text:
XBasic is a comprehensive program development environment that integrates a powerful editor, compiler, debugger, and GuiDesigner into a seamless working environment encompassing the whole process of creating fast, efficient, reliable programs.

The XBasic language is clean, readable, powerful, and complete. It is more standardized and portable than C, with a virtual absence of implementation dependent features. The XBasic compiler translates programs from source form into fast, compact, binary machine instructions in memory where it is executed and debugged. After they're debugged, XBasic programs can be translated into assembly language to assemble and link with conventional tools to make .EXE programs and .DLL libraries.

XBasic is as well suited to novices as programming wizards, and is appropriate for virtually all programming tasks.  For science and engineering XBasic has extensive math libraries, built-in complex number arithmetic and function library, and very extensive graphics.  For business, XBasic has a 64-bit integer data type, user-defined types optimized for database I/O.  For system programs, XBasic has high level language replacements for low level programming features that are much easier to read, understand, and maintain.  For all applications, XBasic designed to support rapid development of compact, efficient, reliable, readable, portable, well structured programs.

And XBasic is fast.

XBasic provides efficient, high-level mechanisms for just about every programming task.   XBasic programmers never need to resort to cumbersome, error-prone low-level techniques like pointers and memory allocation.  Even for nitty-gritty systems programming tasks, XBasic provides equally efficient, but more intelligible and reliable high-level mechanisms.

Best of all, the power, speed, and sophistication of XBasic is integrated in a comprehensive window environment that makes developing fast, reliable programs quicker and easier than ever.

XBasic / QuickBasic / VisualBasic
QB/VB translate programs into an intermediate language that is interpreted when the program is run.  In contrast, XBasic translates programs into executable binary machine instructions which it writes directly into memory, then runs.  The XBasic approach has two major advantages.  Programs run quicker, since the CPU is directly executing machine instructions.  And since the same compiler generates programs in the environment and stand-alone programs, both operate identically.

With XBasic, the assembly language code for each line can examined, variables can be examined and changed, and arrays and composite variables can be navigated and altered.

The XBasic environment contains an interactive GuiDesigner and library of GUI functions.   This makes writing GUI programs in XBasic faster and easier than programming with native GUI tools.  And the resulting applications are the most portable ever.


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Make 2018: Best Ever Year in Business using Digital Selling

Make 2018: Best Ever Year in Business using Digital Selling
Background and Overview : Never before in the history has technology been a driving force to define the way we do business. Today’s customer is more educated than ever before and he is not looking at informer he’s looking at informal friend. Your buyer is socially connected, mobile and realtime informed. Digital marketing has collided the divide between Sales, Marketing, Branding, and Business Development. You can only adapt or stay alive. Roles played by Sales and Marketing professionals are still the same but platforms and tools are different. Digital Selling is about leveraging your social network to nurture lasting relationships amplifying trust to build sales pipeline and grow revenue. Social selling is change in approach to customer acquisition, retention, marketing strategy and sales funnel.

Cold calling, emailing, brochures in mail are things of past and need to be blended with Digital selling approach. Traditional marketing’s blend with digital is ‘happy hour offer’ effect.

About the Workshop

We live in a world of Digital transformation. Sales and Marketing need to evolve with times. This Workshop will explain the new 4P’s of Marketing. How realtime marketing can change your sales funnel. The new rules of engagement and social media tools to help you grow revenue.

This Workshop is for those professionals who want to be massively successful in growing their business. The only one way is Digital, which levels companies of any size and birthdate. Social selling is the present and future for any business whether it be B2B or B2B. You have been using social media channels but the Workshop will teach you to use it making business sense.

This Workshop will cover every aspect of the buyers journey and techniques to achieve your goals in sales and marketing.

After the end of Workshop you will be able to

•          Understand Digital selling to core

•          Smartly use secret lead generation techniques

•          Leverage Social media channels for business

•          Create your own Brand

•          Increase sales pipeline

Topics covered in the Workshop

•          The Sales 2.0 guy

•          New 4 P’s of Marketing

•          7 step to Social Selling and Digital Selling

•          Social media for lead generation and funnel building

•          Future of communication in business

 For whom

Business owners / Entrepreneurs, VP’s / GM’s in role of Marketing and Sales, Sales professionals at all levels, Marketing heads / executives, BDE / Customer Support, PR professionals

Faculty: Mr. Amit Jadhav

Amit is a serial Entrepreneur, Author, Speaker and Coach, the most in-demand corporate speaker.  He has been invited at Fortune 500 companies to inspire their teams and get the best out of them.  He has spoken at many national and international platforms and speaks on social media marketing, motivation, leadership, team building, and topics like ‘thinking out of the box’, ‘Business Dynamics’, ‘seven steps for building a winning team’, ‘communication skills for managers’.

He has 16 years of Experience in Sales, Marketing, Manufacturing, Corporate Training, IT and Management. He is the Director of Modelcam Technologies Pvt. Ltd a company that deals in engineering software business. He is founder of TASK (Technology Assisted Sales & Knowledge) a Consultancy that helps Individuals and Companies to generate business through Social Media.

He is engineer from MIT, Pune and has done post-graduation from CIPET (Central Institute of Plastics Engineering & Technology), Ahmedabad where he was a gold medalist, at all-India level. All workshops conducted by him have got 5-STAR ratings so far.

Note – This is a Hands-on-workshop. It is required to have your laptop with internet connection.

Registration details:

Fees:   1.    Members Rs. 2500 + 18% GST  = Rs. 2950/-

2.    Non Members Rs. 3000 + 18% GST  = Rs. 3540/-

Contact Details:

Ms. Swati Dhotarkar, Tel: 25709192,     Email:

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MCCIA trade tower, ICC complex
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Curiosity Delivers.

‘Persephone Bound’ encourages conversation about consent

According to the McGill University Safety Report for 2015-2016, there were only two cases of sexual assault on both the downtown and MacDonald campuses combined. This is a mere fraction of the reported safety incidents on campus. However, Sexual Assault Statistics in Canada reported that only six assaults for every 100 are reported. And unfortunately, it’s understandable… Keep Reading

‘American Horror Story: Cult’ falls flat

Shock value has always been a specialty of American Horror Story (AHS) creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. Continuously pushing the limits of cable television censorship, FX’s AHS has been a cult favourite for six seasons. Structured as an anthology, the series takes a different horror premise with each iteration, casting the same actors in… Keep Reading

Bringing the McGill Drama Festival to life

The McGill Drama Festival (MDF) is an annual event that takes place at Players’ Theatre on the third floor of SSMU. MDF prides itself on its six plays being entirely written, acted, and produced by students, and aims to promote inclusiveness in the McGill theatre community. 2017 co-coordinators Jordan Devon, U3 Arts, and Kaleigh Bourk,… Keep Reading

Album review: Khalid – ‘American Dream’

Khalid released his debut single“Location” weeks before his senior prom in hopes that the song could earn him the title of Prom King. The song earned him the crown, in addition to over 50 million Spotify plays. Less than a year later, the artist has released his first album, American Teen. The record is inspired… Keep Reading

“Superior Donuts” brings Broadway to Players’ Theatre

Written by Tony Award-winner Tracy Letts, Superior Donuts refuses to shy away from challenging topics such as addiction, divorce, and estrangement, while retaining light-hearted humour and relatability. Now brought to the Players’ Theatre stage, the student rendition of the Broadway drama successfully captures the emotional exhaustion of its characters. Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, and other corporate… Keep Reading

Sun Astronauts, Emmett McCleary perform at Le Cagibi

Far beyond the McGill bubble and deep in the Mile End on Boul. St-Laurent, musicians and fans escaped the bitter January cold this past Saturday at Le Cagibi. Tucked away in the back room, three musical acts—two of which are McGill students—joined together for a night of indie folk, classic rock, and pop.  Playing after… Keep Reading

Play Review: 39 Steps at Player’s Theatre

[URIS id=47608] Originally published as a novel in 1915, the literary classic 39 Steps has been adapted for both theatre and film. In 1935, Alfred Hitchcock directed his film adaption of the novel, The 39 Steps, telling the story of a bored British man named Richard Hannay who is attempting to clear his name after… Keep Reading

Sketching on pins and needles

Walking into The Whole and its Parts (in French, Le Tout et la Partie) is entering Michèle Lemieux’s grayscale dream world of sketches and animations. Earlier this year, her film, Here and The Great Elsewhere (2012), was shown at the Canadian Culture Centre in Paris. Her exhibit, now at the Université de Québec à Montréal (UQÀM) Centre de Design, allows… Keep Reading

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International Journal of Medical Sciences

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Int J Med Sci 2005; 2(2):58-63. doi:10.7150/ijms.2.58

Research Paper

A folate-rich diet is as effective as folic acid from supplements in decreasing plasma homocysteine concentrations

Xavier Pintó1, M. Antonia Vilaseca2, Susana Balcells3, Rafael Artuch2, Emili Corbella1, José F. Meco1, Ramon Vila4, Ramon Pujol1, Daniel Grinberg3 Corresponding address

1. Unitat de Lípids i Arteriosclerosi, Servei de Medicina Interna, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, IDIBELL, c/Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.
2. Unitat de Metabolopaties. Servei de Bioquimica. Hospital de Sant Joan de Déu. Passeig Sant Joan de Déu, 2, 08950 Esplugues de Llobregat. Barcelona. Spain.
3. Departament de Genètica. Facultat de Biologia. Universitat de Barcelona. Avda. Diagonal 645, 08028 Barcelona. Spain.
4. Servei d'Angiologia i Cirurgia Vascular. Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, IDIBELL, c/Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY-NC) License. See for full terms and conditions.
How to cite this article:
Pintó X, Vilaseca MA, Balcells S, Artuch R, Corbella E, Meco JF, Vila R, Pujol R, Grinberg D. A folate-rich diet is as effective as folic acid from supplements in decreasing plasma homocysteine concentrations. Int J Med Sci 2005; 2(2):58-63. doi:10.7150/ijms.2.58. Available from

Background & Aims: At least 500 μg of folic acid are required daily to treat hyperhomocysteinemia. To reach this amount by dietary changes alone may be difficult because food has a low folic acid content and bioavailability. No studies have compared the effects of similar amounts of additional folate derived from a combination of folate-rich and fortified foods or folic acid from supplements on plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) concentrations, which was the aim of this study. Methods: Twenty male patients with hyperhomocysteinemia and coronary artery disease were included in a randomized, crossover intervention trial. Patients were treated daily with a combination of foods containing approximately 500 μg of folate or with one 500 μg capsule of synthetic folic acid over two five-week periods separated by a five-week wash-out period. Results: Plasma folate increased markedly (p<0.001) and plasma tHcy decreased (p<0.001) with both therapies. Folate-rich foods decreased tHcy by 8.6% (95% CI: –15.9 to –1.2) and synthetic folic acid capsules by 8% (95% CI: –13.3 to –2.7). Conclusions: This study shows, for the first time in the literature, that a folate-rich diet is as effective as folic acid capsules in decreasing plasma tHcy concentrations and adds further support to the recommendation of those diets to prevent cardiovascular disease.

