Category Archives: Golden Rule

By Mike Genet mike.genet@examiner.net

A place for startup businesses in Independence

After an initial three-month closure because its housed in an Independence School District building, the Ennovation Center has continued to be a busy site as a business incubator through the pandemic. Clients welcomed the opportunity to continue providing their services, helped by the lower overhead costs the center affords, and in some cases have expanded their business. Some people took the time to investigate starting their own business without needing to buy a full business space. The Ennovation Center started as a tech company and food production incubator a partnership between the school district and Independence Economic Development Council. Its housed in a portion of the former hospital building on Forest Avenue that also houses the school districts central offices. Over time, an eclectic mix of small businesses, or larger businesses needing some short-term space for a work contract, have leased space.

Danielle DuPree, the Ennovation Centers executive director, said the centers six shared kitchens all get used by clients, and if there was more storage space available a hope if federal funding comes through the schedule could be even fuller. The kitchens also get generally boring reports from food inspectors that is, rare and minor infractions. The food side, its rocking and rolling, and weve got a waiting list of clients, DuPree said. We make every client learn every piece of (kitchen) equipment, even if they normally wouldnt use it. I tell them I have two rules the Golden Rule (treat others as you would want to be treated), and cleanliness is next godliness. Jeff Dutzel said his catering business started coming back slowly for a year with private events. If not for some hold-ups in renovating a space on 23rd Street, Dutzel said, he already would have graduated from the Ennovation Center, so having continued access to facilities helps greatly.

This year the corporate (scheduled of events) is coming back, so thats nice, Dutzel said.

For Pickens Sweet Treats, sisters Natalie and Nanette Pickens had been selling products in small batches for a couple of years when the pandemic hit, and after they realized the need to have an online presence, their business grew.

People wanting our gift baskets that really grew, Natalie Pickens said. Because we could still be here and ship, it created whole new outlet.

Her sister said being in the Ennovation Center during the pandemic has been gratifying.

Weve been a startup for a couple years, Nanette said. We would do a lot of on-site events and recently got into wholesale. This has everything we need to run our business, for people who are ready to take that leap. Its a great place for start-ups because of the flexibility.

Sara Smith of Musketeer Home Care, which sets up home health arrangements for people, has been able to move from a cubicle to an office to a larger space in the Ennovation Center.

When I first heard of this place, I thought it was just kitchens, Smith said, and upon further investigation found it ideal.

In my business, we dont have the money for overhead, and the 24-hour access was a perk. I enjoy the whole workshare idea, she said, adding that the place has a feel of camaraderie among clients.

Near Smiths office, clients include a life coach for people with Lyme disease, a media production company, a psychiatrist for young children and a chiropractor who often travels for business. A senior benefits resource center recently moved out.

One of the ECs longest-running clients, Novus Power, started in 2008 and uses a former surgery room to make devices that produce precise timing for electronics, such as cell phone towers. Business has never wavered during the pandemic and could well continue to grow, owner Bill Kurple said. People would probably give up food before their cell phones, he joked.

DuPree said the Ennovation Center can provide office furniture, has business counseling and consultation available and is hoping to start a mentorship program involving successful businesses around the area.

I help get it up and running, with permits and everything, to become a true business, DuPree said. We like to take as much risk out of being an entrepreneur as possible.

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Ennovation Center stays busy The Examiner - Examiner

GREEN BAY PACKERS

2021 record: 13-4

2022 bye week: 14

Most impactful additions: WR Sammy Watkins, LB Quay Walker (first round), DT Devonte Wyatt (first round), WR Christian Watson (second round)

Most impactful departures: WR Devante Adams, WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling, LB ZaDarius Smith

Easiest part(s) of schedule: Beginning with a trip to London in Week 5 to face the Giants, the Packers come home to play the Jets before traveling to Washington. Despite this technically being rated the 11th-easiest schedule in the NFL based off last years records, there is no other stretch where Green Bay has sure-fire victories.

The first game against Detroit is sandwiched around at Buffalo and then Dallas. The first Chicago meeting is after at Minnesota in Week 1 and at Tampa Bay in Week 3. The second time around isnt much easier.

Toughest part(s) of schedule: As one can read, I am not buying this is in the top half of easiest schedules. The toughest month of the campaign comes and ends on Sunday night with an Oct. 30 game at Buffalo and Nov. 27 at Philadelphia. In between besides Detroit, Green Bay gets Dallas and Tennessee at home.

