Jordan's Family of Foodies: Cooking Italian: A Dinner Party Story

??
?? ? People who love to eat are always the best people, rightly said Julia Child. ?I say people who love to cook for their loved ones and also who love to eat are even more supreme. ?A few weeks ago, my mom threw an epic Italian dinner party at her home. ?It was the kind of dinner party that with a little planning and forethought the hostess could enjoy as well. ?That seems to be the problem with entertaining at times. Unless the hostess is an easy going, come what may type (or has hired an onsite caterer), dinner parties have the potential for much stress and can be slightly less than fun for the person actually hosting the event. ?To be honest, most of us for everyday dinner parties (or even special event ones) cannot afford to hirer a caterer. ?The bulk of the work falls on the person hosting the event. ?I want to share with my readers the plan for executing an Italian dinner party at home. ?I learned a few more little gems from my mom last weekend on how to plan, execute, and actually enjoy a dinner party at home. ?I was very proud of her endeavor. ?My mom is not the easy going come what may type, she gets nervous as most of us do at the thought of a bunch of people (even family and ones she had invited) showing up to eat dinner. ?Here is what I learned from my mom's Italian dinner party with a few pictures taken along the way.
?? ? The number one most important thing is planning. ?Even if it isn't some elaborate celebration, the element of planning cannot be over looked. ?For my mom's Italian dinner party she had invited 8 guests, bringing the count with her and my Dad to 10 diners. ?I think her menu was pretty ambitious due to the amount of food she decided to make. ?Not only did she serve a main entree with two side dishes, she had 4 appetizers, a salad, and dessert. ?Here is the menu she created designed by my charming husband. ?The best thing about this menu was that most of it could either be made ahead of time, elements could be prepped ahead of time, or dishes that needed to be made the day of the party were fairly simple. ?? ? In my opinion only one thing really needed a lot of attention the day of and that was the risotto with the many additions of stock and constant stirring. The dishes over all may have been simple but all had wonderful flavor profiles. Plan ahead when creating a menu, pick one or two star dishes that will really shine. ?These will be the dishes that require most of the cook's time on party day but if every thing else is able to be made ahead or at least prepped ahead of time the dinner will go much smoother. ?
?? ? Lets examine the menu above a little further. ?Breaking it down by course here is a rundown of what she did. ?First the antipasti: ?The anchovy butter, mozzarella bites, and marinated chick peas could all be made 1-2 days ahead. ?Just before dinner, the butter was placed on the crostini and topped with cheese popping it into the oven.
?? ? My mom used pre-purchased pesto for the zucchini, cutting down on some of the prep work. ?This was also made the day of but only took about 15 minutes. ?Only two things, crostini and zucchini with pesto required oven time. ?Risotto, chicken with green olive sauce, and broccoli rabe were all made stovetop. ?Prep work for the chicken dish, including trimming the chicken breast and making the sauce was done the day ahead, as was prep for the broccoli rabe. All that was needed on party day was to cook these dishes. ?The risotto was the most finicky dish. ?It requires a more watchful eye and is the reason why help in the kitchen is always appreciated (see below). ?I was in charge of making the salad, which was super easy. The almond cake was made the day before as well. ?So even though this menu may seem a little ambitious for a group of ten, it is really doable for the home cook. ?It just takes a little planning. ?Choose things that share oven temps, and can also be made stovetop so it doesn't seem like a complicated ballet in the kitchen. ?Use a combination of pre-purchased ingredients and homemade ones to save time and a little sanity in the kitchen.

?? ? Along with planning ahead comes the second tip to a successful dinner party: Enlist the help of others. ?As a child we sometimes say stubbornly we want to do it ourselves, a dinner party is not the time to start acting like a child again. ?Enlist the help of others. ?I cannot stress that enough. ?There are always people to count on for help. ?In fact, it has been my experience that most of the time people will offer to help before having to be asked. ?If that is the case, take them up on their offer. ?Ask them to make a salad, bring some wine, or if they have nothing else planned that day ask for their assistance in the kitchen. ?Other people like to show off their skills too, but may lack the confidence to throw their own dinner party. Maybe they are a whiz at salad making, have ridiculous knife kills invaluable to prep work, or are a supreme lover of all things wine knowing just the right bottle to go with the main entree, chicken with green olive sauce. ?Give them that opportunity and privilege, their contribution may be one of the best additions to the dinner, and it may just give them the confidence to throw their own dinner.

?? ? Help in the kitchen is invaluable, and it is ok to say you need it. ?Someone has to set the table, stir the risotto, watch the delicate crostini in the oven being careful to not let them be scorched, and cook the main entree. ?Then someone must take pictures of the whole event to prove to people later, yes you did in fact pull off the whole cooking an Italian Dinner for 10.
?? ? It is impossible for one person to do all that and still enjoy the day, ?I will be bold here and state it is impossible for one person period. It is not a failing to admit it. ?Go ahead accept help in the kitchen. ?It also is a great time to bond, cooking in a relaxed atmosphere at home with family and friends, chatting, exchanging ideas, and learning. ?Having extra hands in the kitchen is a blessing especially when the extra hands are attached to the ones you love.

