Surdeg är ett utmärkt jäsningsmedel, vilket gör det lätt att man fokuserar på dess funktionalitet och att dess fantastiska smak ratas som självändamål. När Skåne härjades som värst av novembers traditionella regnblandade vinterstormar beslutade vi oss för att det var dags att experimentera med nya surdegsanvändningsområden. Surdegen betedde sig märkligt hela grötkoket igenom, den ömsom tjocknade och ömsom tunnades ut i ett märkligt mönster. Den bubblade vildsint för att plötsligt bli alldeles slät, nästintill spegelblank. Den färdiga surdegsgröten var sällsamt god. Den syrliga rågsmaken kompletterades perfekt med ett kardemummakryddat lingon- och äppelmos samt ett örtte med kumminsmak.

Några dagar senare började vi fundera över rönnbär. Jag hade tidigare under hösten fyllt frysen med rönnbär och undrade nu vad jag skulle ta mig till med dem. Efter att ha googlat mig fram till diverse rönnbärsfakta, inklusive svaret på frågan om vad som egentligen är poängen med berättelsen om rävens uttalande om nämnda bär fann jag slutligen ett recept på finlandssvensk rönnbärsgröt. Jag gjorde ett jättekok, det verkade inte vara en gröt menad för mesiga småportioner. Den blev vackert rosaskimrande och smakade gott med lite rårörssocker och sojamjölk.

Här kunde vi konstatera att ett nytt mönster tillfälligt uppträtt i vår grötkokning, men det krävdes en tredje sorts sur gröt för att fullborda strukturen. Vi hade under hösten gått alltmer emot att försöka skapa treenigheter i vår matlagning och ville nu inte förorsaka någon skevhet i denna symmetri. Vanda slängde ihop en gröt av turkisk yoghurt och grahamsmjöl som smakade fylligt, men ändå inte, och var genomsyrad av en ganska vass, men ändå mild, syrlighet. Yoghurtgröten åts med en smörklick och en kopp svart kaffe.

Nedan kan du ta del av novembers sura grötrecept. Både salta och söta gröter är ju vanligt förekommande, men om ni har tips på beska grötrecept är vi tacksamma om ni hör av er med dem!

Surdegsgröt

2 dl rågmjöl
vatten
salt

Blanda 1 dl rågmjöl med 2 dl ljummet vatten och låt stå i rumstemperatur 24-48 timmar. Koka upp surdegen och tillsätt resten av rågmjölet. Späd med vatten till önskad konsistens. Smaka av med salt. För en surare gröt, lägg allt rågmjölet i blöt från början. Detta ger dock en starkt frän surdegssmak.

Rönnbärsgröt

2 liter vatten
½ liter rönnbär
2 äpplen eller skal därav
3 dl rågmjöl
ev. lite potatismjöl eller maizena

Skölj bären och koka sedan med äpplen, tills vattnet fått tillräckligt med syra (svårt att avgöra,  men jag lät de koka ca en timme). Sila från bären och koka upp bärsaften på nytt. Rågmjölet ivispas kraftigt. Gröten får koka 1-1 ½ timme. Red av med potatismjöl vid behov (gröten är väldigt lös, men tillsätter man bara en matsked stelnar den tillräckligt då den svalnar av. Serveras kall.

Yoghurtgröt

2 dl turkisk yoghurt
2 dl vatten
1 dl grahamsgryn
salt

Koka ihop vatten och yoghurt. Vispa ner grahamsgrynen och låt sjuda några minuter. Smaka av med salt.

/jana

El sarod es un instrumento que, por momentos, tiene un aire muy parecido a la guitarra clásica; sin embargo, sus recursos técnicos le permiten experimentar con otro tipo de sonidos y matices. Rajrupa Sen pertenece a una generación de nuevos músicos. El recibir constantes invitaciones de  All India Radio y Doordarshan India parece indicar que es una gran promesa de la Música Clásica de India.

So here I go. It’s been quite some time since my last blog but when you see what I have been up to you will understand why.

