eastern Railroad, which itself was absorbed by the Boston and Maine Railroad.

The original passenger station was replaced by a newer station in 1895. Neither survive, but the original freight house is present and used as a community center. West Manchester station, which was located on Boardman Street, was closed in early 1940.

When the MBTA was formed in August 1964 to subsidize suburban commuter service, Manchester was the northeast limit of its funding district. On January 18, 1965, the Boston & Maine cut Gloucester Branch service back to Manchester. After Gloucester and Rockport reached funding deals to subsidize out-of-district operations, full service was returned to Rockport on June 28, 1965. The 1895-built station was demolished by 1977 and replaced by a laundromat.

References

External links

 MBTA - Manchester
 Station from Google Maps Street View

MBTA Commuter Rail stations in Essex County, Massachusetts
Stations along Boston and Maine Railroad lines

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


i visited leyton marsh yesterday afternoon and spoke to the occupiers and many locals about the olympic build, the legal situation, and the plans to continue resisting. here are my report and pics.
leyton marsh is a large green space, just north of the lea bridge road, and east of the river lea. it lies between the urban areas of clapton and walthamstow, from where people come in droves to walk, picnic, exercise, fly kites, horse-ride, dog-walk, play games, and enjoy and experience the diversity of natural habitat.
it is designated as 'metropolitan open land', and is also an 'archaeological priority zone', sitting within a 'principal site of nature conservation importance', and in close proximity to a 'site of special scientific interest nature reserve'. under the council's open space strategy, it is also deemed as a 'special protection area', and last year it received a 'green flag award'.
despite all the above, and in the face of 115 planning objections, (many from established groups, management companies, resident groups, and other associations each representing numbers of people, as well as several Hackney councillors), planning permission was given earlier this year for an olympic basketball training facility.
the plans are for a tall building housing two 11-metre high basketball courts, plus a reception area, a car park, an access road, a drop off area, plant storage, and high security fencing. all this will supposedly be a temporary structure for a period of 8 months, after which everything will, say the 'olympic delivery authority' (ODA), be returned to its original state.
despite ODA assurances that not only will everything be returned to its original state, but that further money will be spent on improving the land after october, campaigners and locals have serious concerns over the lasting effects of the disruption, especially on the delicate eco-system.
even if the ODA's promises were kept, there is the glaring idiocy of spending so much public money on a temporary structure to then be destroyed with absolutely no legacy benefit to londoners.
rather than focussing purely on resistance, campaigners have been busy searching for other solutions to the need for basketball training facilities. they have identified three possible sites, much better suited to provide both the temporary facilities and then a lasting legacy.
the first of these is walthamstow dog stadium, a large iconic enclosed space close to the olympic park which currently lays idle. second, just a stone's throw from the marsh in markhouse road is the kelmscott leisure centre. its basketball courts were recently refurbished, and it is wheelchair accessible. any further improvements to the courts or the buildings would give lasting value to the local community. lastly, there is the 'score centre', a purpose-built sports facility in nearby leyton, with indoor football and basketball. again, with minimal work it could provide at least one of the training courts and leave a lasting legacy benefit.
however, earlier this year, waltham forest council gave planning permission to the ODA. even their own documents are riddled with notes that the development involves departure from a huge swathe of regional and national policies, and that the application doesn't propose any legacy benefits, and having established that it would normally be "refused as a matter of principle", they they go on to pass it on the sole basis of the "exceptional circumstances that delivering the london games create".
so, 7,600 square metres of existing rough grassland will be removed for the access roads alone, in an area designated a 'principal site of nature conservation'. the buildings will be placed on a huge paved area, and additional brick storage ponds will be dug. in order to return the area to its original state, all the soil and rubble will be heaped in a further area of the marsh, resulting in "a significant area of the main part of the marsh being unavailable to the public for at least 8 months".
campaigners have also identified very serious concerns over disturbing the soil in this area. the planning permission allows 15cms of topsoil to be removed, but monitors have clearly caught the ODA digging much deeper already, and this is a very serious issue because of the history of the area.
the site is actually where a lot of rubble is buried from bombed factories during WWII. many of these factories used heavy metal and even radioactive materials, and much of the rubble is severely contaminated. campaigners from the 'games monitor' site have commissioned independent scientific analyses of soil from similar areas at olympic sites, and have discovered dangerous levels of contaminants likely to be harmful to both workers and the public, including asbestos, radioactive waste and heavy metals like lead. there is also, with the deeper, unauthorised excavation, a real risk of unexploded ordnance, and indeed, shortly after the work began, and unexploded WWII bomb was discovered.
so, shortly after work began at the site, a protest camp sprang up next to it, and after on several occasions successfully and peacefully halting lorries from entering, the occupiers were summoned to the high court and the ODA were granted an injunction against "persons unknown who are unlawfully occupying…in connection with protest activity".
several hackney councillors have signed an open letter to the ODA expressing dissappointment in the legal action, and questioning the ODA's claims and transparency.
while i was visiting the camp yesterday afternoon, i was struck by the number of passers-by, mostly locals, who visited and were eager to talk to the occupiers. the kitchen is well-stocked due to the kindness and support of local people, and there is plenty of commitment and support for peaceful direct action when the lorries return (the building project has currently been abandoned for two weeks while the court case unfolded).
although the ODA have not given any clear indication, local people and activists are expecting a return to work tomorrow morning, and there is clearly a strong contingent who feel the need to resist in defiance of the court injunction which was granted last week.
although the camp is not calling out for any great number of resident supporters, feeling that negotiations and their relationship with the police actually benefit from being small in number, they do welcome non-violent people to attend the actions, the first of which is expected to be early tomorrow morning.
if you are intending to join in any actions, please be aware that the camp has asked people to be polite and non-violent at all times towards the contractors, many of whom have expressed private surprise and horror that such a green site is being turned into a building site, and who are precarious workers who do not support the ODA in principle.
as well as those willing to risk potential arrest, supporters are of course welcome to document, and witness the actions of the police and any other authorities involved.
visitors are welcome for ensuing actions each morning at the same time.
next saturday, dog-walkers (especially those with mischievous hounds) are particularly welcome from 9.30am for a 'mass dog disobedience class'.
there is an optimism, given the scale of local feeling, that the ODA may yet be beaten, and that the sensible alternatives may have to be reconsidered in the face of such opposition. tomorrow is the first and possibly biggest battle in that process.


text:
THERE ARE 2 TYPES OF FORMULAS
During 20 years of intensive nutritional research in the former Soviet Union, blends of whole food nutrient dense algae were tested with over 20 species of animals. The blends were adapted into different formulas to accommodate nutritional needs for humans and animals. Today there are two types of formulas, one called BIOSUPERFOOD adapted for humans, while the original animal formulas are called BIOPREPARATION.
Find out which one is best for you and/or your animal companion.
During long years of experimentation with humans, three different formulas of BIOSUPEROOD were developed to accommodate different stages of health, fitness, and nutritional needs. The formulas provide an abundance of required nutrients that support the body's daily need for energy, protection, prevention, recovery, regeneration and performance.
BSF F1
For all stages of life as nutritional support to the body's natural innate maintenance of good health and prevention of health issues
Learn more and get started
For all stages of life as nutritional support to the body's innate power in prevention of imbalances, increases in fitness and performance
For all stages of life as advanced nutritional support to the body's innate power in prevention of chronic conditions, and increases in fitness, performance and endurance
Experimentation during research with animals, resulted in two BIOPREPARATION formulas to accommodate different nutritional needs. The formulas provide an abundance of required nutrients that support the body's daily need for energy, protection, prevention, recovery, regeneration and performance.
Many people choose these formulas for their pets and animal companions.*
BP F2+
Suggested for all stages of life as nutritional support to the body's innate power in prevention of imbalances, increases in fitness and performance
(*Many people choose these formulas for their pets and animal companions.)
Suggested for all stages of life as advanced nutritional support to the body's innate power in prevention of chronic conditions, and increases in fitness, performance and endurance
"MY STRESS LEVEL IS WAY DOWN,
I FEEL I'M AT SUCH AN OPTIMAL LEVEL.
I WOULDN'T BE HANDLING LIFE'S
CHALLENGES AS WELL WITHOUT BSF.
WHAT A MIRACLE IT'S BEEN
IN MY LIFE."
– SUSAN CATALDO
100% PURE WHOLE FOOD
"OUR DOG CAME BACK TO LIFE
FROM FADING AWAY. OUR VET
COULDN'T BELIEVE IT."
— LISA, TX, USA
THIS IS NOT A SUPPLEMENT
IT'S A PARADIGM SHIFT
ADD LIFE
TO YOUR LIFE
Feel the difference overnight


Hi-Tech Meter Testing Laboratory (HTMT) specialies in the field of electrical testing of all types of static energy meters. This Rajasthan based laboratory is equipped with highly sophisticated testing system of International by reputed make and infrastructure to satisfy various requirements of clients as per Indian standards. The Hi-Tech Meter Testing Laboratory (HTMT) is a part of the "Ajmer Vidyut Vitaran Nigam Ltd." (AVVNL) which is an Electricity Distribution Company of Government of Rajasthan and renders 'partly open' services to customer and is in the process of steady expansion it also provides perfect pattern of high quality and accurate results. Hence, HTMT wants to raise its bar in order to become the premier contact laboratory.


