View allAll Photos Tagged foolproof
Donated by Rick von Holdt of the Foolproof Press for the benefit auction / holiday party to raise money for the Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum.
According to Blackadder this is a foolproof way of getting yourself sent home from the trenches.
Flaunting My Undies for TRP.
Lower trade barriers and greater openness to trade have been historically associated with higher income growth in many countries, but this relationship has not been foolproof. For instance, some countries with the highest growth of exports and GDP during the heyday of the “Washington Consensus” followed heterodox development policies involving sizable trade barriers and hefty subsidies to domestic industries, and some of them still closely control the flow of capital across their borders. What have we learned from those distinct development policies? Should countries identify external “competitiveness” and avoidance of de-industrialization with maximization of social welfare? Under which circumstances is unfettered globalization incompatible with political stability and well-functioning democracies? Should we expect large emerging market economies to take the lead in the trade liberalization agenda going forward? This session will shed fresh light on these important policy issues.
Inspired by Monday’s post of our staff beauty picks and with wedding season in full swing, we realized some brides may need help with their list of wedding prep musts haves. Since you can never be too prepared, we’ve put together a foolproof bridal emergency kit that will have you ready for anything on your big day.
Tissues - Weddings can get emotional! Have a few travel packs for the more sentimental moments of the day.
Hair ties - Keep extra hair ties on hand to keep hair out of the way during makeup, or use them to create a chic up-do.
Makeup remover wipes - You never know when you’ll need a touch up! Remover wipes are a great way to fix any makeup mishaps, like running mascara or lipstick smudges.
Band aids - Band aids are sure to be useful throughout the day. They’re fantastic for preventing blisters and patching up nicks or cuts.
Safety pins - These are perfect for unexpected, quick repairs. Broken jewelry clasps, dress straps, or bustles are no match for a few safety pins.
Lip balm - Keep chapped lips at bay with your favorite lip balm.
Hairspray - Tame any flyways and hold hair in place, whether you’re sporting an elegant updo or soft waves. We love Bumble and Bumble’s Classic Hairspray for it’s flexible, but strong staying power.
Travel perfume - Buy a travel-size perfume or rollerball in the scent the bride will be wearing on her wedding day. It’s great for freshening up between the ceremony and reception.
Luna Bar - Weddings can be hectic, so it’s extremely important to eat and stay hydrated during the day. Always have a small snack and water on hand for the wedding party throughout the hustle and bustle of getting ready! Luna Bars are a delicious way to keep your energy up.
Secret deodorant - Especially useful for summer weddings!
Scissors - Perfect for cutting off tags or trimming loose strings.
Hem tape – Great for making last minute alterations, no sewing or ironing required.
Bobby pins - You can never have too many bobby pins! Keep a few in everyone’s clutches for a bit of extra hair security.
Pile everything into a portable cosmetics toolbox, and you’ll be good to go for the wedding day! Other great things to include are aspirin, extra earring backs, lint rollers, straws, extra boutonniere pins, clear nail polish, and superglue. With a little bit of planning, you can avoid any major emergencies and enjoy the big day!
Healthy Grilled Salmon Recipe: Baked in Foil
When it comes to fish, I’m not very skilled on how to cook it but this Healthy Grilled Salmon Recipe is foolproof! I’m going to show you how to make salmon that is Baked in Foil. Full of flavor and nutrition!
How to prepare ...
slickhousewives.com/healthy-grilled-salmon-recipe-baked-i...
This year, 2026 is the centenary of the formation of Zeiss Ikon, a major player in European camera manufacture in the 2nd and 3rd quarters of the 20th century.
To mark this anniversary, I've decided to use a different Zeiss Ikon camera every two weeks throughout the year, a project I'm calling “Twenty-six in Twenty-six”.
Zeiss Ikon launched their series of Contaflex cameras in 1953. Over the following 20 years or so, twelve versions were made with ever increasing degrees of sophistication and indeed weight. A wide range of accessories was available, and these precision made leaf shuttered SLRs proved very popular. The Contaflex 126 is a different beast altogether, it may share the name and bear a superficial resemblance to the rest of the family, but it's something of a cuckoo in the nest.
Kodak introduced the 126, or Instamatic cartridge in 1963. It was intended to provide a simple, foolproof way for a growing numbers of less technically savvy users to load film into their cameras. Although the film is 35mm wide, the format is not the same. The film, which has one perforation per frame and sits within a plastic cartridge, is backed by a roll of paper, and gives square negatives measuring 28 x 28mm. Until very recently Instagram's native format was square, and it may be that the name itself was riffing on the Instamatic brand.