Firstly there was Welcome Week, one of the biggest weeks of not only mine, but the union’s year. The week began with team leader training on the Tuesday before the new students moved in. I was nervous to begin with having not really ran any training like this before but I needn’t have been as it all went really well and the group came up with loads of really good ideas and plans for the week. The day after was then team training which took place at Tynemouth beach. Well the first thing I have to say is thank goodness that it was sunny! I think I speak for the whole team when I say that we all had a really good time and it was a great chance for all of the teams to get to know each other before the craziness that lied ahead. Thursday then saw the last of the team training with a briefing on all of the ‘important’ info that everyone needed to know  and with that done and the obligatory welcome week t – shirts and wristbands handed out the team departed, ready to welcome the new students over the next week. From here Friday and Saturday saw the team helping hundreds of students move in to halls. It was a tiring couple of days for everyone but the Sarnie bus at lunchtime helped a little to keep the team moral up. Sunday then saw bag packing, a day that many of the team were dreading after the late night before and the boredom that can ensue. However this year seemed to run like clockwork and the team packed more bags than ever and in less time. Stage 2 really was a sight to behold when they were done with the copies of FHM and info on everything from doctors to IT to tea and moisturiser packing away and ready for the fairs on the Monday and Tuesday. Sunday night then saw the return of the fantastic hypnotist, Lo Reid, which I think everyone who was there will agree was fantastic and a hilarious night was had by everyone. The Monday and Tuesday then saw the mega Welcome fairs, commonly known by all freshers as a chance to get freebies and that they did by the bucket load. However the early starts by the teams who had to set these up were tough but they did a fantastic job and we did our best to keep them all happy with the tempting bacon, egg and sausage sandwiches. With as much force as possible we then hit Wednesday, which for me was the craziness day of the week with a 7am start and not leaving till the early hours of Thursday morning but there was no way I was leaving that building that day (as many know as they tried to drag me away and I refused!), as so much was going on that I wanted to be there for. During the day we had the societies fair which was a fantastic display of all the great societies we have at Northumbria to get involved in and this was clear to see by the fantastic stalls they had all put together and the cues that we had of students trying to make their way round. Then as night time started to approach we went into the ball, one of the many highlights of the week. With domain looking amazing, the teams ready with wine and canopies and a martini luge we were ready for an awesome night, and that we had. From here the week started to calm down a bit with the teams leading more daytime activities and some more great nights out with even better fancy dress including such things as services and school staff, they really were a joy to behold! Then finally Saturday arrived the day that no one wanted to get to as it meant the end of an amazing week but at the same time everyone was quite ready for some sleep, myself included. And so with an awesome last night party and some team awards, Welcome Week 2009 was over and I can honestly say it was fantastic experience and thank you so much to the teams for helping to make it such a successful week and for really helping to make all those new students first week and enjoyable one.

So that was Welcome Week and from there things settled down, only slightly though. The first thing that I started to look at was RAG with the first meeting of the RAG committee, when we were able to decide the three charities that we would be supporting in RAG week 2010. There were some great applications from lots of charities but the committee decided to go with Barnados, MAG (Mines Advisory Group) and The Bobby Robson Foundation and from the sounds of it it’s going to be a really great week and hopefully raise lots of money for these great causes.

The next milestone that week was the BIG NSCA meeting. This saw loads of students come down to find out more about the volunteering opportunities we have to offer and what Kitt (our new volunteer co – coordinator) is planning to do over the coming months. The students who attended seemed really interested and looks like it’s going to be an exciting year for NSCA with some great projects for students to get involved in.  

From here I then went on to be part of a joint RAG and NSCA project which was a Macmillan Coffee Morning. It was a great opportunity for students to find out more about exactly what Macmillan do and how they also can get involved as well as helping to raise some money for charity.

The next couple of days then saw me sitting in some quite big meetings including the Trustee Board for the Students’ Union and Board of Governors for the university. I really enjoy sitting on both of these as it is a great opportunity to really represent students at the highest level, especially on Board of Governors, and to make sure that they are at the for front of everything we do.

I have also been doing a lot with societies recently. I helped to run the first societies training of the year with Emily Ashton our Chair of Societies and Dawn Prior, the Student Activities Manager, which went really well. So well in fact that because we have so many new societies set up recently we had to run another session this week which also went really well, meaning that we have more society committee trained than ever before. In addition to training we also had the first Societies Forum of the year with record numbers of around 60 turning up, which was great to see so many societies engaged with the union and feedback to everyone on what they were doing. Also myself and the other sabbs have been attending society AGM’s to elect new committee which is always great to be a part of and getting to see more and more people getting the opportunity to try their hand at being part of a society committee. And finally myself, Emily and the other members of the grant allocation committee met up to decide what funding all the societies were going to get this semester. There were some great applications and from the sounds of things some great events and activities will be happening this semester.