?? ? Here is your chance to help us all out: ?Leave me a comment below telling your story, What made your most successful dinner party a success? ?Did you have help in the kitchen or do everything on your own? ?Was it a theme dinner party, a pot luck, an over the top or just casual affair? ?Were there any crazy cooking stories along the way? ?Share your funny story either if it flopped or was a screaming success!

???

Source: http://jordansfamilyoffoodies.blogspot.com/2013/02/cooking-italian-dinner-party-story.html

nba all star reserves rock center christine christine will ferrell double fine adventure turbo tax

Unions, business agree guidelines for low-skilled visas

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The largest American union and the country's biggest business lobby group said Thursday they agreed on principles for revamping the low-skilled worker visa program, a move hailed as major progress that could hasten immigration reform in Congress.

The AFL-CIO and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said they agreed on three principles that would ensure that American workers get the first crack at jobs, create a new kind of guest worker program and establish another bureaucracy to analyze labor trends and advise Congress.

Although the principles were vague, they represented concessions from both sides. Unions, which oppose guest worker programs because they say they allow employers to exploit workers, agreed to create a "new kind of worker visa program that does not keep all workers in a permanent temporary status," the two sides said in a statement.

And businesses, which want the freedom to hire whom they want and are traditionally opposed to further government intervention, agreed that a "professional bureau" in a federal agency was needed to inform lawmakers and the public on labor shortages.

The two sides have been negotiating for weeks in parallel with a group of Republican and Democratic senators who are crafting a comprehensive bill that would allow the millions of illegal immigrants a way to earn U.S. citizenship.

The bipartisan Senate group is aiming to unveil their legislation before April. The new agreement will strengthen the hand of lawmakers because it demonstrates backing by two key constituencies for the effort.

"The fact that business and labor have agreed on principles is a major step forward," said Democrat Charles Schumer, who is part of the bipartisan Senate group.

"We are very hopeful that an agreement can be reached on a specific proposal in the next few weeks."

Edward Alden, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations think tank who specializes in immigration policy, said the deal demonstrated concessions by the two groups.

"Obviously the more you get into the details of implementation the harder it gets. But at the level of broad principles, this seems to present significant compromises on both sides," he said.

(Reporting By Rachelle Younglai; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/unions-business-agree-guidelines-low-skilled-visas-204240592.html

best in show bret michaels bret michaels pekingese tcu football westminster bonnaroo 2012 lineup

Ethiopian rebels warn Canadian firm exploring oil

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) ? Ethiopian rebels on Monday warned a Canadian oil company against oil exploration in the country's east and said the area is unsafe because of fighting.

Africa Oil Corporation should halt all operations until the rebels make peace with the government, the Ogaden National Liberation Front, or ONLF said. The group is blamed for the 2007 attack on a Chinese-run oil field in the region in which scores were killed.

The rebels said in a statement that the company is "conspiring with the government to exploit the region's oil."

"ONLF calls upon African Oil to desist from paying blood money to Ethiopia until a just settlement of the conflict is achieved and the people of the Ogaden are in a position to be masters of their wealth and interest," the statement said.

The Ethiopian government spokesman downplayed the statement saying the region is peaceful and that the rebels don't pose any real threat.

"The region is now fully stable and peaceful. The government and people are mobilizing together to develop the region," said Communications Minister Shimeles Kemal.

Various ONLF factions have in the near past requested and subsequently negotiated with the government after which they have put down their arms and re-joined the people to lead a peaceful life, Shimeles said.

"They have completely lost that capacity as most of their fighters have put down their arms. Now the remaining faction's leaders are engaged in a routine propaganda to disturb the ongoing development activities," he said.

Africa Oil Corp. said on its website that it has three projects in Ethiopia including in the Ogaden Basin where ONLF has been fighting the Addis Ababa government.

The rebels want to create an independent state in the Ogaden region, which is inhabited by mostly ethnic Somalis. Peace talks between ONLF and Ethiopians government in neighboring Kenya ended in disagreement in October.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ethiopian-rebels-warn-canadian-firm-exploring-oil-142520121.html

passover easter recipes live free or die hard carlos pena amanda bynes arrested f 18 jet crash in virginia beach

Report: Harrison Ford to reprise Han Solo role in new ?Star Wars? film

By The Guardian
Monday, February 18, 2013 8:51 EST

?

