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Posts Tagged 'chinese medicine'
Vocal Enhancement
Do you seem to have a lot of sore throats or get sick often? Are you prone to losing your voice? Have you had to stay home from work or miss social engagements due to a lost voice?
There are many reasons for experiencing loss of voice, hoarseness, and sore throats. The symptoms can be caused by overuse or damage to the vocal cords, infections (sometimes low grade and undetected) or postnasal drip from either allergies or colds, which irritates the throat. Singers and vocal performers are especially susceptible to this problem given their lifestyle and the over-use of their vocal cords.
Prevention is key and can often be achieved with traditional Chinese medicine. If the problem already exists, acupuncture and other ancient protocols can quicken the healing process, sometimes within a matter of minutes.
Acupuncture works wonders — it clears out infection and stimulates circulation to the area, thus speeding the healing process. Herbs are often prescribed to soothe the throat, repair damage, expel infection, and reduce the congestion that leads to postnasal drip.
In addition, Dr. Lounsbury is never without her special Chinese berries from which she makes a warm tea that completely gets rid of hoarseness and soreness within minutes.
If you or someone in your family suffers from sore throats, hoarseness, or loss of voice, it's time to consider Traditional Chinese Medicine. Her therapeutic approach will lessen occurrence and speed recovery time should there be one.
Patient Testimonial:
"My voice is my living. Dr. Lounsbury's treatments save it anytime I'm feeling a cold coming on or I've been screaming too long into a microphone. I don't know what I'd do without her."
- James B., Singer
Chinese Medicine and Cancer
Chinese medicine offers relief from the symptoms and side effects related to cancer and cancer treatments. Acupuncture causes physical responses in nerves cells, the pituitary gland, and various parts of the brain, which in turn affects blood pressure and body temperature. In addition, Acupuncture boosts the immune system, relieves stress and anxiety, and causes the body's natural painkillers to be released.
It is the side effects related to chemotherapy and radiation that often cause extreme distress for the cancer patient. Some of the side effects that Chinese medicine helps alleviate, include, but are not limited to: nausea/vomiting, fatigue, weakened immunity, stress, anxiety, pain, bruising, post operative swelling, hair loss, anemia, skin issues, hot flashes, digestive disorders, loss of appetite, and detoxification/elevated liver enzymes.
Chinese medicine also reduces many cancer-related symptoms. Acupuncture treatments add to a patient's sense of wellbeing and decrease the malaise associated with any chronic disease, especially cancer.
Human studies at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on the effect of acupuncture on the immune system of cancer patients showed that it improved immune system response. It was proven that acupuncture reduced the amount of pain in some cancer patients. In one study, most of the patients treated with acupuncture were able to stop taking drugs for pain relief or to take smaller doses. Several types of clinical trials using different acupuncture methods showed acupuncture reduced nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy and surgery.
Nutritional and herbal support aids in boosting immune response in cancer patients, along with minimizing the immune and white blood cell suppression that occurs with most chemotherapeutic agents. Kenneth Conklin, M.D., Ph.D., an anesthesiologist at UCLA working with the Oncology Department, reports gratifying results utilizing nutrition and supplements combined with acupuncture.
Fighting cancer might be one of the most challenging things a person has to deal with. Why not let Chinese medicine support you on the road to a full recovery?
Chinese Medicine and Treating Autism
Acupressure/acupuncture, herbs, and comprehensive nutrition are a safe, comfortable, and effective way to treat problems associated with autism. It is especially helpful in conjunction with Western therapies. Each person responds differently to treatment, but there is a decrease in symptoms and more fulfilling way of life as a result.
What Chinese medicine treats:
- Hyperactivity Increasing attention span
- Increasing immunity
- Improving verbal and non verbal communication
- Reducing temper & aggression
- Improving motor skills
- Regulating sensitivity to pain
- Detoxification Insomnia
- Decreasing side effects of medication
Acupuncture Facelifts
Aesthetic acupuncture is the use of acupuncture and electric stimulation to reduce wrinkles and improve skin elasticity of the face and neck. The needles are placed along the wrinkles and then small cables are attached to some of those needles. Very low levels of electricity flow through the needles and into the skin for 15 to 20 minutes. There is a slight vibration, which is nearly painless. Some describe it as a 'rain patter' or light drumming on the skin.
As we age, we lose collagen, the substance that keeps our skin looking plump and dewy. Electric stimulation and acupuncture work in conjunction to stimulate the skin's collagen, actually causing it to enlarge. This new, fuller collagen then fills the crevices and creates a lifting affect on the skin.
The number of treatments and the end result depend on several factors. The overall condition of your health is most important. It may be necessary to strengthen your body before using aesthetic acupuncture for optimal results. If you're weakened or depleted, your skin may only slightly respond – or not at all. Chinese herbs would be prescribed to help strengthen the body.
Another factor that affects aesthetic acupuncture is the skin tone that's being treated. People with darker complexions tend to respond more quickly to treatment than those who are pale. A good result is also dependent upon the condition of the skin. If the skin is damaged by sun, lifestyle, or genetics, the result might not be as great as that in healthier skin.
The recommended number of treatments is two times per week for a total of eight weeks. "Touch-ups" will be required every three to six months. The initial visit includes a complete consultation as well as the first treatment, taking approximately one to one-and-a half hours. Each subsequent treatment will be around 30 minutes.
There is no guarantee that everyone will see significant changes. The above-mentioned conditions are very important. Following post treatment instructions is also necessary. It is important to drink plenty of water, avoid coffee, alcohol, and cigarettes. It is less invasive than surgery and you can keep the extra dollars in your pocket.
Acupuncture and Pregnancy
Acupuncture is a safe, comfortable and effective way to treat many of the problems that may occur during pregnancy. Chinese medicine is especially helpful with health issues where Western medicine or pharmaceuticals are contraindicated.
Acupuncture assists in fertility issues (in both men and women), as well as
with pre-existing medical issues that the mother may have prior to pregnancy.
For pregnancy related conditions, acupuncture helps alleviate the following: morning sickness, heartburn, constipation, difficulty sleeping, hemorrhoids, back pain, sciatica, edema, carpal tunnel, breech position, inducing labor and reducing labor pain.
Post-partum, acupuncture/acupressure helps alleviate fatigue, depression,
vaginal discharge, mastitis, post-operative healing and recovery, and insufficient (or excessive) lactation.
Prozac vs. Whole Foods
Feeling stressed out lately? The holidays got you down? You might want to think about adding some vitamins and improving your diet. Some of you reading this might be thinking "I can just take a pill for my problems." I hear a lot of my patients think that taking medication long term is completely safe.
Well guess again.
Side effects of anti depressants may include: abnormal dreams, impaired vision, anxiety, chest pain, chills, confusion, diarrhea, diminished sex drive, dizziness, dry mouth, gas, headache, hives, impotence, insomnia, itching, loss of appetite, nausea, nervousness, rash, seizures, fatigue, sore throat, sweating, vomiting, & muscle weakness
Simple ways to help cope
Chromium (broccoli, grapes, oranges, grains) Lessens depression, particularly in people who are also craving sugar. Chromium is a blood sugar stabilizer for all you sugar addicts out there. Take 300 mcg of chromium per day.
Folic acid (brown, red & wild rice, beans, oranges, dark greens) and B12 (sea vegetables, Brewer's yeast, miso, fortified foods, salmon, eggs, milk) People with B deficiencies are more likely to have severe depression. Take 800 mcg of folic acid and 1 mg of B12 per day.
Magnesium (wheat and oat bran, brown rice, nuts, molasses) Supports brain function and helpful for mood disorders, including PMS and bipolar disorder. Take 300 mg of magnesium per day.
Omega-3 fatty acids (walnuts, flaxseed oil, hemp seeds, borage oil, primrose oil, oily fish,) Build healthy brain cell membranes and help facilitate neuron-to-neuron communication. Take a supplement that includes a total of 650 mg EPA and DHA daily.
Zinc (beans, nuts, oatmeal) Helps metabolize omega-3 fatty acids in the brain. Low zinc levels are often found in those suffering from postpartum depression. Take 25 mg zinc per day.
So, if you're having a hard time, please use the above information to at least get started. I hope this information helps lift your spirits!
Live natural. Live well.
Hope for Autism
The number of children with autism has gone from 1 in 10,00 in 1980 to 1 in 88 girls and 1 in 54 boys today. Autism is the fastest-growing developmental disability with a growth rate of 1,148%. The numbers are staggering. Some of this because of diagnosing has gotten better. But most of the increase is due to the toxins to which we and our children are exposed.
Many parents come to me after their child has already been diagnosed. Most autistic children develops at a healthy rate, and then 'suddenly', their behavior changes drastically.
Some of the symptoms include:
- Anxiety
- Digestive issues
- Increased pain threshold
- Withdrawal
- Aggression
- Impulsiveness
- Lack of attention and difficulty making eye contact
- Issues with non-verbal communication
- Lacking in verbal communication skills
- Poor immune responses
- Problems with social relationships
- Obsessive attachments to certain objects
- Sensory integration problems
- Poor behavior, whining, or tantrums
- Insomnia
Common causes:
- Poor Detoxification
- Heavy Metal Toxicity
- Inflamed Gut and Microbial Imbalance
- Food Allergies
- Nutritional Deficiencies
What you can do
- Have your child tested for heavy metal poisoning, food allergies, and gut health.
- Put your child on an allergy elimination diet.
- Avoid vaccines, especially those containing mercury.
- Avoid amalgam/silver fillings, as these contain mercury.
- Avoid all toxic cleaning and beauty products.
- Feed your family organic, non-genetically modified foods.
- Receive acupuncture/acupressure treatments along with herbal medicine.
- Research what supplements will help your child.
I can help your autistic child with any of the above steps to have a healthier, more fulfilling life. There is hope.
Live natural. Live well.
Taking charge of your fertility
Infertility is unfortunately on the rise. Some of it has to do with people waiting until later in life to have children. Some of it is due to the high stress levels most of us experience. Environmental causes- pollution, plastic, pesticides, steroids in non-organic animal products- are a leading cause of infertility as well. All of these can wreak havoc on your hormone levels, in both men and women.
What else may be hindering your fertility
Obesity, diabetes, testosterone or steroids, too much exercise, smoking, too much or too little selenium, saw palmetto, weakened adrenal glands, caffeine and alcohol, hypothyroidism
All of the above can be treated. Look for an acupuncturist in your area who specializes in fertility. I also offer phone consultations for herbs and nutrition, so you can contact my office to make an appointment. I also offer medical testing to check hormone levels, your adrenal gland function, and thyroid disorders.
Some suggestions for supplementation to increase your chance of conception. Please consult your physician.
For women
Magnesium – take as directed
Multi pre natal vitamin
Minimum 1,000 mg vitamin C daily
Zinc 50mg daily
B50 as directed
Folic acid 5 mg/day
PABA 100 mg 3 times a day
Vitamin E 22 IU daily
Lycopene- 2 g day
CoQ10 100 mg twice daily
Before bed- Zinc, B50, and Magnesium taken together
For Men
Vitamin C- 1,000 mg a day may prevent sperm agglutination.
L-Arginine- 1,500- 2000 mg 2 times per day between meals increase sperm count
Vitamin B12- 1,000 mcg increase sperm count
L-carnation 1 g 3 times a day improve sperm count and function
For those of you struggling with this issue, there is hope. Even if you've tried IVF and other Western procedures, Chinese medicine is highly effective for treating infertility in men and women.
Live natural. Live well.
My First Blog Post
Hello and welcome to LiveNaturalLiveWell.com! Come here every week to find all the latest info on health related topics as well as tips for how you can heal your body and the environment. I am thrilled to be starting this blog. So to kick things off I thought I would tell you a little bit about myself and how I got started. People are always asking me, "Heather, how did you get interested in Chinese medicine?" It started when I was a teenager and I had two major health incidents.
The first was when I was 14 and I had a severe case of mono that flared up off and on for almost a year. I missed over 2 months of school and had to give up swimming because I was so weak. I was constantly seeing my doctor and he didn't have any advice on how to heal from this very common illness. He literally said, "There's nothing you can do." After this illness took its course, I couldn't help but wonder if there was any information out there besides what my doctor was telling me.
The second health event happened when I was just turning 15, and like many young people in America, I was a junk food junky. But after learning about the conditions of the meat industry and animal treatment, I decided to become a vegetarian. Like the good student I was, I went to my doctor to get any nutritional expertise I could find. He had no idea what to do with me, besides saying "Make sure you get enough protein." I remember feeling so confused. If doctors are supposed to help people, why doesn't he have any specific guidance about my nutrition and wellbeing? It seemed that if I wasn't sick or injured, there wasn't anything he could do for me.
Well, it turns out that I was sick. I was anemic for almost two years, and that was when I realized I would need to go beyond my doctors to find appropriate nutritional support. This led me to start studying nutrition, herbs, and supplements on my own. I loved reading anything health related, especially holistic medicine. I found out better ways to eat vegetarian and that mono is treatable. More profoundly I learned that there is never one answer to a solution, no quick fixes, and no magic pills. As I studied nutrition more I was fascinated to learn that there are so many different ways in which our bodies can get out of balance and that this affects our wellbeing. Over the years, I kept learning purely out of curiosity. I had no idea that one day I would be doing this for a living!
I found out later that M.D.s have very little nutritional training, just a few hours in fact. Also, many (but not all!) doctors will just say nothing can be done or nothing is wrong because tests results are normal. I see this almost daily in my private practice. Patients come in desperate, because their doctors didn't have the tools to help them get better.
After college, I moved to Los Angeles. That was when I realized I could do what I love for a career. At this point, friends were regularly asking me for advice, and I didn't always have the answers. I don't always have the answers now, but with my training and continued studies, I have the tools to do what I really want to do: help and empower others to be healthy and live a fuller life.
I would like to encourage those of you reading this to do research and see if the illness you're dealing with can be treated naturally to eradicate it. Then ask questions. I'm so excited to create a dialogue with people all over the world. I have a long list of ideas to get started, but I would love to get to know all of you reading this. What are you curious about? What do you find confusing? What are you interested in? I truly look forward to hearing from you. Til then,
Get Natural. Get well.


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Just the other day, I discovered the fun of easy felt flowers! Easy may be an understatement, these are simple and adorable! Not normally crafty? You can make these.
Materials needed:
glue - I used hot glue but you can use whatever you have that holds fabric
Cut a strip of felt from the long end.
I started out by cutting mine down the middle, this makes a taller flower. You can cut a 2 inch strip and make a shorter flower. I use the full length of the felt, but if you want smaller flowers, use less length. You can make them how you want them.
Run a strip of glue along the bottom edge and fold your strip in half to glue it together.
Cut slits all the way across your felt strip. Don't cut all the way through.
Run another strip of glue across the uncut end of your felt strip. Start at one end and roll up your felt all the way to the other end.
The blue flower is made from a half sheet of felt. the red flower started as an approximate 2 inch wide strip.
The finished flowers!
Glued near each other on a wreath.I love making these! There is something wonderful about a project so quick and easy to make, that looks cute, and can be used for so many things! I stuck them on a wreath, but if you attach a little circle of felt to the back, you can attach them to headbands or pins and wear them! They would also be cute attached to a bag. I'm sure you can come up with many more ideas for these cute little flowers.

subset: commoncrawl


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The major website project I've been working on has gotten off the ground, finally.
After years of wrestling with inadequate resources in finding respite care for our daughter, I decided to take matters into my own hands.
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
I gotta crow!
Posted by Eleri Hamilton at 2:53 PM
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He raised us from the dead along with Christ so God can point to us as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace!!! — Ephesians 2:6-7 NLT (photo taken by me from inside Garden Tomb in Jerusalem January 2010)
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Happy Resurrection?
Posted by Mike Fortune at 10:02 AM
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Thursday, 21 November 2013
"The Great Race" by Nathan Kumar Scott, Art by Jagdish Chitara (published by Tara Publishing Ltd., UK, 2011), Part 2
This is not an old book but a great one nevertheless. I bought it only last month, impressed with the exceptional quality of the pictures as well as the impeccable design and layout on every page. I've been aware of Tara Publications (http://www.tarabooks.com/tara-uk/ ) for some time now but I hadn't realised how good their books were in the flesh.
According to the introduction in the book, this is "an Indonesian trickster tale" retold by Nathan Kumar Scott. The beautiful pictures are by Jugdish Chitara, a Waghari textile artist from Ahmedabad, using traditional painting techniques on cloth. There is an interesting section on the artist's background and work at the end of the book.
1 comment:
Hello thereReplyDelete
I am enjoying going through your blog....... but have to stop now as it is 2.30 in the morning !!
YES - this is a beautiful book as are the majority of Tara books yummy - if only money was no object!!!
Love your blog...by the way why not add a
"Follow by Email" gadget to your blog (as I have done on mine) printmakingart.blogspot
Go to page layout - go to 'add a gadget' - then select "Follow by Email" and insert it on your blog. Please DO email me to let me know at firstname.lastname@example.com
Be sure and put this blog address in the email.
Its an absolute shame to NOT share this blog and all your wonderful discoveries.
best wishes
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Thursday, March 24, 2011
Are low-profile, quick-turnaround military contracts replacing the traditional procurement process?
Posted by John Keller.
Defense industry suppliers tell me that military solicitations and contract awards moving through traditional procurement channels have slowed to a trickle, as military program managers safeguard their budgets by delaying or cancelling procurements that had been in the pipeline. That's the bad news.
The good news is that RFPs and contracts moving through non-traditional procurement channels appear to be picking up. These kinds of procurements typically involve small-scale, quick-turnaround contracts for urgently needed component replacements and upgrades that often take place right in the field.
The military seems to be moving in the direction of these quick procurements because they can be kept at a low profile, often involve limited numbers of platforms, and are kept spread out and reasonably priced. Translated, that means the military services can keep their weapons systems functioning and up to date with reduced threat from the bean-counting budget cutters in the Pentagon.
This seems to be a win-win situation for the military services that need new technology, as well as for defense suppliers providing subsystems like embedded computing, rugged displays, and high-reliability data storage. Those in the defense industry can maintain their cash flow while they wait for traditional procurement channels to open up once more -- if they ever really do.
There's a dark side to this approach, however: those in the defense industry are losing trust in the traditional procurement system. It's possible they are becoming less inclined to respond promptly to traditional procurement programs, and sometimes are reluctant to submit bids at all, where in the recent past they would have been jumping on these programs with enthusiasm.
"We have to be extremely sharp in choosing the horse we want to ride, so we can be reasonably sure the horse will finish the race, and not go lame in the process," one supplier told me recently.
Perhaps there's a silver lining to all this. This could be the beginning of the kind of organic defense procurement reform that ultimately could speed all kinds of military technology procurement, and lessen the instances of these monolithic procurements that take forever, cost billions, and succeed only in fielding obsolete technology.
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Alice Munro
Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage
Published in 2001, Vintage Books
Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage
Two girls on the cusp of womanhood, Edith and Sabitha, bring out the worst tendencies of each other in a small town. They connive against the Sabitha's father's housekeeper, writing fake letters to Johanna from Sabitha's ne'er do well father. It is Edith who is the smart one, and though she is not kind, she can intuit the sad and lonely lives that Johanna and the father must live. In the end, Johanna does end up with the father and they have their own son. It's a long short story that combines the inner lives of several characters, burgeoning sexual curiosity of the girls, how small small town life can be, and more.
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October Book Haul
I bought these books today at the Tattered Cover - Aspen Grove. I'm about 3/4 done with Alias Grace from the kindle version and wanted ...
Honeydew Edith Pearlman From Best American Short Stories, 2012 Originally appeared in Orion #33 in the I read and take brief notes on 30...
Creatures Marisa Silver From the 12/17/12 New Yorker 30# in the I will read and take brief notes on 300 short stories series The story ...


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A 37-year-old man was recently arrested for beating and handcuffing his wife to a generator from night till the following morning.
According to the Ogun state police command, Obiageli had been beaten and handcuffed to the generator, from the night of Friday, April 14, to the morning of Saturday, April 15.
Confirming the incident, the Ogun state police public relations officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the incident occurred somewhere in Ewooluwo, in Sagamu.
Oyeyemi said the victim's neighbours had alerted the police about the incident, after witnessing several beatings meted out by her husband. The police immediately arrived at the scene where they rescued Obiageli and arrested Ifeanyi who claimed that he did what he did in self-defence.
Describing the action as an act of wickedness, the state commissioner of police, Ahmed Iliyasu, ordered the immediate transfer of the case to the Anti- Human Trafficking and Child Labour Unit of the state investigation and intelligence department for further investigation and prosecution.
from Naij


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I'm really on a Beastie Boys kick lately. Who would've thought that this kick was stimulated by my job. Last Friday, I was sitting in a seminar about insurance fraud investigations when the guy giving the presentation played "Sabotage" as background music for his presentation. Its kind of funny seeing a bunch of middle aged guys who are slightly overweight and wearing ties all bobbing their heads to a presentation about insurance fraud. I guess it was catchy though. It sure has grabbed my attention. Ever since, I have played the Ill Communication album non-stop. This album has way surpassed my thoughts of how great the Beastie Boys really are. So for your entertainment, I have attached a video.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
ILL Communication
Posted by Jimmy Chuck Deane IV at 5:36 PM
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Conversation with a telemarketer I recently had:
"Hi, may I please speak to Mr. Kevin Curran?"
"I'm calling to offer you the chance to upgrade your current student loan plan to Platinum, we..."
"I'm sorry, did you say Platinum?"
"Yes, if you would like to upgrade..."
"Great! Is it actually made of platinum?"
"Um, well, we'll just need you to confirm your..."
"Sorry, the plan, it's made of platinum?"
"Umm...let me check here..."
"Sure, no problem. So...how did you get my information?"
"OK, it's just called 'Platinum,' would you still like to--oh, it's on the computer screen here."
"Cool. Well, I guess we're all set then. Thanks a lot!"
"Thank you very much....oh! If I could just have you confirm your..."
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Conversation with a telemarketer I recently had:
Posted by Kevin at 11:19 PM
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RememberSet a Reminder for the Anniversary
Mr. William Carey Pate
- August 1, 1928 - March 14, 2017
- Fayetteville, North Carolina
of William's Passing
Share This Obituary
Make a Memorial Donation
Tributes.com partners with over 100 national charities. It's easy and secure.Donate
Sympathy Flowers
Delivery Details provided by Funeral Home
Mr. Pate was born on August 1, 1928 and passed away on Tuesday, March 14, 2017.
Mr. Pate was a resident of Fayetteville, North Carolina at the time of passing.
Mr. Pate was married to Dean.
Visitation1:30 PM to 2:30 PM Sun. Mar. 19 2017Location: Sullivan's Highland Funeral Service Funeral Service2:30 PM Sun. Mar. 19 2017Location: Sullivan's Highland Funeral Service.
In lieu of flowers please send contributions to Lake Waccamaw Boys and Girls Club Lake Waccamaw NC.


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Portland Press Herald
A state proposal identifies areas to be protected from seeing wind farms and streamlines the approval process.
By JOHN RICHARDSON Staff Writer
February 9, 2008
A state task force has drafted a road map that it says will make Maine a major generator of wind power.
The group's draft report calls for streamlined regulatory review of wind power projects in most regions of the state so that 1,000 or more turbines could be set up by 2020. It also identifies important scenic areas -- places such as Baxter State Park, Acadia National Park and the Appalachian Trail -- that would be protected from the visual impacts of wind farms.
"This is a major step forward," said Alec Giffen, director of the Maine Forest Service and chairman of the Governor's Task Force on Wind Power. "It's going to put Maine in a position to be a leader in wind power and it's going to preserve Maine's quality of place."
Task force members were still negotiating details in the draft report Friday, but they are expected to deliver a final version to Gov. John Baldacci next week. The group is under pressure to finish its work in time for the Legislature to put the plan into law before its session ends in April.
To no one's surprise, new visual impact standards for future windmills were the most difficult issue for the task force, which includes top state officials, representatives of the wind power industry and environmental advocates. The standards should reduce the recurring conflicts that have slowed wind development around the state, according to task force members.
"This has been a very intractable issue, not just in Maine but also in other parts of the country where people really value their landscape (like) people in Maine do," Giffen said. "I hope it's going to chart a course that makes this a lot smoother sailing."
Maine, with a 42-megawatt wind farm in Mars Hill, leads New England in wind development but ranks 24th nationwide. The Stetson Mountain project in Washington County is expected to add 57 megawatts this year.
Studies of wind conditions in the mountains and along the coast indicate huge potential for generating more clean energy here, and the task force report says Maine could realistically join the top tier of states, led by Texas and California.
Maine should seek to host at least 2,000 megawatts of wind power capacity by 2015, and 3,000 megawatts by 2020, according to the task force report.
That's the equivalent of 1,000 to 2,000 400-foot-tall turbines around the state by 2020, Giffen said. "These things are going to be showing up in a lot of places."
Wind turbines are part of a larger plan to reduce the state's dependence on fossil fuels, which contribute to air pollution and global warming.
Along with conservation and other forms of renewable energy, wind power is needed if the state is to meet its goal of reducing global warming pollution to 10 percent below 1990 levels by 2020, officials said.
The final task force report will include a map of the regions where proposed wind farms would get speedier review by state agencies as a way to encourage more development. Studies of wildlife impacts would still be required, but visual impacts would be considered only under special circumstances.
The areas for expedited review cover all of Maine's cities and towns, including the entire coast. They also include the outskirts of the unorganized territories in rural northern Maine, where wind farms would, in most cases, no longer require rezoning or have to "fit harmoniously" into the landscape, as now required.
The report will identify areas of state and local significance where scenic impacts should still be analyzed and considered. Those areas will include state and national parks, as well as mountains or lakes that have been identified as important scenic resources.
"This type of development does not get a complete waiver," said Jody Jones, a wildlife ecologist with Maine Audubon and a task force member. "We need to protect the special places in Maine."
The task force will not recommend ruling out turbines within sight of those places but will instead focus on unreasonable impacts. "The issue is not whether or not you can see them, but whether the impact is acceptable," Giffen said.
Offshore wind farms represent huge potential for the state and should be operating by 2020, according to the draft report. But coastal waters were not included as expedited-review areas because the technology is untested and there will be unique technical and regulatory challenges.
"The maps clearly show the significant resources out there," said Kathleen Leyden, the state's Coastal Program manager and a task force member. "And there are things we should be doing now to aggressively prepare for the possibility of offshore wind."
The wind development industry has been supportive of the report, while monitoring last-minute changes, said Dave Wilby, executive director of the Independent Energy Producers of Maine and a task force member.
By clarifying and modernizing the rules and mapping areas where wind power would be encouraged, the plan would reduce the risk of a developer investing in a project that hits a wall of opposition. "Predictability is essential," Wilby said.
The state will need more electricity capacity if it intends to meet its ambitious goals, a challenge that was outside the scope of the task force, Wilby said. But the report should help lower one of the two major barriers to wind development in Maine, he said.
The task force report will help Maine reduce or avoid conflicts by planning ahead, said Pete Didisheim, advocacy director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine and a task force member.
"There's a very strong level of support for wind power in Maine," Didisheim said. "But people want to be sure the projects are going in the right places."
Staff Writer John Richardson can be contacted at 791-6324 or at:
Copyright © 2008 Blethen Maine Newspapers
Monday, February 11, 2008
Plan: 1,000 turbines by 2020
Posted by tc at 6:04 AM
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text:
I've had a bad time lately. I think I made a bad decision. I heard this song on the radio today and I nearly had to pull over:
I took my love, I took it down
Climbed a mountain and I turned around
I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills
till the landslide brought me down
Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love
Can the child within my heart rise above
Can I sail thru the changing ocean tides
Can I handle the seasons of my life
Well, Ive been afraid of changing
cause Ive built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Children get older
Im getting older too
Oh, take my love, take it down
Climb a mountain and turn around
If you see my reflection in the snow covered hills
Well the landslide will bring it down
If you see my reflection in the snow covered hills
Well maybe the landslide will bring it down
Thursday, June 21, 2007
2 comments:
- Emmy said...
I'm sorry you're having a hard time. If it's any consolation, that song makes me want to pull over most of the time.
- June 22, 2007 at 6:01 PM
- Leigh C. said...
Sad songs can only make you a tad more depressed if there is a weight on your shoulders about what you already know. Avoid the landslides as much as you can, madam.
- June 24, 2007 at 8:49 PM
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text:
Germany could be on track to become the first country in the world to have a zero-emissions passenger train.
Alstom, a French company which offers sustainable solutions for rail transport, revealed it has successfully performed the first test run of fuel cell passenger train Coradia iLint in Salzgitter, Lower Saxony.
Testing was carried out on the company's own track and Alstom says further extensive trials will be carried out in Germany as well as the Czech Republic before the service is open to the public in 2018.
Coradia iLint is expected to run on the Buxtehude-Bremervorde-Bremerhaven-Cuxhaven line in Lower Saxony.
[Read more: What are hydrogen cars and how do they work?]
"This test run is a significant milestone in environmental protection and technical innovation," said Didier Pfleger, vice president of Alstom in Germany and Austria.
"With the Coradia iLint and its fuel cell technology, Alstom is the first railway manufacturer to offer a zero-emission alternative for mass transit trains.
"Today our new traction system, so far successfully proved on the test ring, is used on a train for the first time – a major step towards cleaner mobility in Europe."
Figures from the International Energy Agency's 2015 report show 3.6% of transport emissions came from the rail sector in 2012, with the transport sector being responsible for 23.1% of global CO2 emissions.
Tests were performed at 80 km/h, but Alstom says the train can reach speeds of up to 140 km/h.
The Coradia iLint is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, which produces electrical power for the traction.
This zero-emission train is said to be silent and only emits steam and condensed water.
Read more: The artificial island off the east coast of England that will provide electricity to 80 million homes


text:
Catholics and Crucifixes
Crucifixes are crosses which have the corpus (body) of Jesus on them to represent the historical crucifixion of Our Lord. The cross alone, with no body, has been a symbol of Christianity since antiquity. The very instrument of capital punishment and horrible torture by the pagan Roman Empire became a symbol of the loving and forgiving crucified Savior.
Catholics are not the only Christians to use the crucifix in church for public worship or in their homes. Eastern Orthodox, Anglican (Episcopalian) and Lutheran Christians also use the crucifix, while most Reformed Protestant Christians will only have a cross and never with a corpus.
The main goal of the crucifix is not to shock or frighten believers, but to remind them of the ultimate price paid for their salvation. Redemption was expensive. Jesus sacrificed His very life and He endured a painful and horrible death just so we could go to heaven. The crucifix brings home the reality that sin caused us to be lost and ony the death of the Savior could save us. Celebrating Christian worship on Sunday (rather than on the Sabbath, Saturday) and calling it the day of the Lord is how Christians honor the Resurrection.


text:
Shh~ if there's one thing i know, is that while others may have skeletons in their closets, every shopaholic has a secret closet full of clothes.
Unfortunately, I'm no exception to this rule.
I'm yet another victim of impulse purchases (oh, aren't we all?) =D
Thus, most of my clothes are either brand new or have only been worn once n then tossed aside in the dark corners of my closet.
I know these clothes deserves a better owner, so if you think you'll like to take these clothes out to have some fun and bask in the sun, do hollerr! I won't bite, i promiseee. =)
So, by now, i guess u already know a little bit more about me.
And here is where i'll unveil the secrets in my closet =)
Sunday, September 6, 2009
The FIRST POST
Posted by SSECRET CLOSET at 4:55 PM
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text:
Two women blog about being fans of the Syracuse Chiefs baseball team
(Triple A affiliate of the Washington Nationals).
Thursday, June 21, 2012
We Should Have Had Our Brooms
Koyie Hill was last night's player of the game -- and that's where Sandee & I cast our votes!
Steve Lombardozzi's Throwback Thursday Jersey was raffled off tonight.
Lars Anderson got everyone in the stadium a taco. Thanks, Lars
Item of note: The Pawsox catcher was throwing T-shirts into the stands during the Dunkin' Donut T-Shirt Toss. How cool was that?
Brett Carroll's at-bat music is almost as bad as Corey Brown's.
The Racing Presidents were on video -- doing the macarena. Too funny.
During the 8th inning, someone behind us kept calling for Durkin, who retired. No more $1 ice cream sandwiches in the stands on hot nights.
The Chiefs won, 3-1, sweeping the Pawtucket Red Sox.
Random thought: life is too short and so is baseball season. Enjoy the moment.
Posted by mj compton at 10:33 PM
Labels: Brett Carroll, Corey Brown, Koyie Hill, Lars Anderson, Steve Lombardozzi
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text:
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
At the beginning of September all four of us boarded a plane and headed back to Virginia - Radford, Virginia. Chris had several speaking engagments and we were able to go for 5 days which was great!
The kids really are flying experts at this point! They take their seats and read their "flying book" that they love in every airplane, then they're ready to go!
We were all so excited to go home and visit our friends.....
.....it's been a long time.....
Posted by Suzie Skinner at 3:44 PM
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text: Please contact me if you are interested in individualized programming or programming/consulting for your business or organization. For more information about pricing, please contact me via email or telephone. I will do my best to respond within 24 hours to confirm that I have received your message. I look forward to hearing from you and finding more about how I may help you enhance your personal well-being!


text:
Over on papersundaes They are looking for their second design team as the existing teams term finishes on the 31st October. The ladies are asking for you to show your favourite three pieces. Please do pop over and see all the details for applying.
My three favourite pieces so far are as follows The baby book is from October 2009 where there is more pictures the last 2 cards are from recently.
Full of Fun
8 hours ago


text: Jay Ducote's Louisiana Barbecue Sauce maintains the South's barbecue tradition while delivering a combination of flavors that can only be found in Louisiana. Its rich tomato backbone is sweetened with cane syrup and brown sugar… you won't find any high fructose corn syrup here. A blend of Louisiana spices packs heat and flavor with cayenne, Creole mustard, Cajun hot sauce, chili powder, paprika, thyme, onion, garlic, and more. For a little extra zest, the sauce acquires a hint of acidity on top of the tomatoes from lemon juice and apple cider vinegar. All in all, eighteen different ingredients and products are masterfully blended together to create Jay Ducote's Louisiana Barbecue Sauce. The combination of sweet and spicy flavors will leave you wondering how many dishes you can add it to.


text:
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Iago Aspas 54' (p)
Andrew Hjulsager 90'
Mikel Oyarzabal 82'
Juanmi 90+4'


text:
Sunday, January 2, 2011
oh, là, là, la france!
The little towns in France are always so beautiful! In the past couple of weeks, I've been lucky enough to see some of them, so here are a few photos..
Posted by sarah v on Sunday, January 02, 2011
Labels: France, photography, photos
4 comments:
oh! i wish to visit france one day too :) the last photo is exactly how i picture it as <3ReplyDelete
Wow!!! Photos are amazing Sarah...beautiful. xxReplyDelete
the last one looks like a little place called Annecy... tell me it is!ReplyDelete
how did you guess?! it is indeed - such an incredibly beautiful place!ReplyDelete
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text:
WhatsApp web is not also available for the iPhone users. For a while, Facebook-owned WhatsApp had been ignoring the iPhone users. The WhatsApp app was available to them, but WhatsApp web never supported the iPhone. The web works with various mobile platforms like BlackBerry and Android, except iPhone.
So, if you owned an Apple smartphone, then you might have to stick to the mobile app for chatting with friends on WhatsApp. But now, millions of iPhone users would use WhatsApp in their web browser.
WhatsApp Web
Last January, WhatsApp web was made available to Android, Windows Phone and Blackberry users. However, it is now also available to the iOS users. The WhatsApp web mirrors your messages and conversations to your web browser from the mobile device. This way, you can use WhatsApp from your desktop.
How to Connect?
First of all, it is important to download Google Chrome browser on your PC. With this only you will be able to connect to WhatsApp web client from your web browser.
After launching the Google Chrome, just go to https://web.whatsapp.com. Here, on the site, you will see a QR code is appearing. Right at that moment, open WhatsApp on your mobile phone and go to Settings. Find WhatsApp Web there. The app should launch a scanner for the QR code scanner or will give you the way to start scanning.
After scanning the QR code shown on WhatsApp web, you will get paired with the WhatsApp web client.
If any problem occurs at any point, then make sure that your phone has the latest version of WhatsApp installed on it.


text:
Sayadi: al-Jaafari and al-Shahristani refused to leave their ministries and the National Alliance has the lead =
03/28/2016 | (Voice of Iraq) - Baghdad MP for the coalition of state law Kazem Sayadi, Monday, rejection Foreign Minister Ibrahim al - Jaafari and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research , Hussein al - Shahristani , leaving their ministries and replace them with others, and as pointed out that the National Alliance has lead the cause of reforms, said Prime Minister Haider al - Abadi "unconscious competence." said Sayadi in an interview with Alsumaria's News, " the National Alliance has today took the lead in terms of reforms , the issue because of his quest to preserve the positions that are considered personal items to him , " adding that " the National Alliance has become a collection of dictatorships and empires. " He added Sayadi, that" the president of the National Alliance , Ibrahim al - Jaafari , who served as foreign minister refuses to change within the cabinet reshuffle, as well as Education Minister Hussein al - Shahristani, according ran from leaks , "adding that" al - Jaafari and al - Shahristani , have become reprobates popular. " He warned Sayadi that "things in the country has reached a crossroads , " pointing out that " the Prime Minister Haider al - Abadi man lost eligibility in the leadership of the cabinet, nor has the leadership tools and make decisions." the House of Representatives voted during its meeting on Monday (March 28 , 2016 ), to determine the next Thursday deadline for submitting the new ministerial cabin, it will begin with the questioning of Prime Minister Haider al - Abadi after the expiry of this period http://www.sotaliraq.com/newsitem.php?id=324466


text:
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January 19, 2007
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,v.DONALD ANSON, DEFENDANT.
The opinion of the court was delivered by: Charles J. Siragusa United States District Judge
The Court must first rule on the objections the defendant has made to the PreSentence Investigation Report ("PSR"). In that regard, pursuant to Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 32 (i)(A) & (B), the Court may accept any undisputed portion of the PSR as a finding of fact; and must -- for any disputed portion of the PSR or other controverted matter -- rule on the dispute or determine that a ruling is unnecessary either because the matter will not affect sentencing, or because the Court will not consider the matter in sentencing.
As to objections, it is well settled that to rule against the defendant, the Court must find that the government has established the disputed allegations in the PSR by a preponderance of the evidence. United States v. Cordoba-Murgas, 233 F. 3d 704, 708-10 (2d Cir. 2000). This remains the case even though the Sentencing Guidelines have been determined to be advisory, rather than mandatory. United States v. Booker, 543 U.S. 220 (2005); United States v. Crosby, 397 F.3d 103 (2d Cir. 2005); United States. v. Gonzalez, 407 F.3d 118 (2d Cir. 2005).
In other words, the Court, within the advisory Guideline scheme, may continue to make factual findings resulting in enhancements to a defendant's offense level, based upon the preponderance of evidence standard, as long as the facts found by the Court, "do not increase the penalty beyond the prescribed statutory maximum sentence or trigger a mandatory minimum sentence that simultaneously raises a corresponding maximum." United States v. Sheikh, 433 F.3d 905, 905 - 06 (2d Cir. 2006).
In his Sentencing Memorandum ("Memorandum") (Docket # 145 ) in ¶ ¶ 8 -12, under the heading of "Factual allegations Defendant Contests," Mr. Rizzo, on behalf of the defendant states:
8. It is difficult as counsel, without access to the record, to determine what proof the Government actually adduced at trial. Counsel has had to rely heavily on the representations of Mr. Anson and makes some challenges listed below respectfully.
9. Contrary to the record on the second sheet of the PSR, Mr. Anson believes that the Illinois State Police may have filed a detainer against him; he indicates that he wishes to be honest about this point.
10. Mr. Anson denies the intent to abscond listed under page numbered 4, ¶ 11 and ¶ 22, page numbered 6.
11. Mr. Anson denies that "in one posting to OSC, Anson offered to trade the password to a child pornography site for .. [sic] pictures of child pornography ...". He insists that he traded his password for access to other sites only. As such there is some question as to whether he traded pornography for something of value.
12. On page 5 ¶ 19 the PSR characterizes the CDs ROM [sic] as containing "thousands of images of child pornography". The next paragraph indicates that the jury was "shown 10 images from each of the CDs ROM. Assuming 39 CDS, with 10 images each, the jury was shown 390 images, presumably.
Mr. Rizzo further states in ¶¶ 13-16, under the heading "Contest of level increases:"
13. It is not known what proof indicated that any children were under the age of 12, and the Defense questions the two level increase of ¶ 26 on page 6.
14. The Defense also challenges the five level increase under ¶ 27, per §2G2.2(b)(B). The evidence adduced through the witness Fottrell indicated only that a password was exchanged for other passwords. The defense contends that this is outside the purview of the "receipt of pornography for a thing of value". It was also not shown that the passwords received were from pay sites as opposed to free sites, and the government has failed in its burden with respect to this enhancement under Blakely v. Washington,124 S.Ct. 2531 (2004) and United States v. Booker, 125 S.Ct. 738 (2005).
15. The Defendant opposes the ¶ 30 five level increase. It is not known whether more than 600 images of child pornography were proven by the government to the jury, or are apparent from viewing the images. It does not appear 600 images were found by the jury, and this five level increase is opposed. Without specific findings by the jury, the principal ...
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text:
On Friday, I had some minor knee surgery, so I'm sitting here on the couch, watching my hubby run around, take care of the kids and the house, while I get to update my sites. Pretty good deal eh?
At this point, I put some stuff on Etsy - a few cute bead sets that I was surprised didn't get snapped up on eBay. Of course, I'm a bit biased, but I really liked these trios and have no idea why they didn't get the hits or the bids...
Cute - right?
I also updated my picturetrail site with some newer sculpts as well as some beads that I hadn't posted there yet. Even added a picture of a new eyeball pin/pendant!
We are so not ready for the holidays, and I'm hoping to use the next couple of days to bead up a storm. I am working on my website and plan on offering some beads there as well as the usual suspects, but that may take a bit.
As I logged in today, I updated to the new version of Blogger. Of course, in doing that, I had to change email addys since I messed it all up... So, if you get a notification from mafairies instead of Sooz - it's still me.. I blame it on the pain meds!
Monday, December 11, 2006
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text: Hi - I'm working on my first frame, standard lugged road bike, and bought straight gauge tubing from an aircraft supply shop. The head tube I bought is 1 1/4" with 0.035 wall, which I now realize is slightly thinner than the bike specific head tubes that Nova is selling. Will it work or should I get a new one?


text:
This entry is not about circular buns with holes in the middle. Sorry.
I've been writing since I don't know when. Not necessarily in the hope of always getting published, but more so in the hope of developing my imagination. Of getting my ideas down on paper (my creative medium of choice) and, like most of my kind, escaping into another world altogether where you can be smart, beautiful, witty, etc. Often the qualities we find lacking in ourselves, especially in our formative years. It's escapism. Simple as.
These little short stories, or larger stories that intentionally go nowhere, have acted both as comic alternatives to my own life, but also emotional situations that would only occur in reality if I was stuck in Aleppo right now, or maybe somewhere deep in the DRC. Strangely, they've always ensemble pieces. And I've taken ideas, traits, or sometimes flat-out copies of the people that I've worked, studied and lived with, often weaving them into my own universe as different or similar characters as the original. Not sure if my work colleagues appreciate this flattery, but it's never gonna get published, and they're never gonna see it, so what the hell?
Example: I wrote a short piece a few years ago with a working title of 'Riggers', where it was the story of a gang of oil workers, stuck on a platform off the coast of the Philippines. Of the five main characters, every one was the spitting image of the group of women I was working with at the time. There was the caring tool-pusher, who was the spitting image of my line manager at the time, mother of two, attentive and proactive with her staff; the derrick operator was the slightly left-field, mechanically minded, engineer of the group; I was the thoughtful, sarcastic cow of the gang (makes sense) and so on. It was comical, and poignant. Operating room nurses are similar to roughnecks and roustabouts; working hard and possessing similar hopes and dreams of work, family and future chances. Only one situation has oil, explosives and variating scenery, in the other you get to see inside people. Such a coin toss when it comes to job satisfaction, then.
Bagels only have an outside, and the Jewish perspective on things is often said to be one constantly on the outside, looking in, so it's not hard to see the irony of a bread, synonymous with Judaism lacking a fixed center.
One of my favourite personal stories was one I wrote about a group of characters being sprung from various prisons and pens, to be brought together to fly a steampunk steamship. Stupid, eh? Again, most of the characters were based off me and the people I know; I was a navigator, one of my best friends was a helmswoman, a former sky-jockey, freed from a frost hole; one of my BFFs was the pilot. But I put a lot more into the backstory this time. Not so much of "We're putting the band back together" sensation, instead it was more a case of a series of jailbreaks, and following that, the recovery from the mistreatment. Recovering from malnutrition, seeing the bruises fade, feeling more like a real person, with purpose. I recognise now this was my subconscious working things out. It was around the same time as I was transferring hospitals, so it makes sense now, but it still contains some of my most emotionally touching work. Human fragility is a hard thing to write, without it falling into cliché and melodrama, as well as falling into a narrative dead-end, with no obvious hope of change.
Recently, despite working for my surgical speciality on a permanent basis, I didn't get the chance to attend a speciality dinner. Despite wanting to go, it was made clear early on that there was only a small number of places, and it would make sense if others in the speciality got the chance instead. There was not much I could do about this. So, like always, I smiled and listened to the stories, looked at the pics on social media and asked questions the following week as to whether everyone enjoyed themselves, and so on.
But it did make me think that I would be happier in that situation if I was working as wait-staff, or potwashing. And that's not me being down on myself, far from it. I have learnt to accentuate my strengths, and one of those is that I find more comfort in working, so that I can relax and enjoy myself guilt-free. And I can see myself in that wait-staff role, schlepping plates back and forth from the tables, or stuck at the wash-sinks for 3 hours, if it gets me the chance to shoot the shit with the rest of the blackshirts after everyone leaves. Is this stupid?
Another one of my realities, darker and created from long ago was set in a town where my character worked as a table dancer for a strip-club, and then at closing time, had to go and round up the working girls who were controlling certain turfs in the town, where the club held territory. I got to drive the minibus! I grew up watching the UK TV show 'Band of Gold', so it explains the prostitution angle, but I can see a recurring theme here…
I.E. Surrogate families. How circumstance forms natural groups of people, tied together by profession or location. It's not hard to see why 'OITNB' is so popular. Not the first woman-in-prison drama, it's a trope so popular it should have its own parody. Maya Angelou often proclaimed the value in creating a family that was not necessarily based solely on blood relations. You learn different things, new interests, and different ways of life, things you might not have had the chance to learn, if you weren't exposed to them. This is something I've always tried to emulate now in real life, if only because my own family is small.
I grew up watching the X-Men too, the cartoon and comic version, which was more family centric, before the movies came along and ruined everything. It's this recurring theme that remains, to this day, in my writings, and in my general outlook on my life. My family is tightknit, but my friends are, on some levels, even more so.
From the X-Men, to the Land of Misfit Toys, to the gang in the musical 'Rent', it's not that I'm not included, most of the time, but more the fact that feel like I fit in more with those on the ground, working the jobs, and passing the bottle after work, than anyone sitting high on the hog, accepting awards and being lorded for what great things they've done. It's unlikely to be me, and it's not something I chase in order to validate my sense of identity either. I'm a bagel, and if my 'family' will accept me, foibles and all, it is something I have no problem with divulging to the world, or using it as motivation for the creative parts of my life so far.


text:
I had to make something light so as to not upset any stomachs any more so I went with a salad. This was light and tasty. I have started to buy from the bulk section of my grocery store which is where I got my sunflower nuts.
1 bag baby spinach
1 pound strawberries, cut into slices
2 tbsp sunflower nuts
2 tbsp raspberry vinaigrette
Place spinach and strawberries in a bowl. Add dressing and toss. Top with sunflower nuts.
Serves 2
I found unsalted sunflower nuts in the bulk section. It was nice to be able to purchase just the amount I needed and not a prepackaged portion. Fortunately I have a husband that doesn't mind having just salad for dinner. It's easy to be able to just toss together a salad every once in a while.
Flavor Rating: Great, a nice fruity combination.
Ease of Preparation: Easy, the hardest part is preparing the strawberries.


text:
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EXPIRED - FOR SALE or TRADE: Aurum Cantus Leisure 2 MK.II
For sale is an absolutely mint pair of Aurum Cantus Leisure 2 MK.II speakers in the rosewood lacquer finish. These speakers are pristine!
Read the reviews in Enjoy the Music and also Stereophile to get the jist of what these speakers can do. They said it so well there and much better than I ever could.
These are heavy speakers. Shipping will be via Fedex. A local pickup in the Seattle and the surrounding area would be great.
I would entertain a trade for a small tube amp of 60W or so and cash for the difference. E-mail me with questions or an offer. E-mail address is as follows:
removed email for privacy


text:
7 years
Perhaps the best time to do a love list is when you've hit a low point and are possibly feeling downright unlovable yourself. It's a kind of reassurance -- the longer the list, the more proof that good things abound and the scales will tip again towards a positive outlook.
Today is one of those harder times, it requires digging a little deeper than rhapsodizing about my favorite handbag or clean hardwood floors. I'm looking for things that make me glad and grateful to be me and not someone else. So instead of the usual list of links to fun videos and pretty pictures, here is one thing I love, really truly.
This blog. Currently "En route" formerly "Greenly Leaping" and before that, "Slumberland". Gosh I've had this thing a long time. 7 years and 13 days, to be precise. It may look a bit like a design-blog now, what with the many pretty photos and not so much writing, but at heart it is a personal journal.
It came to be out of a kind of loneliness during those first bewildered months after graduating college when I didn't know where I was going next. It followed me to Japan and my first job (a total nightmare at the time that is funny in hindsight), and then we parted ways for two years where I was having too much fun to have time to write about it. And when I found myself on my own again it seemed like the only way to reassemble myself was through writing. Publicly. (A lot of those posts got deleted)
And here it is now in its current incarnation. It's kind of like my bedroom, literally (the greens in my header match my walls). But also in the sense that I want it to be a bright, cozy space where anyone is welcome to come in and look through my photo albums and listen to my iPod and watch movies with me and talk about boys and life and fashion. And maybe on a day like today it's nice if you just sit with me and listen to me ramble on.
Most of you reading are my friends from "real life" but I've noticed a fair number of returning visitors from regions I've never been, and to you I say hi! and thank you. It's comforting to know you are out there.
It was easier to write about my life 7 years ago, when it was just me and the internet ether; the concept of "blog" hadn't yet made it to mainstream. But my favorite blogs are those written with personality and honesty, and I hope it's possible for me to juxtapose the lighthearted pretty posts with some moments from real life.
Which isn't to say real life is all about the dark side of things -- no no, not at all. It's just not as straightforward and easily ingested as my new favorite look for spring.
There has been so much from the past couple years that I haven't written about or even spoken to anyone about, because it's not the sort of thing one ought to say in polite company. No, I don't mean anything dirty, I just mean the matters of the heart that aren't all sweetness and light like a Peynet drawing.
I don't write about the heartbreaks because they're not pretty, I don't talk about my spirituality for fear of being thought weird, and I am wondering why, if I am writing in such a public arena, am I so reluctant to actually be seen.
All this to say that my life has felt like a roller coaster of late, with moments of dizzying exhilaration and moments where everything seems to fall away, and I think I may need to use this forum to try to make sense of it all.
It would be nice to have some company along the way.
1 comments:
- Mme. Fabuleux said...
This was a very pretty post.
The writing was amazing- and it is true that blogs are used too much I think too much to market things when they should really be used asa journal or a way to express yourself and be creative. I love your blog- and I enjoy it very much! Congrads on 7 years, that is a long time! I'm just over my first year hump now- and at times I've felt it was time to move on- but I just can't let it go. It's sort of my own little corner in the world to do what I please with. It's a nice feeling. You know?
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text:
I have received another quilt from the long arm quilter, Sarah. It's part of my scrap quilt lecture and I just wanted to show it finished instead of as a top. I have a few lectures coming up and quilts makes much more impact than just tops. I just finished sewing the binding on it an hour ago. Now, I'm waiting on 3 more quilts from 2 long arm quilters. These girls are late getting them to me and I'm a little bummed about that as it's playing havoc with my schedule. What can I do...
Tea in MO


text:
I want to personally thank all our teammates that make Southeast Mortgage what it is and enables us to deliver best in class service with the most competitive mortgage product offering in the markets we serve. As forecasted, SEM executed its strategic plan achieving a 40.1% growth as compared to last year.
With a record volume in December we continue to be impressed with the calm across all operations units and that we were relatively complete with closings and the calendar by 4PM. By record volume I mean more volume than any month in the history of SEM. This is what is unique about SEM, we execute better as volumes surge which is a testament to the structure and teamwork that makes us best in class.
With interest rates finally on the rise and other economic recovery inputs trending north we will continue the surge experienced in December 2015. All the data we use for forecasting points to an incredible 2016.On behalf of the shareholders of Southeast Mortgage, I would like to thank you for a great 2015 and the happy clients you created that will refer their friends and family and secure our organic growth for many years to come.
Happy New Year 2016…..
Cal Haupt
Chairman and CEO
Southeast Mortgage of Georgia, Inc.


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Sociopolitical comedian W. Kamau Bell is coming to the Arlington Cinema Drafthouse for the first time this Friday.
The host of the CNN show "United Shades of America" is known for exploring tough subjects. In two seasons of "United Shades," Bell has spent time with members of the Ku Klux Klan and has sat down with Alexandria-based white supremacist Richard Spencer. The show was nominated for a Primetime Emmy award in 2016.
But although he's been outspoken about his support of social causes, Bell says his comedy act is not about political affiliation.
"I feel the need to make the jokes about the people who I feel need to have jokes made about them, it could be the left, it could be the right, could be somewhere in between," he said.
The comedian believes that too many of America's issues have been politicized even though those issues exist no matter where someone is from. By poking fun at both sides, he believes he helps erases some of the social divides.
"We think of the north and the south and the west and the Midwest, but every town, every city, every part of this country, there are different things going on," Bell said. He thinks that once people stop focusing on what makes us different, "we'd realize that we all want more money from our job, we all want better schools for our kids."
In an especially polarized political climate, Bell thinks that his show can be a place for people to unwind. He says his visits to places with histories of racism often turn out to be the best shows, because the audience members need the break more than anyone else.
The author of the book "The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell: Tales of a 6′ 4″, African American, Heterosexual, Cisgender, Left-Leaning, Asthmatic, Black and Proud Blerd, Mama's Boy, Dad, and Stand-Up Comedian," released early this month, wants people to leave his show willing to engage with those with different perspectives.
"We are not as strong in our communities as we think we are, we need to get to know our neighbors," Bell said. "We need to get to know the people two streets over, we need to get to know people outside of neighborhoods."
And although it can be uncomfortable, he believes it's an important learning experience.
"Awkward can often lead to a better place, a smarter place and a more joyful and more informed place," Bell said. "That's what I'm encouraging people to do, lean into the awkward."
Bell will perform two shows at the Drafthouse on Friday, an early show at 7:30 p.m. that is now sold out and a late show at 10 p.m. Tickets are $35 for general admission, $63 for general admission and a book.
Courtesy photos
Arlington Public Schools parents and teachers remain divided over the county's one-to-one technology initiative ahead of possible revisions to the school system's strategic plan later this year.
The rollout of the program began during the 2014-2015 school year and provides iPads for elementary and middle school students, Macbook Air laptops for high school students. The hope was that every student attending an Arlington school would have a device by 2017.
Prior to the program teachers had to check out laptops for assignments that were based online, or reserve computer lab space. In some cases, students had to pair up to complete assignments.
One middle school parent said that although her children have access to technology at home, the program is the county's "best option" for those who don't — helping to level the playing field for those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Attended by parents and teachers, the conversation was focused on how the technology is impacting the classroom. The main concerns for many parents were how teachers could balance the use of the technology with traditional learning and how parents could monitor how their child is using their device.
Jennifer Burgin, a second grade teacher at Oakridge Elementary School, shared how her students used their iPads to identify real deer teeth samples. When the assignment was over, the devices were replaced with pencil and paper.
"iPads are not meant to replace me, instead they help unleash me," said Burgin. "As I learn more about deeper learning practices and ensuring equity for all my learners, I use iPads to my advantage when they benefit all learners."
Several middle school teachers said that the technology makes their students more interested in learning, allowing them to research additional information or record and re-watch their teacher explaining challenging concepts.
Some parents, however, wanted to know what is being done to protect children from the dangers of the internet, with some saying there needs to be a county-wide policy on the use of the devices.
While there are schools that have blocked apps and have teachers conducting spot checks on student devices, parents said that there are still students who get in trouble for breaking the classroom guidelines. One anonymous parent alleged there is a culture of students using their iPads for inappropriate content.
"I can tell you that if a child is reported to have inappropriate content, their iPad is checked and if the content is there, the iPad is taken away from the child," she said. "But that is a Band-Aid on instance on a much wider systemic problem."
The one group that was absent from the meeting were parents of high schoolers. The older students got laptops instead of tablets because of their heavier course load and lengthier assignments.
"[Now] that students have laptops — which they have by and large learned to bring to class, charged, every day — [it] has facilitated a sea-change in how I deliver instruction," said Doug Burns, an English teacher at Wakefield High School. He said that an effective lesson plan helps keep students from misusing their devices.
Some suggestions for a more cohesive program included a training program for both teachers and parents, and placing more restrictions on the devices.
"If they would have thought about curriculum, investigated helpful apps, locked down the iPads to only those apps, not provide Safari, and train the teachers prior to rollout, the iPad initiative could have been much more successful," said one parent.
APS is set to revisit its strategic plan for the devices later this year.
(Updated at 3:20 p.m.) Arlington County just announced that it has joined other counties, cities, businesses and colleges in signing an open letter pledging to meet the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement.
President Trump announced last week he will withdraw the United States from the pact to help preserve American jobs and avoid placing heavy burdens on the country's taxpayers. The decision brought swift condemnation from local elected officials.
County leaders joined on Monday (June 5) an open letter to the international community and parties to the Paris Agreement entitled, "We Are Still In." The letter promises that efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will continue, regardless of federal policy.
"Arlington stands with communities across our nation and around the globe who recognize that climate change is real and that we must, both on the local and on the global level, meet its adverse effects with strong, effective action," said County Board chair Jay Fisette in a statement. "Just as we joined the Compact of Mayors in 2015 and agreed to set goals for reductions in greenhouse gases, so do we join the effort today of local communities that are pledging to uphold the Paris Agreement, even if the federal government does not."
The District of Columbia has also signed on to the pact and Virginia joined a similar state effort this week.
In light of President Trump's decision, the County Board will consider a resolution at its June 17 meeting reaffirming Arlington's commitment to combating climate change.
In a press release, the county touted its efforts already in the fight against climate change:
Arlington County adopted a forward-thinking Community Energy Plan (CEP) in June 2013, as an element of our Comprehensive Plan. The award-winning plan is a long-term vision for transforming how Arlington generates, uses and distributes energy. Its goal-setting and methods of achievement are consistent with the Mayors National Climate Action Agenda and the Paris Accord. Arlington's CEP aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 75 percent by 2050, and greenhouse gas emissions already have fallen 18 percent in Arlington between 2007 and 2015.
In 2015, Arlington signed the Global Covenant of Mayors for Energy and Climate, sponsored by the Compact of Mayors – open to any city or town in the world willing to meet a series of requirements culminating in the creation of a full climate action and adaptation plan.
In 2012, Arlington exceeded our goal of reducing government-wide energy usage by 10 percent, using the year 2000 as a baseline. Currently, we're competing in the U.S. Department of Energy's Better Buildings Challenge to reduce municipal building energy usage by 20 percent by 2020.
Our Arlington Initiative to Rethink Energy (AIRE) helps our community make smart decisions about energy and supports individual actions that improve and sustain Arlington's quality of life. County government buys more than 30 percent of its electricity as certified green power and buys carbon offsets against 100 percent of its natural gas use. Arlington is home to Discovery Elementary, the largest "net zero energy" elementary school east of the Mississippi River.
At its meeting in June, the County Board will consider a resolution reaffirming Arlington's commitment to combating climate change and to the goals of our Community Energy Plan.
Arlington will continue to work to make our County more prosperous, healthful, safe and secure through its efforts to rethink energy and protect the environment.
For more information about Arlington's environmental initiatives and efforts to reduce energy usage and energy costs, visit the County website.
This biweekly sponsored column is written by the experts at Gordon James Realty, a local property management firm that specializes in residential real estate, commercial real estate and homeowner associations. Please submit any questions in the comments section or via email.
Good office space isn't hard to find, if you know what to look for. The D.C. real estate market is extremely competitive, which puts tenants at an advantage because landlords will be more willing to work with you to meet your needs.
Check out the following factors to consider when looking to rent office space in the D.C. area.
Lease Terms
Unlike residential leases, commercial tenants are allowed to work with landlords to come up with a lease structure that works for them. If you're looking to open a retail business, you may want to do some renovation, so it's critical to have a lease that allows you to do that. Be aware of the different types of commercial leases and have a lawyer review the lease with you before signing.
D.C. has some of the worst traffic in the country. Is your space in a heavily congested area? If so, is it Metro accessible? If customers and employees cannot easily get to your location, you'll find yourself in an empty office. It may be worth the higher rent to find an office space that is convenient to the Metro and offers off-street parking.
Urban vs. Suburban
Your business will likely work in both urban and suburban areas, but there are advantages and disadvantages to each. Urban areas have more foot traffic and higher-income clientele, but rents are way more expensive than the suburbs.
Foot Traffic
Retail businesses will want a substantial amount of passersby in order to attract as many customers as possible. If considering space in a shopping center, check out the anchor stores and ask other tenants how much business they do just from people walking by.
Is your office easy to find? What about amenities? Many mixed use office-spaces include little extras that attract employees such as on-site daycare, restaurants and even dry cleaners. Choose a space that is convenient for yourself and employees.
While the city is extremely walkable, there are some suburban areas that are not. This may not be an important factor for your business but if it is, take into account the lay of the land and make sure that it is safe for people traveling by foot.
With the amount of choices available, finding an office space can be overwhelming. If you're unsure of what's best for your business, contact the commercial property experts at Gordon James Realty. We'd be happy to help.
(Updated at 1:30 p.m) The space vacated by Applebee's in Ballston less than three weeks ago will not be empty for long.
The restaurant at 900 N. Glebe Road closed on May 27. Applebee's closing followed the closure of the Greene Turtle Sports Bar & Grille in the same space in April 2016.
Despite the challenges of filling the large restaurant space on the western side of Glebe Road with customers, a new eatery called Bistro 1521 is set to move in soon.
Solita Wakefield, a partner in the business and the restaurant's general manager, said that Bistro 1521 will serve traditional Filipino cuisine like lumpia, adobo and pancit (noodles), plus fusion dishes mechado with a Spanish flair.
Wakefield was previously a co-owner of Bistro 7107, a Filipino restaurant on 23rd Street S. in Crystal City, which recently closed, according to Yelp. There are no other large sit-down Filipino restaurants in Arlington, Wakefield said, and only a handful elsewhere in the D.C. area. She expects to win over both Filipino customers — including those who work at the Philippines embassy — as well as those new to the cuisine.
Bistro 1521 is located in the same building as Stageplate Bistro, on the first floor of the the Virginia Tech Research Center. It occupies a large restaurant space, with seating capacity for 220 inside and 60 on the outside patio.
"It's going to be grand," Wakefield said.
Wakefield plans to keep the interior of the former Applebee's largely unchanged, with the addition of some Filipino paintings and other decorations. She also plans to keep Applebee's regularly-scheduled events, like cornhole, trivia night and painting night.
Wakefield is hoping that the business permits are approved in time for the restaurant to open in July.
Hat tip to Todd B.
Arlington Pet of the Week: Noodle
This week's Arlington Pet of the Week is Noodle, a dog that emmigrated all the way from Korea.
Here is what her owner, Sunnie, had to say about her:
Noodle is probably Arlington's most well-traveled pup!
We picked Noodle up from Dulles airport when she was just 6 months old after a 16 hour flight from Korea. Noodle was rescued by an amazing group called Hope for Donghae Paws. The group rescues dogs from rural Korea, many of whom come from the meat trade market, abusive situations and overall neglect.
Noodle has come a long way since her dog travel days and has warmed up to living in the States quickly!
Noodle loves her dog friends above all else; you can find her romping around the backyard of Potomac Towers with her friends, getting covered in sand at the Clarendon Dog Park or kickin' at doggy daycare.
In addition, she enjoys loungin' on the couch, throwing socks around, sleeping like a human and overall just being a happy pup! She also recently played a critical role in asking her mom to marry her dad! Although she looks mildly upset, we think she was just exhausted from keeping the secret for so long!
Want your pet to be considered for the Arlington Pet of the Week? Email [email protected] with a 2-3 paragraph bio and at least 3-4 horizontally-oriented photos of your pet. Please don't send vertical photos, they don't fit in our photo galleries!
Each week's winner receives a sample of dog or cat treats from our sponsor, Becky's Pet Care, along with $100 in Becky's Bucks. Becky's Pet Care is the winner of six consecutive Angie's List Super Service Awards, the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters' 2013 Business of the Year and a proud supporter of the Arlington County Pawsitively Prepared Campaign.
Becky's Pet Care provides professional dog walking and pet sitting in Arlington and all of Northern Virginia, as well as PetPrep training courses for Pet Care, CPR and emergency preparedness.
(Updated at 11:35 a.m.) An office in Rosslyn received a bomb threat last week, but no explosives were found.
The incident happened Wednesday morning on the 1100 block of Wilson Blvd. There are two office buildings on that block, though police did not specify which one was affected. The business that received the threat was education-related, we're told.
Police say the bomb threat was received via a letter, which was found by an employee. No threats were found during a K-9 sweep of the building.
More from this week's Arlington County Police Department crime report:
BOMB THREAT, 2017-05310114, 1100 block of Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 10:36 AM on May 31, police responded to the report of a bomb threat. The investigation determined that an employee discovered a letter alleging there was an explosive device inside the building. A K-9 sweep of the building was conducted with negative results. There is no suspect(s) description.
The rest of the past week's crime report highlights, including some that we've already reported, after the jump.
Members of the Four Mile Run Valley Working Group sought to regroup Tuesday night and try to plot a new path forward on the future of the Shirlington Dog Park.
But the need to balance the park needing to manage stormwater while preserving a beloved community asset weighed heavily after a strong backlash against reducing its size.
That community anxiety about the park's future helped result in the County Board directing staff late last month to go back to the drawing board. Plans drawn up by staff would have shrunk the 109,000 square foot park to as little as 27,000 square feet to accommodate stormwater management.
During their work session, Board members said there must be a better balance between environmental needs and community desires. But some working group members felt the environment was forced to take a back seat.
"I felt extremely distressed with the comments and presentation because it didn't deal with the environment," said group member Nora Palmatier.
Several group members also criticized staff for not presenting more options to deal with stormwater beyond a 35-foot buffer near the stream. And while at-large member Keith Fred said it was a "shame" there hadn't been more conversations about environmental protection at the site a year ago, others said it was an opportunity to put forward new plans.
"We have been challenged as a group and staff as well to think outside the box and look at other alternatives to protect what is a very important economic driver for the Valley," said group member Adam Henderson.
And Edie Wilson, a member of the working group representing the Shirlington Civic Association, said that despite the community's strong opposition to any changes at the park, residents care about balancing it with any environmental needs.
Wilson said it is possible to "walk and chew gum at the same time," and that with staff putting new options forward, she looks forward to seeing what can be done.
"We need to be very careful with the assumption that we don't care about the environment," she said. "We have a variety of ways to do both. There's work to do."
Later in the meeting, Wilson said more must be done to educate the community about what is being done in the area, and particularly to show them why changes may need to be made to the dog park.
"We really need some public education, and I mean public education in the most civil sense of the word," she said. "People have a lot of questions."
County staff said they will meet with County Manager Mark Schwartz later this week to chart a path forward for the park and other projects in the Four Mile Run Valley. No public speakers at the meeting addressed the dog park's future.
Though a bit of a roller coaster, it's been a cooler spring than we're used to in the D.C. area. It's June and the high temperature today isn't even supposed to break 70.
Good news for those who like it hot: A heat wave is on the way next week. And the first official day of summer is around the corner, on June 21.
What do you think of the relatively mild weather so far this year?
Each week, "Just Reduced" spotlights properties in Arlington County whose price have been cut over the previous week. The market summary is crafted by licensed broker Aaron Seekford of Arlington Realty, Inc. GET MORE out of your real estate investment with Aaron and his team by visiting www.arlingtonrealtyinc.com or calling 703-836-6116 today!
Please note: While Aaron Seekford provides this information for the community, he is not the listing agent of these homes.
This week we've identified our biggest Just Reduced property to date!
A home in Arlington County was reduced a whopping $500K this past week. Sure, it's still a $6.5 million unit, but it endured a 14 percent price reduction. That's a pretty big price cut in the real estate world.
We like to keep it real here at Just Reduced… and totally realize that a $6.5 million unit is not in everyone's budget. But, there are still some great catches out there with major savings, whether your budget is in the millions, hundreds of thousands… or you're looking for a stellar rental in one of our beautiful neighborhoods.
So, let's get started on your home search. I promise to help you GET MORE out of your transaction, no matter the budget.
As of June 5 there are 242 detached homes, 62 townhouses and 266 condos for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 48 homes experienced a price reduction in the past week.
Here is this week's selection of Just Reduced properties:
- 1881 N. Nash Street #TS01, 22209 – NOW: $6,499,999 (Reduced $500,000 on 6/2)
- 1307 N. Utah Street, 22201 – NOW: $1,399,000 (Reduced $30,000 on 6/5)
- 1635 13th Street S., 22204 – NOW: $849,999 (Reduced $50,000 on 6/2)
- 1616 N. Taylor Street, 22207 – NOW: $824,000 (Reduced $5,000 on 6/2)
- 4420 S. Four Mile Run Drive, 22204 – NOW: $609,000 (Reduced $11,000 on 6/5)
- 130 N. Bedford Street Unit B, 22201 – NOW: $439,000 (Reduced $10,000 on 6/2)
- 4501 Arlington Blvd #406, 22203 – NOW: $249,000 (Reduced $10,000 on 6/5)
Please note that this is solely a selection of Just Reduced properties available in Arlington County. For a complete list of properties within your target budget and specifications, contact Aaron Seekford.


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Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 282
Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone
Summary: I hugged my sisters and they fit against my sides like two jigsaw pieces that would never fit anywhere else. I couldn't imagine ever letting them go again, like releasing them would be to surrender the best parts of myself.
Three sisters share a magical, unshakeable bond in this witty high-concept novel from the critically acclaimed author of Audrey, Wait! Around the time of their parents' divorce, sisters April, May, and June recover special powers from childhood--powers that come in handy navigating the hell that is high school. Powers that help them cope with the hardest year of their lives. But could they have a greater purpose?
April, the oldest and a bit of a worrier, can see the future. Middle-child May can literally disappear. And baby June reads minds--everyone's but her own. When April gets a vision of disaster, the girls come together to save the day and reconcile their strained family. They realize that no matter what happens, powers or no powers, they'll always have each other.
Because there's one thing stronger than magic: sisterhood.
This book caught my eye when it first came out. My sister had many good things to say about Benway's first novel, Audrey, Wait! so I decided to give both of them a try. I enjoyed Audrey, Wait! a lot and had high hopes for this one as well.
April, May, and June are dealing with several issues: their parents have just divorced, their father moved away, and oh yeah, they just discovered they had magical powers. April has visions of the future. May can turn invisible. And June can read the minds of those around her--a talent that her sisters are less than appreciative of. Their newfound magic is just a quirky addition to their antics--until April sees a disturbing vision of the future. The girls must put aside their differences and work together in order to try to avoid their impending doom.
The three sisters were all very different but not in a hugely cliched way; June, the youngest, wanted to be popular but wasn't a vapid drone, May was kind of a loner type but didn't march around with a cigarette and a trench coat discussing how jaded she was, and April had an interest in academics and books, but she didn't obsessively study to the point of being a social pariah. Robin Benway continued expressing her ability to create realistic, believable characters, despite the fact that these three girls had magical powers.
I found the plot a little lackluster compared to Audrey, Wait! Despite the interesting characters and realistic setting for the sisters' magic, the plot fell flat. I think that I maybe wanted more humor. Instead of worrying about the danger, I think I would have appreciated the big thing in this book to be made of funny antics or a wacky misunderstanding. I liked the characters, but they were not interesting enough on their own to overcome the lackluster nature of the plot. May came the closest, but I feel like she also got the least amount of story, maybe because of the nature of her power?
So, The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May & June disappointed me a bit due to my high expectations going in. The book was still pretty decent, so if you're looking for a contemporary read with just a hint of magic, check it out. I'm looking forward to Benway's next novel (due out Winter 2013?), which is supposed to be about a teenage spy or detective (combination?).
Rating: 3 - decent.


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Thursday, June 3, 2010
Andrew Thornton's Thursday Give away
Andrew is giving away some pretties from Green Girl Studios, that have me drooling a bit! I just love the goodies from Green Girl, so head on over to his blog and check it out!
Posted by moonlitfantaseas at 8:55 AM
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Sephora by OPI USA! USA! Top Coat is made up of small red and blue hex glitter and larger red, blue, and silver hex glitter. The Sephora web site describes it as a red, white, and blue glitter but there is no white glitter, instead there is silver. Since this is intended to be used as a top coat it was surprising how much glitter is packed into the bottle. Application is a little thick and one coat was used. Its probably possible to achieve opacity in three, although it would probably chip quickly due to the thickness of the glitter. A variety of bases were used to show you what Sephora by OPI USA! USA! Top Coat looks like over red, white, and blue. In order from pointer to pinky: Zoya Rekha (red), OPI Alpine Snow (white), and Orly Shockwave (blue). What is your favorite Olympic sport?
|Sephora by OPI USA! USA! Top Coat
Clear base with red, silver, and blue hex glitter
|Zoya Rekha, OPI Alpine Snow, and Orly Shockwave


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Tag: Justice League Dark
by Daniel Pickett
February 8, 2017
"Justice League Dark," the next installment in the popular, ongoing line of DC Universe Original Movies, is now available everywhere from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on Blu-ray Deluxe Giftset, Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital HD. Below you will find an official, all-new clip from "Justice League Dark" featuring the introduction to Swamp Thing, one of the film's many highly-anticipated…
by Daniel Pickett
February 7, 2017
Below you will find an official, all-new clip from "Justice League Dark," the next installment in the popular, ongoing line of DC Universe Original Movies. The film is now available from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on Digital HD, and will arrive on Blu-ray Deluxe Giftset, Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD on February 7, 2017. The clip features Constantine,…
by Cesar Zamora
January 24, 2017
"Justice League Dark" is the latest DC Universe Original Movie from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment that brings together a team of supernatural heroes to stop a paranormal foe. Last night attended I attended the movie's premiere in Beverly Hills. The movie is available today on Digital HD and will be available on Blu-Ray Feb. 7th….
by Daniel Pickett
November 18, 2016
WARNER BROS. HOME ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS THE MYSTICAL SIDE OF SUPER HEROES IN ALL-NEW DC UNIVERSE ORIGINAL MOVIE JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK ON BLU-Ray TM DELUXE GIFTSET, BLU-Ray TM Combo pack AND DVD FEBRUARY 7, 2017 AVAILABLE TO OWN ON DIGITAL HD STARTING JANUARY 24, 2017 Celebrity-Laden Cast Features Matt Ryan Reprising his Acclaimed Television…
by Erik "Superfriend" Skov
February 28, 2015
by Daniel Pickett
April 22, 2014
Here are the latest and greatest solicitations from the good people at DC Collectibles. These products will appear and be available to pre-order in the next issue of Diamond's Previews at your local comic book shop. The products announced in this solicitation will be arriving in stores in October 2014. ACTION FIGURES DC COLLECTIBLES BATMAN…
by Daniel Pickett
January 21, 2013