Hopefully I will be able to get a full post up soon...wish me luck!
Oh, and that watermelon? Filled with watermelon Vodka!!!
What we ate...
Hopefully I will be able to get a full post up soon...wish me luck!
Oh, and that watermelon? Filled with watermelon Vodka!!!
Ισλανδία Η ζωή μετά την πτώχευση
Μπγιορκ και Σίγκουρ Ρος ακούτε;
Το ΒΗΜΑ Ισλανδία Η ζωή μετά την πτώχευση
Με αξιοπρέπεια και χιούμορ οι Ισλανδοί αρνούνται να πληρώσουν τα σπασμένα τραπεζιτών και κυβερνήσεων ΓΙΩΡΓΟΣ ΤΣΙΑΡΑΣ
Πολλοί γνωρίζαμε την Ισλανδία χάρη στη σκοτεινή μούσα Μπγιορκ, τους Σίγκουρ Ρος, άντε και τις «παγωμένες» αλλά γεμάτες χιούμορ και ανθρωπισμό ταινίες του Μπαλτασάρ Κορμακούρ, του Νταγκούρ Κάρι και των άλλων σπουδαίων νεαρών σκηνοθετών του ισλανδικού σινεμά. Μετά, τον Οκτώβρη του 2008, μάθαμε ότι η Ισλανδία, εκτός από παγετώνες, θερμοπίδακες και αμέτρητα ενεργά ηφαίστεια, τα οποία συγκροτούν ένα από τα πιο εντυπωσιακά τοπία στον κόσμο, διέθετε και μια αδηφάγο τραπεζική ελίτ. Αλόγιστα δανειζόμενοι και δανείζοντες, αυτοί οι κοστουμαρισμένοι μάνατζερ κατάφεραν σε μικρό διάστημα να φαλιρίσουν μια φαινομενικά πλούσια και ευνομούμενη χώρα χάρη στην ένοχη ανοχή των κυβερνώντων της. Η οικονομία κατέρρευσε σαν πύργος από τραπουλόχαρτα. Χιλιάδες άνθρωποι έχασαν τις δουλειές τους, τα σπίτια τους, τα αλιευτικά τους σκάφη. Το νόμισμα κόπηκε στη μέση από τις κερδοσκοπικές επιθέσεις και οι τιμές των προϊόντων εκτοξεύθηκαν στα ύψη. Χιλιάδες Πολωνοί και άλλοι ανατολικοευρωπαίοι οικονομικοί μετανάστες επέστρεψαν άρον άρον στις πατρίδες τους: Τι ψωμί να βγάλεις σε μια κατεστραμμένη οικονομία; Η αισιοδοξία όμως δεν λείπει από τη μικρή νησιωτική χώρα. Υπάρχει ζωή και μετά την οικονομική καταστροφή, διατρανώνουν οι κάτοικοί της. Με αξιοπρέπεια και με χιούμορ. Και με τη βεβαιότητα ότι δεν ευθύνονται οι ίδιοι για την ασυδοσία άλλων.Λονδίνο, Αμστερνταμ και Βερολίνο, από κοντά και η Ευρωπαϊκή Επιτροπή μαζί με το Διεθνές Νομισματικό Ταμείο, αξιώνουν από τους ισλανδούς πολίτες να πληρώσουν δισεκατομμύρια ευρώ στους 450.000 βρετανούς, ολλανδούς και άλλους ξένους καταθέτες που έχασαν τις επισφαλείς οικονομίες τους όταν το «ταχύπλοο» των ισλανδικών τραπεζών, ιδίως η διαδικτυακή «φούσκα» Ιcesave, προσέκρουσε σε παγόβουνο. Και βούλιαξε σαν Τιτανικός.Το προπερασμένο Σαββατοκύριακο στο μακρινό Ρέικιαβικ έβρεχε καταρρακτωδώς και φυσούσε αέρας παγωμένος, ακόμη και για τους πιο σκληροτράχηλους Ισλανδούς.
Οι απόγονοι των Βίκινγκς όμως αψήφησαν το κρύο και τις απειλές και πήγαν ομαδικά στις κάλπες για να πουν «Οχι», με ένα απίστευτο 93%, στους (κατά γενική ομολογία επαχθέστατους) όρους αποζημίωσης των βρετανών και ολλανδών καταθετών για την οποία είχε δεσμευθεί η κυβέρνησή τους. Το «Ναι» πήρε μόλις 1,8%- ακόμη και τα λευκά ήταν περισσότερα.
