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Because while the yeti is a legendarily shy beast, yeti boots positively scream for attention.
Of course, it helps if you wear them with long, tanned legs, a mini dress and a smattering of fame. But even when I, with none of the above, stalked the pavement, passers-by turned to stare at me.
Two sixty something Middle Eastern gentlemen approached me. 'Is that goat hair?' asked one in astonishment, bending down for a closer look. 'How did they get it so white?' 'How many goats were used?' asked the other. Alas, I had no idea.
I was also popular with passing dogs who, doubtless scenting wafts of Himalayan goat on the breeze, gravitated to my side with worrying enthusiasm.
Needless to say, I warded them off with strategic jabs from my stiletto heels. But after a while, I ceased to bother about the reaction I was getting from passers-by, even the canine variety.
I was too busy worrying about staying upright. It wasn't just the height of the spindly heels but the strange optical illusion of the flokati rug swishing around my ankles, which made it hard for me to see where my foot actually was and made climbing stairs surprisingly difficult.
Added to this, I was neurotically concerned in case I trod in chewing gum. Even carelessly-dropped cigarette ash would play havoc with the pristine hair.
And as the rain clouds gathered I became concerned that, once wet, the flowing white hair would turn into Billy Connolly's beard. Then what would I do, I wondered? Check into an expensive poodle parlour for a wash and brush-up?
It was with a sense of relief that I gave up the experiment and extricated my aching feet, resolving that this was one trend I would not be following this year. While I wouldn't say that the yeti boot was abominable, I'm a long way from believing in it.
Bintou Keita, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, and Oscar Fernandez-Taranco, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding support, meet with the beneficiaries of UNWOMEN and UNFPA project supporting victims of sexual and gender-based violence at the Maison des femmes in Gao.
With over 800 schools forced to close due to insecurity, and 2.3 million vulnerable people in need of assistance this year, a top UN official told the Security Council on Wednesday that the humanitarian situation in Mali “remains dire”.
Bintou Keita, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations in Africa, also apprised the Council of the alarming security situation in the central and northern areas of the African State, saying it was “of grave concern,” and provided “a major challenge” to implementing the UN-backed 2015 peace agreement.
She flagged the “very difficult conditions” under which the UN Stabilization Mission in Mali’s (MINUSMA) peacekeepers and the Malian defense and security forces continue to serve, saying that “far too often, they pay the ultimate price” in support of peace and stability across the country. Mali continues to be the most dangerous place in the world to wear the UN’s blue helmet.
“Asymmetric attacks continue to target peacekeepers, national and international forces, and increasingly civilians”, she asserted.
Ms. Keita also reminded the Council of last year’s “significant increase” in the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), saying that mission’s UNMAS continent (UN Mine Action Service) was supporting the authorities, including with advice, training and specialized equipment to mitigate their risks.
“We remain concerned about the further deterioration of the security situation in the centre where intercommunal violence, instrumentalized by extremist armed groups, has intensified over the past months,” she continued, spotlighting a deadly New Year’s Day attack. She said MINUSMA was working with the Government to respond to the rapidly evolving situation and protect civilians.
Ms. Keita stressed the importance of the parties to the peace agreement keeping positive momentum going, and making “meaningful progress, without further delay”.
She assured the Council of MINUSMA’s continued commitment to supporting the parties in implementing the peace agreement.
For her part, Kamissa Camara, Mali’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, highlighted that security measures are not enough when terrorist groups are working “relentlessly” to destroy social cohesion, weaken the State and extend their territorial control.
Meanwhile, as the Council was meeting, it was reported that gunmen had attacked two villages in the country’s central Menaka region near the border with Niger, killing at least 20 people – further underscoring the country’s volatile security situation.
In response to the briefing, the Council issued a statement welcoming the positive achievements while expressing "significant" impatience over persistent delays in implementing key provisions of the Agreement.
They conveyed their growing concerns over the deteriorating security situation in Central Mali and strongly condemned the continued attacks.
An attack on a village in central Mali earlier this week in which at least 37 civilians died, is to be investigated with the help of United Nations human rights experts, the UN stabilization mission in the country (MINUSMA), announced on Thursday.
The 7 line is going robo.
MTA officials are taking bids on an estimated $348 million project to computerize the Flushing-to-Times Square line, which would allow more frequent service and provide station video displays counting down the number of minutes until the next train arrives.
Officials said that by the end of the year, they hope to have a contractor on board — within the estimated price tag — for the expected 6½-year project.
Straphangers along the line said train-timer screens would be a welcome addition.
“If it answers the question of when the next train is coming, sure, it’s a good thing. If the MTA has the money, why not do it?” said college professor Jeffrey Freedman.