Caesars over/under win total (as of Aug. 27): 11 Over +100 / Under -120; Odds to win Super Bowl LVII at +1200

Book it: UNDER. Yeah, yeah, I know a Golden Rule is never bet against Aaron Rodgers, but the fact is is without his two biggest receiving threats from the past few years in Adams and Valdes-Scantling could be too much to overcome. Will rookie Christian Watson and be able to fill a No. 2 role right away?

At running back, the Packers have a nice 1-2 punch with Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon, but Jones seems to disappear through periods of a season, and I am not sure his heart is in Green Bay. Meanwhile, I wonder if Dillon wont soon be the every-down back?

The defense was ranked ninth for the second straight season after being 18th in Coach Matt LaFleurs first year. Seems to me they overachieved and could regress back to the middle of the pack. (Pardon the pun.)

Simply put, sort of like betting against Mike Tomlin and the Steelers, you put money against Rodgers to succeed at your own peril. With this schedule and the personnel, however, I dont see how the Packers win more than 11 games, which means if you take the over your ceiling very well could be a push.

As far as their division (-170), conference (+500) and Super Bowl odds, there just isnt any value. If anything, I would look to the two other teams in the division not named the Chicago Bears for a play. The only thing you can play here is the under 11.

Projected finish: 10-7

Categories: Upstate Action

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Green Bay Packers 2022 preview: Over or under projected win total of 11? The Daily Gazette - The Daily Gazette

A TikTok chef from Dublin has given one bit of key advice to save money on your grocery shop.

Daniel Lambert, who lives in Donegal, became a TikTok sensation over lockdown when he lost his job and had plenty of time on his hands. Since then, hes gained millions of likes on TikTok along with hundreds and thousands of followers. He has also featured on a FM104 series online and regularly appears on Ireland AM to show off his scrumptious recipes.

Daniel told Dublin Live: I got bored in lockdown. Everyone started running or doing fitness. I was working crazy hours as a chef so I said to myself I'd start a project. Everyone was on TikTok, the dances and the songs were really annoying so I said I'd give cooking a go. I eventually got an email from FM104 asking to do a documentary series.

Read more:All the food you should avoid putting into an air fryer

I didnt have a lot of money at the time but I put my own twist on recipes. I cant make a normal lasagne, I have to make a chicken curry lasagne but it keeps people entertained and interested in the content.

Daniel has one golden rule when it comes to saving money in the kitchen. He shops in bulk and repeats his ingredients throughout the week. He says the humble potato is key to saving money in the shops.

He said: Potatoes are a big thing, people love spuds. Spuds are cheap, theyre easily accessible to people and you can cook a lot of things with them. One day I'd make a spaghetti bolognese so if you double the amount of mince you can use the rest to make a lasagne the next day.

Ill make mashed potato for a roast dinner one day and then the next day I'll make potato croquettes. There's so many things like shepherds pie. Its all about buying in bulk. You need to shop around the place and get the best deals.

For someone whos not familiar with cooking too, Id suggest getting a book on midweek meals, theres a lot of stuff in my book as well.

The new-generation chef also has a recipe book called Lush coming out this week. It includes chapters such as Potato Party, The Cure, and So Wrong But So Right. It features 100 easy-to-make recipes and with repetition of ingredients, youre not spending an arm and a leg to make a delicious dinner.

You can find out more about Daniel and his book here.

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Dublin TikTok chef gives one key bit of advice to save money on your food shop - Dublin Live

This story is part of Home Tips, CNET's collection of practical advice for getting the most out of your home, inside and out.

An organized kitchen can be what makes or breaks how much you cook. If half your cooking time is spent digging out that one forsaken pan or the food processor, chances are you're not going to cook as often as you might like simply due to the hassle of finding what you need.

Organizing your kitchen cabinets can make planning to cook, making the meal and cleaning up infinitely easier -- and there are certain ways to go about it to get the best results. Here are some top tips and tricks for how to organize your cabinets. For more organization tips, check out our guides on how to organize your fridge and how to declutter your closet.

Read more: Best Cookware Sets of 2022

Contrary to popular belief, baking soda does expire. Throw it away. Have those cans of soup been sitting in the same spot for years? It might be time to donate or toss them. If it's smelly, sticky or super old, consider getting rid of it. Ask yourself if you really need the Tupperware with a missing lid.

If there's extra space in your pots and pans cabinet while your utensil drawer overflows, consider rearranging to maximize cabinet space. Take a hard look at everything in your cabinets and get a general idea of how items are used in the kitchen and where the most intuitive spot is for them to be. Functionality is the name of the game when it comes to kitchen organization.