While the format was unashamedly aimed at the amateur snapshot market, many of the major manufacturers added a token higher end SLR 126 model to their range. This is a bit of a puzzle to me, one criticism of the 126 cartridge is that the absence of a pressure plate to keep the film absolutely flat might theoretically impair the image quality, yet surely any photographer with such technical concerns wouldn't be put off by the easily learnable step of loading a 35mm cassette into a camera. Nonetheless, Rollei, Kodak, Ricoh and of course the prestigious Zeiss Ikon, felt the need to pitch in.
Unlike the “normal” Contaflexes, which at best have interchangeable front elements, the 126 version has fully interchangeable lenses,though with a mount which is unique to this one model. Optical physics dictate that the longest practical focal length that can be achieved by swapping the front element is 115mm, but the 126 range of lenses went up to 200mm, though it seems that very few of these lenses were actually made. The other key difference between the 35mm and 126 Contaflexes, is that the latter employ a focal plane shutter rather than the traditional leaf shutter.
Today, with the only 126 film available being long expired, it's actually quite useful to be able to set the camera manually. The oft quoted rule of thumb that film loses sensitivity at a rate of one stop per decade, means that an ISO 100 film made in the 1970s would need to be exposed at around ISO 3 today. Most consumer Instamatic cameras won't allow this, but using an aperture of f2.8, and the shutter speed of 1/30th, it's practical to use the Contaflex 126 in reasonable daylight. The film is very expired Fujicolor Super HR 100, developed in the Bellini C41 kit.
This was taken with the 135mm f4 lens
Donated by Rick von Holdt of the Foolproof Press for the benefit auction / holiday party to raise money for the Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum.
Lower trade barriers and greater openness to trade have been historically associated with higher income growth in many countries, but this relationship has not been foolproof. For instance, some countries with the highest growth of exports and GDP during the heyday of the “Washington Consensus” followed heterodox development policies involving sizable trade barriers and hefty subsidies to domestic industries, and some of them still closely control the flow of capital across their borders. What have we learned from those distinct development policies? Should countries identify external “competitiveness” and avoidance of de-industrialization with maximization of social welfare? Under which circumstances is unfettered globalization incompatible with political stability and well-functioning democracies? Should we expect large emerging market economies to take the lead in the trade liberalization agenda going forward? This session will shed fresh light on these important policy issues.
Lower trade barriers and greater openness to trade have been historically associated with higher income growth in many countries, but this relationship has not been foolproof. For instance, some countries with the highest growth of exports and GDP during the heyday of the “Washington Consensus” followed heterodox development policies involving sizable trade barriers and hefty subsidies to domestic industries, and some of them still closely control the flow of capital across their borders. What have we learned from those distinct development policies? Should countries identify external “competitiveness” and avoidance of de-industrialization with maximization of social welfare? Under which circumstances is unfettered globalization incompatible with political stability and well-functioning democracies? Should we expect large emerging market economies to take the lead in the trade liberalization agenda going forward? This session will shed fresh light on these important policy issues.
Foolproof Pie Dough
Vodka is essential to the texture of the crust and imparts no flavor, do not substitute. This dough will be moister and more supple than most standard pie doughs and will require more flour to roll out (up to ¼ cup).
2 ½ C unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp table salt
2 T sugar
12 T (1 ½ sticks) cold unsalted butter cut into ¼ inch slices
½ C cold vegetable shortening, cut into 4 pieces
¼ C cold vodka
¼ C cold water
1. Process 1 ½ cups flour, salt and sugar in food processor until combined, about 2 one-second pulses. Add butter and shortening and process until homogenous dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 15 seconds (dough will resemble cottage cheese curds and there should be no uncoated flour). Scrape bowl with rubber spatula and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade. Add remaining cup of flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl and mass of dough has been broken up, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into medium bowl.
2. Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. With rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix, pressing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together. Divide dough into two even balls and flatten each into 4 inch disk. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.
Apple Pie
3 ½ lbs. sweet apples (6 to 7 medium) peeled, cored, and cut into ¼ inch thick slices
½ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 recipe Foolproof Pie Dough
1 egg white, beaten lightly
1. Mix ½ cup sugar, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and cornstarch in large microwave safe bowl; add apples and toss to combine. Microwave on high power, stirring with rubber spatula every 3 minutes, until apples are just starting to turn translucent around the edges and liquid is thick and glossy, 10 to 14 minutes. Cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
2. While the filling cools adjust oven rack to lowest position, place rimmed baking sheet on oven rack, and heat oven to 425°. Remove one disk of dough from the refrigerator and roll out on generously floured (up to ¼ cup) work surface to 12 inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Roll dough loosely around rolling pin and unroll into pie plate, leaving at least 1 inch overhang. Ease the dough into the plate by gently lifting edge of dough with one hand while pressing into the plate bottom with other hand. Leave dough that overhangs plate in place; refrigerate until dough is firm, about 30 minutes.
3. Transfer cooled apple mixture to dough-lined pie plate and mound slightly in the center. Press down any sharp apple edges.
