Has RBS put the Information Society back 5 Years or saved us from worse?

As detail emerges to confirm the scale, nature and source of the problems faced by RBS and the impact on its customers we an begin to ponder the consequences, including for HMG  aspirations to move its dealings with the most vulnerable in society not only on-line, but reliant on call centres and support staff based on the other side of the world.  

Cabinet Office is in the process of organising the frameworks under which the next generation of central government services will be procured. Some have been announced, others are just going out to tender. But what will be the effect on public confidence of last weeks public and small business experience, if the industry closes ranks professionally and says "it was just one of those things that happen in todays complex on-line world".   

Last week I agreed to help organise an exercise on the nature of trust in the on-line world. 

That exercise has just become a lot more urgent. It may also have, paradoxically, become  very much easier. This may be one of those moments, like the Tay Bridge Disaster, when an industry is forced to grow up. The failings of cast iron bridges had been shown over 30 years earlier when the Dee Bridge fell down  The basic disciplines of systems engineering for systems to support remote on-line transaction processing are also over 30 years old. That has not prevented each new generation of supposed "computer professionals" from having to relearn the mistakes of their predecessors. The mixing of executable code and data was a firing offence for my generation. It is now deemed "essential" to get the throughput needed.    

The enquiry into the Tay Bridge Disaster, when the Admirality Commissioner of Wrecks over-rode the excuses of the most eminent engineers of the day (including his assessors), changed professional attitudes for ever - albeit not necessarily for good.  

Is this a Tay Bridge moment? 

Probably not. Not enough people are dead - although if RBS has to be put down as its customers walk away and the rest of us go back to carrying cash reserves in case our Cards stop working ...  

Sri Lanka complete massive victory

Sri Lanka 472 (Sangakkara 199*, Dilshan 101, M Jayawardene 62, Ajmal 5-146) and 137 for 5 dec (Dilshan 56, Junaid 3-44) beat Pakistan 100 (Randiv 4-13, Herath 3-30) and 300 (Younis 87, Shafiq 80, Kulasekara 3-80, Randiv 3-86) by 209 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

	Asad Shafiq made a solid half-century © AFP  Enlarge

For a year and a half after Muttiah Muralitharan's retirement, every match Sri Lanka played was accompanied by questions about their ability to be a top Test nation in the absence of the game's greatest wicket-taker. Those questions will be less frequent after Sri Lanka completed their third Test victory in five matches, and their largest win over Pakistan on the fourth day in Galle. The result also snapped Pakistan's winning streak, which included a 3-0 blanking of world No. 1 England, at five Tests.

It wasn't one-way traffic on Monday, as it had been on the three previous days as Asad Shafiq and Younis Khan defied Sri Lanka for nearly two sessions. Younis gave another demonstration of his fourth-innings mastery, while Shafiq once again showed his appetite for a scrap, as he had in his two previous Tests, against England. Their resistance stretched the game to the final minutes of the fourth day, but Sri Lanka were never in any serious danger, remaining firmly in control all through.

Pakistan's only casualty in the morning was the nightwatchman Saeed Ajmal, run-out in the second over of the day after a direct hit by Suraj Randiv from cover. An early finish to the game looked on the cards when Younis started to walk off after seemingly holing out to mid-off, but there was some doubt over whether Tillakaratne Dilshan had got his fingers under the ball as he took a low catch. It was hard to tell from the replays, and Younis was given the benefit of the doubt.

The only other clear-cut chance in the session for Pakistan was when Kumar Sangakkara put down a tough catch at midwicket off Shafiq ten minutes before lunch. There were a few mild lbw appeals, and Shafiq's french-cut for four early in his innings, but for the most part, Younis and Shafiq were more comfortable than any other Pakistan pair has been this match.

They didn't go into a defensive shell, looking to score even though the target was well out of sight. Younis used the sweep, mostly the conventional version but on one occasion the reverse as well. Shafiq capitalised on the deliveries bowled on his pads, and also pulled out some hard-hit lofted shots as Sri Lanka's bowlers were made to wait for a breakthrough longer than they have had all match.

The pattern continued after lunch as well, as the pair negated the generally slow spin easily. Both batsmen confidently used their feet against spin, and were quick to put away the loose deliveries. Sri Lanka's fast bowlers weren't at their best, not testing the batsmen enough and being inconsistent with their lines, while the spinners patiently plugged away. The slow bowlers managed to find a few edges which didn't carry to slip on several occasions.

As the session progressed, it seemed Sri Lanka's best hope of a wicket would be once the new ball was taken, but Herath got one to spin off the pitch with pace, and Shafiq nicked it through to slip, via the wicketkeeper's gloves, to fall for 80.

Younis went on to become the first Pakistan batsman to complete 1000 runs in the fourth innings, but he couldn't become the first man to score five centuries in the fourth innings of a Test. Sri Lanka hadn't needed to wait for the second new ball to break the Younis-Shafiq stand but when they did take it, they got the big wicket of Younis in the very first over. Nuwan Kulasekara, who has been a huge threat with the new ball, got one delivery to hold its line, and not dip in as his deliveries usually do, causing a faint Younis nick to the keeper.

With those two strikes, Sri Lanka were in sniffing distance of a win. Debutant Mohammad Ayub, the last of the specialist batsmen, hung around for an hour and a half before becoming fast bowler's Nuwan Pradeep first Test victim.

In a disappointing match for Pakistan, one of the bright spots for them was the wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal. Not only was he competent behind the stumps, he showed promise with the bat as well, besides conveying a sense of enjoying the game. He battled for an unbeaten 40, shielding the tail from the strike as much as he could, but couldn't take the game into a fifth day as Sri Lanka's spinners completed the job a few minutes before stumps.

Children send illicit text messages

Children are using their parents' mobile phones without their knowledge, research suggests

Children as young as six months are playing with gadgets and youngsters are using their parents' mobile phones without their knowledge, research has suggested.

It showed that nearly a fifth of parents (19%) said their children had sent a text message or made calls from their mobile phone without them knowing at the time.

The survey, carried out by Legal and General, also found that one in ten children had downloaded apps onto a parent's smartphone without their knowledge.

Nearly two-thirds (60%) of youngsters between six months and two years play with gadgets such as tablet computers and laptops, and one in ten children aged six months do so too.

