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Full. Stop.

And here we are, coming up on Christmas, at the end of a season long journey of discovery into the universe of social media. Yep, that’s exactly what happened. There actually has  been some discovery going on for me, and this is evidenced pretty clearly by my summary of learning last weekend. But let’s back up and see how I got there:

In the Beginning, there was Paranoia…

The journey began at the tail end of a crisp, end of September weekend. I was at my computer screen, toiling over my first blog post of the semester. First blog post ever, to be perfectly honest. It felt so incredibly unnatural experience, putting my thoughts online, that turned into the most natural experience in the world as I spent most of the post dwelling on my fears and distaste of social media. I paid special attention to my fixation on the pitfalls and dangers lurking with social media

And the Paranoia Continued…

I was allowed to further indulge in my preconceptions with my second week reflection. We spent a good portion of our lecture discussing some vivid examples of what can go wrong online, and I highlighted some examples, like this one, and touched on my own experience with my identity being compromised.

The Turning Worm…

It was at this point, a few weeks into the course, that a perceptible shift in my thinking can be observed. In my third reflection, while not abandoning my fears and preconceptions, I began to perceive that they were contributing to me being left behind. I remarked on how different learning is today in comparison to when I was a child (and that wasn’t THAT long ago). The amount of knowledge at our finger tips is astronomically bigger than ever before, and it’s only going to get greater. And social media is one of the tools our kids use to connect and learn. As an educator, my self-talk regarding social media was starting to change.

My fourth reflection continued to build on this theme, as I made deliberate efforts to internalize the positive aspects of social media.  I looked into some well known social media campaigns, like the ice bucket challenge, and found some incredible initiatives, like crisis mapping. None of these things especially surprised me, but I was putting effort into letting these examples sway my overall opinion of social media. Basically, I was trying to unclose my mind.

With Great Power comes Great Responsibility…

Ice Bucket Challenge!

At this point, the conversation in EC&I 831 turned towards digital citizenship. This was well timed, as I had already made a conscious and deliberate efforts to hold my negative attitudes at bay and not only consider the potential good of social media, but the inevitability of its presence in my life.

My fifth reflection discussed my own responsibility to teach digital citizenship to the students I support. I read some material that highlighted the pitfalls of relying on a “fear and avoidance” model of teaching digital citizenship, and this spoke to me on many levels. I instinctively knew, as a teacher, that this doesn’t work. But with social media, up until now, I have been disregarding this good practice, and this almost certainly was a by-product of my own personal fears of social media.

But I am the adult here, and I need to move beyond that. The thought also occurred that some of the very things that drive me away from social media are, maybe, things that people do because nobody was there to really teach them how to use social media responsibly.

The Wishful Demise of Textbooks…

My sixth reflection, and seventh, veered away a bit from my responsibility to teach digital citizenship, and moved towards grappling with open education. I pointed out how kids around the world, 617 million of them in fact, do not have access to quality education, despite being in school. I certainly wasn’t alone in perceiving injustice in mega industries thriving off of education, while so many are left out in the cold.

I had the chance to play and experiment with some OER resources, like Khan Academy, and discussed their potential to extend the reach of education. This was personally relevant, as the school I am employed with has had to make some prioritizing decisions around resources for education support, and this has included not paying for Mathletics. Khan Academy can fill in the void (and more) with no actual cost attached to it.

Khan Academy motto: “You can learn anything. For free. For everyone. Forever.”

Waze at work!

It was at this point in my journey that I felt confident enough to take a small detour and relate my experience with Waze. Waze is a social media approach to navigating, and I’ve quite enjoyed it. The data behind the app is not centrally built up, but built by the users. This leads to a pretty responsive map with live traffic data, and up to date information on road closures. It was fun being able to contribute myself, as I added Harbour Landing School to the map.

Winding Down…

As we started to near the finish line, we veered back towards talking about sharing, and the power of learning collaboratively in shared spaces. My seventh reflection discussed Steven Johnson’s notion of idea incubation, how our greatest ideas don’t actually come in flashes of genius, but rather take time to germinate and come to fruition. Along that vein, I related some stories of unexpected technological discoveries that stemmed far from their original design, like the development of the microwave.

I started to connect this personally to my own habits with regards to professional sharing, outlining the venues in which I am comfortable sharing (ed camps, with colleagues, basically anything face-to-face), and my lingering caution with sharing online (funny how everything seems to keep coming back to that).

Flipping the Grid

My final reflection was a last hurrah to experiment with some applications that harness social media for learning. I chose to play with Flipgrid, an app that lets student present learning in a fun and creative way. It allows for the teacher to pose a question by video, and lets students record answers by video as well. It was a pretty fun experience for the students who got to partake.

This was kind of a nice exclamation point on my reflection process for me. One more pointed reminder that, for the sceptic (me), that social media can be used to some great positive ends. They can be grand, like a massive charity drive, or more personal, like an application that supplements good teaching practice.

In the End

And so this led me to where I am now, trying to summarize my experience through video. EC&I has been a very positive experience for me. An experience that has impacted my practice in meaningful and, just as importantly, actionable ways. My attitudes on social media have certainly shifted towards a more moderate stance, and this is a stance that better fits with my clientele of students who are very much in tune with social media. My adventure with seesaw has, as stated in my summary video, been a game changer. It is something that I cannot imagine being without.

Thanks Alec!

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Friday, April 4, 2008

She's Irish-American, right?

Story time.

So, we're at dinner tonight - we've gone out rather than ordered in. This is a big event because we've gone out to dinner maybe two other times since Erin has been born. We're at a Balkan place called Two Brothers, a new place for us. Everything is going swimmingly. Then the food arrives.

Erin becomes transfixed. She's been carefully watching us eat for a few weeks now but now she's serious. She reaches. She turns to mom. She turns to the food. Mom picks up a fry, cools it off and holds it to her mouth for a taste. We've offered food before; she has always just stuck out her tongue for a taste. Not this time. She opened up, slowly closing her mouth on the fry. She gnawed a bit off. She chewed. (when did she learn how to chew?) She swallowed, coughing a bit, then went for seconds. She proceeded to eat every bit we gave her.

Yes, baby's first food is French fried potato.

We will be giving her "real" baby food tomorrow.

Christie said...

It never occurred to me but OF COURSE baby's first food should be french fries. There is no better introduction to our cuisine. We were thinking of having a first foods night for Henry on the 19th, care to join us?

Amber said...

That's awesome. Josie would be so jealous to know that Erin got her first fry at 5 months (she's quite fond of them herself). I hope she's not too disappointed tomorrow, after such a tasty introduction to food!

Darren said...

Couldn't have picked a better food. Get her hooked on her veggies! Oh, and congratulations E!

Ms. A said...

Although E is 5.5 months, she was born late. If she were born on her due date she'd be 6 months old. Am I just trying to justify myself here?

Amy said...

French fries first? That's like flying first class and then flying coach! She may just spit those strained peas back out and say her first words: "I want french fries!" You may need to puree some fries.

No need for justification. 6 months is just a recommendation. Being a genius baby, E is advanced and clearly ready to have more tastes than metallic flavored bottled breast milk.

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Monday, July 26, 2010

End of Younger Twos group.

I'm backdating this post by one day.  So today is Erin's last day in her Younger Twos group at her preschool.  The school year officially ended in June, but today is her last day of summer camp .  When school resumes in the fall, she will be a bona fide (if not official, quite yet) Younger Three.

Here she is on her first day of school this past year.

And here she is on her last day.  She dressed herself. And refused to brush her hair.

Someone smart once said, "Life moves pretty fast.  If you don't stop to look around once in awhile, you could miss it."  Considering how much little E has grown this past year, I'd have to agree.

1 comment:

Christie said...

Wow. From bike to car in what will seem like the blink of an eye. Miss E looks amazing in all shades of green, by the way.


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Wednesday, July 4, 2007

Manganese and Scrapie

Sheep infected with scrapie and cows infected with BSE ("mad cow" disease) have elevated levels of manganese in their blood before clinical symptoms appear, according to new research.

The findings, published in the Journal of Animal Science, also show that scrapie-resistant sheep produce elevated levels of the metal when “challenged” with the disease.

The findings raise the possibility of using manganese levels in the blood as a potential diagnostic marker for prion infection. At present, only post-mortem examination of the brain tissue gives a certain diagnosis.

According to the researcher, "the origin of the increased manganese in the brains and blood of infected animals remains unknown."

Read full article at

Thanks to Bev Pearsall for suggesting this article for the blog.


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Thursday, August 28, 2014

a day of inspiration: grounds for sculpture

Three days left to enjoy my summer vacation with my daughter Katie, and on this beautiful but hot day, we decided to visit Princeton for breakfast at our favorite pancake house (PJ's) and then make our way to Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, NJ. The sculpture garden is on the grounds of the former New Jersey State Fairgrounds and is the most amazing place to be inspired by both nature and art. I was introduced to Grounds for Sculpture years ago when I took a trip to the park with a few of the other art teachers at my school. Being introduced to these beautiful grounds by other artists while I discovered the intrinsic beauty and creativity of every inch of the park was quite an experience. It is with this same excitement and delight that I still visit this place. Of course, my daughter shares my crazy thrill for all things creative, so this visit was just as special as the first time.

The landscape filled with distinctive plants and trees changes with every season. Nestled into this natural setting are pieces of artwork, sculptures in wood, metal, glass and concrete. As you walk along a bamboo lined path, or meander into a hidden trail, the sculptures take you by surprise. They make you think, they often make you smile, and they always make you take yet another photograph as a reminder of the unique and beautiful vision you just happened to discover.

