Romney Says He Won't Gut Teachers' Power to Strike

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Secondhand Sprucing: The Entry | Design Happens

Hello hello everyone, it?s Kate back again in Part Three of this continuing series, and this week?s focus is on sprucing up secondhand finds for the entry! The first space you encounter each day as you come through the door is your foyer, and a smart entry has a few key essentials.? When you come through the door, you need a place to set the daily mail, your keys and your phone. It?s also nice to have a place to sit and kick of your shoes!

Consider that the entry is also the last space you leave each day, so a mirror is not only decorative but a place to add lipstick at the last second, fix your hair, or straighten your tie or scarf. Mirrors can be large or small, but how fun is it to transform a tired piece found at the back of a thrift store or in the corner of a garage sale? Study these stylish transformations for inspiration for your foyer.

(Ebay turquoise mirror by Our Lake Life; Convex rope mirror by Meridian Road; Acid etched mirror by Vintage Revivals; Thrift store plate mirrors by CraftyNest)

A small scale bench in the entry is a natural choice for taking off shoes at day?s end. Again, like in the bedroom, paint and fabric are your best friends! Personalize an entry bench with a stylish stripe, a punch floral, or an eclectic textile.

(Flea market bench makeover by Eddie Ross; Floral bench by Wonderfully Domestic; Coffee table to entry bench from Style At Home; Bright entry bench via Design*Sponge)

A place to drop your keys, mail, and phone is a must in an entry. Take the opportunity to bring both style and function into your home with a revamped thrift store console or Craigslist dresser placed in your foyer. Style it up with art, lamps, or a tray to corral the mail and keys.

(Green cabinet from Young House Love; Painted entry console from Design*Sponge; Garage sale score from Decor Chick; 70s dresser turned console from Sweet Pickins Furniture)

Entries need not be merely functional, they can be stylish too, all with pieces scored on a weekend treasure hunt or reinvented with new stain or paint. I hope you all are enjoying these inspirational finds. Next week we?ll take a peek at some very cool ideas for turning secondhand finds into chic dining room accents. Stay tuned!

Source: http://blog.hgtv.com/design/2012/09/25/secondhand-sprucing-the-entry/

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Flight Canceled? Travel Insurance Could Have Helped | Gadling.com

As American Airlines canceled hundreds of flights through October, passengers were left scrambling for alternate flights or airlines to handle their travel plans. Those actually flying experienced more flight delays than normal too. Savvy passengers with travel insurance came out on top though, thanks to a normally unused feature common to many policies.

Blame it on American Airlines bankruptcy issues, labor problems, maintenance problems or layoffs, in a week's time the troubled airline had canceled about 300 flights, mostly in and out of Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW) airport.

"Prior to the recent issues, American had been running a good operation, with on-time performance and reliability measures at their best levels in many years," American Airlines spokesman Bruce Hicks said in an LA Times story. "The recent disruptions are primarily due to the significant increase in maintenance write-ups by our pilots, many right at the time of departure."

It's a situation totally out of the control of passengers but one that can be made a bit easier to swallow with some basic travel insurance that covers flight delays or cancellations and, most importantly right now, offers traveler assistance.

Travel Guard, for example, has a single trip plan and an annual plan for frequent travelers.

Their Savvy Traveler plan covers trip cancellation, interruption and delay, emergency medical treatment or evacuation, lost, stolen or damaged baggage or personal effects and baggage delay on any one given trip. The cost? About $25 for a $500 flight in October.

Frequent fliers can get Annual Travel Insurance for personal or business travel that covers trips or vacations throughout the year. This one includes everything from trip cancellation and interruption to unannounced strikes, weather delays and more ? plus it comes with coverage for medical expenses that might be incurred away from home. That's especially important when traveling internationally.

I bought one of their annual plans last year for about $200. It paid off when some medical expenses I incurred sailing on a cruise in international waters added up to over $2000, little of which was paid by my primary health insurance. The travel insurance paid the rest.

Say a flight booked on American Airlines was cancelled. The airline would do its best to reschedule. Frequent flyers know the drill too: flight canceled, stand in long line at airline customer service counter and hope to get to destination at a reasonable time.

But what would my travel insurance have done for me? We asked Travel Guard to find out.

"In addition to the 24-hour assistance Travel Guard provides customers in rebooking their flights, accommodations and other pre-planned travel arrangements, in the event that their trip is delayed five or more hours, travel insurance can reimburse for expenses incurred until travel becomes possible," Carol Mueller, VP of Travel Guard North America told Gadling.

That could come in handy when a late, weather-delayed flight causes a missed connection and the next flight out is tomorrow. Weather-related flight delays? Technically, not the airline's problem. The travel insurance company, much like a travel agent, is on your side and ready to help when needed.

"Cancellation would be covered when due to mechanical/equipment failure of the carrier, or when inclement weather causes delay or cancellation of travel," added Mueller. "We recommend customers contact us at our toll-free number as soon as they know their trip is going to be delayed, interrupted or cancelled and we can help with alternate solutions to their travel plans."

Regardless of which travel insurance company we choose, having that protection along for the ride when traveling can pay off. Liability-limiting reasons for airlines to cancel or delay flights due to weather events and "maintenance" issues seem to be on the rise. That takes travel insurance from an optional extra not likely to be used to something that may be seriously considered.

[Flickr photos by Scott Ableman]

Filed under: North America, United States, Airlines, Travel Security

Source: http://www.gadling.com/2012/09/25/flight-canceled-travel-insurance-could-have-helped/

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Facebook birthday invite leads to mayhem in Dutch town, authorities say

From Dominique Van Heerden, CNN

updated 12:08 PM EDT, Sun September 23, 2012

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Video of the incident showed rioters hurling glass bottles and other debris at police
• Haren is located about 115 miles northeast of Amsterdam and is home to some 20,000 residents
• At least 36 people were injured, including one police officer
• Prosecutors say 34 people were arrested Friday night and into Saturday morning

(CNN) -- Hundreds of police confronted rioters in a small Dutch town where a 16-year-old girl's birthday party invitation on Facebook spawned a large gathering that turned destructive, authorities said Saturday.

Video of the incident showed rioters hurling glass bottles and other debris at security teams in Haren, which is located 115 miles (185 kilometers) northeast of Amsterdam and is home to about 20,000 residents.

Prosecutors said 34 people were arrested Friday night and Saturday morning after rioters torched at least two cars, threw stones and smashed storefront windows.

Police embrace social media as crime-fighting tool

At least 36 people were injured, including one police officer, according to police spokesman Paul Haedanus. One man suffered a broken jaw, he said.