Another exciting opportunity that the sabbs got was to go out and do a GOAL (Go Out And Listen), which was lead by Alison, your VP Communication and Involvement. And this was when we went out with a set of questions and got loads of student opinion on various things going on in the union and what you want from the SU, so hopefully we will be able to put this into practice so that you can get what you want from your students’ union. So if you see us in the future with our list of questions, don’t run away, come and give us your opinion, we really value it.

The first student council also took place two weeks ago as well as the training for all councillors. Both sessions were really great with some hot topics being brought up for debate which will hopefully result in some interesting motions for council to discuss.

Course Rep conference was also a bit point in the calendar recently, especially for Adam, your VP Academic Affairs and Steven Meyer, the Advice and Representation Manager, who had worked really hard to make sure that it was a great day. And they definitely delivered with all the course reps learning a lot about all aspects of the university, students’ union and how to represent their fellow students.

Finally (I’m almost there I swear) I was able to attend the NUS (National Union of Students) Union Development Zone Conference last week  which was an opportunity for sabbs from all over the country to come together and discuss issues to with activities, democracy, communication and all sorts. It was a great two days and saw NUS starting to make progress with looking at putting more emphasis on student activities which is great to see.

So there is it, my first semester so far! Don’t worry I won’t leave it so long until my next blog but I hope you found some of what I have been doing interesting.

Speak soon

Becky

Make no mistake, we might turn back the clocks but there is no turning back now. My eldest found this leaf on our walkway and I could not resist taking a photo of it. Gotta love Fall.

¡ ADOCE DIGITAL IMAGING es ditribiudora exclusiva de la “Colección Digital FineArt” de Hahnemühle !

Papeles artísticos inkjet para imrpesiones FineArt, arte digital y reproducciones de obras artísticas y fotográficas. De calidad museo, resistentes al envejecimiento y premiados en múltiples ocasiones. 

The Art of Expression since 1584

 Hahnemühle FineArt- el molino de papeles artísticos más antiguo de Alemania- fabrica papeles artísticos para las técnicas tradicionales de pintura e impresión desde hace 425 años. Esta colección Digital Fine Art conjuga la elegancia y exclusividad de los papeles artísticos tradicionales con la increíble  óptica y versatilidad  de la impresión FineArt moderna.

  La gama de productos incluye papeles y lienzos (canvas) de diferentes gramajes y estructuras de superficie.  Gracias a la colaboración de Hahnemühle con los fabricantes líderes de impresoras inkjet, se ha conseguido la óptima adaptación entre los papeles, las máquinas y las tintas. Los papeles y lienzos FineArt de Hahnemühle  son libres de ácido y extremadamente resistentes al envejecimiento. Premios otorgados por instituciones renombradas como TIPA, BIPP y American Photo confirman la calidad superior de Hahnemühle.

La colección Digital FineArt está dividida en tres categorías: Matt FineArt – papeles artísticos de superficie lisa o texturada, siempre con acabado mate; Glossy FineArt- papeles artísticos de superficie lisa con acabado brillante y Canvas FineArt – lienzos de algodón y polialgodón.

Para mayor información sobre las distintas categorías, perfiles disponibles, premios otorgados,  informes técnicos, etc.  pueden entrar en http://www.hahnemuehle.com/site/en/169/home.html 

ADOCE DIGITAL IMAGING tiene stock actualmente de la siguiente selección de la Colección Digital FineArt ( para solicitar lista con medidas, gramajes y precios solo tienen que escribirnos un mail)

 Matt FineArt-Smooth ( Terminación Mate-Liso)

• Photo Rag® 100% algodón – blanco

Photo Rag es el papel más popular entre los fotógrafos para crear impresiones FineArt de alta alta “>calidad. Su lisa superficie y su tacto contribuyen a la versatilidad de Photo Rag y lo hacen ideal para imprimir tanto fotografías en blanco y negro como en colores y reproducciones de arte con alta profundidad de imagen.

