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yoga for two

Get your body back and bond with your baby at the same time.

I think of it as coming out of the cave, that period after being ensconced with your newborn. You’re healing and bonding with your baby, you’re hormonally high and feeling like you’re in an episode of The Twilight Zone in which fluid is leaking from every orifice of your body. You wonder who that woman is staring back at you in the bathroom mirror.

A month after my son was born, I remember putting on lipstick and my husband’s low-slung corduroys, leaving the house with my son in the baby carrier and going to a local record store. At a listening station, idiotically grinning at no one in particular, petting my son’s furry head as he slept snuggled against my chest, headphones piping in my own private concert, three things happened in quick succession. First, I squelched the urge to sob violently out of the psychotic love I was feeling for my son, then I forgot what city I was in, then I closed my eyes and nearly pitched forward in a sudden narcoleptic response to my new life.

My next few outings were simple strolls around the neighborhood to remind my body of life before being a carrier vessel. I wanted to regain my body, rebuild my strength and slow my racing, busy mind. For all this, I’m happy to report to anyone wanting the same, there is yoga.

“[There’s a] symmetry in yoga that brings balance back to your body,” renowned yoga instructor Gurmukh Gaur Khalsa says with a soft, soothing lilt. I’m here in Gurmukh’s postnatal mommy-and-me yoga class at Golden Bridge, her busy, airy yoga studio in Los Angeles. A yoga teacher for 30 years, Gurmukh instructs the class on correct postures. Women in all sizes and outfits perform yoga stances as their toddlers and babies (some as young as 6 weeks) sleep, crawl and nurse on and around them. Before I know it, the class has actually finished a respectable 45 minutes of yoga (I sure can feel it), followed by a joyous group rendition of nursery rhymes and songs accompanied by gentle mommy-and-me dancing.

Afterward, I ask Gurmukh why yoga is so effective for new moms. “Yoga is a science,” she says. “You get better so much faster than in random exercise.” A woman needs to get back her strength and rejuvenate her body after giving birth, in a class or even at home. If she doesn’t, the imbalance and fatigue can last a lifetime. I’m convinced.

Yoga Mama The following yoga routine was designed to improve endurance in your legs, back and abs—muscles you’ll need to perform the everyday tasks of motherhood (bending, stooping, carrying, lifting). You can do the moves with your baby nearby or actually on you. The sequence was created by certified yoga instructor Colette Crawford, R.N., of Seattle. Check with your doctor before beginning these exercises; once you have the go-ahead, start them at 4–6 weeks postpartum.

1. AB CURL Lie on your back with knees bent and feet resting on a chair seat. Place your baby tummy down on your abdomen, as shown, or sit him on your belly, propped against your thighs; hold him firmly with your hands around his torso. Inhale, then exhale, bringing your navel in toward your spine as you lift your head, neck and shoulder blades up off the floor. Pause, then slowly lower your head, neck and shoulders back down to the floor. Repeat 10–15 times. Strengthens abdominals.

2. BRIDGE Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet hip-width apart on the floor. Place your baby faceup on your pelvis. Inhale, keeping your buttocks tightened and feet pressed down on the mat. Exhale, lifting your hips to form a straight line. Keep your neck relaxed and hold this position for 3–4 breaths. To release, uncurl your spine to the floor, keeping your buttocks firm. Repeat 3–4 times. Strengthens back, buttocks and pelvic muscles.

3. CAT POSE/DOWNWARD-FACING DOG From the Bridge pose, place your baby faceup on the floor beside you and come onto your hands and knees above him. Pull your navel in toward your spine so your back is parallel to the floor; keep your neck elongated. Inhale, dropping your shoulders away from your ears; look up as your tailbone lifts for Cat Pose (A). Exhale, bring the soles of your feet to the floor and lift your hips in the air, legs straight, to form an inverted “V.” Press your heels toward the floor as you tighten the front of your thighs. Use your palms to press away from the floor, moving your face toward your baby for Downward-Facing Dog (B). Inhale, drop onto your knees to Cat Pose, then exhale, lifting your hips back up into Downward-Facing Dog. Repeat 4–6 times. Strengthens abs and back, and stretches hamstrings and calf muscles.

4. HIGH LUNGE From Downward-Facing Dog, inhale as you lift your head up and look forward; exhale and take a large step forward through your hands with your right foot, placing it to the right of your baby. Inhale and lift your arms up in the air, forearms shoulder-width apart and palms facing in. Pull your abdomen in; keep your heel lifted and front knee bent and in line with your ankle. Stay in this position for 3–4 breaths, then move on to Moving Low Lunge. Strengthens leg muscles, back and abdominals.

5. MOVING LOW LUNGE From High Lunge, exhale and bring your hands down to the floor near your front foot and bend your back knee to the floor. Inhale, lift your torso up and extend your arms overhead (A). Exhale and lower your hands down to your baby as you bend forward (B). Repeat 4–6 times, then place your hands on either side of your baby and press back to Downward-Facing Dog. Repeat both High Lunge and Moving Low Lunge, stepping forward with your left leg. Strengthens legs, abs, shoulders and back.

6. HIP OPENER From Moving Low Lunge, switch legs so your right foot is forward, knee in line with the right ankle, and place your hands and forearms on the floor on either side of your baby. Keeping your left knee on the floor, press your hips forward until you feel a stretch in your groin and in the front of your left thigh. Hold for 3–5 breaths. Switch legs and repeat, placing left foot next to your baby. Stretches front thighs, inner thighs and hip flexors.

7. WIDE-LEG FORWARD BEND/CHILD’S POSE From Hip Opener, place your hands on the floor on either side of your baby. Inhale and bring your back foot forward so both feet are slightly behind and on either side of your hands. Straighten and stretch your legs, using your abs to keep your torso lifted (A). Hold for 3–4 breaths. From here, place your knees on either side of your baby, extend forearms around him and sit back onto your heels to rest (B). Stretches hamstrings and inner thighs, and strengthens abs.


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Action holidays

It’s always an attractive prospect to mix our holidays with sports and activities, particularly as, these days, there are plenty of resorts available, fully equipped for our needs. And if you’re a family, you often find children’s clubs on hand and activities included as part of the holiday package.

The Flexicover Team looks at some activity destinations that may stimulate that desire to get up and go!

Tennis in Turkey

Combine a love for tennis and a beautiful beach resort in Turkey with the Andriake Beach Club for your perfect holiday experience. Tennis fanatics will love this new resort for its superb facilities including a tennis centre with 6 courts (2 clay and 4 astroturf). What’s more, a team of professionals will offer inclusive coaching daily to ensure you are progressing and having fun too! All you do is choose your ability group when you arrive and coaches will give you your times for the week. It’s a great way to improve your game, have some fun and play with new people. Spend your afternoons relaxing in the Neilson Spa and make use of the traditional Turkish hammam (sauna)!

Sailing in Greece

Always wanted to sail but never had a chance? Try it this year in the beautiful Greek coastal waters and combine with some relaxation on a beach with friends and family too. Jump on a yacht and take to the seas around the Ionian coastline! Packages are available for all different abilities, from the sailing experts to those for beginners wanting to just have some fun. Spend time at the Retreat Beach Club, located amongst natural beauty with tiny coves and green hills for a break of your dreams. And if sailing isn’t enough, try your hand at water-skiing, kayaking or windsurfing too for a memorable holiday!

Fishing in Argentina

For a fishing experience like no other, head to Argentina’s southernmost province, Tierra del Fuego. Stay in the fabulous family-run Kau Tapen Lodge, the area’s first fly-fishing lodge, and enjoy an experience like no other with stunning views thrown in for good measure. This is your opportunity for the finest sea trout fly-fishing in the world! With up to 9 hours fishing per day and access to 10 miles of water on both banks of the Rio Grande, you can catch fine specimens averaging 6kgs, with some monsters in excess of 13kg! The lodge has expert international and local guides on hand to help you out. Relax with a massage and some great Argentinean wine, with bird watching and wildlife-viewing trips also available if you want a day’s rest from fishing!