The Brooklyn-to-Manhattan L line already has a similar high-tech system — known as “communication-based train control” — which allows trains to run closer together because their speed and braking are controlled by computers instead of humans.
On-board train operators simply press a button to hand over control, but remain in the front cab in case of an emergency, said NYC Transit spokesman Paul Fleuranges.
If the operator doesn’t press the button at least once a minute as a train is rolling, it halts.
“It maintains speeds within safe limits and ensures that train doors are opened safely,” Fleuranges said.
Some riders on the 7 fretted about the ramifications of a high-tech line.
“It’s good to see something like this done, but it could take away jobs,” said Shanna Sobel, of Washington Heights.
The 7 project has an added complication, watchdogs said, because unlike the L, the 7 has weekday express service on a center track for much of its run in Queens.
Computers would have to precisely control switches that put both express and local trains on one track just before reaching Manhattan.
“It’s another piece of complexity to take into account,” said Bill Henderson, of the MTA’s Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee.
Some of the surviving families of Cantor Fitzgerald employees lost in the World Trade Center attacks are still struggling to believe that the company’s controversial chairman, Howard Lutnick, will do right by them.
“I haven’t seen a penny yet,” said Ramona Shroeder, who lost her daughter, Lorraine Antigua, and is facing the grim task of assuring her grandchildren’s futures.
“Howard Lutnick may talk a lot but, so far, he’s been no help,” said Shroeder, a dental hygienist from Florida who took a leave from her job to manage her daughter’s affairs.
So far, there is little money left from the single mother’s savings to cover the mortgage on her Middletown, N.J., home, her credit-card bills, utilities and expenses for her children.
Despite his grief, it was easy for some people to doubt Lutnick’s sincerity – even after he’d lost his own brother and more than 700 employees, the bulk of his company.
The chairman of Cantor Fitzgerald has a reputation as a brash, heartless Wall Street boss.
From the beginning, Lutnick has pledged publicly to help the families hit by the tragedy.
With more than 700 employees missing, the company was the hardest-hit business in the disaster.
In a conference call yesterday, Lutnick promised the families he is doing all he can. But as they struggle through their grief, they fear Cantor may leave them behind.
“Forget Cantor,” said Lynda Fiori, 30, who lost her husband, Paul, and has two small children.
So far, Fiori said, the company hasn’t moved fast enough to help.
Missing employees were dropped from the payroll after the Sept. 15 paychecks went out.
Lutnick said at the time they had to be cut because of the devastating losses his firm suffered.
Some WTC firms, though, kept paying workers’ salaries until the families started receiving death benefits or other assistance.
Cantor employees were covered by salary insurance, which Lutnick assured would be paid out this week.
The payouts – equal to double an employee’s annual salary, up to $100,000 – are being expedited and will come as a lump sum. Normally, salary-insurance benefits are paid over time.
In the meantime, Lutnick is referring families to organizations providing emergency funds.
Families of partners in the firm will get their profit-sharing payouts this month, Lutnick said.
Until she gets the insurance check, Fiori fears she won’t be able to maintain the home and life she and her husband built.
Mostly she worries about her daughters, ages 2 years and 4 months.
“When is the money going to come through?” she wondered.
Others said they are willing to give Lutnick and the company the benefit of the doubt.
“Right now, I don’t have any solid evidence that they’re not going to come through for us,” said Caroline Lilore, 29, who lost her husband, Craig, 30, and is left to raise their baby boy on her own.
“I think people need to give [Cantor] a little more time,” said Lilore.
If families explore all the resources available to them, they will find the financial support they need, said Maria Waring, 41, whose husband James, 49, was the company’s head of security.
“It was hard, but I made lots of calls right away to see what help we could get,” said the mother of four.
Neither Lutnick nor a company spokesman returned calls for comment.
Extra folic acid taken beyond first trimester of pregnancy doesn't prevent pre-eclampsia, revealed study published in The BMJ.
Pre-eclampsia is a serious condition where abnormally high blood pressure and other complications develop during pregnancy. It affects about 3-5% of pregnancies and is dangerous for both mother and child.
Previous observational studies have shown a potential protective effect, but findings have been inconsistent, and there is currently no clear guidance for the use of high dose folic acid to prevent pre-eclampsia in women with risk factors for the condition.
So an international research team decided to conduct a randomised trial - the Folic Acid Clinical Trial (FACT) - to evaluate the effect of high dose folic acid supplementation beyond the first trimester of pregnancy on the risk of developing pre-eclampsia among pregnant women already at high risk for this condition.
They included 2,301 pregnant women who were between 8 and 16 weeks' pregnant at the start of the study and had at least one risk factor for pre-eclampsia (existing high blood pressure, pre-pregnancy diabetes, twin pregnancy, pre-eclampsia in a previous pregnancy, or a body mass index of 35 or more).