The pantry golden rule states that you must be able to see everything that's inside. This is a good rule for the rest of your kitchen, especially the inside of your cabinets and drawers. This will make cleaning items out and putting them away much easier. Consider organizing utensils with drawer trays.

A nice set of pans, colorful kitchen utensils or even a cutting board can be used for decoration. Get a hanging rack or put up hooks along an unused wall to use all the space in your kitchen and declutter the cabinet.

Consider hanging your pans instead of throwing them in a cabinet.

Divide the kitchen between food (and other edibles) and dishware and cooking supplies. Continue dividing from there. Store items like spices, dishes and flatware in the upper cabinets for easy access, and put larger items like baking sheets and large appliances in the lower cabinets. Avoid stacking too much, so it doesn't all come crashing down when you reach for one bowl. Resist the urge to throw everything in and deal with it later.

Another good way to organize the kitchen is based on function. Take some time to think about your routine, and try grouping the kitchen into areas based on what you use it for. For example, putting breakfast items such as the coffee maker and mugs near each other can fast-track your mornings.

Sit and get comfy with a marker and some masking tape; they're going to be your new best friends. Label any buckets, bins or Tupperware, even if they're clear. Not only will you easily know what the contents are, but it will also help you stick with the system long-term.

Who doesn't love a good label?

Consider storing baking sheets, serving plates and cutting boards vertically. You can add space with pop-up shelves, plastic caddies, hooks, magnetic boards and cork boards.

Rarely use your juicer or stand mixer? Put them in the furthest kitchen cabinet along with anything else you use less than once a week. Cookbooks you only use once a year at Christmas can be stored here too. Better yet, toss them all and just write them down somewhere digitally.

Doing a first pass at organizing is the biggest step, but keeping your kitchen that way is the hardest part. Try your best to stay consistent with your system, and make sure anyone else using the space does too. Now go forth and bask in the glory of your newly organized, aesthetic and functional kitchen.

Make sure you check out our tips onhow to clean your kitchen in under 15 minutes, how to clean your dishwasher and how often you should be cleaning your fridge.

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Maximize Your Kitchen Cabinet Space With These Time-Tested Organization Ideas - CNET

ITS a common part of nightly routines in households up and down the country, but a dentist has warned why its a bad idea for parents to give their children milk just before they go to bed.

While many mums and dads choose to do so to help their kids sleep through the night, it could have a negative effect on their teeth.

2

Icy Bear Dental, a luxury dental range developed by Hanna Kinsella, posted a video titled 3 things I would NEVER let my kids do as a dentist.

In the clip featured on Icy Bears TikTok account @icybeardental, Hanna explained: A lot of people dont realise that milk breaks down into sugar.

So give them the milk before they brush their teeth.

However, there are two more rules when it comes to looking after your childrens teeth.

She revealed she would also ban drinking fruit juices in between meals.

Hanna explained: A lot of people think fruit juices are very healthy - but they are actually very acidic.

They lower the PH in the mouth and that can cause decay.

Instead, Hanna encouraged parents to only give their children fruit juice during meal times to limit the number of times they drink them during a day.

The third golden rule is to cut out dried fruit from their go-to snacks.

She continued: A lot of parents think that dried fruit is a really good alternative to sweets, but actually they contain just as much - if not more - sugar.

Dried fruit has got a really sticky texture and they can get stuck in between kids teeth.

That sugar can cause decay so if youre going to give them dried fruit, stick to meal times and not as snacks in between.

2

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Im a dentist, three things Id never let my kids do, including drink milk to help them sleep... - The US Sun

Worrying about how much energy bills will cost is a reality faced by millions of households across the UK right now, with a staggering 80 percent increase in the price cap scheduled to come into effect from October 1. While there are potential savings to be made when it comes to heating your home, changing the way you cook could also make a difference to your monthly bill. Switching oven-baked food for pan-fried meal is one way to speed up the cooking process, but is it really the cheapest method to use?

According to the latest Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy data, average UK electricity prices per kwh were 18.9 p/kWh for 2021, but will be 52 p/kWh at the end of 2022.

While gas is still cheaper than electricity per kwh, the time it takes to cook food in an oven rather than frying it in a pan makes a big difference to the cost.

Speedy air fryers are widely known to be cheaper than oven-baking in most cases, but how does pan-frying fare against using the oven to heat your meals?