Οι απόγονοι των Βίκινγκς όμως αψήφησαν το κρύο και τις απειλές και πήγαν ομαδικά στις κάλπες για να πουν «Οχι», με ένα απίστευτο 93%, στους (κατά γενική ομολογία επαχθέστατους) όρους αποζημίωσης των βρετανών και ολλανδών καταθετών για την οποία είχε δεσμευθεί η κυβέρνησή τους. Το «Ναι» πήρε μόλις 1,8%- ακόμη και τα λευκά ήταν περισσότερα.«Το "Οχι" μας δείχνει ότι δεν πιστεύουμε στην κοινωνικοποίηση του χρέους των ιδιωτών.
Δείχνει ότι είναι πλέον καιρός η Βρετανία να μας αντιμετωπίσει ως κυρίαρχο κράτος και όχι σαν αποικία της.
Και ότι δεν μπορούν να χρησιμοποιούν το Διεθνές Νομισματικό Ταμείο για να μας εκβιάζουν για την υπόθεση "Ιcesave"» τονίζει η αριστερή βουλευτής Μπιργκίτα Γιονσντοτίρ.Ούτε την Ευρώπη βλέπουν πια σαν σωτήρα, ιδίως μετά το χρηματοπιστωτικό δράμα της Ελλάδας. «Τα ψάρια μας είναι το μόνο που μας έχει απομείνει τώρα που οι τράπεζές μας κατέρρευσαν και τα μεγάλα κράτη της Ευρωπαϊκής Ενωσης θέλουν
να μας τα πάρουν κι αυτά!» λέει οργισμένος ένας ταξιτζής, ο Χέλγκι Γιόνσον.Στις απειλές των κυβερνώντων πως αν πουν «Οχι» θα γίνουν... «Κούβα του Βορρά» απαντά με χιούμορ μια 22χρονη φοιτήτρια, η Ελισαμπέτ Ρουν Σιγκουρντοτίρ, πίνοντας τον καφέ της σε ανοιχτό(!) καφενείο του Ρέικιαβικ. «Και λοιπόν; Στη χειρότερη περίπτωση, σε 20 χρόνια θα γίνουμε πράγματι σαν την Κούβα, με παλιά αυτοκίνητα στους δρόμους. Μόνο που τα δικά μας παλιά αμάξια θα είναι Range Rover!» λέει χαμογελώντας. 
να μας τα πάρουν κι αυτά!» λέει οργισμένος ένας ταξιτζής, ο Χέλγκι Γιόνσον.Στις απειλές των κυβερνώντων πως αν πουν «Οχι» θα γίνουν... «Κούβα του Βορρά» απαντά με χιούμορ μια 22χρονη φοιτήτρια, η Ελισαμπέτ Ρουν Σιγκουρντοτίρ, πίνοντας τον καφέ της σε ανοιχτό(!) καφενείο του Ρέικιαβικ. «Και λοιπόν; Στη χειρότερη περίπτωση, σε 20 χρόνια θα γίνουμε πράγματι σαν την Κούβα, με παλιά αυτοκίνητα στους δρόμους. Μόνο που τα δικά μας παλιά αμάξια θα είναι Range Rover!» λέει χαμογελώντας. Οι απειλές είχαν λοιπόν το εντελώς αντίθετο αποτέλεσμα. Και τώρα η Ισλανδία των 320.000 κατοίκων προκαλεί πονοκεφάλους, ανάβει φωτιές. Τι θα συνέβαινε, αλήθεια, αν αυτοί οι ανυπότακτοι απόγονοι των Βίκινγκς βρουν μιμητές, αν οι πολίτες και άλλων χωρών αρνηθούν να πληρώσουν τα σπασμένα των τραπεζών ή τα χρέη που στοιβάζουν εν ονόματί τους οι διαπλεκόμενες κυβερνήσεις τους; Μήπως έχουμε όλοι μέσα μας έναν... Βίκινγκ και δεν το ξέρουμε;«Οι Ισλανδοί έγιναν οι πρώτοι στον κόσμο αντάρτες ενάντια στην ιδέα ότι οι πολίτες πρέπει να πληρώσουν τον λογαριασμό μιας ανεξέλεγκτης ιδιωτικής τράπεζας» έγραψε χαρακτηριστικά η Ροβένα Μέισον στη βετανική εφημερίδα «Daily Τelegraph».Αυτή η λαϊκή εξέγερση παρακολουθείται με άγχος από πολλές υπερχρεωμένες κυβερνήσεις στην Ευρώπη, οι οποίες φοβούνται μήπως αυτή η άρνηση γίνει «μεταδοτική».