4. Roll second disk of dough on generously floured work surface (up to ¼ cup) to 12 inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Roll dough loosely around rolling pin and unroll over the pie, leaving at least 1 inch overhang on each side.
5. Using kitchen shears, cut evenly trough both layers of overhanging dough, leaving ½ inch overhang. Fold dough under itself so that edge of fold is flush with outer rim of pie plate. Flute edges using thumb and forefinger or press with tines of fork to seal. Brush top and edges of pie with egg white and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon sugar. Using sharp paring knife, cut four 1 ½ inch slits in top of dough in cross pattern.
6. Place pie on preheated baking sheet and bake until top is light golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°, rotate baking sheet, and continue to bake until crust is deep golden brown, 15 to 30 minutes longer. Transfer pie to wire rack to cool at least 2 hours. Cut into wedges and serve.
This is southbound on either Sunset Cliffs Blvd or West Mission Bay Drive both of which cross the San Diego River. Cones are a powerful traffic direction tool. But a patorl car blocking the lane is foolproof.
From Barefoot Contessa's Foolproof cookbook the Winter Minestrone Soup. Just like all of her other soups- Yum!
I'm always losing things on the beach, me. Keys, wallet, loose change. I don't think I've ever lost my own feet though. It's the alcohol that does it. THE ALCOHOL I TELL YOU.
Despite trying to convince us he is an unremitting wanker, Rob is really a very nice boy who listened carefully in food technology class.
Planning routes on Google Earth isn't always foolproof... This road we wanted to take turned out to be a private road in Mina Londres. These guys were willing to let us pass through, but then the angry security boss arrived and told us very firmly that this would not be possible. Cue return climb back over Punta Seis Lagos and the normal route to the Carretera Central. I don't know why I'm looking so happy - this lost us more than half a day.
Please take a look at our website www.pikesonbikes.com for tales from our current trip in the Andes, or at www.andesbybike.com for lots of dirt road route information.
Weathervane Playhouse in Akron, Ohio, presents " Don't Dress for Dinner" -- a comedy by Marc Camoleti and adapted by Robin Hawdon
Directed by Marc Moritz
See it live on stage May 1 to 18, 2014
For more information, visit www.weathervaneplayhouse.com/dont-dress-for-dinner-2014-0...
ABOUT THE SHOW
Bernard is planning a romantic weekend with his chic Parisian mistress in his charming converted French farmhouse, whilst his wife, Jacqueline, is away. He has arranged for a cordon bleu cook to prepare gourmet delights, and has invited his best friend, Robert, along, too, to provide the alibi. It's foolproof! What could possibly go wrong? Well…suppose Robert turns up not realizing quite why he has been invited? Suppose Robert and Jacqueline are secret lovers, and consequently determine that Jacqueline will NOT leave for the weekend? Suppose the cook has to pretend to be the mistress and the mistress is unable to cook? Suppose everyone's alibi gets confused with everyone else's? In this hilarious farce, an evening of hilarious confusion ensues as Bernard and Robert find that they must improvise at a break-neck speed!
THE CAST
RICHARD WORSWICK
Bernard
SCOTT DAVIS
Robert
MITCH MANTHEY
George
BERNADETTE HISEY
Jacqueline
DEDE KLEIN
Suzanne
ASHLEY BOSSARD
Suzette
(All photos in this Flickr set were shot for Weathervane Playhouse on April 30, 2014, by Scott Diese.)
Donated by Rick von Holdt of the Foolproof Press for the benefit auction / holiday party to raise money for the Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum.
Packed the bike airline-friendly: everything fastened together with zip-ties or tape as one unit. Makes sliding the whole bike into and out of the box easy and foolproof for TSA handlers. (Ok, the bags were packed separately).
Had the bike fully assembled in 20 minutes.
Donated by Rick von Holdt of the Foolproof Press for the benefit auction / holiday party to raise money for the Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum.
It's Friday, the sun is shining and the art is free. Come on down! We have prepared a whole load of stuff which is hopefully already in the clutches of our good man My Dog Sighs for his upcoming Free Art Friday event in Southsea this Sunday. As far as i'm aware he has hundreds of pieces from a wide variety of artists and all you have to do to snag one is head to Southsea and grab one for yourself. It's a foolproof plan! We've provided a variety of pieces (mainly on cardboard) and all come complete with the 'id-iom certified' stamp that guarantees authenticity. My main concern is whether i'll be able to get down in order to snag something for myself...
Cheers
id-iom
Donated by Rick von Holdt of the Foolproof Press for the benefit auction / holiday party to raise money for the Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum.
Sunday afternoon I went for a hunt, but these shots haven’t hurt a single animal! For the first time, I had to settle for one single deer from behind, but for the second time, I got a foolproof tip. In the first thirty minutes, I haven’t me a single soul, then suddenly I caught a glimpse of a herd of 30-40 deer and I couldn’t believe my eyes! They were on their way fast, as you can see on the photo below.