Seward Johnson, a present-day American sculptor, is the founder of Grounds for Sculpture, and there is a wonderful retrospective exhibit of his work at the park. Katie and I saw so many of his signature pieces in every corner of the place and half the time we were guessing if the people up ahead on the path were sculptures or actual visitors to the park! Johnson is best known for life size pieces of bronze-cast people, posed in typical everyday activities. While I am always fascinated by the creative process, I tended to gloss over the technique and skill with how he created his realistic and dimensional forms, and instead was drawn into a staged world envisioned by the artist, each time feeling a bit strange to be occupying the same space with his sculptures. If a couple of real people sitting on a bench in a park were engaged in a conversation, you may notice them from afar, or even come closer to ask them a question, but you certainly could not invade their private space, peer closely into their faces, or reach out to touch an arm or leg. At the Grounds for Sculpture, you are welcome to come close and touch even though it feels quite strange, as if you are defying an unspoken rule of social etiquette.

Seward Johnson was a painter before he became a sculptor and this is most evident with his "Beyond the Frame" series. With these pieces, he built elaborate sets based on the artwork of a well-known painting (often an impressionist work of art), and you are invited to walk through the space and become part of the painting. Not only are there natural highlights and shadows in the dimensional folds of the sculpted clothing, his subjects are painted to show dimension as an impressionist artist might have done with soft, visible brushstrokes. The effect of his surface brushstrokes is most amazing when you photograph the scene and the flattened image reverts back into a picture of a flat painting! I am an artist who enjoys working most with two dimensional forms and this exhibit challenged me to appreciate space and dimension in a new way. I was blown away with the irony of Johnson's vision and the recognition of the paintings that inspired his sculptures and sets. Today, I walked through van Gogh's room and caught a glimpse of dancers made famous on a Renoir canvas. What a thrill!

On exhibition this summer are also huge, 20 foot sculptures of popular icons created by Seward Johnson. Marilyn Monroe caught the eye and the camera lens of many visitors. But I love the incidental pieces, ones not displayed on a pedestal, but regular people just placed into the landscape as if they belong there, such as a man washing a window, another man painting a fence, a hot dog vendor, and a young art student sitting on the grass drawing a picture of a sculpture. What a great place to be inspired!

Thursday, August 21, 2014

My father, the artist

When you think back in your life to your earliest memories, it can be confusing what is a real memory or what you might have seen captured in a photograph and claim to remember. My mother kept a shoe box full of black and white early photos of our family in the closet, so there were certainly many of those moments saved for prosperity. But my first 'actual' memory and the one there is no photo of, just the image in my mind, is me standing in the basement of our house in Whitestone next to my dad's drafting table. I was not any taller than the table and I could barely see what he was drawing. To this day, when I think of an artist, I think of my father, his ideas, his projects, and his views on creativity in a very changing world. When I think of a proper art studio and the tools you would need to have to be an artist, I do not think of a computer screen and a stylus, I remember his drafting table, his brown metal lamp angled over the table, and his file cabinets filled with magazine clippings of pictures. Consider Pinterest, the best social media tool of all! That was his file cabinet, a place to keep everything and anything visual that he might want to refer to again at some point.

Although they claim differently, all the members of my family were talented, creative people. My grandmother, Baboo, was a seamstress. I still have her wooden singer sewing machine table with the treadle base that you pedal to make it go. I still have and treasure her handmade beaded evening purses that I am afraid to use because they are so fragile. My mother was a fantastic artist with a crochet hook, knitting needles, and embroidery thread. My dad would design projects for her that she would lovingly sew and then display in the house alongside his paintings. Talk about collaboration...a goal they try to teach us at school every year, as if it was a new concept! And my brother, Rick, who believes the creative gene completely bypassed him altogether was at one time a glass artist, and today, as a retired elementary school principal, he is a very creative chef and so passionate about anything that interests him...a sure sign of creativity waiting to happen at any turn.

But it is Daddy who we all think of as the artist. Robert Fisher grew up in Brooklyn, went to school for art when that was not quite the thing to do, and earned his degree in Industrial Design. I remember him working as a package designer when I was really young. At the end of the day, he would bring home a big poly bag of cheese because he was designing the container for Friendship cottage cheese. The little blue bird on the Friendship container that kind of looks like today's symbol for Twitter? That's my dad. For many years, he was also an art director at Ideal Toys, but it is not the brilliant toy package designs and illustrations that I remember, it is his score of creative hobbies at home that captured my interest.

We used to take long walks together in search of the perfect rocks. On these rocks, my dad would design an abstract painting and sit for hours with his ruling pen filled with acrylic paint and a magnifying lens strapped to his head, ruling perfect lines and arcs onto the surface of the rocks. These beautiful little specimens of art were displayed around the house along with his huge painted canvases with the same inspired designs. He always kept a sketchpad on him at all times and told me how important it was to draw every day.

Eventually, photography became his favorite medium. Taking his camera out on a Saturday morning in the city was only the first step in the creative process of photography for my father. He worked mostly with black and white film and in his self-constructed darkroom in the basement he became a scientist experimenting with chemicals and light to develop his own prints. His study of a manhole cover found on the streets of Manhattan became more of a beautiful abstract design than just a mounted photograph. His photo of an older man sitting outside a building in Soho who Daddy struck up a conversation with that day, turned into a dimensional image in a shadow box that pulls the viewer into the scene through its pure whimsy and unbelievably brilliant construction. His solitary black and white photograph of a chair on the beach became a lovely colorful image that he hand dyed with Dr. Martin dyes. The creative process in photography, to Daddy, was so much more than just taking the camera out for a walk.

"Boys of Summer"
one of his computer illustrations that reminds me
so much of his paintings and rock designs
These days, he no longer owns his beautiful drafting table or has access to a darkroom. About to celebrate his 88th birthday, my father is a true renaissance man. New developments in technology are simply new tools for him to explore and experiment with. Just last night our phone conversation was all about how he is playing around with the latest version of Adobe Illustrator 'on the cloud' and is learning how to do a particular style of computer illustration by watching YouTube tutorials. I was immediately inspired to try this out as a graphic art project with my students at school. To hear the thrill in his voice over doing something creative makes it hard for me to believe how many years he has inspired me and the next generation through my daughter, Katie, to appreciate art, to fill our lives with art, and to find our own creativity. I love you, Daddy.

me and my dad
katie and grandpa

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Quilting, a new art form for me

For my birthday, Norman gave me a gift certificate good for a beginning quilting class at my local fabric store, Fabric Inspirations. I have always loved creating things out of fabric, yarn, or any kind of fiber, and although I learned how to sew as all of my generation did in an 8th grade home economics class, I never did try my hand at quilting. I adore handmade quilts, soft and cuddly ones with imperfect but lovingly sewn stitches. To me, each quilt should tell a story, perhaps through the chosen fabrics as in a memory quilt, or through the comraderie of the quilters who came together as a group to make it, or even in the history of the lucky owners who enjoyed its warmth. Quilts should be practical but beautiful, and definitely something to treasure.

Kate's pillow for me (front)
Kate's pillow for me (back)
My daughter, Katie, took a costume class in her fall semester at Rutgers and learned how to sew, quilt and embroider. She made for me a quilted pillow with lovely fabrics and an embroidered letter B for my name. She is so creative and thoughtful in every gift she gives to the people she loves and I was moved to tears with this handmade present. I went right out and bought a new sewing machine to replace my old one that stopped working years ago, as well as rulers, pins, a rotary cutter and a score of other tools to start my own quilt. I stared at videos on YouTube for hours, watching experienced quilters demonstrate their techniques and eventually had my favorite online quilters and a list of favorite blogs to follow. We attended a quilting exhibit and that was fun to see what people are doing with this art form today. Although I am still in love with the older style quilts, I saw art quilts at the show suspended on walls like paintings and they opened my eyes to the possibilities you can do with fabric. The designer in me was inspired for sure.

My iPhone case
My learn to quilt class would not start until later in the spring, but I was anxious to put my new hobby to the test. With my background in graphic design and mechanical art skills I jumped right into the craft, thinking I could do this! Starting small, my first project was a tiny quilted cover for my cell phone, and then a pillow for Katie as a thank you for starting me on this new journey. What fun!

My pillow for Kate (front)
My pillow for Kate (back)
Katie's pillow began with a design I created on Adobe illustrator based on Robert Indiana's Love sculpture. Even with my inexperienced quilting attempts, I was able to figure out how to add seam allowances to the shapes in the design and managed to stitch it together even though my scant quarter inch seams were not so perfectly uniform. The back of the pillow has a center block that Katie created in her class, embroidered with the words, "Thank you." The sewing on our beginner projects was certainly not perfect, but our pillows are an enthusiastic expression of love and creativity between a mother and daughter and that is perfection to me.

Monday, August 18, 2014

We have a pasta dinner at least once a week in my family. Before my diet became gluten free, a favorite meal for us would either be a baked pasta like ziti or lasagna and we would have delicious leftovers for another day, or I would cook a pot of fresh pasta and pair that with a hearty meat sauce. Before the newer versions of GF pastas came out on the market, I could never just substitute brown rice pasta for regular semolina pasta and get away with calling it dinner at my table! It was awful in taste, gummy in texture, and could never stand up to leftovers. This meant making regular pasta for everyone else and boiling a separate pot of water for my portion of noodles. I was so happy to be able to eat anything remotely similar to pasta that I didn't complain much about the extra pots, strainers, and utensils to clean.

