Lewis Diuguid: Help with food in Thanksgiving is just an app or hotline call away

At some point in life, nearly everyone attempts his or her first turkey and Thanksgiving Day meal.

Because of that — and the potential to botch it royally, the U.S. Department of Agriculture wants novices and even some pros to know there is help out there, and it’s just a smartphone app away. That app will connect cooks to the Agriculture Department’s 30-year Meat and Poultry Hotline.

Experts can walk people through the most frantic kitchen catastrophes. More than anything, the hosts of Thanksgiving Day meals — and the mounds of leftovers that follow — want the food that guests will eat to be well-cooked and safe to prevent food borne illnesses.

The Agriculture Department’s Food Safety Education staff reports that more than 46 million turkeys will be cooked and eaten in the U.S. during the Thursday holiday. The trick is trying to figure out when the big bird is done and not letting it get too dry and overcooked.

The Food Safety Education staff recommends that cooks use a food thermometer to “cook like a pro.” Put the thermometer in the innermost part of the bird’s thigh, the innermost part of the wing and the thickest part of the breast.

Read the thermometer to make sure the turkey has reached a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Only then can cooks take the bird out of the oven without worry.

The Agriculture Department advises cooks to plan ahead for that Thanksgiving Day meal. It also recommends using the FoodKeeper smartphone app, offering storage advice on more than 400 different food and beverage items.

It can help Thanksgiving Day hosts decide what leftovers to keep and what to toss.

For folks who aren’t in the high-tech world of smartphones and need real people to talk to, the Agriculture Department Meat & Poultry Hotline is available at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854). The hotline has been around for 30 years with experts offering food preparation and safety advice.

Last year for the Thanksgiving holiday, experts fielded more than 3,000 calls mostly about the big holiday feast. Cooks can also chat live with a food safety expert at AskKaren.gov. That’s available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Standard Time Monday through Friday in English and Spanish.

On Thanksgiving Day, the Meat & Poultry Hotline is open for calls from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Central Standard time.

People with additional food safety questions can go to FoodSafety.gov. It’s on Twitter at @USDAFoodSafety and Facebook at Facebook.com/FoodSafety.gov.


Source:kansascity.com

Paris raids: 'Dead' terror leader Abdelhamid Abaaoud planned more attacks

The mobile phone of a Bataclan attacker found in a rubbish bin led officers to a Paris flat, and foiled plans for an attack on Charles de Gaulle airport.

More than 100 French police and soldiers fired 5,000 bullets during a ferocious seven-hour raid in which the mastermind of the Paris attacks is believed to have been shot dead.

The dawn raid on the apartment block in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis was so violent that police must wait for the results of DNA tests to identify the remains of two terrorists who were killed.

But the Washington Post claims two intelligence sources have confirmed one of the dead is Abdelhamid Abaaoud.

READ MORE:
* Who is Abdelhamid Abaaoud?
* What we know so far about the St Denis shootings
* France hunts for second fugitive
* Brother of terror suspect speaks
* Belgian man named as 'mastermind'
* Two flights diverted after bomb scare

French security services had assumed the only way to neutralise Abaaoud was through airstrikes on Raqqa, because he was believed to be in Syria, where he had become one of ISIS' most high-profile recruiters.

But then the investigation into the murders of 129 people took an astonishing turn: witness accounts and information found on a discarded mobile telephone suggested Abaaoud was not in Syria, but had all along been holed up in an apartment in Saint-Denis, just a few minutes away from the Stade de France.

Worse still, it appeared he was controlling another terrorist cell preparing for a fresh wave of attacks on Paris.

A vital new lead came from a mobile phone thrown into a bin by one of the terrorists who attacked the Bataclan concert hall on Friday night. The last text message sent from it, at 9.42pm, just as the assault on the Bataclan was starting, said: "Off we go, here we go again."


Source: stuff.co

Thailand dengue outbreak: 5,000 more cases reported this week, blood donations needed

Thailand health officials reported an additional 5,000 dengue fever cases during the past week as the mosquito borne disease epidemic in the country continues on it’s heavy path this season.