Then I decided to go around the fishpond, so we can meet halfway, since the herd went towards the pond. However, soon I had a big surprise once more, as I found another group of 20-30 individuals.
I was planning to get closer to them and luckily, my clothes seemed suitable, since I was wearing a light gray jacket with a hoodie and a pair of jeans, and my patience proved to be effective. I’ve spent about three hours in the -4°C weather in the wilderness and I enjoyed every single moment of it, so much so, that I didn’t have time to feel the cold, if anything, I was feeling warm because I had to do one fourth of the trip squat walking. So yeah, hello, muscle soreness, but who cares after an amazing experience like this?!
When one group got scared and ran away, I started to approach the other, and yes, first I had to sneak and stealth in the snow-white field, then, as I was getting closer to the herd, I switched back once again to the beloved squat walk. After that I was trying to reduce the distance between us, meter by meter.
The real miracle happened when I was squatting and one of the deer started to gallop towards me. I couldn’t even dream of something like this, that instead of receding from the lenses of the camera, one curious individual would come closer in a rush. I was squatting in an ideal position, totally still, waiting for what will happen next as I was already seeing the headlines in front of me: „deer attacked a Hungarian photographer”. Only my clicking finger was moving – it was a truly incredible moment!
In this moment, the deer could be about twenty meters from me, but it is hard for me to remember the exact details, as I became quite emotional because of its honorific visit. After a couple seconds, it perceived the possible danger, stroke a pose from the side as well, and then, in a flash, turned its back on me and ran away.
While I was switching between the herds, I saw something on the field that looked like a tussock, but turned out to be a rabbit, a beautiful hare, to be exact. Obviously, it hasn’t hesitated for long, and went down the rabbit hole.
I found a spot on the field where the undergrowth was a bit higher and provided a perfect cover for me, even though we are talking about a 30-40-centimeter long grass, but it allowed me, for yet another time, to get incredibly close to the herd.
Thank you for your attention and for the opportunity. I apologize for the quality of certain photos, but my equipment was nowhere near a wildlife photography one – more experienced photographers simply called me determined. If you liked to pictures, please follow Gabor Matesz Photos on Facebook where I offer a diverse scale of nature photos.
Enjoy the photos! Thanks for all visits, comments and Favs.
Copyright © Gabor Matesz Photos. All rights reserved. Please don't use without my permission.
My Minolta S-1 kit. I think APS is a great snapshot format, foolproof really, with 3 image sizes to chose from. The S-1 is a fun camera to use, especially with the 17mm.
I got this idea from a video on You Tube,and it's foolproof and very quick.Put 125ml of COLD water into a small bowl,add the egg and microwave for 60 seconds(using an 800w microwave).No need to cover it,the egg will not explode because the cold water protects it. The yolk stays runny for over 10 minutes.
Insurance Services Outsourcing has a number of benefits including improvements in the services provided by the insurance companies, cost curtailment and the most important – significant reduction in the fraudulent practices associated with insurance.
Now here's a garden folly for you, folks!
The form of this 64-square-meter ant farm is an adaptation of a building-skinning scheme Herzog & de Meuron had developed for an unrealized new-town-center project here in Jinhua. The pattern, inspired by Chinese paving and vaguely evocative of "a molecular structure or a genetic code," was to cover the facades of the district's buildings and also inform the street layout. For the park pavilion, though, this two-dimensional pattern was first set at a scale roughly corresponding to human seating requirements, then extruded through the depth of the structure. The repetition of this process on multiple faces of the cube produced strange overlaps, and ultimately most of the volume of the cube was hollowed out. Even so, the flat planes at the edges look curiously solid, an effect enhanced by the plain surface of dyed concrete - from some approaches this would appear to a big block of red cheese, after some tentative gnawing by giant rats. But actually, there's very little volume there - it's all folded surface and air. The concrete work, by the way, was done in several pours, with the aid of a retiree who was the only local craftsperson with the requisite skills.
While H & de M have elsewhere explored the spatial-overlap strategy (for example at VitraHaus), here the labrynthine section recalls no recognizable forms or types. Naturally, from a distance it approaches total scalelessness, continuing the firm's ongoing investigation into scalar and perspectival trickery, and meanwhile fulfilling the Architecture Park agenda brilliantly. Not to mention that it's a great piece of playground equipment, with the usual Jinhua caveat that you have to be comfortable with having your kids clamber around on this broken-limbs factory. I'm starting to wonder if the neglect of the park can be put down simply to parental concern....
But seriously, this thing is great. Fun but decidedly weird, it straddles the line between a cerebral, indexical project (one struggles to reconstitute the "original" faces), and just being deadpan odd in this way that refuses interrogation. Magic!