• Natural Art Duo 256 g/m2 100% alpha celulosa –  blanco natural

Natural Art Duo se puede imprimir por las dos caras y es el soporte ideal para portafolios y álbumes de fotos. Las impresiones inkjet sobre este este “>papel papel “>adquieren una nueva percepción en comparación con las fotos comunes de alto brillo. Los tonos cálidos y grises destacan con este papel. 

• Photo Rag Duo®  276 g/m2 100% algodón – blanco 

Photo Rag Duo se puede imprimir por las dos caras con la misma calidad que el Photo Rag. Ideal para portafolios y álbumes de fotos.

• Bamboo 290 g/m2 – 90% fibra de bambú – 10% algodón – blanco natural 

Hahnemühle Bamboo es el primer papel inkjet FineArt hecho de fibras de bambú. Bamboo representa espiritualidad, naturalidad y una producción ecológicamente sostenible. Es especialmente indicado para impresiones coloridas y monocromáticas con tonos cálidos y que pretenden exaltar la perceptibilidad del motivo.

• Photo Rag Ultra Smooth® 305 g/m2 100% algodón – blanco

La superficie del Photo Rag Ultra Smooth es especialmente interesante para artistas digitales que quieren la calidad comprobada del Photo Rag pero con aun menos textura y en un blanco más claro.

• Photo Rag Bright White® 310 g/m2  100% algodón – blanco claro

Photo Rag Bright White es el mas elegido por los usuarios que prefieren un papel de algodón especialmente blanco. Es ideal para la reproducción de motivos con mucho contraste.

MattFineArt-Textured ( terminación mate rugoso)

• William Turner 190 g/m2 190 · 310 g/m² · 100% algodón · blanco

Este papel de tina tradicional tradicional “>tiene la textura mate y el tacto de un papel de acuarela tradicional. William Turner es ideal para reproducciones de obras de arte tradicionales así como para reproducciones fotográficas extraordinarias y llenas de efecto.

• Sugar Cane 300 g/m2 · 75% fibra de caña de azúcar · 25% algodón · blanco natural

Hahnemühle Sugar Cane combina la alta calidad de un papel inkjet FineArt con la utilización responsable de las materias primas. La pulpa del “bagazo” es un subproducto de la producción de azúcar. El algodón viene de nuestro propio reciclaje de residuos de papel. Con la textura fina de un papel pastel, Sugar Cane ofrece a cada imagen un aspecto artístico.

• Museum Etching 350 g/m2 - 100% algodón · blanco natural

Canvas FineArt ( lienzos)

• Canvas Artist 340 g/m² · polialgodón · blanco natural

La estructura de lino del lienzo Canvas Artist se ve y se siente. El acabado inkjet mate permite una excelente definición de imagen y graduación de colores con efectos tridimensionales. 
Otros items. 

• Photo Rag® y Bamboo Anniversary Edition 

Una exclusiva edición de aniversario se ofrecerá en 2009 con papeles de la Colección Digital FineArt de Hahnemühle. Photo Rag^® Ultra Smooth, FineArt Baryta y Bamboo estarán disponibles en formato DIN A3+ en un estuche negro de alta calidad. El estuche de aniversario contiene 50 hojas y es la presentación ideal para portafolios elegantes. Ha sido diseñado exclusivamente para Hahnemühle por Prat, París.

• Certificado de Autenticidad 

ADOCE DIGITAL IMAGING–  Alfredo L. Palacios 1119 C.A.B.A., Argentina. Tel 54 11 4303 0955 – www.adoce.com – info@adoce.com

Hollving Argaez es el único maestro del sitar en México. Su virtuosismo ha sido reconocido en diverso países del mundo (incluso en la India). El primer video pertenece a su concierto dentro del ciclo “Rara Avis” del Centro Nacional de las Artes, México; el segundo, a su gira por Francia, 2009. Si te interesa participar en una charla-concierto mándanos un correo con tus datos a: sauceverde@hotmail.com.

You will need:

• an old empty cereal box

• wrapping paper (preferably from your brother’s birthday that just passed)

• pencil, colours and tape

• a 7 year old with a creative imagination

This is my youngest’s latest creation. She has a fettish for boxes that are ready for recycling. At first she used to ask for help. Finding no willing participants, she has now taken matters into her own hands. I like an independent child. Especially one who can make her own cereal.  The dog reference is simply a poke at her mother and father who refuse to entertain the thought of a family pet.