Keywords: Folate, diet, folic acid, homocysteine.

A graded and continuous relationship exists between plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) concentrations and the risk of cardiovascular disease [1,2] and the importance of tHcy measurement as screening test in the evaluation of cardiovascular risk is increasing [3]. Some evidence indicates that homocysteine-lowering therapy with folic acid may prevent cardiovascular disease [4,5] and improve arterial function [6,7]. Observational studies show that consumption of folate-rich foods, particularly fruit, vegetables and cereals, is inversely correlated with tHcy [8,9], and there is evidence that increasing fruit and vegetable consumption may induce a clinically significant decrease in tHcy [10]. However, as the content and bioavailability of folate in food are relatively low, it has been stated that diet is not an effective means of reducing tHcy concentrations [11,12] and daily doses of at least 400-500 μg of synthetic folic acid from supplements have been recommended to achieve a therapeutic effect [13, 14]. This study was designed to ascertain whether a moderate amount of folate derived from a combination of folate-rich and fortified foods is as effective as folic acid from supplements in decreasing plasma tHcy concentrations in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and hyperhomocysteinemia.

Twenty-two male outpatients with a history of CAD (angina or myocardial infarction at least three months prior to inclusion) and hyperhomocysteinemia were initially included in the study. Hyperhomocysteinemia was arbitrarily defined as tHcy ≥ 12 μmol/l, considering that desirable values of tHcy in CAD patients have been defined as ≤ 10 μmol/l [11]. Two of the 22 patients were later excluded: one for a transient ischemic attack and the other for “feeling ill” during the treatment period with folate capsules. Characteristics of the subjects studied are shown in Table 1. No patient had gastrointestinal disorders or was under treatment with vitamin supplements or drugs that might affect folate metabolism. All subjects had previously been advised to follow a diet low in cholesterol and saturated fat, and none consumed foods fortified with folic acid. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge and all participants gave written informed consent.

This study was designed as a randomized, crossover, dietary intervention trial. Two treatments were used: one consisted of a variety of foods which are good sources of folate and the other of capsules containing 500 μg of synthetic folic acid. The first treatment consisted of take-away food-packages containing approximately 500 μg of folate in the following items: 250 ml of orange juice; 140 g mixed greens and vegetables, including 90 g lettuce, 40 to 60 g of a mixture of 3 or more of the following vegetables: tomato, cucumber, carrots, red or green pepper, spinach, celery, watercress, avocado, radish, red cabbage or corn; 20 g nuts (hazelnuts, walnuts or almonds); 50 g beans (lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans or peas); fruits: 150 g kiwi or 200 g banana or tangerine, or 400 g apple or pear; and an average of 40 g regular Kellogg's Special K or All-Bran flakes. Seven different food combinations, one for each day of the week, were planned. Every daily food package contained around 370 μg of natural folate from food and 130 μg of synthetic folic acid from breakfast cereals. Participants were asked to maintain their usual eating pattern and were randomly allocated to consume one food package or to take one capsule daily for five weeks, followed by a five-week “washout” period during which they consumed only their usual diet. After this period, they were switched to the alternate treatment for another five weeks (Figure 1).

Adherence to the study treatment was carefully monitored. Unannounced 24-hour diet recalls were made at least three-times during the study. A self-administered three-day diet recall was also completed during the week prior to each visit. The nutrient content of the diets was estimated with the Food Processor Plus software, version 8.44 (ESHA Research, INC, 2000).

The main outcome of the study was the change in tHcy from baseline.

Laboratory determinations

Venous blood samples were collected after a 12-hour-fast. Aliquots were prepared and frozen at –40º C and analyzed within the next 2 weeks in the same laboratory (Hospital Sant Joan de Déu). Plasma tHcy was determined by HPLC, as previously described [15]. Within-run imprecision (n=18) was 3% (70.7±2.2 μmol/l) and 4% (8.9±0.3 μmol /l), and between-day imprecision (n=18) was 6% (6.9±0.4 μmol/l) and 6% (55.4±3.1 μmol/l). Vitamin B12 and folate levels were determined by radioassay (Simultrac, Becton Dickinson) and pyridoxal phosphate was measured by HPLC (Chromsystem kit).

The lipid profile included total cholesterol, triglyceride and apolipoproteins (Apo) A-1 and B in plasma, and cholesterol in high-density lipoproteins (HDLc). HDL were isolated by selective precipitation of lipoproteins with polyethylene glycol, and LDL cholesterol (LDLc) was calculated with the Friedewald formula. Triglyceride and cholesterol were measured using commercial colorimetric methods (Boehringer Manheim, Barcelona, Spain). ApoA‑1 and apoB concentrations were measured by radial immunodiffusion in agarose plaques. Fibrinogen was measured by a PT-derived turbidimetric method. For detection of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) 677 C>T mutation, genomic DNA was prepared from peripheral blood leukocytes using a standard method. Primers for PCR amplification were those described by Frosst et al.[16]. The PCR product was digested with HinfI and analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

Statistical analysis

Distribution of study variables was examined with the use of standard exploratory analytic techniques. Basal and follow-up values were measured at the beginning and at the end of each treatment phase, respectively. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used for comparison of the effects of treatment. Characteristics of the subjects first treated with dietary folate and those who first received folate supplements were compared with student's t test for independent samples and two-tailed Fisher's Exact Test; no significant differences were observed. The influence of treatment order on outcome variables was analyzed by MANOVA with three factors: sequence (first diet or first supplement) treatment (diet or supplement), and follow-up (basal or follow-up measures) and each dependent variable (tHcy, folic acid and cobalamin and lipid metabolism parameters) was analyzed separately. No relationship between treatment order and the effects of therapy was observed; therefore this variable was not considered in the statistical analysis. For all dependent variables, percent changes were calculated as the difference between baseline and follow-up measures divided by the baseline measure, with the result multiplied by 100. Pearson's coefficients were used to assess correlations between variables. Two-sided P values were used. SPSS software (version 10.0) was used for statistical analyses.

Baseline characteristics of the subjects are shown in Table 1. The homozygous 677 C>T mutation in the MTHFR gene was present in 20 % of patients. This proportion is higher than that observed in a former study of CAD patients from our institution [17], which may be explained by the fact that patients from this study were selected on the basis of high tHcy levels.

A statistically-significant tHcy-lowering effect (p<0.001) was seen with both folate-rich foods (-8.6%; 95% CI: –15.9 to –1.2) and folic acid from supplements (-8.0%; 95% CI: –13.3 to –2.7) (Table 2). No significant differences (p of interaction=0.883) were noted in the degree of tHcy lowering between the two forms of therapy. Both folate-rich foods and folic acid supplements increased folate concentration (p< 0.001), and this increase was more pronounced with folic acid supplements (p for interaction = 0.005). Serum cobalamin levels did not change significantly with either form of therapy. Baseline tHcy values were significantly and inversely related to tHcy changes (r= - 0.89, p< 0.001, and r= -0.57, p= 0.014 during diet and supplement periods, respectively).

Both folate-rich foods and folic acid supplements decreased plasma LDLc (-12.2%; -21.8 - -2.6% and -15.0%; -23.5 - -6.4%, respectively), HDLc (-5.9%; -10.4 - -1.4% and -2.1%; -6.9 - 2.7%, respectively), apoA-1 (-3.8%; -11.3% - 3.8% and -0.9%; -8.1% - 6.3%, respectively) and apoB (-6.6%; -13.0 - -0.1% and -4.8%; -9.4% - 0.3%, respectively). No significant changes were noted in serum triglyceride, glucose, and plasma fibrinogen concentrations. A small, but not clinically-significant decrease in body mass index was seen with both therapies.

Daily energy intake was similar with the two interventions. Protein intake decreased during the period of diet therapy (-8.3%), and slightly increased (1.8%) with supplement therapy; the difference between the changes induced by both therapies was significant (p= 0.025). Carbohydrate intake increased with diet therapy (10.8%), and slightly decreased (-2.5%) during supplement therapy (p=0.017). No significant differences between the two treatments were found in the amount of total fat and cholesterol intake, whereas fiber intake increased more markedly during diet therapy than during supplement therapy (39.3% vs. 2.4%; p=0.018). The absolute dietary intake of B vitamins during both treatment periods is shown in Table 3. The intake of folate from food increased significantly with diet therapy, but no changes were seen during supplement therapy. Vitamin B6 intake increased (p< 0.001) with both interventions, but the increase was greater during diet therapy than during synthetic folate treatment (p for interaction=0.017), whereas vitamin B12 intake did not change with either form of therapy.