The Bureau of Epidemiology now puts the case tally at 117,012 cases all from 77 provinces, an increase of approximately 200 percent compared to last year, including 113 deaths, up from 108 a week ago.

The continuing surge in cases, particularly of the more serious hemorrhagic fever variety has prompted calls for blood donations. In a statement published in the Bangkok Post, The Thai Red Cross Society says the outbreak of the mosquito-borne viral infection has affected stock levels at the National Blood Centre. The blood centre could supply only 30% and 70% of blood and platelets, respectively, to hospitals, the society said.

Dengue fever is an infectious disease carried by mosquitoes and caused by any of four related dengue viruses. This disease used to be called “break-bone fever” because it sometimes causes severe joint and muscle pain that feels like bones are breaking.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates there may be 50–100 million dengue infections worldwide every year. However, new research from the University of Oxford and the Wellcome Trust, using cartographic approaches, estimate there to be 390 million dengue infections per year worldwide.

There are three types of dengue fever in order of less severe to most: the typical uncomplicated dengue fever, dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHS) and dengue shock syndrome (DSS).

There is not a vaccine for dengue fever. There is no treatment for dengue, just treat the symptoms.


Source: outbreaknewstoday.com

'No Specific' Threat to US as Holidays Approach, - Obama Says

President Obama said today there’s “no specific” threat to the United States nearly two weeks after the terrorist attacks in Paris that left 130 people dead and scores injured.

"As we go into Thanksgiving weekend, I want the American people to know that we are taking every possible step to keep our homeland safe," he said. "Right now, we know of no specific and credible intelligence indicating a plot on the homeland. And that is based on the latest information that I just received in the Situation Room."

The president’s remarks followed an update from his national security team on the state of homeland security in the wake of the Paris attacks and as the nation enters the holiday season.

"Today’s meeting will provide an opportunity for members of the president's national security team to review efforts to monitor threats, continually evaluate our security posture, and protect the American people,” a White House official said before the meeting. “Per his instructions, the president will continue to be regularly apprised of these efforts.”

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In his remarks today, the president added that he understands why Americans might be concerned that a Paris-like attack could occur over the holidays.

"I know that families have discussed their fears about the threat of terrorism around the dinner table, many for the first time since September 11th," he said. "Watching the events in Paris made the threat feel closer to home."

He recommended that people stay vigilant, adding in the event of a specific, credible threat, the government would update the public.

"But otherwise, Americans should go about their usual Thanksgiving weekend activities, spending time with family and friends, and celebrating our blessings," he said. "While the threat of terrorism is a troubling reality of our age, we are both equipped to prevent attacks and we are resilient in the face of those who would try to do us harm."

The president spoke from the Roosevelt Room in the White House, after the approximately hour-long national security meeting in the Situation Room, which included updates from Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, FBI Director James Comey and Attorney General Loretta Lynch.

The security update came a day after President Obama met with French President Francois Hollande, during which the two called for all Western nations to step up their commitments in the fight against ISIS.


Source: abcnews.go.com

Captain America 3 : Civil War

The first muscular trailer for Captain America: Civil War promises a tense confrontation between the teams of Steve Rogers and Tony Stark. Fight!

After months and months of waiting, Marvel Studios has finally unveiled the first trailer for Captain America 3, aka Captain America: Civil War. Not a simple teaser but a long video of almost 2 minutes 30 that reveals the challenges of the film. The US government will no longer want to leave the superhero manage their business as they see fit and quickly, tensions will be created between those who wish to become servants of the administration, and others. And nothing will be resolved without some epic bastons.The film of the brothers Russo seems totally marry the perspective of Captain America (Logic is a suite before being a crossover), who will face his former brothers in arms to try to keep his freedom. The trailer ends with a beating in good standing of Iron Man with Cap and Winter Soldier who raining blows. The occasion also to discover the first images of Black Panther, played by Chadwick Boseman. We still do not know which side of the fence will be located the new superhero of the Marvel cinematic universe.According to the official synopsis, Captain America: Civil War resumes where Avengers: Age of Ultron's ended. Steve Rogers took now the head of the Avengers, determined to redouble its efforts to protect the world. However, following their involvement in a new incident with considerable collateral damage, political pressure mounts to set up a system delimiting their fields of action and a governing body able to determine when to really appeal to Avengers. This new dynamic that is required of them created tensions within the team, even as it tries to counter a threat as ruthless qu'inédite ...