By Andrew Pulver, The Guardian

Actor?s reprisal of Han Solo role in forthcoming Star Wars sequels is ?done deal?, according to Latino News blogger

Harrison Ford has committed to appear as Han Solo in the forthcoming series of Star Wars films to be produced by Disney, according to a??scoop? reported on Fox News Latino. Latino News columnist Umberto ?El Mayimbe? Gonzalez told interview Victor Garcia: ?Harrison Ford will reprise his role as Han Solo in the upcoming Star Wars movies. The deal is done. It?s huge.?

Gonzalez claimed he had ?triple checked? his ?legitimate sources?, and could not say whether Ford?s role would be a small cameo or something larger ? or even whether he would appear in Star Wars Episode VII, the forthcoming film to be directed by JJ Abrams.

Another insider-scoop blogger, Roger Friedman of showbiz411.com,?agreed with Gonzalez, asserting that he was ?told some time ago that Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill would be reprising their roles? in Episode VII. He also claimed to have some plot details: ?It?s some time in the future. Han, Princess Leia (presumably with a better hairstyle) and Luke Skywalker will be a lot older. Their children will be the new main characters. R2D2 and C-3PO will be unchanged.?

Ford?s participation in the new set of Star Wars movies has been rumoured for some time, along with Hamill and Fisher; but given his fractious relationship with original creator George Lucas, Ford?s presence was by no means a certainty. He confirmed in 2010 he had?unsuccessfully pushed to have Han Solo killed off?in Return of the Jedi in an effort to ?supply some emotional bottom?.

? Guardian News and Media 2013

[Harrison Ford photo via Shutterstock]

?

?

?

?

?

Source: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/02/18/report-harrison-ford-to-reprise-han-solo-role-in-new-star-wars-film/

Butterball mashed potatoes Apple Black Friday how to cook a turkey emma stone Frys tryptophan

Report: Ford to play Solo in new 'Star Wars'

Luke Air Force Base cancels March 16-17 air show

Saturday, Feb 16, 8:56 am

GLENDALE, Ariz. ? Luke Air Force Base officials have canceled their March air show, citing the possibility of steep federal financial cuts. Base officials said Friday that they don't want to waste... Read more...

Source: http://www.ktar.com?nid=22&sid=1610849

alec baldwin

How to Quickly Build Self-Confidence | Healthy Lifestyle Plus

Webmaster | February 13, 2013 (3 hours ago) | no comments

As an ordinary human being, we are not always to be right and perfect.

Therefore we shall build up our self-confidence now to cope with all of the obstacles that we might face later.

But we need to have positive attitude towards building our self-confidence because instead focusing on those negative thought such as fear and worry will only make us lack of energy and spirit to face the challenge ahead.

Hence, attitude is the most important assets that we need to have in order to improve our self-confidence.

If you have the intentions of creating more self-confidence, you could be able to achieve great result in many areas such as financially, healthy and of course wealthy.

Following are the some of the basic but important steps and habit that we need to build up in order to build up self-confidence.

Understand ourselves, communicate with ourselves. It looks silly but it really helps. All of us have a subconscious mind within us, whether we know it or not, this subconscious mind is very powerful that it acts like a computer programming our daily activities, feelings within ourselves.

Whatever we see, feel and touch along the day will be programmed into the subconscious mind. So it is very important that we need to install positive attitude into our mind, because we are the one to decide which part of our lives should be in our memory.

So if we choose to remember and use those negative thoughts along the day, our mind will eventually discourage us to be more self confident for ourselves. We need to hear the positive messages as they will build up self-confidence today and raise our self-esteem. Take control. Use our inner thoughts to talk to ourselves in a positive manner, as often as we can.

As an example one of my regular sayings is ?I like myself, I like myself, I like myself?. I just repeat it for a couple of minutes. It sounds silly again, but does help to build up self-confidence today ? Try it.

Increase your self esteem even more by appreciate of what you have tight now. Treasure the things that happened in your life so far. Say ?thank you? to yourself to everything you see, all whom you meet, and each smile that you receive. You will feel more grateful and confident.

Our body posture represents what we are at that particular time. Simple habit that we can learn and start to implement it are stand and sit correctly. Your great and nice body posture will speak for you. How you stand sends out a message to the World, and in turn, back to you.

Dress as smart as you can especially in some special occasions. You won?t feel at your best if you don?t look your best. You will be amazed at just how much more confidence you will have just looking your best. It just feels good when you are wearing your best clothes, are well groomed, and are surrounded by a clean environment.

So what if it is Saturday, you need to build up self-confidence today not next week. Put on your nice clothes, get the car washed, style that hair! A hairdresser once told me ?Every day is show time!?

Finally, this seems very easy but most of us forgot of it ? Smile. Just smile and things seem better somehow. The world will be more wonderful than ever. Go to the mirror and smile ? make yourself. Not a grimace, but a proper smile.

Start building up your self-confidence today!

?

