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Wednesday, December 31, 2014

My way of saying Happy New Year (or why I came to love The System)

I never really thought about it until recently, but December and I have quite the relationship with The System. In fact, all the important dates of my infatuation with this tantalizing style of basketball celebrate their anniversary during this month. It’s similar to Christmas, except without Santa Claus, or carols, or ugly sweaters, or a tree decorated with crafts and lights … well, at least we all receive gifts in the form of 3-pointers, steals and high-scoring games.

But I digress. With the month (and the year) winding down, I figured I’d share my stories.

My first view of The System came in December 1988, when Oklahoma traveled to little-known (at least to me at the time) Loyola Marymount, where a national cable TV audience watched the Sooners roll to a 136-103 victory. That was Dec. 17, 1988, to be exact, and watching that game fascinated me as no other one ever had.

Was it the full-court press? Yes. Was it the amount of points scored? Yes. Was it the freedom with which both teams played? YES! The Loyola Marymount Lions, with coach Paul Westhead and stars Bo Kimble and Hank Gathers, became my favorite team, and I watched whenever I could.

I still remember several of their televised games – a loss in overtime to Shaquille O’Neal and LSU, a rout of LaSalle when Westhead, Kimble and Gathers celebrated a return to their Philadelphia roots – and recorded many of them. And as so many did, I fought off tears when Gathers collapsed and died on the court during the 1990 West Coast Conference tournament, then celerated when LMU reached the Elite Eight of that year’s NCAA tournament.

The second-round victory against reigning champ Michigan still is one of my favorite games, and I have a DVD of it that I watch frequently.

Then when Westhead left for the Denver Nuggets, Kimble graduated and everything sort of fell apart, I still followed the Lions with new coach Jay Hillock. He was fired after two seasons, and with his departure, I accepted that The System was gone forever.

Fast forward to 2002, when I was working with The Associated Press in Atlanta. I was perusing the sports wire one day when I came across a story about a tiny NCAA Division III school in Iowa which put up numbers similar to Westhead’s team at LMU. Only this team did it a different way, with five-for-five substitutions every minute and a reliance, an emphasis, on 3-pointers.

On Dec. 11, 2002, Grinnell College played a Division I school for the final time, losing to Drake 162-110, and with the Internet as my companion, I had a new favorite team.

I left the AP in 2006 but that did nothing to quell my enjoyment of watching coach David Arseneault and his Pioneers. In 2008, I reached out to Coach A for the first time and wrote a piece for my local newspaper on this frenetic and amazing way of playing the sport I loved. So what if no one in Rockingham, N.C., really cared? My mission was to share the news of The System with anyone who would listen.

This blog came about early in 2009 and became another outlet for updates on Grinnell. With my 40th birthday coming up later that summer, I got the OK from my wife to make the pilgrimage to Iowa – in December, of course – to see The System in person. The trip to Iowa was amazing, even if I did happen to pick one of only two losing seasons in the past 10 to visit. Grinnell lost both games during my stay, but it hardly mattered.

Coach A spent nearly two hours with me and a travel companion, a buddy from home whom my daughter, Libbie, dubbed “Iowa Tim.” And I got to spend time with Dave Arseneault Jr., as well; at the time, he was less than a year removed from his career as a point guard on his father’s team and seemed unsure of what his future held. Now, of course, Dave is the head coach of the Reno Bighorns in the NBA Development League, the affiliate of the Sacramento Kings, where he is implementing Coach A’s version of The System.

I chronicled my adventure for “Basketball Times” magazine, and during my research for the article, I got to know many other coaches around the country who believed in The System. They followed Coach A’s philosophy and I discovered it was spread amongst colleges, high schools and even middle schools.

One question I often get is how is what LMU did different than what Grinnell and others are doing now? There are a couple of major differences in the philosophy, and neither has anything to do with Xs and Os.

Westhead used his best players for the vast majority of the game. Kimble, Gathers, guard Jeff Fryer and forward Per Stumer (who had great hair!) each averaged more than 30 minutes of run. As you likely know, the Grinnell System is predicated on five-for-five substitutions every 45-to-60 seconds. This enables Coach A and his disciples to continue an all-out assault for a turnover even in the halfcourt.

Westhead’s teams pressed hard in the backcourt but retreated into a sagging man-to-man defense once the ball crossed the time line. At Grinnell this season, no one plays more than 21.1 minutes each game, and 12 players get at least 10. So you can run and press, but to be considered a “Grinnell” team, you have to distribute the playing time across your roster.

The quest for 3-pointers is another area of contrast. In 1989-90, when LMU reached the final eight in the NCAA tournament, Westhead’s squad shot 23 3-pointers per game. Grinnell is AVERAGING 58.4 attempts so far through 10 games this season. Remember, one of The Formula stats for The System is to shoot at least half your shots from beyond the arc.

None of this is to say one approach is better than the other, or that The System is the only way to play the game. I joke about it being the best, but most people understand any style can be successful if you have a committed coaching staff and roster.

For example: I can’t stand watching the Virginia Cavaliers play, with coach Tony Bennett instructing his squad to slow the pace. Through 11 games, they allow their opponents to score about 46 points a game on about 60 possessions in each one (Grinnell averages about 100). They play so methodically it ruins what I love about basketball. Yet Bennett has his team undefeated and ranked in the top five, so it’s certainly hard to argue with the results.

I will admit I become a little defensive when people question whether the Grinnell System has been or could be as successful as other methodologies.

Ed Isaacson, who writes an NBA draft blog for a Website called, was an early naysayer of Reno’s style of play, wondering via Twitter why any team would use it since Grinnell never has won a national championship. His reasoning appeared to be that this was the only validation for success.

Has the Princeton offense ever won a national championship? Has the Triangle offense that Phil Jackson forced upon the New York Knicks this season ever won anything without Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Kobe Bryant or Shaq as one of the players? What a horrible criticism.

And for the record: in the 25 years before Coach A took over at Grinnell, the Pioneers were 106-437 (.195), including a record of 0-22 in 1979-80. His record in the 25 seasons since is 329-247, a relatively gaudy winning percentage of .571 and an incredible turnaround in the history of the program.

Regardless of what Isaacson or anyone else thinks, I always will support The System and the teams and coaches who make it look so fun. I would encourage anyone who still has an open mind to watch Grinnell play, or the women’s teams at Sacramento State, NCAA Division III North Central College or NAIA Division II Olivet Nazarene. Each of those teams plays the vast majority of its games live on the Internet, and Grinnell and Olivet Nazarene have an on-demand feature for previous ones.

While you watch, don’t worry about the score, or who won or lost. Watch the effort of the players on the court. Watch the bench, where their teammates are passionately cheering for them. Watch the coaches, particularly Coach A, who often passively watch their teams play without constant instruction. And watch and listen for the fans, who cheer each steal, 3-pointer and other great plays with great zeal.

The System isn’t the only way to play. It just is my favorite.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Transfers, other newcomers help North Central to record-setting start

The more I learn about The Grinnell System, the more fun it is to watch a team which really gets it, one which stays true to the mantra of “Run, Shoot, Press, Rebound, Sub” with little or no regard to the score. A wonderful example of this is the NCAA Division III women’s team at North Central College, based in Naperville, Ill.

From the opening tip until the final horn – presuming the margin isn’t too lopsided in their favor – the Cardinals keep getting after it. That effort, among other reasons, is why coach Michelle Roof’s squad is off to a school-record 10-0 start heading into Christmas break while averaging 102.5 points.

Consider the two most recent victories:
  • On Dec. 16, when North Central won on the road at Monmouth 112-76, it tied a Division III record with 26 made 3-pointers.
  • On Dec. 19, in a come-from-behind 110-93 victory over the University of Dubuque, the Cardinals finished 19-for-75 from behind the line, breaking their own record of 72 set Nov. 22 in a 117-115 double-overtime victory Millsaps.

 “When it’s clicking, the energy you feel, you can’t compare it to anything else,” Roof said. “It’s just one of the things I love about coaching The System.  It’s all about pumping our kids up and celebrating with them.”

Roof and lead assistant Doug Porter have done a lot of that so far this season. The Cardinals lead Division III with 102.5 points and 16.2 3-pointers per game, and their third in the country with 16.8 steals in each contest.

Porter, you might remember, ran The System at NAIA Olivet Nazarene until he retired in the spring of 2012. His assistant at the time, Lauren Stamatis, took over and continues to do wonderful things with this style of play.

While Porter was contemplating what to do, he was contacted by longtime friend Roof. She had contemplated taking the plunge with The System for several years, even attending the Run-and-Gun clinics conducted by Grinnell College coach David Arseneault and others. Having Porter on her staff was the final push she needed to do it.

“I really thought I wanted to go for it,” Roof said. “We had the depth, we had the athletes, we had the personnel to do it. And we really needed to get something going with our program, build some enthusiasm and some energy.

“Thankfully, he agreed to join us. Now that we’re in our third season, the players are really excited about, they really like it, and they’ve bought in.”

The Cardinals have gotten a big boost this season from two new players, transfers Jamie Cuny and Tess Godhardt. Each has won a player of the week honor from the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (wow, that’s a mouthful), and Cuny also was named national D-III player of the week for the same time frame by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.

She got the first triple-double in school history in a victory over Carroll University earlier this month, finishing with 12 points, 12 rebounds and 10 blocks. At 6-foot-2, Cuny plays at the back of the press on defense and serves as trailer for the offense.

