text:
vendredi 1 avril 2016

Herman Dooyeweerd: Gender Normativity

'Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and his Wife'
by Jan van Eyck (Early Netherlandish, 1434)
"The subjectivity of human identity in the 21st century is striking, and alarming. Today, to feel something is to be something... All the objective underpinnings of human identity have frayed or died... Identifying as a woman is now equal to being a woman. Feeling is reality. The entirely subjective sentiment becomes objective, legal fact... Churches in the West are in constant crisis, reeling from one scandal to another, and seemingly lacking the moral resources to withstand the tidal wave of relativism... Relentless external intervention into private life has undermined familial sovereignty... The new identitarians might technically be liberated from old social pressures, gender norms and moral expectations, but... their need for constant validation... means... they have become psychic slaves."
- Brendan O'Neill, SPIKED!
Herman Dooyeweerd: Gender Normativity

N.B. Hyperlinks below now defunct.
Please visit J Glenn Friesen's new GLOSSARY site

Dooyeweerd would certainly NOT consider his view to be "traditional" but rather "creational" (though we must be very careful to distinguish the import of this term from that of the profoundly different "creationist").

The term "psychical" in Dooyeweerd does not mean "occult" in any sense, but rather "affective", "emotional", "feeling", "sensory" etc. It is one of the fifteen 'Law-Spheres' or 'Aspects'.

The term "religious" does not refer to adherents of versions of theism as commonly understood. Rather it encompasses all humanity without exception, with reference to whatever prevails (whether within or beyond the temporal Law-Spheresas one's ultimate point of personal integration. It is accordingly defined by Dooyeweerd thus:

"The innate impulse of human selfhood to direct itself toward the true or pretended absolute Origin of all temporal diversity of meaning, which it finds focused concentrically in itself". (Herman Dooyeweerd: A New Critique of Theoretical Thought Vol 1, p 57)

(Also called Aspects/ Modes/ Modalities/ Meaning-sides)
The following extracts from Dooyeweerd's opus give a brief intro to his approach to gender normativity:

The individuality of human experience within the structural horizon of experience and the view of man as a microcosm.

The walls of the absolutization of personal individuality have no windows.

[...] The Christian speaks with awe about the living personal God, Who in His mercy and grace has revealed Himself to fallen man. But also in the communion with this God in Christ, the Christian remains within the human creaturely limits of the possibility of experience.

[...] Our first objection to this [Scheler] Idea of a microcosm is that subjective individuality can never determine the structural horizon of human experience and of the cosmos. This horizon is a structural order, the Divine order of the creation itself. It comprises in its determining and limiting structure the individuality of human personality, its religious root as well as its temporal existence. Creaturely subjective individuality cannot determine and limit itself, but is a priori determined and limited by the Divine order.

[...] But for its super-individual law-conformity, individual subjectivity would be an ἄπειρον (apeiron), a meaningless indeterminateness. The possibility of subjective experience would be cancelled if the horizon of human experience were subjectively individual.

[...] The lack of critical transcendental self-reflection...leads to the tyrannical elevation of one's private subjective insight to universally valid absolute truth. Such an insight refuses to submit to the test of the Divine world-order. Our transcendental a priori knowledge remains subjective and must always be put to the test of the Truth. Within the transcendent horizon of experience we must trace its deepest root. The philosophy of the cosmonomic Idea demands that the whole of transcendental philosophic thought reconsider the problem of the criterion of truth with respect to subjective transcendental knowledge. This demand is scientifically imperative, no matter from what standpoint the thinker starts. We have clearly shown the subjectivism of the immanence-standpoint.

(Herman Dooyeweerd, A New Critique of Theoretical Thought, Vol 2 pp 592-596)

* * * * *
Marital authority and the normal emotional aspect of matrimony. Can psychology speak of "normal"? Cultural influences on female emotional life.
It cannot be denied that normal female emotional life in the marital bond wants to find support and guidance in the husband, and is disappointed if they are lacking. Also in a man's normal affective life the instinctive impulse to support and lead corresponds to these female needs.

On a functionalistic standpoint the question may of course be asked: what is a normal male and female life of feeling? Then the deviations from what we have explained above are treated as phenomena of perfectly the same value as those corresponding to this standard. But then it should be remembered that it is no longer possible to speak of the structure of male and female feeling; for these structures in the psychical (affective/ emotional/ feeling/ sensory) aspect of human existence cannot be approached apart from the normative structural functions. They are included in the act-structure of a human body, though in a restrictive or closed sense they also function in its lower animal structure qualified by instinctive psychical (sensory) impulses.

No doubt there occur female feelings in men, and male feelings in women. But this cannot be established without a standard for male and female feeling. If we eliminate the coherence between the psychical (emotional/ feeling) and the later normative structural functions ["normative functions" = note the aspects above the 'Analytical' on the Law-sphere chart (FMF)], all the human individuality structures in the feeling-modus are levelled out. Then we are only left with the modal-functional coherence between the most heterogeneous psychic (emotional) phenomena. [ie we are left with a disconnect between the emotional realm and the realms of logic, historical formation, symbolic communication, social interaction, economic sense of what is "enough", aesthetic harmony, judicious evaluation, ethical responsiveness, and inner conviction. We might also observe that there is currently pressure to accept as normal a self-declared disconnect between "feeling" and the earlier "biotic" and "physical" aspects. (FMF)]

It is no doubt correct to say that in the transcendental direction, feeling in man and woman is indissolubly bound up with its historical formation in the different cultural periods. A number of psychical (emotional) differences between the sexes depend on the cultural influences of many successive generations. [Consider, for instance, the massive influence of celebrities such as David Bowie:

Sùilean Dhàibhidh Bhuidhe
 Nach air a bha an dà shealladh sna 70an.
Oir tha sinn uile a' seinn òran Ziggi a-nis,
crochte mar gum biodh bho uèirichean-stèids,
a' smèideadh gu bàidheil ri Mèidsear Tom,
fiamh-ghàire oirnn air sgàth nan camarathan.

The Eyes of David Bowie
He really had the 'second sight' in the 70s, didn't he?
Because he's sure got us singing Ziggi's song now.
As we sway highly strung from invisible stage-wires,
and wave duly overcome to Major Tom,
and smile so convincingly for the cameras. (FMF)]

Modern psychology has rightly set these facts in the light. But this state of affairs is exactly an indication of the indissoluble coherence between the psychic (sensory) function of feeling and the normative structural functions in human existence. These facts can never be argued against the constancy of the internal-structural principle in the emotional relations between husband and wife. For this principle is already pre-supposed in the historical formation of male and female feeling in marriage.

Cultural education cannot change the male structure into a female one, nor the other way round. Only a fundamental encroachment upon the biotic structure of the human body would be able to accomplish such a structural alteration because sex difference has a typical biotic foundation. As long as psychology continues to speak of a male and a female feeling-structure, it will be in need of a normative structural principle which itself is independent of the concrete historical development. To point out effeminacy in a man's emotional life, implies a normative structural principle lying at the foundation of this statement.
(Herman Dooyeweerd, A New Critique of Theoretical Thought, Vol. III, pp 325-327)

* * * * *
Sociology and Norms
And now the question of sociology as a science in a narrower sense, thus as a non-philosophical science, well yes, there we have this unhappy fact that the traditional view of sociology is that sociology exclusively investigates our factual societal relationships, in order to explain them in a causal way, leaving the normative views of these matters outside the field of sociology. They then say that these norms belong to legal science, or to ethical theory, and so forth. Now I have tried to show that this view is in conflict with social reality – that such a reality does not exist. The whole social reality as such, what we call social facts, can only be ascertained by the application of norms and lines of responsibility. For example, if I say that there is a marriage between A and B, then I undoubtedly have a social relationship in view, which also has its juridical aspect. But it is a real social relationship. It is a social fact that this is a marriage. But I cannot establish that fact without the application of norms. How else would I be able to distinguish marriage from concubinage or from a relationship of free love? And so on. If I say that someone is a minister, then without a doubt I am relating a social fact. But can I establish that without applying a norm? Being a minister presupposes qualifications, it presupposes an office. Yes, these are all things that I can only establish by applying norms. In other words, this is the dilemma for sociology: is it a true science in the sense of wetenschap or is it ‘science’ in the English sense?
NOTE (FMF): wetenschap [nf]
1.(cognition, knowledge, noesis) the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning
2. (science, scientific knowledge) knowledge accumulated by systematic study and organized by general principles.
3. (skill, science) ability to produce solutions in some problem domain.
4. (science, scientific discipline) a particular branch of scientific knowledge.
Americans are presently much broader in their understanding of ‘science,’ for they understand it to also mean normative science. But the English have not yet come that far, for they sharply distinguish between science and the arts. And they say, "Okay, legal science as a normative science, and ethics, the ethical science – those are arts but not science, for science concerns reality as it really is, the facts. And the arts, they can of course say how things ought to be. That’s the way these two areas are, and they should be that way; they should not be mixed up with each other". All right, but then I must state that it cannot all be reduced to social reality. For if from out of social reality, we try to abstract social norms in the broadest sense of the word from out of social reality, then we do not retain any single social fact. And here, where sociology concerns itself as a non-philosophical science, and concerns itself with facts – here is now a point where from a Christian standpoint, I believe we are forced to also make our Christian voice heard. And in my view what we must say is this, that this whole  dualism of what is and what ought to be [sein en sollen], which ever since Immanuel Kant has established itself as a kind of dogma, that this can be shown to derive from a dualistic religious Ground-motive. The humanistic Ground-motive is what I have sketched out as a motive of nature and freedom. On the one hand, there is the motive to control nature by means of scientific causal thought, and on the other hand there is the area of morals, ethics in a broader sense and the area of belief, as the domain of the autonomous freedom of the human personality. These two domains were separated from each other and now it is put forward as a scientific axiom that there are sciences and there are the arts, fine arts [kunst] therefore, and skills [kunstvaardigen]. They say that fine arts have to do with practical things and therefore also with norms, but that the sciences have to do exclusively with how things are [met het zo zijn], with facts and not with norms. And now the Christian voice must be heard, the Christian answer in my opinion. But that cannot be reduced to social reality.
(Extract from 1964 lecture: Center and Periphery: The Philosophy of the Law-Idea in a changing world  [PDF] by Herman Dooyeweerd (Translated by Dr. J. Glenn Friesen)