Diving in the Seychelles

For a holiday experience combining gorgeous scenery and relaxation with diving, the Seychelles is a great choice. The clear turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean surrounding the islands, its expansive reefs, walls, pinnacles and drop-offs combined with diverse marine environments make it a first class choice for this kind of holiday! The 5-star PADI Dive Resort, located south-west of Mahe, is just a stone’s throw away from the beach and makes for a unique break for exploring the underwater world and to see some beautiful fishes and turtles up close and personal!

Golf in Madeira

The rocky island of Madeira, an Atlantic territory that’s part of Portugal, is home to a collection of great golf courses. Team the activity with rugged mountains and dramatic views and you have a winning destination for golfing enthusiasts! Growing in popularity as a golf destination, the temperate climate, with an abundance of leisure options, makes the island doubly tempting for tourists. In addition, with a fabulous, 500 year old capital, some great shops and boutiques and restaurants and cafés galore, this destination makes it a sporty family holiday hot-spot.

Wherever your travels take you and whichever activity you get involved in, we at Flexicover are committed to providing you the highest level of protection to ensure that you are safe and secure, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year when away. Safe travels!

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Our Timber Brands

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The Australiana flooring collection by Godfrey Hirst is the ideal choice for our relaxed lifestyle, featuring colours that range from dark brown to pinkish grey with a wide range of shade variations in between.

If you want warmth and grace in your home, nothing surpasses the appeal of a wood floor. You’ll never tire of its exceptional beauty, and it will give you a lifetime of pleasure.

From contemporary style to natural character in this impressive range.

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Warmth, grace and appeal of a wood floor. The basis of every style and interior.

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The quality of construction and coatings in timber flooring products provides a stable, durable and versatile timber floor which can bring an effortless sense of style and simplicity to any décor.

The locking system on engineered timber flooring means that the product can be laid over existing flooring materials such as concrete or compressed fibre board installation either by your local Floorworld store or as a DIY project.  The sandwich construction is the most popular method and is considered the most stable.

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Jan. 19-21, 2018: Homestead Rodeo, where wild west meets the south in the tropics

Homestead rodeo — the southernmost rodeo in the continental United States — is Jan. 19-21, 2018

Florida is a strange amalgam of Deep South meets New York, with a little Havana and Puerto Rico thrown in.

If you travel around the Sunshine State, you also learn about a rich history of cattle ranching and “cow hunters” — what Florida called its Cracker cowboys, who “hunted” cattle by rounding them up with distinctive-sounding bullwhips.

So, it is not all that surprising that Florida has a rich history of rodeos in its small towns.  One of the longest lasting traditional rodeos and the southernmost rodeo in the United States is in Homestead.

Homestead’s rodeo takes place at  Harris Field, U.S. 1 and Campbell Drive.

The Homestead Rodeo celebrates its 69th year in 2018.  It’s one of the first rodeos in the circuit of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Assn., and thus draws cowboys from around the country who want to start accumulating points toward the December national finals.

The rodeo is a mix of professional rodeo events and small-town celebration, but organizers bring in top talent — the best rodeo announcers, the U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team.

Seven championship events are  featured; bare-back and saddle bronco riding, tie-down roping, team roping, steer wrestling, cowgirls’ barrel racing and the crowd-pleasing bull riding.

Homestead Rodeo details:

  • Times: 8 p.m., Friday, Jan. 19,   2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 20 and 2 p.m. Sunday Jan. 21, 2018.
  • Admission is $20 adults, $10 for kids at the gate. (Discounted if purchased in advance online — $15 adults; $5 kids.)
  • There is a free rodeo parade at 10 a.m. in  downtown Homestead on Saturday.
  • Discount tickets can be purchased in advance at homesteadrodeo.com

 Find out more about the Homestead rodeo here.

More things to do in Homestead:

Lodging & camping:

  • There is camping in Everglades National Park, of course. Reserve a campsite on ReserveAmerica
  • I hear good things about the inexpensive Everglades International Hostel.
  • A long-time local businessman bought the Hotel Redland in downtown Homestead and has turned the 1904 hotel into a bed and breakfast with a  good home-cooking restaurant in it.  I’ve stayed there and found it to be a friendly place. There are a few rough edges, but it is clean, quiet and full of local character.
  • Hotels in Homestead

  1. Dewey,
    If you went to the rodeo, we’d be interested in your reactions. Might help folks next year decide about going to the event. Thanks!

  2. Searched three time to find an itinerary – was not one?

    Timing of events left to the daily discretion of the show – now that is what Tennesseans call a pig in the poke.

    • Every perf varies and only has a scheduled start time, spend a few dollars and enjoy the Greatest Show on Dirt.

Share your thoughts

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Same Day Flowers To Bloomington

Bloomington Flowers Delivery Overview

Service Area:
Bloomington and Hennepin County MN
Weekday Delivery:
We deliver flowers to Bloomington Monday - Friday between 9am and 5 pm
Weekend Delivery:
We deliver flowers on Saturday and Sunday to Bloomington between 9am and 1pm
Same Day Delivery:
For same day delivery, place your order before 1:00 pm weekdays and before 12:00 pm on weekends.
We deliver to all residential homes, commercial buildings, hospitals, churches, retirement villages and funeral homes in Bloomington, MN

Same Day Flower Delivery to Bloomington

Bloomington Flowers offers same day flower delivery to Bloomington and throughout Hennepin County, Minnesota. For same day delivery on weekdays, please place your order before 1:00 pm. For deliveries on weekends, your order must be in before 12:00 pm. Orders received after these hours will be delivered next day. We cannot guarantee same delivery on public holidays and on special occasions such as Mother's Day and Valentines Day. We recommend placing your order at five days in advance.

Neighborhoods in Bloomington

  • West Bloomington
  • Penn-American
  • Normandale Lake
  • East Bloomington

Bloomington MN Map

Counties Near Allentown and Hennepin County

Bloomington Flowers Delivery Policy

All our flowers and gifts are personally hand-delivered by an industry professional, and we make every effort to deliver your order as quickly as possible.

Most of our flowers can be delivered the same day. To assure same-day delivery, orders must be received before 3:00 pm, Monday to Friday and before 12:00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays in the recipient's (Minnesota) time zone. Orders received after that time may be delivered the following day.

Regretfully, we are unable to guarantee delivery time to rural route addresses, hotels, hospitals, military bases or cemeteries. To request a specific delivery time, please type it into the Special Instructions field during checkout. We will do our best to accommodate your preferences.

Before major holidays, we recommend that you place your orders at least five days in advance.

Delivery to Bloomington Hospitals

Bloomington Flowers delivers to all hospitals in Bloomington and throughout Hennepin County, MN. When placing your order, please be sure to include the hospital name and telephone number, the name of the recipient and room number or ward of the recipient.

We will send your gift bouquet in accordance with facility procedures, as most hospitals do not allow florists to personally deliver to individual rooms. Please note that many ICU patients are not permitted to receive flowers. Please check with the hospital before placing your order.

Schools, Colleges and Universities in Bloomington

Bloomington Flowers delivers to all schools, colleges and universities in Bloomington and throughout Hennepin County, Minnesota. When sending flowers to a college or university staff member, please provide as much information as you can. When sending flowers to a student, we suggest having the flowers delivered to their residence rather than their school.

Bloomington Church Deliveries

Bloomington Flowers delivers flowers to all churches, chapels and places of worship in Bloomington and throughout Hennepin County, MN. If flowers need to be delivered for a church or religious service, at a specific time, we suggest placing your order at least 24 hours beforehand. We cannot guarantee delivery at a specific time for same day orders.