READ MORE:Golden rule for removing toilet limescale with just 2 ingredients

According to the Centre for Sustainable Energy, a 2000-22000W electric oven currently costs around 50-55p per hour to use, based on a unit rate of 25p per kWh.

This cost will more than double once the new energy price cap comes into effect.

In fact, the New Statesman reported that the cost of using an oven for one hour will soar to 1.04 from October 1.

Compared to the cost recorded in October 2021, this is 150 percent more expensive for billpayers.

On average, gas appliances are much cheaper to run than electric, as reflected in the latest Cornwall Insight figures.

The data shows that on average, a gas cooker amounts to just 33p a day, or 120.83 a year. A part-electric, part-gas dual cooker will set you back 72p every day you use it, or around 264.03 annually.

Based on these figures, it is generally best to quickly fry food on the hob if it is entirely gas-powered rather than a duel-fuel or electric oven to slowly bake it.

However, one expert explained that induction hobs can actually be more efficient than gas, despite costing more per kWh.

On average, gas appliances are much cheaper to run than electric, as reflected in the latest Cornwall Insight figures.

The data shows that on average, a gas cooker amounts to just 33p a day, or 120.83 a year. A part-electric, part-gas dual cooker will set you back 72p every day you use it, or around 264.03 annually.

Based on these figures, it is generally best to quickly fry food on the hob if it is entirely gas-powered rather than a duel-fuel or electric oven to slowly bake it.

However, one expert explained that induction hobs can actually be more efficient than gas, despite costing more per kWh.

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Is it cheaper to cook in an oven or pan? Best cooking method as costs more than double - Express

Prof. Zelig A. Tochner is Professor of Radiation Oncology at the National University of Singapore.

Tel Aviv, Israel (PRWEB) August 30, 2022

Despite the proven and potential clinical benefits of proton therapy, this treatment is currently available to very few patients. The reasons are primarily economic. Until now, the equipment size required its own dedicated building. Combining construction and heavy equipment cost severely limited the potential for cost-effective operation and ROI in a reasonable period. Previously, the dimension of proton therapy equipment accelerator, beam delivery, treatment planning and delivery room -- did not allow for integration of the equipment within existing radiotherapy practice facilities. Because of the constraints of legacy equipment and design, combined with the substantial cost to develop, build and operate a stand-alone proton center, the expansion of proton treatment to existing radiotherapy centers, and to physician-owned centers, has been extremely limited.

Despite all of the above, due to the clinical benefits demonstrated since 1954, proton therapy has become a significant tool to fight cancer with radiation. Today, there are over 130 proton centers worldwide. Recently, a breakthrough solution to enable the expansion of proton therapy without the need to build a separate proton center, a new and significantly less costly paradigm becomes available. Proton therapy can now be centered in an existing linac vault. To do so, there are five requirements to allow healthcare provider to integrate proton therapy into an operating radiotherapy department, while eliminating the barriers of installing and operating existing legacy proton therapy systems.

Requirement 1. Use of a synchrotron to produce the proton beam.A synchrotron is a type of proton accelerator which does produces significantly less neutron radiation during operation when compared with industry standard cyclotrons. Due to this accelerator advantage, a synchrotron can be safely placed together with image guided patient positioning equipment within the treatment vault, exactly as it is being done today with conventional radiotherapy linacs. This differs from the current practice of installing a proton accelerator in a separately shielded bunker. The current practice stems from the use of legacy cyclotron accelerators which produce harmful neutrons during operation.

Additionally, the current generation of synchrotrons may be installed and operated within a very limited space (comparable to a modern photon linac treatment vault). Further, unlike the cyclotron design, synchrotrons are modular, permitting individual component parts to be delivered (via regular elevators) and installed within an existing linac room. Even modern compact cyclotron design still prevents installation without significant construction effort due to size and weight of the single component (in addition to construction of the required additional dedicated shielded vault exclusively for the accelerator).

Requirement 2. Gantry-less pencil beam scanning (PBS) delivery system. The PBS allows for delivering the treatment dose by an intensity modulated technique ensuring high treatment quality in accordance with the prescribed treatment plan objectives and constrains. Beam delivery without the use of a rotating gantry significantly reduces the equipment dimension, making installation of a proton machine in a linac vault feasible. The gantry-less solution allows for treatment delivery to all anatomical sites and offers the benefits of upright/seated position for both treatment planning and delivery. The seated position reduces body motion allowing for more precise beam deliveryless organ motion means more accurate treatment. A clinical study that is currently planned by the Hadassah Medical Center in Israel should provide comprehensive information about the protocols for delivering proton therapy to various anatomical sites of patients treated in a seated orientation.

