In the space of three and a half decades, the Pittsford Carriage Association’s Walnut Hill Carriage Competition has grown from an informal marathon drive of 14 vehicles to a six-day, internationally recognized, driving “event” which is forced to turn away competitors each year. Association President, William Remley, was understandably proud to say that Walnut Hill is the largest show of its kind in the world. Coincidentally, and most fortunately for the Walnut Hill Carriage Driving Competition, 1972 was also the year Bill was asked to be president of the Rochester-Canandaigua Horse Show, a revival of the old Rochester Exposition. With the successful achievement of this first venture fresh in his thoughts, Bill Remley began investigating carriage shows, only to find that there were precious few driving classes offered in any area shows and even fewer bonafide driving shows. Since carriage driving appeared to be the stepchild of the equestrian sport, Bill and his small group of fellow enthusiasts entertained the idea of developing a showcase specifically for carriages. Their intention was to bring together people who enjoyed driving in a relaxed, congenial atmosphere. The Pittsford Carriage Association was born and declared its major objective the use of carriages and other animal drawn vehicles for the promotion of public interest in their contributions to our country’s cultural, social and economic history. See more plus pictures at: http://www.walnuthillfarm.org/History.html

"Hard cider has become my new drink," says Mario Batali. "I have it as an aperitivo, even back in New York."
Mario Batali's vacation spot is a former trout-fishing camp on Michigan's Leelanau Peninsula, a 30-mile spindle of land with Lake Michigan to one side, a bay of Lake Michigan to the other, and even more water on the ground in the form of the peninsula's 8,600-acre Lake Leelanau. All of this water moderates Michigan's famous cold weather, allowing true European grape varieties such as Riesling and Cabernet Franc to grow. Apples and other fruits also thrive on this balmy bit of land south of the Manitou Islands, and there's also a thriving micro-brew scene. See recommended wines at:
http://www.bonappetit.com/blogsandforums/blogs/badaily/2011/07/wine-beer-drink-traverse-city-michigan-mario-batali.html

Mario Batali on eating in and around Traverse City, Michigan There's a place in Leland called The Cove that has killer chicken sandwiches and burgers. My favorite restaurant in Traverse City is The Cook's House. It's farm-to-table and it's delicious. There's a seafood place on the east side of Grand Traverse Bay called Siren Hall. We take a boat across the bay to the little harbor there, tie up, and walk 200 yards to the restaurant. It feels so good.
Bon Appetit magazine August 2011

There is a Missouri class action set for trial next month, which is worth following. The case claims that LegalZoom.com, which sells do-it-yourself wills, leases and other documents online, is illegally practicing law in the state of Missouri. Last week, Missouri federal judge Nanette K. Laughrey partially rejected LegalZoom’s motion for summary judgment and set the case for trial on August 22. In a statement issued yesterday, LegalZoom said that if the plaintiffs win at trial, it could dramatically impact the availability of self-help legal books and forms in Missouri. “If the plaintiffs are successful, we believe it is going to become a lot more expensive for small businesses and individuals to obtain basic legal forms,” Chas Rampenthal, Legal Zoom’s General counsel, said in the statement. “Missouri would become the only state in the nation to take away a consumer’s right to access online legal document software.” David Butsch, counsel to the plaintiffs’ said the consists of as many as 15,000 users of LegalZoom products.
The suit contends that by selling online legal documents, LegalZoom is violating a Missouri law that bars non-lawyers from preparing legal documents.
http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2011/07/27/class-action-claims-online-legal-forms-pose-threat-to-consumers/

Q. Is news an acronym for north south east west? A. No.
news late 14c., plural of new (n.) "new thing," from new (adj.), q.v.; after Fr. nouvelles, used in Bible translations to render M.L. nova (neut. pl.) "news," lit. "new things." Sometimes still regarded as plural, 17c.-19c.
Meaning "tidings" is early 15c.
Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/IS_News_an_acronym_for_north_east_west_south#ixzz1SroZHSoT
See also: http://www.snopes.com/language/acronyms/news.asp

A bookshop going places by Lee Rourke
First we had slow food, then slow writing and now, quite naturally it seems, we have slow bookselling. Several months ago, I received an email from The Book Barge informing me that my debut novel The Canal was their bestseller. Obviously, I investigated further and was amazed to find out that The Book Barge was indeed a floating bookshop on a canal boat (57' Cruiser Stern) in Lichfield, Staffordshire. It is the brainchild of Sarah Henshaw. "By setting up on a canal boat," she explained, "we hope to promote a less hurried and harried lifestyle of idle pleasures, cups of tea, conversation, culture and, of course, curling up with an incomparably good Book Barge purchase." I was immediately sold. But why a canal boat? "I hoped that by creating a unique retail space, customers would realise how independent bookshops can offer a far more pleasurable shopping experience than they're likely to find online or on the discount shelves at supermarkets." A few months later I received another email from Sarah. This time she informed me that she was about to embark on a six-month tour of the UK's canal network, incorporating a series of onboard author events along the way, including David Vann and Per Petterson, and wondered if I would like to read at one of her book clubs in London. The tour is a mammoth undertaking, as Sarah will be living on The Book Barge, hoping to swap books for the odd meal, or for the use of a shower along the way. (Most recently she offered to swap books for a mechanic to have a look at the engine – I hope she found one). The Book Barge is a breath of genuinely fresh air and quite possibly the coolest bookshop in the UK. With a wonderful kids' section and an excellent selection of contemporary and secondhand fiction and non-fiction it makes for a pleasurable book-buying visit. http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/jul/13/bookshop-book-barge

Fractal forms—complex shapes which look more or less the same at a wide variety of scale factors, are everywhere in nature. From thefluctuations in the cosmic microwave background radiation to the coastlines of continents, courses of rivers, clouds in the sky, branches of plants and veins in their leaves, blood vessels in the lung, and the shape of seashells and snowflakes, these fractal or self-similar patterns abound. A chou Romanesco is so visually stunning an object that on first encounter it's hard to imagine you're looking at a garden vegetable rather than an alien artefact created with molecular nanotechnology. Romanesco is a member of the speciesBrassica oleracea L., which includes cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, collard greens, kohlrabi, and numerous other “cultivars” (cultivated variations). All of these plants can and have been crossed, resulting in such innovations as broccolini (a cross of Chinese kale and broccoli) and broccoflower (a cross of broccoli and cauliflower which superficially resembles Romanesco but lacks its near perfect self-similar fractal form.) The French name, chou Romanesco literally translates to “Romanesco cabbage”, placing it in the cabbage family even though it doesn't much resemble any cabbage you've ever seen. In German, it's Pyramidenblumenkohl: “pyramid cauliflower”; in Italy, where it was first described in the sixteenth century, it's called broccolo romanesco: “Romanesco broccoli”, but sometimes cavolo romanesco: “Romanesco cabbage”. Finally, in English it's usually called “Romanesco broccoli”, but you'll also it referred to as "Romanesco cauliflower". See amazing pictures at: http://www.fourmilab.ch/images/Romanesco/
Buy seeds at: http://www.seedsavers.org/Details.aspx?itemNo=350