Delivery to Nursing Homes and Retirement Villages in Bloomington

We can deliver to all hospices, nursing homes and aged care facilities in Bloomington and throughout Hennepin County, Minnesota. Same day delivery is available.

Bloomington Funerals

Flowers for a funeral can be delivered to the family home, church service or funeral home. When sending flowers for a funeral, please provide as much information as possible including the name of the deceased, name and address where the service is held and the time of the service. Placing an order on the same day as the service is not recommended - please place your order at least twenty four hours before the funeral. More information about sending flowers for a funeral in Bloomington and Minnesota. is available.

Recipient Not Home

If you have specific instructions for the delivery of your gift bouquet, please note them in the Special Delivery Instructions field during checkout. In all other cases, if the recipient is not at home will either:

- Call the recipient to schedule an appropriate delivery time.
- Leave a note on the recipient's door asking them to contact us re-schedule delivery.
- Leave the arrangement in a covered, secure area of the home (porch, garage, or other entrance).
- Leave the gift bouquet with a neighbor and place a message on the recipient's door with this information.


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Recipe courtesy of Nancy Vaziri

Persian Pistachio-Cardamom Thins

  • Level: Intermediate
  • Total: 1 hr 25 min
  • Prep: 20 min
  • Inactive: 10 min
  • Cook: 55 min
  • Yield: 3 to 4 dozen cookies
Save Recipe

1 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons ground cardamom

6 egg whites

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup shelled, unsalted pistachios, 3/4 cup coarsely chopped, 1/4 cup finely chopped

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare an 11 by 7 by 1 1/2-inch baking pan by lining with parchment paper.
  2. Combine the sugar and cardamom in a small bowl, and mix with a spoon to combine. Beat the egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff, beat in sugar mixture (1 tablespoon at a time) until egg whites are thick and glossy. Add the flour, salt and pistachios, and mix with a spatula to combine. Spread mixture into the prepared pan. Bake in oven for 30 minutes, until firm to touch and top is golden. Cool for 10 minutes on a rack. Reduce oven temperature to 275 degrees F. With an electric knife, or very sharp knife, cut thin slices (1/4-inch thick, 7 inches long) and place on a large cookie sheet. Bake 20 to 25 minutes longer, or until crisp, dry, and firm. Store in airtight container.

TV Dinner Cupcakes

Easter Flower Cupcake

Dad's Melt-In-Your-Mouth Cookies

Ile Flottante


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Over on Motley Fool CAPS, we sometimes call them the savviest investors around. When one of our All-Star players -- those whose stock-picking prowess places them in at least the 80th percentile of our community -- sours on a top-rated stock, perhaps we should take notice. The player could have found a chink in that highflier's armor or a question mark in its financial footnotes. Or maybe it's just a hunch. That's why these tables aren't lists of stocks to buy or sell -- just starting points for further research.

Here's a list of stocks that some All-Stars have recently spurned:

CAPS Rating (5 Max)

1-Year Return

CAPS All-Star

Player Rating

Helmerich & Payne (NYSE:HP)

Agrium (NYSE:AGU)

Deere (NYSE:DE)

Jacobs Engineering (NYSE:JEC)

Inverness Medical Innovations (NYSE:IMA)

On average, 95% of all CAPS investors rating these companies think they will outperform the market. So, what might have turned some of CAPS' top players against these otherwise widely admired companies?

Not managing well
As a significant potash producer, and as the country's largest retail farm-store chain, Agrium has been one of the prime beneficiaries of the expanding production of ethanol. Even with some politicians calling for cutbacks in the program, because the voracious demand for corn is driving up prices and contributing to food shortages in various parts of the globe, there doesn't appear to be any end in sight to the ethanol boom. Agrium's CFO doesn't see the government having the will to do what would be tantamount to eliminating what he calls 5% of the U.S. gas supply -- at least not anytime soon.

As a result, potash producers such as Agrium, Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan (NYSE:POT), and Mosaic (NYSE:MOS) have been reaping the benefits by way of higher earnings. Farmers have been eager to boost production by adding beneficial nutrients to the soil to meet demand, and as a result, fertilizer companies have been reporting that their profits have doubled or tripled over the past year. Agrium expects its next earnings report to surpass its previous records.

Wits have taken to calling Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan the "Saudi Arabia of Potash," but no one is expecting any embargoes to be placed on fertilizer. Investors, in fact, are expecting a gusher of production to continue for all producers, including Agrium. CAPS player kingkamehameha sees the developing nations as an impetus for future growth:

Agrium is benefiting from the global demand for food in developing nations such as China, India and Russia. Fertilizer prices are soaring, and Agrium is one of the few companies in the world with significant market share. The US obsession with ethanol is also a plus for the company as it insures that prices for fertilizer will remain stable over the next year.

Although thinking Agrium will outperform the market, top-rated CAPS All-Star hondo928 notes that it and its fellow fertilizer companies do sport some fairly rich valuations at this point:

On [strictly] a relative level Agrium seems like a buy. Potash, Monsanto, and Mosaic have just been skyrocketing, and with [price-to-earnings ratios] of over 40 I just don't see how they can possibly be buys at this point. As far as earnings growth goes PEG is much better on Agrium at 1.3, while it's still not cheap, it's a good solid company, with much better fundamentals, the boom won't last forever, but I think that this is good for a few more percent at least.

Make lemonade from lemons
We've seen the direction in which some investors think these companies are heading, but Motley Fool CAPS is more than what the pros think, even if they're All-Stars. It's where we invite you to share your thoughts and insights and add your voice to the debate. Go ahead; have your say. We're eagerly waiting!


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Is The Tide Now Shifting Toward International Equities?

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For the past few years, many Wall Street strategists called the rotational shift from domestic equity returns (and flows) to international equity returns (and flows) incorrectly…or at least too early. Despite valid rationale supporting more growth potential in international stock markets than in domestic stock markets, given both the length of the secular bull market and economic recovery in the United States, the bull market run in the U.S. has continued.  However, thus far in 2017 the tides appear to be starting to shift away from domestic shores and towards international countries.

As the chart below depicts, while U.S. stocks have outperformed both international developed and emerging market stocks over the past five years, recent momentum appears to be on the side of international stocks based on 2017 year-to-date return information.

Index Country/
5-Year Return (USD) 3-Year Return (USD) 1-Year
2017 YTD Return
S&P 500 United States 13.49% 10.75% 19.05% 6.72%
MSCI EAFE International Developed Markets 5.93% 1.84% 11.72% 7.36%
MSCI EMG International Emerging Markets 0.78% 3.44% 21.30% 12.18%

Source: Bloomberg. All returns are USD total returns as of March 17, 2017.

These year-to-date returns may come as a surprise to some investors as so much attention has been placed on the returns of U.S. stocks in conjunction with investor enthusiasm for certain areas of the market.

These areas of the market are often associated with the “Trump Trade” and the Trump Trade momentum, which, although have slowed of late, have taken the U.S. stock market to new and record highs during the first quarter of 2017.

However, both developed and emerging markets, as represented by the MSCI EAFE and MSCI EMG indexes listed in the table above, have surpassed the U.S. stock market, as represented by the S&P 500 index listed in the table above (returns through March 17) and international emerging markets have returned more than the U.S. stock market for the past one-year period as well.

Investors are starting to take notice of the international momentum story, at least as it relates to emerging markets. For example, the top gainer in exchange-traded fund flows out of the entire field of U.S.-listed ETFs for the month of February, according to, was the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets (IEMG), which pulled in $2.5 billion.

Drilling down further into country specific return shows an even more intriguing story as certain countries appear to be outpacing others within the two representative international market categories. Based on the chart below, with respect to the developed market countries listed, Spain appears to be leading the way thus far in 2017 with a year-to-date gain of more than 12%. Looking at emerging market countries listed in the chart, Mexico comes out of the gates strong with a 2017 total return gain of more than 15% thus far.