Requirement 3. Image guided positioning for patients in a seated position. The seated position enables delivering the treatment beam from all directions to meet optimal treatment planning requirements. This paradigm shifting solution includes both the patient support and the imaging equipment. This solution allows for patient treatment in multiple seated positions, providing flexibility to enable access to all anatomical areas during imaging and treatment. The patient support should be mounted on a robotic arm. The arm provides 6 degrees of freedom permitting correction should changes to the tumor site are necessary. The proper patient positioning is ensured by imaging of internal organs. The 2D imaging is based on a specially oriented pair of x-ray systems that should be integrated into the walls or floor of the treatment room. The orientation of the x-ray system allows imaging of patients along the perpendicular or longitudinal axes of the patients body. In addition to the x-ray systems, 3D and 4D imaging can also be carried out using an in-room CT modality a specially designed CT scanner that can image the patient in a seated position. During image acquisition the scanner moves while the patient stays fixed in the seated position. The 4D CT acquires patient images of a diagnostic quality for two reasons: (1) to define correctness of the patient position and (2) to monitor the treatment site during the course of treatment and (3) to enable adaptive therapy when needed.

Requirement 4. CT simulation of patients in a seated position. The radiation therapy golden rule is to plan the treatment and treat in the same patient position. This requires having a vertical 4D CT scanner for scanning seated patients. The CT simulator, preferably, should be the same scanner that is used for image guided positioning. However, a vertical CT simulator can also be installed outside the treatment vault. The latter point is an option in order not to always use the treatment room for simulation, enabling higher patient treatment throughput. Although, several academic clinical institutions have installed home-made vertical scanner, the only company that developed an FDA cleared and CE marked vertical CT scanner is P-Cure.

Requirement 5. Treatment planning software (TPS) that understands that the patient is treated in a seated orientation. Although there are some ways to avoid this requirement, to generate treatment plans with TPS that has not integrated a chair model is challenging. To streamline the treatment planning process, one must use TPS that has been integrated into the seated treatment concept. Raysearch, the leading provider of treatment planning solutions, has already implemented a software module for planning treatments in a seated orientation. More companies will follow the trend.

If proton therapy is meant to become part of the mainstream clinical practice, no doubt there will be more and more solutions that match the criteria I have described above.

About the Author:Prof. Zelig A. Tochner is Professor of Radiation Oncology at the National University of Singapore. A Professor Emeritus and the former medical director of the Roberts Proton Therapy Center at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, one of the worlds largest proton therapy facilities. He was also the chief of the Pediatric Radiation Oncology service for the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia.

Prof. Tochner received his MD from the Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School and is board certified in Radiation and Medical Oncology. He was recognized by Best Doctors in America 2005-2006, 2009-2010, 2011-2012. Contact at zelig.touchner@gmail.com

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Prof. Zelig Tochner Tells How To Install Proton Therapy in Existing Radiation Linac Vaults - PR Web

I am in the midst of meetings and learning more about how this national litigation will play out, said Mike Bottaro, Founder of The Bottaro Law Firm.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (PRWEB) August 27, 2022

Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune appears to be one of the worst water contaminant sites in history. There are estimations that from 1953 to 1987, millions of American veterans, families, and workers were exposed to this toxic contaminated water at the Camp Lejeune base. The level of volatile organic compounds found in the Camp Lejeune water supply has been reported to cause a wide array of harm and personal injuries to those exposed. On August 10, 2022, President Biden enacted the Honoring Our PACT Act, which gives military veterans and others around Camp Lejeune the right to compensation for harm caused by water contamination.

The PACT Act can help those in our Rhode Island and Massachusetts communities in several ways. The law expands access to health care and health screenings. Additionally, for the first time, it permits those harmed by the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune to file lawsuits against the federal government seeking compensation.

Here are just some of the potential harms for which Camp Lejeune victims could be entitled to compensation:

In preparation to help support the veterans throughout Rhode Island and Massachusetts communities, Attorney Mike Bottaro is attending meetings, talking with veterans, and learning more about how this national litigation will play out.