Women were randomised to receive either daily high dose (4 mg) folic acid or placebo in addition to up to 1.1mg of folic acid throughout pregnancy.
Information on personal characteristics and medical history was recorded and participants had a total of four follow-up visits during the study period.
After taking account of factors that could have affected the results, they found that pre-eclampsia occurred in 169 out of 1,144 (14.8%) women in the folic acid group and 156 out of 1,157 (13.5%) in the placebo group. There was no evidence of differences between the groups for any other adverse outcomes.
And they suggest that "high dose recommendation should now cease, and the search for an effective and acceptable strategy to prevent pre-eclampsia must continue."
In a linked editorial, Professor Lucy Chappell and colleagues stress that the lack of benefit reported in this trial "must not detract in any way from the importance of folic acid supplements for the prevention of neural tube defects."
However, they say these findings "are another disappointment in the long search for a more effective measure to prevent pre-eclampsia" and they call for continued efforts towards a global reduction in pre-eclampsia related deaths.
Folate plays a significant role in DNA methylation and during periods of rapid growth. Mothers who take folic acid can reduce the risk of autism in children.
Cantaloupes (muskmelons) are available almost all the year round so don’t miss out on the health benefits of this unsung hero among fruits.
It appears the Secret Service is worried about a fruit war at the Republican National Convention.
Along with weapons, fireworks and explosives, fruit is a banned item in the convention area.
Fruit, said one Secret Service officer, “can be thrown,” The New York Post reports.
Here is a list of other banned items: strollers, selfie sticks, screwdrivers, baseballs and fog horns.
Posted: 7/19/16 at 8:47 AM under News Story.
Why Weren't Pete Davidson and Ariana Grande at the Emmys?
Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson were originally scheduled to attend the Emmys, but when the ceremony rolled around on Monday night, the couple was noticeably absent. Given that Pete's show, Saturday Night Live, was nominated (and won) several awards, it made sense that the pair would attend, so what happened?
"Contrary to reports, Ariana will not be attending the Emmys tonight," Ariana's team said in a statement to E! News. "Pete has also opted to not attend to be with her in New York. Given the events of the past couple of years, Ariana is going to take some much needed time to heal and mend. She will be staying close to home and using this period to spend time with her loved ones and work on new music without deadline. She thanks her fans for their understanding."
Monday night's ceremony came 10 days after Ariana's ex-boyfriend Mac Miller was found dead in his home after an apparent overdose. Ariana has kept a low profile since his passing, and her last public appearance was at Aretha Franklin's funeral earlier this month.
Investigators probing the downing of a Chinook helicopter that killed 38 U.S. and Afghan troops are checking whether their rescue mission was necessary. The investigators have determined that the crash on Saturday probably resulted from an insurgent’s “lucky shot” with a rocket-propelled grenade, The Washington Post reported.
When struck, the helicopter was on a mission in the remote Tangi Valley of eastern Afghanistan to aid a Special Operations force that had come under fire. It was hit just as it arrived on the scene, killing all aboard. However, the commandos on the scene secured the area and held off the insurgents until another helicopter arrived, the Post reported.
The action raised questions for investigators about whether the original rescue mission was necessary, military officials said.
In the past year and a half, commanders have been pulling out of remote areas such as the Tangi, Pech, and Korengal valleys, giving insurgents free rein. However, U.S. forces have begun to challenge the insurgents in the areas again with periodic raids referred to as “mowing the grass,” the Post reported.