The research found that 36% of fathers were comfortable with letting children under four play with gadgets, but only 23% of mothers felt that way.

Mike Lawler, from Legal and General, said: "I find it amazing how quickly children know how to use technology gadgets. But inquisitive fingers can soon become expensive fingers if the gadget they play with should break.

"We are increasingly bringing new and often expensive pieces of technology into our homes, which if left within reach, can be very tempting for a child to then play with. While smartphones and HD TVs can help to keep children entertained, we need to be watchful to protect these expensive items and also those little fingers."

The survey of 2,000 people was carried out by OnePoll between April 13 and 15 this year.

Cameron: Hacking has shaken public

David Cameron says public confidence has been shaken by 'this whole disgraceful and sorry episode' of phone hacking

Successive scandals over MPs' expenses, banking and phone hacking have shaken people's confidence in Britain "to the core", David Cameron has warned.

The Prime Minister said the public felt that the rich and powerful had been "serving themselves".

From now on institutions would have to be "beyond reproach" in order to win back trust.

The comments, in an interview with the Big Issue, came after Business Secretary Vince Cable insisted Rupert Murdoch's dominance of the UK media landscape had been "deeply unhelpful" and must never be repeated.

Mr Cameron said: "Over the past few years, this country has had some real knocks and people's confidence in our country has been shaken to the core. I'm talking about the expenses scandal, the financial crisis, this whole disgraceful and sorry episode of phone hacking.

"There's a sense that the rich and the powerful - politicians, bankers, the press and the police - have been serving themselves, not each other. Add to all that the way the world is changing, with the rise of new powers like China and India, and I think there's a general feeling that maybe our best days as a country are behind us.

"I passionately believe that is not the case. So if you ask me what I want Britain to look like and feel like at the end of my time as Prime Minister, I want us to be a country - and a people - which has our confidence back. Institutions that are beyond reproach, that serve the public not the other way round."

Mr Cable was stripped of responsibility for deciding the fate of News Corporation's bid for full ownership of BSkyB last year after he was recorded in a newspaper sting saying he was at "war" with Mr Murdoch. The Liberal Democrat minister told the BBC on Sunday there was nothing "personal" about recent concerns raised about the media mogul.

"The balanced historical view would be that he has made positive contributions," he said. "But we are dealing with the world as it actually is, where we have had a very, very dominant media company and we need to deal with the lessons from that."

Mr Cable said it was right that Ofcom should look at whether News Corp's UK subsidiary News International was "fit and proper" to hold a majority stake in BSkyB.

Harris key to Australia's attack - Bayliss

	Ryan Harris could be a key man for Australia in Sri Lanka© Getty Images Enlarge

Trevor Bayliss, the former Sri Lanka coach, has nominated Ryan Harris as the Australian bowler most likely to trouble a formidable home batting line-up during next month's Test series in the island nation.

Harris is one of numerous Australian players waiting nervously to discover whether they will be chosen in the first Test squad to be led by the new captain Michael Clarke, after the Australia A tour of Zimbabwe clouded the selectors' options almost as much as it shed light on them. The squad will be announced on Tuesday morning.

Told earlier this year that he was being considered as more of a Test match bowler, Harris, 31, was omitted from the limited-overs squad for the Sri Lanka tour despite showing he had returned to full fitness during the Indian Premier League. Bayliss said Harris' combination of speed, skid and movement both ways would make him the sort of bowler capable of troubling the likes of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene.

"From a pace point of view someone like Ryan Harris could be dangerous," Bayliss told ESPNcricinfo. "He is someone who bustles in, a bit quicker than what you think, but bowls a fairly consistent line and length, but nips the ball about and can nip it about off the seam and through the air a bit.

"Someone like that on their wickets over there ... early on with those wickets you get a little bit of swing and a little bit of seam, and someone who maybe skids onto the bat a bit quicker than what you think, and maybe nipping it back in, I think he could do well. [He is] someone who can bowl reverse swing as well when the ball is older."

Beyond Harris, the questions surrounding the Australian attack are many and varied. Ben Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle, the opening bowlers for much of the Ashes last summer, were conspicuously toothless with the new ball in Zimbabwe. Across the two-day and first-class portions of the tour, not once was either able to claim a wicket in their first spells to the top order.

The left-armer Mitchell Starc fared better, while Trent Copeland, another possible selection, bowled long spells but tended to struggle for wickets. Of the touring spin bowlers Michael Beer and Jason Krejza both had their moments of success counter-balanced by the odd expensive spell. Nathan Hauritz will not be considered for reasons of fitness, while Steve Smith's value as a Test match slow bowler is yet to be proven.

"From a spin point of view it depends a little on who they pick, most of them unless it is Nathan Hauritz, the rest of the guys haven't had a lot of experience in the subcontinent," said Bayliss. "So how they handle the pressure of having to bowl against batters who have been brought up on spin-friendly wickets, how they go about their craft under the pressure the Sri Lankan batters will undoubtedly put on Australia's spinners.

"It's not going to be easy, there are going to be some difficult times trying to get through the Sri Lankan batting order. You've got seven guys in the likely batting order to whom they're going to have to bowl very well and there's going to be some hard work to get through those seven.

"Sangakkara and Jayawardene are the main stumbling blocks, and if you can get those two out of the way, it puts a lot of pressure on the rest of the batting order. You can't take the rest of the guys lightly, but it does put a little bit of extra pressure on the rest of the guys when the two best players don't score any."

Australia's batting appears a little more settled, as Phillip Hughes secured his place alongside Shane Watson by maintaining a rich vein of form that began in the closing weeks of the Australian domestic season. Usman Khawaja's lack of runs in Zimbabwe should not preclude his inclusion, and Shaun Marsh seems likely to stay on in reserve beyond the limited-overs matches.

Australia's batsmen have shown fallibility against quality bowling in recent times, and Bayliss said they would need to be aggressive in order to avoid becoming tangled in the web of the local spinners Rangana Herath, Suraj Randiv and Ajantha Mendis.

"In the Ashes last summer it was more about pace bowlers, but in Sri Lanka it will be more about spin, and Australia's batting against spin," Bayliss said. "Against spin you've got to be a bit more proactive, and try to put the pressure back onto the bowler, so it'll be interesting to see how Australia's batsmen go about facing the Sri Lankan spinners."

