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Walton Creel is the perfect artist for these gun totin?, caribou killin?, post-Jared Lee Loughner times: He doesn’t make art; he shoots it.
Creel — a sort of modern-day George Seurat in hunting gear — creates figurative compositions of wildlife by blasting his .22-caliber rifle at point-blank range into big sheets of aluminum. (Gah, that’s gotta? be dangerous!) The resulting dot matrices of bunnies and deer and squirrels look innocent enough from afar, like black-and-white sketches out of Audubon. It’s only up close that you realize that they’ve seen more bullets than East Oakland.
Mind you, Creel, who hails from Birmingham, Alabama, says the point here is to “deweaponize” the gun. ‘My main goal was to take the destructive power away from the gun,’ he says on his website, “To manipulate the gun into a tool of creation.” Read that as you will: An ironic protest or a glorification of firearms. All’s we know is that seeing sweet little bunny ears made out of bullet holes only reminds us that the bunny’s usually on the receiving end of the rifle.
Creel’s work isn’t for sale at the moment, but it will be soon. Check his website for updates… and make sure to get there, before Sarah Palin snaps up the whole lot.
Here's an early dispatch from the PIAA wrestling championships... --------------------------------------------------- HERSHEY -- The novelty of wrestling in the Giant Center has worn off for Kennard-Dale's Chance Marsteller. On Friday it was back to business -- and back to the form that has made the Rams' 152-pound freshman a must-see in his first trip to the PIAA wrestling championships. Marsteller secured his spot in Saturday's final day of competition, storming to a 15-6 major decision against Central Mountain's Tyler Buckwater in a PIAA Class AAA quarterfinal at the Giant Center. "Yesterday, I felt a little bit excited for my first match," Marsteller said, referring to his opening-round pin of Abington Heights' James Fruehan. "Now it's like alright, it's time to roll." Marsteller finished strong Saturday. He turned a close match with Buckwater -- it was 6-4 after two periods -- into a comfortable win with a flurry of third-period takedowns. "After the third or fourth takedown, I realized I broke him," Marsteller said. "He stopped attacking." Marsteller will try to make history Saturday by becoming the heaviest freshman ever to win a PIAA Class AAA title. Marsteller will be joined in Saturday morning's triple-A semis by three YAIAA seniors: New Oxford's Jordan Conaway (112) and the Spring Grove pair of Trey Duncan (145) and Neal Grudi (171). All four earned decisions in their respective quarterfinals. Overall, the YAIAA went 4-2 in quarterfinal bouts Friday. South Western's Max Good (125) and Cameron Throckmorton (130) both crashed out, with the latter dropping a highly-anticipated battle of unbeatens with Nazareth's Zach Horan, 3-2. Good and Throckmorton lost their ensuing consolation bouts, ending their state medal hopes. Dallastown's Phil Sprenkle (189) is now the only YAIAA grappler still alive in wrestlebacks. We'll have much more later on GameTimePA.com and in tomorrow's York Sunday News.
SAN DIEGO, Jan. 22, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mitek Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:MITK)(www.miteksystems.com), the leading innovator of mobile imaging for financial transactions and identification, today announced that it will release its financial results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2015, ended December 31, 2014, after the market closes on Thursday, January 29, 2015.
Mitek management will host a conference call and live webcast for analysts and investors on January 29, 2015 at 2 p.m. Pacific Time (5 p.m. Eastern Time) to discuss the Company's financial results.
To listen to the live conference call, parties in the United States and Canada should dial 888-427-9376, access code 2855818. International parties should call 719-325-2393 using access code 2855818. Please dial in approximately 15 minutes prior to the start of the call.
If you're on the hunt for a new way to enjoy eggs, try this play on the traditional Middle Eastern dish shakshuka that satisfies as a special Spring breakfast or post-workout dinner. With more than 20 grams of protein and nearly 40 percent of your recommended fiber for the day, this 350-calorie meal consists of perfectly poached eggs swimming in a fragrant and spicy tomato-sauce bath. To amp things up in the nutrition department, garbanzo beans are added for even more protein and Swiss chard adds vitamin A, vitamin C, and iron.
Heat oil in ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté for five minutes. Add chickpeas and sauté for another three minutes.
Add diced tomatoes, cumin, cinnamon, paprika, red pepper flakes, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to simmer for 10 minutes.
Add Swiss chard and cook down for about one minute.
Make six little wells in the tomato and chard mixture, and add eggs to the skillet slowly.
Move the skillet to the preheated oven, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the whites are set.
Remove from oven, sprinkle with basil, serve, and enjoy.
A primer on the organic food industry.
Just putting food on the table can be a chore for so many. Because of this, farmers have focused on ways to get the cost of putting food on the table as low as possible. Some of the methods used, including chemicals, antibiotics and factory farming, have not always been in the best interest of the consumer nor the environment. Because of that, these methods haven't sat well with many consumers, which has given rise to the rapidly growing organic food industry.
Organic tomatoes. Photo credit: Flickr user epSos.de.
The organic food movement is actually a labeling term. It refers to the way food is grown and processed. Synthetic fertilizers and pesticides as well as sewage sludge and irradiation are not used to grow organic food crops, and seeds cannot be genetically engineered. Instead, organic food uses pesticides and fertilizers that are derived from natural sources. Meanwhile, organically certified livestock are raised in accordance with health and welfare standards. In addition to that, animals are not given antibiotics or growth hormones, but are given 100% organic food and have access to the outdoors. Organic farming practices encourage soil and water conservation as well as reducing pollution, and at its core, the practice of organic food production promotes sustainability and ecological balance and conserves biodiversity.
USDA organic food seal. Source: USDA.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA, has established an organic certification program that requires all foods desiring to be labeled organic to meet strict standards to be certified. There are actually three different organic labels. Foods that are 100% organic may use that phrase, however, the term "organic" actually includes foods that are at least 95% organic, so, as long as the food product is 95% organic, it can display the USDA's organic seal. Products that contain at least 70% organic ingredients may label that the product is "made with organic ingredients."
How big is the organic food industry?
According to the USDA, more than 25,000 farmers, ranchers, and other businesses produce products under the USDA organic certification program. Over $35 billion worth of products are sold through the U.S. organic retail market, up from just a billion dollars in sales in 1990. In 2010, about 4% of the U.S. food and beverage market was organic food sales, however, organic claimed 11% of all fruit and vegetable sales that year. Overall, about 81% of Americans have reported to have purchased organic food in the past. However, organic food buying is highly concentrated, as nearly half of all organic and natural food sales come from just 18% of customers.
The organic food industry is still an emerging industry in the U.S., and sales are expected to grow by 14% annually from 2013 to 2018. Most organic farms or businesses are small-scale operations or have been acquired and are now just part of a larger company. That limits the options for those seeking to invest directly in the organic food industry. That being said, the combination of growing consumer awareness and greater availability of organic products is driving growth, so investment options should increase over time.
How does the organic food industry work?
Because organic is a labeling term, it is a completely voluntary certification. Therefore, barriers to entry are not all that high. A producer first decides to adopt organic principles and then submits an application to be certified. From there, a certification agent reviews the application and verifies that the practices of the applicant comply with USDA organic food regulations. An inspector will conduct an on-site inspection of the applicant's operation to ensure these regulations are being met. If all guidelines are met, an organic certificate is given to the applicant. After that, the applicant must be re-certified each year to ensure it remains compliant with the organic food regulations. Because of this, theoretically, anyone with some land and capital could choose to join the organic food industry.
What drives the organic food industry?
There are several drivers of the organic food industry. Early on, it was driven by those seeking a more environmentally responsible solution to food production. However, over time, organic food has won more followers. Americans are becoming increasingly concerned with how their food has been grown and processed, and the organic certification provides greater peace of mind that their food won't be harmful to their health. This awareness has been enhanced by the growth of organic-focused food stores like Whole Foods (NASDAQ:WFM), which has also increased the availability of organic foods.
That being said, the bulk of organic food buying comes from consumers fully dedicated to the process. One survey concluded that 46% of organic food purchases were made by those who were either "true believers" in the process or "enlightened environmentalists." There are two big reasons organic food buyers typically have a dedication to the process. Organic food isn't as readily available, and organic foods typically carry premium prices because of the added production costs.
However, as more producers get certified, and more stores carry organic products, organic food is becoming an easier option for everyday shoppers who want to rid their diets of pesticides and food additives. Because of this trend, in 2010, more than half of organic food sales were sold through mass-market retailers. The combination of more grocery stores carrying organic foods, when combined with the growth of natural food retailers, is helping make organic food more readily available to the masses.
Overall, the industry is growing fast as more Americans are choosing to increase their consumption of organic foods. Given that nearly half of all organic food sales are to just a small subset of the population, there is great potential for future growth in the industry as more Americans increase their spending on organically certified food products. That's a tremendous opportunity for investors, as increased market share from organic foods could yield growing profits in the years ahead.
Washington, DC - The American economy is strong, and manufacturing jobs are growing steadily.
Jobs in goods-producing industries, which include manufacturing, recently grew at the fastest rate since President Reagan was in office. In Utah, 7,400 manufacturing jobs have been added since November 2016.
Nationally, recent data showed the fewest number of people filing for unemployment in 49 years, and more than 4 million new jobs have been created since President Trump was elected. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P have recently set record highs.
JERUSALEM, Dec. 4 — Israel’s military, which has been accused of abuses in its war against Hezbollah this summer, has declassified photographs, video images and prisoner interrogations to buttress its accusation that Hezbollah systematically fired from civilian neighborhoods in southern Lebanon and took cover in those areas to shield itself from attack.
Lebanon and international human rights groups have accused Israel of war crimes in the 34 days of fighting in July and August, saying that Israel fired into populated areas and that civilians accounted for a vast majority of the more than 1,000 Lebanese killed.
Israel says that it tried to avoid civilians, but that Hezbollah fired from civilian areas, itself a war crime, which made those areas legitimate targets.
In a new report, an Israeli research group says Hezbollah stored weapons in mosques, battled Israelis from inside empty schools, flew white flags while transporting missiles and launched rockets near United Nations monitoring posts.
The detailed report on the war was produced by the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center at the Center for Special Studies, a private research group headed by Reuven Erlich, a retired colonel in military intelligence, who worked closely with the Israeli military.
An advance copy was given to The New York Times by the American Jewish Congress, which has itself fought against the use of “human shields,” provided consultation and translated the study.
In Lebanon, a Hezbollah official denied the study’s allegations, saying its military units were based outside towns and villages and had come into populated areas only when circumstances required it. “We tried to avoid having to fight among civilian areas, but when Israeli troops entered villages, we were automatically forced to fight them from inside these villages to defend it,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on military matters.
Israel’s critics charge that its military either singled out civilians or was reckless in its pursuit of Hezbollah. The new report is an attempt to rebut such criticism.
The report includes Israeli Air Force video that it says shows several instances of Hezbollah personnel firing rockets next to residential buildings in southern Lebanon and then being bombed by Israel. The adjacent buildings were presumably damaged, but there is no information on whether civilians were inside.
In video from July 23, a truck with a multi-barreled missile launcher, presumably from Hezbollah, is parked in a street, sandwiched between residential buildings. The video was transmitted from an Israeli missile approaching the truck. The screen goes fuzzy as the missile slams into the target.
In another video, from a Lebanese village, rockets are seen being fired from a launcher on the back of a truck. The truck then drives a short distance and disappears inside a building. Seconds later, the building itself disappears under a cloud of smoke from an Israeli bomb.
The report says that there were many such examples, and that Hezbollah has been preparing for such an engagement for years, embedding its fighters and their weapons in the Shiite villages of southern Lebanon. When Hezbollah fired its rockets from those areas, Israel faced a choice of attacking, and possibly causing civilian casualties, or refraining from shooting because of the risk, the report said.
During the war, Israel dropped leaflets urging villagers to leave southern Lebanon and also to evacuate from Hezbollah strongholds in southern Beirut. Many did flee, but some remained and among them were hundreds who were killed.
In one highly publicized Israeli strike on July 30, at least 28 Lebanese civilians, including many women and children, were killed when Israel bombed a residential building in the village of Qana. Israel said it struck a Hezbollah rocket cell that had recently fired from near the building.
In several other instances, Israel bombed vehicle convoys that were trying to leave the combat zone in southern Lebanon, killing many civilians. Human Rights Watch, a New York-based advocacy group, said shortly before the war ended that it had documented the deaths of 27 Lebanese civilians killed while trying to flee.
Photographs from southern Lebanon include, top, a village where Israel says a rocket launcher was kept, before and after an Israeli airstrike. Above, another village where Israel says a rocket launcher was hidden.
The group also accused Hezbollah of “serious violations of international humanitarian law” for deliberately attacking Israeli civilians with rockets.
The Israeli report included video of what it said were three Hezbollah prisoners being questioned by Israeli military personnel.
Muhammad Srour, a young Hezbollah fighter, said he had initially received training in Iran and was undergoing further training in eastern Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley when the war broke out. He was sent to the front lines.
Like many Hezbollah fighters, he traveled by motorbike, but they were frequently the targets of Israeli forces. While transporting missiles, hidden in cloth, in and around the southern village of Aita al Shaab, “I carried a white flag,” Mr. Srour said.
Hezbollah operated freely from homes in the village, with the permission of residents who had fled. The departing residents either left their doors unlocked or gave their keys to Hezbollah, he said. Mr. Srour acknowledged that homes used by Hezbollah were more likely to draw fire.
Another captured fighter, Hussein Suleiman, explained how he had set up a rocket-firing position on the front porch of a house on the outskirts of Aita al Shaab.
The Israeli report makes frequent references to Hezbollah’s using Lebanese civilians as human shields, though it cites only two villages where it says Hezbollah prevented residents from leaving. Mr. Erlich acknowledged that over all, Hezbollah did not use coercion against Lebanese civilians.
Hezbollah fired some 4,000 rockets into northern Israel, and most Israeli civilians either fled the region or took refuge in bomb shelters.
Over all, more than 1,000 Lebanese were killed, and a vast majority were civilians, according to the Lebanese government. Hezbollah has said that no more than 100 of its fighters were killed.
The Israeli report disputes this, claiming that at least 450 and perhaps as many as 650 of the Lebanese dead were from Hezbollah.
Israel suffered 159 deaths, including 41 civilians and 118 military personnel, according to the report.
Israel withdrew its troops from southern Lebanon in 2000 after a presence of nearly two decades, much of it spent fighting Hezbollah. There was periodic cross-border shelling in the ensuing years.
The war erupted on July 12 when Hezbollah crossed the border and attacked an Israeli jeep patrol, killing three soldiers and capturing two more, who remain held by Hezbollah, according to the group.
The fighting stopped Aug. 14, shortly after the passage of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which reaffirmed an earlier resolution calling for Lebanese militias to disarm.
Israel says Hezbollah has only hidden its weapons and is being resupplied from its longtime patrons, Syria and Iran. Israel continues to send warplanes on reconnaissance missions over southern Lebanon, despite criticism from the United Nations forces in the region.
Because of an editing error, a front-page article on Tuesday about an Israeli report that accused Hezbollah militants of using Lebanese civilians as human shields during the war this summer referred imprecisely to how Amnesty International handled the issue. While it was not addressed in Amnesty’s Sept. 14 report on the war, it was in a Nov. 21 report, in which the organization acknowledged the presence of Hezbollah fighters and weapons in civilian areas. But it said this was not conclusive evidence of intent to use civilians as human shields.
An article in Business Day yesterday about a restructuring, including a management shake-up, at Yahoo misstated the year Daniel L. Rosensweig, the departing chief operating officer, assumed his post. It was April 2002, not 2003.
THE troubled Perth Arena's total cost will be $548.7 million after the State Government reached agreement with the builder over contractual claims related to its design.
Significant design changes, construction challenges and delays at the CBD project in recent years have seen the Arena’s cost more than triple its original budget.
The project was first announced in 2005 at a cost of $160 million and was due for completion in 2009.
For months on end, Len Buckeridge’s BGC Construction has remained tight-lipped about the project because of delicate negotiations taking place with the State Government over a raft of design changes which created the significant delays and cost blow-outs.
In July, PerthNow reported that Mr Buckeridge, who was refusing to pay penalties of $45,000 a day after the project failed to meet a completion deadline, was preparing a $53 million counterclaim for the repeated changes impacting construction schedules and project delivery.
Treasurer Christian Porter said the long standing contractual claims, which have now been settled under confidential terms, were directly related to the previous Labor government’s decision to change the contract with BGC which made the State liable for design changes.
Major changes to the design, including the decision to move the arena car park to the basement during the middle of the tender process, were also put in place.
These “inexplicable and incompetent decisions” made by Labor, Mr Porter said, have resulted in the State being exposed to significant design risk and now contract costs.
“Combined with the other Labor design changes relating to the structural steel design, the result of Labor’s decisions has been to give rise to substantial claims from BGC for extension of time and related delay damages,” Mr Porter said.
“After an exhaustive negotiation process, the State Government has reached agreement on settlement of all delay claims linked to any cause occurring up to the end of July 2011.
“The recent settlement figure for BGC's claims of $27.5 million represents a significantly lower amount than the $65.4 million originally sought by BGC and in all the circumstances represents the best outcome for the State.
Last week, Bloomberg reported that the Justice Department might snuff out the impeding Comcast-TWC merger for violation of antitrust laws. Now, the WSJ has joined the mourning party, with a report saying the FCC will designate the merger for a hearing. That wouldn’t kill it dead, but it would certainly sharpen up the axe.
According to the WSJ report, FCC staff have recommended the agency issue a “hearing designation order”. That would put the future of the merger in the hands of an administrative judge, and would put the FCC’s seal of disapproval on the nuptials.