We all depend on reliable and consistent running water in our daily lives in Michigan. However, a busted pipe or a leaking faucet can bring a lot of interruptions.
Even more, trying to fix it yourself could make the problem worse, or could cause serious damage to your home's plumbing.
With piping systems costing thousands of dollars to replace, a full-scale replacement is not something you want to mess around with. That is why we are here 24 hours a day in Melvindale Michigan.
With one call, we can connect you to the proper plumber who can diagnose your plumbing problem, and advise a solution. For residential or commercial plumbing problems, 99 Dollar Drain Cleaning is your solution in Michigan.
We understand that plumbing issues in Michigan can be sudden, disruptive and frustrating. When you call us at 248-564-3299, we have a network of the most qualified local plumber that can be connected within seconds. Once connected, they will tell you what needs to be done and how quickly they can come out to you.
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We have plumbers all over Melvindale Michigan that can help you with emergency plumbing in Melvindale MI. You can simply call us or enter your zip code below and we will match you with a Melvindale plumbing contractor near your area today. You can compare quotes and choose the plumber that works for you. We have around 24 plumbers that we can connect you to right now.
We want to maintain professionalism with the plumbers that service you in Melvindale MI. We work with the most trusted plumbers across Michigan to ensure the work is done. When you need a local plumber you probably need it now! Call us at 248-564-3299.


text:
11th April: Steve Bennett
Steve Bennett is a businessman and entrepreneur who founded The Genuine Gemstone Company in 2008. In his time, Steve has started 27 businesses, first starting out in the IT industry at the height of the dotcom boom. However, when an opportunity presented itself for him to return to his passion for gemstones and minerals Steve turned it into a returnable venture. Seven years later The Genuine Gemstone Company employs approximately 500 people and has been listed as one of the UK's fastest growing privately owned companies - topping the poll – and has an annual turnover of £100 million. The retailer is the umbrella company for jewellery brands Gemporia, NOWSEEN and Jewellery Maker. From travelling the globe searching for the next big gemstone discovery to presenting on the brands' TV auction channels, Steve makes sure he is heavily involved in the day-to-day running and overall direction of the business. Steve is also a keen fundraiser for the company's affiliated charity, The Colourful Life Foundation. Most recently he returned from a trek to the North Pole in a bid to raise funds to develop communities in need around the world.


text:
Wooster paleontologist at the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology
Mark Wilson August 10th, 2009
DRUMHELLER, ALBERTA, CANADA–The last activity for our IPREP group this summer was a guided visit to the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology. David Lloyd, a paleontological technician at the museum, gave us a fantastic "behind the scenes" tour of the preparation laboratories and collections. The emphasis of the museum and the town is dinosaurs, of course, and I've never seen a better collection up close, but there were plenty of invertebrate fossils as well. The museum has one of the best exhibits on the Burgess Shale in the world, including a giant diorama visitors essentially walk into.
The Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology sits in a basin with badlands exposures of dinosaur-loaded Late Cretaceous terrestrial sediments.
The dinosaur reconstructions inside and outside the museum are very well done. This is a Cretaceous pachyrhinosaur with fearsome ornamentation.
The main collections storeroom is filled with paleontological treasures.
Rebecca Perlman, Matt James, and Kurt Burmeister (in the back) examine an opened plaster jacket with dinosaur fossils inside awaiting preparation. Layers of plaster and burlap were applied to the fossils in the field to protect them during transport to the museum. This technique goes back over a century.
This is the main paleontological preparation lab at the museum. It is filled with equipment designed for the most part to remove rock from bone.
On the left is a giant ammonite we found mounted in a dim hallway. They are usually about the size of a hand! On the right is part of the Burgess Shale diorama showing the ubiquitous Marella.
Saying goodbye to the Canadian Rockies — for now
FIELD, BRITISH COLUMBIA–The IPREP team left the Canadian Rockies yesterday morning with many educational and research ideas, new friends, and thousands of photographs to be shared with students and colleagues. It was an extraordinary experience. We thank Matthew James of Sonoma State University in California for organizing this complex trip, and Randle Robertson of the Burgess Shale Geoscience Foundation for his generous support of our work and arranging the trail guides. I highly recommend a visit to Field, British Columbia, for anyone interested in paleontology, geology, and natural history. If you go, I guarantee you'll enjoy your stay at the immaculate and well-designed Fireweed Hostel. Kim and Craig Chapman were friendly, efficient and generous hosts.
There is one more post to come from this trip — a visit to the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology in Drumheller, Alberta.
The IPREP team just below Helen Lake on the hike to the Cambrian stromatolites.
Wooster geologist at Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Canada
LAKE LOUISE, ALBERTA–On our free day the IPREP study group (this apparently means "International Paleontological Research Exchange Program") drove to the spectacular Lake Louise in Banff National Park for a hike up the valley to the "Plain of Six Glaciers". It was one of those many places where I know just how fortunate I am to be a geologist. The weather could not have been better, and there was even a tea house near the end of the trail for sandwiches, peachade, and perfect chocolate cake!
Lake Louise as seen from its outlet looking up the valley. Our hiking trail proceeded from here along the right side of the lake and up the valley almost to the ice of the hanging glaciers.
We could not help but be delightfully distracted by these brilliant trace fossils in the rocks along the lake shore. The bilobed structure which looks like a deer footprint is an excavation made by a trilobite -- the trace fossil itself is called Rusophycus. The sinuous tubes are trails made by burrowing worms. These features protrude form the rock surface because they are actually on the bottom of the bed. Sediment filled the original holes and is now preserved as ... wait for it ... convex hyporeliefs. You knew we had a name for it! (Middle Cambrian, Gog Formation).
The water of Lake Louise has a pastel emerald color because it is loaded with very fine sediment called "glacial flour". It is produced by glacial ice finely grinding the rocks in the highlands above. This sediment fills the streams to near capacity and makes an extensive delta at the inlet to the lake.
Looking down the valley to Lake Louise from one of the many glacial moraines. This unsorted sediment was pushed here by glacial ice when it filled this valley.
The glacial ice above the Lake Louise valley. This is a classic hanging glacier. We had the privilege of seeing (and mostly hearing) a large piece of ice break off and crash into the valley below on this warm and sunny day.
Middle Cambrian stromatolites high in the Canadian Rockies
Mark Wilson August 9th, 2009
FIELD, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA–Our study group was fortunate to meet Whitey Hagadorn (Amherst College and Denver Museum of Natural History) and Sally Walker (University of Georgia) for a hike to an exposure of stromatolites in the Pika Formation (Middle Cambrian) near Lake Helen and Lake Katherine in Banff National Park. A stromatolite is a finely-laminated sedimentary rock produced by mats of cyanobacteria in a shallow sea collecting and trapping thin layers of sediment. They are relatively common features in Precambrian sediments (the oldest of fossils, in fact) and become significantly more rare in younger rocks (although they are still around today). These Cambrian stromatolites are interesting because of what they can tell us about Cambrian marine conditions, including tidal dynamics, bioturbation, and grazing herbivore pressures.
Stromatolites exposed as domal structures in this eroding outcrop of the Pika Formation (Middle Cambrian) above Helen Lake in Banff National Park.
A natural cross-section of the Pika Formation stromatolites showing their laminated nature and sediment which has accumulated around their heads.
A hardground (light unit) exposed in cross-section in the sediment between stromatolite heads. This is a layer of carbonate sediment which was cemented on the seafloor and then eroded by currents. The dark sediment was deposited later on top of the scoured surface. The hardground layer had been previously burrowed when still soft.
Beautiful folds in the rocks above the Pika Formation stromatolites. They are nearly recumbent in some parts. I'll leave their interpretation to my structural geology colleagues Sam Root and Shelley Judge!
A marmot on the banks of Helen Lake. Not at all camera shy, this little guy.
Mt. Stephen Trilobite Beds (Middle Cambrian)
FIELD, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA–After a very steep and long climb, our little field party visited another restricted quarry of famous Middle Cambrian fossils: the Mt. Stephens Trilobite Beds. Charles Walcott also collected from this site when he was working on the Burgess Shale. The fossiliferous unit is about a million years old (more or less) than the Burgess Shale itself, and it has a rather different fauna dominated by large trilobites. One of the most exciting new ideas is that these fossils may represent an ancient cold seep community associated with methane degassing from the sediments.
Our Canadian guide (and paleontologist) Paul McNeil and our trip leader Matthew James in the Mt. Stephen Trilobite Beds Quarry.
A view from the Mt. Stephen Trilobite Beds down the mountain to Field and the Trans-Canada Highway. Note the steepness. Nearly did me in!
Trilobites in the Mt. Stephen Trilobite Beds. (I know -- I should have had a Canadian quarter for scale!)
A beautiful complete trilobite. Very common here.
An appendage of one of the most famous Middle Cambrian fossils: Anomalocaris. The Mt. Stephen Trilobite Beds also have soft-bodied preservation.
The wondrous Burgess Shale
FIELD, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA–I stepped on Paleontological Holy Ground when I visited the Burgess Shale earlier this week. It is often cited as the most important fossil locality ever. I felt the historical as well as the scientific vibrations in the Walcott Quarry, the site where the extraordinary Charles Walcott began his explorations of the unit in 1909.
The Walcott Quarry of the Burgess Shale.
There are numerous websites illustrating the famous Burgess Shale Fauna. I'll just share some of the favorite fossils I found. (We could pick up and examine any fossil, but collecting, of course, is strictly forbidden.)
The humble sponge Vauxia. I like the less charismatic taxa in the Burgess Shale. The fancy arthropods get plenty of love!
The primitive mollusc Scenella on the left and a trilobite on the right. The Burgess Shale fauna has plenty of skeletonized fauna along with the soft-bodied forms.
This is an odd breccia at the base of the Burgess Shale. The white parts are limestone fragments and the black is calcite. This may be an indication of carbonate hardgrounds -- features I study.
It is a tradition among paleontologists to formally pose with Charles Walcott at his famous quarry. I lack the knickers, though, and that certain set of jaw.
The Walcott Quarry of the Burgess Shale on a beautiful day
FIELD, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA–We have a small group of seven people for this expedition organized by Matthew James of Sonoma State University in California. Everyone is from California except me (although I was invited through my California roots). Our guide to the Walcott Quarry didn't show up yesterday morning, so we joined a much larger group from Chevron — an interesting and productive mix of industry professionals and academics. Here is a movie of our exploration in the quarry:
Our Burgess Shale group. Clockwise starting with the guy in the orange shirt: Matthew James, Howard Adams, Rebecca Perlroth, Mark Wilson, Bob Rubin, Bob Davies, Kurt Burmeister.
Wooster geologist at the Burgess Shale
FIELD, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA–I've been waiting to write those words! More later when I get better wireless access. The summary: my colleagues and I successfully made the long hike to the Walcott Quarry of the famous Middle Cambrian Burgess Shale today (5.5 hours to get there); it rained all morning, and then the sun appeared in time to dry out the outcrop before we arrived; we saw many wonderful fossils on this iconic outcrop.
Walcott Quarry of the Burgess Shale in the lower right, with Emerald Glacier and Mount Wapta in the background. Stunning in all respects!


