Around the world on Coffee Weighers

Source: The Grand Rapids Press - MLive.com ()

“Merry Christmas” will be a familiar refrain
today. But Christmas is about a celebration of greater joy
than the merriment of presents and a day off. Amid the
excitement of gift-giving and gatherings with family and
friends, quiet attention should go to the day’s
Christian core.

Christmas is a religious holiday. In Christian belief, it
marks the day on which God gave the world his Son, the
Savior. Christians worldwide return to the Holy Scriptures
where Luke and Matthew tell of Mary and Joseph and the
humbly understated birth of the Son of God. The moment comes
during a forced sojourn when the couple is to be counted by
the Romans, the conquering occupiers of their land. In the
little town of Bethlehem, the baby Jesus enters the earthly
world in a stable. His bed, a manger, is ordinarily a
feeding trough for the animals. It does not matter. The
sanctity of the miracle, brought to light under a star from
above, is heralded by angels and honored by visits of
shepherds and kings. This new life is also a New Beginning
and New Hope for all of mankind. Forever. Or so it is
written.

But the travails of everyday life have always challenged
that optimism. Given the uncertainty many in our nation
feel, finding inspiration this year might be particularly
difficult. The foreclosure crisis gripping the nation has
millions of families worried about keeping roofs over their
heads. The recent shootings at a shopping mall in Omaha,
Neb., have people concerned about their personal safety in
public places. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are heading
into another year, keeping our troops in harm’s way and
their loved ones on pins and needles.

Such circumstances can tinge life with sadness and anxiety.
Some things cannot be forgotten or dismissed, even during
the Christmas season. But trouble and despair need not get
the best of us. Indeed, today is a reminder of the of
a gift. On this day, the unexpected generosity of family,
friends or strangers can lift …

Source: Washington Post ()

DES MOINES, Iowa — Hattie Irving, an 81-year old Iowan, never participated in her state’s presidential caucuses, but she plans to this time _ to support Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Source: Inside Bay Area ()

MERRY TWO DAYS before Christmas. You’re probably all out shopping or thawing turkeys or going a’ wassailing or trying to get your partridges to stay in those darned pear trees. (Try a pneumatic 18-gauge brad nailer. Works every time.)
Whilst shopping, thawing or nailing, please accept my veritable grab bag of holiday-related information that you’re gonna get whether you like it or not, kind of like that boomerang fruitcake from Aunt Hazel in Florida that you regifted to your brother in Chicago who regifted it to your cousin in Kentucky who gave it back to Aunt Hazel in Florida who sent it you again. Ah, circle of life.
1. Haven’t heard from that special someone yet this year? Not even Aunt Hazel? C’mon, don’t rush the postal service. Allow them another day, give or take a century.
According to news reports, a postcard mailed from the remote realms of Alma, Neb., on Dec. 23, 1914, featuring an adorable color drawing of Santa Claus and a bright-eyed young girl, just arrived at its intended destination in Oberlin, Kansas — just this month!
An intrepid postal worker found the venerable card in some nook and/or cranny at a post office in Illinois, popped it in an envelope with a 41-cent stamp (the 1-center of the early 1900s wouldn’t have gotten it as far as the post office lunch room) and mailed it again. The addressee, Ethel Martin, long ago gave up waiting to get the note from her Nebraska cousins, and died. But her sister-in-law, Bernice Martin, Advertisementremains alive and received it.
“It is kind of curious,” Bernice said. “We’d like to know how it got (in Illinois). But wherever they kept it, it was in perfect shape.”
Poor Ethel. All that time, she probably felt slighted by her cheeky Nebraska cousins. This kind of thing might have caused a family rift. It might be how wars get started. Hang on, Hatfields! You might still get a letter of apology from the
2. People are nice. Well, I dunno about the Hatfields and the McCoys, but David Castleberry …

Source: RIA Novosti ()

Those who don't like Putin gleefully remind everyone that now he has joined some of the most hideous dictators in modern history, Hitler and Stalin. Those who like Putin point out that the company includes a lot of very decent people who had fought for peace, against hunger and made a notable contribution to the present world order. Among them is even an anonymous computer user.

Right off, we should give up the discussion of the criteria the magazine uses to choose the "Person of the Year". They are not debatable, they are non-existent. The official formula that credits Putin with displaying "exceptional skill in leading the country" would be a lot more appropriate to describing aerobatics. Which is why the Time article about Putin's presidency is as contradictory as the presidency itself.

The fact itself is remarkable and very pleasant for Putin. This became more than clear when he gave the obligatory interview to Time journalists before the much-prized title was officially conferred on him. But the Americans so annoyed him with their questions that first he demanded that they disclose the names and safe houses of the most corrupt Russian officials and then declared the interview finished without inviting them to tea. True, the interview lasted more than three hours so that the journalists who were hoping for the dessert ought to have grasped that presidential cordiality and open-handed Russian hospitality were different things.

I have no illusions that Time has conferred the title on Putin because it likes him. Most probably the magazine meant to highlight the role of Russia in the modern world. When the Kremlin gives the instruction to turn off the gas tap, half the world is about to faint. It is one thing to discuss Khodorkovsky and the way top Russian lawyers use electoral law to put down sources of instability, and it quite another thing when there is no gas in your stove when you want to make …

Source: CBC Saskatchewan ()

Motorists in England and Wales caught using a hand-held mobile device while driving could face up to two years in prison under new guidelines published Thursday.

Under the new measures, published by the Crown Prosecution Service, drivers who use hand-held electronic equipment could be prosecuted under “dangerous driving” remedies instead of those governing “careless driving.”

Dangerous driving offences, which also include aggressive driving and driving while reading a newspaper or map, carry a maximum offence of two years in prison.

“The responses to our 2007 public consultation have shown how seriously society views the potential dangers of the use of mobile phones and other hand-held devices, while driving,” the guidelines state. “In cases where the driver was avoidably and dangerously distracted by that use, a charge of dangerous driving will be the starting point for our charging decisions.”

The measure does not govern the use of hands-free mobile devices.

The U.K. actually banned driving while using hand-held devices in 2003, but faced criticism over a lack of enforcement of the law.

Newfoundland and Labrador is currently the only Canadian province to have banned the use of cellphones while driving, passing legislation in 2003.

Nova Scotia and Quebec introduced similar legislation this fall, with Quebec’s laws hand-held cellphone to begin on Jan. 1 should its bill pass as expected.

Under Newfoundland laws, a driver who causes a collision by using a cellphone or who is observed driving unsafely while using the device could be charged under a number of laws, including those related to dangerous driving, careless driving and criminal negligence causing death or injury.

A number of provincial public safety reports across Canada have recommended banning the use of hand-held mobile while driving.

The Canadian Automobile Association has argued that 80 per cent of traffic accidents are caused …

Source: PR-USA.net (press release) ()

Bentleys Steakhouse is Serving Up Sophisticated Succulence This Holiday Season At the Atlanta Airpor

Atlanta Airport Marriott’s acclaimed restaurant, Bentleys Steakhouse is known for their succulent steaks, but there are numerous other reasons to experience the casual elegance of this legendary Atlanta steak restaurant this holiday season.

Guided by Chef Robert Lescanec, Bentleys Steakhouse is leading the way in terms of world class cuisine paired with distinctive, bold wines.

Chef Robert Lescanec was introduced to the food and beverage business at an early age by his mother and grandmother who helped his aunt and uncle at a small cafй in his hometown of Steelton, Pennsylvania. At a bakery in his hometown, Chef Lescanec began pursuing his craft professionally, which led him to hone his cooking skills at Johnson & Wales University where he graduated with an Associate Degree in Culinary Arts and a Bachelors Degree in Hotel & Restaurant Management.

Bentleys Steakhouse, under the watchful eye of Chef Lescanec, boasts a casually sophisticated dining environment amidst a contemporary setting warmed with Southern hospitality and superior service. Serving the finest USDA steaks, Silverton lamb, and South Australian lobster complimented by signature side dishes make for tastefully inspired menu options and exquisite entrees.

The expansive wine list features over 150 international wines to please even the most discerning palette. Receiving the Wine Spectator “Award of Excellence” from 1999 to 2005, this stately Atlanta airport restaurant is proud of the variety of labels they carry.

Intimate dining chambers, individually appointed with exclusive gallery art are perfect for business engagements or intimate, romantic evenings. Dark-stained floors and custom area rugs only enhance the ambiance of polished refinement and chic sophistication throughout …

Source: Victorville Daily Press ()

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Hesperia smokeshop debate to come to an end
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BEAU YARBROUGH
December 18, 2007 - 12:31PM

Smokers will be stuck with the options they currently have, if the Hesperia City Council passes a proposed 45-day moratorium on opening new cigarette shops at Wednesday's city council meeting.

“I would like to see adult businesses in a certain area,” Councilwoman Rita Vogler said. “This is a type of business that sells one type of adult products. I’m not trying to ban a product, I’m trying to locate adult businesses where they should be, away from where children are.”

The temporary moratorium, if approved, will provide the city staff with the time to draft a more permanent ordinance regulating stores that devote 50 percent or more of their floor area to tobacco or tobacco-related products.

“I am probably the only smoker on the council, but I can pick up mine at the donut shop when I go and get my coffee,” said Mayor Pro Tem Thurston “Smitty” Smith.

“I’m not anti-business, no means. The proposal is a moratorium for 45 days to study the issue,” Smith said. …

Source: seattlepi.com Buzzworthy ()

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Source: Hindu ()

Agri. & Commodities

500,000 hectares designated for tea plantation in Ethiopia

ADDIS ABABA (Xinhua): Ethiopia announced Saturday the designation of farmlands covering a total of 500,000 ha. in four regional states.

The newly designated farmlands for tea development are in Oromia, South Nations, Nationalities and Peoples (SNNP), Amhara and Gambella regional states, said Isayas Kebede, head of coffee, tea and spices development department with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. He told journalists that tea leaves are being grown currently by Ethio-Agriseft and East Africa Holdings with an annual harvest not exceeding 6,000 tons.

Of the annual harvest, he said 4,500 tons are being consumed locally, which further undermines the potentially significant foreign currency earnings from tea.

Efforts are underway, however, to boost the volume of tea exports and to increase the number of export destinations for Ethiopian tea, he said.

Isayas said the number of investors, showing interest to engage in the sector, has been growing.

He said numerous investors, including international statured Indian companies, have applied to engage in tea development in Ethiopia.

One Indian company would soon launch on 10,000 ha. of land, which would double the national production volume, he added.

Agri. & Commodities

Agri. & Commodities

Source: The Capital Times ()

Even though he is only 38 years old, Brian
Solomon’s principles have been tested.

He told the story of one of those tests in
his 2005 book, “Sequestered,” documenting his experience as a juror
in Dan Kutz’s January 2001 murder trial. Kutz was accused of
killing his wife, Beth, whose body was never found.

Solomon was an 11-1 holdout for 22 hours
before he agreed, after a personal and solitary evaluation of the
evidence, that Dan Kutz intended to kill his wife. The jury had to
find intent in order to convict him of first-degree murder.

Writing is an important part of Solomon’s
life. “I love writing and it is the most comfortable way for me to
express myself.”

His Kutz trial book is the only one he has
had published but “a couple of others are still in the
computer.”

Books are not his only genre. Madison
newspaper readers probably know him best as a letter and opinion
column writer.

As soon as he arrived here as a pony-tailed
23-year-old graduate student in 1991, Solomon began shooting
letters off to all the papers. As recently as this month, he had a
guest column in Isthmus.

Although the issues he has dealt with over
the years have changed, the soft-spoken vegetarian’s core beliefs
as reflected in these public statements have remained consistent.
He is and has always been a spokesman for social justice and civil
liberties.

When he was in high school, he did an English
paper on AIDS. “That got me into the cause. It has resonated with
me ever since,” Solomon said.

But his involvement has not remained only at
the literary level. He has done the 500-mile AIDS bicycle ride nine
times. And, when, after the third ride, he found that the model
being used didn’t bring enough of the proceeds to the intended
beneficiaries, he co-founded AIDS-Network Cycles Together to
sponsor the Wisconsin rides. This year’s was the ACT
ride.

His wife, Lynne, rode with him after the
first couple of AIDS rides and became …