* * * * *
Sociology postscript
Maar naar onze beschouwing, de Christelijke opvatting der persoonlijkheid, kan evenmin het 'individueele ik' in den tijd worden gezocht en daarmede nemen wij principieel tegen de 'geesteswetenschappelijke sociologie' positie, die zulks met de geheele immanentie philosophie juist wel doet. De individueele zelfheid is door en door religieus, boventijdelijk. In de kosmische tijdsorde kan nòch aan den individueelen mensch, nòch aan het verband zelfheid, ikheid toekomen. Dit is het cardinale uitgangspunt voor iedere wezenlijk Christelijke beschouwing der tijdelijke samenleving. (De Crisis der Humanistische Staatsleer, Herman Dooyeweerd. Amsterdam: Ten Have, 1931, p. 113.)
[But according to our view, the Christian understanding of a person, the 'individual I' can no more be sought within time. And we thereby stand in principle against the position of sociology in the humanities, which seeks to do just this in its immanence philosophy. The individual selfhood is through and through religious, supratemporal. In the cosmic temporal order, selfhood or I-ness cannot be reached by [sociological conceptions of] either individual man, or of societal structures. This is the principal point of departure for any truly Christian view of temporal society.  (Quoted and translated by Dr J. Glenn Friesen)]

* * * * *
Must epistemology end in a Christian sermon?
     At this point, many a reader who has taken the trouble to follow our argument will perhaps turn away annoyed. He will ask: Must epistemology end in a Christian sermon or in a dogmatic statement? I can only answer by means of the question as to whether the dogmatic statement with which the supposed autonomous epistemology opens, viz. the proclamation of the self-sufficiency of the human cognitive functions, has a better claim to our confidence as far as epistemology is concerned.
     Our philosophy makes bold to accept the "stumbling block of the cross of Christ" as the corner stone of epistemology (1 Cor 1:23). And thus it also accepts the cross of scandal, neglect and dogmatic rejection. In the limitation and weakness of the flesh, we grasp the absolute truth in our knowledge of God derived from His revelation, in prayer and worship....True self-knowledge opens our eyes to the radical corruption of fallen man, to the radical lie which has caused his spiritual death. It therefore leads to a complete surrender to Him Who is the new root of mankind, and Who overcame death through his sufferings and death on the cross. In Christ's human nature our heavenly Father has revealed the fulness of meaning of all creation (1 Ephes 1:10), and through Him according to His Divine nature, God created all things as through the Word of his power (2 Heb 1:2, 3).
     The primary lie obfuscating the horizon of human experience is the rebellious thought that man could do without this knowledge of God and of himself in any field of knowledge, and could find the ultimate criterion of truth in 'autonomous', i.e. absolutized theoretical thought.
(Herman Dooyeweerd, "New Critique of Theoretical Thought" Vol II pp 561-563)

* * * * *
Christian action not resignation...
"With the acceptance of the human will as an essential formative factor in the historical process, and the acknowledgment of the normative meaning of power as a historical mission, our view of history is inexorably opposed to all manner of romantic quietism."

"[...] But history is never formed without human interference, though the latter is only instrumental with regard to God's government of the world. The interlacing of normative principle and human formative will is founded in the modal meaning of history itself and in the Divine world-order in which its modal law-sphere has been given its proper place. The historical development sets Christianity an eminent, normative task, a Divine mission, viz. the laying of the historical foundation, through the power of Christ, for the realization of Christian principles in this sinful world. This conclusion can no longer be evaded since it has been shown that the historical law-sphere is really the basis in the retrocipatory direction of time for the entire normative dynamics revealing itself in the opening-process of the other normative law-spheres."

"If the Christian principles of justice, morality etc are to find acceptance in this world, then it is only possible on the historical basis of power-formation in a continuous struggle with the powers of apostasy. True, God Himself guarantees the Honour of His Name, the victory of His Kingdom over the kingdom of darkness. But He uses human instruments in this struggle. Those who in the manner of the quietists make an appeal to 'God's guidance in history', as a kind of an unconsciously operating irrational factor outside of human intervention, corrupt the meaning of this Christian motif. For the latter is a summons to activity, not to resignation."

(Herman Dooyeweerd, A New Critique of Theoretical Thought, Vol 1 pp 248,249)

* * * * *
What IS "normativity"?
Finally, contrary to a frequently held opinion, the formation and exercise of power are not subject to natural laws. They are subject to norms, to the rules of what ought to be. The norms for the exercise of power are intrinsically historical norms. Nations and bearers of power are subject to them. It is not true, for example, that the individual national character is itself the norm for cultural development, as the Historical School taught. This irrationalistic view of history must be rejected emphatically, for the creation motive compels us to acknowledge that in every area of life the law of God stands above the creature subject to it. The creature is the subject (sujet) of divine order. But the ordinances placed by God over the process of historical development can be transgressed by nations and bearers of power. This possibility of transgression confirms the truth that these ordinances are norms. Man cannot disobey a natural law, such as the law of gravity.

Actually, whenever one speaks of the contrast between "historical" and "unhistorical" and calls unhistorical action "reactionary," one accepts the existence of truly historical norms. When one characterizes a certain political trend as "reactionary" one makes a historical value judgment that presupposes the application of a norm for historical development.

But how do we know that God placed historical development under norms and not, for instance, under the natural laws that hold for electrical and chemical phenomena or for the organic development of life? The normative character of historical development is apparent from the place God assigned the historical aspect in the creation order. The contrast between historical and unhistorical action refers back to the opposition found in the logical aspect of reality between what agrees with the norm for thought and what conflicts with this norm. If a person contradicts himself in a logical argument, we accuse him of arguing illogically. The logical/illogical contrast presupposes that our thought function is placed under logical norms that can be transgressed.

Among the various aspects of reality the aspect of logical distinction is the first that displays a contrast between what ought to be and what ought not to be. The divine ordinances or laws for all subsequent aspects are normative in character. Norms are standards of evaluation, and as such they can be employed only by creatures who, endowed with a logical function, are capable of rational distinction.

Some maintain that norms appear already in the organic aspect. After all, we call an organism healthy or unhealthy depending upon whether or not it functions according to the "norm" for health. But this judgment rests upon a misunderstanding. A norm exists only for creatures who are responsible for their own behaviour and who are accountable for conduct that transgresses norms. Our ability to give account in this way is possible only on the basis of the faculty of logical judgment. Surely, no one would hold a sick plant or animal responsible for the abnormal functioning of its organism. No one would blame it for its sickness. Yet, we do hold someone accountable for arguing illogically.

Accountability is also at stake when we blame a political movement for its reactionary attitude toward historical development, or when we say of someone that he behaves antisocially, expresses himself ungrammatically, runs his business uneconomically, writes poor poetry, acts unjustly, conducts himself immorally, or lives in unbelief.

Norms are given in the creation order as principles for human behaviour. Within the historical aspect, as well as in all subsequent aspects of reality, these principles require formation by competent human authorities. The process of giving form to normative principles must always take into consideration the level of development of a people, for all subsequent aspects of human life are interwoven with the historical aspect of culture. Giving form of any kind always refers back to cultural formation in historical development. Accordingly, the principles of decency, courtesy, respect, civility, etc. require formation in social interaction, in our concrete social manners.

Likewise, lingual principles require the forms of language; the principles of economic value require economic forms; the principles of harmony require the forms of style; legal principles require the juridical forms of laws, decrees, statutes, and regulations. All the later aspects thus display an inseparable coherence with the historical aspect.

If the creation motive does not govern one's thinking, it may seem that social interaction, language, economics, art, justice, morality, and faith are in essence historical phenomena, as if they are of purely historical origin. But the creation motive of God's Word, which continually reminds us that God created all things according to their own nature, keeps us from this historicistic error and sharpens our ability to distinguish the aspects of reality. For example, positive  law, in its human formation, is not historical in nature. In contrast to historical formation, which presupposes the power of those who give form to cultural principles, the legislator's formation of positive law requires legal power and juridical competence. Legal power cannot be reduced to power in the historical sense. Such a reduction results in an identification of justice with power, which is tantamount to an abolition and negation of justice.

The persistent claim of National Socialism that a nation establishes its right to exist through a historical power struggle was a typical outcome of historicism. "Might is right" was the political slogan of the totalitarian state. The slogan was all the more dangerous because it contained a moment of truth. It is indeed true, as we shall see later, that a world judgment comes over the nations in world history, though never in the sense that right dissolves into might. It is indeed the case that the figure of "legal power" points to the inseparable coherence between the jural and the historical aspects of reality. Without power in the historical sense juridical power cannot exist. Nevertheless, the nature of each power is intrinsically different.
(Herman Dooyeweerd, Roots of Western Thought, pp 67-70)
For further philosophical context:


Content-Type: application/http; msgtype=response

WARC-Identified-Payload-Type: text/html

WARC-Truncated: length

WARC-Type: response

text:
Establishment and characterization of a new osteogenic cell line (MOS-J) from a spontaneous C57BL/6J mouse osteosarcoma.

Document Type

Publication Date

Animal, Anthraquinones, Bone-Neoplasms, Cell-Differentiation, Cell-Division, Disease-Models-Animal, Mice, Mice-Inbred-C57BL, Mice-SCID, Microscopy-Electron, Neoplasm-Transplantation, Osteoclasts, Osteosarcoma, Staining-and-Labeling, SUPPORT-U-S-GOVT-P-H-S, Tumor-Cells-Cultured

JAX Location

see Reprint Collection

JAX Source

In Vivo 2002 Jul-Aug; 16(4):223-8.

In this paper we describe the establishment and characterization of a transplantable cell line derived from a spontaneously occurring chondroblastic osteosarcoma in a C57BL/6J mouse. The tumor line, MOS-J, forms solid tumors when injected intramuscularly into immunocompetent syngeneic hosts, mimicking endochondral bone development. These transplantable tumors have the capacity to destroy and invade existing bone and invade vessels in close proximity to the tumor. In culture, MOS-J cells form layers of pleomorphic cells with high mitotic activity. These cells have marked alkaline phosphatase activity and form calcified foci in vitro that stain with alizarin red. MOS-J cells also promote osteoclast development in vitro from normal bone marrow cells. These characteristics indicate the potential utility of the MOS-J osteosarcoma cell line as a model for studies of human osteosarcoma and bone biology.