Article by Raymond Teh

About the Author : A great website that full of free useful guide on self confidence and interactive lessons can be reach at Personal Self-Confidence. Raymond Teh recent posts and updated information can be reached via Personal Self-Confidence Blog

Related articles

www.healthylifestyleplus.com

?

Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.

Tags: Build, Confidence, Healthy Lifestyle Plus, Personal development, Quickly, Self, Self-confidence, Self-esteem, Self-Help, Subconscious, www.healthylifestyleplus.com

Category: Healthy Mind

Source: http://www.healthylifestyleplus.com/mind/how-to-quickly-build-self-confidencebuild-up-self-confidence-how-to-quickly-build-self-confidence/

arnold palmer invitational ryan madson louisiana primary syracuse basketball chipper jones chipper jones dancing with the stars cast

First Diablo 3 "Ask the Devs" surfaces with negative community ...

You may remember that last month Blizzard invited the community to post questions for the Diablo 3 developers regarding the v1.0.7 patch update. At the time it was obvious that the community wanted to get some full answers to questions on issues that have been bogging the game down but frustratingly Blizzard decided to keep the questions focused on this next patch, which is actually on the public test servers for everyone to play anyway.

Nevertheless, the community was relatively pleased to at least have the ear of the development team, even if the answers were not going to include any comments on pressing issues such as the long-running itemisation problems.

The answers from the development team have now been released and sadly there wasn?t much substance to what came back. Split into topics such as brawling, classes, gems and new crafted items, some of the responses seemed a little perplexing. What is quite apparent is the development team still appear have their head firmly stuck in the sand on some issues, especially on PvP which was a huge back-track on their previous Diablo 3 PvP plans.

What seems have rubbed a lot of players up the wrong way is the language used in the responses, and reading some of the responses. I have to agree that Blizzard need to stop treating the Diablo 3 players as if they are all 12 years old, even if a lot of the players on the official forums can act like it sometimes. Here?s an example on how not keep the community engaged?

?If not, there are so, so many demons to slay and, really, they have totally been asking for it. Especially Heralds of Pestilence?those guys are jerks?

The developer Q&A series is a good idea but the community is actually looking for answers on more pressing issues, but without a game director following Jay Wilson?s departure, there?s unlikely to be any huge game changing announcements any time soon

Read the full Q&A responses on Diablo: IncGamers.

?

?

RELATED STORIES ON INCGAMERS

Source: http://www.incgamers.com/2013/02/first-diablo-3-ask-the-devs-surfaces-with-negative-community-reactions/

jessica capshaw seattle times seattle times walker recall censor pipa and sopa sopa pipa

Drake "Started From the Bottom" Video: Released!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/02/drake-started-from-the-bottom-video-released/

tulsa shooting doug fister rick warren the perfect storm hard boiled eggs mickelson how to tie a tie

Benefits of Exercise on Prostate Cancer Risk May Vary by Race

Health Newsday > News

Email Print Aa

• Tweet
• Google
• Stumble
• Pin It

From

Published: February 11, 2013 9:59 AM
?-- Robert Preidt

Photos

Among white men, exercise may cut the risk of developing prostate cancer, and it may also lower the odds of aggressive disease in those who already have the cancer, a new study indicates.

However, those benefits were not seen in black men, Dr. Lionel Banez, of the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center in North Carolina, and colleagues reported in the Feb. 11 online edition of the journal...

Content Preview This content is exclusive for Newsday digital access and 7-day home delivery subscribers and Optimum Online customers.

Already
registered?
Log in Already a
subscriber/customer?
Register Subscribe for
a free trial!
Subscribe

Source: http://www.newsday.com/news/health/benefits-of-exercise-on-prostate-cancer-risk-may-vary-by-race-1.4619369

game of thrones

As the baseball season creeps up on us, it is time for another five-part season...

As the baseball season creeps up on us, it is time for another five-part season preview, which will take us all the way up to February 15th when the Bruins take on Minnesota at Jackie Robinson Stadium. To get ready, we started with a general 2012 ?

Source: http://www.facebook.com/BruinsNation/posts/10151487780300421

luke scott tom benson royals nicole richie lyme disease symptoms esperanza spalding jessica sanchez

Senator Plans 'Hold' on Obama Picks (WSJ)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/283986221?client_source=feed&format=rss

washington capitals amare stoudemire tallest building in the world the pitch brandon inge freedom tower freedom tower

Ocado underlying earnings rise, loss at pretax level

LONDON (Reuters) - British online grocer Ocado met forecasts with a 20 percent rise in underlying earnings, though the firm still made a loss at the pretax level.

Ocado, whose range includes products supplied by upmarket grocer Waitrose , also said on Thursday its second distribution centre in Dordon, Warwickshire, central England, was on track to open by the end of February, and remains on budget.

The firm reckons the centre will eliminate capacity issues and lead to further efficiency gains.

Ocado made earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of 33.5 million pounds in the 52 weeks to November 25.