A few shots of Hikouki Gumo and one with N’s fellow cloth-waver Chikarina!

Pandit Shubhendra Rao, maestro y guru de mi maestro (Hollving Argaez), muestra en el siguiente video su increíble técnica. ¡Simplemente asombroso!

19 ottobre 2009

eliminando product ovvero sales e inoltre senior e persino manager,

mai  crederà l’anziana madre al ripagato sacrificio di verdi anni tutoranti studi matti e disperati;

per tacere poi del vero e inqualificabile abominio del cassare rag., dott. e ing. davanti al nome.

With school ambushing me and the lure of the city ever constant I find myself with very little time (and money) to myself to sit down and coherently dig into a novel or anything literary that exceeds 4,000 words.

Thank goodness for SubTerrain. This Vancouver based literary magazine that I found while meandering in a magazine store a few weeks back gets it. With no pieces over 4,000 words, this lit rag offers sharp and witty prose, poetry, memoirs, and fiction. It doesn’t bombard you with ridiculous amounts of ads and even when there is an ad, it’s usually about a literary conference or some competition. Another great thing about this rag is its simple layout. Nothing, such as small poems, ads, or random words, interfere with the pieces, allowing the reader to plunge into a work without having to feel distracted.

Best of all, it’s only six bucks. Affordable, precise, and dense. What more could you ask for?

Find them here.

Gröt brukar kallas världens äldsta maträtt och har genom historien fungerat som såväl vardags- som festmat, världen över. Det var med glädje som vi, i söndags, tog på oss själva uppgiften att arrangera Sveriges enda bidrag till den nyligen instiftade Världsgrötdagen, i form av en grötfest. På temat ‘tradition och förnyelse’ komponerade vi den trerättersmeny som beskrives nedan. För att förhöja den festliga stämningen uppdrog vi vår särskilt inbjudna skotte (Skottland har kallats The land of porridge) att tillverka ändamålsenliga servetter.

Skotsk havregrötsaperitif

2, 5 dl grovmalet havremjöl, direktimporterat från Skottland
7,5 dl Vatten
Salt
Sylt till garnering

Mjölet rördes ut med lika mycket kallt vatten i en kastrull. Blandningen kokades upp och späddes med lite vatten i taget tills dess att konsistensen var tillfredsställande. Vi saltade gröten och lät den så stå och svälla under lock i ca 10 min innan den klickades upp i rosaskimrande glas av plast. Vår skotte garnerade alla portioner med en klick hemkokt sylt innan den serverades.

Potatisgröt med ett mänskligt ansikte

3 kg potatis
Vatten
6 dl rågmjöl
Salt

Vi kokade den tärnade potatisen  i så mycket saltat vatten att den precis täcktes, till dess att den blev mjuk. Därefter tog vi potatisen av plattan och mosade den i sitt kokvatten, samt redde av det med rågmjöl. Mera salt tillsattes medan gröten kokade ihop på svag värme ytterligare 10 minuter. Gröten serverades på ett stort grötfat som gästerna på traditionellt sett fick trängas kring.

Vid festliga tillfällen brukade förr det stora grötfatet smyckas med ett ”smöröga” alt. ”brännvinsöga” i grötens mitt, i vilket matgästerna kunde doppa sina skedar inför varje tugga för att få extra smak. Vi slog, dagen till ära, på stort och piffade upp grötfaten med både smöröga, brännvinsöga, lingonsylt och andra överraskningar. (Jenny, du hittade en Subcomandante Marcos docka i din gröt, men glömde inkassera din gåva! Den väntar på dig. Det är inte tapiocagröt.)

Uppchnervänd dessertgröt

1 l avorioris
2 l vatten
2 l sojamjölk
1/2 l sojagrädde
Skal från 10 citroner
Saft från 3 citroner
4 dl gröna russin
Salt
5 bananer
1 kg vinddruvor

Riset blötlades i vattnet ca 8 timmar. Sedan tillsatte vi sojamjölk, sojagrädde, rivet citronskal, citronsaft, finhackade russin och salt, samt kokade detta ca 1 timme. Gröten hälldes sedan i oljade formar, varvad med mosad banan, samt placerades i kylen för att stelna. Till festliga bjudningar i Skandinavien var det förr kutym att ta med sig en så kallad ’förningsgröt’, vilken man låtit stelna i en, för ändamålet vackert utsnidad grötform, så att gröten smyckats med dekorativa mönster (detta inspirerat av borgerlighetens stiliga aladåber). Vi hade ingen grötform, utan lät vår gröt stelna i andra kärl som vi fann  lämpliga.