text:
watercolours and drawings
promised on loan
archive on loan
Hendrik Nicolaas Werkmanartist • printmaker • sculptorLeens 1882-1945 Bakkeveen
biography of Hendrik Nicolaas Werkman
As an innovative typographer, the Groningen painter / printer Hendrik Nicolaas Werkman occupies a special place in Dutch graphic art. Born in rural Leens in 1882, he moved to Groningen with his mother and two brothers after the death of his father. In 1909 he started his own book and commercial printing business there, after failing to finish the HBS - he only excelled in drawing and Dutch - and had worked as an apprentice printer and journalist for a while. That same year he married his first love, Jansje Cremer. From then on, the printing business went uphill - in 1927 Werkman had 27 employees. In 1919 he joined De Ploeg, for which he took care of the printing - posters, invitations and catalogs. In addition, he participated in activities and exhibitions and functions within the board. At that time he also started painting. In contrast to the other team members, who usually went out in the Groningen area, he did not depict nature directly in his paintings, but from his imagination, so that fantasy and emotion played a major role.
Just before the end of the Second World War, Werkman was arrested and executed. Five days later, during the liberation, the Scholtenhuis in Groningen, where his confiscated paintings and prints were stored, was destroyed. The reason for his arrest and execution is still unknown. Was it because he was doing illegal printing or was a danger from making art prohibited by Nazis? The fact is that this ended the life of a gifted and quirky artist who continued to innovate, who did not care about existing rules, but always went his own way. He gave his own explanation to concepts such as 'abstract' and figurative: 'The result is by my nature, not according to a principle,' he wrote to a friend in 1942.
A year after Jansje's sudden death in 1917, Werkman remarried Nell Supheert, whose brother became the new partner of H.N. Workman. Unfortunately, this did not lead to a fruitful collaboration and in 1923 Werkman had to sell his company. He started again, with a sky high debt, with only one printing press in an attic of a warehouse at Lage der A. (In 1983 this floor would be converted into workshops and renamed 'Werkmanhuis'.) There he discovered the possibilities of his typographic material as an artistic means of expression and his first 'prints', as he came to call them, were created: simple, colorful scenes with great expressiveness. In the mid-1930s he expanded his possibilities by using templates in addition to his stamping technique; he printed with differently colored ink rollers over templates he cut himself. For this process he chose the name 'hot printing', which he derived from 'hot jazz', for which a piano, trumpet and bass formed the basis. Werkman also took a number of basic shapes and made variations with them. Werkman was able to experiment to his heart's content in his own craft: 'Printing is primary, which in turn draws support for painting.'
Werkmans Ploeg friends had little appreciation for the semi-abstract experiments with printer material. An exception to this was Job Hansen, who shared the same interest in innovations and outspoken ideas with Werkman. Hansen was one of the first to buy 'prints' from Werkman and after his death he cared about Werkman's family and his artistic legacy. It took quite a long time before Werkman's work, which was also dismissed by Groningen critics as 'color compositions, more joking than serious work,' was understood. It was not until 1939 that he received the recognition that was due to him when Willem Sandberg, himself a typographer and at that time chief curator of Het Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, discovered the 'prints' and purchased them for Het Stedelijk. Sandberg also organized the first solo exhibition of Werkman's work in Amsterdam that year.
In the 1920s and 1930s, Werkman published several artistically designed magazines in which, in addition to sound poems and political commentaries of his own, he called on art to be liberated from the pinching ties of bourgeoisie. The Next Call magazine, published eight times between 1923 and 1926, was the most important. From abroad, avant-gardists responded positively and in 1927 Werkman delivered an exhibition in Paris. In the meantime Werkman still received orders via De Ploeg, but he earned little with it. He spent more and more time in his studio and with his Plowies and in 1930 he and Nell decided to divorce. In 1934 Werkman's creativity started to bubble again when he met the feminist Greet van Leeuwen with whom he would spend the rest of his life and who, like him, was arrested at the end of the war.
The war years were very productive for Werkman, unlike many other Team Members for whom the wartime period was a standstill. Together with August Henkels, Adri Buning and Ate Zuidhoff, Werkman published printed editions under the name De Blauwe Schuit between 1940 and 1944. These publications, which criticized the Nazi regime in covert terms, were illustrated by him. In 1941, De Blauwe Schuit published in a circulation of 20 the Hasidic Legends, two suites of 10 prints each, based on The Legend of Baalschem by Martin Buber. It took him three years to print everything by hand, under difficult circumstances - the Nazis kept an eye on his print shop, and he and Greet also had Jewish people in hiding.
Just before the end of the Second World War, Werkman was arrested and executed. Five days later, during the liberation, the Scholtenhuis in Groningen, where his confiscated paintings and prints were stored, was destroyed. The reason for his arrest and execution is still unknown. Was it because he was doing illegal printing or was a danger from making art prohibited by Nazis? The fact is that this ended the life of a gifted and quirky artist who continued to innovate, who did not care about existing rules, but always went his own way. He gave his own explanation of concepts such as 'abstract' and figurative: 'The result is by my nature, not according to a principle,' he wrote to a friend in 1942.
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text:
Tomorrow's price war
Moscow is hoping Biden's plan to kill coal will benefit its gas ambitions
Dmitry Rogozin, not known for his managerial competence, wants to keep being the guy dreaming of a Russian return to the moon among other things. As befits that aim, yesterday he called out the "colossal" financial limitations facing Roskosmos in his mission to one-up the West, one-up Elon Musk, and do more than make up for lost export revenues selling engines to the United States. Space spending was capped at 250.4 billion rubles ($3.28 billion) for the 2021 budget, a 7.5% cut from 2020. Putin may announced an additional 1.6 trillion rubles ($21 billion) in R&D spending through 2024, but it seems that Rogozin's continued bungling has pushed space to the budgetary back burner even more than was the case pre-COVID. If he's serious about building an independent Russian space station and excluding foreign involvement, that's obviously not going to work. He claims it'll be done by 2025. Few priority programs are truly left to chance, even factoring in the frequently personalist nature of agenda and budget-setting in Moscow. Space, it seems, is now completely a personal policy vehicle given the short shrift it's receiving politically. President Trump's creation of Space Force — lampooned by countless people seemingly unaware that the US military had internally been calling for a space department since the mid-90s — doesn't seem to have yet triggered an equal reaction in Moscow. Ghosts of Star Wars past go begging.
Internal policy pressures to properly fund Rogozin's grandiose plans may shift as the US makes progress establishing the parameters of Space Force. They've just launched a new procurements platform to improve the efficiency of systems acquisitions and cut out the Air Force from bids. Bloomberg has writers pushing the line that Russia and China are launching an arms race for space and to the extent that it's true, Chinese funding behind Russian technology will be the story as long as the two trust each other. That may be true for strictly military applications in the Russian case, but Roskosmos' woes suggest that the more exploratory edge of the technological frontier needed to expand Russia's presence in space is a far lower priority than maintaining capabilities to asymmetrically offset the in-built US advantage on that front, especially since the US Defense Department is on its way to becoming one of, if not the largest consumer of space innovations from the private sector globally. The announced boost in R&D yesterday may play a part in trying to keep pace, even if it's a relatively insignificant infusion when you annualize the figures. It's not the top of my priority list, but I'd follow this up later in the year since it's hard to imagine there isn't a considerable degree of consternation in Moscow about Roskosmos' ongoing performance issues.
One of Putin's direct retail offerings yesterday was to order the extension of the new Moscow-Kazan highway — intended to increase high-speed traffic and reduce travel times for people and goods — all the way to Ekaterinburg. He set 2024 as the target date, talking up how its completion would link the Baltic to the Urals and road expansions around Moscow. Consider briefly the costs and distance involved thus far with the project without the extension. 530 billion rubles ($6.95 billion) to build a route that, all told, is 794 kilometers long. The project cost is in the range of 667 million rubles ($8.75 million) per kilometer, which to put it lightly is a lot. I tried rooting around for comparative benchmarks despite difficulty getting good data comparisons, but without a great source, that price point isn't that much less than prices for road construction in the UK where land is far more scarce, the population more dense, and labor/input considerably higher. That's not the level of price inflation you'd likely see on a road project in the Russian Far East, where local interests can exploit their physical distance from Moscow to extract more money out of projects in relative terms since land is much cheaper, but speaks to the problem of efficacy for fiscal policy. The spend on infrastructure needs to rise by an order of magnitude, but the more it rises, the more gets pocketed into offshore accounts showing up as capital outflows on the national balance sheet or else goes into acquiring property or luxury imported goods. These costs also likely understate the coming. revision upwards given how much tighter the labor market for construction has gotten. The expansion is estimated to cost in the range of 600-900 million rubles a kilometer, totaling out to another 240-360 billion rubles ($3.14-4.72 billion). That's equivalent to most of the social spend that was announced.
AKRA and Golden Credit Rating teamed up to do a rundown of the cumulative GDP impact of major lockdown measures in 2020, and their estimated economic losses for Russia came out to roughly 5% of GDP since the GDP decline was measured at 3% vs. an expected 1.5-2% growth. In their finding, the average economic losses for each economy were more like 7.1% — Russia (3rd from left) held on to its 'over-performer' mantle:
Light Blue = general losses Red = actual decline/growth GDP Black = pre-pandemic forecast
It's likely the perception of that over-performance contributed to the skimpy spending program Putin rolled out yesterday, estimated at just 400 billion rubles ($5.23 billion) which is under the original leak of a 500 billion ruble spending target. Presumably the exercise was intended to link economic losses with the strictness of public health measures taken. By default, it's a re-litigation of the argument over whether COVID is a supply or a demand shock, with a bias towards supply-side analyses. Rosstat's decision to bury the real income stats in support of Putin's address suggests political pressure to confirm this view instead of drawing more obvious links between income levels, demand, and business activity. In reality, a mix of buoyant external demand in the US and China and price inflation for some major Russian exports fosters the false impression that domestic demand is in good shape — grain exports for Jan.-Feb. doubled despite the price control measures because of how much better the earnings were abroad as prices have risen. Until the economic institutions like ratings agencies challenge the supply side paradigm, the regime will lack substantive informational feedback, feedback that some business lobbies support given their own interests.
