As Seen From a One-Eyed Cat: A pet for all ages

Hi All,

Libby here.

In yiddish, the word for match-making is 'shidduch' (thanks, Dr. S for the lesson!) As a kind and generous soul, I'm always looking to make good matches for animals and pet owners. So, here's the story of a buddy of mine, and how I helped her and a lovely woman find each other.

Did you know that other than being incredibly adorable, loving and affectionate additions to your family, cats and dogs have other fabulous qualities to bring to the table? In fact, pets have been known to offer something very unique to people- the power to heal!

Although both cats and dogs have been shown to provide restorative qualities when it comes to human health, for the purpose of this post, I'm going to focus on my buddy, a very sweet kitty named Trousers, and how she came to help an elderly person. Here's Trousers:?


A few weeks ago, one of the PPAC's oldest (both in terms of long- standing and, age) clients lost her cat to kidney failure. This lovely little octogenarian was heartbroken- she'd had the cat for 18 wonderful years and was sad to say goodbye. This client, who lives by herself, had grown to rely on the company of a kitty for companionship.

Enter Trousers! When the client met Trousers, it was love at first pet. She adopted the kitty and the pair have been offering love and comfort to one another ever since!

It's not exactly rocket science that company is always good for the soul but, animals in particular have been proven to help people who are older, feel needed and loved. It's a mutually beneficial relationship where everyone wins! Behold the power of the cat!

And so, for all of you out there who are feeling a little lonely or, who just want to have someone to spend time with, love and cuddle, adopt a pet.

Til' next time,

Libby

Source: http://prospectparkanimalclinic.blogspot.com/2012/10/a-pet-for-all-ages.html

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International Competition Crowns Best Chinese Chef

Fire Up the Wok challenge crowns Northeastern Chinese culinary artist

By Angela Wang
Epoch Times Staff Created: September 30, 2012 Last Updated: September 30, 2012

Celebrity chefs, judges, host and contestants stand among a large group of spectators after the preliminary round of NTD's International Chinese Culinary Competition held in Times Square. (Bin Dai/The Epoch Times)

NEW YORK?In the heart of dazzling Times Square, the best of dozens of competing chefs rejoined for the final round in the Fire Up the Wok challenge, competing for the title of best Chinese chef, on Friday.

Winning the title is Chef Chen Yichun, crowned top winner of NTD Television?s Fifth International Chinese Culinary Competition, held in New York City.

On winning, Chef Chen said the most important thing for him was not the award but learning new things and in the process discovering any shortcomings. He said, ?It was not just an opportunity to advance one?s skills, but also one?s character and attitude.

?If one wants to cook good food, one first has to be a good person.?

Chef Chen specializes in Sichuan cuisine, one of the five cuisines of China included in the competition. The other four cuisines are Shandong, Cantonese, Huaiyang and Northeastern.

Top Winners

Gold: Chen Yichun
Silver: Hsieh Wen-Chang, Zhao Kefeng
Bronze: Alex Zhong, Masayuki Kanda, Huang Yuyang

Chef Chen Yichun in the final round, before the big win. (Bin Dai/The Epoch Times)

Along with Chef, 16 other chefs won awards and honorary mentions.

Most of the contestants have dozens of years of experience; accordingly the judging process was done very carefully. Given the difficulty of judging and the high level of competitors, the competition?s host Dan Chen said he didn?t wish to be on the judges? panel ?because it?s so hard to decide who will win.?

Head judge Chef Qu Yuqiang said that while cooking in the competition, contestants should not be in a hurry, but instead be calm and prudent. ?If a chef cooks so well he can bring the dish alive, there is certainly something beyond the techniques. It is a mentality of wisdom.?

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The Famed Wok

The cooking vessels used in the competitions are round-bottomed, deep ones made of iron; the kind that professional Chinese chefs use. The wok, which is the Cantonese word for cooking pots, is used in a variety of techniques, including deep frying, stir frying, poaching, searing stewing and many more styles.

To be able to use just one vessel for many cooking styles, chefs have to master many skills and techniques; one of them is the ?non-sticky iron wok? style.

?Usually a chef lets the wok heat up while cutting the ingredients, sometimes for as long as five minutes. Then cold oil is poured in. The point of putting cold oil into a very hot wok is so that the food will not stick onto the surface of the wok,? said Dan Chen.

The culinary competition, hosted by independent Chinese-language TV network New Tang Dynasty, is one of a series of different competitions designed to bring back traditional Chinese culture, something that was once almost destroyed by the communist party in China.

Prior to the final round of Friday?s culinary competition, two preliminary rounds were held. One took place a day before, in Times Square specifically for contestants in North America, and the other one in Taipei, Taiwan, that was held in August.