That was in line with analysts' consensus forecast and up from 27.9 million pounds in the previous year.

Gross sales rose 11.4 percent to 716.2 million pounds. They were up 14.2 percent in the six weeks to January 6.

However, Ocado made a pretax loss of 0.6 million pounds.

Founded in 2000 by three former Goldman Sachs bankers, the firm is yet to make a profit at the pretax level.

Many of Britain's grocers are finding the going tough, despite their focus on essential goods, as consumers have been hit by below-inflation wage growth and austerity measures.

However, the online food market is growing fast and Ocado has polarised opinion.

Fans point to rapid growth in online grocery sales, its state-of-the-art distribution centre and high customer service ratings.

Sceptics, however, doubt its model of filling orders from central depots will ever be as profitable as online operations at grocers like Tesco and J Sainsbury , which mostly pick orders in stores.

Shares in Ocado, which listed at 180 pence in 2010, have risen two-thirds over the last three months. The stock closed at 104 pence on Wednesday, valuing the business at 601 million pounds.

Ocado is regularly touted as a bid target for Marks & Spencer as well as Wm Morrison , as neither chain has a significant online grocery business.

(Reporting by James Davey, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ocado-underlying-earnings-rise-loss-pretax-level-075132173--finance.html

top chef texas great pacific garbage patch ben affleck and jennifer garner google privacy changes windows 8 preview leap year moratorium

Layoffs For NM Incite, The Nielsen-McKinsey Venture That Does Twitter?s TV Ratings

Here's a surprise follow-up to the news yesterday of Twitter's acquisition of a social media analytics firm Bluefin Labs. NM Incite?--?an analytics JV between Nielsen and McKinsey that forms part of?Nielsen's Twitter TV Rating service with Twitter --?has started to lay off employees, and we've even heard that NM Incite will be shut down altogether by the end of this month.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/muoN7Ykp0P0/

new orleans weather sparkle sacagawea new hope baptist church associated press foster friess new orleans hornets

Bell Canada parent profit rises on strong wireless unit

(Reuters) - BCE Inc , Canada's biggest telecom provider, reported higher quarterly profit and raised its dividend on Thursday, as the wireless and media divisions and investment gains boosted the bottom line.

But the Bell Canada parent said it expected revenue to stagnate or grow by at most 2 percent this year, compared with 3 percent growth in 2012.

The company, which together with Rogers Communications Inc and Telus Corp dominates the Canadian market, sees earnings for 2013 rising slightly.

For the final quarter of the year, profit was in line with expectations as strong performances in wireless and media more than offset Bell's weaker wireline business.

Net postpaid wireless subscribers rose 9 percent, with the addition of nearly 144,000 Bell Canada customers. Postpaid subscriber figures are watched closely because those customers, who often sign multi-year contracts, typically pay more each month than prepaid subscribers.

BCE is still waiting for regulators to rule on its proposed acquisition of Astral Media Inc , its biggest content provider. The company announced a C$3 billion deal for Astral last March, but broadcast regulators blocked the bid. The companies filed a revised application to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission in November.

BY THE NUMBERS

Fourth-quarter net earnings rose to C$708 million ($710 million), or 91 Canadian cents a share, from C$486 million, or 62 Canadian cents, a year earlier.

The bottom line benefited from a C$248 million non-cash gain related to a joint venture with Rogers to bring wireless broadband to remote communities and rural areas.

Excluding that gain and other items, adjusted earnings rose to 65 Canadian cents a share, from 62 Canadian cents a year earlier. Analysts, on average, had expected earnings of 66 Canadian cents a share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

For 2013, BCE expects adjusted earnings per share from C$2.97 to C$3.03 for 2013. Restated to reflect a new pension accounting standard, adjusted earnings in 2012 were C$2.96 a share.

BCE's operating revenue dipped to C$5.16 billion from with C$5.17 billion a year earlier, slightly less than with expectations.

The company raised its quarterly dividend 2.6 percent to C$0.5825 a share, over and above a 4.6 percent increase announced in August.

(Reporting by Allison Martell; Editing by Frank McGurty and Grant McCool)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bell-canada-parent-profit-rises-strong-wireless-unit-142343911--sector.html

santa Capital STEEZ George Bush After Christmas Sales 2012 Charles Durning Webster Ny Mcdonalds

Global Update: Rwanda?s Health Care Success Story

[unable to retrieve full-text content]A report in BMJ cites impressive gains in AIDS treatment and reducing child mortality, mostly through a network of village-based health workers.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/05/science/rwandas-health-care-success-story.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

ed reed football schedule jo paterno dead south carolina tuskegee airmen mike james red tails

NASA sun close-ups, 'never-before-seen'

Using a relatively small telescope, NASA scientists were able to capture images of an active region of the sun. Other telescopes focus on larger swaths of the sun, while this one zoomed in on 'real fine structure'.?