Please contact the Joan Staats Library for information regarding this document.

warcinfo:
robots: classic
hostname: ip-10-228-65-216.ec2.internal
software: Nutch 1.6 (CC)
isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2018-09
operator: Common Crawl Admin
description: Wide crawl of the web for February 2018
publisher: Common Crawl
format: WARC File Format 1.0
conformsTo: http://bibnum.bnf.fr/WARC/WARC_ISO_28500_version1_latestdraft.pdf


text:
Building protein interaction maps for Down's syndrome.

Document Type

Publication Date

Humans, Protein-Interaction-Mapping, RNA-Processing-Post-Transcriptional, Research-Support-Non-U, S, -Gov't, Research-Support-U, S, -Gov't-P, H, S, Signal-Transduction

JAX Source

Brief Funct Genomic Proteomic 2004 Aug; 3(2):142-56.

Now that the complete sequences for human chromosome 21 and the orthologous mouse genomic regions are known, reasonably complete, conserved, protein-coding gene catalogues are also available. The central issue now facing Down's syndrome researchers is the correlation of increased expression of specific, normal, chromosome 21 genes with the development of specific deficits in learning and memory. Because of the number of candidate genes involved, the number of alternative splice variants of individual genes and the number of pathways in which these genes function, a pathway analysis approach will be critical to success. Here, three examples, both gene specific and pathway related, that would benefit from pathway analysis are discussed: (1) the potential roles of eight chromosome 21 proteins in RNA processing pathways; (2) the chromosome 21 protein intersectin 1 and its domain composition, alternative splicing, protein interactions and functions; and (3) the interactions of ten chromosome 21 proteins with components of the mitogen-activated protein kinase and the calcineurin signalling pathways. A productive approach to developing gene-phenotype correlations in Down's syndrome will make use of known and predicted functions and interactions of chromosome 21 genes to predict pathways that may be perturbed by their increased levels of expression. Investigations may then be targeted in animal models to specific interactions, intermediate steps or end-points of such pathways and the downstream - perhaps amplified - consequences of gene dosage directly assessed. Once pathway perturbations have been identified, the potential for rational design of therapeutics becomes practical.

Please contact the Joan Staats Library for information regarding this document.


text:
Oocyte differentiation is genetically dissociable from meiosis in mice.

Document Type

Publication Date

JAX Source

Nat Genet. 2013 Aug;45(8):877-83.

Oogenesis is the process by which ovarian germ cells undertake meiosis and differentiate to become eggs. In mice, Stra8 is required for the chromosomal events of meiosis to occur, but its role in differentiation remains unknown. Here we report Stra8-deficient ovarian germ cells that grow and differentiate into oocyte-like cells that synthesize zonae pellucidae, organize surrounding somatic cells into follicles, are ovulated in response to hormonal stimulation, undergo asymmetric cell division to produce a polar body and cleave to form two-cell embryos upon fertilization. These events occur without premeiotic chromosomal replication, sister chromatid cohesion, synapsis or recombination. Thus, oocyte growth and differentiation are genetically dissociable from the chromosomal events of meiosis. These findings open to study the independent contributions of meiosis and oocyte differentiation to the making of a functional egg. Nat Genet. 2013 Aug;45(8):877-83.


text:
Montreal Canadiens in Trouble in Atlantic Division 2017 images

The Montreal Canadiens might be in a little more trouble in the Atlantic Division than what a first glance would suggest. Following Thursday’s action, where Montreal lost to the Philadelphia Flyers 3-1, the Canadiens are just 4-5-1 in their last ten games. Meanwhile, the Ottawa Senators have played well of late, going 6-2-2 over the same stretch. With three games at hand, the Atlantic Division could be viewed as close at the moment.

The Senators are 7 points back of Montreal in the standings, but the Canadiens have played the three extra games. How an advantage with games at hand will play out is never clear. However, if Ottawa used the extra games available to their full advantage, then they would only be a single point back of the Canadiens for the divisional lead. Minimally, the Senators have the potential to make a stretch run interesting in the Atlantic Division after Montreal opened the season with a huge lead. If Ottawa can chip away during the month of February, then the last five weeks of the season could see a race for a divisional title between the two Canadian-based franchises.

The Toronto Maple Leafs, the other Canadian team in the division, certainly aren’t out of the picture yet either when it comes to the divisional lead. However, Toronto have a lot of work to do. They dropped a 5-1 decision to the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night and remain 12 points back of the division lead in the Atlantic. It was the third straight game that the Maple Leafs lost.

The lead in the division aside, Toronto will be aiming to improve their form in order to target the Boston Bruins. Currently, Boston have a three-point lead over Toronto, a tenuous lead given that the Maple Leafs hold five games at hand. The cutoff point for automatic playoff entry in a division is third place so there is some importance to finishing in that position. Teams that finish outside out of the top three in any division have to hope their records hold up in the Wild Card races for each conference.

There really isn’t a team in the Atlantic that is a total write-off for playoff contention at this point. Florida, Buffalo, Tampa Bay, and Detroit hold the 5th to 8th spots in the Atlantic. Last-placed Detroit is only six points back of Toronto so any team that makes a strong move in the division has the capacity to get back into the thick of things still.

Montreal’s next game is on Saturday (1 pm ET), one that they will host at the Bell Centre against the Washington Capitals. Toronto and Boston play directly in the evening (7 pm ET) with the latter team hosting a game that has four-point swing potential. Lastly, Ottawa will be in Buffalo (7 pm ET) as the Sens look to chip away at Montreal’s lead with what they will hope will be a two-point night.

Leave a Reply


text:
Exploring Automotive Revenue Streams with Mahbubul Alam

Movimento Media Coverage

Ginny Weeks, from Tu-Automotive, explores the revenue streams in a swiftly changing technological automotive landscape with Mahbubul Alam, CTO/CMO of Movimento, an Aptiv company and Holger G. Weiss, CEO/Founder at German AutoLabs. Both the industry leaders emphasized on the creation of a collaborative system within the auto industry, particularly to enhance cybersecurity and in-vehicle operating systems. While identifying key applications for the auto industry, Mr. Alam says, “The ability of the leadership to identify and understand the application, without taking it at its face value; understand where in the network it applies, its nature of impact and the capability of driving the business’s talent pool accordingly is important.” They also talk about automotive cybersecurity, automotive data privacy and creating the right automotive business model for aftermarket revenue generation opportunities.

Read the full article here.

Subscribe to our newsletter


text:
Jump to content
Strawberry Orange Banana Lime Leaf Slate Sky Blueberry Grape Watermelon Chocolate Marble
Strawberry Orange Banana Lime Leaf Slate Sky Blueberry Grape Watermelon Chocolate Marble

MSFN is made available via donations, subscriptions and advertising revenue. The use of ad-blocking software hurts the site. Please disable ad-blocking software or set an exception for MSFN. Alternatively, register and become a site sponsor/subscriber and ads will be disabled automatically.

All Activity

This stream auto-updates

  1. Past hour
  2. Today
  3. SUMMARY OF CHANGES TO THE LIST FOR FEBRUARY 17/18, 2018: Fixed link (courtesy of MSFN member sdfox7) for last version of Skype for Windows Vista (v. Updated information about AVG Free Antivirus and AVG Internet Security: the programs do not support Windows Vista Starter Edition. Updated information about Gyazo: the application now officially requires Windows 7 or later, but unofficially works with Vista, however the Gyazo GIF component does not work in Vista. Updated information about ScreenToGif: the application now officially requires Windows 7 or later, but unofficially works with Vista. Added new (ONG) subsection: "Software Development." Added Java Development Kit 9 and Java SE Runtime Environment 9 to (ONG) "Software Development" section. Note: the applications officially require Windows 7 or newer, but continue to (unofficially) work in Vista. Added new (ONG) subsection: "BitTorrent Clients." Added BitComet, BitTorrent, qBittorrent, Transmission, uTorrent, and Vuze to (ONG) "BitTorrent Clients" section. Added BitComet to (ONG) "FTP Clients" section. Updated Open Live Writer to (UNS) status, as the application now requires Windows 7 or later but unofficially works on Vista. Rearranged some (ONG) subsections to be better sorted by relevance.
  4. Those of you who are using New Moon 27.8.0a1 with a language pack from JustOff's github repo, you are warned that the currently latest available (27.8.0_RC1) there will be broken if you install latest compile (git-20180218-3cf6a70ed) offered by roytam1; this is because the quoted commit changed localization strings (browser.dtd) and these changes (not present in 27.8.0_RC1) will break the main browser GUI... The way to update is: 1. Start your current version of New Moon 2. Via addons manager, disable your language pack and then restart the browser. 3. Once in the en-US interface, exit the browser. 4. Overwrite existing app files with the new ones inside the updated 7z package. If you don't know how to update yourself v27.8.0_RC1 of the LP (so as to contain the new changes), you should use the English GUI for a few days and keep an eye periodically on the repo, until an updated LP (v27.8.0_RC2?) makes it there...
  5. Official - Windows 10 Worst Crap Ever!

    I'm 110% with you cc333. Windows 10 is simply too much of a moving target, and Microsoft doing all kinds of things - like scheduling jobs that re-enable disabled services, that schedule other jobs, etc. - is just too intrusive. They want control, and they will apparently stop at nothing to get it. It's not that they're doing a bad job technically; Win 10 doesn't crash a whole lot. It's just that their policies are, well, wrong. Of all the things I've craved from my computer operating system, ceding control to someone else - someone who has demonstrated incompetence and indifference to my needs - has never entered my thoughts! Windows, you're breaking my heart! You're going down a path I cannot follow! -Noel
  6. Server 2012 Updates on Windows 8