Possible squad Michael Clarke (capt), Shane Watson (vice-capt), Phillip Hughes, Usman Khawaja, Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey, Shaun Marsh, Brad Haddin (wk), Steve Smith, Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle, Michael Beer or Jason Krejza, Mitchell Starc.

Dizzee Rascal to replace U2 at Glastonbury?

Dizzee Rascal is being lined up to replace U2 at this year's Glastonbury festival.

The 'Bonkers' rapper has been asked by the British music event's organiser Michael Eavis to fill in for the Irish band after frontman Bono had emergency back surgery last week.

The 'Beautiful Day' hitmakers are set to headline the Pyramid Stage on Friday June 25 but if Bono has not recovered in time, they will have to pull out.

Dizzee is currently set to play the set before U2 but may be promoted to close the evening.

However, Eavis has also phoned Coldplay - who are currently in the studio working on their fifth album - to see if they are available, according to The Sun newspaper.

Bono suffered his injury while preparing for his group's world tour, and attended a specialist neurosurgery clinic in Munich, Germany, for immediate work on his spine.

He is expected to stay in Germany for a few days before returning to his home in Ireland.

A planned tour date in Salt Lake City on June 2 has been postponed.

A statement on the band's website reads: "Once his condition has been assessed further, a statement will be made regarding the impact on forthcoming tour dates."

Industry insiders expect the band will announce later this week that they will not be able to play Glastonbury.

New death hits iPhones factory

A worker at a huge Chinese factory which makes iPhones and iPads has fallen to his death - the eighth fatality this year at the world's largest contract maker of electronics. Skip related content

Related photos / videos

New death hits iPhones factory Enlarge photo

The previous deaths at the Foxconn Technology Group plant in the southern boom town of Shenzhen were deemed suicides, but it was not immediately clear what caused the most recent one.

The worker was identified as Nan Gang, 21, according to reports.

The death will raise more questions about working conditions at Foxconn's massive complex, which labour activists allege has a long history of mistreatment of workers.

They claim the 300,000 employees are pushed hard, toil under tremendous pressure and face harsh discipline for making mistakes.

There was no immediate comment about the death from Foxconn, owned by Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry group. The corporate behemoth has also produced computers for Hewlett-Packard, PlayStation consoles for Sony and mobile phones for Nokia.

After a suicide earlier this month, Foxconn said its workers enjoyed world-class treatment, including social responsibility programmes to ensure their welfare.

Recent suicides include a 24-year-old factory worker who jumped from a building inside the factory complex earlier this month.

The highest-profile death happened last July when Sun Danyong, 25, jumped to his death after being interrogated over a missing iPhone prototype. Mr Sun was responsible for sending the device to US-based Apple.

Brits' honest feelings while online

Britons may be renowned for being emotionally shy and reserved face to face but one in five admit to opening up about their feelings while online, a new survey has found. Skip related content

Related photos / videos

Brits' honest feelings while online Enlarge photo

About 20% revealed they were more likely to be honest about their wellbeing when asked "How are you?" while using a social networking site or email.

The study for healthcare company Bupa polled 2,224 adults via YouGov in March as part of its "How are you Britain?" report.

According to the findings, more than three quarters (78%) of Brits thought they were more open about their health than 20 years ago, with the figure rising to 83% among females.

One in 10 (10%) of Brits currently signed up to a social networking site said they posted an online comment about how they were feeling at least once a day, with 32% admitting they do so at least once a week.

However, the study also suggested Brits reverted to type when responding in person to a query about how they were feeling. On average, people were asked the question "How are you?" four times a day, with more than half (53%) stating they gave a similar response each time without properly considering their feelings.

Close to a third (31%) said they opted to give a vague answer because they thought people were only asking to be polite.

Bupa Health and Wellbeing medical director Dr Katrina Herren said: "We believe 'How are you?' should not be a rhetorical question.

"It's an important conversation starter and people needn't be afraid of responding with how they really feel.

"Sharing an emotion with people who listen and don't judge it to be good or bad can not only make you feel better but improve communication between you and others and maintain your mental wellbeing."

Google plans to merge web and TV

Google believes it has come up with the technology to unite web surfing with channel surfing on televisions. Skip related content

Related photos / videos

Google plans to merge web and TV Enlarge photo

To reach the long-elusive goal of turning TV sets into internet gateways, Google has partnered with Sony, Intel and Logitech International. They unveiled their much-anticipated plan for a "smart" TV, and Intel CEO Paul Otellini predicted the effort will be "the biggest improvement to television since colour".

"Our goal is to make the same impact on television as the smart phone has had on the mobile phone market," said Rishi Chandra, the Google product manager who is overseeing the smart TV project.

The TVs are expected to go on sale this fall in US Best Buy stores, with prices to be announced later in the year. Sales will expand to other countries next year.

Other companies have tried to promote internet-connected TVs with little success during the past decade.

"I have seen this movie before," Gartner analyst Ray Valdes said of Google's ambitious plans. "They are going down a road littered with failed initiatives like this."

But Google and its partners believe they have developed a system that will make internet TV simpler and more appealing. They are also counting on various websites to build news applications tailored to run on the internet TV; they believe that would persuade more couch potatoes to begin interacting with their sets instead of just watching them.

Many households already have been connecting their TVs to the internet, mostly to watch video through set-top boxes, video game consoles and Blu-ray players. Web-connected TVs are expected to account for about 19% of the U.S sales of flat-panel models this year, with the share projected to rise to 46% in 2013, according to ABI Research.

Three of Google's biggest rivals - Apple, Microsoft and Yahoo. - also have been trying to bring more internet video and services to televisions.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs once described his company's device for tethering TVs to the internet as a "hobby". Forrester Research analyst James McQuivey expects Apple to become much more serious about its efforts now that Google is expanding into TV. "The whole game for Google is to become the (operating system) for the living room and make sure Apple doesn't," Mr McQuivey said.

Spain to block credit for local authorities

The latest effort to balance Spain's books came as the International Monetary Fund called for labour and banking sector reform and as press reports said the government would need 2.7 billion euros to save a local bank.