About a year ago, we were invited to our friends' apartment in Manhattan. Vicki's son, Ned, was in charge of making a dinner for us and he was sweet enough to make sure that even I could partake in the meal. He found a brand of GF pasta in one of the specialty shops in the city called "Bionaturae" Organic Gluten Free Pasta. What a difference it made! We could not tell that it wasn't "real" pasta. Reading the package, I saw that this pasta was a mixture of rice, corn and soy. A blend like this helps to create a better taste and texture. I was able to find this brand of pasta near my home at stores like Wegman's, Whole Foods and even Stop and Shop, and I now always keep packages of Bionaturae's penne, elbows, and fusilli in my pantry to grab for any night of the week. Thank you Ned!
  • The biggest lesson I learned from this experience is to never buy a single ingredient pasta. Corn pasta by itself is just as horrible as rice pasta. Always look for a mix of at least two different grains for the best taste and texture.
  • One of the most important tips I learned from watching my favorite chefs on television make their pasta dishes is something that becomes even more crucial with GF pasta. Rachel Ray, Mario Batali, and Lydia Bastianich all say it is important to cook your pasta a little shy of al dente and then let your pasta continue to "cook" in the pan with the sauce as you stir the entire dish together. This not only coats all of the pasta, but it imparts flavor into the actual noodle. By the time you are ready to serve a dish prepared this way, any kind of noodle would be delicious!
  • I have also learned to use the salted pasta cooking water as part of the sauce. It somehow acts a binder, helping the sauce stick to the noodles and it makes a healthier addition (it is just starchy water after all) than using oil, heavy cream, or butter to make more sauce. In order to have this water on hand when I finish up the sauce, I find it easier to scoop my cooked pasta out of the water with a big spider (or a slotted spoon) and transfer the pasta into the pan with the sauce instead of pouring the entire pot of water over a strainer in the sink. This way, you don't have to go to the trouble of remembering to save some of the water.

Sunday, August 17, 2014

The only way to wake up Sam on a Saturday morning is with the aroma of pancakes cooking on the griddle. My children grew up enjoying everyone's favorite "Aunt Jemima" buttermilk pancake mix. My only concession to using the store bought mix was to never succumb to the complete version that only calls for water. Mixing in my own eggs and milk seemed to make it more homemade somehow, especially when the artist in me created pancakes shaped liked their initials or a heart!

Going gluten free made my own love for pancakes a challenge. I started off trying a few GF pancake mixes on the market and cooking a small batch separately just for me. My attempt to create a tastier pancake led to a batter made completely from scratch, using the best blend of ingredients. Everyone now prefers mine for our pancake brunches on the weekends.

Base Pancake Mix

This base recipe makes 5 bags of dry pancake mix to store in your pantry. Grab a bag any morning you'd like to whip up a batch for your family. To this mix simply add your fresh eggs and milk, and any delicious combination of tasty ingredients. Blueberry pancakes? Chocolate chip pancakes? It's easy!

1 1/2 cups rice flour
1 1/2 cups oat flour
1 cup potato starch
1 1/2 cups tapioca flour
1 Tablespoon fine salt
1 Tablespoon Xantham gum
1 1/2 Tablespoons baking powder
1/2 cup sugar (you can omit this and then a heaping tablespoon of agave or honey with the wet ingredients instead)

Mix all ingredients in a very large bowl. Blend well.
Divide mix evenly into 5 ziplock baggies. There should be about 1 1/4 cups of mix in each bag. Label the outside of the bags and store them in your pantry.

Blueberry Cheese Pancakes

Most recipes call for adding the eggs and milk to the dry ingredients but I found that it was hard to mix in the unbeaten eggs and just the right amount of milk without over mixing the batter (a big mistake for pancake batter). My recipe starts with the wet ingredients to avoid this problem. This recipe will make about ten 4" pancakes.

2 eggs
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Grated zest of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 bag pancake mix (1 1/4 cups)
Blueberries (fresh or unsweetened frozen)
Oil or butter for pan
  • In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, almond milk and vanilla. Add the lemon zest and ricotta cheese.
  • To the wet ingredients, add the bag of pancake mix. Stir until just combined. It should appear as a thick batter that will cling to your mixing spoon but easily drip back into the bowl. Gluten free flours tend to be a bit more absorbent than regular flours and may require more liquid. I found that 1 cup of almond milk works well, and that is quite different than the usual proportion of dry to wet with ordinary flour based pancakes.
  • Heat a griddle or large nonstick frying pan with grapeseed oil or butter. Use a ladle to add small rounds of batter to the hot pan.
  • Arrange blueberries on each pancake.

  • Cook over medium high heat until small bubbles appear. Flip pancakes over and cook until golden brown on both sides.
  • Serve with real maple syrup!

Pumpkin Pancakes

Follow same directions above, but skip the ricotta cheese, lemon zest and blueberries. Instead, blend in 1/4 cup pumpkin purée into wet ingredients. Add 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon to batter. These are delicious with fresh sliced fruit such as bananas and strawberries served on top.

Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes

Follow same directions as blueberry pancakes, but skip the ricotta cheese, lemon zest and blueberries. Instead, blend in 1/2 large mashed banana and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon to the batter. As I did for the blueberries, I never add the chocolate chips directly to the batter, but arrange them evenly on the pancakes while the first side is still cooking on the griddle.

Apple Nut Pancakes

Follow same directions as blueberry pancakes, but skip the ricotta cheese, lemon zest and blueberries. Instead, blend in 1 small grated apple (peel the apple and then simply grate it over the bowl using the large holes of a grater), 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/4 cup chopped walnuts to the batter.

Mandel Bread is not a bread at all but a cookie. It is a Jewish version of an Italian Biscotti cookie. This recipe is based on my Aunt Elke's traditional Mandel Bread recipe that started off with a few simple ingredients. Of course, once I started revising it with gluten free options and healthier fats and sweeteners, it became a bit more involved.

The almond flour and coconut oil that I use to update this recipe definitely gives this simple, rustic cookie a deep and delicious taste!

1/2 cup almond meal
1 1/2 cup gluten free all purpose flour (King Arthur brand)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon Xantham gum
1/2 cup coconut oil
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup sweetener such as coconut palm sugar
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts (such as walnuts, pistachios, or almonds)
Pinch of sugar and cinnamon for sprinkling over top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Do not grease.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the almond meal, flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and Xantham gum.
  • In a large mixing bowl, beat the coconut oil until creamy. Hint: Wash the bowl in hot water first and dry well before adding the coconut oil. The oil will cream easier if it is little warmer than room temperature. Add the eggs, sugar and vanilla, and blend well.
  • Blend the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients by adding it a little at a time. (I usually add the dry ingredients in thirds until well blended.) Use a rubber spatula to incorporate any of the batter on the sides of the bowl, especially the coconut oil that tends to stick there.
  • Fold in the chocolate chips and nuts.
  • Use your rubber spatula to transfer dough to parchment lined cookie sheet and form into long rectangular shape. Dough will be very wet and sticky. Sprinkle top with a pinch of sugar and cinnamon.
  • Bake in the center rack of your oven until it is golden along the edges and set in the center. Dough will spread even more as it heats up and bakes.
  • Slip the cookie with the parchment paper off the cookie sheet and let it cool on your counter. (I rest it on my large wooden cutting board.) Let cool for about 15 minutes and while you are waiting, raise the temperature in the oven to 400 degrees.
  • Once the cookie is cool enough to handle, slip the parchment paper out from underneath and set the paper back on the empty cookie sheet.
  • Take a sharp knife and slice the cookie into long strips, like this...
  • Carefully set each cookie strip on its side back onto the parchment lined cookie sheet. It should all fit. You are simply toasting the side of the cookie, it will not spread anymore and you don't have to leave space between them.
  • Bake until toasted, about 5 minutes. This happens quickly so watch the oven carefully. Cool finished cookies on a wire rack. They harden as they cool.
  • I usually store them in the freezer just so I don't eat them every time I pass through the kitchen. (It is so wonderful to have a treat that I can eat again!) They freeze beautifully and happen to be delicious cold.

These can really be made by one person, but it is so much more fun with someone else on hand to help. Katie usually helps by arranging the crepes on the kitchen towels. She also eats the extra bits of crepes that form on the outside of the circles, and helps me roll them around the cheese filling. With my daughter away at college, my husband came to the rescue. Here is Norman making perfect blintzes as he watches tennis on TV. Now that takes coordination!

The recipe below includes both regular and gluten free crepes. I always make them both ways for my family and the amount of batter for both versions together will yield just right amount of crepes for the filling. Note: For some reason, Farmer's Cheese does not cause a problem for me with my lactose intolerance, and it says right on the package of Friendship Farmer's Cheese that it has less than 0.5% of lactose in the cheese so that might be why. But if this would still be an issue, you can try other fillings such as fruit, or a savory version with mashed potatoes and other vegetables.

3 lbs. Farmer's Cheese (You can buy a big log of this at the deli counter)
1/2 cup sugar or sugar substitute
2 eggs

Regular Crepes:
1 1/4 cups of water
1 cup of all purpose flour
6 eggs
Pinch of salt

Gluten Free Crepes:
3/4 cup of water
1/2 cup of Gluten free all purpose flour
1/4 tsp Xantham gum
3 eggs
Pinch of salt

Grapeseed oil or vegetable oil to fry the crepes
Butter to fry the finished crepes
Light sour cream
Frozen berries
Agave sweetener or honey

Cover a large counter space or your kitchen table with dish towels. I use two 10" non-stick omelet pans to create the crepes. If you do not have two 10" pans or you find it too difficult to juggle 2 pans at once, do one at a time.