Her average of 4.2 blocks is fifth in the country in Division III.

“She’s the perfect safety in The System,” Porter said of Cuny, who started her career at the University of Illinois at Springfield. “She is an uncanny shot blocker. Offensively, she’s not flashy, she just knocks down shots.”

Godhardt, a 5-10 post player who came on board from conference foe Elmhurst College, is the leading scorer for North Central at 18.3 points per game. Interestingly, for a team which gets the majority of its baskets from beyond the arc, she has made only one 3 this season, using a team-high average of 4.9 offensive rebounds to control the paint.

She also leads the team with 2.3 steals per game.

“We tried to get her to come to Olivet, but she went to another school and ended up not being happy,” Porter said of Godhardt, who made the CCIW all-conference team as a freshman at Elmhurst. “She’s a very talented post player. She’s just very productive as a scorer and a rebounder.”

Along with Cuny and Godhardt, Roof brought in eight freshmen with in her recruiting class, and six of them have gotten run in all 10 games. Of course, this being The System, playing time is spread out across the roster, with 12 players averaging between 12 and 20 minutes.

Godhardt leads with right at 20 minutes per game and Cuny is at 19.

All this has led to quite a turnaround for Roof, Porter and the program. In their first two years playing this way, the Cardinals were a combined 24-27 overall and 10-18 in the conference. Still, that was an improvement over the previous three seasons – 20-55 overall and 7-35 in the CCIW.

“The first year, we had some success we really hadn’t had in a long time, and we were really excited,” Roof said. “Last year, we had a little slump, and that hindered us reaching our full potential. But we brought in some pretty good players this year, and it’s full speed ahead. The kids love it.”

Roof actually saw The System for the first time during her tenure as a women’s assistant at Grinnell, watching Arseneault experiment with his creation.

“I just fell in love with the intensity and the passion his kids played with,” Roof said of her time at Grinnell. “I had not experienced that before, and I just really loved the way they played.”

In fact, Porter points to the use of the Grinnell-style offense this year as another reason for the improvement. This replaced the dribble-drive action he first came up with at Olivet Nazarene and originally helped install at North Central.

The Grinnell offense essentially leaves the ball in the point guard’s hand almost exclusively, with each shift or group featuring a preferred shooter. The other three players look for opportunities to screen for the shooter until a shot is taken.

“The problem with the dribble-drive approach, and we found it at North Central, is that it is a more high turnover offense, it’s not quite as efficient,” Porter said. “Coach Arseneault developed the Grinnell offense when he had very limited depth, so he had the right guys shooting, the right guys passing, and everybody else was screening and rebounding.

“That’s what basketball is, setting up your players to excel. He just did it at an extreme tempo. That’s really the genius in what coach Arseneault created.”

North Central still has one non-conference game remaining, a trip to Eureka College on Dec. 30. After that, the Cardinals begin the gauntlet that is the CCIW, where seven of the eight teams are ranked in the top 70 in the Massey Ratings.

Oh, and that’s out of 450 D-III schools.

“That’s pretty impressive,” Porter said. “It’s not going to be easy for anyone to go undefeated in our conference, and it will be difficult to get through without two or three losses.”

Win or lose, the Cardinals will give each opponent their best effort.

“With this style, you automatically know that you’re going to get maximum effort from your team 25 nights a year,” Roof said. “There’s not really any other style that does that. You just know that your team is ready to go.

“There’s really no other way to do it.”

Monday, December 22, 2014

Olivet Nazarene off to fast start with Hengesbach leading the way

A great way of learning about The Grinnell System is seeing it person. An even better way? Well, being on the opposing team might be one.

That’s what happened to Abbey Hengesbach, then an NAIA All-America guard at Concordia (Mich.) University who took the court in the opening round of the 2013 National Tournament against Olivet Nazarene. Hengesbach finished with 28 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and two blocks as her team eliminated the Tigers 90-80.

(Quick side note: ONU made only one of its first 19 shots from beyond the 3-point line and finished 9-for-47 in that one. Still, the Tigers eventually got within one point in the second half, which is a wonderful testament not only to The System but to the effort of their coaches and players.)

When Hengesbach decided to take a year off from basketball and find a different school, one of those she considered was NAIA Division II Olivet Nazarene -- based in Bourbonnais, Ill. -- through coach Lauren Stamatis.

“I talked with a couple of schools pretty seriously,” Hengesbach said. “Coach just sold me on Olivet as a whole. Obviously, The System wasn’t anything I was used to. She felt like I would play well in it, and here we are.”

So far, her decision appears to have worked out. Hengesbach is second in NAIA Division II at 24.1 points per game for the Tigers, who have won eight of their past nine games to move to 11-4 (3-1 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference) headed into Christmas break. She is tied for fourth with an average of 4.33 steals and seventh with an average of 5.4 assists.

And along the way, Stamatis’ squad is averaging 111.9 points, better than their NAIA record of 107.5 from last season.

Hengesbach has been a big part of that, part of a 15-player rotation (this is The System, remember?) that includes nine freshman. So with Hengesbach, Stamatis has 10 brand-new players getting it done.

“Having so many new girls learning it at one time helped us all, I think,” Hengesbach said. “Having them go through the process with me has made it less stressful, that was really helpful.”

Stamatis is in her third season running the program at Olivet Nazarene, taking over when Doug Porter retired. She served as Porter’s graduate assistant for two years before becoming the first full-time assistant in 2009, so she’s seen the ups and downs of what the school refers to as “TigerBall.” She doesn’t plan on changing.

“It’s funny, Coach Porter asked me when I was his grad assistant how I would want my team to play if I was head coach,” Stamatis said. “After about my second year here, I knew there was no other way I would want to coach. To see the players have success and to see how much they love it as a group is amazing.

“I knew even if I left, this is how I would want my teams to play.”

Stamatis first saw The System as an undergrad, as a member of the women’s team at the University of the Redlands in southern California. At the time, the men’s program was run by Gary Smith, and his teams set many NCAA Division III records.

“When I first saw it, my first thought was, ‘This is crazy, this is not basketball,’” she said. “I had no idea what was going on. You have a certain perception of what basketball should be, and this wasn’t it. You don’t really understand what they’re trying to do.

“It wasn’t until I started learning about it that I realized there were specific goals they were trying to reach, and there was a method to it. I really liked it.”

Certainly, given the way her team does it, there is a lot to like about what Stamatis is doing at Olivet Nazarene. All 15 players have played in all 15 games – getting between 6 and 18 minutes of run per game – and 13 of them have made a 3-pointer. Everyone averages more 1.2 points, too.

One adjustment that Hengesbach worried about was sharing playing time, or least, sitting out more than half the game. She has discovered that isn’t a problem.

“When I played in traditional basketball, you always feel like you’re trying to save energy throughout the game, because you know you’re going to be in there for a while,” she said. “Now constantly going 100 percent is more of a habit, and it’s a little easier.

“Coach had told me when you have your shift, you’re so excited, and that’s the truth. Obviously, the style we play, you’re going 100 percent all the time. Personally, I’m much more efficient when I’m on the court.”

That was the case late last week when the Tigers won both games at the JustAGame Holiday Classic at Wisconsin Dells in Wisconsin. In the opener, a 120-103 victory over William Penn University, Hengesbach had 22 points (one of seven players in double figures), seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals.

She backed that up by joining fourth teammates in double figures when Olivet Nazarene beat Buena Vista University 116-110, as Hengesbach totaled 16 points, nine assists, six rebounds and six steals.

With all those young players, the future clearly is bright for Stamatis’ program. She had led Olivet Nazarene to the national tournament in each of her two previous seasons, and there is little reason to think this year will be any different. Her new players are getting it, the returning ones continue to push the pace and achieve The System goals, and everybody appears to be having fun doing it.

“During finals week, a few of them were saying they were planning to go home for Christmas and watch their high schools play,” Stamatis said. “They were saying how boring regular basketball was going to be to them. They said, ‘Coach, I don’t think I could ever play that way again.’

“So they’re sold on it, and they’re having success. That’s a great thing.”


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Weekend Box Office Report: ‘The Wolf of Wall Street,’ ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’ and More Battle It Out

Although you’d think people would spend the holidays in their homes catching up with their families and what-not, they actually tend to go to the movies after opening gifts and having awkward conversations. And Christmas Day moviegoers had a bunch of options this week, with recent releases (and not-so-recent releases) still going strong and a whole bunch of new releases arriving to coincide with the holiday.

Film Weekend Per Screen
1 The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug $29,850,000 (-5.3) $7,599 $190,304,000
2 Frozen $28,845,000 (+46.9) $8,649 $248,366,000
3 Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues $20,150,000 (-24.7) $5,746 $83,667,000
4 American Hustle $19,550,000 (+2.3) $7,798 $60,035,000
5 The Wolf of Wall Street $18,510,000
$7,296 $34,302,000
6 Saving Mr. Banks $14,021,000 (+50.0) $6,645 $37,844,000
7 The Secret Life of Walter Mitty $13,000,000 $4,469 $25,595,000
8 The Hunger Games: Catching Fire $10,200,000 (+16.4) $4,406 $391,124,000
9 47 Ronin $9,869,000 $3,670 $20,572,000
10 A Madea Christmas $7,400,000 (-11.7) $4,139 $43,719,000

Let’s start with the winners, shall we?

In a bit of a surprise, ‘The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug‘ held onto the number one spot and only took a minuscule 5% drop, earning $29 million for a current total of $190 million. It’s still looking unlikely that it will match the business of its predecessors, but after the subpar opening weekend, this is a nice change of pace. Apparently everyone was waiting for the holiday break to catch up with this one.

Even more impressive is ‘Frozen,’ which jumped up an astonishing 46% to nab another $28 million, bringing its total to $248 million. The scientific term for this film’s box office is “crazy-pants.” Few films in recent memory have showcased legs as strong as this. Could it reach $300 million? Two weeks ago, we would have said no, but it’s now starting to look like a very strong possibility.

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues‘ also showed off its endurance in its second week, dipping a small 24% and banking $20 million. With $83 million earned, it has effortlessly matched the gross of the first film and it should easily break $100 million in the next week or so before tapping out somewhere north of $150 million.

And let’s not forget about ‘American Hustle,’ which held on strong after moving into wide release last week, taking in $19 million for a $60 million total. Not bad for an R-rated crime comedy at Christmastime!

Speaking of R-rated crime comedies at Christmastime, ‘The Wolf of Wall Street‘ also opened well (but not extremely well), grossing $18 million over the weekend but $16 million over the week, bringing it to a five-day total of $34 million. Calculating whether or not a Wednesday-opener opened well can be tricky, but for a three-hour movie about Wall Street debauchery, this is a win.

In a big recovery from last week, ‘Saving Mr. Banks‘ skyrocketed 50% thanks to the holiday bump, grossing $14 million for a $37 million total. What looked like a disappointment last week is not looking like a sleeper hit.

And the last of the winners is ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire‘ with $10 million, bringing its grand total so far to $391 million. That means that it’s now less than $20 million from being the highest grossing film of 2013. The race is on!

But the holiday box office wasn’t all hits. With so much business and so many movies to choose from, a few were bound to fall through the cracks. Although not disastrous, the $13 million weekend (and $25 million week) for ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty‘ is a rough start for a movie that looked destined to be a crowd-pleaser. Less surprising is the $9 million (and $20 million week) for ‘47 Ronin,’ which smelled like a disaster from the first trailer. Other new releases suffered outside of the top 10, with ‘Grudge Match’ and ‘Walking With Dinosaurs’ both getting crushed by the competition.

The doldrums of January begin next week, so this is probably one of the last exciting weekends at the box office for a while. Cherish it.

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Whispered Nootropics Secrets

Nootropics Secrets

Nootropics are a wide category of cognitive-enhancing supplements which include a wide selection of compounds to enhance memory, focus and mood. They are a great way to boost your Lucid Dreams. They can work in a couple of different ways, and they have different effects on the body. They are not a substitute. These nootropics provide you with a boost, permitting you to increase cognition. There are various nootropics widely available that may be taken on a normal foundation for increased cognitive performance.

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Continue reading and just click one of the nootropics you want to find out more about! When you quit taking nootropics, the effects are likely to wear off and decline. Very similar to ADHD medications, nootropics engage the catecholamine system also. To be clear, though, they are not steroids for the mind. Many nootropics are especially designed to protect against the sort of neurological degradation that leads to Alzheimer’s, senile dementia, and Parkinson’s.

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At times, stacking nootropics really can bring more positive outcomes. It’s also recommended not to use nootropics while pregnant and lactation. It’s true that should you use a nootropics on a normal basis, the costs will begin to add up. When you’re more acquainted with the kinds of Best Nootropics and what they do, you can start to construct your own regime. Even if it’s the case that the term nootropics is new, you are likely knowledgeable about the idea of improving cognitive abilities by means of a substance.

There exist various kinds of nootropics. Some nootropics are offered at physical stores whose specialty is in health goods, like GNC and Whole Foods. They have been around for a long time. Another long-term side effect you may be skeptical of is that nootropics might be addictive in the future. Some exceptional nootropics may be used along with others, but should likewise not be used each day and we explain why. The best nootropics are offered for an inexpensive price, and they’ve been tested again and again. The optimal/optimally part is that the ideal nootropics include an essential stack.

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Healthy Ideas!

Store packages of microwave popcorn are expensive, and may have health drawbacks from the chemicals used in their manufacture.  You can make your own popcorn in the microwave using just raw popcorn kernals and a brown paper lunch bag!

Place 1/4 cup of popcorn kernals in the bottom of the brown paper bag and fold the top over three or four times.  Place the bag in the microwave on the 'popcorn' setting and listen carefully. Stop the microwave when you hear the popping slow down, so you don't burn the popcorn.  Add toppings, or enjoy plain for a healthy, fat free snack full of fiber!

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Sunday, August 24, 2008

Cowboy UP!

So, last night Bambi and I went to Provo for The Dovely's birthday party. All I can say is that I missed my calling. I should have the THE RODEO QUEEN! Or at least a Dairy Queen. Or was is I should just own a Dairy Queen. Either way it was fun to see long lost friends and themed parties are AWESOME!

This is why I love the Logan...

Here are some pictures of the sunset. That is all.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

"Oh these lazy days, I barely see myself through..."

A little ode to Collective Soul. I took a nap today that was unintentional, but now I even more sluggish than usual and my contacts are sticking to me eyeballs! Awesome. So not a lot has happened in the last little while. Sorry, my life is a bit boring. I did get pics from My Milk Chocolate Sunshine that I want to post. These are pics of Kam-a-lyn's wedding! She was of course beautiful and we had some fun times! I just have a few things to say about MCS and I's vibe shots...We are HOTT-Hot! I'll never understand why I'm not married!;) And I have quite possibly the biggest chin and the smallest lips ever! It's the KTG trademark!


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Monday, October 23, 2017

Fall Is In The Air

Fall is in the air here in Arkansas! It's getting cooler outside and the beautiful fall colors are filling up my house. Oh how I love this time of the year! Scroll thought the pics below for some fall inspiration!

Monday, March 27, 2017

It's Beginning To Look Like Spring!

It's beginning to look like spring at my house! The bunnies and butterflies are taking over!

This is definitely my favorite time of the year. Everything is blooming and coming alive again and the sun is shining again!

I have decorated with silk flowers, bunnies, butterflies and nests throughout the living room, dining room and kitchen. Soon it will be time to start working outside! I hope you are having a wonderful start to the spring and summer months!

Thursday, January 12, 2017

Valentine Lantern Swags

Many of you know that I make these fun lantern swags for different seasons and holidays and now it's time for Valentines! They simply tie around the top of your lantern and can be easily switched out for different seasons. It won't be long before I start on Easter and spring! Pop over to my Facebook page to see what I'm making and when I will be listing them on Etsy!

Monday, January 2, 2017

Christmas 2016

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and are having a great start to the new year! I'm late sharing my Christmas decor but better late than never! I also added several  pictures of items I made and sold throughout the Christmas season. Thank you all for your business!

I have always wanted to do a Nutcracker themed mantel so I ordered these in Dallas and love them! They are metal and very unique. I used the Christmas tree picture five years ago and thought it looked great with the Nutcrackers so I used it again. The garland is last years, but I changed the ribbon and added the Nutcrackers. It turned out very festive!

There are more pictures below of my living room where you can see my newly recovered sofas. I loved the red for years but it was time for a change. There are also pictures of my dining room and gingerbread themed kitchen below. Enjoy!

I eventually had more than one present under the tree!

 I will be reordering several of these trains for next year!

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Fall Mantel with Wooden Owls

Happy Fall Ya'll!

It's time to get out the pumpkins and start decorating! Fall is one of my favorite times of the year. I love the cooler nights, pumpkin spice everything and the beautiful colors. It just puts me in a good mood!

I wanted to share my wooden owl mantel with you today. I found the owls at T.J. Maxx and they were my inspiration. The lanterns are from Kirkland's and the banner is from Pier 1 Imports. I glued leaves on the back of the wooden letters for some color. I bought the old wooden mirror locally and made the arrangement using fall leaves, branches, pumpkins, and wooden flowers I found at Hobby Lobby. This mantel was fun to create and I love the owls! Now it's time to finish decorating the rest of the house!

Enjoy the pictures!

Monday, August 22, 2016

Fall Inspiration

I hope you all have had a wonderful summer! I can't believe it's almost over.
The seasons pass so fast when you are in the seasonal floral business! I have been working on fall arrangements and door pieces for the last several weeks so I thought I would share some here on my blog. It won't be long before we are putting out our fall decorations and I'm ready! My house has been basically the same since spring and it's time for some changes!

Remember, I spend most of my time on Facebook these days and post when I will be listing items for sale. You can find me under Kristen's Creations

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

New Flooring on the Patio

Happy Spring!

I'm so glad to finally have warm temps again. Spring always puts me in the mood for projects! I have been wanting to do something with my ugly painted and chipped concrete patio for several years. I really didn't know what I wanted so I set out on a mission and finally settled on this wood look tile. It went right over the concrete just as you would install inside. I don't have a clue how to tile so I hired someone to do this. This tile is porcelain and was recommended for outdoor use. It is thick and has ridges/texture so it will not be slick and is frost resistant. The brand is Florim USA and the color is Santa Monica if you are interested. I bought it locally at a place called Acme Brick. This tile would be great inside too in any room. I am loving it!

As always, the patio is very colorful with flowers, pillows, and cushions. It feels like a little room out here now with the new floor!

I have included a few before pics at the bottom so you can see what it looked like before.

Featured in Country Woman Magazine fall 2012 for kitchen and crafts

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I'm a 42yr. old mother of 1. I've been married for 21years to a wonderful man, Kevin. We have one son together named Chase who is 14. We live in a small town in Arkansas and have a dog named Sassy, a cat named Coco and now a chinchilla, Tiki. My husband is a Database Administrator and I have my own business called Kristen's Creations where I make and sell a variety of crafts. I worked in a shop as a floral designer for 15 yrs. until it closed. My former boss decided to retire and lease out her building. I enjoy crafting, decorating, and hanging out with my family. E-mail me at Kristenscreations@hotmail.com

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Monday, January 31, 2011

Aval Upma / Poha Upma | Upma Recipes

Aval aka Poha is a rice flattened to light dry flakes. Aval upma is a very light, low calorie snack perfect for breakfast/dinner. The most common and known variety is Kanda poha though many varieties are still popular, like lemon flavored or tamarind flavored poha. Today's recipe is a simple aval upma flavored with roasted chana dhal and one of my MIL's specialty dishes. Trust me, this is very tasty and you would love it.

Serves - 2
Flattened Rice/ Beaten rice / Poha - 3 cups (I used the thick variety)
Roasted gram dhal / Pottu kadalai - 1/2 cup
Water - to soak
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dhal - 1/2 tsp
Chana dhal - 1 tsp
Green chillies - 3 or 4 slit
Curry leaves - 4 or 5 chopped
Onion - chopped finely - 1 cup
Cilantro / Coriander leaves - 6 or 7 twigs, chopped
Grated Coconut - 2 tbsp (optional)

Wash the poha with water, drain. Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt (1/2 tsp) and mix well and add enough water to soak it. Set aside for 30 mins to 1 hr. Soaking time may be adjusted according to the type of the poha (thin or thick variety).
Grind the roasted gram dhal to a fine powder. Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds, urad dhal, chana dhal, slit green chillies. We already have added chilli powder to the poha so adjust the green chillies based on your spice level. Now add the finely chopped onions and curry leaves. Saute till the onions turn translucent. Meanwhile add the gram dhal powder to the soaked poha and mix carefully so that the gram dhal is coated all over the poha. Take care not to break. Now add the poha to the kadai and mix well. Add salt according to taste. Reduce the heat to medium and mix until the poha is cooked. Garnish with coriander leaves and coconut(if using). Serve hot with chutney of your choice. I would like to enjoy this as such.

I am sending this to Healthy Recipe Hunt - Rice flakes event by Kurinji Kathambam.

I am also sending this to Anyone can cook event by Ayeesha of Taste of Pearl city.

Sending this to Srivalli's Breakfast Mela.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Spicy Potato Fry / Urulai Kaara kari

Potatoes are nevertheless the most favourite vegetable liked by kids and grown-ups equally and is rich in carbohydrates. Urulai Kaara kari is the regular way I prepare potatoes whenever I make them because we love this spicy version.

Potato - 2 medium sized
Onion - 1 cup - finely chopped
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 3/4 tsp or to taste
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Salt- to taste
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Chana dhal - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp

Boil the potatoes with salt. Peel and cut them into 1" cubes. Heat oil in a kadai and add the mustard seeds. When it splutters add the chana dhal and saute for 1 min. Adding chana dhal gives a crunchy bite to the potatoes and I love it. Add the finely chopped onions and saute them until they are golden brown color (close to caramelize). Sauteing the onions for caramelizing gives a unique taste to this fry. Add the ginger-garlic paste and saute till the raw smell disappears. Now add the turmeric powder, chilli powder and coriander powder and saute for 2 mins. Now add salt and the potato and mix until all the cubes are coated with onion mixture. Saute in medium heat until the potatoes turn to golden brown color, mixing carefully. If needed you can add 1 tsp of oil at this stage. Serve hot with any rice of your choice.  I would love this combo with curd rice/rasam rice.
Also check out my Fiestaa potatoes.

I am also sending to 'Veggie/fruit of the month - Potato' event by Priya of Mharo Rajasthan guest hosted by Divya.

Friday, January 28, 2011

Blueberry Dates Smoothie

I was planning to send in my smoothie entry for 'Breakfast Club- Yogurt' but I completely forgot about it. I was under the impression that the deadline was on Jan 31 but suddenly remembered it was today. I initially planned to whip up blueberry nut smoothie which would be perfect for a breakfast, now also added some dates to reduce the amount of white sugar I add and also to tweak in iron. I just made this as a single serving just for me and I loved it. It was so yummy and filling.

Blueberries (fresh or frozen) - 3 oz
Low-fat Plain/Greek Yogurt - 1/2 cup
Dates - 5 or 6
Walnuts - 2 tbsp
Sugar or honey - 1/2 tsp or according to taste

Blend all the ingredients in a blender/mixie/food processor. Add sugar/honey according to taste. Remember the dates would already have some sweetness.
Serve chilled. This can be prepared the previous day and frozen/chilled in the refrigerator and can be grabbed as a quick breakfast to-go.

Sending this to 'Breakfast Club - Yogurt' event by Sarah of Maison cupcake and Helen of Fuss free Flavors.

I am also sending this to Smita's 'Cooking with Fruits' event.

Sending this to Srivalli's Kid's Delight hosted by Nupur of UK-Rasoi, for the month of April 2012.

Breakfast Smoothies

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Paneer Green Salad with Ginger-lemon dressing

I made this green salad for lunch today and we loved this. I added cubed and marinated paneer to bring in the protein factor and make it more interesting.

Serves - 2
For the dressing:
Ginger - crushed about 2 tbsp
Lemon zest - about 2 tsp (zest of a whole lemon)
Lemon juice - 3 tbsp
Water - 1/4 cup
Salt and pepper - to taste

For the salad:
Romaine Lettuce - 8 oz
Spinach - 1 cup
Carrot - 1 cup grated
Sprouted moong bean - 3/4 cup
Paneer - 1/4 cup ~ 40 g - cut into 1/2" cubes

Pour 1/4 cup of boiling water to the crushed ginger and allow it to steep and cool. When it is cooled add the lemon zest and lemon juice with salt and pepper to taste.
Meanwhile in a big salad mixing bowl, add the lettuce, spinach, sprouted moong bean and grated carrots.
The carrots can be julienned or shredded with the big slot of the grater.
The dressing and the veggies can be prepared earlier and put together until you serve. Before serving, add the paneer to the dressing and allow it to marinate for 5 to 10 mins.
Add the dressing with paneer to the veggies and serve.

I am sending this to 'Only - Salads' event by Pari of Foodelicious and guest hosted by Prathibha.
I am also sending this to 'Food Palette - Green' event by Torview Toronto and 'MLLA # 31' hosted by Simona, brainchild of Susan.

Sending this to Srivalli's Soups and Salads Mela

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Mixed Vegetable Soup | Soup Recipes

This veg soup is my MIL's specialty soup and she used to make this often for the mid-morning drink. This really is a great appetizer and a healthy soup with all the veggies.

Serves: 2 to 3
Broccoli stems - 3/4 cups
String Beans - 6 - chopped
Cabbage - chopped 1 cup
Carrot - 2 medium sized - chopped
Tomato - chopped - 2 tbsp
Pearl onions - 4 - chopped
Curry leaves - about 10 - chopped
Cilantro / Coriander leaves - 6 to 8 twigs - chopped
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Pepper corns - 1/2 tsp or to taste
Salt - to taste

Add all the ingredients in a large microwave proof bowl with 3/4 cups of water and microwave for 10 to 12 mins, stirring twice in between. Mine was a 900 W MW. Adjust the time based on the power of your MW oven. When done, allow to cool and puree in a blender. Add required amount of water to the puree based on the desired thickness for the soup to the microwave proof bowl and reheat for 3 to 5 min. The soup is ready to serve hot.
Some facts:
Broccoli & Cabbage - high in Vitamin C and dietary fiber
Stringbeans - Vitamin A and C
Carrot - Vitamin A
Tomato - lycopene (antioxidant)
Curry leaves - rich in iron
Cilantro - high in magnesium, calcium, antioxidants

I am sending this to 'Food palette - Green' event by Torview toronto and 'Show me your soup' event by Divya-dilse.
I am also sending this to 'Soup Recipes' event by My Culinary Creations.

Sending this to Srivalli's Soups and Salads Mela

Monday, January 24, 2011

Mocha Chocolate Muffins

I bookmarked this Mocha muffins from Sailusfood before a couple of weeks. She was baking those for the holidays. I immediately fell for the exquisite coffee flavor coupled with chocolate. Decided to try those last week since we were planning to visit our friends over the weekend.

Makes - about 12 medium muffins
All Purpose Flour/Maida - 2 cups
Sugar - 1 cup + 2 tbsp
Butter - 1/2 cup
Instant Coffee powder (I used Bru) - 1 tbsp + 1 tsp
Cocoa powder - 2 tbsp
Eggs - 2 (room temperature)
Milk - 2% - 2/3 cup - approx 160 ml
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
Chocolate chips - 1/2 cup
Baking powder - 2 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp

Place the oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 F.
Line the muffin tray with muffin liners. In a big bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt using a whisk. Take a microwave safe bowl and melt the butter in microwave oven for about 25-30 seconds. Whisk in the coffee powder and the cocoa powder in the melted butter and set aside. In another bowl, whisk the eggs for 2 mins. Add the milk and vanilla and mix for another minute.
Pour the eggs mixture and the butter mixture over the flour mixture and mix with a spatula until combined. Add the chocolate chips and fold to combine. Spoon the mix into muffin liners until about two-thirds full. Bake for about 22-25 minutes until a tooth-pick inserted comes clean.
Remove the pan and cool for 5 mins. Transfer the muffins to a wire rack and cool completely. If you like it warm you can try one after 30 mins.
We loved it warm.

I am sending this to 'Bookmarked recipes - Every Tuesday event' by Aipi of US Masala and Priya of Mharo rajasthan.
Check the original recipe here from Sailu's food.

Mocha Muffins

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Toor dhal Chutney / Paruppu Chutney | Side Dish for Idli Dosa

I always look for ideas for side dishes to go with idli and dosa. This toor dhal chutney is a great combination for idlis particularly with the Fenugreek Idli. This is a subtly spiced earthy flavored chutney.

Toor dhal / Thuvaram paruppu - 3 tbsp
Coriander Seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds -  1 tsp
Garlic -  3 cloves
Pearl onions - 3 or Chopped onions - 3 tsp
Red chillies - 2
Tamarind - Size of a cranberry
Salt - to taste
Grated Coconut - 3 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
For seasoning:
Oil - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dhal - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - a few

Heat oil in a kadai and roast all the ingredients, except coconut and salt in medium heat. When the dhal turns light brown, turn off the heat and add the coconut and give a quick mix. Allow it to cool and grind in a mixie/blender with salt and water. This should be of a Chutney consistency.
Heat 1 tsp oil in the same pan and add the mustard seeds. When they splutter add the urad dhal and curry leaves and saute for 2 mins. Pour the seasoning over the chutney and serve with Idli or dosas. This chutney is a great combo for Fenugreek Idli.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Fenugreek Idli / Vendhaya Idli | Idli Dosa Recipes

Fenugreek, a staple in Indian cooking has many health benefits. It is good for controlling body heat and removing toxins. It is also the best food and medicine for managing diabetes.
Last night I made Fenugreek(Vendhayam in tamil) Idli for dinner. Fenugreek is the key ingredient in this idli which gives the color, taste and texture to this one.

Idli Rice - 4 cups (250 ml cup)
Fenugreek seeds - 2 heaped tbsp ~ a handful
Urad dhal -  1 1/2 tbsp
Salt - to taste

Wash all the ingredients and soak in water for min of 4-6 hrs. I soaked it overnight. Grind to a smooth batter with required quantity of water. When done, mix with salt, about 2 - 3 tbsp. The batter should be thicker than pouring consistency, similar to idli batter. Allow it to ferment in a warm, draft-free place until it raises up to about double its quantity. 8 hours is good for warmer countries but it might take anywhere from 16-24 hours in colder climates. When the batter is fermented, grease the idli moulds with oil and steam until done, about 10 minutes (a toothpick inserted should come out clean). Serve hot with paruppu chutney.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Hawaiian Fried Rice

"Hawai'i". The name makes me feel nostalgic and takes me to those days when I lived there. I was working in Honolulu for nearly an year before I got married and moved to U.S. East Coast. The main thing I miss is the climate. Hawai'i has a tropical climate year-round, like in India. And of course I miss the beaches, bus-rides, culture and the workplace. The city of Honolulu is well connected by buses and the culture and people of Hawai'i are so genuine. The workplace was stress-free and enjoyable. Even now when I think I feel I had been so lucky to spend time there. Ok.. about my Hawaiian fried rice. It is not an authentic Hawaiian dish. I decided to name it so because it has pineapples and coconut in it.

Rice - 1 1/2 cups
Coconut milk - 1 1/2 cups
Water - 1 1/2 cups
Pineapple - chopped - 3/4 cup (I used about 6 oz of the canned pineapple)
Mixed Vegetables chopped finely - 2 1/2 cups
(I used Carrot, Green beans, Bell pepper, Cabbage, Spring onion greens)
Green chillies - 1 - slit lengthwise
Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Fresh Ground pepper - 1/2 tsp
Sesame oil / gingelly oil - 2 tsp
Salt - to taste

Pressure cook the rice with a pinch of salt, drizzle of oil, mix of coconut milk and water. You may also cook on stove-top. Adding salt to the rice while cooking gives the rice a jasmine white color. When rice is done fluff it with a fork and spread on a plate and allow it to cool about 15 mins. When cool pop the plate open into the fridge and refridgerate for mininum 30 - 45 mins.
We do this because the pineapple is going to add some moisture to the rice and so the cooked rice needs to be little dry.
In a wide kadai, heat sesame oil, and when it is piping hot, add the slit green chilli and the carrots, string beans and garlic paste. Saute in high heat for 2 mins and add the cabbage and green pepper and saute until the bell peppers are lightly cooked but retain their crunch. Now add pineapple chunks and saute for 1 minute and add the rice and salt and pepper to taste. Remember we already added a green chilli and add pepper as required. Mix with the vegetables and take care not to break the rice. Garnish with scallions/spring onion greens and serve hot. The aroma of the coconut with the pineapple fills your kitchen and your soul.

I am sending this to Winter Warmers event by The Veggie Hut.

Sending this to Srivalli's Kid's Delight hosted by Nupur of UK-Rasoi, for the month of April 2012.


text:
NM Senate Approves Whistleblower Protection

New Mexico – Public employees who disclose governmental misconduct will be protected from retaliation under a bill passed by the Senate.

Whistleblower protections also will be given to workers who testify as part of a governmental investigation into wrongdoing.

More than two dozen states have similar laws, according to Sen. Sue Wilson Beffort, a Sandia Park Republican who sponsored the measure.

A worker who faces retaliation can bring a lawsuit for damages, reinstatement to their job and back pay with interest.

The Senate approved the bill Wednesday on a 38-2 vote and sent it to the House.

The whistleblower protection bill is SB96.

On the Net:

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.


text:
Man punched, robbed on KU campus

The victim was walking down Jayhawk Boulevard when four men got out of a car and approached him. The victim was punched and robbed before th…

Football Frenzy 10/13/17

Join Matt Gasper & Jonathan Polasek every Friday night at 10pm on the Football Frenzy for high school scores and highlights.

NE Kansas native and family left without a home after California wildfires

A Holton native and his family are left without a home after it was one of many destroyed by the wildfires in California.


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Noah’s Ark Nursery

This team provides loving, nurturing care in a safe environment for infants, toddlers and newborns through age two.  Nursery care is available every Sunday starting @ 9:50 am.

Little Kids @ the Key

(Pre-School, Ages 3 - Kindergarten) Bring your child to exciting, fun & bible informative classes every Sunday beginning at 9:50 am.

Kids @ the Key Live

(Grades 1-6) Large group setting that meets during the worship service. Ms. Emily uses a fast moving format designed to teach kids how to apply God’s Word to their lives in practical ways and keep their interest!

Key Students (Grades 7-12)

The student ministry at The Key exists to help students be transformed by the love of Christ, grow in that love and be equipped to serve him all the time.  Tuesday nights from 7-8:15 are a time for students to be able to ask questions, meet people and have some fun. Hope to see you there!

Small Groups/Bible Studies

Wednesday Night is family night at Key to My Father's House Church.  We believe we have "something" for everyone.  Families meet from 7-8:15 pm for adult bible studies, High School Youth group (grades 7-12), Kids @ the Key Club for children grades K-6, and of course, nursery care for "little" ones in your family.

Key Connection Groups

These groups are a key to help you connect with others in the church & spiritually with God.  Groups will meet the third Sunday of every month beginning September 20th for eight months from 6-8 pm. The groups will meet monthly to build community, develop caring relationships and nurture our spiritual lives.  You don't have to know a lot about the Bible to feel comfortable in a connection group.  Haven't signed up yet??  Don't worry - it's never too late.  Just call the church office at 330-335-7301 to receive on the spot information!

Men’s Ministry

Every eight weeks, men of all ages gather for biblical insight, a home-cooked meal and
an opportunity to sit across the table to learn interesting things about other men in our
church family.  Visitors are always welcome and we encourage everyone to bring a friend!  We are currently organizing a new outreach effort to support our soldiers with gifts of books, food and toiletries.  We will then box and send the items to soldiers overseas.

WINGS Women’s Ministry

Women of the church gather for coffee clutches, spring brunches, movie nights & a lot of other great activities throughout the year.  Meal connections are also part of the ministry that help people in our church & community that have been ill, required surgery or perhaps just may be in need. The women's ministry also provides "Parent Packs" for Akron Children's Hospital.  These packs are filled with items that parents may need when they find themselves staying overnight at the hospital with an ill child.


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Fallin Named Vice Chair of National Governors Association

Governor Mary Fallin attending the annual NGA meeting in Williamsburg, Virginia

Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin was named vice chair of the National Governors Association (NGA) on Saturday.

Gov. Fallin previously served on the NGA Executive Committee.

She is the first NGA vice chair from Oklahoma and the first Republican woman to serve as vice chair. She is the third woman of either party to hold the position.