"The local authorities and those that depend on them ... cannot obtain long-term public or private credit, in any form, to fund their investments," a draft law said Monday,

The ban is valid until the end of 2011.

The measure is part of a two-year 15-billion-euro (19-billion-dollar) deficit-slashing plan announced earlier this month that includes a freeze on state pensions and an average five percent pay cut for civil servants.

The socialist government is under pressure to take action from both its EU partners and from the markets, which fear Spain could follow Greece -- Athens needed an unprecedented 110-billion-euro bailout by the EU and the IMF earlier this month to save it from bankruptcy.

The IMF on Monday said the "ambitious" fiscal consolidation in Spain needs to be "complemented with growth-enhancing structural reforms" in the labour market and banking sector.

As the eurozone crisis has unfolded, there have been concerns that local government debt could prove at least as big a problem as central government debt as governments try to put their public finances in order.

International ratings agency Standard and Poor's warned Spain last week that the nation's powerful regional governments face worsening deficits.

It predicted Spain's regional debt burden could surpass 110 percent of consolidated operating revenues in 2012, up from just 40 percent in 2007.

The debt of Spain's local authorities at end-2009 was 34.6 billion euros, equivalent to 3.3 percent of GDP, according to the finance ministry.

Overall, accumulated public debt was equivalent to 55 percent of GDP in 2009 and is expected to rise to 74 percent in 2012 as the public finances are further eroded.

The problem of local government debt has another side to it, raising issues of how appropriate such financing has been for them.

In Italy, for example, there have been worries that the country's economy faces huge risks from derivatives contracts taken out by local governments who did not fully understand what they were buying into.

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero announced the main points of the latest austerity plan on May 11. The government approved it on Thursday but it must still be passed by parliament.

The measures are on top of a 50-billion-euro package announced in January designed to slash the public deficit to the eurozone limit of three percent of gross domestic product by 2013 from 11.2 percent last year.

Public finances faced further pressures after Spain's central bank on Saturday took control of a troubled regional savings bank, CajaSur.

A business newspaper, Expansion, said as much as 2.7 billion euros (3.38 billion dollars) may be needed to clean up the bank's 1.5 billion euros in doubtful debt and cover another 364 million euros in bad loans and the depreciation of property assets.

News of the rescue unsettled investors already nervous over the European debt crisis and sent European and US stocks lower on Monday.

The austerity measures have sparked widespread public anger.

Unions representing public sector workers have called a strike for June 8 over the latest austerity plan, while Spain's largest trade union, the CCOO, said Friday it would "probably" also call a national general strike.

Washout hits India's semis chances

Australia 234 for 4 (Hussey 67, Ponting 65, Paine 56) v India - match abandoned due to rain

	Michael Hussey found some form with 67 ©

India and Australia will have their Champions Trophy fortunes decided on Wednesday after a washout in the match between the two sides in Centurion on Monday, when Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey led a strong Australian batting effort. Australia reached 234 for 4 before the deluge that had appeared imminent for more than an hour finally arrived and set in.

It meant the only winner was Pakistan, who are now assured of a semi-final spot. The fate of Australia and India now rests with the final two group matches, both on Wednesday. For India to progress they must thrash West Indies and lift their net run-rate while also hoping Australia lose to Pakistan; any win or no-result for Australia in their remaining match and they are through.

Australia were the frontrunners when the match was abandoned. There was no centurion at Centurion but a string of half-centuries from Ponting, Hussey and Tim Paine, as well as a late flurry from Cameron White set them on a comfortable course. As the players toiled against the backdrop of lightning, White lifted the tempo with an unbeaten 35, including a monstrous six over midwicket off Amit Mishra.

However, it was Ponting and Hussey who controlled the middle of the innings as they kept the scoreboard ticking over with little drama. Hussey was typically unobtrusive in compiling 67 from 65 deliveries, driving through gaps and haring through for single after single. There had been a reverse sweep early in his innings but he'd taken few risks until he lofted a wide ball from Ishant Sharma, who bowled poorly, straight to Sachin Tendulkar at long off.

Ponting was more classical, if slower to score his 65 runs, until he was caught short by a magnificent direct hit from the deep from Gautam Gambhir. Until that moment, Ponting had looked set for a century as he settled into a rhythm with quick singles and the odd cracking cut or drive, as well as one brilliant, high lofted drive for six off a good-length Praveen Kumar delivery.

Ponting was the anchor, combining in an 88-run stand with Hussey and an 84-run partnership with Paine, while India's bowlers battled to make inroads into the top order. Paine was the aggressor early and took plenty of risks. He walked down the pitch to Ishant and turned him over midwicket for four, also pulling him for six as Ishant's first over cost 16 and his first three overs leaked 30.

The risk-reward strategy continued against Harbhajan Singh, whose first ball to Paine was paddle-swept for four from on the stumps and later in the same over Paine reverse-swept another boundary to bring up his half-century. However, Paine's luck expired on 56, when he top-edged another paddle-sweep off Mishra to midwicket.

Mishra and Ashish Nehra were the most impressive bowlers in an Indian effort that lacked bite. There was sharp turn for Mishra but not a great deal of assistance for the fast bowlers, although India could also have used a sharper fielding effort - Paine should've been run out on 6 and on 31 his edge off Mishra flew between MS Dhoni and Rahul Dravid at first slip.

After India lost the toss, Nehra gave them the perfect start when he consigned Shane Watson to his third consecutive one-day international duck. Nehra found some extra bounce that surprised Watson, whose top-edged pull lobbed to Harbhajan at midwicket.

There wasn't much more joy for India, although the washout was a reasonable outcome for them given Australia's solid batting. However, India need to find some spark to hammer a West Indies side that has fought well in this tournament, and they must also hope for a Pakistan win against Ponting's men. Australia's fate is in their own hands.