Source: premiere.fr

16 Tips to Help You Master Microsoft OneDrive

Microsoft has a problem when it comes to sticking with product names. With the exception of Windows and Office, it seems to re-brand its offerings every few years. Sometimes it's arbitrary (at least to customers). Sometimes it's because of legalities.

Take FolderShare, for instance, which was acquired by Microsoft in 2005 and promptly renamed Windows Live FolderShare—because everything was called "Live" back then. In the years since, it has been Windows Live Mesh, Essentials, Live Folders, and SkyDrive.

SkyDrive is a great name, but it was taken. Sort of. Microsoft got sued in the U.K. by broadcaster BSkyB for using the word "Sky." A court agreed that it infringed a trademark, and Microsoft had to rebrand again. In keeping with other products like OneNote and Xbox One, it went with OneDrive.

OneDrive really should be a bigger name than it is. But Microsoft isn't as synonymous with cloud/sync as Dropbox or Google Drive. The latter has the excellent integration of Docs and Sheets for online editing, but OneDrive has something arguably better: full integration with Office Online (formerly Office Web Apps; see what I mean about renaming?). Office Online houses the online versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. Plus, OneDrive is integrated directly with Windows—no utility needed. All it takes to access OneDrive is a Microsoft account. The service will sync files between all your Windows and Mac computers, which you can access online via mobile apps and the Web.

OneDrive is a favorite of PCMag analysts. It also made a big splash announcing unlimited online storage in 2014, but recently took that option away thanks to a small number of users who abused the privilege, Microsoft claims. Redmond is also killing free storage on your smartphone's camera roll.

The free tier of OneDrive storage is now a measly 5GB, down from 15, for existing users. Office 365 subscribers, who used to get the unlimited, will get only 1TB at no cost. Those without Office subscriptions have to pay $1.99 a month for 50GB (down from 100GB), all of which will take effect in 2016. Files stored with OneDrive can also now be as big as 10GB, up from 2GB. (Dropbox file size is unlimited.)

After you set your storage, you set it and forget it, right? You shouldn't. There's a lot more to OneDrive than that. Check out our list of tips in the slideshow. You'll get the scoop on exactly what you need to take full advantage of a service that could be named Windows Live SkyFolderShareMeshDrive... but thankfully, is not.

Source : pcmag.com

Arsenal's Champions League hopes on a knife-edge after Bayern annihilate Gunners

Arsenal's Champions League hopes are hanging by a thread after they were blown away by Bayern Munich on Wednesday night.

The Gunners came to Germany full of confidence and with history on their side having never lost at the Allianz Arena, but they were second-best throughout as Bayern showed that defeat at the Emirates Stadium a fortnight ago was the merest blip in their superb start to the season.

Robert Lewandowski put the hosts ahead early on as he sprung the rustiest of offside traps before a Thomas Muller brace as well as goals from David Alaba and substitute Arjen Robben did further damage - with Olivier Giroud scoring a scant consolation as Bayern ran out 5-1 winners.

This galling defeat is the third in four Group F games and Arsene Wenger's side are now six points off second spot with two games remaining.

All-Star Thanksgiving: Roast Turkey Parts Instead Of The Whole Bird

Every year on Thanksgiving Day, the same scene plays out on countless American dinner tables.

You score with the holiday bird’s thigh meat (so moist and juicy) but its breast, most unfortunately, is a dry and stringy epic fail. Thank goodness for gravy.