  • In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar together. Add the cheese and mix well. Set this bowl aside.
  • For the regular crepes, whisk flour and water together in a large bowl until smooth. Whisk in eggs and salt.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk GF flour, Xantham gum and water together until smooth. Add eggs and salt.
  • Heat the non-stick pans to medium high. I add a drop of oil to each pan. There should not be too much oil or the crepe will not set properly. Use a paper towel to spread the oil around evenly and to remove the excess oil, leaving just a fine coating in the pan. Do this after each crepe is done.
  • Pour a ladleful of crepe batter in the pan and quickly swirl it around to cover the bottom of the pan. Hold the pan over the batter bowl and let the excess drip back into the bowl. The crepe should be a very thin coating. Return the pan to the top of the stove and let it set for a few more seconds. You are simply waiting for any glistening wet spots to disappear as the crepe sets.
  • Cook only one side of the crepe. Do not try to flip it over and cook the other side. It is so thin that this is not necessary.
  • When the crepe is set, turn the pan over the kitchen towels on the counter and tap to release the crepe.
  • Return the pan to the stove and add more oil with the paper towel, then repeat with the batter again. Make sure as you are arranging the crepes on the counter that you separate which ones are gluten free.
  • When all crepes are finished, add a small amount of cheese filling on top of each crepe. I usually arrange all the crepes on the counter and add cheese in the center of all of them before wrapping so that I know there is an even distribution of filling on each crepe. With your fingers, make the cheese look like a rectangular log in the center of the crepe.
  • To wrap, fold 2 opposite sides of the crepe over the ends of the cheese log, then overlap the remaining two sides over the cheese to seal.
  • I hate to admit that butter does make a difference to the flavor of the blintzes so I do still cook them in a touch of butter on top of the stove. This step can be skipped. Using the pans I have out from making the crepes, I add a small pat of butter to each pan and place 4 blintzes in each pan to cook. Turn them once so that both sides are lightly golden brown.
  • Transfer each of the cooked blintzes into a large baking dish and keep warm in the oven. To make this ahead for serving later, cover the baking dish and refrigerate. Reheat them at 350 degrees until hot.
  • Serve with sour cream. A fruit topping can be made with frozen, unsweetened berries and agave sweetener or honey heated up in a small saucepan on top of the stove. Let the fruit bubble for a while until a thick sauce forms. Delicious!

4 cups fresh or frozen, unsweetened blueberries (delicious with peaches too!)
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
Zest of one lemon
1/4 cup honey or coconut palm sugar
Pinch of Kosher salt

1/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup oat flour
1/4 cup rolled GF oats
3 Tablespoons coconut palm sugar or brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
3 Tablespoons butter

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • In an ungreased baking dish, mix together the frozen blueberries, the cornstarch, lemon zest, salt and honey.
  • In a small bowl, blend together the flour, the oats, the sugar and cinnamon. With your fingers blend the butter into the topping until evenly distributed.

  • Sprinkle the topping over the blueberries in the baking dish.
  • Bake for about 45 minutes or until hot, bubbly, and golden brown. Serve with your favorite whipped topping.

My friend, Dorothy, would occasionally bring in Polish pancakes with kielbasa as a treat for brunch at school. As much as I will always treasure our friendship because of Dorothy's (and her mom's) culinary expertise, she is also someone I deeply admire. Dorothy, born and raised in Poland, is an extremely talented musician and earned her doctorate in this country in Viola. (All this with English as her second language!) As we all know her as Dr. Sobieski, she conducts the string orchestra at school and makes even the youngest students (with violins crafted so small that they look like toys) play like accomplished musicians. For years, my art room was next door to her music classroom and I was able to enjoy the sounds of her music all day. Her students are very lucky to have her as their mentor as I have been to have her as my friend.

Dorothy gave me her mom's apple pancake recipe, "placki z jabikami," just as they make it at home and I followed it perfectly each time to my family's delight. The tangy flavor of the sour cream is really nice. I haven't made them since changing my diet to be gluten free so this time I changed the flour to GF and also reduced the amount of flour and wet ingredients by half. This made the grated apple more of a prominent ingredient (more like a potato latke). We all loved our Polish "apple latkes" this morning! Thank you, Dorothy!

3 eggs, separated
1 cup light sour cream
1 cup flour (I use King Arthur gluten free brand, but regular flour can be used)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2-3 apples, peeled and grated
Oil for frying (I use grapeseed oil)
Cinnamon and sugar

  1. Separate eggs, placing whites in a mixing bowl and yolks in a small bowl to reserve. Beat egg whites until stiff.
  2. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the yolks, sour cream, flour and salt. Fold in the grated apples.
  3. Fry the latkes in small rounds on a non-stick griddle with a little oil. Cook until golden brown on both sides.
  4. Sprinkle the top with a little cinnamon and sugar while they are still hot. Enjoy!

This is a great dish to make for a brunch. It travels well and can be eaten at room temperature too. There are many recipes like this one online but I adapted mine to be gluten free. There is no flour in this at all. I use gluten free oats as the binder.

1 10oz box frozen spinach
3 eggs
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup milk (I use almond milk)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Grated fresh nutmeg
1/4 cup quick cooking GF oats (or you can also pulse rolled oats in the food processor to break them up... do not grind as fine as flour)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup light jarlsberg grated
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese grated

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8" x 8" pan.
  • Place box of spinach on a microwave safe dish or bowl and cook on high for 4 minutes. Drain thawed spinach and squeeze dry.
  • Whisk together eggs, sour cream, milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add flour and baking powder and mix well with the whisk to get all lumps out.
  • Fold in spinach and cheeses.
  • Pour into prepared pan and bake for 30-40 minutes until middle starts to puff up and turn light golden brown. This will happen first around the edges of the pan. Wait for the middle to puff up as well.
  • Let cool in pan before cutting into squares. Enjoy!


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In the Spotlight

Awards and Honors

2016 AAAS Fellow

Larry became an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences (AAAS) for his discoveries about the molecular basis for lymphocyte homing to the brain in relapsing multiple sclerosis, which led to an effective approved therapy for MS.

2016 Cerami Award

The Feinstein Institute and its Molecular Medicine journal presented the 5th Anthony Cerami Award in Translational Medicine to Larry. The award celebrates and commemorates the unique attributes of insight, genius and resolve that are at the heart of the discovery process.

2015 National Academy of Sciences

Congratuations to Larry, a newly elected 2015 National Academy of Sciences Member, in recognition of his distinguished and continuing acheivements in original research.

2011 Charcot Award

The Charcot Award is a biennial award that recognizes a lifetime achievement in research into the understanding or treatment of multiple sclerosis. Larry received the award in 2011 and he was invited to give the Charcot Lecture at the European Committee of Treatment and Research in MS (ECTRIMS) meeting in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

2009 NAS Institute of Medicine

The IOM is an honorary society established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences. Members are elected through a highly selective process that recognizes contributions to the medical sciences, health care and public health. Congratulations Larry!

2008 Endowed Professorship

Lawrence Steinman, MD, professor of neurology and neurological sciences and of pediatrics, and, by courtesy, of genetics, has been appointed the George A. Zimmermann Professor.

2004 John Dystel Prize

The Dystel prize is sponsored by the American Academy of Neurology and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.  Larry was recognized for his major contributions to our understanding of animal models of MS, and for translating these findings to the clinical development of novel therapeutic strategies for MS.

1994 Dr. Freidrich-Sasse Award

From the Free University of Berlin, this prize was awarded to Larry for outstanding contributions in immunology.

1979 S. Weir Mitchell Award

Sponsored by the American Brain Foundation and endowed by the Alliance Founders and S. Weir Mitchell Permanent Endowment, this American Academy of Neurology award is designed to encourage basic research in neuroscience by physicians in clinical neurology training programs.

Cheers to 30 Years!

Congratulations to Larry and retired lab manager Mae Lim for celebrating 30 successful years of hard work together at Stanford (1980-2010).

The real deal!

Larry's first official MLB foul ball at AT&T Park.

In the News

WebMD: Path to a Breakthrough

This new video web series, hosted by Good Morning America's Robin Roberts, sheds light on how medical innovations, including precision medicine, immunotherapy, and biologics, are providing doctors with powerful new tools to treat disease. Christopher Lock, clinical associate professor of neurology, and Lawrence Steinman, the George A. Zimmermann Professor, professor of pediatrics, and professor of neurology, are featured in a segment on treating multiple sclerosis patients with biologics – complex drugs made in living cells that are chemically and genetically engineered.

Lucky Larry

Lucky Larry: Reflections on a career in immunology and neurology.  By Becky Bach on June 22, 2016.
Lawrence Steinman, MD, the George A. Zimmerman Professor and a professor of pediatrics at Stanford, is a visionary in the field of neurology. This is the story of Dr. Steinman’s scientific journey.

Researchers link Pandemrix flu vaccinations to narcolepsy

An international team of researchers has found evidence that the GlaxoSmithKline Pandemrix flu vaccination – which was widely distributed during the 2009 swine flu pandemic – may have caused rare cases of narcolepsy. Steinman described this finding as a “first step” in their pursuit to nail down the cause of narcolepsy.

Immune response to a flu protein yields new insights into narcolepsy

A swine flu vaccine may have caused rare cases of narcolepsy by stimulating antibodies to attack brain cells that help regulate sleep.

Does Amyloid Kill in Alzheimer's, Heal in MS?

Two groups have recently made strides with amyloid beta, the supposed main villain in Alzheimer’s disease. But while one group is tackling Alzheimer’s by reducing amyloid beta, the other is tackling multiple sclerosis (MS) by using amyloid beta. “It’s all fascinating,” Stanford University neurologist Lawrence Steinman told Bioscience Technology.

DNA 'reverse' vaccine reduces levels of immune cells believed responsible for type-1 diabetes, study shows

A clinical trial of a vaccine, led by Stanford University School of Medicine researchers and designed to combat type-1 diabetes, has delivered initially promising results, suggesting that it may selectively counter the errant immune response that causes the disease.