If things do move to a hearing, that wouldn’t be the end of the line — Comcast would still have an opportunity to make its case. But as the WSJ points out, there’s little Comcast can change about the details of the deal at this stage, since both Comcast and TWC already have arrangements in place to sell or spin off systems to Charter, if the deal goes through.
The September issue of Elle Decor arrived in a flourish of silvery hues and starchitect selfies, looking ahead to the future of design with no fear of the past (or of a bold red armchair). At the editorial helm of the Hearst shelter magazine is Michael Boodro, who predicts that over the next quarter century, “the print version of the magazine will become more of a luxury object and we’ll see increases in e-edition sales. I think people will continue to turn to Elle Decor for inspiration and resources. We’re always going to have a passion for finding new talent and peoples’ homes will continue to be a refuge that reflects their tastes.” We managed to catch Boodro between the September issue unveiling and the launch of the magazine’s new book to chat about the big 2-5, what he read this summer, and the best advice Anna Wintour ever gave him.
Elle Decor turns 25 this year. How are you celebrating?
We have celebrated throughout the year with special stories looking back, but it all culminates with our big 25th anniversary issue, out now. It is full of projects by quintessential Elle Decor designers, including Steven Gambrel and Darryl Carter, as well as a celebration of silver—the traditional 25th anniversary gift—and a special section on the future of design, because Elle Decor has always looked ahead and sought out new talents. We also have our third book, The Height of Style: Inspiring Ideas from the World’s Chicest Rooms, coming out later this month [September 16] from Abrams.
How do you describe the editorial mission/philosophy of the magazine?
I actually think our most important mission is to inspire. Sure, we want to keep our readers informed as to the latest projects and trends, but our readers are passionate about design, and they want to know the stories behind the room, behind the product. They are just as interested in design history as in what is new. They are open to new ideas and want to see all kinds of interiors from around the world—even if it’s not the way they want to live themselves. We try to keep them engaged and surprised, on everything from interiors to art to food to travel.
What is the most surprising thing you encountered while looking through past issues?
What surprised me was how fresh many of the rooms still look, even 25 years later. Yes some of the fashions and trends have dissipated—French Provençal style, Mission—although that might be coming back—and hard-edged minimalism. But personal style always retains its appeal. What was sobering was realizing how many talents died young, often due to AIDS.
What’s the best book you read this summer—or what’s still on your list of books to get to before the summer is out?
I am just finishing Beth Macy’s Factory Man, an amazing story of furniture and family that looks at the radical way furniture production has changed in the U.S. It tells the story of the Bassett family, who went from literally controlling their company town in Virginia to shutting down the majority of their factories in the face of NAFTA and dumping by the Chinese. It is full of lively characters, family dysfunction, and heartbreaking loss. After reading it, you will never buy a nightstand or table again without thinking about the repercussions.
I also read an advance copy of Sarah Water’s new novel The Paying Guests, out in September. It starts as the story of a young woman and her mother facing genteel poverty in the aftermath of the First World War and then turns into something totally different. It’s a total page-turner.
What is the most unusual or meaningful object currently on your desk?
A photo of my husband and me in the back of our house in upstate New York. It is very lush and green, and reminds me why I work so hard.
What’s the best creative, business, or life advice you’ve received?
When I worked for Anna Wintour she would often say, “Not every idea works.” A simple truth, but one that is important to remember—no matter how brilliant any idea or concept seems initially. Remembering that keeps you humble. What I also value about that statement is that it is not judgmental. No criticism, no grief, no blame—just move on.
What do you consider your proudest publishing/magazine moment?
Just surviving in this business has been an accomplishment, especially during 2008 and 2009, when the demise of print was considered imminent. I have been lucky enough to have been affiliated with and contributed to some of the best brands in the business—GQ, Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, Martha Stewart Living, and now Elle Decor. A few magazines I loved are now gone—House & Garden, Garden Design, and a magazine I launched, Culture & Travel. All had their moments of pleasure and pain, fortunately more of the former. But I think what I am most proud of during my career has been discovering and supporting new talents in many different fields.
In this Tuesday, March 13, 2018, file photo, President Donald Trump talks with reporters as he reviews border wall prototypes in San Diego.
A government report Monday warned that the Department of Homeland Security, or DHS, risks blowing through its budget and not meeting key deadlines regarding President Donald Trump's proposed border wall, NBC News reported.
The report by the Government Accountability Office, or GAO, an internal government watchdog agency, found that DHS has not provided a complete analysis required to efficiently build the proposed barrier along the Mexico border — which could result in wasted taxpayer money. It also said the wall may not work as planned.