    My security picture hasn't really changed fundamentally with any of the recent vulnerability discoveries... Basically if you don't download and run executables blithely, and you put some effort into keeping your browser from running badware blithely, your computer is fairly well protected from threats from without. I've never been under the impression that a computer can be protected from within. That's why I don't bother with UAC - it's just silly. I think of it as guarding the borders carefully, then making things efficient inside the moat. It leads to a good computing experience. It's just common sense. While it's initially alarming that browsers could potentially run Javascript that could take advantage of Spectre and Meltdown, blacklisting sites, disallowing ads, etc. are as effective as they are for more traditional exploits. There is of course always the possibility any of us could be one of the early visitors of some web site that's been compromised with a zero-day exploit, but blocking things from running in iframes and keeping browsers up to date helps with that. And anyway, it's the things that no one knows about (yet) that are the real threats. There is an advantage to being an "odd man out" w/regard to what OS you're running, or what patch level you're on, etc. is that the cutting edge exploit developers aren't targeting you because you're not among the crowd. Microsoft seems to make a fair number of new vulnerabilities in their new code anyway. So far my strategy has proven sound; I've had no attempted intrusions ever. And I don't imagine stopping the endless series of Microsoft patches will cause any practical problems for the foreseeable future, to be honest. Browser makers - even Microsoft - are reacting to the latest news by doing things like making their timers not as fine, limiting what APIs are available to Javascript, etc. And I already have several strategies in place to prevent my system from retrieving bad things from bad places on the web. I've been considering going a bit further and trying out a tool called uMatrix by the same guy who does uBlock. The intent of uMatrix is to limit the scripts that any given site can run to only those served by the site itself and select others. It's generally "deny 3rd party scripts by default" and that probably means a bit more ongoing trouble visiting sites outside one's typical destinations. That could be a significant effort since most sites seem to require scripts from all over the place. How can you really be sure a script is safe before whitelisting it anyway? They're usually obfuscated. Anyway, it's pretty clear that Microsoft has finally gone down one rabbit hole too many with their attempts to break our perfectly good systems, so good riddance. -Noel
  7. I have v. 3.5.1609.100 here. Digitally signed by IBM on Monday, Sep 12, 2016. I've never been able to get it to upgrade. For sure, 3.5.1xxx.xxxx is the last to install on xp. Trying to get it to update, nowadays, only breaks it, so better leave it be.
  8. It would be nice to have a released version, but why not just run the debug version until it's released? -Noel
  9. Yesterday
  10. Thanks Den, I didn't realise that you had admin problems here and can't create a new thread for this! This is still way off-topic of course, but I'm sure that the problem with Rapport has only happened recently, so I'm now desperately trying to find the offline installers for the last couple of versions so I can try rolling back to one that doesn't cause the problem. The version I'm using at the moment is 3.5.1804.161. This seems to be the last version that actually (sort of) works on XP. Later versions still install OK, but cause a BSOD on boot! Unfortunately, previous versions of the Rapport installers don't seem to be archived anywhere, and I deleted my copy of the installer for the previous version because I hadn't noticed any problem with the version I was using, and all my attempts to undelete the file have failed so far!
  11. Yes, many of us are patiently waiting. I had to downgrade/restore my Windows 10 system to v1703 in order to keep using Aero Glass. Is there any additional testing information you need from us? The latest experimental build (1290) solved all of the screen refresh/glitch issues I was experiencing...
  12. Latest Version of Software Running on XP

    The latest version of CPU-Z 1.83.0 was released on January 25, 2018: ZIP version: http://download.cpuid.com/cpu-z/cpu-z_1.83-en.zip or SETUP installer: http://download.cpuid.com/cpu-z/cpu-z_1.83-en.exe
  13. Better not to... at the moment we still cannot create new threads, so splitting is problematic. When xper solves it, then I may do it. Trusteer Report is needed by one of my banks also. And we have Gas Tech, here, too, which is even more meddlesome. That's why I do have duplicate XP boots in my main machine: one for everyday use but banking, the other solely for banking. And, in my secondary machine, while I do have just one XP boot, I have duplicate 7 boots, one of which is for banking, just to be ready when it becomes fully impossible to do banking on XP. But bank security programs are really intrusive, so I never let them get to my main system partition. Is it tiresome? Sure. But I've had my share of poltrgeists (such as the one Dave just unveiled) to catch, and enough is enough. Duplicate XPs mean just half the trouble, at the end of the day. Congratulations, Dave! Good sleuthing wind the day!
  14. Hi everyone. Thanks very much to everybody who has contributed with suggestions about my Search Companion problem. I've now finally, after several hours of tests and checking, found the culprit! It's actually a program called Trusteer Rapport, which I use as online baking security. It was causing the problem all along, if I disable it, the problem goes away. It does have a history of causing issues, and unfortunately Trusteer (now part of IBM) no longer support XP, so I can't expect any help with it. The problem is in fact nothing to do with any of the recent Windows updates, so could someone (Den?) with the necessary powers delete all the posts relating to this, or move them to a new thread, as they are actually nothing to do with the thread subject. Thanks, Dave.
  15. No New Threads Can Be Created. Help!!!

    Of course! ...Medium portion of French Fries on the side, sir?
  16. No New Threads Can Be Created. Help!!!

    @dencorso Thanks for transferring my posts in this subforum ; however, I am of the opinion this specific one should've stayed in its original place here, as it has more to do really with Vista's IE9 + TLS 1.2 rather than the forum's current predicament (not being able to start new threads); but I'll leave it up to you... Best wishes
  17. Latest Version of Software Running on XP

    @SolidSonicTH You can download the Skype installer for Windows XP from my FTP. Post back and let me know if it works for you: http://sdfox7.com/xp/sp3/EOL/SkypeSetupFullXp.exe The official, and currently working, download link for Windows XP Skype version is here: https://download.skype.com/1de55ae8023424270d5c382554da5584/SkypeSetupFullXp.exe) By the way, I just archived the link in the Wayback Machine (Internet Archive). Even when the link above stops working, you'll be able to download from here: https://web.archive.org/web/20180218203417/https://download.skype.com/1de55ae8023424270d5c382554da5584/SkypeSetupFullXp.exe
  18. Official - Windows 10 Worst Crap Ever!

    didn't work for me on chrome, only restored some settings and no extensions, i even tried 4 builds chromium, all refused to restore my complete profile when i copied the files / folder back, on launching, it would delete all the installed extensions.
  19. Disable EMET. Just for a test, of course.
  20. No New Threads Can Be Created. Help!!!

    It's OK! None taken.
  21. No MSFN forums with Opera Presto engine

    In recent days, all the old browsers are no longer able to load the board. The problem should be caused from IPB's new security protocol. So, suddenly and in one fell swoop, all the old OS (also vanilla Windows 2000) have become unusable with msfn. Great work IPB! Is there some hope to solve this big problem? Can you do something please? I'm tired and i seem to fight against the windmills!
  22. Hello. Dear bigmuscle, I would like to know about the new version of aero glass? Could you tell me please when will update build of Aero Glass with improving indexation? I ask this question because I can't use my Windows 10 without your program =) However I have big troubles with MS Office 2016, Microsoft Visual Studio, Microsoft C++ and other programs. When I type text I have bugs with real-time updating on my screen. It is the bug of indexation. If I uninstall Aero Glass from my PC than problem will be solved. I did it for being sure that it is Aero Glass affect to those problems with the invisible text. Unfortunately, I don't want to use Windows 10 without AERO GLASS, but I can't use a lot of programs because this bug creates impossible conditions for use.
  23. No New Threads Can Be Created. Help!!!

    ... Yes, of course ! Bad choice of word on my part (as lurk may have negative connotation); I should have written "hanging around more" (seeing that you're on Windows XP Pro); no offence whatsoever was intended! Thank you; I initially thought it was something particular to my account/credentials and/or related to the content I was trying to post ; later it emerged it was something more generalised... Hope you do get it sorted eventually... Best regards
  24. Thanks, I had tried re-registering some of those files already, and reinstalling search from its INF file. I tried all of them again, and the additional ones you mention, but no change I'm afraid. One thing I should have mentioned again earlier, and forgot, is that this issue does not occur in Safe Mode. I don't know if that provides any clues. I have of course tried booting with as little as possible running or loading, by using msconfig, but even with everything I could disable disabled, it still happens. Full Safe Mode, it doesn't happen.
  25. POSReady 2009 updates ported to Windows XP SP3 ENU

    Validation occurs Error number: 0x80072F19 when updating Windows today WindowsUpdate.log Misc WARNING: DownloadFileInternal failed for https://www.update.microsoft.com/v11/3/legacy/windowsupdate/selfupdate/wuident.cab: error 0x80072f19 WUWeb FATAL: CheckIfClientUpdateNeeded failed: error 0x80072f19 Both methods can be used successfully overcome Redirect http:// to https:// or Enable Enable SSL 2.0 Note: If not successful, update to IE8 and Windows Update Agent 3.0
  26. [VESA]UniGFX Graphics Driver

    Sometimes an image is worth a thousand words ... https://ravingreader.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/good_gnus_bad_gnus.jpg?w=584 jaclaz
  27. No New Threads Can Be Created. Help!!!

    It's being looked at. Were it easy, it'd be fixed, already. BTW: lurking around *is* my business.
  28. Official - Windows 10 Worst Crap Ever!

    Actually I grown to like it over time. Before[2014,2015] I was like that too.
  1. Load more activity


text:
This Day in History (24-Dec-1914) – The “Christmas Truce” of World War I Begins

During World War I, a battle line was drawn at the Western Front – stretching from Lorraine in the south to the English Channel in the north. Soldiers dug trenches and erected barbed wire to hold their positions. In places, the trenches were just yards apart and, as the soldiers realised that neither side was going to make any rapid victories or progress, the trenches became more fortified. The opposing forces now had time to regroup and strengthen their lines with more men. The proximity of the enemies also allowed men to shout out to their opponents or stick up signs on wooden boards. After a particularly heavy barrage of missiles or bullets, the soldiers might shout out “Missed” or “Left a bit”.

For much of December it had been wet but on Christmas Eve the temperature dropped and a sharp frost enveloped the landscape. The shouting between troops turned into something more during Christmas Eve. Germans celebrate Christmas on December 24 more than they do on the day itself (in Britain and France, December 25 is the main day of celebration). So on the Western Front on Christmas Eve, German soldiers began to sing carols and place Christmas trees lit with lanterns above the trenches.

As written in one of the British soldier’s letter, “On Christmas Eve the Germans entrenched opposite us began calling out to us ‘Cigarettes’, ‘Pudding’, ‘A Happy Christmas’ and ‘English – means good’, so two of our fellows climbed over the parapet of the trench and went towards the German trenches. Half-way they were met by four Germans, who said they would not shoot on Christmas Day if we did not. They gave our fellows cigars and a bottle of wine and were given a cake and cigarettes. When they came back I went out with some more of our fellows and we were met by about 30 Germans, who seemed to be very nice fellows. I got one of them to write his name and address on a postcard as a souvenir. All through the night we sang carols to them and they sang to us and one played ‘God Save the King’ on a mouth organ.”

The enduring legacy of the informal ‘Christmas truce’ has been positive and it’s looked upon today as a wonderful example of humanity during an dreadfully dark hour of man’s history.