Accused of complicity in Alzheimer's, amyloid proteins may be getting a bad rap, study finds

A pair of recent research studies from the Stanford University School of Medicine sets a solid course toward rehabilitating the reputation of the proteins that form amyloid tangles, or plaques. In the process, they appear poised to turn the field of neurobiology on its head.

Researchers discover reviled substance involved in Alzheimer's can reverse paralysis in mice with multiple sclerosis

A molecule widely assailed as the chief culprit in Alzheimer’s disease unexpectedly reverses paralysis and inflammation in several distinct animal models of a different disorder — multiple sclerosis, Stanford University School of Medicine researchers have found.

Cystamine as a potential treatment for Huntington's Disease

Earlier research has also shown that cystamine inactivates transglutaminase (TGase), an enzyme that helps produce these clumps of huntingtin protein. Therefore, Steinman and his former graduate student reasoned that cystamine might control the disease by preventing the formation of huntingtin protein clumps.

Two kinds of multiple sclerosis, two different responses to beta-interferon, study shows

There may be two distinct versions of multiple sclerosis, a study in both animal models and human blood samples suggests. What’s more, a patient’s responsiveness to the most popular first-line drug for this episodic and all-too-often recurring autoimmune condition seems to depend on which version that patient has.

Inexpensive hypertension drug could be multiple sclerosis treatment, study shows

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have found a link, in mice and in human brain tissue, between high blood pressure and multiple sclerosis. Lisonopril administration reduced numerous molecular measures of inflammation that accompany multiple sclerosis in humans and its analog in the animal model.

Study yields 'gold mine' of potential drug targets for treating multiple sclerosis

Steinman and his team, working with researchers at the University of Connecticut Health Center, utilized proteomics, which is the large-scale study of protein structure and function, to identify more than 1,000 protein changes distinct to three discrete stages of multiple sclerosis. This generated the largest catalog of proteins unique to three major types of multiple sclerosis brain lesions to date.

Molecule linked to autoimmune disease relapses identified at Stanford

Osteopontin - produced by immune cells and brain cells themselves - promotes the survival of the T cells that carry out the damaging attack on myelin; by increasing the number of these T cells, osteopontin increases their destructive potential. Osteopontin could be used as a marker of an impending relapse. What's more, if the protein could be blocked, it might thwart the relapse from ever occurring.

In turkey lies hope for treating autoimmune disorders

Steinman's group has found that certain tryptophan metabolites—molecules formed as the body breaks down the amino acid—work as well as any other existing medicines to alleviate multiple sclerosis symptoms.

Steinman warned of drug's risk prior to FDA approval

The news last week that the federal Food and Drug Administration was pulling the multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri from the market stunned many in the medical profession, but neurology professor Larry Steinman, MD, who developed the drug, wasn't among them.

Stanford doctors spotlight fatal flaw in multiple sclerosis drug trial

This tragedy - recounted in an article in the March 4 issue of The Lancet by two Stanford University School of Medicine neurologists - serves as a telling case study of what can go wrong in clinical trials.

Stanford researchers shine light on new genes involved in multiple sclerosis

Using microarray technology, researchers at Stanford University Medical Center have uncovered thousands of genes that may be involved in multiple sclerosis. These results could lead to new treatments and help clarify previous observations about the disease.

DNA cocktails and dreams

Patient-specific treatment for Autoimmune diseases might soon be reality.  Steinman and his group calls its strategy "reverse genomics." Normally DNA supplies the information cells need to make proteins; but these scientists use information from proteins identified using autoantigen microarrays to create DNA-based therapy.


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Distilled SCH | Not disclosed | Full-time | Dublin, Ireland

Management / Leadership / Communication / Development / Digital Sale

Distilled SCH Limited is Ireland’s leading online classifieds business with very strong positions in real estate, motors, and general classified markets through its brands,, and Distilled SCH, formed in 2015, is a 50:50 joint venture between the founders of and Schibsted Media Group – a publicly listed international media group, and leading player within global online marketplaces.

Today, Distilled SCH provides lead generation solutions to the Irish property and motor sectors: its clients include more than 1,400 real estate agents and property developers, 1,200 motor dealers. In addition, Distilled SCH provides media advertising solutions to all of the major financial institutions and motor manufacturers as well as key direct advertisers.

Distilled SCH is now looking to recruit a Head of Media Sales to lead our Agency and Direct Sales Teams by developing media sales capability and our relationships with motor and finance brands. This role will report to the Head of Advertising and Marketing.

About the Role

The role of the Head of Media Sales is to lead our Finance, Motor Brand, and Direct Media Sales Teams providing industry leading advertising solutions to our clients, and will be responsible for growing media agency and direct revenues by 4x in three years.

The Head of Media Sales will work collaboratively with the Heads of Advertising and Marketing, Property, Motors, Marketplaces, and B2B Sales in shaping Distilled SCH’s agency and direct media sales strategy.

The main areas of focus will be:

  • Lead our Finance and Motor Agency Teams and Direct Media Sales Teams
  • Responsible for developing our relationship with finance and motor brands
  • Effectively communicate the value proposition through insight-led innovative proposals and presentations that meet client needs and brief requirements
  • Understand media agency landscapes and trends, with a clear understanding of our share of spend and plan to grow
  • Develop and implement key customer account plans in conjunction with sales executives to deliver vertical targets
  • Deliver exceptional client service that exceeds clients expectations
    • Work in conjunction with sales executives to deliver insight-led innovative proposals that meet and exceed client needs and expectations
    • Work with sales leads to continually identify new ways in which we can proactively pitch our solutions to advertisers
    • Lead the Sales Team in selling a range of digital advertising solutions in key strategic verticals to media agencies and direct clients
  • Partner to develop internal sales processes and capability
    • Own agency and direct pipeline with clear understanding of each stage of the process, from prospect through to completed sale
    • Lead and develop agency and direct sales executives capability – developing a strong sales culture

Candidate Profile

  • Strong experience working in a leadership role in a highly regarded, high performing sales and sales management environment, preferably with digital/insight experience
  • Proven track record of continuous over achievement of sales targets
  • Proven record of successfully coaching and mentoring sales teams and individual sales people
  • Experienced relationship builder with great track record of creating, nurturing and developing long-term mutually beneficial relationships
  • Ability to communicate, present and influence all levels of the organization, including executive and C-level
  • Proven ability to drive the sales process from plan to close

Personal attributes

  • Great interpersonal skills: you will build deep and valuable relationships with clients
  • Diligent: be thorough in ensuring that we explore every option to close a sale and have detailed understanding of our pipeline
  • Curious: seek to understand what are the issues and challenges clients face and how we can solve them
  • Competitive: you want to win everyday
  • Selfless: you put the company and the team first, you work well with peers, and welcome feedback so that you can continuously improve at what you do
  • Inspiration: you inspire your team to always do their best, and support them to overcome the continuous obstacles in their way
  • Inspiration – you inspire teams to always do their best, and support them to overcome the continuous obstacles in their way

Our Benefits

  • The opportunity to work with one of Ireland’s fastest growing Internet companies
  • A fast-paced, agile, challenging, and fun working environment
  • Projects are exciting and employees are given wide scope for creativity and innovation
  • A chance to make a significant contribution to our future direction
  • Great career development and progression opportunities
  • Peace of mind with life assurance, and fully paid healthcare
  • If you’re cycling or commuting, we’ve got you covered with the Cycle-to-Work and TaxSaver schemes
  • MacBooks are our standard, but we’re happy to get you whatever equipment you need to reach your potential
  • A great central location in the heart of Dublin
  • Our biggest benefit is our people!

We are a diverse bunch of people here at Distilled SCH, and we want to continue to attract and retain a diverse range of people into our organisation. We do not discriminate based on gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, civil or family status, age, disability, or race.


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Diagnostic Imaging Curriculum Thread

Overall goal

To provide a longitudinal radiology curriculum which covers core topics in diagnostic imaging that are appropriate for a general medical education.

The radiology curriculum is interwoven through all four years of the curriculum.Basic terminology and normal anatomy are emphasized through inclusion of specific imaging learning objectives within the biomedical problems program.In addition, imaging studies are embedded within cases to facilitate the discussion of diagnostic imaging objectives within the context of clinical cases.In the third year, a greater focus is placed on imaging modalities and the identification of common pathologic conditions.Learning objectives for the third year curriculum are embedded into the clerkships and the yearlong radiology seminary series.This curriculum is arranged by modality. The imaging thread continues into the 4th year capstone course, where imaging sessions are designed to review common and "don't miss" imaging findings prior to the start of residency.

Course information can be found in the Blackboard Online Course Delivery system.


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4,084 Pages

0 Seconds Before the Dam Breaks! is the thirty-fifth episode of the MegaMan NT Warrior anime, and was adapted into the English dub's twenty-eighth episode, Countdown to Catastrophe.

Lan and his friends are camping in Okuden Valley, with nature loving Sal acting as their chaperone, when Sal runs into an old childhood friend: Dave, now a park ranger, who quickly makes friends with Lan and the gang as well. But unknown to our friends, Dave has a dark secret: he also works for the criminal organization called Grave. At night, Dave's NetNavi QuickMan sneaks into the net control system for Okuden Dam and moves to destroy it. Sal and Lan race to stop his plan and find that his intentions aren't what they seem. But when he starts to have a change of heart, a new NetNavi, CutMan, appears on the scene to finish the job and eliminate QuickMan.[1]


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Sunday, March 16, 2008

river paintings

My creation
Originally uploaded by megan_n_smith_99

this is what i have been working on this week.. these three paintings are each 6.5 x 4.5" and will fit in a 5x7" matte or frame. they are on etsy. i had a lot of fun painting these...
left to right:
like a river in my dreams
river roses
down by the river

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Start Build dating own sex site web

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Visit other Online Dating websites and see what they do Maybe you can get some fresh ideas and add new concepts to your website so that it has that unique look and feel.