Index Country/
5-Year Return (USD) 3-Year Return (USD) 1-Year
2017 YTD Return
S&P 500 United States 13.49% 10.75% 19.05% 6.72%
FTSE 100 U.K. 3.29% -1.61% 6.70% 5.46%
DAX Germany 6.63% 0.28% 16.09% 7.34%
CAC 40 France 6.38% -0.09% 11.40% 5.43%
IBEX35 Spain 3.60% -4.24% 12.30% 12.13%
FTSE MIB Italy 2.53% -6.40% 6.89% 6.59%
NIKKEI 225 Japan 9.34% 9.67% 16.16% 5.82%
MEXICO IPC Mexico -1.71% -2.35% -0.65% 15.43%
MICEX Russia -4.22% 4.53% 34.02% -2.38%
CSI 300 China 6.12% 15.51% 5.94% 4.80%
Brz IBOVESPA Brazil -11.19% 0.54% 48.64% 11.89%

Source: Bloomberg.

There are many different market events that could slow down this international equities momentum including, but not limited to, the following:

*Ramifications of key upcoming political votes that could lead to other potential country exits from the European Union

*The exact timing and logistics of the expected departure of Great Britain from the European Union (Brexit)

*Any potential changes to existing trade agreements or policies

*Policy changes coming out of Washington D.C. that could further boost U.S. economic growth and consumption

*Interest rate activity on the part of central banks across the globe and relative currency valuations--in addition to the Federal Reserve’s 25 basis point increase to the Fed Funds Target Rate in the U.S. last week, the Bank of England is now expected to considering nudging its own interest rates higher following a recent report showing that inflation registered at its highest level in three years in Great Britain

*Commodity prices

*Any short-term bouts of stock market volatility

*Unexpected political or military shocks in any one region that could lead to global unrest

Recognizing all of these possibilities and associated risks, I believe that international equities, through developed market and some emerging markets stock allocations, should be a part of most globally diversified portfolios in 2017 as a result of anticipated economic growth in many countries across the globe in addition to the anticipated stimulation measures on the part of central banks needed to spur additional economic growth.

Disclosure: Hennion & Walsh Asset Management has allocations within its managed money program and Hennion & Walsh has allocations within certain SmartTrust® UITs consistent with several of the areas discussed here.

Kevin D. Mahn is the President and Chief Investment Officer of Hennion & Walsh Asset Management. Mr. Mahn is responsible for all of the Wealth and Asset Management products and services offered at the Firm including the SmartTrust® series of Unit Investment Trusts (UITs)...


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A rising tide of Buddhist nationalism has reached genocidal levels in recent years and is targeting Rohingya Muslims and other minority groups in Burma.

Writing in the New York Times in an article entitled, “Myanmar Generals Set the State for Their Own Exit“, Thomas Fuller expressed his and the media’s failure to recognize the total fraud that is Burmese democracy.

“The official results are still being tabulated,” he wrote, “but all signs, so far, point to that rarest of things: an authoritarian government peacefully giving up power after what outside election monitors have deemed a credible vote.”

Fuller, who said nothing about the persecuted Rohingya minority and little about the other millions of Burmese who were denied the chance to vote, only managed to contribute to the seemingly baffling media euphoria about the country’s alleged democracy.

Reporting from Burma—also known as Myanmar—Timothy McLaughlin dealt with the Rohingya subject directly; however, he offered a misleading sentiment that the oppressed minority, which was excluded from the vote, can see a ‘glimmer of hope’ in the outcome of the elections.

According to results, the National League for Democracy (NLD), under the leadership of Aung San Suu Kyi, has won a stunning victory over its rivals in the ruling party, by garnering 348 seats, in contrast with only 40 seats obtained by the military-controlled party that has ruled Burma since 1962.

There is no real basis for that supposed ‘glimmer of hope’, aside from a non-binding statement made by an NLD official, Win Htein, that the Citizenship Act of 1982 “must be reviewed” —an Act which served as the basis for discrimination against the Rohingya.

Win Htein’s comments are disingenuous, let alone non-committal, at best. The Citizenship Act “must be reviewed because it is too extreme … review that law [sic] and make necessary amendments so that we consider those people who are already in our country, maybe second generation, so they will be considered as citizens,” he told Reuters. His comments promote the myth that the well over one million Rohingya are ‘Bengalis”, who came to his Burma only recently as hapless immigrants.

While Burma, like any other ASEAN country has its fair share of immigrants, the fact is that most Rohingya Muslims are native to the state of “Rohang” (originally a kingdom in itself), officially known as Rakhine or Arakan. Over the years, especially in the late 19th century and early 20th century, the original inhabitants of Arakan were joined by cheap or forced labor from Bengal and India, who permanently settled there.

For decades, tension has brewed between Buddhists and Muslims in the region. Eventually, the majority, backed by a military junta, prevailed over the minority which had no serious regional or international backers. A rising tide of Buddhist nationalism has reached genocidal levels in recent years and is targeting not only Rohingya Muslims, but also Christian and other minority groups in the country.

The Rohingya population of Arakan, estimated at nearly 800,000, subsist between the nightmare of having no legal status (as they are still denied citizenship), little or no rights and the occasional ethnic purges carried out by their neighbors. While Buddhists also paid a price for the clashes, the stateless Rohingya, being isolated and defenseless, were the ones to carry the heaviest death toll and destruction.

Writing in the Ecologist, Nafeez Ahmed cited alarming new findings conducted last October by the International State Crime Initiative (ISCI) at Queen Mary University in London, which “found that the Rohingya … face ‘the final stages of a genocidal process’.”  “Leaked government documents show that plans to inflict ‘mass annihilation’ have been prepared at the highest levels,” he wrote.

Not only did the elections disempower and further alienate the Rohingya, but it also empowered political groups that have openly sought the ‘mass annihilation’ of the defenseless minority, most of whom are living in abject poverty within closed refugee camps, while thousands have perished at sea  in a bid to escape the violence.

One of these nationalist groups is the Arakan National Party (ANP), which has incited and enacted violent pogroms against the Rohingya for years. In fact, ethnically cleansing the Rohingya is a main rally cry for a group which now has a democratically elected 29 national level representatives in Rakhine, and is also in “decisive control of the state’s regional assembly,” according to Reuters.

The sad fact is that much of the reporting on the Burmese elections stoked false hope that a democracy has finally prevailed in that country—and either brushed over or completely ignored the plight of the Rohingya altogether.

But how could anyone with a reasonable degree of knowledge in the political, constitutional and historical context of the November elections ignore the major discrepancies of the army-championed style of “Discipline Flourishing Democracy” program announced in August 2003 by General Khin Nyunt?

Burma’s generals have organized every facet of their sham democratic campaign since the early 1990s so that they give an illusion of democracy, while retaining power.

When the outcome of the 1990 elections did not work in their favor, they crushed their opponents and placed the leaders of the NLD under house-arrests or prison. This action, however, cost them international isolation outside the domain of China and a few ASEAN countries.

For years, the generals learned how to craft a system that would allow them to rule the country, while making symbolic gestures to meet the west’s half-hearted condition of democratization and pluralism.

The most recent elections have been, by far, the most successful of the generals’ democracy schemes in recent years. This clever scheme is rooted partly in the 2008 Constitution, “which elevates core interests of the military (such as the military budget, appointments, business conglomerates and security matters) above the law and parliamentary oversight,” wrote Maung Zarni in The Guardian.

According to the controversial constitution, “the military serves as the ultimate custodian with the power to discipline any elected government or MP who dares to stray from the military’s chosen path and its definition of parliamentary democracy,” Zarni wrote.