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: Logo

You are commenting using your account. Log Out / Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out / Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out / Change )

Google+ photo

You are commenting using your Google+ account. Log Out / Change )

Connecting to %s


text:
How to Get Certified

Orchards at Orenco -- Winner of 2015 Passive Building Awards

The following resources are available to help guide project teams through the PHIUS+ Certification process.

The PHIUS+ Certification Guidebook was created to assist Certified Passive House Consultants (CPHC®) and other project team members in the PHIUS+ certification process.
Certified Passive House
Learn more about the PHIUS+ certification and QA/QC processes through in-depth webinars presented by PHIUS staff as part of the Developers Webinar Series.
PHIUS+ QAQC Multifamily Checklist
The PHIUS+ Certification Process Checklist is a handy step-by-step guide to getting your project certified. Meet these criteria and get the ball rolling on your passive building project.
PHIUS is here to support project teams in the certification of their PHIUS+ projects every step of the way. Please, simply reach out to us at the contact details below and our knowledgeable staff will be happy to assist you.


text:
Phase 3 Study of High-Dose Biotin, MD1003, in Treating Primary and Secondary MS Patients Underway

Phase 3 Study of High-Dose Biotin, MD1003, in Treating Primary and Secondary MS Patients Underway

A Phase 3 clinical trial has been launched by MedDay Pharmaceuticals to investigate whether treatment with high-dose biotin (MD1003) may ease disability and improve mobility in non-relapsing primary or secondary progressive MS patients. The study is recruiting participants across the U.S., Canada and Europe.

Biotin is a form of vitamin B, and it plays an important role in energy production within cells. Researchers believe the compound has no anti-inflammatory action, and thus no effect on relapses, but that it treats disability by tackling neuronal loss.

Eligible patients must be 18 to 65 years old, and can maintain existing disease-modifying therapies, if treatment has been stable for at least three months before enrollment. A list of U.S. cities with testing sites can be viewed here.

This randomized and double-blinded trial, called SPI2 (NCT02936037), is expected to enroll 600 MS patients, especially those with gait impairment, who will be assigned to receive either a capsule of MD1003 (100 mg) or a placebo three times a day for 15 months. Results are expected to be known by mid-2019.

MORE: Read “Learning to Push Back Against My Relapsing MS” [Sponsored Post]

“An interesting point with biotin is that it doesn’t seem to work in the short term,” Frédéric Sedel, MedDay’s CEO and co-founder, said in a recent interview with Multiple Sclerosis Today. “When we start the drug, we start to see an effect after at least nine months of treatment.”

Following  the trial’s randomization phase, patients will be allowed to enter an open-label extension study in which all will receive treatment with MD1003 (100 mg) for an additional 12 months.

The study’s main objective is to assess improvements in mobility and changes in disability, as measured on the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) or a timed test of walking 25 feet. Researchers will also analyze other clinical parameters, such as cognitive function, quality of life, and disease activity as captured on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans.

Results of an earlier Phase 3 clinical trial (NCT02220933) of MD1003 in 154 patients with primary or secondary progressive MS in France, published in the Multiple Sclerosis Journal in 2016, found eased disability progression and improved mobility in 12.6 percent of treated patients, compared to those taking a placebo. The treatment was well-tolerated and no serious side effects were reported.

“What we observed in patients was progressive improvement, which was very unusual, as you know — patients with progressive MS, as with other neurodegenerative diseases, are not supposed to really improve,” Sedel said in the interview.

About 5,000 MS patients in France are also taking MD1003 outside of the earlier and ongoing clinical study, under a temporary license, known as an ATU, granted the treatment by French regulatory authorities, Sedel said.

More information about the newly starting Phase 3 trial is available on its clinical webpage.

  1. Sheri Goggin says:

    I wish anyone could address my concern that in the pilot study, those in the treatment group showed more new lesions. The pilot even comments that this potential adverse effect should be further analyzed. Docs are now already prescribing this with seemingly no knowledge that there may be a risk. Any info on this anywhere?

    • Tim Bossie says:

      Thank you for the comment Sheri. This is not something we have heard, but will look into it. We do know that many doctors prescribe biotin as it is already available over the counter and there are several people who have had good success while taking higher doses.

  2. Suzanne Greenbaum says:

    I take Biotin for my eyes. My relative had Macular degeneration, so I heard biotin is helpful.
    Also, how does one get in a study? I’ve had MS for 27 years and not once, except for eye an study at Ohio State University. I’m in the progressive stage.

    • Peter says:

      Why do you want to perticipate a study? There is 50% risk, that you will eat one and half year placebo and your condition will worsen.
      Better buy Biotin on your own and use it by the study protocol. Biotin is relatively cheap, you can have high grade pure Biotin powder with gelatine capsules from e-shop for 20$ per month at maximum.

  3. nataša says:

    I have been taking Biotin since January this year. First three months I was taking 3 times 100mg per day, but now, after an additional consultation with my neurologist, I am taking 300mg twice daily.

    I buy it in powder form that I weigh out myself. The results are very encouraging, my illness is not progressing at all, and I feel stronger physically. Because my almost sole problem is walking, I use a walking aid at home and a wheelchair outside. My goal is to be able to walk again. On top of biotin I am also taking 50mg of Baclofen, 12mg of Tizanidine and Fampyra 2x10mg daily. I also take 1000 i.e. of vitamin D and 1 Omega3 fish oil capsule daily.

    I would like to know whether you would have any additional counsel or possible recommendations for me.

  4. Linda says:

    Vitamin D level is too low, try 5000IU per day in addition to 1000mcg B12
    See Professor Jenlinks research and Terry Wahl

  5. Liesbeth Ritzen says:

    Can you give me the address from the E-shop selling the high dose biotin. I live in the Netherlands and the biotin isn”t available so I have to buy it myself.

  6. Daniel says:

    I just started taking biotin , I have MS has anyone noticed any side effects not neccassariky with biotin but with biotin affecting there other meds? I take Baclofen and Klonopin for tremors and leg spascitity. Diagnosed now six years. Still working and walking but my leg weakness seems to be getting worse. I am currently taking Rituxan infusions after having been through copacone, Tysabri, Gilenya, techfidera. Basically I get a year and half on a med and then my disease breaks through again

    • Jenny S says:

      I am SPMS but no MS drugs ever helped me so I stopped taking them in 2016.
      I started taking high does biotin 300mg in October 2017. I no longer have to use any mobility devices because my walking and energy level have improved.
      You can buy it online from amazon or

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


text:
Archive | Sandwich bio RSS for this section

Tropical Curried Chicken Salad

Curried chicken salad is an item popping up on a lot menus. Chicken salad is always a great go to sandwich at your local deli, and adding curry powder just gives it that extra oomph. For some reason curry powder & mayo just meld together into a wonderful flavor. What makes Mum Mum’s curried chicken salad stand out and special? We put in just a little extra elbow grease (not literally of course ; } ) and lots of love. We use only chicken breast. We believe roasting gives the meat much better flavor. The chicken breast we use has the skin on to give it extra flavor and keep it moist. The split chicken breast is rubbed with olive oil,  kosher salt, fresh ground pepper and Javin’s yellow curry powder. Each chicken breast is shredded by hand and mixed with chopped red onion, celery, dried mango, golden raisins, ginger, mayo & yellow curry powder.

The flavors of all the ingredients blend so well together, and the mango just gives it that extra something, something. Give this sandwich a try next time and you won’t go back to that plain old, only mayo chicken salad again.

Curry roasted chicken breast just out of the oven.

What is a Vietnamese Pork Roll?

Vietnamese Pork Roll/Sausage

The Vietnamese Pork Roll/Sausage is the main player in our sandwich called the “Hanoi Classic.” It is called “cha lua” in Vietnamese or “moo yaw” in Thai.

It’s in a variety of dishes in Vietnam, mostly in small appetizers like “banh cuon” which is a rice crepe. Is is also commonly found in the “banh mi” or Vietnamese sandwich with the typical banh mi players of mayo, cucumbers, pickled carrots, pickled daikon radish, jalapenos & cilantro. (Note: we have left out the pickled daikon radish on our version as it has a strong taste as well as smell — think “methane.”)

In Thailand, it is generally made in the Isaan region and is typically eaten simply pan-fried and with rice or in a salad form called “yum moo yaw,” which is spicy and scrumptious. I’ll have a recipe for yum moo yaw below.

The main ingredient is pork, potato starch and fish sauce. The fish sauce gives it a strong smell which is mellowed out after it is pan-fried. The pork must be pounded into a paste not chopped out ground. It needs to be smooth in texture. It is then wrapped in a banana leaf into a cylinder and boiled. The pork roll must then be cooked, generally pan-fried, before being consumed. I like having a nice crisp texture when eating it. The pork roll we use is the one pictured above in the middle. There is another type which is pictured to the left which has pork fat and pig ear added giving it more texture. Personally I do not prefer this type as the added fat gives it a slimy texture.

The closest place to buy the pork roll is in Portland at any of the Asian markets. My 2 favorite markets are Hanukmen on Forest Ave or Makot Pech on St. John St. It is found in the freezer aisle.

Yum Moo Yaw Recipe: Thai-Style Pork Roll Salad

1 Pork Roll (Typically 2 lb roll) halved and sliced thin

2 small shallots sliced thin

1/2 small cucumber quartered & sliced thin

1 small tomato sliced into wedges

Thai bird chili (1 is enough for good heat, add as many as you prefer though be forewarned they are tiny but give a bang) sliced

1 -2 Tbsp lime juice

2 tsp fish sauce or thin soy sauce

10-15 mint leaves torn

2 scallions cut into 1/2 in pieces

2 sprigs cilantro coarsely chopped

1.) Pan-fry the sliced pork roll with a touch of vegetable oil until heated through on medium heat

2.) Mix with the rest of the ingredients and enjoy with salad greens or sticky rice

The flavor profile of this dish is spicy, sour and salty — adjust the amount of fish sauce/thin soy sauce, lime juice and bird chili according to your preference.

The Dynamic Duo

Like Batman and Robin or Yogi Bear and Boo Boo, scallops and bacon go hand in hand. Ubiquitous on catering menus, you’d think people would be sick of the combo, but scallops wrapped up in bacon is always a crowd-pleaser. Then again bacon on anything is scrumptious, though I might draw the line on bacon ice cream.

So after eating bacon-wrapped scallops at party after party I decided why not put it in a sandwich with a little tweak.  Our scallops are coated with panko bread crumbs & deep-fried instead of grilled.

I wonder who does the wrapping.