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Choose a host that can provide the amount of bandwidth you project will be necessary as the site grows. Select software or site building tools to create your site.

Some Web hosts provide free tools when you purchase your web hosting service, but independent software applications are available.

It's good to start with just one or two affiliate programs at first.


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Thursday, September 6, 2012

i'm starting a new blog

one where i just write.

my daughter turned 12 and suddenly she's all skinny jeans and hairbrushes.  she got a flute.  she planned a party.  a spend-the-night in a hotel, build-a-bear party with one friend.  it starts at 4pm tomorrow and ends sometime on saturday.  annnnnd... i haven't figured any of it out yet.  not sure who's picking them up from school, not sure which hotel we're spending the night in, not sure whether you can just show up at the build-a-bear place and start building your bear, or what.  the build-a-bear place is in a gigantic mall which is in the city of hoover which i try my best to avoid at all costs.  the only hotel nearby that i know of is the winfrey, and sorry honey but i am not paying for us to stay in a hotel with bidets.  i don't live on a bidet-style budget.

i'm posting this stuff from here on out with no attention to font, color, links, pictures, or jazz.  this is my minimalist phase.

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Monday, 18 October 2010

In the early days Manicaland, like the rest of Rhodesia, depended entirely on the police and Volunteers for protection. As early as 1893 Dr. 3ameson proceeded to Salisbury to organise a corps of Volunteers, and in 1898 an ordinance was passed inaugurating the Southern Rhodesia Volunteers. They were organised into partly mounted and partly dismounted units at Salisbury, Umtali and Fort Victoria in Mashonaland and at Bulawayo and Gwelo in Matabeleland. In outlying districts where the population warranted it, rifle companies were formed, the members were not required to drill but to have an annual course of musketry. The S.R.V. were therefore men called out for service as a regiment, yet many members volunteered and took part in the Boer War and the Great War.

The volunteers had been functioning steadily in Manicaland from the time of the Mashona Rebellion. Major Robert Graham Snodgrass was the first Officer Commanding Southern Rhodesia Volunteers and served in the Mashona Rebellion 1896 - 1897. Captain T.B. Hulley took over from him and served as Officer Commanding for many years and then Colonel Methuen took over command. The Drill Hall, a fine building constructed in 1898, was spacious, and drilling at night was preferable as then most people were off duty. Lt. Reginald Bray was the Staff Lieutenant for the Eastern Division in 1895, He served throughout the Mashonaland Rebellion, and became an instructor to the S.R.V. in Umtali District in 1898. He was a strict disciplinarian and a good old Sergeant Major type. If orders were not obeyed the offenders were soundly trounced, regardless of rank!

The S.R.V. were presented with at least twenty or twenty four excellent band instruments which were made full use of under the instruction of Mr. Watson, a former bandmaster, familiar with several musical instruments. He collected a number of enthusiasts in Umtali and with constant practices in the Drill Hall, licked them into shape. The result was that in a short time Umtali had a remarkably good band with eager, competent and efficient performers.

Another addition to the Volunteers was the mounted section. Those who provided their horses received payment in return for their use. The Drill Hall stables were in great demand because so many men had to come into Umtali from long distances, and stable their horses at night. Once a year combined manoeuvres were hectic, the men having to find and groom and feed their horses and turn out spick and span for parade. On one occasion the Volunteers were ordered to charge on horseback over an undulating field. Their enemy, the ant bear, had riddled the field with holes and must have been amused as horsemen were going down like ninepins in all directions! They ended up by leading their mounts to prevent broken fetlocks.

In 1920 it was decided to disband the active units of the Southern Rhodesia Volunteers and to retain the rifle companies in outlying areas. These companies were responsible for units in the towns, which were organised under the Cadre System to allow for expansion when necessary, it being assumed that those who had seen service during the Great War would be available for some time, if

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required, to take part in the defence of the territory. There was not a great deal of interest taken in this system of organisation.

Cadet units were also started for youths who were over school age.

Territorial Forces consisted of territorial active forces, and the Territorial Force Reserve. Instructors were drawn partly from the British Army and partly from the South Africa Police.

The following were the numbers in each district:

Chipinga 14 19
Melsetter 14 12
Umtali 36 52
Makoni 42 95

Cecil Rhodes, whilst staying with his old faithful friend Mr. Longden in Melsetter, predicted that war was bound to come in a few years' time, Mr. Longden, at that time, had just returned from one of his missions to Gungunyana. The Portuguese were striving to obtain Gazaland, therefore they made a complaint to the British Government, and Mr. Longden found his name being brought up in the British Parliament. One day he remarked bitterly to Rhodes: "Wedon't 'seem to do anything right". "Don't be discouraged", replied Rhodes. "It will come all right in the end. You must remember that the British Government is anxious to get a naval base, preferably at Lisbon, to prevent the German Government from getting it, because a hostile fleet between the Channel, Fleet and the Mediterranean would be disastrous in the Great War which, is bound to come in the near future. The British Government does not want to quarrel with the Portuguese. This seems to be the reason for the final arrangements of boundaries between Rhodesia and Mocambique".

Mr. Longden, years after on his way to America, disembarked from a German ship 'General' two days before the British declared war on Germany. Opposite Buckingham Palace he joined the surging crowd that roared its loyalty to the King and Queen standing on the balcony. The inevitable took place - war was declared on the 4th August, 1914; a war which was to be the war to end all wars! It was a ruthless war, the old British Lion was unprepared and fast asleep as usual. All capable men were needed immediately and as there were no instructions to prevent anyone from leaving the country, the war prevented progress as minors, farmers, civil servants, clerks and shop assistants rushed to join the forces, thus the mines flooded, farms deteriorated and businesses dwindled.

After intense training, regiments were on their way to one of the fronts, their first objective being German South West Africa, a campaign which lasted less than a year before the Germans were defeated. No sooner had the 1st Rhodesian Regiment returned, when the 2nd Rhodesian Regiment was formed. The rate of pay did not deter men enlisting, it being thirteen pence per day! In 1916 the Regiment arrived in German East Africa. From bitter experience and punishment they soon learnt what a formidable enemy they were fighting in Von Lettow;

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their opponent was tough, the country through which they were fighting was rough, rugged bush covered and malaria infested. This took a much greater toll of lives than German bullets. When the Rhodesians arrived off Mombasa, Von Lettow1s initial offensive into British East Africa was already grinding to a halt as their superiority in men, arms and ammunition was gradually diminishing.

The Germans made a certain stand at Saliata, a heavily fortified hilltop in the shadow of Kilimanjaro. The Allies attacked, but were thrown back with heavy losses. Only the Rhodesians held their ground, stayed to fight rearguard action to give the main forces time to reorganise, but Colonel E.A. Capell who was the Officer Commanding, described the disaster. "Men of the two broken regiments streamed through our ranks getting to safety and yet the Rhodesians stood their ground, quietly shooting when targets offered, quietly enduring the shell fire that our guns had failed to silence." The attack on Salaita was a frontal one which was totally unnecessary. General Smuts arrived a few days later to take over all command in East Africa. He climbed a large baobab tree and after inspecting the enemy stronghold, gave it a complete go-by and outflanked it. Threatened with encirclement the Germans hurriedly left. Latema battle followed on, and was more or less a replica of Salaita. Unfortunately before nightfall the battle was not ended, and it ended up in confusion. The Germans and Rhodesians and South Africans could not see each other, and when shouting waited in order to determine whether the opponents had guttural voices or not! At daybreak patrols found that the Germans had abandoned their positions.

The Rhodesian casualties were fifteen killed, two missing and forty three wounded. The German casualties were ten times as great. A few days later twenty six Rhodesian men were taken away in ambulances to the rear, their temperatures varying from 100º F to 104º F. Though their strength was dwindling fast the Rhodesians continued to chase Von Lettow deeper into Tanganyika. The war deteriorated into a series of short spurts, but indecisive actions. On March 29th, 1917 the badly depleted: Rhodesians. were ordered home to recuperate.

Of the 1 038 Officers and men who hat) fought with the Regiment during its two years in East Africa, only 270 returned to the Civic Welcome in Salisbury.

Manicaland's contribution to the First World War, like that of the rest of Rhodesia, was outstanding, in men. money and kind. At the outbreak of the war the total number of European males in the territory between the ages of fifteen and forty four did not exceed 11 000, yet excluding the police, who were retained in the country, no less than 6 613 Rhodesians, over sixty percent, were accepted for military duty. In addition to the Europeans, 2 750 Africans joined the Forces, and a platoon was attached to the King's Royal Rifles. Other units served with the Southern Rhodesia Colours, and the Rhodesia Native Regiment. Both these units penetrated far into the enemy territory of what was 'then German East Africa In the first Rhodesia Native Regiment of five hundred men, including fifty four European Officers and non-commissioned Officers, all distinguished themselves and firmly withstood numerically superior German forces.

Just before the end of the war a mysterious disease called Spanish influenza was sweeping through countries with an appalling death rate. All precautions to prevent it from reaching Rhodesia

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ailed, and many members of the forces on route to their homes were held up, especially the 2nd Rhodesia Native Regiment, which lost a great number of men through the epidemic. This took place just outside Zomba, now Malawi. Throughout Manicaland the Africans were dying like flies, deserting their villages to got away from the plague. Many of them died in the veld. The Umtali hospitals were full, and the schools and Drill Hall were used for the Europeans, and the show buildings in Darlington for the Africans and non-Europeans. The epidemic spared neither the young nor the old, black nor white, and the loss of prominent citizens was heavy. It was a town of mourning. No one knows how many thousands died in the reserves, without assistance. However, after the good news of the signing of the Armistice on November 11th, our grief and mourning were forgotten and tremendous rejoicing took place; but afterwards men found it difficult to settle after four years of war.