Dagen därpå vände vi upp gröten på serveringsfat. Detta gick olika bra för grötarna i de olika kärlen. Vi garnerade därefter resultaten med kluvna, urkärnade vindruvor. En av grötarna började plötsligt och oväntat avge vätska. Troligtvis var det en kombination av fruktsaft och kokvatten som kondenserat då den låg i formen. Vi tvingades lösa detta genom att utföra en desperat åtgärd.

Tack alla ni som ville vara med oss och fira Worl Porridge Day! Vi hade det ytterst trevligt, blev mätta, samlade in  45 pund till Mary’s Meals och vår speciellt inbjudna skotte  lärde sig säga ”Glad Grötdag” på felfri svenska. Vill Du skänka en slant till Mary’s Meals kan du göra det här.

Glad Grötdag alla läsare!

/vanda och jana

After seeing many attempt for the DHG (Double hat glitch) any many of them fail attempts, I decided that I could be the one to help fix that.  At this link:

!!!DOWNLOAD!!!

(This version of RAG is outdated, try looking for the new version)

(its called “rag” for “Roblox Asset Glitch”, its icon is the riddling skull from ROBLOX =P  )

You can download a program that does HALF of the work for you!!!

This program, virus free and free of charge, is currently one of the only two DHG programs in existence, in fact, this program, depending on the speed of your internet and computer can do as many as the Quad Hat glitch.  In fact this one is not limited!!!  It contains easy to read instructions and has a nice feel and you will be up and running in no time!  It can do:

Hats

Gear

etc.

In future updates it will do it ALL by itself instead of doing half.  This is just a beta program and is going through intensive programming, have fun =P

-[HAVEMEAT]-

Here’s the latest from a collaboration of two of my favorite brands.These should be a good staple to add to your fall wardrobe.

I would like to acknowledge four special people for their outstanding commitment and success in the 60 day wellness challenge that I launched this past summer.  Their results were phenomenal and we are celebrating the tremendous health that was gained by everyone in just 2 short months.

The challenge was announced in July at the ”Wellness Way to Lose Weight” seminar that I taught at the Franson Family Chiropractic office- which you can find on DVD in our lending library- and  officially began the following week with four committed participants.  The challenge consisted of weekly meetings where critical nutrition, exercise, and wellness implementation strategies were shared, as well as two private nutrition and supplementation consults, a private training session at North Shore Crossfit, a cooking field trip to Eurostoves, and a final celebration dinner.  All the teachings, scheduled meetings, comments, and events were all posted on a website called NING (please join the Bonfire Ning community here!) so we could have our own social networking website to communicate.  Each participant also agreed to do a before and after lipid and cholesterol profile, weight, waist, and body fat measurement.

Each week there were three initiatives that every participant implemented in their lifestyle according to the weekly teachings:  An initiative in RESTORE, REMOVE and REBALANCE.  The Restore initiative consisted of the vital behaviors to add to their lifestyle, the Remove initiatives consisted of vital behaviors necessary to take out bad habits and counterproductive lifestyle choices, and the Rebalance initiatives were vital behaviors that each participant used to balance meals, exercise and thinking strategies.

Here is a video from our Eurostoves field trip:

I am very excited to tell you that every participant in the program gained health in ways such as losing pounds (an average of 7 lbs!), slashed an average of 16 points on their cholesterol, lost an average of 4 percent body fat, and lost an average of 3 inches on their waist!!  And most important of all, they all gained new healthy habits that will continue to compound their wellness over their lifetime.

If you see Nancy, Denise, Monever, or Juliana in the office be sure to ask them about their experience in the program and congratulate them on their achievements.  I am so proud of each one of you.  Congratulations, and be proud of yourself for taking the initiative to get uncomfortable and start taking charge of your health.

A special thanks also to Kendra, who was a big help with the program.