The Pacific Rim

I was first introduced to the term “Pacific Rim” by my “Contemporary East Asian Economics” professor. The “Pacific Rim” generally refers to the countries that are on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, but on an economics standpoint it refers to an economic region that consists of Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong. I’m getting old, so at the time of this class Japan was still a relevant player in East Asian economics. Actually, no, was a ‘more’ relevant player; the karaoke-loving, ramen-slurping, anime-crazed Japanese are still hanging on. I digress, the point is since that class I have always associated the term “Pacific Rim” with Japan.  Plus, the professor was a Japanese expert and super dreamy.

Now our sandwich, the “Pacific Rim” has pickled ginger & wasabi mayo, 2 ingredients many associate with sushi, hence Japan. Pacific Rim was just the perfect name. It’s become one of our best selling sandwiches. The crisp lettuce  & creamy avocado blend perfectly with the bite of the pickled ginger & wasabi mayo. Simply — ooishii desu ne!!!

Sloppy Joe’s Thai Rendevous

I have a sweet spot for sloppy Joe’s. It brings back childhood memories of Catholic school where once a week, usually a Thursday, there would be special meals we could buy for $1.25. Sometimes hot dogs or burgers, but the sloppy Joe’s are what we all waited for. It’s such a classic childhood dish you can’t help but enjoy and reminisce about the simpler days.

Now if sloppy Joe went to Thailand  and had a little fling in Pattaya with a Thai girl, or boy, or even a ladyboy he would turn into our version of the sandwich. We use ground pork, instead of beef, red curry, ginger, garlic, lemongrass & palm sugar. We top it off with jalapenos for a nice bite, cilantro & some cheddar cheese.

All these women are actually men.

Side Note: Thailand has become infamous for a lot of unsavory things lately. The redlight district is quite embarrassing.  A major player in the redlight districts like Pattaya or Patpong is the ladyboy. For whatever reason Thai men make beautiful women. I’ve had many guy friends leave Thailand so confused because they have no clue if they were seeing women or ladyboys. It’s actually a fun game if you’re ever in Thailand.

There is a beauty pageant for ladyboys called the Miss Tiffany Universe. Thai ladyboys win almost every year.

Ni Hao Chairman Mao!

Our Chairman Mao sandwich is not in honor of the infamous Mao Zedong of China, but of Beijing’s popular “Peking Duck.”  A visit to Beijing is not complete without trying Peking Duck at least once and taking a chomp out of a duck head. This dish comprises of a specially roasted whole duck where the skin is super crispy, cucumbers, scallions & hoisin sauce to be wrapped in a pancake. Our sandwich has basically the same components with the addition of cilantro & mayo and eaten in a baguette or wrap.

Chairman Mao’s reputation has transcended beyond tyrannical Communist leader whose rule resulted in millions of deaths through the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. Though compared to the likes of Stalin and Hitler, there is no doubt he is still revered as a great leader amongst the Chinese. Are they brainwashed? Maybe to a certain degree. China’s propaganda machine is probably one of the most successful in the world. Mao’s portrait is still hung probably in almost every restaurant in China. And you can’t miss Mao’s giant portrait in Tienanmen Square or his Mausoleum where you can still see his embalmed ‘green’ body.  Though he may have committed countless horrible acts, it can not be denied he was one of China’s greatest rulers and a significant political figure in world history. Even Time Magazine named him in the top 100 most influential people of the 20th century.

In a way Mao has become a part of pop culture especially after Andy Warhol’s portrait of him.

And you can’t ignore the infamous Oba-Mao image made global after the Beijing Summer Olympics.

There are many who can be offended (We actually did have a gentleman walk out of the restaurant because of it, hence this post resulted. But, who isn’t offended by anything nowadays? I could say “the” and hurt someone’s feelings.) that a sandwich can bear the name of murderous Communist leader; however,  since most of the 1.3 billion people of China won’t take offense and will probably be proud just because they are such an ethnocentric race and, would love  to have anything bear a name that represents China we probably should calm down a bit. You can’t deny that “Chairman Mao” sounds a lot catchier than “Peking Duck Sandwich.”

Good Morning Vietnam!!!!!!!!!

Please meet Miss Saigon, the sandwich Mum Mum was basically created around. The word fusion gets thrown around a lot nowadays with globalization basically at its peak. There are so many fusion cuisine creations like French-Thai, Latin-Japanese and Latin-Chinese to name a few. Many blend the flavors of the 2 cultures quite well, but many also miss the mark completely.  Miss Saigon, or “Banh Mi” in Vietnamese, might be one of the ultimate fusion food creations. It is probably one of the few positive outcomes of the French “colonization” of Vietnam.

The French brought over the baguette to Vietnam which was totally embraced by the people there. The French were kicked out and baguette remained and given a different twist by the Vietnamese. The recipe was tweaked and the Vietnamese baguette is made with rice flour as well as wheat flour giving it a flakier crust and softer inside. What really  makes the Banh Mi stand out are the fillings. Generally always made with meat fillings like chicken, beef or pork, but always definitely flavored packed. The meats are marinated with ginger, garlic, lemongrass, honey, palm sugar and soy or fish sauce and are usually grilled or sauteed until the meat is nicely caramelized. The typical banh mi always has the bread, mayo, cucumber, pickled carrots, pickled daikon radish, jalapeno & cilantro. Some fillings still left over from the French are things like head cheese and pate which are also still popular.

Banh mi has become quite popular in larger cities like NYC, Boston, San Franciso & LA where there are larger Vietnamese populations. Many more Americans are embracing the banh mi because it does provide something familiar — the sandwich, yet giving a taste of the exotic. The common citizen also has a little more exposure to Banh Mi due to shows like the Great Food Truck Challenge that introduced Nom Nom’s banh mi to middle America.

Banh Mi was a great inspiration for Mum Mum’s because it completely comprises what we grew up eating being first generation Americans. We always tweaked typical American fare by giving them a Thai twist. Combined with our Asian-American upbringing and my experiences traveling through Asia we were able to create the dishes on our menu.

How We Make Our Marinade:

We use a wooden mortar and pestle to pound lemongrass, ginger, honey, shallots & white pepper to a  paste and then mix with soy sauce and sesame oil before marinating the chicken breast, shaved steak or tofu.


text:
Murphy Road Baptist Church 2.4

5.87 MB

Publisher Description

Murphy Road Church exists to lead people to worship, grow-in, and serve God through lives changed by the power of the gospel.

We believe that God has answered humanity’s greatest need by sending His son Jesus to live a life that I could never live, die on the cross for my sins, and rise again so that all who believe in him may experience the grace, forgiveness, power, and life that comes through a relationship with God.

Murphy Road Baptist Church is a free software application from the Teaching & Training Tools subcategory, part of the Education category. The app is currently available in English and it was last updated on 2016-06-13. The program can be installed on Android.

Murphy Road Baptist Church (version 2.4) has a file size of 5.87 MB and is available for download from our website. Just click the green Download button above to start. Until now the program was downloaded 2 times. We already checked that the download link to be safe, however for your own protection we recommend that you scan the downloaded software with your antivirus.

Program Details

Publisher The Fluid App, LLC
Released Date 2016-06-13
Languages English

Category Education
Subcategory Teaching & Training Tools

System requirements

Operating systems android

Download information

File size 5.87 MB
Total downloads 2

License model Free
Price N/A

Version History

Here you can find the changelog of Murphy Road Baptist Church since it was posted on our website on 2016-10-02. The latest version is 2.4 and it was updated on on 2018-01-26. See below the changes in each version:

version 2.4

posted on 2016-06-13

Add a review

Tell us your experience with Murphy Road Baptist Church 2.4

Our Recommendations

Click stars to rate this APP!

Users Rating:
  0.0/5     0
Editor Rating:
Downloads last week: 0
Release Date: 2016-06-13
Publisher: The Fluid App, LLC
Operating System: android
Type: Free


text:
Home At Last

Chestnut-Breasted Coronet 11-21-17-0567

Chestnut-Breasted Coronet

I’ve been home in body for almost three weeks, but my soul remains in Ecuador.Paramo 11-19-17-0434Paramo 11-19-17-0437

Cota Paxi Volcano 11-19-17-0960

Cotopaxi Volcano

Coming back to a busy work schedule, holiday pressures, choir commitments has made it challenging to get through the photographs. I still have to ferret out most of the bird pictures, although I have been reviewing them every chance I get to put up on Field Guides’ webpage, since I feel an obligation to the group as I was the primary picture-taker. On top of that pressure is the reality that it takes twice as long to process the pictures on my newer MacBook Pro, designated the “travel laptop,” which is where the bulk of the pictures reside. We’ll be visiting those pictures soon, I hope. In the meantime, here is a sampling of what I downloaded to my older laptop after I got home.

Paramo 11-19-17-0422The irresistible landscape is part of Cayambe-Coca National Park, which we visited on our way from Quito to our first night’s stay at Guango Lodge in Papallacta. Guango was the magical place I stayed at for one night last year on the way down to the Amazon.

I could easily return to this part of the world just to explore the plant life.

Paramo 11-19-17-0461In this quick post I am adding a few bird photos of species we saw practically every day. Below on the left is a Speckled Hummingbird.

Not a hummingbird, but an irresistible flycatcher, the Cinnamon Flycatcher was also on the list almost every day.

Below is a tiny leaf-colored insect on a large leaf to give you an idea of scale, and a closer crop of the creature itself.

More amazing plant life from the paramo and montane cloud forest. According to Wikipedia there are over 100 species of endemic plants here.

A couple more hummer photos…

Chestnut-Breasted Coronet 11-21-17-0570

Chestnut-Breasted Coronet

Fawn-Breasted Brilliant 11-21-17-0484

Fawn-Breasted Brilliant

Bronzy Inca 11-21-17-0485

Bronzy Inca

Below, a Chestnut-Breasted Coronet emerging from the flowers.Chestnut-Breasted Coronet 11-21-17-0501And a Fawn-Breasted Brilliant, Chestnut-Breasted Coronet and a mystery bird with its back to us at the feeder.3 Hummers 11-21-17-0473I will be back soon, the three-day weekend will offer more time to get caught up here and try to visit everyone else’s blogs I have not managed to see. I wish you all a joyous and peaceful holiday.

Battening Down the Hatches

DEJU 10-29-17-6908

Dark-Eyed Junco

The cold is upon us. The possibility of winter seems suddenly everywhere. I wrote those two sentences two days ago, hoping I would want to change them, but we are heading into freezing temperatures overnight, so I may as well say “stet.”