In the latest sign that the recovery is worse than advertised, 25% of consumer debt payments were overdue as of April 1 according to finanz.ru. That's a 5.3% increase year-on-year from the initial lockdown and pandemic hit to jobs and earnings when the oil price was in the toilet. Note that these are figures based on being 90 days or more late on payments. 30.4% of microloans are overdue (+4.8% YoY), 7.5% of autoloans are overdue (+1% YoY), only 1.5% of mortgages are overdue (+0.1% YoY), and 7% of credit card debt is overdue (-0.8% YoY). These figures speak to the massive degree of inequality hidden by statistics that otherwise suggest a level of pain shared somewhat evenly. Microloans are the tell, since they're often given out by the riskiest credit institutions with the riskiest lending profile. Mortgage delinquency was held lower through policy intervention and suppressed rates, plus the massive expansion of mortgage issuance would have initially been taken up by more creditworthy people and filtered down the longer the program ran for the obvious reason that the number of creditworthy Russians keeps falling the lower incomes fall. Since we're talking about a 90 day timeline, this wouldn't cover any mortgages issued after the end of 2020 and that data might look a bit different a year from now. Falling credit card delinquency would reflect falling appetite for consumer spending as Russians are forced to save more or else are earning less. According to Frank RG half of all cars are bought on credit as is 25% of all home appliances. That tells you two things — Russians prefer to pay cash for these goods when they can and have to save for longer to do so, and that any further increase in delinquency rates for non-credit card debt is likely to correspond to lower levels of consumption, likely reflected in reduced delinquency rates for credit cards. It's not a terrible picture or a 'debt bubble,' but it's a troubling dynamic.
Old MinFin and banking hand Oleg Viugin and professor Konstantin Yegorov spoke on a podcast for VTimes about non-standard economic policies, chiefly monetary policy that has had to adjust to the realities of COVID and a world of constant low rates. What's interesting to witness is how the evolution of the monetary and fiscal policy paradigm in the US leaks over into the Russian context with the recognition that setting the key rate as low as 4.25% was a non-standard move by the Central Bank. But capital outflow risks from rate cuts were mitigated by just how low they went across the entire OECD. The bigger point they raise is that non-standard policy in Russia can't approximate the Fed's bond purchasing programs because of how much smaller the market is — there aren't enough private bonds in circulation and being issued to pair with sovereign debt issuances in order to manage risks. But what per their discussion, the extension of ultra-low rate credits effectively subsidized by the state is what non-standard policy in Russia looks like. That makes sense, though I disagree with them insofar as the response to the Global Financial Crisis showed definitively that bond markets reflect political choices and aren't strictly constrained by the size of the private market. Last year's bank-led bond purchases in Russia implied that demand actually outstripped issuances, though this gets muddled by the fact that the state could effectively order banks to do it. But the big picture reality in the West is true in Russia — lower rates reduce the effectiveness of monetary policy the longer they're in place, which means fiscal policy has to actually resolve the problem of demand constraints in tandem with monetary policy. Still, the conversation linked monetary policy last year with increased inflation despite the lack of clear evidence from the real economy that money printing was responsible for most price increases.
Russia recorded 8,996 new cases and 397 deaths in the last 24 hours. Based on the chart breakdown RBK usually runs, the uptick is entirely in Moscow, which is where the warnings of a 3rd wave have been loudest. Putin talked up the the three vaccines Russian manufacturers and scientists had worked up yesterday, but the real story of the new-look strategy after his call for all Russians to get vaccinated came from Vyacheslav Volodin in the Duma — he wants Russia Inc. to embark on a collective patriotic campaign to push employees and customers alike to get their jabs. Without it, Russia's already weak recovery path, cushioned by an expected return to pre-COVID GDP levels by the end of this year, will look even weaker:
Out of Gas
You can hear the mental gears grinding in Moscow excited at the prospect that new calls from the Biden administration to end coal-fired power generation globally will launch a new scramble for natural gas markets. If one takes the accounts from the Vedomosti piece that's linked seriously, the planet will run out of the metals needed for most sources of renewable energy. No explanation is provided, of course, aside from the quote. I'll return to that point later. Coal power is the weakest link in the global campaign against emissions, and its impending decline provides the basis for Russia's plans to increase LNG production capacity to 140 million tons annually by 2035 and claim 20% of the global market. Emerging markets aren't going to be able to afford the relative increase in power prices that tends to accompany greater renewables adoption unless there's cheap baseload power sources able to cover any shortfalls from the intermittency of wind, solar, and similar power sources. To that end in Europe, Angela Merkel informed the Council of Europe's parliamentary assembly two days ago that it remained Germany's policy to complete Nord Stream 2 while pushing for a legal-political framework that protects Ukraine's status as a transit state for piped gas exports. That's surely to Gazprom's benefit over the long haul in Europe, though the actual level of demand is unclear since the next generation of energy sector investment will entail as much fuel switching away from fossil fuels as possible. There's a problem buried in that dynamic for Gazprom's position in Europe, which remains Russia's largest foreign natural gas export market: Norway's net zero and emissions reduction commitments are unlikely to affect its production levels significantly and rising natural gas demand could benefit US shale drillers as well.
Norway's natural gas production is expected to maintain at current levels as the oil market stabilizes and associated gas from oil wells as well as pure gas plays perform better. Offshore wells can't be halted once they're launched because of the high level of capital expenditure needed to launch them in the first place, unlike cheap onshore conventional production or shale wells that can more readily be idled. In other words, any additional investment into output is likelier than not to increase production, but there isn't any reason to expect significant decline during the early stages of the transition away from coal on emerging markets, should it materialize. It gets harder to see that the close we get to 2030, but if the dire predictions about baseload prices rising in Europe for natural gas — the experience in Germany as it shuts down coal and nuclear power plants — then Norway's output will be profitable and politically salient for the EU. Maintaining current production levels will limit the market share advantage Gazprom ostensibly has since it would tank prices with over-production. Russia's dominant import share will rise in % terms, but so will Norway's as demand likely falls. The paradox, however, for natural gas prices is that if future marginal demand growth comes as a result of the need first to fuel switch, and then provide baseload for renewables, you'd potentially see a long-term increase in wholesale and retail prices in a manner oil is highly unlikely to see since accelerating road fuel substitutions means that plastics, petrochemicals, and other types of consumption will be increasingly important for demand scenario modeling over traditional GDP-linked measures based off gasoline/diesel and their link to business and consumption activity levels.
US shale may never be the same again when it comes to oil — I'm a bit more sanguine about its prospects given the Fed policy outlook, but think growth expectations need to be adjusted — but natural gas will sustain much of its activity. To be clear, that doesn't mean a "gas renaissance" is in the offing. There's a global gut of LNG capacity at the moment, one that Russian plans will have to grapple with. But it's expected that no new LNG projects in the US will take an investment decision this year because of the difficulty securing long-term contracts:
But they aren't going anywhere, which means pricing dynamics on LNG markets that are increasingly connected matter alongside the baseload and intermittency problem. There's also the issue of domestic demand in the US. So long as the US is now committed to halve its emissions by 2030, the massive amount of existing natural gas wells and infrastructure across the country will be rendered worthless if some of that capacity isn't reoriented towards exports as its phased out for domestic power generation and heating. The underlying export growth trend could continue so long as the industry is able to maintain its export competitiveness by reducing emissions and building on its success reducing flaring:
Adam Tooze's writeup on the ambition (and lack thereof) in Biden's climate plans is a great read in the limits of the possible, it runs up against the biggest gap in the 'green discourse' around accelerating transition:
"With sights now set on net zero by 2050, there is no longer any room for fudges. The Biden administration needs to change the direction of energy policy radically, from Obama's "all of the above" to a systematic exit from fossil fuels. It needs to find both economic and technical solutions to make a green energy system viable."
The rest of the piece well details the political obstacles, while touching more lightly on economic obstacles. But most of the loudest voices calling for far more radical policy programs don't seem to be particularly engaged with the technical problem and the unintended consequences more radical approaches entail. The baseload price effect is the most interesting problem for Russia's mad scramble since it can actually benefit Russia's competitors as much as it does Gazprom or Novatek unless it bears an ever-worsening subsidy burden maintaining its industry. It's also funny that it seems so confident that material shortages will clip the energy transition's wings. Technological improvement continuously increases the net amount of production that can be yielded from existing finds and academic models tend to show that direct depletion isn't a risk for decades to come, and that excludes the potential knock-on effects of carbon pricing on the profitability of recycling material, improving effective use-lives for batteries, and so on. The bigger risk is that these transitions will, at least during the initial stages, entail an increase in energy prices, which can only be avoided in the longer-term ironically through the taxation of carbon emissions. You need to build an economic rationale for redundant capacity and create a (diminishing) fiscal capacity to offset the price effects through capacity investments, home battery deployments, and more. Technical questions matter more and more the closer the political goalposts shift on these policy agendas. That Russia is banking on a renewed war for natural gas markets speaks to Moscow's policy paralysis. It may beat US exporters on a price point basis, but when betting on carbon-intensive assets as the depreciation risks of these assets rise, there are only two types of players left: the quick and the dead. Moscow's not known for being quick, especially when LNG creates fewer rents at home.