.AJ>'V; ,RT;1 S:'Ê'.l\ fl :a lT:: "PUppy LOVE" by Mark Ulriksen THE N RilE Published 7/30/01 New Limited-Edition Cover Prznt he New Yorker is proud to present the newest addi- tion to its Limited-Edition Cover Collection. Only five hundred prints, signed by the artist and numbered, will be available in this special series. FRAMED WITH MAT: $395 Gallery-quality wood frame. SpecifY matte-black or whitewashed natural wood. ARCHIVAL MAT ONLY: $280 Plus shipping & handling. Tax charged where applicable. ORDER ONLINE AT WWWCARTOONBANK.COM (Special offers and discounts available when you shop online.) OR PHONE 1-800-897-8666 - .. '.. .. \ .......... ... ..4 CARTOONßANK.COM A New Yorker Magazine Company 1-800-897-8666 68 THE NEW YORKER, JANUARY 10, 2005 you ever travel betw'een Haiti and here?" "Now and then," Fania answered. Lorvane nodded coyly; as if uncertain where Danielle was taking them. "You remember what it's like when it's time to:fill out your customs and im- migration forms? You probably ask the person who happens to be sitting next to you on the plane to do it for you, right?" F ania kept her eyes on the cover of her brand-new composition notebook while Lorvane bobbed her head, her droopy chin sinking into her chest. "Some of the seatmates are not always in the mood, or able to help you," Danielle continued, "so they wave you o forcing you to ask the steward or stewardess, who has other duties but must quickly do this small favor for you as the whole plane watches. Reading and writing can spare you this type of humiliation." She had prepared the speech before- hand and wanted to give them both a concrete goal to aspire to, the dream of one day completing questionnaires for themselves and for others. But to round things off: Danielle-whose furniture- maker father had snickered at his illiterate plane-mates during the flight that had brought them to Miami-also told Fania and Lorvane about ancient civilizations whose indigenous populations never knew how to read or write but, instead, used hieroglyphs with which it was easy to rec- ognize water as a series of wavy lines, and a man or a bird as a drawing of such. And she reminded them both of the well- known Haitian saying "Ana!fàbèt pa bèt," one of Principal Boy:&iend's recent favorites, which, though it did not rhyme in English, could be translated as "Illiter- ates are not stupid." Then, before pro- ceeding to help the women trace and re- trace the first letter of w at suddenly seemed like a very long alphabet, she told Fania and Lorvane, whose mouth opened into a giant 0 as she occasionally nodded off, about breasts and butterflies and mothers lost too young. She volunteered to answer their questions, which, it turned out, were not so different from the ones often asked by her younger students: How long will this take? When will I go home? T hat night, after class, the tw'o women made a trip to Principal Boyfriend's office to tell him that they had learned oruy how to write the letter "/\.' in their first session with Danielle. She never opened a book and wrote only that single letter on the board toward the end of class. The rest of the time, she had just talked and talked like some crazy woman, and not always in English, which they hoped to learn, but in Creole, which they already spoke a whole lot better than she did. They asked to be transferred to someone else. "Screw them," she told Principal Boy- :&iend when he recounted all this to her in bed. He held one of her hands under the sheets. She dangled the other over the side of the bed and, after a sudden rush of blood to her fingertips, felt it go numb. She wished sometimes that she'd agreed to his suggestion to paste a glow- in-the-dark constellation to the ceiling. He'd told her soon after they moved in together that when he was a boy he was afraid of really dark nights, nights that in Cankuzo were called "Who are you?" nights because it was hard even to rec- ognize a friend. She hadn't wanted their bedroom to look like a child's bunker, but now she thought she might recon- sider, for if she had planets and galaxies, half-moons and shooting stars to stare up at on nights like this it might be easier to pretend that she was somewhere else, in her mother's garden, perhaps, on a warm summer evening, with soft blades of grass stroking her cheeks. Before going to bed, she had checked again and her lump was still there. It had neither grown nor shrunk since the morning, when she'd come across it like a strange presence in a familiar place, a sudden sixth finger near a perfect set of five, an amorphous birthmark on a swan- like neck She was beginning to think of it, this thing inside her, as a fragile egg that might crack. It was essential that he not touch it, especially with amorous in- tent, as loving touches might nourish it or release it from its shell to roam freely to other parts of her body. "Maybe I should send those two women to someone else," he said. He re- leased her fingers to run his hand across her flat, muscle-rippled abdomen. When his elbow accidentally touched the lacy padded bra she had kept on, she moved it away and carefully lowered his arm onto his gut, a small mass of a beer belly :filled with foods and sweets and liquors that she had also enjoyed. "I love you, you know," he whispered. His words surprised her. She couldn't re- member the last time he'd said that to her.
Updated at 6:23 p.m. Saturday: Revised to include the storm-related deaths of two children in East Texas.
For the second weekend in a row, Dallas-Fort Worth was hit with hail and gusty winds as thunderstorms moved through the area Saturday.
More severe weather spared North Texas, but two children in East Texas were killed when a tree fell on a car in Pollok, northwest of Lufkin, according to Lufkin television station KTRE. Dozens of injuries also appeared to be related to storms in the area.
Elsewhere, about a dozen people were hurt when a tornado struck Franklin, a town of 1,627 in Robertson County, north of Bryan-College Station.
Sheriff Gerald Yezak told The Associated Press that the EF-3 tornado packing winds as high as 140 mph overturned mobile homes — including at least one with someone inside — and damaged houses.
None of the injuries confirmed so far have been serious, Yezak said. Two people were taken to a hospital, and several others were treated at the scene for minor injuries.
Some people had to be extricated from their homes, according to AP.
In North Texas, heavy rain and lightning caused problems across the area, delaying dozens of flights at DFW International and Love Field airports, scrubbing high school soccer matches, and canceling outdoor festivals.
Hail reports Saturday morning ranged from pea size in Arlington to up to baseball size in The Colony.

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