Very busy at work, no weekday birding, and the weekends have been either rained out or too preoccupied as well. So here are a few pictures from a little time spent in the backyard the last couple weekends. Likely I will continue to see most of these birds, but the backdrop has already started changing.

I decided to not ignore the House Sparrows just because there are so many of them. Whether hanging out with a Mourning Dove above, or preening, hanging out at the bird bath, or eating peanuts below, House Sparrows, however ubiquitous, can be charming in their own right.

Preening HOSP 10-29-17-6819HOSP 10-29-17-6944HOSP 10-29-17-6979House Sparrows are also capable of aerial feats.

My last sighting of a White-Crowned Sparrow below was on my neighbor’s fence two weekends ago. Also had a visiting American Goldfinch.

The last bit of color in the yard before the leaves began turning was from the sedum in the pictures below.

And I had a short visit from what looks like a brand new male Downy Woodpecker.

DOWP 10-29-17-6863The Common Milkweed proved to be very good for Milkweed Beetles.

My last butterfly was a Painted Lady. I won’t see them again until next summer. But the squirrels and the Northern Cardinals aren’t going anywhere.

Painted Lady Butterfly 10-21-17-6782Squirrel 10-29-17-6984

NOCA 10-29-17-7050NOCA 10-21-17-6800This Dark-Eyed Junco was very comfortable and happy in the yard that last sunny weekend day. I’ve never seen a Junco try to eat peanuts before. Impressive.

I will be busy these next few days getting ready to go on what will likely be my last international trip for a while. I’m going back to Ecuador over the Thanksgiving holiday week. So I may not be able to manage another post before I leave.

Painted Lady Butterfly 10-21-17-6765If you are in  celebrating Thanksgiving, or wherever you are, my best wishes for days filled with peace and love.

Down by the River

BCNH 10-12-2017-6467

Juvenile Black-Crowned Night-Heron

I miss my crows. Terribly. I miss their inventive, gentle camaraderie and sense of humor. And their joy for peanuts. I will have to see if I can find them one of these weekends when I’m not conscripted to be elsewhere and it’s not pouring rain.

Crow LSE 06-27-2017-0782I started writing this in the midst of a constant downpour. Contemplating how I am getting more used to the new workplace. My mood improved about the new gig after managing to get out for a couple short walks along the river last week. Birding along the river wasn’t half bad.

It turns out the Black-Crowned Night Heron at the top of this post was a rarity for this time of year. I had no idea what it was when I took the picture, I only pointed my camera lens at it and followed it as it flew by. It was darker than a first cycle gull and that’s all I knew about it until I took the picture. And then checking it on the camera when I got back into the office I misidentified it, but kept thinking it over and later it occurred to me that it was a juvenile Black-Crowned Night Heron.

Below, a more likely suspect for a darker bird – a first cycle Herring Gull.

Not to be confused yet, at least, with the more prevalent adult Ring-Billed Gulls that have not yet left the area.

RBGU 10-12-2017-6332I got over to the Boeing garden a couple times last week. On Thursday I was faced with convincing two security guards that I was not taking pictures of the building, but of birds. Not sure if showing them my American Birding Association cap helped, but they left me alone after kindly admonishment.

I pondered a spy novel about a terrorist disguised as a bird photographer but decided it wasn’t worth the effort. The Yellow-Rumped Warbler above was still hanging out in one of the young oak trees. (No suspense in that sentence.)

Below is one of my favorite migrating sparrows, a Lincoln’s Sparrow. This one has been hanging out by the train station.

LISP 10-12-2017-6319

Lincoln’s Sparrow

Likely the last Golden-Crowed Kinglet I will see before spring.

GCKI 10-12-2017-6373

Golden-Crowned Kinglet

A Gray-Cheeked Thrush…

GCTH 10-12-2017-6345

Gray-Cheeked Thrush

And a more ubiquitous Hermit Thrush…

HETH 311 S Wacker 10-13-2017-6479

Hermit Thrush

The White-Crowned Sparrow below flew into a plexiglas barrier and then I found it hiding in a dark spot by some low vegetation on Friday morning. I called Chicago Bird Collision Monitors and then, following their instructions, dropped it off in their parked vehicle, after placing the bird in a paper sandwich bag I have been carrying around for weeks just for this very purpose. It was taken with other survivors to Willowbrook Wildlife Center for rest and rehabilitation.

WTSP taken to CBCM 10-13-2017-6473

White-Throated Sparrow requiring help

Below, another White-Throated Sparrow and a Hermit Thrush foraging in the not-so-pristine leaf litter at Boeing.

Thursday was the last time I saw the Blackpoll Warbler that was there for a few days.

BPWA 10-13-2017-6543

Blackpoll Warbler

At last we are experiencing fall-like weather, finally, following the spate of weekend thunderstorms. As the weather changes, so will migration. I hope to find more birds following the river’s path.

RBGU 10-12-2017-6457

Ring-Billed Gull

Flight of the Equinox

Shoveler followed by Wigeon McGinnis 09-17-17-8293

8 American Wigeon following a Northern Shoveler

Getting up earlier now for work, so it should be a little easier to convince myself to continue getting up early on the weekend and look for migrating birds. I still curse the alarm clock – it’s quite dark at 4:15 A.M. and it won’t be getting any lighter for a while. But even my Zebra Finches have gotten into the new routine. They start in with their morning chorus call well before sunrise.

I have yet to record the morning Zebra Finch reveille, but the week I was off in between jobs, I did manage to get a clip or two of Arturo T., and so I have finally added his arpeggio song to the sidebar. He has more songs I will try to publish soon.

DCCO Ottawa Trail 09-09-17-5364

Double-Crested Cormorant

It was officially fall sometime Friday afternoon, but we have been trapped in the middle of a hot spell longer than anything we had during the summer. Even worse, the forecast for rain keeps diminishing. But I guess compared to other parts of the planet our weather woes are mild by comparison.

These miscellaneous flight shots are primarily from a visit to McGinnis Slough the weekend before last.

BLJA Ottawa Trail Portage 09-17-17-8084

Blue Jay

GREG McGinnis 09-17-17-8184

Great Egret

MALL McGinnis 09-17-17-8283

Wood Ducks

The two Great Egrets below were flying over the Des Plaines River near the Portage the day before.

GREG Portage 09-09-17-7938I’ll let the pictures talk for themselves…

WODU McGinnis 09-17-17-8230WODU McGinnis 09-17-17-8233

DOWP Portage 09-09-17-8029

Downy Woodpecker

Below a little sign that the trees are getting ready for a long winter’s nap even if the weather won’t cooperate.

Fall Color McGinnis 09-17-17-8172I went into the city an hour earlier this morning to see if it was possible to see any birds before getting to the office. It wasn’t easy. The light wasn’t good until I had to leave Lake Shore East Park, after it took me half an hour to get there. I will simply have to find birds close to the river. I will miss the lakefront parks, and particularly my crows. I may have to go downtown a few weekends to see if I can find the crows, because I miss them terribly. I refuse to believe they aren’t around as much because I have been absent, I still think it’s the hot weather. I hope I’m right.

GREG McGinnis 09-17-17-8178I will try to be back sooner. Still getting used to the new regime. I hope the autumnal equinox finds you safe and sound, wherever you are.

Fall Migration Begins

TEWA Portage 09-03-17-4449

Tennessee Warbler

There was no time for birding last weekend. So I decided to visit the Chicago Portage two days in a row this weekend. It’s not a difficult decision to make this time of year. I took my chances that the rain Saturday night might cause a little warbler fallout and I was not disappointed. Not many species but it was still nice to see some activity.

Apart from birds, I saw more Monarch Butterflies the last two days than I have all summer, when I have occasionally seen only one or two. Yesterday I am sure I saw at least 15, which is still nothing compared to previous years.

The other late summer pleasure is spider webs like the huge one on the left below. On the right, the flowers are still laden with the last night’s raindrops.

Cedar Waxwings were everywhere both days, but in particular yesterday. I estimated there could have been a hundred but I reported a conservative 76.

The two robins below seemed to be arguing over the lower bird’s perch.

On the Des Plaines River, one Great Blue Heron and one Great Egret were still present on Saturday, but Sunday morning they were gone.

GBHE and GREG Portage 09-02-17-3862Indigo Buntings were still a presence but getting a bit harder to find. They are likely getting ready to leave.

INBU Portage 09-03-17-4235INBU Portage 09-02-17-3666Likely INBU Portage 09-02-17-3973INBU Portage 09-02-17-3901Also nearly absent are Red-Winged Blackbirds.

RWBL Portage 09-03-17-4318

Red-Winged Blackbird

For excitement, on Saturday I focused on the Red-Tailed Hawk below when it landed in a tree across the water, and then got lucky enough to capture its takeoff when it left.

So where are the warbler pictures? I didn’t get them all, but below are a few. The Orange-Crowned was there Saturday. Apparently it is early because I got the “rare” warning from ebird yesterday when I tried to add it before developing my pictures. I hope the image below will be enough proof.

OCWA Portage 09-03-17-4223

Orange-Crowned Warbler

BLWA Portage 09-03-17-4538

Blackburnian Warbler

BAWW Portage 09-03-17-4554

Black-and-White Warbler

I heard several Warbling Vireos and Saturday I managed to photograph one.

WAVI Portage 09-02-17-3641

Warbling Vireo

The Carolina Wren below was a surprise. This appears to be a youngster. I fussed over the image for a while but decided it has to be a Carolina, even if the eyebrow isn’t finished-looking, the bill, the reddish color and the upturned tail indicate Carolina Wren. I also heard one sing, likely it was this one trying out its pipes.

Below is how the Portage looked yesterday.

Portage 09-03-17-4557Abundance below, of Pokeweed berries and Jewelweed blooms. Unfortunately I couldn’t find any hummingbirds enjoying the Jewelweed.

The shelf fungus seemed a bit diminished on this visit.

Shelf Fungus Portage 09-02-17-3790Below, three first-year birds.

RBGR Portage 09-03-17-4398

Rose-Breasted Grosbeak

EUST Portage 09-03-17-4597

European Starling

MODO Portage 09-02-17-3595

Mourning Dove

The cardinal is a likely candidate for first-year status as well.

NOCA Portage 09-02-17-3784

Northern Cardinal

Another view of the Portage, showing off all the native wildflower planting done lately.