I am in the midst of meetings and learning more about how this national litigation will play out, said Mike Bottaro, Founder of The Bottaro Law Firm. The new law gives the legal right to monetary compensation to potentially millions of Americans, alive or who have already passed. Veterans, widows, and others now have important, new legal rights. Your case will likely get consolidated into out-of-state federal litigation. If you live in our communities here in Rhode Island and in Southeastern Massachusetts you need a local, trusted personal injury law firm. At Bottaro Law, we offer you the advantage of that local voice so you do not get lost with a nameless, national out-of-state firm

About The Bottaro Law Firm, LLC.

Attorney Mike Bottaro and his team handle all types of personal injury cases including Camp Lejeune cases throughout Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Inside the courtroom, they have been recognized by their peers for their trial advocacy, ethics, and professionalism throughout RI and MA. Bottaro Laws guiding principle is the Golden Rule: Doing the right thing for their clients. Call or text Bottaro Law 24/7 for live help with a free case review at (401) 777-7777.

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Camp Lejeune Toxic Water And How It May Affect Rhode Island And Massachusetts Legal Rights - Local RI And MA Personal Injury Attorney Mike Bottaro...

Taking pictures of food is a fun way to tell beautiful stories. Whether youre sharing a recipe for aculinary blogor want to show off your business or hobby, capturing enticing photos is essential.

Food photographyis a popular social media trend and a great way to get into digital photography.

Shooting food is fun but can be challenging for those who want to turn their hobby into a profession. Check out these 10 tips to help you enter the fascinating world of food photography, whether youre using a smartphone camera or DSLR.

It may seem intimidating, but reading the manual is the best way to learn about your camera. Read, reread and practice. Try snapping photos in manual mode so you can fully control the camera settings.

You can also try shooting in RAW as often as possible. Buy a larger memory card if needed since compressing JPG files can remove the smaller details from your photos.

Privacy, security, the latest trends and the info you need to live your best digital life.

Tap or click here for our detailed guide on the differences between JPEG, TIFF and RAW.

Use a tripod or rest your arms against a flat surface table to stabilize your camera. If you hold your arms away from your body, youll likely have a blurry image.

This tip is vital when you have poor lighting. Weak lighting plus an unstable camera equals an even more pronounced blur.

The Rule of Thirds is visualizing a 33 grid (like a tic-tac-toe board) over an image. You can use these imaginary grid lines to focus on specific aspects of your subject.

Try aligning the edge of your dish with one of the lines that form the grid. Or try focusing the center grid on the middle of a table full of food or a garnish. Stick to the golden rule of thirds and youll get better.

The best pictures are shot in natural light, but that doesnt mean you should snap photos in direct sunlight. Try setting up your food dish by a large window with curtains. The curtains diffuse light, spreading it evenly across your subject.

If youre shooting away from a window with curtains, buy a cheap semi-transparent shower curtain to obtain this look. When using artificial lights, try placing them opposite your subject. Home lighting can alter the white balance, providing an unnatural yellow or red shade.

The best time to take pictures of your food is on cloudy days when the clouds provide great diffusion. But since you cant control the weather, practice with the lighting and different diffusion methods that work best for your subjects.

When you place a delicious meal over a neutral background, anyone looking at your image will focus on the food. Cute or attractive backgrounds might sound appealing, but the subject isnt your new kitchen backsplash or seasonal tablecloth. Its the fantastic meal you cooked.

Looking for pro photography shots or inspiration, tips and advice to drive your own photography goals? Check outDreamstimefor all the pro images and inspiration you need.

A neutral background is not the same as a bland background. Place ingredients used in your dish or eating utensils in the background to add visual appeal without taking away from the food.

Create a story with the ingredients you used. Sprinkle chocolate chips or fan out thinly sliced fruits. Play with these props or try choosing a color palette.

Another way to create a story is to reveal where you like eating that particular food. Use a laptop or desktop computer in the background to indicate you enjoy the food or drink while working.

Include a vintage cookbook to reveal your recipe inspiration or set the dish in the foreground with a full banquet table in the background to tell your audience this food is perfect for parties.

Bring your pictures to life by revealing all the different textures your meals, snacks, appetizers, or desserts have to offer.

You can show different textures by sprinkling spices on your food, especially fresh herbs, bread crumbs, or coarse salt. You can also provide volume by layering or overlapping different dish elements.

Take a bite of the food and leave the utensil on the plate, complete with crumbs or sauce. Add drops of water or brush melted butter onto the food to create a juicy, glistening surface.

Certain foods should be photographed as soon as theyre out of the oven. This ensures cheese is melted enough to capture that impressive stretch seen in pizza commercials and reveals textures that vanish once the food has cooled.