By Clara Moskowitz,?SPACE.com / January 23, 2013

The Hi-C instrument on the integration table at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Using this technology, scientists were able to capture previously unseen images.

NASA/MSFC

Enlarge

While many NASA space telescopes soar in orbit for years, the agency's diminutive Hi-C telescope?tasted space for just 300 seconds, but it was enough time to see through the sun's secretive atmosphere.

Skip to next paragraph

' + google_ads[0].line2 + '
' + google_ads[0].line3 + '

'; } else if (google_ads.length > 1) { ad_unit += ''; } } document.getElementById("ad_unit").innerHTML += ad_unit; google_adnum += google_ads.length; return; } var google_adnum = 0; google_ad_client = "pub-6743622525202572"; google_ad_output = 'js'; google_max_num_ads = '1'; google_feedback = "on"; google_ad_type = "text"; google_adtest = "on"; google_image_size = '230x105'; google_skip = '0'; // -->

Subscribe Today to the Monitor

Click Here for your FREE 30 DAYS of
The Christian Science Monitor
Weekly Digital Edition

Designed to observe the hottest part of the sun ? its corona ? the small High-Resolution Coronal Imager (Hi-C) launched on a suborbital rocket that fell back to Earth without circling the planet even once. The experiment revealed never-before-seen "magnetic braids" of plasma roiling in the sun's outer layers, NASA announced today (Jan. 23)

"300 seconds of data may not seem like a lot to some, but it's actually a fair amount of data, in particular for an active region" of the sun, Jonathan Cirtain,?Hi-C mission?principal investigator at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., said during a NASA press conference today.

The solar telescope snapped a total of 165 photos during its mission, which lasted 10 minutes from launch to its parachute landing.

Hi-C launched from White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico?atop a sounding rocket in July 2012. The mission cost a total of $5 million ? a relative bargain for a NASA space mission, scientists said. The experiment was part of NASA's Sounding Rocket Program, which launches about 20 unmanned suborbital research projects every year. [NASA's Hi-C Photos: Best View Ever of Sun's Corona]

"This mission exemplifies the three pillars of the [sounding rocket] program: world-class science, a breakthrough technology demonstration, and the training of the next generation of space scientists," said Jeff Newmark, a Sounding Rocket Program scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Hi-C?used a modified Cassegrain telescope with a 9.5-inch-diameter mirror to take close-up images of an active region on the sun, achieving a resolution equivalent to sighting a dime from 10 miles away.

While NASA already has telescopes in orbit constantly monitoring the whole?surface of the sun, such as the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), the Hi-C mission allowed scientists to focus in on a smaller region than SDO is able to.

"SDO has a global view of the sun," Newmark said. "What this research does is act like a microscope and it zooms in on the real fine structure that's never been seen before."

The next step, the researchers said, is to design a follow-up instrument to take advantage of the new telescope technology tested out by Hi-C, to observe for a longer period of time on an orbital mission.

"Now we've proven it exists, so now we can go study it," said Karel Schrijver, a senior fellow at the Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center in Palo Alto, Calif., where the instrument was built.?

Follow Clara Moskowitz on Twitter?@ClaraMoskowitz?or SPACE.com?@Spacedotcom. We're also on?Facebook?&?Google+.?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/yB8rmxJw1rw/NASA-sun-close-ups-never-before-seen

Richard Engel Daniel Inouye steelers scarlett johansson tim tebow survivor snl

Bus passenger describes terror before Calif. crash

YUCAIPA, Calif. (AP) ? The bus full of tired tourists returning to Tijuana, Mexico, was slowly winding down a mountain road from the ski resort town of Big Bear when it suddenly picked up speed. The driver shouted to call 911 ? the brakes had failed.

As passengers frantically tried to get a cellphone signal, a group of teenage girls shrieked and prayed aloud as others cried and shielded their heads as they careened downhill.

The bus rear-ended a Saturn sedan, swerved, flipped and slid on its side. A Ford pickup in the oncoming lane plowed into it, righting the bus and tossing passengers out shattered windows before it came to a halt.

"Everything happened so fast. When the bus spun everything flew, even the people," said Gerardo Barrientos, who was next to his girlfriend one minute and then scrambling out of the wreckage the next trying to find her and a friend in the highway. Both were injured but alive.

Seven people were killed and about three dozen injured Sunday night in the accident 80 miles east of Los Angeles. The dead included 13-year-old Victor Cabrera-Garcia; Elvira Garcia Jimenez, 40; and Guadalupe Olivas, 61, all of San Diego; along with Aleida Adriana Arce Hernandez, 38, and Rubicelia Escobedo Flores, 34, and Mario Garcia Santoyo 32, all of Tijuana, said San Bernardino County coroner's supervisor Tony Campisi.

One woman remained unidentified.

On Monday, while families of the tourists descended on area hospitals looking for loved ones, investigators searched for evidence and scrutinized the bus company's safety history.

Government records showed the bus, operated by Scapadas Magicas LLC of National City, Calif., recorded 22 safety violations in inspections in the year ending last October ? including brake, windshield and tire problems. Though the company retained an overall "satisfactory" rating from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration it had been targeted for a higher rate of inspections linked to bus maintenance, the agency said.

The National Transportation Safety Board sent a team to the scene to help in the investigation, which will determine if mechanical failure or driver error was to blame. The driver, Norberto B. Perez, approximately 52, of San Ysidro, was injured but before going to the hospital told authorities the vehicle had brake problems.

The bus was returning to Tijuana on State Route 38, a two-lane highway that meanders through San Bernardino National Forest, when the accident occurred around 6:30 p.m.

A person involved in the investigation who spoke on condition of anonymity because the probe was ongoing said the bus was going slowly down the hill and was being passed by other vehicles, including the Saturn, when it suddenly sped up.

The bus traveled about a mile from the point it struck the Saturn until it came to a stop, California Highway Patrol Officer Leon Lopez said.

Maria Salazar's daughter, 28-year-old Diana Maldonado of San Diego, was among those injured. Salazar said her daughter described the terror of the bus flipping and her head smashing through a window as she was propelled out of the vehicle. She lost consciousness and awoke as paramedics tended to her.

Maldonado hurt her back and shoulder but remarkably did not break any bones, according to her mother, who said her two other daughters had planned to make the trip but did not.

"I just thank God they did not go," Salazar said in Spanish as she choked back tears.

The crash littered Route 38 with body parts, winter clothing and debris. The bus stood across both lanes with its windows blown out, front end crushed and part of the roof peeled back like a tin can.

"I saw many people dead. There are very, very horrendous images in my head, things I don't want to think about," Barrientos said as he and girlfriend Lluvia Ramirez, who both work at a government hospital in Tijuana, waited outside the Loma Linda University Medical Center emergency room for word on a friend who broke her neck.

Barrientos, who was uninjured, quickly sprang into action following the crash, moving his friends to safety and then tried to help the bus driver, whose hand was pinned between rocks. Ramirez, who had a bloody ear, dark bruises and a scratch on her neck, suffered a hairline vertebra fracture.

"I was overwhelmed," she said. "I'm a surgical resident and I usually know how to react, but I was so in shock I didn't know what to do. I just stayed with my friend."

The gruesomeness of the injuries made it difficult for authorities to determine just how many had died. They initially said eight but then reduced the number to seven after determining no additional bodies were in the wrecked bus.

At least 17 people were still hospitalized Monday, including at least five in critical condition.

The bus driver had major injuries, Lopez said, and the pickup driver was in extremely serious condition, said Peter Brierty, assistant county fire chief.

No one answered the door at the Scapadas Magicas office in a sprawling complex that houses more than 1,300 storage lockers and about 30 small offices.

Jordi Garcia, marketing director of Interbus Tours, said his company rented the bus from Scapadas Magicas, which supplied the driver.

Interbus offers near-daily bus tours to the western U.S. from Tijuana. Its office in a Tijuana strip mall displays photographs of some of its destinations, including Hollywood, the Las Vegas Strip and the San Diego Zoo.

There were 38 people aboard the bus that crashed, including the driver and a tour guide, Garcia said. The bus left Tijuana at 5 a.m. Sunday, with the itinerary calling for a return late that night.

He said he spoke briefly with his tour guide, who suffered bruises. She told him she heard a loud pop before the crash.

___

Associated Press reporters contributing to this report included Raquel Maria Dillon in San Bernardino County and Michael R. Blood, Andrew Dalton and Bob Jablon in Los Angeles. Flaccus reported from Loma Linda, Calif.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bus-passenger-describes-terror-calif-crash-194336542.html

white house correspondents dinner phoenix coyotes bruce irvin charlie st cloud celtics nba playoffs rosario dawson

New School Food Rules Set To Improve ... - Eat Drink Better

On February 1^st, the USDA released a landmark proposal (pdf) that sets forth new guidelines that will regulate the snacks that are able to be sold in schools?and builds on improvements made to regulations?guiding breakfast and lunch programs that emphasize the inclusion of more fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Specifically, the new proposal sets forth provisions that will require schools to replace the hyper-palatable, nutrient deficient junk foods and over stimulating, sugar-laden beverages sold in vending machines, at snack bars, and as a la carte items served during standard meal times. This move by the USDA falls in line with the growing concern over the consumption of sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) and will limit elementary and middle schools to providing water, low-fat milk, fat-free plain or flavored milk and 100% juices. However, in what would appear to be a move to appease their most vocal opponents, high schools will still be allowed to provide other low calorie beverages (like diet sodas and sports drinks) that max out at 12 ounces in size and 75 calories. Further, snack foods will be required to contain fewer than 200 calories per serving while meeting a variety of nutrient guidelines that limit sodium, fat, and sugar.

However, dramatic moves in food policy are often met with a significant amount hostility from those who are averse to change and will likely spark a series of emotional, and most likely humorous, appeals like this:

Additionally, the revenue that vending machines and a la carte items generate?(upwards of $130,000 per year according to Stephanie Armour of Boomberg News) will certainly cause a few school administrators to voice their concern over the proposed regulations.

So, will the new proposed guidelines restricting school snack foods spark the nutritional revolution in America?s youth that is so desperately needed? Considering the thread of indifference and apathy woven through the fabric of our youth, probably not. But the controversy that is sure to result from removing Hot Cheetos and Takis from schools will provide teachers and parents the perfect opportunity to educate kids on the importance of making wise dietary decisions. Hopefully.

On a separate note, if you?re wondering what Takis are, you?re not alone. I?m not trying to date myself, but apparently they are important enough to inspire the following:

In less promising, but very related new, here?is a post that explains a new set of USDAs standards that will allow students to be served an unlimited amount of grains, meats and meat alternatives and here is a post that explains how some want to repeal the No Hungry Kid Act that establishes limits to the calorie content of school meals.

?Image Credit: Teen Eating Junk Food photo via Shutterstock

Source: http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2013/02/04/new-school-food-rules-school-lunch/

Stevie J mothers day 2012 cinco de mayo osama bin laden death spinal muscular atrophy brooklyn nets may day protests

My Biz University 02/04 by Home Based Business | Blog Talk Radio

On his show, Comedian Rodney Perry covers arts and entertainment, everything from comedy and politics to music and acting, with his signature comedic slant.

MashUp Radio is a 30-minute podcast that discusses the fusion of technology, life, culture and science. Host Peter Biddle, engineer and executive for Intel?s Atom Software, dishes up a thought-provoking discussion.

Joy Keys provides her listeners with insight to improve their lives mentally, physically, monetarily and emotionally. Past guests on the show have included Meshell Nedegeocello, Blair Underwood, in addition to an impressive list of CEOs, humanitarians and authors.

Host Barry Moltz gets small businesses unstuck. He has founded and run small businesses with a great deal of success and failure for more than 15 years. This is a business radio show where he shares all the craziness of small business. It?s that craziness that actually makes it exciting, interesting and totally unpredictable.

The Bottom Line Sports Show is hosted by former NBA stars Penny Hardaway, Charles Oakley, Mateen Cleaves. Tune in to get the inside scoop on what's happening in sports today.

Deepak Chopra Radio provides an online forum for compelling and thought provoking conversations on success, love, sexuality and relationships, well-being and spirituality.

Hits Radio covers basketball, sports culture and entertainment with past guests including Jason Kidd, Robin Lundberg and Chris Herren.

Listeners get an earful on The Halli Casser-Jayne Show, Talk Radio for Fine Minds. Whether it?s the current political cocktail or the latest must-read award-winning book, Halli tackles all topics and likes to stir ? and sometimes shakes ? things up.

Official Internet radio show of forthcoming epic paranormal investigation book by Eric Olsen and "Haunted Housewife" Theresa Argie.

Award-winning World Footprints is a leading voice in socially responsible travel and lifestyle. Hosts Ian & Tonya celebrate culture and heritage and bring a unique voice to the world of travel.

Football Reporters Online is a group of veteran football experts in the fields of coaching, scouting, talent evaluation, and writing/broadcasting/media placement. Combined, the group brings well over 100 years of expertise in sports.

Host John Martin interviews the nation's leading entrepreneurs and small biz experts to educate small business owners on how to be successful. Past guests have included Emeril Lagasse and Guy Kawasaki.

The Movie Geeks share their passion for the art through interviews with the stars of and creative minds behind your favorite flicks and pay tribute to big-screen legends. From James Cameron and Francis Ford Coppola to Ellen Burstyn and Robert Duvall, The Geeks have got'em all.

Sylvia Global presents global conversations pertaining to women, wealth, business, faith and philanthropy. Sylvia has interviewed an eclectic mix from CEOs and musicians to fashion designers and philanthropists including Randolph Duke and Ne-Yo.

Mr. Media host Bob Andelman goes one-on-one with the hottest, most influential minds from the worlds of film, TV, music, comedy, journalism and literature. That means A-listers like Kirk Douglas, Christian Slater, Kathy Ireland, Rick Fox, Chris Hansen and Jackie Collins.

Paula Begoun, best-selling author of Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me, separates fact from fiction on achieving a radiant, youthful complexion at any age. She?s regularly joined by health and beauty experts who offer the latest on keeping your skin in tip-top shape.

Source: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/homebasedbusinessuniversity/2013/02/04/my-biz-university

acm awards 2012 january jones