Or maybe it’s the reverse. The breast meat carves into tender, magical slices, but the thighs and drumsticks, which your dark meat-loving family members always fight over, are overly pink and rubbery to the touch. Everyone has to wait while you pop the pieces back into the oven for additional roasting. 

For a dish that seems like it should be so easy, a properly cooked Thanksgiving turkey actually requires some fussing over, what with the white meat always cooking faster than the dark meat, no matter how carefully you tent it when the breast hits 150 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. No wonder so many of us count hassle-free sides like stuffing and candied sweet potatoes among our favorite holiday dishes. 

It doesn’t have to be so.

Break the bird down into parts to be cooked individually, or buy your turkey legs and a breast separately from the get-go, and you solve the problem. White and dark cook on their own terms, and as a result, no one gets stuck with over- or under-cooked poultry.

There are other reasons it makes sense to cook a turkey in parts instead of an entire bird during the holidays.

Maybe you’re cooking for just a couple of guests instead of a crowd, or your family likes the delicate breast meat so much more than dark, or you’re tired of having to decide who gets the prized legs. (Sometimes there’s just one to divvy up: in my house, my father always gets first dibs.)

Perhaps you hate the way a 15-pound turkey takes up so much room in the oven, making it difficult to cook more than one or two side dishes at the same time.

Or maybe you simply want to spend more time socializing and less time hunched over a hot oven taking the bird’s temperature. A whole turkey can take upwards of three or more hours to roast (longer if it’s stuffed). Braised drumsticks only take about 90 minutes, while a whole breast only needs about two hours. Plus, turkey parts generally don’t require a whole lot of knife skills to slice the meat off the bone.

While finding turkey legs could be a challenge (I found mine at Wholey’s; frozen turkey legs are sold at Strip District Meats in the Strip District), most larger grocery stores sell frozen turkey breasts year-round. As we get closer to Thanksgiving, you’ll also be able to find fresh turkey at such specialty shops as DJ’s Butcher Block in Bloomfield, and Marty’s Market in the Strip District, as well as from poultry farmers such as Pounds’ Turkey Farm in Leechburg and Serenity Hill Farms in Cheswick.

How to proceed? You can roast the turkey parts in the same pan at 350 degrees, after rubbing them with butter, salt, pepper and herbs (add the turkey legs after the breast has been in the oven for 30 minutes). Or give them more personal attention and a bit more style with recipes such as the Maple Syrup-Mustard Glazed Turkey Breast or Cider-Braised Turkey Legs. Either one would be a tasty and stress-free addition to your Thanksgiving table.

Source: post-gazette.com

Apple, Samsung Suffer As Tablets Register Worst Quarter So Far

The tablet market is pretty much packing up. Soon after the IDC report that showed a 12.6 per cent year over year decline a Canalys report puts the figure at 20 per cent. In fact, Canalys says the worldwide PC market experienced its fourth consecutive quarter of negative growth, with shipments declining 14% to 114.2 million units. Canalys counts tablets in the PC segment.

“The market struggled in Q3 as vendors continued to grapple with the impact of currency headwinds, excess channel inventory and product transitions driven by Microsoft and Intel. With the exception of North America, all regions experienced double-digit annual shipment declines, including EMEA that fell almost 18%,” the Canalys report said.

However, the positive news came from the two-in-one PC category which grew 77 per cent year-on-year and global notebook shipments increased 12 per cent sequentially, as the market gears up for the holiday season. “Although this indicates a better end to 2015, vendors must resist the temptation to build inventory in Q4. Consumer demand will be muted by Microsoft’s Windows 10 upgrade program and tablet vendors will be eager to present holiday shoppers with attractive bargains,” the report forewarned.

Apple, meanwhile, continued to lead the tablet market even as iPad shipments slipped 20 per cent, falling below 10 million units for the first time since Q2 2011 to 9.9 million units. Samsung posted a similar year-on-year shipment decline as it continues to occupy second place with 7.9 million units. Lenovo’s tablet shipments increased by around 2% to 3.1 million units, putting it at number three.


Source: indianexpress.com