Some ingredients lose their color once theyve gone cold, so be sure to have your lighting and background ready before the food comes out. As a bonus, freshly made food can reveal rising steam and other elements you wont see with cold meals.

Flat foods like pizzas are best photographed from above, while layered foods like cheeseburgers reveal those tasty ingredients when captured from the side.

Start photographing drinks at a 45-degree angle to highlight the cups height, but play with different angles to ensure you get the most attractive image.

Where are you going to showcase your food pictures? Social media images are best taken vertically since this orientation is easier to crop and garners more attention.

Horizontal images are perfect for banners, posters and other print media, so your viewers can see everything.

Now that youre equipped with 10 amazing food photography tips and tricks, go out and start practicing. Take your time, try one technique at a time and dont forget to have fun.

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10 food photography tips that will have your followers asking for seconds - Komando

A tiny tropical paradise known as Contadora Island is a blip in the Gulf of Panama. Here, two disgraced dictators, brutal men who fled from certain death when their people turned against them, lived in exile. Reza Pahlavi, the last shah of Iran, and Raoul Cdras, the military dictator of Haiti, both once called Contadora home.

It was a fate better than both men deserved. Life in the tropics is not exactly punishment. But given that the U.S. and its allies are losing the global battle against autocracy, and that past strategies to rid the world of dictators havent worked, we should take the Contadora option seriously, imperfect and indeed odious as it may be. Every once in a while, the least-bad, realistic option may be to coax dictators into exile, letting them escape the justice they deserve so that the broken countries they leave behind can have a democratic fresh start.

A top foreign-policy priority for any democratic government should be reducing the number of autocrats and their influence. Look around and you can almost always trace global crises back to an autocrat. The war in Ukraine and global inflation lead back to Vladimir Putin. To avoid funding Putins war requires buying oil from Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia or Nicols Maduro in Venezuela instead. Theocratic tyrants in Iran are trying to get world-destabilizing nuclear weapons and Kim Jong Un in North Korea already has them. World War III could be triggered in the Taiwan Strait by Chinas Xi Jinping, who changed the constitution, allowing him to become president for life.

Why dont dictators just quit while theyre ahead? Most of them have millions or even billions stashed away in untraceable bank accounts. Many have yachts on several seas and villas on multiple continents. They could cash in for a few years while tasting the thrill of absolute power, then sip sangria into old age.

From the December 2021 issue: The bad guys are winning

Most dictators dont have that choice, however. To stay in power, autocrats develop complex networks of elites whom they pay off, a phenomenon that political scientists sometimes call patronage. Despots are the linchpin of those networks; if they go, the money may dry up, or worse, go to rivals within the elite, which means that many oligarchs and generals would fight back against any proposed retirement scheme. More significant, dictators must be ruthless and make enemies to stay in power. The second an autocrat loses power, those adversaries will pounce.

Transitions dont generally end well for the autocrat. In sub-Saharan Africa over the past 50 years, for example, close to half of autocrats who lost power have ended up in prison, in another country for the remainder of their life, or in a casket. Most therefore cling to palace life, rigging elections, killing opponents, and crushing dissent. The more likely they are to face jail or death if they leave office, the stronger the incentive to fight to stay in power forever.

Waiting autocrats out isnt a good option. After all, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, of Equatorial Guinea, took power in 1979 and, more than 40 years later, is still ruling. Kim Jong Un is just 38 years old. He could plausibly be ruling in 2072.

For decades, hawks in Washington and London pushed for a military solution to democratize dictatorships. They got their way with the Iraq War. Now Afghanistan is back in Taliban control, Libya is a disaster, and the notion of regime change by force has few advocates. Economic sanctions, which often squeeze vulnerable civilians more than the elites (who can take the hit), rarely live up to their lofty expectations.

Outside actors can help amplify the consequences of an autocrats miscalculation (as the West has done by arming Ukraine and putting pressure on Putins enablers). And once a dictator has fallen, external forces may succeed in imposing hard-nosed punishment: a one-way ticket to the International Criminal Court or extradition to a jail cell that doesnt have easily bribed guards or a revolving door (as with the warlord Charles Taylor, whos now serving time in northern England).

Short of that, the best window for action comes when a dictatorship is already fragileduring mass protests, coup attempts, or an uprising. Dictators, in these moments, tend to consider their options, and may be willing to accept permanent exile. Putin is not going to be coaxed from power, nor is Xi. But for many autocrats who run small and midsize powers, a sweet enough offer in a moment of crisis may be the most realistic route to peace and a shot at democracy.