Portage 09-02-17-4016I couldn’t decide which photograph of the Common Yellowthroat below to include, so here are both.

COYT Portage 09-02-17-3671COYT Portage 09-02-17-3670And one more of a Tennessee Warbler, adorning Giant Ragweed. Tennessees were most numerous yesterday.

TEWA Portage 09-03-17-4459Apologies for being absent of late. My work situation is in flux, which creates a different kind of distraction. But I promise I’ll be back soon with an update from the yard. It’s been cool enough overnight to leave the windows open all weekend. I think Fall is my Favorite Season.

Open Windows Weekend

The events of this past weekend have made me even more aware of whatever beauty remains on this planet, and it’s hard not to want to hold on for dear life. As everything changes and challenges one’s perceptions of reality, it’s almost amazing to find and appreciate what is still intact.  The weather was relatively cool and dry, which made it perfect for leaving the windows open. I never turned on the air, and with the intermittent cloud cover and breezes the birds and I were quite comfortable both days.

For future reference, I keep meaning to get around to a post about the indoor crowd but for the moment all I have to share is a couple quick pictures when I came back into the kitchen from the yard and the Zebra Finches were playing in the kitchen sink. This is their favorite weekend pastime, as I keep the door to the kitchen closed during the week when I go to work. My last flock did the same thing. The other totally instinctive behavior seems to be the chorus response after I open one squeaky drawer… Anyway, the little brown and white Zebra Finch is one of the last hatchers and I must admit she had me quite confused until her orange bill and feet came in. I’m finding the color variation quite interesting. A standard-looking male Zebra Finch is on the left, and the plainer-looking bird behind her on the right is a normal hen.

Not a lot going on in the backyard. But it’s always nice to see a female cardinal or a male goldfinch.

AMGO 08-13-17-2916

Thanks to Jason at Gardeninacity for making me more aware of two flowering plants in my front yard this past week, Nodding Wild Onion and Wild Petunia.

Saturday morning I went to McGinnis Slough just to see what was going on. Although it was remarkably un-buggy on the ground, there must have been plenty of insects in the air, because swallows and Chimney Swifts were feeding in full force.

BASW 08-12-17-7478

Mostly Barn Swallows, McGinnis Slough

BASW McGinnis 08-12-17-7482

Barn Swallows on break

Northern Rough-Winged Swallows and Barn Swallows were flying low over the marshy area which was covered in dried out water lilies or whatever they are, I can’t really tell.

BASW 08-12-17-7516

McGinnis 08-12-17-7664At first I didn’t see many Chimney Swifts, but then they seemed to be everywhere, even though they wouldn’t pose for a group photo.

I heard the Red-Tailed Hawk first, and then there it was soaring above me.

No butterflies. There were Meadowhawk dragonflies but they were too busy for photos as well. So I settled for this bee-like individual on what appears to be Field Sow-Thistle.

Flower McGinnis 08-12-17-7525I couldn’t leave without a photograph of some Swamp Rose Mallow, even though there didn’t seem to be as much as previous years.

One more look at the Red-Tailed Hawk.

RTHA McGinnis 08-12-17-7576Linda and I had a lovely time playing music at the Second Unitarian Church on Sunday. We performed “Spiegel im Spiegel” by Arvo Part before the service began and “En Bateau” by Debussy later in the service. The Part kind of takes over and mesmerizes. But I found it much easier to play the Debussy after much standing and singing along with the congregation. And now we go back to choir rehearsal at Unity Temple tonight for what should be an exciting and challenging singing year.

Summer Urban Wildlife Update

Crows Cancer Survivirs 07-26-17-2343Not much going on with birds in the downtown parks these days. It is breeding season and occasionally I hear baby birds, see a youngster here and there, but the warm weather also brings out the tourists and I think the birds are keeping a low profile.

I am always happy to see my crow friends. But last week when I visited Lake Shore East Park, below is a picture of the first crow I saw. I am sure crows die on occasion but it is very unusual to see a dead one. I called Chicago Bird Collision Monitors first to see if there was any protocol, perhaps the state was still collecting crows to test for West Nile Virus, but they checked and called me back and they had no suggestions on what to do. I was surprised no one had found the carcass and removed it, given the workers who seem to be constantly maintaining the gardens. Although under a tree, the bird was in plain sight from the walk.

Dead Crow LSE Park 07-17-17-1784

I hope this isn’t Fuzzy.

A couple women walking by with baby carriages stopped to talk to me about the dead crow, they were concerned and sad to see it. Eventually I met a young woman named Tess who proved to be a crow soul mate and she promised to investigate who to notify as she lives nearby. She wrote me an email a couple days later saying she finally managed to tell one of the gardeners, as the management in her building had been clueless. Her description of the gardener’s eyes welling up with tears when she showed him the dead crow was touching. Tess surmised that the gardener was as fond of the crows as he seemed to be of tending the gardens. That explains to me why the crows chose Lake Shore East Park to raise their young, they feel welcome there.

In any event, the crow funeral gathering must have occurred a lot earlier because the two or three crows present with youngsters seemed to be going on with their lives, although I am quite certain they were aware of the corpse and the attention we paid to it. I am just hoping I have not lost an old friend, Fuzzy, who was hanging out with this bunch. I think Fuzzy was himself a juvenile only a few years ago.

Hot, sunshiny summer afternoons are good for butterflies, or at least they ought to be. I got lucky Tuesday with a Monarch at Lake Shore East Park.

Other birds finding ways to deal with the heat were the House Sparrows bathing in the fountain below…

HOSPs LSE Park 07-25-17-2142and Rock Pigeons preening in the shade or sun-bathing in the mulch.

Yesterday I didn’t get as far as Lake Shore East because the crows met me at the Cancer Survivors’ Garden instead. There was only one fledgling.

But while this fledged kid was more vocal than on other occasions, it was also learning to forage for itself. If you click on the pictures below, in the first one you can see it showing off a beak full of small worms.

Just as I was leaving the garden yesterday, a Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly flew into the onion patch.

Tiger Swallowtail Cancer Survivirs 07-26-17-2401Here’s one more of the fledgling.

Fledge Crow Cancer Survivirs 07-26-17-2245

“So you’re that peanut lady.”


text:
Musings on folk, Americana, country, bluegrass and newgrass

Rooster Walk Music and Arts Festival Poised to Become Premiere Southeast Roots Rock Event

Leave a comment

Rooster Walk Music and Arts Festival is one of the best up-and-coming events you’ve never heard of.

That’s about to change. With this year’s star-studded roots rock lineup and a new home, you can count on it.

Rooster Walk started with a couple of bands and more than a couple kegs in a field on the outskirts of Martinsville, Virginia, as a way to honor two high school buddies who died too young.

Two years ago, Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine named the event the best “Underground Festival” in the mid-Atlantic and Southeast.

But there’s nothing “underground” about this Memorial Day weekend event, scheduled May 21-24. It will feature headliners Yonder Mountain String Band and more than a dozen other heavy hitters, including Lake Street Dive, Steep Canyon Rangers, Southern Culture on the Skids and Donna the Buffalo.

“Rooster Walk in 2015 goes from being a great concept to a regional fixture on the festival scene,” says Dean Johnston, president of Arts at the Rives Theatre (ART), a community nonprofit that has transformed the historic Rives Theatre from a movie house into a live-music venue that features Rooster Walk acts throughout the year. “Suddenly Yonder Mountain String Band is the top act as opposed to Yarn, and they now have a venue designed to host a festival. With the new location, I think they can take it to next level.”

More than 40 acts are scheduled to perform at Pop’s Farm — just off U.S. 58 and about an hour’s drive from Roanoke, Virginia, and Greensboro, North Carolina.

In addition to the headliners, the aforementioned Yarn, Particle, Mountain Heart, Dangermuffin, The Mantras, BIG Something, People’s Blues of Richmond, Big Daddy Love, Stop Light Observations, The Congress, Mipso, Major & the Monbacks, the Kings of Belmont, After Jack, Jon Stickley Trio, Lizzy Ross, Annabelle’s Curse, Mighty Joshua, the Southern Belles, The Shack Band, Empire Strikes Brass, Seth Stainback & Roosterfoot, Anthony Rosano & The Conqueroos and Junto, among others, are set to play on five stages.

“People come for big acts, but the festival is about the small-letter bands and the musicians you discover,” Johnston added.

This festival is also about small crowds. Unlike Coachella or Bonnaroo, Rooster Walk attracts thousands, not 10s of thousands.

And rare is the festival that offers such an interesting blend of musical genres, according to mandolin player Andrew Hendryx, co-founder of Brooklyn-based alt-country band Yarn, a Rooster Walk favorite that is scheduled to perform twice during this year’s event.

“One of the things I really love is the community of people here and the way the promoters blend music,” he said in between sets during the 2014 event. “What an inspiring place to play music. They have an amazing quality of musicians here.”

In addition to music, craft beer and farm-to-table food truck offerings, there’s on-site camping and a wide variety of arts, crafts vendors and kids activities including free music, tie-dye and hula-hoop workshops, a parade, face painting and a Teen Dance Party. Other attractions include a Healing Arts Area with yoga and massage, a disc golf course and numerous walking/hiking trails on the 150-acre Piedmont foothills property.

“We couldn’t be more excited about all the great things going on around Rooster Walk 7,” says Johnny Buck, executive director and festival co-founder. “The band lineup came together perfectly, and the new venue is just absolutely gorgeous. Both primary stages are located on the edge of a small lake, and the water is going to serve as a stunning backdrop. It’s got the perfect recipe for a Memorial Day weekend to remember.”

About 600 people gathered seven years ago to listen to music and to celebrate the lives of two close friends, Edwin “The Rooster” Penn and Walker Shank. In 2014, more than 4,000 people attended the festival. A portion of the proceeds goes to a college scholarship fund as well as a band instrument program at area public schools.

For Jessica Beverage of Charlottesville, Virginia, Rooster Walk has become a Memorial Day weekend tradition for her and her two young children. “It’s like you’re having a backyard cookout with your friends with music. It’s down to earth. It’s not pretentious. We just dig it.”

Watch a promotional video here. Rooster Walk Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to music, arts and education in the Martinsville/Henry County area. For ticket information, visit

This was originally posted in The Huffington Post here.

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: Logo

You are commenting using your account. Log Out / Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out / Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out / Change )

Google+ photo

You are commenting using your Google+ account. Log Out / Change )

Connecting to %s