"Last night, scum wreaked havoc in our community," Haren Mayor Rob Bats told CNN affiliate NOS. "Haren woke up this morning after a dramatic evening and night."

Bats said the incident had a "tremendous impact," even though authorities had been preparing for it.

Earlier, the mayor had persuaded the girl's family not to hold the party, authorities said, and unsuccessfully urged revelers not to attend.

Prior to Friday's mayhem, Oscar Dros, the town's chief of police, said he had contacted authorities in Germany to discuss their own experiences with riots.

"An incident like the one in Haren last night is unprecedented in the Netherlands," Dros told NOS.

Prosecutors said revelers began arriving Friday afternoon, though some appeared "ready and prepared for confrontation."

Authorities estimate that at least 3,000 people turned up for the event, and that specific "ring leaders" had contributed to the destruction.

News of the party had gone viral on social media before Friday, authorities said. There were multiple mentions of an American film called Project X, in which three high school seniors throw a birthday party that spirals out of control.

On Saturday, a group called Project Clean-X Haren emerged on Facebook, which posted video of organizers wielding shovels and carrying flowers.

Last year, the phenomenon emerged in other cities, including London and Philadelphia, where the city cited the culprits as members of a "flash mob" who decided to gather at a given place via e-mail and social media.

Were you there? Share your stories, images and videos.

CNN's Alden Mahler Levine contributed to this report.

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Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/cnn_latest/~3/xuxpvV4mrXU/index.html

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Belarus says election turnout strong, despite opposition boycott

MINSK (Reuters) - Authorities in Belarus said they had a strong turnout in a parliamentary election on Sunday after hardline President Alexander Lukashenko denounced opposition leaders as "cowards" for urging people to boycott it as a sham exercise.

The two main opposition parties had called on people to go mushrooming or fishing and abstain from voting in an election which they said would produce a token parliament to rubber-stamp directives by Lukashenko.

"Elections took place in the course of which 109 deputies were elected ...," Lidiya Yermoshina, head of the central election committee, told a news conference early on Monday.

She said turnout had been strong at 74.3 per cent, but made no comment on whether the boycott call by the opposition had had any effect.

Asked whether any opposition candidates had been elected, she replied: "It seems doubtful to me".

The call for voters to shun the election prompted a sneering rebuke from Lukashenko, a populist who has run the former Soviet republic of 9.5 million with an iron fist since 1994 and has stifled any opposition to his rule.

"They are cowards who have nothing to say to the people," he told journalists on Sunday after voting in Minsk.

In the one seat which had not been decided, an opposition candidate failed to secure more than half the votes and a second round of voting would be held, Yermoshina said.

The opposition United Civic Party and the Belarussian People's Front called for the boycott in protest at the continued detention of political prisoners and election fraud.

But voting by students, armed service staff and police produced a 26 percent turnout in early voting and there was never any doubt that the ballot would be declared valid.

The 110-seat parliament is made up mainly of independent candidates, few of whom are fielded by political parties, and its deputies rarely initiate any legislation of their own.

The outcome could enable Lukashenko to present the election as a genuine democratic exercise. Western monitoring agencies have not judged an election in Belarus free and fair since 1995.

The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe sent in 330 observers for the election and will give its verdict on Monday.

Defending his 18-year rule and intolerance of dissent, Lukashenko, a former Soviet state farm boss who was once described by the U.S. administration of George W. Bush as Europe's last dictator, said on Sunday: "We don't need revolutions and shake-ups."

"If this time round there is doubt cast on the choice of the Belarussian people then I don't know what standards will be good enough in future elections," said Lukashenko.

Asked about possible Western recognition for the vote, he said: "We don't hold elections for the West. The main architect is the Belarussian people."

Lukashenko's relations with the United States and the European Union, which were never good, nose-dived when he cracked down on street protests against his re-election in December 2010.

Scores of his opponents were arrested. Many now either lie low after periods in jail or have fled the country.

ARRESTS, DETENTIONS

Human rights bodies say the run-up to the poll was marked by arrests and detention of opposition activists.

State-run television and radio made no mention of the boycott call. Opposition groups were prevented from holding street protests or giving out leaflets to support their action and some opposition figures were prevented from registering as candidates for technical reasons.

"These are all banned," said Anatoly Lebedko, head of the United Civic Party, gesturing to a pile of leaflets on his desk, which called on people to take their families to the park, go fishing or stroll in the woods rather than vote.

Lebedko's party posted a video on YouTube featuring activists gathering mushrooms, playing chess and reading books in a park - all as alternatives to going to polling stations.

Anatoly, a 50-year-old computer programmer who cast his vote at a central polling station, said: "I am hoping for new deputies in parliament who suit me better in their work." Referring to the opposition boycott, he said: "I don't condemn them. In their situation, they considered this the right thing to do."

Yuri, a teacher of about the same age, was more severe in his comments about the opposition. "The country does not need these people. I consider it normal for a person to take part in the public life of our country," he said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/belarus-says-election-turnout-strong-despite-opposition-boycott-235521017.html

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Brazilian Hair Straightening Information & Tips - Hair Care - Health x ...

Brazilian Hair Straightening is definitely an intense straightening treatment which will produce soft, smooth, and straight hair.

Brazilian hair straightening is definitely one of the most preferred today. Many reasons exist why this is so. Using a preservative solution the mode can be used to smoother hair by making use of keratin liquid (see Keratin Hair Straightening Products) in to the hair using a irons. This treatment originated from Brazil and it is being done in America though it may be illegal in Canada and also the European Union because regulated concentrations of chemicals inside them are in high amounts that aren?t allowed.

Brazilian Hair Straightening

Brazilian Hair Straightening

Brazilian Hair Straightening is definitely an intense straightening treatment which will produce soft, smooth, and straight hair.

• The keratin protein, the main star from the treatment is responsible for relaxing your hair strands without producing damage. The keratin protein also enhances shine and also the overall health of the hair.

• Keratin is a kind of protein that can be found on the skin, nails, and hair. Aldehyde, that is a formaldehyde derivative, can also be part of the treatment and can help the keratin infuse in to the hair strands. Usually, the keratin protein is going to be infused into the hair utilizing a heat application.

• The interior structure of the hair bond will stay unchanged, but the cuticle is going to be smoothed and damage to hair will be repaired. Even though the internal hair bond continues to be same, the hair overall, will thus become more flexible and stronger than before.

• One of the leading strengths of a Brazilian hair straightening treatment methods are that that it can be used on all hair types, whether hair is colored, permed, or natural. The therapy is actually ideal for damaged hair, that is generally characterized by dull-looking and brittle hair, because the keratin treatment can restore the shine and vitality of the locks.