This study shows for the first time that a moderate daily intake of a variety of folate-rich foods is as effective as folic acid from supplements for lowering plasma tHcy concentrations. A high percentage of patients with CAD has hyperhomocysteinemia [17] and low folate intake with ensuing low folate serum concentrations is the main cause of this disorder [18].

A dietary folate intake of 350 μg/day is recommended in the general adult population, but most persons in developed countries do not attain this daily amount from diet alone. In Europe, mean dietary folate intake in adults is 291 μg (range:197-326) for men and 247 μg (range 168-320) for women [19]. A reasonable approach for increasing folate intake is to include larger amounts of folate-rich foods in the diet, i.e. leafy green vegetables, fruits, legumes and ready-to-eat fortified cereals. Such an approach was used in this study by supplying participants with a moderate amount of folate-rich foods providing an average of 500 μg folate daily. This dose of folate was selected since it was higher than the minimal effective dose of 0.2 mg/day found to decrease homocysteine (20), and higher than the mean dietary folate intake in European men, but not high enough to be attained with a folate-rich diet.

The toxicity of folic acid is extremely low even after prolonged use of high doses (21). It has been shown that folic acid in doses between 0.2 and 15 mg/day can lower plasma homocysteine levels without apparent toxicity. A main safety issue is the risk of neurologic disorders when high doses of folic acid are used in the presence of an underlying vitamin B12 deficiency. However, it is customary to rule out vitamin B12 deficiency before giving supplemental folate. Once folate therapy is initiated, it is usually maintained on a long-term basis, but until results of controlled clinical trials become available, no firm recommendations regarding that therapy can be made.

Owing to the relative differences in bioavailability of naturally-occurring food folate and the more bioavailable synthetic folic acid, 100 μg of natural folate from unfortified foods has been equated to 60 μg of synthetic folic acid from fortified food and to 50 μg of synthetic folic acid from supplements [22]. However, studies comparing the effects of folate from food with those of supplements on tHcy are scant. Brouwer et al [23] reported that a diet including 560 μg folate per day decreased tHcy by a mean of 2 μmol/l (95% CI: 1.0-3.0), and a similar effect was observed with 500 μg/day folic acid from supplements. Ridell et al [24] reported that folate from both supplements and breakfast cereals had a greater effect on tHcy than folate-rich foods. In a meta-analysis of randomized trials that assessed the tHcy-lowering effect of folic acid-based supplements, a clear heterogeneity among trials was also seen and was not explained by differences in age, sex or duration of treatment, but by differences in MTHFR gene polymorphism or pre-treatment tHcy and folate concentrations [13, 25]. Nutritional interactions that affect folate bioavailability may also have influenced the different tHcy-lowering effects of diet therapy among studies.

The design of this study – an outpatient crossover feeding trial – entailed some difficulties in ensuring compliance. However, these difficulties were partially offset by detailed dietary instructions and reinforcement at each visit during the trial. The amount of fruit, vegetables, beans, nuts and breakfast cereals given to participants fits with what could be considered a reasonable usual daily intake. This contrasts with the higher amounts of folate-rich foods that were used in other studies [23]. We were able to use smaller amounts of fruit and vegetables to supply the 500 μg folate per day because other foods, such as beans, nuts and folic acid-enriched breakfast cereals were also included as a source of folate. This type of diet is easier to follow on a long-term basis, and may be useful in a general population approach to increasing the intake of folate.

We observed a decrease in LDL-C during both the folate-rich diet and the folic acid supplement periods. The increase in intake of fruit, vegetables, beans, nuts and breakfast cereals during the folate-rich diet could explain these lipid changes since these foods have a cholesterol-lowering effect, both for LDL and HDL fractions, owing to their high carbohydrate and fiber content. However, the decrease in LDL-C during the folic acid supplement period cannot be attributed to the small dietary changes observed. Possibly, the closer physician and dietitian supervision promoted a healthier overall life-style resulting beneficial lipid effects.

A meta-analysis of observational studies of blood tHcy and vascular disease indicated that prolonged lowering of tHcy concentration by 1 μmol/l is associated with approximately a 10% reduction in risk throughout the range of 10-15 μmol/l [26], and that the benefit of decreasing tHcy is greater in patients with CAD than in the general population [27]. In this study, folate therapy from either diet or supplements decreased mean tHcy by more than 1 μmol/l, and this effect may be clearly beneficial for preventing recurrences and death in patients with CAD.

To our knowledge, this is the first study in the international literature to compare the effects of similar amounts of additional folate derived from a combination of folate-rich foods and fortified breakfast cereals, or folic acid from supplements, on tHcy concentrations. The results suggest that diet is as effective and feasible as supplementation for lowering tHcy, and further support the recommendation of diets with a variety of folate-rich foods for lowering tHcy and preventing cardiovascular disease.

This study was supported by a grant from the Foundation La Marató de TV3, Barcelona, Spain and from the Foundation for the Investigation and Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases (FIPEC), Barcelona, Spain.

The authors thank E. Ros for conceptual review of the manuscript; R. Urreitzi for skillful technical assistance; N. Virgili, A. Pérez-Heras and M. Serra for the analysis of diet records; and Christine O'Hara for correction of the English version. We also thank Kellogg's España for supplying the breakfast cereals and financial support in the analysis of diet records.

Conflict of interest

The authors have declared that no conflict of interest exists.

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6. Holven KB, Holm T, Aukrust P, Christensen B, Kjekshus J, Andreassen AK, Gullestad L, Hagve TA, Svilaas A, Ose L, Nenseter MS. Effect of folic acid on endothelium-dependent vasodilation and nitric oxid-derived products in hyperhomocysteinemiac subjects. Am J Med. 2001 ;110(7):536-42

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9. Shimakawa T, Nieto FJ, Malinow MR, Chambless LE, Schreiner PJ, Szklo M. Vitamin intake: a possible determinant of plasma homocyst(e)ine among middle-aged adults. Ann Epidemiol. 1997 ;7(4):285-93

10. Broekmans WM, Klopping-Ketelaars IA, Schuurman CR, Verhagen H, van den Berg H, Kok FJ, van Poppel G. Fruits and vegetables increase plasma carotenoids and vitamins and decrease homocysteine in humans. J Nutr. 2000 ;130(6):1578-83

11. Omenn GS, Beresford SAA, Motulsky AG. Preventing coronary heart disease. B vitamins and homocysteine. Circulation. 1998 ;97(5):421-424

12. Ubbink JB, van der Merwe A, Vermaak WJ, Delport R. Hyperhomocysteinemia and the response to vitamin supplementation. Clin Investig. 1993 ;71(12):993-8

13. Homocysteine Lowering Trialists' Collaboration. Lowering blood homocysteine with folic acid based supplements: meta-analysis of randomized trials. Br Med J. 1998 ;316(7135):894-8

14. Mohan IV, Stansby G. Nutritional hyperhomocysteinemia. Br Med J. 1999 ;318(7198):1569-70

15. Vilaseca MA, Moyano D, Ferrer I, Artuch R. Total homocysteine in pediatric patients. Clin Chem. 1997 ;43(4):690-2

16. Frosst P, Blom HJ, Milos R, Goyette P, Sheppard CA, Matthews RG, Boers GJ, den Heijer M, Kluijtmans LA, van den Heuvel LP. et al. A candidate genetic risk factor for vascular disease: a common mutation in methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase. Nat Genet. 1995 ;10(1):111-3

17. Pinto X, Vilaseca MA, Garcia-Giralt N, Ferrer I, Pala M, Meco JF, Mainou C, Ordovas JM, Grinberg D, Balcells S; Baix Llobregat Homocysteine Study Group. Homocysteine and the MTHFR 677C→T allele in premature coronary artery disease. Case control and family studies. Eur J Clin Invest. 2001 ;31(1):24-30

18. Selhub J, Jacques PF, Rosenberg IH, Rogers G, Bowman BA, Gunter EW, Wright JD, Johnson CL. Serum total homocysteine concentrations in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1991-1994): Population reference ranges and contribution of vitamin status to high serum concentrations. Ann Intern Med. 1999 ;131(5):331-9

19. de Bree A, van Dusseldorp M, Brouwer IA, van het Hof KH, Steegers-Theunissen RP. Folate intake in Europe: recommended, actual and desired intake. Eur J Clin Nutr. 1997 ;51(10):643-60

20. Malinow MR, Bostom AG, Krauss RM. Homocyst(e)ine, diet, and cardiovascular diseases: A statement for healthcare professionals from the Nutrition Committee, American Heart Association. Circulation. 1999 ;99(1):178-82

21. Butterworth CE, Tamura T. Folic acid safety and toxicity: a brief review. Am J Clin Nutr. 1989 ;50(2):353-8

22. Suitor CW, Bailey LB. Dietary folate equivalents: Interpretation and application. J Am Diet Assoc. 2000 ;100(1):88-94

23. Brouwer IA, van Dusseldorp M, Thomas CM, Duran M, Hautvast JG, Eskes TK, Steegers-Theunissen RP. Low-dose folic acid supplementation decreases plasma homocysteine concentrations: a randomized trial. Am J clin Nutr. 1999 ;69(1):99-104

24. Riddell LJ, Chisholm A, Williams S, Mann JI. Dietary strategies for lowering homocysteine concentrations. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000 ;71(6):1448-54

25. Malinow MR, Nieto FJ, Kruger WD, Duell PB, Hess DL, Gluckman RA, Block PC, Holzgang CR, Anderson PH, Seltzer D, Upson B, Lin QR. The effects of folic acid supplementation on plasma total homocysteine are modulated by multivitamin use and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase genotypes. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 1997 ;17(6):1157-62

26. Boushey CJ, Beresford SA, Omenn GS, Motulsky AG. A quantitative assessment of plasma homocysteine as a risk factor for vascular disease. Probable benefits of increasing folic acid intakes. JAMA. 1995 ;274(13):1049-57

27. Vollset SE, Refsum H, Tverdal A, Nygard O, Nordrehaug JE, Tell GS, Ueland PM. Plasma total homocysteine and noncardiovascular mortality: the Hordaland Homocysteine Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2001 ;74(1):130-6

Author biography

Xavier Pintó was born in Barcelona in 1956. He graduated in Medicine in 1980 at University of Barcelona and became Internal Medicine specialist after a 5-year residency at Hospital Universitario de Bellvitge. He completed a Doctoral thesis on lipoprotein and apolipoprotein abnormalities in patients with cerebral, coronary and peripheral atherosclerosis in 1988 at University of Barcelona. He is the Director of the Lipid and Atherosclerosis Unit of the Internal Medicine Service at the Hospital Universitario de Bellvitge and Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Barcelona. Dr. Pintó research focuses on hiperlipidèmia, atherosclerosis, lipid-lowering agents and non-traditional cardiovascular risk factors, with special interest in homocysteine. He is a founding member of the Spanish Atherosclerosis Society and is on the editorial boards of the journals Clinica e Investigación en Arteriosclerosis and Medicina Clínica (Barc.). He is also a regular participant in different national committees. His research has resulted in the publication of more than 50 scientific papers, 11 book chapters and two books.

Corresponding address Corresponding address:

Xavier Pintó, Unitat de Lípids i Arteriosclerosi, Servei de Medicina Interna, Hospital Universitario de Bellvitge, IDIBELL 08907 Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain. Tel. 00 34 932607664. Fax 00 34 932607881. E-mail:

Figures and Tables

Diagram of experimental design

Int J Med Sci Image (Click on the image to enlarge.)
 Table 1

Baseline characteristics of the study patients.

VariableAll subjects(n=20)
Age (years)60.9 ± 8.91
Body mass index (Kg/m2)28.6 ± 3.24
History of hypertension n.(%)9 (45%)
History of diabetes n.(%)1 (5%)
Cardiovascular history Angor pectoris n. (%) Myocardial infarction n. (%)15 (75%)10 (50%)
Current smoker n.(%)2 (10%)
Total cholesterol (mmol/l)4.8 ± 0.69
Triglyceride (mmol/l)1.3 ± 0.44
LDL cholesterol (mmol/l)2.8 ± 0.66
HDL cholesterol (mmol/l)1.3 ± 0.36
Folate (nmol/l)16.6 ± 6.63
Cobalamin (pmol/l)393.6 ± 168.7
Homocysteine (μmol/l)16.1 ± 7.40
MTHFR TT mutation4 (20%)

± values are: means ± SD

 Table 2

Effect of dietary folate and folic acid from supplements on plasma total homocysteine, folate and cobalamin.

VariableBaselineOn-treatmentTreatment effect, mean percent change (95% CI)p*p**p***
Homocysteine (μmol/l)Folate-rich diet15.56 ± 3.0514.18 ± 3.41-8.6%(-15.9;-1.2)<0.0010.0080.883
Folic acid from supplements14.32 ± 3.3713.06 ± 2.77-8.0%(-13.3;-2.7)
Folate (nmol/l)Folate-rich diet18.89 ± 6.4627.55 ± 9.4852%(28.7;75.4)<0.0010.0380.005
Folic acid from supplements19.42 ± 7.5334.53 ± 10.1287%(68.7;106)
Cobalamin (pmol/l)Folate-rich diet401.6 ± 152.6402.0 ± 180.6-0.94%(-7.5;5.6)0.3500.7000.358
Folic acid from supplements405.7 ± 185.0388.1 ± 140.10.15%(-5.8;6.2)

CI: Confidence interval

* P value of ANOVA for follow up (baseline/on-treatment) comparison.

** P value of ANOVA for treatment (diet/supplements) comparison.

*** P value of ANOVA for interaction (follow up*treatment).

± values are: means ± SD

 Table 3

Dietary intake of B vitamins during the period of diet and supplement therapy.

VariableBaselineOn-treatmentTreatment effect, mean percent change (95% CI)p*p**p***
Folate (μg/day)Folate-rich diet335 ± 70528 ± 6366.5%(37.2;95.9)0.002<0.0010.002
Folic acid from supplements339 ± 106316 ± 1233.8%(-29.5;37.1)
Vitamin B6 (mg/day)Folate-rich diet1.89 ± 0.372.67 ± 0.545.5%(23.6;67.4)<0.0010.1420.017
Folic acid from supplements1.95 ± 0.552.23 ± 0.7116.0%(1.6;30.4)
Vitamin B12 (μg/day)Folate-rich diet7.94 ± 6.497.04 ± 5.6242.4%(-52.8;137.6)0.6830.3300.156
Folic acid from supplements7.17 ± 4.499.79 ± 7.1762.7%(-12.3;137.8)

CI: Confidence interval

* P value of ANOVA for follow up (baseline/on-treatment) comparison.

** P value of ANOVA for treatment (diet/supplements) comparison.

*** P value of ANOVA for interaction (follow up*treatment).

± values are: means ± SD

Received 2004-9-1
Accepted 2005-2-1
Published 2005-4-1


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Monday, May 13, 2013

Moving Forward - Hello, Dear Friend Card

Happy Monday!!!  Here is another card I created using the Moving Forward Stamp Set.  Can you tell how much fun I am having with this set???

How about these cute flower buttons (look at the upper left corner)?  They are retiring.....I know I am going to miss them a lot!!!

Supply List
Stamps- Moving Forward
Paper - Melon Mambo, Marina Mist, Regal Rose, Whisper White, Sunshine & Sprinkle DSP
Ink - Marina Mist, Lucky Limeade
Tools & Accessories - Melon Mambo Marker, Lucky Limeade Marker, Subtles Designer Buttons, 1" Circle Punch, 1 1/4" Scallop Circle Punch, 2 1/2" Circle Punch, Lucky Limeade Baker's Twine, Basic Rhinestones
Big Shot - Honeycomb Embossing Folder, Delicate Doilies Sizzlits Die

Thank you for stopping by today.  Have a wonderful day!!!

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Welcome to the Melody Tent

The Cape Cod Melody Tent in Hyannis, MA, presents world-class entertainment in an intimate setting that allows you to get up close and personal with your favorite performers! The Melody Tent and its sister theatre, the South Shore Music Circus in Cohasset, are the only two continuously-operating tent theatres-in-the-round in the USA. Sit back, relax and check out this introductory video!


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Kylee Stott rounds first base after her drive to right field plated three runs in the top of the first inning at Clark County on August 27th.

A promising start on Thursday night in Kahoka walked away from the Lady Tigers softball team as Clark County took advantage of SCR-I’s pitching struggles to find the strike zone. Base on balls were a big part of a 10-run third inning rally by the Lady Indians that turned a 6-1 SCR-I lead into a 11-6 deficit from which Scotland County was never able to recover.

Scotland County got off to a great start, plating three runs in the top of the first inning. Kylee Stott came up with the bases loaded and plated all three runs with a double.

SCR-I loaded the bases again in the second inning on base hits by Abby Blessing and Julie Long and a walk to Hannah Feeney. After Madie Bondurant reached on an error to knock in one run, SCR-I got another key two-out hit as Kaylyn Anders plated two runs with a single to give the Lady Tigers a 6-1 lead.

But the wheels came off for Scotland County in the bottom of the third inning. Clark County took advantage of a hits batsman and a hit and five straight base on balls to chase starter Kaitlyn McMinn with SCR-I still on top 6-5. Stott came on in relief but was unable to stop the bleeding. After three more walks and a hit, Clark County led 11-6.

SCR-I trimmed the deficit to 11-8 in the fourth. Katie Feeney led off with a base hit and scored when Bondurant reached on an error.  She came in to score on a base hit by Khloe Hamlin.

Clark County got both runs back in the bottom of the frame, taking advantage of a pair of SCR-I errors.

Hannah Feeney sprints down the line trying to beat the throw from the Clark County pitcher.

Hannah Feeney reached on an error in the sixth and scored on a double by Bondurant.

Clark County scored two in the fifth and put the game away with four in the bottom of the sixth to end the game by the 10-run rule.

McMinn took the loss, going 2 1/3 innings, allowing nine runs, all earned, on three hits and seven walks with three strikeouts. Stott pitched 3 1/3 innings, allowing 10 runs, six earned, on six hits and five walks while fanning one.

Bondurant went 2-4 with two RBI and two runs scored to lead the offense. Anders was 1-2  with two RBI and a run scored and Stott was 1-3 with three RBIs.


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literary analysis

a: Literary analysis ~
b: walking with crutches

"Literary analysis is like walking with crutches, because you're walking along on the shoulders of what others have said," explained Heather Griffith, who is pursuing a combined major in environmental studies and biology with a minor in literature. "I'm used to the formula, and I can whip it out. In this class, you have to do more thinking."

Writer: Heather Griffith
Date: Oct 7 2014 10:48 AM

Green Venn Diagram

METAMIA is a free database of analogy and metaphor. Anyone can contribute or search. The subject matter can be anything. Science is popular, but poetry is encouraged. The goal is to integrate our fluid muses with the stark literalism of a relational database. Metamia is like a girdle for your muses, a cognitive girdle.


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United RFID

By Benjamin Mako Hill, 13 July 2004

Since their introduction, RFID tags have been the subject of intense debate between privacy, consumer rights, and civil liberties groups and the companies that produce or employ them. Through their near invisibility and the fact that, unlike bar-codes and magnetic strips on credit cards, they can be read silently and imperceptibly from a short distance, RFID tags introduce the potential for violations of privacy in unprecedented ways. Benjamin Mako Hill catches up with the state of the art

Pushing a shopping cart full of food out the supermarket door without stopping – the price of the goods in your cart is tallied and automatically debited from your bank account. Invisible checkpoints where police can identify you and the precise contents of your wallet or purse – down to the amount of cash you’re carrying and a log of when and where those notes changed hands. With the use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags, such scenarios, while still far-fetched, are becoming increasingly possible.

RFID tags are similar to the tags that airports and airplanes use to identify each other. Each ‘tag’ broadcasts unique identifying information over radio frequencies while receivers listen for these signals. The data stored and broadcasted by the tag is usually a unique number (usually under 40 digits) hard-coded into the chip. This number is associated with data in a computer to establish identity and information about the transmitter.

Over the past decades, RFID tags have quietly made their way into library books, clothing, identification cards and toll road ‘Speed Passes.’ Retail giant Walmart has required that its suppliers include RFIDs in pallets (although not individual items) by the end of 2004. The most modern tags are tiny transistors and microchips that harness the power of the receiver’s radio signal to eliminate the need for batteries and bulk while reducing the cost to only a few pence. The smallest chips to date, ‘mu-chips’ made by Japanese electronics giant Hitachi, measure only a third of a millimeter across plus a hair-sized antenna. This has allowed the European Central Bank to consider a plan to place tiny RFID tags in each euro note in an attempt to cut down on counterfeiting and money laundering. As the chips become smaller and cheaper, their potential uses – and abuses – rapidly multiply.

The most simple abuse is in the potential for corporations and individuals with tag readers and access to RFID databases to do silent electronic searches without the knowledge or permission of the person being searched. For example, when you buy a shirt with an RFID tag sewn into the fabric, your personal information – through a credit card or loyalty card – may become associated with the unique ID broadcasted by the tag in your shirt. Each time you walk through an RFID scanner with knowledge of your shirt’s tag, the history of your shirt – and your own history through association – becomes available to anyone with access to the information in the store database. Realistically, the proprietary nature of most corporate databases will mediate, but not eliminate, the danger of this type of abuse.

The more worrying type of abuse is happening at the hands of governments. State programmes to interconnect existing databases, like the US Department of Defense’s proposed ‘Total Information Awareness’, will be able to bring together vast amounts of personal and identifying data with the physical presence location of individuals. While the presence of chips will not always indicate the presence of an individual, it will be accurate enough to provide impetus for such use.

The advocates of RFIDs have already demonstrated its usefulness and desirability. Amidst the hype, they have largely ignored or unfairly dismissed the potential for privacy abuse introduced by the technology. Although RFID is still prohibitively expensive and readers are only reliable within close proximity (2-3 meters) to a tag and rarely capable of reading multiple chips simultaneously, these limitations are only temporary. In this early stage of the technology’s life, privacy, civil, and consumer rights groups still have an opportunity to influence the nature of how this technology is and isn’t used. It’s important that these discussions happen now.

Benjamin Mako Hill <mako AT>  is a Free Software advocate and a member of the Debian Project


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New Certifications and Licensing Around Personal Trainers

The benefits of a career in training that is personal are clear: Personal fitness trainers have the chance to assist individuals to boost their fitness and health immediately. Customers across the nation are frequently seeking out reputable professionals for up-to-date and responsible tips on training, weight loss and keeping a healthy lifestyle.

A little less obvious is the large number of proposed changes in legislation which might impact those keen on personal trainer certification. In case you are thinking about a career as a personal trainer in Kirkland, or maybe a related area, staying abreast of individualized trainer certification demands is a crucial part of supplying conscientious care to clients.

Exactly why alter the laws regulating personal trainer certification?

Some legal actions where private trainers have been accused of insidious negligence might have caused the move towards greater regulation of individualized trainer certification. Among the most commonly reported cases was in 2002, when a brand new York female suffered a stroke and later died, allegedly because of problems from dietary supplements that have been suggested by an inadequately qualified private trainer. Various other personal injury lawsuits against trainers quickly followed.

In 2007, several of the trainers battled back, filing a lawsuit of their very own against a certification company which, the trainers said, provided limited instruction. The class action suit, which took place in California, shows just how individual fitness and trainers experts have taken a prominent role in enhancing regulation within the private training business.

What changes are taking put that influence personal trainers?

As early as 2003, the National Board of Fitness Examiners (NBFE) was developed to promote nationwide industry standards for individualized trainer certification. Among the proposed modifications advocated by the NBFE tend to be more uniform standards for accreditation and also enhanced regulation of the accreditation of certifying organizations, to help make sure the and safety of customers.

Nevertheless, state governments also have joined the fray, with New Jersey, Maryland, Georgia, the District of Columbia, Louisiana, as well as, most recently, Massachusetts and California, proposing legislation which would regulate the certification of individualized trainers as well as potentially even demand licensing of trainers. One prominent business group, the International Health, Racquet and also Sportsclub Association (IHRSA), has lobbied against that legislation, citing the initiatives of a multitude and the NBFE of various other businesses to regulate the accreditation of certification suppliers without requiring a license.

While the NBFE itself sustains a neutral place about licensing, they emphasize the benefits of making nationwide standards, incorporating a standardized test for personal trainers that might make the licensing procedure consistent from one state to another, rather than creating different and new licensing and legislation methods for every state.

Fighting Against Alcoholism and DWI

A Historical Perspective

Laws prohibiting dui have been on the books since 1910 when the state of New York passed the first in this nation. Other states started to do the same. During the mid 20th century, government groups began to establish blood alcohol levels as standards by which inebriated chauffeurs might be legally recognized and prosecuted. Countering this effort was a less critical view of the problem by the public. The subject was often dealt with as a joke; the happy-go-lucky intoxicated remained a staple of animations, funny phase routines, and stumbled from the motion picture screen to the tv screen. Instead of endangering lives and paying for a newark nj dwi lawyer you could just refrain from drinking and driving.

Society’s mindsets started to alter in the early 1980s and late 1970s. Candy Lightner, grieving over the loss of her daughter, founded the group Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) in 1980. MADD worked non-stop to replace the image of the harmless drunk with the faces of children, students, dads, mothers, and other members of society whose lives were taken at the hands of hazardous drunk motorists.

As these efforts picked up speed, the public not viewed the drunk driver as having committed a small, forgivable social synthetic pas, but more appropriately as a criminal selfishly putting our liked ones at risk.

As an outcome of these efforts, significant progress has been made in getting us to where we are today concerning charges and laws concerning driving under the influence. Inning accordance with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2010 saw a reduction in the number of people who self-reported driving while under the influence (down to 13.2 % vs. 14.6% in previous years). The National Highway Travel Safety administration discovered that alcohol-related traffic deaths fell to their present levels of around 40%, down from a high in 1980 of 60%.

The Problem Persists

Society changed its mind about driving while intoxicated, demanding harsher charges and shunning offenders. Today’s driving while drunk issue can be mainly laid at the feet of a couple of hard-core drinkers, and, possibly more significantly, those who aid them in breaking the law by allowing them access to alcohol. The continued rate of fatalities shows that monetary penalties, public shame as well as jail time are not always enough to stop the hard-core drinker.

States are taking steps to additional increase charges to fulfill federal standards. To certify for federal highway funds, states need to have a legal blood alcohol limitation of 0.08%. In Minnesota, for example, those convicted of driving while intoxicated are forced to install an interlock device on their cars and trucks. In many cases, the driver loses their advantage to consuming alcohol at all and their driver’s license is so significant. Minnesota likewise provides “Whiskey” license plates for identifying vehicle drivers who have been founded guilty.

8 Most Important Historical Events That Changed the World

History is important. It has shaped our culture, tradition, religion, and generally, the way of our living in the present. Since the beginning of Earth and mankind, a lot of important events took place.

Apart from the religious and mythological events, here are the most important historical events that changed the world.

French Revolution

The French Revolution took place from 1789 to 1794. According to this article, this revolution paved the way for capitalism to conquer feudalism which did not just impact France or Europe but the whole world.

American Revolution

This revolution took place between 1775 and 1783 which adopted the ideas of early Greek and Roman civilizations and Christianity to revolt against an authority. It paved the way for equality and justice.

The Reformation was one of the greatest events in Europe that happened from 1517 to 1648. Its intention was to reform the Catholic Church. This resulted in the birth of Protestantism and the decline of the Catholic power.

October Revolution

The October Revolution in 1917 was the first ever successful socialist movement when the Russian Empire overthrew the Tsar autocracy and the Provisional Government. This gave birth to the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and the beginning of Russian Civil War.

World War II

The Second World War resulted in the death of over 80 million lives between 1939 and 1945. In this war, the Allies – France, Great Britain, United States and the Soviet Union defeated the Axis powers – Germany, Italy, and Japan. This was the deadliest war in the human history.

World War I

The First World War was a war between the Central Powers – Germany, Austria and Turkey and the Allies – France, Great Britain, Russia, Italy, Japan and the United States. The Allies defeated the Central Powers. The WWI led to the fall of four great dynasties.

Gutenberg Printing Press

Around 1440, German printer Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press which changed the world forever. It paved the way to the greater access and spread of knowledge all over the world.

The Black Death

The 14th-century Black Death across Europe and Asia killed 60% of Europe’s population. It was considered one of the most devastating pandemics in the history of mankind, claiming over 200 million lives.

The 5 Greatest Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom

A Prime Minister is the head of the Government of the United Kingdom. There have been 76 Prime Ministers in the history of the United Kingdom, with Conservative Party leader Theresa May being the current Prime Minister.

For the past decades, the Prime Ministers have shown their own brands of leadership. They have also been battled with controversies and political challenges. Now, let us round up the five greatest Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Winston Churchill

Churchill topped the 1999 BBC Radio 4 poll of the best politicians and was hailed the Best British Prime Minister of the 20th century. According to Telegraph, Churchill “provided uniquely-strong leadership”. Before he became a politician, he served in the British military. He became the Prime Minister in 1940 and led made a successful alliance with the US and the Soviet Union to defeat the Axis powers during World War II.

Clement Attlee

Clement Attlee topped the University of Leeds survey twice in 2004 and 2010, being the Best Prime Minister in the 20th century. He was known for post-war leadership and social reforms. He established the welfare state in Great Britain and presided the granting of independence to India. According to Britannica, his reign paved the way the conversion of the British Empire into the Commonwealth of Nations.

Margaret Thatcher

In 2013, University of London conducted a survey among British members of the Parliament which declared Margaret Thatcher the most successful post-war Prime Minister. Thatcher is the first female Prime Minister. During her term, she cut social welfare programs, privatized certain industries and reduced trade union power.

Sir Robert Walpole

Walpole, regarded as the first Prime Minister, restored the confidence in the country after the South Sea Bubble crisis in 1720. He was also the longest-serving Prime Minister for more than 20 years. He dominated. He dominated the political landscape during the time of George I and George II.

William Pit the Younger

William Pit the Younger was the youngest Prime Minister of Britain at just 24 and he has the second longest service next to Walpole. He led during the French revolutionary and Napoleonic wars and dominated the political scene during the period of instability.

Who do you think are great Prime Ministers who should be on the list?

10 World’s Most Powerful Politicians in 2017

195 countries and 7.5 billion people, led and governed by their respective political leaders toward the good of the people and the growth of the nation.

We have ranked the world’s most powerful politicians in 2017.

Vladimir Putin

Putin is leading in the World’s Most Powerful People of Forbes. He is the current President of Russia. He also served as a Prime Minister from 1999 to 2000 and 2008 to 2012.

Donald Trump

Forbes’ second most powerful people in the world is Donald Trump. He is the current and the 45th president of the United States. Before he became a politician, he was a TV personality and businessman.

Angela Merkel

Merkel is Forbes’s third most powerful people in the world. She is a German politician and Chancellor. She leads the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party was widely regarded as the de facto leader of the European Union.

Xi Jinping

Xi Jinping is the president of China, the general secretary of Communist Party of China and the world’s 4th most powerful people. He is referred as China’s Paramount leader.

Narendra Modi

Narendra Modi is the 9th most powerful people of the world according to Forbes. He is the current and the 14th Prime Minister of India. He promised to make India corruption-free.

Theresa May

Forbes 13th most powerful people in the world is Theresa May. She is a British politician and is currently the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the second female to hold the position after Margaret Thatcher.

Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud

Salman is the King and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia. He is also the head of the House of Saud and the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques. He served as Riyadh’s governor and deputy governor for almost five decades.

Ali Hosseini-Khamenei

Sayyid Ali Hosseini Khamenei is the second Supreme Leader of Iran. He is also the head of state and the commander-in-chief of Iran’s armed forces. He began his political career after the Iranian Revolution.

Benjamin Netanyahu

Netanyahu is the current Prime Minister of Israel. He also serves as the Chairman of the Lukid party and a member of the Knesset.

François Hollande

François Hollande was the former President of France who served from May 2014 to May 2017. He was also an ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra and the First Secretary of the French Socialist Party.


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September 17, 2008

There were three in the bed and the little one said...

Fawn and I don't have a large bed, and it has been growing rather cozy of late. By "cozy", I mean "cramped".

Recently, when Jade was fighting off some strange sort of tongue-sore-inducing virus, she spent most nights in bed with us. Fawn's growing belly is taking up a little more room, too - but I don't have a problem with either Jade's presence or Fawn's growing belly.

There is a far greater menace in our bed than a growing child and a growing belly and it is threatening my good night's sleep. It is threatening to suffocate me. It is threatening to push me right out of the bed. "It" is a "they" and "they" are "pillows".

Fawn says she uses the pillows to support her back, legs, neck, fingers, toes, eyelashes and whatever else that needs supporting when one is pregnant.

I think she's secretly using them as a weapon in a fiendish campaign to have total dominion over the bed.

I would fight back, but I don't know how. If I punch the pillows, nothing happens. If I hurl them from the room, they somehow make their way back.

And they seem to be reproducing, because there's no way that we own so many pillows. I know that I've never bought one.

If this keeps up, I will be forced to plant a flag on the couch to claim the couch for my very own.

"I hereby claim this couch in the name of A Good Night's Sleep!"

Craig said...

It's not just you, we've seen a marked increase in pillow deployment in our home too! We've increased from 4 to 8, and last week a big one showed up on top of the 8. I'm not talking King sized pillow, I'm talking 5 foot long and 2 feet around HUGE pillow.

It's so bad, that I know Cat's out of town, but I can't prove it at night because the pillows still occupied enough of the bed to create doubt.

I'm fortunate enough to have a full king sized bed so there was room for them... "WAS" is key here, if that big one multiplies I'm off to the other bedroom!

Meandering Michael said...

Although your comment should give me comfort (knowing that I'm not alone), it has actually caused me a great deal of concern. I'm beginning to fear that the bed-conquering tactics that I'm experiencing might be part of a larger coordinated offensive. Somebody call CSIS! Craig, you call Homeland Security!

Anonymous said...

Hi Michael - I like your pillow post!! Right now we have 4 pillow on the bed and an additional 5 decorative pillows on the floor. Simon seems to go along with it all. I had to chuckle at your three in the bed.... My older sister just moved back home with her three little ones (6, 4, 3) to my parents place in Osgoode. Colleen moved back to go to teacher's college for to teach High School Math & Physics. (Peter's minding the fort back in Georgetown). My parent's room and the kids rooms are all upstairs.... so most nights since September when my 3 & 4 yr old nieces get scared or get the sniffles, they squeeze into the "tiny" Queen Size bed between my 6'4" dad, & 5'4" mom and lots of pillows. If my nephew crawls in, my dad said that 5 is definetely the limit and he'll move to the couch!!!


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And provides suggestions to fix and improve them, with references to protocols’ official documentation."

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" is an online service that allows you to instantly perform a DNS lookup to check a hostnames current IP Address and other DNS information against a selection of random name servers around the world. This is especially useful to check the current state of DNS propagation after making changes to your domains zones."

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Top daily DDoS attacks worldwide

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The Internet Traffic Report monitors the flow of data around the world. It then displays a value between zero and 100. Higher values indicate faster and more reliable connection

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Norse maintains the world’s largest dedicated threat intelligence network. With over eight million sensors that emulate over six thousand applications – from Apple laptops, to ATM machines, to critical infrastructure systems, to closed-circuit TV cameras - the Norse Intelligence Network gathers data on who the attackers are and what they’re after. Norse delivers that data through the Norse Appliance, which pre-emptively blocks attacks and improves your overall security ROI, and the Norse Intelligence Service, which provides professional continuous threat monitoring for large networks. is a FREE Information Security portal containing a directory of our users favourite security products, all of which are open to be rated or slated. It is also home to the famous Talisker Radar Page used by thousands, even the US NSA.

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Looking Glass Lists


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20 May 2007 Microstock Earnings Report April 2007

In line with my recent post considering why doesn’t anybody show their microstock earnings online I’ve decided to start a monthly post showing and discussing my earnings for the previous month. Despite the fact we’re already more than half way into May, I’m going to post my April results now. In future I’ll post my results on the first of each month.

So, here is my earnings report for April 2007:

Agency Earnings Portfolio Size
iStockphoto $222.88 548
ShutterStock $123.30 511
Dreamstime $76.50 474
Fotolia $26.60 383
BigStockphoto $9.05 139
CanStockPhoto $3.25 281
123rf $0.30 10
Total $462.33

All microstock agencies performed in their usual order and each one was down on last month. I did zero uploading during April due to major life events. Due to the near-passive nature of stock photography, I still got paid a little.

Microstock Results Chart - April 2007

This chart shows more graphically how my earnings were down for April at each agency. April wasn’t a great month compared to March, but as you can see from the dotted moving average lines, we’re still coming out of a slump that started at the end of 2006.

This is actually a cropped chart as I estimate earnings for the current month which I had to strip off the right side. This is why StockXpert and LuckyOliver appear in the legend even though we didn’t sign up with them until May.

The pie chart in the top-left corner represents the portion of total earnings since we first started. Obviously iStockphoto dominates, but we have been with them longer than any other website and have the largest portfolio with them.

May is already looking like a much better month based on extrapolated daily averages, and we’re already experiencing some early results with our new registrations. The good part about posting April’s results so late in May is that there’s not long to go before the next update!

How were your earnings in April?

  • Sheila
    Posted at 01:14h, 06 March Reply

    Wow! Thanks for posting this, very helpful as I’m considering both iStock and Shutterstock. I am wondering- do you do any paid search to help drive traffic to your photos and increase sales?

    • Lee Torrens
      Posted at 09:55h, 06 March Reply

      Hi Sheila, no, I don’t do any paid advertising for my portfolio. I don’t think that would be worthwhile unless you were sending people to your own website where you sell photos. The agencies do a lot of promotion already.

      Also, I have some much more up-to-date earning reports which will give you a more current insight into agency performance. This one is now quite old.

  • David
    Posted at 15:04h, 05 February Reply

    First please no that I am a 100% amateur photographer. Currently researching to purchase my first DSLR Camera
    Here is my question.

    Does your portfolio on the different sites contain the same photos or are they all different?
    also have you noticed which subjects appear to make you more revenue?

    I have read that People as subjects tend to fetch more sales. Any insight?

    • Lee Torrens
      Posted at 15:22h, 05 February Reply

      Hi David,

      Yes, my portfolios across all agencies have the same photos. I answer that and other frequent questions on my selling photos page, which may accelerate your research.

      I’ve also done various blog posts analyzing which topics sell best for me, but the most useful one is the LookStat collections analysis.

      Also check out some of my more recent earnings reports. This one is now very old.