I'm also reminded of Herzog's remarks in El Croquis a few years back, to the effect that all of their projects are somehow about urban effects - or something like that. At first a head-scratcher, the claim starts to come into focus if you take a broad definition of urbanism as being the recognition by a given building that other buildings exist and that relationships can be set up between them. So rather than try to complicate or camouflage the park's axes (which they had a hand in drawing, anyway), the architects make sure to orient their cube directly on-axis with the other pavilions. They might not have even known what exactly those pavilions were going to be, but it's a sort of foolproof gambit: have a bunch of figural openings facing an inevitably weird, cool building and it'll end up looking like an intentionally framed bit of picturesque planning, especially since the frames cut off the foreground paving around the Herzog pavilion and turn the nearby LAR and Maltzan buildings into the garden follies they were always meant to be.
Evan, of course, has some great points to make about how this can be fit into the firm's ongoing development. To my knowledge, a comprehensive study of the firm's working relationship with Ai Weiwei, and the cross-pollination of ideas between the two practices, has yet to be undertaken.
4839. In Army service, the 237grt ex-HMAS KING BAY was designated AV708. Resting, as designed, high on a northern Australian tidal beach here, she demonstrates her foolproof inshore anti-submarine defenses.
Photo: RAN, it appeared in Ross Giullett's book 'Australian and New Zealand Warships 1914-1945 [Doubleday Australia, 1983] p194.
I will turn myself in. Look what I did to the bottom of his front legs :(((( I found this online video with a different way to trim above the feet and it looked foolproof. But she demonstrated on a mini poo and either it doesn't work as well on a Spoo, or I just screwed it up big time. It came out so uneven and trying to even it up just made the "high water look" even worse :(( To top it off, I also nicked the edge of his right ear when I was clipping it and he BLED!!! My poor Judd- what an incompetent Mum he has!
This was marvelous. I decided that this week I'd hit up the Dr. Oz site for my recipes because I really want to make sure I'm watching my calories, etc. I follow his basic rules almost daily and his diet suggestions are a big reason I was able to lose all that weight.
So, I used this recipe for the Sesame Shitake Bok Choy, and served it over 1/2 cup of white rice. I sprinkled toasted sesame seeds on top and really loved the overall flavor. It's super low calorie, so I thought it'd be OK if I tried it out with some breaded tofu.
I am admittedly terrible at tofu. I'm still learning, but I found this simple, foolproof recipe online. It was delicious.
On our first grocery shopping trip, we realised that asparagus were so much cheaper here as compared to back home. Both of us love asparagus, and here, I have provided a foolproof method of cooking asparagus that will leave you wanting more of that green crunch.
Sidenote: Whilst making the gremolata, I accidentally burnt the last slice of bread at home. Thus, I have replaced gremolata with dried shrimps instead and I realised that the dried shrimps contributed much taste and fragrance as well! Pretty much like anchovies.
Serves: 4
Preparation: 5 minutes
Cooking: 10 minutes
Ingredients
50g butter
80g coarse fresh white breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
3 teaspoons very finely chopped lemon zest
400g asparagus, trimmed
1.5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Direction
1. Melt the butter in a heavy-based frying pan over high heat. Add breadcrumbs and stir with a wooden spoon until the crumbs are golden and crisp. Remove to a plate to cool slightly.
2. To make the gremolata, mix together the parsley, garlic and lemon zest in a bowl. Add the breadcrumbs and season to taste with freshly ground black pepper.
3. Bring a large, wide saucepan of water to the boil. Add the asparagus and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until just tender when pierced with a fine skewer.
4. Drain well and arrange on a warmed serving plate. Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle the gremolata over the top and serve immediately.
Birthday profiteroles - Yesterday Molly made profiteroles for her mother's birthday, and by the looks of this, Ema can't wait to get stuck in! I'm not normally a great fan of cakes and sweets, but these were lovely. Molly hasn't eaten chocolate throughout Lent, so she made caramel (from scratch) and drizzled it over, before sprinkling with chopped and toasted nuts. Sublime :-)
If you want to try this at home, Molly used Delia's foolproof choux pastry recipe here:
www.deliaonline.com/recipes/main-ingredient/chocolate/pro...
And the instructions for caramel came from Waitrose:
From Cook's Illustrated Cookbook , pages 708 and 712. Also available online from Smitten Kitchen .
Vodka, and keeping all the ingredients as cold as possible (I put the flour in the freezer beforehand), are the two "secrets" to the dough. Cook's Illustrated warns that "a food processor is essential to making this dough - it cannot be made by hand", but Deb Perelman used a pastry cutter, so I did too.
Tweaks: I used all-butter and increased all the spices. The crust was very good, but when next making this, I might briefly blind-bake the bottom shell after brushing it with a light egg-white wash to seal the crust and keep it crisper.
An excellent recipe.
This species is a regular visitor. It likely wants to bathe or feed, and is checking out the surroundings before proceeding lower. These birds are usually spotted in large flocks; they swarm over my thistle feeder in a tumbling mass, and usually perch close enough to permit great photo ops. They are plentiful during high summer and typically ignore my presence. Sexes are determinable... but it's not foolproof, especially for first-year birds. I'm not sure about this bird's sex... it's too young.
IMG_1278; Pine Siskin
OH MY GOD. I'M SO LONG-WINDED!
Thank you all for yesterday's good advice and kindness.
I have many problems, and I'm trying to tackle them all at once. Were it not a necessity, it would be a mistake.
I was feeling a little better today—standing more upright, a little stronger. I took some pictures with a foolproof setup, except, apparently, I am a fool. We won't discuss what happened, only that I have given my camera to my husband and instructed him to hide it until I am physically ready to do myself no harm.
My sister told me I ought to hang a Gone Fishing sign at Flickr, that you all will understand. But that would make me even MORE lonely. And it would take the color out of my journaling.
So I am now using my Nikon Coolpix 5200. It used to do well for me. I'm out of practice, but that, too, will pass.
And I got me a little idea.
This is a scarf I've knitted for Minta (Mintas Fotos). She sent the black and blue yarns, and I provided the fringe with my many wild leftover skeins.
I'm good at scarves, especially this long-knitted pattern with generous fringe. So I thought that while I'm lying here, if anyone needs a scarf, I could sell a few more. This is a long, warm scarf. It's only about 6-8 inches wide, but it's about 7 or 8 feet long, and so it goes around you at least twice.
These go for anywhere from $50 to $200. So I thought if anyone who can't knit was interested, you can send me some yarn (I'll tell you how much when you write to me), and I'll knit you a scarf for $50, including shipping.
If you'd rather I use my own yarn, add $25. It takes about three hours to knit these scarves and an hour to do the fringe.
I suck at pricing, but I think it's pretty fair, and the scarves are really beautiful and will last forever.
Today I spent $1500 on a zero-gravity chair and a rolling cart. I can't afford it, so maybe I can earn some of the money back! Oh, and I just found out they want an extra $300 to set up the chair and remove the box it came in!
If you're interested, drop me an email at dogfaceboy@gmail.com. I can make masculine scarves, too, with less fringe or just a more subdued look.
www.news-medical.net/news/20220805/Study-identifies-broad...
Study identifies broad-spectrum antibody that neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern
In a recently published article in the journal Science Immunology, scientists have described the identification and therapeutic evaluation of an antibody that broadly neutralizes major variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), including the alpha, beta, delta, and omicron variants.
Background
In response to the deadly coronavirus disease, 2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2, several potential vaccines, therapeutic antibodies, and antiviral drugs have been developed, which collectively helped reduce the pandemic trajectory. However, continuous emergence of novel viral variants with increased transmissibility and immune fitness has highlighted the need for developing broad-spectrum therapeutic and preventive interventions that can neutralize a wide variety of viral variants.
Most monoclonal therapeutic antibodies developed during the early pandemic phase work by preventing the interaction between the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), which is the key step for viral entry into host cells. These antibodies mostly target epitopes in the receptor-binding motif (RBM) of the spike receptor-binding domain (RBD).
The most recently emerged SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant contains more than 15 mutations in the spike RBD, which makes the variant highly resistant to monoclonal as well as vaccine-induced antibodies. To better manage the pandemic, it is vital to develop broadly neutralizing antibodies against immune evasive variants like omicron.
In the current study, scientists have described the identification and therapeutic evaluation of a monoclonal antibody with broad neutralizing efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 variants.
Identification of anti-SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibody
The generation of spike-targeting antibodies was performed by immunizing and subsequently boosting mice with the spike ectodomain or RBD of the original SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan strain. LIBRA (linking B cell receptor to antigen specificity through sequencing) sequencing technology was used to identify antigen-specific memory B cells and single cell sequenced B cell receptors.
The DNA encoding the variable regions of identified B cell receptors was inserted into a human immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) antibody backbone to produce chimeric antibodies. This led to the generation of 27 RBD-targeting and seven non-RBD-targeting antibodies.
The virus neutralization assay in the study identified seven antibodies with high neutralizing efficiency against the Wuhan strain of SARS-CoV-2. Of these antibodies, one (SW186) showed the optimal neutralizing efficiency against a wide range of SARS-CoV-2 variants, including alpha, beta, delta, gamma, lambda, and mu.
The identified SW186 antibody showed high neutralizing efficacy against wild-type SARS-CoV-2 and its variants at nanomolar concentrations. However, the antibody showed significantly reduced neutralizing efficiency against omicron and its sub-variants.
Notably, the SW186 antibody showed high neutralizing efficiency against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 1 (SARS-CoV-1), a betacoronavirus responsible for the 2002-2004 outbreak of SARS. This finding indicates that the SW186 antibody targets an epitope highly conserved between SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2.