• It is imperative, however, the Brazilian hair straightening treatment be practiced by a professional inside a reputable salon for the greatest results. The process involves many complex steps and can need to be conducted properly.

Helpful tips for Brazilian Hair Straightening

Considering any type of cosmetic treatments, whether facial, skin or something like that like hair straightening, there?s a need to know a fair bit about all of the possibilities and solutions that you?d have.

• Like any anything else, hair straightening also offers a couple of options. Probably the most commonly known hair straightening options are actually the Brazilian hair straightening, japan hair straightening and cold smoothing amongst others. Now, every hair straightening solution features its own fan base and before you decide to plunge into anything, you have to weigh in your options.

• Hair straightening is a well-liked choice in the US, South usa and in various Parts of asia. Brazilian hair straightening can also be known by two other names, Brazilian hair smoothing and Brazilian Keratin Treatment. There are lots of other names which are used such as Keratin Cure or Brazilian Blowout however the former three would be the most commonly known ones.

• Brazilian hair straightening involves about two and half hours of treatment where hair is cleansed (perfectly) having a shampoo and the Keratin concoction is used to your hair. There are many varieties of this concoction also it would depend on your hair quality and texture, also its length, regarding which type would be used. Sometimes, some people choose their very own preference.
• The keratin hair straightening option would be allowed to settle down around the hair for about 20 to 30 minutes after which it is thoroughly rinsed off. There are several more of sorting out your hair and settling it for that perfect hair straightening effect.

• Brazilian hair straightening is excellent. It is a tad much better than the Japanese hair straightening because it does not lead to dead straight hair which will make look a little odd making your hair look like soft sticks, it doesn?t lend a strange chemical smell and more importantly it costs a little less the latter. However, Brazilian hair straightening isn?t a very cheap hair straightening solution hence you have to go for a reputed salon or specialist so you get the best results.

• Brazilian hair straightening results normally can last for six months. If you shampoo more infrequently then you can do better and when you naturally possess a little straighter hair with little frizz then a year should not be any huge challenge for you personally. You just need to treat hair as per the advice from the specialist and your hair look straight, shiny and healthy for months in the future.

Source: http://hair.healthxtourism.com/brazilian-hair-straightening-information-tips/

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VINTAGE: Five To Watch Thursday - Cars On SPEED

One of the many cool aspects of any Barrett-Jackson Collector-Car Event is the diversity of cars that cross the auction block.

Get in touch with your inner surfer with this custom 1963 Rambler American beach cruiser. (Photo: Barrett-Jackson) While prime-time Saturday will see the big-dollar cars roll off ? matching-numbers muscle cars, carefully restored vintage classics and exotic sports cars ? the auction, by design starts modestly and builds throughout the weekend.

SPEED will have 20 hours of live televised coverage from Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas this week, starting Thursday from 7 p.m. to midnight ET.

Thursday?s opening-day docket features the most affordable cars of the weekend, and in some ways the most eclectic. For Thursday?s Five To Watch, we selected five wildly different cars, mostly on the basis of pure fun. Nothing too expensive today, but tons of smiles per mile

A restored 1957 VW beetle with the classic oval rear window can almost pull the skin off a grape with its 36-horsepower flat-4. (Photo: Barrett-Jackson) 1963 Rambler American (Lot #18) ? In the 1980s, rocker Ben Vaughn immortalized the late, lamented Rambler American in the cult classic song ?M-Motor Vehicle.? The humble Rambler was a faithful and economical servant for slightly more than a decade, but this one is just for fun, paying stylistic homage to famed California customizers Von Dutch and Big Daddy Ed Roth, as well as the whole Southern California surf culture. One of the cars from the Charles Collom collection, it was once owned by surf guru/historian/cultural icon Mike Marshall. UPDATE: This cute little Rambler sold for $10,000 - credit card money.

1957 Volkswagen Beetle (Lot #37) ? Speaking of humble, there is nothing more basic, nor more practical, than the original Volkswagen Beetle. This one dates back 55 years and is an outstanding restoration of a pristine original car. Of course, the driving experience here is pretty basic, too: The 1,200-cubic-centimeter, air-cooled, flat-four engine produces a meager 36 horsepower, which means 0-to-60 mph takes damn near all day. Still, few things are inherently cooler than a vintage bug. UPDATE: Someone went home happy, paying $14,520 for the blue bug.

Get down with the Dreamsicle, an orange-and-cream 1949 Mercury custom sedan. (Photo: Barrett-Jackson) 1949 Mercury Custom (Lot #42.2) ? Here?s a different take on the classic late 1940s/early 1950s Mercury. Traditionally, these are resto-modded in the style James Dean popularized in the classic film Rebel Without A Cause. Unlike Dean?s car, though, this Mercury is neither a coupe nor basic black. This one is nicknamed the ?Dreamsicle? for its orange-over-cream colors. Done in a period-correct style for mid-60s customs, a flathead engine with three Stromberg carburetors powers this baby. Oh, and the suicide doors are way cool. UPDATE: Lots of fun, this one sold for $22,000.

Plymouth Fury Pro Street (Lot #66) ? ?Fury? is appropriate name for this beast, a highly modified Pro Street weapon designed to burn up the asphalt one-quarter-mile at a time. Fitted with a racing chassis and meaty slicks, this Fury is said to be capable of handling both street and strip, although drag racing would seem to be its forte. Under the hood is a 500-cubic-inch, supercharged Mopar engine that definitely hauls the mail. UPDATE: Wow ... someone got a nice deal on this one at $23,650.

This pert 1965 Ford Mustang convertible is powered by a 289cid V8. (Photo: Barrett-Jackson) 1965 Ford Mustang (Lot #121) ? No car had a bigger societal influence on the 1960s than the original Ford Mustang, which turned both the automotive market and pop culture on their respective ears when it debuted at the 1964 World?s Fair in New York. This particular Mustang is a driver-grade convertible, with the highly desirable 289-cubic-inch small-block V8 and great white over blue colors. Summer?s almost gone, but this beauty will remind its new owner of sun and sand all year long. UPDATE: The last of my picks roll across the block, this brings $35,300, strong money, IMHO.

Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas Collector Car Auction live-coverage schedule on SPEED (all times Eastern; schedule subject to change):

Thursday, Sept. 20
*Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event, 7 p.m. - Midnight.
Hagerty Fantasy Bid Game, 7 p.m. - Midnight.

Friday, Sept. 21
*Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event, 2 - 7 p.m.
Barrett-Jackson Live Streaming,, 7 - 9 p.m.
Hagerty Fantasy Bid Game, > 2 - 7 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 22
*Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event, 2 p.m. - Midnight.
Hagerty Fantasy Bid Game, 2 p.m. ? Midnight.

*Alternate streaming cameras available at SPEED.com

Tom Jensen is the Editor in Chief of SPEED.com, Senior NASCAR Editor at RACER and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. You can follow him online at twitter.com/tomjensen100.

Source: http://automotive.speedtv.com/article/autos-five-to-watch-thursday/

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Security firm G4S wins electronic tagging deal in Scotland

LONDON (Reuters) - Embattled security firm G4S has won a contract to manage the electronic tagging of offenders in Scotland, its first big British deal since its high-profile failure to provide enough security staff at the London Olympic Games.

G4S has signed a 5-year deal with the Scottish government worth 20 million pounds ($32 million), and will begin monitoring offenders from April 2013 when it takes over from British outsourcing rival Serco.

The contract win will be a welcome boost to G4S, which has been under fire since admitting just two weeks before the London Games began that it could not provide a promised 10,400 venue guards, embarrassing the government - a key customer - and forcing British troops to fill the shortfall.

A report by British politicians published on Friday called for G4S to waive its management fee over the fiasco and compensate Games staff neglected in its chaotic recruitment drive, applying pressure that could see the group's estimate of a 50 million pound loss on the contract grow wider.

G4S, which runs services from prisons, immigration and border control to cash transportation in over 125 countries, already provides electronic tagging in England, along with Serco, but must bid to win a new contract set to be awarded in the summer next year.

The group is also bidding for prison management contracts due to be announced later in 2012 and police work, although its chairman John Connolly has said he fears the Olympic debacle could harm its chances of success.

G4S's Scottish tagging contract will see GPS technology used to continuously track offenders' whereabouts as opposed to 'radio frequency' technology which had been used previously to establish when an offender had broken a curfew.

Last year the company hit British headlines when its guards tagged a man's false leg, allowing him to remove it and break a court-imposed curfew.

G4S also announced this week it had acquired security groups Vanguarda and Interativa in Brazil - the fourth largest security market in the world and a key growth area for the firm.

Shares in the FTSE 100 company were flat at 0707 GMT in London, valuing the business at around 3.7 billion pounds.

($1 = 0.6173 British pounds) (Reporting by Neil Maidment; Editing by Mark Potter)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/security-firm-g4s-wins-electronic-tagging-deal-scotland-072834566--sector.html

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Groupon launches payments service in US

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/groupon-launches-payments-us-134816662--finance.html

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Lindsay Lohan Arrested?Again

I don’t even know where to start. This girl is the hot mess queen. Lindsay Lohan has been arrested. Again. yes, people it is true. Just days after Twitter blasting Amanda Bynes for not staying out of trouble, Lindsay went back to her old ways. She allegedly hit a pedestrian and left the scene. Lindsay was just Tweeting about how unfair it is t Bynes isn?t in jail for her recent screw ups.   In case you live under a rock, Amanda has been caught drinking and driving, smoking and driving, and was in a few accidents. She is well on her way to having a nice record. But I think something else is an issue. People are speculating that there is an underlying mental illness at hand. It is just sad to see. Lindsay on the other hand, I think is just dumb.   So after today’s arrest, Lindsay could find herself back in jail for violating her probation. HOT MESS. The guy she hit was hospitalized and is claiming that Lindsay was under the influence of something. . The actress was arrested, fingerprinted? and? was released on a misdemeanor without needing to pay bail. It all happened around [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RightCelebrity/~3/L4PbsMM4VHk/

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UK soldier unexpectedly gives birth in Afghanistan

LONDON (AP) ? Hours after a British soldier in Afghanistan told medics she was suffering from stomach pains, the Royal Artillery gunner unexpectedly gave birth to a boy ? the first child ever born to a member of Britain's armed forces in combat.

Britain's defense ministry said Thursday the soldier told authorities she had not been aware she was pregnant and only consulted doctors on the day that she went into labor.

The soldier, who arrived in Afghanistan in March, delivered the child Tuesday at Camp Bastion, the vast desert camp in southern Afghanistan's Helmand province where Prince Harry is deployed and a Taliban attack last week killed two U.S. Marines.

"Mother and baby are both in a stable condition in the hospital and are receiving the best possible care," the ministry said in a statement. It said a team of doctors would fly out to Afghanistan in the coming days to help the soldier and her son return safely to Britain.

The U.K. does not allow female soldiers to deploy on operation if they are pregnant. Although the soldier's child was conceived before her tour of duty began in March, she is not likely to face censure. Britain has sent female soldiers home from wars after they became pregnant ? including about 60 from Afghanistan ? but hasn't previously had a servicewoman go into labor in a war zone.

In 2009, the U.S. military in Iraq issued a policy that could punish soldiers who became pregnant there and their sexual partners ? then quickly rescinded it after a storm of criticism.

The British soldier, a citizen of Fiji, is one of about 500 British military women serving in Afghanistan. She is also among around 2,000 Fijians who serve in the British military, even though the country became independent from Britain in 1970.

Camp Bastion, which hosts the U.S. Camp Leatherneck, is home to most of Britain's 9,500 soldiers in Afghanistan, including Prince Harry ? who arrived there earlier this month to serve as an attack helicopter gunner. Last Friday, a Taliban assault on the base ended up with two U.S. marines killed and six American fighter jets destroyed.

Maj. Charles Heyman, a retired officer and author of "'The British Army Guide" said the unexpected birth would cause some concern at the base.

"This sort of thing makes life difficult for everyone else, but the important thing is the welfare of the female soldier. This could have gone wrong and we don't know if the attack on Camp Bastion might have forced the birth," said Maj. Charles Heyman, a retired officer and author of "'The British Army Guide."

Heyman said it may have been "that the excitement of the tour masked the symptoms of the pregnancy."

Belinda Phipps, chief executive of the National Childbirth Trust, a British parenting charity, also suggested the soldier's demanding work could explain why she either didn't know she was pregnant, or had attempted to ignore the signs.

"It could be that she was so very focused on other things, and because she was in a life-or-death scenario, that she simply didn't recognize that she was pregnant," Phipps said.

Phipps said the pregnancy may not have been obvious to the soldier's colleagues. "Not everyone has a very big baby bump, some women carry their baby far inside," she said.

Patrick O'Brien, a consultant obstetrician at University College London Hospital, said cases of unnoticed pregnancies were unusual, but that he encountered at least one each year.

"There are some women who have very irregular periods, often women who are very fit and exercise a lot. There are women who don't have sickness during pregnancy. Some women ? particularly those who are overweight ? don't recognize they have put on weight, or feel the baby moving," O'Brien said.

Many cases involved women who refused to accept that they were pregnant and attempted to disguise it, particularly young women living at home.

"It's not just that they hide the pregnancy from their parents, they often become in denial of the pregnancy," he said.

"If you have a combination of any or all of those things, a pregnancy can go undetected, or the woman can be in denial of it if the implications to their life are so great," said O'Brien, a spokesman for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist.

A study published in 2011 by Glasgow's Victoria Infirmary said that denial of pregnancy was more common than expected, suggesting it occurred in around 1 in 2,500 births.

In a 2002 German survey of Berlin obstetric hospitals, researchers found that 40 percent of women who didn't realize they were pregnant had seen doctors who also failed to spot the signs.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/bbd825583c8542898e6fa7d440b9febc/Article_2012-09-20-Britain-Afghanistan%20Birth/id-7e3775cc5df5416a93ddc74dd6c7ad68

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Fanshawe Sponsorship ? Savour Stratford

Fanshawe Sponsorship For New Opening Night

Savour Stratford is a celebration of authentic cuisine, uniting Perth County and surrounding areas to enjoy all that Ontario producers and chefs have to offer. For the Opening Night of the Culinary Festival, Savour Stratford, in partnership with Fanshawe College, will convert Veterans Drive into an eclectic marketplace where Fanshawe students will demonstrate their cooking expertise in multiple tasting booths and fill the air with music at the Bandshell.

Enjoy mini beef short rib sandwiches, pulled Perth County pork, smoked salmon, potato latkes and more, served by the chefs and students from the faculty of Tourism and Hospitality. The music of Chasing Down by Fanshawe Music Industry Arts students will provide entertainment as you enjoy the array of activities on offer.

The Opening night is free for everyone to attend. Face painting, cotton candy, popcorn, live entertainment?all the fixings of a festival that everyone can enjoy. Tickets will be sold for you to try the delicious assortments of food presented by the Fanshawe students.

Come help us kick off what will be an amazing weekend!
For more details please visit: visitstratford.ca/culinaryfestival/events.php.

No comments yet.

Source: http://www.savourstratford.com/blog/?p=216

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Kat Von D and Deadmau5: Dating!!

Deadmau5. Kat Von D. We can definitely see it.

The apparent couple was spotted for the first time on a date yesterday in L.A., holding hands for the cameras. Later, he gushed over her on social media.

Ah, 21st Century, heavily tattooed love.

"Yeah, im [in] love," tweeted the popular and outspoken DJ. "inb4 I find a f**k to give over the Internet implodes over it ;) at least I'm happy! Lol"

He posted another tweet after hanging with Kat, writing "aw man... i just had a f**kin awesome day and it's not even over yet. :D feelsgoodman."

Good to hear man. Good to hear. Feelin' good is key.

Kat Von D, who was engaged to Jesse James (twice) before accusing him of cheating on her prolifically, still has a tattoo of his face on her body.

She hasn't commented on her new man/mau5 yet.

[Photo: Fame/Flynet]

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/09/kat-von-d-and-deadmau5-dating/

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Is the Islamopocolypse really upon us?

No. Turn off the television news (or put down your copy of Newsweek) if you think otherwise.

By Dan Murphy,?Staff writer / September 17, 2012

A Shiite Muslim holds a placard during an anti-American rally organised by the Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) in Lahore September 17. Pakistani police fired in the air to disperse a crowd headed towards the US consulate in the city of Karachi on Monday to protest against a film mocking the Prophet Mohammad.

Mohsin Raza/Reuters

Enlarge

You are forgiven if you hold the mistaken belief that the entire Muslim world is aflame with anti-American "rage." Cable news has been pumping the message for days now, and Newsweek has jumped on the bandwagon with a cover that perfects the approach to the world's 1.5 billion Muslims as a violent, reactive mob.

Skip to next paragraph Dan Murphy

Dan Murphy, who has reported from Iraq, Afghanistan, Egypt, and more than a dozen other countries, writes and edits Backchannels. The focus? War and international relations, leaning toward things Middle East.

Recent posts

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"Muslim Rage," screams the banner headline for an article written by anti-Islam activist Ayaan Hirsan Ali, over a picture of two men (one helpfully wearing a turban) looking rageful. "How I survived it, How we can end it," goes the subhead.

I'll return later to the policy dangers of viewing the world's Muslim inhabitants as an undifferentiated mass that can be "solved."

But it's time for some perspective. The protests in more than 20 Muslim countries, over a deliberately insulting YouTube video, have been small. Small as a proportion of the world's Muslims, and small when compared to other Muslim "insult" protests in the past. And almost certainly small, when their impact is considered a few months from now.

As the #muslimrage Twitter hashtag (killing Newsweek with comedy) has pointed out all day, most Muslims aren't raging at the US or anything else. Some are raging at rude taxi drivers. Others are kind of nervous about problems at work. And still others are thinking about maybe having a sandwich.

While sensational headlines have played up the story, the cumulative total of protesters so far in about 30 countries appears well under 100,000. At Tahrir Square on Friday, wide angle overhead shots (rather than the tight, ground shots favored by TV news producers) showed a sparse group reminiscent of Mubarak-era political protests (when people ran a major risk of going to jail for simply shouting slogans) and not the hundreds of thousands that have routinely come out to protest against their own government in the past year-and-a-half.

And if you expect the occasional mass freakout like this, as I do, there's actually a small sign of progress in these protests. The protests over the Danish cartoons mocking the prophet Muhammad in 2006 were larger and more violent, and there was far less in the way of condemnations of the violence and apologies from Muslim-majority states than there have been this go around.

Ashraf Khalil, whose judgement I trust, estimated about 1,000 protesters at Tahrir on Friday, with a further 300 football hooligans picking a fight with riot police nearby. That's in a city of 15 million people, at least 90 percent of them Muslim. In Jakarta, Indonesia a few hundred protesters clashed with police (who outnumbered them by 3 or 4 to 1) near the US embassy. Jakarta is, like Cairo, another sprawling Muslim majority city.

I've seen big protests in both ??the popular uprising that ended the US-backed dictator Soeharto's reign in 1998, and the popular uprising that ended the US-backed dictator Hosni Mubarak's reign in 2011 ??and by those standards these were not protests at all.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/tp39PWAX2Js/Is-the-Islamopocolypse-really-upon-us

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AP Exclusive: Mass. inmate lauds sex-change ruling

BOSTON (AP) ? A convicted murderer in Massachusetts says a judge's decision to grant her request for sex-reassignment surgery is "the right thing to do."

U.S. District Judge Mark Wolf ruled this month that the surgery is the only adequate treatment for Michelle Kosilek's gender-identity disorder, a condition he said is a "serious medical need." The ruling marks the first time a judge has ordered prison officials to provide sex-reassignment surgery.

Wolf's ruling prompted an outcry among some legislative leaders, who say Kosilek isn't entitled to the taxpayer-funded surgery.

Kosilek said she cried tears of relief after learning of the judge's ruling. Kosilek has waged a decades-long battle to complete the transformation from a man into a woman.

"This is who I am. My essence is female," Kosilek told The Associated Press in a recent telephone interview from prison.

"To those who don't understand gender-identity disorder, I understand that there is a reluctance to even think about this in a serious vein because to the average person who is uninformed, it may be truly bizarre, but this is who I am. This is who I have always been."

Kosilek was named Robert when married to Cheryl Kosilek and was convicted of her 1990 murder.

She said she endured decades of pain while growing up with a boy's body but feeling like she was a girl and later fighting to get sex-reassignment surgery. She has received female hormones and lives as a woman in an all-male prison in Norfolk.

Kosilek said she first began asking for the surgery while awaiting trial in the early 1990s but was turned down by county jail officials, even after she offered to pay for it herself. She filed her first lawsuit against the state Department of Correction in 2000. Two years later, Wolf ruled that Kosilek was entitled to treatment for gender-identity disorder but stopped short of ordering surgery.

Kosilek sued again in 2005, arguing that surgery was a medical necessity.

In his Sept. 4 ruling, Wolf found that the Department of Correction had violated Kosilek's Eighth Amendment right to adequate medical care.

Prison officials have repeatedly cited security risks in the case, saying that allowing Kosilek to have the surgery would make her a target for sexual assaults by other inmates.

Wolf, however, called the department's security claims a "pretext" and noted that the department's own medical experts testified that they believe surgery was the only adequate treatment for Kosilek, who has twice tried to commit suicide.

Kosilek said she believes corrections officials have taken a "deeply entrenched political stance" over the surgery and have fomented what she calls a "taxpayer rebellion" that has prompted some state lawmakers and U.S. Sen. Scott Brown to speak out publicly against her receiving the surgery.

State Sen. Bruce Tarr and about 50 other lawmakers have asked the department to appeal Wolf's ruling, while Brown called Wolf's decision "an outrageous abuse of taxpayer dollars."

Kosilek said all inmates are entitled to medical care and are routinely provided with heart surgery and treatment for other medical conditions.

"There is a general consensus in prison systems everywhere ? most notably here in Massachusetts ? that certain things just aren't going to be provided because they seem to be distasteful to a certain percentage of the population," Kosilek said.

"Nobody has ever started a taxpayer revolt about other prisoners receiving medical care, and the only consensus me and my sisters can come up with is this is just bigotry related to gender-identity disorder, and it's very troubling," she said.

Diane Wiffin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Correction, declined to comment, saying officials are still reviewing Wolf's ruling. She no decision has been made on whether to appeal Wolf's ruling.

Kosilek, 63, said she sees Wolf's ruling as "bulletproof" with no grounds for appeal. She said she is hoping the department will house her in a female prison after the surgery.

"It's just the right thing to do, to give me congruity," she said of the surgery.

"People need to understand that ? whether it troubles them or not ? it is a valid medical condition."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ap-exclusive-mass-inmate-lauds-sex-change-ruling-184225011.html

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NY AG: Deceptive texts co. to pay $500K penalty

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) ? New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman says a California company that sent 150,000 deceptive text messages to cell phones in New York has agreed to stop the texting and pay a $500,000 penalty.

He says Game Theory LLC of San Jose sent messages mentioning things like a "secret crush," diet tips and the phrase "Someone thinks you're hot!" to trick recipients into unwittingly signing up for $9.99-a-month text messaging services from May 23, 2011 to July 5, 2011.

Schneiderman says Game Theory agreed to leave the text messaging business and pay the penalty under the terms of a settlement after an investigation by the state.

He says Game Theory was recently acquired by another business. A telephone number for the company could not be found Sunday.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ny-ag-deceptive-texts-co-pay-500k-penalty-150148435--finance.html

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SAP: Patent Turmoil Will Help Give Windows 8 Tablet The Number 2 Spot In Enterprise

SAP's Sanjay Poonen said in a meeting of bloggers and analysts today that Windows 8 will rise to the No. 2 spot in the enterprise tablet market in part due to Samsung's patent lawsuit loss to Apple last month. While it's not the sole reason that CIOs cite, it certainly is the nail in the coffin for many. The roots of the shift date back to January of 2011 when Microsoft introduced the concept of Windows 8. It also helped that Microsoft committed to developing a common kernel across all of its platforms and backward compatibility to Windows 7. The kernel and the backward compatibility means that CIOs can use existing apps on the new Windows 8 tablets. Microsoft has an established developer ecosystem. CIOs also find appealing the whole new Metro UI and Microsoft's advancements in its touch-screen technology.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/GmihuOC1lN4/

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Tuscan Market to Open October 2012 | GrapeVine Trail

Foodies celebrate: One of the largest Artisanal Marketplaces in New England to open just north of Boston, MA in Salem, NH.

Salem, NH (PRWEB) September 14, 2012

This October 2012, Italy has never seemed so close with the grand opening of Tuscan Market, one of the largest artisanal marketplaces in New England. Located next to Tuscan Kitchen in Salem, New Hampshire, this enormous indoor marketplace boasting over 10,000 square feet will encompass the authentic sights, sounds and tastes of Italy.

With over 25 years of experience in the food industry, owner and chief food taster, Joe Faro, has finally transformed his vision to create a Tuscan villa in Southern New Hampshire into a reality. When Faro first opened the award-winning Tuscan Kitchen in November 2010, his concept was simple, combine the freshest ingredients with time-honored preparation to create a truly incredible culinary experience. Applying this same concept to his latest project, Faro?s new Tuscan Market will offer an extensive array of imported products, a large selection of specialty prepared foods, a 65-seat caf?, and specialty cooking classes.

Set aside a cobblestone piazza, Tuscan Market?s impressive Italian-imported d?cor complete with a working fountain and pergola with classic columns will make guests feel as though they are walking through an authentic Italian marketplace. Inside, guests can select from the finest ingredients imported from various regions in Italy such as Tuscany, Sicily, Puglia and Emilia Romagna, all displayed at designated stations throughout the bustling market. A one-stop shop, guests will be able to choose from an extensive assortment of specialty oils and sauces including many producers of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, fresh-sheeted pasta, imported cured meats and cheeses, Italian espresso and desserts. Just steps away, fresh, in-season produce will be available further reflecting Faro?s passion for the freshest ingredients. At the butcher, guests will find a wide selection of fresh cut meats and in true Italian fashion, guests can find the perfect wine to pair with their meal at the wine cellar which features over 3,000 bottles of the finest imported Italian wines, all available for purchase.

While guests peruse the enormous selection of products and ingredients available for purchase, the tantalizing aromas of freshly prepared foods will be what really draws them in. From freshly baked breads and homemade pizzas and Panini, to handmade pastas and slow-cooked sauces, customers can bring home a truly authentic meal from start to finish.

Tuscan Market doesn?t end with the savory. Guests with a sweet tooth will have more than enough to select from with a dedicated dessert section boasting a wide assortment of Italian pastries and gelato being spun daily in the gelateria within the Tuscan Market caf?

Located within the Tuscan Market itself, visitors can take a break and relax at the Tuscan Market caf?, a large 65 seat caf? area surrounded by flat screen TV's, while enjoying coffee, espresso or grab a bite to eat. For something sweet, an authentic homemade gelato machine imported from Italy will feature over 24 different flavors of the creamiest gelato offered this side of Italy. To dine alfresco, the 50-seat patio will be open for lunch or a late afternoon snack.

Guests will be able to hone their own culinary skills at the Scuola Culinaria where Tuscan Brand?s Corporate Executive Chef Edward Payne will lead cooking demonstrations and classes. After learning some culinary tricks of the trade, students can take home all their cooking necessities from the fresh ingredients to the latest cookbooks from across the globe and featuring a section dedicated to New England?s best local chefs.

From finding the best culinary products and freshest ingredients, to an enormous prepared food section and caf?, there is something for everyone at the soon to open Tuscan Market.

Faro?s motto has never been truer, ?you are guaranteed to experience true artisan Italian at Tuscan Market.? The opening of the new Tuscan Market will take place in October 2012. Tuscan Market will be open seven days a week; Monday to Thursday 7:00AM to 7:00PM, Friday & Saturday 7:00AM to 9:00PM and Sunday 7:00AM to 5:00PM.

WHAT:???? Tuscan Market Opening

WHEN:???? October 2012

WHERE:????Tuscan Market | 7 Willow Street, Salem, New Hampshire 03079

Tuscan Market:

The new Tuscan Market is the largest artisanal marketplace in New England set to open early October 2012. Located in Salem, New Hampshire, next to Tuscan Kitchen restaurant, this enormous indoor marketplace of over 10,000 square feet will encompass the sights, sounds and tastes of Italy and will offer an array of artisanal products, cooking supplies, gourmet delicacies and much more! With over 25 years of food experience, owner and chief food taster Joe Faro?s original vision to create a Tuscan villa in Southern New Hampshire has finally transformed into a reality. When Joe first opened the award-winning Tuscan Kitchen in November 2010, the concept was to combine simplicity in the freshest ingredients with time-honored preparation to create a truly incredible culinary experience. Applying this same concept to his latest project, Faro?s Tuscan Market carries an extensive array of artisan products from multiple geographic regions, further reflecting his passion for diverse Italian cuisine and his dream of allowing others to experience it as well.

Tuscan Kitchen:

Tuscan Kitchen is an upscale restaurant offering handcrafted regional Italian cuisine located in Salem, New Hampshire. Owner/Entrepreneur Joe Faro opened Tuscan Kitchen with one simple vision: recreating a true Italian experience. Everything from the imported Italian limestone on the building?s exterior, to the 16,000 square foot interior featuring fireplaces, a wood-fired oven, custom-made Italian imported pasta-making equipment, ingredients and the menu reflects various regions of Italy. With 425 seats inside an expansive yet intimate dining room, three private dining rooms, two outdoor patios (upstairs terrace seats 24, downstairs patio seats 60), a wine bar and regular live entertainment, Tuscan Kitchen is the perfect place for enjoying a bottle of wine or cocktails, dining on all occasions, special chef and wine tastings, and holding special events and private parties alike. Tuscan Kitchen is located at 67 Main Street, Salem, NH, 03079. Hours of operation are as follows: Lunch: Monday- Saturday, 11:30AM to 3:00PM, Sunday dinner & Pranzo menu, 12:00PM to 4:00PM and Dinner: Monday & Tuesday: 3:00PM to 9:00PM, Wednesday-Saturday: 3:00PM to 10:00PM and Sunday 4:00PM to 9:00PM. For more information please call 603-952-4875 or visit http://www.tuscan-kitchen.com.

*Image Unlimited Communications is a public relations and marketing agency located in Boston and Philadelphia. For more information please http://www.imageunlimitedcommunications.com

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2012/9/prweb9894891.htm

Source: http://www.grapevinetrail.com/wine/tuscan-market-open-october-2012

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Photos: Nicaraguan volcano spews ash 3 miles high

A view shows the San Cristobal volcano spewing up large clouds of gas and ash near Chinandegga City, some 150 km north of capital Managua September 8, 2012. Nicaragua's highest volcano belched an ash plume up to 3 miles (5 km) into the atmosphere on Saturday, prompting the evacuation of hundreds of nearby residents. REUTRS/Eddy Lopez/La prensa/Handout (NICARAGUA - Tags: DISASTER) FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING ... more?A view shows the San Cristobal volcano spewing up large clouds of gas and ash near Chinandegga City, some 150 km north of capital Managua September 8, 2012. Nicaragua's highest volcano belched an ash plume up to 3 miles (5 km) into the atmosphere on Saturday, prompting the evacuation of hundreds of nearby residents. REUTRS/Eddy Lopez/La prensa/Handout (NICARAGUA - Tags: DISASTER) FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS less?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/photos/nicaraguan-volcano-spews-ash-3-miles-high-slideshow/

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Police: 3 attacks in northern Iraq kill 4 people

SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq (AP) ? An Iraqi police commander says three separate attacks against Shiite mosques in a volatile northern city have killed four civilians and injured 62 others.

Kirkuk police commander Brig. Gen. Sarhad Qadir says Friday's attacks took place in different areas as worshipers were leaving the mosques.

Qadir said the deadliest attack killed four when a parked car bomb went off in Kirkuk's southern Domiz area. A second bomb exploded after police and rescuers rushed to the scene, wounding 24.

As in other Muslim countries, Friday sermons drew crowds of worshippers in Iraq.

Kirkuk, 290 kilometers (180 miles) north of Baghdad, is home to a combustible mix of Kurds, Sunni Arabs and Turkomen who all claim rights to the city and the oil-rich lands around it.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/police-3-attacks-northern-iraq-kill-4-people-115556367.html

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Vegan basil herbed tofu ricotta, served on GF vegan brown rice pasta!

A delightful & easy peasy vegan pasta dish to make in 15 minutes!

A few weeks ago, I bought this stunning vegan book called?Vegan with a Vengeance?from?Isa Chandra Moskowitz from the PostPunk Kitchen.?She inspires me all the time. I know she has written several cookery books now & I have 3 of them! Ooh yeah, baby. I can buy them or order them in Belgium in the English book store Waterstone?s in Brussels. I am one lucky girl! Go check out Isa?s website for some vegan recipes, tips & super appetizing vegan inspiration!

This basil herbed tofu ricotta is an adapted recipe of?her tasty recipe in her 1st book ever: Vegan with a Vengeance! ?She rocks my taste buds! Ooh yeah! This pasta recipe is a very tasty one, easy ?& quickly to make. It took me 15 minutes from beginning to finish!

Recipe: For about 3 persons or for 2 persons with a lot of hunger!

Ingredients:

1 pack of 250 gr firm herbed tofu, drained, pad dry on kitchen paper, pressed for about 30 minutes, pad dry again on kitchen paper

1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast

2 teaspoons of a fruity EVOO

2 teaspoons of lemon juice

10 grins of finely milled black pepper

1/4 teaspoon of sea salt flakes + a bit more

15 large green basil leaves, cleaned & more finely cut up

300 gr of cooked & drained GF & vegan brown rice spiral pasta

Method:

1. After draining the herbed tofu well, pad the tofu dry on kitchen paper & mush the tofu with your hands, until it?s crumbly.

2. Add lemon juice, sea salt, black pepper & cut up basil leaves. Mix with a spoon. With your hands, mush the mix again until you reach a ricotta-style texture. This can take 2 to 5 minutes.

3. Add the fruity EVOO & mix with a fork. Add the nutritional yeast & mix again all together. Taste! It has to taste fab! Add some seasoning if you need to.

Use instantly on your cooked brown rice pasta & mix it into your hot pasta & enjoy instantly with a loved one! Enjoy, my lovely ones!

Note: This herbed tofu ricotta mix keeps well in the fridge for about 3 days. This basil tofu ricotta is also tasty heated up in the microwave with some leftover pasta. Yummy Yum!

This would also be quite tasty with some dry roasted pine nuts on top of the tofu mix pasta. MMM,?!

If you liked this post, SUBSCRIBE to Sophie?s Foodie Files: It is free!???RSS ? Posts

You might like other tofu recipes:

1. Vegan macaroni with mixed veggies & smoked tofu!

2. Vegan courgettes ( zucchini ) & spinach soup topped with smoked tofu croutons!

3. Vegan & Gluten-Free sweet potato, new peas & smoked tofu burgers!

4. Vegan marinated tofu & veggies stir-fry!

Posted in Dairy - Free, Egg - Free, Gluten - Free, Pasta, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Source: http://sophiesfoodiefiles.wordpress.com/2012/09/05/vegan-basil-herbed-tofu-ricotta-served-on-gf-vegan-brown-rice-pasta/

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From Greater To Finest ? Corporate Branding | Contacts - 1stFind.com

Have you ever wondered how multi-national organizations like McDonalds, Coca-cola, Microsoft, Apple, Intel, Motorola, Sony and UPS came up with their names? Just believe, if these organizations have some lame or forgettable brand name, would they be as large as they?re now? Every firm begins out by thinking of a name. A law firm, as an example, frequently makes use of the names of its associates, like Smith, Johnson and Brown Law Firm. The name of a woman?s specialty shop ought to be a thing sensual and exciting, like Victoria?s Secret or Bare Essentials. A clothing line ought to boast the well-liked designer?s name. Corporate branding doesn?t just involve the firm name. It also consists of the corporate logo design as well as the general company image. Much more importantly, it conveys your corporate identity. If you think of computer systems, Microsoft comes to mind. Instead of photocopier, you assume of Xerox. Toothpaste equals Colgate. Coming up with the perfect brand name that may stick to the consumer?s thoughts is as crucial as coming up together with the finances to start an organization ? be it huge or modest.

1. Very first Impressions Last

If you distribute a company card, see what dominates that tiny piece of paper. Brand names and logos. Bland brand names in no way work. If you assume of a name, adhere to these guidelines:

- Be original.

- Tend not to be overly creative ? company cards has to be functional. Sure an uniquely sized/shaped card may possibly create interest but it?s really difficult for a secretary to file within a business card rack.

- Out of your possibilities, select one particular that has an international appeal.

2. Branding

In today?s global marketplace, a brand is considered as a beneficial corporate asset and a marketing and advertising tool for achievement. Therefore, you ought to constantly give careful consideration to distinct cultures in the event you strategy to conquer a worldwide market place.

3. The Easier The Much better

When making the company logo, it?s a lot more advisable to become inventive and distinctive. The more conservative designs apply to a target marketplace from the exact same sort. In case you apply the same notion to a firm whose buyers are supposed to be young and hip, they?ll fall asleep as soon as they hear your brand name and see your logo. Having a younger clientele, it is greatest to become energetic and inventive when thinking of corporate naming and branding.

4. Brand Name Equals Image

With all the Internet being deemed as the most potent marketing and advertising tool, it?s very essential that your buyers don?t forget some thing distinctive about your organization. Give out a clear image from the message that you simply wish to impart along with the image that you need to project. Strong graphic design is the ace up your sleeve to leave a lasting influence of your organization.

5. Be Consistent

Corporate branding requires time. It contains your organization name, your logo, your buyer service, the staff, the building location, the state in the offices, even your upkeep staff along with the business vehicles. As years pass, your firm develops a specific reputation. It?s an excellent point if, upon hearing the name of your firm, individuals would instantly associate it using the service or product which you represent. Make sure that you stick to the corporate image which you need to project.

6. Produce A Potent, Branded Internet Website

Advertising though the net is yet one more aspect of corporate branding. You must create a distinctive, informative and complete net website. This is to ensure that buyers would have a clear understanding of one?s company profile.

7. Research, Handle, Dominate!

Attempt visiting sites which offer corporate branding and marketing services. Better however, appear for the individuals behind the large businesses and ask or analysis on how these establishments have gotten to exactly where they are now. examine on their corporate structure and how they started. Make sure that the men and women who make up the corporate ladder have enough enthusiasm and self-confidence regarding the firm which must rub off on the rest of the staff. It would in no way hurt your company in case you have a good personnel attitude and an intense pride of perform.

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Source: http://blog.1stfind.com/?p=526944&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=from-greater-to-finest-corporate-branding

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