Cooking the perfect anniversary dinner for five years of love, laughter and fabulous food

Lobster_2

Dave and I have been together five years this month. We've had some great times, travelled to some amazing places and are closer and more in love than ever. But enough with the mushy stuff---you don't really want to hear about that anyway---let's get to the good part: the food.
I'm a part of this month's Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24, and I decided to do a five-course anniversary meal---celebrating each year of our relationship with a memorable dish from that year. Four grocery stores, one fish market, four hours of shopping, and nine hours of cooking later, we sat down to eat five years of memories to the mellow tunes of John Mayer's Continuum album.
First course: Ham and cheese croquettes

Ham croquettes_2

These little golden-fried beauties were inspired by our time in Spain, when Dave came to visit me during my study abroad stint our first year together.
Second course: Microgreen salad with honey dressing

microgreen salad_2

microgreen salad

I LOOOOVE this salad. Surprisingly, so does Dave. I say surprisingly because Dave is a caesar-salad-only kind of guy. This recipe, an original from my momma, has all sorts of ingredients that Dave "doesn't like." I made this for him during our second year together when he was still too polite to turn down any of my food. In fact, this salad was a part of the one of the first meals I ever made for him. It's also special because it marks the first time Dave trusted my culinary intuition, even though he thought he wouldn't like it. I'll take some of the credit for making him a more adventurous eater, thank you very much. Since then, he'll (tentatively) try almost every single dish I put in front of him, even the veggie-heavy ones.
Third course: Lobster bisque

Lobster

Lobster bisque

Dave and I LOVE us some lobster bisque. Our third year together we had two of the best lobster bisques I've ever had, from Capital Grille and Tru. Recreating this was quite a task---one of the most daunting I've ever taken on.
First of all, I endured a giant rush of guilt and a massive case of the willies every time I opened the fridge and saw the lobster's paper bag staring back at me. I have no problem eating something that was once alive, I'd just prefer that someone else do the dirty work for me. I didn't have a choice in this case. As far as I know, the only lobster you can get on short notice in Chicago is one that's alive and thrashing.
I read up on everything from lobster hypnosis (seriously) to a swift slicing between the eyes as ways to humanely kill lobster. In fact, the jury is still out as to whether or not they can feel actually pain. In the end, I popped him in the freezer for a couple minutes, which seemed to calm him, or freeze him just enough to prevent movement, and plunged him head first into boiling salt water.
Then, in a moment of poor judgment, I lifted the lid off the pot, only to see him writhing around in there as he boiled to death. Completely awful.
The torture ended for the lobster about a minute or so later---mine endured for hours longer. Dismembering and pulling out the lobster meat was the next unpleasant undertaking. Never mind that I was squeamish about pulling apart something I had just killed. That was a walk in the park compared to dealing with the ungodly mess that splattered all over my face and spilled out on to the kitchen counter and floor when I pulled the legs off cut the lobster's body open. *Shudder*
I breathed a sigh of relief when it was all over. Little did I know, my aggravation was far from over. After I cooked and pureed the bisque, I decided to run it through a super-fine mesh strainer to get the smooth and silky texture of a good restaurant lobster bisque. I'd compare this process to squeezing dozens of tiny key limes by hand just to get a few ounces of juice for a margarita (Which I've also done. What the hell is wrong with me?) In the end, about five cups of puree resulted in about half as much bisque.
Saying that my blood, sweat and tears went into this dish would almost be a literal interpretation. In the end, it was all worth it. The bisque was truly restaurant quality---silky, rich, with a spot-on flavor and huge chunks of sweet, tender, juicy lobster meat. And it was Dave's favorite dish of the night.
But if I make this dish again, I must be a masochist.
Fourth course: Indian-spiced pork with carrot and sweet potato puree

Indian Spice Rub

Indian spiced rub pork

Indian Spice rubbed pork

This was a dish we ate at Veya, a fantastic restaurant on the island of Anguilla in the British West Indies. This vacation (and the food we ate there) was so incredible, we're going back again this year. Knowing a local with a fabulous house by the beach has its perks. See you in December Neal!
Fifth course: Chocolate pecan pie with Kahlua whipped cream

Chocolate Pecan Pie_2

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Chocolate Pecan Pie_5

The dessert course is (surprise, surprise!) a Rick Bayless recipe. Remember the chocolate pecan pie that I said would change your life?? I first had it on my birthday this year at Frontera. Lucky for me, I didn't have to play around and hope to come close to recreating it---the recipe is online. It turned out fabulously. Rick would be proud.