Structural analysis of antigen-antibody complex
The cryo-electron microscopic analysis of the antibody-antigen complex revealed that SW186 antibody-targeted epitope is located outside the RBM of spike RBD. The epitope comprised several conserved amino acids. Further analysis revealed that the SW186 antibody does not bind at the RBD-ACE2 interface.
The epitope of the SW186 antibody comprised a glycosylation site (N343), which is important for viral entry into host cells. This residue is highly conserved between human coronaviruses.
Further analysis revealed that the heavy chain complementarity-determining region 3 (HCDR3) of SW186 antibody is partially inserted into an RBD minor groove and that the interactions are largely contributed by the polypeptide backbone rather than the side chains of the RBD minor groove. This finding suggests that RBD mutations might not significantly affect the binding of the SW186 antibody.
Therapeutic efficacy of SW186
The therapeutic efficacy of the antibody was tested by initially infecting the mice with alpha, beta, or delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, followed by treatment with the SW186 antibody. The findings revealed that mice treated with SW186 antibodies have a significantly lower viral load in the lungs compared to untreated mice. Moreover, the antibody treatment protected the mice against body weight loss, lung injury, and lung infiltration of inflammatory mediators.
To test the efficacy of the SW186 antibody in humans, a panel of humanized antibodies was generated and tested for neutralizing efficiency against alpha, beta, and delta variants. The findings revealed that most of these humanized antibodies neutralize the tested variants with similar efficacy as the murine SW186 antibody.
Study significance
The study identifies a broad-spectrum monoclonal antibody (SW186) that efficiently neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and SARS-CoV-1. The scientists believe that the conserved RBD epitope targeted by SW186 antibody could be considered in future studies for developing novel therapeutic antibodies.
Journal reference:
Fang Y. (2022). An antibody that neutralizes SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 by binding to a conserved spike epitope outside the receptor binding motif. Science Immunology. DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.abp996 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciimmunol.abp9962
www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2022/08/coronavirus-v...
The Coronavirus Has One Strategy We Can’t Vaccinate Against
It may be getting better at dodging one of the immune system’s main defenses.
By the time a cell senses that it’s been infected by a virus, it generally knows it is doomed. Soon, it will be busted up by the body’s immunological patrol or detonated by the invader itself. So the moribund cell plays its trump card: It bleats out microscopic shrieks that danger is nigh.
These intercellular messages, ferried about by molecules called interferons, serve as a warning signal to nearby cells—“‘You are about to be infected; it’s time for you to set up an antiviral state,’” says Juliet Morrison, an immunologist at UC Riverside. Recipient cells start battening down the hatches, switching on hundreds of genes that help them pump out suites of defensive proteins. Strong, punchy interferon responses are essential to early viral control, acting as a “first line of defense” that comes online within minutes or hours, says Mario Santiago, an immunologist at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. At their best, interferons can contain the infection so quickly that the rest of the immune system hardly needs to get involved.
Viruses, of course, aren’t content to let that happen. Pretty much all of them, SARS-CoV-2 included, are darn good at impairing interferon signaling, or finding their way around the virus-blocking shields that cells raise after heeding those molecular calls. And as new coronavirus variants arise, they may be steadily improving their ability to resist interferons’ punch—making it easier, perhaps, for the microbes to spread within and between bodies, or spark more serious disease.
This development may sound kind of familiar: As the coronavirus has evolved, one of its main moves has been to repeatedly dodge the antibodies that vaccines and past infections raise. But there’s a key difference. Although antibodies are powerful, most are able to recognize and latch onto only a super-specific sliver of a single pathogen’s physique. Interferons, meanwhile, are the ultimate generalists, a set of catch-all burglar alarms. Even if the body has never seen a particular pathogen before and no relevant antibodies are present, cells will make interferons as soon as they realize a virus is around—“any and all viruses,” says Eleanor Fish, an immunologist at the University of Toronto. “It doesn’t matter what the virus is, it doesn’t matter where it comes in.”
Once warned, interferon-ized cells leap into action. They will reinforce their exteriors; sharpen molecular scissors that can hack the microbe to bits, should it get inside; and conjure up sticky substances that can stop the virus’s progeny from exiting. All that buys the immune system time to rouse, again with interferons’ help, more precise fighters, such as B cells and T cells.
But this system isn’t foolproof. Some viruses will cloak their innards from cellular sensors, so the relevant alarm wires never get tripped. Others destroy the gears that get the interferon system cranking, so the warning signals never get sent. Particularly resilient viruses may not even mind if interferon messages go out, because they’re able to steel themselves against the many defenses that the molecules marshal in other cells. Strategies such as these are pretty much ubiquitous because they’re so crucial to pathogen success. “I defy you to identify any virus that doesn’t have in its genome factors to block the interferon response,” Fish told me.