"I'm honored to have been selected by my peers to serve as N-G-A vice chair, said Fallin. "I'm excited by the opportunity to serve and eager to share the great ideas and policies of the Sooner State with the rest of the N-G-A."

The NGA was founded in 1908. Its members are the Governors of the states, territories, and commonwealths.


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John Greene | KUER 90.1

John Greene

Station General Manager

John Greene grew up in the Western PA town of New Castle. He began his broadcast career as a volunteer with KRCL radio in S.L.C. in 1980. John has a B.S. degree in Political Science from the University of Maryland and an MSW from the University of Utah. John served in the US Army to include a tour of duty in Asmara, Eritrea once part of Ethiopia. In addition to KRCL John managed NPR affiliate KUNR in Reno, Nevada, has served on the board of National Public Radio, and numerous other non-profit organizations in Salt Lake City.

Ways to Connect

This week we’ll launch some new programs that will debut on KUER. The majority of these programs will be added as a result of our decision to discontinue jazz music programming. Readers of The Salt Lake Tribune and listeners to Steve Williams’ jazz program already know about the change to the jazz music format. We’ve responded by e-mail or phone to everyone who has contacted us directly, and have reached out to some people who posted Facebook comments and messages as well.


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In general, with the kinds of Democracies we talk about, its winner-takes-all (first past the post) voting that makes Democracy inherently antagonistic to the process of Compromise. This isn’t to say that Compromise doesn’t happen under Democracies, but there is a lot to understand here for how exactly Society’s ability to Compromise on subjects is itself compromised.

Real quick, we need to define a couple things. Democracy in this context means voting on topics, issues, candidates, bills, etc. To not make this too complex, let’s just say that a vote is considered Passed if some percentage of the votes cast (threshold) of the present voting members is equal to or greater than the threshold. This definition shouldn’t surprise anyone. Direct Democracy and Representational Democracy are covered here well enough.

A definition for Compromise is a little trickier, but we might write it as: given a lack of specific, truthful, or exact information, Compromise is reached when the Voters perceive all is fair in regards to a specific issue.

That definition has a couple landmines. Firstly, we imply that Compromise itself is done in situations of imperfect knowledge, and with uncertain purpose. We also imply that Compromise necessarily need not reach the “Best” middle-ground of all the factions/individual voters, only that the Compromise is perceived as Best. And finally, we also imply that Compromise itself guarantees nothing in regards to how close it is to the actual “Best” position with regards to all the voting members interests, or their represented interests.

But, I somewhat hinted at a Platonic definition of Compromise: As the information available to all voters reaches perfection, the number of votes cast in the affirmative will converge to unanimously agree on the absolute Best position for all individuals.

And this is an important distinction, because in reality we must decide on issues with imperfect information, and each Interest being represented imperfectly understands itself, its environment, and the effects of any particular point on the spectrum of plausible Compromises.

The next question is, does Democracy push us away, or towards, the Platonic Ideal? For it to push us towards the Platonic Ideal it must solve this one critical problem: imperfect information. Democracy itself does not inherently solve, or even attempt to address, the problem of imperfect information. Democracy only requires, as defined above, only a threshold of votes be cast to pass. It says nothing about the process, how to deliberate, how to vote, how to decide, or how to even craft the issues to be voted on. Its just a method of delegating responsibility and power to a large number of individuals to safe-guard against corrupted individuals. That was literally what was in mind when the Constitution was crafted, and it is what is implicitly known by all voters, and all those who prefer Democracy over other forms of decision making, are thinking about. This ties in with the idea of perceived fairness, as corrupted individuals must at a minimum create the illusion of fairness, hindering their corrupted power somewhat.

With this revelation, the need for Compromise to simply appear fair, rather than reaching some kind of Ideal, is ever more obvious. It doesn’t matter if we are right, only that we prevent a corrupted faction from totally ruining what is imagined as “good enough” for all involved.

However, I stated that Democracy is inherently antagonistic to the Platonic Ideal of Compromise, not merely indifferent to it. If it was just the later, then external systems or perhaps even internal changes to voting could fix this, and we might have better Compromises.

Democracy is inherently antagonistic because it only needs to Compromise with the threshold of voters. For all thresholds below 100%, the perception of fairness to those not in agreement can be wildly off. But, its also possible that those not in agreement don’t necessarily perceive a kind of fairness that is close to the Ideal position for Compromise. This isn’t to say that the majority in agreement are at all closer to the Ideal either, only that they perceive the proposed arrangement fair to themselves. Whether or not the proposal is actually more “ideal” is irrelevant to the voting majority, simply because in a lot of cases they don’t even know what the ideal is.

Even worse, there is a strong case to be made that people themselves don’t care for what’s Best, only what’s perceived as fair. Obviously those with “Perfect Information” will know what’s best, but that might not be easily translated or implemented in a given society; so to get any kind of traction those with Perfect Information may opt for a sub-optimal agreement if it means a threshold of voters perceive it as fair.

Is this surprising? Not if we imagine Democracy as a Repeated game of Prisoner’s Dilemma*. Since each voter must make repeated votes on a variety of issues, they will want the majority of all legislation passed to be perceived as fair with respect to one another and in “Sum”. In this fashion, voters may obviously “throw a bone” to those who are clearly wrong about an issue in order to keep the illusion of Compromise going, since the perception of fairness is much more important than actual truth. If your opponent starts voting in a way that is “unfair”, then you can punish them in the next vote (the next iteration of Prisoner’s Dilemma) by voting in such a way that the compromise reached is damaging to your opponents perceived fairness.

Alright, that was a lot, but the most crucial bit is in the last sentence. We could punish our opponent by voting in a way that is purposefully further from, or closer to the actual Best. If you are trying to punish someone who has more information than you, and their position is likely much closer to the Best position, then you can only possibly choose positions further from the Best to punish them.

But, what if your opponent doesn’t know what’s best, because they have imperfect knowledge, but they have a compromise point which they perceive as most fair. What possible choices do you have to punish them? Only one position (or a small number) will at all be close to the most fair position, however, the infinite possibilities of all other positions are open for you to choose as well. Again, assuming imperfect information by the voter that wants to punish the previously unfair voter, they may randomly choose a position and are unlikely to ever choose a position that is equal to the best. Even a voter with better information may opt to purposefully pick a bad position, because in the next vote when they will have imperfect knowledge, they want their opponents to create a Perception of Fairness that makes it seem like they too are getting what they want.

Meaning, viewing Democracy as an infinite repeated game of Prisoner’s Dilemma, wherein voters must vote one at a time on issues, whose primary goal is Compromise with the intent of Perceived Fairness, has no incentive to converge on what’s best. Worse, for issues wherein players must “punish” one another, those issues are likely to be much further from the ideal or even perceived fairness by necessity and chance.

Democracy in of itself is not a method for Compromise, and assuming imperfect information, will lead to worse outcomes for Compromise. I make this argument, because all too often I see that Society mistakes a voted agreement on an issue as itself a healthy compromise, when in reality its a poor necessity.

* Repeated Prisoner’s Dilemma is an extension of the original game. In this version, both participants must decide to be silent, or betray, their friend over many games. If your friend betrays you in game 1, then you can punish them in game 2 by betraying them. This idea works nicely in the real world for a variety of cases, such as companies deciding to invest in R&D or not. In our case, Repeated Prisoner’s Dilemma is in regards to legislation. All voters want each other to choose “be fair”, rather than “be selfish” with the voting of legislation.


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Goodbye Free Downtown Parking?

Dec 15, 2010

Our buddy over at the Austin Business Journal, Jacob Dirr, is reporting that the Austin Transportation Department (ATD) wants you to pay for parking downtown until midnight and end free parking on Saturdays.  ATD also wants to extend meter enforcement citywide from 5:30 p.m. until 6 p.m., reports the ABJ.

To curb a lack of on-street parking, sucked up by bar staff and others who work downtown, staff thinks the city should institute a three-hour time limit per space at night.

The city expects to make $2 million from the enforcement changes, according to the memo.

The University of Texas at Austin has also asked the city to extend parking meter hours to include Saturdays. Discussion to extend hours to Saturday in state-operated metered spaces is currently underway, according to the city memo.

A study conducted by the city in 2008 confirmed what anyone searching for a parking spot on Saturday night could tell you anecdotally, that 99 percent of on-street spots were occupied on weekend evenings.

The city council adopted a resolution this year to create a joint subcommittee of the Urban Transportation Commission and Downtown Commission. The committee will study the parking situation and report back to council in March 2011.

KUT News has reported in the past how University Area Partners, a West Campus neighborhood association, is actively working to have parking meters installed on West Campus streets north of 24th Street, where parking is mostly free. UAP says the revenue could be used to pay for street renovation projects.


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'We got a mayday!' Plane crashes in flames on California freeway, 2 injured

Emergency responders gather round the crash of a Cessna 310 aircraft on Interstate 405, just short of a runway at John Wayne Airport in Costa Mesa, Calif., Friday, June 30, 2017. Two people were injured in the small plane crash. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A small twin-engine plane dropped out of the sky and exploded in flames on a busy freeway near a Southern California airport Friday morning, injuring the two people aboard but clipping only one passing vehicle, a fire official said.

The Cessna 310 aircraft crashed on Interstate 405, just short of a runway at John Wayne Airport in Costa Mesa around 9:30 a.m., said Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration. The pilot declared an emergency shortly after taking off from the airport and was trying to return when the crash occurred, Gregor said.

"Hey, we got a mayday!" the pilot told air traffic controllers before the crash. "Mayday, mayday ... I'm trying to make it back to the airport."

The exchange was captured on a recording of air traffic controller communications, posted on the website

After an air traffic controller tells the pilot a gear of the plane appears to be up, the pilot says he's trying to gain altitude. "I lost my right engine," he said.

The two people who were aboard the plane, a man and a woman in their 50s and 60, were alive when they were pulled from the fiery wreckage and were taken to a hospital with traumatic injuries, Orange County Fire Capt. Larry Kurtz said.

The plane clipped a blue pickup truck as it crashed on the freeway, but the driver suffered only a bruised elbow, Kurtz said. "The fact that a plane was able to land and only strike a single vehicle is extraordinary," he said.

Video posted on social media showed the plane engulfed in flames and plumes of black smoke billowing into the sky. Traffic was backed up for miles on the major route between Los Angeles and San Diego as fire crews worked to extinguish the blaze.

"The plane collided, spun across the freeway and burst into flames," Kurtz said. The wreckage saw strewn across several lanes of the freeway, he said.

The pickup truck's driver, Blackstone Hamilton, told KCBS-TV he initially thought a large truck had slammed into the back of his car and then saw flames quickly surrounding his vehicle. He checked to make sure his passenger was safe before pulling over on the side of the freeway.

"We gave each other a hug that we were still alive," Hamilton told the television station.

Tina Foster had just left nearby John Wayne Airport when she heard a loud boom, which she initially thought was a car crash. "By the time I got up to it, the only thing I saw was the flames," she said.

Foster posted a photo of smoke pouring out from behind the airport on Facebook to calm her friends' fears after receiving texts asking if she were still alive, she said.

Another driver, Brian Gladish, said he was driving down the freeway when he saw a large cloud of smoke and flames. "There was debris everywhere, the freeway was still on fire," he said.

Associated Press writers John Antczak in Los Angeles and Alina Hartounian in Phoenix contributed to this report.


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Sunday, June 25, 2017

Seriously? This Is An Option On Netflix

Okay so I had to Google this as I wasn't entirely sure what it stood for. Now I'm C for confused. I thought Q for queer was an old term for LGBT but it is a category on it's own. I would be interested to know how one clarifies as a queer. It seems in fact, the 'Q' can stand for 'questioning' or 'queer' and sometimes you may see the acronym written as “LGBTQQ” (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, queer]. When the Q” is used as a stand-in for questioning, you're right that it means the individual is uncertain of his or her orientation. Now I want you to know that I am certainly not queer bashing but merely intrigued and uneducated in this field.

Friday, June 23, 2017

Most Fabulous Fathers Day Cake

Love it! 'Bil 3alam' translates to 'in the world'.

Um Ali The English way

Don't get me wrong I love Um Ali anyway I can get it. The Egyptian way is delicious. But yesterday for iftar with the family I decided on a less moist fancy bread pudding blend and it was delish.

So we'll call it Um Sheikha :OP

Um Ali'esque Warm Pudding Heaven -  Serves 8.

8 honey croissants - Al Fayasel family pack were good

1 cup total of chopped nuts, sweetened coconut, yellow raisins, pistachios
Mix into nut mixture a 1/2 tsp powdered cinnamon and 1/2 tsp of powder cardamom

Thick cream 250g

Powder sugar

Yep that's it. Place in warm oven 10-15 minutes at 180c. Voila! Did I tell you I love easy recipes.

So mix up your custard - I make home made recipe below but you can do it from a tin or buy it in a can. Just put the custard about two inches deep in the pan and rip up your croissants and place into custard. Leave the top of the croissants exposed and not in custard to get crunchy when heated. Sprinkle with 3/4 of the chopped nuts, sweetened coconut, yellow raisins, pistachios. Place in oven. At last 3 mins add the cream just splodge it around as to not cover all the crunchy croissant. Put back in oven for a few more minutes. Remove, sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup of nuts, sweetened coconut, yellow raisins, pistachios. Use a sieve and sprinkle 1 tsp of powder sugar all over top top. Serve warm.

Best and easiest custard recipe ever

In a heavy base sauce pan put 8 tbsp of cornflour, whisk in 900ml of full fat milk slowly, 8 egg yolks, 170g sugar, 2 tsp vanilla, 1/2 tsp salt.

Place on med-high heat and whisk until it starts to boil. Takes around 3-5 minutes but you have to stay with it stirring it or it will burn. You can stop at this stage because you will cook the custard more in the oven for this recipe.

If using the custard alone or for another recipe then keep cooking until thickened takes a few minutes more.

Thursday, June 22, 2017

Artists for Grenfell - Bridge Over Troubled Waters

Here's the official video for Artists For Grenfell's ’Bridge Over Troubled Water’ featuring #BGT's Tokio Myers. You can download the single now with all proceeds going to The London Community Foundation to support those affected by the Grenfell Tower fire:

Please download for $1.29

LWDLIK - Crying buckets here. Stay strong and united Britain it is the only way through this tragedy. Peace and love can conquer all.

Saturday, June 17, 2017

Review: Rock House Sliders

Original Chicken KD 0.950

RHS Special Sauce - Crispy Chicken Fried In Peanut Oil - Cheddar Cheese - Pickles & Fresh Lettuce
Rockin' Messy Fries KD 1.600

Fries Drizzled With Chopped Jalapeños & Bacon Bits Topped With Natural Cheddar Cheese - Frizzled Onion & RHS `Secret House Sauce` - Fried In Peanut Oil

My preciousness ordered Rock House Sliders tonight and they were delish. Poor Babygirl did not know that Mumma Bear would be trying them out. She ordered two Original Chicken Sliders which are small-medium sized burgers (that means larger than some of the teeny tiny sliders you normally get from other places), and the Messy Fries. But as they were pretty big sliders she allowed me to have one all to myself and a few fork fulls of the Messy Fries and oh boy were they good. Crispy coated chicken that was moist and perfect in every way. I really wasn't expecting to like the Messy Fries as it's not something I would normally order but they were fabulous. What have I been missing out on all these years.

Talabat takes forever to deliver so my next RHS will be at one of their many restaurants. Overall a very reasonably priced unforgettable midnight snack for two.

Locations map

It's a Bo Derek 10. Really showing my age here, my daughter's clueless.

Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Maury the Drama King

No dog was harmed in the making of this video - only a lot of shaking like a leaf. He did look super gorgeous and smelled so good after the visit to the pet salon.

Kuwaiti Food Spot - With thanks to Marybeth Alawadh Ortua

Lentil soup /shorbat adas al ahmar is main ingredient for many authentic Levantine dishes. It’s believed to be one of the oldest cultivated legumes in the region. Having a quick look at its nutritional facts, lentils are rich in fiber, protein, and vitamin C and low in calories which makes it a super healthy and veggie friendly option😍. While learning about the importance and meaning of Ramadan, it's a common household dish to break the fast at the end of the day in Kuwait. This soup is often the first course of iftar when eaten at home and it is delicious! This is a simple soup, but don’t be deceived – it’s quite flavorful. The key is to add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice into your bowl of soup before eating it & usually topped with oven roasted pita bread cut into squares drizzled with organic olive oil.

There are various different recipes some are unblended and some add a little vermicelli and loumi (dried lime).

Lentil Soup

    • 2 cups brown lentils
    • 2 quarts chicken stock (or your choice)
    • 1 large onion, quartered
    • 2 tablespoons garlic, chopped or sliced
    • 1 medium tomatoes, quartered
    • 2 tablespoons butter, less if desired
    • 1 medium onion, sliced thinly
    • 1 teaspoon cumin, to taste

  1. Wash lentils thoroughly and soak if desired.
  2. I never soak them, and they always seem to cook up quickly.
  3. Bring stock to a boil.
  4. Add quartered onion, garlic, tomato and lentils.
  5. Return to boil, then lower heat and allow to simmer, partially covered, until lentils are tender.
  6. The amount of time will depend on the freshness of the lentils and whether or not they were soaked, but plan on an hour to an hour and a half.
  7. Over-cooking wouldn't be a problem since this is a blended soup, but under-cooking would.
  8. As lentils approach tenderness, melt butter in a small frying pan over medium-low heat.
  9. Add thinly sliced onion and allow to fry until very dark brown.
  10. Add cumin, saute briefly.
  11. Add mixture to soup and stir through.
  12. Ladle one ladle-full of soup at a time into a blender or food processor.
  13. Using a dishtowel, hold lid down and process soup until homogenous.
  14. When soup has been completely pureed, return to a pot and reheat until ready to serve.
  15. Enjoy!

Real Life Goals

Saturday, June 10, 2017

The Summer Contract

-         Brushed your teeth?
-         Washed your face?
-         Gotten dressed?
-         Made your bed?

       Performed a chore (hoovered a room, washed dishes, tidied, etc..)
-         Asked if you can help with something
-         20 minutes of reading, learning, Arabic or French
-         Ensured your clothes are hung up or folded
-         Arranged and ironed your clothes for the day
-         Taken a shower
-         Help prepare meals, clear away and wash up if asked

All the above requirements are to be completed before you get your electronics. xoxoxo

Tuesday, June 6, 2017

Kuwaiti Food Spot - With thanks to Marybeth Alawadh Ortua

Kibbeh (Arabic: كبة), (also spelled and pronounced kibbe, kebbah, kubbeh, kubbah or kubbi depending on region, known in Kuwait as kubbah is a Levantine dish. Kubba is a type of dish usually made of a bulgur or potato dough, or in long-grain white rice dough, that is stuffed with a ground meat mixture, often hand-shaped like an egg, sometimes flattened like a croquette, then either boiled or baked or deep fried. Some people shape them into balls, but the far superior kubba maker will shape them like eggs. The shape changes the texture and ratio of each bite and makes everything in the world just right. A good potato kibbeh should be crispy on the outside and moist inside filled with ground meat mixture called qeema, and this simple qeema is mixed with finely chopped parsley , minced onions, and finely ground lean beef, lamb, goat, or camel meat(depending on your liking) with Middle Eastern spices (cinnamon powder, nutmeg, clove, allspice, sumac & sometimes mixed with walnuts or chili flakes ). These kibbeh balls freeze perfectly and can go directly from freezer to fryer. There are many kinds of kubba: Kubba't Hamuuth, Kubba't Mosul, Kubba't Burghul, Kubba't Jareesh, Kubba't Puteta, Kubba't Bil Sayneah, and so on and on. Almost every family has a treasured recipe, and best recipes are those that are passed down from one generation to another.

Monday, June 5, 2017

Kuwaiti Food Spot - With thanks to Marybeth Alawadh Ortua

Falafel Arabic: فلافل is a deep-fried ball, doughnut or patty made from ground chickpeas, fava beans, or both. Falafel is a traditional Middle Eastern food, commonly served in a pita topped with chopped mix salad, drizzled with tahini based sauce & hot sauce or simply eaten alone and dip in hummus, musabbaha, mousaka or mutabbal dip! Your choice...

  • 1 pound (about 2 cups) dry chickpeas/garbanzo beans - you must start with dry, do NOT substitute canned, they will not work!
  • 1 small onion, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 3-5 cloves garlic (I prefer roasted)
  • 1 1/2 tbsp flour
  • 1 3/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • Pinch of ground cardamom
  • Vegetable oil for frying (grapeseed, canola, and peanut oil work well)

  • Food processor, skillet
Servings: 30-34 falafels

  • Pour the chickpeas into a large bowl and cover them by about 3 inches of cold water. Let them soak overnight. They will double in size as they soak – you will have between 4 and 5 cups of beans after soaking.
  • Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans well. Pour them into your food processor along with the chopped onion, garlic cloves, parsley, flour, salt, cumin, ground coriander, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and cardamom.

  • Pulse all ingredients together until a rough, coarse meal forms. Scrape the sides of the processor periodically and push the mixture down the sides. Process till the mixture is somewhere between the texture of couscous and a paste. You want the mixture to hold together, and a more paste-like consistency will help with that... but don't overprocess, you don't want it turning into hummus!
  • Once the mixture reaches the desired consistency, pour it out into a bowl and use a fork to stir; this will make the texture more even throughout. Remove any large chickpea chunks that the processor missed.
  • Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
  • Note: Some people like to add baking soda to the mix to lighten up the texture inside of the falafel balls. I don’t usually add it, since the falafel is generally pretty fluffy on its own. If you would like to add it, dissolve 2 tsp of baking soda in 1 tbsp of water and mix it into the falafel mixture after it has been refrigerated.
  • Fill a skillet with vegetable oil to a depth of 1 ½ inches. I prefer to use cooking oil with a high smoke point, like grapeseed. Heat the oil slowly over medium heat. Meanwhile, form falafel mixture into round balls or slider-shaped patties using wet hands or a falafel scoop. I usually use about 2 tbsp of mixture per falafel. You can make them smaller or larger depending on your personal preference. The balls will stick together loosely at first, but will bind nicely once they begin to fry.
  • Note: if the balls won't hold together, place the mixture back in the processor again and continue processing to make it more paste-like. Keep in mind that the balls will be delicate at first; if you can get them into the hot oil, they will bind together and stick. If they still won't hold together, you can try adding 2-3 tbsp of flour to the mixture. If they still won't hold, add 1-2 eggs to the mix. This should fix any issues you are having.
  • Before frying my first batch of falafel, I like to fry a test one in the center of the pan. If the oil is at the right temperature, it will take 2-3 minutes per side to brown (5-6 minutes total). If it browns faster than that, your oil is too hot and your falafels will not be fully cooked in the center. Cool the oil down slightly and try again. When the oil is at the right temperature, fry the falafels in batches of 5-6 at a time till golden brown on both sides.
  • Once the falafels are fried, remove them from the oil using a slotted spoon.
  • image:
    Let them drain on paper towels. Serve the falafels fresh and hot; they go best with a plate of hummus and topped with creamy tahini sauce. You can also stuff them into a pita.
  • Troubleshooting: If your falafel is too hard/too crunchy on the outside, there are two possible reasons-- 1) you didn't process the mixture enough-- return the chickpea mixture to the processor to make it more paste-like. 2) the chickpeas you used were old. Try buying a fresher batch of dried chickpeas next time.
  • SESAME FALAFEL VARIATION: After forming the balls or patties, dip them in sesame seeds prior to frying. This will make the falafel coating crunchier and give it a slightly nutty flavor.
  • HERB FALAFEL VARIATION (GREEN FALAFEL): Add ½ cup additional chopped green parsley, or cilantro, or a mixture of the two prior to blending.
  • TURMERIC FALAFEL (YELLOW FALAFEL): Add ¾ tsp turmeric to the food processor prior to blending.
  • EGYPTIAN FALAFEL: Use 1 lb. dried fava beans instead of chickpeas; cover them with cold water, soak them for at least 24 hours, then drain, rinse and peel them. You can also use a mixture of fava beans and chickpeas if you wish; just make sure the weight of the dried beans adds up to 1 lb.
  • After the beans are soaked and rinsed, add the Classic Falafel ingredients to the processor along with the following ingredients – 1 leek, cleaned, trimmed, and quartered; ¼ cup chopped dill; ¼ cup chopped cilantro; and an additional ¾ tsp cayenne pepper. When mixture is processed to a coarse meal, pour into a bowl. Stir 2 ½ tbsp sesame seeds into the mixture with a fork until it’s evenly dispersed throughout the mixture. Refrigerate and proceed with frying. If mixture seems too “wet” when making the falafel balls, add additional flour by the teaspoonful until the mixture sticks together better. Continue with frying.
  • HOW TO MAKE A FALAFEL PITA: Making a falafel pita is actually really simple. The two main ingredients are pita bread and falafel.
  • Cut the pita bread in half to form two “pockets.” Each pocket is a serving size. Stuff the pocket with falafel, as well as any add-ons you fancy. Tahini, tomatoes, parsley and pickles are a favourite.

Kuwaiti Food Spot With thanks to Marybeth Alawadh Ortua

Zaatar is the Arabic word for thyme, it is a wild herb that grows throughout hills and fields of the Levant and East Mediterranean regions. Zaatar bread also known as “fatayer fallahi” which means villagers’ pie, is a typical Palestinian pastry mostly made in spring, which is the official season of collecting fresh wild thyme. It is a flat bread, oily but crunchy, stuffed with fresh zaatar leaves, onions and sumac.
Personally, I’m in a never-ending romantic relationship with zaatar bread! Smelling the scent of freshly baked bread mixed with the aroma of roasting thyme greased with olive oil, is where the romance starts over & over again every time…

Breaking News: Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates Have Cut Diplomatic Ties With Qatar, Accusing It Of Destabilising The Region

Doha skyline

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image captionQatar has so far made no public comments on the latest developments

They say Qatar backs terrorist groups including Islamic State (IS).
The Saudi state news agency SPA said Riyadh had closed its borders, severing land, sea and air contact with Qatar and largely isolating it.
It cited officials as saying it was to "protect its national security from the dangers of terrorism and extremism".
The unprecedented move is being seen as the most serious split yet between powerful Gulf countries, who are also close US allies.
The row comes two weeks after the same four countries blocked Qatari news sites. Controversial comments by Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, appearing to criticise Saudi Arabia, appeared online.
The government in Doha dismissed the comments as fake, attributing the report to a "shameful cybercrime".
In the latest developments:
  • The United Arab Emirates has given Qatari diplomats 48 hours to leave the country. Abu Dhabi accuses Doha of "supporting, funding and embracing terrorism, extremism and sectarian organisations," state news agency WAM said
  • The UAE state airline Etihad Airways said it would suspend all flights to and from Doha from 02:45 local time on Tuesday
  • Bahrain's state news agency said the country was cutting ties with Qatar because Doha was "shaking the security and stability of Bahrain and meddling in its affairs"
  • US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, speaking in Sydney, urged the countries to resolve their differences through dialogue.
The Saudi-led Arab coalition fighting Yemen's Houthi rebels also expelled Qatar from its alliance because of Doha's "practices that strengthen terrorism" and its support to groups "including al-Qaeda and Daesh [also known as IS], as well as dealing with the rebel militias", according to SPA.
Qatar has provided its warplanes to carry out air strikes against the Houthi rebels.
Qatar, which is due to host the football World Cup in 2022, has so far made no public comments on the latest developments.