Yascha Mounk: Dictators arent pretending anymore

In September 1994, Washington was engaged in a tense standoff with Cdras, Haitis dictator. President Bill Clinton anchored gunboats off Haitis shores while trying to convince Cdras to leave power without a fight. Ultimately, money and safe passage were enough. American negotiators, including former President Jimmy Carter and General Colin Powell, bargained with Cdras and reportedly gave him an exit package worth about a million dollars. (Cdras also reportedly insisted that the United States government rent out his mother-in-laws villa for the fee of several thousand dollars a month.) Cdras went to Contadora Island; as of 2008, he still lived in Panama.

More recent was the peculiar case of Yahya Jammeh, the Gambian dictator who had pledged to rule for a billion years. In 2016, a shocking election result was announced: The dictator had lost. Jammeh, in a rambling but jovial phone call broadcast live on television, congratulated his opponent, Adama Barrow, on his victory. Soon thereafter, Barrows party made clear that Jammeh would be prosecuted for his crimes, and that the government would claw back his stolen millions.

Immediately, Jammeh changed course. He rescinded his congratulations, rejected the election results, and pledged to stay in power. Jammeh also began to amass a mercenary army in the capital, ready to stay in power by force if necessary. After years of horrific crimes and corruption, justice was sorely needed but looked like it was going to come at a very high price for the people of The Gambia, in the form of a bloody conflict that might have left them with the same regime in the end.

But then a regional bloc of West African states came to the rescue. They gave Jammeh the choice between the carrot and the stick. Leave on your own terms or face invasion. Jammeh left The Gambia willingly, reportedly carrying bags of cash and loading some of his favorite luxury cars onto a cargo plane. He now lives in Equatorial Guinea, under the protection of Obiang. The Gambia got its fresh start.

Neither Haiti nor The Gambia is a beacon of democracy, but life is certainly better than it would have been if Cdras and Jammeh were still in charge. Both countries were given a fresh start, a chance for lasting reform, and the hope of a future without a dictator. In both instances, the costs were comparatively minor: some cash, cars, and monthly rent to stave off mass violence while pushing a dangerous megalomaniac out of power.

Anne Applebaum: America needs a better plan to fight autocracy

Exile is not the only flexible approach to luring dictators away from the palace. The Ibrahim Prize gives $5 million to African heads of state who leave power in accordance with their constitutional mandate (for nine of the 15 years that its been offered, no candidate has met the criteria). A program also used to exist at Boston University that would appoint former African heads of state to a prestigious fellowship, laundering their reputations if not their millions. It was reportedly offered to Laurent Gbagbo, the former president of Ivory Coast, who had previously been a university lecturer. Rather than head to Boston, Gbagbo tried to cling to power, launched a civil war, and ended up at the International Criminal Court instead. (Boston probably sounded pretty good from his jail cell in The Hague.)

Whenever possible, accountability and justice should be paramount, the twin goals of post-dictator transitions. The International Criminal Court is still a worthy ideal. Torture victims, the families of dissidents who have disappeared, and the millions of families who suffer under ruthless dictators deserve to see real accountability from their oppressor.

Im making an argument rooted not in ideals or even basic fairness, but in realism. For many of the people Ive spoken with in The Gambia, the choice they faced in 2016 was not between justice and injustice, but between spending more decades under Jammehs oppression or watching him leave with some fancy cars. Better that hes gone, several told me. A golden parachute is too generous, but golden handcuffsof house arrest in a safe place to live out the remainder of lifemight be an injustice they could stomach.

Some might argue that the golden-handcuffs option would create a moral hazard, encouraging dictators to believe that they will never face justice for their crimes. But most dictators escape justice anyway, dying of old age, or at the hand of a rival or an angry mob. A policy of safe passage would more likely increase transitions of dictators who otherwise would have fought to the bitter end to stay in power, rather than decrease the amount of justice served.

And the option wouldnt be available to everyone. Nobody could stomach amnesty and exile for the worst of the worst, like Charles Taylor or Bashar al-Assad or Vladimir Putin. But most despots dont kill tens of thousands, or millions, of people, and the less-monstrous tyrants are the ones who are most likely to be tempted by exile anyway.

In a world lurching toward authoritarianism, how much should we hold our nose to give innocent civilians a shot at liberation from a dictator? There may be a place for exile in fighting for democracy.

Read more:

The Realist's Weapon in the Fight for Democracy - The Atlantic