The meal was a perfect celebration of our anniversary. After all, there's some truth in the saying, "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach."
Ham and cheese croquettes (adapted from 1080 Recipes) You'll need: 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 1/2 tablespoons butter 4 tablespoons flour 1 1/2 cups whole or 2% milk 1-2 eggs 2 cups bread crumbs 1 cup pancetta, prosciutto or bacon, finely minced 1/4 cup cheddar or swiss salt and pepper to taste
Cook the finely chopped ham in the vegetable oil in a sauce pan or skillet. Remove and set aside. Using the same pan, melt the butter and stir in the flour. Bit by bit, incorporate the milk, constantly stirring and reducing the sauce until it is very thick. Stir in the cheese and ham. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread the mixture in a baking dish and allow to cool for two hours. Form croquette shapes using two tablespoons and your hands. Cover the croquettes in bread crumbs, dip in the beaten eggs, then again in the bread crumbs. Store in the fridge or freezer and chill thoroughly before deep frying until golden brown. Serve with garlic and parsley aioli (mayo, minced garlic and parsley).
Microgreen salad You'll need: about 2 cups (or one small carton) microgreens (the only place I've ever found these is Trader Joe's. You can use spinach, arugula or mixed spring greens as a substitute) 1 half of a yellow bell pepper, chopped finely 1 half of an orange bell pepper, chopped finely 1 half of a small onion, chopped finely 1/4 cup pine nuts 1/3 cup feta cheese 1/4 cup mandarin orange slices 4 tablespoons honey 4 tablespoons olive oil salt and pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients together and toss to coat everything.
Lobster bisque (adapted from recipe from The Signature Room) You'll need: 1, 1- to 2-pound lobster 3 cups lobster stock 2 tablespoons tomato paste 2 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup white wine 1/4 cup brandy 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup heavy cream 1/4 cup arborio rice 1 small onion, chopped 1/4 cup celery stalk, chopped 1/4 cup carrot, chopped 1/2 cup leek, chopped 1 teaspoon tarragon salt and pepper to taste
Cook the lobster in boiling water for 8-10 minutes, depending on the size. Pull the lobster out with tongs and put in ice water to cool. Pull the meat from the lobster and store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator until ready to use. Cook the vegetables in the butter in a large pot. Add the tomato paste, stir to coat the vegetables. Add in the white wine, vanilla and brandy and cook until the alcohol smell starts to dissipate and the mixture smells sweet. Stir in the rice and lobster stock and reduce. Stir in the cream and reduce again. Continue to cook, stirring periodically, until the mixture is thick and the vegetables are cooked through. Add the tarragon and puree the mixture in a blender or food processor and strain with a fine mesh strainer. Add the lobster and reheat in a pot over the stove or in the microwave. Top with chives and serve.
Indian-spiced pork tenderloin with carrot and sweet potato puree You'll need: a whole, 1-pound pork tenderloin Indian spice rub (recipe follows) olive oil for cooking 5 carrots 1 sweet potato 1/2 cup onion 1 cup chicken broth 2 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon curry powder salt and pepper to taste
Indian spice rub 1 tablespoon curry powder (spicy curry--if not spice, add chile powder to taste) 1 tablespoon cardamom 1 tablespoon coriander 1 tablespoon turmeric 1 tablespoon salt 1 tablespoon pepper 1 tablespoon garlic powder 2 tablespoons paprika 1/2 cup brown sugar
Rub the pork in the spice rub and drizzle with olive oil. Let sit overnight or for several hours in the fridge. Brown in a skillet and finish off in a 350-degree oven until the internal temp of the tenderloin reached 145-150 degrees. Let sit for at least ten minutes before cutting and serving. To make the puree, peel and chop the carrots, sweet potato and onion and cook in the butter and chicken broth until vegetables are soft. Puree and season to taste. Serve hot topped with a slice of pork.
Chocolate pecan pie with Kahlua whipped cream (adapted from Rick Bayless' recipe) You'll need: Crust 1 1/2 cups flour 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut in small pieces and chilled thoroughly 3 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cut in small pieces and chilled thoroughly 3/4 teaspoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 6 tablespoons ice water
Filling 2 cups toasted pecan halves 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 3 tablespoons flour 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar5 eggs, room temperature 3/4 cup light corn syrup 1/4 cup molasses 1 1/2 tablespoons Kahlua or coffee liquor 2 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon salt
Whipped cream 1 cup whipping cream 1/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 tablespoons Kahlua
For the crust, combine all ingredients except for the ice water in a food processor, but don't over process--you want little beads of butter and shortening in the dough. Mix in ice water, again being careful not to over-process. Form into a disk and refrigerate for one hour. Roll out into a 12 inch disk and form to a pie dish. Pre-bake, with foil over the crust and weighted down by pie weights, beans or another oven-safe dish at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove foil and weights, reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove and cool. For the filling, crush the toasted pecan halves and mix in the chocolate and flour. Whip the butter and sugar for 5 minutes in a mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in the remaining filing ingredients and mix in the chocolate/pecan mixture. Pour mixture into the pie crust and bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until the center of the pie is completely set (not jiggly). Whip all ingredients for the whipping cream until light and fluffy. Top each pie slice with a dollop.

The Ultimate Potato Chip Taste Test

From bleu cheese to black pepper, honey dijon to hickory barbeque, who can keep up with all the latest twists on potato chips? Whether it’s just the plain and simple classics, or a new-fangled gourmet version, suddenly our grocery store shelves seem to be brimming with a slew of irresistible-sounding varieties. Being chip lovers, we decided it was time to check them out for ourselves. Mmmm, tough assignment...

• Kettle Brand Baked Potato Chips - These tasty babies are 65% less fat (about 3 grams of fat and 120 calories for 20) than regular potato chips and they really hold up -- we practically devoured the entire bag in one sitting! They're super crunchy, loaded with flavor (just pure, natural potatoes here with a little salt and oil) and 100% satisfying. We're hooked!
• Trader Joe's Popped Potato Chips - These curved, disk shaped chips tout they're "never baked, never fried." Instead, the potatoes are popped by adding heat and pressure! Clever idea, huh? And, this process results in yet another irresistible snack that's lower in calories (4 grams of fat and 120 calories for 22), but definitely not lower in taste. They're light, airy and still very crispy, and we've already run out to buy a few extra bags.
• Rock 'n Roll Gourmet Hippie Chips - Similar to the Popped chips, these guys are curved, disk shaped and almost the same fat and calories, but the hook here is that they're made with organic hemp seeds which are loaded with essential fatty acids and reportedly have many health benefits. Tastewise, they're definitely the lightest of the low calorie bunch and not as crunchy. But if you're looking for a groovy, healthy twist on the good ol' potato chip then these could be right up your alley. For more info check out their website.
• Kettle Krinkle-Cut Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper – Spiked with spicy flecks of black pepper, these are dangerously addictive. They were not the first chips we tasted, so by the time we got to them we were promising ourselves to eat only 2-3 chips – max. Just not possible with these – you’re lucky if you stop before the bag is empty!
• Kettle Yogurt & Green Onion – Slightly sweet when you first pop them in your mouth, followed by a quick tang, these are perfection. Personally, we’re not big on “flavored” chips because they tend to be overpowering, but these are the ideal balance of toasty potato + oniony goodness.
• Tim’s Reduced Fat Lightly Salted Chips – These boast “40% less fat” than regular chips, but weighing in at 6 grams per serving we didn’t quite get the math. Still, they’re definitely lighter, no doubt about it. As for the “lightly salted” part, we could taste the reduced sodium and liked it (110mg per ounce vs an average of 150-200mg in other brands). If you crave potato chips for the salt fix, these aren’t for you. But we loved the fact that they weren’t going to make us feel five pounds heavier in the morning. Overall, a healthier option that’s still super satisfying.
• Hawaiian Original Kettle Style Chips – Our idea of the perfect chip. Great, not too salty, and a smaller-than-average size (not the gigundo ones that make you feel like you’re binging).
• Lays Kettle Cooked Mesquite BBQ Extra Crunchy – A tad too sweet and a bit chemical tasting, but still we found it hard to stop munching. These are the perfect snacky ballgame chip, but not something we’d be inclined to eat with a meal.
• Terra Sweets & Carrots – The bag says there’s “a full serving of vegetables in every ounce” - and no trans fats (which can increase the risk of heart disease). Sounds good enough. As for the taste, we loved it. These are very low in sodium (20mg per ounce) and a bit higher in sugar (other chips average 0-1 grams of sugar while these have 7 grams). The carrots and sweet potatoes are naturally sweet and rich, making for an indulgent gourmet spin on the classic.
• Boulder Canyon All Natural Malt Vinegar & Sea Salt – In our humble opinion, salt and vinegar chips are one of the BEST junk foods ever invented. That said, we were a bit alarmed to read the label and discover these have a whopping 410mg of sodium per ounce. Yeah, they are S-A-L-T-Y. And incredibly, irresistibly delicious. We would easily down a whole bag.