One of Chef Chen?s winning pieces, Dry Roasted Fish. (Bin Dai/The Epoch Times)

NTD also hosted?alongside the Times Square competition? The Emperor?s Banquet on Thursday night. Funds raised by the banquet went to a joint scholarship with the James Beard Foundation that benefits underprivileged students interested in Chinese culinary arts.

Although many have eaten Chinese food, authentic Chinese culinary food arts and techniques from various regions are not as familiar.

On that, one of the three bronze winners, Chef Alex Zhong, who?s been cooking Northeastern China cuisine since 1984 said, ?As Chinese, it is our duty to introduce our culture to the world. As for me, I want to introduce Northeastern Chinese cuisine to the world.?

The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 19 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.

Source: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/world/nyc-culinary-competition-crowns-best-chinese-chef-298076.html

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Grim milestone for US troop deaths in Afghanistan

In light of recent attacks, troops are told to "build trust, but make sure you have a bodyguard present." NBC's Richard Engel reports.

By NBC News staff and wire reports

Updated at 8:05 a.m. ET: An apparent insider attack by Afghan forces has killed a U.S. service member and a foreign civilian contractor with NATO, officials said Sunday ? bringing the total number of U.S. troops killed inside Afghanistan to 2,000 according to some measures.

A U.S. official confirmed the latest death in the 11-year-old conflict on Sunday.

The toll has climbed steadily in recent months with a spate of attacks by Afghan army and police against American and NATO troops, and questions about whether allied countries will achieve their aim of helping the Afghan government and its forces stand on their own after most foreign troops depart in little more than two years. The U.S. is preparing to withdraw most of its combat forces by the end of 2014.

The Associated Press reported Sunday that the latest death was the 2,000th member of the U.S. armed services killed inside Afghanistan since the U.S.-led invasion on Oct. 7, 2001. ?However, that AP figure did not include those who died after sustaining?injuries in Afghanistan or those killed in other countries as part of the same campaign against al-Qaida and the Taliban.

TODAY's Lester Holt heads down the road to Sangasar, the physical and spiritual heart of the Taliban. He speaks with American and Afghan soldiers along the way.

According to icasualties.org, an independent monitoring organization which uses the wider definition, the latest death brings the toll of U.S. service members to 2035.?At least a further 1,190 coalition troops have also died in the Afghanistan war, it says.

The Brookings Institution, a?Washington-based research center, said?40.2 percent of the deaths were caused by improvised explosive devices, with the majority of those after 2009 when President Barack Obama ordered a surge of 33,000 troops to combat heightened Taliban activity. According to the Washington-based research center, the second highest cause, 30.6 percent, was hostile fire.

Tracking civilian deaths is much more difficult. According to the U.N., 13,431 civilians were killed in the Afghan conflict between 2007, when the U.N. began keeping statistics, and the end of August. Going back to the U.S.-led invasion in 2001, most estimates put the number of Afghan deaths in the war at more than 20,000.

The 2001 invasion targeted al-Qaida and its Taliban allies after the Sept. 11 attacks, which claimed nearly 3,000 lives in the United States.

"The tally is modest by the standards of war historically, but every fatality is a tragedy and 11 years is too long," Michael O'Hanlon, a fellow at the Brookings, told the AP. "All that is internalized, however, in an American public that has been watching this campaign for a long time. More newsworthy right now are the insider attacks and the sense of hopelessness they convey to many. "

Attacks by Afghan soldiers or police ? or insurgents disguised in their uniforms ? have killed 52 American and other NATO troops so far this year.

The so-called insider attacks are considered one of the most serious threats to the U.S. exit strategy from the country. In its latest incarnation, that strategy has focused on training Afghan forces to take over security nationwide ? allowing most foreign troops to go home by the end of 2014.

As American troops draw out of Afghanistan, officials say the removal plan is on track but that time is precious and the Taliban threat is worrisome. NBC's Lester Holt reports.

Although Obama has pledged that most U.S. combat troops will leave by the end of 2014, American, NATO and allied troops are still dying in Afghanistan at a rate of one a day.

Even with 33,000 American troops back home, the U.S.-led coalition will still have 108,000 troops ? including 68,000 from the U.S. ? fighting in Afghanistan at the end of this year. Many of those will be training the Afghan National Security Forces that are to replace them.

"There is a challenge for the administration," O'Hanlon said, "to remind people in the face of such bad news why this campaign requires more perseverance."

The Associated Press and?NBC News' Courtney Kube and Atia Abawi, in Kabul, contributed to this report.

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Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/30/14156823-afghan-insider-attack-marks-grim-milestone-for-us-troop-deaths?lite

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Fab Sale Round-Up: GILT Baby & Kids, Lil? Swanky and More!

Check out this week's round-up of the best mommy and baby deals.

Source: http://feeds.celebritybabies.com/~r/celebrity-babies/~3/lNwh7d2HjtA/

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