Διαβάστε περισσότερα: http://www.tovima.gr/default.asp?pid=2&artid=319980&ct=2&dt=14/03/2010#ixzz0lYa9QIQt
Οι φωτό είναι προσφορά του Κώστα Ζυρίνη. Πάντα πρωτοπόρος στη φωτογράφηση και Προπυλαίων
Beef & Mushroom Stir Fry
The key to a good stir fry is to prepare both your protein and vegetables in advance so everything is ready to assemble in the pan. Besides, the fun in making a stir fry is the assembly and tossing the ingredients together as it cooks. I also like coating my protein, in this case the beef, with a little cornstarch. When liquid is added into the pan, the cornstarch from the beef will slowly allow the liquid to thicken, creating a perfect sauce. Feel free to adjust the seasonings to your taste and substitute with other vegetables too!
Beef & Mushroom Stir Fry
original Joelen recipe
1 lb lean beef, sliced thin
salt & pepper to taste
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz sliced white button mushrooms
2-3 tablespoons oyster sauce
2-3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup water
2 bunches green onion, cut in 1 inch pieces
Season sliced beef with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Toss with cornstarch to coat and set aside.
In hot skillet, add the oil and saute garlic and onion until softened. Add sliced mushrooms and cook until slightly caramelized.
Once mushrooms have started to caramelize, add beef and brown.
Add the oyster sauce, soy sauce and water; stir and allow it to come to a boil, scraping the cooked bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the liquid by half, which will thicken up due to the cornstarch from the beef.
Just before serving, add green onions and toss.
* To make ahead/freezer meal -Season sliced beef with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Toss with cornstarch to coat and place in a quart sized freezer bag. Seal and freeze or chill in refrigerator. Prep the onions, garlic and mushrooms and place in storage container in refrigerator. When ready to prepare, defrost completely/allow meat to come to room temperature. Continue to follow the directions above and finish cooking.
Council of Europe Committee Report Denounces Unjustified Swine Flu Scare, Waste of Public Money
Attached is the press release from the Social, Health and Family Affairs Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) outlining the conclusions of the provisional PACE report, The handling of the H1N1 pandemic: more transparency needed. The Press Release denounces the unjustified Swine Flu scare and waste of public money. Fiona Godlee, Editor-in-Chief of the British Medical Journal, told the Council that, according to an investigation by her journal, scientists who drew up key WHO guidelines on stockpiling flu vaccines had previously been paid by drug companies which stood to profit.
Meanwhile, here in New Brunswick, Canada, on the same day the Council of Europe report was released questioning the handling of the H1N1 flu our Department of Health announced plans to expand our seasonal flu vaccination program to cover all children under 18 "after the success of last fall's H1N1 campaign." The Department of Health Deputy Chief Medical Officer Paul Van Buynter measured success solely by the large numbers of New Brunswickers who received the H1N1 shot. There is no mention of the many credible voices, in Canada and in Europe who have questioned whether the scare campaign launched in Europe and elsewhere including here in New Brunswick was justified.
Press release - 455(2010)
PACE Health Committee denounces ‘unjustified scare’ of Swine Flu, waste of public money
Strasbourg, 04.06.2010 – The handling of the H1N1 pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), EU agencies and national governments led to a “waste of large sums of public money, and unjustified scares and fears about the health risks faced by the European public”, according to a report by the Social, Health and Family Affairs Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) made public today in Paris.
The report, prepared by Paul Flynn (United Kingdom, SOC) and approved today by the committee ahead of a plenary debate at the end of this month, says there was “overwhelming evidence that the seriousness of the pandemic was vastly overrated by WHO”, resulting in a distortion of public health priorities.
Presenting his report, Mr Flynn told the committee: “this was a pandemic that never really was”, and described the vaccination programme as “placebo medicine on a large scale” (see video below).
In its adopted text, the committee identifies what it calls “grave shortcomings” in the transparency of decision-making about the outbreak, generating concerns about the influence of the pharmaceutical industry on decisions taken. Plummeting confidence in such advice could prove “disastrous” in the case of a severe future pandemic, it warns.
In particular, the WHO and European health institutions were not willing to publish the names and declarations of interest of the members of the WHO Emergency Committee and relevant European advisory bodies directly involved in recommendations concerning the pandemic, the parliamentarians point out.
However, attending the meeting was Fiona Godlee, the Editor-in-Chief of the British Medical Journal, who told the parliamentarians that, according to an investigation by her journal, scientists who drew up key WHO guidelines on stockpiling flu vaccines had previously been paid by drug companies which stood to profit.
The WHO has been “highly defensive”, the committee said, and unwilling to accept that a change in the definition of a pandemic was made, or to revise its prognosis of the Swine Flu outbreak.
The committee sets out a series of urgent recommendations for greater transparency and better governance in public health, as well as safeguards against what it calls “undue influence by vested interests”. It also calls for a public fund to support independent research, trials and expert advice, possibly financed by an obligatory contribution of the pharmaceutical industry, as well as closer collaboration with the media to avoid “sensationalism and scaremongering in the public health domain”.