End of Chapter

Click Here To Return to Index

Recompiled, by Eddy Norris, from a copy of the booklet made available by Neill Storey. Thanks Neill.

The recompilation was done for no or intended financial gain but rather to record the memories of Rhodesia.

The family of the author have given permission for ORAFs to load this booklet onto the Internet.
Thanks top the family and special thanks to Heather Curran.

Thanks to
Paul Norris for the ISP sponsorship.
Paul Mroz for the image hosting sponsorship.
Robb Ellis for his assistance.

Should you wish to contact Eddy Norris please mail him

At 11 November 2012 at 17:35 , Blogger Jerry Arienzale said...

Dear My Hulley, My name ias Jerry and I reside in Canada. I have 2 original photographs for sale. 1 is of the Zeederburg coach taken in 1897. The other is of a regatta in Umtali taken in 1903. Both are framed in Zimbabwian Teak. Would you be interested in them or know of a museum or antique collector that would want them . My email address is If you respond I'll send you pictures of them. Kind regards Jerry

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Things to Consider in a Watch If It’s Genuine or Not

Watches are a part of your character. Wearing a watch is women in addition to a trend among men. This is a supplement to the character in addition to a tool for a time check. Choosing watches is a matter that is crucial. The brand at a price that is fair is for purchasing a watch requisite. For more info about Rolex watches, you may head to

Things to Consider in a Watch If It's Genuine or Not

There are lots of brands of watches. However, one of this market's curses is watches. A watch is the replica of the first, offered at high prices, although made from quality and material.

Replicas are sold by some shopkeepers in precisely the identical cost under brand names that are famous. This is one of the causes of loss, suffered by the world's manufacturers. Those who purchase them, but make a problem for those are unaware of betraying accept these watches.

You should inspect the watch while purchasing a timepiece. The watches seem to be original at the first glance. The brands with timepieces are the targets of the counterfeiters.

The manufacturers that are renowned have some regions in the watches of men that can't be copied. By way of instance, the Rolex watches can be distinguished in the forged. The watches are heavy in weight in comparison with their replicas. Furthermore, a watch runs smoothly and makes no noise; whereas, the watches comprise of light materials that are low-cost cannot run.


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December 17th, 2016 1 comment

Big Finish Torchwood 13 Visiting Hours

Available to order from

Everyone’s a little worried about St Helen’s Hospital. In many ways it is a miracle of the modern NHS. It has plenty to offer its patients. The problem is that a lot of them keep dying of natural causes in the night. And no- one can find the bodies.

People are beginning to notice. Questions are being asked. And there are rumours – the strange whispering figures seen at the end of the corridors, the electrical buzzing, the screams.

Also, Rhys Williams has come to visit his mother. Brenda’s had her hip done and is looking forward to a bit of rest and regular crumble. Rhys and his mam are in for a night they’ll never forget.

Torchwood contains adult material and may not be suitable for younger listeners

Written By: David Llewellyn
Directed By: Scott Handcock

Kai Owen (Rhys), Nerys Hughes (Brenda Williams), Karl Theobald (Mr Tate), Ryan Sampson (Mr Nichols), Ruth Lloyd (Nurse Brown), Stephen Critchlow (Dr Fletcher)

Other roles played by the cast

Produced by James Goss

Script edited by Steve Tribe

Categorised under: Big Finish, CD, Torchwood

1 comment

  • uselessclockwork

    December 17th, 2016 - 12:17pm

    This looks good must give it a try when it’s out

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Farm Home and Its Planning

From MeritBadgeDotOrg

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|name= Farm Home and Its Planning
|name= Farm Home and Its Planning
|status= Discontinued
|status= Discontinued
|group= agribusiness
|created= 1928
|created= 1928
|discontinued= 1959
|discontinued= 1959

Current revision

Farm Home and Its Planning merit badge has been discontinued. (See discontinued merit badges.)

Farm Home and Its Planning merit badge
Status: Discontinued BSA Advancement ID: n/a
Created: 1928 Origin: new in 1928
Discontinued: 1959 Replaced by: Farm Arrangement

Farm Home and Its Planning requirements

  1. Make a sketch of a darm house, showing locations and relation of house to farm buildings, pens, yards, garden, fields with proper landscape effect.
  2. Present a landscape plan for a farm home showing both front and back yard effect and show drainage plans.
  3. Present a drawing plan of sewage disposal for a country home.
  4. Describe the value of windbreaks for a rural home, and the kind of trees of most value for such purpose in his section.
  5. Tell where and when he would plant nut and fruit trees for a country home.
  6. Name seven suitable shrubs, plants and vines for the farm door yard.

Boy Scout Requirements, ({{{1}}}) Edition The official source for the information shown in this article or section is:
Handbook for Boys, 1948 Edition

View the change list (history) of these requirements. The text of these requirements may be locked. In that case, they can only be edited
by an administrator.
Please note any errors found in the above requirements on this article's Talk Page.

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Scottsdale mortgage

Maximizing Your Buying Potential in Scottsdale

If you've been following the real estate market at all, you've noticed that home sales have significantly slowed down. For buyers that are interested in a home in Scottsdale, this is definitely good news. Scottsdale has some very luxurious homes, and the reduced prices offer buyers great housing options.

Scottsdale mortgage
But even with lower prices and less competition among buyers, financing a Scottsdale home can be a bit of a challenge. Many buyers find the option of a traditional fixed rate mortgage (one that requires 20% down payment) a bit of a challenge.

Scottsdale mortgage
One of the lending options that make it easier for buyers is a hybrid loan. A hybrid loan has more relaxed lending standards than most traditional mortgage options. Within the hybrid loan heading, there are several loan options:

Piggy-back Loans

With a most lending programs, the buyer either puts down 20% of the loan value, or if they opt for a lower down payment, pay a private mortgage insurance (referred to as PMI) as insurance against a default on the loan. With a piggy back loan, you can purchase a Scottsdale home with a small down payment and no private mortgage insurance.
With a piggy back loan, you take two loans on the home. A first loan that covers 80% of the home value, and a second mortgage that covers the rest of the loan value (usually for 5% to 15% of the loan value).

Convertible ARMs

Many home owners were taking out adjustable rate mortgages (ARM) a couple of years ago when interest rates were extremely low. Nowadays, some buyers are anxious about taking an ARM because of concerns about increasing interest rates. But a convertible ARM allows you to convert your mortgage from an adjustable rate to a fixed rate if the interest rates begin to climb.
With the convertible loan, you can find the ideal Scottsdale home and take a loan at an all time low rate. Then later, after you've built equity in the home, you can refinance if necessary and base your loan on your equity.

Homes in Scottsdale are a great value. Scottsdale is one of the many communities in the Phoenix area that traditionally maintains its real estate value and continues to appreciate. With the right mortgage option, buyers can get into homes that would have typically been a stretch, and enjoy the long term financial benefits of investment in Scottsdale real estate.


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Monday, March 14, 2011

Georgia -- Random Gas Station and Mama's Boy

As soon as we crossed into Georgia, we stopped at a gas station for our hourly snack time, where we came across something that almost made me faint while simultaneously pitch a trouser tent:

This is not, I repeat, NOT photo shopped.  Did it really take twenty years for Sun Chips to figure out that jalepeno cheddar jack is a much more natural flavor for a chip than fucking CINAMON!?   This flavor also kicks the shit out of Garden Salsa, which is the flavor that has become the fourth horseman of the Sun Chip apocalypse; that, and those new biodegradable bags that are louder than a swarm of locusts.

Also - all of you Jews, Muslims, vegans, and vegetarians might want to reconsider your chip choice, because according to Wikipedia, some flavors of Sun Chips have pork enzymes in them!  Crazy shit, right!?

Pictured above are the remnants of the boiled peanuts (aka “Goober Peas”) we got from the same gas station; remnants because I couldn’t photograph them in time before B-rock went all Operation Dumbo Drop on them.  Boiled peanuts are a traditional southern snack, much like that of chitlins, kracklins, and cousins.  Boiling peanuts usually takes at least four to seven hours, and are usually boiled in a bunch of salty shit, but in most of the southern gas stations I’ve encountered, “spicy Cajun style” is almost always an option, and actually the only flavor I've ever had.  Did you know that boiling peanuts with the shells-in releases four times as much anti-oxidant power as opposed to roasting them or eating them raw?  Neither did I, until I ate them, and then took a poop that was double fisting a bourbon and pbr, and had a lit cigarette in its poop mouth.

So we played a really bad ass farm to table fine dining restaurant in Athens that night, but unfortunately didn’t get to eat there because their mission statement doesn’t include helping touring musicians not be blinding beacons of filth.  So instead, you get to read about Momma’s Boy!

There’s sort of an unspoken franchise of brunch places like this in just about every small college town in the country.  It’s the type of place that serves all their beverages in mason jars, usually plays blue grass music, usually has a lot of vegetarian options, and there’s a  fairly good chance you saw one or more of the hung-over wait staff at the show the night before.  These places are pretty crucial to find on the road because they 1.)  usually have a way for you to get out of there for $7, and 2.)  are usually delicious.  I went for today’s special:  Pork chop with an egg over easy topped with raspberry hollandaise and served with cheese grits and a biscuit.