Expertise includes: Preclinical to clinical transitions in Oncology; Phase 1,2,3,... oncology drug development from blank concept page to IRB protocol approval and successful trial execution and final published manuscript; Melanoma; Tyrosine kinase inhibitors; Tumor immunology; Endocrine tumors; and GI tumors. Interests include nanocarriers and cutting edge discovery agents heading to the clinic.
A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled Phase III study to assess the efficacy of recMAGE-A3 + AS15 ASCI as adjuvant therapy in patients with MAGE-A3 positive resected stage III melanoma.
White PS, Pudusseri A, Lee SL, Eton O. Intermittent Dosing of Dabrafenib and Trametinib in Metastatic BRAFV600E Mutated Papillary Thyroid Cancer: Two Case Reports. Thyroid. 2017 Sep; 27(9):1201-1205.View Related Profiles.
Fonkem E, Uhlmann EJ, Floyd SR, Mahadevan A, Kasper E, Eton O, Wong ET. Melanoma brain metastasis: overview of current management and emerging targeted therapies. Expert Rev Neurother. 2012 Oct; 12(10):1207-15. PMID: 23082737; DOI: 10.1586/ern.12.111;.
Macarulla T, Cervantes A, Elez E, Rodríguez-Braun E, Baselga J, Roselló S, Sala G, Blasco I, Danaee H, Lee Y, Ecsedy J, Shinde V, Chakravarty A, Bowman D, Liu H, Eton O, Fingert H, Tabernero J. Phase I study of the selective Aurora A kinase inhibitor MLN8054 in patients with advanced solid tumors: safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics. Mol Cancer Ther. 2010 Oct; 9(10):2844-52. PMID: 20724522; DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-10-0299;.
Dees EC, Infante JR, Cohen RB, O'Neil BH, Jones S, von Mehren M, Danaee H, Lee Y, Ecsedy J, Manfredi M, Galvin K, Stringer B, Liu H, Eton O, Fingert H, Burris H. Phase 1 study of MLN8054, a selective inhibitor of Aurora A kinase in patients with advanced solid tumors. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol. 2011 Apr; 67(4):945-54. PMID: 20607239; PMCID: PMC3026871; DOI: 10.1007/s00280-010-1377-y;.
Eton O, Ross MI, East MJ, Mansfield PF, Papadopoulos N, Ellerhorst JA, Bedikian AY, Lee JE. Autologous tumor-derived heat-shock protein peptide complex-96 (HSPPC-96) in patients with metastatic melanoma. J Transl Med. 2010; 8:9. PMID: 20109236; PMCID: PMC2835652; DOI: 10.1186/1479-5876-8-9;.
Lynch TJ, Fenton D, Hirsh V, Bodkin D, Middleman EL, Chiappori A, Halmos B, Favis R, Liu H, Trepicchio WL, Eton O, Shepherd FA. A randomized phase 2 study of erlotinib alone and in combination with bortezomib in previously treated advanced non-small cell lung cancer. J Thorac Oncol. 2009 Aug; 4(8):1002-9. PMID: 19633475; DOI: 10.1097/JTO.0b013e3181aba89f;.
Kim KB, Legha SS, Gonzalez R, Anderson CM, Johnson MM, Liu P, Papadopoulos NE, Eton O, Plager C, Buzaid AC, Prieto VG, Hwu WJ, Frost AM, Alvarado G, Hwu P, Ross MI, Gershenwald JE, Lee JE, Mansfield PF, Benjamin RS, Bedikian AY. A randomized phase III trial of biochemotherapy versus interferon-alpha-2b for adjuvant therapy in patients at high risk for melanoma recurrence. Melanoma Res. 2009 Feb; 19(1):42-9. PMID: 19430405; DOI: 10.1097/CMR.0b013e328314b84a;.
Kim KB, Eton O, Davis DW, Frazier ML, McConkey DJ, Diwan AH, Papadopoulos NE, Bedikian AY, Camacho LH, Ross MI, Cormier JN, Gershenwald JE, Lee JE, Mansfield PF, Billings LA, Ng CS, Charnsangavej C, Bar-Eli M, Johnson MM, Murgo AJ, Prieto VG. Phase II trial of imatinib mesylate in patients with metastatic melanoma. Br J Cancer. 2008 Sep 2; 99(5):734-40. PMID: 18728664; PMCID: PMC2528157; DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6604482;.
Hwang CS, Prieto VG, Diwan AH, Lizee G, Ellerhorst JA, Ekmekcioglu S, Liu P, Eton O, Kinney SA, Grimm EA, Hwu P, Kim KB. Changes in pERK1/2 and pAKT expression in melanoma lesions after imatinib treatment. Melanoma Res. 2008 Aug; 18(4):241-5. PMID: 18626307; DOI: 10.1097/CMR.0b013e3283046146;.
Wyman K, Atkins MB, Prieto V, Eton O, McDermott DF, Hubbard F, Byrnes C, Sanders K, Sosman JA. Multicenter Phase II trial of high-dose imatinib mesylate in metastatic melanoma: significant toxicity with no clinical efficacy. Cancer. 2006 May 1; 106(9):2005-11. PMID: 16565971.
Ivan D, Niveiro M, Diwan AH, Eton O, Kim KB, Lacey C, Gonzalez C, Prieto VG. Analysis of protein tyrosine kinases expression in the melanoma metastases of patients treated with Imatinib Mesylate (STI571, Gleevec). J Cutan Pathol. 2006 Apr; 33(4):280-5. PMID: 16630177.
Eton O. Chemotherapy, cytokines, and biochemotherapy for melanoma. Cancer Chemother Biol Response Modif. 2005; 22:739-48. PMID: 16110637.
Kim KB, Eton O, East MJ, Hodges C, Papadopoulos NE, Grimm EA, Bedikian AY. Pilot study of high-dose, concurrent biochemotherapy for advanced melanoma. Cancer. 2004 Aug 1; 101(3):596-603. PMID: 15274073.
Kim KB, Sanguino AM, Hodges C, Papadopoulos NE, Eton O, Camacho LH, Broemeling LD, Johnson MM, Ballo MT, Ross MI, Gershenwald JE, Lee JE, Mansfield PF, Prieto VG, Bedikian AY. Biochemotherapy in patients with metastatic anorectal mucosal melanoma. Cancer. 2004 Apr 1; 100(7):1478-83. PMID: 15042682.
Bedikian AY, Plager C, Papadopoulos N, Eton O, Ellerhorst J, Smith T. Phase II evaluation of paclitaxel by short intravenous infusion in metastatic melanoma. Melanoma Res. 2004 Feb; 14(1):63-6. PMID: 15091196.
McGary EC, Onn A, Mills L, Heimberger A, Eton O, Thomas GW, Shtivelband M, Bar-Eli M. Imatinib mesylate inhibits platelet-derived growth factor receptor phosphorylation of melanoma cells but does not affect tumorigenicity in vivo. J Invest Dermatol. 2004 Feb; 122(2):400-5. PMID: 15009722.
Shen SS, Zhang PS, Eton O, Prieto VG. Analysis of protein tyrosine kinase expression in melanocytic lesions by tissue array. J Cutan Pathol. 2003 Oct; 30(9):539-47. PMID: 14507401.
Bedikian AY, Papadopoulos N, Plager C, Eton O, Ring S. Phase II evaluation of temozolomide in metastatic choroidal melanoma. Melanoma Res. 2003 Jun; 13(3):303-6. PMID: 12777987.
Eton O, Rosenblum MG, Legha SS, Zhang W, Jo East M, Bedikian A, Papadopoulos N, Buzaid A, Benjamin RS. Phase I trial of subcutaneous recombinant human interleukin-2 in patients with metastatic melanoma. Cancer. 2002 Jul 1; 95(1):127-34. PMID: 12115326.
Eton O, Legha SS, Bedikian AY, Lee JJ, Buzaid AC, Hodges C, Ring SE, Papadopoulos NE, Plager C, East MJ, Zhan F, Benjamin RS. Sequential biochemotherapy versus chemotherapy for metastatic melanoma: results from a phase III randomized trial. J Clin Oncol. 2002 Apr 15; 20(8):2045-52. PMID: 11956264.
Ellerhorst JA, Bedikian AY, Smith TM, Papadopoulos NE, Plager C, Eton O. Phase II trial of 9-nitrocamptothecin (RFS 2000) for patients with metastatic cutaneous or uveal melanoma. Anticancer Drugs. 2002 Feb; 13(2):169-72. PMID: 11901310.
Bedikian AY, Plager C, Stewart JR, O'Brian CA, Herdman SK, Ross M, Papadopoulos N, Eton O, Ellerhorst J, Smith T. Phase II evaluation of bryostatin-1 in metastatic melanoma. Melanoma Res. 2001 Apr; 11(2):183-8. PMID: 11333129.
Grimm EA, Smid CM, Lee JJ, Tseng CH, Eton O, Buzaid AC. Unexpected cytokines in serum of malignant melanoma patients during sequential biochemotherapy. Clin Cancer Res. 2000 Oct; 6(10):3895-903. PMID: 11051235.
Eton O, Buzaid AC, Bedikian AY, Smith TM, Papadopoulos NE, Ellerhorst JA, Hibberts JL, Legha SS, Benjamin RS. A phase II study of "decrescendo" interleukin-2 plus interferon-alpha-2a in patients with progressive metastatic melanoma after chemotherapy. Cancer. 2000 Apr 1; 88(7):1703-9. PMID: 10738230.
Eton O, East M, Legha SS, Bedikian A, Buzaid AC, Papadopoulos N, Hodges C, Gianan M, Carrasco CH, Benjamin RS. Pilot study of intra-arterial cisplatin and intravenous vinblastine and dacarbazine in patients with melanoma in-transit metastases. Melanoma Res. 1999 Oct; 9(5):483-9. PMID: 10596915.
Bedikian AY, Legha SS, Eton O, Buzaid AC, Papadopoulos N, Plager C, McIntyre S, Viallet J. Phase II trial of escalated dose of tirapazamine combined with cisplatin in advanced malignant melanoma. Anticancer Drugs. 1999 Sep; 10(8):735-9. PMID: 10573206.
Ellerhorst JA, Bedikian A, Ring S, Buzaid AC, Eton O, Legha SS. Phase II trial of doxil for patients with metastatic melanoma refractory to frontline therapy. Oncol Rep. 1999 Sep-Oct; 6(5):1097-9. PMID: 10425308.
Buzaid AC, Colome M, Bedikian A, Eton O, Legha SS, Papadopoulos N, Plager C, Ross M, Lee JE, Mansfield P, Rice J, Ring S, Lee JJ, Strom E, Benjamin R. Phase II study of neoadjuvant concurrent biochemotherapy in melanoma patients with local-regional metastases. Melanoma Res. 1998 Dec; 8(6):549-56. PMID: 9918417.
Pride MW, Shuey S, Grillo-Lopez A, Braslawsky G, Ross M, Legha SS, Eton O, Buzaid A, Ioannides C, Murray JL. Enhancement of cell-mediated immunity in melanoma patients immunized with murine anti-idiotypic monoclonal antibodies (MELIMMUNE) that mimic the high molecular weight proteoglycan antigen. Clin Cancer Res. 1998 Oct; 4(10):2363-70. PMID: 9796966.
Legha SS, Ring S, Eton O, Bedikian A, Buzaid AC, Plager C, Papadopoulos N. Development of a biochemotherapy regimen with concurrent administration of cisplatin, vinblastine, dacarbazine, interferon alfa, and interleukin-2 for patients with metastatic melanoma. J Clin Oncol. 1998 May; 16(5):1752-9. PMID: 9586888.
Buzaid AC, Ali-Osman F, Akande N, Grimm EA, Lee JJ, Bedikian A, Eton O, Papadopoulos N, Plager C, Legha SS, Benjamin RS. DNA damage in peripheral blood mononuclear cells correlates with response to biochemotherapy in melanoma. Melanoma Res. 1998 Apr; 8(2):145-8. PMID: 9610867.
Anderson CM, Buzaid AC, Sussman J, Lee JJ, Ali-Osman F, Braunschweiger PG, Plager C, Bedikian A, Papadopoulos N, Eton O, Legha SS, Grimm EA. Nitric oxide and neopterin levels and clinical response in stage III melanoma patients receiving concurrent biochemotherapy. Melanoma Res. 1998 Apr; 8(2):149-55. PMID: 9610868.
Eton O, Legha SS, Moon TE, Buzaid AC, Papadopoulos NE, Plager C, Burgess AM, Bedikian AY, Ring S, Dong Q, Glassman AB, Balch CM, Benjamin RS. Prognostic factors for survival of patients treated systemically for disseminated melanoma. J Clin Oncol. 1998 Mar; 16(3):1103-11. PMID: 9508197.
Eton O, Kharkevitch DD, Gianan MA, Ross MI, Itoh K, Pride MW, Donawho C, Buzaid AC, Mansfield PF, Lee JE, Legha SS, Plager C, Papadopoulos NE, Bedikian AY, Benjamin RS, Balch CM. Active immunotherapy with ultraviolet B-irradiated autologous whole melanoma cells plus DETOX in patients with metastatic melanoma. Clin Cancer Res. 1998 Mar; 4(3):619-27. PMID: 9533529.
Yeung SC, Eton O, Burton DW, Deftos LJ, Vassilopoulou-Sellin R, Gagel RF. Hypercalcemia due to parathyroid hormone-related protein secretion by melanoma. Horm Res. 1998; 49(6):288-91. PMID: 9623520.
Legha SS, Ring S, Eton O, Bedikian A, Plager C, Papadopoulos N. Development and results of biochemotherapy in metastatic melanoma: the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center experience. Cancer J Sci Am. 1997 Dec; 3 Suppl 1:S9-15. PMID: 9457387.
Bedikian AY, Legha SS, Eton O, Buzaid AC, Papadopoulos N, Coates S, Simmons T, Neefe J, von Roemeling R. Phase II trial of tirapazamine combined with cisplatin in chemotherapy of advanced malignant melanoma. Ann Oncol. 1997 Apr; 8(4):363-7. PMID: 9209666.
Buzaid AC, Ross MI, Balch CM, Soong S, McCarthy WH, Tinoco L, Mansfield P, Lee JE, Bedikian A, Eton O, Plager C, Papadopoulos N, Legha SS, Benjamin RS. Critical analysis of the current American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system for cutaneous melanoma and proposal of a new staging system. J Clin Oncol. 1997 Mar; 15(3):1039-51. PMID: 9060544.
Legha SS, Ring S, Bedikian A, Plager C, Eton O, Buzaid AC, Papadopoulos N. Treatment of metastatic melanoma with combined chemotherapy containing cisplatin, vinblastine and dacarbazine (CVD) and biotherapy using interleukin-2 and interferon-alpha. Ann Oncol. 1996 Oct; 7(8):827-35. PMID: 8922197.
Eton O, Talpaz M, Lee KH, Rothberg JM, Brell JM, Benjamin RS. Phase II trial of recombinant human interleukin-2 and interferon-alpha-2a: implications for the treatment of patients with metastatic melanoma. Cancer. 1996 Mar 1; 77(5):893-9. PMID: 8608480.
Legha SS, Gianan MA, Plager C, Eton OE, Papadopoulous NE. Evaluation of interleukin-2 administered by continuous infusion in patients with metastatic melanoma. Cancer. 1996 Jan 1; 77(1):89-96. PMID: 8630945.
Bedikian AY, Weiss GR, Legha SS, Burris HA, Eckardt JR, Jenkins J, Eton O, Buzaid AC, Smetzer L, Von Hoff DD, et al. Phase II trial of docetaxel in patients with advanced cutaneous malignant melanoma previously untreated with chemotherapy. J Clin Oncol. 1995 Dec; 13(12):2895-9. PMID: 8523052.
Tyler DS, Francis GM, Frederick M, Tran AH, Ordóñez NG, Smith JL, Eton O, Ross M, Grimm EA. Interleukin-1 production in tumor cells of human melanoma surgical specimens. J Interferon Cytokine Res. 1995 Apr; 15(4):331-40. PMID: 7627808.
Buzaid AC, Grimm EA, Ali-Osman F, Ring S, Eton O, Papadopoulos NE, Bedikian A, Plager C, Legha SS, Benjamin R. Mechanism of the anti-tumour effect of biochemotherapy in melanoma: preliminary results. Melanoma Res. 1994 Oct; 4(5):327-30. PMID: 7858418.
Umezu Y, Augustus LB, Seito D, Hayakawa K, Ross MI, Eton O, Swanson DA, Itoh K. Increase in the ability of human cancer cells to induce cytotoxic T lymphocytes by ultraviolet irradiation. Cancer Immunol Immunother. 1993 Nov; 37(6):392-9. PMID: 8242664.
Eton O, Legha SS, Balch CM. Cutaneous melanoma. N Engl J Med. 1992 Jan 30; 326(5):345-6; author reply 346-7. PMID: 1728744.
Eton O, Bajorin DF, Chapman PB, Cody BV, Houghton AN. Phase II trial of cisplatin and etoposide in patients with metastatic melanoma. Invest New Drugs. 1991 Feb; 9(1):101-3. PMID: 2026478.
Eton O, Bajorin DF, Casper ES, Houghton AN. Phase II trial of N-methylformamide in patients with metastatic melanoma. Invest New Drugs. 1991 Feb; 9(1):97-100. PMID: 2026491.
Eton O, Scheinberg DA, Houghton AN. Establishment and characterization of two human myeloma cell lines secreting kappa light chains. Leukemia. 1989 Oct; 3(10):729-35. PMID: 2506399.


Simulating cooking by using a kitchen appliance to vaporize 5 pounds (80 oz or 2.268 kg) of water within a specified period of time.
The final scores for the Appliances Contest are shown below. Also shown are measurements collected for the Refrigeration and Freezer subcontests. Roll over each graphic with your mouse for more information.


text:
Cookies Cream
Berlin's longest running vegetarian restaurant Cookies Cream now has a Michelin star…
The first challenge for any visit to Berlin's hippest vegetarian restaurant Cookies Cream is finding it. Run by Cookies, veteran party promoter and founder of the popular club that was until 2014 located below it, the restaurant adheres to the 'underground/anonymous' ethic that chimes with Berlin's house and techno scene.
The restaurant has a completely separate entrance, hidden away in a delivery yard around the back of the Westin Grand hotel. Dimly lit, eerily silent and festooned with wooden palettes and rubbish bins, it feels more like the kind of place you'd come to inject hard drugs than feast on fresh produce.
The incongruous chandelier dangling from concrete struts is a sign that the game of hide and seek is nearing an end. The plain door picked out by a square of designer light bulbs is the final giveaway: ring the buzzer, announce your reservation and ascend the stairway to an interior every bit as cool as the club.
Image: Stephan Hentschel. Copyright: Marcus Zumbansen
With exposed brick walls, soft lighting and low concrete ceilings, Cookies Cream has a decidedly loft-like vibe. A hanging canvass provocatively riffs on a famous credit card symbol, chilled club sounds emanate from the speakers and simple white table clothes contrast with dark red chairs and banquettes.
The wait staff are casual and trendy but efficient and attentive, and the crowd is surprisingly diverse – not just clubbers but middle-aged folk, a smattering of suits, romantic couples.
Perhaps this is no surprise given Cookies Cream is still one of the only real restaurants committed to high-end vegetarian food in Berlin. It was certainly the first, having opened ten years ago to satisfy the culinary and entrepreneurial needs of Cookie, a twenty-five-year long vegetarian tired of the city's lack of meat-free dining options.
The head chef then, somewhat impressively, is the same as now—Stephan Hentschel. "My passion for food comes from my childhood," he says. "My grandparents had a garden and I was fascinated to see veggies grow as a kid. During my education in Ladbergen we had our own garden and the hunters brought the deer straight after hunting, so I was involved in food production and preparation from ground zero."
After moving to Berlin, Stephan worked in various restaurants, from Gasthaus Majakowski and Noi Quattro to the more seasonal kitchens of Renger Patsch and Facil, where he trained for a short time under Michelin-starred Michael Kempf.
Copyright: Emil Levy Schramm
The menu at Cookies Cream is fairly limited but around eighty percent seasonal. In the summer, most of the ingredients are sourced from regional farmers and farmers collectives such as MAFZ Erlebnispark Paaren, who plant certain products just for Stephan—like the wonderful purple urkarotte, which has a high content of vitamin B, C and carotene and high levels of antioxidants. In winter the restaurant uses around half German and half Mediterranean products.
Some of Stephan's signature dishes include parmesan dumplings with Perigorf truffle stock, baked aubergine with Edamame, and white asparagus with rhubarb—but the menu is always changing. Not only is the food health conscious and imaginative, it's extremely tasty and attractively presented, even more so since winning a Michelin star in 2018.
It's worth noting that there is no pasta, tofu or rice on the menu, an aspect that Stephan claims helped him develop his own style of cooking. Everything is made fresh in an open kitchen on the other side of the restaurant and vegans can request dairy-free versions of the recipes.
The food doesn't come cheap but it's far from outrageously priced; a three-course menu is 49 euros, four courses costs 59 euros, without the drink pairings (alcoholic and non-alcoholic varieties are available. Afterwards you can drop into Crackers, the newer restaurant that took over Cookies a couple of years ago; its slick bar serves very good cocktails and there are DJs at weekends.
"In the beginning other chefs and restaurant managers smiled at us," says Stephan. 'But that changed over time and for a while they've had to give us respect for what we do. The young creative scene in Berlin is open for vegetarian food and because they are the trend setters of tomorrow I have a good feeling for the vegetarian kitchen here in the future."
For more info see the restaurant's website.
Next in Food & DrinkAn Ode To Spargel Season »
By Paul Sullivan on February 17, 2011, in Food & Drink
Updated on: April 14, 2019
Berlin's Cosiest Cafés
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Das Gift
Marcel Krüger visits Scottish pub Das Gift and finds fine craft beers and excellent grub.
Barcomi's
Brian Melican profiles one of Berlin's American-style coffee shop institutions...


The impression I got from Chris on the old forum is that it is a packed format with the compression build into the file system. But let me guess that sysex exposed RAM based data will be uncompressed. Will have to wait and see what happens when and if it ever happens.
Plus that Pro2 is still in preproduction phase and hence DSI is really really busy right now. So no wonders are to be expected at this point in time (besides Pro2).
Hello Forum. Is this the official new forum?
This Pro 2 can't come to me fast enough.
I won a Pro One on ebay. 4 days later seller refunds and honestly says the Pro One needs service.
The next day Dave throws out his teaser.
It's fate. Alsways wanted an SCI/DSI. Fell in love with my mopho4 over the last 2 months.
Passed on Elektron, Sub37 and even a Jupiter 6 for this Pro Two.
Yes it's a lot for a Mono/Para but so did all the UK Vinyl I used to buy.
dslsynth wrote: Are you aware that Tempest individual outs are in stereo so one needs a special cable or insert cable in the stereo mixer inputs?
Are you sure about this? ... the manual states nothing about the connectivity actualy, on that department it's very vague... To some degree, I hope this is not true, because then I need to reconfigure my whole mixer once again ... I really thought those were mono... I think I recall reading somewhere, that you loose panning when using them, so if that is the case, then why would they be stereo!?
"The voice output jacks are stereo, and so retain any pan settings."
Funny... I read somewhere yesterday too, that you could just plug mono cables in for mono... I was doubting this, and can see from Pym's answer that I was right about that.
Besides... I don't HAVE Tempest yet... I'm planning on getting one early next month, I just happen to thoroughly research a maschine before I buy it, to make sure I know what it does and does not do... and with the Tempst that even more important than anything else because of all those early half-promises that were given.
Besides... now that I got the two of you here, could you please make those Beta OS threads again perhaps? ... I doubt my new Tempest next month will have the latest Beta installed which I will CERTAINLY want, but there is nowhere I can download it as the old forum is history.
Besides... the text in the manual stating that the outs are in stereo CAN be misread, or at least make you doubt as to HOW this is in stereo... it could be interpreted in two ways... the first being that each single jack is a TRS jack with stereo connection... or, that two Jacks could be grouped as a stereo out... it's not fully clear what it means (at least it was not to me in the first place).
The main advantage of the stereo outs is that you basically get 12 outs if you hard pan your sounds, there is one caveat in that the feedback only taps from the right channel so any sounds using feedback need to be on this channel.
Even though the Tempest can only play 6 sounds at a time it gives you the ability to process 12 sounds differently.
P.S. PM me your email and I will send you the OS files and the Competition sounds.
It looks really fantastic! I love the 3+ octaves and the control panel.
But what about all the shot glasses on the monitor? They even multiplied in between the two videos you just posted!
Strange Quark Star wrote: But what about all the shot glasses on the monitor? They even multiplied in between the two videos you just posted!
I was always expecting these shot glasses to become available in the DSI store, but I never saw anything being offered in the category "DSI Merch". Well, apart from a few accessories and upgrade kits, the DSI store has become an empty place anyway. Maybe DSI should arrange a joint venture with their favorite Tequila producer and sell both form and content.
Poptones wrote: Maybe DSI should arrange a joint venture with their favorite Tequila producer and sell both form and content.
Line up several glasses, fill 'em up: sequential liquids?
16x16, featuring per-step tequila in performance mode.
I actually like the sound of the Pro 2 in paraphonic mode over anything I have heard on Pro12. It's the filters that make a world of difference and variety for me, at least, and I want this...the price is a bit extreme but am hoping the actually competition and MAP prices are a little lower. I am really also liking possibilities the on-board sequencer may bring so will be playing "wait and see" and doing thorough research of specs and play one later this year.
I do know this though...my cat will be buying me either a Pro2 or a Sub37 for Christmas, 2014.
So we can expect another feline demo, then?
**THAT* rocked my early Saturday morning and is also an excellent demonstration of 'Cat Scratch Fever' on the Sub Phatty ....the reason the Sub37 also appeals to me aside from knob-per-function/gobs modulation, is it has after touch and longer keybed. I use after touch a lot because it's such a great way to free the foot pedal/switch for another destination as well as the mod wheel....with the Pro 2, the addition of the two touch/pressure slider strips.
Anyone actually know what the specs of the Pro 2's sequencer are as far as "16 tracks with up to 32 steps..." ? Does this mean each sequencer line can have up to 32 steps or because it's primarily a mono synth, (paraphonic), in-total, one can have 32 steps? Can there be different time signatures on each line? What if one has more than the -1- Gate(are the input/outputs TRS to where a break-out cable is needed/split/ring), does the Pro 2 effectively act as a CV/MIDI and a MIDI/CV converter or only one or neither, and generally, more than what DSI website lists?
namnibor wrote: Anyone actually know what the specs of the Pro 2's sequencer are as far as "16 tracks with up to 32 steps..." ?
It's 16 tracks of 16 steps each or 8 tracks of 32 steps each.


Providing a soft matte finish that will stay on the skin all day, the Sun Stalk'r can be best applied with Fenty Beauty's Cheek-Hugging Bronzer Brush 190, $36, or the Sculpting Bronzer Brush 195, $34, for a more targeted application.
Here's a look at the packaging, which is sure to make you dream of piña coladas by a beach.
Super smooth and creamy, the bronzer powders come in eight versatile shades with whimsical names, such as Private Island, Island Ting, and Caramel Cutie.
Take a closer look at some of the shades below.
Shop the Sun Stalk'r Instant Warmth Bronzer on Fenty Beauty or Sephora on April 5th.