      Yes, generally speaking, photos with people are in higher demand, but there are LOTS of other factors which have more impact on sales performance, most notably the quality of the photo.

      I hope that helps.

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New website launched for Cornish wedding venue Ta Mill

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Set in 45 acres of rolling Cornish countryside, Ta Mill is a truly beautiful Cornish wedding venue. Thanks to their years of experience, they’ve helped many happy couples from across the country create their dream wedding. The unique venue is available for exclusive hire, elopement and small weddings and can also provide accommodation for up to 60 people, making it a great place to spend your entire weekend! The best part is they aren’t just a wedding venue, if you fancy a getaway to the South West, just the two of you or with the whole family, they have an abundance of accommodation ranging from lodges to cottages.

The tourism and wedding industries are areas in which we have a great deal of experience so we took to this project like a duck to water and couldn’t wait to get started. We know that every moment of a bride’s journey should be special, and that starts with the website. We’ve used lots of imagery across the site to ensure everything is as visually inspiring as it should be. With this in mind you’ll also find some nice added touches such as polaroid’s used to provide recent wedding inspiration. We also went all out on the mobile and tablet versions of this site; no matter what device you’re looking on this site is definitely one to say “I do” to.

You can view the site at

If you have a similar project then please do give the team a call on 01566 232323 or email us at and we’ll be happy to help.

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Mike Peralta - I Will Always Love You

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"I Will Always Love You"
by Mike Peralta

Just a smile can hurt so much when your heart is so sad
Everything is beautiful when your heart has turned black

Watch me slowly sink off step until there's really nothing left
It will never be the same if I ever get back

And I will always love you
Softly weeping to my god why did it have to be you?

And I wish this all a dream looking up at the stars
I wonder what you're doing now wherever you are

And I will always love you
Tonight I know in my heart it's best if I never ever see you again

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Education Law

Miles & Stockbridge has worked closely with educational institutions for more than 25 years, helping them address a wide array of challenges and compliance obligations and providing practical advice and defense when legal issues arise. We have developed deep experience in education law by anticipating the challenges and needs of our education clients and maintaining close communication with their leaders. We build long-term relationships founded on mutual trust and respect.

Our Education Law Team is comprised of more than 25 attorneys from practice areas across the firm who are experienced in the issues affecting educational institutions. The team includes lawyers from our labor and employment, banking and finance, commercial and business litigation, e-discovery and information governance, employee benefits, government contracts, intellectual property and technology, and real estate transaction practices.

Our commitment to education extends beyond legal issues. Members of our team are active in the National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA) and other organizations, and speak and publish on education issues. Team lawyers have been quoted in The Chronicle of Higher Education and other publications, and have served on boards of directors, search committees and advisory panels, as well as in other roles for educational institutions.

Our clients include colleges, universities, independent schools, public school districts and for-profit educational entities. We work closely with each client to ensure that we are fully aware of the educational and related issues it is confronting.

We counsel and represent higher education and K–12 institutions in many areas, including:

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July 8, 2008

Filed under: culture»asia»china»mandarin

Adventures in Translation: Snapple Edition

Snapple, beverage company known for its Real Facts That Aren't, has launched a new line of green tea, which touts its health benefits on the label, including the following sentences:

It's loaded with a natural antioxidant and boosts your metabolism. Scientists call it EGCG, tea farmers call it 茶, you'll just call it another reason to pop open a bottle of Snapple Green Tea.
Really? Farmers call it 茶? Sounds exotic--those wise Chinese tea farmers and their traditional knowledge of antioxidants. Wonder what that translates to?

As it turns out, that's just the character for "tea" (pronounced "cha" with a rising intonation).

Personally, I'm torn. "Scientists call it EGCG, tea farmers call it 'tea'" is most likely a mistake in the marketing department akin to bad hanzi tattoos (or, I don't know, a set of bottle caps spreading false trivia). But there's also a chance that it's a sly joke at the label's own inflated antioxidant pitch, in which case I applaud their self-awareness.

Either way, sadly, the tea itself is pretty awful.

September 18, 2006

Filed under: culture»asia»china»mandarin

Missed Opportunities

I know I shouldn't be expecting much when watching SciFi Channel movies, but when the old "Crisis is danger and opportunity in Chinese" chestnut came up during Painkiller Jane, I was reminded of just how ridiculous that myth is. Not only is it completely false, but it's commonly used by cultural sub-literates like Tom Friedman to, say, relate their taxi-driver's support for globalization.

And here's what really got me: they didn't even use the right character. Instead of weiji, they wrote the hanzi for yi, which means "easy." Then the actor pointed at the top half--that's danger, he said, and the bottom half is opportunity. Well, no. According to, yi is a pictogram meant to resemble a lizard. The top half is a radical that usually stands in for the sun and signifies a day (ri), and the bottom can be a negative command (wu).

Is it really that hard to find a single Mandarin-speaking Chinese-American and run this kind of thing by them before you put it on TV? Especially when you're filming in Vancouver?

May 18, 2006

Filed under: culture»asia»china»travel

Once Upon a Time in China, Part 3

500 words down so far on the China article for the Escapist, and I feel pretty good about it. So here's one last annoying anecdote from my trip to the Middle Kingdom three years ago. If only I had a slide projector and a monotone, I could do this properly.

I spent most of my trip hanging out with a couple of students with family in Guangzhou. They were American-born Cantonese speakers, so they made good intermediaries between the three languages and cultures. And since it didn't make any sense to me to travel halfway around the world just to hang out in a dorm room, we spent a pretty fair amount of time wandering the city. That's how I ended up playing DDR for the first time--although that's not the story I want to tell today.

This story is about going to dinner. Keep in mind that when I went to China, I had been at one of the most diverse universities in the country for a couple years--but I didn't own a car, so I didn't eat out much. I'd missed out on many of the great cultural foods located around the Northern Virginia area, a deficiency that was only exaggerated by differences between American Chinese food and actual Chinese food.

So here I was in Xi'an, a Kentucky Yankee in Qin Shi Huang's court, and we decided to go out for food and karaoke (read: drinking) with some local students. They knew a great place, they said, and led us through back alleys away from the university. It was starting to look a little shady, but the restaurant was well-lit, and the food--meat strips with a spicy rub, grilled on skewers--was tasty. I had about four before I saw that my Cantonese friend was watching me closely and smiling a bit too widely. She asked if I knew what kind of meat was on those skewers. Horror stories of rodents and pets flickered through my mind. Beef? I asked.

Kind of, she said. Beef stomach. Which, looking back on it after many bowls of questionable pho meats, seems pretty tame. But at the time, it was a big step. I had two more.

Nowadays, the beef stomach incident also serves not just as an amusing cultural incident, but also a reminder of China's diversity. The skewered meats are a snack native to Xi'an's local Muslim population, called the Hui. The Hui Mingjie, or "Muslim Street," may be a tourist trap within the walls of the old city, but it's also home to the Great Mosque, where the Hui still worship as one of the nation's non-Han minorities. Arabic and Chinese mix in the carvings there.

Which is not to say that China is filled with well-integrated but conveniently-costumed cultural groups--to an outsider it still looks pretty homogenous. But it's such a big country, and communications were so slow for so long, that visitors eventually see the fierce regionalism that exists within it. It emerges with the mutually unintelligible local dialects. It manifests in the inequality between rural and urban areas. And you can taste it in the wildly different cuisines between the North and South. While for policy purposes it may be possible to imagine a simplified "China," those who don't realize that the PRC encompasses differences even wider than our own local subcultures will find the reality (pardon the pun) hard to stomach.

May 6, 2006

Filed under: culture»asia»china»travel

Once Upon A Time in China, Part 2

My parents gave me the notebook while I was in high school, I think as a Christmas gift. It's a small leatherbound volume with sheets of yellow paper, bolted together with wood and held shut by a pair of leather straps. It's kind of impressive, like something Indiana Jones would open to find the location of Tikt'Chuatl. And that was problematic for me, because I wasn't about to fill it with just anything. It had to be something worth reading.

It stayed empty until I went to China since I figured, screw it, I'm probably not going to get an opportunity more interesting than that. I sketched and took notes in the notebook, and also wedged different tickets and brochures into it for safekeeping. I did the same thing when I went to France, although I only managed four pages or so that trip. It takes a lot of time to sketch something and write about it longhand. And I don't have a lot of patience.

While I was in Xi'An, where I spent most of my time in the PRC, we took a side trip to see the Terra Cotta warriors. If you ever find yourself in the country, I highly recommend it. The warriors are the last tribute to Qin Shi Huang, the emperor who united China and then started work on the Great Wall. Not content to grind his subjects to death constructing the wall, Qin Shi Huang also wanted servants in the afterlife, and ordered the creation of thousands of life-sized soldier statues, many with different features and weapons. It was a massive undertaking--and one that was buried with him when he died. In 1974, farmers who were digging in the area found the tomb and its clay army. Researchers are still digging it up today.

At least one of the farmers is now employed full time by the PRC at the visitor's center for the terracotta warriors. He signed my notebook (as well as dating it 2003--guess I had the year wrong). According to my professor, that's all he knows how to write. I guess it's a living.

As I was saying, I did a few sketches in the notebook and the terracotta warriors got several pages' worth. I'll have to scan it some other time. But as I was standing at one of the display cases, finishing up a sketch of a warrior leading a large clay horse, a short Chinese woman walked up next to me and started to look at the drawing. "Very nice," she said, and then added something I couldn't understand. Amanda Laoshi, the graduate student from Xi'An Jiaotong Daxue who accompanied us, wandered up and asked her to repeat herself. She laughed.

"What did she say?" I asked.

Amanda Laoshi looked at the drawing and grinned. "She says you made the eyes too round," she said. "She says it looks like a Westerner."

I looked at the woman. She looked at me. I shrugged, apologized, and added some lines to the sketch, trying to correct the "mistake." The woman examined the drawing again, and made the universal face for "hmph." And at that point, deciding that I was not going to improve the situation markedly, I shut the notebook and wandered off, as tactfully as possible, to sketch something a little bit less subjective.

May 2, 2006

Filed under: culture»asia»china»travel

Once Upon A Time in China

In the summer of 2002, after four semesters of Mandarin, I went on a school-sponsored trip to the PRC with a few of my classmates. Going back over my notes from that trip as transition devices for a piece on software piracy in China, I'm reminded of so many great stories that unfortunately won't fit there.

But they'll fit here. And if self-indulgent tales of my cultural tourism can't drive everyone away, I don't know what will.

Right now, I speak Mandarin badly, but back then I was merely very, very awkward. It didn't matter. Almost everyone I met in China was tickled pink by the white boy mangling his sentences. Sometimes to excess. I used to wander around on my own, practicing. One pair of elderly women in Xi'an couldn't stop laughing long enough to give me directions to the bank.

My sugar fixation was also a source of much linguistic amusement. In China, as in much of Asia, the American and European habit of adding sugar to tea is viewed as something between freakish and offensive. And I like a lot of sugar. The cook at Xi'an Jiaotong University treated my habit with amused condescension, pointing me to a box of cube sugar off the side, where I would guiltily scoop up six or seven cubes and take them back to my room in case I wanted tea at night.

I learned how to ask, clumsily, if the waiter had sugar available--"Qing ni, you mei you tang?" I would ask, carefully pronouncing the rising tone on the last word, in case I might accidentally ask for soup or a hallway instead. The servers often ignored me anyway. I would turn to Zhang Laoshi, my professor, to confirm my pronunciation, and he would agree that I'd asked correctly. Looking back now, I wonder if they just didn't make the connection. "Why would he want sugar?" "Who knows? He was asking how to get to the bank earlier. It was hilarious!"

Before we left the country, I remember trying to buy a candy bar from the hotel gift shop. Using a system of cunning gestures, pantomime, broken Mandarin, and panicked grins, the girl behind the counter and I managed to negotiate the actual transaction, up until the point where I would have to pay. "How much?" I asked in Chinese--one phrase with which I'd become quite fluent. She replied with a couple of syllables, but I couldn't quite follow her. "Shenma?" She repeated herself, but I still couldn't understand it. Was this a Beijing dialect I didn't know? We went back and forth four or five times, until finally one of the American-born Chinese in my group took pity and told her to use Mandarin. She'd been trying to say "seven" in English, and we'd just been talking right past each other.

When people start freaking out about translated versions of the Star Spangled Banner, or other nationalistic cultural detritus, I like to imagine those people trying to buy a candy bar in Beijing. Who cares about the language barrier, about different cultures? These aren't insurmountable obstacles, they won't kill you. It's the national anthem being translated, an ode to a flag flying over the land of the free and the home of the brave. It's the thought that counts. Translate it all. Take it. Make it yours. Above all, don't hesitate to laugh about it. A sense of humor will get you far, in this country or in another.

Now what's a guy got to do around here to get some sugar for his tea?

December 22, 2005

Filed under: culture»asia

Brown-eyed Girl

This is interesting. Via PopGadget, they're contact lenses for Asian women that have a black ring around the iris, making the eyes look bigger. I can't help but wonder what they would look like on someone who doesn't have brown/black eyes.

November 29, 2005

Filed under: culture»asia»imported

The Search Is Over

Tapioca pearls for homemade bubble tea have been located, in both classic black and multicolored. I found them tonight at the H Mart in Merrifield, VA, just past Gallows Road. If you've never tried them before, now you've got no excuse.

June 5, 2005

Filed under: culture»asia»china»mandarin

Already worth the link

Quote of the day, taken from's readings ("Why Chinese Is So Damned Hard"):

One could say that Chinese is phonetic in the way that sex is aerobic: technically so, but in practical use not the most salient thing about it.

The readings at the site really are excellent. I'm skeptical about them (most of them are criticisms of the Chinese writing system) but only because I try to be skeptical of everything I read--they're very convincing. More research is obviously required. But the above article will produce grins and nods from any student or former student of Mandarin Chinese.

May 31, 2005

Filed under: culture»asia»imported

Strange things are afoot at the Super H

Ever since I've had my grand idea about improving iced chai, I've been thinking about implementing a solution on my own. So tonight I went to the Super H, an Asian market not far from my house, to try and pick up some tea bubbles.

I love Asian markets. For one thing, it's just the simple, giddy pleasure of a novel experience. Items are available for purchase at a Super H that you will never, I promise you, see at a Giant or a Shoppers. There are whole squid and octopi available, shrink-wrapped for freshness, in the seafood section. These same creatures, along with a wide variety of other animal and ocean life, are also found freeze-dried an aisle down. The meat section includes porkchops and steaks, but there's also a good supply of "bull pizzle," and I'm pretty sure that is exactly what it sounds like. Can you even imagine walking up to a butcher in the US and asking to have two pounds of bull pizzle? You'd either get laughed at or hit on.

Those are just the items that typical white Americans might have heard about. There's a lot of produce, various roots and vegetables, that we don't grow domestically. There are uncommon spices. I personally enjoy the collection merely labeled Asian Snack. Some of the candies found under Asian Snack look like their American counterparts, and of those, some of them will actually be the same. The rest will either be dopplegangers shocking to the unexpected or wholly unconventional packages, perhaps made of shrimp. The Asian Snack aisle also contains Pocky. I've never really understood the geek fascination with Pocky. It's good, but it's very expensive for what it is.

Shopping at an Asian market, unless you can read Korean, is probably done by looking at the pictures on the package. For some reason, all of the stores around here are Korean-owned, like Super H and Grand Mart. Even if it were all in Chinese, I'd probably have a lot of trouble reading it. Korean, being a phonetic language that is completely unrelated to Mandarin, leaves me wandering back and forth and peering at the hanzi/English translations on the back of various packages. You could try to ask for help, but the managers are probably no-where to be found. The stockboys are Latino of one flavor or another and seem to collectively view the whole store as a colossal joke--you might or might not get an accurate answer.

Side note: speaking of Hispanic employees and language conflicts, one of my friends (who is Japanese) took a temporary position at one of these markets. They put her to work giving out samples of flavored soy milk. I went to visit her with my then-girlfriend and found her mooning over one of the stockboys, who didn't speak much English (and hers wasn't terribly expressive at the time). We joked about learning Spanish so she could flirt properly. In response, this cute Japanese girl, who had always seemed to be a total innocent, asked me to translate the phrase "I want to melt in soy milk with you." To this day, I haven't found a more interesting subject for translation.

The other interesting trend to be aware of, should you choose to patronize one of these grocery stores, is that they often contain smaller shops dedicated to cheap consumer goods. If you want a really good rice cooker or a set of sushi plates, that's where you can find them. Larger stores sometimes have clothing and imported video rental stalls. You pay for these things separately. When I was in China, the "malls" there operated on a similar model--instead of having separate storefronts, the inside is one huge space with booths for various wares. I'm assuming that the domestic stores have simply imported the idea, just as if they had brought it over on a pallet with boxes of Haribo Peaches.

There are times when I wish I could pick up and take another trip overseas. There are still a lot of countries I haven't visited, and working at the Bank (where people take frequent vacations or home leave) can revive my wanderlust. Stepping into the Super H is a trip just out of the ordinary, and one that doesn't invoke any jet lag. I wish it had been a trip resulting in tea bubbles tonight, but they were absent, which surprised me. The iced chai revolution will have to wait at least one more night.

May 9, 2005

Filed under: culture»asia»china»film

Movie Review: The Road Home

Every now and then I get annoyed at how far my foreign language skills have slipped, and I saturate myself in media way above my level. At the Civil Society event, there were a lot of Spanish- and Mandarin- speakers there, and so now I have a ton of Spanish and Mandarin movies in my Netflix queue. Last night I watched The Road Home, which I'd been looking forward to, because it's by Zhang Yimou (Hero) and stars Zhang Ziyi (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon). It wasn't a bad movie. It wasn't very good either.

The Road Home begins with a young man returning to his home village for his father's funeral. His mother insists that the father, a former schoolteacher, must be carried back to the village on foot, as is tradition. This prompts the flashback that makes up most of the story--how the schoolteacher and his wife met and fell in love. It's an old story, but that doesn't mean it's a bad one. And there's a lot going for this, frankly. The cinematography is quite good, using the backdrop of rural China to full effect, including a stunning set of snowbound shots. Zhang Ziyi turns in a very good performance--Americans who are used to seeing her as a flawlessly beautiful martial artist will, I think, be surprised to see her with such baggy clothes and awkward movements, but it's a really well-done physical portrayal.

Still, the movie drags a bit. The courtship between the schoolteacher and Zhang is chaste and, while cute, not terribly passionate. This is a G-rated flick in more ways than one. There's never really any tension between the two lovers, and no sense of discovery. When the teacher is hauled back to the city for political reasons (most likely the Cultural Revolution), Zhang waits for him patiently and obsessively, but I wasn't really convinced that she should have. Likewise, at the end of the film, when the father's funeral is supported by hundreds of his former students, it's a nice gesture but one that's not really supported by the rest of the movie. It's simply meant to be a given somehow that he was a great, inspiring teacher.

The Road Home has won several international awards, but I'm not really sure why--surely there were better foreign flicks available in 2001. It felt to me like an old Disney film--it's a throwback. It's a quality movie, make no mistake, but there's no real distinctiveness to go with that quality. It's accessible for an American audience, with no obscure customs or motives that need to be translated across cultural boundaries. All in all, I'd say this is a good lazy Sunday film, or a fine date movie, if your date is into subtitled Chinese drama.

Future - Present - Past