For more information on how to live stylishly, check out our website, The Foxy Files, and our latest book, Curves Rule And Flat Is Fabulous: Sexy, Stylish Looks For Every Figure.

10 Reasons Not Have Kids Yet ... Or Ever

Cameron Diaz thinks your kids are bad for the environment.

Well, no, not really. But she told Cosmopolitan she thinks women shouldn’t be pressured into procreating or “shunned” for not having kids because “honestly, we don’t need anymore kids. We have plenty of people on

this planet already.”

The Frisky: How Soon Is Too Soon To Talk About Kids?

While we agree with Cameron that it’s b.s. women still get hassled for not raising rugrats, we can think of far better reasons than old Mother Nature for staying childless.

1. If you were up last night at 3 a.m., it’s your own damn fault.
2. Nothing in your closet has someone else’s barf on it. Or someone else’s poop.
3. You don’t want to keep a spare, clean diaper or a baggie of Cheerios in your purse.
4. You still want to wear a push-up bra—not a nursing bra.
5. You can’t have that second mojito if you’re breast feeding.
6. It’s probably a health hazard to carry around a 10lb baby in four-inch heels.
7. You want to spend all morning in bed having sex…and all afternoon, too.
8. You are the only one you want your guy calling a “baby.”
9. You can blast Amy Winehouse or Lil’ Kim as loud as you want as you want, whenever you want.
10. If something strange is leaking out of your vagina, it’s probably just because of your period.

The Frisky: What's So Wrong With A Woman Being Selfish?

There’s lots of other reasons not to have kids just yet…what are some of your own?

-- Written by Jessica Wakeman at The Frisky

Indoor air versus outdoor: Which is cleaner?

The surprising answer is that the air outside your home is probably healthier than the air inside.

Indoor air can be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air even in the largest and most industrialized cities, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Even in smoggy Los Angeles? Yes.

Martin Wolfe, Seventh Generation's "Scienceman," measured pollution levels in several Los Angeles locations including the side of a freeway, behind a natural-gas powered bus, inside private homes, and more. The result: The outside air in LA is twice as good for you as the air inside your home.

You can see the testing process for yourself in the entertaining video below.

We spend about 90 percent of our time indoors, so it's worth making small changes to improve the air whenever you can. Below are some tips to help you breathe easier when you're at home.

Think twice about what you bring into your home:

• Air out dry-cleaned clothes before hanging them in your closet.
• Stay away from commercial air fresheners. Many contain synthetic fragrances that can aggravate allergies and asthma. Instead, find the source of the odor and fix it.
• Switch to less toxic household cleaning products or follow in grandma's footsteps and use items right out of your pantry. For example, use Alka Seltzer to clean your toilet, glass baking dishes, and more.
• Choose low-VOC paints, sealants, and glue. A wide variety of affordable options that work well are available at most home improvement stores.
• Replace a vinyl shower curtain with one made from a natural material such as cotton or linen.
• Minimize carpeting and look for formaldehyde-free pressed wood furniture and supplies when decorating.

Maintain and clean your house regularly:

• Wet-mop or vacuum with a high-efficiency particulate (HEPA) air filter often to limit the chemicals that can accumulate in household dust.
• Fix leaks to help avoid formation of molds.
• Change your furnace's filters regularly and maintain other fuel-burning appliances.

Keep track of potential pollutants:

• Install battery-operated carbon monoxide detectors in your bedroom and other places where you spend a lot of time. Make sure you place detectors in spots where you can hear them, and change the batteries regularly.
• Buy a simple radon test kit to determine if radon levels in your home are too high. Radon is a naturally occurring gas that's found in the ground, and it can accumulate in a basement and make its way into your living area.

Let the fresh air in

When it comes to ventilation, there are several options from opening your windows on a windy day to using kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans to employing a whole-house mechanical system. You can ask a knowledgeable professional to explain how you can bring in enough outdoor air to dilute the pollutants in your house and circulate some of them outside.

Environmental journalist Lori Bongiorno shares green-living tips and product reviews with Yahoo! Green's users. Send Lori a question or suggestion for potential use in a future column. Her book, Green Greener Greenest: A Practical Guide to Making Eco-smart Choices a Part of Your Life is available on Yahoo! Shopping and Amazon.com.

10 Hair Removal Techniques for Women

For most women, the struggle with hair is a daily one--not just how to find and maintain a flattering haircut, but how to get rid of unwanted underarm, facial, arm, leg and pubic hair without a lot of effort or expense. Fortunately, there are a number of options available for temporary or permanent hair removal. Laser

Hair Removal

Laser hair removal uses pulsed light, or lasers, to remove unwanted hair by destroying it at the root. Although laser hair removal usually requires at least five sessions at a laser clinic before the hair is completely removed and is significantly more expensive than most other hair removal techniques, it can be used effectively on any part of the body and requires return visits to the clinic only one a year after the initial treatment.

Waxing

Waxing is an effective hair removal technique for nearly every part of the body, including the bikini area. Waxing can be performed in some salons and spas or at home with the use of a home waxing kit, though all follow the same procedure: a soy-based cream-like wax is spread on the skin and covered with clean cloth strips. The strips are removed when the wax hardens and the hair is removed with it. Waxing must be repeated at least every 2 weeks.

Tweezing

Tweezing pulls the hair out at the root and, for some women, it can be uncomfortable, especially when used to remove facial hair. Tweezing can also be time-consuming and, when used at home to remove hair around the eyebrows, can be difficult to do well.