Your health coach,

Dr. Ryan Hewitt

Please listen these great testimonials from the program:

Not that long ago, the phase ‘charity volunteer’ conjured up an image of an old dear behind a charity shop counter.

But these days, hip young 20 somethings teaching kids to read in developing countries or UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Lucy Liu may be more the sorts of people who come to mind.

Being involved with a charity seems to have become almost… cool

There is no longer embarrassment in entering a charity shop, on the contrary, charity shops have become the place to find alternative vintage and sometimes surprisingly valuable clothes.

Being a street fundraiser also isn’t the dreary occupation that it was once seen to be. The coolest kids at university these days are members of the ‘Raise and Give’ society’, commonly known as the Raggies. These students travel across Europe armed with their buckets and superheroes getups, looking to raise money and have a good time.

So, why this change in perception?

There are a lot of factors, but perhaps one of the most surprising is the recession.

In these cash strapped times, people are choosing to indulge their retail therapy in cheaper charity shops, voluntary charity work is becoming increasingly popular as people bid to improve their CVs and as the recession is affecting how much people give, charity campaigns are becoming more intensive and creative.

It’s about time fashion brought something more substantial than beehives and skinny jeans to the public attention and hopefully charities new found cool is not a fad that will pass with the recession.

Sin duda, una de las leyendas del Sarod (instrumento parecido al laúd del norte de India) es Ali Akbar Khan. El siguiente video muestra el virtuosismo de este hombre, considerado un “tesoro nacional” en su país.

Posted by Audiegrl

Bill Sparkman Was a 51-Year-Old Single Father Pursuing Teaching Degree

TPMMuckraker/Zachary Roth—Bill Sparkman, the Census worker found dead in Kentucky recently was not found hanging from a tree, according to an FBI spokesman. Rather, David Beyer told TPMmuckraker, Sparkman’s feet were planted on the ground. A rope around Sparkman’s neck was attached to a tree.

An anonymously sourced AP report said that Sparkman was hanging from a tree, and that he had the word “Fed” scrawled on his chest.

Beyer, a spokesman with the FBI’s Louisville, Kentucky filed office, declined to comment on the accuracy of the “Fed” detail. But he was at pains to ratchet back speculation that Sparkman was killed in an act of anti-government sentiment, saying that investigators had not yet determined even whether the death was a homicide.

Previous reporting “left the impression that [Sparkman] was found strung up in a tree because he was a federal employee,” Beyer said. “At this juncture that’s not accurate.” Beyer added that Sparkman died of asphyxiation.

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Area where census worker died has troubled history @

***Update from TPM: The local coroner has confirmed that the word “Fed” had been written on Bill Sparkman’s chest when he was found dead earlier this month.

Jim Trosper, the Clay County coroner, confirmed the information to TPMmuckraker moments ago, adding that the word appeared to have been written in felt tip marker. He declined to give additional details.

***New AP Update: Witness: Census worker’s hanging body naked, bound

Jerry Weaver of Fairfield, Ohio, told The Associated Press on Friday that he was among a group of relatives who discovered the body of 51-year-old Bill Sparkman on Sept. 12.

“The only thing he had on was a pair of socks,” Weaver said. “And they had duct-taped his hands, his wrists. He had duct tape over his eyes, and they gagged him with a red rag or something.

“And they even had duct tape around his neck. And they had like his identification tag on his neck. They had it duct-taped to the side of his neck, on the right side, almost on his right shoulder.”

Weaver said he couldn’t tell if the tag was a Census Bureau I.D. He said he didn’t get close enough to read it.

El dilruba es uno de los instrumentos más peculiares en todo el mundo. Es una combinación entre el sitar y el sarangi. A pesar de que el ejecutante dispone de aproximadamente 18 cuerdas, sólo se concentra en una de ellas: esto no es una limitante, la increíble riqueza de la música de India le permite al músico crear piezas increíbles.

Si votre tapis Kaws – Companion Dissected a trop pris la poussière et les taches de sauce, ou que votre peau de bête a pris feu à cause de la cheminée trop proche, il est temps d’acheter le tapis Skull Rag Mat édité par Gallery 1950 (ceux là même qui avaient réalisé les serviettes Kaws, encore lui) pour Stussy.