Now the description in itself is pretty drool worthy, right?  So was it awesome?  I mean, well, it wasn’t BAD or anything, but I guess maybe the best way to describe this dish is to compare it to the career of late 90’s alternative rock staple, Smash Mouth.  Like the band, this dish had about four successful singles, but not necessarily any singles I actually gave a shit about or would care to revisit.  Like the cheese grits: pretty good, but all they had to do was get the cheese on them while they were still piping hot so the cheese would actually melt!  Much like Smash Mouth, who could’ve had more than a decade’s plus staying power had they not been such fat ugly people!  Kudos for trying to mix it up with raspberry hollandaise, although it kind of fell flat, much like Smash Mouth’s cover of “I’m a Believer”.  Anyway, a career, and a dish, that I will pay my respects to for their ambition, but will stick with the Pigeon Hole in Cville and listen to Beck.

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Friday, 24 September 2010

Follow up

Here is a follow up to my previous blog post. I've drawn a rough picture of the man I met:

Hope you all enjoy it!

What has happened today?

Today I bought a new bike and rode it all around town, and such fun I had. Whilst I was riding I met a strange looking man who called himself Ryanzollands Hosenhollands. He looked rather strange; apparently he was a "black albino"

What a strange day!

Just made my new blog :D

Hope to keep updating this every day and make notes on life and other things :)


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Wednesday, 14 October 2015

MySQL Cluster at Oracle OpenWorld 2015

It's Oracle OpenWorld time, and MySQL Cluster will be in San Francisco again along with the rest of the MySQL team.

The session agenda is online, but can be tricky to navigate given the breadth of the conference, but it's possible to narrow down to those sessions in the MySQL track.

From a MySQL Cluster perspective, there two conference sessions from the Cluster development team, a Hands-On Lab from our Cluster Support team and most exciting, a conference session from some real-world users at NEC.

200 Million QPS on Commodity Hardware—Getting Started with MySQL Cluster 7.4

Frazer Clement, MySQL Cluster Technical lead, Oracle

Bernhard Ocklin, Director MySQL Cluster Engineering, Oracle

Do you have performance demands that a database can’t scale to meet — especially one as simple as MySQL? And if it were even possible, would it require top-of-the-range servers and storage? We previously demonstrated that MySQL Cluster could scale to 1 billion writes per minute, and MySQL Cluster 7.4 exceeded 200 million queries per second (QPS), all with open source software running on commodity servers. Discover how MySQL Cluster achieves this scalability while also delivering in-memory performance, 99.999 percent availability, active-active update-anywhere geographic redundancy, ACID transactions, and both SQL and NoSQL access. Finally, this session offers some tips on getting MySQL Cluster up and running so that you can try it out for yourself.
Conference Session

Monday, Oct 26, 2:45 p.m. | Moscone South—262

Fully Elastic Real-Time Services with MySQL Cluster
Bernhard Ocklin, Director MySQL Cluster Engineering, Oracle
In this session, learn how the MySQL Cluster in-memory real-time engine brings together the best of both worlds—SQL and NoSQL. It scales from a single Raspberry Pi to systems on hundreds of servers.  MySQL Cluster powers networks for more than a billion mobile phone users worldwide and serves massive multiplayer online gaming back-ends. The MySQL Cluster architecture allows the addition or removal of nodes in seconds without interrupting service. It adopts to capacity demands making resources available instantaneously and when needed. Its native Node.js platform and connectors for Java make it easy to write real-time web applications in the cloud. This sessions guides you through common architectures and a use case for elastic MySQL Cluster cloud deployments.
Conference Session
Tuesday, Oct 27, 11:00 a.m. | Moscone South—262

MySQL Server and MySQL Cluster at India’s Financial Inclusion Gateway Service
Shrestha Anishman, Engineer, NEC Corporation
KEIJI ENDO, Staff, 日本電気株式会社
太地 岩田, Manager, 日本電気株式会社
NEC is developing India’s financial inclusion gateway service utilizing MySQL Server and MySQL Cluster. To handle the massive, business-critical financial transactions involved in this project, NEC has conducted deep, detailed research on internal architectures and behaviors of MySQL products. This session explores use cases of MySQL Server and MySQL Cluster in India’s financial inclusion gateway service, and explains how to select appropriate software and optimize systems architecture with methods of software architecture analysis at NEC.
Conference Session
Tuesday, Oct 27, 5:15 p.m. | Moscone South—250

Get Started with MySQL Cluster
Benedita Vasconcelos, Principal Technical Support Engineer, Oracle

Attend this hands-on lab to learn the basics of MySQL Cluster—when to use it, when not to use it, and how to install, configure, administer, and access it. MySQL Cluster is a write-scalable, real-time, ACID (atomicity, consistency, isolation, and durability)-compliant transactional database combining 99.999 percent availability with the low TCO of open source. Developers and DBAs attending this session have the chance to familiarize themselves with MySQL Cluster and get a better understanding of how to use it to meet the database challenges of next-generation web, cloud, and communications services with uncompromising scalability, uptime, and agility.
HOL (Hands-on Lab) Session
Thursday, Oct 29, 9:30 a.m. | Hotel Nikko—Peninsula (25th Floor)

There are many other relevant talks from the MySQL team covering Server improvements, Replication improvements, OpenStack integration, Customer success stories etc.

Outside the MySQL track, there are sessions covering the breadth of Oracle products and services.  Despite developing the world's most popular Open Source Database, Oracle still puts some effort into developing older DBMS products :).  I will be interested to hear of the latest advances there.

However the main attraction of a conference like this is meeting people and getting to talk face to face.  If you don't have an OOW pass, but want to mix with the MySQL crowd then please come to the MySQL Community Reception on October 27th.  You can pre-register to avoid any queueing.

See you there!


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Volunteer Opportunity: Share Your Expertise! Now recruiting employers and professionals to conduct brief, one-time professional feedback sessions (via email) for current students and recent graduates. Click here to learn more or sign up.

Metropolitan College was founded as a joint education-workforce-economic development initiative among the University of Louisville (UofL), Jefferson Community & Technical College (JCTC), Louisville Metro and State of Kentucky governments, and charter employer UPS. Metropolitan College was a critical element of the incentive package that convinced UPS to remain in Kentucky and to expand its major overnight air hub, Worldport. This uniquely innovative education program offers access to post-secondary education opportunities for eligible employees in the Next Day Air operation at UPS Worldport. Acknowledged by the U.S. Department of Labor for best practices in innovative solutions to workforce development, Metropolitan College and UPS offer a well-documented solution for the elimination of the financial barriers to higher education for residents of Kentucky and a proven model for workforce retention. Since its inception in 1998, this innovative partnership has helped more than 14,000 students pursue free post-secondary education and on-the-job training while reducing workforce turnover rate from over 70% to less than 20%. More than 5,100 individuals have earned over 8,300 certificates, associate, bachelor and graduate degrees.

Participants in the Metropolitan College/UPS program work part-time at UPS in the Next Day Air operation, receiving wages and full benefits. Participants may attend Jefferson Community & Technical College or the University of Louisville (specific admission criteria must be met for UofL) where they are eligible for full undergraduate Kentucky resident tuition for coursework passed with a “C” or better. In addition, MC/UPS participants are eligible for book reimbursement of up to $65 per class and academic completion bonuses. To fulfill the program’s mission of assisting students to integrate their academic, work and personal lives, Metropolitan College has a team of Student Development Counselors who assist students with a wide array of support services designed to enhance student success in the workplace, in the classroom, and in their future careers.

Developing a responsive and educated workforce for the region and state has always been a key component of the Metropolitan College model. Metropolitan College partners with Jefferson Community and Technical College to operate the CREW Career Center. CREW (Connecting Resources, Education and Workforce) provides comprehensive career development services for all Metropolitan College participants and all Jefferson Community and Technical College students.


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Chelsea in talks to beat Liverpool to midfielder ideal to partner Kante
Mahmoud Dahoud has alerted Chelsea (Picture: Getty)

Chelsea have reportedly held talks to seal the transfer of Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder and long-time Liverpool target Mahmoud Dahoud this summer.

Jose Mourinho instructs Ed Woodward to make £40m move for Juventus winger

The Blues are among a number of clubs chasing the highly-rated 21-year-old, who became a regular for the Bundesliga giants last season and contributed five goals from the middle of the park.

Dahoud had been reported to have agreed a deal with Gladbach’s rivals Borussia Dortmund, but Chelsea seem to believe they can hijack the deal, according to the Guardian.

DORTMUND, GERMANY - DECEMBER 03: Mahmoud Dahoud of Moenchengladbach in action  during the Bundesliga match between Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Moenchengladbach at Signal Iduna Park on December 3, 2016 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images)
Dahoud has also been linked with Liverpool in the past (Picture: Getty)

Antonio Conte is keen to sign a box-to-box player to partner N’Golo Kante, and has also been linked with the likes of Radja Nainggolan of AS Roma, and Atalanta starlet Franck Kessie.

However, Dahoud will be in the final year of his contract next season and could be available on the cheap, which has alerted Chelsea and led them to approaching the player.

The Premier League leaders have supposedly been in touch with the Germany Under-21 international’s representatives about the prospect of moving to Stamford Bridge.

MORE: John Terry rejecting transfer offers to help Chelsea win the Premier League title

MORE: Antonio Conte reveals wonderkid could get Chelsea breakthrough in coming weeks


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Saturday, July 2, 2016

Ron Swoboda birthday bash update!

Whipped up two more Ron Swoboda cards to add to the mfc ROCKY collection.

Here's his 1969 mfc card
followed by his 1969 mfc 3-D SQUARED card.

The Mets look to be on an upswing. Yay!

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