The report is due to be debated by parliamentarians from all 47 Council of Europe member states on Thursday 24 June during PACE’s summer session in Strasbourg.
Contacts
In Paris: Francesc Ferrer, mobile: +33 (0)6 30 49 68 22
In Strasbourg: PACE Communication Division, tel. +33 (0)3 88 41 31 93, mobile: +33 (0)6 30 49 68 20
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies
These brownies are awesome - a rich chocolate brownie base studded with a classic chocolate chip cookie dough on top! Apparently, this decadent dessert is popular on the Betty Crocker website and can be made with their boxed brownie mix and cookie mix. But since I already had ingredients on hand to make both a brownie batter and cookie dough from scratch, I saved myself a trip to the grocery store. I used a brownie recipe from About.com and made a half batch of the classic Nestle Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. Either way you make it (by using the mixes or from scratch), one thing for sure is that they won't last long! I plan on making this again and for variation, I'll use different baking chips such as butterscotch, mint chocolate chips, toffee, etc and/or even use another cookie dough recipe such as peanut butter!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies
recipe adapted from Betty Crocker
Brownie Batter:
4 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2/3 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1-1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom of 13x9" baking pan. In large microwave safe bowl, combine unsweetened chocolate and butter; melt on 40% power for 2-3 minutes; stir until smooth. Beat in sugar, then eggs. Stir in flour and baking powder. Spread in prepared pan.
Cookie Dough:
1 cup all-purpose flour1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
6 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto brownie batter; press down to push cookie dough slightly into brownie batter.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until brownies are set and edges look dry. Cool completely on wire rack.
CDC Autism Expert: 40% of Persons with an Autism Spectrum Disorder Also Have an Intellectual Disability
I have commented on several occasions about the fact that many persons with Autistic Disorder also have Intellectual Disabilities. That fact is a reference to Autistic Disorder as it currently exists in the DSM-IV and excludes, by definition, the many persons with Aspergers Disorder one of the Pervasive Developmental Disorders now commonly referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorders. I have pointed out that the Canadian Psychological Association has referenced studies indicating that 80% of persons with autism ... excluding Aspergers .... have an intellectual disability or cognitive deficit. I have pointed out that two surveys conducted by the CDC (2004 and 2006) indicated that 41-44% of persons with Autism Spectrum Disorders, also have intellectual disabilities. Since the Autism Spectrum includes all those with Aspergers who, by diagnostic definition are not intellectually disabled, the CPA and CDC approximate figures are consistent: approximately 80% of those with Autistic Disorder are intellectually disabled and approximately 40% of those on the entire "spectrum" of ASD's are intellectually disabled.
The reactions by SOME persons with High Functioning Autism and Aspergers and SOME parents of children with High Functioning Autism and Aspergers to this information have not always been polite. Some have claimed that somehow my use of these reported facts is wrong although I have never seen a coherent explanation for that claim. In a recent interview in the CMAJ Dr. Marshalyn Yeargin-Allsopp, a medical epidemiologist at the CDC, confirms the information set out above. Dr. Yeargin-Allsopp commented on the expansion of the autism definition changes that have taken place since the 1980's:
"But the autism umbrella has since widened to include milder forms, says Dr. Marshalyn Yeargin-Allsopp, a medical epidemiologist at the CDC. For example, it now includes Asperger syndrome, where the sufferer is socially impaired, but experiences typical language development.
Another difference between past and present autism diagnosis involves the presence of intellectual disabilities, adds Yeargin-Allsopp. During the 1960s and 1970s, the vast majority of those diagnosed with autism had an intellectual disability but today, only about 40% have one."
Autistic Disorder is the current diagnostic category (although that will be changed in the DSM-5) which would include those who would have been diagnosed with autism in the 1960's and 1970's. That is the category where the vast majority as Dr. Yeargin-Allsopp states also have intellectual disability. It is only the inclusion in the broad definition of "autism" of Aspergers Disorders, which by definition includes no one with intellectual disability, that lowers the percentage of persons with autism who also have an intellectual disability from the 80% figure to the 40% figure. Those with Autistic Disorder are still in the 80% range of "co-morbidity".
It is crystal clear that these authorities assert that 80% of persons with Autistic Disorder are also intellectually disabled. By pretending that these conditions are "co-morbid", unrelated, coincidental conditions we are ignoring the obvious relationship between them. We are ignoring the fact that classic autistic disorder is a form of intellectual disability.
The fact that 80%, even an unspecified "vast-majority", of those with Autistic Disorder also have an intellectual disability is not a coincidence. It is time now to acknowledge that fact before the DSM-5 arrives to further expand the definition of autistic disorder and further obscure the harsher realities of autistic disorder as we know it today.