Disponible ici en noir et blanc comme les T-Shirts mis en vente en même temps, il faudra compter environ 80 euros pour acheter ce tapis qui devrait facilement s’intégrer dans votre intérieur de collectionneur de street art ou de jeune Emo aux yeux maquillés. De quoi rendre verte de jalousie votre cousine de 16 ans.

Bob the Spider is currently assisting Jonas Kyratzes in the development of yet another pathetically pompous and pretentious game. Once he’s done with that, he will be back with a wonderful surprise for you all, and peaches for pigs.

Det spelar ingen roll hur lång tid i förväg man påbörjar sitt nedpackande vid en flytt, det är alltid ett antal saker som bara måste göras sist av allt. Plocka blåbär kan höra dit, om flytten sker mitt i den bästa bärsäsongen och man vet med sig att ens destination inte en gång har en skog att bjuda på. Andra saker som måste göras sist av allt är sånt som att bära ut sin säng, packa tandborsten, städa, och inte minst packa ut den mat man inte lyckats äta ur skafferiet. Mjöl- och grynresterna skrek om min uppmärksamhet varenda morgon den sista veckan i Oslo, men lika ofta avfärdade jag deras rop om att bli uppätna med att jag var för stressad för att orka med några experiment. Därför skedde i princip ingenting på gryn- och blåbärsfronten på väldigt länge för min del, ingenting skedde faktiskt över huvud taget på självaste grötfronten. Istället stressade jag med att äta upp blåbären jag varit tvungen att plocka helt på sluttampen, eftersom jag var rädd att de inte skulle klara av den långa resan ner till Sydsverige. Detta projekt lyckades jag ganska bra med, och till slut hade jag bara 2,5 dl kvar som jag omsorgsfullt packade ner i kylväskan ihop med en dunk aloe vera, en tub wasabi, samt en liten flaska mandelolja.

När jag väl hade kört mitt flyttlass från Oslo till Malmö, vaknade jag alltså helt naturligt upp här nere med en enorm grötlängtan min första morgon. Flyttstressen var egentligen inte över, bilen skulle lämnas in i Örebro samma kväll och körtiden däremellan är ganska lång. Att leta efter grötgryn i kartonghavet skulle helt naturligt ta längre tid än att nöja sig med rester av gårdagens inköpta lunchbröd och sojayoghurt. Tankarna snurrade i mitt huvud, jag tänkte på hur folk förr i tiden gick med flyttgröt till varandra för att underlätta i det kaos som för en stund uppstår för nyflyttade. I brist på att ha mottagit något sådant besök bestämde jag mig för att, trots tidspressen, koka min egen.

Jag började med att tömma ned hälften av de blåbär jag hade fått med mig i en kastrull ihop med en skvätt vatten, och slog på värmen innan jag fortsatte mitt kornletande. I irrandet kom jag över en påse russin och passade på att tömma även dessa i kastrullen, för att undvika borttappandet av ännu fler produkter i mitt kaos. När blåbären sedan länge kokat sönder och samman drog jag till min glädje upp en rågmjölspåse ur en plastkasse, och vispade genast i några skedar av denna grovmalda fullkornsprodukt. Bärmassan tjocknade långsamt, jag saltade samt rörde i en liten sked av den dadelsirap min pappa grävt fram i sitt letande efter kaffe. Efter några minuter bestämde jag mig för att det hela var färdigt och serverade mig själv på den enda djupa tallrik jag kunde hitta i köksskåpet.

Ingen av mina nya lägenhetskompisar var hemma, men jag räknade med att de ville dela sitt porslin med mig. Det kanske jag inte skulle ha gjort. Den närapå svarta gröten matchade enormt bra min kopp alltför starka nyponte, färgmässigt. Då jag såg min komposition kunde jag inte heller låta bli att toppa gröten med en klick av tidigare nämnda sojayoghurt, detta visade sig även fungera utmärkt vad gällde smak. Jag njöt med alla sinnen under frukosten.

Det var min pappa som stötte på problemet då han tog disken.
”Du Jana, var tallriken blå?”
”Vaddå?”
”Ja, hade den en sån här färg? Den ser så konstig ut.”

På väg till Örebro var jag nära att svänga av då jag såg skylten ”Vitt porslin” peka in på en liten landsväg.

/jana