This, from our perspective, is not ideal. Derail these early responses, and “there’s a domino effect,” says Vineet Menachery, a coronavirologist at the University of Texas Medical Branch. More cells get infected; antibody and T-cell responses hang back, even as viral particles continue to spread. Eventually, the body may get wise and try to catch up. But by then, it may be too late. The brunt of viral replication might be over, leaving the immune frenzy to misdirect much of its havoc onto our own tissues instead.
Interferons, then, can make or break a host’s fate. Researchers have found that people whose interferons are weak or laggy after catching the coronavirus are far more likely to get very seriously sick. Others experience similar problems when their immune system churns out misguided antibodies that attack and destroy interferons as they try to ferry messages among cells. Interferons also play a very dramatic role in counteracting the viruses that cause dengue and yellow fever. Those pathogens are rapidly wrangled by rodent interferons and never make those animals sick, Morrison told me. In people, though, the microbes have cooked up ways to muffle the molecules—a big reason they cause such debilitating and deadly disease.
Coronaviruses in general are pros at interferon sabotage. Among the most powerful is MERS, which “just shuts down everything” in the interferon assembly line, says Susan Weiss, a coronavirologist at the University of Pennsylvania. That essentially ensures that almost no interferons are released, even when gobs of virus are roiling about, a dismantling of defenses that likely contributes to MERS’ substantial fatality rate. Weiss doesn’t think SARS-CoV-2 is likely to copy its cousin in that respect anytime soon. The virus does have some ability to gum up interferon production, but it would take a lot more, she told me, to silence the system as MERS has.
Still, SARS-CoV-2 seems to be taking its own small, tentative steps toward interferon censorship. For months, several groups of researchers, CU Anschutz’s Santiago among them, have been studying how well the virus can invade and replicate inside of cells that have been exposed to interferons. Recent variants such as Delta and Omicron, they’ve found, seem to be better at infiltrating those reinforced cells compared with some versions that preceded them—a hint that this resistance might be helping new iterations of the virus sweep the globe and cause repeated rounds of disease.
The bump in SARS-CoV-2’s resilience doesn’t appear to be massive—more “at the margins” of enhancing infective success, Menachery told me. Antibody evasion, for instance, might be playing the more dominant role in helping the virus spread and sicken more people. Still, the pattern that’s unfolding raises a discomfiting question, Santiago told me. Interferons’ potency against the virus already seems to be getting slowly but surely undermined; “what if at some point in the future, the virus becomes a lot more resistant?” The challenge of managing COVID, whether through vaccines or antivirals, might disproportionately balloon. And unlike antibody evasion, with interferon resistance, “there’s not anything we can do to vaccinate against this,” Menachery told me.
Still, there’s probably a ceiling to how interferon-resistant the coronavirus can become. Eventually, repeated attempts to disarm our alarm systems may “come at a cost” to the virus’s infective potential, or the speed at which it spreads, Morrison told me. Interferons are also extremely diverse, and have redundancies among them. Should one flavor get flummoxed by a pathogen, another would likely help fill in the gaps.
Many researchers, such as Fish, are also testing interferon-based treatments in people who have very recently been infected by or exposed to the coronavirus. Several of these trials have produced mixed or disappointing results. Even so, “I think there’s every reason to think that interferons are still going to be effective” in some form, once scientists nail the timing, recipe, and dose, says Eric Poeschla, Santiago’s collaborator at CU Anschutz. The molecules are, after all, nature’s DIY antivirals.
For a gamble like that to pay off, though, viral evolution—and thus, viral transmission—will need to be kept in some check. SARS-CoV-2 has immense wiggle room in its genome; giving it less practice at infecting us is one of the most straightforward ways to halt its self-improvement kick. “Every replication cycle is an opportunity,” Menachery told me, for the virus to further fine-tune its MO.
Katherine J. Wu is a staff writer at The Atlantic.
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cameras.alfredklomp.com/optima1535/
"All Optimas have:
a HUGE brightline viewfinder that makes them useful to people with glasses;
one single thumb lever that winds or rewinds the film, depending on the polarity set by a push button;
a foolproof quick-loading system;
the big Sensor shutter release with a clear pressure point;
automatic exposure;
an f/2.8 lens (fast and practical);
a plastic slab that (briefly) protects the exposed film from fogging when you accidentally open the back;
a plastic-coated, all-metal body.
The Optimas are very transparently designed cameras (albeit very German in appearance and strangely reminiscent of the Plaubel Makina 6×7), and very compact too. They have an outer shell of plastic-coated metal and mostly metal internals, which makes them very durable. There are a lot of plastic parts, some of which are fairly vital like cogs and such, but I think that here plastics are not so much synonymous with cheapness and shoddiness, but with optimized mechanical characteristics and manufacturability."