Sugar Waxing

Sugar waxing is similar to waxing in that it involves spreading a substance on the skin, covering it with strips of cloth, then swiftly removing the strips after the substance hardens. With sugar waxing, the hardening substance used is a thick, sugary liquid that is easier to wash off than the soy-based wax used in traditional waxing.

Electrolysis

Electrolysis is truly permanent hair removal. In this technique, the cells that are responsible for hair growth are permanently destroyed by an small electrical current. The hair will not grow back. It may sound like a dream, but there are some drawbacks: it is expensive, more than 2 dozen sessions may be needed to complete the treatments and, because it requires the insertion of a tiny needle into each hair follicle, it can be painful without the use of a local anesthetic cream.

Depilatory Creams

Depilatory creams include chemicals that dissolve hair proteins. They can be highly effective on facial hair, although they need to be applied at least weekly and usually have to be left on for a minimum of five minutes.

Shaving

Most women are inducted into the world of hair removal with this technique and, whether it's done with a straight razor or an electric one, for many it is still the method of choice. Although shaving is only a temporary hair removal technique and must be repeated at least every few days (many women find they must shave more often), it is economical and, with a number of quality razors of both kinds on the market, easy on the skin.

Rotary Epilators

Rotary epilators look and function a lot like electric razors, except they pull out hair at the root with rows of tweezers instead of shaving the hair shaft. While the results can last for several weeks, using epilators can be uncomfortable and the hair must be long enough for the epilator to grasp.

Vaniqa Hair Removal Cream

Vaniqa is a prescription cream that contains a chemical, eflornithine, that inhibits hair growth by inhibiting the enzyme that stimulates hair production. For best results, Vaniqa must be applied twice daily for at least two months, and sometimes as long as six months.

Hormone Treatments

A number of medications, including many commonly prescribed birth-control pills, incorporate a drug that controls the hormones responsible for hair growth. For women who suffer from excessive hair growth, these medications may help bring the situation under control.

Five-step guide to kicking your sugar habit (without sacrificing your sweet tooth)

Let’s face it: We’re addicted to sugar — and it’s wreaking havoc on our health.

Check the back of your favorite snack, and you’ll probably see some form of sugar on the ingredient list. Whether they call it sugar, sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, sorbitol, maltodextrin, mannitol, or malitol, sugar is inside a lot of our foods, and consuming too much of it can pose serious health risks.

Long known to cause weight gain and high cholesterol, diets high in sugar have been strongly linked to diabetes, heart disease, hyperactivity, and tooth decay. Some studies even suggest that excess sugar intake can cause depression and mood swings.

Need another reason to kick your sugar habit? The chemical bleaching process that turns raw cane sugar into the pure white powder you put in your coffee takes huge amounts of energy and emits tons of greenhouse gases. Not to mention the environmental damage caused by large-scale sugar cane plantations, whose toxic chemical runoff pollutes the local water supply and threatens public health.

It may be hard to avoid sugar these days, but it’s not impossible — you just have to know what to look out for. Below we’ve compiled a list of the worst sugar offenders and a five-step guide to kicking your sugar habit without sacrificing your sweet tooth.

Identifying the sugar culprits

Avoid all the white stuff — Within 15 minutes of ingestion, white bread transforms into sugar in your blood stream. It burns very quickly and is deceptively filling. Say no to refined carbs: white sugar, white flour, and white potatoes.

All of these foods have the same effect on the blood sugar; they cause a tremendous spike, then dramatic fall in blood sugar. This causes intense mood swings, hyper cravings, and low energy.

Usually intense sugar binges are followed by cravings for very salty and fatty foods. This destructive cycle causes weight gain among other health side effects. Choose dark breads and whole grains to fill you up and give you lasting energy.

Don’t drink the juice — There are so many hidden sugars in beverages. By now you know soda is an obvious item to eliminate, but fruit juices are high on the list as well. Fruit juices have all the sugar but none of the healthy fiber of whole fruits. Add a lemon wedge or splash of fruit juice to water to give it a kick.

Don’t go low on the carbs — When you don’t consume enough carbohydrates to fuel your body, you get hungry, which many people experience as a craving for sweet foods.

Build meals around complex carbohydrate-rich foods. Examples include baked or roasted purple potatoes; sweet potatoes; root vegetables, such as carrots or parsnips; fresh fruits; or whole grains, such as brown or wild rice, millet, quinoa, buckwheat, or 100-percent sprouted or sourdough whole-grain bread.

Add colorful, fibrous vegetables — particularly greens — preferably steamed or sautéed leafy greens, salad greens, a dash of healthy fat or oil (nuts or seeds; olive, coconut or flax oil; butter; or avocado), and include a small portion of protein in each meal, as insufficient protein intake will induce sugar cravings as well. So keep your diet well rounded.

Shake your sugar blues — Emotional eating is a huge factor when it comes to sugar dependency. Instead of using sugar to cope with imbalances in our lives, why not explore a dialogue to start fresh. Integrate healthier sweeteners, and make a conscious effort to decrease your intake of sweets. Your body will thank you.

Five steps you can take to kick sugar to the curb:

1. Drink more water — We often experience cravings that are largely due to dehydration. Drink more water. When you feel a craving arise, drink an 8-ounce glass of water. See what happens 10 minutes later, you may find that your craving will decrease of fade entirely.

2. Manage your stress levels — Adrenal exhaustion can contribute to cravings for stimulants, such as salt, sugar, alcohol, coffee, etc. Working out daily and getting enough sleep will help alleviate your adrenals and relieve your system of stress. A regular practice of deep diaphramatic breathing will also help you manage stress as it rises.

3. Integrate sweet foods — Sweet potatoes, pears, and cinnamon: These foods are soothing to the pancreas and can satisfy the body’s craving for sweet taste.

4. Try herbs — Garcinia and gymnema sylvestre – aka “sugar destroyer.” This herb is used in Ayurvedic medicine to balance sugar cravings by temporarily numbing the tongue receptors to sweet and restoring the pancreas. You can take capsules or drink the tea.

5. Eat your veggies — As you increase your intake of dark leafy green vegetables, your body begins to find a balance and cravings for sweet begin to diminish. The micro sugars in your greens loaded with phyto-nutrients that fortify the blood and cleanse your organs.

Still need to satisfy the sweet tooth? Click here for a list of healthy sugar substitutes.

More from ecomii: