Praying for our American troops !!

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Over the Rainbow ~ Munich Swing Orchestra ~ Music Video

A dozen Washington, D.C. restaurants get Michelin stars

The first-ever Michelin Guide for Washington selected a dozen restaurants for its coveted stars on Thursday in recognition of the US capital’s vibrant dining scene and chefs’ use of local foods.

The little red book awarded two stars to Spanish-born chef Jose Andres’ Minibar, chef Aaron Silverman’s Pineapple & Pearls and Patrick O’Connell’s French-cuisine Inn at Little Washington outside the city. No D.C. restaurant received the top honour of three stars. Further shedding its image as a city of stodgy steakhouses for power-lunchers, Washington becomes the fourth US city with Michelin-rated restaurants, after New York, Chicago and San Francisco. Michelin guides cover 28 countries worldwide. “Over the last five years the culinary offering has significantly developed in the city, driven by chefs who have travelled, have trained abroad and have enriched their cuisine on their return by incorporating new techniques, new flavours and new seasonings,” Michael Ellis, the international director of the Michelin guides, said in a statement. The “Mid-Atlantic cuisine” developed by chefs using regional produce has amplified the upturn, he said. Two one-star restaurants - The Dabney and Rose’s Luxury - were singled out for their championing of regional cooking. The other one-star restaurants are Blue Duck Tavern, Kinship, Plume, Tail Up Goat, Italian restaurants Masseria and Fiola, and Japanese restaurant Sushi Taro. “It’s a very important milestone for the city’s chefs,” Washington Post food writer Maura Judkis said about the new Washington Guide. “In the last eight years, the culinary scene has completely changed, and a large number of innovative restaurants here have won prizes. Getting a Michelin star is something else.” José Andres, whose “Minibar” restaurant won two stars, said the early-morning call from Michelin culminated a dream he had had since he pored over menus posted in the doors of Michelin-starred restaurants as a boy in Barcelona. “For me, being a chef, having a star, how can I tell you? It was a feeling missing in my life. Quite frankly, I’m thrilled,” he told Reuters. He said Washington had benefited from its growing number of excellent chiefs and high standards. Local produce, seafood from the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia’s vineyards, regional cheeses as good as those in Europe and home-grown distilleries added to the mix, he said. “It takes a village. We have a lot of things that make the perfect formula for making Washington a super-exciting food city,” Andres said. The French Michelin tire company introduced the little red book in 1900 to encourage people to take road trips. Its star system began in the 1920s. Michelin deployed its anonymous critics in Washington last fall. Restaurants are rated on such factors as creativity, personality, the quality of ingredients, value, and consistency. (FRANCE 24 with REUTERS) France 24

Presidential Proclamation -- German-American Day, 2014

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

America is and always has been a Nation of immigrants, and from our earliest days, German Americans have contributed to our national identity. Germans were among the first settlers in the original 13 Colonies, bringing their talents and ideas across the ocean to a new and unfamiliar world. And today, with their descendants and all who followed in their path, we continue to perfect our Union together. On German-American Day, we recognize their distinctive identity and the ways they enrich our country.

German Americans helped build our Nation, and every day they contribute to its growth. As they teach in our schools, farm in our heartland, and serve in our Armed Forces, their German roots offer a sense of their place in the American story. From a land of poets and thinkers, they brought passion for music, science, and art, fortifying our culture and broadening our understanding of the world. Our greatest cities and our biggest advances reflect their daring spirit and diverse contributions.

As we consider our German-American history, we are also reminded that the United States and Germany are vital partners. With the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall approaching, our security and prosperity remain interwoven, and our friendship continues as we work together in pursuit of a more peaceful, stable world. On this occasion, may citizens from both sides of the Atlantic draw strength from the legacy of our Nation's earliest immigrants who boldly pushed forward in unforgiving times. May our shared past continue to inspire us as we face new challenges in our own time.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 6, 2014, as German-American Day. I encourage all Americans to learn more about the history of German Americans and reflect on the many contributions they have made to our Nation.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this third day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-ninth.

BARACK OBAMA US Consulate General Munich

Immigration

Obama vows urgent action as children make perilous illegal journey into U.S. By Gustavo Valdes, Nick Valencia and Josh Levs

McAllen, Texas (CNN) -- In broad daylight, with no fear of being seen, a group of Honduran girls -- some as young as 14 -- cross illegally into the United States. Moments later, another group of Hondurans admits crossing the Rio Grande to get here, McAllen station, a border crossing into the United States. "Thank God nothing happened," they say of the perilous journey. Unlike other stories of illegal immigration across a porous border, these immigrants aren't sneaking in. They're showing up and announcing themselves. "We are seeing hundreds turning themselves in daily. And I mean hundreds at a time," said Chris Cabrera, a leader of the local chapter of the National Border Patrol Council, a labor union representing U.S. Border Patrol agents. "They know that once they get to the station, we are going to give them paperwork and we are going to set them free into the United States," Cabrera says. CNN