In fact, just last June, the military, defeated an attempt by parliamentarians to rescind its veto power. This is why the military remains the upper hand in the country, regardless of who wins or loses the elections. By reserving for itself a quarter of the seats in parliament, the military will continue to enjoy a veto power.

Then, why is there all this excitement about Burmese democracy? Simple—the rivalry between China and the United States, and their respective allies have reached a point where the massive amount of untapped wealth of oil and natural gas in Burma can no longer be ignored.

The US, UK and other countries are salivating at the limitless potential of economic opportunities in that country, estimated at “3.2 billion barrels of oil and 18 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves.” According to a UK government report, under the theme, a “hotspot for exploration,” Burma’s “unproven resources may be vastly greater.”

With Burma climbing to the world top five countries in terms of proven oil and gas reserves, terms such as genocides, military juntas and human rights are abruptly and largely omitted from the new discourse.

Indeed, a whole new narrative is being conveniently drafted, written jointly by the Burmese army, nationalist parties, Aung San Suu Kyi’s NLD, western investors and anyone else who stands to benefit from the treasures of one of the world’s worst human rights violators.


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Start A Business

Posted onCategoriesBusiness Link

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Most business enchancment philosophies such as Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma is not going to only … Read the rest

Start A Enterprise Broke And Unemployed!

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How To Start A Housekeeping Enterprise On A Shoestring Finances

Posted onCategoriesHow To Start A Small Business

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Start Your Own Business Shopping for And Selling Gold

Posted onCategoriesOnline Business For Sale

Online Business For SaleWhen 400 online businesses were charged for not registering their enterprise with the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) in 2010, it stirred up the entire on-line business communities in Malaysia. Selling your jewelry on-line is a huge option if you wish to make money working from home or stimulate business on your offline enterprise. Unless you’re going to have your personal server with its personal connection to the grid you have to an internet host for your online retailer. What good is starting any enterprise in case you don’t hold what you make to boost your life.

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How To Start A Work At Dwelling Secretarial Enterprise

Posted onCategoriesHow To Start A Business

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Buy A House Or Start A Business

Posted onCategoriesBuy A Business

Buy A BusinessMust you launch your personal business from scratch, purchase an existing company or purchase a franchise opportunity? It typically makes good sense to buy the receivables, except when they’re ninety or a hundred and twenty days previous, or older. This is a great time to seek the advice of what you are promoting broker, lawyer, banker, and accountant for assist. As soon as a enterprise has been started, it will likely be straightforward for the business to flop over and fail. Key to soundly buying a enterprise is understanding the value in addition to the related dangers of buying a enterprise. If that’s the case, beginning your business from scratch is probably going one of the best ways to go. If your corporation is truly groundbreaking, you most likely cannot find an existing business or franchise alternative exactly just like the one you envision.

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How To Start Business In India?

Posted onCategoriesStarting A Business

Starting A BusinessBeginning a enterprise includes planning, making key selections and finishing a sequence of legal steps. I started my own affiliate marketing enterprise, and i am doing fairly properly.I give individuals advice on methods to begin your personal affiliate enterprise. Watch our movies to search out out about tools to help you start and grow your small business. So much data on beginning a business that’s has inspired me a lot and I’ve already started my very own enterprise! I am writing all these items about beginning a enterprise my largest fear is my health.

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Plan & Start

Posted onCategoriesHow To Start A Business

How To Start A BusinessA business plan is a written doc that describes your enterprise objectives and techniques, your monetary forecasts and the market you’re focusing on. No prob, I packed a few luggage and off I went, my paint and sip enterprise shopper had adopted all of my advice and it was all set up, so I did my factor and all went nicely. Solely your company’s property (whatever’s in your business bank account, business-owned equipment and real property) could be in danger, slightly than your home, automobile and private savings account. For data on how to set up a corporation, see the Incorporating your small business part below.

I register for a service like or Paypal, which allows me to accept credit card funds on-line (Most people go together with Paypal, as a result of the charges are a lot less than using , which has a month-to-month price + a per-transaction … Read the rest

How To Start A Enterprise In NC

Posted onCategoriesStarting A Business

Starting A BusinessStarting a business in India is simple, particularly if it is a small enterprise. The dynamics of the operation do change as the small business takes on more accounts. I’m hoping my new business can use the assistances of a lot bloggers in hubpages. It’s possible you’ll must research and develop your basic enterprise thought , work out what you will title your enterprise and decide on what type it’ll take. You must plan your business fastidiously before you begin up. The headings in a business plan could be regarded as a guidelines of questions it’s essential ask your self to reassure your self that your venture will work. The Oregon Business Guide lists three categories of business assistance programs.

Some of these varieties are, receipts types, standard contract, and any forms I may have to conduct my enterprise. I know we are watching to see how I do with … Read the rest

How To Start A Business With (Nearly) No Cash

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How To Start A BusinessThis can be a no BS guide on starting up a Cricut or Silhouette based business. Your Business Quantity is your single account quantity for coping with the federal authorities regarding taxes, payroll, import/export and different actions. They’ll advise you on all the problems above that relate to starting a business, methods to legally structure your enterprise (sole dealer, partnership, company and so on.) and on different important authorized, monetary, and tax issues. If you have no business expertise, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. No one is born with enterprise expertise.

If you happen to open workplaces/stores in several provinces, you will be required to register your online business in those areas. If you happen to’ve been occupied with starting a house primarily based business and you’ll type at the least 30 wpm, here is some great info that may enable you to get started. It is going to … Read the rest

What Is The Procedure To Start A Company?

Posted onCategoriesWhat Is A Business

What Is A BusinessEverything you should know as to why you should purchase a Ruckus is at your fingertips. The physique of your online business letter should include just a few concise paragraphs that convey your message clearly. In Why Business Fashions Matter,” Magretta goes back to first rules to make a easy and helpful distinction, stating that a enterprise model is an outline of how your business runs, but a competitive technique explains how you’ll do better than your rivals. Those business processes which might be affected by the development and integration of IT programs are thought-about. In addition, a enterprise that needs to lift money on a inventory market or to be owned by a wide range of individuals will usually be required to adopt a selected authorized type to take action. Thus, the enterprise administrative that means of enterprise system does not differ very much from our use of the … Read the rest

Start Your Business

Posted onCategoriesStarting A Business

Starting A BusinessEarlier than taking up the challenge of working a enterprise for yourself, there are some necessary things it’s worthwhile to contemplate. Financing your new business Discover out about obtainable sources of financing in your start-up business. What you are promoting may be affected by challenging durations equivalent to an economic downturn. Call Business Link NC at 1-800-228-8443 to search out out about enterprise licenses, occupational licenses , environmental permits, and zoning requirements for your specific type of enterprise. The Enterprise Information Heart offers information about Oregon and federal income taxes. I seek steerage and formalities concerned in beginning up the safety company company. I slowed the tempo of my business as a result of, I do not need to take on greater than I can chew.

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Start A Business In New York State

Posted onCategoriesHow To Start A Small Business

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How To Start Your Personal Ironing Business

Posted onCategoriesSmall Business Ideas

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Latest News / Feature

The Big Quiz - test your Italian Grand Prix knowledge

31 Aug 2016

Monza is the fastest track on the calendar, but will the answers to our tricky quiz pop into your head quite as quickly? It’s time to put your memory to the test…

Answers at the bottom of the page

Question 1:

Sebastian Vettel surpassed Fernando Alonso as F1’s (then) youngest ever race winner with victory at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix, but how old was he - 20, 21 or 22?

Question 2:

Peter Gethin famously won the 1971 Italian Grand Prix by just 0.01s - the smallest margin of victory in F1 history. But who finished second in the slipstreaming classic - Francois Cevert, Ronnie Peterson or Chris Amon?

Question 3:

In the video below, who is this spinning into retirement at the first chicane during the 2012 race?

Question 4:

The Italian Grand Prix has been run every year since 1950, but what made the 1980 running unique?

Question 5:

Which Italian driver, pictured below, made his 14th and final F1 start at Monza for Jordan in 2004?

Question 6:

Why did the leading British teams (including Cooper, Lotus and BRM) boycott the 1960 race at Monza?

Question 7:

What occurred at the 2005 Italian Grand Prix that hadn’t happened since the 1961 Dutch Grand Prix?

Question 8:

Which current driver furiously claimed that “F1 is no longer a sport” after receiving a five-place grid penalty for blocking during qualifying in 2006?

Question 9:

In the video below, which driver is Red Bull's Mark Webber seen passing during the 2010 race at Monza?

Question 10:

Which driver made a one-off appearance for Lotus when Romain Grosjean was banned for the 2012 Italian Grand Prix?

Question 11:

Kimi Raikkonen has never won in Italy – true or false?

Question 12:

Niki Lauda famously returned to action at the 1976 Italian Grand Prix, just over a month after his horrific fiery crash in Germany. But where did the Austrian finish at Monza - fourth, sixth or eighth?

Question 13:

Which Italian driver back flipped his way across the finish line at his home Grand Prix in 1993 after contact with Minardi team mate Christian Fittipaldi?

Question 14:

Who was the last Italian-born driver to win the Italian Grand Prix?

Question 15:

Which American driver scored his only F1 podium finish with third place at Monza in 1993?

1. 21; 2. Ronnie Peterson; 3. Toro Rosso's Jean-Eric Vergne; 4. It was held at Imola - the only one of the 66 Italian Grands Prix to-date to be held away from Monza; 5. Giorgio Pantano; 6. Because the race organisers decided to reinstate the banked section of track, which the British teams believed was too fast and too bumpy; 7. All the cars that started the race reached the finish; 8. Renault's Fernando Alonso; 9. Williams' Nico Hulkenberg; 10. Jerome d'Ambrosio; 11. True; 12. Fourth; 13. Pierluigi Martini; 14. Mario Andretti, who was born in Italy but raced for the USA and won at Monza in 1977; 15. Michael Andretti.

How did you get on?

0-5: Back of the grid

6-10: Solid midfield runner

11-15: Top of the podium


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“Are we less than Tatars?” Ukraine’s Bulgarians and Romanians demand autonomy

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July 4, 2016 –

By Eduard Popov for Fort Russ

Translated by J. Arnoldski

On July 4th, the Bulgarian diaspora in Ukraine appealed to President Poroshenko to grant territorial autonomy to Bulgarians in the Odessa and Kherson regions. The Bulgarians’ resolution is connected to the Ukrainian leader’s statement on the granting of autonomy to Crimean Tatars. “The idea of granting autonomy to the Crimean Tatars significantly changes the constitutional field of Ukraine and establishes an important precedent. The Bulgarians of Ukraine residing on certain territories also have the right to autonomy,” the diaspora’s statement reads.

Poroshenko announced the intention to establish national autonomy for Crimean Tatars in Crimea on May 18th at events dedicated to the anniversary of Crimean Tatars’ deportation. At a session of the Verkhovna Rada on June 28th, the president stated the need to amend the Constitutions so that Crimean Tatars could obtain the right to self-determination.

Before the Bulgarians of Ukraine’s appeal with a similar statement, the Assembly of Romanians of Bukovina also appealed to Poroshenko. The community urged the president to confer the status of territorial autonomy upon areas in the Chernivtsi region heavily populated by Romanians. The Romanians of Northern Bukovina (the historical name of this territory in the Chernivtsi region) account for slightly less than 20% of the region’s population (151,000 people).

The differences between the situation of Bulgarians and Romanians of Ukraine are important. Romania is seen by Kiev as an ally against Russia. It is no secret that anti-Russian sentiment in the country is strong. For example, the coincidence of Kiev and Bucharest’s interests led to the joint blockade of the Transnistria Moldovan Republic. Both countries are also participating in the joint exercises in the Black Sea region.

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These allied relations, however, are ending. The contradictions between the two countries are sharp, even if not public. Back during Viktor Yushchenko’s presidency, Romania established a precedent dangerous for Ukraine. Bucharest initiated a territorial dispute over the waters of Snake Island (in the black Sea across from the Danube Delta). Ukraine’s legal case was defeated, as a result of which 80% of the island’s waters were transferred to Romania. Of the total shelf space of 12,000 square kilometers, Romania obtained 9.7 thousand square kilometers. The country obtained not only a strategically important bridgehead allowing it to close the Danube basin, but also access to the oil and gas deposits discovered on the islands shelf. A dangerous legal precedent was thus established: henceforth, Ukraine could be deprived of its own land territories and waters.

Romania is one of the countries of Eastern Europe with a victim complex. The Romanian elite and public opinion in the country believe that the victors of the Second World War dealt with them harshly. Romania itself, as is known, was part of the Hitlerite coalition and its soldiers participated in the occupation of the south of modern Ukraine (historical Novorossiya). Their soldiers’ actions left behind bitter memories of their actions as punishers and looters on the Don and in Stalingrad. In 1940, the Kingdom of Romania lost Moldova and Northern Bukovina, re-gained them for several years during the War, and then lost them again in 1944. These territories were then obtained by the Soviet Union. In Romania, modern Ukraine is considered to be an illegal and temporary owner of Romanian lands. Therefore, Romania is pursuing an active policy in the regions of Ukraine which once belonged to its kingdom, Northern Bukovina and Bessarabia (southern Odessa). It has been reported that over 100 Romanian passports have been issued to Ukrainian citizens, including those not of Romanian origin.

Knowing these and other facts, it is not difficult to verify that Kiev and Bucharest are more of dangerous competitors rather than allies. At the moment, Romania has more resources as an EU and NATO member, both organizations which Ukraine is striving to join. Kiev perfectly understands the danger of Romania granting passports to its citizens, hence why the official statistics of Ukraine consider the Romanians of Northern Bukovina to be Moldovans, a people kin to the Romanians living on the banks of the Dniester.

A completely different situation concerns Ukraine’s Bulgarians who also inhabit the historical region of Bessarabia (also in southern Odessa region). Bulgarians make up a significant minority of the population in terms of number (around 205,000 people) but in terms of organization the Ukrainian Romanians completely surpass them. And what is most important is that the Bulgarian government does not pursue any expansionist policies and pays little attention to the situation of its compatriots abroad. Bulgarians historically maintain a pro-Russian orientation (as the Romanians of Ukraine have Russophile sentiments).

For every year of its independence, Ukraine attempted to persuade Bulgaria to its side, but never managed to do so. Public opinion in Bulgaria, as before, considers Russian soldiers to be their liberators in the war of 1877-’78. Although the obedient pro-Western government of Borisov has curtsied before Ukraine and attempted to establish cooperation, the results have been very modest.

Thus, the Bulgarians of Ukraine cannot count on serious support from official Sofia. But they can obtain aid from opposition groups such as the nationalist party Ataka and other opposition parties and movements in Bulgaria. Another important ally of Bulgarians is their Romanian neighbors. As two Orthodox, neighboring peoples who fought together in the liberation war of 1877-’78, they are comrades-in-misfortune. The commonality of their interests, the necessity of preserving their cultures, and opportunities of socio-economic development have forced the Romanian and Bulgarian communities in Ukraine to work together to defend their rights. And these rights are being severely violated.

In 2003, during the first “Orange Revolution,” Ukraine adopted the European Charter on Regional and Minority Languages. However, the victory of the “oranges” did not allow this law to be enter legal force. Forced Ukrainization and the infringement upon national minorities swept the country. The victory of the Euromaidan and the surge in Ukrainian neo-Nazism are causes of legitimate concern for all the national minorities in Ukraine.

These minorities will resort to being aided by their mother countries and creating their own self-defense units, like the Hungarians of Transcarpathia (12% of the total population, or 151,000 people) are already doing. The agenda of the day includes the creation of a common rights-defense and ethno-political movement of Romanians and Bulgarians, and perhaps Hungarians too. The Ukrainian political police, the SBU, harshly suppress any form of opposition, but in this case they’ll need to act more cautiously so as to not incur the wrath of Bucharest, Sofia, Budapest, and then Brussels, the capital of “united Europe.”

Thus, the victorious Euromaidan’s policy of forced Ukrainization, with its elements of armed violence against dissenters, leaves Ukraine’s national minorities no option but to seek legal ways out of the impasse. One of them is demanding national-territorial autonomy. While declaring a ban on discussing the prospects of federalism, the Ukrainian government itself has set the precedent by promising to grant territorial autonomy to Crimean Tatars. This chance could be taken advantage of by Ukraine’s Romanians and Bulgarians. Now it will be very difficult for President Poroshenko to explain these communities (and the parent states of Romanians, Bulgarians, and Hungarians) just why Crimean Tatar autonomy can’t be considered a precedent or why Romanians or Bulgarians in Ukraine are worse than Crimean Tatars.

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If you are a creative person, your focus may be on your next artistic project. If you are a person more solidly grounded in the world of the practical, you may choose a profession in banking or finance of some sort. It's somewhat unusual to find a person who can do both.

Katie Hill is one such person.

She mixes her love of dance and artistry with a practical side that helps her run a dance studio in downtown Bristol. Her studio business, Dancing Feet, is located in a beautiful old brick building overlooking the downtown area. Although the building is historic, Katie had decorated her studio in a modern style, with a quality wooden dance floor, large mirrors and everything a dancer could desire when taking classes.

"My first challenge was finding a convenient location for people to come take a class, but also with enough space. I was lucky to find a great place right on Pleasant Street by the town square area," she says.

Opening a dance studio and running it during an economic downturn might seem difficult, but Katie is offering something every little girl dreams of: the chance to dance.

"I have always wanted to teach dance and try to open my own studio. I started teaching at the Tapply-Thompson Community Center in Bristol while in college and right after graduation I opened my own studio on Pleasant Street in Bristol."

While each year Katie loses a few children because they move or get involved in other interests, she gains more to replace those who no longer attend.

"I also have a lot of students that have been here since I opened," she comments.

Why would a young woman fresh out of college choose to open a dance studio in a small town that has seen the ups and downs of the recession? Katie was looking for an area that didn't have a studio such as she could offer. Bristol turned out to be that place; Katie had taught dance at the town's community center while she was still in college at nearby Plymouth State University, so she was familiar with the area.

"I went to PSU where I graduated in 2008 Cum Laude with a bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Studios with a focus in dance education and theatre design. I minored in business and I also received my dance pedagogy certificate," Katie says.

Clearly Katie knew the importance of understanding business if she was to succeed in teaching dance and running a successful studio.

Dance has always been a passion for Katie.

"I started taking dance classes when I was really little, just before I turned three. I started at the Frates Creative Arts Center in Laconia where I danced till I graduated from high school. (I grew up in Winnisquam.) I recently went back to enjoy the adult classes at Frates Creative Arts Center, and to get back into some class for myself. I also danced with Dance Inspirations while in high school," she said. "In my freshman year of college, I attended Johnson State in Vermont where I was part of the dance classes and the JSC Dance Ensemble. I transferred to Plymouth for my sophomore year. During my three years at PSU, I took part in dance classes, workshops, and the Contemporary Dance Ensemble."

At Dancing Feet, Katie teaches most of the classes, although she says, "I do have another teacher, Miss Meghan, who teaches my Irish Step classes, and she will substitute classes if needed."

Katie's studio offers a range of classes for ages three to adult, including tap, ballet, jazz/hip-hop, Irish Step and Pre-K. She also offers a day camp and week camp during school vacations and the summer.

With marriage in the near future on her horizon (she will be marrying in April, 2011), Katie finds life after college very busy. Owning her own business is a challenge she relishes. Between commuting to Bristol from her home in Laconia and planning a wedding, her schedule is always full.

However, that has not stopped her from dreaming about the future, where she mixes the practical side of a business with the more creative.

"I would love to continue and grow Dancing Feet," she said. "Maybe one day when my numbers are higher, I will get a bigger studio with a few dance rooms so I can offer one class at a time and have a couple more teachers. I want to teach more students, and watch them learn and grow in dance."


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Happy Bastille Day!

For every modern nation, there is a line drawn in the sand at which historians believe it was impossible to reverse the course of events. For the US, the birth of our country could have been acceptably marked at the passage of the Stamp Act of 1765, or the Boston Massacre in 1770, or the Tea Party in 1773, or the first shots fired at Lexington and Concorde in 1775. Washington's final victory over Lord Cornwallis on October 17th, 1781 is hard to argue with. John Adams, himself, assumed that July 2nd, the day the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, would be celebrated in history. In fact, New York abstained that day as it didn't have authority to agree to independence (and wouldn't get that authority for a week), and Jefferson immediately insisted that a paragraph condemning the Slave Trade be removed. July 4th was the day the revised edition was approved again (with New York still abstaining), and the whole thing was finally sent to the printer. For France, there were similar points in history. Financial and propaganda support of the American Revolution may have given legitimacy to the anti-monarchy ideas in the minds of the French everyman. In May, 1879, Louis XVI reconvened the Nobility, Clergy, and Commoners to hear their greviences -- in a sense, limiting the monarch's limitless authority. There was the June 20th Tennis Court Oath by the commoner leaders declaring they would not separate until a constution was established. In early July, a constitution was being written with, if not the blessing, then at least the knowledge of Louis. The arrest of Louis on August 10, 1792, or his beheading on January 21, 1793 may also be considered as final as Washington's victory.

However, the storming of the Bastille, on July 14th, 1789, is the act historically considered to be the point of no return. Though the Bastille once housed political prisoners, it was being decomissioned, and there were only seven prisoners there at the time (four convicted of forgery, two lunatics, and an actual aristocrat who might have been there for reasons of insanity). Ironically, if it had been July 4th, 1789, one other notable aristocrat, the Marquis de Sade, would have been released, but he had been transferred. Given the lack of prisoners, the mob was most likely looking for weapons, not free thinkers.

Open treason against the monarch, whether solemnly approved and printed, or blatently stormed, is hard to retreat from.

For the US, after the Revolution, we shipped the grouchy Royalists and Loyalists out of the country. Some went back to England, some to Canada or the other colonies around the world. When the War of 1812 came a couple generations later, we had few serious Royalists left in the States, and our nation was more or less united against the possibility of British re-acquisition. France, on the other hand, did not have the luxury of shipping out its Royalists. France was France, had been for a thousand years, and those who lost the Revolution were killed or exiled or went into a grumbling, muttering underground. France would see the Revolution, the Reign of Terror, an Empire, another Republic, another Empire, another Republic mixed with flavors of an Empire, and a couple dips back into monarchy of various nuances. And that was just in the first 80 years.

So, Happy Birthday France! Perhaps not the modern nation as it exists today, but definitely France the people, the birth of the idea.

I'm a culinary Francophile, even though I attempt to fusion its techniques with world cuisine. I'm not a dessert person, however. Most baking is chemistry and science, the lack of a scant tablespoon, the loss or addition of an ingredient on a whim, can completely destroy a recipe. Mousse, however, is pretty forgiving. Mostly whipped cream and whipped egg whites for the base, the flavoring can be just (just!) chocolate, or a menu of other items. I've gone fairly classic here with a dark chocolate syrup with egg yolks. A bit of playing, substitution, and improvisation doesn't hurt this dessert, which is why it's one of my favorites.

Chocolate mousse should really use prepared, solid chocolate. I personally like using semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted over a double-boiler. But, dark chocolate candy bars, milk chocolate, bakers chocolate, or a variety of different forms can be used. I was sure I had chocolate chips in my pantry, but, alas, I had steadily eaten them on ice cream the last few months. I did have cocoa powder (unsweetened, 100%). Weirdly, we do have some white chocolate in the house, which I consider unworthy of the chocolate name, even though the fat may be from the cocoa bean itself. I wondered about maybe using cocoa powder with white chocolate. A quick internet search showed I could use 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder with 1 tablespoon of butter to approximate chocolate bars, which seemed much more palatable to me than deigning to use white chocolate (and besides, the cocoa-white-chocolate mixture got thumbs down from purists, as the white is already processed and weird things could happen).

So, for the basics: 3 eggs (separated), 4 tablespoons of butter (2 now, 2 later), 1 cup heavy cream, 6 tablespoons cocoa powder. 4 tablespoons sugar (3 in the cocoa powder-butter mix, 1 to the egg whites).

The eggs are separated into two bowls

6 tablespoons of cocoa powder are mixed with 2 tablespoons of butter and 3 tablespoons of sugar

This is heated over a double-boiler until smooth, then 2 more tablespoons of butter added to smooth it out even more. The chocolate mixture will cool off to just over body temperature.

Meanwhile, the heavy cream is whipped to hard peaks. At this point, I should mention that my wand mixer died before I even started, and I didn't want to clean the KitchenAid after this, so I sucked it up and actually made this by hand with (several) whisk(s). I figure it was the least I could do for France. I can barely type now, though.

Egg whites get the same treatment. At the soft-peak stage, a tablespoon of sugar is added, then whisk some more until just under the hard peak stage.

The chocolate is cool enough at this point -- okay, body temperature may be stretching it, but it has to be cool enough not to set the egg yolks when they get poured in. That's maybe 130-140F, if I remember correctly, which is pretty uncomfortable to touch. If you can stick your finger in the chocolate (to maybe taste it, perhaps), and it doesn't make you yank your finger back out again, it's good. And, just as a public service announcement, if you stick your finger in the chocolate in a real commercial kitchen, the pastry chef will probably stick his entire foot up your ass kicking you out the door.

So, egg yolks get stirred into the chocolate. Then about 1/3rd the whipped cream gets gently (gently!) folded into the chocolate. Then about 1/2 the egg whites. Then everything gets dumped into the remaining 1/2 egg whites and gently (gently!) folded. Then this gets dumped into the rest of the cream and gently (gently!) folded. The idea is to incorporate everything together a bit at a time, working into a big batch. But, since the fluffiness of the cream and whites is entirely due to air bubbles, the entire structure can (and will) collapse. This should be kept to a minimum, though, and it's not too hard as long as everything is treated with a little care.

Spoon into whatever container you want. White or red wine glasses, champagne glasses, and martini glasses all work really well. A couple hours in the fridge until everything sets, and you have heaven in a glass.

Apalachicola oysters with sesame oil and cilantro

Cappuccino and Bagel


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Posted: 7:32 AM, Aug 27, 2018
Updated: 2018-08-27 11:32:39Z

White House aides drafted a fulsome statement for President Donald Trump on the death of Sen. John McCain, but it was never sent out, a person familiar with the matter confirmed to CNN.

Several staff members believed the official White House statement, which went through an internal approval process, would be released at the time of the Arizona Republican's death, which occurred on Saturday. But as the President spent Sunday at his Virginia golf course, the statement never went out, the source said.

White House aides did not make plans for a televised statement on McCain's passing, which would have been routine under similar circumstances in other recent presidencies.

The Washington Post reported Sunday that Trump went against the advice of senior aides to issue an official White House statement praising McCain for his heroism and decades of service, telling aides he instead wanted to post a brief tweet.

Trump's tweet Saturday night did not mention his military or Senate service or include any praise for the late Arizona Republican.

Another source familiar with the matter also confirmed to CNN that there had been plans to go further than just the Twitter post released by the President.

The Post, which cited current and former White House aides who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive internal deliberations, said White House chief of staff John Kelly, press secretary Sarah Sanders and other staff urged the release of an official statement calling McCain a "hero" and praising him for his extensive service to the country.

Trump and McCain had a tense relationship, and McCain was one of the administration's most outspoken Republican critics.

After Trump's joint press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin in July, in which Trump did not endorse US intelligence findings on Russian election meddling over Putin's denial, McCain said: "The damage inflicted by President Trump's naivete, egotism, false equivalence, and sympathy for autocrats is difficult to calculate. But it is clear that the summit in Helsinki was a tragic mistake."

As a presidential candidate, Trump -- who did not serve in the military himself and avoided the draft through a series of deferments -- attacked McCain's record of service and said the Vietnam veteran and former prisoner of war is "not a war hero" because he was captured.

"I like people that weren't captured," Trump said. Trump later acknowledged that McCain was a hero, but refused to apologize in subsequent interviews.

In May, CNN reported McCain did not want Trump at his funeral.

Following McCain's death, other members of the Trump administration, including Defense Secretary James Mattis, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, joined political leaders in the United States and around the world in heaping accolades on the senator -- contrasting with the White House's response. In statements on Twitter, first lady Melania Trump and Vice President Mike Pence thanked and honored McCain's service and offered condolences.

And Trump's re-election campaign also released a statement offering condolences and urging Americans to remember McCain and his family -- words that did not explicitly praise the senator.

Tributes to McCain continued to pour in from former US presidents, members of Congress and foreign leaders while Trump golfed on Sunday. His Twitter feed was largely silent except for retweets of his own posts criticizing the investigation into Russian election interference and boasting about the growing economy.


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Myanmar military court acquits 2 soldiers on trial for killing freelance journalist

Myanmar's human rights body says two soldiers tried for the shooting death of a freelance journalist have been acquitted by a military court.

A statement released Friday by the government-sponsored Myanmar National Human rights commission said a military court in northeastern Myanmar acquitted two soldiers on trial for the killing of journalist Ko Par Gyi, alias Kyaw Naing. No details were given.

A lawyer for the journalist said the acquittal is not final until army chief approved the decision. His wife said she will file an objection.

Ko Par Gyi was killed in October after he was detained by the military while covering clashes between the army and ethnic Karen rebels. The military he was shot as he tried to escape.


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Former Milan captain Maldini returns to club as director

MILAN (AP) — Former AC Milan defender Paolo Maldini has been presented to the media as the club’s sporting strategy and development director.

Maldini spent his entire career at Milan, half of it as captain, and helped the team to seven Serie A titles and five European Cup/Champions League trophies before retiring in 2009.

Maldini’s father, Cesare, played for and managed Milan, while his sons have also spent time in the Rossoneri youth teams, and Maldini said on Monday it was his “love for the club” which persuaded him to take on the role.

The 50-year-old Maldini says he has had unsuccessful meetings about a return to Milan before but was persuaded to take on the role by former teammate Leonardo, who was appointed as the Rossoneri’s sporting director last month.

He adds: “Leonardo’s role was fundamental. I’m a great friend of Leo’s. We will share this experience together as we have done in the past.”

It is another coup for Elliott Management, which took over the club last month after former owner Li Yonghong missed a deadline to repay part of a loan.

It has brought Leonardo back to the club and signed Gonzalo Higuain and Mattia Caldara from Juventus last week.

Milan president Paolo Scaroni says, “it’s an important milestone in the construction of what Milan has to become.”

Milan finished sixth in Serie A last season, 31 points behind champion Juventus.

Leonardo says “The objective is to get back to lifting trophies but patience is imperative. That is the end goal but the road is long and hard.”


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